Volume 103 Issue 13

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 103, Issue 13

TheFordhamRam.com

September 29, 2021

Electronic ID Cards Cause Confusion

NYPL Bronx Library Programs

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ

By EMMA KIM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After a large influx of students coming to campus for the fall semester, Fordham ID Services is currently facing a shortage of physical identification cards to provide for students according to Sanjida Rufaida, FCRH ’25, a student worker in ID Services.

Now, students who want to register an identification card with the university must do so through an electronic ID (eID) as the department awaits a shipment of blank plastic cards, according to Rufaida.

Shortages of physical IDs began just two weeks after the department began offering them, said Rufaida. As people continue to line up and request a physical card, the department must defer them to a later date.

The department is unsure about when to anticipate the arrival of the materials, said Rufaida. “I’ve been telling people ‘two weeks’ for about four weeks now,” she said. Rufaida still isn’t sure when students who want to get their hands on a physical ID card will be able to do so.

The delay is causing frustration

Multiple New York Public Library (NYPL) branches in the Bronx are offering in-person backto-school educational programs this fall. Launched on Sept. 20, the programs are designed to help students with school and provide free educational resources for local communities.

Alexandria Abenshon, manager for School-Age Children’s Programming at the NYPL, said that the programs are aimed at addressing some COVID-19 related discrepancies in services. “We want to reach out to historically under-resourced places. We are pushing our resources to branches that need support the most,” said Abenshon.

There are four different programs that select Bronx branches are participating in. The first is STEAM Discovery Kits to help students develop their science, technology, engineering, art and math skills. Another program is NYPL After School, a free drop-in program that helps students aged six to 12 with their homework.

The Teen Reading Ambassadors program offers students a chance at a paid internship, where they help the students in the NYPL After School program. The final program is College and Career Pathways, which gives local high school students the chance to explore different career and educational opportunities.

“Our goal is always to inspire life-long learning for kids through reading and tinkering,” said Abenshon. “When we look at the STEAM kits, it gives kids an opportunity to understand that STEAM is actually accessible. It is a good opportunity for them to engage with coding, stargazing and robotics. It removes a barrier that was in place. The kits are free with a library card and a great opportunity to drive interest in com-

SEE IDS, PAGE 3

ISABEL DANZIS / THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham administrators hope to open the newly-constructed sections of thecampus center by late fall this semester.

End in Sight for First Phase of Construction on Student Center

By ISABEL DANZIS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The new campus center on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus has been under construction since January of 2020. The entire construction project is not projected to be completed until 2025, but students may be able to access

amenities in “Phase One” of construction as soon as “late fall,” according to John Spaccarelli, Director of Special Projects and Facilities.

According to Stephen Clarke, assistant director for Campus Center Operations, Phase One of the project includes an improved student lounge and fitness center space.

This initial phase also includes

new, sleek office space for campus ministry and career services, as well as the Center for Community Engaged Learning.

“Phase Two” includes the finishing of a grand arcade that will connect the new building to the existing SEE BUILD, PAGE 4

USG Adds Class of 2025 Senators

By JESSICA NOCE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF ABC NEWS

Fordham faces an uncertain future as severe weather events due to climate change threaten campus infrastructure.

Severe Weather Forces Fordham to Consider Climate’s Future

By LUCY PETERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The effects of Hurricane Ida closed many Fordham facilities as it swept through the eastern United States in early September. The temporary closing of Walsh Library and

the basement of the McGinley Center, including the fitness center, and the relocation of some students in oncampus housing raised the question of Fordham’s preparedness for extreme weather conditions due to climate change in the future.

Jasmine Petrov, FCLC ’22, and one of the leaders of Fordham’s Climate Impact Initiative, said the flash flooding emphasized the uncertainty of the city’s future in terms of infrastructure. “Climate change and the climate crisis ... is pretty much new to us,” said Petrov. “We’ve SEE CLIMATE, PAGE 5

The fall semester here at Fordham University marks the beginning of another year of advocacy by the United Student Government (USG).

Friday and Saturday, USG completed its elections for the class of 2025; the most significant first-year class in Fordham history.

The election yielded five new senators, with three from Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and two from the Gabelli School of Business (GSB).

On Saturday, Sept. 25, USG announced that Andy Diaz, Zachary Jones, Ella Briggs, Carley Walker and Jack Glynn will represent the class of 2025 this academic year. Elections for USG senators representing upperclassmen were held at the end of SEE 2025, PAGE 5

SEE NYPL, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion

Page 8

Elizabeth Holmes: An Omen for Silicon Valley

Sports

Page 20

Fordham Football Earns First Win of Season

Culture

Page 11

Recent Dance Festival Highlights Indian Dance

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Sept. 22, 2021 Walsh Library 3:50 p.m.

A fire alarm was activated due to a detector in the roof duct. Public Safety responded and evacuated the building. FDNY responded and reset the alarm. Occupants were allowed to reenter the building.

A second alarm was activated a short time later, and the building was evacuated again. The cause was determined to be a faulty detector device, and it was replaced.

Sept. 24, 2021 E. 191 St. and Hoffman 12:45 a.m.

Public Safety received a report that Fordham students were outside of a resident’s house and were damaging one of his plastic planters. The complaintant observed two males and one female dump the contents of one of his large plastic planters.

The students proceeded to further damage the planter by repeatedly kicking it. The victims observed the students swipe into campus via the Walsh Gate.

Sept. 25, 2021 Arthur 2 7 a.m.

A student reported his scooter stolen from the lobby of Arthur 2. The student stated that he had locked the scooter by the stairs the night before. The student said that he used a cable with a lock, which was also missing. At 11:15 p.m., the student reported that he located his scooter in front of Cosi. He now does not believe his scooter was stolen.

September 29, 2021

Fordham Welcomes a Brand New Cross Cultural Club

By AVA KNIGHT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Friday, Sept. 17, the Cross Cultural Club was the first club of the 2021-2022 school year to receive official approval from USG after a year-long application process.

Kat Duffy, FCRH ’22, president of the Cross Cultural Club, first started the application process in September 2020 with the goal of creating a space where “multiple cultures within one person [could] be represented on campus.”

Duffy said the club hopes to highlight different perspectives and establish a community where others can learn about each other’s unique identities. “We live in a world that’s very monocultural,” she said. “I’m mixed race, halfBlack and half-Mexican, but fully white passing and that comes with a lot of tension in day-today life.” Duffy discussed going to other cultural club events on campus and feeling different from everyone else, discovering the need for a space on campus to “catch everyone who doesn’t

fit into a certain box that a lot of the other cultural clubs emphasize.”

In high school, Duffy served as the president of a mixed race affinity group that she found to be incredibly helpful for herself and her peers. Duffy hopes that the Cross Cultural Club will be a similar space where “others can learn from each other and sort out being comfortable in their own identities.”

The Cross Cultural Club faced several obstacles throughout the application process for USG and administrative approval, including setbacks due to COVID-19.

Audrey Felton, FCRH ’22, vice president of club operations, highlighted a nuanced addition to the club’s constitution that required some creative innovation.

The addition allows Lincoln Center students, as well as commuter students, to serve as “student delegates” on the executive board so that club members who don’t live on the Rose Hill campus can be better represented within the club.

Felton said that the club is a good addition to campus because

“we have so many cultural clubs, but they are more niche and represent one culture or nationality, whereas the Cross Cultural Club represents intersectionality and overlap between cultures.”

Similarly, Arianna Chen, FCRH ’22, executive vice president of USG, emphasized the club’s role as a valuable resource because it embraces important aspects of intersectionality.

Chen hopes the impact of the club will allow “students to be able to find community and feel like they have people they can connect with and turn to on campus.”

Duffy said that the club was able to host unofficial meetings on campus prior to receiving USG approval. She said that one of the most meaningful moments since the creation of the Cross Cultural Club was when she “sat back and listened to everyone’s perspectives.” Duffy felt validated during this moment, “seeing the need on campus and knowing that people [were] passionate about making this space.”

Chen affirmed these senti-

ments. “We were already seeing the impact of the club before they even got official approval,” she said.

Alex DiFiore, FCRH ’22, vice president of the Cross Cultural Club, said his role is centered around leading club meetings and facilitating conversation.

Now that they have received official club status on campus, DiFiore said that the club will have more “breathing room to do other things,” such as going to club fairs, receiving administrative funding and resources as well as being provided with an official space to meet on campus.

Now that they’ve received approval, the Cross Cultural Club plans on hosting weekly meetings. DiFiore said the club plans on facilitating conversation on “cross cultural representation in the media, hosting viewing parties to watch international films, and taking a trip to the Queens Night Market.” He said the club’s executive board looks forward to utilizing campus resources in order to grow community and expand into new spaces on campus.

Sept. 27, 2021 McGinley Center 11:31 p.m.

A student reported he observed a male student kick open an exterior door of the McGinley Center. The student stated he observed the male approach the far-right exterior door and attempted to open it. When the door failed to open, the person kicked it, which broke the locking mechanism. Public Safety is investigating.

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COURTESY OF ISTOCK

The new Cross Cultural Club offers an intersectional space for Fordham students who have different cultural backgrounds or personal identities.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Sept. 29

Thursday Sept. 30

Friday Oct. 1

Saturday Oct. 2

Sunday Oct. 3

Fordham Flava Auditions

Every Vote Counts: Voter Registration

Chess Club Kickoff Meeting Loyola 102 4 p.m. — 5 p.m.

CAB WAC Soul Cycle

Soul Cycle, E. 63rd 12 p.m. — 1 p.m.

Fordham PACE Pulaski Parade

Fordham Flava, the university’s hip-hop dance group, will be holding new dancer auditions in McGinley’s first floor this week, next to the Marketplace.

Every Vote Counts Fordham will be holding a voter registration event in the McGinley Lobby this week. Students can attend the event and register or pre-register to vote.

Fordham’s Chess Club will be holding its first meeting of the year in Loyola Hall on Friday. Both newcomers to chess and chess experts are welcome to attend.

Campus Activities Board (CAB) will be hosting a group trip to Soul Cycle in Manhattan this weekend. Join in for an afternoon of exercise and recreation.

Polish American Cultural Exchange will be hosting a trip to the 84th annual Pulaski Day Parade on Fifth Ave. The parade will be celebrating the 100th birthday of St. John Paul II.

McGinley North Dining 7 p.m. — 11 p.m.

McGinley Lobby 12 p.m. — 3 p.m.

Manhattan 11 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

NEWS

September 29, 2021

Page 3

Fordham Awaits Shipment of New Physical ID Cards FROM IDS, PAGE 1

among students. “I tried scheduling an appointment to get a physical ID at the beginning of the semester, and they randomly canceled my appointment,” said Jacey Caplan, FCRH ’24. “When I tried to schedule a new one, they had no appointments open to schedule.”

Assistant Vice President for Communications, Bob Howe, said the university is not able to control how quickly it can get a new shipment of ID cards. “There is a chip shortage in the global markets which has created a long lead time in getting blank ID cards,” said Howe. “We are requesting that users with eID not switch to plastic cards unless it is absolutely necessary.”

For most students, the only alternative to a physical identification card is an eID. However, many students have reported malfunctions or glitches occurring between the eIDs and the university’s scanners within the past month.

“I’ve noticed a lot of problems with the electronic IDs not working and so kids are always getting locked out of dorm buildings,” said Clare Balsan, FCRH ’24, who works as a desk assistant in a residence hall on campus.

According to Balsan, students have also “been having problems at dining locations with their IDs not working,” making it difficult to get food on campus.

The issues between the eID and scanners began to be reported to Fordham IT Customer Care at

a higher rate after Labor Day weekend, explained Howe.

Rumors surrounding the cause of the seeming incapabilities between eID and scanners began to circulate as more and more students began to report complaints with Fordham IT. Some students have suggested that those with iPhones won’t be able to have a well-functioning eID. “This is an inaccurate statement,” said Howe. “The card reader uses Bluetooth for door access and Apple Pay uses NFC. The card readers use the same backend to check both physical and electronic ID.” When reports about eID malfunctions began to rise, Fordham IT sent out a mass email to remind students how to operate their electronic identification cards. This is the approach the department took after the post-Labor Day rise in reports. “Once the communication was sent out, we saw almost a 60% dip in the number of calls coming to ITCC the next day and about 90% dip in calls about two days later,” said Howe.

Howe, citing Fordham IT, said that most malfunctions from the eIDs occur for one of three reasons: “(1) The VitalCheck self-reporting process was not completed at least 30 minutes before a person used the eID to swipe into a building or room. (2) the ‘eID - Card Access’ tile in Fordham’s mobile app was not being used. The tile below, that opens the photo id, was used instead. (3) or the VitalCheck QR

COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Some students have complained that Fordham’s new electronic ID option is not convienent to use around campus.

code was being used.”

However, if Fordham IT confirms that the malfunctions are coming from the scanners and not the eIDs, then service on that scanner begins as soon as possible, said Howe. He said many of the problems in these circumstances stem from internal system errors instead of hardware shortcomings.

On Sept. 27, Fordham IT updated the interface of the Fordham

Mobile App make usage of the eID more intuitive for the user, per an email sent out by Fordham IT. The update adds a large button titled “eID Campus Access” that students can tap. Tapping this button opens up the eID’s scanning ability and will allow quicker access to open doors.

The update also adds a smaller button titled “eID-Photo Card” that will display a digital photo of the identification card.

Fordham began issuing electronic IDs at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester “in response to the COVID requirements issued by the state, city and CDC to provide students who were going to be on campus with a way to get a university ID without going to a location and standing in line,” explained Howe.

Currently, there are almost 4,800 students registered with an electronic ID, said Howe.

Safety Report Shows Decline in Incidents During Pandemic

By SOFIA DONAHUE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Every year, an email is sent to Fordham faculty, students and staff with the Public Safety Annual Report. In addition to policies, safety services and programs, the report also includes statistics on incidents across all three campuses: Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester.

This year’s report, released last week in an email to the Fordham community, contains crime statistics from 2018, 2019 and 2020. The three years’ worth of statistics include particular types of crimes that were reported to have occurred on campus, offcampus buildings, school-owned property and public property adjacent to campus.

According to this year’s report, the number of alleged incidents across all three campuses decreased in 2020. The pandemic forced the cancelation of large in-person events such as Homecoming, Family Weekend and Spring Weekend, and limited crowd attendance at sporting events, which may account for the slight decrease in safety incidents on Fordham campuses.

According to the report, liquor law violations account for the largest percentage of offenses at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, according to the report. At Rose Hill, there were 1,044 liquor law violations in 2018, 849 violations in 2019 and 561 violations in 2020. There was a 20% decline between the number of liquor law violations between 2018 and

COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

The annual Public Safety report released this September revealed a dip in the number of crimes on campus last year, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 and a 40% decline between 2019 and 2020.

When comparing liquor law violations in 2018 versus 2020, there is a 60% decrease in the number of incidents, likely because of the fewer number of students on campus in 2020 as well as the decrease of in-person events in and around campus.

Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus also experienced a decrease in liquor law violations. There were 70 liquor law violations in 2018, 74 violations in 2019 and 39 violations in 2020. The most dramatic gap is the number of liquor law violations in 2018 versus 2020.

When comparing the two, there is a 57% decline in incidents.

Liquor law violations were not the only incidents that decreased during the pandemic. Overall, the report showed that incidents

generally decreased across the board. Categories that saw a decrease in number included “burglary,” “rape,” “fondling,” “dating violence,” “stalking,” “drug abuse violations” and “hate crimes.”

John Carroll, associate vice president of Public Safety, said he believes that the lower number of incidents in 2020 is directly related to the lower student resident population. When asked how the pandemic affected work in Public Safety, Carroll noted that most Fordham students and faculty were either remote or hybrid last year.

Carroll said Public Safety worked tirelessly, day and night, to protect the Fordham community. Public Safety faced complications such as staff contracting COVID-19 and needing to recruit staff members to serve as Con-

tact Tracers. As a response to the pandemic, Public Safety regularly reviews its safety protocols, adapting based on the constantly evolving nature of the pandemic, said Carroll. For example, last year’s closing of Walsh Gate was a safety measure implemented because of COVID-19, he explained.

