Volume 104 Issue 16

Fordham Faculty Union in Union Renewal Process

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Starting since March 2022, the Fordham Faculty United (FFU) has been in union con tract renewal negotiations with Fordham University adminis trators to improve benefits for university faculty. Throughout these negotiations, the union has prioritized three areas of improvement: higher com pensation, provision of health benefits for adjunct faculty and reaching a pay parity across all of the schools at the university.

As FFU’s “Open Letter to the Community” reads, “We, mem bers and supporters of the Fordham community, call on the Fordham administration to live up to its values of human dignity for all persons in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with Fordham Faculty United by addressing three priorities…”

The first of these priorities is that of higher compensation of pay to who the letter describes as “the most vulnerable faculty in the Fordham community,”

The Fordham Ram

Hurricane Fiona Causes Damage in Caribbean, US and Canada

By JULIANNA MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Hurricane season has been in full swing the past few weeks, do ing significant damage to a mul titude of areas in the southern United States, the Caribbean and reaching up to Canada.

Typically, hurricane season in the Atlantic occurs from June 1 to Nov. 30, as listed by the National Hurricane Center. The website further explains that an average hurricane season consists of 14 named storms, five hurricanes and three major hurricanes. The first named storm typically forms in late June, the first hurricane in mid-August and the first of the major hurricanes later in August or early September.

Fordham Celebrates Family Weekend 2022

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

The 2022 hurricane season seemed to be rather calm until Hurricane Fiona began on Sept. 13. Fiona continued for 11 days before dissipating on Sept. 24. As of Sept. 30, CNN has report ed at least twenty five casualties across Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

CNN reported that this devas tating category 4 hurricane left

By GRACE GALBREATH STAFF WRITER

Fordham’s Family Weekend was held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. For many dorming students, it was their first reunion with their families since they moved in to their dorms in August. It also served as an opportunity for

many parents to meet newly elected Fordham president, Tania Tetlow.

The weekend was planned through a collaboration be tween The Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and the Campus Activity Board’s (CAB) Special Events Committee. The CAB Committee co-chairs, Kiri

Kenman, FCRH ’25, and John Cugel, FCRH ’24, as well as their advisor Stephanie O’Neill, began planning the event im mediately following last year’s Family Weekend.

Cugel said, “We have had a lovely blueprint to work on from past years, so we’re kind of basing it off of that. We are

Fordham Releases Annual DAUR Report

By JAY DOHERTY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 19, 2022, the Fordham community re ceived an annual report from the Office of Development and University Relations (DAUR), which detailed the results of Fordham’s fund raising, marketing and com munications efforts for the fiscal year (FY) 2022.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs Celebrates LatinX Heritage Month

By EMMA KIM

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is celebrating LatinX Heritage Month with a different event each week during the month.

During the first week, OMA

organized tabling at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, which gave students information about what OMA is and what they do.

For week two, OMA had “Café con OMA,” which gave students a chance to win free coffee, ex plained Jose Colon, GSB ’23,

who is the programming coordi nator for LatinX Heritage Month.

OMA partnered with Campus Ministry for this event. The stu dents scanned a code to learn more about OMA, and then they won a free cup of Mexican coffee

In FY 2022, Fordham se cured a total of $66.1 mil lion in total gifts and pledges

from donors. The university’s total cash achievement closed at $56 million against a $51 million goal. The DAUR office also reported that its multiyear Cura Personalis Campaign, which was publicly launched in November 2021, is now 62% to wards its $350 million goal.

“For the second year in a row, our alumni and donor commu nity rose to the occasion,” said Roger A. Milici Jr., Fordham’s vice president for development

Opinion

the Murky Waters of

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM Fordham’ s Office of Multicultural Affairs celebrates cultural heritage months at the university regularly.

President Tania Tetlow celebrates Family Weekend at Fordham with students and their families.

COURTESY

Fordham

SAFETY BRIEFS

Sept. 27

Fordham Road 2:30 p.m.

A student reported while walking on Fordham Road near Bathgate Avenue that they felt someone touch their back. The student turned and a male said, “You knocked down my food, give me $20.” The student declined to give the offender any money and contacted Public Safety.

Sept. 29 On-Campus

9:25 p.m.

A resident director called Public Safety regarding a student waving a sword out of a residence hall window.

A Public Safety supervisor responded. The investigation revealed a student in posses sion of a samurai sword. The supervisor secured the sword in the Public Safety Office.

Sept. 30 Campbell Hall 6:07 p.m.

Central Station called Public Safety to report a smoke alarm in Campbell Hall. Public Safety and FDNY responded. The building was evacu ated. Investigation revealed a student was cooking popcorn in the microwave which trig gered the smoke alarm. FDNY authorized the alarm panel to be reset and the building was reoccupied by residents.

Oct. 2 Arthur II 7:15 p.m.

The security officer assigned to Arthur II reported an alarm along Arthur Avenue. The supervisor responded along with FDNY. The alarm panel indicated the basement stair door. There was no sign of smoke or fire. The alarm panel was reset.

Fordham’s ACE and FUPAC Host Mixer for Students

By MICHELA FAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By EMMA KIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Fordham clubs Asian Cultural Exchange (ACE) and Fordham University PhilippineAmerican Club (FUPAC) held their annual mixer on Sept. 30 in North Dining. The ACE-FUPAC mixer was planned by both clubs’ e-boards, including the president of ACE, Arthur Liu, FCRH ’23, and the president of FUPAC, Jon DeFelipe, GSB ’23.

ACE is a student-led club that was founded in 1999, and their primary purpose is “to enrich the student body about the social, cultural, historical and intellectual pursuits of the Asian community.”

FUPAC is also a student-led club, and its purpose is to “pro mote Filipino culture throughout the Fordham University com munity by sponsoring cultural, and charitable, social activities.” As a club, they seek to “provide opportunities for members to integrate with the greater Ford ham community, building bridges through cross-cultural events.”

“The primary purpose of the FUPAC-ACE Mixer is to allow the freshmen of both clubs to mingle with one another and make new friends,” explained Liu. “By virtue of being the two largest AAPPI-identifying clubs on campus, ACE and FUPAC have always been very close to one another, and this mixer only serves to solidify that bond with each passing year.”

Along with meeting new people, both clubs provided food for the event. There was a mix of Chinese and Filipino food, including different types of Szechuan-style foods, noo dles, fried rice and vegetables.

One of the highlights for DeFelipe was the food and connections that were made.

“What makes the ACE-FUPAC mixer stand out to me is the feeling of family we’re able to foster in such a big event,” said DeFelipe. “Food is one of the best ways to bring people together, and every year it’s become a highlight of mine, being involved in a cultural club. Also, it’s not every day I can eat Filipino food, being away from home at Fordham.”

After food, everybody had an opportunity to participate in dif ferent games and activities that

were planned by the e-boards. One of the games was limbo, with DeFelipe becoming the new reigning champion after many competitive rounds.

Tuong Bui, FCRH ’25, the winner of limbo from ACE’s last event — Dynasty — and runnerup this year joked about losing their title. “He ended my pro fessional limbo career. I think he has great prospects ahead of him.”

Lauren So, FCRH ’25, en joyed the event on Friday after a week of classes. “I had a lot of fun trying new foods and meeting new people from dif ferent backgrounds. It was a re ally nice way to just unwind and spend some time playing light hearted games like limbo after a super stressful week of school,” said So.

Kiki Chen, GSB ’25, one of the social media coordinators of ACE, believes the event is a great opportunity to con nect the two clubs. “The event is important to show the unity amongst our campus cultural clubs and to share our cultures with one another. It was really an event that allowed many of

us to meet new people, bond and to have fun as a big fam ily,” said Chen.

Alex Tamsi, FCRH ’24, the treasurer of ACE, also loves celebrating and highlighting “the melting pot of Filipino and Asian American heritage.”

“I love this event a lot — and these two clubs more gener ally — because I’ve been able to meet people with different experiences,” said Tamsi. “It’s

This Week at Fordham

Wednesday Oct. 5

Dealy 207 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The University Health Center is holding a flu shot clinic this Wednesday. A flu shot is $35 and can be reimbursed by your insurance. It is impor tant to get vaccinated against the new strain of the flu.

Wednesday Oct. 5

Keating Steps 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

For the annual club showcase, clubs such as the Satin Dolls, Mimes and Mummers and more will be displaying their talent on Keating’s steps. Grab a picnic blanket and stop by to listen and watch!

Thursday Oct. 6

Edward’s Parade 1 p.m.

Fordham clubs CASA and El Grito de Lares are holding a “paint your flag” event to cel ebrate diversity in the Fordham community. Stop by for the op portunity to make some friends and have a good time.

Thursday Oct. 6

Town

JMCC 311 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

The annual commuter town hall is happening on Oct. 6 and is a place for commuters to voice their opinions and concerns about commuter life to Fordham’s Commuter Student Association (CSA).

really expanded my idea of what we perceive to be Asian and what it means.”

Overall, the ACE-FUPAC mixer was a successful night and a great representation of both cultures.

It also it gave students a chance to learn more about the Asian American and Filipino cul tures while also forming last ing bonds with their fellow stu dents at Fordham University.

Thursday Oct. 6

Board

Outside the Marketplace

11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Campus Ministry is hosting a game night which will include trivia and refreshments for all who attend. Held in the University Church, the event will be a rendition on the pop ular board game called “Life.”

COURTESY OF JULIAN OGAWA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The ACE-FUPAC Mixer took place on Sept. 30 in North Dining with a large turnout from both clubs.

COURTESY OF JULIAN OGAWA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM Arthur Liu and Jon DeFelipe are the presidents of ACE and FUPAC, respectively.

Hurricane Fiona Causes Significant Damage

more than a million people in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic without power or run ning water.

This was not the end of the damage that Hurricane Fiona did. The storm then moved and hit Nova Scotia and other re gions of Atlantic Canada, as was predicted in the CNN article.

After Fiona hit five provinces of Canada, the BBC released infor mation about the storm including satellite images of the destruction.

These confirmed the experts’ predictions in CNN that the storm is historic for Canada. The damage included the loss of a popular landmark: Prince Edward Island, The Teacup. This rock formation in the shape of an antique teacup was washed away by the storm. The BBC also reported at least two deaths and one missing person in the wake of the hurricane.

In the aftermath, as millions struggle to recover from their hurricane-related losses, many Fordham community members expressed interest in helping.

Campus Ministry sent out a message reminding all mem bers of the community that Puerto Rico still hasn't fully recovered from Hurricane Ma ria five years ago when they were hit with this destruction, and that they are still in need of support.

The first support Campus Ministry offered was directed to wards students who call Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic home or have family that does.

They suggested that those who are struggling with grief or anxiety regarding these damages reach out to them, Counseling and Psychological Services or University Health Services.

Campus Ministry encour aged members of the commu nity to keep those affected by the hurricane in their prayers. Additionally, these donations collected during Sunday mass es are being contributed to charities that are working in response to the disaster. How ever, for those who wish to make independent donations, Campus Ministry provided a

list of organizations which are responding to Hurricane Fiona, which includes Catholic Charities and The Hispanic Federation.

El Grito De Lares, a club on campus that honors the Hispanic community, heritage and culture on campus, has made a goal of ensuring “that everyone can find a place to call home,” according to President Maya Dominguez, FCRH ’23. Dominguez said El Grito De Lares wants its mem bers to know that the club has their back, especially in this time of crisis.

Dominguez also explained that spreading awareness is a crucial step in providing relief because it gives more people the opportuni ty to help in whatever ways they may be able, whether that be do nating, volunteering or continu ing the spread of information.

“Students should take the initiative to help because as students we have the chance to better the world. When tak ing initiative, we can better the world and sometimes be the source through which someone else is also able to better the world,” said Dominguez.

United Student Government Talks About Helping to Expand Student Voting Access

By SOFIA SEMPER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Fordham University Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met to discuss recent public concerns and new club proposals.

Senator Keegan Roeder, FCRH ’23, brought up the concern about the recent closure of Rodrigue’s Coffee House (Rod’s). Roeder said that Rod’s has been closed since Tuesday, Sept. 20, for main tenance and that there has been a lack of communication with Rod's staff regarding when the coffee house will be able to reopen. The Rod’s staff also came to the USG meeting to express their concerns and to learn more about the delay in reopening the coffee house.

Stephen Clarke, assistant di rector of student involvement, clarified that in April 2022, there was severe flooding in Rod’s basement and Facilities decided that they needed to re place the basement floor. While they were replacing the base ment floor, they found evidence of rodents. As a result of this finding, Facilities has done ex tensive extermination. Clarke said that because of the con struction, the rats have cleared

out of the area. However, they may return once the construc tion ends. As a precautionary measure, Facilities will leave rat traps in the basement following the completion of construction.

Furthermore, Clarke explained that there have also been issues with the water and plumbing. With that being said, Clarke said that the biggest concern is still replacing the basement floor and making sure that the issue is re solved so that there is no flooding in the future. Assistant Dean for Student Involvement, Catharine McGlade, Ed.D., assured every one that progress is being made, albeit a little slower than initially expected. Regarding the issue with lack of communication with the Rod’s staff, McGlade said that she will try to resolve the delay in the communication, however, she says that they themselves do not have all of the information yet. She said that even though the con struction project is taking longer, it is better that all of the issues are being addressed at once.

Executive President Santiago Vidal, FCRH ’24, said that if any students have issues with communicating with McGlade or Facilities, he would gladly be of assistance. Clarke added

that he is hopeful that Rod’s will be able to open up again soon.

Two groups presented their club proposals to the USG.

The International Students Association (ISA) was the first club was proposed.

Co-presidents Krishnaa Patel, GSB ’25, and Snehsrishti Assie, GSB’ 25, and Secretary Will Pham, GSB ’25, presented the club as an environment where international students can feel at home.

Patel, Assie and Pham said that the club will strengthen relationships between domes tic and international students and 123 students have already shown interest in the club. Vice President of International Integration Luisa Rosa, FCRH ’24, said that the ISA would be very beneficial for interna tional students and that the Committee on International Integration (CII) would part ner with the club for events.

The second club proposal was for the Rambling House. David Moran, GSB ’25, pre sented this idea as a club for students who want a space for creative writing. Moran said that there aren’t many options

at Fordham for creative writing and thought that this would be a good way to fix that.

President Pro-tempore candi date Senator Maya Dominguez, FCRH ’23, Senator Andrew Falduto, FCRH ’23, and Senator James Serruto, FCRH ’24, pre sented their campaigns and ideas for the future of USG. Senator Falduto won the election and is now the President Pro-tempore.

The Jesuit Student Government Alliance sent a notice to all Jesuit universities in the United States communicating their intent to write a letter to Congress regarding student voting rights, and they are seeking the approval of the univer sity’s student government.

The letter stated that the Jesuit Student Government Alliance re

quests that Congress open vot ing poll locations in universities and allow university students to use their school IDs to register to vote. Senator Dan Sponseller, FCRH ’25, and Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, both said that allow ing students to use their student IDs to vote would allow more voices to be heard and that any action expanding the right to vote in the U.S is an attempt to expand democracy. However, Senator Serruto raised the ques tion of whether the Fordham USG wants to set a precedent on involving themselves with politi cal issues. The vote for their call to action has been tabled until a further date due to the vacancies in the class of ’23 and ’24 senate and quorum laws.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Two new student clubs presented to USG.

Student groups at Fordham raise money for hurricane relief efforts.

Fordham’s Faculty Union Seeks Salary Raise

pushing for wage increases that would help faculty provide strong er environments for students.

The second priority demands employer-based health benefits for part-time faculty, as these ben efits are “a necessity in the United States, where most workers depend on employer-sponsored insurance for health coverage,” according to the letter.

The third and final priority is one stipulating pay parity for the adjunct faculty members in the schools of social work and reli gious education who currently earn lower wages than their peers in Fordham’s other schools.

“Paying less to those in the care professions perpetuates systemic gender and racial inequalities,” reads the letter, as, “at Fordham, as elsewhere, women predomi nate in the social work and edu cation fields.”

The Fordham Ram spoke with FFU chair Josh Jordan, Ph.D., senior lecturer in French, to discuss the union negotiations and understand why these plat forms are crucial.

First, Jordan explained the im portant role that adjunct profes sors play in helping carry the ed ucational substance of Fordham University, discussing the connec tion between adjuncts and the uni versity’s core curriculum.

“You’ve taken core classes, there is a 100% chance that you have been taught by an adjunct,” said Jordan.

A significant portion of core classes that undergraduate stu dents take throughout their studies are taught by part-time, adjunct faculty that do not re ceive the same benefits as fulltime and tenured faculty. This is an especially important talk ing point for FFU, as the union, as Jordan argues that, because adjunct faculty plays such an important role in building the

educational foundation of the university, they deserve higher wages, health benefits and equal pay across the board.

So far, the negotiations between FFU and the university have not proved as fruitful as the union would like. The union proposed a pay-raise plan covering the three years in which the collective bar gaining agreement would be in ef fect, from 2022 to 2025. According to the union’s plan, covered faculty in Fordham’s schools of arts and sciences, the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education and Masters and Ph.D. students in the Graduate School of Social Services would have a pay in crease of $500 each year for a to tal increase of $1500 by the end of the three years.

The university proposed a coun terplan that saw a pay increase of 3% every year.

In response, Jordan said:

“You don’t need to be The Economist to recognize that 3% of a big number gives you a big ger number than 3% of a small er number. So 3% gets adjuncts, someone who’s just been hired or been around for three years, $210 extra per course. Rate of inflation is currently 8% and cost of living, especially in New York City, has been soaring. $210 has been spent already. It’s been spent on food. It’s been spent on rent.”

“This isn’t very much at all,” Jordan said. “It’s not being, as you know, compensated by some kind of health benefit where you might go, ‘well, we don’t have this but at least we’re gaining this.’”

