Volume 104 Issue 19

The Fordham Ram

Fordham Faces Potential Litigation Over Booster Mandate

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 20, the Mermigis Law Group sent a letter to President Tania Tetlow stat ing that a group of Fordham University community mem bers had retained the law group to fight the COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccination mandate. The group claimed they were looking into legal options to overturn the mandate.

James G. Mermigis and Kevin M. Barry signed the let ter to Tetlow. Mermigis is a senior partner and the owner of Mermigis Law Group.

Mermingis told the Bronx Times that the mandate vio lates students’ rights, espe cially since it came in the mid dle of the semester.

“They announce this after everyone has began their semes ter, after everyone has paid their tuition. That’s a breach of an im plied contract,” said Mermigis to the Bronx Times.

Mermigis did not respond to the Ram’s interview request.

Mermigis is working with a group of Fordham parents, stu dents, faculty and staff called

Walsh Library Museum Gets a Facelift

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

Fordham University’s antiquities museum, located in the William D. Walsh Family Library, is currently undergoing renovations and is pro jected to reopen in January 2023. The museum first opened in 2007 after alumnus William D. Walsh gifted over 200 pieces to the uni versity. The renovation is the first time the museum has undergone

restoration since its opening.

Although the museum is home to unique collections and serves as a resource for Fordham students, many students overlook its distinc tiveness. Jennifer Udell, curator of university art at Fordham, com mented that university tour guides often overlook the museum while giving tours to prospective stu dents. She said while giving tours, they often describe the museum as a quiet place to study rather than

acknowledge it as a unique cam pus resource.

“What’s important about the museum is that we’re the only university in NYC that has a teaching collection of antiquities for undergraduates,” said Udell.

In 2021, the Manhattan dis trict attorney’s office seized 99 artifacts from the univer sity museum. The artifacts are linked to Edoardo Almagà, an

Qu(e)ry Focuses on Experiences of LGBTQ+ Students

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Nov. 1, the Qu(e)ery sur vey was released to members of the Fordham community.

The survey aims to un derstand the experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students on the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses.

Sophomore Reworks

Physics

Lab

By ALICE GAALSWYK STAFF WRITER

Jackson Saunders, FCRH ’25, said that he wants to make in troductory physics lab courses at Fordham more engaging and effective. Over the summer, he conducted research on the current physics education and curriculum.

Saunders is double majoring in physics and philosophy and co-authored the latest lab man ual that the school is using for its introductory physics course. Now he is working as a teaching assistant in that lab class. Using standardized tests called concep tual inventories, Saunders can compare between a traditional introductory physics class and this newly designed lab course. He found that students learned more throughout the semester in the newer course, and they en joyed the class more.

In this lab course, Saunders applied a specific instructional framework known as peer in struction. Instead of a traditional classroom setting where the pro fessor lectures to the students, Saunders explained that peer instruction involves focusing on student engagement with each other within the classroom. In peer instruction, the students go through pre-prepared, supple mentary course material with each other while both the in structor and teaching assistants are present.

“What we find is that when the focus is placed on that peer-topeer interaction, students tend to learn better…they learn more and they learn it more in depth,” said Saunders.

While this framework has been applied to the lecture class es and the recitation classes in other schools across the country, Saunders wanted to see how it would function in the introduc tory lab class here at Fordham.

Fordham Ram Van Gets New Vans

By GRACE GALBREATH STAFF WRITER

Intercampus transportation at Fordham has undergone a change with the recent addition of 12 new vans to the “Ram Van” fleet. The Ram Vans provide a student shuttle service between

Fordham’s Lincoln Center, Rose Hill and Calder Center campuses as well as club and athletics ex cursions. They are generally re placed every five years.

The Department of University Transportation ordered 18 new vans in March 2021, but due to the global microchip shortage,

the arrival of the new vans was pushed back. Following the delay, six new vans arrived in November 2021, and recently, the remain ing 12 were delivered. Director of University Transportation, Plinio Gonzalez, GSB ’08, spoke about

The survey is spearheaded by four Fordham students,: Lilly Gieseke, FCRH ’23, Fareea Khan, FCRH ’24, Benedict Reilly, FCRH ’23 and Ethan Hammett, FCRH ’23. The group has been working on the Qu(e)ery since April 2022.

The survey is a part of Fordham’s Pride Alliance, specifically a sect called Pride Magis. Under Pride Magis, there are three different ini tiatives. The first is a prayer

Opinion

Culture

Capella Kickstarts

Fordham's Sustainable Steps Forward Sports Football Drops Huge Game Against

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Walsh Library is home to a collection of Greek and Etruscan donated to the university by William D. Walsh.

The new vans have upgraded technology and were designed to help improve the quality of the commute.

this issue

COURTESY

NICK DESILVA/

FORDHAM

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Oct. 27

Arthur Ave 10:10 a.m.

There was a fire alarm on Arthur Avenue. FDNY and Public Safety responded. Investigation revealed a faulty smoke detector. The alarm company responded and replaced the detector.

Oct. 27

Southern Boulevard 11:20 p.m.

Two non-Fordham com munity members reported that, as they were working to their car along Southern Boulevard, a silver Honda Accord stopped, and three males wearing ski masks exited the vehicle. One of the males said, “Give me every thing you got.” The offenders removed a backpack contain ing an iPhone 13, basketball sneakers and sweats. The complainants went to the pre cinct to make a police report.

Oct. 28

McShane Campus Center 9:13 a.m. There was a fire alarm in the McShane Campus Center. Investigation revealed that construction workers on the second floor triggered the alarm. FDNY did not re spond because the building was off-line.

Oct. 29

Loschert Hall 10:07 p.m.

Public Safety responded to a stuck occupied elevator in Loschert Hall. Seven students became stuck in between the first and second floors. FDNY responded and removed the students. There were no injuries.

Fordham Foundry Celebrates 10th Anniversary

By MICHELA FAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 27, the Fordham Foundry celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Foundry is Fordham’s entrepreneurial hub. Students and alumni can bring business ideas to the Foundry to get help cultivating them and can participate in compe titions to win funding.

The Foundry hosted an event in Costantino Hall at Fordham Lincoln Center to celebrate the anniversary. The event featured speakers who talked about the importance of entrepreneurialism.

In the past, multiple com panies have emerged from the Foundry, such as NorthNode, which “[connects] good-doers with the nonprofits they care about.”

Al Bartosic, executive direc tor of the Fordham Foundry, said, “It was great. There were about 200 people there, which far exceeded our ex pectations, so a lot of the en trepreneurial community of Fordham [came].” He added, “I had a little welcoming re mark that talked about what the Foundry has done and what it’s achieved in the last decade, and then we had some video clips from students and alumni founders.”

The event’s keynote speak er was John Kilcullen, FCRH ’81, and the creator of the “For Dummies” series. The “For Dummies” book series is an extensive collection of instructional guides that are generally not intimidating nor condescending.

“He started [the “For Dum mies”] business and he was very engaging. [He] talked about entrepreneurship and resilience. He talked about his journey in terms of founding that book series,” said Bartosic.

Following Kilcullen’s speech, there was a “Fireside Chat” with current Fordham entre preneurs. They talked about their experiences so far in creating start-ups. According to Bartosic, the event was a success and shows that entre preneurship is thriving at the university.

“The number of people at the event and the engagement, because they all stayed later than the event was supposed to

run, [shows] that entrepreneur ship is alive and well at Ford ham,” said Bartosic.

Bartosic also said that he felt like the event showed that per ception around entrepreneur ship, business and the Foundry is changing.

“I think that people think that on the business side of things, [think] Fordham is a finance and accounting school. I think on the liberal arts side of things, people think, ‘oh, business is a dirty word, and we don’t want to get involved in startups.’ But a lot of people that were there [were from] FCRH, FCLC, GSS, all entrepreneurs looking to start businesses that will make an impact. That to me was the biggest takeaway from the event that I was thrilled with,” said Bartosic.

Bartosic said that he is proud of the 10-year anniversary mark.

“It’s a milestone along the way. It achieves something,” he said.

Bartosic also noted the impact and the changes the Foundry has made along the way. Dur ing the event, Bartosic said some Fordham alumni said they wished the Foundry was around during their time.

Bartosic said that he is happy that Foundry has been able to expand its clientele through out the years and that students from all over Fordham, not just Gabelli, have been engaging with entrepreneurship.

“It’s become more open to all. When the Foundry first started,

it was a Gabelli-centric enter prise. You had to apply with a business idea, you had to get accepted into the Foundry to be a part of it and we changed that to just kinda say ‘look, anyone from any part of Fordham who is interested in starting a business, talking about a business, who wants to work on a business, wants to meet other people work ing on a business, come to the Foundry,’” said Bartosic. Looking towards the future, the Foundry has its annual competitions coming up. The Pitch Challenge where partici pants pitch business ideas and compete for funding, typically takes place in April. Battle of

This Week at Fordham

Wednesday Nov. 2

Bepler Commons 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

El Grito de Lares is hosting a Dia de los Muertos celebra tion which will include music, food (such as empanadas and horchata) and +time for social izing. They are also organizing an “ofrenda” at the Church.

Thursday Nov. 3

Dealy E-530 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Join A. Talha Yalta and IPED to discuss the geopolitical state of Turkey. Yalta has written numerous books on macroeconomics and econo metrics. The lecture is open to all.

Friday Nov. 4

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m.

Join Rodrigue’s in their Friday for a concert featuring the fol lowing artists: Golden Standard, Edd Pines and Katcha. Make sure to bring a friend; admis sion is free and it is sure to be a blast!

Saturday Nov. 5

Zoom 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.

The Graduate School of Education is hosting an open house via Zoom. Reg istration is accessible via their email list. Topics of discussion include their teaching and school psychology programs.

the Bronx, an entrepreneurship challenge against Manhattan College also usually takes place in April as well. Ram’s Den, a “Shark Tank” style competition, usually takes place in December.

“We’ve been around for 10 years, and we’re going to con tinue to help students on their entrepreneurial journey. [It] is worth celebrating,” said Bartosic.

After ten years of innovation and entrepreneurship, the Fordham Foundry’s legacy continues to grow as more Fordham students from across all the campuses con tinue to participate and compete in the Foundry competitions. In the next ten years, the entrepreneur ship at Fordham will continue to advance and flourish.

Sunday Nov. 6

University Church/Bepler 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Veterans Alumni Chapter is welcoming back Fordham veterans and ROTC for a “spe cial mass to honor their ser vice.” It will be followed by a reception in Bepler Commons. Register online.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

The Fordham Foundry celebrated its 10th anniversary on Oct. 27 in Constantino Hall at Lincoln Center.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The Fordham Foundry helps to cultivate student’s business ideas.

The LGBTQ+ Experience at Fordham University

FROM QU(E)ERY, PAGE 1

book created in collaboration with campus ministry that in cludes reflections, prayers and songs through a queer lens. The second initiative is Ignatian Q, a conference hosted at Fordham Lincoln Center in the spring that helps build a community for LGBTQ+ students in Jesuit schools. The last initiative is the Qu(e)ery.

The first Qu(e)ery at Fordham surveyed students in 2013. Jeff Lockhart, FCRH ’13, started the survey, looking into the LGBTQ+ student experience at Fordham. While the 2022 Qu(e)ery is based on Lockhart’s original survey, it aims to update the data to reflect the context of 2022.

“Now we are recreating the sur vey to just to check-in. But we have also altered some of the questions to be more applicable to today. We started by looking at [the original Qu(e)ery], we brought it into to day and now we are just continu ing to ask questions and keep this in context,” said Gieseke.

