The Fordham Ram
By ADITHI VIMALANTHAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Scott Detrow, FCRH ’07, might sit in a swivel desk chair in Washington D.C., but he’s caught in the orbit of a dozen stories, each one a different thread in the cross-country coverage brought to Americans on “All Things Considered,” National Public Radio’s (NPR) flagship news show where he works as a weekend host.
Within a couple of hours of an internal NPR morning news meeting, Detrow gets to work crafting his 60-minute episode full of pertinent news and wide-ranging features.
“There’s a different responsibility when you’re doing broadcast news,” Detrow said on Zoom from his office in D.C. “That’s often the first entry point people have into what’s going on.”
On his itinerary is an interview with political writer Bob Woodward and a trip to speak with North Carolina voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Just weeks ago, Detrow was in New York City interviewing Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robert
DETROW, PAGE 5
By JULIANNA MORALES FEATURES EDITOR
Fordham University has hosted events to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month this October. The events have been mainly organized by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), with collaboration from other groups, such as the Pride Alliance and Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS). OMA also sponsors an LGBTQ+ committee made up of students who work with the OMA staff to organize events, such as this month’s celebrations.
Events have been held at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, starting with each campus hosting a “Flags on the Lawn” event at the start of the month. The events allowed students to create their own pride flags and display them, celebrating their identity.
Fordham also acknowledged important recognition days, National Coming Out Day and International Lesbian Day, which occur as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.
One of the larger events for
Fordham Student Life Council Hosts Tetlow’s Chief of Staff
By EMMA LEONARDI STAFF WRITER
The Student Life Council (SLC) met for the second time this year on Oct. 9 to discuss improvements that could be made to student life at Fordham University.
To begin the meeting, there was a brief discussion regarding the public agenda topic of washers and dryers not working in
Board
By SIENNA REINDERS STAFF WRITER
President Tania Tetlow sent an email on Oct. 4 announcing the new implementation of an Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing at Fordham University. The committee, which will be composed
of students, faculty members and alumni, was created to consider ethical issues and Jesuit Catholic values surrounding investments.
“The committee will discuss current ethical investment policy, and whether particular types of investments impact the
university’s Jesuit Catholic values,” said Geeta Kapadia, Fordham’s chief investment officer.
Fordham is now one of 12 Jesuit universities to create an investment committee. A proposal for a committee on socially responsible investing by a group of students
SEE INVESTING, PAGE 4
certain residence halls. The SLC received emails about the malfunctioning washers and dryers, with the goal being to repair or replace them when necessary. Reese McDonnell, GSB ’26, vice president of budget for the United Student Government (USG), mentioned her own experience with this issue.
McDonnell brought up the fact that Walsh Hall, which houses hundreds of students, only has seven working washers throughout the whole building. In order to target this issue, there were suggestions to bring back a past Residence Hall Association (RHA) committee focused on student quality of life.
By NISHANTH ADUMA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fordham University’s Campus Ministry and the Alpha Sigma Nu honor society hosted the annual “Living the Mission” panel on Oct. 9, an event designed to help students engage with the university’s Jesuit values through personal reflections shared by faculty, administrators and students. This year, the event was co-hosted by Smart Woman Securities, and gathered about 70 attendees for a catered evening of reflection and conversation.
Father John Cecero, S.J., who played a central role in organizing the event, reflected on the origins of the panel.
“This is one of Alpha Sigma Nu’s signature annual events, in collaboration with Campus Ministry,” Cecero said. The panel began four years ago when a student leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Vanessa Rotondo developed the idea of inviting campus leaders to share how they live out the Jesuit mission. The event has since become one of Fordham’s efforts to encourage students to reflect on their role in
COURTESY OF MARY HAWTHORN/THE FORDHAM RAM
The
On Oct. 9, the Student Life Council had their second meeting of the year.
COURTESY
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
Terra Nova House Oct. 16
7:25 p.m.
On Wednesday, there was a fire alarm in Terra Nova House. A supervisor and the FDNY responded. The investigation revealed a student covered the smoke detector with a plastic bag and duct tape. When the student removed the bag the alarm activated. The supervisor prepared a work order to replace the detector.
Off Campus Oct. 18
1 a.m.
On Friday, a student reported that an unknown person attempted to gain entry to their building by prying open the lock on the door. Entry was not made but the door and lock were damaged. A supervisor called the NYPD to respond. There is video of the incident which was forwarded to the NYPD.
Arthur House II Oct. 19
10:02 p.m.
On Saturday, there was a fire alarm in Arthur House II. A supervisor and the FDNY responded. The investigation did not reveal any fire or smoke. The supervisor reset the alarm panel.
Webster Avenue Oct. 19
8:35 p.m.
On Saturday, a student reported that while walking on Webster Avenue and Fordham Road, a male struck the student in the head. The student fled into a building and called Public Safety. A supervisor responded. The student was with their parent. The supervisor called the NYPD and FUEMS. The NYPD prepared a report and FUEMS transported the student and their parent to Saint Barnabas Hospital.
Business in Fashion and Luxury Hosts Event at The Boss Store at Columbus Circle
By JACK MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
Fordham University’s Business in Fashion and Luxury (BiFL) association recently hosted a networking event at The Boss Store at Columbus Circle near Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Following the event, Gabelli students had the opportunity to build their business wardrobe by exploring Hugo Boss’ threestory location. Two guest panelists were present: Robyn Carter, founder and CEO of Jump Rope Innovation, and Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute.
In an event managed by Nina Show, president of BiFL, and Nial Stevensen, vice president of events and communications at BiFL, Carter and Choi responded to prompts and took questions from an audience of students.
When asked by Show, Choi began the conversation by reflecting on Hugo Boss’ motto of having a “#BOSSMINDSET.”
“A true boss is someone who has people who want to follow you,” said Choi. Choi, who worked in private equity and investment banking before becoming an entrepreneur, noted that passion and commitment were important to have as a boss and in the job itself.
“Life is too short to just chase a paycheck,” he said. “Being a
boss means you are giving back to the community, your folks, partners and investing in the next generation. We use different sources to hone in on how the future of the food and business industry is going to evolve.”
Questions were also raised by Show about the rise of influencer marketing as a potential field of entry for Gabelli students. “Influencers are a great resource when we think about innovation, as they constantly have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening,” said Carter.
Stevensen also sparked a conversation about Gen Z and millennials’ impacts on this new field. “Gen Z wants the real story and they want it fast,” said Carter. Show shifted the conversation to discussions on Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) and business sustainability. “Sustainability is something that is increasing in intensity over the last couple of years,” said Choi. “For-profit organizations should keep sustainability front and center, and conversations are rising across boards.”
Choi noted that, even though some companies are becoming more ethically sustainable, others are more hypocritical. “Some companies say they are sustainable, but when you look at what they’re doing, it is all talk,” said Choi. “Consumers
can see through it.”
Carter described how businesses need to make their sustainable products just as good as previously trusted brands. “They have to do jobs as well as conventional businesses and give people this other opportunity,” said Carter. “This is why Native is doing so well.” Native has increasingly marketed their products that have the same benefits as traditional body and hair care products, without the dangerous chemicals.
Artificial intelligence is also a growing controversy in the business world, and Carter noted that it does have its benefits and implications. “It can’t help us get to the answer, but it can help us refine our answer,” said Carter.
The panel concluded with Choi and Carter each sharing some business challenges they faced while rising to their titles. Choi, who acquired The Food Institute in Jan. 2020, was hit by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic almost immediately upon entering the field. “We had to figure out very quickly how we were going to make an old and stagnant print publication work in the modern age,” said Choi.
Within two months, he was able to convert his team to a fully virtual environment using Microsoft Teams. Adapting to the new technology was
slightly more difficult for Carter and Jump Rope Innovation. “We thought, ‘let’s not panic,’ and if we kept our hands on the wheel, things would be fine,” she said. She retained a commitment to three principles: people, not panicking and giving to clients. “We came through that time stronger than before.”
Following the presentation, students had the opportunity to tour the Hugo Boss store and select business professional merchandise, ranging from pantsuits to shirt and tie combinations.
Several undergraduate and graduate students, including Nicholas Casula, MBA ’25, voiced their opinions on the event. “I really enjoyed the talk back with Robyn Carter and Brian Choi,” said Casula. “There was an impactful discussion on using social media influencers for research and development of new products based on emerging trends.”
“First of all, thank you to the panelists for arranging this event, I never thought I would have the opportunity to chat with an actual CEO,” said Zincheng Chen, GSB ’28.
“This is the perfect week for my Ground Floor class since we just moved onto the Business Plan Project, and the panelists gave very strong feedback on how I can stand out in the final presentation.”
Wednesday Oct. 23
Tricks & Treats
McShane Campus Center 3 p.m.
Join ASILI and the Campus Activities Board for Halloween Bingo and Pumpkin Carving in the McShane Campus Center. The event will be in Rose Hill Commons on the second floor.
Thursday Oct. 24
It’s The Great Pumpkin!
Martyrs’ Lawn 3-6 p.m.
Join the Campus Activities Board for their Halloween pumpkin patch from 3-6 p.m. on Martyrs’ Lawn. Pick a pumpkin and enter the carving competition for the chance to win gift cards!
Friday Oct. 25
Sharing Scary Stories
McShane Campus Center 7-9 p.m.
Join the Campus Activities Board for golf cart ghost tours on Friday. In honor of Halloween, guides will be sharing spooky stories of Fordham’s Rose Hill campus from 7-9 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 26
Haunting Harmonies
Keating First 7 p.m.
Join Fordham’s numerous a capella groups for a Halloween Teaser performance at 7 p.m. in Keating First. Groups will be singing songs from their repertoire while sporting their spooky costumes!
Sunday Oct. 27
A Frightful Flick
Keating First 7 p.m.
Join Campus Activities Board’s Cinevents committee for their monthly movie night. This month’s Halloween showing of “Jennifer’s Body” will begin at 7 p.m. in Keating First, with snacks provided.
COURTESY OF JACK MCDONALD FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Gabelli undergraduate and graduate students engage in networking with marketing CEOs at their event at The Boss Store.
Ram’s Economic Digest Launches at Fordham
By ADITHI VIMALANATHAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Before flying to London for a semester abroad this past spring, Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, had the idea to produce a Fordham University student-run economics newsletter.
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my time when I got back to Fordham after being abroad, but I didn’t want to just sit around idly,” explained Maltzman. “I wanted to do something that would leave an impact here at Fordham, something that I think students would really resonate with, and something that I could come back to in a few years down the line.”
This April, the Ram’s Economic Digest was created. Since the start of the semester, the newsletter has
produced four issues of economic news across four different sections: consumer trends, global outlook, macroeconomics and technological innovation/economic growth.
Editor-in-Chief Maltzman worked with Managing Editor Jasmine Aiello, GSB ’25, to develop these sections.
“We wanted them to be general enough that people could write about what they’re actually interested in within that section, but I think they differ enough from one another that articles aren’t necessarily overlapping,” Maltzman explained.
Each section has three editors who write weekly articles. Section editors proofread the articles and check for non-partisanship and guideline compliance. The Digest is currently published every Friday
morning and recaps the week for its readers. Maltzman estimates that over 80% of contributing editors are first-years and sophomores.
“I think that this club can grow to be something that’s really great, and if it sticks with the younger classmen, it’s something they can work to develop over their time here at Fordham if they’re passionate enough about it,” said Maltzman.
Caitlin Sigler, FCRH ’27, is a contributing editor for the consumer trends section and states she was drawn to the Digest because of her interests in international affairs. She recently wrote an article for the Digest about online retailer SHEIN.
“In the past I have written about SHEIN and how they have
a large yet disloyal consumer base, meaning that any attempt to legitimize themselves as a more serious brand would fail because their customers only like them for their cheap and quickly accessible products,” said Sigler. “It was fun getting the chance to do research on something I am passionate about that is unrelated to my schoolwork, and I look forward to writing more!”
Maltzman stated that the Digest has gone from zero to close to 100 subscribers in six weeks and has received positive feedback on the newsletter.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from readers and members alike saying that they really love the format of the newsletter and how concise everything is,” he
said. “It seems like we’re doing a very good job so far. I’m very proud of everyone.”
Currently, Maltzman says that his top priority is to engage and expand the Economic Digest’s subscriber base.
“I’m really focusing on growing this club out. Essentially, we’re working as a start-up. It’s not a huge club,” Maltzman said. “But I think it really has the potential to be really, really great. When I saw the first newsletter published, I was extremely proud. It’s really matching what my vision was for this club.”
The Ram’s Economic Digest meets weekly on Mondays from 5-6 p.m. in Dealy Hall, room 102. Previous issues can be found on their website, thered.beehiiv.com/.
“Fordham’s Babel” Exhibit Comes to Walsh Library
By ADITHI VIMALANATHAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Fordham University’s Walsh Library presented new exhibit “Fordham’s Babel: An Exploration of World Languages in the Special Collections” on Oct. 8. The curators, Miriam Krakowski, FCRH ’27, Gabriella DiMeglio, archives and special collections librarian, and Dr. Magda Teter, Shivdler chair in Judaic studies, hosted a tour and reception of the event on opening day.
Featuring writings, archival work and sketches made by scholars of the era, “Fordham’s Babel” traces out a lineage of Western understandings of multiculturalism and linguistics concentrated in the early modern period to the 19th century. It begins with artifacts in a wideranging set of languages.
“The Hebrew Bible is a Middle Eastern text, written in the Middle East and it’s set in the context of
what’s today Israel and Palestine and Egypt and today’s Iraq and even Iran,” explained Teter. “What we wanted to [do], because the Bible is such a quintessential Western text, absorbed as a Western text, we wanted to place it in the east where it belongs, gazing east at these other languages, forgetting what it would then become as the Western text.”
To this end, the exhibit features multiple artifacts from Fordham’s collections in a variety of languages, including a page of an Arabic prayer book from the 16th century, a Taliput manuscript from the 18th century and a Greek petition estimated to be from the second century B.C.E.
“Fordham’s Babel” takes as its central image an engraving from “Turris Babel,” a book by 17th century Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher applying the scientific concepts of his time to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Teter
explained that “Turris Babel” was similar to other linguistic examinations of time in that it grew out of Christian theological tradition.
“This keen interest in studying languages started in the Renaissance era by trying to understand the Biblical text,” explained Teter. “Then, you have missionizing — and Jesuits here play an important role. They go all over the world. They study languages in order to proselytize and spread Christianity, but they also bring back that knowledge.”
The exhibit also explored the classifications of multilingual documents in more recent centuries.
When concluding the tour, Teter and Krakowski lingered on the last shelf featuring three collections by The Society of Foliophiles — a 20th-century organization of New York book dealers who separated rare books into leaves and sold sets of them as collections. One of
the collections was titled “Pages of English Literature,” another was “Pages From European Literature” and the third was “Specimens of Oriental MSS and Printing” — a categorization which, at the time, included Jewish text.
“What do you hear in the way these boxes are titled?” the curators asked the group.
“It’s not considered literature,” responded an attendee. Another chimed in: “It’s like another form of inquisition.”
DiMeglio explained that the process of curating an exhibit starts out with a broad idea that becomes refined as artifacts are compiled.
“It always starts with an idea for what we want to say with the exhibit generally,” DiMeglio said.
“That definitely morphs as you go, because a big part of doing these exhibits and doing archival research, in general, I’ve found is exploring things as you go, because you don’t
really know what’s back there. It’s not like you have the book summary at your fingertips a lot of the time.”
Teter initially proposed the idea of exploring different languages within Fordham’s Judaica collection, and the team began in June exploring items that could belong in a possible exhibit. Krakowski spent the summer working on doing much of this archival work — which also brought in items in Fordham’s Jesuitica collection — before the team finalized the arc they wanted the exhibit to take.
“I started by going in the catalog, limiting my searches to special collections… I pulled up a list of languages and just started searching to see what would show up,” explained Krakowski. “Once I had a solid number of things that were related to language in one way or another, I started trying to organize them into sections. We then started discussing, ‘What story does this tell?’ because language itself is not a story. We eventually settled on the Western implications of language and the way the Western world treats language.”
Krakowski reflected that viewing the exhibit on its opening day was a fulfilling moment.
“Until I was there today, I didn’t believe that it was actually going to exist,” Krakowski said. “It was just incredible to see all the books that I plucked out of the collection at random coming together to form an actual exhibit.”
COURTESY OF ADITHI VIMALANATHAN/ THE FORDHAM RAM LEFT: Professor Magda Teter and Miriam Krakowski, FCRH ’27 , present artifacts in the “Fordham’s Babel” exhibit.
RIGHT: An engraving of the tower of Babel from Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher’s “Turris Babel.”
FROM CHIEF, PAGE 1
Through this committee, RHA would be connected with facilities to resolve this problem.
Michael Trerotola, President Tania Tetlow’s chief of staff, then introduced an exercise in order to communicate all issues to Tetlow. Post-it notes were passed out for members to write concerns on, which they pasted onto various boards throughout the room.
Many topics were introduced, starting off with suggestions for updating the university website. The conversation moved to issues with the Health Center, with McDonnell citing an incident where she wasn’t notified of the cost of a Health Center visit until she was charged for it.
There was also a suggestion to extend the Ram Fit hours on the weekends, as the gym currently doesn’t open until 10 a.m. The issue of mobile IDs not working was mentioned briefly, with Trerotola expressing his personal displeasure with how well the IDs work.
The council also discussed problems with availability of Ram Van shuttles to and from the D train. Some students have experienced a lack of readily available shuttles at both the Fordham pick-up/ drop-off point and the train station. A delay in response time from the Office of Student
FROM OMA, PAGE 1
the month was the second annual Pride parade hosted by OMA. The parade took place on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event consisted of the parade, food, socialization and a drag show. The drag show featured three drag queens: Chola Spears, Lanye Armon and Harriet Tugsman.
“It was so fun, very exciting. [I feel] all the joyful energy when we’re able to do an event like this,” stated Marie Castro, assistant director of OMA at Lincoln Center, after the parade. She said that she was very proud to see how, with their second annual parade, they were able to grow the event. Students at the parade expressed that they felt the
FitzSimons Fellow Comes to SLC
Involvement (OSI) was noted, and Trerotola mentioned a possible fix underway in the form of new student assistant hires.
The addition of scanners for residence hall laundry rooms was suggested as a possible solution for off-campus students coming into the buildings to use the washers and dryers. McDonnell cited experience with off-campus students going through back doors, with an emphasis on the danger of unaccounted individuals in residence buildings. McDonnell also shared frustration with non-residential students filling up washers and dryers as she is the one paying for the washers, but off-campus students are the ones using them.
The issue of Public Safety occasionally missing student calls was also addressed. Anna Calendrillo, FCRH ’26, and executive president of RHA, shared that she called Public Safety to ask for a ride back to campus and she was sent to voicemail. Calendrillo also noted that students are told to call Public Safety before they call 911 if they need help on campus, as Public Safety knows the campus better than the New York Police Department. Trerotola agreed that the issue needs looking into, but also shared that if there is an emergency, students shouldn’t hesitate to call 911.
The council discussed the larger issue of Fordham offering excused absences for other,
smaller election days where the university doesn’t have a mandated day off. Trerotola denied this request, as there are already longer election days and early voting policies put into place to combat this. However, this sparked the issue of commuter students not being excused from classes due to inclement weather when Fordham doesn’t issue a formal “Snow Day.” There were several personal experiences cited from a previous survey that the Commuter Student Association (CSA) put out, including one where a student was driving to school and a tree fell down, blocking the road. Trerotola shared that absence policies are always at faculty discretion, and therefore can vary depending on the class. However, Trerotola also cited an emphasis on faculty empathy from Tetlow regarding excused absences.
The final issue discussed was one of commuter students not being able to access classrooms in Campbell, Salice and Conley residence halls. The council expressed concerns that commuter students cannot access these halls unless a student who lives there is available to let them into the building. Trerotola stated that external access to these buildings is already in place, and commuter students should have access to
these halls for classroom use.
Following Trerotola’s exercise, Tony Berry, Fordham’s inaugural FitzSimons Fellow, talked about his role within the initiative. The goal of the initiative is to increase civic engagement on campus and to put in place events surrounding civil discourse that involve Jesuit values. Berry shared that his role is to discuss civic engagement with Fordham faculty and students. He cited already speaking with both the College Democrats and College Republicans groups at Fordham, as well as future plans to talk at Fordham Preparatory School to seniors on firsttime voting (to which Fordham University students are also invited).
Updates from each of the individual groups making up the SLC were then given. Those noted included Charles Clency, assistant dean of students, who shared a decrease in reported incidents involving alcohol intoxication from last year. The Campus Activities Board shared a current giveaway of tickets in exchange for filling out a suggestion form for Spring Weekend artists.
The CSA discussed the recurrence of an annual event to donate items such as winter coats to Bronx community nonprofits. RHA also mentioned an update on the now full general board, with all residence hall
OMA Sponsors Pride Events
atmosphere was very welcoming and felt accepted by Fordham’s queer community. “I love the queer community at Fordham,” said Lily Genovese, FCRH ’26. “I would say this is the most accepting group of people.”
The parade consisted of golf carts driven by Ram Van drivers, which were decorated to be floats in the parade. Presley KmetaSuarez, FCRH ’26, is a Ram Van driver who learned of the pride parade because of the need for golf cart drivers. “It was so much fun, we got to decorate the golf carts before we started the parade,” Kmeta-Suarez said.
Kiet Vo, GSB ’27, learned of the parade through his orientation group chat. “I wanted to see what was going on and support
the cause,” he said. Multiple of the students expressed that they were particularly looking forward to watching the drag show.