However, with the technology determining vaccination status through Fordham ID and Vital Check this fall, Walsh Gate was permitted to open for the 2021-22 academic year, said Carroll.

Christopher Rodgers, the assistant vice president and dean of students at Fordham Rose Hill, praised public safety’s dedication to protecting students. “I am quite proud that our staff and departments were able to help Rose Hill remain up and running throughout last year despite largely re-

mote classes, a residential cohort reduced by a thousand or so students and the many challenges posed by that phase of the ongoing health emergency,” said Rodgers.

When asked if he thinks the number of incidents will remain low this year, Carroll said he believes it is unlikely. “[Public Safety] anticipates with the increased resident population combined with one of the largest first-year student populations, crime statistics will rise,” said Carroll.

Rodgers also noted that there is a possibility for more incidents in next year’s report.

“Now that the campus is once again more fully alive with commuter and residence students, we hope to see a return to normal in multiple areas and are prepared if this includes mischief or even more serious misconduct,” Rodg-

NEWS

Page 4

September 29, 2021

Select Bronx Libraries Introduce New Educational Programs FROM NYPL, PAGE 1

munities. Women in STEAM is something I have always been passionate about, and it would be great to see young ladies grabbing kits and becoming future scientists.”

The Bronx Library Center, which is close to Fordham’s campus, is one of the branches that are participating in these programs.

“The Bronx Library Center is the flagship location for the Bronx,” said Melissa Davis, branch manager for Bronx Library Center. “We are trying to work together with the community to reengage and reconnect with the public. We know it has been a long 16 months, so we are looking for a variety of ways to reconnect with New Yorkers.”

Davis said she was ready to kick off the programming at the Bronx Library Center.

“This Monday, our NYPL After School Program is starting, and we are very excited about it,” she said.

“There will be a tutor where children can get a one-on-one assis-

tant. The transition from virtual to back in person can be difficult for some kids, especially reengaging in the school setting. Some might need extra help with their homework and assignments, and it is a free service offered here.”

In addition to the programs, Davis said the library also offers other resources and programs for all ages, including children, teens and adults.

“Patrons will come to us if they do not have the resources at home,” said Davis. “Public computers are free of charge. People can use them for researching, school, personal reasons, job searches and extracurricular activities.”

Overall, Davis believes the library and its many services positively impact its Bronx neighbors.

“We offer these services because we want to create a welcoming environment for the community,” she said.

In the future, when it is safe and feasible, the Bronx Library Center

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The New York Public Library now offers new educational programming in select libraries throughout the Bronx.

is also excited to bring back live programs in their auditorium, such as stage plays, musicals and poetry slams, which are all free of charge, said Davis.

Though there have been difficul-

ties with the pandemic, libraries have taken it as a learning experience, said Abenshon.

“Every organization with in-person work has struggled throughout the last 18 months,” she said.

“These programs are a good opportunity to innovate and think differently. It is a good opportunity for us to be creative and think about how we can better serve the community.”

Student Access to New Student Lounge, Expanded Fitness Center and Meeting Spaces Expected As Early as Late Fall FROM BUILD, PAGE 1

McGinley Center. This second phase is anticipated to be finished in 2023, according to Clarke.

“Phase Three” of the project includes renovating the McGinley Center. This includes areas such as the Marketplace, post office and club suites.

The new campus center will contain three floors and a basement level. The lowest level will eventually be entirely fitness equipment and gym facilities, likely including a varsity athletics training space, according to Spaccarelli.

The gym will contain Olympic equipment, as well as expanded cardio and lifting sections. The current expansion of the fitness center is already bigger than the existing Ram Fit Center, said Spaccarelli.

The entire first floor of the new building will be entirely a student lounge. The lounge will contain vending machines and possibly a “grab and go” food station, though this addition wouldn’t come for another few years, Clarke told The Ram. There will be monitors on the wall and several meeting rooms for students. The second floor will be home to the new Campus Ministry offices as well Career Services.

The new office for Career Services will have ten “interview rooms” that have switchable glass, allowing students to adjust the transparency of glass dividing walls for privacy purposes. Both offices will also include a pantry space.

The third floor will be home to a new “special event” space. This event space will likely cater towards “higher-end events,” such as alumni events, award ceremonies and banquets, according to Clarke.

The new event space has ornately-carved stations of the cross set into the main wall, which were

formerly featured on the second floor of the McGinley Center.

On each floor of the new campus center, there will be genderneutral bathrooms in addition to men’s and women’s restrooms.

In addition to the bathrooms, each floor will have space available for “mothering,” according to Clarke.

New trees and benches will stand outside the building. Additionally, there will be brick pavement extending to the road, as well as new grass.

Construction on the building has been continuing quite steadily, despite many potential setbacks, said Spaccarelli.

The construction project was not halted for very long by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued when the university went online in March 2020.

Spaccarelli told The Ram that fewer students being on campus during the heigh of the coronavirus pandemic allowed construction workers and equipment more space to work efficiently.

“COVID allowed us to swing tractor trailers around without running into students,” joked Spaccarelli.

Additionally, the flooding that occurred in early September of 2021 did not cause any pause in construction or any significant damages, said Spaccarelli.

This fall marks Spaccarelli’s 30th year at Fordham, he said.

He has worked on many other construction and renovation projects on the Rose Hill campus over the years, including Hughes Hall, Loyola Hall and Faber Hall.

Spaccarelli told The Ram that he thinks that the new campus center project is looking great and will be a nice space for Fordham students to enjoy in the coming years.

“I just hope that students respect it,” said Spaccarelli.

ISABEL DANZIS/THE FORDHAM RAM

The third floor of the building features a “special events” space with stone carvings of the Stations of the Cross.

ISABEL DANZIS/THE FORDHAM RAM

The campus center features a gallery that will eventually connect the building with the existing McGinley Center.

NEWS

September 29, 2021

Page 5

Club Leaders Discuss Sustainbility at Fordham FROM CLIMATE, PAGE 1

heard about it for many, many years [because] this has been affecting many people around the world but this, in a sense, is the first time where it has actually been affecting New York in a big way.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also recently acknowledged the effects climate change will have on the city in future decades in an MSNBC appearance.

“This was not part of any previous playbook, but we’ve got to literally change the whole way of thinking,” said de Blasio.

During the first week of the semester, New York saw record levels of rainfall — more than three inches per hour — during the storm, causing flooding in subways stations, basement apartments and many of Fordham’s own facilities.

Mason Lambrix, FCRH ’22, another student leader of the Climate Impact Initiative, pointed to Fordham’s and New York’s weak points in regards to being prepared for extreme weather events. “I think a lot of the infrastructure is outdated or not properly maintained, and we’ve seen with the subway systems what can happen,” said Lambrix. “We do have a very beautiful campus, but it shows that with extreme weather we are lacking in certain areas. So, we can see where our weaknesses are and go from there.”

Walsh Library at the Rose Hill campus opened in 1997, but there are no records of Walsh having been renovated since its construction. The construction of a new campus center is planned to be completed in 2025,

according to Fordham News.

The student leaders of the Climate Impact Initiative did compliment Fordham on its adaptability to unforeseen circumstances. Liza Cohen, FCRH ’22, said she believes the pandemic may have shown administrators how to adapt to new challenges in the future.

“From a community building standpoint, I think that COVID-19 is really the only thing that has prepared[Fordham’sadministration]for the possibility of not having a homebase,” said Cohen. “Maybe a good thing that came out of COVID-19 is that we are prepared to create a home-base knowing that there’s the possibility that our campuses may not [be able to provide that].”

However, Ben Spicer, FCRH ’23 and another student leader in the group, described Fordham’s approach to unexpected events as “reactionary” as opposed to proactive. He believes that this approach, whether due to “bureaucracy or attitude,” can be harmful in the long run in terms of issues like climate change.

“Things like climate change are not being talked about as much as they should be,” said Spicer. “Obviously, with the flooding there wasn’t too much preparedness.”

Lambrix added that this reactionary mindset might be productive in terms of speeding up construction on campus.

“If there’s more extreme weather, like if there’s a really bad winter like it’s expected to be [this year], there could be more flooding and issues and there might be quicker timelines on those kinds of things [fixing old

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Fordham University currently has a collection of solar panels on the roof of the parking garage at its Rose Hill campus.

buildings],” Lambrix explained.

The student leaders of the Climate Change Initiative also projected the most pertinent issues that could impact Fordham directly in the coming decades.

“I think the biggest challenge [for] Fordham would be their mindset,” said Lambrix. “Fordham is just in no way, shape or form ready to make these massive changes. We don’t even have an office of sustainability. I feel like that

would be step one.”

Dealing with the effects of climate change requires great, immediate action, said the group leaders. Their views mirror those of other climate change-focused groups across the globe.

The UN’s Race to Zero campaign, for example, is a coalition of actors that “cover nearly 25% of global CO2 emissions and over 50% GDP” aiming to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 at the latest. Efforts like

these are crucial to lowering our carbon emissions by the “point of no return,” as described by the Climate Clock.

The Ram has also reached out to Fordham’s administration regarding how the university can prepare for climate change in the future. Next week, Marco Valera, vice president of administration, will comment on Fordham’s preparedness for the future effects of climate change.

Fordham First Years Elect Five New USG Senators

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Fordham’s class of 2025 elected five USG senators, three FCRH students and two GSB students, this September.

FROM 2025, PAGE 1

the spring semester of 2021.

This year’s election was extremely successful. Candidates worked to make their names and plans of action widely known to the entire student body using marketing strategies such as posters spread throughout campus and a heavy

social media presence.

According to Arianna Chen, FCRH ’22, executive vice president of USG, “The election process is … a great opportunity for the candidates to not only meet new people, but also for USG to gather a sense of how the class is feeling going into this unique school year."

Chen said she is excited to be able to work with “such a talented and passionate group of representatives” this year and hopes that together they can work to “take action and initiative on student policy and programming to better the entire community.”

Newly-elected senator Andy

Diaz, FCRH ’25, is an honors student intending to major in communications and political science. As a USG senator, Diaz said he hopes to work to include a wide variety of amenities and accommodations for residents and commuter students, as well as work to improve several other aspects of campus life and extracurricular opportunities.

Zachary Jones, FCRH ’25, said he plans to work to revise the university’s contraceptive policy, work to make the campus community more diverse and inclusive for all, improve the quality of student life here at Rose Hill and strengthen the universitycommunity relationship.

Ella Briggs, FCRH ’25, intends to major in political science and history on the pre-law track. Briggs said their plan as a class senator is to “focus on initiatives that change several of the school’s policies and implement new ones so that Fordham distributes free condoms, menstrual products and drink covers to any student that may need them” in order to promote a safer campus environment.

Carley Walker, GSB ’25, said she wants to major in business administration with a focus in marketing. As a senator, Walker hopes to focus on topics such as improved dining accommodations and resources, encouraging greater engagement with the surrounding Bronx community and promoting mental health awareness across campus.

Jack Glynn, GSB ’25, said he hopes to improve residence hall

accommodations, such as water fountains and ice machines for residents, as well as promote more environmentally-friendly practices across campus.

To learn more about the newly elected representatives and their respective agendas, readers can visit the USG website.

In addition to the newlyelected first year students, USG is made up of the executive ticket, which includes President Thomas Reuter, FCRH ’22, and Vice President Arianna Chen, FCRH ’22, and the executive board, which consists of committee representatives.

The rest of the senate which is composed of five senator student leaders from each grade.

These senators work on personal initiatives and serve as representatives for their respective classes.

With all of their regular positions now full, Chen said USG is excited to begin taking action on both personal and more wide-ranging goals, specifically focusing on the “reintegration of the university community this transitional year, strengthening kinship on campus through mentorship and DEI initiatives and community engagement with the Bronx.”

As always, all members of the Fordham community can contribute to USG by joining a wide range of committees or by attending a senate meeting, which are open to the public, explained Chen. Meetings occur every week on Thursday evenings, said Chen.

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Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ramoffice is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor-in-Chief Rachel Gow Managing Editor Dylan Balsamo Editorial Director Erica Weidner Multimedia Director Hunter Benegas Business Director Aidan Youngs Production Editor Vanessa DeJesus Copy Chief Megan Dowden Assistant Copy Chief Ginny Belt News Editor Abbey Delk Features Editor Hasna Ceran Assistant News Editors Sebastian Diaz Isabel Danzis Opinion Editors Emma Lipkind Taylor Herzlich Culture Editors Ava Erickson Sara Tsugranis Assistant Culture Editor Hanif Amanullah Sports Editor Alexander Wolz Assistant Sports Editors Michael Hernandez Kaley Bell Digital Director Katie Morris Digital Producer Collette Campbell Visual Director Pia Fischetti Photo Editor Mackenzie Cranna Graphics/Illustrations Cory Bork Editorial Page Policy

The Fordham Ram’s editorial re-

flects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram accepts submissions to fordhamramopinions@gmail. com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

September 29, 2021

From the Desk | Kaley Bell

The Voice of a Black Student Against Racism After UMass Scandal I’ve never wanted to cry more over a social media post than just recently, when I saw a triggering Instagram story.

A Boston University student posted pictures of an email that a student from University of Massachusetts at Amherst received.

The user (amarri.rose) explains in her caption that she reposted the email because “it need[ed] more attention.” She also urges everyone who sees her post to “repost this, share it on your story, do whatever you can.”

Either a group of students or a single student decided to send an email addressed to the “Black Students of our campus.” This email contains hateful statements, such as “We look down upon you” and “You people should seriously consider doing the human race a favor and getting sterilized.”

It is posts like these that make me want to cry, scream and hide at the same time. I want to cry because this is the pain and fear that I face and feel every day while in school. I am scared because there are instances in which I fear that many people I encounter on a dayto-day basis may feel this way.

I want to scream because I feel the pain and struggle that those Black UMass Amherst students must feel. I imagine myself getting that email, and I think that I would leave immediately. If I was in their situation, I would want to do what I could to escape that pain and struggle.

I feel like I want to hide because there are moments of fear that I cannot escape when I read posts like this. This message was a four paragraph essay filled with hatred.

This makes me scared of those who could hate me based on something that I cannot control.

When I read that post, I immediately called my best friend who attends a historically black college and university (HBCU).

After sending him the post, we talked about it, and I was surprised by our very different reactions to something that we both could relate to.

A friend of mine grew up in Washington, D.C., an area not far from me. We had different high school experiences; he attended a private school with a majority Black student body, and I attended an all girls’, predominantly white school. Our experiences have always been different, but we’ve been able to connect with and relate to many similar situations.

My friend and I discussed this quote: “You people should seriously consider doing the human race a favor and getting sterilized ...

You should consider ... sparing human race exposure to your DNA.” We agreed that quote made us feel a deep sense of pain. With so many people of our background fighting against systems that hate us, quotes like this show that we are not wanted in such systems.

Since we have had such different school experiences, we both had very different reactions. He was more concerned with the fact that it did not affect him in any way.

However, I felt like I was personally attacked in an email that wasn’t even sent to me.

I think about my experiences at school, and then I read “you simply did not get here on merit,” and I find myself wanting to hide. I

doubt myself because someone is saying that they do not think that Black people even belong in higher education institutions. The email goes on to say, “students are not the only [ones] who think this and know this (it is a common fact that a Black person can score hundreds of points lower on the SAT) but also professors and TAs.” These thoughts and struggles are not felt by me alone, and I know now that I have people who feel the same way I do.

Throughout high school, I felt alone in a class where no one looked like me, and I sometimes felt like people did not want me

there, just like the email said: “Not only do you lack intellectual chops you never truly fit in with campus culture or any clique on campus and the only reason we engage with you is out of fear of being called racist…”

I know Fordham is not UMass Amherst, but it is not very far from it. During my three years here, I know where I stand within the Fordham community, and I hope that the freshmen now are able to realize that they are not alone.

We have people who will support us and are willing to take a stance against injustices like these that we see happening across the country.

Editorial | Student Health

The Unfortunate Return of Fordham’s “Freshman Flu” Over the past few weeks, a number of Fordham students have gotten sick. This probably isn’t news to you — if you’ve been on campus recently, you may have noticed your friends missing from class or heard classmates suppress their coughs.