Gieseke said updating the origi nal Qu(e)ery is important because the queer experience has changed since 2013.

“A lot has changed, believe it or

not, since 2013 [...] I believe things have gotten better, we’ll know after we do the survey. Especially with what is happening at Yeshiva Uni versity and [other] legislation that is happening, it’s important to know what is happening on a smaller scale within the university so that the administration can better sup port the gender and sexual minori ties on campus.”

Reilly said that the survey is im portant because it can provide a “re alistic” view of what queer life is like at Fordham. He said that the results can help the Fordham administra tion understand what ways they can use support queer students.

“We want to hear students’ in sights on how Fordham can best help them so that we can, as the student body, better advocate for ourselves,” said Reilly.

The Qu(e)ery is open to all stu dents and features questions re garding what queer students’ expe riences have been like in class, talking to the administration, participating in extracurricu lar activities, interacting with other students, etc. According to Khan, the survey begins with questions about how queer stu dents feel about the resources that the university provides to

them and then goes into ques tions about student life.

“In this survey, we have an emphasis on intersectionality. We wanted to make sure to rec ognize the intersection between queer students and race, gender, religion, etc. The questions are pretty much evaluating all as pects of Fordham, like academic, social, [and more],” said Khan.

The Qu(e)ery collides in theme with a project Khan did a project for an anthropology class. They studied the intersection of reli gion and sexuality. For the proj ect, they interviewed queer stu dents and found there was a lack of knowledge about LGBTQ+ resources on campus, especially among First-Year and sopho more students.

“I think the survey would help other people know that resources are there and I think it would be good to gauge how many people know. Because just from inter viewing a few people, it seemed like a lot of people didn’t know about resources,” said Khan.

The Ram spoke to the group on Oct. 31, a day before the sur vey was released. The group de scribed sentiments of relief and excitement about its premiere.

“We’ve been working hard on it and we’ve shared it with a lot of people and we got pretty good feedback. It seemed like everyone was happy with it, we’re happy with it. So I’m excited to see what other people think of it,” said Khan.

According to the team, they will prepare a report on the survey’s general themes or patterns found

in the data for the university ad ministration. The survey results aim to better the experience of queer students at Fordham.

“[The Qu(e)ery] about giving a realistic understanding to per spective students, to current stu dents and to alumni about what the queer experience is like on campus,” said Reilly.

The Hellenic Society Celebrates Oxi Day

By EMMA KIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 28, the Hellenic Society celebrated Oxi Day.

The Hellenic Society is Rose Hill’s Greek Club, which meets biweekly and hosts a variety of events. Oxi Day celebrates the Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, refusing an ultima tum by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on Oct. 28, 1940, during World War II.

Benito Mussolini demanded that Metaxas allow the Italian army to have free passage to enter and occupy parts of Greece they needed. Mexatas then delivered a speech in French that translated to, “Then, it is war.” This phrase was changed to the shorter “Oxi,” which is Greek for “no.”

“It is important to celebrate because this is a national holiday

that does not get as much recog nition,” said the resident of the Hellenic Society Stella Bayiokos, FCRH ’23. “We figured having an event would be good to promote our club and culture while ben efiting the Fordham community.”

Demetrios Skoumbakis, GSB ’23, who attended the event, said the club is a way to connect with other people. “I always want to meet Greek people as I feel more like home this way.

The club, it’s something that I didn’t have at my old school and that’s the reason I am try ing to attend every event,” said Skoumbakis.

Bayiokos hopes that people realize that the club is “open to everyone and you do not have to [be] Greek.” At the event, they learned about the history of Oxi Day, socialized and ate

Greek food. There were gyros, rice, Greek dips and pita bread catered from Gyro World in Astoria.

This was the second annual cel ebration of Oxi Day for the club, which hosted a similar event last year. In addition to Oxi Day, the club brings a food truck in the spring, and there is Greek Night, where members, friends and alumni come together.

Maria Skevas, FCRH ’24, joined the Hellenic Society to connect with her culture. “I joined Hellenic Society to engage with a group that shares my culture, traditions and interests,” said Skevas. “As a Greek-American, the club bridg es two major parts of my iden tity. I am so glad to have found a community that I truly feel a part of at Fordham through the Hellenic Society.” The Hellenic Society has biweekly meetings

with different themes, such as bingo and group painting. They are also involved in other parts of the Fordham community, with intramural soccer, flag football and volleyball teams.

The Hellenic Society will also take part in a Greek dance team

that begins in November.

The club is involved with the surrounding New York commu nity and collaborates with other Hellenic Societies. “We do a lot of stuff,” said Bayiokos, “but it is mostly centered on social and cul tural [aspects] combined.”

USG Hosts Annual Costume Contest

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

Fordham’s United Student Government (USG) hosted its weekly meeting on Oct. 27.

The meeting was USG’s annual Halloween costume contest. Mem bers were invited to dress up and compete for best dressed.

The meeting opened with public concerns from the gallery. None were raised. The meeting then went into delegate reports. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) was the group with a delegate present and had no update.

The budget proposal for USG’s ops day was approved. The com mittee was allotted $171.46 to spend on food.

Vice President of Sustainability

Liz Shim, FCRH ’23, re-presented her proposal to bring back the re usable cups in Starbucks policy.

The updated proposal includ ed statements of support from the Lucy Conlin, FCRH ’25, chair of USG’s Dining Committee, and Deming Yuan, university dining contract liaison.

The proposal was passed. On Monday, Oct. 31, the Fordham Dining Newsletter announced that the policy is officially back in use. Customers can bring a re usable cup to the Starbucks in Dealy Hall and they will receive a $0.10 discount. USG voted on a giveaway item to donate to the Commuter Student Association’s (CSA) “Thanks-give-away.”

Thanks-give-away is an annual

fundraising event where par ticipants donate cans of food in exchange for an opportunity to win prizes. USG voted to do nate $200 of DCB.

Andrew Falduto, FCRH ’23, president pro tempore present ed USG’s statement on Iranian unrest. The letter shows sup port for the protests in Iran and condemns the regime. Falduto received approval from the Muslim Student’s Association (MSA) and described the letter as a “co-venture” between both groups.

USG is now awaiting a re sponse from the Middle Eastern Students Association (MESA) to see if they would like to join the letter. The statement was ap

proved pending minor changes.

Executive President Santiago Vidal, FCRH ’24, and Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, gave their update together.

Vidal announced that USG is finalizing its office hours. Coogan explained that she changed the Thursday meeting structure. She moved public concerns to be first and open floor to last. This will hopefully improve the meeting’s “flow.” Catherine McGlade, Ed.D., assistant dean for student involvement, announced that Leigh Weber is taking over as director of student formation in the Office of Student Involvement.

Jillian Choy, GSB ’24, vice pres ident of operations announced that “ops day” is on Nov. 9.

She said that this year clubs will be notified if they are sanctioned, which has not been done in years past. Choy presented the Diversity Action Coalition (DAC) report for Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, vice president of diversity and inclusion. DAC had conversa tions with athletics about diversity training for athletes.

Alex Chavez, GSB ’23, vice president of finance and budgets, announced that budget day is Dec. 4, and they received approx imately $47,000 of additional funds to allocate to clubs.

The meeting then moved on to the senate reports. Senator Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, said he is working on a proposal to expand menstrual products on campus.

Students help First-Year students move into their residence halls.

COURTESY OF MARIA SKEVAS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Oxi Day celebrates when the Greek Prime Minister refused occupation.

COURTESY OF LILLY GIESEKE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The results of the survey will tell the univeristy how to help LGBTQ+ students.

Fordham Student Rethinks Physics Course

FROM PHYSICS, PAGE 1

To measure the effectiveness of this peer instruction-oriented lab class, Saunders is using two main tests. The first one is called the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), a standardized metric to see if stu dents enjoyed learning science more. It also tests whether or not students learned the mate rial better if they enjoyed learn ing more. The other test that Saunders is employing is called the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), which is given to students before and after taking the class in order to measure how well students actually learned the specific concepts that are being taught in the course. These tests will also be compared to tradi tional lab classes.

Being a physics major himself, Saunders took this introductory class at Fordham and noticed some problems with how the course currently operated. The most glaring problem he noted was that he found the course was unengaging for students. It was difficult for them to sit there and do the work. Previously, Saunders had also worked as a physics teaching assistant at his high school, where the students were taught using this peer in struction framework.

“So I came to college, and I’m sitting in these 40-person lecture classes, and it just feels terrible; it takes so much more effort and you don’t get as much out of it. As someone who wants to major in it and who loves physics, that was so painful … I

really like the field and I wanted more people to enjoy it,” said Saunders.

In order to rectify this issue, Saunders reached out to his advi sor, Christopher Aubin, Ph.D, to see if he could research a method of re-working the course to make it more engaging.

For the first part of his re search process, Saunders con ducted an extensive literature review of existing material that had been written about physics instruction, trying to figure out what works in the classroom and what doesn’t. However, Saunders quickly realized that while the information he learned was valu able, he needed to focus more specifically on the introductory lab itself and how to improve it. Then, he started working on writ

ing the lab, doing things like creat ing his own diagrams from scratch and sending them to Aubin for editing.

From his work as a teaching as sistant, Saunders says that he has already noticed a significant differ ence between the class that he took and the newly designed class.

“When I took the class, you just talked to your lab partner. What I’m seeing in this class is sometimes you’ll have this mass glob of like eight students, all trying to figure out the same problem, and you see them do ing exactly what the literature describes, which is arguing and debating what the correct an swer is,” said Saunders.

Saunders thinks that in terms of collaboration, efficacy of commu nication and enjoyment, there is

something qualitatively different about this newly designed course and the one that he took previ ously at Fordham. Although this topic is something that Saunders is really interested in continuing to study in the future, he rec ognizes some of the underlying problems that make it a difficult goal to achieve. Often, Saunders feels like professors don’t take the concerns of undergraduate students seriously, making wide spread physics education reform a tough task to accomplish. How ever, this has also been a reward ing experience for Saunders in some respects.

“It’s really cool to see them looking at the material that I cre ated, and then learning from it; it’s a really rewarding and grati fying feeling,” Saunders said.

Fordham Hosts Event on Nuclear Weapons

By SAMANTHA MINEAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

“Nuclear weapons are an ex istential threat to mankind,” said Rose Gottemoeller, for mer Deputy Secretary General of NATO, in conversation with her fellow panelists and audi ence.

On Oct. 26, the Center for Religion and Culture at Fordham University held a panel titled “New Nukes and New Risks: The Peril of Nuclear Weapons in an Unstable World.”

The contributors included the aforementioned Gottemoeller, Maryann Cusimano Love, asso ciate professor of international relations at Catholic University of America and Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez-Robledo, deputy permanent represen tative of Mexico to the United Nations. The discussion was moderated by David Gibson, director of Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture.

Gibson spoke first, emphasizing

the importance of nuclear disar mament, not only in the eyes of the Catholic Church but for the sake of international order. The proliferation of nuclear weapons poses a severe threat to the sanc tity of our world and jeopardizes billions of lives.

On behalf of the Center for Religion and Culture, Gibson gathered the panel in an effort to place a new spotlight on nuclear disarmament in the wake of the ever-escalating Russo-Ukrainian conflict, where Putin has threat ened to use nuclear weapons. The former Deputy Secretary General concurred, pointing to the wider issue of potential nuclear warfare, a looming threat since the Cold War. She stated that “the shock of the Cuban Missile Crisis indi cated to governments that they needed to participate in multi lateral negotiations for disarma ment.”