Engagement with the programs put on for LGBTQ+ History Month has been high according to Fordham’s LGBTQ+ committee. Samirali Masoud, FCLC ’27, and the cultural programming coordinator of the LGBTQ+ committee, said she has found it gratifying to see how many people the events have reached.
“My highlight of the past month of programming was when a man approached our flags on the lawn tabling at Lincoln Center,” said Masoud. “He was presumably a graduate
student or faculty member who referred to himself as ‘just an old gay guy.’ He was shocked that we were allowed to have this openly queer programming that celebrated being LGBTQ+ on campus and even told us that he was kicked out of his Catholic high school for being gay. It was such an eye-opening conversation that made me realize the impact of the work we were doing.”
Masoud said that she hopes the programming normalizes queerness in all spaces and reminds students that identifying as LGBTQ+ at Fordham is not isolating, as there are many other peers who identify as such as well.
“I hope students feel celebrated, I hope to curate an environment at Fordham that is so disconnected
Junior Researches Neurodegenerative Disorders
By TASNIMAH RAHMAN STAFF WRITER
Nicole Cracovia, FCRH ’26, is investigating the link between Z-RNA to neurodegenerative disorders. Her primary focus is establishing a causal connection between a mutant allele of Z-RNA and neuromuscular malfunction. Her experiments involve testing on flies, and she hopes her findings can provide insight on benefits for humans.
“Z-RNA is used to process primary tRNA transcripts, so, essentially, tRNA transcripts are used to read mRNA and ultimately produce proteins or protein products,” Cracovia said. “Z-RNA is really then essentially mRNA being turned into protein products the
body needs. And so the research I’m doing looks at what happens when there’s a mutation.”
Fordham University labs use ELANCast nine technologies to further research. “The research I’m doing looks at what happens when there is a mutation,” said Cracovia.
“Using ELANCast nine technology, I can make mutations in neuron specific cells. This way protein products won’t be made only by neurons.” Her research focuses on phenotypic outcomes of these RNA C mutants.
Cracovia is working on two different experiments. “For the first one, we eject flies and look at their reflexes,” she said. “By ejecting them, they’re going to get that stimulus that they’re falling and
then we see how long it takes for the stimulus to reach the motor function. And so they would actually have, like a motor effect, but it's expected with some ZRNA mutant to take longer.”
Each vial she works with has about 50 flies separated by male and female. Since she focuses on neurodegenerative disorders, the expectation for results is that reflexes get progressively old.
“We test on 10-day age flies and 21-day flies,” Cracovia said. “If we notice that neurodegeneration is occurring, like the amount of flies are taking further stimulus for pathway to reach the actual motor effect, if we notice that that is taking longer so neurodegeneration is occurring. Then there
positions being filled.
USG shared that there are two remaining empty seats on the Senate for Gabelli School of Business Class of 2025 members. USG also awarded the first Special Proclamation of the year to two students who founded Fordham Food Walks. The organization encourages Fordham students to donate remaining unused meal swipes at the end of each week so that they can gather sandwiches from those donations to give to a nearby food pantry, Part of the Solution. USG noted that 1,000 meals have been donated this school year. USG is also going to look into adding a committee specific to study abroad.
Fordham College at Rose Hill noted that spring schedules have gone live, with registration dates coming soon. OSI shared that they hired a Fordham College at Lincoln Center graduate for the new student facilities and coordinator position.
The Office of Residential Life noted that applications for Resident Assistants for the 2025-26 academic year would go live on Oct. 21. Finally, Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, wrapped up the meeting by sharing that first-year Campus Assault and Relationship Education programming is underway, and that USG had their annual sexual misconduct training.
from the hatred of the outside world,” she said.
The events are not over yet. On Wednesday, Oct. 23, OMA, the Pride Alliance, CPS and the Fordham University Visual Arts Club are collaborating to host a Queer Art Night in the Rose Hill OMA office. On Thursday, Oct. 24, there will be a Rainbow Social at Lincoln Center and an open mic night at Rose Hill, both of which locations are still to be determined. The last event for LGBTQ+ History Month will be a Halloween movie night on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.
Students who are interested in any of the events still to come can refer to the OMA or Fordham LGBTQ+ committee Instagram pages, @fordhamlgbtq and @fordhamoma, for more information.
are implications that the Z-RNA mutation is what is affecting that. So, since Z-RNA is very conserved, it’s in flies and humans, there are greater implications that a mutation of the Z-RNA found in humans would lead to the same results.”
This would establish a link between neurodegeneration caused by Z-RNA and motor dysfunction. Cracovia’s findings could be used in the future for development therapies to help improve the quality of life for humans affected by these disorders. She is currently in the process of conducting a flight test, ejecting flies and recording their response to falling stimulus. Once the flight test is completed, she looks at the numbers for data analysis. “We’re also looking at another control
group (GZ Plus) to make sure everything’s adding up,” she said. “This control group, GZ Plus, is essentially the Z-RNA gene that has been knocked out and replaced by the RNA C gene. It’s not necessarily the same as just like wild type fly with no mutations.”
Cracovia’s ultimate goal is to be a physician’s assistant in neurology, finding how the brain works and neuromotor pathways interesting. Cracovia shares how her late aunt had a neurodegenerative disorder and how she did not understand why her aunt would have tremors. “With the CRISPR-Cas9 technologies that we have available to us, it’s very promising for these future therapies to be developed to help people,” she said.
Campus Ministry and Alpha Sigma Nu Host Panel
FROM MISSION, PAGE 1
contributing to the greater good. Cecero shared that the planning committee intentionally chooses a diverse lineup of speakers. “It’s important to invite speakers who represent different areas of work — this year’s panel featured a faculty member, an administrator and a student,” he said.
The panelists were Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School of Business; Roger Milici, vice president of development and university relations; and AnnaMarie Pacione, FCRH ’26. The panelists shared their insights, highlighting the broad and inclusive nature of Jesuit education. The evening was moderated by Cecero, who also offered reflections on the event’s goals.
Cecero further emphasized that Fordham’s mission goes beyond familiar phrases, noting that it is best communicated through personal stories of reflection. “Communicating Fordham’s mission is
not just a matter of pithy and familiar phrases,” he said. “It is best communicated through personal stories from people who have reflected upon it in their own lives and discovered its meaning for their personal and professional lives.”
Aksoy’s remarks centered around the Jesuit value of cura personalis — care for the whole person. As the dean of the Gabelli School of Business, Aksoy strives to shape future leaders who embody the Jesuit principles of competence, compassion and justice.
“Our students are the hope and promise of a brighter future,” she remarked, highlighting her dedication to educating students who will bring Fordham’s mission into their professional lives.
Aksoy emphasized that these discussions help students reflect on their own role in contributing to the greater good and becoming a force for positive change.
“Education at Fordham is not
just about academic achievement, but also about personal and ethical development — something we believe is essential to true leadership,” Aksoy said.
Aksoy also highlighted the need to engage more students in future panels, noting that greater participation would foster a deeper sense of community and belonging. “We need to better market what the Jesuit values really are — keys to success in life, regardless of the faith you hold,” she said, stressing the universality of the Jesuit mission’s core principles.
Milici reflected on what it means to live the Jesuit mission from the perspective of a senior administrator. For him, the mission is not just a guiding principle — it is a daily practice. “Living the mission for me is invitational,” Milici shared. “Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to encounter and model what Fordham’s Jesuit and Catholic
mission means for them.” He explained that this alignment with the mission shapes his words, actions and motivation to wake up each morning, knowing the good that Fordham does for its community and the world at large.
Milici shared how his department’s work in development and alumni relations reflects the values of service and community central to the Jesuit tradition. He shared examples of donors whose contributions support Fordham’s mission-driven projects, such as a seven-figure gift to Campus Ministry that funds Global Outreach and student retreats. “Every year we organize a memorial Mass for deceased alumni so that their loved ones can return to campus and keep their memory alive,” he added.
One of the central themes of the panel was to foster a sense of community and shared purpose among students and staff. Milici reflected on the unifying power of
such gatherings. “About 70 students and some faculty and staff gathered to listen and to engage the panelists in a conversation that was candid, respectful and unifying,” he said. “And we did this around a meal. That is the essence of community.” This also highlights the Jesuit emphasis on communion — coming together as a community to reflect on shared values and aspirations. The dialogue of the event invited students to reflect on their own experiences and consider how they might embody the Jesuit mission in their personal and professional lives.
Fordham events like “Living the Mission” aim to provide students with an opportunity to engage with the university’s Jesuit values. The panel will return in the spring with a new set of speakers to continue the dialogue around what it means to live the Jesuit mission in today’s world.
“All Things Considered” Host Reflects on a Decade at NPR
FROM DETROW, PAGE 1
Caro and spoke to two astronauts heading to previously untraveled extents in the Milky Way.
This year will mark his 10th year working at NPR and his first at “All Things Considered.” For over 15 years, he has been a professional journalist in the public radio system, covering politics, energy policy and local issues in reporting broadcasts across the nation. He also formerly served as NPR’s White House correspondent.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Detrow attended Jesuit high school at St. Peter’s Preparatory School on the Hudson River, right across from New York City. At 15, he moved to Wisconsin — a pitstop in the Midwest — before returning to the East Coast as a newly minted Fordham University Ram. One of his first experiences in journalism was writing for The Fordham Ram.
“I wrote a profile for the Ram of Sal at Pugsley’s and I thought ‘what an original angle!’ but people write that story every two years,” he said. “But then he was nice to me for the rest of my time at college.”
At Fordham, Detrow also began his career in public radio at WFUV where he volunteered as a news reporter. He reported under the guidance of Julianne Welby, the news director at the time.
“He stood out as an ambitious journalist from the start (along with quite a few other WFUV students in those days!). He wanted to cover serious news, including election coverage, perhaps because he was a Poli Sci major.” noted Welby. “He set a high bar for pursuing and executing professional journalism at WFUV for his peers at the time and future students who worked there.”
Rachel Lushinsky, currently
a newscast producer at NPR, worked alongside Detrow in the WFUV newsroom when they were both undergraduates at Fordham.
“I remember him being such a natural on-air talent and very confident — so much so that I remember Scott filling in for the DJs themselves,” Lushinsky said. “It was above and beyond the normal student work. They would have summer vacation and he was hosting the whole entire show.”
At WFUV, Detrow reported and produced “Treating the Rainbow Nation” — an hourlong documentary on the public health AIDS crisis in South Africa. Detrow, then a rising senior, spent five weeks on the ground, conducting international public health reporting nearly 8,000 miles away from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.
“I remember renting a car, driving around South Africa, forgetting at moments that they drive on the traditionally British side of the road and veering the car at the last minute,” he said.
Welby stated that Detrow took initiative in coordinating and producing the project.
“He had to put together a lot of plans in advance to do recorded interviews with folks and I recall he also did a lot of recording on the fly while he was there. When he returned, we worked together over Pro Tools to put together his documentary on WFUV,” said Welby.
Five weeks on the ground translated to many more in the newsroom, where Detrow furiously transcribed every word of every interview before cutting his story. His special was aired on WFUV’s “Cityscapes” and on San Francisco public
radio station KQED.
Detrow recalled that the project was not without its difficulties. It was a new experience in international public health reporting and deeply sensitive coverage — a radically different flavor for a 20-year-old well-versed in WFUV’s citywide programming.
“Interviewing people who were in the process of dying and doctors who were in that setting — I remember having a really hard time,” Detrow said. “I don’t want to ask questions that are too intrusive. I feel like I shouldn’t be here as a reporter.”
Nevertheless, Detrow says that “Treating the Rainbow Nation” was a formative experience in high-stakes journalism — and one that he referred back to while interviewing Ukrainian civilians after the Russian invasion in 2022.
“I was directly thinking about that experience as a college student as I was pushing myself to ask follow-up questions of this woman whose sister and nephew were buried somewhere in the rubble that we were looking at,” Detrow explained. “Sitting there, I was like, ‘She wants to tell her story. She’s telling her stories to the world through this interview. It’s okay to be here asking this person these questions… That was something I started to learn 20 years earlier, doing that [South Africa] project.”
After WFUV, Detrow worked at NPR-member stations KQED in California and WITF in Pennsylvania — where he met his wife. When he first arrived at NPR in 2015, Detrow covered the White House, Congress and national politics for eight years. However, reporting has put him face-to-face with voters during
periods of intense national uncertainty.
“When you’re talking about partisan stuff, you’re talking to people deep in these worldviews,” he said. “I remember walking around Trump rallies talking to QAnon people with QAnon paraphernalia and I asked, ‘How did you get here, and why is this something you’re building your life around? I really want to know.’”
At “All Things Considered,” Detrow hosts a wide range of coverage that runs the gamut. In addition to interviewing NPR correspondents on their reporting across the country, he has longer conversations with artists, writers and filmmakers. In the last few months, he’s spoken to Lael Wilcox, the fastest woman to ride around the world, and John Sterling, the soon-to-retire New York Yankees announcer.
It’s interviewing and coverage that’s much different than the political reporting he conducted previously.
“You’re thinking about a dozen topics at a time,” Detrow said. “The way you’re the host in an interview — trying to get information but also move the conversation along — it’s a totally different interview style… It’s something I’ve worked hard at over the last year.”
These days, Detrow spends time chasing his kids, aged two and six, with his wife — an experience he describes as a “constant state of motion.” He enjoys hiking and running in D.C. and listening to his favorite podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.”
Recently, Detrow reached another important milestone: his 40th birthday.
“I just turned 40, and somebody made a passing comment at work that day — ‘What was your 30th birthday like?’” Detrow said. “At 30,
I was actually 100% sure I would never get to NPR and that it was a dead end and that it was never going to work out.”
It did work out, but it took time for Detrow to find a position with NPR.
“I applied to NPR so many times and never got the job,” recalled Detrow. “We were in California, and my wife and I knew we wanted to book it back to D.C.… I remember going for these long walks with our dog figuring out: how am I going to get a job in D.C.? What do I even do if it’s not going to work out at NPR, the place I’ve been trying to get to for a decade?”
Ultimately, Detrow said that the wait was worth it.
“Within a year of being at D.C., I was glad that six different NPR jobs hadn’t worked out because the one they brought me on for was the best fit of all of them,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty when you’re a reporter at a local station. You have no idea if people are noticing your work or not and you just have to keep doing it and keep trying.”
As the anniversaries of a decade at NPR and a year at “All Things Considered” approach, Detrow said he has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon. He’s still awash with stories, interviews and people, weaving the multiplicities of the American voice into 60-minute episodes for the public.
“There’s so many days where you come to work expecting one thing and something wildly different happens, whether that’s an assassination attempt or less pressing news,” Detrow said. “The entire show could be totally rejiggered minutes before you air… That’s what drew me to the news. You don’t know what you’re going to do each day. It’s always different and you’re always learning something. That’s been a constant from my first day at WFUV until now.”
Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing Debuts
FROM INVESTING, PAGE 1
students coupled with two years of student, faculty and administration engagement surrounding investments, specifically fossil fuel investments, led to the creation of the initiative.
“The concept of creating a committee to consider socially
responsible investing had been considered in the past by various groups of Fordham community members,” Kapadia said.
Fordham’s committee will consist of 12 members, including four students, three faculty members, one Jesuit, two alumni and two administrators. The group will consider
socially responsible aspects of Fordham’s investments and then make recommendations to the Investment Committee of the Fordham Board of Trustees. According to Kapadia, they hope to use Ignatian discernment in order to “facilitate robust and thoughtful decisions
that consider a variety of viewpoints.”
To keep the Fordham community informed about the actions of the committee, representatives will make appointments to the Faculty Senate, Administrator’s Council, the Alumni Association and the United Student Governments
FROM ROSE, PAGE 1
at Lincoln Center and Rose Hill, according to Tetlow’s email. The values and definitions that the committee bases their decisions on are in the process of being determined. “The criteria and practices that are used to define socially responsible investing will be decided by the committee once it is established,” Kapadia said.
USG Gives Awards and Discusses New Committees
By ANDREW MASSIE & EMMA LEONARDI
During the Fordham University Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) meetings on Nov. 10 and 17, the first Special Proclamation of the year was given and new committees were discussed.
Jack Wenz, FCRH ’26, and Andres Caballeros, FCRH ’26, are the founders of Fordham Food Walks, a student-led food drive initiative. During the USG retreat a few weeks ago, it was suggested that the program could be the first recipient of the Special Proclamation award this year. While accepting the award at a following meeting, Wenz said, “It keeps us going to know we have an army of support behind us.” Deli workers who prepare the food and students who donate meal swipes work to give hundreds of sandwiches each month to Part of the Solution. Wenz and Caballeros plan to continue their efforts and grow the program.
The Plant Club proposed their club idea to USG. Their mission is to celebrate native and homefriendly plants and promote biodiversity. They plan to host plant exchanges, lectures on New York City’s native and invasive species and affordable ways to engage with plants around the city. The club aims to donate plants to non-profits like Green Bronx Machine and The Bronx is Blooming. They requested funding for refreshments and rare plants to propagate, with planned events including a plant-cutting exchange, sale and clinic.
Senator Ava Cascella, FCRH ’26, was named Senator of the Month by the executive ticket. Cascella was recognized for her work contacting the Ram Van office to address the lack
of a system for saving payment methods.
Executive President Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, and Executive Vice President Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, are exploring the idea of launching a monthly USG newsletter to provide detailed updates. Hjertberg and Maltzman envision offering more in-depth information than weekly meeting notes for a more engaged approach to connecting with students. The newsletter will serve as a brief, frequently updated account of USG plans.
Hjertberg mentioned that USG is looking into incorporating a Study Abroad committee. The committee would need to be formally incorporated into the bylaws and constitution. USG will work with Dean Catharine McGlade to ensure the changes integrate the committee into the existing USG framework.
Hjertberg mentioned an upcoming meeting with the president’s Student Advisory Council and asked USG members for their thoughts on items to bring to attention at the meeting. Cascella highlighted concerns about the Office of Residential Life’s $40 early move-in fee, noting that upperclassmen move-in day falls on a Monday, which causes difficulties for parents who work that day. Cascella said charging students a fee for moving in early is unfair and suggested changing from a specific movein date to a window.
Student Wellness Committee members suggested the possibility of excused absences for mental health reasons.
The topic of staffing for the Office of Disability Services and IT was discussed. For the Ram Van IT services, it was suggested that they offer students jobs to increase the number of workers and offer student work experience.
The last issue was professed by Senator Jude Ortega, FCRH ’25, who voiced displeasure with the difference between Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and Gabelli School of Business (GSB) allocation of funds and attention to postcollege career opportunities for FCRH students compared to GSB students.
Vice President of Operations Megan Ruzicka, FCRH ’27, reminded club leaders that the final required training event is approaching. Failure to attend this meeting will result in frozen club funding and the inability to request room reservations. Additionally, operations packets are due by Oct. 25.
Vice President of Student Experience Joseph DaProcida, FCRH ’25, launched a new committee Instagram account, @usgstudentexp. DaProcida announced a Halloween night event on Oct. 28 in Keating First from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will include food, arts and crafts and a screening of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” at 7 p.m.
Vice President of FCRH Emma Blake, FCRH ’25,
announced that meetings and office hours with Dean Maura Mast will be delayed due to her ongoing jury duty. Blake announced an upcoming undergraduate research information panel on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m., which will take place in Keating First.
Vice President of Facilities and Dining Mike Rodriguez, FCRH ’27, noted the issue with Dagger John’s stopping poke bowl GrubHub orders after 4 p.m., explaining that orders were cut to prioritize in-person customers due to high demand. Rodriguez also highlighted that opening the Marketplace earlier on weekends is not feasible, as Aramark’s budget constraints would limit food availability later in the school year. Rodriguez also acknowledged the Chomp Truck’s underperformance, citing ingredient shortages, and stated that he reminded Aramark that they must purchase all items listed for sale.
According to Rodriguez, scanin line times at the Marketplace have been reduced by adding a second scanner. However,
reducing wait times at popular stations is more challenging due to high demand. Rodriguez is considering adding an extra burner at the omelet station and eliminating unnecessary steps to improve efficiency.
Vice President of Sustainability Regina Miller, FCRH ’26, organized the first Fordham Flea event on Oct. 18, promoting sustainable shopping. In addition to regular items, upcoming flea market events will allow students to buy and donate Halloween costumes before and after the holiday.
Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Nyla Patel, FCRH ’25, announced several upcoming initiatives. A Bronx Appreciation Week meeting with the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) is being held to discuss bringing Bronx artists to campus. Patel collaborated with Juan Carlos to finalize a Kahoot for the diversity, equity and inclusion workshops, “Civility x Community,” which occurred on Oct. 17, with a second workshop scheduled for Oct. 21.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ROSE HILL UNITED STUDENT GOVERNMENT
From left to right: Eron Maltzman, Jack Wenz, Andres Caballeros, Lucas Hjertberg.
Eron Maltzman, GSB ’ 25, Set to be Upcoming USG President
By SOFIA DONOHUE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, will assume the role of executive president of the Fordham University Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) while current Executive President Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, studies abroad in Madrid, Spain, for the spring 2025 semester. Carter Soderberg, GSB ’27, will assume the role of executive vice president alongside Maltzman next semester.
During the fall 2021 semester, Maltzman joined USG as a member of the budget committee. In the first semester of his sophomore year, he became the vice chair of the budget committee. When the chair stepped down, Maltzman took over as USG’s vice president of budgets and finance, leading the budget committee for two semesters before studying abroad in London.
“I didn’t go the traditional senator route, but I had more exposure to the e-board side of things and working closely with them,” Maltzman said.
Maltzman said that his two years on the budget committee aided him considerably with his interpersonal skills, particularly when it came to working with Fordham’s administration and student leaders.