These students are not sick with COVID-19 — the elephant in the room when anyone starts coughing — but with minor illnesses, like the common cold. Even if students test negative, there is an increased sense of fear and uncertainty. In light of the past year, we are unsure how to navigate being sick.

Our fellow peers getting sick is an unfamiliar sight for us. At the very least, it is one we have not seen in a while. Although the pandemic has raged on, many of us have avoided sickness for the past year and a half. It seems counterintuitive that Fordham students would experience good health amid the coronavirus, but this was the direct result of preventative measures.

During earlier stages of the pandemic, Fordham required masks everywhere and classroom spaces,

dining locations and library desks were de-densified. Those measures were meant to stop the spread of COVID-19, and they were largely successful at doing so. In the process, they also stopped the spread of other illnesses. For instance, fewer people became sick with the flu last winter: Masks significantly slowed transmission, since the flu is also a respiratory disease. Other illnesses, like the common cold, were also less common as a result of COVID-19 prevention measures.

As Fordham returns to its full capacity and eases mask requirements outdoors on campus, the common cold is making its comeback.

After living through a pandemic, it’s natural that we get scared at the slightest sign of illness. We feel paranoid when we hear someone cough nearby, and we stress at the mere hint of a sore throat. In the face of this, we have to remember what college was like before COVID-19 happened — before we all became hyper-aware of our health. Most upperclassmen at

Fordham likely experienced some kind of “freshman flu” during their first few months of college. While it’s far from a pleasant experience, it makes sense that sickness spreads so easily in a college dorm.

Our dorms house a large number of students in a small space.

For the past year, we have treated every sneeze, cough and sniffle as cause for alarm and reason to isolate ourselves. Now, as minor illnesses make their way around Fordham, we must recognize that the situation has changed. Nearly all Fordham undergraduate students — 98.76% — have been fully vaccinated, and the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 is low.

Therefore, we need to stay calm and remind ourselves that, unfortunately, catching a cold in the fall is a part of college life.

If you feel sick, you should schedule a COVID-19 test with the Health Center. At Rose Hill, you can call 718-817-4160; at Lincoln Center, call 212-636-7160. Even if you are pretty sure you do not have COVID-19, it’s important that you get tested. A negative test result

means you can relax and focus on taking care of yourself instead of stressing over your symptoms.

Regardless of what you come down with, we want to remind you to get plenty of rest, drink water and treat your symptoms. You can buy over-the-counter cold medicine at Walgreens or ask a friend to go if you don’t feel up to going yourself.

Even if it’s “just a cold,” we urge you not to go to class — if there is one good thing COVID-19 protocols have done, it is that we no longer have to force ourselves through our daily schedules while we feel terrible.

Professors will understand; they want to prevent your classmates from getting sick too. Be honest about how you feel and follow up with your professors about whatever you miss in class.

It’s never easy being sick, and if you caught a cold around campus, we sincerely hope you feel better soon. We encourage you to take care of yourself and others, and we wish everyone in the Fordham community good health.

September 29, 2021

OPINION

Page 7

Nuclear Submarine Deal Embodies Shifting International Relations

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The United States announced a new submarine partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom, excluding France.

By MICHAEL SLUCK

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week, the United States announced a new trilateral security partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom known as AUKUS. The first goal of the alliance is to provide the Australian military with a fleet of nuclear submarines to replace the outdated technology they had previously been using.

The announcement of the alliance should have been a cause for a celebration, but quickly turned into an international scandal.

The French, who previously had a submarine deal with the Australians, were not informed of the new partnership until hours before it was released to the public.

The French, claiming that the Americans had betrayed them,

recalled their ambassadors from both the U.S. and Australia and cancelled a state dinner in Washington.

The French omission from AUKUS suggests the creation of a new international order in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Following the French backlash, President Biden reached out to French President Emmanuel Macron in order to smooth tensions, resulting in the ambassador being sent back to their position.

Many journalists have accused the French of overreacting, citing the fact that the U.S. deal was simply a better option than the French one, since it provides better caliber technology. While many, including the Biden administration, concede

that the French should have been informed at an earlier date in the deal-making process, there’s no reason for this to cause a longlasting breach in U.S.–French diplomatic relations.

One of President Biden’s major campaign promises was to place more pressure on the Chinese government, which has become increasingly hostile toward U.S. interests. One of the reasons the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan was to focus on competing with China.

International relations are shaping up to look like a second Cold War, this time with the United States against China. The U.S. is tightening its relations with its closest allies, especially in the Pacific Ocean.

France is clearly trying to avoid aggravating either country, thus

ensuring the best economic prospects for the European Union. In a post-Afghanistan world, that may no longer be possible.

The French were not the only government upset about the new deal. The Chinese publicly complained about the alliance as well, suggesting that it accelerates the nuclear arms race.

In the Cold War, the French were firmly allied with the United States against the USSR. This time around, France belongs to the EU, an economic alliance with its own unique diplomatic goals that do not always mesh with U.S. interests.

Many EU countries — France included — want to maintain a balance between U.S. and China, and avoid antagonizing either.

After all, many EU member states have economic interests in China. They cannot afford to support solely one side or the other.

France and Germany declared China a security risk at the last North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, but they also signed an investment deal with the Chinese government.

This deal came despite criticism about Chinese government actions against pro-democracy protesters.

One of the central priorities of the EU is to maintain Europe’s influence as an actor on the world stage. Both the Americans and the Chinese have a tendency to nudge other countries out of the

spotlight when it comes to alliances.

Allying themselves with the Americans against the Chinese would mean the French would once again take a “junior partner” status in the global conflict, something the European Union wants to avoid.

AUKUS is only the first step.

Both the United States and China will continue to invest in new weapons, strengthen their ties to allies and seek to undermine each other on an international scale.

These tensions will only escalate.

France’s attempt to remain somewhat neutral in regard to foreign relations will only become increasingly more difficult.

The U.S. has allied themselves with the U.K. and Australia because these countries have remained constant in their support for U.S. policy against the Chinese government.

The French, as well as the EU as a whole, have remained tepid in their outright support for either China or the U.S. However, the time is coming when France will have to pick a side.

Let’s hope they choose wisely.

Michael Sluck, FCRH ’24, is a political science and computer science major from Verona, N.J.

Why We Need More Good News

By DANIELLA TERILLI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Have you experienced that bogged-down feeling after seeing a negative headline on TV or in newspapers? Have you ever felt a sense of dread while mindlessly scrolling through your phone and stumbling upon a report of some tragic event? You’re not alone. Especially within the last year and a half amid the global COVID-19 crisis, consuming too much bad news has been horrible for our mental health.

To address this problem, today. com has created a section entirely dedicated to “good news.” If you ever get tired of hearing about violence, wars, death and overall gloom, today.com and other similar websites can provide a respite through stories of laughing babies, generous surprises and dogs playing in the snow.

What does this say about today’s journalism? The answer is two-fold.

First, a glaring reason for putting out positive stories is to offset the constant stream of negative news.

Outside of the consequences of being consistently exposed to bad news, just hearing about tragedies

and loss regularly is not enjoyable.

Second, constantly reporting on disasters is incredibly difficult for journalists. Just as the good news articles provide a refreshing, much-needed break for readers, covering happy stories about Boy Scouts saving someone’s life, for example, are therapeutic pauses for reporters. These articles are relieving, and they function as necessary spaces to breathe for both those who put out news and those who consume it.

However, the relevance of positive news stories is entirely subjective, as is the case with most news we consume. We don’t need to hear about a toddler starting a friendship with his neighbor any more than we need to hear about a freak accident resulting in the tragic deaths of three people. Unfortunately, one type of message is relayed to us infinitely more often than the other. The good news articles might be considered “fluff,” but they are crucial reminders that the world isn’t always as dark as it seems.

Many people get fed-up with negativity and choose to ignore politics and world news completely. This is an understandable response. Constant sorrow becomes

overwhelming. Nonetheless, it’s crucial for people to stay informed on current political issues.

The opposite reaction of overconsuming the news is also extreme. Increased anxiety, depression and stress are serious detriments. We shouldn’t be consuming news to the point where our mental health is compromised.

The reporting of so many depressing events is unnecessary. In many cases, tragic and sad stories are used merely to garner attention. We can see this at work with how the media sensationalizes events. Readers often play right into this.

Have you ever noticed how, when there’s a car accident on the road, drivers always slow down to see what’s going on? People can’t seem to look away.

There is a similar phenomenon with negative news. No one derives joy from hearing about mass shootings, natural disasters or war crimes. However, our morbid curiosity gets the best of us, and if an opportunity to hear about something negative presents itself, we engage with it.

Media sources know this and use it to their advantage. Whatever path gets the most attention

— and financial gain — is the one they take.

Negativity pervades the news cycle, and this isn’t likely to change anytime soon. To avoid harming our mental health, we need to take steps to protect ourselves.

Today.com and many similar websites are starting to offer posi-

tivity to us, but we have to actively choose to engage with this news and use it as a break from all of the other disheartening media we are exposed to.

Daniella Terilli, GSB ’24, is a marketing major from Westchester, N.Y.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Today.com has created an entire section dedicated to “good news.”

OPINION

Page 8

September 29, 2021

Financial Literacy: The Subject Matter Higher Education Is Lacking

By MIA POLLACK

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you’re an undergraduate college student who isn’t studying business, chances are you feel behind in your financial knowledge.

Therefore, it would be beneficial and anxiety-relieving for students to have basic education regarding the economy and personal financing, no matter what your course of study may be.

For most students, the undergraduate experience is intensely focused on planning for the future in both a professional and personal sense.

For students who are not studying in an economic field, the financial knowledge required to begin a professional career post-graduation is often lacking.

It may seem early for college students to be concerning themselves with retirement plans, but by starting to invest young, students can end up saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they retire.

Chase Bank provides an excellent way for someone to have nearly $200,000 by the time they retire if they invest $100 per month from ages 25 to 65.

A highly suggested plan for investment for college students is a Certificate of Deposit or CD. This is a great option for students, es-

pecially those who simply want to gain exposure to the world of investing.

In exchange for committing a certain amount of money to the bank for a set amount of time, a CD will pay a fixed amount of interest.

This is one of the best ways for students to get their foot in the door of investing, especially because a CD will allow them to accumulate money with a certain future goal — like retirement — in mind.

It is not an imminent investment, and therefore is not as intimidating.

For some colleges, educating students in the world of investment is part of the curriculum. This is not a new concept; certain universities have been exposing undergraduates to the investment process since the later half of the 1900s.

For example, the University of Northern Colorado Foundation gave undergraduate students $200,000 of the endowment in 1992. Each semester following, twelve seniors in an investment class would be charged with the responsibility of more than $500,000 of the university’s total endowment.

When examining the outcome, these students were extremely successful in their efforts. Not even 10 years following the launch of the program, the portfolio was worth $546,700. In more recent years, some institutions have begun of-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Financial literacy should be taught to all higher education students, regardless of their educational interests.

fering similar opportunities to even younger students.

Many high schools offer business and financial courses as electives. However, the only students enrolled in these courses are those who already know they are interested in pursuing a career in the financial sector.

High school is the optimal time for all students to become exposed to concepts surrounding personal finance. College is generally the beginning of students’ financial independence to some degree; having a basic understanding of budgeting and investing from high

school courses would be extremely beneficial.

Financial education should be offered to college freshmen as well.

In order to encourage healthy financial habits among students, Fordham could offer a lifestyle course required of all first-year students. There is no doubt that the Gabelli cohort coursework, taken during the fall semester of Gabelli students’ sophomore year, provides valuable insight to the business sector and the importance of investing.

However, a general teaching of these topics to all students would

be very beneficial.

Adding financial education to a first-year seminar course would not only provide students with a basic understanding of independent financial processes, but would also help in their overall transition to college. Studies have proven that enrolling in a first year seminar enhances students’ retention.

Why not put that to good use with information about student investing?

Mia Pollack, FCRH ’23, is a psychology and journalism major from Fairfield, Conn.

Elizabeth Holmes Is a Forewarning for All Bigwigs of Silicon Valley

By SAMANTHA SCOTT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Using only a single prick of blood for testing purposes, Theranos attempted to revolutionize the medical industry.

The efforts were spearheaded by a charismatic CEO intent on changing the world. It sounds like the perfect investment opportunity: a way to buy into the future of biotech.

However, beneath the facade of revolution was a crumbling

company that misled its investors to keep afloat. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, is a cautionary tale to other tech ventures but it’s not unique. Unfortunately, the culture of Silicon Valley creates an environment ripe for fraud.

Within Silicon Valley, there is an encouragement to get shareholders involved in a high-risk, high-reward culture. CEOs must ask themselves if the risk of deceiving those invested in the company is worth the reward. Many

CEOs find this risk to be worth it, so why is Elizabeth Holmes the only one on trial when so many other tech start-ups seem to be crumbling as well?

Elizabeth Holmes was following a playbook used by dozens of other tech CEOs: a vision and the ability to persuade others to see that vision, even if the technology had not yet been created.

Much like her idol, Steve Jobs, Holmes believed she was forming the future, even as those within her company said otherwise.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The failure of Elizabeth Holmes’ company is a symbol of the defects of Silicon Valley work culture and business models.

Holmes is not the only CEO who has followed this playbook to failure. Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, also faced widespread allegations of misleading shareholders and overvaluing the company upon filing for an initial public opening (IPO).

Other CEOs of major companies have faced controversy during their tenure. For example, Kevin Burns, the former CEO of Juul, left the company after it became connected to the youth vaping epidemic. Elizabeth Holmes might be the only CEO of the group to go on trial, but these issues point to a more significant problem within tech start-ups and the culture of Silicon Valley.

The difference between Elizabeth Holmes and the other disgraced CEOs of Silicon Valley is the evidence that prosecutors have against her.

First, Theranos’ position as a biotech company places more emphasis on the potential risk to the health of others.

Secondly, prosecutors allegedly have evidence that Holmes acted intentionally to defraud investors. This can be pretty hard to prove in white-collar fraud cases.

Just because prosecutors were able to find evidence to try Elizabeth Holmes with fraud doesn’t

mean that other CEOs aren’t guilty of ruining other peoples’ lives or finances.

In the aftermath of the Holmes trial, the culture of Silicon Valley will most likely remain stagnant as other business bigwigs continue to distance themselves from the failure of Theranos. Current and future CEOs should look at the collapse of Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes as a lesson for how to run a business.

“Innovators who seek to revolutionize and disrupt an industry must tell investors the truth about what their technology can do today, not just what they hope it might do someday,” says Jina Choi, the director of the SEC’s San Francisco regional office.

The playbook used by CEOs of Silicon Valley promotes fraud and something must be done to change it. First, there needs to be more transparency between investors and companies about the product being developed.

Whether this is a change in the investment culture or actual changes in the law, the scenario and assumptions made in Silicon Valley need to change.

Samantha Scott, FCRH ’24, is an international political economy major from Columbus, Ohio.

September 29, 2021

OPINION

Page 9

Our Lady of Tears in Recovery

By BIANCA PARRINELLO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced the 2024 reopening of the NotreDame cathedral following the devastating fire in 2019. The building will reopen shortly before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

While it may seem like just a building, the Notre-Dame cathedral has come to mean something much more in its 850-year history.

Not only signifying the Catholic Church, which was once a powerful but now dwindling institution in France, the cathedral has also played a role in some of France’s most momentous events.

The Notre-Dame cathedral, which broke ground in 1163, saw the crowning of Henry VI of England during The Hundred Years’ War and Napoleon as emperor in 1804. Napoleon even restored Notre-Dame after the perils of the French Revolution, when the cathedral’s treasures were destroyed and plundered. Napoleon had his eyes set on an unconventional crowning ceremony in Notre-Dame.

Napoleon ushered in a new age that saw the return of Catholicism as the majority religion. In 1944, the cathedral held a mass celebrating the French liberation from the Germans.

Into the late 20th and beginning of the 21st century, the cathedral saw its introduction

to a new generation with Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. It has since become a popular tourist spot and serves as a lesson in art and gothic architecture.