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a conflict between the United States and Soviet Russia during the Cold War. Nuclear war was

narrowly avoided thanks to na val officer Vasily Arkhipov, who prevented his crewmates from launching a nuclear attack. This event is largely credited with the rise of the nuclear disarmament movement, which advocates for the destruction of all nuclear weapons across the world.

“Quietly, behind the scenes, the U.S. and Russia have been work ing to implement a new START treaty,” said Gottemoeller, re ferring to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expired in 2009. The United States and Russia possess the most record ed nuclear weapons of any other countries and have historically worked towards disarmament in decades past.

“We have been successful in stigmatizing the existence and eventual use of nuclear weap ons,” said Gómez-Robledo. Re flecting on his time contribut ing and learning in the United Nations, he continued by say ing that “non-nuclear states like Mexico” have still contributed to

worldwide disarmament through the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which made Latin America a nuclear-free zone.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was put into force in 2021 by the UN and makes nuclear weapons effectively illegal to produce or use, in accor dance with international law.

Cusimano Love, echoing the statements of Gottemoeller and Gómez-Robledo, said that “we have made progress” but there are still things that need to be done — particularly regarding our public policy — if the world is to act ac cording to the Pope’s virtue. Pope Francis has said that a world with out nuclear weapons is necessary.

“I believe in the peace builder’s toolkit,” said Cusimano Love, in reference to the Institute of Peace’s ideas to extinguish conflict. There are six pillars: participation, resto ration, right relationships, recon ciliation and sustainability.

The first, participation, requires states to be willing participants and advocates of disarmament.

Restoration seeks to rebuild the world around the concepts of nu clear-free zones and compassion ate justice. “Right relationships” are a matter of dignity — not just for the United Nations’ P5 — but for smaller, weaker states and those without nuclear weapons. Reconciliation, though daunting to some, “is not impossible” ac cording to Cusimano Love. It is about public acknowledgement of failures, violence and restoring relationships from the ground up. Finally, sustainability — “a peace that lasts,” said Cusimano Love.

Events such as the cleanup of nuclear testing sites in Kazakhstan points to progress. The entire glob al community must be willing to participate, and common ground amongst those who have nuclear weapons needs to be achieved for the vision of a nuclear-free world to come to fruition.

“You don’t wait until times are good to do peacebuilding,” said Cusimano Love.

“We must imagine a world which includes your enemies.”

Fordham Museum in Walsh Library Shows off Art

FROM MUSEUM, PAGE 1 antiquities dealer, who was ac cused of illegally transporting relics from Italy to the U.S. The antiquities, valued at $2 million, were returned to Italy. All of the pieces seized were donated by William D. Walsh, who, un aware of their origin, bought the collection in good faith. With the loss of the antiquities, the museum was left with numer ous empty cases, prompting the renovation process.

“The impetus was 2021, and the renovations began this sum mer with the demolition of the existing display cases, refinish ing of the floors and now what’s happening is there’s some electri cal work being done and the new cases are going to be delivered and installed,” said Udell.

Renovations began in summer 2022, and the remaining pieces were de-installed and placed in storage. Once renovations are done, as many as 400-500 piec es will be put on view: mosaics, sculptures, Roman coin and new

antiquities such as a collection of bronze and terracotta figurines and Roman glass.

Udell is currently working with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to acquire standard loans and the Hispanic Society of America to acquire long-term loans for various pieces.

Udell is also negotiating longterm loans with Italy regarding the antiquities they seized dur ing the repatriation. Acquiring these loans will allow the uni versity to enter into an agree ment with the lending institu tion for a number of years while a standard loan period typically extends to six months.

“While they have every right to seize the object, they’re not all that exceptional in respect to what Italy has in their own museums. They’re likely going to be amena ble to lending us some of the stuff that they took,” said Udell.

Although 99 objects were re turned to Italy, Udell commented on the remaining significance of the museum, especially for stu dents: “It [the seizure of 99 ob

jects] doesn’t mean that it makes the collection any less valuable for students. It’s a real-life experience of what it means when you take on a collection like this.”

Udell described the renovation as “a whole reactivation of the gal lery.” When the museum reopens, visitors will be able to admire new, custom-built display cases, polished floors and numerous culturally-rich permanent collec tions. Before the renovations, the museum hosted university-related affairs such as Board of Trustee events. After the renovations, the university will be able to resume hosting events in the museum, and visitors will be able to admire the museum’s new look.

Udell noted that the experi ence post-repartition was a part of the learning process; the uni versity had to confront the prob lem of going about antiquitycollecting ethically.

“There’s a lot left, we still have a museum. It’s different, but it’s still a museum with a lot of interesting material,” said Udell.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM Fordham ’s museum was under fire for allegedly owning stolen art.

COVID-19 Booster Mandates Continues to Spark Controversy

“Fordham Together.” The group has advocated for the mandate’s repeal since its announcement on Sept. 26. They drafted a letter to Tetlow on Oct. 7, outlining the is sues they have with the mandate. Their letter states why they believe students should not be mandated to receive a booster shot and that Fordham is “one of the only uni versities requiring it.” Fordham is one of over 50 universities requir ing the bivalent booster.

According to Mermigis’ letter, Fordham Together never received a response from the university.

“By implementing its vaccine mandate,” said Mermigis and Barry in their letter, “Fordham University is deliberately taking away each student’s statutorily guaranteed right to decide wheth er to accept or refuse administra tion of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The university is doing so openly, without any regard for the per sonal and autonomous right of each student to choose whether they want to receive an unap proved and unlicensed medical product. Fordham is effectively forcing each student to choose between facing expulsion from Fordham or receiving an ex

perimental medical treatment to which they do not consent. As ex plained above, these vaccines and boosters have not been proven to prevent infection or transmission. Therefore, requiring that students receive these vaccines to prevent infection is unscientific.”

The letter asked the university to review the evidence included and revisit the choice to mandate the booster to “avoid litigation.”

“We are preparing to explore all legal options available to pro tect Fordham students and em ployees from discrimination or adverse actions based on their de cisions regarding whether or not to inject the most recent booster into their bodies,” wrote Mermigis and Barry in the letter.

Mermigis’ letter demanded a response from the university by Oct. 24. The Ram did not re ceive information from the uni versity, Fordham Together nor the Mermigis Law Group about whether or not the university responded.

In a statement to the Ram, Fordham Together confirmed their involvement with the law firm and that they are consider ing pursuing legal action against

the university if the mandate is not revoked.

Fordham Together said, “Fordham Together is a rap idly-growing group of parents, students and staff of Fordham University. We are proud to be part of the Fordham Ramily but feel that our concerns are not being heard despite numerous letters, calls and emails to the school. Members of Fordham Together are working with The Mermigis Law Group and whole heartedly agree with his letter to the president of Fordham University. Together we are considering litigation if the university does not revoke the vaccination mandate. Our next step will depend on the university’s response."

Fordham Together sent out a press release regarding their involvement with the Mermi gis Law Group. The release cit ed Mermigis’ past successes in cases involving COVID-19 vaccine mandates and oth er related COVID-19 rules or regulations. The New Yorker described Mermigis as the “an ti-shut down lawyer,” because he represented many business

es during 2020 that were forced to shut down because of the pan demic.

The Ram reached out to the university for comment about the potential threat of litigation. Bob Howe, associate vice president for communications & special adviser to the president, said in response:

“The university is not reconsid ering the vaccine/bivalent boost er mandate. The Jesuit teaching that runs through everything Fordham does is being people for others. The vaccine isn’t just about the needs of individuals, but about the community. Be ing fully vaccinated and boosted helps protect students, faculty and staff — some of whom are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of age or their individual medical histories.”

Howe defended the university’s choice to continue to mandate the bivalent booster shot.

“As an institution, we aren’t in a position to choose among the many COVID-19 studies — no small number of which are in con flict with each other. That's why we rely on the guidance from the CDC: It has both access to the sci

entific literature and the expertise to interpret the data and make recommendations based upon it. The CDC bases its guidelines on the work of many researchers, vi rologists and epidemiologists — a depth of experience and expertise beyond what can be expected from individual researchers or medical practitioners,” said Howe. “Mul tiple news outlets are reporting an increase in COVID-19 infec tions in the U.K. and Europe, including the new BQ.1.1 sub variant. In the past, infection spikes in the U.K. and Europe have presaged those in the U.S. We strongly suspect other insti tutions will be revisiting their vaccination policies this fall, if they have not done so already.”

The bivalent booster man date has sparked outrage in the Fordham community. Faculty members created and circu lated a petition asking for the mandate to be revoked.

Parents, faculty, students and staff gathered to protest the mandate on Oct. 14.

The mandate has also re ceived backlash in various stu dent forums and meetings over the past month.

Faculty Petition Supports Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Mandate

By JOSEPH CONNOLLY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 26, 2022, Fordham’s administration announced that the university would be requiring all students, faculty and staff to get the bivalent COVID-19 boost er vaccine by Nov. 1.

The administration cited CDC guidelines that recommended the booster shot to all those able to take it.

This announcement caused controversy on campus.

A group of faculty members signed a petition against the mandate. The petition claimed that “a realm of personal medical discretion and privacy must be preserved,” and that the vaccine mandate did the opposite. The

petition also referenced other uni versities in New York City, as well as the 27 other Jesuit universities in the United States, none of which are requiring the vaccine. Their pe tition currently has 115 signatures.

However, another group of fac ulty members created their own petition in support of the mandate.

Mark Naison, Ph.D., is one of five faculty members that has circulated a petition in support of Fordham’s vaccine mandate. The petition cur rently has 209 signatures. Naison is a professor of African American and History and the founder of the Bronx African American History Project. Naison said he is taking a Bronx-centric perspective in his ap proach to the vaccine mandate.

Naison said that when dealing with social policies of this nature

there will always be a balance between individual choice and community needs, and that in this very specific instance he views the needs of the commu nity as being stronger than those of individual choice.

“To me, a residential campus is a super-spreader place simi lar to a cruise ship,” Naison said. “Put this in front of the single most vulnerable community to COVID-19 in the entire United States when we look at infec tion rates and death rates, and I would rather err on the side of protecting this community rath er than giving people individual choice.”

For reference, the New York City government reports that the Fordham/Belmont community

transmission rate sits at about 6%, compared to a national average of 8.4% according to the New York Times COVID-19 tracker. The rate of full vaccination in the Bronx is about 78%, compared to a national rate of 68.4%.

Naison stated that his perspec tive stems directly from his contact with commuter students and with residents of the Bronx. Given the university’s high level of interac tion with the Bronx, especially con sidering the amount of commuter students and campus workers that live in the borough, Naison said he thinks that it is crucial that we con sider the entire community in our discussions about vaccines.

For this reason, Naison is also critical of the faculty’s petition against the mandate.

Naison said that as far as he knows when the faculty devel oped this petition “the whole question of the Bronx’s vulner ability was not even brought up.” He added, “The Bronx was not in the room. So now I am putting it back in the room,” said Naison.

Naison said Bronx community members he has spoken to also support the mandate.

“I’ve asked all the commuter students in my class if they support the mandate. To a per son, they do. I’ve asked all the Bronx community leaders if they support the mandate. To a person, they do. Somebody has to speak to them because their voice is often unheard on this campus,” said Naison.

Fordham Ram Van Adds New Vehicles to its Fleet

FROM VANS, PAGE 1

the importance of having a con sistent cycle of new, updated vans in service and ensuring all vans are properly maintained.