To put the university’s pro posed raise plan into perspective, Jordan compared said plan to the approved raise plan in effect at Barnard College. Whereas new adjuncts would receive a $210 in crease per course to their salary after their first year of teaching, adjuncts of the same kind would re ceive a $1,500 salary increase after

the same amount of time for the same kind of work.

“Even if you accept that, yes, Fordham is not Barnard, aren’t Fordham faculty worth onethird (the difference between $500 and $1500) of Barnard? They’ve answered that question with the $210,” said Jordan.

For further detail, Fordham’s plan would mean that, after three years, new adjuncts in the arts and science would be ear ling $7,649 per course and more experienced adjuncts, who have been working for over six years, would be earning $8,741 after the contract’s three years.

Where health benefits might be a useful boost to the low er proposed pay raises, the university is not offering nor planning to offer health ben efits of any kind to adjuncts.

“At the end of the day,” Jordan said, “the university is not interested in providing a meaningful health benefit … and this is coming on the heels of COVID-19. If it taught us anything, it taught us that things can go south very quickly

and not just for individual faculty members, but for family mem bers, children, etc. While we all subscribe to believe in Fordham’s motto, "cura personalis," care for the whole person. We believe in that even more because, for us, providing meaningful health ben efits to the adjuncts, already some of the most vulnerable employees ... means care for the community. It means taking care of those who ensure a Fordham education.”

Other plans to compensate for the lower proposal have also been rejected.

Jordan explained that the union asked for an adjustment on the adjunct faculty structure, suggest ing that the university allow for adjuncts to teach more than two courses per semester. The univer sity shut down this proposal.

The Ram reached out to the two Fordham University rep resentatives during the negoti ations, Beth Fagin, Fordham’s deputy general counsel, and Dr. Ji Seon Lee, the associate prov ost, for a comment. The repre sentatives referred to Bob Howe to provide comment, who said:

“The university has offered a 3% wage increase for each year of the contract to all SEIU members which is inline with the wage increases Fordham agreed to with other employee groups during the same peri od. The proposed increase fol lows the approximately 40% increase Fordham provided to most members in the first col lective bargaining agreement entered into in 2018. Because the adjuncts in the Graduate School of Social Service and Graduate School of Religion did not fully realize the large increases gained in the 2018 contract, we have proposed a significant jump in their base salary which far exceeds 3%. In addition, the university has offered adjunct faculty a pay ment of up to $800 to assist them with the cost of health benefits since many receive subsidized health benefits on the NYS Health Exchange. The university’s proposal will provide most adjuncts with an increase in the first year of the contract of over $1800.”

Degree Works Gets a New Look

By SAMANTHA MINEAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In December 2021, the uni versity began rolling out a new pilot interface for the Degree Works program.

Degree Works is a tool uti lized by both students and ad visors to determine if one is on track to graduate. It keeps re cord of the core, major and mi nor requirements necessary for each student. Using the “What If” function, students are able to draw up hypothetical combi nations of majors and minors to see if they would work with their schedule before declar ing.It was announced earlier in the year that the Degree Works interface was changing. It was “over a decade old and had be come outdated,” said Michael Rambetta, the associate director and data automation specialist for academic records.

“In addition to not being fully accessible under the most cur rent web accessibility guidelines,

Ellucian (the company that cre ates Degree Works) plans to no longer support Degree Works beginning with the next version that the university will upgrade to,” he added.

This meant that “all Degree Works users have to switch to the Responsive Dashboard.”

However, some students felt that the change hindered their experience using the software and that it was not optimized with the student in mind.

“I think this change is slightly worse than the previous Degree Works,” said Vincent Vitanza, FCRH ’24. “[The new dash board] makes it much harder to see all the classes and require ments in aggregate.”

The university's old advising structure was met with scru tiny, meaning many upper classmen students use Degree Works as their primary source of information for completing their requirements and gradu ating on time.

“Degree Works has been much

more useful than my advisor,” said Vitanza. “I haven’t had an advisor reach out to me since the end of my freshman year of college, so I’ve used Degree Works to plan my entire aca demic future by myself.”

Despite these student con cerns, Rambetta is confident that the changes made are minimal, mostly aesthetic and benefit students.

“The new visual interface is responsive, mobile-friendly and fully accessible following the most current web accessi bility guidelines,” he said. “All features that students and ad visors are used to having are still available in the Responsive Dashboard,” Rambetta said.

With Fordham’s new advis ing structure that claims to be more intensive and holistic than its predecessor, it’s pos sible that students will be come less reliant on Degree Works and these changes in interface and accessibility will become less relevant.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Students have mixed reactions to the new and updated Degree Works interface.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Various faculty members meet to discuss expanding salaries and benefits for adjunct instructors.

LatinX Heritage Month Aims to Celebrate Hispanic Culture

and a Brazilian pastry.

“It is a way to get people in terested. We really want to do this with the next upcoming activity,” said Colon. For week three, OMA is hosting an event called “Growing Up LatinX.”

“This is an interesting one because there is not much cov erage about what it means to be LatinX and what it means to grow up LatinX. Also, what it means to be LatinX growing up in the United States,” said Colon. “How do you connect to your culture when you have two at once? How do you connect with family members back in your country of origin?”

Colon is most excited about this event, especially because of his own Fordham experience during the pandemic.

Colon started at Rose Hill, and then transferred to Lincoln Center during the pandemic. “I noticed it is difficult to find people, not just LatinX, but also people from Puerto Rico,” said Colon.

According to Colon, when students come to college, they want to reminisce with some one about their experiences — what is similar and different.

Colon said if he was able to find people to recount experiences

with, he would have adjusted to college at a quicker pace.

Colon hopes that this event will give students a chance to have meaningful conversations. He also noted that students outside of the LatinX community can participate during the month.

“There are so many ways [to contribute] because all the com mittees [in OMA] work togeth er. We cater to everyone. We want to make sure everyone has a safe space, and other people understand too,” said Colon.

For week four, OMA is hoping to host a Tipico Night/Loteria. It is similar to bingo, but OMA plans to incorporate Mexican and Latin American elements. For the event, OMA is collaborating with the Commuter Students Association (CSA), Commuter Student Services (CSS) and Campus Activities Board (CAB).

“Our goal as an office for the month is to build a tight-knit community and to celebrate LatinX Heritage through many countries,” said Rashain Adams Jr., who is a graduate intern in OMA and managing the LatinX Heritage Month Committees.

“We want students to have full creative control when it comes to crafting programs and events

that [they] believe accurately portrays their heritage as well as others,” said Adams.

There is a moment of ad justing to college, specifically for someone from a LatinX background, said Colon.

“There are many people that feel the same way as you. Rather than making it seem like this is only for the LatinX community, we want to make sure that we are making people feel at ease with themselves and their identity. Those who might not understand what it is like to be Puerto Rican can learn something new and go beyond preconceived notions about that demographic,” said Colon.

While the celebration ends on Oct. 15, Colon emphasized that it doesn’t mean students still can’t get involved. “We are not done for the whole year. The next month is fo cused on a different com mittee, but we still like to do more events after that.”

Colon encouraged students to come in and contribute different ideas during the se mester. “We are here to help them feel comfortable with their identity,” said Colon.

DAUR Reports Results of Fundraising Initiatives

Events like The Fordham Founder’s Dinner are a primary tactic to raise funds for scholar ship funds university-wide.

According to the last annual report, The Fordham Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund raised a record $3.1 million in November 2021 and now sup ports 48 students, 79% of whom are from diverse backgrounds.

over 300 news articles around the world, which helped to pro mote Fordham’s brand in both the public eye and alumni com munities.

and university relations. “It is a little counterintuitive to the av erage person because one might have concluded that fundrais ing would have dipped in these pandemic years, and yet the op posite happened.”

In December 2020, Mario Gabelli, GSB ’65, made a $35 million gift to the Gabelli School of Business that, in part, led to Fordham experiencing its best fundraising year ever in fiscal year 2021. Except for last year’s record $85 million in total gifts, Milici said that FY 2022’s $66 million figure was a relative success.

“We are foremost grateful for

the generosity of our donors, and [these gifts] are never something that we take for granted.”

“Virtually all of these funds are restricted by the donors, and help the university deliver its mission through financial aid, academic excellence, student wellness and success, athletics and facilities,” Milici wrote in his office’s annu al report. Of the money raised in 2022, roughly 38% will be dedicated to financial aid for admitted students.

“Of the $66 million, about $25 million was earmarked for access and affordability, which is totally consistent with how our donors

resonate with financial aid,” said Milici. “Many of our alum ni donors themselves benefited from financial aid when they were students, and so it’s some thing that they care about.”

Milici explained that the university’s financial aid mon ey is usually allocated to one of two funds depending on the nature of the donation. Aid-re stricted gifts may be placed in an endowed scholarship fund administered by the Office of Enrollment and Financial Aid, or they might be added to a current-use fund overseen by the same office.

At the same time, the DAUR office has reported that its fiveyear, $350 million capital Cura Personalis Campaign, which was designed to improve four pillars of Fordham student life, has shown steady growth. The Cura Personalis Campaign, now in its third year, aims to raise $100 million for access and affordability, $150 million for academic excellence, $70 million for student wellness and success and $30 million for athletics and facilities.

“We’re right where we should be at this point; we’re a little ahead of the model, so we are on track to wrap up the campaign within two fiscal years,” said Milici.

University marketing has also been a top priority for Milici’s office. This year, the appoint ment of Fordham’s 33rd Presi dent Tania Tetlow was central to spreading the word and raising funds for the university. In fact, Tetlow’s appointment was in

“The early events that we’ve done to introduce President Tetlow to our community have all been capacity crowds and characterized by an energy and dynamism that is very conta gious,” said Milici. “She has ig nited the donor community and the alumni community in a way that is very conducive to alumni relations and fundraising.”

Broadly, Milici hopes Fordham continues its program to ma turity, so it can fiscally com pete with well-funded Jesuit peer institutions.

“A mature program, like Boston College or Georgetown, would consistently raise $100 million a year, and we’re not there yet, but we are getting very close,” Milici said. Between progress in fundraising, an in crease in marketing and record alumni engagement, Milici is optimistic that Fordham’s best days are yet to come.

“Fordham is at an exciting point in its history, and we are all very enthusiastic about our future, and I think our alumni are eager to see the university take that next step in its trajec tory,” he said.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

OMA has various events going on like a tabling and coffee event.

DAUR has a variety of fundraising initiatives. They report what they have raised annually.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Many Students Reunited with Family Over the Week end

FROM FAMILY, PAGE 1

kind of putting our own spin on it as well. We’ve just done a lot of brainstorming to see what is fit for the university and for all of our guests as well.”

The biggest events of the week end included Fordham’s home football game against Georgetown University, Family Weekend Mass, NYC Style Brunch and vari ous performances by Fordham student-led groups.

Cugel said he was most look ing forward to the New York City Style Brunch in the Great Hall in the new student center, “We are looking forward to incorporating

the new student center into our Family Weekend.”

Many students were equally as excited for the weekend. Alyssa Campbell, FCRH ’25, said, “I am definitely excited to have my par ents come spend the weekend at Fordham. I’m hoping it doesn’t rain too much so we can enjoy the football game.”

Family Weekend kicked off on Friday with a Welcome Reception on Keating steps. Families, stu dents and university staff gath ered and mingled while refresh ments were provided. Maroon Mainstage, a recital that included

various Fordham performing groups, took place immediately afterwards. Saturday morning opened with President Tetlow’s Welcome Address, during which she greeted families and wel comed them to campus. Parents were then invited to attend a lec ture entitled “Parents University: A Classroom Experience.”

The rain held off for most of the day, allowing families to attend the football game against Georgetown University, in which Fordham de feated Georgetown 59-38. The an nual Family Weekend Mass at the University Church was held

on Saturday and both Fordham families and staff attended.

The day concluded with a spe cial Family Weekend round of one of CAB’s popular bingo games, during which families were given the chance to win prizes.

Sunday’s planned events in cluded the NYC Style Brunch and a campus walking tour led by Robert Reilly, FCRH ’72; Fordham Law ’75.

The weekend was a chance for Fordham students to show their families around the campus.

Cugel said, “We really hope to give [Fordham families] some

what of a Fordham experience while they are here for the week end. We want to show them what the Fordham community is like and what we have to offer.”

He added, “It gives students a major opportunity to show their families where they live, where they go to school and what their lives are now that they are not living at home anymore. We also want to make it special for their families because families want to make sure their kids are happy and safe, re ceiving a great education and living in a great community. We want to show Fordham's best side of that.”

Fordham Junior Heads up Biology Team Studying DNA Fragments

By NATALIE FEDDE STAFF WRITER

Madeline Drucker, FCRH ’24, is the head of a biology team working with DNA frag ments to create new strands of DNA with mutations. Drucker’s research aids a larger study on translation synthesis run by Dr. Elizabeth Thrall in her biophys ical chemistry lab.

In this translation study, Drucker’s work is the first step in a long process. Since joining the lab last spring, Drucker has successfully made new strains of DNA with mutations and is currently working on mak ing combinations of multiple mutations to see if they affect each other. Drucker and the rest of the biology team work with these DNA mutations and tag them with fluorescent proteins, so the rest of the re search team can see how dam aged DNA affects cell growth.

“I’m the first stage in all of the crucial components to make this lab happen,” said Drucker. “It’s very nice to see how the biology team’s work can be passed onto the next team which looks at ef fects on cell growth and finally onto the imaging team, and we

get results. The biology team is definitely the first step in a kind of assembly line. Our re sults don’t prove anything just yet, but all of us work together, and our work bounces off each other to create the final result.”

Drucker said that the over all translation synthesis study is a continuation of research Thrall started while working towards her Ph.D.

“We’ve taken it a lot fur ther, and we are studying a lot more in depth than she was at the time. We can provide a lot more data with a team of 10 people than she could by her self,” said Drucker.

According to Drucker, this research could provide pre liminary data to aid cancer re search and other larger-scale research projects and that the data Thrall’s lab has produced so far is “promising.” The end goal of the study is to figure out how cells can work past damaged DNA rather than copying the damaged DNA.

As of now, Thrall’s research does not have a projected end date. “With this lab, the more data you have, the more be lievable your results are. So we’re trying to produce a lot of numbers, and a lot of good

data,” said Drucker.

Drucker originally became involved in this study by at tending a research talk for the chemistry department, where professors showcased their work for students. As a biology student, Drucker said that she was not expecting to join any of the research proj ects presented, but Thrall’s research stood out because of the biology component.

In the future, Drucker said that she intends to take a gap year before going to medical school to pursue a career as a reproductive endocrinolo gist. Her work in Thrall’s lab is very different from the type of genetics Drucker is interested in, but both allow her to work with living cells.

“Working in this lab has ben efited me a lot. It has taught me to work in groups but also to work independently, to trust intuition, but also to ask ques tions. It helps you find a really good balance between trusting yourself and also learning by yourself and with others. Work ing in this lab, the material is very intricate and high-level.

I feel like it teaches you a lot about how to be a good scien tist,” said Drucker.

Fordham's football team defeated Georgetown during Family Weekend.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM Students and families rooted Fordham in their game against Georgetown University on Family Weekend.

COURTESY

Madeline

R OPINION Lose Yourself In a Library

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

The Fordham Ram is the univer sity journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open ex change of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published every Wednesday during the academic year to all campuses.

Website

TheFordhamRam.com

Email Address

theram@fordham.edu

Editor in Chief

Ava Erickson

Managing Editor

Hanif Amanullah

Editorial Director

Sebastian Diaz

Production Editor

Michael Sluck

Multimedia Director

Pia Fischetti

Business Director

Matthew Colucci

Copy Chief Amanda Yarolin

Assistant Copy Chief Hannah Boring

News Editor

Isabel Danzis Assistant News Editors

Emma Kim Samantha Minnear Opinion Editors

Nicole Braun

Taylor Herzlich Assistant Opinion Editor

Michela Fahy Culture Editors

Kari White Ilaina Kim Assistant Culture Editor

Elisabeth Murray

Sports Editor

Nick Guzman

Assistant Sports Editors

Thomas Aiello

Maddie Bimonte

Social Media Director

Frances Schnepff

Digital Producers

Ava Carreiro

Justin Charles

Sofia Donohue Visual Director

Nicoleta Papavasilakis

Photo Editor

Nick DeSilva Graphics/Illustrations

Cory Bork

Faculty Advisor

Beth Knobel

Editorial Policy

The Fordham Ram’s edito rial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the au thors. They do not necessarily re flect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram.

Submissions Policy

The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject or edit any submis sion for any reason, without no tice. Submissions become the ex clusive property of The Fordham Ram. No part of the The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

The Walsh Family Library is my favorite place on the Rose Hill campus, but not for the reason you may think: I go there to explore.

Instead of studying, I wander through the shelves, looking at all the books: novels and novel las, encyclopedias and alma nacs, leatherbound tomes and battered paperbacks. At least once a week, I allot some time to explore the rows and rows of shelves, silently selecting things that look interesting to read.

Fordham is often a noisy place, filled with construction and conversations, music and train whistles. It’s a relief to wander this silent, holy temple to knowledge, interrupted only by the occasional ding of the el evator and soft footsteps on the carpeted floor.

It often feels like we don’t appreciate how miraculous li braries really are. For most of human history, the majority of people were illiterate, the privi lege of learning to read being one that was only afforded to the elites. For those who were lucky enough to know how to read, books were a luxury good, often expensive and difficult to find. Libraries, if they existed at all, were private institutions re served for the wealthy, barring knowledge behind their gilded walls.

The public library is perhaps the greatest creation in the his tory of human civilization. You can walk into a building, with nothing more than some ba sic identification and borrow

whatever books you want.

Think about that! Knowledge

— once reserved for the higher classes — is for everyone. The pleasures of literature do not discriminate.

Yet so many students neglect to take advantage of all the op portunities the library has to offer. The third floor is home to a massive selection of fic tion, with books from around the world. Besides literary clas sics, the library is also home to modern fictions from authors such as Stephen King, Andy Weir and Colson Whitehead.