“Budget is one of the committees on USG that has to work hand-in-hand with administration, constantly asking questions and collaborating back and forth,” Maltzman said. “So
I think that helped form the relationships that I needed with OSI, student organizations and the planning team. A lot of the skills people think you need for budget is math, but it’s more about communicating with club leaders and administration. At the end of the day, I think that’s what’s most transferable.”
Although Maltzman has been in the role of executive vice president for almost two months, he clarified that the transition was not seamless. For example, since he hadn’t served as a USG senator, Maltzman had to learn the process for passing proposals.
“Learning how the proposal process works was a bit of a hump for me, but now I’m in a very good spot,” Maltzman said. “I’ve had a meeting with every single senator so far about what ideas they want to pursue and how I can help them with proposal writing.”
A few proposals that senators have been working on since last semester include a composting proposal, working with the Office of Disability Services and finding improvements within Health Services such as website bugs, transparency with costs and wait times. In September, USG went to the Bronx Zoo to brainstorm nearly 30 initiative proposals. Maltzman said that this semester, USG has passed a proposal to implement bi-weekly payments for student workers instead of monthly payments. Maltzman said the idea was administered after USG presented the idea to Michael Trerotola, chief of staff to
President Tania Tetlow.
Maltzman also reflected on the institutional changes within USG this semester, noting that he and Hjertberg have been focusing on making the organization more welcoming and transparent.
“In the past, USG has been a very toxic place and they haven’t been very transparent with people. That’s something Lucas and I wanted to focus heavily on,” he said. “In our first meeting, I said that every year I’ve been on USG it hasn’t felt like one community. Something Lucas and I both prided ourselves on was getting people to feel like USG was a place to be open and build a respectful environment.”
Looking forward to next semester, Maltzman said that the biggest challenge he anticipates is the inter-year transition, commenting that Hjertberg was not positive that he was going to study abroad until recently.
“We didn’t go into this knowing that Lucas was for sure going to study abroad. I think the fact that the two executive roles are changing mid-year is something we’re going to have to adjust to,” he said.
Looking forward to next semester, Maltzman said his primary goals as executive president include making sure that USG is running as efficiently as possible, effectively reaching students and increasing transparency. Maltzman is currently collaborating with the women’s basketball team to drive student
engagement while Hjertberg is working closely with the president’s office and clubs.
“I don’t think there’s a need for a giant organizational change, it’s just responding to student needs which we can always do a better job of,” Maltzman said. “I wouldn’t say there’s one giant,
holistic thing we’re working towards, it’s just small pieces that fit together to be a ‘USG solution.’ It’s a matter of talking to different people. At the end of the day, that’s a majority of what this job is — communication. Continuing to do that in a good way is the main goal.”
Fordham Hosts Time for Change Political Science Talk
By STUART CREMER STAFF WRITER
The American Politics Forum in Fordham University’s political science department hosted a talk by Alan Abramowitz from Emory University on his Time for Change election forecast model and the difficulties of accurately predicting the results of U.S. presidential elections on Oct. 11.
Early in his talk, Abramowitz made it clear that any election forecast model can only predict the results with limited certainty. “There’s absolutely no way you can know with a high degree of confidence what’s going to happen,” Abramowitz said. He discussed how different models and methods operate and their strengths and weaknesses.
Abramowitz covered public opinion polling, pundit forecasting and statistical forecasting models. All three methods rely upon polls, or self-reported information from respondents about how they have voted or how they think they will vote, which Abramowitz stressed can be inaccurate for a variety of reasons. He pointed out how election forecasting and polling have both gotten more difficult in recent elections. He partially attributed this to the difficulty of accurately polling certain voting demographics who are less likely to respond to polls, such as rural voters, voters without a college degree and supporters of former President Donald J. Trump.
However, smaller inaccuracies in polling are usually not as impactful when the winning candidate wins the popular vote by a large margin. Only in recent elections,
in 2000 and again in 2016, has the winner of the popular vote failed to win 270 Electoral College votes, an event Abramowitz referred to as an Electoral College “misfire.” When the election comes down to a number of swing states with razor-thin margins of victory, as will likely happen in the 2024 presidential election, it is more difficult to reliably predict the result.
Abramowitz went on to describe his election forecasting model, the Time for Change model, and how it is different from other election forecasting models. Abramowitz’s model is a static model, meaning he makes a single prediction of the result of the election at one point in time, as opposed to dynamic models that frequently update their predictions as election-related data changes over time. Abramowitz said he used a static model because the accuracy of these models usually does not increase past a certain point, usually three to four months before the election. Abramowitz’s Time for Change model takes into account three reliable pieces of data: the estimated growth rate of real gross domestic product in the second quarter of the election year, the approval rating of the incumbent president in June of the election year and the length of time the incumbent’s political party has controlled the White House.
Abramowitz said he chose to include the length of time the incumbent’s political party has controlled the White House as his Time for Change variable because, in recent years, American voters have shown a preference for candidates that represent a change from the incumbent. When the incumbent’s political party has only controlled
the White House for four years, they have won seven times and lost twice. When the incumbent’s political party has controlled the White House for eight years, they have won four times and lost six times. Abramowitz also said that he incorporated economic data from the summer rather than waiting until closer to the election because it can take time for economic trends to be felt by average consumers. Abramowitz shared his model predicts Vice President Kamala Harris will win 284 Electoral College votes and a margin of 2.8% in the popular vote. His model predicts she has a 76% chance to win the national popular vote and a 58% chance to win the Electoral College, slightly edging out Trump.
Abramowitz emphasized that election forecasting is an imperfect science, particularly in this election. While he predicts Harris will win the national popular vote by a decent margin, he predicts an 18% chance of an Electoral College misfire. The Electoral College has a known Republican bias, as it gives more weight to voters in sparsely populated Republican states and less weight to voters in densely populated Democratic states. The chance of an Electoral College misfire has been, in U.S. history, relatively low. Before 2000, the last misfire was in 1888. However, it has become a national issue as our country becomes more politically polarized and the chance of a misfire increases. When asked what he hoped people would take away from his model, Abramowitz explained “how intractable the problem is of trying to forecast the outcomes of these recent elections because of the closeness of the elections, the
Electoral College and the Electoral College bias we’ve had favoring Republicans.” He described the Electoral College as a problem because “it undercuts the legitimacy of the system” and is “a fundamentally undemocratic institution.”
“I enjoy giving these sorts of presentations [and] meeting with groups of students and academics. It gives me a good perspective of what’s going on in other places,” Abramowitz said.
Professor Jacob Smith, who organized the American Politics Forum this year, explained how
the political science department hopes to serve students with these events. “We thought that Professor Abramowitz’s Time for Change model would be of interest to students and the broader Fordham community… We want to make sure to engage students in the process leading up to this year’s election,” Smith said. Later this month, the American Politics Forum will have a lunchtime event in the McShane Student Center room 259 at noon on Oct. 31 where students can come in and ask questions about the election.
COURTESY OF ERIN MALTZMAN
COURTESY OF ERON MALTZMAN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM Maltzman is set to be USG executive president in the spring.
COURTESY OF ERIN MALTZMAN
COURTESY OF EMORY UNIVERSITY
Professor Alan Abramowitz hosted a talk on his Time for Change model.
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“A Moveable Feast,” a memoir by Ernest Hemingway, is about his time in 1920s Paris. In one chapter, Hemingway writes about his struggle to write words down on a blank page. He would tell himself, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know,” and eventually, the words would flow out. Having written The Fordham Ram’s weekly editorial since January, I can relate to Hemingway’s challenge to fill the page, but it is a challenge I have grown to love. When I was younger, I did not think this way about writing. In middle school, I constantly struggled. Concepts like grammar were difficult for me to comprehend, and I would have to stay after school to get some extra help from the English teacher. My writing skills improved by the time I got to high school, but my confidence as a writer was low. I never thought of publishing something for my classmates to read.
Fordham was where my attitude changed completely. During my first semester, I took English Composition II taught by Professor Eva Freeman. We learned how writing did not just have to be a regular fiveparagraph essay with dry language. It could be a medium in which a person could express their thoughts to the world. The greatest gift I gained from that class came from a writer’s workshop. I had written
During this election cycle, the word choices of former President Donald J. Trump have been closely examined. During a rally in March, Trump stated, “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country, that’ll be the least of it.” Critics of Trump pointed out that his usage of the word “bloodbath” may be a way to encourage political violence. Trump’s defense was that his statement was taken out of context by the media and that the word “bloodbath” was referencing Democrats’ effect on the automotive industry. What made this incident interesting was the difference in how people observed Trump’s language. Trump seems to have this effect on people because there have been multiple similar incidents throughout his political career. As Election Day gets closer, it is important to examine Trump’s rhetoric, because if the polls and models are to be believed, he has a very good chance of being elected president again. Trump’s relationship with words is very fascinating because he seems to either use them carelessly or with intent. Last year, at a town hall, he mentioned how he wanted “to be a dictator on day one.” People pointed out that the word choice of “dictator” was odd, saying that it called into question Trump’s
From the Desk | Evan McManus
OPINION One From The Heart
about when I saw a camping tent standing isolated on the prairie grass near the Denver Airport and the impression it left on me. Then, Professor Freeman asked me to share the paragraph with the class, and I reluctantly did. I was surprised when my classmates told me how much they liked it. It had not occurred to me until that day that my writing was something people would want to hear. The confidence in my writing I gained that day was a gift I was not expecting, but one I will always be grateful for.
As my confidence as a writer grew, I craved to write more. About a year later, I started writing for The Fordham Ram’s opinion section. It was nerve-racking submitting my work, but my worries dissipated as soon as I saw my piece published. Eventually, I became an Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 105 and got to work with a wonderful group of people. While I enjoyed being an editor, I missed writing. When applications for Volume 106 came out, I was drawn to the position of Editorial Director. Writing an article a week seemed challenging, but the idea of writing more enticed me. I ended up applying and was fortunate enough to receive the position. After almost a year in this role, I could not be happier with my choice. Every week, the editorial board members Sofia Donohue, Allison
Schneider, Hannah Boring, Grace Campbell and Grace Miller entrust me to write on their behalf. I have always considered it a great honor and am thankful for the ideas, feedback and encouragement they provide me for each week’s editorial. The Ram has been a significant part of my Fordham experience, and I’ll always look back on the memories I made in room B-52 with fondness.
Writing is difficult, and finding “one true sentence” is even harder. I interpret what Hemingway wrote as a statement not just about writing style, but also the content. To me, a “true sentence” must be sincere and contain a part of yourself. I will be honest and say that being vulnerable in my public writing is still something I struggle with. People can be judgemental, and a mean comment can hurt. Yet when someone dares to write from the heart and share those thoughts and feelings they
Editorial | Political Rhetoric
Listen to Trump’s Words
belief in democracy. In response, Trump’s supporters said he was joking and liberals were overreacting. He also talks about his opponents’ plans in crass ways, which seem designed to provoke strong reactions from the crowd.
In March, Trump described the Biden Administration as trying to “nullify the will of the actual American voters.” Telling a crowd of your supporters that the other side will “nullify” your vote is playing with fire. However, Trump seems to like to live on the edge. During the 2020 election, Trump had the opportunity to denounce white supremacy at a presidential debate. Instead, he referenced an extremist rightwing group the Proud Boys and told them to “stand back and stand by.” In a nation where political violence has grown, it is an unwise choice not to use your words to condemn it.
We should also look at who Trump targets with his language choice. He has used his language to target people who do not fit his vision of the United States. At one rally last November, Trump stated he would “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” Trump was criticized for his use of the word “vermin”; some historians compared it to the dehumanizing words
used by autocrats. In response, a Trump campaign spokesperson said those criticisms were examples of “Trump derangement syndrome.”
When going through these incidents, there is a pattern that emerges. Trump will make a claim that includes rhetoric that raises red flags among observers. People push him to elaborate on his reasoning for making the statement. Then, Trump’s campaign and supporters will claim that he was just joking or that people are overreacting. The dismissiveness of criticism is troubling because it implies that Trump may not understand the impact of his words. However, as a former president, Trump should know his rhetoric is powerful. His supporters take what he says to heart. The danger comes when Trump’s words harm people.
If you think this editorial is sensationalist, just look at what happened in Springfield, Ohio.
In September, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, spread rumors that Haitian immigrants living in the town were eating cats and dogs. What their hateful comments left out was how the town’s 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants are a key part of the community. City officials have confirmed that these rumors are categorically false and vocalized
have gained from their life experiences, it creates the possibility for people who come from different walks of life to realize the connections they share. In my time at Fordham, I have realized that writing is my self-expression. While writing is strenuous, the sense of accomplishment I get from doing it is why it fulfills me, and I hope to continue writing for the rest of my life. If I have any advice for the people reading this, it is to find your way of expressing your “one true sentence” with the world. If everyone kept their perspective to themselves, people would never learn or grow, and the world would be boring. Sharing our unique perspective with the world is what makes life exciting, and it is how we connect with others. So write that play, sing that song or perform that interpretive dance. Create something sincere and share your perspective because the world will be a better place for it.
frustration about the rumors. Nonetheless, Trump declared during the September presidential debate, “They are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats.” While the absurdity of Trump’s statement created many memes, his rhetoric’s impact on the town is not a laughing matter. Bomb threats forced multiple Springfield public schools and municipal buildings to be closed. Racist comments about Haitian immigrants caused the father of Aidan Clark, a boy who was accidentally killed in a traffic accident involving a Haitian immigrant, to call for people to stop using his son’s name as an excuse to spread hate. He explicitly called on Trump and JD Vance to stop using his son’s name and said that he would “only listen to them one more time to hear their apologies.” It’s very telling when a regular citizen such as Nathan Clark realizes the impact words can have on a community more than a former president. There is an old saying that when someone tells you who they are, believe them. When Trump speaks, he is revealing to the country what he thinks and who he is. So, in these final two weeks, listen carefully to Trump. Watch one of his rallies and see for yourself what he says. He’s not hiding who he is.
OPINION
Let the Lines Continue: Why Cursive Is Irreplaceable
By PIERCE LIESTENFELTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Americans do not write in cursive like we used to, and it’s a callous threat to our nation’s children. I’m serious. If you’re used to hearing those words, you’ve probably only heard them rustling about the uppermost boughs of your family tree. To many, lamenting this kind of change is a vocation. Probably to many more, this calling is one of the more contemptible and obstructionary ways of life that could ever be led. What can be said to either mind? Progress and tradition are often clung to with a kind of unerring faith that mere sentimentality or economic logic, respectively, are unable to breach. There is, nevertheless, a moral lesson to be had in bringing cursive to the forefront of your imagination — one that encompasses art, history, literacy and belonging — one which I hope will become clear in this sketch of such
a key consumptive medium. Adorning our written language seems at odds with plain-dealing American sensibilities. Ours is a culture that prizes the brusque and brash over delicate, sloping forms. However, this apparent contradiction is wholly unjustified. Cursive writing is American history, and hand-written missives dominated the body of benign and important documents that bound together this country. It was an essential forerunner — or, at least, indicator — of populism in America. In a country that increasingly strove for education, autonomy and literacy for all, cursive was the medium through which a free people corresponded with itself. It was fast, required no capital and left the indelible mark of the individual on the page. New Americans who are being raised as strangers to this custom are deprived of an essential link between themselves and the past. When
our forefathers penned the Declaration of Independence, they wrote about liberty, freedom and worshipful service of the Creator, all in a meticulous hand that could never be replicated exactly the same by another human being. One brusque and brash American who left a part of himself on this document has transformed himself into an epithet of unashamed individuality — John Hancock.
This isn’t to say anything about the wider galaxy of handwritten messages in American history. Most of these billions of tiny points of light have been extinguished, but a rare few survive. What happens to family secrets, recipes, diaries, Class of ’57 notes, love letters, birth and death records and all the other things worth writing about when their interpretation suddenly becomes the burden of a small caste of “handwriting experts” and niche hobbyists? In many families, the possession of intimate tracts of the written word are treated as a sacred inheritance, used to connect the young to their past. Jimmy Bryant, an archivist who works at the University of Central Arkansas, spoke with the New York Times and observed that “a connection to archival material is lost when students turn away from cursive.” Reading primary source documents in one’s personal history is the skill that deserves universality. There are plenty of scholars to pore over letters from Antietam — it falls on only a handful of people to
decipher letters from Nana. Moreover, the increasing obsolescence of these written records is accelerating a trend of separating art and style from everyday action. This is not to say that our world today is uglier — but beauty, it seems, has cloaked herself behind the veil of commerce and galleries. In the past, mass production replaced older Western cottage industries, and turned handmade artifacts into million-of-a-kind replicas. The shift from handwriting to moveable type to electronic typeface and font is a mere extension of this phenomenon. With every advance, we have made bold strides in efficiency. Now you may leave behind a legacy of a thousand petty online comments in the space of time it would take to write one menial letter. With borrowed letters comes a relative anonymity, too. While the art of the handwritten word is not as distinguishing as the fingerprint, it still gives a sense of originality. Yet its use is not wholly relegated to the world of old fuddy-duddies and fogies. Cursive gives a useful sense of sincerity or authenticity, but it only appears in the loftier circumstances of life. Its tie to individuality lives on in the binding agreement to a commercial contract; its prestige is still derived in the mania for celebrity autographs; and its solemn importance is invoked if it is used at the end of a formal note, like a letter from the president, or when the same person signs a bill into
law. These examples show that our reverence for the medium has persisted, but only in the same way that we admire an old warship — a ceremonial, proud symbol, never worthy to be sent back into battle.
These forms that we still admit are “beautiful” are now considered immiscible — like oil in water — to the way we practically apply ourselves and move our lives forward. The death-knell for cursive tolled in 2010, when its instruction was left out of the Common Core curriculum. Now that cursive education is “out” in America, the citizens growing up in a print-only culture will be especially beholden to what is “in.” I absolutely believe that that is a losing proposition for our age cohort. But to change now may entail fighting against a current that is simply too strong. I bring these matters to you, my gentle readers, because this may be the last time in our lives that we will be doing a lot of writing by hand, and I want us to take heed of how and why we do it. Try writing your class notes in cursive for a few weeks. I did, to prepare for this article, and it turned out to be a cat-scratched nightmare. It needs work. But I can really feel the value of doing it, being deliberate with my words. It may not be such a bad idea to try.
Pierce Liestenfeltz, FCRH ’27, is an international studies major from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Will the Resurfacing of the Menendez Brothers’ Case Change Their Fate?
By LORESA ZEQIRAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Menendez brothers’ case, an infamous one from the ’90s, reentered relevance.
The brothers, Erik and Lyle Menendez, were convicted of murdering their parents and sentenced to several life sentences in prison without the chance of parole. Now, they might finally have a glimpse of freedom.
New evidence has been presented to Los Angeles County District Attorney (DA) George Gascón, who stated that the case is being reviewed. If this new evidence presents grounds for a sentence reexamination, then the brothers could possibly be retried or even freed. This new evidence includes a handwritten letter by Erik in 1988 to a cousin in which he shares that his father, Jose Menendez, was abusing him, as well as an affidavit from a former 1980s band member who accused Jose of rape. The brothers claimed to have killed their parents because of sexual abuse they endured for
decades from their father, so this new evidence may make it possible to further support their defense.
Along with the new evidence coming to light, the television series “Monsters,” directed by Ryan Murphy, has taken over the internet. This season of the show focused on the Menendez brothers’ case, which sparked controversy and drew a lot of attention to the case. During the trials and the decades following, many people disagreed with the sentence the brothers received and believed that the system failed them. The ABC host who covered the trial, Terry Moran, famously said that their sexual abuse wouldn’t have been so unbelievable had they been the Menendez sisters. The public either had deep sympathy for the boys and all they endured, or they believed they were cruel murderers who did it for the money from their father’s will.
When the show aired, people were disappointed in the director’s portrayal of
the boys. When the DA was asked if he believed the men deserved a life sentence, he said their sentences should be reevaluated, meaning that if this case is reviewed, the brothers have a good chance of gaining freedom, especially in today’s social climate where sexual abuse of men is more acknowledged.
However, some people are speculating that the DA has ill intentions in the review, because he is in trouble with regard to his election, so this might be a safeguard for him. Since the show has made this case popular again, the DA has an opportunity to gain public favor. Hopefully that isn’t the reason for choosing to review the case, but if it is, then that means without the show’s popularity, there probably wouldn’t have been new concern about the brothers’ sentence.
The possibility of changing the brothers’ sentencing would obviously benefit them, but it might also pave the way for judges and jurors in the future to take sexual
abuse against boys more seriously. Back in the ’90s, there were many toxic outlooks on men in society, which could have contributed to where the brothers are today and the years they spent in jail for their crimes.
I personally think the brothers should have served some time because, at the end of the day, they did kill their parents. However, I can’t agree with them spending their lives in prison or even anything over 10 to 15 years, given their circumstances. I can’t really give a strong opinion on this, and I don’t think
anyone can because their case is so unique. There is no clear answer to how they should have been sentenced, but what is a fact is how split the public was over this decision. If this case is actually reviewed and the brothers are freed, there will likely be mixed reactions. One concern that is frequently brought up is how the brothers will feel being freed and whether they would be ready to be a part of the outside world again.
Loresa Zeqiraj, FCRH ’28, is an international studies major from Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
New evidence causes reconsideration of the Menendez brothers case.
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Cursive is a valuable style we need to connect to our past and style.
COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPBELL/THE FORDHAM RAM
The City That Never Sleeps Becomes The World’s Capital, For Better or Worse
By ANDREW MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
When considering where New York City stands among the world’s great cities of today — London, Paris, Beijing, Moscow or Tokyo — the question can feel almost rhetorical and, for me, unserious when considering what “New York” is. New York is currently the global center of finance, a dominant American media culture and politics; the city occupies a unique place that renders comparisons superficial. New York, for better or worse, is today’s capital of the world.
Following World War II, the United States emerged as the world’s predominant superpower, a status cemented by NYC’s housing of the United Nations headquarters. Even before the U.N.’s formation in 1945, New York was already the birthplace of some of the world’s largest financial institutions, eclipsing London as the global financial hub during World War I and making Wall Street central to global capital flows. By the 1920s, the U.S. solidified its economic dominance through booming industries and financial institutions, to the point where New York’s Wall Street stock crash of 1929 led to a global stock market crash and caused a worldwide Great Depression. Despite the depression, New York’s rise continued in the lead-up to and through World War II, as London’s financial influence lessened due to wartime destruction from the Germans
and crippling British debt to the United States. Washington D.C. may be the capital of the U.S., but in the post-Cold War world, New York symbolizes a self-aggrandizing “victorious” neoliberal global order. With the Soviet Union firmly in the rear-view mirror, New York embodies both the opportunities and inequalities of this new world order, led by the United States.
On one hand, New York still remains a beacon of opportunity. People from every corner of the globe flock to the city for its vibrant job market, world-class entertainment and fast-paced lifestyle. New York’s diversity — one of the most celebrated aspects of the city — gives it the cosmopolitan globalist spirit, where different cultures coexist in a mosaic of languages, cuisines and traditions. In this sense, New York captures the idealized version of globalization: a city where anyone, regardless of their background, can find their place and thrive. For many, to live or work in New York is to have “made it,” wholesale.
However, NYC is cripplingly expensive; despite its outward culturally enforced image of success, New York on nearly every street reveals a stark reality of the economic inequalities that define neoliberal America at large. New York is home to 13% of the nation’s homeless population. Manhattan is home to some of the world’s richest people, while 73% of renters earning under $50,000
are overburdened by ridiculous housing costs. This level of inequality, with a Gini coefficient of 0.5208 (a statistical measure of income, wealth or consumption inequality within a group or nation), places NYC on par with countries like Zambia and Suriname. Wealth in New York is increasingly concentrated at the top. Low-income workers, who earn around $40,000, have only seen their wages increase by $186 annually since 2019, while those earning $217,000 have seen a jump of over $5,000
This duality defines New York’s identity. It’s a playground for the ultra-wealthy who influence global markets, yet it’s a city where many struggle to afford basic necessities. Rent burdens affect 51.9% of the city’s tenants. The lack of political will to enact meaningful reform exacerbates these issues. The hustle of the city often obscures the underlying contradictions, but for those willing to see, New York serves as a stark reminder that opportunity and inequity are intertwined in the global order.
While cities such as London, Paris or even Jerusalem can claim to rival New York in terms of history, advancement of culture or centrality of religion, the time in the spotlight for those cities has all ended or waned for various reasons and in different ways. None compare to the centrality of New York’s modern economic system, which is more apparent in today’s climate than any religion ever
was. We live in an increasingly divided world, with China continuing its rise, a more prominent Iran, and Russia becoming more polarized against the West; still, no other nation can ever claim to be as powerful as the United States, for better or worse. New York is not simply a hub of its market activity but the beating heart of its empire — the West, a free world defined by a global market economy that, more often than not, prioritizes power, profits and capital over the well-being of ordinary people at home and more violently, abroad. In this sense, New York stands alone, not just in its prestige but in its role as a symbol of the broader forces shaping America’s world today.
If we are evaluating how New York stacks up against other global cities, the answer becomes clear: New York is incomparable. While Tokyo and
Beijing may have more people and more expansive metros, Moscow’s may be cleaner and London’s banks may still be important. New York, though, is the linchpin of a system that is admired, critiqued, reviled and misunderstood. Neoliberal order faces increasing scrutiny; its appeal and strength are often portrayed as on the decline; the United States is becoming far more protectionist, flirting with isolationism, as it houses the world’s most global city. New York’s importance goes beyond its geography or culture — it stands at the core of how the global system functions. And this system is built, for better or worse, through and often in spite of New York.
Finding the Fountain of Youth: Baby Botox and Big Steps to Anti-Aging
By SAISHA ISLAM OPINION EDITOR
Baby Botox is a procedure that uses smaller amounts of Botox than traditional Botox to prevent aging. Botox eases dynamic wrinkles on our face which comes from repeated facial expressions and movements, but it doesn’t target static wrinkles on our face. The goal of baby Botox is to prevent the formation of static wrinkles and to provide a more natural and realistic look. The procedure has risen in popularity in recent years among 30 year olds, but also in young adults in their 20s and late teens with the “number of Americans ages 19 and under who got injections of Botox or similar products rose 75 percent from 2019 to 2022 — and then rose again in 2023.” While I think that any adult is free to get cosmetic procedures if they want them done, I also think it is important to look into why more people are getting baby Botox done, especially younger people.
Part of the reason why baby Botox is getting so popular is because so many celebrities are getting it. Traditional Botox has been harshly criticized by people to have aged
younger people which is seen by comments thrown at the “Love Island” cast. Baby Botox has been advertised as having a more subtle effect with celebrities such as Simone Biles receiving it for her 27th birthday. However, Biles has claimed she never wants to get baby Botox again since she reported “eyebrow twitches” after receiving the procedure. Baby Botox differs from traditional Botox such that smaller amounts are used. However, due to these smaller amounts, more muscle movement is possible, leading to incomplete muscle movement which can cause more noticeable muscle twitching and asymmetry than traditional Botox. Additionally, other muscles in the face can be recruited when making expressions, causing wrinkles in other areas. These effects lead to more applications of baby Botox in order to maintain the same effect over time than regular Botox. Baby Botox also doesn’t prevent previous skin damage that you have received, such as sun damage or future damage such as loss of elasticity in the skin. This can add up since the application of baby Botox costs up to hundreds of
dollars per treatment.
However, it would be remiss to act as if baby Botox is something new. In complete truth, anti-aging treatments have spanned back to much earlier in history, which can be seen with Cleopatra’s milk baths and the journey by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Léon to find the fountain of youth. But what is alarming is the rate at which younger audiences are using anti-aging treatments as seen with the drastic rise of young people getting baby Botox. Other than celebrities receiving these same treatments, social media is also to blame for the rise of these treatments. The curated feed and filters of social media promote hyperconsumption of products that are alleged to give people smoother skin with no wrinkles or hyperpigmentation. With a rise in social media users and time spent on these platforms, it is inevitable that there will be more participants in these beauty trends.
This is reflected in a boom in the skincare industry and the adoption of skincare routines by more people. While skincare technology has advanced, there are so many face masks, creams, serums
and toners promoting clear, youthful skin. Even younger prepubescent and teenage children have been adopting anti-aging products into their skincare routines, with the rise of so-called “Sephora kids.” However, using antiaging products when you don’t need to can damage your skin. Baby Botox is just a common trend in the long line of procedures that have been popularized in a digital age where the dominant culture is to minimize aging as much as possible.
Anti-aging procedures are becoming more popular at a time when there is a rising sentiment among younger people that you’re expired at 25. Products including antiwrinkle straws are being sold more and promotion of face tape to get rid of wrinkles is being pushed. It’s not wrong for adults to get cosmetic
procedures if they are properly informed and consent to them; but baby Botox and other anti-aging procedures should be reexamined with rising use among youth. Aging as a whole should be reexamined. As long as we are human, under the effects of gravity, and make facial expressions, wrinkles are inevitable. There should be less pressure to age perfectly and less visibility of anti-aging trends towards younger audiences on social media. Preventative aging measures are good in moderation, but the trends behind these procedures should be reevaluated in order to provide the most balanced take on them.
Andrew McDonald, FCRH ’26, is a history and political science major from Sacramento, Calif
Saisha Islam, FCRH ’25, is a biology major from New York City.
It’s important to look deeper into anti-aging trends.
COURTESY OF MARY HAWTHORN/THE FORDHAM RAM
In spite of all its flaws, NYC stands as the greatest city in the world.
COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPBELL/THE FORDHAM RAM
Is Gossiping Really a Bad Way to Connect?
By LORESA ZEQIRAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Everyone has gossiped at one time or another. Some people feel ashamed to have gossiped, while others take pride in passing on rumors or sharing facts about other people’s lives. There seem to be two perceptions of gossip, good or bad, but is it possible that gossiping can be both harmful and beneficial?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gossip as the act of spreading rumors or facts about someone’s intimate life or revealing sensitive or personal information about other people. In this generation, I’ve noticed that gossip is very common. Most of us don’t second guess whether we may be harming someone by doing so, and not many people think introspectively about why they feel the need to gossip.
Author Mel Robbins is credited with saying, “people who gossip with you, will gossip about you,” and I believe this quote is important in understanding why we gossip. Gossiping is a way of bonding with others. You might find yourself trashing another person in your hall with your roommates, or maybe after class you indulge in complaining about the girl next to you with someone else in that class. It’s normal not to like people or to find
someone annoying, so when you find someone who agrees with you, it’s an opportunity to relate and start a conversation.
Many people gossip without any intention of hurting the people they’re talking about, but some people purposely spread rumors or share personal information about others. During a night out in Brooklyn, your friend might reveal a secret they heard about someone you know and then you might take the information and relay it either to connect with someone else or for the sole purpose that it’s interesting. Some people claim that gossip can be good sometimes because by sharing information, you’re helping people. I know people try to defend their habit by saying they’re protecting their friends, which is true. Sharing information can forewarn someone of the type of person someone else is. So in that sense, it can be beneficial.
Still, why should you avoid gossiping? There are a few reasons. For one, participating in gossip can be a poor reflection of your character and impact you negatively. The primary reason to avoid and discourage this type of socialization is because you can seriously destroy someone’s self-worth and damage their mental health. While you might think
rumors and talking about people behind their backs is harmless or that maybe someone deserves a bad reputation, you don’t want to be the cause of someone’s anxiety/depression/suicidal thoughts, etc. That impact is very possible; it is seen in teenagers and young adults often, and in severe cases, people hurt themselves because of the talk that surrounds them and their personal lives. Another reason that might make you second guess gossiping is why you’re doing it. Are you insecure and projecting? Do you feel threatened by someone and feel the need to tarnish their reputation? Also consider what you’re gaining from gossiping; if it’s nothing, then you won’t lose anything by not participating either. If your reasons for gossiping are “entertainment” or “amusement,” then ask yourself if it’s worth the harm you’re causing the subject of your gossip. The golden rules we’ve learned since childhood are still very powerful phrases in adulthood: “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” and “Treat others how you want to be treated.” Before speaking, think and reflect. If you wouldn’t say something to someone’s face, there’s a reason why. Don’t rely on the possibility that what you say won’t get back to someone because
most of the time it does. You might think gossip is unavoidable, but this assumes that gossip is the same as venting, which is not the case. Gossip is spreading information and rumors about other people, whereas venting and ranting to your friends is letting off some steam about your own personal life. You can vent while avoiding talking about others or unnecessarily beating them down. If your boss is annoying, you can admit that while complaining about your day. But if your boss is having an affair, for example, your rant can stay a rant if you keep that secret to yourself, but if in the heat of the moment you decide you want to hurt her reputation and you bring up that secret, then you crossed the line into gossiping. There’s obviously no clear line that we can refer to, but like I said, consider others. I have always encouraged
my friends and family not to gossip, and they always tell me they don’t care because it’s fun, but if you give it a shot for two weeks, you’ll notice the benefits it has on you as well. For one, when you disengage from gossip, then you’ll find yourself with people you can trust who won’t gossip about you. Avoid drama because, as we know, we often get pulled into drama through gossip and rumors. To give yourself a more peaceful life, be kind and find other ways to connect with people. Issues can be resolved faceto-face with grace. Instead of gossiping, try being more positive every day. Give people more compliments, help someone out and engage in supportive and uplifting conversations.
Hurricane Helene Washes Up Conservative Propaganda
By MOLLY O’CONNOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Over the past few weeks, hurricanes have constantly wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States. Throughout these struggles and mass destruction, political propaganda has been rampant, with blatant misinformation coming from former President Donald J. Trump. He and other active Republicans have been spreading many dangerous lies about use of emergency funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Trump has claimed that Americans affected by Hurricane Helene are losing out on relief money because it was being spent on housing for migrants. This was in reference to the $640 million budget that Congress granted to FEMA to be specifically used for housing for immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship. This money was not allocated to FEMA’s disaster relief program, and was actually a separate program called the Shelters and Services Program. While we are at the height of election season, this kind of misinformation runs rampant in order to villainize the other side. We are seeing this very frequently with Republicans attacking the Biden administration in order to discredit Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans are just
doing this for their personal agenda on the topic of immigration, weaponizing this serious situation and placing the blame on a vulnerable group that can do little to safely defend themselves in this country. We cannot chalk this up to the simple spread of accidental misinformation because of miscommunication; this is the intentional spread of disinformation for political gain.
Anti-immigrantion rhetoric based on misinformation is becoming increasingly common in the United States, but it is incredibly dangerous. We have already seen the extreme effects of this in Springfield, Ohio, after Trump lied in the presidential debate by saying that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating dogs and cats from the neighborhoods. Since his debate, people in Springfield, Ohio, have experienced an incredible influx of threats to their community, including bomb threats that have led to evacuations from many schools and government buildings in the area. Immigrants all across the country suffer when this kind of misinformation is spread. When these stereotypes are perpetuated, they create negative perceptions of immigrants that prevent them from getting jobs, housing and the resources they need
to succeed in this country. This also makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship and the attached benefits and rights of citizenship. If the goal of Republicans is fewer illegal immigrants in this country, why do they make it so hard for them to become legal citizens? Another danger of these claims is the distraction from the real issues at hand. Those who are focused on whether or not FEMA is incorrectly spending their money on non-U.S. citizens are turning their heads away from FEMA’s real response to the hurricane and the important issues that the victims are facing.
As a country, we have not done enough to prepare for hurricanes, nor have we done enough to help victims in the aftermath. People in Louisiana are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina almost 20 years later. This time around, over 230 people have died so far from both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with some of those deaths being absolutely preventable. There needs to be more accessible evacuation paths for people to get away from the storms. This is needed in Florida where there is only one direction that everyone has to evacuate, it makes it a much more difficult process and many choose to stay home and
put their lives at risk. Additionally, some airlines unfairly gouge their prices so it costs $1,000 or more for any flight out of the dangerous area. This should not be legal for the airlines, and the government should have a much more active role in helping citizens evacuate to a safe zone. In general, it should not be a class war trying to escape a natural disaster. When we allow this to happen, we value the lives of the rich more than those of the poor. Even after these disasters, it’s the underprivileged communities that are left alone to deal with the destruction that they cannot handle.
As a whole, the government needs to better prepare for, and respond to, hurricane destruction. However, this is not an excuse to spread misinformation on
the reason why, especially when it targets a marginalized group. Immigrants face enough difficulties in this country as it is. When we continue to emphasize negative stereotypes and falsely claim that the government prioritizes them over U.S. citizens, it puts them in significant danger. As a country, we cannot allow politicians and radical conservatives to get away with this blatant disinformation for their own political gain. We must always fight to know the truth to protect all Americans and prioritize the real issues that need to be addressed in this country.
Loresa Zeqiraj, FCRH ’28, is an international studies major from Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Molly O’Connor, FCRH ’28, is a journalism major from Weymouth, Mass.
Republicans use Hurricane Helene’s tragedy to peddle conservativism.
COURTESY OF MARY HAWTHORN/THE FORDHAM RAM
COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPBELL/THE FORDHAM RAM People should find an alternative way to bond without gossip.
The Case for Women in the Diaconate
By HAILEY BAKER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For centuries, the Catholic Church has marginalized women, despite their pivotal role in the church, and it is time for that to change. In nearly 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has had 266 popes, none of whom have been women. Women represent over half of the church’s membership, yet they are systematically excluded from leadership. In Catholic tradition, women can only participate in six of the seven sacraments — they are denied the choice of pursuing Holy Orders, which are reserved solely for men.
As Father Kenneth Doyle points out, “The fundamental reason why
By CHRISTIAN PHILLIPS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The screen fades to black as the sole surviving woman of a brutal massacre exits the house, left alone to unpack the trauma she just endured. Marking one of the best horror tropes and paving the way for female-led horror is the Final Girl trope. The Final Girl in horror movies has been a staple in the genre since Sally Hardesty in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974) and her iconic final scene, leaving audiences everywhere petrified of what lurks in the backcountry.
Similar to every other area of society, horror movies were primarily focused on men. Although there are exceptions like “Psycho” (1960), “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) and “The Birds” (1963), the presence of women in horror did not really take off until the mid-’70s with the rise of the Final Girl. The Final Girl trope offers audiences an empowering female figure who is the only one able to confront and survive a brutal killer, which differs from how women were often portrayed in the media. Although Sally may have been the first Final Girl, people really began to take notice of this trope with the appearance of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis)
where Jesus was resurrected on the first Easter Sunday morning and that she was sent to share this news with the 11 remaining Apostles. Mary Magdalene’s designation as the Apostle to the Apostles powerfully disproves the church’s claim of a male-only tradition.
the Catholic Church ordains only males to the priesthood is historical: Jesus chose only men in selecting the Twelve Apostles, and the Church feels bound by that choice made by Jesus. And so, an all-male priesthood has been an unbroken tradition in the 2,000 years of the Church’s history.” However, that claim is unfounded, as the Catholic Church also holds that Mary Magdalene, a woman, was the Apostle to the Apostles, a title given to her by Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the authors of the Gospels in the New Testament, all attest that Mary Magdalene was at the tomb
Furthermore, the claim that the exclusion of women in certain pastoral roles is historical is a blatant misinterpretation. According to the National Catholic Reporter, “There is no question that there were women deacons in the past, both in the Eastern and in the Western churches.” Historically, there is evidence of women deacons in early Christianity, including in Scripture with Saint Phoebe, in epigraphs, letters, chronicles and ordination rites. While it is often undisputed that women deacons existed, many theologians debate about the role they played in the church. “The roles that all these women held in common seem to have been the reading of the Gospel, preaching and teaching,” said Gary Macy of the National Catholic Reporter.
The historical precedent for women deacons is clear and compelling, yet the church continues to ignore it. Although many practicing Catholics want this issue to be addressed, the hierarchy of the church seems to continuously sweep it under the rug. I just returned from Rome, where the Synod on Synodality is currently taking place. The Synod began three years ago in October 2021 and is set to conclude later this
month. The National Catholic Register describes The Synod as “a multi-year, worldwide process of listening, dialogue and discernment encompassing a broad range of issues confronting the Catholic Church.” Its goal is to foster communion in the church by listening to the Word of God, participating in the church through collective prayer, dialogue, discernment and listening and fulfilling the mission to witness and celebrate the love of God in the midst of the human family. In my recent visit to Rome, I met with Synod delegates, including Sister Nathalie Becquart of the Vatican Synod Office, Archbishop Ryan Jiminez of Agaña and Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University. While they had varying opinions about synodal matters, they all emphasized the importance of listening to the needs of one another. Despite this, the Synod is doing very little to address matters pertaining to women clergy, including women deacons. On the issue of women deacons, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told members of the Synod, “We know the public position of the pope, who does not consider the question mature.” He added, “The opportunity for a deepening remains open, but in the mind of the Holy Father, there are other issues still to be deepened and resolved before rushing to speak of a possible diaconate for some women.”
Never Forget the Final Girl
in “Halloween” (1978). And from then on, the trope only continued to grow.
It is hard to compare the iconic Final Girl who jump-started the trope to the ones who have kept it alive today. The Final Girl has evolved so much in recent years, transforming from a girl who simply reacts to a woman who takes action and fights to survive. So, in order to properly rank the best Final Girls, we must split them into two categories: those made before 1996 and those made after. “Scream” (1996) marked the shift from survivor to fighter. Although Final Girl horror movies made before 1996 offered an empowering female lead that helped shift society’s perspective of women, it wasn’t until Sidney Prescott that we received a truly complex and thought-provoking Final Girl.
The Final Girl title of movies before 1996 would have to be given to that of Laurie in “Halloween” and its sequels. Curtis reprised her role in six other “Halloween” films. Not all of these do Laurie justice (“Halloween Resurrection”), but with the more recent additions, we see Laurie grow from simply a survivor to a fierce fighter. She is perhaps the only Final Girl to cross our line of categorization.
But no Final Girl discussion could be had without mentioning Ellen Ripley from “Alien” (1979), Nancy Thompson from “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and of course, the aforementioned Sally from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974).
Since 1996, we have had a variety of unique Final Girls, but the top position is tied by four. Luckily, they all exist within the same franchise. “Scream,” much like “Halloween,” changed the genre and started an iconic franchise. “Scream” (1996) gave us Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers, along with Sam and Tara Carpenter from “Scream” (2022). All of which showcase complex women with the willingness to fight to survive. Since Sidney and Gale’s arrival to the genre, we have seen a multitude of Final Girls. Most notably, Sarah Carter in “The Descent” (2005), Erin Hardson in “You’re Next” (2011), Dani Ardor in “Midsommar” (2019) and Maxine Minx in the “X” trilogy (2022-24).
With the recent addition of Sam and Tara, a larger conversation has been brought to the forefront about diversity in horror.
Within all media, but specifically horror, representation of people of color has always either lacked or been negative. In the late 1990s and
Otherwise, “the diaconate becomes a kind of consolation for some women, and the most decisive question of the participation of women in the church remains unanswered.”