For the French, Notre-Dame has seen it all, both the good and the bad. It bears the marks of history, so when the beloved cathedral went up in flames back in April 2019, it made headlines not only in France, but around the world.

I found myself in disbelief and, in joining with the masses, posted a picture to my Instagram story of Notre-Dame from when I visited along with some generic captions. In reflecting, it is always fascinating to see how people react to tragedy, especially in the day and age of social media.

French billionaires reacted by pledging millions to rebuild the cathedral before the fire even went out. While this sentiment seems altruistic, many immediately found an issue, claiming that the speed and size of donations

by France’s wealthiest citizens to rebuild a building was tone-deaf.

While these are all valid points, I don’t think the reason why so much money was raised is as simple as “white privilege” or billionaires wanting to receive a tax break. So, why is it that money was able to be pledged so quickly to rebuild Notre- Dame while so many international issues go ignored?

The restoration of art and ar-

chitecture should be something we can all get behind.

As Bernard Arnault, the richest man in Europe and top contributor to the rebuilding fund says, “it’s an empty controversy.”

Many argued that the contributions could be better used elsewhere to deal with numerous French social emergencies.

France’s yellow-vest movement claimed that the ability to garner so much money for the cathedral after months of them protesting about issues such as the high cost of living and rampant poverty in Paris was frustrating.

Others have called attention to the fact that the United Nations’ goal for humanitarian aid for Yemen, which is on the brink of famine, has not been reached. Nor has much attention and money been accumulated for the destruction of religious heritage sites in Syria

by ISIS. The French identity, particularly in the past few centuries, has gone through a series of very drastic changes. From France’s collaborationist government with Nazi Germany, its troubled history of decolonization, a recent spike in terrorism and the current political divide, the French identity has taken a beating.

There is no easy solution to any of this. But when one of your most beloved monuments catches fire, that is something you can fix.

Concerning the cries of the yellow-vest movement, the famine in Yemen, the religious sites in Syria,

and all of the other problems in the world, there is no simple fix to them.

From a Western perspective, we have assigned cultural and historical significance to the cathedral, so when it catches fire, we all look. The cathedral was something tangible in peril. Since it is a state-owned building, it

wasn’t insured, so the money had to come from somewhere. These French billionaires aren’t necessarily rebuilding a cathedral, but something much more important: a sense of French identity.

Bianca Parinello, FCRH ’23, is a political science and history major from Queens, N.Y.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The French president announced the 2024 reopening of the Notre-Dame.

Representative A.O.C. Should Have Been M.I.A. During the Met Gala

By NOAH OSBORNE STAFF WRITER

The Met Gala is one of New York’s cultural summits where America’s elites gather for cocktails, networking and blinding

photo-ops. Models, singers, television personalities and politicians come together to make a fashion statement.

This year, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez struck a tasteless pose in her controversial dress, mut-

ing her intended statement with a tone-deaf execution.

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez arrived at the Met Gala sporting an elegant white dress with the phrase “Tax the Rich” boldly emblazoned in red on the back. Fash-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Met Gala dress was a failed attempt to garner support for raised taxes.

ion has long been used as a means of self-expression and as a way of spreading awareness about political issues. However, there are two glaring holes in Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to do this.

Considering her influential hold over New York City politics as a representative, Ocasio-Cortez could have advocated for taxing the wealthy in other, more effective ways.

For instance, she could have lobbied for legislation — something President Biden continues to ponder. A collaboration with Biden would shine a better spotlight on these socioeconomic issues.

The second flaw is far more serious. By choosing to attend one of the most exclusive events built for America’s upper class, OcasioCortez is actively supporting the wealthy and providing them an even greater platform. OcasioCortez exploited an issue she claims to care about by using it as a fashion statement at an elitist event laden with the same wealthy class of people she vocally reprimands. This move unnecessarily diminishes her political sentiment.

This was definitely the most inappropriate way for Ocasio-Cortez to express her message.

With the onset of the pandemic, many minority communities found themselves falling into poverty at higher rates than their wealthy white counterparts. Additionally, women accounted for a substantial portion of lost jobs in the last year at a towering 55%.

A more appropriate example of raising awareness would be starting and supporting peaceful rallies which call for legislative change.

Ocasio-Cortez’s stunt was more successful at garnering critical headlines rather than inspiring necessary dialogue. Even worse, the designer of Ocasio-Cortez’s dress has been accused of owing thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes as well as refusing to pay interns.

Ocasio-Cortez failed to elicit productive dialogue. Instead, she further ignited harsh rhetoric surrounding increased taxes.

The disparities in America’s economy must not go unremedied. We as a nation must remember that these issues are far too significant to be reduced to a wealthy politician’s fashion faux pas.

Noah Osborne, FCRH ’23, is a journalism major from Harlem, N.Y.

Page 10

September 29, 2021

The Mimes and Mummers’ “Noises Off” was a hysterical production, especially in the first two acts.

Floral Tattoo self released “You Can Never Have a Long Enough Head Start.”

September 29, 2021

CULTURE

Page 11

The Erasing Borders Dance Festival Highlights Indian Dance

BY AVA ERICKSON CULTURE EDITOR

The Indo-American Arts Council hosted its 14th annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival from Sept. 22 to Sept.

26. The event is typically held outdoors in lower Manhattan, but due to pandemic concerns it was held in a completely virtual format this year.

Despite the unorthodox format, the online event was a success, showcasing 10 artists trained in different styles of Indian dance.

The Indo-American Arts Council is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1998 with the intention of bringing Indian arts into mainstream American media. Since then, they have hosted a wide variety of festivals, performances and exhibitions to “foster an exchange of artists and arts related information between India and the United States.” Every year the Indo-American Arts Council receives about 80 applications from Indian and Indian-inspired dancers and dance companies all over the world to participate in the Erasing Borders Dance Festival. They carefully select the participants to curate a diverse set of dances from all styles, experience levels and locations.

This year’s Erasing Borders Dance Festival kicked off on Sept.

22 with a Bharatanatyam performance by Rukmini Vijaykumar.

Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance that is typically performed by a solo woman. Because the festival was in a virtual format, the performers could experiment more with their backgrounds, as opposed to a typical performance on a stage.

Vijaykumar danced through narrow city alleyways, on a dock looking out over a foggy body of water and in front of a gray stone wall. These changing locations made the performance feel more like a music video than a traditional show, which was incredibly engaging. Vijaykumar’s dance was performed to “Presto”

from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.”

This surprising, but incredibly cohesive way of meshing the arts was a perfect way to kick off the festival, as it reinforced the message to erase borders and celebrate the art of dance.

The next performance was a contemporary dance performed by Preethi Athreya, titled “Sediment.”

Athreya and filmmaker Vijay Boothalingam came together to create a visually stunning performance which shows Atherya dancing at the Marakkanam Salt Pans in Tamil Nadu, India. The first of a three part series, this performance explores a period when salt production was suspended due to high rainfall.

The final performance of the first night was another Bharatanatyam performance called “The Adventures of the Naughty Bee,” performed

by Sonali Skandan. Before the performance, choreographer Maya Kulkarni told the story of the naughty bee, which helped the audience better understand the concept during the actual dance. Throughout the performance, beautiful graphics appeared on screen behind the dancer, making the performance more appealing to a virtual audience. The night wrapped up with a panel discussion among the performers and choreographers, where they discussed the concepts and goals behind the night’s performances.

The second day began with a similar panel discussion with the performers, choreographers and the curators of the festival. As 2021 is the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, the Festival’s director, Deepsikha Chatterjee, acknowledged this celebration, saying “the 75th independence anniversary celebrates and reflects on the milestones of freedom and struggle … For this year we selected dance works that ponder on the issues of old struggles, new ideas, hard-won achievements, renewed actions and future faceing resolutions.”

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The 14th annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival took place in an all virtual format from Sept. 22 to Sept. 26.

Following the panel discussion, a Kathakali performance

by Kalamandalam Adithyan was shown. As Kathakali is a form of classic Indian dance that aims to tell a narrative, the story was put on the screen before showing the actual dance. Kathakali is often characterized by elaborate costumes and makeup, so the five onstage performers were dressed in colorful costumes, and two of them wore bright masks.

Next the directors of Kalbeliya World, a global solidarity program for artists of the Kalbeliya community in Rajasthan, India, presented the mission of their organization and a traditional Rajasthani folk song and dance was played.

Friday, the third day of the festival, opened with a performance by Kaustavi Sarkar. Sarkar performed an Odissi dance, a style which is characterized by bhangas or symmetric body bends. Next, a dance film titled “Storm,” created by Jyotsna Vaidee, was shown. The film was inspired by the writings of Arundathi Roy and Maya Angelou and it aims to explore human identity, especially amidst the

ongoing pandemic and racial awakening. The third day was also presented in conjunction with a panel discussion.

The performances for Saturday were sandwiched by panel discussions, which was a helpful format as it gave the audience a few things to look for before the performance, while also allowing for a post-performance reflection. The first performance, choreographed by Vaishali Trivedi, was called “Intimate Foe,” and its goal was to raise awareness about plastic pollution. Five dancers moved across the stage around a pile of plastic, cast in blue light. It concluded with one of the dancers standing in the center of the stage with a piece of plastic covering her head. The dance was not only beautiful, but brought awareness to an important issue.

Next, a film called “Prithvii Tatvam” by Bindu Rajendren was shown. This performance also addressed environmental issues, calling for action in response to climate change, using select Sanskrit verses mixed with English poetry. Rajendren was

shown dancing in various outdoor locations throughout the dance film.

The final performance of the festival was another dance film by Meera Sreenaranayan which conveyed the inner monologue of a freedom fighter. By mixing on-stage dancing, graphics, highly edited footage and text on screen, the film was incredibly visually appealing and told a compelling story.

The festival wrapped up with two morning workshops. The first, which was on Saturday, was on the classical dance style of Manipuri, and Sunday’s was a Rajasthani folk workshop.

Overall, the festival was a success.

Many performance-based events have struggled to transition to an online format, but the Erasing Borders Festival did it perfectly. Instead of just showing a straight shot of a stage with traditional performances, the festival incorporated several dance films and utilized unique editing techniques to create more engaging content for online audiences. All of the performers were incredible, and it was so wonderful to see such a diverse set of talents.

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Anna Nguyen, FCRH ’24!

Sophomore Establishes Herself as a Woman in STEM

BY ISABEL DANZIS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

“[There’s] a whole ‘woman in STEM’ mentality. Not a lot of people think you can do it, and proving them wrong pushes you to work harder than anyone else,” said Anna Nguyen, FCRH ’24.

Nguyen is currently a biology major on the pre-med track and is a part of Fordham’s honors college.

“That sounds like a lot and it is a lot, “ said Nguyen. “Sometimes it feels like you’re pushing yourself to the point where you’re going to fall off a cliff, but at the end of the day, I know I’m working towards something. I know that I have people supporting me, just in case I need it.”

Because of her extremely heavy course load, Nguyen spends a lot of time studying and working on her academics. While that is tiring and difficult, Nguyen also finds it rewarding.

“I study a lot, almost constantly.

So when I see other people that don’t have to, it makes me sad, but it makes me happy that I know I am

pushing myself to my fullest potential,” said Nguyen.

After her time at Fordham, Nguyen hopes to attend medical school to get her M.D. Nguyen is currently interested in the field of psychiatry, specifically clinical or forensic psychiatry. Like many fields in medical practice, psychiatry is male-dominated. However, that does not intimidate Nguyen.

Nguyen is inspired by her mother and other strong women in her life, whose attitudes and life lessons help to make this gender gap less intimidating. Additionally, Nguyen notes the high female presence in a lot of her classes.

“I would say my science classes are pretty 50/50 female and male.

My honors classes are more femaledominated,” noted Nguyen.

Additionally, Nguyen stated that she has found comfort and felt more at ease on campus with the new freshman class of 2025.

“I’m Asian, and the freshman class has been the most diverse class at Fordham, and that is so apparent and comforting,” said Nguyen.

“I have been attending ACE club meetings and when you look at the roster, most of the members are from the class of 2025.”

The heightened diversity on campus has also affected Nguyen’s classes. According to Nguyen, this year there have been more minority students and students of color in her classes.

“Seeing so much more diversity on campus makes me really happy.

Seeing people like me or seeing people who are also minorities trying to find a place in this place we call our college [makes me happy],” said Nguyen.

Nguyen has always found a community within Fordham’s honors college. “Honors is amazing and they really push you to try your best and think outside of the box,” said Nguyen.

The honors college is a community that Nguyen finds helpful in inspiring her to continue to work hard and be driven.

Nguyen is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans and its unique culture have impact-

ed how Nguyen lives her life, especially when it comes to achieving her goals. New Orleans has a focus on living life to the fullest and enjoying every day like it’s your last.

For Nguyen, this mentality has

stuck with her after moving away, and it continues to inspire her to push herself to her highest potential.

“New Orleans is a big part of who I am,” said Nguyen.

COURTESY OF ANNA NGUYEN FOR TTHE FORDHAM RAM

Nguyen’s unique experience growing up in New Orleans has impacted her life.

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September 29, 2021

Kat’s Mental Health Column | Kat Timofeyev

“Survivor” Takes into Account Competitors’ Mental Health The newest season of “Survivor,” premiered last Wednesday, Sept. 22, after a hiatus due to the pandemic. Though fans were beyond excited, myself included, I fear I have no choice but to highlight the poor effects of the competition on the contestants’ mental health.

For those unfamiliar with the show, “Survivor” is set up as a competition in which contestants are divided into tribes that complete various challenges in hopes of getting some sort of reward. Additionally, they can win immunity — meaning no member of the winning tribe can be voted off that week. They are deprived of their most basic needs and left out in the middle of an island to fend for themselves, getting voted off one at a time.

At some point in the season the tribes are merged, and by the end it is an individual game.

Though this is already challenging, there’s one more catch that really ups the level of deceit among the contestants. As the losing team returns to their camp more exhausted than they already were, they must decide who they want to send home that week. This is no easy task, as secret alliances form in hushed

conversations where no one but the camera man is watching. And, as has happened numerous times, everyone thinks they are on the same page and have the majority needed to vote somebody off. In reality, they are being lied to and end up going home themselves.

To add even more of a twist, there are hidden immunity idols on the island which contestants may play to save themselves, thus sending home the second mostvoted-for individual.

It’s not too hard to imagine the negative effect that this has on the contestants. After being isolated from their social support systems and shipped off to a deserted island, they meet a brand new group of people whom they must depend on in order to survive. Yet at the same time, they know they must betray them or be betrayed. Never knowing who to trust, but being forced to do so anyway, would be challenging even without considering the fact that they are on a remote island.

On earlier seasons of the show, the reward for the winning tribes was opening letters from their families back home. But more frequently, the rewards were actually seeing their families and being allowed to spend the day

with them. This opportunity is often snatched away when tribes lose, and the emotion on the contestants’ faces when this happens is heartbreaking.

The onslaught doesn’t stop when the show is over. As previous contestant Debb Eaton explained during the reunion episode following her season, she was relentlessly mocked by those she worked with every day. She also explained that the media dug up her past for headlines, leaving her once-private life in shambles.

Other contestants faced backlash from fans, such as Katie Gold, who was bullied by viewers who did not like her character. Gold even had to attend therapy for years to beat her depression.

Still, it’s important to point out that the show isn’t some evil creation aiming to destroy its contestants. In fact, in a rather progressive move considering how long ago it started, the show does provide mental health resources to its contestants. Before being cast on the show, contestants meet with a mental health provider, who must essentially give them the “all-clear” to participate. They must also meet with this person after they get voted off. In 2002, CBS published an

article where they revealed that there is a psychologist present to debrief with the contestants after each tribal council. Contestants are also made aware of the “severe mental stress” they will be subject to in their contracts. Of course, this is not a perfect system, and the pitfalls of reality TV are ever present, but it is reassuring to know that the producers of

the show have the mental health of their contestants in mind.

“Survivor,” like many reality TV shows, subjects its contestants to mental health risks; but unlike other shows, it seems to provide at least some protection. All in all, it’s certainly not the worst we’ve seen, and it does seem like they’re looking out for the participants.