Want to learn about a new topic, but don’t have the time to fit in another class? The Walsh library selection spans an enormous variety of fields, with introductory texts on al most any subject you can think of to name. Whether you want to learn about hypnotism, in somnia, handwriting analysis, nutrition, Ireland or fashion, you are guaranteed to find a section on it in the library.

If nothing in Walsh Library’s expansive collection sparks your interest, then try the New York Public Library (NYPL). Merely by the virtue of being a New York City student, you qualify for a New York Public Library card, which allows you access to the fourth-largest li brary collection in the entire world. If you don’t have the time or the energy to make it down to one of the NYPL branches in the Bronx, then you can download the SimplyE app, a NYPL-affiliated service that allows you to borrow

| Michael Sluck

ebooks and audiobooks for free. The selection is enormous — according to the NYPL web site, the library has more than 6 million items circulating in its collections, including books, music and movies.

Possession of a library card doesn’t extend to literary perks alone. Card owners can also re ceive “culture passes,” a service that allows you to get tickets to a variety of New York muse ums for free. Locations include the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Museum, among countless oth ers. While Fordham students already gain free access to certain museums (such as the Met), the culture pass opens up even more of New York’s art and history to members of the Fordham community.

College is a noisy time, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Our lives are so filled with the chatter of other people: our roommates, our friends, our classmates, our profes sors. Even during downtime, many students prefer to spend their time browsing social media, filling their lives with even more noise. The old cli

Editorial | Fordham Athletics

che that it’s “so loud you can’t hear yourself think,” takes on a new meaning. Our thoughts, opinions and reflections are drowned out in the noisiness that surrounds us.

The library is a break from all of this chaos. It’s a silent space to contemplate and reflect. There is no “For You” section in libraries. What you want — to read, to learn, to enjoy — is entirely up to you. It’s a place to take a break from all the noise that blankets the chaotic world around us, curl up in an armchair and lose yourself in a good book.

In my time at the Ram, I’ve seen lots of things recommend ed to Fordham students: mov ies, music, museums. I’d like to add my two cents to the list. Over the next month, go to a li brary. Go alone, when you have some time — nothing hang ing over your head, nowhere to rush off to. Find a book you think you would enjoy — not because you need it for a class, or because your friends are reading it.

Read for the sake of read ing, and enjoy everything the library has to offer.

Athletics Aren’t — and Shouldn’t Be — a Priority

The student athletes featured in The Fordham Ram’s latest YouTube video titled “Scooters: Perks or Problem?” debunked a common misconception pos iting that student athletes (pre dominantly male sports teams) are provided electric scooters by the university.

Athletes interviewed for the video confirmed that the scoot ers were not paid for or provid ed by Fordham Athletics or any other university department, despite many students on cam pus believing so. It’s important to consider why this rumor not only started, but is so com monly believed.

The general perception is that the university administra tion favors Fordham athletic department and its studentathletes more than any other student group on campus or department; on the other habd, the university is concerned that students are not showing an active enough interest in the school’s athletic departments or sports teams.

On April 7, 2022, Fordham Athletics announced in a press release that it would pursue a partnership with InterCollegiate Athletic Consulting

(ICAC) to review the athletics department. One of the aims of the partnership is to address the lack of engagement with sports at Fordham.

It is clear that Fordham is having trouble understanding where the dissonance between students and athletics lies, but, considering the various pull factors of Fordham University, it seems that students largely are not choosing to enroll at the university to support its sports teams.

Fordham University is not a “football school.”

When students choose to study at a university in New York City, one of the main at tractions is not the reputation of the sports team at the spe cific university. At Fordham, most non-athletic students are ambivalent about the univer sity’s sports teams unless they are closely involved with sports culture or are attending a spe cial event like Homecoming.

Outside of Athletics, few students benefit from the in vestments in athletic facilities. There is no need to pursue a reputation of a “football school” at Fordham University when many students are pursuing

a liberal arts education unin volved from athletics.

A consultation with InterCollegiate Athletic Consulting isn’t necessary to know sports isn’t a priority for Fordham students simply because sports was not a major consideration for many students choosing to enroll. If this is the case, what did turn potential students into enrolled students?

The most obvious pull fac tor is the location in New York City, one of the densest, oppor tunity-rich cities in the world where students could explore and boost career opportuni ties. The culture of Fordham’s city alone is enough to stand as the university’s sole attraction (and for some students it may very well be), but Fordham has other merits that pull students in more than sports.

Fordham itself is ranked in the top 50 for Undergraduate

Teaching by U.S. News national college rankings. As a universi ty, Fordham has a high-stand ing reputation for academic excellence that makes it a desirable location for higher education. Why, then, is the university attempting to make sports the attraction that it simply isn’t?

As recent articles published by the Ram have pointed out, both the class of 2025 and the class of 2026 have shown a sig nificant increase in the number of students at the university. It has become clear that campus resources and facilities are be ing stretched. Since a large por tion of Fordham students do not prioritize the university’s athletics and other aspects of the university are in need of funding, it is the Ram’s posi tion that the university should consider redistributing some of its funds to other areas.

We Need to Reimagine Ancient Greece

of fair-skinned, light-eyed and fair-haired heroes. This pattern excludes the greater diversity of the people that lived during this time, the same people who created and shared the stories these movies portray. It is no one creator’s fault for perpetu ating this myth, as this was the prevailing belief at the time. In fact, it’s only recently that this view has started to shift.

some statues have lighter fea tures, others have dark, coiled curls. Then the characters in Homer’s “Iliad” were, perhaps, not full of people who looked like Pitt and Worthington.

an insult for Ancient Greek men, as it insinuated that they spent no time outdoors com peting in athletic, laborious tasks such as war.

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

The long-awaited cast an nouncement for the upcom ing television series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” was released last May by Rick Riordan, the author of the book series. Having already named Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson about a month earlier, Riordan announced on his blog that Aryan Simhadri had been cast as the charac ter Grover Underwood and Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. This casting and the controversy it elicited, most ly surrounding the choice of naming Jeffries, a Black actor, as Annabeth, brought up old arguments about the ethics of color-blind casting.

Frankly, I’m not going to bother with the specifics of that debate, as most of us al ready have our opinions firmly set. Instead, I want to explore one of the deeper reasons be hind the naive insistence of some people to keep Annabeth white. That is, the cultural ten dency the Western world has of imagining the myths of Ancient Greece, on which Riordan’s stories are based.

When it comes to Ancient Greece, Western audiences

subscribe to a myth. It’s a pervasive one, crafted by ne farious minds trying to create a lie of Western supremacy. This myth is perpetuated by a will ful ignorance on the part of ac ademics who study antiquity, film directors who cast mov ies based on classical stories and writers who reimagine the world of Ancient Greece. This perpetuation of Western myths creates a divide between the real stories of Ancient Greeks and how we, as Western read ers and viewers, imagine them and who we imagine them as.

All we have to do to see this paradox in action is turn on a film inspired by the classical period. Films such as “Troy” and “Clash of the Titans,” which came out in 2004 and 2010 respectively, populat ed their sets with actors of Western European descent.

For example, both Brad Pitt, who played Achilles in the for mer, and Sam Worthington, who played Perseus in the lat ter, are of English descent.

While one could argue for the separation of mythical he roes from the ethnic contexts in which they were created, continually casting actors of northwestern European de scent creates a specific image in Western audiences’ minds

One of the main blows to the perceived “whiteness” of Ancient Greece has to do with their statues, which for the past couple hundred years have been prized for their serene, chic whiteness. There are white supremacists groups that use the white, marble statues as evidence that supports their be lief in an “unblemished lineage of white Western culture” that begins in ancient Greece.

Imagine their horror when they learned that the statues were not, in fact, white. Mark Rabbe, working on an archaeo logical dig in the ancient city of Aphrodisias, found statues bedecked in small flecks of col or, revealing the hues of skin, hair and decoration. A handful of other scholars discovered similar statues, shocked to see that such a vital part of Ancient Grecian art had been wholly ig nored. Even though their stud ies were contemporaneous to Riordan’s writing of the Percy Jackson series, they remained on the fringe of classical study. It was not until recently that polychromy on Greek statues came into the mainstream, even getting its own exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artists and researchers worked alongside one another to create statues that matched the original designs to the best of their ability. If you attend this exhibit you will see that, while

Some are hesitant to accept this truth. Controversy very similar to the casting of Jeffries as Annabeth sprung up when the BBC cast David Gyasi, a Black man, as Achilles in their 2018 show, “Troy: Fall of a City.” While this casting is no more anachronistic than cast ing Pitt, it caused outrage and subsequent discourse online.

Writing on the controversy, Tim Whitmarsh, the AG Lev entis Professor of Greek cul ture at the University of Cam bridge, argued that the casting provided space for audiences to rethink how they imagine the famous characters from Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.”

He explains that, while Achil les is described as having me dium-to-light colored hair, Homer does describe Odys seus, another hero within the saga, as Black. But not in the way we think of it. In the same article, Whitmarsh explores Homer’s physical descriptions of Odysseus and how they con flict with America’s perception of race. In two instances in the Odyssey, Athena improves Odysseus’ appearance by mak ing him “black-skinned” and his hair appear dark and “woo ly.” Whitmarsh argues that this is not necessarily ascribing to Odysseus’ characteristics that would fit him into a modern, racial category, but instead uses color to “associate him with the rugged, outdoors life he lived” and further empha size his heroic qualities and masculinity. On the flipside, Whitmarsh explains, being de scribed as “white-skinned” was

All this is to say that the per ception of who the Ancient Greeks were has changed dras tically in the last 20 years, and Riordan’s choice to alter the characters within his world better honors the culture that inspired him.

In all honesty, I loved that Annabeth had light-colored eyes and blonde hair in the books, as I was overjoyed to find myself represented in one of Riordan’s smartest and toughest characters. However, film and television roles be longing to characters like Annabeth’s have gone almost exclusively to girls who look like me, whether it is in the name of historical realism or not. It is the research, inspired by my love for Riordan’s se ries, that led me to discover all I explained above and made me realize the importance of Jeffries’ casting. Annabeth in the books is white, she has blonde hair and light, gray eyes, yet Andromeda, a char acter in the original myth of Perseus, was likely Ethiopian and is exclusively played by white actresses.

People who look like Jeffries belong in stories about Ancient Greece, but they have been almost entirely excluded. It’s time that we expand the range of who is included in art based off of the Ancient Greeks, and we need to celebrate the new cast and Riordan’s decision to make his world more inclusive.

Kari White, FCRH ’24, is an English major from Wilmington, Del.

Pop Culture News is Overshadowing Far More than it Should

By CAROLYN BRANIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Pop culture news seems to have steadily dominated media coverage for the last few years, and the Queen of England’s re cent death shows just how en tranced the public becomes by celebrity news.

As an American currently studying abroad in London, it is evident to me that the queen’s death was a major historical event and worthy of respect and attention from the public. From weepy eyes to large personalized cards, every U.K. citizen I encountered had some kind of visceral reaction to the loss of their monarch. It was beautiful to see how large an impact one woman had on, not only her country, but the world as a whole, since nearly over 28 million people around the world streamed the Queen’s funeral.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the public find ing interest in famous figures. In fact, it seems to be a point

of unity between people to discuss celebrity news. The Kardashians are proof of this phenomenon, with articles published every day about the most mundane details of their lives.

That being said, there is a cur rent problem with the amount of airtime and attention news sources give particular stories. This past week, a terrible hur ricane struck Puerto Rico, leav ing countless people without clean water, electricity or the means to receive help. Large areas of the island were dam aged by heavy rain, which fore casters predict will last for sev eral days. The island’s citizens are facing a heightened danger of landslides and flash floods, leading to the devastation of urban areas.

It seems that the disaster that occurred, however, was not covered by the media nearly as much as the queen’s funeral. For every headline I have seen about the disaster in Puerto Rico and the steps that officials are taking to try to cope with it,

there have to be at least a dozen headlines about the royal fam ily and how they are facing the monarch’s death dominating the News app on my iPhone. It’s safe to assume that almost everyone in the U.K. — and much of the Western world — is aware of Elizabeth II’s passing, especially after a 10-day period of mourning during which so cial media, television and digi tal billboards have been over run by the loss.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona remains a significant ongo ing news story, and not nearly enough attention is being allo cated to it. There are dire con sequences to this lack of media coverage, as the more that a story is pushed into the public sphere, the more people gain awareness and can thus offer assistance. If news outlets did more to cover the hurricane in Puerto Rico, then relief ef forts would likely be expedited. Unfortunately, with little as sistance from the international community, hundreds of peo ple are suffering in Puerto Rico.

It is clear that the media must satisfy public demand in order to continue operating as a business. Therefore, it is only logical that the stories with the most clicks would get boosted the most. I’m also not going to point the finger at the specta tors. I’m not that interested in the royals, but everyone has some kind of pop culture ob session. However, no media outlet should make it a point to prioritize this specific type

of news over important, conse quential events.

To report with integrity as journalists, stories should be equally covered, or at the very least, the difference in coverage should not be as stark as it has been between the hurricane in Puerto Rico and live-streamed funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s.

Carolyn Branigan, FCRH ’24, is an English and Film & Television major from Tinton Falls, N.J.

The hurricane in Puerto Rico got less media attention than the Queen’s death.

Jeffries’

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True Crime Content as Catharsis

By OLIVIA TEARE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After extensive research, I’ve developed a hypothesis con cerning the link between com muting and road trips to Spotify Podcasts: People enjoy putting on their headphones, mentally checking out and tuning into a relaxing story of violence and tragedy.

Even though true crime aficio nados have been received nega tively in some cases, I would argue that the genre has become a means of catharsis for the

public. Wondery, Spotify Origi nals and other true crime pod cast studios allow listeners to explore the dark side of human ity from a safe distance. People can use these podcasts to work through past traumas, safely confront their fears or interrupt everyday life’s drudgery. It’s essential to note that the genre only represents a subset of the crimes that take place in the world. Usually, only the most extreme forms are drawn upon for storytelling, such as serial killing and rape.

It is important not to fully

buy into the sensationalization presented by true crime sto ries. The constant consumption of dramatized tales depicting humanity at its worst can be dangerous. After all, everything is better in moderation, and this is especially true for complex topics such as domestic abuse or assault. The CSI Effect, which is the idea that jurors have pre conceived notions before enter ing a courtroom as a result of watching shows like CSI, is a representation of true crime’s popularity growth over recent years. An exaggerated portrayal of criminals through television and media can lead to unrealistic paranoia or speculation. One of the most recent addi tions to the spur of true crime stories comes from Netflix. The streaming service recently re leased “Dahmer – Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” a series about the infamous serial killer. The show’s alleged intent was to focus on Dahmer’s victims, as most true crime stories do; true crime stories build an emotional attachment between the con sumers and the victims. Howev er, the development team over looked the deeper narratives that could have been constructed and focused solely on the gruesome criminal acts that Dahmer per formed. In the show, secondary characters were quickly reduced to sideshow attractions at the

hands of a despicable man. It is a failed attempt at a true crime masterpiece. Netflix had the ma terial to delve deeper into the story, but simply explored coldblooded murder, episode after episode.

There is also evidence that Netflix acted insensitively to ward Dahmer’s victims and their families. Rita Isbell, sister of Errol Lindsey, who was mur dered by Dahmer when he was only 19 years old, spoke out in a BBC interview. Isbell expressed concern that the company didn’t consensually approach Errol’s story, as they recreated Isbell’s emotional 1992 victim impact court statement word-for-word in the show without her permis sion.

Additionally, some of the vic tims’ relatives shared that Net flix was profiting off of crimes they were not justly depicting, as the series’ focus is primarily on Dahmer. Netflix undermined the epitome of a true crime sto ry: educating the public and pro moting compassion and empa thy instead of pure horror. There was zero acknowledgement on Netflix’s part for not bringing awareness to the identities, lives and individuals who fell victim to the crimes. Without a voice, the public only sees a black-andwhite image of these criminal offenses.

By excluding victims from

the narrative, Netflix belittled victims and their stories, which does not reinforce a positive con notation between true crime and fans. Psychotherapist F. Diane Barth reinforces that true crime can be beneficial as individuals can find inspiration in seeing survivors work through trauma and overcome psychological ob stacles in the recovery process. It’s more than just seeing the ins and outs of a criminal’s mind or becoming an armchair detective — crime television genuinely allows people to find comfort in relating to others, especially through media representation.

On the other hand, some view ers and listeners treasure true crime at its base value: twisted entertainment. Consumers at tempting to understand the fun damental social taboo that evil stands for. As an apparent vio lation of a “just world,” crime stands out against our percep tion of right and wrong.

The discomfort and vulner ability these shows bring are typically resolved if one either detaches themselves from the media or finishes the series in its entirety. Both paths can call about a sense of justice in order in an otherwise dark setting.

Olivia Teare, FCRH ’26, is an anthropology major and peace and justice studies and linguis tics minor from Duxbury, M.A.

Giorgia Meloni’s Win Is a Step Backward for Women

By ALLY DUGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Giorgia Meloni’s victory in the race for the Prime Minister of Italy is alarming for not just Italian citi zens, but people around the world. With similar policy viewpoints to Trump, Meloni, the country’s first female prime minister, actively speaks out against women’s is sues and other minority issues, such as LGBTQ+ issues. Meloni is a white conservative leader who will use her gender to further her political agenda, but in the pro cess, will oppress women and other minorities.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, Ital ian citizens elected Meloni from the Brothers of Italy party to be come the next prime minister of the country. She is the first farright prime minister since Benito Mussolini’s rule. She had a no table lead in the race, with 26% of

the vote, a much larger share com pared to any other party represen tative. The new Italian Parliament will form in the upcoming weeks.

Born in Rome, Meloni has been politically active her entire life, joining the youth wing of the neofascist Italian Social Movement party when she was just 15 years old. She co-founded the Brothers of Italy party in 2012 and has led the Brothers of Italy party since 2014. As a politician, Meloni is admired for her confidence, as she speaks with pride as a woman in a maledominated government. She even ran for mayor while seven months pregnant, in which she said, “I am a woman. I am a mother.”