This is reminiscent of Pope Francis’ 60 Minutes interview in May when interviewer Norah O’Donnell asked him if there was a possibility of ordaining women deacons in the future and he responded with a simple “no.” While there are many scholars and practicing Catholics who think that there are both practical and historical reasons women should be ordained as deacons in the Catholic Church, the hierarchy of the church shuts off the conversation. Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of the Synod and listening to each other, while simultaneously shutting down important conversations many practicing Catholics want to have. This shows the hypocrisy of the hierarchy of the church. The church is for all of us, not just ordained men. While the argument for women deacons is one issue in itself, the Vatican undoubtedly needs to allow us to have these conversations in the first place.
Hailey Baker, FCRH ’27, is a political science and philosophy double majorfromGaithersburg,Md.
early 2000s, we began to see more representation, but never in the lead role. We see Maureen Evans, Phil Stevens and Hallie McDaniel in “Scream 2” (1997) dying due to their association with Sidney. In “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” (1998), we see Brandy Norwood as Karla Wilson, who only survived with our main character, Julie James. In “The Descent” (2005), Juno Kaplan dies, leaving our sole surviving white woman to deal with the guilt of losing her. In recent years, we have seen more diversity in the Final Girl role. With characters like Makani Young in “There’s Someone Inside Your House” (2021), Emerald Haywood in “Nope” (2022), Naru in “Prey” (2022), Sophie in “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) and Sam and Tara in “Scream” (2022) and “Scream
VI” (2023). These films have begun to provide representation but only a few have offered women of color justice.
The Final Girl is not only a quintessential part of the horror genre but is also one of the best tropes that exist today. We have seen the trope evolve to better represent women in general and women of color. But with a lot of room left to grow, there is no doubt that the Final Girl will continue to evolve into something that better reflects the next generation and society.
Christian Phillips, FCRH ’26, is a film and television major from West Palm Beach, Fla.
COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPBELL/THE FORDHAM RAM
Final Girls in horror films are crucial to the genre.
Women deserve positions in the spaces they occupy.
COURTESY OF MARY HAWTHORN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Late Starts: How Psychology Backs Our Dreams For Extra Sleep
By INDRANIL KAR STAFF WRITER
Sleep is one of the most important physiological needs. A good night’s rest is essential to being a productive, attentive and successful student. Unfortunately, the recommended scientific standard hours of sleep (eight to 10 hours) is not a realistic expectation with early school start times. Beginning in secondary school, the suggested amount of sleep is often disregarded as heavy homework loads, an abundance of extracurricular activities, technology usa and pubertyinduced changes in sleep cycles dictate when an individual goes to sleep. In 2022, California enacted a law that established a mandatory secondary school starts after 8:30 a.m. Florida and other states are following California’s advancements in establishing later school start times starting at the secondary education level. All states and their respective school districts should push back school start times to after 8:30 a.m. due to the notable benefits for teenagers, parents and teachers.
Shifting school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later benefits students’ overall sleep cycles, academic performance and social-emotional health. In 2014, the American Academy
of Pediatrics published a study that drew attention to pushing back school start times. The study found evidence that suggested that earlier school start times combined with circadian rhythm disruptions are one of the key contributing factors to insufficient sleep for teenagers. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) National Youth Risk Behaviors Survey also conducted a study into the amount of teens who did not receive the recommended amount of sleep. From 200921, 69% to 77% of teens (13-18 years old) did not get enough sleep. In 2021 alone, 70% of ninth graders and 84% of 12th graders received less than eight hours of sleep. Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics identified heavy homework loads, extracurriculars and technology usage, particularly engagement with social media, all contribute to a loss of sleep. However, puberty is a major and recently discovered disruptor of sleep cycles.
A study by The American Psychological Association illustrated that during puberty, adolescents undergo a significant shift in their circadian rhythms. This change makes it extremely difficult for teenagers to fall asleep until later in the evening. The homeostatic
system is another internal factor that contributes to teenagers having a hard time falling asleep. This system is responsible for controlling the rhythm of sleepiness and wakefulness. In other words, the longer an individual stays awake, the greater the pressure to sleep becomes. This pressure and biological influence drive teens undergoing puberty to fall asleep later in the evening and wake up later in the morning. This hormoneinduced disruption regarding an individual’s sleep cycle cannot be easily resolved by simply sleeping in on the weekends. The study suggests that pushing back school start times would benefit the overall health of the student. One study compared the overall physical and mental health of students who had a school start time of 8 a.m. to 8:29 a.m. to those who had a later start time between 8:30 to 8:59 a.m. They found that students who had the later start time had fewer negative feelings that impacted their overall moods, longer sleep durations and better developmental outcomes such as cognitive development, behavioral health and physical health. There have also been results that suggest that a later school start time would result in stronger academic performance and less tardiness.
A later start time for schools would also be beneficial for teachers and parents. A study conducted in Denver, where the shifted start time was implemented, found that the parents of secondary and high school students reported fewer instances of feeling tired and accounts of adequate and uninterrupted sleep cycles. Similarly, the teachers of the school districts that implemented the shift found that they also had sufficient sleep durations and improved daytime functioning. Based on these discoveries, later school start times for secondary education and high schools have an overall positive impact on the students, parents and teachers.
While there are significant benefits to shifting the school start times, individual school districts and families would
have to adjust to address this change. Not all families are able to adjust to a start time shift at their child’s school either due to work or other commitments. Districts must be able to rise to the challenge in order to shift the start times. There would need to be a change in the busing programs in order to get students on time at school. They must also be able to accommodate students and their families by offering morning and afternoon care and pushing back extracurricular activities. However, the overall benefits for students, parents and teachers outweigh the logistical problems that districts can address with the proper support.
Should We Let YouTubers Make School Lunches?
By STUART CREMER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
James Donaldson (known as MrBeast), Logan Paul and Olajide Olatunji (KSI) have internet fame in common. Donaldson has captivated the internet through fast-paced videos often featuring incredulous challenges and even more unbelievable sums of money, such as “I Bought Everything In A Store - Challenge,” “Ages 1 to 100 Fight For $500,000” and “$465,000 Squid Game In Real Life.” His YouTube channel, MrBeast, has 322 million subscribers, the most of any channel on YouTube and nearly equivalent to the population of the United States. Paul originally gained a following making short-form video content on Vine before transitioning to making videos on YouTube. He signed as a WWE wrestler, hosts the “Impaulsive” podcast on YouTube with 4 million subscribers and has co-founded the energy drink company Prime with Olatunji. Olatunji built a following as KSI, creating gaming commentary videos of the video game “FIFA” on YouTube, and has expanded into vlogging, comedy, film acting, professional boxing, rap music and other ventures, often as part of the YouTube group Sidemen. Another thing these three massive content creators now have in common is selling school lunches to children.
Donaldson, Paul and Olatunji recently co-founded Lunchly, which combines all of their products into one meal that’s aimed at their young fanbases. The three have proclaimed that they founded Lunchly as a “convenient, healthier” alternative to Lunchables because Prime Hydration “has more electrolytes than a Capri Sun in Lunchables and Donaldson’s Feastables chocolate bar has less sugar than a Kit Kat or Crunch bar.” However, this claim is misleading. While a Lunchly does have more electrolytes and less sugar than Lunchables, it is not a healthy option. The processed food in a Lunchly has “over 20% more the daily recommended sodium intake in just one serving” and lacks the essential food groups of fruits and vegetables. In terms of healthiness, experts confirm that Lunchly carries many of the same health risks for children as Lunchables. The main difference between the two is Donaldson, Paul and Olatunji own Lunchly, and they clearly benefit from marketing it to their young, impressionable audience as healthy. Pitching false health benefits to a young audience is reprehensible, but should be expected from viral YouTubers who have built their fame off of getting children hooked on fast-paced, dopamineinducing video content without showing much concern
towards how their content affects the health and well-being of their audience.
The three co-founders are, first and foremost, salesmen and entertainers who have frequently shown disregard for the downstream effects of business ventures. Five unnamed contestants in “Beast Games,” Donaldson’s upcoming reality television competition in partnership with Amazon, filed a class action lawsuit against Donaldson, Amazon and associated production companies, alleging they failed to pay overtime minimum wages, prevent sexual harassment and exposed contestants to dangerous circumstances and conditions as a condition of their employment, among other allegations. Paul has faced criticism as a result of his actions online, including spreading transphobic misinformation about Olympic boxer Imane Khelif and posting footage of a dead body in Japan’s infamous Aokigahara forest. KSI recently used a racial slur against South Asian people while on the game show “Countdown.” Life in the public eye puts pressure on all of these individuals, especially when their professional success and livelihood depend on making provocative, eyecatching content. While large internet creators often dismiss such mistakes as one-time flukes or momentary lapses in judgment, the actions of the
meal co-funders are facing backlash online.
Lunchly co-founders demonstrate a clear pattern of failure to consider the consequences of their actions, especially when the algorithmic dynamics of content platforms are pushing them to be more outrageous to stay popular. Other creators on YouTube argue they are exploiting children to make money. Dan TDM, a popular “Minecraft” YouTuber, criticized them in a post on X, saying, “This is selling crap to kids who don’t know better than to trust the people who are selling it to them. Do better.” KSI responded, making allegations of his own towards DanTDM and attacking his brand, culminating in a 20-minute YouTube video titled “Everybody Hates Us Right Now!” In the video, KSI alleges that they face criticism because everyone hates them for being successful. The inability to accept legitimate criticism and responding to a single post on X with antagonistic content are signs of KSI’s inability to take
accountability for the consequences of his brands. These creators only care about one thing and it is turning attention into money. When they receive backlash, they apologize but refuse to substantively change their business practices. The blame cannot be placed entirely on them. The modern landscape of social media has radically transformed where and from whom people receive information. We need to better regulate what content children are exposed to and ensure that they are not being taken advantage of by influencers who are only thinking about their next video. Donaldson, Paul and Olatunji are acting as they do because we have made it possible to make millions of dollars exploiting children.
Indranil Kar, FCRH ’26, is an Arabicandpoliticalscience double major from St. Louis.
Lunchly
COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPBELL/THE FORDHAM RAM Changes to school start times are not a simple solution.
Who’s That Kid? | Caroline Nolan, GSB ’26
Junior Stays True to Herself in the Big Apple
By CLAIRE KRIEGER CULTURE EDITOR
Navigating new environments and new people are some of the most daunting aspects of college. However, these didn’t phase Caroline Nolan, GSB ’26, as she started her first year at Fordham University. Rather, they were what she was looking forward to.
Nolan believes in the importance of trying new things. This is inspired by the idea that you will never know if you will like a new food, hobby or even person unless you take a chance. She has personally found new aspects of her life she loves due to living this mentality out. The most harrowing one for Nolan was the gym.
Ram Fit is populated at all hours of the day as a method of stress relief and fitness, but it took Nolan a while to venture to the McShane Student Center basement. “I grew up playing sports, so I never went to the gym,” she said. “I didn’t want to be judged by all these guys. It has happened before; some guy was trying to help me lift.” She knew her friends were going to the gym, but was nervous to breach unfamiliar territory
and start lifting weights. But once she finally went, she became more confident to go and do whatever she wanted there, regardless of who was watching or potentially judging her. Going to the gym is now one of her favorite parts of her regimen.
Nolan wanted her college experience to mimic this as well, which pointed her toward Fordham. “When I first started looking at schools, I really liked the idea of having a completely different experience from high school,” Nolan said. She first dipped her toe into southern schools, thinking it would be the complete opposite of her hometown of Middletown, New Jersey. She soon realized these state schools were too condensed compared to her need for more stimulating environments, saying, “It felt like it would be going from one bubble to another.”
Her intentionality in choosing a roommate helped expose her to a new side of the world. Her roommate, Sol Canova, GSB ’26, is from Argentina. “I had a sense of ease with her over Instagram and knew we would be a good match, even though we are from opposite sides of the Earth,” Nolan remarked. Nolan visited Canova
in Argentina, an experience she never would have embarked upon without branching out to an international student in the roommate process. She decided on Fordham for its proximity to New York City and the well-known business school she thought would bolster her future career. With a marketing major and a concentration in global business administration, she plans to stay in the city after graduation to “live her Carrie Bradshaw life.” But first, she needs to find a job that models
her core values and goals.
“I want to be with a company that doesn’t hold their employees back and is open to allowing them to be creative,” she stated. Nolan has a very clear set of what she believes to be right and wrong. “If I feel passionately about something, I will speak about it,” Nolan said. She wants her personal values to be something she can reflect on in her future career and hopes to have a hands-on role where she can make an impact.
Outside of school, she is a part of both the Fordham Marketing Association and the Marketing Scholars. For fun, she joined the club tennis team during her first year and has been a dedicated team member ever since. In all her extracurricular activities and hobbies, she does not lose the desire to always expand her experiences and outlook at Fordham. Nolan reflected, “I look at life in chapters, and I am really enjoying my chapter at Fordham.”
Remembering Liam Payne
By CATE DALTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Earlier this week, breaking news of Liam Payne’s death sent shockwaves through the internet and left fans in disbelief. The global star from the former boy band One Direction was reported dead on Wednesday evening, found outside his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At only 31 years old, he became the first member of the beloved boy band to pass — news that many in our generation did not anticipate hearing for decades to come.
One Direction (made up of Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik) formed in July 2010 and stands as one of the most influential and widely known bands of our generation. A product of the reality television music competition show “X Factor,” each member auditioned individually in hopes of becoming a breakout star but was selected by judge Simon Cowell to be put together and create the next big sensation. In an almost record-breaking fashion, they did exactly that; their meteoric rise to fame spanned over five years and included five studio albums, four world tours, a documentary film and even an autobiography. One Direction became a lifestyle for their hundreds of thousands of admirers; fans
would characterize themselves by their favorite member, camp out for a concert days in advance, get tattoos identical to those of the band and dedicate their lives to being a die-hard fan, otherwise known as a “directioner.”
Undoubtedly, a key aspect of their success was their distinct personalities and the dynamics that arose from them. Each member differed enough to leave room for individuality but carried chemistry that was enough to create harmony, on and off the stage. Unofficially, they all carried certain attributes that summed up their coherence as a group. Styles was known for his charm, Horan (unseriously enough) for his Irish heritage, Malik for his mystery, Tomlinson for his sass and Payne for his kindness. It was easy to tell how well they got along, as they behaved like brothers and never took themselves too seriously. It was this light-hearted and amusing camaraderie that drew crowds to them, and it can easily be said that Payne had a major part in creating this happy-go-lucky dynamic that they were so wellknown for.
The five-member boy band dominated the music industry for the first half of the 2010s, and they have the awards and album sales to prove it. Over the course of their five albums, the boys transitioned from singing
tunes others wrote for them, to writing and producing their own hits. For their last three albums, the band took more of an active driver’s seat in the music they were creating. Specifically, Tomlinson and Payne contributed the most to the band’s discography, as they are both credited with over 40 of One Direction’s tracks. Known for his sharp lyricism and nearly perfect pitch, Payne was not just a backbone of the band’s music, but a cornerstone of the group’s relationships.
In devastating fashion, Malik was the first to leave the band due to mental health reasons, and the group would only last for 10 months or so after that. As a result, he was the first to put out solo music, opening up the door to a new era of One Direction in the years to follow the band’s extended hiatus. Each member navigated their own way through the music industry they grew up in and found their own solo successes. However, the longing for a reunion lingered, particularly for Payne, who had felt the band had always had unfinished business because their last album hadn’t been toured. Nevertheless, he was always an avid supporter of his former bandmates, attending their solo shows and nurturing their friendships. His care and compassion for his brothers was clear to see and was a key piece
of evidence that gave hope of a reunion to the loyal fanbase.
The catastrophic events of this week have personally left me constantly reflecting, as Payne’s death symbolizes, quite literally, the end of an era. For many of us, One Direction was a significant part of our adolescence, as it provided comfort and joy during our all too formative years. While all boy bands share some fundamentals in common, One Direction stood unique in the fact that it touched so many hearts in such a short amount of time. Growing up is never an easy feat, but One Direction provided a space for young girls to feel loved and appreciated when sometimes no one else would. Seeing as it’s been over 14 years since their initial forming, their fans have grown and matured, but never left behind that “directioner” piece of their identity. Payne’s passing marks not just the loss of a talented artist or the end
of One Direction, but to a degree, the closing chapter of our childhoods as well. Payne is survived by his parents, his sister, his girlfriend and his 7-year-old son, Bear. He lived a life surrounded by love and laughter, including the deep bonds he formed with his former bandmates. Each one has taken to Instagram to memorialize him in regards to their own relationship with him: Malik expressed how he wished he got a chance to say goodbye to Payne once more and tell of how much he respected him; Tomlinson promised to be the uncle that Bear may need, telling him adventures from when he and Payne were young. Beyond his musical achievements, Payne will be known for kindness, warmth and unwavering support for those around him. Thank you, Liam, for the joy you brought to the world and to our generation; may we find you “Walking in the Wind.”
While navigating school and club tennis, Nolan stays true to her values while she studies in the city.
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Payne died last week in Argentina at 31 years old.
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
By RORY DONAHUE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR EMERITUS
There’s no better way to embrace the fall season in New York than by indulging in its deliciously festive foods. Many shops implement seasonal flavors — from ice cream shops to markets — in their signature items. Whether you’re craving a pumpkin-spiced treat or a hearty apple-filled pastry, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during this charming time of year.
Here are a few top picks among the many great options available in New York City.
Near Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, Borgatti’s, a handmade pasta and ravioli shop, features pumpkin-flavored pasta and ravioli in their weekly specials. This could be served with a traditional red sauce or a lighter herbal butter sauce. It is the perfect seasonal dinner to share with friends or family.
Beyond our local community, there are a plethora of bakeries across Manhattan and Brooklyn serving delicious treats.
Little Cupcake Bakeshop is known for its innovative and delicious cakes, winning “Best Chocolate Cake” in the United States for a few years
CULTURE
Festive Fall Foods Across NYC
in the past decade. They are offering a pumpkin spice cake with a cream cheese frosting. I tried it in early October and can say it is worth the trip to the Lower East Side.
Radio Bakery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, focuses on croissants and offers a pumpkin cheesecake croissant on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They sell out fast, so definitely get there early if you can.
Funny Face Bakery, a playful cookie shop, produces some of the best combos for every season. They offer a pumpkin sugar spice cookie, which includes white chocolate chips mixed into pumpkin dough and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Even though the temperatures are starting to drop, Caffe Panna, an ice cream shop near Gramercy Park in Manhattan, is serving up some weekly specials that are perfect for fall. Indulge in their pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple crisp and pancake praline flavors throughout October and November. Treat yourself to these seasonal delights on one of the lovely sunny days while we still can.
Farmer’s markets across all boroughs are bound to fulfill your fall food dreams. The New York Botanical Garden offers a weekly market with various bakeries and fresh produce
until Wednesday, Oct. 23. Other great markets in the city include Union Square Greenmarket, Chelsea Down to Earth Farmers Market and the Inwood Greenmarket.
This past weekend, I ventured to the Union Square market in search of fall foods, open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I was in awe of the amount of fresh produce, even from farms in Massachusetts. There were apples, honey and baked goods at almost every other stand, perfect for one’s fall needs. It was busy on a sunny Saturday, but I found bottles of apple cider and donuts at the Breezy Hill Orchard stand, even in the later hours of the market,
around 3:30 p.m.
You cannot talk about fall foods without seasonal drinks. While many people instantly think of Starbucks, plenty of charming local cafés offer unique and delicious options worth exploring.
Near Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus, quaint coffee chain Birch Coffee offers a “Birch Spiced Latte” containing cinnamon and pumpkin spice. It is perfect for a pre or post-class treat. They have over 10 locations across different neighborhoods in New York, so there are locations accessible to everyone.
Another coffee shop, Forever Coffee, located in Washington Heights, offers a few fun drink varieties. They have a nutmeg
ginger latte, a salted maple caramel latte, an apple chaider and a pumpkin spice latte.
Lastly, La Colombe offers both canned and fresh drinks at various locations across New York. They have a pumpkin spice latte on tap that can be served in their infamous Black and Tan combo or by itself. It is equally delicious either way. Or, walk to Rams Deli and pick up one of their canned Pumpkin Spice Draft Lattes.
New York’s culinary scene loves to embrace the comforting spices of fall, so there is no shortage of options. Don’t miss the chance to make a day out of trying these fun combinations across all boroughs!
“Say Nothing” Says Everything in Historical and Impactful
By ALLISON SCHNEIDER MANAGING EDITOR
Just a few blocks from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) of the mid1970s used a modest storefront as their home office for a largescale fundraising campaign to support Irish-Catholic liberation in Northern Ireland. In a 1975 New York Times article, the funds raised by the Bronx office location were linked to arms procurement initiatives for the IRA in their fight against loyalist oppression and opposition in a conflict known as “the Troubles.” The Troubles refers to the religious, ethnic and nationalist conflict between Protestant loyalists and Catholic nationalists in Northern Ireland throughout the second half of the 20th century. It was a time fraught with confusion, violence and intense political convictions that left relatively few citizens of the small nation unscathed. While the conflict is said to have officially ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, historians argue that much of the conflict’s damage remains unaccounted for. This lack of accountability is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the nature of mystery and secrecy surrounding the prominent paramilitary forces that
drove the worst of the conflict’s fighting.
Patrick Radden Keefe confronts, explores and utilizes this air of secrecy in his novel about the Troubles, “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.” The dynamic historical text delves right into the thick of the conflict’s mystery by focusing on the unsolved murder of Jean McConville, a single mother of 10, who was kidnapped from the family’s Belfast apartment in 1972. The case is just one of several murders and disappearances from the Troubles that remain unsolved, and Keefe’s speculation about what may have happened to McConville drives the book’s composition.