COURTESY OF CORY BORK FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Kat’s Mental Health column, a bi-weekly column, explores mental health.

With “MONTERO,” Lil Nas X Proves He’s Not a One Hit Wonder

BY TAYLOR MASCETTA STAFF WRITER

At last, Lil Nas X has given birth. After documenting his pregnancy on social media for weeks, the pop-rap star released his highly-anticipated debut album, “MONTERO,” on Sept. 17.

After the unprecedented success of his 2019 single “Old Town Road,” which was number one on the Billboard charts for a recordbreaking 19 weeks, many assumed that Lil Nas X would end up riding off into the sunset. Even though his debut EP “7” also produced hits like “Panini” and “Rodeo,” it failed to connect with audiences as well as “Old Town Road” did.

Lil Nas X made sure this

wouldn’t happen again. After years of development and an extensive promotion, “MONTERO” achieved something that all artists dream of; it is absolutely a no-skip album, with every song offering something different.

One may expect “MONTERO” to have a more humorous, peppy tone based on Lil Nas X’s hilarious promotion for the album. Instead, “MONTERO” grapples with the heavy expense of fame, something that Lil Nas X still struggles to understand. On one hand, Lil Nas X relishes in his triumph, having risen above his haters and escaped the moniker of “one hit wonder.” Yet, as a Black queer artist he still feels pushback from the music industry with the

weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. Even though Lil Nas X garnered the fame he dreamed about for so long, a void within him persists.

Thematically, the album explores two very different sides to fame. The first flaunts Lil Nas X’s success for all to see, whether they want to or not. Lil Nas X considers himself an underdog after spending years in his sister’s basement, struggling to strike the right chord. Now he’s on top of the world, scooping up views, fans and awards left and right.

A chorus of trumpets anticipate Lil Nas X’s arrival on “INDUSTRY BABY,” featuring Jack Harlow.

Here, he lets everyone know that he knows he’s something special.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Lil Nas X released his debut album “MONTERO” on Sept. 17, 2021 after the sucess of his 2019 single “Old Town Road. “

“I told you, long ago, on the road / I got what they waiting for” he raps, cementing that he’s here to stay.

“DON’T WANT IT,” a later song on the album, continues to reaffirm Lil Nas X’s staying power.

The track utilizes various clips of award show hosts announcing his victory in various categories, including his 2021 VMA for “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” Two of Lil Nas X’s features, “SCOOP” with Doja Cat and “DOLLA SIGN SLIME” with Megan Thee Stallion also flaunt his celebrity status.

“ONE OF ME,” Lil Nas X’s collaboration with Elton John, takes a much different approach regarding his success. Here, Lil Nas X sings from the perspective of those who never believed in him, featuring John’s piano skills in the background. “Word on the block is you fell off, and I’m just sayin’ / If it ain’t ‘Old Town Road,’ Lil Nassy, I ain’t playin’,” he croons.

The song shows how Lil Nas X still made it big while brushing off the haters, yet it also showcases many fears that persistently plague him.

Underneath his bubbly, jokester exterior is an individual who questions nearly everything about himself. The majority of “MONTERO” tackles the darker aspects of Lil Nas X’s life, ranging from struggling with his sexuality, difficult relationship with his mother and suicidal thoughts. A triad of songs midway through the album — “TALES OF DOMINICA,” “SUN GOES DOWN” and “VOID” — each express his desire to run away from it all.

Lil Nas X throws listeners

off by making some of his saddest songs the most hype. Even though “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” “THAT’S WHAT I WANT” and “LOST IN THE CITADEL” utilize upbeat, quicker tunes, each address various struggles that Lil Nas X faces as a queer man in the music industry. In “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” he begs for his lover to stop hiding their relationship, and “LOST IN THE CITADEL” explores his tendency to run back to toxic partners because he has no one else to turn to.

“THAT’S WHAT I WANT” exemplifies Lil Nas X’s growing desperation in the catchiest way. Lil Nas X asks the universe for someone to absolve his loneliness in a world defined by hookup culture, toxicity and homophobia, all with a cheery guitar section playing in the background. It’s a heavy topic, but it gets the audience to listen with its catchy melody.

Lil Nas X ends the album on a somber yet perfect note with “AM I DREAMING” featuring Miley Cyrus. Lil Nas X questions if he’ll be forgotten, despite the impact he has on others. The song summarizes the entire album’s message with one simple question — “what is this all about?” Is life primarily about finding success or discovering oneself?

Ultimatly, “MONTERO” is a deep dive into the psyche of one of society’s biggest stars, showing us that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. However, that never stops us from continuing to live and showing the world “we’ve got what they’ve been waiting for.”

CULTURE

September 29, 2021

Page 13

Fordham Flea is the Perfect Escape from Campus

By TESS HARTZELL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Flea is a bustling, upbeat marketplace overflowing with handcrafted clothing, jewelry, toys, beauty products and knick-knacks. Vendors grilling meat skewers, icing cupcakes and frying donuts line the back wall; a playground for the cabin-fever-struck college student! Brought to you by the creators of the Bronx Night Market, Fordham Flea is held on the last Sunday of every month (until November) in Fordham Plaza.

Fordham Flea offers a wide variety of merchandise and food, but when you look a little closer you might find more than you anticipated among the

colorful array of goodies. Behind each folding table stands — or sits — a brilliant, creative business mind with a unique story and message for its consumer.

As we all know, the pandemic profoundly impacted the world of small businesses. Yet, as I strolled past each charismatic vendor, I would never suspect the resilience and perseverance required to maintain a business during such sudden economic and social conflict.

Part of what makes the Bronx so special is its amalgamation of cultures and experiences. Gold-threaded, intricate and vibrant handbags recount the thrilling travels of ALC Global Wandering. The keychains, dangles and other souvenirs were either

COURTESY OF HUNTER BENEGAS COURTESY OF TESS HARTZELL/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Flea offers a colorful break from schoolwork.

handpicked from Turkey or Thailand, or handcrafted by the vendor’s own mother. Although travels were stagnated by COVID-19, the owner is glad to “bring some culture” back into the lives of those in New York — specifically the Bronx, where she was born and raised — until she and others can continue their journeys.

Meanwhile, peruse the handmade, colorful fans at Aya Hand Fans and to bring a piece of Ghana back home with you. The business idea was conceived directly before the pandemic hit, and although the fans are sold online, there is nothing quite like seeing these gorgeous, handsewn fans up close and in person.

Although COVID-19 forced many business owners to pivot in their plans, it actually nurtured creativity and growth in some instances. Check out Kurly’s Beauty Boutique for natural, authentic products that you can trust. This business owner’s mission began as a personal search for a simple hair commodity that she could not find on the market; her homemade hair elixir became her first product. In her case, the pandemic actually spurred the development of her business. She says her “silver lining” is that the pandemic “gave me the time to pursue what I wanted.” Now, thanks to inspiration from her son and other family members, as well as a lot of time to get creative and create a business profile, this small business owner offers a wide range of eco-friendly beauty products; including body butter, shower scrub, lip oil and scalp detox.

After being laid off from her nineto-five after 11 years, the skilled hands behind Sabrina Santiago Indie

Woodworker and Resin Artwork decided to pursue creative passions — based right out of her own garage.

What initially seemed like a nightmare for her financial situation ultimately allowed this artist to flourish in her true passions. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for an artist or foodie, browse this vendor’s “functional artwork:” handcrafted charcuterie boards, resin coasters and artist palettes.

Behind every seller and product is a much deeper motive. Enlightenment Jewel is a business that allows its owner to share a major aspect of her life with the rest of the world. A high school dropout, the seller came across meaningful crystals and stones that opened her eyes to the spiritual world. She ultimately graduated from college with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry.

She explains her incentives for starting the business back in 2019: “I wanted to share this with people … this could really change your life.” Her “way of giving back to the community” includes offering free webinars and information about the stones that she sells and so deeply believes in.

Similarly, JBM Jewelry uses stones — each with a specific meaning — to create beautiful bracelets and necklaces. While passing by the table, you might want to test the vendor’s theory that “stones gravitate toward the person.” Something might just catch your eye, and a stone’s message may resonate with you.

Another message I found was at For the Culture NY LLC, a t-shirt design company that aims to build confidence in young people. The vendor, who is also a teacher, pushes for “em-

powering Latinas, and also all women.”

Now that her business has begun gaining ground, the seller made new plans to create a scholarship fund here in New York City to continue supporting the Latinx community — particularly here in the Bronx.

Despite the diverse and lively array of merchandise being sold, Fordham Flea is much more than a shopping destination: just take a moment to look around in order to stimulate all of your senses. Fordham Plaza is unrecognizable, decked out in colorful balloons, streamers and signs. The addictive smells of sweet cupcakes, spicy tacos and grilled corn waft through the air, and the lively chatter of passersby mingles with the speakers blasting upbeat, fun and well-known favorites like “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. It is impossible not to submit to the contagious energy emitted by laughing friends and joyful families enjoying a special afternoon outing.

Overall, Fordham Flea is undoubtedly an ideal Sunday afternoon activity to enjoy with friends — a break from the monotonous cycle of school work, clubs and meetings.

However, beyond serving as a place to hang out, eat snacks and buy souvenirs, Fordham Flea offers new insight into the Bronx and the world beyond our campus. It is an invitation to share cultures, lives, experiences and positive messages. Through supporting local businesses, we can contribute to bringing more joy and vitality to our surrounding neighborhoods, and to our own campus. In the words of JBM Jewelry: “Just breathe and keep your head up ... When in doubt, just do the

Netflix Starts Halloween Off Right with “Nightbooks”

By MICHAEL MURPHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you are eager to get an early start on your Halloween movie marathon, rest assured that Netflix has prepared fresh options to add to your queue. The platform’s newest spookfest, “Nightbooks,” was released on Sept. 15. It was directed by David Yarovesky and is based on a book of the same name by J.A. White. It follows a young boy named Alex (played

by Winslow Fegley) who loves to write scary stories.

For an unknown reason, Alex is dead set on giving up his obsession with horror and burning his stories. Before he can toss his “Nightbooks,” as he calls them, into the furnace of his building, he is lured into a haunted apartment and whisked away.

The magical proprietor of the haunted apartment, an evil witch named Natacha (played by Krysten Ritter), is keeping Alex and a girl named Yasmin (played by Lidya Jewett) captive as her servants. She forces Alex to write her a scary story every day for the rest of his life, or else. We follow as Alex takes on a cryptkeeper-like role, telling a handful of short scary stories while simultaneously trying to find a way to escape his haunted prison.

The short stories are accompanied by live-action shorts with

characters and backgrounds reminiscent of the style and drama of Halloween favorites like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Beetlejuice.” The majority of the film contrasts bright neon greens, blues and reds with stark and subdued blacks and grays, a classic lighting scheme for Halloween films.

Fegley plays the role of the creative but dejected Halloween protagonist perfectly. Following the noble tradition of the more family-friendly Halloween movies, you empathize with him and ultimately want to see him come out of the story happier than he went in. Jewett’s Yasmin is a wellacted, sobering reminder of what happens when a child loses their innocence too soon and of what we want to hopefully avoid with Alex. Ritter’s wicked but fashionminded witch Natacha is equal parts fascinating and despicable.

She brings to mind infamous silver screen villainesses such as Cruella de Ville or Maleficent, who captivate us but whom we nonetheless love to see get their comeuppances.

These three main characters, along with Natacha’s magical disappearing cat Lenore, make up the majority of the film. Almost every scene with Natacha and the kids leaves you worried for their wellbeing and wondering what Natacha might do to them.

This is certainly a testament to

the strength of Krysten Ritter’s acting ability and how she can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, even with a simple stare. This movie also highlights the strength of the two younger actors, as they are able to match the energy she brought to the table.

This film presents itself as an open and unapologetic love letter to the Tim Burton and R.L. Stine subgenres of horror without directly copying them. It is also a film about the validity and significance of scary stories and, despite how society at large has frowned upon those who enjoy being scared and occasionally scaring others, acceptance of difference. The film’s softer side thankfully does not detract from it’s darker moments of true dread and downright ugly imagery and effects. The film lacks jump scares, but considering the more family-friendly nature of the film, I won’t begrudge the filmmakers too harshly for this.

Altogether this film was an enjoyably grim tale. It has me ready to pick out a costume and run out the door with a pillowcase, despite Halloween still being over a month away. So, if you find that you are tired of the same old bag of tricks every October, “Nightbooks” is sure to offer some exciting new share-sized treats that you and your friends and family can enjoy together.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

“Nightbooks” draws inspiration from classic Halloween favorites.

CULTURE

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September 29, 2021

San Gennaro Returns to Little Italy

By JOSEPH ROUCKA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It can be smelled before anything else. From Sept. 16 to Sept. 26, the streets of Manhattan’s Little Italy are blessed with the pleasant aromas of meatballs, arancini, ziti, lasagna, deep fried ravioli and other Italian-adjacent meal that can be prepared out of cheese, tomato and carbs — all drenched in either marinara or vodka sauce.

The Feast of San Gennaro! A map is hardly required to make it there from the subway station.

On every street corner, there are mountains of cannoli from what seems like every pasticceria in the neighborhood, waiting to be devoured by the festival goers, shameless as they consume the cream-filled pastries after their too recent lunches.

Though some of the biggest draws are the food eating competitions, ranging from meatballs to zeppole, the festival is not a culinary one. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Feast has been held to honor Saint Gennaro, the patron Saint of Naples. When Italian immigrants flocked to New York, each region made their settlement on a different street on the Lower East Side,according to the festival’s official website. For the Neapolitans, that street was Mulberry, the street through which the much anticipated Grand Procession runs. The width of the road is shockingly

small, especially with the food booths and restaurants’ outdoor patios spilling into it. However, floats, cars and hordes of people manage to make their way down the 11 blocks taken up by the event.

“The parade is definitely my favorite part of the festival,” said a man coating strawberries with chocolate for his dessert booth.

His family owns Da Nico, a restaurant on Mulberry. “Bringing the saint out and classic cars, and this year we’re honoring first responders.” This year marked two decades since 9/11, and first responders were the big honorees, second to San Gennaro himself. The police department’s marching band opened the parade, performing “Summer Nights” on their bass drums and trombones, and the fire department made a spirited appearance on a pristine fire engine.

When asked about this year’s festival compared to those of previous years, he went on to say that “it’s a much younger crowd, not as many older people — like a turnover.” W hen struggling to find the right way to describe it, he claimed “there’s more people buying one cannoli than a dozen, if you know what I mean.”

This year’s event is also significant because of its hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... “It’s nice that there’s an event where it just feels normal,” said Kara DiGiacomo,

festival attendee and resident of the Lower East Side. It is neverending excitement. Everyone is out and about, walking the old streets, enjoying music together and inquiring with one another about where they obtained their fried rice balls. “I love seeing everybody out again,” said a smiling vendor selling magnets, candles and keychains at his booth. “I’m having a great day.”

Any exhaustion felt after almost two weeks of working was overrun by the excitement of the festival.

The famous statue of the

saint is the titular image of the festival. It makes its way down Mulberry, adorned with dollar bills, carried on the backs of parade participants, glorified by onlookers. The image is a blast from the past against the neighborhood’s narrow streets, compact brick buildings and skinny fire escapes. reminiscent of the scenes in “The Godfather”— that is, if you ignore the iPhones taking pictures and contemporary fashion trends.

You would expect to look up and see young Vito Corleone running across the rooftops of

tenement buildings with the crowded festival taking place below, accordions and violins making themselves heard over the excitement. The fact that the celebration has held up for close to a hundred years is beyond spectacular. The Feast of San Gennaro is not only important because it honors the ancestors, culture and traditions of countless Italian Americans, as well as a saint who dates back to the first century A.D., but it is a chance for an entire city to come together after a period of such great separation.

COURTESY OF JOSEPH ROUCKA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Every year, the San Gennaro festival occurs in Manhattan’s Little Italy, celebrated with food and music.

Editors Pick | Television

“The Chair” Explores the Culture of Higher Education

By RACHEL GOW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Pembroke’s campus — the fictional university featured in Netflix’s original series “The Chair” — looks eerily like Fordham. Brick buildings sit atop sloping hills and office spaces are walled in dignified wooden paneling.