The Brothers of Italy, or “Fratelli d’Italia,” are a conserva tive and right-wing populist party, notorious for their fascist and far-right wing perspectives and policies. Their ideologies include national conservatism, nativism,

Euroscepticism and opposition to immigration.

Meloni is implementing those ideologies in her political agen da. In the past couple of weeks, she has been actively speaking out against immigration and the European Union and calling for more family friendly benefits and low taxes for Italians.

One of the most harrowing as pects of Meloni’s agenda is her stance on immigration. In a coun try where 1 out of 10 people are born abroad, her anti-immigration opinions are worrisome.

Even more shocking, Meloni’s party is against same-sex marriage. The New York Times reports that Meloni “is not going to alter exist ing civil rights, but that what is best for a child is to have both a mother and a father.”

It is interesting that Meloni calls for heteronormativity when she claims to promote unity of all Italians. In her victory speech in late September, she said, “if we will be called to govern this coun try, we will do it for all Italians; for everybody, with the goal of unit ing this people, of stressing what unites rather than what divides.” Meloni’s call for unity is especially ignorant given her divisive and po larizing political agenda.

The idea of unity is similar to a focus on inclusion, and being the first woman leader of a powerful country can look like “inclusion” to the naked eye. However, once we analyze her political opinions, her party and her political back ground, it is clear that just because

Meloni is a woman does not mean she stands for all women. We can observe this phenomenon with other women leaders around the globe.

Former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, who is known for being liberal, voted against samesex marriage in 2017 for Germany, even stating: “For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together.” Merkel had con sistently aligned herself with the “liberal West,” yet still displayed quite traditional, outdated social views.

Even in the U.S., Vice President Kamala Harris was praised for be coming the first woman to become vice president. This was a celebra tion of inclusion and triumph for diversity, as Harris is a Black and Indian woman.

However, when fully under standing her politics and her histo ry as Attorney General of Califor nia and Senator of California until 2021, many have brought aware ness to the fact that she is often contradictory in her beliefs and her past actions, having defended mass incarceration and kept more people in jail for longer amounts of time. Harris has promoted programs to help keep people out of jail, but her history and background are still relevant to understanding her views and political standpoint.

While all of these women are monumental figures and repre sent political inclusion, it does not mean they are fighting for wom en’s issues and furthering a liberal agenda. In cases like Meloni’s and

Merkel’s, this contradiction stems from white feminism and how it affects politics, with women lead ers solely seeking to “include” and represent white, heterosexual, cisgender women.

However, it is important to note that Meloni’s politics are much fur ther right than Merkel and Harris. Her politics have been compared to former President Donald Trump and controversial Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In the past, Meloni has consistent ly been homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic and racist in her ac tions and rhetoric. It is unfair to group her with Merkel and Harris solely because they are all women, but it is important to note that even leaders with diverse backgrounds can still promote policies that negatively impact their own demo graphic.

Meloni is extremely dangerous for the future of Italy, and her party represents a great political shift that could occur in all of Europe. It will be important to watch Spain in its upcoming elections, for example.

Meloni’s rule is worrisome for Italians of all different back grounds, genders, sexual orien tations, races, ethnicities, etc. If she is so passionate about “unity” in her country, my hope is that she will not vote for any poli cies that go against freedom of expression and identity.

Ally Dugan, FCRH ’23, is a communications and culture major from West Chester, Penn.

Netflix recently released “Dahmer – Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” COURTESY OF TWITTER

Avoiding the Murky Waters of Greenwashing

work of truly environmentally ethical companies who are sin cerely trying to limit the harm they cause this planet.

Let’s take a closer look at laun dry detergents for a concrete ex ample of greenwashing in action. In 2016, Tide launched their plantbased PurClean detergent. How ever, if you read the fine print, it is only made up of 75% plant-based ingredients. That other quarter of ingredients?

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

It’s not easy being green.

With Climate Week NYC hap pening just a few weeks ago, it is the perfect time to reflect on our relationship with the environment as consumers. As the condition of our planet has worsened over the past few decades, thanks in large part to the unsustainable produc tion tactics of massive corpora tions, consumers have been look ing to purchase more eco-friendly, or “green,” products. In fact, 85% of people across a span of 17 countries “indicate that they have shifted their purchase behavior to wards being more sustainable in the past five years.”

There are a host of tactics com panies implement to make their products green, such as sourcing their materials more ethically and

sustainably or creating their pack aging out of recycled materials. However, what a lot of companies end up doing is greenwashing. It is our responsibility as consumers to do our own research to avoid supporting greenwashed compa nies.

Greenwashing is when compa nies “invest more time and mon ey on marketing their products or brand as ‘green’ rather than actu ally doing the hard work to ensure that it is sustainable,” according to medium.com. Companies partake in greenwashing by either being vague about what they are do ing to make their products more eco-friendly, or by lying outright. In a report by the Green Business Bureau, “in 42% of cases, green claims were exaggerated, false or deceptive.”

Greenwashing is not only mis leading, but it undermines the

They are clean ing aids derived from petroleum (which is clearly a non-sustain able resource), and though it only makes up a quarter of the solvent, those “cleaning aids are the most potent of ingredients used in the detergent,” according to a classaction suit filed against Tide’s par ent company, Procter & Gamble.

Compare this to a brand like Ecos. Ecos has been manufactur ing wholly plant-based and vegan detergents since the 1990s, and the company has received awards from important organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency. If a brand like Ecos is so deeply committed to produc ing environmentally conscious products, and Tide’s PurClean is so much shallower and moneyhungry in comparison, then why does it even matter that Tide is greenwashing?

It matters because, even though Tide is the inferior detergent when it comes to sustainability, they have something that Ecos doesn’t: brand recognition. On Amazon’s list of best-selling detergents, Tide dominates; Tide products make up seven out of the top 10

list. According to the Global Banking & Finance Review, “71% of consumers said it was very or somewhat important that they recognise a brand before they make a purchase.” If Tide is the best-selling brand, then consumers are far more likely to recognize it and buy it compared to the lesser-known, if more au thentic, Ecos. Tide’s PurClean is a perfect example of greenwash ing because Tide is using its status as an industry giant to dwarf the competition and sell consumers a product preaching phony plan etary promises.

But is greenwashing the only answer in our capitalist, profitdriven world? I don’t think so. Even though there may seem to be a fundamental disharmony between capitalism and ethical environmental practices, the very existence of companies like Ecos proves that there is a market for more sincere products, even if they are overshadowed by their deceitful competitors. That be ing said, it is harder for those on a tight budget to shop sustainably, as the cost to produce sustainable products is “an average of 75 to 85 percent more expensive.”

Greenwashing is so frustrat ing because it is companies do ing their best to convince con sumers that they care about the environment without committing to any actual environmental ac tion. Greenwashed companies know that their customers want and care about environmentallyfriendly products, and they’ll do just enough to convey that

illusion without actually following through. It is reminiscent of com panies adding rainbows to their marketing during Pride month in an empty effort to demonstrate their LGBTQ+ allyship. Adding a leaf to a newly earth-toned logo and thinking that’s enough is hol low and condescending.

But it’s also frustrating that we fall for it.

In our defense, we are con stantly inundated with advertis ing buzzwords in this capitalistic society of ours, and companies are always trying to convince us that they are the most “organic” or “plant-based” thing on the market. We’re busy consumers — we don’t always have time to research our brands before we buy them or look at the environmen tal ramifications of our purchases. And, sometimes, we like to do the bare minimum, too; it’s easier to reach for the detergent brand with the novel green leaf on the label that we’ve used our whole lives, than to do our homework and con sider how we may be perpetuating harmful business practices.

As consumers, we need to be more aware of the prevalence of greenwashing, and we need to call it out when we see it. If we really want to be environ mentally ethical and conscious shoppers, we need to put in the time, because we clearly can’t trust companies to be on our side — or our planet’s.

Nicole Braun, FCRH ’24, is an English major from Saddle River, N.J.

Alex Jones: Exploitation Through Conservative Buzzwords

By DANIELLA TERILLI ASST. OPINION EDITOR EMERITA

Notorious conspiracy theo rist and InfoWars host Alex Jones is currently in the midst of a defamation trial as a result of his statements regarding the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. If you haven’t heard of Jones’s comments, he began claiming the shooting was a hoax within hours of the tragedy.

For nearly a decade, Jones continued this crusade and insisted that the shooting was “staged” by the govern ment and a ploy “engineered to interfere with Second Amendment rights.” This ap palling rhetoric somehow worsened recently when Jones asserted that he is “done being sorry” for his actions during the trial in Connecticut. When it comes to free speech, there is a line. And Jones crossed it a long time ago.

This isn’t a declaration that Jones should be imprisoned for his statements on Sandy Hook. Free speech is an in credibly valuable right granted to us by the Constitution, and it shouldn’t be limited just be cause others may disagree with what one says. However, Jones’ commentary on Sandy Hook falls way beyond freedom of

speech. He lied to millions of listeners and incited his fans to harass the families of murdered children.

Jones specifically slammed Robbie Parker, whose sixyear-old daughter was killed at Sandy Hook, telling his au dience that Parker was a crisis actor and calling his emotional tribute to his daughter “dis gusting.” Jones’ targeting of Parker led to believers of the hoax sending the family online abuse and death threats, as well as an incident where someone even verbally attacked Parker in public, years after the shoot ing. Freedom of speech doesn’t equal freedom from conse quences, and Jones should ab solutely have to pay restitution to the families he defamed.

Even during these ongoing trials, Jones’ behavior shows a grave lack of accountability. He has recently made inane ref erences to China and “struggle sessions” and claimed the fam ilies’ lawyers are part of “the liberals who killed Iraqis.” At this point, I don’t think Jones is even attempting to make an actual argument; he’s merely deflecting to random topics and conservative buzzwords to avoid taking responsibility for his behavior. Jones knows that people who hold the same ideologies as him will hear

“China” and “liberals” and im mediately take his side based on their preformed views. Thus, Jones is able to retain support, even with his vile sentiments on full display.

This readiness to agree with Jones as he deflects his respon sibility certainly points to a sig nificant and concerning trend: many people are quick to back others they assume align with their opinions without fully looking into situations and do ing their own research. Jones knows what he’s doing. His ac knowledgment that the shooting was real becomes hollow once he follows it up by saying, “I legitimately thought it might have been staged and I stand by that. I don’t apologize for it.”

Paying damages to those affect ed by the Sandy Hook shooting might be the only way for Jones to grasp that lying to millions of people and making light of the mass murder of young children is unacceptable.

We should also address this story’s huge, glaring irony, one that I’m not sure Jones or his supporters are aware of. Jones asserted that the government orchestrated a hoax (the shoot ing) in order to further its po litical agenda (stronger gun control laws). But Jones was actually the one to perpetuate a lie to further his agenda (full

Second Amendment support).

The obvious irony of Jones’ lies would be comical if the subject matter weren’t so heartbreak ing. When you couple Jones’ hypocrisy with the fact that he profited $165 million while spreading misinformation about Sandy Hook, the entire situation becomes even more grotesque.

The pain that Jones caused grieving parents on top of their already devastating losses is horrendous. I can’t express it any better than Jennifer Hensel, the mother of six-year-old Avielle who was killed at Sandy Hook, did with her testimony. Conspiracy theorists accused Hensel of helping the govern

ment fake the shooting and that Avielle was still alive. Hensel’s response: “God, if she were, wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Jones’ role in exploiting these families is simply unforgivable. To subject these families to ha rassment and vitriol after what they have already been through is soulless beyond what words can describe.

Jones deserves to pay what ever amount the courts order as a fair punishment, and even then, it won’t be nearly enough to make up for his actions.

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

Growing A Little Closer With Paris

By EMMA LIPKIND COLUMNIST

“Mon chéri, donne-moi le canard s’il te plaît.” Camille didn’t really have to ask Pierre to pass the duck, he was already reaching for the dish to refill her empty plate. All night they both seemed to be one step ahead of each other, communicating in codes like a delicate squeeze of the hand or a cheeky glance. At 28, they had the romantic spark of a doe-eyed high school cou ple. Camille sat at the head of the table, opposite of Pierre’s chic “maman,” leaving him and I sandwiched between the two powerhouses. Despite being the furthest apart, they carried the conversation all night, filling the living room with laughs, grand questions and small pokes that could’ve turned into an argu ment, but didn’t.

Reading back that paragraph, it sounds like I’m describing a scene from a cliché but still somehow entertaining show about a Parisian family. I can assure you, though, that this is real life (although I’m finding that hard to believe myself).

Like many things I’ve ex perienced in Paris thus far, I wasn’t supposed to be at this dinner. To explain, the chic “ma man” is actually my host mother.

She planned this night with the expectation that I would be at a ballet event hosted by my program. After the show was canceled last minute because of worker strikes — which I’ve been told is very French — she added a place setting to the table for me.

Throughout the two-hour long ordeal, past the language barrier and abundant questions about America, specifically why some houses have both dining rooms and kitchens, all I could focus on was Camille and Pierre. Despite the seemingly neverending negative French stereo types I’ve touched on in these articles, this was the first time I bore witness to perhaps a more positive one: how much they prioritize love and romance.

Of course, Paris is the city of love, but it seems that love is reserved for intimate spaces only. That might sound selfevident, but the softness I’ve seen between lovers in this city is not what they evoke in the streets, the metro, the stores, anywhere. I guess that makes sense, but being with Pierre and Camille was the first time I was allowed into this kind of space, to watch the fireworks that make this city famous.

Their love added a new dimen sion to my experience, but it also shifted something in my instinct

to be pessimistic. After the main course was over, in the short break before dessert, Camille sat perched on the arm of Pierre’s chair. Still chatting with his mom, he passed her his glass containing the wine bottle’s last remnants. It was these innocuous moments that felt the loudest, the most repre sentative of their relationship and affection. And I feel lucky to have been in the presence of something so pure. It clearly doesn’t happen often here.

I’ve been in Paris for just about a month, and I’ve already heard countless first-person accounts of people coming to the city for love, whether to chase it, secure it or search for it. My monthlong timestamp means that I’ve had enough time to ease into the culture shocks and finally begin understanding why everyone is in such a trance when it comes to Paris. I guess this is all to say that Camille and Pierre reminded me of a sentiment Nadia shared with me a few weeks ago (check my last article if you don’t know Nadia). She basically told me that as hard as it is now, as for eign as it feels, once I scratch the surface I will have no choice but to love Paris. Having unlocked this new insight into what the city can truly offer, I feel like I’m ready to go past the surface.

I have just two and a half

months left in Paris. It’s colder and raining more, but it’s not nearly as gloomy as New York this time of year. I can’t say I miss walking in the wind tun nels next to Walsh and getting splashed by rain puddles in the city when a car drives through them. But thinking of charms from life back home, how they appeared slowly with each new experience, makes me excited for what else I’m going to dis cover about Paris. So far, I’ve

found that the baguette, cheese and jam trio is absolutely worth the hype and that as soon as it hits 5 p.m., you better not be caught saying “bonjour,” but “bonsoir” or “bonne soirée” instead.

Each encounter I’ve written about so far (plus more that I’m keeping secret) have helped me peel back a layer or two of this city. I don’t know how many layers there will be, but I’m looking forward to uncovering a few more.

Lee’s Restaurant: When You’re Tired of Italian

By ALYSSA SAWICKI CONTRIBUTING

When you think of food out side Fordham, I’m assuming many of you think of Arthur Ave., the Little Italy of the Bronx. While the neighborhood outside of campus is known most for its Italian restaurants and numerous bakeries, there are some lesser known restau rants right outside the Fordham gates. One of my favorites is undoubtedly Lee’s Restaurant, a small Chinese takeout place, located at 626 E. 187th St. It’s located across from Gong Cha with a large red and white sign out front, so you can’t miss it. Open morning until night, Lee’s Chinese food has been a consis tent spot for all of us who need a late dinner, perfect for a quick meal at a reasonable price. When you walk in, you’re greeted with bright light and good smells. The place is small, so unfortunately there’s no room for sitting and eating, but your meal is quickly prepared and you can wait inside and out of the cold until it’s ready. The kitchen and main space are in the same area, so you’ll be right there smelling your food being made a mere feet away. To your left is a giant mirrored wall (note for all those who want a laid back date night, checking your hair in the mirror here is a major life saver), and to your right is a window where Mr. Lee and his employees ask for

your order and make the meals. With the Fordham bug and the ever-looming COVID-19 in the air, the clear wall separating the employees from the rest of the restaurant helps to ease our fears and theirs of possible contagions. It is a perfect place to get a warm meal as the cold er weather approaches, and you can figure out your order easily with all the menus laid out and easy to find. The menu has a large array of foods for good prices, most things being between $6-12. It’s like your local Chinese restaurant back home, with that same promise of your favorite comfort food.

Like most other college stu dents relying on financial aid, I need a place to eat that isn’t going to cost me $30. Lee’s Chinese Food has great prices for all us broke students, with plates of chicken, broccoli and rice all for under $10. I have never gone and been told they’ve run out of a certain product either, so rest assured they’ll probably have your General Tso’s right on time.

The food is also consistently good, Google Reviews giving a 4.3 out of 5, so don’t worry, no day-old rice here. As you can see, most of the reviews are not from Fordham students, but I think that just shows how beloved the restaurant is to the Bronx community. This is also an encouragement for you to go and bump up the reviews yourself. Give your honest

opinion and contribute to the community’s growing reviews. The atmosphere is very wel coming with pleasantries and friendliness all around, and the employees are very polite and you’ll find yourself in a bet ter mood because of it. There aren’t a lot of workers there so you’ll see familiar faces the more you go. The restaurant is homey enough that Mr. Lee will even remember recurring

customers, so it is a very happy surprise when you walk in and see that familiar smiling face greeting you.