Although written a few years ago now, the novel remains as relevant as the Troubles themselves. The conflict continues to bleed into the modern world as scholars and citizens alike wonder what can be done to further resolve tensions. As things stand, Northern Ireland is still heavily segregated, and cities like Belfast still harbor physical scars of the conflict in the form of decades-old “peace walls” separating Catholic areas from Protestant ones. The New Humanist reported in late 2023 that about 90% of children in Northern Ireland
still attended religiously segregated schools. So while the Good Friday Agreement secured a certain peace between paramilitary groups, the religious tensions underlying the Troubles linger.
Keefe chronicles the conflict through a series of interlocking vignettes, drafting a road map of sorts through the leadership of the Provisional IRA, also called the Provos. This style provides a provocative and compelling narrative that encourages readers to become emotionally invested in the complicated histories of the individual players involved in the conflict. IRA members of note featured in the novel include Gerry Adams, an IRA leader turned politician who worked diligently to cover up his past involvement in the paramilitary group, and the infamous Price sisters, Dolours and Marian. Dolours Price in particular stands out as a remarkable character in both the text and the history of the Troubles itself. After being attacked by off-duty members of the Ulster Special Constabulary, a police force for Northern Ireland, at a peaceful civil rights march, Price and her sister were radicalized and joined the Provos. From there, Dolours would go on to orchestrate car bombings,
assassinations and a traumatic 208-day hunger strike in which she and her sister were force-fed while incarcerated.
Stories like Dolours’ are key to Keefe’s attention-grabbing writing strategy. Keefe’s breaking down of the Troubles into these smaller stories also makes the history of the period easier to digest as it scales down major themes into specific details that paint a broader picture of the conflict. His discussion of the major IRA players at the time naturally leads Keefe to connections between IRA leaders and their loyalist counterparts in the Ulster Defense Association, an umbrella paramilitary group that organized and endorsed antiCatholic terrorism in Northern Ireland.
“Say Nothing” is an incredibly compelling novel primarily because the Troubles have such a dramatic history. In his writing, Keefe has no need
Story
to sensationalize because his content was already sensational. From car bombs and secret trips to London to double-agent espionage and hunger strikes, Keefe writes about events and people that were themselves outlandish. “Say Nothing,” does, however, tell a very complicated history, and Keefe needed a way to tell that story without losing the plot of it. He does this by focusing on Jean McConville’s death as a through-line, which conveys the dramatic and tragic nature of the Troubles without further complicating the conflict. This is an especially important literary tactic for non-Irish readers, whose prior knowledge of the conflict may range from little to none. As such, “Say Nothing” serves as a wonderful jumpingoff point for contemporary readers interested in learning more about the Troubles and about the fraught history of Ireland in general.
COURTESY OF RORY DONAHUE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
COURTESY OF ISABELLA LIPAYON FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
New York in the fall is full of fun foods for all, and it is well worth exploring this October.
Radden Keefe gives readers a look into Ireland.
By MAKENZIE SMITH STAFF WRITER
“The Great Elephant Migration”
Stumble upon a true concrete jungle by walking among a herd of elephants in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Every migration has a purpose, and the 100 lifesize elephant sculptures move throughout the United States to raise money for conservation efforts and to promote awareness of human-wildlife coexistence.
The traveling art exhibition makes a conscious effort to recreate the elephants’ lives in India. According to the plaques spaced throughout the area, the public display of sculptures mirrors the experience in India where people and animals peacefully share the same space. The plaques also note that the past 30 years have seen a growing population of animals, specifically elephant, rhino, lion and tiger populations. Protected areas are no longer sufficient considering the amount of animals as well as the damage to their ecosystems, so “The Great Elephant Migration” art display aims to inspire others to foster coexistence with animals rather than make separate, inadequate spaces for them.
As I walked a winding path through the herds to experience the sheer majesty of the towering creatures, I noticed that each sculpture had something different about it. The website for “The Great Elephant Migration” reveals that each sculpture is crafted to look like a real elephant living in the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India. Just like people, no elephant is the same. There was an array of differences between each sculpture, including size, ears, eyes and trunks. My personal favorite was Loulu, the first baby elephant I saw with a playful flick of her trunk. Another thing to note is that each elephant is paired with a matriarch twin found on the plaque with the elephant’s name. The matriarchy is an important aspect within an elephant herd because it is the experienced female whois in charge of leading the group and keeping track of resources. The sculptures’ human matriarch twins do exactly the same thing and actively support the cause. This group of influential women is made up of environmentalists, philanthropists, writers and creatives. For example, Loulu’s matriarch is Beverly Joubert,
a South African wildlife photographer, conservationist and National Geographic explorer. There are also the Tuskers, which are the male supporters that are twinned with the male elephants of the herd. Going home to research the matriarch twins and what they do for a living was just as inspiring as being amongst the sculptures.
“The Great Elephant Migration” does more than just create mindfulness for animals. The migration is also actively saving the Earth. The information center says that each elephant sculpture is made out of a plant called Lantana camara, an invasive and toxic species that has taken over 40% of India’s forests. This plant alone is one of the reasons animals are being pushed out of the wild and into urban areas. Artisans turning this harmful plant into something beneficial is a testament to the power of art.
The sculptors come from indigenous communities in India such as the Soliga, Bettakurumba, Kattunayakan and Paniya tribes. These tribes are the ones that actually coexist with the elephants the display is based on. According to the information on display
alongside the sculptures, making these sculptures has given the tribe members the necessary finances alongside a great sense of pride.
“The Great Elephant Migration” really caught people’s attention, and rightfully so. I could hardly see the elephants when I popped up from the subway station because there were so many people crowded around them — even on a Tuesday. The coexistence story the elephant sculptures convey has truly touched people’s hearts, as well as my own. That is perhaps due to the experience the art display gave us. The elephant’s eyes were so life-like and unique that it felt as if they were gazing at us. We could touch the elephants and walk through the herd as if we lived in the
Nilgiri Hills alongside them. While the elephants will have moved on in their migration on Oct. 20, you can continue to follow along on their journey from east to west in the United States. The upcoming destinations include Florida, Montana, Wyoming and California. In addition to all the other remarkable aspects of this migration, the movement of the elephants is also carbon neutral.
Despite not being able to visit the elephants in New York City anymore, it is important that we keep in mind the message the elephants have given us. With the herd behind me after my visit, I left with an elevated understanding that the Earth is both our homes after all.
“Edges of Ailey”: A Look Inside His Life and Work
By MAGGIE GARZA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While many people may be familiar with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, they may know less about its founder, Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey,” an exhibit on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art until Feb. 9, is centered around Ailey, revealing details about his personal life and his career in dance. The exhibit is made up of works by over 80 artists, including sculptures, paintings, photographs and other installations. It also includes primary source documents from Ailey’s life, including his journals, letters, choreographic notes, drawings and programs from his performances. “Edges of Ailey” is located on the museum’s fifth floor, which spans 18,000 square feet. Visitors can also view performances on the third floor that feature the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, the two dance companies founded by Ailey.
Upon entering the exhibition, viewers will see several places to begin their experience. There are multiple islands containing various pieces across different mediums and a series of paintings and images line the walls that make up the perimeter of the room. The walls are painted a deep
shade of red, and there are two sections on either side of the room with interactive components and posters advertising the company’s past performances. On the back wall of the gallery, there is a series of video projections featuring videos of Ailey’s life and his dances, telling his story in an almost documentarystyle way.
Two pieces that are immediately bound to catch your eye are Barkley L. Hendricks’ “Dancer” (1977) and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s “Fly Trap” (2024). Both paintings honor Ailey’s career in dance, contain strong levels of detail and use striking colors to capture one’s attention. Other artworks featured in the museum also pay tribute to dance, such as artist Senga Nengudi’s “R.S.V.P.” (1975). The piece is a sculpture made out of nylon mesh and sand, and is meant to convey the elasticity of skin and its relationship to the Black feminine body. Yiadom-Boakye’s “A Knave Made Manifest” (2024) depicts four Black men, all of them dancers, one of whom is dancing and another whose ankle is being adjusted so that it is turned outright. Visitors who have any experience with dance or ballet are sure to recognize some of these subtle yet remarkable details.
In addition to dance,
“Edges of Ailey” contains many biographical details about Ailey. Born in 1931 in Rogers, Texas, Ailey grew up with his mother and worked in cotton fields, circumstances which were shaped by enslavement, sharecropping and Jim Crow laws. Ailey’s experiences with the racism and poverty that formed a part of his upbringing would later inspire his work as a dancer and choreographer. Religion and spirituality were also major influences for Ailey, who grew up attending southern Black churches. Additionally, the exhibit touches on how moving to Los Angeles at a young age as part of the larger Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the northern and western parts of the United States was a key event that would inspire Ailey’s future career in dance. There is a series of paintings and images that line the walls of the exhibit, and pay tribute to the role that Ailey’s upbringing and spirituality played in his art.
It was in Los Angeles that Ailey became fascinated with dance, having the opportunity to see performances by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company. His friend and fellow dancer Carmen de Lavallade introduced him to Lester Horton, the founder of one of the first racially integrated dance companies
who would become Ailey’s lifelong mentor. It was in 1958 that Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, followed by what is now known as the Ailey School in 1969 and the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, now Ailey II, in 1974. His last educational endeavor was AileyCamp, a summer camp for children interested in dance or the arts, in 1989, the year of his death.
What is striking about Ailey and his work is its emphasis on liberation. He used his art to promote Black excellence, demonstrating how African Americans have worked to overcome the oppression they have faced in the United States. His work was inspired by the challenges he faced as a gay Black man who lived during events such as the AIDS crisis and the lynching of African Americans in the South. These issues
challenged the very ideals of liberation that Ailey promoted through his art, yet in the face of them, he continued to champion his beliefs. He explored themes such as queerness and the Black experience in his choreography and supported other Black choreographers as well as historically Black colleges and universities.
Ultimately, “Edges of Ailey” paints a powerful picture of the life and career of Alvin Ailey, revealing remarkable insights through work commissioned by other artists and Ailey’s own archives. These tributes honor the multiple facets of his biography and accomplishments, and they help the audience understand the extent of his influence. Visitors are sure to come away with a unique perspective on Ailey that they might not have otherwise been given, making this exhibit well worth the visit.
Traveling art brings the city and the (concrete) jungle, to life.
COURTESY OF MAKENZIE SMITH FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Ailey’s work and legacy come alive in this expansive exhibit.
By BRIDGETTE LEAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Bronx is home to what is known as the “Real Little Italy,” and it differs significantly from Manhattan’s (Real) Little Italy. The question is, how is it different from Manhattan’s (Real) Little Italy? Which one is real? Both communities present fascinating comparisons of authentic Italian culture and community in New York City.
On Arthur Ave, just off campus, the Bronx’s Little Italy is a true reflection of authentic, family-oriented, and diverse Italian regionstyled restaurants and bakeries. The Belmont neighborhood in particular, is a bastion of authenticity, with a strong emphasis on heavy Italian culture and customs.
The streets of the Bronx’s Little Italy date back to 1792 when Pierre Lorillard opened his first tobacco company, P. Lorillard & Co., in New York. Several families from Italy immigrated in the 18th century, spreading family-owned bakeries, butcher shops and restaurants, creating a tightknit community where neighbors knew each other by name and supported each other. This was the foundation of a vibrant neighborhood that Bronx Little Italy is known for today. As a result, Belmont showcases a wide variety of
By SOFIA MAURO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Just a five-minute walk from the L and G train’s Lorimer stop, the Brooklyn Queens (BQ) Flea Market sits beneath the notorious Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) — one of New York City’s most disliked highways. Despite the BQE’s reputation for noise and pollution, the Sunday pop-up reinvents the space for more than just a freeway underpass. In fact, it’s part of a larger vision to transform the areas around the BQE, says the Department of Transportation. Here’s how to spend a Sunday afternoon at this Williamsburg Flea.
The BQ Flea opens at 10 a.m.; before reaching the market, grab a coffee or stop by one of the dozen local cafes that line the exit of the Lorimer Street subway station. A and C Super, a small outpost off Leonard Street and Lorimer, offers a variety of seasonal pastries and artisanal sandwiches. The store is filled with families, pets and regulars; indulge in one of their fall specials for October. Notable menu items I tried include the caramel apple latte and the Delicata squash bagel
The Real Little Italy
regional Italian cuisines, unique flavors and influences, which reflect the affluent diversity of Italian immigrants.
For example, the Bronx hosts the annual Ferragosto festival, which takes place in early September. This simply celebrates Italian culture, featuring live entertainment, music and food. Another must-visit attraction in Little Italy is the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, established in 1940. This market houses a variety of vendors offering fresh produce, meats and handmade pasta and pastries. It’s a vibrant reflection of the neighborhood’s culinary heritage and remains a favorite destination for both locals and tourists. Last but not least, a favorite all-time bakery for most Fordham University students is Artuso’s Bakery Shop, known for its to-die-for cannolis, tri-color cookies, sprinkle cookies and cakes showing Neapolitan Italian culture. The cozy, cherishable family-style layout and atmosphere that my friends and I make with the local owners of each shop and restaurant make it my personal preference over Manhattan.
Manhattan’s Little Italy, located in the center of the city, is heavily influenced and emphasized by tourism. Established in the 20th century, it is younger than the Bronx neighborhood by 200 years.
Unlike the Bronx, Manhattan displays a commercialized view of Italian culture, with many of the clients at restaurants and stores being tourists rather than locals. In Manhattan, many restaurants serve dishes that have been adapted for a broader audience, sometimes prioritizing presentation and novelty over tradition. There tends to be a limited culinary variety compared to Belmont in that a lot of the culinary dishes are often more homogenized and broad: spaghetti, meatballs and cannolis, with less regional diversity. It is a more generic taste of Italy rather than focusing on specific dishes like arancini and certain Neapolitan-style
pasta dishes. While it still celebrates festivals such as the Feast of San Gennaro, representing Neapolitan culture every September, it attracts tourists more than authentic traditions, music, dance and food. Regardless of the tourist attractions, Manhattan seems to contain no historical connection to the city compared to the Bronx. The architecture of the street lends itself more to visitors, unlike the family-owned storefront the Belmont community focuses on with its locals. The architecture in Belmont feels more community-focused and reflects a more residential storefront environment. Both neighborhoods offer
rich characteristics of Italian traditional experiences, but Belmont’s “Real Little Italy” portrays and resonates with its cultural past. We can see the cultural impacts where a lot of Italian ancestors have come from, reflecting authenticity, community, and a diverse culinary tradition. Meanwhile, the Manhattan Little Italy leans toward a commercialized and engaging tourist attraction of New York and Italian-American culture. Each town has its unique charm, reflecting diverse aspects of Italian immigrant impacts and experiences from many years ago in the birthplace of the melting pot, New York.
A Guide To NYC’s BQ Flea
sandwich. Directly to the shop’s left is a well-lit patio, reminiscent of a welcoming backyard.
Start at the top of the flea on Lorimier Street, and work your way down towards Union Street. Here, there are over 50 unique vendors and local artists to explore. Begin by browsing through the home goods area, filled with booths selling artisan-crafted blankets and hand-painted plant pots. The middle section hosts a diverse selection of vintage clothes, patchwork jackets and antique jewelry sellers. An Arizona-based pop-up sells an assortment of vintage knickknacks and well-curated vintage deadstock outside of their van. I snagged a ’70s electric blue baby tee as well as an assortment of $1 funky pins. Well-versed in the scene, the owner made the trip from the southwestern state to test out the flea market scene in NYC. He explained that “the market could transform into a permanent set-up,” but it is still in the works with the city. According to the NYC Commissioner Rodriguez, itis part of the DOT’s Corridor Visit: BQE North and South, through strengthening and
connecting the communities across the BQE through “enhanced streetscapes and public spaces.”
As you walk through the market, watch for the freeway’s support beams lined with wheat-pasted art; they are part of the BQE Gallery. At her booth, I spoke with Kali, the founder of the underground art gallery. “When you are under the BQE, you want to pass right through it,” she explained. She saw potential in the space: “Now that the space is activated, there are more eyes on the art.” Through hosting an array of community art across the structure below the highway, she said the space has more light. With the addition of the flea market, “people are reclaiming the space; people will never go under the BQE and see it as just a highway again.”
After soaking up the art and concluding your visit to the BQ Flea, make sure to grab a treat at the south end of the market. Check out the Brooklyn Kolache stand, where they feature classic flavors like cherry sweet cheese or jalapeño sausage cheddar. This popular, local spot brings a taste of Texas to Brooklyn, a
delicious way to wrap up your market experience. Finish off your day by checking out the surrounding areas around the neighborhood, such as McCarren Park or downtown Williamsburg.
The BQ Flea Market brings together a diverse selection of artists, food vendors, music and culture, redefining community in an unexpected urban space. Despite
its unconventional location under the freeway, it’s a worthwhile Sunday trip. The flea market runs until Oct. 28 at the intersection of Meeker Street and Union Street, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The BQ Flea is easily accessible via the Lorimer G/L train stop or on foot. Learn more about the market and its partners by visiting https://brooklynflea.com/.
Hitch a ride on the subway to the must-visit new Brooklyn flea market.
COURTESY OF BRIDGETTE LEAHY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
While both Little Italies have their charm, the Bronx feels more authentic and family-centered.
COURTESY OF SOFIA MAURO FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
CULTURE
“Brat” Is Back And It’s Better Than Ever
By EMMA LEONARDI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
If you were missing “brat summer,” Charli xcx’s extended release of her hit studio album should have had you excited to continue the year in “brat fall.” However, “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” lives up to its title. If you were looking for completely new lyrics, you may be disappointed. However, if you were wanting the same songs with different beats, this album is for you.
Starting off with the classic intro to the album, “360” is a remix that does actually have new lyrics from the features of Robyn and Yung Lean. Overall, “360” was a hit the first time, and this version just adds a bit more to bring it to the next level.
The next remix, however, has me a bit underwhelmed. “Club classics” has a certain club classic feeling to it. When thinking about the song with this energy in mind, you really can’t do much better than the original. The feature of Bb trickz is definitely different, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily better. The whole feel of the song, with the change midway through just shifts the original energy that didn’t need to be altered.
“Sympathy is a knife” is pretty similar to the original version, with minimal, but
effective, alterations to the background beat. The addition of Ariana Grande was genius, especially given the context of the song. The only complaint I have would be the beat switch 30 seconds before the end of the song. It feels unnecessary and completely threw me off.
The fourth track, “I might say something stupid,” is a nice break in the album from high-energy dance music.
Charli gets slower and more intentional about the lyrics to get on a deeper level with her audience on her emotions.
The newer version keeps the same vibes but extends the song by more than two minutes, and includes features of The 1975 and Jon Hopkins.
As someone who enjoys the music of The 1975 but not the band members themselves, I don’t really know how to feel about Charli’s decision to collaborate with them.
“Talk talk” with Troye Sivan featured was released prior to the remix album; however, I do have to share my appreciation for its inclusion, as before it was simply a single. Sivan has been heavily associated with “Brat” due to the shared headline of the “Sweat Tour” with Charli, and now he is officially on a “Brat” album. Sivan’s higher and smoother vocals mixed with Charli’s iconic voice was a brilliant choice. No notes.
“Von dutch” re-released as
a remix with A.G. Cook and Addison Rae months prior. However, I think it’s important to once again note the significance of actually associating it with the Brat name. Addison Rae was featured as a guest on the “Sweat Tour” and is now also officially on the “Brat” album.
I, for one, am obsessed with the inclusion of Caroline Polachek’s feature on song “Everything is romantic.” I think her vocals make the song have just the right mix of ethereal and club vibes. The same can be said about the following track, “Rewind,” which features Bladee. The remixes just sound so much smoother.
However, the opposite is true with “So I” featuring A. G. Cook. The remix has more club vibes. As there are already songs on this album that do club better, I have to feel that this one was better staying the same.
One song I can say with absolute certainty is better with the feature is “Girl, so confusing” with Lorde. Even if I weren’t a fan of Lorde independent of this song, her verse is just so iconic; I don’t see how anyone could not like it.
The remix of “Apple” with The Japanese House started off not as good as the original, but as it continued I got way more into the different energy this artist brought to the viral song. It won’t ever be as iconic
as the original, but it is a good remixed version.
“B2b” with Tinashe definitely has a more club-like feel. This directly contradicts an earlier statement, but this song needed to feel more club. It just has a way nicer sound with the remix than it did with the original.
The new intro to “Mean girls” with Julian Casablancas is a step up from the original version. The more retro sound of the beat mixed with the original results in a very unique and good sound.
I didn’t think I could like a remix version of “365” more than the original; however, Charli and Shygirl made it possible. The highlight of
this is the insane repetition of “party girl” instead of “bumpin’ that,” which should have been included in the original.
The last song is “Guess” with Billie Eilish, as the rest of the songs are just the original versions. As is the consensus of most of the population, I feel absolutely fed by this song, specifically Eilish’s verse. The addition of an openly queer person on a song that could’ve been made to just appeal to the straight audience (due to Charli’s own sexuality) was such a smart move, both musically and business wise. And, let’s face it: Eilish’s lyrics were objectively the hottest on the album.
Actors, Not the Audience, Should Steal the Show
By SIOBHAN RUSHIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A new rendition of the beloved story of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” began previews on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Sept. 26. The show gained significant popularity very quickly with Kit Connor of the Netflix “Heartstopper” and Rachel Zegler of Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story” portraying the most famous fictional couple of all time. To top it all off, the show’s music is provided by the esteemed producer Jack Antonoff. This excitement sparked debates surrounding theater etiquette, reminding the internet of a longstanding rule that it is illegal to record Broadway shows. This rule should continue to be respected, despite social media’s omnipresence in our lives.