“We have 35, 15 passenger vans and most of the time they are all in-use,” said Gonzalez. “The older the vans get, the more often they have to get fixed. Because they are getting fixed, we can’t do additional charters or additional trips for athletics or send more people to Lincoln Center and back, so having these new vans now is extremely helpful.”

Gonzalez estimated that the Ram Van service transports ap proximately 7,500 students a week.

These trips include the char ter of athletic teams, clubs and departments to various offcampus activities, in addition to the regular daily transportation

services that take place between both campuses. While the num ber of students using the vans has increased in conjunction with the pandemic, Gonzalez also cites the rise in class popu lation following the entrance of the classes of 2025 and 2026, as a reason for increased demand.

Gonzalez, a Ram Van driver during his undergraduate time at Fordham, emphasized the im portance of safety when trans porting students, saying they have, “a responsibility to the Fordham community to have the safest drivers possible, and our drivers understand that respon sibility and take on that task of driving as safely as possible.”

In each Ram Van, the in stalled dashboard camera takes front and rear video that moni tors student drivers. It tracks if they are driving safely and fol lowing traffic rules.

Gonzalez added, “All vans

have telematics which track where the van is and how fast the van is going.”

New technological additions within the vans include a touch screen dashboard equipped with bluetooth connections and navigation abilities, a bet ter air conditioning system and additional USB charging ports throughout the vans.

Student Ram Van drivers cited an increase in the reli ability and smoothness of the new vans while driving. They also mentioned the new speaker system through out the vans as a positive.

Student driver Liliana Kinnan, GSB ’25, said, “I like the new vans because of the Google Maps and the Apple CarPlay features, and the ease of which I can play music.”

Other student drivers agreed that while the features in the new vans are helpful, getting

used to the change takes time. Tony Cueller, FCRH ’23, said, “I like the new vans, except some times the settings are a little dif

ficult to reach on the screen. The auto start is also difficult to access, but overall, the new vans are very nice.”

COURTESY

Some Ram Van drivers said that they like the new vans and technology.

R OPINION Casinos Create Chaos: Watch Out, New York

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By ALLY DUGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Casinos have been a topic of heavy debate in the past few months after Governor Kathy Hochul began plans to allow for three casinos to be built in New York, with one being pro posed in Times Square and an other in Hudson Yards. While casinos provide jobs, revenue and tourism for the city, they are only worth it if they have the potential to succeed longterm and are built with careful consideration.

In April, New York State ap proved the issuance of three new casino licenses. This was mostly due to a lobby effort by a variety of groups, but spe cifically the Hotel and Gam ing Trades Council, a group that ensures that gaming jobs in New York State are good, middle-class jobs.

Casinos have been found to have a great impact on lo cal revenue and employment. In 2021, Forbes reported that the nation’s casinos and gam ing mobile apps were esti mated to bring in $53 billion in revenue. Casino’s financial successes were specifically no table in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J. In Las Vegas, the city brought in more than $7 billion in revenue in 2021, and Atlantic City grossed around $2.6 billion. These lo cations are notorious casino and gambling hubs, with many tourists traveling to these loca tions solely for this type of en tertainment.

One of the major arguments

against casino buildings in New York City revolves around location. In an already over crowded city, a large casino seems unnecessary, especially in the proposed locations of Times Square and Hudson Yards, populated areas that at tract large swarms of tourists.

Casinos provide unique op portunities for specific areas in the country outside of New York. In a place like Valley Forge, Pa., a place close to my home town of West Chester, Pa., it is understandable why a casino is attractive for that area: there is nothing else to do.

In a place like New York, the opportunities are endless. A person visiting the city has the opportunity to visit the “nor mal” tourist spots that millions of people travel to see each year. What does a casino pro vide for the city? Would people truly travel to New York City solely for a casino?

Caesars Palace, an entertain ment staple of the Las Vegas strip, wants to build a casino location in Times Square. Marc Holliday, CEO of SL Green, NYC’s largest commercial land lord, stated, “We believe that Times Square offers the best location for a new resort casino that can attract tourists and benefit local businesses.”

With Caesars Palace spe cifically, there is an available rewards system, with the in tention that rewards mem bers would be able to use their benefits at local restaurants and hotels, promoting support for local and small businesses nearby. However, the location

choice of Times Square is con fusing. A prominent feature of Times Square, Broadway, does not even support casinos, as the area is already extremely busy. Its statement is blatantly anticasino, stating, “the Broadway League does not endorse a ca sino in Times Square.”

Dana Rubinstein, who cov ers New York City politics at The New York Times, noted that “critics worry that casinos bring an unsavory element to a neighborhood that’s already showing increasing signs of disorder and heightened vio lent crime.”

The overall crime index has risen more than 15% this year compared to the same pe riod last year, as reported in September. This increase, un fortunately, has been a month ly trend since the start of 2022.

The connection between casinos and crime is another hot topic. There is no official link between casinos and the production of more crime, but many studies have looked at casinos’ effects on gamblers in the area casinos are located in. One study has highlighted the tendency of male gamblers to

Editorial | Sustainability at Fordham

act violently towards others. This is the most worrisome fact for me, as casinos are an easy and accessible place to gamble for hours on end, of ten serving alcoholic bever ages. Putting a casino in the heart of New York City would be an unfortunate move, as it would only invite more crime and disorder in a city that has been consistently seeing a rise in crime and substance abuse. Gaming, betting and gam bling are inevitable. It is al ready happening in and around New York City, and having a central location for a “safe” bet ting site is important. However, I do believe that there needs to be careful consideration when building these new casi nos, with a dedicated team to thoughtfully choose a better lo cation for these activities. It will be interesting to see if the wellbeing of New York City citizens are considered before investing in a billion-dollar casino.

Ally Dugan, FCRH ’23, is a com municationandculturemajorfrom West Chester, P.A.

Fordham’s Sustainable Steps Forward

Earlier this week, the uni versity announced the return of the reusable cup discount at Starbucks. The announcement follows last week’s USG meet ing, where two representatives discussed concerns about cam pus sustainability: the first on the Starbucks discount and the second on reusable cups being integrated into other campus dining locations.

Fordham University is taking big steps towards sustainability and operating a green and ef ficient campus; the Ram Van fleet is on track to be converted entirely into hybrid vehicles, Fordham vows to construct all new buildings in compliance with the U.S. Green Build ing Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s New Construction Sil ver Rating” and now operates under an established Climate Action Plan. Despite these ini tiatives, campus sustainability is structured in such a way that, on an individual level, it can be difficult to maintain.

One of the most difficult challenges is in dining. The push for reusable cups is a step in the right direction, but the options for food containers lack the same sustainable punch.

Paper food boxes often must be thrown in the garbage because their food stains make them unsuitable for recycling, while cups and utensils are often thrown away with the boxes.

The Marketplace cafeteria, with its reusable plates and utensils, remains the most sus tainable dining spot on campus.

On top of this, the lack of re cycling education and aware ness means that many students will toss recyclable objects into garbage bins. Even worse, gar bage often finds its way into recycling bins, nullifying the recyclable materials in the bin as they wind up in the garbage instead of recycling. These lo cations have the potential for recycling and reusability, but instead end up producing more waste.

While the larger structures are designed to make the cam pus more sustainable, the sys tem is not designed in a way where that goal is met where it matters most: the collec tive actions of students. If Fordham wants to double down on sustainability, the university should take more efforts to pro mote efficient, green behaviors that students can practice. For example, teaching accurate

recycling can be achieved at moments when the university has the attention of its students, such as orientation and floor meetings in the residence halls. There are already mandatory fire safety meetings, why would the same technique not work for recycling awareness?

In a research study from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University has shown that cli mate change and green energy are among the top concerns for young voters. It’s clear that stu dents care about these issues, and that action from the ad ministration toward a greener campus is likely to be received by students positively. It is an easy chance for Fordham to in clude more progressive regula tions in its policies.

With the impending doom of climate change inching closer every day, it is only becoming more important that our ac tions are stronger and more effective. At the current rate of

climate change, multiple major tipping points are at risk of be ing breached. Climate change and its con sequences are among the most pressing issues we face, and it’s important that Fordham restructure campus operations and sustainability management to make it easier for students to act sustainably.

This is not to discount the student-led efforts of improving campus sustainability (USG’s Sustainability Committee and various student clubs are con stantly working towards this), but rather to comment on the lack of support from the uni versity administration in push ing sustainability regulations on the individual level. The best way to combat large-scale issues is through collective ac tion. One of the most effective ways for Fordham University to help in the efforts against cli mate change is to implement an updated structure for recycling, reusability and waste reduction for campus living.

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

In April, New York State approved the issuance of three new casino licenses.

OPINION

For Alex Jones, Words Have Billion-Dollar Consequences

By CLAIRE BICKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last month, a Connecticut jury ordered Alex Jones to pay the families of eight Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent (who responded to the shoot ing) nearly $965 million in compensatory damages. While there have been previous civil cases brought against him that have also resulted in damages, this is by far the most significant and most damaging ruling for Jones, his empire and conspir acy theorists everywhere. This ruling shows the consequences of lying, spreading misinforma tion and profiting from it, but it also shows, refreshingly, the value of truth.

Jones was sued in civil court for defamation and the inten tional infliction of emotional distress due to his claims that the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting and their fami lies were crisis actors. These lies led to the families being threat ened and harassed by Jones’ followers in the years following the tragedy.

Jones was also sued for vio lating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act after he profited from these lies. Jones and Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, cre ated conspiracy theories fol lowing the mass shooting and used these theories to build an audience and make millions of dollars. Experts testified that

Jones’ audience swelled, as did his revenue from product sales, when he made the Sandy Hook shooting a topic on the show. Jones’ total profits from his lies are estimated to be between $100 million to $1 billion. His theatrics didn’t stop there. He continued by mocking the trial on his show, and later held a press conference on the court house steps the day he attended the trial, all efforts to widen and maintain his audience.

This ruling, similar to a case brought by the same families against the gun manufacturer Remington, is a significant punishment for Jones’ irre sponsibility, recklessness and malicious behavior. It could easily cripple Jones, his empire and the parent company, as it should.

This decision will serve as a warning to those on internet communities who create and profit from lies. In an age of media misinformation becom ing commonplace, this ruling could not be more important.

A lawyer representing the fami lies in this case, Josh Koskoff, explained that “if this verdict shuts down Alex Jones, good. He’s been walking in the shad ow of death to try to profit on the backs of people who have just been devastated. That is not a business model that should be sustainable in the United States.”

Unfortunately, the issues that have allowed Jones to grow

in popularity in our country are nowhere near eliminated. However, this verdict will hopefully make people similar to Alex Jones more hesitant to use people’s pain for their en tertainment and profit. Plaintiff William Sherlach hopes this verdict sets a new precedent. “Going forward — because, unfortunately, there will be other horrific events like this — people like Alex Jones will have to rethink what they say.”

This ruling also shows us that, while people like Jones are protected under freedom of speech and, therefore, can not be prosecuted in criminal court, the legal system can and will still hold them accountable, emphasizing the importance of truth. The civil court sys tem is more than able to pun ish people who spread harmful misinformation on the internet.

As Sherlach put it, the verdict “shows that the internet is not the wild, wild West and that your actions have consequenc es.” The plaintiff’s legal team has placed the total weight of the legal system on Jones and is squeezing him for everything he has.