I’ve gone a couple of times, so I can say with confidence the Chicken Lo Mein is hard to beat. The sticky white rice is always a nice touch, but for all those eating healthy I guess I recommend the brown rice too. The egg rolls are perfect after a long day when you just need

something fried and crunchy. After a long day of classes, noodles are just what I need to sit back and relax while watch ing my favorite fall shows, so I’m guessing the same can be said for a lot of you. Go and support your favorite local Chinese restaurant and walk over to Lee’s. Just remember to ask for a couple of those for tune cookies before you go, and enjoy your meal.

Lee’s

Fordham

Love for a place, especially when abroad, tends to grows slowly.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Bronx Business Highlight | Lee’s Restuarant

Little Amal Walks Through the Bronx

Last Sunday, Sept. 25 2022, Little Amal walked through the streets of the Bronx on a mission. “Who is Little Amal?” you may ask. She is a

12-foot puppet who travels the globe to represent the stories of countless child refugees forced to separate from their parents and flee their homes due to war and persecution.

What is her story? Little Amal is a 10-year-old Syrian

refugee who has been sepa rated from her mother and has traveled across more than 12 countries in search of her. Her passage, known officially as “The Walk,” tells her story to the world and allows her to serve as an international sym bol for compassion and human rights. Her message: “Don’t forget about us,” uniting thou sands with similar stories in solidarity.

As for the Bronx encounter itself, the Walk was absolutely breathtaking. Nothing could have prepared me for how powerful Little Amal’s pres ence really was. Her physical body was great, made of wood and wires, but her spirit was even greater. I remember how we followed her in awe through the streets. It was a large gath ering. The police were guid ing us, blocking off the roads to protect us from traffic. I re member how she would stop every so often to turn and look at us as we cheered. She would dance as we chanted, swaying back and forth to our praises. Sometimes, she would even bow to us and shake our hands.

The crowd was of all differ ent backgrounds and ages, yet we walked in solidarity with Little Amal, enamored by her message. Our chants were in many different languages, but they all meant the same thing.

“Keep Walking!” we would scream, encouraging our hero ine to continue her journey and complete her mission. Many held up pre-made signs of their own creation with words written on them such as “Wel come to the Bronx” and “Our Home is Your Home” in bold colors and letters. Addition ally, numerous people held instruments in their hands as well. Some had tambourines while others had makeshift maracas they made by filling tupperware with beans. Never theless, we all chanted to the same beat. The air was filled with music as we marched to gether through the streets of the Bronx.

Eventually, we made it to a small park on Evelyn Place, Little Amal’s final destination for the day. There, a circle was formed around her, and the mu sic intensified as the HipHop crew, Dynamic Rockers, break danced for the crowd and for the traveling icon. The cheers grew louder and louder as the crew blew us away, their talent rep resenting the rich musical cul ture of the Bronx. I watched as Little Amal’s eyes grew wide in wonder as she witnessed the sight. By then, the sun had set, and we were encapsulated in the night scene, surrounded by street lamps as well as each other’s bittersweet smiles as

we realized our walk was com ing to an end. We watched as security cleared an opening for her as she waved to us good bye. Each and every one of us waved back wishing her well on her epic journey.

Junior Finds Her Passion in Music and Marketing

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

Nikki Estelami, GSB ’24, did not start her college ca reer at Fordham University.

Before coming to Fordham for her second semester freshman year, she was in jazz school at McGill University playing the upright bass.

Estelami traded in her bass for a very different route of study at Fordham, a degree in business administration with a marketing concentration. Estelami explained that she chose to leave McGill for a variety of rea sons. During 2020, when she started the program, it was all online. That, coupled with the competitiveness for jobs in the music industry and jazz not being her favorite type of mu sic, Estelami made the choice to leave after one semester.

“The program at McGill was living, breathing and eating jazz. And it was too much. At Fordham I can play the music I want to, which is funny be cause I’m not in music school anymore,” said Estelami.

However, leaving a highly creative path of study for a more traditional one has posed its challenges for Estelami. As a creative person, she tries as hard as possible to find places in her studies that she is able to express herself. That is actu ally part of what brought her to

marketing in the first place.

“I picked marketing in Gabelli because I felt like out of all the studies in Gabelli, that was the one with the most flexibility and the most room for creativity,” said Estelami. “I’m a visual arts minor as well, and that helps be cause it plays into marketing as well as my creativity.”

Estelami plans to try to find her own path in the business world, one that can fulfill her creative and musical side as well as her business side.

“What I’ve found, especially now that I’m a junior, there’s a lot of job openings for busi ness degrees in creative com panies, like publishing houses and music agencies. With business, the plan is just to kind of carve out my own ca reer,” said Estelami.

Since leaving music school, Estelami has not stopped making music. According to Estelami, playing music as a pastime as opposed to playing it for a de gree has allowed her to expand her musical abilities. Estelami plays in three bands at Fordham: Just Email, Ed Pines and Room de Dark. And according to Estel ami, the bands and getting to know other musicians came about naturally.

Just Email was created through a “Battle of the Bands” competition hosted by Fordham, and Ed Pines came about through meeting other bands after Just Email was

created last summer.

For Estelami, this music com munity was important, and it was something that she sought out after transferring.

“I was worried. I remember when I was a freshman, I was like ‘I need to find people who I can play music with, I just came from this institution where I was playing music 24/7 and all of a sudden I’m not playing it all,’” said Estelami.

Estelami and her bands play all around the Fordham area, as well as in Queens and Brooklyn. In addition to off-campus locations, Estelami is no stranger to play ing Fordham events on campus. In fact one of her fondest memo ries with Just Email was play ing last year’s Under the Tent dance hosted by the Resident’s Hall Association (RHA).

“Under the Tent was for sure my favorite memory of play ing at Fordham. I remember we played ‘Mr. Brightside’ and one other song, and people were singing along to both songs,” said Estelami. “It was awe some to see people that I’ve had classes with or was in RHA with, just singing along. That was the most gratifying experi ence of my life.”

In addition to seeing all of her peers sing and dance along to their performance, Estelami also felt that Just Email’s per formance was one of their best.

“Ed Pines also played [at Under

the Tent] but for Just Email I left thinking ‘that was our best gig ever,’” said Estelami.

According to Estelami, the community that Fordham mu sic has brought her has been unmatched. It has been a way to keep her musical side alive after leaving music school

In all honesty, watching her leave hurt. However, her story has not and will not come to an end. Little Amal will con tinue to walk and will continue to spread her message to the world. According to the Artistic Director of “The Walk” Amir Nizar Zuabi, the purpose of Little Amal is to “change the narrative.” She is meant to highlight the fact that “Yes, refugees need food and water, but they also need dignity and a voice.” Such an icon serves to stand as that voice, to bring together the rich cultures of refugees and immigrants and to celebrate diversity. The team of “The Walk” hold onto hope that Little Amal’s abundant presence will spotlight “the potential of the refugee, not just their dire circumstances.” They revere the contributions of the refugees to their new societies and commemorate the overwhelming beauty of them. To this day, Little Amal continues to inspire count less people with her example of courage. The only question left to ask is, “How will you choose to welcome her?” and has helped her expand her boundaries socially.

“The music community is so supportive. There’s a lot of overlap, but it’s not super com petitive or cliquey. I’ve found the more I meet people, the more everyone just wants to jam together,” said Estelami.

Keeping an open mind to new experiences can help create great memories.

Little Amal marches through the Bronx to raise awareness of refugees.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Mac Miller’s Album “Circles” Immortalizes His Talent

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

There are few albums that draw me in from the first single. I often have to listen to an album in its en tirety to truly understand its tone and the mood. That was never the case for me when I heard the first track off of the late Mac Miller’s posthumous album “Circles.”

What connected me to Miller’s work the most was his raw emo tions that would come alive on his tracks. Through rap and R&B, Miller explored his mental health struggles, personal relationships and his view of the world, taste fully and creatively.

Meant to be a companion to his previous record breaking album “Swimming,” the project was sup posed to be completed in a trilogy, with the first two albums coming together to form “Swimming in Circles.” “Swimming” was one of my favorite albums at the time of its release as it showed Miller’s ability to step into a different genre of music that he was interested in exploring: R&B.

Miller’s guitar hooks and plucky instrumentals, combined with or chestral instrumentals fused to gether to create a perfect sympho ny. The album just felt right from the start, from the opening song “Come Back To Earth” to the spac ey and plucky closer “So It Goes.”

The album “Circles” holds such

bittersweet memories as it was re leased the day after my 18th birth day. I am one of the biggest Miller fans, and when he passed a few months prior, I was in a state of shock. After “Swimming,” I was expecting so much. His growth continued to shine on every new project and I was anticipating going to his tour and getting to hear these songs I’ve loved live.

His lead single from the album, “Good News,” captivated me in stantly. I remember shedding tears listening to my now-gone favorite artist, listening to the subject mat ter of loneliness, depression and more importantly, hope. The song inspired me so much to remember that there will always be tomorrow, that I got the title tattooed on my arm. A permanent thank you to the artist that changed my life.

“Circles” opens with quite pos sibly one of my favorite opening lines, “Well, this is what it looks like right before you fall.” A non chalant opening especially after what we as the listener knew of Miller’s fate. It is in the first song that we learn the whole purpose of the album — Miller being stuck in a circle he cannot escape from. For many, the circle is a metaphor for the struggles we face everyday. It’s a painfully relatable metaphor that so many can relate to.

But while the subject matter of the album remains bleak, the instrumentals bounce. There’s a

clear funk undertone picked up by Miller on the piece to balance out the weighty lyrics. “Complicated” is a perfect example of this. From the high synths to the snappy drum beat, it’s hard to remember the song as a reflection of how complicated and disastrous his life is.

Other songs like “Blue World” and “I Can See” follow this same pattern. Miller experimented a lot with this style throughout the years, even releasing jazzy styled albums under a pseudonym “Larry Lovenstein.”

Another favorite track of mine has to be “Hand Me Downs,” a slower guitar ballad with a casual, thumpy drum beat. The line “That’s charity, um, I move carelessly, that’s why I’m always trippin’” reflects a variety of meanings, showcasing Miller’s witty wordplay. It reflects the stumbling habits of someone drinking, the connotation of “trip pin’” being used as someone who is freaking out and also someone who may be using substances to cope. This is something Miller has all but admitted to doing all through out his albums.

No song may hit harder than the closer, “Once a Day,” as Miller repeats lines of hope to his listen ers, even as he may be hopeless himself. “Don’t keep it all in your head / The only place that you know nobody ever can see” has to be another one of my favorite lines off the album.

The album ends on an unstable chord that can only be resolved by playing the first chord off the companion album “Swimming.”

This is just another clever use of production that Miller has become so adept at over the years.

“Circles” was not nominated for a Grammy Award, something I always viewed as a terrible

misfortune, especially after his album “Swimming” lost for Rap/ R&B Album of the Year. But to me, the impact of the album on not only myself, but many others makes up for it in a way. It’s a shame Miller never got to see the aftermath of the release, but it’s clear to me, Miller created the perfect circle of music with this release.

Fordham Photography Club: Worth a Thousand Words

By TONY CUELLAR CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It is dark outside as I step into Freeman 103 where a group of eager-eyed students wait for the second Photography Club meet ing of the semester to begin. A few minutes past 8 p.m., the group’s president and club founder, Abby Housberg, FCRH ’23, welcomes back members from the interest meeting. She reveals that the Executive Board will be teaching the basics of camera settings and, more importantly, how to adjust those settings to capture the perfect picture. She notices some worried expressions in the crowd and reas sures everybody that this lesson will be helpful “for advanced users and also those who have never touched a camera before.” Like some stu dents in the lecture hall, Housberg’s words comfort me because, while I love taking pictures, I know next to nothing about how to operate a camera. After finishing her an nouncements, Housberg passes the mic to the club’s vice presi dent, Trevor Zicherman, FCRH ’24. Zicherman walks the room through the three primary camera settings: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. His detailed and digestible explanations provide a clear and almost intuitive illustration of how and when to use certain tools. To name a few examples, a fast shutter speed slows motion, which is help ful for capturing sporting events. Moreover, an f/2.8 aperture cre ates a focused image, whereas an

f/16 aperture creates a wider depth of field. The E-board laughs as the vice president displays a complex chart on the screen. “Don’t worry,” Housberg interjects, “if you feel this chart went right over your head, then that makes two of us.” We all laugh with her.

Last weekend, Zicherman took a few excited members on a Manhattan excursion. I sat down with him to ask how it went. He told me that he specializes in pho tographing cityscapes and wanted to bring a few interested members to a cool spot. The group ventured to Pier 57 Rooftop Park in Hudson Yards, which has an exquisite view of downtown Manhattan as well as the city’s latest addition, Little Island. I inquired about what he fo cused on teaching.

“I wanted to be hands off and did not want to disturb [club members] from taking pictures. I wanted to be a fly on the wall and only help if they needed me or had questions,” Zicherman said. He adds that there is no correct way to take a picture. A photograph is one’s art and ev ery creative decision lies with each photographer. He was there to offer suggestions when prompted with out stepping on anyone’s toes.

I admire his decision to take a step back because, as the E-Board mentioned, there are members with varying skill levels, some relatively advanced. There was a fascinating anecdote from one member who had the delightful opportunity of capturing the SpaceX rocket as it illuminated the sky. The

photographer exclaims, “we were taking pictures and suddenly saw something blue in the sky. It looked like this white light, and as we kept observing, we realized what it was. I didn’t even know it was a thing.”

This surprise event and the whole excursion sounded marvelous, and it made me wonder if Zicherman will be holding future workshops. He replies affirmatively and men tions that last year, the club ran an exposure workshop which focused on capturing objects in the dark. The club leaders took glow sticks and taught members how to take cool pictures of them in low light. He would like to do that again. The E-Board also expressed interest in doing more cityscape photography and going to a park to capture fall scenes and colors. Later in the se mester, they are thinking about vis iting the Botanical Gardens, which I am personally excited for.

Last but not least, I sat down with the club’s president. I asked, “Why did you decide to start this

club?” Housberg revealed that she had done photography on and off campus for a while but was disap pointed there was no central place for photographers to congregate. Instead of accepting this reality, she found others with similar interests, took the idea to OSI and started the club. Housberg was able to acquire an impressive amount of funding from Fordham which paid for cam eras, lights and other equipment so that members would not need a camera to participate in the club or go on excursions.

Housberg explained that it has been very rewarding to “connect with other clubs and campus or ganizations and meet photogra phers of all levels.” She joked that “she’s the glue that holds the club together,” planning and executing events, overseeing club interac tions and looking for more ways to engage and get opportunities. Inquisitively, I asked what tips she has for photographers not knowing where to begin. Immediately, she

stated, “Experiment. Take as many pictures as possible.”

The E-Board members gave various pieces of advice as well. They implored every photographer to ponder the following questions, “What is the story you want to convey?” and “What do you like to photograph?” One club leader add ed, “You want an overexposed image rather than an underexposed one. Take multiple im ages at different exposures and set tings and take more pictures than you think you need to.” Lastly, and most importantly, “Rules in pho tography are there as suggestions. Experiment and do what you like to and how you like to. A picture is a picture.”

If you are interested in joining the Fordham Photography Club, feel free to either email them at photographyclub@fordham. edu or DM them on Instagram @fordham_photopraphyclub on Instagram to inquire about how to join.

Fordham’s photography club ventured into Manhattan to practice landscape photography with the city skyline.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Mac Miller’s “Circles” is the perfect send-off to a beloved artist.

“MOSS”: The Perfect Album for the Fall Season

By AVA PASTORE

WRITER

As an avid fan of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” I was extremely intrigued to listen to Maya Hawke’s album “MOSS,” released on Sept. 23, 2022. Prior to writing this article, I was not aware that Hawke had a career in music in addition to her role as Robin in the Netflix original. I was not sure of what to expect from this album, as I didn’t know the genre of music that Hawke specialized in, nor had I heard a track by her. I was, how ever, pleasantly surprised with the depth and lyricism of every track on “MOSS,” and found myself lis tening to the album for the entirety of my day.

Upon listening to the first track of the album titled “Backup Plan,” I was instantly put at ease with the opening serenade of a folk guitar beat, similar to what I would ex pect to hear in a Phoebe Bridgers track. The lyricism in addition to the tranquil instrumentals had me completely entranced throughout the three-minute track, which I proceeded to immediately add to my library, as well as my au tumn playlist. The following tracks, “Bloomed Into Blue” and “Hiatus,” follow the same, re laxing melodies with the lyrics

telling stories of both growth and innocent love. The listener’s spirits are then quickly lifted with “Sweet Tooth,” an upbeat, reminiscent song about being grateful for a past love, comparing it to a “sore sweet tooth.” I especially enjoyed this track, as Hawke takes the listener through a metaphorical journey that tells the story of the good that came out of a terminated love. As a Swiftie, I love to listen to both the lyrics as well as the melody, and

the lyricism of “Crazy Kid ft. Will Graefe” reminded me of the heart breaking but euphoric story-telling in Swift’s albums “Folklore” and “Evermore.” A line that specifi cally stood out to me in Hawke’s song was, “I wanted everything mine to be yours too/Including the pain of losing you.” By the middle of the album, the artist has already managed to activate the listener’s emotions through her use of lan guage and melody, which I always

appreciate in music. The listener’s emotions soon plummet with the melancholy tone of “Luna Moth.”

This song is a beautiful compar ison between the simple event of crushing a luna moth with the devastating experience of heart break. Hawke’s use of these com parisons in her tracks add depth to the album, and I continued to no tice this in the following tracks of “South Elroy,” “Thérèse,” “Sticky Little Words” and “Over.” The

figurative language that Hawke incorporates into almost every track on “MOSS” made me wish there were more than 13 songs on the album. “Restless Moon,” “Driver” and “Mermaid Bar” are the perfect tracks to close out the album with their tranquil and soft melodies.