Although Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a tale as old as time, its current run on Broadway introduces a new, modern spin that leaves room for an audience member’s imagination. Uploading recordings or illegally taken photos online is disrespectful to everyone involved in the creation of the show, from the
actors to the set designers. It’s a form of piracy and may deter people from wanting to see the show, as they can just access “highlights” online. Beyond the greater disrespect to those benefiting financially from the show’s production, it is disrespectful to the actors and fellow audience members in the theater. “What light through yonder window breaks?” It’s an iPhone 15, illegally recording “Romeo + Juliet.” Nobody wants to hear an iconic line next to someone glued to their screen. A large part of the magic and charm of live performances is to live in the moment. If somebody is watching a leaked clip, often referred to as a slime tutorial, the show is not live, even if it’s being livestreamed. Broadway’s strict recording rules allow audience members to live in the moment and ensure they’re not distracted by their neighbors.
The exclusivity of Broadway — only allowing those able to buy a ticket to see and know the show — can obviously be problematic. The Disney+ proshot of “Hamilton,” released in 2020, brought an expensive, highly sought-after show to those who could not afford to see it live in person. But that movie was authorized, whereas
recording it stealthily and sharing clips on social media can be considered theft. Sharing spoilers via memory with friends: fine. Sharing them with millions of people via a TikTok video that was illegally recorded during the show becomes a real, more considerable problem.
Connor and Zegler are pulling in younger audiences, who are often heavy users of social media wanting to share experiences with their followers. However, this social media buzz via leaks may have led to an increase in ticket sales. In a way, it’s free advertising, as I was more excited to buy tickets myself after I unwittingly saw a leaked video of a now-infamous kiss scene (if you know, you know). Although these social media leaks may seem helpful or inevitable in some aspects, something being inevitable is not the same as something being right — morally or legally. Some venues have begun to put phones in locked bags for the duration of certain concerts, comedy shows or live podcast recordings, which could be a way for Broadway to enforce these no-recordingallowed rules across the board. Even if spoilers may escape via textual memory, by enforcing
these rules against phone usage during the shows, those who worked so hard on the show are protected. With the previews of the show having begun less than a month ago and the show set to open this upcoming week, the long-term success of the show is still unknown. However, I believe
proshots of Broadway shows such as “Romeo + Juliet” would help prevent illegal recordings. Whether it be through online anticipation fueled by traditional marketing — or spoilers — I’m excited to see this new production in a week, with my phone shut off and away in my bag.
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Charli xcx revamped her iconic summer album with new guest features.
CULTURE
A Read For Everyone: “The Book Thief”
By LUSA HOLMSTROM ASST.
EDITOR
Has there ever been a time when you’ve seen or used something that you wished you had thought of first? One of my friends wishes she had invented the butter bell, and another is mad he didn’t beat William Shakespeare to “Romeo and Juliet.” For me, day in and day out, I wish that I had written Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief.”
I first read Zusak’s novelistic masterpiece in the back of my dad’s clunky Ford that my friends deemed “the big white limousine,” though it was far from any descriptor of “big.” I was about 10 years old, on a road trip up the California coast, feeling mature for picking a nearly 600-page book, but too young to keep my focus off of the Pacific Coast Highway. Years later, I took it off the shelf again during quarantine and discovered it to be Zusak’s magnum opus. When I studied abroad at my host family’s apartment in Spain, “The Book Thief” was coincidentally the one and only book they owned in English, so I excitedly read it again, cementing its position as my favorite book of all time. In preparation for my senior thesis, I tore through it this summer, marking the fourth time I have been in the mayor’s library with Liesel or the Molching track with Rudy. To me, “The Book Thief” is more than simply another book in the extensive World War II canon. In 2005, Zusak broke ground by having the story of Liesel Meminger,
a young girl in Nazi Germany, narrated by Death.
The story starts with Death’s appeal to the reader. Often breaking the fourth wall as a narrator, he attempts to gain the respect and trust of his audience, while also dismantling the human fear of dying. Zusak writes his narrator as a nearly omniscient, forever empathetic character who engages the reader in his quotidian experiences of human mortality. The book is split between personal experiences of Death and his narration of Liesel’s life, which he often intersperses with a sort of author’s note — the first of which being “Here is a small fact. You are going to die,” followed by “a reassuring announcement: Please, be calm, despite that previous threat. I am all bluster — I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.”
As recently as the Victorian era, death was respected as a natural occurrence, complete with deathbed viewings and portraits of deceased family members. As civilian deaths increased at a rate unfathomable prior to the advancement of war-grade weapons, the societal attitude took a poorly timed shift: suddenly death was taboo. To tell a story based in the epicenter of World War II from the perspective of Death is to shift that mentality. It serves as a coping mechanism and a departure from the idea of death as the ultimate villain that was not only guilty of the fates of millions, but that should be avoided at all costs.
In Death’s own words, “You
might argue that I make the rounds no matter what year it is, but sometimes the human race likes to crank things up a little. They increase the production of bodies and their escaping souls. A few bombs usually do the trick. Or some gas chambers, or the chitchat of far away guns.”
To cope with the fact that he is haunted by humans, Death remembers each soul he collects by the color of the sky when he comes for them, creating a calculated attempt to associate colors other than black with death. Under sandy skies and red dawns, he describes “carry[ing] them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I’d throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms.” To understand the 20th century, one must grapple with the tragedies of World War II, which Death presents in a way that is digestible without compromising the integrity and severity of the truth. He is at the scene of every last breath, sometimes sitting with people so that no one dies alone. While the fear of dying may run rampant, the book also addresses the tragic reality of death as salvation, and “what great malice there could be in allowing something to live.” After losing both of her sons to the war, Death collects a woman whose “face seemed to ask just what in the hell had taken me so long.” This narration style does not intend to instill fear or force the reader to accept their own death but rather encourages a view of the value of life. If our narrator can tell a story after
the last breath of the people he carries, then we can be reminded that life is not negated by death. Due to my brazen love for this book, people often ask what I think about the movie. I’ve never seen it. Since the first time I read it, now over 10 years ago, I have been building on the setting every reread. I can see the counter in Frau Diller’s shop, full of penny candies in brightly colored wrappers. There’s a corner of my imagination that holds all of
the trees Rudy and Liesel have climbed. When I read about Frau Holtzapfel spitting on her neighbor’s stoop, I envision a deep purple door, a burst of color in their dreary world. I can’t watch the movie because I have loved the book as I know it myself. Though I know what happens, I cry every time. I can’t watch the movie, but I can return to the words of Death every time I want a reminder of why there are few things as powerful as a good book.
By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR
ACROSS
1. Title of Prince Harry’s debut memoir
6. Employs, recruits, appoints 7. Generally incompetent
8. Tariq is president of this organization (plural)
1. Titanic, Mayflower, Santa Maria 2. ____ of beer
3. Length times width
4. An exercise repeated multiple times (plural)
5. Established, for short
Instructions
Use the clues to the left to fill out the boxes above.
Zusak’s WWII novel serves as a staple book that appeals to all.
By GRACE GALBREATH
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Overtime: The Lingering Ghosts of (Cincinnati) Sports
By JONAH RING SPORTS EDITOR
Spend just 10 minutes with me on any given day, and it will almost immediately become apparent just how deeply I care about Cincinnati sports. To be honest, they are all I ever really feel like talking or writing about besides philosophy and art, and they have genuinely (and embarrassingly) come to dominate my daily routine, my schedule often being crafted in a manner that best allows me to watch various Reds and Bengals games. Even my consciousness has come to be primarily occupied by everything Cincinnati sports, as that which runs in and out of my head is often nothing more than a memory or vision of my younger self running around my childhood living room in celebration of a Bengals’ touchdown or Reds’ home run.
However, despite my obviously deep love for Cincinnati sports, being a diehard Cincinnati sports fan does mean that you will have to deal with all the less-than-fun baggage that comes with it: the frustration of being perennial losers, the fact that barely any of your teams’ games will be broadcast on national television (because who really cares about Cincinnati?) and the various demeaning nicknames (e.g. Bungles) people are sure to throw at you. However, as if all this was not strenuous and frustrating enough, a new challenge has recently emerged in the past few weeks for Cincinnati sports fans: that of lingering ghosts. In short, the Cincinnati sports world is currently being forced to confront and reckon with two of the more controversial figures from its past. Not only has former Reds announcer Thom Brennaman recently revitalized his previously
dead sportscasting career (one rightfully killed off by his disgusting homophobic comments on air), but the always-heated discourse surrounding Reds legend Pete Rose (a man banned from professional baseball for gambling and barred from polite society for allegations of grooming and sexual misconduct) has once again been inflamed following Rose’s death and the release of documentary “Charlie Hustle and the Matter of Pete Rose” that explored his more unsavory side.
By all accounts, these were two men who, just a few weeks ago, had been successfully cast off and thrust into some dusty and dark closet far removed from Cincinnati’s broader collective consciousness.
Athletes of the Week
While the Rams’ matchup this past Saturday against the College of the Holy Cross was just an exhibition game, the brilliant performance that junior forward Romad Dean put in is still praise-worthy nonetheless. Dean was simply excellent on both ends of the hardwood, acting not only as the sparkplug of the offense with his 17 points but also as the defensive lynchpin, recording a game-high seven rebounds alongside his 30 minutes of high-intensity, inside-out defensive intensity. Dean stepping up was especially pivotal and necessary for the Rams, considering they were without three of their regulars, senior Abdou Tsimbila, sophomore Jahmere Tripp and junior Josh Rivera all missing Saturday’s action.
There’s a new queen of the kill on Rose Hill. Graduate student Whitley Moody from San Jose, California, set a Fordham University Volleyball record when she hammered home her 1,444th career kill against the University of Rhode Island earlier this month. As her final season at Fordham continues, she’ll build on a record that stood for 33 years before breaking (Val Bosticco, 1989-92). As an encore, Moody has embarked on one of the greatest five-game runs in Fordham Volleyball history, posting 15+ kills in five straight, including a 25-kill performance in a win against Duquesne that stands as both her career high and the all-time record for kills in a four-set match by a Fordham player. With a tough upcoming schedule, Moody will look to keep her special streak going as the Rams jockey for a playoff spot — they’re on the outside looking in, but anything can happen with Moody Magic on your side.
Each week, The Fordham Ram’s sports section honors two athletes for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”
Simply referencing their names was a taboo act of sorts, and the fact that we ever loved them religiously and cheered for them like nothing else mattered became an ugly, painful scar that nobody ever talked about. In essence, the mythic status that Brennaman’s voice and Rose’s bat both once occupied was the source of widespread guilt, shame and silence. Yet, the recent news about Rose’s life and Brennaman’s resurgence back into the broadcasting spotlight meant that these two have come back to haunt us from beyond the proverbial and/or literal grave. No longer can I internally tell myself that I never loved Brennaman’s manner of calling baseball games, as I now am prone to relive my happy childhood memories every time I hear his voice
on Saturday afternoons; no longer can I act like I did not idolize Rose as a child, as I am now being inundated with thousands of moving and heartfelt retrospectives on his life and career by every media outlet.
Thus, all this then begs the question: What do we do now as Cincinnati sports fans? Do we continue to act like we didn’t glorify and deify Rose and Brennaman during their heyday (and potentially even during the immediate aftermath of their respective scandals), or do we finally own up to our deep connection and affection for two men with terrible track records? I, of course, have no answer to this invariably nuanced question, nor am I going to attempt to make the moral high ground. I admittedly
still stand awe-struck in front of the Pete Rose exhibit at the Reds Hall of Fame despite knowing all the terrible, morally based things that he did. My point in writing this article is simply just to gesture towards the fact that this is a question/problem that the Cincinnati sports world will find themselves grappling with in the near future.
Moreover, I also would like to emphasize that this issue of moral ignorance and ambiguity is one that is not solely tethered to Cincinnati sports, but it is instead a universal fact in the sports world as a whole. In other words, it is not only Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fans who have this sort of complicated relationship with their less-than-moral sports heroes, as all sports fans actually have some sort of deeper connection to sporting figures who have rather iffy morals. Steelers fans that grew up during the 2010s, for instance, have to reckon with the fact that Antonio Brown (a man that is probably the central figure in a lot of their fondest childhood sports memories) now has an extensive arrest record and a terrible digital footprint; every living basketball fan who has once yelled “Kobe” while trying to hit a ridiculous shot has to face the fact that this idol of theirs was indeed the defendant in a murky, unresolved rape case; and the global sports community has to deal with the fact that their two greatest and most beloved stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have had their fair share of run-ins with the law. In essence, every sports fan has their own lingering morally questionable ghosts that haunt them. The very act of being a fan of human players inherently means that you have to reckon with that very humanness.
Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer
Romad Dean Junior Men’s Basketball
Whitley Moody Graduate Student Volleyball
Volleyball
Football
COURTESY OF X
Cincinnati sports fans have been through a world of pain over the course of the last decade, with seemingly no end in sight for the city.
Men’s Tennis
Marist College Invitational/ A-10 Individual Championship A-10 Individual Championship
Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament
Head of Schuylkill
Bard/Vasaar
D’Ippolito Domination!
On Oct. 9, the Fordham University men’s soccer team hosted the Saint Louis University Billikens at Moglia Stadium. The Rams went down a goal early after senior forward Matthew Wrobel put a header into the back of the net. Ten minutes later, it was a senior connection when Nate Ward pulled off a backheel pass to Seth Anderson, who tucked away the finish for his first goal of the season. After taking a 2-0 deficit into the half, the Rams came out firing in the second half. Junior Andre Insalaco scored a lovely strike from 20 yards out to bring the game within one, assisted by junior Daniel D’Ippolito. Fordham continued their effort throughout the rest of the match, but they found themselves still down a goal in the 89th minute. But sometimes, all you need is
luck. A cross from freshman Emile Kisse struck the hand of a Billikens defender, granting Fordham a penalty kick, which D’Ippolito buried into the bottom left corner. The 2-2 effort is indicative of Fordham’s determination this season. The result allowed the Rams to bring momentum on the road to Dayton.
Fordham traveled to Ohio to take on the University of Dayton Flyers last Saturday. They earned a 4-2 victory behind an impressive performance from D’Ippolito. Junior forward Ede Gramberg started the scoring early for the Rams, finishing a near-post cross from D’Ippolito to make it 1-0 in the fourth minute. Graduate student Thomas Gray doubled the Rams’ lead in the 37th minute, finishing off a corner from senior Murat Calkap. With a flipped script from earlier in the week, it was the Rams’ turn to give up a two-goal lead. A goal in the 47th minute from
Dayton senior midfielder Joseph Melto Quiah and a follow-up in the 64th minute from Geni Kanyane saw the score level at 2-2 heading into the last ten minutes of action. D’Ippolito got his second assist of the night in the 80th minute, finding junior forward Bennett Leitner for a goal. D’Ippolito sealed the game with his own goal in the 83rd minute, beating two defenders on the breakaway for his eighth goal of the year to make the final scoreline 4-2.
The junior’s impressive week earned him Atlantic-10 Player of the Week and NCAA Player of the Week. D’Ippolito’s 22 points on the season are good enough for 10th in the country. When TopDrawerSoccer released their list of the top 100 players in the country, D’Ippolito was listed at 49th. D’Ippolito will look to continue his run of form as the Rams prepare for the A-10 ’s.
Women’s Tennis Impresses at ITA Regionals
By JOE HENRY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham University Women’s Tennis is at an inflection point entering their 2025 campaign. In 2023, they won the Atlantic 10 championship; in 2024, they were ranked eighth among all collegiate tennis teams in the northeast, performing phenomenally throughout the regular season and falling just short in the A-10 tournament.
However, the bulk of their key pieces left the Hawthorn/Rooney tennis courts after earning a diploma or opting for the transfer portal. Senior Lorraine Bergmann, sophomore Julianne Nguyen and junior Sofie Siem represent the Rams’ only returning players. Luckily, they looked tremendous during the fall competition. The same can be said for Fordham’s five newcomers — three transfers and two freshmen — who have impressed during the fall season’s slew of exhibition tournaments.
The tight-knit eight-woman team, led by coach Michael Sowter entering his sixth year with a 43-
20 overall record, got their best taste of competition yet at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s regional tournament. The team took a trip to the University of in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, playing qualifiers on Thursday, Oct. 10, and participating in singles and doubles tournament play on Friday and Saturday.
Among the new faces at Rose Hill is junior Illinois State University transfer Nevena Koleric, who stood out in a talented field. Koleric was the lone Ram to advance to the round of 16 in tournament play, even taking a set from the tourney’s fifthranked player, Columbia University’s Malak El Allami, before ultimately falling, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6. Before then, she took a three-set win in qualifiers and completed a sweep of a ranked player. The Rams were particularly excellent in singles last year, and Koleric seems poised to keep up that reputation come spring. Elsewhere, Rams of new and old won matches. Former Campbell University Camel, sophomore Lily Chitambar, won two qualifiers in dominant fashion, never dropping a set. Freshman Paola Ueno Dalmonico
Men’s Cross Country IC4A 12th/24 Teams
Women’s Cross Country ECAC Championship 9th/20 Teams
Women’s Tennis Fordham Invitational NTS (No Team Scoring)
Men’s Tennis ITA Northeast Regionals NTS (No Team Scoring)
Men’s
Women’s
Men’s Golf Nassau Intercollegiate Day 1 T9th (13 Teams) Day 2 10th (13 Teams)
swept her opponent in the qualifying play, too. Dalmonico, Bergmann and freshman Catalina Padilla Udaeta each picked up wins in straight sets in the consolation bracket, too.
The crew also fared rather well in the doubles competition. Sowter put together three duos: Chitambar and Bergmann; Udaeta and Kolarevic; and Nguyen and Dalmonico. In round one, they obliterated the competition, 8-4, 8-2 and 8-2, respectively.
In the round of 32, all three Fordham pairings lost in straight sets. However, the duos were all matched with ranked opponents, and each put up valiant efforts, losing by scores of 8-4, 8-5 and 8-6, respectively. Doubles were a weak spot for the Rams last spring; we’ll see which pairings emerge as Sowter’s favorites as the fall season wanes on.
The team will look to build off a generally successful outing this week at the A-10 Individual Championships in Davidson, North Carolina. Winners can qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships beginning in late November.
News &
Notes
Men’s Basketball Bests Holy Cross
Fordham Men’s Basketball began their preseason slate this past Saturday, squaring off against the College of the Holy Cross in a charity game to benefit Able Athletics. Although the game would not be recorded in any official record books, the Rams still fought tooth and nail from the tip, eventually earning a hard-fought 67-64 victory following a timely 18-5 run in the second half. Fordham flexed their depth throughout the game, receiving contributions from just about everyone: newcomer and senior transfer Jackie Johnson III led the Rams in scoring with his game-high 20 points, junior forward Romad Dean chipped in a crucial 17 points and seven boards, senior Japhet Medor contributed 16 points and four assists of his own and freshman Ryan Pettis opened his Fordham account with a solid seven points. The Rams certainly showed flashes of brilliance on both ends of the court throughout Saturday’s game, giving Fordham Basketball hope that they will be able to reclaim the energy and prowess that birthed Rose Thrill just a couple of years ago. In terms of what is next for Fordham Basketball, they are slated to play yet another benefit exhibition game for Able Athletics, a date with the Retrievers of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, looming large on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2 p.m.
Water Polo Receives High Honors
Fordham Water Polo continues to stack up the accolades, as the now fifthranked Rams saw two of their star players, senior goalkeeper Thomas Lecari and senior attacker George Papanikolaou, receive nominations for the Cutino Award Watch List — a list of the 20 best athletes in the current college game as voted upon by coaches from across the country. While this is Lecari’s first time receiving such a high honor, this is notably Papanikolaou’s second time being put on the watch list, the 2023 ACWPC All-American having found himself chosen as an honoree last year as well. The winner of this highly prestigious award is to be chosen at a later date, and with the way that Lecari and Papanikolaou are currently playing for the juggernaut that is Fordham Water Polo, don’t be too surprised to see either of their names etched upon the final award.
By GRIFFIN STEVENSON ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Daniel D’Ippolito skips past a defender on the break to seal the game at home for the Fordham Rams.
-Compiled by Griffin Stevenson
Who is to Blame for Bryce Young’s Struggles?
By GRACE McCARRON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Bryce Young’s benching after Week 2 was surprising to much of the National Football League. For the Carolina Panthers to turn their backs on their 2023 first-overall pick so early into his second season, things had to get really bad.
And they did get really bad. In their first two games of the season, the Panthers lost to the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers by a combined 60 points. Young threw three interceptions and no touchdowns during that period.
Coming off a 2-15 season in 2023, where head coach Frank Reich was fired in the middle of the season after losing 10 of 11 games, this was not an ideal situation. The player whom the Panthers faithful thought would be their savior looked like anything but that.
However, it is difficult to place all the blame on Young himself. Sure, he has physical factors working against him: Young is 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, small and slight for an NFL quarterback. He has also had problems with his footwork throughout his whole career, which has shown itself more in the NFL than in college because of the talent that surrounded Young at the University of Alabama and the weaker defenses in college. But a big
part of his lack of success in his first two seasons is the Panthers’ organizational failures during his developmental stage and putting the wrong pieces around him.