However, the most profound similarities lie elsewhere. “The Chair’s” portrayal of complex discourses, university life and scandal made the college experience I watched on screen near identical to the one I’m living.

The series stars Jin-Yoon (Sandra Oh) who is navigating her new role

as Pembroke’s first woman chair of the English department. We meet her layered in tweed, wearing a satisfied smirk as she sits at her desk for the first time. While initially buoyed by the significance of her accomplishment and plans to revamp the department, Jin-Yoon is quickly weighed down by its age — literally.

She explains that the department, comprised almost entirely of much older white men, is struggling to meet enrollments and in a broader sense struggling to entice the evolving interests of Gen Z. The challenges ahead are perfectly foreshadowed when, during her department-meeting speech about

“our tech-addled culture,” one nearsenile colleague asks if his pill is green or brown. The professor then proceeds to take it anyway: “In a couple minutes we’ll know if that was right,” he says.

This clash between established university norms and a more progressive world continues to occur in “The Chair.” The results are most often hilarious, sometimes uncomfortable and always reflective of the current college experience. In one scene, a tenured faculty member, Dr. Rentz (Bob Balban), is lecturing alongside the hip, young professor “Yaz” (Nana Mensah). The nasally Rentz is droning on about Melville’s “Moby Dick”

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The Netflix original series ,“The Chair,” explores the culture of higher education through the fictional Pembroke University.

when a student interrupts: “Aren’t we going to talk about how Melville was a wife-beater?” During Yaz’s lecture the students, rowdy and excited, create a song about the misogyny in Melville’s work. Rentz looks on from afar with tears in his eyes. Yaz has her thumb on the pulse of Gen Z while Rentz mourns his glory days.

Despite this criticism of stuffy institutions, the show intentionally avoids sending a clear cut message about the correct path forward. In fact, even though Jin-Yoon desperately wants to modernize the English department, she fights to save her colleagues from forced retirement.

The plot line of beloved professor, Bill Dobson (Jau Duplass), also serves as something of a warning about the dangers of the new age. Dobson, distraught after the death of his wife, is in a state of disarray. He shows up to work drunk, sleeps in Jin-Yoon’s office and on one occasion, accidentally plays a video of his deceased wife breast feeding on the projector. His fall from grace culminates when, during a lecture on absurdity and fascism, he heils Hitler.

A video of the gesture is quickly disseminated around campus and the fallout snowballs. Dobson, standing by the irony and intellectualism of his actions, is not quick to apologize. He hosts a town hall with students where his failure to understand the current political climate is perfectly depicted.

“The university should be a place to uphold free discourse — the exchange of ideas without fear,” he argues. “Yeah, it’s all about free speech as long as you’re the one talking,” an attendee retorts.

While the students of Pembroke are outraged and inhibit a nuanced discussion, their anger transcends Dobson and Pembroke all together. “Why should they trust us when the world is burning?” Jin-Yoon asks at one point.

The show’s ability to create a sympathetic picture of Dobson, the students, Jin-Yoon and the older male professors simultaneously is a profound one.

Dobson is justified in feeling a strain on free speech, and Jin-Yoon is justified in feeling unsupported as a female faculty member of color.

The old professors are saddened by the emergence of a world that no longer celebrates them, and the students are deservedly angry about their limited financial opportunities, mounting debt and uncertain future.

The only true enemy of the show is Dean Larson, who fights only for Pembroke’s reputation and, by extension, its endowment. His concerns are “killing the story” and “not exacerbating things on campus.”

Perhaps the message of “The Chair” is that a university cannot and should not be managed. University life will always come with anger, discourse and change — this is merely evidence of a college with a pulse.

Sepember 29, 2021

CULTURE

Page 15

The 2021 Emmys Mark the Return of Awards Season

By ELISABETH MURRAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The past 18 months have been a bumpy ride for the entertainment industry. Despite delayed release dates, modified shootings, canceled projects and the complete uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic cast upon awards season, the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held (mostly) live and in person on Sunday, Sept.

19. During the show’s three hour airtime, there were plenty of highlights from speeches, tributes and red carpet looks that everybody’s talking about.

Here’s a run down of what you missed in case you forgot to tune in.

One of the most anticipated and contested aspects of any awards show happens before the ceremony itself even starts — the red carpet.

After a year of virtual acceptance speeches, attendees were expected to bring their fashion A-game. Anya Taylor-Joy looked gorgeous in a piece

by Dior Haute Couture. Michaela Coel stunned viewers in a bright yellow Christopher John Rogers dress.

Sarah Paulson walked the red carpet in a bright red Carolina Herrera taffeta gown. Classic beauty Kerry Washington wowed the audience in a silky satin dress and cinched corset piece by Etro.

Other stars took the opportunity to take fashion risks. Looks ranged from the stunning black Ashi studio ensemble Billy Porter wore, adorned with a $1 million Lorraine Schwartz necklace, to Emma Corrin’s black stiletto manicure to complement her extraterrestrial Miu Miu look.

Once the show started, attendees

and viewers immediately realized they were in for something new and exciting when host Cedric the Entertainer ditched the traditional opening monologue. He was joined by LL Cool J, Lil Dicky and Rita Wilson to commence the ceremony with a rendition of “Just a Friend.” This was a sing-along tribute to Biz Markie, the late artist behind the 1989 rap hit.

Cedric refined some of the tune’s original lyrics, singing “TV, you got what I need” as an ode to his love of television. The musical number charged the crowd with energy as everyone in the audience joined in.

However, within the first hour of the show, things quickly went from exciting and new to predictable and monotonous. Netflix’s “The Crown” swept the drama category for the second year in a row, winning every award it was nominated for, mirroring the “Schitt’s Creek” comedy sweep from 2020.

Apple TV+ flagship “Ted Lasso” was up against HBO Max’s “Hacks” in the comedy race, starting strong with receiving awards for three out of four comedic acting nominations — Jason Sudekis for outstanding lead actor, Hannah Waddingham for outstanding supporting actress and Brett Goldstein for outstanding supporting actor. “Ted Lasso” was also nominated for best comedy writing and directing, but both went to “Hacks.” Ultimately, “Ted Lasso” nabbed the award for outstanding comedy series, which was expected.

The only category where more than two series got a piece of the pie was in the limited series category. Ewan McGregor from Netflix’s “Halston” re-

ceived the award for outstanding actor, while HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” won the awards for outstanding lead actress (Kate Winslett), outstanding supporting actor (Evan Peters) and outstanding supporting actress (Julianne Nicholson). “I May Destroy You” won for writing and Netflix’s “Queen’s Gambit” won for directing as well as outstanding limited series. Unsurprisingly, streaming services dominated yet another awards show.

Several heartfelt and powerful speeches redeemed the show’s repetitive announcements. Waddingham screamed as she took the stage to receive her first-ever Emmy award, both shocked and honored to have won against fellow nominees Aidy Bryan (“Saturday Night Live”), Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”), Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”), Rosie Perez (“Flight Attendant”) and her “Ted Lasso’’ costar Juno Temple. Waddingham thanked Apple TV+, Warner Bros and the writers behind the hit, then paid tribute with a nod to her costar and fellow nominee Temple, saying, “there’s no Rebecca without Keely.’’

Michaela Coel, named outstanding writer for “I May Destroy You,” is the first black woman to win this category. Also a first time winner, Coel expressed her gratitude in her acceptance speech which she concluded with a powerful message to the audience: “write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us determine how we feel about ourselves, and see in turn still the need to be constantly vis-

ible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear from it, from us for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence. I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault.”

The highly esteemed Governor’s Award was presented to Debbie Allen. Allen was introduced with a video tribute to her life and career voiced by Gayle King before being welcomed onstage with a standing ovation. Allen, a writer, director, choreographer and producer was bestowed the award in honor of her “countless contributions to television” and her “commitment to inspiring marginalized youth through the performing arts mentorship” as well as her “philanthropic endeavors.”

“I am trembling with gratitude and grace,” Allen said upon accepting the honor. “It’s been many years in the making, taking a lot of courage to be the only woman in the room most of the time.” She

continued before she caught sight of the countdown clock, indicating how long she had left to speak and then telling producers to “turn that clock off, I’m paying no attention to it.”

Allen continued, making her acceptance speech a pointed one towards women. She concluded by saying: “Let this moment resonate with women across the world, across this country and across the world, from Texas to Afghanistan … it is time for you to claim your power, claim your voice, say your song, tell your stories, it will make us a better place. Your turn.”

This year’s Emmys highlighted the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, and the importance of diversity (or lack thereof) and celebrated the achievements of stars over the past year. But most importantly, the Emmys reminded us all of one cultural truth: The world is ever changing and unpredictable, but television is with us forever, documenting it all.

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Debbie Allen was presented with the Governor’s Award at the 2021 Emmys.

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Page 16

SPORTS Women’s Soccer Falls to the Spiders and the Bonnies

By KALEY BELL

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Conference play has had a rough start for the women’s socccer team as it tries to grab its footing as the season reaches its apex. This past week, the Rams faced both the Richmond Spiders and the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. With those games behind them, the Rams are gearing up for a new level of intensity.

This past Thursday, Sept. 23, Fordham faced a team on a winning streak. The Spiders came into the game after winning two consecutive games when they beat Coastal Carolina and St. Bonaventure, ready to clinch another win. They started off strong, scoring within the first 10 minutes of the game.

At the seventh minute, sophomore defender Olivia Redden tried to clear the ball on the defensive side of the field. However, Richmond stole the ball and scored.

In the next five minutes, the Spiders scored again despite sophomore goalkeeper Serena Mensah’s best attempts to protect her net.

Even so, Mensah had five saves this game, only one shy of her careerhigh. Fordham remained aggressive, shooting seven times throughout the game, three of which were on target. Despite that, the Rams emerged ready to fight ahead to the next game.

On Sunday, they returned ready to have the support of the fans as they faced the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at home. In a different approach, Fordham started the game

off strong. Twenty-eight minutes in, the Rams scored off a corner and took the lead. Senior defender Kendall Dandridge headed home with her first goal of the season.

Things took a turn for the worst when sophomore defender Schae Gorton was red-carded for a hard tackle after kicking a Bonaventure defender while going to ground.

This forced the Rams to fight with a player down for the remainder of regulation. In the 71st minute, the Bonnies tied up the game, and then scored again 10 minutes later in a heartbreaking loss for Fordham.

The Rams are now gearing up for their next game in the Bronx against Davidson College. ThisPride Game is set to take place this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer continues to struggle but remains strong depsite their recent losses.

September 29, 2021

Water Polo Sinks Navy in Home Opener

By JACK ROCHE STAFF WRITER

In the first home match of the season, the 16th-ranked Fordham Rams hosted the 20th-ranked Navy Midshipmen at the Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center. On Sunday, Sept.26, marked just the third Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference match of the season, where Fordham claimed victory 17–10 to stay a perfect 3​​–0 in conference play and 9–3 in total.

The Rams jumped out to an early lead behind a strong performance from freshman Lucas Nieto Jasny, who chipped in three of the team’s first five goals. The Barcelona native added another two goals and three assists, one of many first-year members who have made a huge impact early into the season. He was named MAWPC Rookie of the Week for his performance, becoming the third consecutive Ram to earn the honor.

Preceding him was freshman driver Jacopo Parrella who added three goals, three assists and two steals of his own.

Parella has been an integral part of the Fordham squad since joining the team after missing the opening weekend as a part of Team Italy at the World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

He ranks fourth on the team in goals (15) and points (27), while being second in assists (12) heading into the Navy match.

When asked about his contributions early on after playing for Team Italy, Parrella stated, “water polo here is totally different. In fact, the first games I played I still had to understand what I could and couldn’t do.”

With that being said, he has clearly gotten accustomed to the new rules.

“Over time I am learning more and more to play and get used to American water polo.”

Senior captain Bailey O’Mara had a strong performance in net, providing eight saves. Freshman goalkeeper Thomas Lercari came in during the fourth quarter and added one additional save.

Looking ahead, Fordham will travel to California to play two matches on Thursday, Sept. 30, against University of Redlands at 6:00 p.m. and Mt. San Antonio College at 9:30 p.m. Following those matches, they will play in the Gary Troyer Tournament against California Lutheran University at 2:30 p.m. and Westcliff University at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Whittier College at 1:15 p.m. and Long Beach State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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Golf Slips at MacDonald Cup

By CHRIS HENNESSY STAFF WRITER

The Fordham golf team placed 13th out of the 14 teams at the MacDonald Cup which was hosted

by Yale University. The Rams shot a combined 899 (+59) over the 54-hole event, two shots ahead of Cornell, who placed last. It was the final 18 holes that brought the Rams down. Their 308 (+28) was the second-highest score of the day and brought them down three spots on the leaderboard.

The hosts won the tournament by four shots over the University of Michigan. The Bulldogs posted a 6-under 274 on day one, which was enough to stand as the lowest team score of the tournament and keep them atop the leaderboard all weekend.

Individually, P.J. O’Rourke led the way for the Rams once again, posting a 54-hole score of 215 (+5) which was good enough for T-11.

O’Rourke matched his career low three-round score, which he set last week in Hartford, and his tie for 11th was the best finish in his career. There is something about the Yale course that fits the eye of the New Jersey native, as he shot 218 in the event last spring in his sophomore year. O’Rourke has become a rising star for the Rams this year, following a team-low scoring average from last year.

He also posted the best round on what was a tough Sunday. His 71 (+1) was followed by a 78 from junior John Kyscio, 83 by junior Nicholas Manning, 79 from junior Andreas Aivazoglou and an even 80 from senior Ryan Davis. This dropped the Rams below Bucknell, Colgate and St. Bonaventure. A tough day compounds the consistency problem. A round that was like the first two would have slid the Rams into the top 10 and above those teams and others.

Now, the Rams have a lull in the

schedule before their next event, Oct. 22 and 23, against Lehigh.

That tournament will take place at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is a regular event on the Fordham golf calendar, placing in 14th place out of the 14 teams at the 2019 event. This will be a great spot for O’Rourke and Manning to bounce back from after they both shot in the 80s on the final day two years ago. Both players have improved since the 2019-20 season and will hope to prove that at Saucon Valley.

This layoff will be great for the Rams. They have played an enormous amount of golf throughout the month of September and will get the next three weeks to rest and prepare for the final two events of the season.

The final Connecticut event was disappointing for the Rams, but they will look to bounce back when they return against Lehigh.

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O’Rouke had a standout game despite a rough team performance at the MacDonald’s Cup.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Water Polo had another outstanding weekend by sweeping its opponents.

Cross Country Races with Intensity at Jasper Invite

By KEVIN DINEEN STAFF WRITER

Fordham Men’s and Women’s Cross Country traveled up to Montgomery, New York and the Twin Ponds on Farm on Sept. 25 for the Jasper Invitational. While this was technically the Rams’ third meet of the year, a few key runners made their season debuts in rewarding fashion. The men’s team finished in first place and the women’s team took home fifth.

Led by senior Brandon Hall, the Rams got off to a hot start in his first meet of the season. Hall seized first place in the men’s varsity 8K with a time of 25:09. He was followed closely by sophomore teammate Steven Zucca, who crossed the line in third place in 25:19. The next Ram finisher, junior Colin Flood (25:58), also made his season debut count, finishing ninth.

The men’s roster secured the team victory with strong finishes from junior Ryan Fahey in 16th (26:20.7) and freshman Rodolfo Sanchez in 18th (26:24.3). Since team scores in cross country are calculated by adding the team’s top five individual results together, Fahey and Sanchez

played an instrumental role in locking up the men’s first win of the season. The Rams’ final score came out to 47 points, enough to beat secondplace Rider University (61) and third-place Manhattan College (76).

On the women’s side, the team tookhome fifth overall in the varsity 6K. Senior Bridget Alex was once again the Rams’ top finisher, finishing 11th in 22:50. Alex was joined in the top 20 by teammates sophomore Maddy Kopec in 13th (22:54) and junior Taylor Mascetta in 19th (23:17). Sophomore Marin Bogulski (24:02) and graduate student Germaine Harbaugh (24:05) rounded out the Rams’ top five.