I found myself both entering and exiting the album feeling not only relaxed, but at peace. I think Hawke did an amazing job of curating an album that makes the listener feel something. Whether this is sadness, heartbreak, nos talgia or tranquility, “MOSS,” actively ignited feelings inside of me while listening. I personally love music that can fully transport the listener to other settings, and these songs did exactly that. With “Backup Plan,” I could envision myself walking through Central Park on an autumn day sur rounded by warm-colored leaves and pumpkin spiced lattes, while “Bloomed into Blue,” transport ed me into a nostalgic state where I could see children frolicking on a playground. I find myself completely captivated by this album, and if you see me walk ing to class this semester with my airpods in, there is a very good chance that I will be lis tening to “MOSS.”

The Bond of Poetry and Living Things

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

Saying goodbye to the paint ed tables laden with produce, some painted and others wo ven, the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG) has ushered in a new exhibit for the fall sea son. Curated by Joshua Bennet, a Bronx-born poet and scholar, and created in partnership with the Poetry Society of America, the exhibit explores Black po etry and performance in the context of nature. “The Bond of Live Things Everywhere” will run from Sept. 17 to Nov. 6, inviting all within that time to reimagine their connection with the environment through poetry.

According to the first of many wooden panels, which greets the visitor at the begin ning of the Mitsubishi Wetland trail, Bennet drew his inspira tion for the exhibit from “‘The Clearing’ — a green space cut deep in the woods where a free Black community finds grace in Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved.’” For those unaware, “Beloved” takes place directly after the Civil War and follows the story of Sethe, a formerly en slaved woman who believes the malevolent spirit haunt ing her family belongs to the child she killed to spare them from slavery. In the story, “The Clearing” serves as a space for the freed, Black community to comfort one another and over come the horrors within their memories. Bennet’s hope with this exhibit is to call people to

“The Clearing,” inviting them “to encounter the planet we call home on new, and more liberating, terms.”

The exhibit wholly surrounds the visitor, wrapping them in an immersive blanket woven from sound, sight and touch. It’s hard to tell where the ex hibit ends and the typical at mosphere of the Mitsubishi Wetland begins. As audio of poems being read aloud blares from speakers, birds call to one another about food, ter ritory, perhaps even the po etry. The cattails gone to seed and the overgrown, summer foliage of the wetland shrub bery highlight the dark words carved onto the wooden pan els that stood along the walk. Even the feel of the engraved words, which Bennet begs his audience to touch, is changed by the wayward bug wander ing along or the moisture beading along the panels. In this exhibit, art steps into na ture. As nature then shapes the exhibit, the two become inex tricably intertwined.

“I wanted to capture that ancient interest in the earth and turn it into an installa tion that people could travel to and travel through. That they could experience not just in terms of sights, but sounds, signs made of wood that they could feel with the poems en graved in them,” said Bennet for the NYBG’s “Plant Talk.”

The poems are the primary focus of the exhibit featured throughout the exhibit high lighting the work of eleven

Black poets, including Lucille Clifton, Claude McKay and Terrance Hayes. Their po ems describe the relationships people have with the environ ment, their food and libera tion. The name of the exhibit even comes from the final line of Clifton’s poem, “cut ting greens,” which relates the act of cutting vegetables with physical intimacy, exploring the ways in which the boundar ies between the body, the mind and the natural world become blurred.

Throughout the art exhibit, Bennet explores the space be tween art, nature and humanity, as he embeds themes of break ing down structures and recon necting with the environment into the very execution of the exhibit itself. Besides the po ems that blur time and space, joining McKay’s memory of the Harlem Renaissance to Haye’s contemporary writing, the infusion of audio further evolves the exhibit. Working alongside Marcus Johnson, a creative director of music com position and multimedia, Bennet brought the poems to life. While reading one poem, a deep voice begins to roll through another or a choir begins to sing a song. Mixing with the sound of tree leaves rustling or birds chatting with one another, the words of the poems do not merely fall flat upon the page but whisper around the visitor.

“Tell me there is anything lovelier, / Anything more qui eting / Than the green of lit tle blades of grass / And the

green of little leaves?” asks Angelina Weld Grimké’s poem, “Greeness,” one of the selected twelve. How can I, upon read ing that poem in such a set ting, argue with Grimké? Im mersed in the sight, smell and rustle of green, there truly is nothing lovelier. There lies the magic of Bennet’s exhibit, as his combination of all these varying elements intoxicate his visitor.

Furthering the themes of lib eration and reimagining people’s relationship with the environ ment, the NYBG has also planned lots of events that complement the exhibit. On opening day, the NYBG hosted a celebration that consisted of

music, poetry readings, books, food, games and a sympo sium “meditating on the role of Black ecological thought from the panelists’ own work and life.” Although the open ing celebration took place on Sept. 17, the closing celebra tion on Nov. 6 will have many similar events including pic nicking, music and live poetry readings.

If you have not yet had the pleasure, I urge you to visit NYBG’s new exhibit. The Mitsubishi Wetland Trail is one of my favorite spots to visit in the gardens as it’s so rich with life, and the poetry woven into the environment only exemplifies that.

COURTESY

This NYBG exhibit explores Black poetry, performance and nature.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Maya Hawke’s “MOSS” features more than 13 songs complete with tranquil, soft and emotional melodies.

New York City is the Comedy Capital of the World

By JOSEPH CONNOLLY

WRITER

Club comedy is about as New York as it gets. First of all, this city throws a lot at you, and ev erybody could use a laugh. But it goes deeper than that. To me, New York’s fabled comedy clubs embody the spirit of the city. Their atmospheres can be gritty and un forgiving, providing no room for anything hacky, pompous or un original. Nobody tiptoes around a subject to be gentle, and no body gets up on stage to deliver a speech. These are not pretentious establishments. It doesn’t mat ter if you provide biting satire or fart jokes, you just need that one thing: humor. When a comic is sharp, there is nothing more elec tric. They can extract joy from the day-to-day humdrum of life, taking hilarious stances on angles you thought only you noticed. The laughter bounces off the walls and heightens to the point where you can hear it from the street.

With a plethora of A-list clubs in the area, we may live in the come dy capital of the world. The talent in New York feels endless. Com ics from all over come to the city to cut their teeth, and the nature of New York stand-up forces com ics to get good or else they will be quickly forgotten. Some become club veterans, while others grow past the clubs to mainstream suc cess. However, most fail. Those fortunate enough to earn a spot at these storied clubs have already made it through a ringer of open mics and free shows, having done

what it takes to get good.

These clubs also have their fin gerprints all over the area. They add excitement and liveliness to the streets, and the surrounding scenes can often only be described as comical. Lined as well with res taurants and jazz clubs, a night out on MacDougal Street almost al ways provides some fun observa tions. The neighborhood is lively and uniquely New York. There is so much to see, that you realize why the city produces so many laughs. Every corner is an obser vation, every stroll is an experi ence and the best find the humor in all of it.

The last time I went to the Comedy Cellar, I noticed the man in front of me was holding a mouse. A friend said that he looked like Mike Tyson holding a pigeon. As we exchanged observations and jokes about it, we were approached by a man who wanted to sell us an arrangement of products. He said he knew we wanted some because we were white. After respectfully declining, we watched him walk down the street emphatically, ex tending the same offer to every white person he saw. He turned a corner and we could no longer see him, but we could still hear him calling out “WHITE PEOPLE.” We loved it. There was so much going on, we forgot the comedy show hadn’t even started yet. To this day, my friends and I remem ber the surrounding area more than the show itself.

This past weekend, I went to a show at The Stand. The lineup spanned generations of New York comics. The host was Marcelo

Hernandez, the newest cast mem ber of “Saturday Night Live.” He opened with a combination of crowd work and material on his parents’ failed marriage. He was blunt and hilarious, touching on their Cuban and Dominican heri tage, their journeys before coming to America and what it was like for him growing up.

Following Marcelo were Sherrod Small, Sean Patton and Derek Gaines. All veterans of comedy, they had material on subjects like the rats in the city, the queen, what it is like to get on stage after Jerry Seinfeld and how it feels to be a Black man in Brooklyn.

Patton recently released an hourlong special on YouTube, so we got all new material from him. This was both good and bad. He is currently working out his act, and the material was not fully fleshed out. Still, he provided the crowd with fresh perspectives and bundles of energy for us to feed on, making it a solid performance. To round out the show was New York legend Rich Vos. For those unfamiliar, Vos came up in a re nowned class of comedians, fea turing the likes of Bill Burr, Colin Quinn and the late Patrice O’Neal. His resume speaks for itself. Vos was a frequent guest on staple shows such as “Tough Crowd” with Colin Quinn and “Opie and Anthony.” He was also the first white comedian to perform on “Def Jam Comedy,” a show tra ditionally featuring Black come dians, after earning the co-sign of mogul producer Russell Simmons. You could tell Vos had done this a million times. He began to

make fun of himself the second he touched the mic and quickly turned it on the crowd. Vos was not there to make you ponder the meaning of life by contributing material on his wife’s idiosyn crasies and his daughter’s recent sleepover. He just wanted laughs. Once his set was done, he slowly put the mic down and walked to his next spot down the street.

With all this being said, there are a few things you can do to make sure you catch the best show pos sible. First, these tickets sell like hot cakes. If you want to go to a show, you should grab tickets at least a week in advance. Second is a bit of an insider tip: If you can make time for a show on a week night, you are more likely to get a great lineup than on a weekend. There is a simple reason for this. The best comedians tour all over the country on the weekend, so many of them are not in New York come Friday and Saturday. By no

means am I suggesting that the weekend lineups are bad, because they are great, but many times the weeknight shows have the truly world-class lineups that I’ve al ready described.

We all live in the same city. We move at a fast pace, and we see crazy stuff. Comedy can help us all make sense of it. The beauty of New York’s comedy clubs is that they pack you in with strangers and make you realize how much you have in common. There is an extraordinary feeling of connec tion when you can sit with a com plete stranger and derive joy from the mundanity, or even tragedy, of life together. It feels like you are actively engaging in humanity. Whenever I go, I have an after glow for days.

New York’s club comedy scene is in tune with the essence of the city. Nothing ostentatious, merely fast-paced, hard-hitting comedy. Just like the city we all chose.

The Fall Season in Bergman’s “Autumn Sonata”

By LANDIS HALL COLUMNIST

Fall has once again graced New York City with its pres ence. The leaves have started to show the symptoms of their impending metamorphosis, and the temperate weather finally offers a respite from the per vasive summer heat. The won derful thing about the season is that there isn’t a wrong way to spend it. While some like to travel out of the city to enjoy our state’s natural beauty, oth ers prefer to brew a kettle of tea and read a book. I myself am partial towards taking long walks through Central Park with a hot cup of black coffee in hand. Of course, there’s no better way to spend a fall night than watching a great film. And what better film to watch than a moody drama from one of cin ema’s defining voices, Ingmar Bergman?

“Autumn Sonata,” released in 1978, is a late career master piece from the Swedish auteur, and it’s as beautifully shot as it is gut wrenching. The film takes place over a single night that sees concert pianist Char lotte (Ingrid Bergman) visiting her estranged daughter Eva (Liv

Ullmann). Eva lives with her husband Viktor (Halvar Björk) and takes care of her paralyzed sister Helena (Lena Nyman). The actors perform their roles with a great sense of emo tional restraint, especially the great Ingrid Bergman (no rela tion to the film’s director) who delivers her most complex and tragic performance. To call this film subtle in its storytell ing would be an understate ment. The film never feels like it’s telling a typical story, as the plot is quite minimal. Rather, it feels as if the audi ence is getting a glimpse into these characters’ very psyches by witnessing their most pri vate moments with each other. Bergman opts for restrained camerawork here, utilizing slow, sweeping pans and long takes with a minimal number of cuts. The camera takes its time in depicting every pos sible surface and corner of the house the film is set in, cre ating a cozy and intimate at mosphere of domesticity that is simultaneously suffocating and imprisoning.

Also notable is the film’s use of close up shots, which allow the actors to convey the emo tion of a scene through their fa cial expressions. Often, these

close-up shots contain a strik ing contrast of foreground and

background, such as an early scene where Viktor relates to

the audience his inability to connect with his wife as she remains just out of focus in the background. In the film’s finest scene, Eva plays a piece by Chopin on the piano, but Charlotte finds her interpreta tion of the piece to be below her lofty standards. Charlotte sits down next to her daugh ter and begins to play the piece herself, “correcting” her daughter’s seeming mistakes. The camera lingers on the fac es of mother and daughter. To Charlotte, this moment is one of teaching; to Eva, it encapsu lates the torment of her strained relationship with her mother.

“Autumn Sonata” lives up to its title as the perfect film of this season. It captures its devastating subject matter in stunning reds, oranges and browns, reflecting the chang ing of both the physical envi ronment and of the characters. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the fall season, that simultaneous sensation of melancholy and desire. It shows restraint, but it never loses urgency. It’s pictur esque, but never peaceful. It’s a heavy watch, but it’s the most thoughtful examina tion of the autumnal season put to film.

The Comedy Cellar is home to many world renowned comedians.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Men’s Soccer Holds On For A Tie Against UMass

By MADDIE BIMONTE

The Fordham men’s soccer team drew for a sixth time this season after a 2-2 draw against the Uni versity of Massachusetts Minute men (UMass) last week. The Rams remain undefeated in Atlantic 10 play so far, thanks to a late goal in the 89th minute from graduate student Jakob Gesien.

In a game that saw four fantastic goals, Fordham was forced to alter their tactics from previous games. With senior right back Adrian Valentine unavailable due to in jury, Fordham head coach Carlo Aquista shifted to a three-at-theback system, with junior Sebastian Fabrin moving from midfield to cen ter back alongside senior Conrado Duhour and graduate student Jack Sluys.

UMass got off to a quick start, scoring in the eighth minute. Sophomore Andrew Ortiz got the ball to senior Evan Fournier out side of the box, who ripped an un believable shot into the upper right corner with the outside of his left foot, his third of the year. Fournier continued to be a thorn in the Rams’ side throughout the game.

In the 30th minute, Fordham came back with a vengeance. First, graduate student goalkeeper Demetri Skoumbakis started off the play with a long punt, and ju nior Florian Deletioglu was there to head the ball forward to gradu ate student Daniel Espeleta who pulled away on a breakaway.

One-on-one against Minutemen goalkeeper Matt Zambetti, it was Espeleta who won the battle, slot ting the ball right past him for his second goal in two games.

From then on, all would be quiet until the 75th minute when Fournier set up a dangerous play against the Rams. He played it through to soph omore Shizu Yohena, who took a

rocket of a shot outside the 18-yard box over Skoumbakis and into the upper right corner, just under the crossbar.

Looking for an equalizer, Coach Aquista pulled out all the cards he had available. Graduate student Timo Hummrich, who normally plays left back, was enlisted to help the attack. Sophomore Owen Hardy appeared for the second time this season, using his 6’5’’ to try and dis rupt the UMass defense.

The Rams battled it out for a last minute rally relentlessly, and they got their opportunity in the 89th minute of the game. In a failed at tempt that was deflected by a UMass defender, Gesien fought to a loose ball outside the box. With his left foot, he rifled a shot from distance off the post behind Zambetti and just over the goal line. Gesien saved the game for Fordham, as well as netting his first goal as a Ram.

While Fordham was on the ropes in the second half, they still man aged to outshoot the Minutemen through the first and second half 15-12. Both keepers saved four at tempts, with a majority of the ac tion coming in the first half. It was a foul heavy game with both teams in the double digits, with the Rams being slightly more aggressive.

Currently, the Rams sit at 3-1-6 overall and 1-0-2 in A-10 play. Their six ties this season are due in large part to the elimination of overtime by the NCAA at the start of this sea son. Now, every match that is level after 90 minutes ends in a draw in stead of heading to overtime where a victor would be decided.

Seeking to win their next match up, the Rams will travel to Davidson, N.C. to face off against Davidson College for another A-10 matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Athletes of the Week

While the Rams dropped their match against the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers, Mallory Lipski shined as she set the new school three-set record with 25 digs. She recorded six assists and an ace in the game as well. Lipski is current ly second-all time in digs per set with 3.68 and sixth in career digs with 1,083.

Formula 1: A Small Step Back

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Over the weekend, Formula 1 (F1) continued its 2022 season in Singapore for the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix. Due to the pandemic, this was the first time since 2019 that F1 traveled to the Marina Bay Circuit. With Singapore being a street circuit, the margin for er ror is small with any mistake hav ing the potential to ruin a driver’s weekend. Heading into the race, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had a slim chance of wrapping up the driver’s championship.

When it came time for qualify ing, it was raining, which forced all of the drivers onto intermediate tires. The rain stopped eventually, but the track was still wet. Because it was a night session, it was drying at a snail’s pace, giving the teams and drivers a headache. In the final session of qualifying, the track was finally dry enough for slick tires. Verstappen was on a flying lap and seemed like he was going to get his car on pole. But all of a sud den, he was called into the pits by his team due to not having enough fuel according to the regulations, forcing him to start in a lowly eighth. This meant that his rival, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, earned pole with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez in second and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in third. Overtaking would be difficult in Singapore, put ting even more emphasis on their qualifying positions.

On race day, it was pouring at the track, which forced the race to be delayed by an hour. Every one decided to start the race on intermediate tires since it was still wet on the track despite the rain having left the circuit. With the tricky conditions, any mistake could take a driver out of the race. When the lights finally went green, Perez got a better start and passed Leclerc for the lead. Hamilton also dropped to fourth with Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz going into third. Verstappen had a poor start and fell even further down the grid, but he started to claw his way back and eventually returned to the top 10.

On lap nine, the safety car was called out due to a collision with

Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo being taken out by Nicholas Latifi. Latifi was able to continue, but he en tered the pits and retired from the race. On lap 11, the race resumed with Perez leading Leclerc and Verstappen able to get back into eighth as he continued his climb up the order. Verstappen was then able to get into seventh with Fer nando Alonso’s Alpine just ahead. However, on lap 22, Alonso had to retire due to an engine problem, promoting Verstappen into sixth. At this point, it was still debatable whether it was time to switch to dry tires or to stay out on the intermedi ates. With Singapore being a track with a high percentage of virtual and full safety cars, the teams could potentially wait for another one to pit and save time.