There is also the question of whether monetary compen sation is fair in this case and whether Jones should go to jail. He should certainly go to jail; he deserves it tenfold for the pain he has put families through on top of losing their children, mothers, wives and

siblings. Unfortunately, though, this is not a realistic option.

The First Amendment is a vital aspect of our democracy, and however many people try to take it for granted, we must respect it. In the First Amendment case Snyder vs. Phelps, where Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of a dead Marine because he was gay, Chief Justice John Roberts poignantly described the tur moil that exists with free speech protections. He explains that “Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and … inflict great pain. As a Nation, we have chosen … to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Nonetheless, having freedom of speech does not mean that Jones can say and do whatever he likes without any conse quences, and this verdict proves that. Jones knowingly lied, de famed people and profited from it. He is not going to jail because

of our First Amendment pro tections, but there are still limi tations and punishments. The oretically, Jones could lie for the rest of his life — he has that freedom. He just has to be will ing to accept the consequences and continue to pay (literally) for his actions.

In this case, nothing, not even the amount Jones must pay, will feel like full justice. The money will not automatically stop all people like Jones from lying, and it certainly can never take away the pain Jones has caused to the victims’ families. Nevertheless, the amount of money awarded is an astound ing win, and it will significantly harm Jones, if not destroy him. This is the best outcome the legal system offers, and it will exist in the minds of everyone who spreads misinformation.

ClaireBickel,FCRH’24,isapo litical science and international political economy major from Branford, Conn.

Interfaith Gatherings are the Future of Religion

By OLIVIA TEARE STAFF WRITER

It sounds like nothing more than the setup to an enter taining punchline: Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists and other religious followers crowd into a tightly-packed room, separated by nothing more than their beliefs and inches of space. They listen intently as France’s third female rabbi Delphine Horvilleur delivers sermons that cover topics from the feminist struggle to funer al services while effortlessly weaving in the teachings of the Torah.

Horvilleur quickly became a pioneer within interfaith or ganizations as her popularity skyrocketed during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. “She is my rabbi,” says Edith Gillet, a French atheist with no plans to convert. Interfaith gatherings leave room for open discourse and free-flowing conversations about religion. They encourage people from all backgrounds to come together and share their values in a safe, welcoming space. Like the female rabbi, I believe that encouraged, un restricted conversation is the future of organized religion.

The United States Institute of Peace summarizes interfaith dialogue as “an increasingly popular response to religious

conflict and religious nation alism.” This new form of faith achieved a significant surge in popularity during the spike in COVID-19, as fear surround ing the pandemic caused many to turn to religion as it main tained consistency within the chaos. The National Institute of Health (NIH) described this occurrence as “religion as a so cial force for public health.” If anything, the common coping mechanism toward COVID-19 through spiritual guidance al lowed many individuals to realize that we are truly in it together. The support and partnerships that appeared as a byproduct of the pandemic opened the door to interfaith religious gatherings. We were deprived of human interaction and collaboration from such a fundamental standpoint that it has now become paramount for us to welcome individuals and ideas from all walks of life.

The Religions for Peace coalition is a prominent ex ample of constructive coop eration between multiple re ligions. It functions almost as the United Nations does, in the sense that representatives from varying countries — and in this case, religions — pledge to find solutions for everything from violence and discrimina tion to global warming. The organization is conducting a

multi-religious humanitarian fund to finance like-minded foundations and individuals investing in this new future of organized religion. The coali tion is setting a precedent for interfaith communities to fol low as they encourage a peace ful approach to the world’s issues.

It’s important to note that multifaith gatherings can oc cur with less formality than that of a worldwide organiza tion. Fordham, for instance, is headed toward interfaith com munities as the norm, with President Tania Tetlow at the helm. This shift commenced at the Prayer and Picnic with the President event on Aug. 31, held on the Plaza at Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus.

Tetlow began the occasion with a performance of Ben Steinberg’s “Oseh Shalom,” a Hebrew song of peace. The president’s musical introduc tion was of considerable signif icance to the multifaith mes sage. She said that her position at a local synagogue in New Orleans, where she learned the song, strengthened her Catholic faith. This senti ment displays that the over lapping of beliefs can lead to a deeper understanding of one’s religion. Further, it adds to the concept that integrating differ ent religious understandings

can be beneficial to dialogue without barriers.

Multifaith gatherings en courage spiritual practice to a full extent. Considering this, no restrictions should be placed on certain faiths that would not allow them to fully inte grate into these conversations. As violence commonly stems from interreligious conflict, finding a common ground within faith can reduce hostil ity between groups.

Considering theology’s hold on society, we must accom modate for an unavoidable overlapping of religion. I be lieve that Fordham, specifi cally, would benefit from these new types of organizations.

As the Jesuit mission is com mitted to the service of faith and the promotion of justice,

multifaith gatherings would integrate perfectly within the function of the university. The current, rigid separation within the belief system can not become an accepted real ity. An “us” versus “them” ap proach to dialogue only invites conflict and tension. To main tain order and harmony, an amicable coexistence among Jews, Muslims, Christians and other faithful individuals must be achieved. Interfaith com munities encourage a peace ful approach to the problems plaguing the world, including its believers and nonbelievers.

Olivia Teare, FCRH ’26, is an anthropology major and peace and justice studies and linguis ticsminorfromDuxbury,M.A.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Rabbi Horvilleur gained popularity with her interfaith virtual gatherings.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

A Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay Sandy Hook victims $965 million.

OPINION

Encouraging Journalistic Pursuits: In Defense of Liberal Arts

In an article I wrote as a staff writer early in my tenure with the Ram, titled “Encouraging Journalisti Pursuits,” I argued vehemently against the notion that journalism is a dying in dustry, explaining that as long as people need access to trust worthy, swift news coverage, journalism will never die. The only catch? I was a business administration major at the time.

Since then, I’ve been pro moted to Opinion Editor, transferred out of the Gabelli School of Business, declared my major in journalism and a minor in English and held multiple news internships. I have never looked back. Noth ing prompts doubt in me less than my choice to pursue journalism and an academic career in the liberal arts.

Clearly, it took some time for me to get here. As a student, I always loved English. It was my favorite subject through out elementary, middle and high school. I practically lived in the local Barnes & Noble near my house. Any $20 bill I was gifted for a birthday au tomatically equated to two pa perbacks in my mind. When the Bargain Books store in my hometown closed, I entered a serious mourning period. In all honesty, I’m still not over it. So why did I enter Fordham as a business student?

I fell into that warm, invit ing trap that tells prospective students that English majors can’t get jobs and are eternally broke. That liberal arts is a waste of time and money. I’m sure some people agree with these ideas. In fact, I know plenty of people who do. I had a teacher in high school with one article tacked to his bul letin board that argued col lege is only worth it if you’re a STEM major. I’ve read countless articles explaining how much each major makes on average post-graduation, which degrees are worth the cost of college and the fact that

humanities students make less on average than STEM students.

I am not arguing against these facts; yes, liberal arts students make less on average post-graduation compared to STEM or business students. But the future isn’t so bleak for liberal arts majors, certainly not for those who put the work in.

In fact, I believe the push to pursue careers in STEM has gone too far. There have been mass efforts to encourage un derrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM, spe cifically targeting women in STEM. These efforts are admi rable, since the STEM gender gap is undeniable — women account for a mere 28% of the workforce in science, technol ogy, engineering and mathrelated fields. However, this move to inspire underrepre sented groups to pursue aca demic careers in STEM seems to have swung too far to the other side, in which we only encourage students to pursue careers in STEM. It seems we have lost the point of these movements, which is to vali date students in whatever ca reer path they decide to pursue based on their own interests.

I circled “business” on my college application because I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to survive with a liberal arts degree. I’m a practical person; I listened to all of the anti-liberal arts information I had been told. In retrospect, this was a ridiculous idea.

While sitting in the Fordham Prep auditorium during one set of business presentations my freshman year, I realized that some of the students up on stage in their power suits loved what they were doing. And I did not. While I could have floated through a busi ness education, enjoying some classes here and there, I never would have been perform ing to the best of my abilities. I truly believe that if people

pursue what they love to do in life, they will find their most significant successes because they will always be pushed to perform their best.

Since that article I wrote freshman year, I have been able to access the resources and opportunities available to liberal arts students that are constantly left out of the dialogue surrounding success post-graduation. The Fordham English Department, for exam ple, is a wonderful resource in and of itself. The department is focused on helping English students locate opportunities for internships and jobs, with a website dedicated to intern ship and job applications.

The English department also hosts networking events for current and former English students to come together and discuss their latest endeavors in publishing, writing and anything else they are cur rently working on. Most re cently, alumni and students gathered in Manhattan for a family meal, with entry in cluding a free copy of a book by Fordham English professor Stacey D’Erasmo.

I’ve found reprieve this se mester at the Ampersand, the literary magazine on campus, a club I have been involved with since my freshman year. Every week, students gather together in the basement of the

church (did you know there is an incredibly cozy room there with leather couches?) to write creatively, respond to prompts and participate in the book club. It is my literary safe ha ven, and these meetings keep me from spiraling during busy weeks.

The Fordham Ram, of course, is a wonderful place for my journalist self. It is an unbelievable opportunity for prospective journalists. I am able to write my own ar ticles, edit the work of others every week and gather along side peers for long produc tion nights where we format a quite professional-looking newspaper, in my opinion. A fresh copy of the Ram on my desk never loses its appeal.

As a liberal arts student, I have been afforded oppor tunities I never would have been able to enjoy otherwise. I started out as an intern for my town’s local magazine and a Long Island newspaper, writ ing articles every day and cov ering virtual press conferences during the early months of the pandemic. (I remember think ing I was so cool for covering “real” press conferences.)

Since then, I’ve heard my own voice on the ra dio as a reporter for WFUV Public Radio, pitching my own stories, finding inter viewees, writing copy and

recording and editing audio within mere hours. I interned at a journalistic non-profit in London during my semester abroad, where I edited the work of renowned internation al journalists and researched advancements in journalism for e-learning course tutorials.

Now, I find my weeks full to the brim of thought-provoking discussions in class, interest ing lectures, fulfilling editorial work at the Ram, creative free dom at the Ampersand and an exciting and rewarding intern ship in the booking depart ment for the TODAY Show and NBC News.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this busy before, but I do know I’ve never been happier. I’ve found my favorite people at Fordham, some of them at the Ram, and I get to do the most fulfilling work alongside them. Although I’m eager to enter the workforce, knowing that I love my path as a journalist, I do worry that you’ll have to drag me off campus once May rolls around.

I am confident in my choice to pursue a degree in liberal arts, and I want prospective students to feel just as em boldened in whatever path they choose. As a senior now looking back on my time at Fordham, I am very grateful that I hated those freshman year business classes.

OPINION

Taylor Swift: Musician and Marketing “Mastermind”

sonal connection with listeners.

As a major Swiftie myself, I used to stay up for hours re searching fan theories and un packing her social media posts, music videos and song lyrics. Now, the dark black hole that is Reddit is unnecessary for Swift’s most devoted fans; most people knew about Swift’s new album due to coverage from major news platforms including CNN, NBC and The New York Times.

skills are just as powerful as the carefully curated bridges in her songs.

By KEAGAN OSTOP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Even Spotify, arguably the most developed music stream ing platform, couldn’t handle the traffic when the clock struck midnight on Oct. 21. With the re lease of Taylor Swift’s 10th stu dio album, “Midnights,” listeners across the globe scrambled to re fresh their home pages, eager to stream the 13 new songs. Swift’s new album became well known by the world almost immediate ly, breaking records for the most

streamed album and artist in a day on Spotify, and is already the top selling album of 2022.