In his college career at Alabama, Young had one head coach: the legendary Nick Saban. It’s rare for college players to have this kind of consistency. Going from that environment to having your head coach fired halfway through the season in your rookie year hurts a young player’s development immensely. It’s difficult to blame Young for struggling when his coach was fired while he was still settling into the NFL, which is already such a jump from
college. In the 2024 season, Young is already working with his third head coach, third quarterback coach and second offensive coordinator of his career. Having all these different people in his ear would make it difficult for most young quarterbacks to adjust to a new system.
The lack of assets around Young is another issue. Adam Thielen was his primary wide receiver last season, having led the team with 103 receptions and 1,014 yards, but he is now on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Their offensive line when Young was drafted was young and lacking in pro experience.
All of these factors come together to put Young in a situation unideal for his progression into a quarterback fit for an NFL starting job. Even though it’s been rocky for him so far, it is far too early to call him the worst draft bust in recent memory. Plenty of guys with slow starts to their careers end up figuring it out down the line, whether that be with the team that drafted them or elsewhere. The most prominent example in recent NFL memory is Sam Darnold. Darnold did not find immediate success after being drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018 but is now doing extremely well with the
Minnesota Vikings after their starter JJ McCarthy got hurt. A change of scenery might do the trick for Young, or he might just need more time to get himself off the ground. It’s also important to recognize that this is a hard situation for the rest of the players on the Panthers. The choice to bench Young after Week 2 showed that the organization thought starting Andy Dalton gave them a better chance to win, and take the season in a winning direction overall. This might have been due to the thought that a new guy, especially one with as much experience as Dalton, could spark the offense. The other players on the team are, of course, concerned with winning and want whoever gives them the best chance to win to be out there. However, it is also important that Young is given time to develop and settle into head coach Dave Canales’ system, to perhaps establish himself as their long-term solution at quarterback. You cannot give up on the season two weeks in, but giving up on your guy that early leaves a bad taste in the mouth as well. Overall, the Panthers have to choose whether they are willing to put Young in a situation where he can succeed by giving him weapons and working out the kinks, or if they want to try and find the answer elsewhere.
Women’s Soccer Thanks Its Seniors
By GRIFFIN STEVENSON ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham University fell to the University of Rhode Island last Sunday in the battle of the Rams on Senior Night. After a scoreless first half, URI sophomore forward Lauren MacDonald found freshman midfielder Kaia Rice for a header at the back post to put the Rams from Rhode Island on top, 1-0. MacDonald got a goal of her own in the 67th minute after she received a through ball from senior teammate Tierra Garniss, slotting it home for her fifth goal of the season. The match finished 2-0 as Rhode Island’s freshman goalkeeper Chelsea Mohammed tallied five saves to complete her first shutout of the year. With the loss, Fordham moved to 8-3-3 (3-1-2 conf.) on the season, good enough for fifth in the A-10, although they have played an extra match. Despite the loss, the match provided an opportunity to
honor the contributions of seniors Abby Doyle, Carmen Hardwick, Ryann Lucas, Tristan McFarlane, Fernanda Serna and Madison Soucey, and graduate student Abby Borchers.
Doyle transferred to Fordham in 2021, coming over from the United States Military Academy. She immediately made an impact, earning team MVP honors for her contributions and starting all 17 games in 2022. She was named tricaptain for the 2023 season, playing in 14 contests and notching a goal and an assist. In her final season, she was named co-captain alongside junior teammate Ella Guth.
Hardwick started off her Fordham career with some bad luck. She missed the entire 2021 season due to injury. Hardwick returned determined, making significant goal contributions throughout her time with the Rams. Off the field, she earned a spot on the A-10
Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all three seasons.
Lucas transferred to Fordham from St. Mary’s College in California. She instantly made an impact with her 2022 campaign and was selected to the A-10 All-Rookie Team. Lucas made 15 appearances in 2023 before stepping into a tricaptain role in 2024 when her teammate, Doyle, fell injured.
McFarlane transferred to the Rams from the University of Hartford in 2022. She made an immediate impact during the 2022 season, starting all 17 games. In 2023, she was named to the CSC Academic All-District list and started 15 out of 16 matches. In 2024, McFarlane was asked to move
into a defensive role following Doyle’s injury, and she has shown immense dedication, helping the Rams in their so-far successful season.
Serna has been a staple in Fordham’s midfield since she joined in 2021. During her time in the Bronx, she has played a total of 2,067 minutes, registering three career assists and a goal. Serna has played in 12 matches so far in 2024, continuing her legacy of dependability and drive.
Soucey joined the program alongside Serna and Hardwick in the 2021 season, making five starts and earning a spot on the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, an achievement she’s maintained since. In the 2023
season, she recorded a careerhigh 800 minutes for the Rams, providing valuable midfield play. So far this season, she’s helped the Rams in six matches.
Borchers joined the squad this year as a transfer from the University of California, Berkeley, where she played over 50 games for the Golden Bears. Her time out west included a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. This year, she served as a leader of her fellow forwards while registering four goals and two assists on 14 appearances. The program will surely miss these seniors greatly, but they still have work to do as Fordham has officially clinched an A-10 playoff berth.
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
COURTESY OF X
In a matter of just 18 months, Bryce Young has gone from the NFL’s next superstar to its biggest bust.
Graduate student Abby Borchers got A-10 Player of the Week laurels after posting three goals in two matches.
The Rams clinched a playoff spot after defeating St. Bonaventure this week.
COURTESY OF DIEGO MARTINEZ-REYES FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Moody Makes History as Fordham Volleyball Gains Momentum
By JOE HENRY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
In a five-year career defined by dominance, graduate student Whitley Moody has saved her most dominant stretch of play for her final run with Fordham University Volleyball. While The Fordham Ram took a week off for midterms, Moody took no time off, playing every point of every set in some of the Rams’ most pivotal matchups, leading the team to its first two conference victories and setting a monumental record in the process.
In 1992, Val Bosticco set a Fordham record for career kills, notching 1,443 over a prolific four-year tenure. 33 years later, Moody stands alone atop Fordham Volleyball’s highest mountain: in set one of play against the University of Rhode Island two weeks ago, with her family in attendance, Moody slammed home her 1,444th kill. Now cemented among, if not above, the greatest players to ever don the maroon and white, Moody celebrated by kicking off the best five-game stretch of play in her illustrious career.
While Fordham underwhelmed against Rhode Island, getting swept by the team picked almost unanimously to finish last in the Atlantic 10, Moody managed to tally 16 kills on .308 hitting, adding nine digs and a pair of service aces.
As the Rams took the I-95 back to Fordham for a backto-back against George Mason University, Moody’s momentum spread to the rest of the team. In an all-encompassing effort, the Rams knocked off GMU for their first conference win in a thrilling five-set duel. Moody, of course, led the way: she finished with 18 kills, four aces and eight digs.
She wasn’t alone, though. With the Rams facing a 1-0 deficit in the match, junior Zoe Talabong checkwed in for just her 22nd set of the season. Talabong was a premier player on the attack for Fordham in 2023. This year, until this very set, she was seldom given the opportunity to shine. However, Talabong was resilient, keeping her head up as a stout GMU front blocked her first kill attempts. She made up for this tough start with a slew of hustle plays and an all-important trio of momentum-swinging kills to help the Rams surge from a 1511 deficit to a 25-23 win, knotting the match at one.
Unphased by the Rams’ relentlessness, the Patriots came out strong in set three, crushing 13 kills en route to a 25-14 set victory — Fordham, who entered play 0-5 in the A-10, would need contributions from top to bottom in order to flip the script and finally enter the win column.
That contribution came in the form of freshman Bridget Woodruff. The lefty right-side hitter gave the Rams a desperately needed jolt when she entered the game in set four after sitting out the game’s first 139
points. Woodruff skied for a block immediately, causing the bench to erupt. The next point, she cut an attack off a pair of Patriot blockers to give the Rams a 9-2 lead. Fordham cruised to a 25-14 win, sending the match to a pivotal fifth frame.
In the race to 15, GMU burst out in front. With the scoreboard reading 13-8, Patriots, it seemed like the Rams were in for yet another heartbreaking loss.
After a Patriots service error, senior Ryan Naumann stepped to the back line. Naumann was relegated to a service specialist role for the game after spending much of the season as the squad’s lead libero. In her absence, both sophomore Lola Fernandez and freshman Özge Özaslan turned in quite productive performances, digging out a whopping 16 and seven GMU attacks, respectively.
Despite the reduced role, Naumann made her imprint with Rams’ backs against the wall. Subbing in for freshman middle blocker Sophia Kuyn, who had a staggering six-block afternoon, Naumann immediately delivered an ace to make it 13-10. The Patriots thus chose to regroup and called a timeout; however, it made no difference, Naumann drilling another ace on a line drive, 13-11. Naumann delivered another clean serve, putting GMU on the defensive; a weak attack attempt gave sophomore Lorenza Rosenkilde a chance to stuff the Patriots at the net, 13-12.
As Naumann readied to serve her fourth consecutive point, no one in the gym could’ve imagined the events that would follow. Naumann’s serve was another good one, but GMU’s return was even stronger, putting the Rams on their heels. In a display of tenacity that perfectly encapsulates the effort and irrepressible spirit of this Rams team, Talabong, Naumann and Moody all dove to the hardwood to save the ball — and the game — before Moody regained her footing and unleashed a ferocious strike, tying the game and bringing nearly the entire Fordham bench to their knees in awe and wonder.
There are some moments in sports whose brilliance remains etched in your memory for ages, and there are some moments in sports that epitomize the legendary nature of a player: this was both.
Having completed an unconscionable comeback to even the score, the Rams still needed two more points. However, the Patriots called timeout to disrupt the Rams’ groove, successfully stymying the Rams’ run by netting a crucial kill to go up 14-13. With the match on the line, Rosenkilde and sophomore Whitney Woodrow rose to the occasion — literally — and defiantly blocked the Patriots’ game-winning spike. Woodrow, who delivered a stunning 28 assists, 20 digs and three blocks, the latter two numbers being career bests, took to the service line.
Following a clean serve from Woodrow, Fernandez hit the deck to receive a hard-hit GMU attack, helping to return the ball to GMU’s side, where they made a critical attack error, giving Fordham its first lead of the set.
With the match hanging in the balance, Fordham head coach Ian Choi dropped to a crouch, his hands clasped in prayer — a prayer answered by Moody. The all-time greatest attacker in Rams history uncorked a hit for the ages, finding enemy hardwood and causing a frenzy at midcourt, where the entire Fordham team stormed her in celebration.
It was, without a doubt, the
most exhilarating and rewarding game of the Rams’ season, and no better occasion for the acquisition of their first A-10 win.
The next day, a taxed Rams squad put together a solid, but outmatched, three sets of play in a GMU sweep. Moody dazzled once more, notching 18 kills, six digs, three aces and two blocks. Woodrow was exceptional, too, racking up 30 assists and 19 digs. Meanwhile, Talabong continued to prove her worth with a season-high 16-dig output.
Fordham had sets two and three in their grasp before late Patriots runs flipped the script. Play was even in set three, with Fordham hanging on to a lead, eventually bringing the score to 24-21. As the Patriots began to rally, the Rams called timeout and freshman Mila Micunovic did the worm as a rallying act. However, her impressive rendition was not enough, as GMU still earned a 26-21 comeback victory, clinching the sweep in an act of redemption for their crushing loss the day prior.
After catching their breath, the Rams boarded the bus for another road trip, venturing to Pittsburgh for two contests with the Duquesne University Dukes. In game one, the Dukes initially outplayed the Rams, cruising to a 25-20 set one win. From there, it was nothing but Moody Madness. She tormented the Dukes’ back row to the tune of 25 kills — a career-high in a career of highs. The performance set a
team record in addition to a personal record, with her 25 hammers being the most of any Fordham player of all time in a four-set match.
Talabong continued her own respective stellar play, racking up another 15 digs. Naumann got some reps in as the team’s lead libero, adding 13 digs and four aces as her stellar serving stretch carried over into Pittsburgh. Junior Mackenzie Colvin got in the mix, as well, setting up 19 Fordham kills in a season-best showing — she also played an instrumental role in raising awareness for Muscular System Atrophy (MSA) during the GMU series, when the team partnered with Mission MSA to raise $1,000 for the cause.
The Rams clinched a crucial 3-1 win, 20-25/25-18/2523/25-18, their second triumph in as many weeks. Similar to their GMU series, though, the team came out flat on the latter half of the back-to-back. Much like the week before, Fordham played decently while their opponent played better. Fordham snatched set two, but Duquesne took one, three and four, ending the weekend on the right note.
Moody continued her torrid stretch with 20 kills on .305 hitting, while Talabong tacked on 10 more. Moody now ranks second in the A-10 in kills/set with 3.85; Naumann led the way defensively with 19 digs; Moody added 15 and Talabong had 12, while Rosenkilde and Kuyn went on to post five and four blocks, respectively, in a stout defensive turnout. After the loss, the Rams stand at 2-7 in-conference, good for ninth in the A-10 and two games out of the sixth and final playoff spot. Their road to the postseason will get harder before it gets easier, though.
As Fordham returns to Rose Hill for a two-game bout with the A-10’s juggernaut, a Dayton University squad ranked number 20 in the nation, the Rams will look for another dose of Moody Magic in hopes of handing the Flyers their first loss in over a month. The matches will be played Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Rose Hill Gymnasium — attendance ought to be mandatory for every student and alumnus as one of the conference’s greatest-ever players wages war against one of the conference’s greatest-ever teams.
Whitley Moody etched her name into the Fordham Volleyball record books, becoming the program’s all-time leader in kills.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Volleyball has been improving recently, winning their first two conference games of the season in dramatic fashion.
Holy Cross Triumphs in Ram-Crusader Cup for Eighth Straight Season
By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
When it comes to Patriot League football, you’d be hardpressed to find a more exciting rivalry over the last decade than Fordham University and the College of Holy Cross.
The past few iterations of the Ram-Crusader Cup have been marked by high-scoring offenses, wild finishes and, much to the dismay of the Rams, Holy Cross victories.
The 39th Ram-Crusader Cup, hosted by the Crusaders in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Oct. 12 this season, may not have delivered the highpowered offense fans have grown accustomed to. It did, however, provide an exciting finish and yet another Holy Cross victory, as the Crusaders emerged triumphant 19-16, notching their eighth straight win against the Rams and dealing Fordham a devastating conference loss in the process.
The Rams sink to 0-7 on the season but, more importantly, fall to 0-2 in Patriot League play. No team has ever won a share of the conference title with two or more losses in Patriot League history since its founding in 1986. It’s yet another gut-punch in a season that’s provided plenty, as Fordham watches their playoff hopes dwindle in mid-October.
Fordham entered the 2024 season picked third in the Patriot League’s preseason poll and was one of just three teams to receive a first-place vote. Unfortunately, the Rams’ conference schedule kicked off with back-to-back games against the conference’s coreigning champs, leaving little room for error.
The Rams had battled well against Lafayette College in their Patriot League opener, but a comeback effort fell just short in a 28-23 defeat during Family Weekend at Rose Hill. Nonetheless, Fordham hoped they could take the positives from a hard-fought game against the Patriot League’s preseason favorites into a crucial matchup against the Holy Cross Crusaders. Yes, Fordham was fighting for their playoff hopes. But some matchups carry extra weight. Safe to say, this rivalry is one of them.
Fordham and Holy Cross’ history dates back to 1902. The Ram-Crusader Cup was introduced in 1951 and has occurred annually since the Rams revived their Division 1 football program and joined the Patriot League. There’s a storied history between these two programs, and it makes for excellent scene-setting — but it’s the recent history that’s come to define the current state of this rivalry.
Holy Cross has staked a claim in the last five Patriot League titles, winning the first four outright before sharing the honor with Lafayette in
2023. The Crusaders’ loss to Lafayette last season marked just their second conference defeat since 2019. Simply put, Holy Cross has been dominant. And they’ve had some of their wildest wins against the Rams.
In 2022, the Crusaders handed Fordham their only conference loss of the season, defeating a Rams squad led by Tim DeMorat in overtime with a double reverse on a two-point conversion to secure a 53-52 win. Last season, Holy Cross stopped senior running back Julius Loughridge on a twopoint conversion attempt to seal a 49-47 win in regulation. It’s no secret that the Crusaders have served as the main roadblock to Fordham’s hopes for a Patriot League title.
But while Holy Cross eyes a sixth straight title this season, they do so without being the consensus team to beat. That’s because no team in the Patriot League had lost more talent going into the 2024 season than Holy Cross.
Bob Chesney, who became the first head coach to win five straight Patriot League titles, accepted the head coaching job at James Madison University, taking the Patriot League’s career leader in tackles Jacob Dobbs and several other key starters with him. Wide receiver Jalen Coker and right guard CJ Hanson both landed in the NFL, with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs respectively. Perhaps most notably, All-American quarterback Matthew Sluka transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for his graduate season.
Despite the roster overhaul, the Crusaders remained a challenging foe, now led by head coach Dan Curran.
While neither Holy Cross nor Fordham had flourished to start their season, the stakes and intensity remained high.
Both offenses stumbled out of the gate, as strong 30 mph gusts of wind in Massachusetts made throwing the football a very difficult endeavor. With Fordham’s junior quarterback Jack Capaldi and Holy Cross’ senior gunslinger Joe Pesansky unable to find any form of rhythm throughout the first half, both sides were forced to settle for field goals.
Freshman kicker Bennett Henderson connected on a pair of field goals, including a career-high 52-yarder, which gave the Rams a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Head coach Joe Conlin had a chance to seize a two-score lead late in the first half with the Rams knocking on the door of the red zone and his kicker in range. Instead, he opted to keep the offense out for a fourth-and-2 attempt. Capaldi was swallowed up on a read option, allowing Holy Cross to drive down the field and kick a field goal as time expired.
Nonetheless, the Rams had a 6-3 lead at halftime. The question was, would they be able to keep it?
Former Fordham punter John O’Friel was quick to warn the WFUV Sports radio booth that the Rams had entered halftime tied or leading in the last five matchups against the Crusaders but ultimately fell short in all five.
O’Friel’s warning proved to be a wise one.
Daniel Porto connected on a 46-yarder early in the third quarter, evening the game 6-6. Fordham answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from Loughridge, but Pesansky was
season against Patriot League opponents. Unfortunately, it might not be enough to change the ultimate outlook of the season. Fordham’s fate is likely sealed with two losses to open conference play — the Patriot League title and FCS playoffs are all but out of reach, a disappointing result for a team that entered with high expectations.
Despite the loss, the game had no shortage of impressive personal achievements.
Henderson’s 52-yard field goal in the first quarter marks the longest in the Patriot League this season. He’s the first Fordham kicker to make a 50-plus yarder since Andrew Mevis in 2018, an impressive feat for anyone, let alone a freshman. Throughout seven games, Henderson is a perfect 12-12 on extra points and sixof-eight on field goals, with his only two misses being a 56-yarder and a blocked kick, both against Dartmouth College.
quick with a response of his own, finding tight end Jacob Petersen in the end zone.
Deadlocked in a 13-13 tie entering the fourth quarter, the Ram-Crusader Cup was going down to the wire once more.
Henderson’s leg would give Fordham a 3-point advantage early in the fourth as the freshman connected on his third field goal of the day, becoming the first Ram to hit three field goals in one game since 2017.
However, Henderson’s effort sadly became a footnote in yet another Holy Cross comeback effort. Taking advantage of two Fordham face mask penalties, the Crusaders marched into the red zone. Pesansky connected with Petersen for the second time, throwing a jump ball into the back of the endzone for a 3-yard touchdown. Holy Cross assumed their first lead of the day, leading 19-16 with just over six minutes to play.
Porto missed the extra point to keep it at a 3-point deficit, but the Fordham offense was held silent on their two final drives, sealing a Holy Cross victory. It’s yet another frustrating entry in the RamCrusader Cup for the maroon and white as the trophy remains in Massachusetts, where it’s stayed since 2017.
It’s a difficult pill to swallow for a Fordham squad that, despite a maddening injury to their starting quarterback, has managed to remain competitive against two of the top teams in the conference and the two reigning champions.
A 5-point loss to Lafayette and a closer 3-point loss to Holy Cross are far from embarrassing outcomes, and it very well may bode well for future matchups this
The defense did its part, successfully neutralizing the Crusaders’ dynamic offense and limiting them to just 19 points. It’s Holy Cross’ lowest output against a Patriot League opponent since 2018, which ironically was a 17-13 win over Fordham.
“I thought the defense played their tails off,” reflected Conlin. “Offensively we have to throw and catch better and we couldn’t really get the ground game going in the second half.”
Capaldi ended his outing completing 10 of 28 passes for 199 yards, while Loughridge was held to a season-low 53 yards, averaging just 2.9 per carry. Despite reduced production in his last two games, Loughridge still leads the Patriot League with 94.3 yards per game.
“I’m so proud of how the guys played and their effort. It’s just frustrating,” said Conlin, who fell to Holy Cross for the seventh time as head football coach at Rose Hill.
Star senior James Conway, meanwhile, is on a quest to make history as the Rams’ All-Patriot League linebacker is quickly approaching both the Fordham record and the Patriot League record for career tackles.
After making his first start of the season against Lafayette in Week 6, Conway has amassed 30 tackles in just two games, thanks to a game-high 17 vs. Holy Cross. He boasts 417 tackles in his career — eight shy of tying the Fordham mark set by outside linebackers coach Ryan Greenhagen and 15 shy of tying the Patriot League record of 432 set by Dobbs, a five-year member of the Crusaders.
Conway will have a chance to break both records next week as the Rams come off of a bye week to take on a middling 3-3 Lehigh University squad. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. from the Mountain Hawks’s stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham Football continue to find themselves in utter freefall, dropping their seventh game in a row.