After Alonso’s retirement, the race resumed. But on lap 26, Latifi’s teammate Alex Albon crashed into the barrier and called out another virtual safety car. The green flag was shown but within a lap, Alonso’s teammate Esteban Ocon retired due to another engine issue and brought out another virtual safety car. On lap 30, the race resumed with the front runners still on the intermediates. However, Hamilton crashed into the barrier. He contin ued but it was clear that the slick tires were the way to go. Leclerc pit ted on lap 34 for dry tires but had a slow stop, falling into third with Perez and Sainz staying out.

Perez and Sainz pitted on the next lap. At the same time, another safety car was called out due to Yuki Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri crash ing out. This was now a race of at trition with six cars out of the run ning. After this safety car, Perez was leading Leclerc, Sainz, Lando Norris’ McLaren, Verstappen and Norris’ teammate Daniel Ricciardo. The McLaren duo used the safety car to pit and gain track position against their rivals. On lap 40, the safety car was brought in and rac ing resumed. One thing to note is

that there is a two hour time limit for the race. With all the stoppag es, it looked like it wouldn’t be done within the limit.

Finally once the race resumed, Verstappen locked up while try ing to pass Norris and went off the track. He was able to rejoin in eighth ahead of Hamilton. Once again Verstappen pitted due to the lockup and emerged from the pits in dead last. Meanwhile, Leclerc was putting pressure on Perez. However, Perez was able to with stand the pressure and started to build a big gap to Leclerc. Once the two-hour limit was reached, Perez crossed the finish line to win the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Leclerc in second and Sainz in third rounding out the podium.

Because of the time limit, only 59 out of the 61 laps were completed. Verstappen was able to claw his way back from 14th after the pit stop to get into seventh. Perez was under investigation for a safety car infringement, and he was later given a five second penalty after the race. But with his big gap to Leclerc, he still retained the victory.

After these results, Verstappen and Red Bull still maintain their respective leads in the driver’s and constructor’s championships. The next race is this weekend as

F1 returns to Japan for the iconic Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen’s path to back-to-back champion ships is much easier in Japan. All he needs to do is win the race and get the point for the fastest lap. If Verstappen accomplishes this, it doesn’t matter where Leclerc or Perez finish due to the massive 104 point gap in the standings to the second-placed Leclerc.

With this being the first time since the pandemic that F1 is returning to Japan, expect the emtire fanbase to be out in full force to potentially see Verstap pen be crowned a back-to-back champion for the first time in his career.

Varsity Calendar

Mallory Lipski Senior Volleyball

Ryan Greenhagen

Student Football

The graduate student linebacker re corded double digit tackles in Fordham’s win over Georgetown this past week. With 13 tackles during the game, Greenhagen rises to second on the all-time list for solo-tackles with 213. This past week, Greenhagen was named as a semifinalist for the 2022 William Campbell Trophy, an award dedicated to the year’s best foot ball student-athlete in the nation for their combined academic success, football per formance and exemplary leadership.

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

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Women’s Soccer Falls to Saint Joseph’s, Tops Rhode Island

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Over the past week, the Fordham women’s soccer team continued its Atlantic 10 conference play with two matches. The first game was on the road, as the Rams traveled to Philadelphia to face Saint Joseph’s University.

Fordham didn’t get off to a good start. Within eight minutes, Saint Joseph’s scored the opener cour tesy of Natalie Nevins who put the ball into the back of the Fordham net after some good team lin kup. Fordham then looked for an equalizer and found it in the 22nd minute from a set piece.

Sophomore midfielder Ryann Lucas took the initial corner with senior forward Caitlin Kennedy able to lift the ball over the goal keeper and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season to tie the game at one apiece. Unfor tunately, the score didn’t last for long. 40 seconds after, the Hawks retook the lead via Jiselle Daniels who took a shot from the top of the box to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Then, in the 35th minute, Saint Joseph’s doubled their lead courtesy of Mairin Boyle to make it a 3-1 scoreline. In the second half, the

Rams were able to have a couple shots on target but were unable to get past Katie Cappelletti in the Hawks’ net. After 90 minutes of play, Fordham fell to Saint Joseph by the final scoreline of 3-1.

After that defeat, Fordham returned home for alumni day as they hosted the University of Rhode Island on Sunday. Unlike the Saint Joseph’s match, the first half didn’t see a flurry of goals.

However, right before the end of the first half, Fordham took the lead via Lucas’s first goal as a Ram. She made a run and took a shot from 25 yards out which was blasted into the top right corner to give Fordham the lead.

Senior forward Kristen Cocozza

scored later, after dribbling past the defense and taking a long shot which went into the back of the net for her third goal of the sea son. Rhode Island did claw one back in the 79th minute courtesy of Tali O’Leary, but Fordham en ded any hopes of a comeback by scoring a third in the 87th minute.

Junior forward Cambrie Arboreen was able to score her first colle giate goal from a long free-kick to seal the game for the Rams 3-1.

After these matches, Fordham’s overall record is 4-7-1 with their conference mark improving to 3-1-1. Their next match is this Sunday at home against La Salle University. The game is at 1 p.m. and can be streamed via ESPN+.

Rangers Fine-Tuning in the Preseason

By ALLIE COPPOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After a number of additions and departures throughout the offsea son, it’s hard to tell exactly where the New York Rangers stand com pared to their explosive 2021-22 season. With training camp un derway and preseason games on the horizon, there are three major concerns that have carried over from last season. These include finding a suitable sixth defense man for the third pair, establishing roles for the many returning young forwards and weighing options in the backup goalie department.

Head coach Gerard Gallant has several decisions to make.

Finding a defensive partner for Braden Schneider is imperative for the Rangers’ success this sea son. With the departure of Justin Braun and Patrick Nemeth, there is not a standout, NHL-ready player to immediately fill the gap. Of those with some league experi ence, Zac Jones and Libor Hajek appear to be the frontrunners for the spot. Jones put up a stellar performance in the first preseason game against the Islanders, scor ing a goal and blocking two shots.

Without Adam Fox in the lineup, he was given some power play time, which is sure to be beneficial if he makes the roster. Hajek on the other hand, is minus three in two games, meaning he’s been on the ice for three goals against the Rangers. He has a few more op portunities to improve his subpar play before the opening night ros ter is announced.

In the forwards department, there are many decisions that Gallant needs to make after sev eral offseason departures. The notorious “kid line” that per formed well in the playoffs is ex pected to remain for the time be ing, consisting of Alexis Lafrenière,

Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. The areas of concern are the first and second-line right wing positions and a center/right wing on the fourth line. After his return from a season-ending ACL tear, Sammy Blais is expected to fill one of these spots. With his flexible and adapt able style of play, he could really fit into any one of them, as a scorer on the top two lines or a physical right wing on the fourth line.

After a season in Russia, Vitali Kravstov returned to New York and looks to make the roster after playing only a few regular season games in 2020. The forward is expected to be named to the ros ter after notable improvement in Russia, taking the 11th of 12 for ward positions. This 12th spot will likely be filled by Jimmy Vesey, a veteran and returning Ranger after stints with the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres. Brennan Othmann, a 19-year-old winger, looked promising in his two games but was ultimately sent back to the Ontario Hockey League for anoth er development year.

None of the lines are set in stone, so fans will likely see numerous

different line combinations, espe cially among the bottom six. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad will undoubtedly remain together on the first line and the same goes for Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck on the second line.

The final overarching concern is a solid backup goalie. With the loss of Alexander Georgiev, there is no longer an established backup, so the Rangers signed Jaroslav Halak and Louis Domingue in the offsea son. They tested Dylan Garand, a 20-year-old coming off of a World Juniors championship, and Olaf Lindbom in the first three pre season games but eventually sent them down to their AHL affiliate in Hartford. Halak and Domingue will likely remain on the roster for this season.

The opening night roster could shake out in many different ways, but much of the core group that performed well in the playoffs remain. If these points are ad dressed, the season should have similar success to the last. Fans will look forward to another potential deep playoff run with this promis ing group of players, as the Stanley Cup window is wide open.

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Fordham

Georgetown

Women’s Tennis

ITA Championships

NTS (No Team Scoring)

Men’s Soccer

Fordham

Massachusetts

Women’s Soccer

Fordham

St. Joseph’s

Fordham

Rhode Island

Volleyball

Fordham

Fordham

Water Polo

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

News & Notes

Fordham Men’s Soccer Regionally Ranked

Fordham Men’s Soccer entered into the United Soccer Coaches Southeast Region Rankings this past week following their draw against Rutgers University. The Rams fit in at spot number nine, with six other Atlantic 10 schools also sitting in the ranks. Other A-10 schools include Dayton University (3rd), Duquesne University (4th), Rhode Island University (6th), Loyola University Chicago (7th) and the University of Massachusetts (10th).

Water Polo Sophomore Wins Rookie of the Week

Fordham’s Luca Silvestri walked away this week with Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Rookie of the Week award. The sophomore was essential to Fordham Water Polo’s offense at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational. Silvestri re corded 10 goals over four matches along with two hat tricks. This is Silvestri’s first year at Fordham, coming onto the team as a transfer from Westcliff University.

Fordham Volleyball Drops Two From Loyola Chicago

By MILES GROSSMAN STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball has gotten off to a difficult start in Atlantic 10 play. Two weekends ago, the Rams were swept at home by the reigning conference champions, the University of Dayton, to begin the latter half of the season. This past weekend, the Rams faced the Loyola-Chicago University Ramblers for the very first time.

While head coach Ian Choi and his Rams knew the A-10 was deep with talent, notching only a sing le set across four losses to open conference play is certainly puz zling. In their first match of the weekend, Fordham dropped the first two sets in decisive fashion, before battling in the third. They would eventually fall in the third set 25-23 to the Ramblers. Karlie McNabb led the way for Loyola Chicago, posting 17 kills.

Friday’s 3-0 loss marked the Rams’ third loss in conference, which includes two sweeps. The Rams then had an opportuni ty to bounce back less than 24 hours later, but the results would

not go their way. Fordham went on to drop all three sets Saturday, but there was a silver lining for the group: The Rams surpassed the 20-point mark in the latter two sets of Saturday’s match, but would fall in three without forcing “extra vol leyball” in any of the three contests.

Senior Mallory Lipski was another bright spot, as she set a new school three-set record with 25 digs. With the loss, Fordham has fallen to 6-9 overall and 0-4 in A-10 play.

A mere three and a half weeks ago, the Rams stood at 6-2 with optimism surrounding the talented group. But as the recent weeks have dragged on, Fordham Volleyball’s record — as well as their confidence — has been rattled. The Rams have dropped their last seven matches, including four sweeps.

Fordham will hit the road once again, this time for a Wednesday match-up with the University of Rhode Island. Fordham will then welcome Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for a two-game set at the friendly confines of Rose Hill later that week.

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The Rams bounced back on Alumni Day against Rhode Island.

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The New York Rangers have added key pieces to bolster their roster.

A Historic End to a Historic Career

By NOAH HOFFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The great Albert Pujols came into the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) season just 21 home runs away from a mile stone that only three others on the planet have accomplished. This feat is the prestigious 700 Home Run Club, which in cludes Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. Pujols, com ing into his 22nd season at 42-years-old, had just two 20plus home run seasons out of the last five, making the mile stone reachable, but by no means a given. A magical sea son would have to come out of a legendary player.

Pujols came into the league at just 21 years old, making an immediate impact for the St. Louis Cardinals in his rookie season. He hit 37 home runs, drove in 130 runs and slashed .329/.610/1.013. This remark able season won him the Rookie of the Year award in the National League while finishing fourth in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting and leading his team to a postseason berth. This would be the start of an illustrious career for a generational talent.

His next 10 years in a Cardinal uniform would be just as suc cessful, if not better. On aver age, Pujols would hit 41 home runs, drive in 120 runs and slash .328/.617/1.040 as a Cardinal, cementing himself as one of the greats at just 31 years old. Throughout this tenure, he would win three MVP awards, finish top five in six other seasons, make the All-Star team nine times and lead the Cardinals to two World Series championships.

After the 2011 season, which ended in Pujols hoisting a World Series trophy, the slug ger was due for a big pay day. There were many suitors for the future Hall of Famer, with the Los Angeles Angels eventu ally winning the sweepstakes. The Halos gave him a $254 million deal over 10 years. With this contract the Angels were hoping he would provide Hall of Fame-like seasons as he did in St. Louis and hope fully bring a World Series tro phy to Anaheim.

Pujols’ time on the Angels wasn’t what they hoped for when he signed the contract.

Over the 10 years, he produced numbers far below those that he put up in St. Louis. On av erage, Pujols hit 23 home runs, drove in 82 and slashed a me diocre .256/.448/.758. These numbers earned him one AllStar appearance and one post season appearance, but noth ing near an MVP award. Those that started watching baseball in 2012 would have thought Pujols was just an average player, and not one of the greats as his first 11 seasons would suggest.

With Pujols not on a roster

through much of spring training this year, headlines started to circle that baseball fans may had seen his last at-bat. However, on March 28, a reunion was in the cards, with him signing a oneyear contract to return to the Cardinals for his final season. After 11 years, Pujols returned to where it all began. He was back for his 22nd season, just 21 home runs away from history. Pujols would have to find some magic in order for his name to be added to an illustrious list.

Back in St. Louis, Pujols was able to capture that magic. Hav ing a resurgent year, Pujols came into the final month of the season just six homers away from the big 700. On Sept. 23 in Los Angeles, he did what no one saw coming heading into the season: he reached the 700 mark. In the city where he struggled to live up to his big contract, Pujols made history after he hit two home runs in one game at Dodger Stadium, adding his name to yet another piece of history and baseball immortality. Pujols and the Cardinals can only hope that this magic will carry on through October and November as they chase a World Series title.

Valeriya Deminova Shines in ITA Regionals

By BRETT TULIP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Women’s Tennis competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Re gionals at Princeton University in New Jersey this past week end. They have not participated in this tournament since 2019, but they found more success this weekend than their last showing.

There can be no place to start but with graduate student Valeriya Deminova, who won all three of her matches and will advance to the ITA Super Regionals at Yale University on Oct. 21. This was a very strong showing for Deminova, who last played in this tournament as a sophomore. She improved sig nificantly upon her first perfor mance, where she lost in 2019 in the round of 16. This time, she got over the edge and is lead ing the team as a crucial veteran player.

Fordham had other key perfor mances highlighted by freshman Sofie Siem and graduate student Lindsay Hung. For Siem, this is a very positive sign as a newcomer to defeat both Jimena Garbino of Hofstra University and Juli ana Munhoz of the University of Pennsylvania. Eventually, she was outmatched when she lost in the round of 32 to Maria Drobotova from the United States Military Academy (Army). How ever, this was a productive finish. This is Siem’s strongest showing to date, and it will be interesting to see how she develops as a player as she is just beginning to scratch the surface of her young and promis ing collegiate career.

The other standout this week

end was Hung. She also made it to the round of 32, having a bye in the first round and defeating Isabella Brilliant from Army in the next. She was bested in the next round, being defeated nar rowly by Jamie Wei from Temple University in three games.

Unfortunately, the Rams strug gled in other matches, with grad uate student Carlota Casasampere Escoda, senior Avery Aude and junior Eleni Fasoula losing in the first singles matches they com peted in. They did not find much more success in doubles, with their only victory coming from the Aude and Deminova team, han dling Amelia Haley and Alexandra Jansen from St. Bonaventure University by a score of 8-2.

Overall, this showing was more productive than their previous entry in the ITA’s, but most of this can be chalked up to Deminova advancing. It re mains to be seen what place she will finish overall, but she will hope to continue to find suc cess at the Super Regionals. The team will get another chance to spotlight their talents when they travel to Hofstra University for the Hofstra Invitational this com ing weekend on Oct. 8 and 9.

Student Athlete Column: Positivity is Key

By TAYLOR MASCETTA STAFF WRITER

Last week, I got my phone stolen at Rolling Loud. One second it was in my bag, the next it was gone. Cue the frantic search in Soulja Boy’s mosh pit. After a pan icked call to my parents, I took some deep breaths and accepted the inevitable. The phone was gone. Now, all I had to do was make a choice: spend the rest of the concert wallowing in self-pity or have a good time despite everything that happened. Not wanting to ruin one of the best weekends of my life, I chose the latter. I ended up seeing Future during a torrential downpour, and it was one of the coolest expe riences I’ve ever had. It sure was nice to not have to worry about taking a video or water damage. I was fully in the mo ment.

You’re probably reading this wondering what this has to do with athletics. Well, the whole situation represents a shift in mindset that I’ve under gone this past year, and it’s all about the power of positivity.

I used to enter races ex pecting the absolute worst possible outcome. I did this

for two reasons: one, so any thing good coming out of it would feel amazing, and two, to be prepared in advance for things not working out. I’d tell myself, “Oh, there’s no chance you can win this, that girl’s going to wipe the floor with you.” It worked out in high school, especially my senior year. I was Connecticut’s run ner up in the outdoor 800m after running a massive PR. But, based on how confidently I raced, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you I was sprinting around in an absolute panic beforehand. I think the rea son I did this was because, in the back of my mind, I always knew everything would go in my favor. Even then I was pos itive, but allowed negativity to outweigh everything else.

Collegiate track is a whole

different ballgame. Sometimes, my competitors wipe the floor with me even when I’m running my absolute best. I can run an 800 in the same time I did at States, yet completely miss the final at Atlantic 10s — this con ference is stacked. As a fresh man, I went in not expecting success at any of my races, but when I didn’t achieve any suc cess, I beat myself up for days on end. That mental anguish started affecting my workouts, so training became a struggle too.

I slowly started wonder ing why I willingly put myself through this pessimistic cycle every week. Why choose to be negative when it does nothing but impact how much I enjoy this sport? The way one’s mind works is a really powerful thing, especially with running.