We see how much of a mas termind she really is when look ing at the attention she garners across a variety of media plat forms leading up to her album releases. The world seems to stop when Taylor Swift releases an album. Her unique marketing approach creates a new era each time she releases music, hiding clues within her songs and even in her social media posts, engag ing fans and creating an interper

To the fans it is more than a song or an album; it is a connec tion they can make with Swift and an opportunity to understand the reasoning and meaning behind her work. As a result, fans be gin speculating concepts for her next albums and songs months in advance, making her music releases feel like a worldwide enterprise. Swift will never give any crucial information away outright, which is why she is so closely followed by pop culture. Media sources and fans alike are dying to get an inside scoop from Swift. Followers have to uncover her messages to stay on top of her work and prepare for what she has in store. Looking at the amount of attention Swift gains both through social media and traditional media outlets, it is safe to say that her marketing

In the first months of the pan demic, Swift released music of a different nature than what is typically associated with her dis cography. Moving away from her typical pop songs, Swift released both “Folklore” and “Evermore” without any warning, exciting fans with the surprise releases and the shift in style. Indie and folk music lovers who previously didn’t frequently stream Swift’s music may have been encour aged to start listening.

As mentioned before, Swift is also known for entering a differ ent era of her career with each album release. Her social media feed and red carpet outfits direct ly correlate to her current album.

An album release from Swift is not just a collection of new songs, but a representation of a different part of her life in which fans get to feel involved. In pre vious eras, Swift even wiped her social media accounts clean be fore announcing a new album. She created profiles to match the aesthetic of her upcoming release.

Swift’s subtle messaging and easter eggs have become a phe nomenon. Through vulnerable

song writing, powerful album releases and, perhaps most im portantly, themed publicity con tent, Swift has dominated the entertainment industry for years now. Swift is undeniably one of the biggest names in the mu sic industry, with 24 American Music Awards, 11 Grammys and 23 Billboard Music Awards.

What sets Swift apart is her ability to get attention from fans, non-frequent listeners and tradi tional news sources alike. Taylor Swift breaks the internet album after album all because of the unique marketing approach she has been cultivating since she was 16 years old. Swift never says anything outright and does everything with intention.

Over the years, loyal fans have become obsessed with uncov ering her hidden messages and drawing parallel lines between her work and life. As she contin ues to dominate the charts, it is clear that Swift just garners more and more attention with every move.

Let’s just hope Spotify gets a major update before the next album drops.

Keagan Ostop, FCRH ’25, is a journalism major from West Hartford, Conn.

Stop Treating Abortion Rights Like a Political Pawn

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

In a recent speech to the Democratic National Committee, President Joe Biden announced that if Democrats retain control of the legislative branch he would codify the right to abortion into law. This is a cop-out. He is hold ing women’s rights hostage in an unwinnable election, effectively damning their rights to healthcare and bodily autonomy.

Before I delve into the irratio nality of this “plan” and the frus tration I feel toward it, it is impor tant to understand the meaning of codification: “[to] arrange laws, rules or regulations into a system atic code.” In the case of abortion rights, codification would mean that the laws once protected un der Roe v. Wade will be signed into federal law. Up until it was overturned by the Supreme Court in June, the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade granted citizens the federal right to an abortion for

almost half a century.

Biden professed his intention to codify abortion protections this coming January, saying, “if you do your part and vote, Democratic leaders of Congress, I promise you, we’ll do our part. I’ll do my part.”

This “promise” makes my blood boil.

We already did our part. Democrats already elected Biden into presidential office and retained control of both the House and the Senate. The majorities may not be comfortable, but they are ours, at least for the next week. Secur ing abortion rights isn’t a quid pro quo situation, where we as voters scratch their back and then they, in turn, scratch ours. Democrats elected Biden into office two years ago, partly because we were scared of losing our rights to bodily au tonomy. Despite this win, that loss of rights is exactly what happened. Now that it has, Biden is dangling our desperate need for abortion rights like a carrot on a stick.

Biden’s announcement that he

will codify abortion protections is a cheap cop-out. It’s a “better than nothing” card that he is play ing six months too late, and that’s only if Democrats keep control of the House and the Senate, which, as we’re coming down to the wire on Nov. 8, feels like a very big “if.”

There are currently four tight Senate races, with Republicans needing just one seat to gain con trol of the Senate, and it also looks like they are likely to win a major ity of the House. In the case that we will have a Republican-controlled Congress, Democrats do not ap pear to have a back-up plan for protecting reproductive rights.

The writing was on the walls when Biden first took office in January 2021, as, for years prior to the 2020 election, red states were chiseling away at reproductive rights. In the first weeks following the overturn of Roe, Democrats put forth their first effort to codify abortion restrictions, but it failed. Their laws passed in the House, but only garnered 49 votes in the Senate, 11 votes shy of the thresh old needed to bypass the filibuster. Now, Biden is saying the best the Democratic Party can do is hope for overwhelming victories in ex tremely tight Senate races to put an end to the filibuster to codify the law, or to have enough new votes that a filibuster would not even be a concern.

If, and, again, this is a monu mental if, Biden’s fantasy does come true, the earliest he could put this plan into action is in January when the new Congress is inaugu rated. When all is said and done, Americans would still have been living under draconian laws for more than half a year.

While he and other Democrats are using this codification like a treasure hunt to get us to the polls, people — patients, physicians and ordinary citizens alike — have experienced suffocating anxiety since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June. Healthcare professionals are concerned about the lengths desperate people will go to, worry ing about the return of dangerous at-home abortions. “I truly hope women don’t do that,” said one doctor, “but we have to be pre pared for anything because desper ate women will do desperate and dangerous things.” People are not okay, and for Democrats to make it seem as if all will be well if just enough red districts are turned blue overlooks the devastation that the Supreme Court’s ruling has caused. It also feels wrong to treat abor tion protections as if they are just like any other bullet point on a political agenda. Americans can’t come to a consensus on even the most inconsequential of differenc es, yet 61% of more than 300 mil lion people believe that abortion should be legal in all cases. In light of this statistic, denying people the right to an abortion isn’t just a po litical victory for the right wing — it is also a denial of human rights.

To recontextualize, Biden is say ing that if, and only if, Democrats are successful in the polls, then we will get our human rights back. Biden will only give us our human rights back if we help his party win? Is he kidding?

Women are a consistent voting bloc for the Democratic Party. To imply that they will be rewarded for voting blue by getting back the rights they had for half a cen tury is disgusting and shows an

astounding lack of respect for a loyal voter base.

Unfortunately, we have no choice. “Vote blue no matter who” because we already know that a majority of Republican politicians will continue to chip away at our meager reproductive rights until there is nothing left. As insulting and degrading as it is to re-elect the people that have failed us, we have no other alternative.

From a logical standpoint, I un derstand that because of our politi cal framework and social climate there is only so much Biden can do. Nevertheless, it is hard not to feel disappointed. He is supposed to be the leader of the free world and the best he could do was en courage Democrats to win in ex tremely challenging congressional races. The phrasing of Biden’s codification plan also makes it seem like he was giving voters an ultimatum, or like he was putting the blame in voters’ hands if things go south on election day.

I’ll vote blue, but I have to say I am frustrated and furious with how Democrats have botched the protection of abortion rights. Democrats have failed to secure our right to bodily autonomy, and by continuing to taunt us with our human rights as if they are just an other political pawn, Democratic politicians have revealed their re markable lack of consideration for their constituents.

Democrats elected Biden so he could protect our rights just for him to throw the ball back in our court.

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

Taylor Swift released “Midnights,” her 10th studio album, on Oct. 21.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

OPINION

Tipflation Made Worse by Touchscreen Tablets

in tipping generously at restau rants, mostly because my parents instilled that value in me. Our backgrounds and the manner in which we were raised have the ability to affect our tipping in stincts. For example, Amaury Llorens, FCRH ’26, believes that whether or not you should tip as a customer depends on the qual ity of the service or product.

“If the product you’re buying is cheap enough that the employ er can’t afford to sell it at that price and also pay their servers, then it’s your responsibility to tip them for their service. However, if you are paying a premium for what you are getting [aside from sit-down restaurants], you should not always have to tip,” Llorens says.

while most restaurant servers are paid a “server’s wage” which al lows employers to combine cash wages and tip allowance to pay waiters.

The official federal minimum wage for servers and other tipped employees is only $2.13 per hour, a staggeringly low number even when tips are later added into the mix. This indicates that servers typically rely on tips more than baristas and other workers in the service industry. Despite this discretion, I still tip my baristas when I feel it is appropriate. I have never worked in a service job, so I try to put myself in their shoes and say, “I would probably appreciate that tip too.”

By LUIS ROLDAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you have strolled into any coffee shop recently, chances are that you have encountered some form of a tipping option — most likely on a touchscreen. It is hard to press the “no tip” button when baristas or cashiers are staring you down, waiting to witness your choice. Although tipping is a beneficial practice meant to support employees living on meager salaries, tipping culture has gone too far. With touchless payment increasing in popularity and inflation on the rise, the line between when consumers should

or shouldn’t tip has been blurred.

It seems like before the pan demic tipping was only custom ary at sit-down restaurants or when using a specific service, such as taxis or housekeeping. Now, it has become a much too normalized facet of the custom er experience. In fact, when I walked into a convenience store last week to buy a water bottle, I selected the 20% tip button when the cashier prompted me to look at the screen without a second thought. At that moment, I realized that tipping was now an instinct for me, even when it shouldn’t be. While these tablets are helping make transactions

faster at the counter, they are tricking customers like me into paying extra for services that in reality do not deserve any sort of tip.

Square, a financial services company known for creating the tablets we now see in businesses across the country, charges 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction ev ery time someone uses their card during an in-person transaction. Corporations are profiting more from this system than it may seem at first glance. Small busi nesses are having to pay these fees, which, in turn, has the po tential to hurt employees.

I have always been a believer

Pertinent conversations around tiplation have also sparked a de bate as to whether or not it is an employer’s duty to pay their workers living wages. Even if we disregard moral dilemmas, it still makes sense for employers to pay their employees higher wag es. It should be clear that it is the employer’s responsibility to pay respectable wages because these wages boost workplace morale and efficiency and decrease the amount of employee turnovers, saving businesses money. That is certainly a win-win outcome in my book.

Beyond restaurants, I feel it should be up to the discretion of each consumer to decide wheth er or not a tip is necessary. Baris tas, for instance, make at least minimum wage in most states,

My general rule of thumb is to tip less when my order is simple and to tip more when the order is complicated or for a large group. When it comes to situations involving the infamous touch screen tablets, however, I tend to tip more than I plan on because it is an inherently easy tactic to fall for, particularly with the added social pressure when you are face-to-face with a barista.

I will always continue to tip employees, especially when I believe the type and nature of service is worthy of a tip. Still, mediation is needed in order to put an end to these nonsensi cal tipping expectations and to debunk the greed of employers and larger companies.

Luis Roldan, GSB ’26, is unde clared from Winter Park, Fl.