The Fordham squads also had some promising finishes in the men’s and women’s College Division races. In the women’s college 6K, junior Nathania Tan took first with a time of 23:58 and fellow junior Emmy Longmore claimed third place in 24:54. In the men’s college 8K, sophomore Samuel Wilcox finished in second place in 27:07.

Fordham Cross Country will be back in action at the 2021 Metropolitan Cross Country Championship, hosted at Van Cortlandt Park on Friday, Oct. 8.

SPORTS

September 29, 2021

Page 17

Michael Sowter Brings Experience to Women’s Tennis

By ALEXANDER WOLZ SPORTS EDITOR

Michael Sowter has always been engrossed by tennis. Born in Perth, Australia, Sowter came to the United States with a racquet in hand, becoming a junior college All-American at Alabama’s Wallace State Community College.

Marist College soon became his new home, where he scooped up a pair of all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honors and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Tennis is still a key part of Sowter’s life, though he stands on the sidelines instead of the playing surface. For the past six years, his home has been at Fordham Men’s Tennis.

Now, it will be with the women’s team.

On Sept. 13, Fordham Athletics announced that Sowter was making the move to the women’s side, receiving a promotion as not only the head Women’s Tennis coach, but as director of tennis. With the role, in addition to leading the women, Sowter will oversee the men’s program that has meant so much to him throughout his time in the Bronx.

During his tenure with the men that began back in 2014, Sowter did not see a losing season with an overall record of 69–38. Most recently, Fordham earned the sixth seed in the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship, the highest in program history. However, for Sowter, the memories did not just come on the court, but off it.

“I had a tremendous group of guys. It’s a very bittersweet move,” he said. And while he still considers himself a “volunteer assistant” to the team, those fond memories stem from the fact that Sowter recruited all of the players beneath him and built a relationship with them that stretched well beyond the hardcourt’s boundaries.

It was a product of the uphill battle the program has had to fight since they lack the scholarship money that other schools in the Atlantic 10 have to offer. But, even in his part-time role, Sowter embraced that challenge. “Obviously we were never going to be able to recruit bluechip players

without the scholarship money, so it was about … taking guys that maybe weren’t on a lot of schools’ lists and just getting to know them better as individuals and finding ways to make them better tennis players.”

Sowter did just that, fostering tremendous growth for the men’s tennis program, but also and perhaps more importantly, preparing his athletes for a life after their sport. Fordham remained an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team during all six years of his tenure, while also producing a 3.77 team GPA for the 2020-21 school year, the highest of any Fordham team for the second consecutive year.

That perspective took Sowter time to find and certainly was not there in his early coaching days that began the moment he left college. But now with two kids, Sowter sees the bigger picture. “I think a lot of young coaches, in all sports, are really trying to make names for themselves, and you kind of get lost in the fact that you really want to get to know these people.”

Sowter will have a new opportunity to do that in the full-time role with Fordham Women’s Tennis, a team that is both losing some key talent, namely graduated A-10 standout Arina Taluyenko, but will lean on the returning seniors Valeriya Deminova, Nicole Li and Genevieve Quenville, along with two impact transfers as well.

“It’s a whole new experience … The talent is tremendous. The sky is the limit with regards to the women’s team … I think if we can put the pieces together and we can get everyone working together, I think there’s a really good chance we could make some waves in the conference this year.”

The first step in that journey comes in an abbreviated fall season, which Sowter sees as more of an opportunity to understand his players and build relationships rather than overreact to the results, especially because of the lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Women’s Tennis was hit particularly hard, not only losing its season, but having a number of players remain home. Sowter

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Sowter will carry his experience from coaching six years of Men’s Tennis into the women’s program.

is hopeful they can begin to build some consistency with this weekend’s Northeast Championships in West Point, New York.

“It’s all about getting reps and just getting back to business, getting back to a somewhat normal schedule like we had pre-COVID and getting back to just putting the work into each day. There’s no secret recipe. You just have to come in and work hard and play with a little passion and play with a purpose and just keep that going down from there.”

Even though the expectations may be a bit higher, Sowter has not lost sight of the fundamentals that have been so important to him at Fordham. “I’m excited to get to work with them and try and get them to develop as tennis players and people in the same way the men did. I think we’ve done a good job in the past of developing a good culture both on the court and in the classroom and I hope to carry that forward into the women.”

Sowter takes particular pride in that Fordham culture. He has coached at Hofstra University, his alma mater Marist College and

before coming to the Bronx, spent over half a decade leading both the men’s and women’s teams at NJIT, all to great success.However, there is something different about Fordham, and it comes down to the players.

“One of the things I’ve always loved about the Fordham men’s team is they were always competing because they were so passionate about Fordham and they so wanted to make Fordham do well,” he said.

Now, he will begin to “change the culture” and leave that same imprint on the women.

“I’m really excited to bring in players that I think will bleed maroon and do whatever it takes to make Fordham successful,” he said, “but also go beyond the x’s and o’s and get to know them as people and hopefully make sure they’re successful in the classroom and beyond.”

It is another example of the perspective that became so clear in our phone conversation. “And that’s the key, right? We only have a finite amount of time on the court, so let’s have a great time while we’re here and prepare you for when

you’re not here.”

Sowter shared one example that made it exceptionally clear that hope is being fulfilled. “And one of the biggest things I take pride in is when I took this women’s job, all four seniors that graduated last year all called me up and wished me congratulations,” he said.

“The wins are great but when they’re talking about inviting me to future weddings and, you know, just being a part of their lives beyond Fordham, that’s really important to me.” It is no coincidence that Sowter invited his college coach to his wedding and is still in contact with him 20 years later.

“This is the first team that I’ve coached where I’ve really felt that — well, especially here at Fordham it was really that environment — it was more like family than it was just a team trying to win a tournament.”

Coach Sowter will certainly pursue those tournament victories and have a tremendous ability to do it with Fordham Women’s Tennis, but never without the understanding that his role is much more important than just that.

The 2021 New York Mets: Exactly What Went Wrong?

By NICK GUZMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The Mets’ offense has been absent.

The 2021 New York Mets spent a total of 91 days at the top of the NL East. From the beginning of the season until Aug. 6, the Mets trailed in the division for just 11 days. Riding a strong pitching staff for most of the summer, the Mets bolstered their offense by acquiring Javy Baez at the trade deadline, strengthening the team for a strong finish to the season.

In all likelihood, an NL East title seemed to be on the horizon.

Yet, with a week to play in the regular season, the Mets eliminated from postseason contention, out of the division and Wild Card races. A promising season has fallen apart in a matter of weeks.

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, who the Mets were in front of for a large portion of the year, now battle for the NL East crown and a playoff berth.

Where did it all go wrong? How did this team go from first place to

being eliminated so quickly? While this season’s collapse may feel sudden, many of the problems that have plagued the Mets down the stretch were visible all year.

For one, even when they were winning, the Mets were not scoring nearly enough runs. Elite pitching in the first half of the season from the entire starting rotation and most of the bullpen had the Mets consistently winning close, low scoring contests in the early part of the summer. As the year has gone on, the pitching has regressed, making the struggles of the offense incredibly more obvious. Currently, the Mets sit near the bottom in the MLB in runs per game, which is not good enough for a team with playoff aspirations.

On paper, it seemed like the Mets had all the components for elite offensive production. The addition of Fransico Lindor and the success of players like Dominic Smith and Michael Conforto in 2020 all contributed to high expectations for this team offensively.

Yet, for some reason, a large portion of the Mets lineup has had career-worst years. Jeff McNeil, along with Lindor, Smith and Conforto, have struggled mightily all season, posting a combined .693 OPS between them.

In May, the Mets attempted to address this problem by firing hitting coach Chili Davis. Under his replacement, Hugh Quatlebaum, the Mets offense has been just as bad. The reason for this overall underachievement remains to be seen. Is it the way the organization is approaching hitting? Is it that these players are not as good as previously thought? Or is this year simply one big fluke?

Another main reason the Mets find themselves out of the playoff picture is Jacob DeGrom and the simultaneous regression of the entire pitching staff. In 15 starts before his elbow injury, DeGrom was having an unbelievable year, posting a 7–2 record with a 1.08 ERA. But DeGrom has not pitched since July 7, leaving a gaping hole in the

Mets rotation. Taijuan Walker, whose 2.63 ERA in the first half of the season was enough to get an All-Star nod, has pitched to a 7.74 ERA in the second half. This, combined with Carlos Carrasco’s ineffectiveness and Tylor Megill’s decline has left the Mets with a broken pitching staff.

When players who were supposed to produce do not, it is hard to win baseball games. Putting aside all the thumbs down, the controversies and the injuries, the simple fact remains that too many Mets have underperformed this season. The shortened year in 2020 inflated people’s expectations for certain players. 60 games is too small of a sample size to draw conclusions.

Next year, Smith, McNeil and Conforto (if he re-signs) have to bounce back. If they do not, the Mets’ front office needs to consider that the “core” of this team is not as good as we once thought and that wholesale changes may need to be made.

SPORTS

Page 18

Varsity Scores & Stats

News & Notes Water Polo Downs Nationally Ranked Navy Fordham Water Polo had a tall task in their first home match of the season against 20th-ranked Navy, but the Rams breezed past the Midshipmen 17–10 at the Messmore Aquatic Center. Freshman driver Nieto Jasny contributed a season-tying and game-high five goals in the victory, as the 16th ranked Rams improved to 9–3 on the season and remained undefeated in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference.

Cross Country Claims Weekly Awards This past week, the United Soccer Coaches, the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organization, announced its annual Team Academic Award winners for the previous year in the classroom. 624 soccer teams earned a team GPA of 3.0 or higher to receive the award with Fordham being just one of 104 schools to have both their men’s and women’s programs awarded. The women posted a 3.64 GPA as the men sat at 3.41, both of which are second in the Atlantic 10, which had ten teams honored.

O’Rourke Rolls Again for Fordham Golf

September 29, 2021

Men’s Soccer Fordham Rider G. Flynn: 3 S, 1 G

3 4

Fordham George Washington M. Rogers: 5 S, 1 G

1 2

Seton Hall Fordham F. Deletioglu: 3 S, 2 G

2 3

Golf MacDonald Cup P. O’ Rourke: 215 (-1) T-14 –Compiled by Michael Hernandez

Water Polo Bucknell Fordham

17 20

Football Fordham 31 Stony Brook 14 T. DeMorat: 280 Yds, 4 TD Women’s Soccer Fordham Richmond C. Kennedy: 3 S, 2 SOG

0 3

St. Bonaventure 2 George Washington 1 K. Dandridge: 4 S, 2 SOG, 1G

Volleyball Fordham 0 St. Francis Brooklyn 3 B.Urena: 10 K, 2 DIG Fordham 1 Providence 3 B. Urena: 11 K, 6 DIG Men’s Cross Country Jasper Invititational 47-1st B. Hall 25:09.7 (1st) Women’s Cross Country Jasper Invititational 95-5th B. Alex: 22:50.6 (11th)

Fordham Golf placed 13th in the MacDonald Cup, but were once again spearheaded by junior P.J. O’Rourke. Coming off his first ever sub-70 score with a 64 in round two and a career-best score of 215 at the Hartford Invitational, O’Rourke continued that momentum in Connecticut. He matched his three-round score with a 73 and two consecutive 72s to slot in at T11, his best individual finish yet. Junior Andreas Aivazlogou also made history, swinging to his career-best score with a 70 in round one.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer Earn United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award Honors After a first and fifth place finish for the men’s and women’s teams respectively at the Jasper Invite, Fordham Cross Country saw individual runners honored as part of the Atlantic 10’s weekly awards. Brandon Hall, winner of the men’s individual event, claimed Men’s Performer of the Week honors, with Bridget Alex receiving equal recognition with an 11th overall finish.

–Compiled by Alexander Wolz

NYCFC and the Red Bulls Renew Hudson River Rivalry

By JAMES BIRLE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For the first time ever, the New York Red Bulls and New York City Football Club, Major League Soccer’s two New York based franchises, met twice in the same week on Wednesday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 25. The first match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey was originally scheduled to take place on Aug. 21 but was postponed to last Wednesday due to unplayable pitch conditions caused by rain.

The two sides played to a 1-1 draw in a roller coaster affair in the first match, and the Red Bulls took all three points with a 1-0 result in the return fixture at Yankee Stadium.

NYCFC entered the week as one of the MLS’s hottest teams, coming in at third in the Eastern Conference and fifth in MLSsoccer. com’s official league power rankings. Despite their position in the table, the tightness of the Eastern Conference kept them at a modest four points above the playoff line, ensuring that both matches were crucial to secure their spot in the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

Meanwhile, the New York Red Bulls sat nine points outside of the playoffs coming into Wednesday night’s match, and worries of potentially missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009 had never been higher. Even though the sea-

son had largely been one to forget for the Red Bulls, they came into the week on a positive note, having comfortably defeated David Beckham’s Inter Miami CF by a whopping 4-0 away from home.

Historically, both clubs tend to use home-field advantage quite well as the Red Bulls had only ever won twice at Yankee Stadium prior to Saturday, and NYCFC had only one win as the away team at Red Bull Arena back in 2016.

Wednesday’s match went as derby matches tend to go: frenetic, chaotic and controversial. However, as the league’s standings might suggest, NYCFC were the better team for the majority of the match, capitalizing on a Red Bull defensive error in the 31st minute off the left foot of in-form striker, Taty Castellanos. The Cityzens controlled the pace and style of the game throughout the night while the Red Bulls found themselves constantly reacting to NYCFC’s dictation of play.

Nonetheless, the Red Bulls needed just one moment to salvage a point from the contest and that came in the 97th minute. NYCFC center back Maxime Chanot was whistled for a handball in the penalty area and shown his second booking of the match following a lengthy video review. Patryk Klimala converted the penalty to level the score in the 102nd minute, the latest goal recorded in MLS regular season history. The Red Bulls collected a very undeserved point in

front of a relatively empty yet still electric Red Bull Arena.

The drama was not just limited to the very end of the match as Castellanos had a goal disallowed early in the second half, Keaton Parks earned a red card for NYCFC in the 73rd minute and yellow cards were issued to multiple NYCFC and Red Bulls players for their clock management and committing fouls out of frustration, respectively.

Tempers flared and the tension rose higher than ever before leading into Saturday night’s game in the Bronx with NYCFC feeling they had been cheated out of all three points just a few days earlier.

The stage was set for an even wilder affair to take place, with the Red Bulls seeking to rescue their season and NYCFC hoping to solidify a playoff run at their rival’s expense.

However, NYCFC found themselves struggling to penetrate the Red Bull backline despite once again controlling the possession and pace of the game. The Red Bulls were constantly on the frontfoot, counter attacking with purpose and putting pressure on the depleted NYCFC defense. That strategy eventually culminated in a goal in the 43rd minute when Brooklyn’s own Kyle Duncan squared a pass across the penalty area to Bronx native Omir Fernandez who slotted it home.

The away section at Yankee Stadium was singing for the entire second half, creating a difficult at-

mosphere for the home side to get back in the game. Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel stood on his head across both matches, but it was the defensive effort from the Red Bulls central midfielders and backline that contained NYCFC’s advances on Saturday. It was evident that Red Bulls coach Gerhard Struber made muchneeded adjustments to the team’s strategy and structure after the poor performance on Wednesday. With

Parks and Chanot serving suspensions for NYCFC, the Red Bulls did just enough to earn all three points away from home, their first win at Yankee Stadium since 2016.

As for now, New York is red.

The two sides will meet again on Oct. 17 at Red Bull Arena to conclude the season series and declare for the final time in the 2021 regular season if New York is red or blue.

TIM O’DONOVAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Red Bulls won this week’s edition of the Hudson River Rivalry.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

SPORTS

September 29, 2021

Page 19

Volleyball Drops Two to Start Atlantic 10 Play

By GIGI SPEER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Volleyball team went on the road to Virginia Commonwealth University and Davidson College for the start of their Atlantic 10 competition.

They lost to VCU in three sets on Friday and took Davidson to four sets on Saturday.