The action itself is already tough, so I tell myself to just embrace the pain rather than complain about it. It hurts ei ther way, but perspective does impact the outcome. I only have a few collegiate seasons left, so why not make the most of it?

Last Saturday, the team ran what my coach considers the hardest workout of the year at Van Cortlandt Park. You run three laps on the track, followed by a tempo on the trails, then you do both of those again and finish with a fast 800m. Simply put, it’s a tough one, but I always do really well at it every year. I refuse to let it freak me out. Seeing these hard workouts as an opportunity to get bet ter works wonders. The better workouts you run, the better

you race and the better you feel about the experience af terward. If things don’t exact ly go your way, you can always take something away from it to work towards something even greater.

Both positivity and negativ ity are extremely contagious. If one person complains, the rest of the group feels permit ted to do the same. However, if that same person starts hyp ing up the situation instead, it uplifts the entire group to want to do their best. I want to see everyone succeed just as much as myself after all!

This optimistic outlook doesn’t have to relate to just athletics. It’s good to look to wards the bright side in ev erything. Not everything is inherently good, but it’s not inherently bad either. It de pends on the way you look at it, because everything hap pens for a reason.

After accepting that my phone was lost forever, I re ceived wonderful news this past weekend. My phone mi raculously appeared on Roll ing Loud’s lost and found web site, ready for pickup. I think it’s a perfect encapsulation of everything always working out in the end.

After a hall-of-fame career, Albert Pujols is going out with a bang.

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Taylor Mascetta reflects on the importance of having a positive attitude while running and in everyday life.

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COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS Valeriya Deminova in action.

Moving Westward: Football and the Frontier

By JONAH RING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The notion of the “wild west” has long cemented its place in the American mythos. Stoic images of cowboys, folk heroes like Davy Crocket or Buffalo Bill and stories of pioneers’ struggles in the wil derness have captured the nation’s imagination since its conception.

Underlying all this famous ico nography is the notion of “the fron tier” that is so closely connected to the American identity.

This is the popular, persisting American belief that it is not only our duty, but our calling to explore and traverse the unknown, advanc ing our borders in the name of cul tural superiority.

While this all seems terribly academic and boring, the notion of “the frontier” still has undeni able relevance in contemporary American society.

Despite having moved away from its more antique forms with the rise of modernity, the American infatu ation with “the frontier” has yet to subside in the slightest. Instead, it persists and thrives in a form many do not realize: football.

Yes, the most widely followed sport in America is not necessarily a new and innovative concept that has tapped into the novel desires of the American public, but it is instead a simple reenactment and extension of the pervasive ideas of “the frontier.”

To prove this considerably “out of left field” thesis, it is necessary to examine the game and culture of football piece by piece.

First, the basic tenets of football’s gameplay mirror what occurs on “the frontier.” One team begins in their own territory, and using their resources, wit and strength, they make attempts to advance into for eign lands, hoping to bend the “oth er” to their will in order to achieve glory and fame.

It is in this way that football’s aim is no different than those of “the

frontier”: a collective of people at tempting to voyage into enemy ter ritory and prove their superiority.

Even the more nuanced ele ments of the game fall into this greater pattern of reflecting “the frontier.” First, there is the expan sion of clearly defined borders, as one team attempts to advance the line of scrimmage, the offense’s ter ritorial border, further and further into enemy territory.

There are “routes” that certain players are expected to take in or der to avoid danger in the form of defenders, echoing the prominence of pre-established trails and paths so often used by civilians when wandering “the frontier.”

Even the extremely violent and chaotic nature of football echoes the wild and brutal essence of “the frontier,” as instead of a pioneer mounted on horseback attempting to create a path for his people with a shotgun, we now have running backs attempting to run and bowl over the hordes to help their team advance.

Football also echoes the notion of “the frontier” in its ability to create “the other.” A key portion of “the frontier” is that there is an “other”:

a foreign group there to be con quered who resides in mysterious, unknown lands.

Football goes to extreme mea sures to cultivate this “other” that needs to be defeated.

For instance, each team has their own unique manner of dress, as the colors and designs of teams’ uni forms vary greatly: a Philadelphia Eagles’ player is instantly recog nizable from a New York Giants’ player, instilling this great sense of difference between teams.

Each team also has their own “way of life,” with there being stark contrasts in play style across foot ball. The Kansas City Chiefs rely heavily on deep throws downfield, while the San Francisco 49ers heavily lean on running the ball, with each having a unique “cul ture” and manner of living.

There is also the geographic foreignness of “the other” present in football, as teams often need to travel great distances into far away hostile territories in order to prove their dominance. All of these combined imbue the sense that the team lined up across from yours is not your friend, but they are in stead the fabled “other” that you

must conquer and defeat.

Inversely, “the frontier” is also constructed heavily on nationalistic sentiments. These feelings of great fervor for your geographic home are not lost in football.

Fans flock to stadiums in the thousands every weekend to watch their team play, while millions more provide their support from their living rooms, local bars or any place with a television.

Fans also constantly adorn their bodies with symbols and references to their favorite teams, whether these be tattoos or body paint that boldly proclaims what group they belong to.

There is undeniably this sense of cultural superiority and desire to see their side win out over the “other” present in football.

Another major aspect of the American tradition of “the frontier” is the plethora of folk heroes born out of it.

Throughout American his tory, “the frontier” has rooted itself firmly in the American mythos and memory due to its ability to provide people with some of the most famous fig ures that performed acts of

Overtime: All Hail NFL Redzone

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Now here’s a piece that ties very unlikely things together, one that I bet you didn’t expect to see in The Fordham Ram.

The ever-expanding concept of fantasy football has become one of the most addictive pieces of my life. I am not a gambler, but I am a com petitor, and I love football.

The excitement of drafting your fantasy team, managing waivers and generating trades only adds fuel to the fire of my NFL addiction.

It also gives me a reason to turn on the greatest television invention known to mankind: NFL Redzone.

I can watch every game with no commercials for seven straight hours on Sundays. Not only do you get the opportunity to keep up with all the scores, but you get all the story lines, live stats and the fantasy numbers all in one place.

Why is it so addictive? I couldn’t tell you why, but it is a regular ritual on Sunday.

Perhaps it is the fact that host Scott Hanson is really good at keep ing pace with all the madness of the games, or maybe it is the fact there

are no commercials, allowing you to see every scoring play or key de fensive stop.

My parents are not enthusiastic about Redzone, and it isn’t any thing against Scott Hanson, but they prefer watching one game rather than switching between eight of the 4 p.m. games.

And yes, I do sit down and watch all the Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night games. But from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday it is Redzone or bust.

I have three fantasy teams this year: two regular teams and one dynasty team on the app Sleeper.

On top of managing injuries and waivers in dynasty, I also have to worry about my draft picks for the rookie draft next year. I need to know what is happening in all the

games. Everything, good and bad.

Sunday Night Football is stapled with Chris Collinsworth doing col or commentary for years alongside Al Michaels and now Mike Tirico.

And if you are alert enough, you would understand I started this piece with a play on the famous Collinsworth phrase, “Now here’s a guy…” when he’s about to break down a player or a play. Here is where the memes come in.

Redzone also shows us the low est of the lows in the NFL. It may be rock bottom for some teams, but it produces timeless memes that will last forever.

Does anyone remember the butt fumble? Or Dan Orlovsky running backwards out of his own endzone?

date and ones that may last forever.

But if you know anything about memes and history, things tend to repeat themselves in really weird ways.

During week three, the butt fumble was recreated into the butt punt. The Miami Dolphins were punting out of their own endzone when Thomas Morstead kicked the ball off his own player’s backside and out of bounds for a safety.

The freeze frame of the moment became an instant hit online, with even the NFL’s account posting the freeze frame and joining in on the fun with NFL Twitter spaces.

The ensuing play gave us a mo ment where the Buffalo Bills failed to run a potential game-winning play in the final seconds. As the clock hit zero, viewers got a look

“heroism” and “valor” such as John Henry, Johnny Appleseed or Annie Oakley.

Football has recently taken up this mantle of being the source of America’s most recognizable fig ures, continuing the cultural con struction of “the frontier.”

Patrick Mahomes is known and recognized nationwide as the wild gunslinger who led Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl Champion ship. Jonathan Taylor is the infa mous workhouse who takes and gives out beatings in order to move his team forward into enemy terri tory. Joe Burrow is the calm, cool, handsome and savvy newcomer who wandered into town and cap tured the hearts of millions with his moxie.

No longer are American legends the women or men who traversed into “the unknown wilderness,” but they are now football players who “traverse into foreign territory” by crossing the 50 yard line. Finally, even the nicknames and mascots of many of the NFL’s teams echo the most recognizable aspects of “the frontier,” whether they were histor ically significant to its development or not.

The Dallas Cowboys have been America’s most popular brand and one of the quintessential icons of “the frontier.” The San Francisco 49ers reference the men who ven tured into the California wilderness in search of gold and glory.

The Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears elicit images of the wild beasts that so often appear in stories about “the frontier.” The iconography of “the frontier” still persists, now through the form of logos worn on jerseys or names chanted by football fanatics.

All these aspects of football make it apparent that, regardless of whether one is aware of it or not, watching football is a way of sup porting the oldest American infatu ation: “the frontier.”

inside the coordinator’s box. Of fensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was so mad the Bills couldn’t get a play off that the camera caught him smashing his papers and tablet on live television.

That’s the beauty of Redzone, you get everything in the league in a matter of minutes. I can watch all the scoring plays, keep up with my fantasy teams and see all the great moments in a single place without having to change the channel.

Though it wasn’t originally in tended to be the replacement for watching live standalone games on cable, Redzone has become a way of life for many football fanatics like myself to keep up with every game on Sundays.

All hail Scott Hanson and NFL Redzone, the best invention ever.

NFL Football dominates the American landscape and will continue to evolve as time passes.

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Water Polo Wins Home Opener, Unveils 2021 Championship Banner

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

Last Thursday was the home opener for Fordham Water Polo, and a special one at that.

Beyond the excitement of playing at home, Fordham cel ebrated their 2021 conference championship with the unveiling of a new banner and the presen tation of rings.

“It’s a special night,” head coach Brian Bacharach said prior to the game. 2021 was an extraordinary season for Fordham, who posted their greatest record in program history, going 26-7 with a 11-1 re cord in conference.

Sweeping the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) tour nament en route to a champion ship and the program’s first NCAA Championship berth, Fordham was a dominant force in the Collegiate Water Polo Association.

“There are a lot of emotions at tached to that, but at the same time, we’ve got to stay focused on the task at hand.”

The task at hand was Wagner College, the fifth ranked team in the MAWPC led by two of the top point scorers in the entire conference.

Fordham played Wagner earlier this season, squeaking by with a 1211 win, but Bacharach didn’t seem completely satisfied with his team’s

performance. “We watched a lot of film from that game and a lot of mistakes we made were of our own making.”

On top of the home opener, banner unveiling and conference matchup, Fordham headed into the week still reeling from a disap pointing weekend at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational, where the Rams went just 1-3, including a pair of Saturday losses where Fordham surrendered leads in the second half.

“Both those games on Saturday were winnable games for us, and we squandered that opportunity,” said Bacharach, who noted that closing games out is a priority for the team moving forward.

Closing out games would not be

an issue as Fordham took a 8-2 lead into halftime and kept the pressure on to secure the 14-9 win and a sea son sweep over Wagner.

Sophomores George Papaniko laou and Jacopo Parrella notched hat tricks while graduate student Nir Gross, junior Christos Loupakis and freshman Balazs Berenyi each had two goals of their own.

Gross and Loupakis also played a major role defensively, holding Wagner center Oliver Fodor score less.

Fodor, fresh off a 121-goal season that set a Wagner record, was com pletely shut down by their aggres sive two meter defense.

Fordham’s Thomas Lercari, was also fantastic in net, making 12 saves and stifling the Wagner

offense. Lercari held Wagner scoreless from the beginning of the second quarter until well into the third quarter, allowing Ford ham to grab a sizable lead.

With the win, Fordham improves to 10-6 on the season and 4-0 in conference play.

Their home opener is just the beginning of a long stretch of con ference play as 12 of Fordham’s remaining 14 regular season games will come against conference oppo nents.

This weekend, Fordham will travel to Virginia for the MAWPC Crossover, their final tournament of the regular season.

With four conference match ups over the span of two days, the Rams will get their first look

at McKendree University and Mercyhurst University.

The tournament also features Salem University and Gannon University, two teams Fordham handled with ease earlier this year.

With the unveiling of the 2021 conference championship banner, Fordham puts a cap on last year’s fantastic season.

In fitting fashion, this year’s Fordham Rams, with similar aspi rations of their own, honored the day with a conference win.

Bacharach appreciated the op portunity to celebrate last season, even with the pressure of this cur rent season.

“I’m a firm believer that whether your season ends in a champion ship or not, there’s always special elements you’re taking away from it.” In the case of the 2021 team, it doesn’t hurt to take home some rings as well.

In a world of sports where the mindset of “onto the next one” is so prevalent, Bacharach’s mindset is refreshing.

“If we were just focused on re sults at the end of the season, then you’d be pretty miserable in life and you’d also never get to pull one of these banners down. I think it’s cel ebrating those moments along the way and enjoying the process that is one of the most important and spe cial parts of team sports.”

Football Tops Georgetown on Family Weekend

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Another week, another highscoring contest for Fordham Football.

Following a heartbreaking 5952 loss to Ohio University last weekend, Fordham rebounded Saturday with a 59-38 home win over the Georgetown University Hoyas during Family Weekend.

This win opened the Patriot League conference schedule on a positive note for the Rams, who improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

While senior quarterback Tim DeMorat turned in another fine performance, it was Fordham’s rushing attack that made waves against the Hoyas.

Graduate student Trey Sneed and sophomore Julius Loughridge each had over 100 yards rushing as the Rams totaled 277 yards on the ground, their highest mark this season.

Whether it’s on the ground or through the air, Fordham’s offense has produced at an elite level in 2022.

In their five contests so far this season, the Rams have scored 259 total points. That’s an average of 51.8 points per game, which is the highest mark in the entire Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

On Saturday, as they have so often this season, Fordham got off to a slow start in the first quarter.

The Hoyas opened the game with a 77-yard touchdown drive to put the Rams down seven early.

Fordham immediately respond ed with a scoring drive of their own thanks to a 23-yard touchdown from DeMorat to Sneed.

But the Rams defense strug gled to contain Georgetown's passing attack, and Georgetown took the lead right back courtesy of a Pierce Holley touchdown to Herman Moultrie III.

A turnover off a botched snap gave the Hoyas the ball right back, who cashed in again to make it 21-7 Georgetown after a quarter of play.

Fordham’s passing defense has been a problem all season long. They allowed 395 yards through the air against a Georgetown team that has struggled offensively for most of this season.

Despite the rough first quarter, the Rams defensive unit improved as the game continued.

Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was not pleased with his defense, said, “It was very concerning. We’ve got to do a better job out of the gate … We have to do a better job defending the pass. They were 7/13 on third down. We can’t allow that if we want to be successful … We have to do a better job getting

teams off the field on third down and getting the ball back to our of fense.”

If the Rams were asleep at the wheel in the first quarter, they cer tainly woke up for the second.

Fordham outscored the Hoyas 28-0 in the second quarter, going into halftime with a 35-21 lead. DeMorat threw three touchdowns in the second quarter to three dif ferent seniors: one to tight end Jeff Ciccio and one each to wide receiv ers Fotis Kokosioulis and Dequece Carter.

Loughridge also added a 12yard touchdown run and the de fense contributed a big intercep tion from freshman Marc Pretto to seal the dominant quarter for the Rams.

Things settled down a bit in the second half from the frantic pace of the end of the first. The teams traded field goals at the start of the third quarter, with junior Brandon Peskin connecting on a 29-yarder for the Rams.

Late in the quarter, Sneed went

to work, scoring a five-yard touch down to cap off a drive that began with his own 34-yard run.

That Sneed score allowed Fordham to enter the fourth quarter with a comfortable 4524 lead. Georgetown got closer with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Joshua Tomas, but Fordham put the game away thanks to an impressive 27-yard rushing score from DeMorat and a 1-yard tally from Sneed.

Georgetown got a touchdown back late, but it wasn’t enough as Fordham walked away from Jack Coffey Field with a 59-38 victory over the Hoyas.

While the Fordham defense continues to allow points at a high rate (44.4 points per game), the of fense continues to deliver week in and week out.

DeMorat threw for 348 yards and five total touchdowns, while senior MJ Wright led Fordham receivers with 120 yards on seven catches.

DeMorat, who was named

Patriot League Offensive Play er of the Week for his perfor mance, continues to lead the FCS in passing yards and pass ing touchdowns.

On the receiving end of things, senior Fotis Kokosiou lis leads the FCS in receiving yards, thanks in large part to his 318-yard game against Ohio last week.

Reflecting on his own play, DeMorat said, “I thought I did fine. I thought I did OK, hon estly. I missed a couple throws, one to Fotis [Kokosioulis]. I just think this offense makes my life a little easy. I get a lot of credit but I think the coaches deserve a lot more for the game plan all week. Obviously when you run for that many yards it makes my life easy and having great receiv ers to give the ball out to.”

With Fordham off to a winning start in Patriot League play, the Rams will look to keep things roll ing this Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa. against Lehigh University.

Lehigh is off to a rough 1-4 start this year, with their only win com ing against Georgetown in week two.

That game is set for a 12 p.m. kickoff and can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7.

Despite this, Conlin insists that this week's game will not be an easy one.

“Going out there, playing on grass … It's gonna be a challenge. Obviously we're hoping to contin ue the run we’re on offensively, but defensively we have to do a better job against the pass. We can’t give up 395 yards passing and expect to have sustained success.”

Fordham capped off their ring ceremony with a home opener victory last Thursday.

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Trey Sneed eludes lost defenders as Fordham cruised to a victory in the second half.