Despite Unappealing New Plans, Netflix is Here to Stay

By SAISHA ISLAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Netflix is planning to make some drastic changes to its subscription plan by including extra fees for outside account access. Due to a significant loss in subscribers this year, as well as increased competi tion with other large streaming ser vices, Netflix aims to crack down on password sharing with this ad ditional fee for extra accounts out side the home. Netflix also plans to roll out an ad-supported plan for $6.99 a month. While these plans might seem like reasonable solu tions for Netflix, they will almost certainly displease subscribers of the streaming platform, making the future of Netflix more precarious. Traditional media has met its competitive match with streaming services like Netflix, which offers a variety of movies and TV shows on a single platform. Netflix also makes its own original content, in cluding many popular movies and TV series such as “Squid Game,” helping to improve subscriber loyalty. Netflix is an extremely convenient and intuitive platform, helping viewers easily resume their current favorite show or rec ommending other titles they might like.

Despite these platform benefits, the introduction of ad-supported plans and a crack-down on pass word sharing can easily reverse

the platform loyalty gained. While these plans may add to Netflix’s revenue in the short term, they have the potential to harm sub scription numbers, thus threaten ing future revenue amounts.

Password sharing on Netflix is common and has been for a long time, with Netflix even encourag ing the practice in the past. Starting to reverse this view by charging a fee for accounts shared outside of the home will no doubt irritate customers. Netflix would also have to be careful in defining the difference between someone who abuses password sharing for their friends versus an outside account created for family members not currently living in the same home.

Netflix’s plan for password sharing seems to be the first pro posed by a large streaming service, which is another negative aspect of the plan. Netflix is left alone to test their plan and fix the kinks in it, which would probably further irri tate customers and prompt them to move to other streaming platforms in the meantime. A short-term flow in revenue from the plan would in crease Netflix’s standing financial ly, but it is unlikely to continue in the future as more people become disillusioned with Netflix.

An ad-supported plan is likely to cause similar irritations. While Netflix’s ad-supported plan of $6.99 per month is cheaper than ad-supported plans for Disney+

($7.99 per month) and HBO Max with Hulu ($9.99 per month), it is still a new change with which it will be hard for viewers to reconcile.

One of Netflix’s traditional draws, after all, is being able to stream a wide range of content without the interruption of adver tisements. Watching a movie on Netflix was like having the expe rience of a movie theater at home.

An ad-supported plan might ini tially add to Netflix’s pockets, but it would take away this unique ap peal. It would also make Netflix more similar to other large stream ing competitors.

Netflix’s shift toward adding advertisements isn’t a surprising

move, since this seems to be a trend for larger streaming services. Netflix’s new plans would spell a sharp end to the freedom that au diences previously enjoyed and would probably cause viewers to either use Netflix less or move to other large streaming platforms where password sharing hasn’t yet been planned for, like Hulu. Larger streaming services like Hulu have also had ad-supported plans in place for longer and audiences are more used to these features.

Despite the backlash these new plans might induce for Netflix, streaming services will still con tinue to be around and even domi nate traditional TV channels since these services include a greater

amount of content, which can in turn draw a larger audience. While ad-supported plans and changes to password sharing policy may draw away some customers from Netflix, over time, people will be come accustomed to these chang es. The variety of media on stream ing services will remain a steady point that will continue to attract people back to their audience. Ul timately, large streaming services are here to stay despite any recent changes because of their conve nience and the ability to watch anything, anytime, anywhere.

Saisha Islam, FCRH ’25, is a biology major from New York, N.Y.

Netflix is planning to make some drastic changes to its subscription plan by including extra fees for outside account access.

is hard to press the “no tip” button when baristas or cashiers are staring you down.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

A Capella Teaser Kickstarts Halloweekend

By KYRA LINEKIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

To kick off “Halloweekend” at Fordham was this year’s a cappella teaser concert, show casing the talents and efforts of Fordham’s own a cappella groups. Taking the stage of Keating audi torium, the Ramblers, the Satin Dolls, the b-Sides, the Hot Notes and Lincoln Center’s only a cappella group, the F-Sharps, performed two songs each for a packed hall. The energy among the groups was undeniably elec tric, and the Halloween teaser was a good start for the upcoming sea son of Fordham a cappella.

Intended to pique the interest

and anticipation of their audi ence, the Halloween teaser offers the Fordham community a taste of the pieces each group is re hearsing for their individual con certs in December. Each group dressed to the nines in their Halloween costumes, boosting the spirit of the weekend and the excitement of their audi ence. Starting off the concert strong was Fordham’s all-male student-run a cappella group, the Ramblers, featuring the vo cals of the group’s president, Caleb Rocha, FCRH ’23. Rocha, dressed as Billy Hargrove from the wildly popular televi sion series “Stranger Things,” soloed on “Troublemaker” by

Olly Murs. To say that Rocha’s costume satisfied his song choice is an understatement, and his powerful vocals set the stage for a scarily phenomenal night. Following the euphonious har monies of the Ramblers was an overwhelming sense of girlpow er from Fordham’s all-female a cappella group, the Satin Dolls, led by Julia Leahy, FCRH ’23.

Stripped of the opportunity to perform live during the pan demic, the Fordham a cappella scene is driven by a sense of mutual support and a love for music, says the Dolls. If you couldn’t afford to make the trip to Madison Square Garden to attend Harryween, the Satin

Dolls have you covered. The costumes they sported paired beautifully with their vocals: eloquent, impressive and sim ply iconic. Honoring pop icon Harry Styles’ love for Halloween, the Dolls performed Styles’ “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” as one of their two numbers of the night. After their perfor mance, the Satin Dolls promot ed their album “Dolls,” which is available on all streaming ser vices, as well as their concert on Dec. 1, 2022.

Making their first appear ance on the Keating stage since the shutdown of the pandemic in March 2020 was the Lincoln Center F-Sharps. Dressed as the cast of characters from the “Despicable Me” series, they took the Rose Hill stage by storm and even extended a personal in vitation to the Rose Hill campus to attend their individual perfor mance. Occurring on Dec. 8, 2022, the F-Sharps will take the stage once more in Pope Auditorium at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus for their individual concert.

Contributing to the astound ing success of the teaser and spine-chilling ambiance of Halloweekend were the out standing performances by the Hot Notes and the b-Sides, Fordham’s two co-ed a cap pella groups. Eager to show off the newly established members of the b-Sides family is the

group’s Music Director, Tori Broadbent, FCRH ’24. Led by David Escobar, FCRH ’23, the b-Sides’ performance consisted of “Black Magic” by Little Mix and “Accidentally in Love” by Counting Crows, arranged by Sarah Shanahan, FCRH ’24.

“I personally just love be ing up there singing with ev eryone, it’s really awesome to share our hard work with an audience and it’s also incredi bly rewarding for me as Music Director to see my music visions come to life,” says Broadbent. However, Broadbent’s musical aspirations were not the only b-Sides success of the evening. Dressed as characters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, the b-Sides took their Halloween spirit to anoth er level. Directed by the power of Broadbent’s magic wand and her passion for music, the b-Sides will be performing again at their concert on the evening of Dec. 4, 2022.

The Halloween teaser was only a small taste of the fantas tic season in store for Fordham a cappella. Each group is com posed of Fordham’s most gift ed performers, enhancing our community with their creativ ity, talents and dedication to their craft. Each group will be holding their own concerts in early December. Follow them on Instagram to learn more.

Coming Up With Great Expectations in London

By JAMISON RODGERS COLUMNIST

A few weeks ago, when I was catching up with my mom over the phone, she asked whether my study abroad experience has been what I was expect ing it to be so far. When she asked me this, I had to pause and take a moment to reflect on what I actually was expecting from this experience. With all the hustle and bustle of trying to cram so much into such a short period of time, I hadn’t actually stopped to think about whether my lived experiences equated to my expectations.

The real answer is no. I did not know what to expect from this program. I didn’t know whether the classes were go ing to be difficult to juggle with traveling, I didn’t know how hard or easy it would be to meet other people, I didn’t even plan any trips before I came over.

In retrospect, I think my lack of expectations came from the feelings of uncertainty that have shrouded the last two years. Af ter experiencing the pandemic, I went into study abroad hoping for the best, but not knowing what to expect that to look like.

I can’t say whether or not studying abroad has lived up to or exceeded my expectations, but I can say it has been an enriching, fun and worthwhile experience. But for those who are getting ready, and excited, to begin their study abroad

experience in the spring, I’ve collected some advice to help give a better picture of what to expect from the experience.

First, pack your patience. At the start of the semester, my mom, some family friends and I rang in the start of my semester abroad by traveling to Ireland. My mom and I flew into London to deposit my things before turning around and flying out to Dublin. After trudging through the never-ending security line, we finally made it to the gate. The same could not be said, however, for the crew and that flight was canceled. Cue a mon tage of the next 12 hours spent in Heathrow Terminal Two while we waited for our re booked flight out that night.

Now, I don’t tell you this sto ry to complain. I actually find it to be a funny memory now that I’ve escaped The Queen’s Terminal. I only tell this story as an example of why making sure you have your patience tucked into your carry-on is a good idea. Maybe along with a good book.

Make time to explore the city you choose to live in for the se mester. A few weeks ago, it was the weekend before midterms, and I had no travel outside of London scheduled. I had been traveling around for the past three weeks before that and I wanted to leave that week end open in case I needed to, you know, study (don’t worry mom, there is lots of studying

happening over here). I decided to instead have a staycation in London. I went to the British Film Festival screening of the bril liant and masterful new movie “She Said,” I went to an afternoon tea service, took in the views from the London Eye and visited the Churchill War Rooms to absorb some of the city’s history.

There will be this immense pressure to travel to as many new places as possible within the relatively short span of about 16 weeks. My advice is to make a bucketlist of things and plac es you absolutely must do and see before the end of those 16 weeks. Don’t just limit the list

to places outside of your base city, include things you ab solutely want to do in the city you choose to live in. So far on mine for London, I’ve crossed off eating fish and chips, going to the Portobello Road Market, seeing a West End show and go ing to see a show at The Globe.

Finally, and this might be the most important one and the one I have been pushing myself to do more lately, start getting com fortable doing things by your self. That weekend I spent in London, the rest of my friends jetted off to a new place. This forced me to get comfortable doing things by myself. I went

to the movies by myself, ate at a pub by myself and traveled all around the city on my own. And you know what? It wasn’t near ly as scary or uncomfortable as I thought it would be. It has actu ally been very beneficial as I’m using these solo outings into the city as a trial for when I take my solo trips in November.

I think coming into study abroad without any expecta tions was a benefit as I could never have thought up the ex perience I have had. I have met so many wonderful people and seen so many beautiful places that far exceed the bounds of even my imagination.

abroad by remembering to be patient, explore your city and

The Ramblers were one of the many Fordham a capella groups that graced Keating 1st on Friday, Oct. 28.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Studying Abroad | London, England

“The Wire” Complicates the World of Cop Dramas

By MICHAEL SLUCK PRODUCTION EDITOR

In 2001, former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon was fed up with the system.

Simon spent most of the 15 years he worked as a reporter covering the crime beat. In 1988, he shadowed the homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department for an entire year and wrote a book about the expe rience, detailing the real process behind attempting to solve mur ders in one of the homicide capi tals of the country. In 1993, he spent the year on the other side of the street, observing a single corner in Baltimore where drugs were regularly sold. Through out the course of the project, he became friends with a drug ad dict named Gary McCullough, whose subsequent death emo tionally devastated Simon.

In 1995, frustrated by the bu reaucracy and problems that plagued the Sun, Simon left the paper to work on an NBC televi sion adaptation of his first book entitled “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.” While the show did well, garnering critical acclaim, Simon came into con flict with NBC executives, many of whom were unhappy with the bleak way Simon chose to dis play many of the show’s issues. In 2001, he approached HBO with a new television pitch: a police show, set in Baltimore. But not just any police show.