VCU finished second in the A-10 last year, and their dominance showed from the initial set before Fordham got closer in the last two sets with final scores of 16–25, 21– 25 and 21–25.

The opposing Rams posted 51 kills and hit .324 as a team, while Fordham had 31 on a .152 clip.

The amount of kills has dropped by at least 10 from most of Fordham’s preseason games, showing just how much more competitive conference play is for them. For example, their 3–0 sweep of St. Francis of Brooklyn showcased 46 kills for the team, at a .366 clip.

Senior middle blocker Claire O’Neil led the offense with a .500 hit percentage on six attacks, even though she only played two sets.

O’Neill said this about the weekend: “I think this past weekend has proved that we can compete to win the A-10. We have a lot to work on, but we know we can compete against top two teams like VCU.” The Rams’ comeback in the final two sets shows that can be the case, even though it ended in a defeat.

The following day, despite com-

ing much closer in key statistics, the squad once again dropped the first set, yet managed to win the third, going 17–25, 20–25, 25–20 and 21–25 against Davidson. The two sides had a near-even number of errors and blocks, but the Wildcats were just a bit more effective on the offensive end.

O’Neill continues, “Although the weekend didn’t go how we had hoped, we have a new competitive drive to prove to the conference that FUVB can win, which we will bring to the game versus SLU this weekend.”

Teammate and setter Megan Brzozowski added: “This weekend was a challenge for us mentally in the best way possible. Starting conference is always exciting and sometimes nerve-racking. I think preseason really showed us what we are capable of and lead us in the trajectory that we want to go in.”

She added, “Even though we didn’t do as well as we hoped this is another challenge for us to overcome and learn from. I think the conference jitters are out of the way and we are all really focus on being the best teammates and players we can be for one another. St. Louis has always been a very solid team, so it’s going to be a lot of fun to see how we have grown from this weekend and fight for this win.”

The Fordham Rams have a nice break now to restrategize before facing Saint Louis University on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. on the road as they look to put these first two losses past them.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham believes they can compete in the A-10 despite this weekend’s results.

Athletes of the Week Lucas Nieto Jasny Freshman Water Polo

Are There Drugs in Your Burrito?

By KALEY BELL

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Olympics is a dream for any athlete. Some would say that COVID-19 was a blessing because they took advantage of the extra year to train. With this extra year came extra practice, extra hard work and extra discipline. Not many people get a second chance to earn a spot on the international stage, and those who did made sure to make the most of it.

When we begin to talk about training hard and being a dedicated athlete, every trainer, coach and athlete knows that it takes more than just workouts, weight training and endurance to be strong. Being conscious of what you put in your body is a big part of discipline and training, there is no question about that.

For professional mid-distance runner Shelby Houlihan, being on the professional stage was nothing new to her. She attended East High School in Sioux City, Arizona when she ran the mile, 800m and 1500m.

She was named Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011, and was the first female athlete from high school to win three events in one year at the Drake Relays.

Houlihan committed to and ran at Arizona State University where she won the 1500m at the NCAA Championship Meet in 2014. She currently holds school records in the 800m, 1500m, one mile and 3000m.

Houlihan began her professional career in 2015 when she started training with Nike and the Bowerman Track Club in Eugene, Oregon, otherwise known as Tracktown, USA. She qualified for the 2016 Olympics in the 5000m, and she placed 11th in the final.

At a 2018 Belgium meet, she broke the American record for the 5000m, running 14:34.45. Then again in 2020, Houlihan bested herself, running 14:23.92 in a team time trial.

In addition to that, she also still holds accolades in the 1500m.

She set a new American record of 3:54.99 at the 2019 World Outdoor Championships.

Then, in 2021, Houlihan was banned from the sport.

In December of the previous year, Houlihan tested positive for an anabolic steroid, more specifi-

Tim DeMorat Senior Football Fordham Football took home its first win of the season with the help of senior quarterback Tim DeMorat, who completed 21 of 30 passes for 280 yards against Stony Brook University. DeMorat also recorded his second career four-touchdown game in the 31-14 victory. The performance earned him Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. With this game factored in, DeMorat continues to climb the Fordham record book, sitting at fourth in school history for career completions (554) and career passing yards (6,361).

Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports section honor two athletes for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”

until other athletes started to weigh in and talk publicly about the situation. In writing an open letter to the USATF, many athletes had this to say in response: “Dear @usatf we are calling attention to #cleansport with an open letter signed by the running community. Any additional signatures, we ask for you to retweet with #cleanUSATF” With over 400 retweets and 1000 likes, the support for having a “clean sport” was clear. At this point, the USATF had overturned their decision and removed Houlihan from the heat sheet.

With representation from organizations like the Athletics Integrity Unit, this case has emphasized the importance of having fair competition for everyone. Houlihan is not the only athlete accused of taking steroids, but even so, she needs to go through the appeal process just like everyone else.

Houlihan claims ignorance and that she would never take any performance enhancing drugs, but for the drug to show up on a drug test, she would have had to eat a lot of pork burritos.

Bowerman Track Club, coached

by Jerry Schumacher, had many athletes step up and compete in her absence. Her teammates voiced their support for her as many of them captured the audience’s attention, earning spots to Tokyo in almost every distance event.

This is not the first time that Schumacher has seen nandrolone.

Houlihan will now miss the Paris 2024 Olympics after being handed a four year ban from the Court for Arbitration of Sports. However she chooses to confront that battle, it will ultimately reflect how she prepares for the reaction from the track and field world.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Houlihan will face her full punishment and miss the 2024 Olympics.

Varsity Calendar HOME

The freshmen on Fordham’s Men’s Water Polo have dominated the Rookie of the Week nominations with a third straight nominee, Lucas Nieto Jasny.

During Sunday’s game, Jasny recorded five goals in six shots, helping the Rams win their game against Navy 17–10. The freshman from Spain leads the team in points at 38, is tied for the team lead in goals at 25 and third in assists at 13.

cally nandrolone. It was not until June of 2021 that the Bowerman Track Club announced the news.

With the Olympic trials coming up, Houlihan had appealed the ban, claiming that she had eaten a burrito with small amounts of the drug in it. She alleges that she ordered a carne asada burrito from a small food truck right by the track where the team normally practices. Houlihan claims that the food truck servers actually gave her pork instead of the carne asada meat she ordered. Since the test was the morning after she ate the burrito, Houlihan alleges this could be the reason why she tested positive for the drug.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding this ban on Houlihan, and the track world was split on the issue. While contesting the ban, she was still entered to run in the 2021 Olympic trials of 1500m and the 5000m, the two events where she holds the current American records. It was not until the day of the event that Houlihan was ruled ineligible to compete in her races.

USA Track & Field (USATF), the national governing body for track & field, had originally made a statement about athletes who were under the appeal process, hinting at Houlihan’s situation. They said, “Given there is an active appeal process, USATF will allow any athletes to continue competing until the process is completed.”

After this statement, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s USA CEO made a statement claiming that because she was “under sanctions,” Houlihan was not allowed to compete. He continued, “It would be illegal for her to do so, unless a court orders differently.”

The USATF was going to allow Houlihan to race in the 2021 trials

AWAY

Wednesday Thursday Sept. 29 Sept. 30

Friday Oct. 1

Davidson 7:00 P.M.

Rhode Island 2:00 P.M.

Volleyball

Saint Louis 8:00 P.M.

Men’s Tennis

Marist 12:00 P.M.

Women’s Tennis

Water Polo Football Softball

Sunday Oct. 3

Saint Louis 8:00 P.M.

Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer

Saturday Oct. 2

Northeast Championship Redlands 6:00 P.M. Mt. San Antonio 9:30 P.M.

Gary Troyer Tournament California Lutheran 3:30 P.M. Westcliff 7:30 P.M.

Whittier 1:15 P.M. Long Beach State 7:30 P.M.

Lafayette College 3:30 P.M. Seton Hall 1:30 P.M. Villanova 3:30 P.M.

Monday Oct. 4

Tuesday Oct. 5

Page 20

SPORTS

September 29, 2021

The Fordham Ram

Football Records First Win of Season Against Stony Brook Seawolves

By DYLAN BALSAMO MANAGING EDITOR

The first few games of the season have been difficult for Fordham Football. The individual achievements have been present on the field, but a few tough breaks and a myriad of strong opponents at the top of the schedule left them 0–3 to begin 2021.

But that all changed on Saturday. The Rams went into LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University and emerged victorious against the Seawolves 31-14. With the win, Fordham improved to 1–3 a third of the way through the season. It was also the Rams’ first ever win over Stony Brook since the latter entered NCAA Division I athletics.

The game saw the Rams do most everything right, executing in the big moments and holding onto the ball when it mattered most. The Rams found themselves in the red zone four times during the game and wound up scoring on all four occasions. The offense also did not commit any turnovers Saturday, while the defense grabbed three turnovers from the Seawolves with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Fordham immediately got things started on Long Island, or at least when the game actually started.

The Rams were actually behind in their arrival to Stony Brook after their bus broke down, causing a slight delay in the game start.

But eventually the game did begin, and Fordham went to work.

On their opening drive, the Rams took five plays and a little over a minute of clock time to wind up in

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham hopes its first win will create momentum as they look toward their upcoming conference competition.

the end zone. Junior wide receiver Dequece Carter caught an 11-yard pass from senior quarterback Tim DeMorat to get the scoring started with a Fordham touchdown.

It was one of two touchdowns Carter caught on Saturday and the first of four touchdowns thrown

by DeMorat, the second such game of the latter’s illustrious Fordham career.

DeMorat finished the game with 21 of 33 passes completed and a total of 280 yards. The efforts earned him Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time.

Stony Brook tied things up before the first quarter was over, going 80 yards down the field over five-plus minutes on the following drive, ending with a 20-yard

touchdown pass from quarterback Tyquell Fields to wide receiver Seba Nekhet. That tied the game up at seven apiece.

Fordham took the reins on offense from there.

In the second quarter, the Rams began a drive at their own nine-yard line and spent the next five minutes making their way down the field. By the end of the effort, senior receiver Fotis Kokosoulis caught a fouryarder from DeMorat to finish off a 14-play, 91-yard drive and give the Rams a 14–7 lead.

Come time for the second half, the Rams blew the doors open.

They scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to put themselves toward that elusive first win of the season. Fifth-year wide receiver Hazme El-Zayat caught an 18-yard

toss from DeMorat, ending another long drive, this one for 75 yards on seven plays, to give the Rams a twoscore advantage. The second march to the end zone ended an even longer drive, 97 yards to be exact, and was finished on a 40-yard catch by Carter to score and make the difference between the Rams and the Seawolves 28–7.

Near the start of the fourth, Stony Brook got back within striking distance when Nekhet ran a ball into the end zone for 10 yards, making the score 28–14. But the Rams scored once more before the game’s end, when senior kicker Nick Leinenweber knocked in a field goal from 25 yards to put the game away.

At the buzzer’s sound, the final score was 31-14 in favor of the Rams. The day may have started with a broken

down bus, but it ended with Fordham finally getting victory number one of the season.

Following the win, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was very pleased with his team’s performance, not just the improved offense, but the whole squad.

“I thought it was a good team win,” Colin said. “Offense, defense and special teams, I felt like we did some good things on all three phases.”

One of the top performers during the win was a player who at this point is quite familiar with individual success: senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen. Greenhagen recorded his fourth consecutive game of double-digit tackles with 16 stops, two for loss, a sack and even an interception.

Greenhagen’s fellow linebacker, freshman James Conway recorded 11 tackles himself and was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

But a team is more than just linebackers like Greenhagen or Conway and a quarterback like DeMorat. It was a completely collaborative effort that lead to Fordham’s first win, a win that Conlin is happy came before conference play begins next week: “We play in a very tough conference, so to get a win out of one of these four games is pretty good.

We’ve got a tough test this week.”

That tough test comes in the form of that first Patriot League matchup, a road game against Lafayette College at Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

And with their first win under their belt, the Rams begin their conference schedule looking to build upon their success.

Men’s Soccer Struggles But Comes Back in a Home Win

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Over the past week, the Fordham Men’s Soccer team continued its season with three matches against Rider University, George Washington University and Seton Hall University. Heading into this week, the Rams had won their previous match against La Salle by the scoreline of 2–1.

Unfortunately, the Rams could not make it two wins in a row as they lost to Rider by the score of 4–3. In this game, Fordham conceded within the first minute with Zaki Alibou setting the ball up for Adel Al-Masude to shoot from 25 yards out. The Rams’ sophomore defender, Galen Flynn, performed the only other action in the first half after halftime, Fordham began to pick up its attack. Graduate student defender Matt Sloan made a run into the Rider box and was fouled, drawing a penalty for the Rams and a chance to equalize the game. Sloan coolly slotted his second goal of the season in the penalty to tie the score at 1–1.

The tie only lasted until AlMasude headed in his second goal of the game during the 54th minute, restoring the lead to Rider.

The Rams immediately responded within three minutes when Sloan collected a loose ball in the box and crossed it into sophomore midfielder Max Rogers who slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal to even the score at 2–2.

This strike by Rogers gave him his first goal of the season.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The men picked up a much-needed home win after dropping a back-and-forth battle against Rider.

Once again, the deadlock was short-lived due to Rider’s score in the 61st minute with Tyrrell Moore to give them a 3–2 lead with 30 minutes left in the game. Fordham equalized in the 80th minute courtesy of sophomore defender Galen Flynn. That goal was initiated when graduate student forward Alberto Pangrazzi found senior midfielder Paul Makaj in the box. Makaj quickly passed the ball to Flynn, who slotted it into the bottom left corner to give Fordham the equalizer and his first goal of the season.

The tie lasted for only one minute with Rider scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute. Sergio Aguinaga crossed the ball into the box from near the corner flag into the back post where Moore headed the ball to Taner Bay who put it

into the back of the net. Fordham tried to equalize in the final minutes of the game with three shots, but to no avail.

Fordham’s next match was against Atlantic 10 rival George Washington. The Rams conceded first in the 41st minute with Tom Cooklin who chipped his shot past junior goalkeeper Callum James to give George Washington the 1–0 lead. The Rams responded right before halftime in the 44th minute where they were awarded a penalty due to a handball in the penalty area by George Washington. Rogers took the kick from the spot and converted the penalty to make it 1–1 to head into halftime.

It remained a stalemate until the 71st minute where Georgetown scored the winning goal courtesy

of Aaron Kronenberg, who was at the back post during a corner kick and tapped the ball into the back of the net.

Fordham had several chances to equalize but were unable to convert with GW’s goalkeeper Justin Grady making the saves to keep their lead.

In the 84th minute, Flynn got loose while trying to get the long ball where he was fouled by Hrolfurl Sveinsson just outside the box. The foul produced a red card, which meant that the Rams now had a number advantage to hunt down the equalizer in the final minutes.

Their best chance after the red card was in the final minute. With 17 seconds left, Fordham had a free kick just outside the box and Rogers took the shot. The shot was on target, but Grady was able to block

the shot to the right post to seal the loss for the Rams.

The Rams’ final game was against Seton Hall. The Rams were first on the scoresheet within eight minutes with sophomore defender/midfielder Florian Deletioglu. Rogers passed the ball to Deletioglu who then slotted it into the bottom right corner from outside the box to give the Rams the lead and his first goal of the season. Fordham kept on the pressure and, in the 24th minute, they doubled their advantage. Rogers took a shot, which deflected off the crossbar and fell to Deletioglu who scored again, giving himself a brace and his second goal of the season.

However in the second half of the game, Seton Hall struck back.

In the span of less than a minute, they scored two penalties courtesy of Johannes Pex to tie the game 2–2. Each team then had a chance to take the lead but were unable to as time was winding down. After 90 minutes, the game was still deadlocked at 2–2 and we went into extra time. We didn’t have to wait long. Three minutes into extra time, Rogers scored the winning goal. The Rams had a free-kick taken by Sloan. Sloan crossed the ball into the box where Rogers was unmarked and put the ball into the back of the net to give the Rams the win.

With their extra-time win, the Rams are now 3–6–1 overall with a 1–1 conference record. The Rams are back in action next week with a match against rivals Saint Louis, who are the 15th ranked in the country, on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.