Rather than the typical “good vs. evil” archetype that plagues so many police procedurals, Simon wanted to create a show that depicted the realities he had ob served as a reporter. He wanted to show that there were bad cops and sympathetic criminals, cor rupt politicians and honest drug dealers and that society rigs the game so that the only ones who can ever win are those who re fuse to play. He wanted to show Baltimore (and, by extension, the United States) as it really was.

But before he could begin, Simon needed help. To that end, he recruited his friend Ed Burns, a former Baltimore homicide detective who had worked with the FBI on an op eration to bring down one of the city’s biggest drug lords. Much like Simon, Burns had gotten fed up with the bureaucracy and incompetency of the department for which he had worked, and had chosen instead to work as a public school teacher teacher at an inner-city middle school.

The two men proceeded to create what is, in my opinion, the greatest television show ever made. They called it “The Wire.”

Told over the course of five seasons, “The Wire” has often been described as more of a 60-hour long movie rather than a television show. Each season highlights a different area of Baltimore society: the police, the unions, the government, the schools and the press. It follows

the path of a dozen different char acters, of different backgrounds, careers and statuses, and the in stitutional dysfunction that of ten leads to problems. There are very few happy endings in “The Wire,” very few heroes, very few triumphant moments. There is only the bleak realism that Simon witnessed in his day-to-day beat. “The Wire” confronts its view ers with the complex, often un answerable questions that plague American society and forces watchers to confront how they see the world.

Not wanting to distract from the show’s message, Simon made it a priority to hire little-known actors. The modern viewer, how ever, will be amazed at the num ber of talents who got their start on “The Wire”: everyone from Idris Elba, to Michael B. Jordan, to Aiden Gillen (Littlefinger from “Game of Thrones”), got their big break here. Cameos from real Baltimore figures (includ ing both a former mayor, and the drug kingpin that was brought down by Burns’ investigation) are featured. The show was praised for the diversity of cast, featuring a predominantly Black group of characters, as well as having characters representing the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite never winning an Emmy (in what is surely one of the greatest awards show failures in history), the show received strong critical reviews and gar nered an enormous following.

Former President Barack Obama called it his favorite show, and the show has been ranked on the top ten list of best TV shows by Rolling Stone, IMDb and the Guardian.

At the beginning of the pan demic, I tried to watch what were considered some of the best dra mas of all time. Over the course of the past few years, I have seen “The Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men” and “Better Call Saul.” Nothing, however, comes close to “The Wire.” It is televi sion on a different level entirely: what Shakespeare is to the stage, Simon is to the small screen.

Over the past two decades, the quality of television has ex ploded, allowing creators to tell complex narratives over several seasons. Nowhere is this bet ter exemplified, however, than in “The Wire.” It’s not an easy watch; the show is dark and com plex, and isn’t the show one can enjoy just by having it on in the background. But, like any great piece of art, the challenge is worth it. Watching “The Wire” doesn’t just give you the op portunity to experience one of the greatest television shows of all time, it challenges you as a person, to see the world around you in a different light.

Netflix’s “The Watcher” Is Not Worth Watching

By HANNAH DEVLIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Shortly after the release of “The Watcher,” the series rose to first place in the Top 10 Shows in the United States on Netflix. “The Watcher” is a Netflix Original series that follows the Brannock family as they move into their dream home turned nightmare. The show is based off of an un solved true crime story from 2014, when a family received threatening letters from a selfproclaimed watcher.

The show begins with Dean and Nora Brannock (played by Bobby

Cannavale and Naomi Watts), as they tour a stunning mansion in the suburbs. As their children grow up, the couple looks to move out of the city and into a quiet and quaint town with space for their kids to play outside. However, once they move into the house, the idyllic neighborhood begins to sour. Dean bickers with neighbors Mo (esteemed character actress Margot Martindale) and Mitch (Richard Kind) about their prop erty lines and is confronted by Pearl (Mia Farrow) about their various renovations.

As the family begins to settle, they receive a letter in the mail

from the watcher, asking about the intentions of the family’s residence at 675 Boulevard. While offputting, the letter, at first, seems harmless. However, towards the end of the first episode, the fam ily receives another, more sinis ter letter that details private in formation about the family, like the names and hobbies of the Brannock children. Throughout the seven episodes of the sea son, the Brannocks attempt to identify the sender of the letters through various investigations.

While the premise of the show seems captivating, the season had too many episodes for viewers to

be fully engaged. Each episode is about 45 minutes long, and with seven episodes in the season, each episode reached a lull at a certain point. Instead of five, short jampacked episodes, there were seven long, mediocre ones. Each epi sode started and ended on a cliffhanger, but the bits and pieces in the middle seem unnecessary, es pecially when it comes to relation ship drama between characters.

While watching, I never re ally felt on the edge of my seat, because each shocking twist was interrupted before finding out how new information would come into play. While this may work in favor of some shows, it did not aid the plot of “The Watcher.”

Additionally, a true crime story, like “The Watcher,” has an op portunity to delve into the psy chological effects of such circum stances, and the show never took full advantage of this. Instead, the show seemed to grasp at straws and dip its toes in a number of genres. The show introduces an unneces sary backstory about the house that seems to establish a paranormal undertone before quickly switch ing gears and ignoring these details.

Lastly, the main characters of “The Watcher,” like Nora, are, for the most part, uninteresting and unexciting. Dean, on the other hand, is an unlikeable charac ter, and he tries to take control of things in a very off-putting way. He makes poor financial

decisions without telling his wife and tells his 15-year-old daughter that she can’t wear lipstick. Mo ments like these, both large and small, create a distaste for the character. The plot of the show makes it very easy for viewers to sympathize with the main charac ters, but Dean’s character seems to reverse this effect. Many of the problems in his personal life are self-inflicted, which creates little-to-no empathy for him.

The side characters in the show are the most interesting and com pelling characters the show has to offer. Each of the neighbors has an odd disposition that makes view ers want to see more of their quirks and weird behaviors. However, even these actors’ appearances do not seem like they are used to their fullest potential. The show was very focused on the Brannocks, and while there were featured roles outside of the family, all of them seemed a bit underdeveloped.

Overall, “The Watcher” isn’t necessarily bad, but for a show that seems so intriguing, it was woefully mediocre. If you’re looking for a show to watch in the background or to kill time, you may find it enjoyable. And if you’re really into true crime – or just looking to get in the Halloween spirit – go for it. Just don’t set your expectations too high. And for future reference: don’t take Netflix’s Top 10 Shows list to heart.

Netflix’s “The Watcher” falls short of the intrigue that the true-crime story might have delivered.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

David Simon created “The Wire” to portray the Baltimore that he knew.

Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season”: An Ode to New England

By ZOE KAROUB CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Few albums explore the spe cific experience of growing up in New England with all its comfort and cold. In his lat est album, Vermont and New Hampshire native Noah Kahan perfectly captures this paradox. “Stick Season” is the love-hate letter to New England that we’ve been missing.

After the massive success of his title track over the sum mer, the rest of Kahan’s release doesn’t disappoint. The famil iar folk-pop sound and skillful lyricism of the single “Stick Season” endure in each song.

As I listened, these trademark characteristics of Kahan’s mu sic brought me into his ebb and flow. He moves smoothly between loathing and longing, upbeat and melancholy, obser vatory and introspective. The result is a harmonious album that I can’t seem to find fault with.

“Stick Season” addresses a va riety of topics related to grow ing up and the idea of home. In tracks like “All My Love” and “Halloween,” Kahan beauti fully reminisces on lost love. I noticed that each love song on the album approaches the subject with a different tone. Some are more haunting, while others are more playful. This is a great example of how Kahan plays with paradoxes through out the album. Other songs, such as “New Perspective,” reflect

Kahan’s desire to stop his loved ones from moving on with their lives. “Stick Season” is full of brutally honest admissions like these. My personal favorite song, “Growing Sideways,” is the most introspective track on the al bum. Kahan opens up about his mental health struggles, which he has written about in the past. The closing song “The View Between Villages” truly encap sulates the contradictory nature of the album. It begins with Kahan’s quiet appreciation for his hometown and builds to a frenzied reminder of painful memories. While Kahan cap tures a wide range of experi ences in the album, each song has the same nostalgic spirit.

As a Massachusetts native, I appreciated the relatable details sprinkled throughout the al bum. For example, the spirited anthem “Homesick” is full of references, such as the Boston Marathon and the painfully cold winters. In the chorus, Kahan jokingly shouts “I’m mean because I grew up in New England.” He often explores how our environments shape us in both positive and negative ways. I think New England is the perfect channel for consid ering this idea. It’s beautiful, but the weather is unpredict able. In a small Vermont town like the one that Kahan grew up in, there may be a tendency to feel trapped or limited, despite the staggering expanse of green mountains. New England is con tradictory by nature. I’ve talked to friends from New England

who connect with these ideas that Kahan so profoundly sings about in his album.

In a recent interview with the online magazine Songwriter Universe, Kahan says it best: “There’s this draw that I feel back to Vermont that never re ally leaves me. Even when I’m there I want to be out of there, and when I’m somewhere else I want to be back home.” But

even those who didn’t grow up in New England can appreciate the nostalgic feel of Kahan’s music. Everyone can relate to returning to a place filled with memories. Everyone can relate to feeling stuck sometimes. Ev eryone can relate to homesick ness, especially college students. If this all sounds a bit melancholy, it is. However, I think the strength of “Stick Season” is Kahan’s

ability to create comfort in the sadness. There’s something reassuring in the way that he makes his personal experienc es accessible to the average listener.

All in all, “Stick Season” is the perfect (no-skip) album to ring in the cold weather this year. I encourage everyone to put on their favorite sweaters, sit back, relax and enjoy.

Exploring a Cultural Haunting in “Sing, Unburied, Sing”

By PAOLA GALIANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Sometimes I think it done changed. And then I sleep and I wake up and it ain’t changed none. It’s like a snake that sheds its skin. The outside look different when the scales change, but the inside always the same.”

Jojo is the main protagonist of the novel, a young Black boy who lives with his mother, Leonie, his sister, Kayla, and grandparents, Mam and Pop. Set on a small farm in Bois Savage, Miss., in the late 1920s, Jojo realizes from a young age how quickly he is being forced to grow up. The main parental fig ure to his little sister in the wake of his fraught relationship with his drug-addled mother, Jojo knows things he’s too young to know. At least, that’s what his Pop tells him.

Mam, on the other hand, told Jojo of the extraordinary things he can understand, the gift that he has — the gift that lets him speak to spirits. While Jojo becomes ac quainted with the ghost of another young Black boy named Richie, one with a certain connection to his grandfather, Ward parallels this haunting with Jojo’s mother, Leonie, and her own ghost — the ghost of her brother, Given.

Amongst the background of

ghosts and hauntings, Leonie has just gotten the call that the father of her children, Michael, has just

been released from Parchment Farms, a prison akin to a neo-slave plantation. Leonie’s past two years

have been too lonely for her to bear alone, effectively making her not hesitate to grab her kids and hit the road on a trip that was immediately too packed with ghosts of the past and reminders for the future.

All in all, Jesmyn Ward’s “Sing, Unburied, Sing” is one of those books that leaves its mark long after you turn the final page. A story that doesn’t seem long enough in the moment, but so perfectly concluded the next. The more I think about it, the more I can see how the theme of a song, namely unheard voices, unburied, seems plausible.

Immediately, Ward’s frank and gruesome imagery drew me in. “I like to think I know what death is,” Jojo narrates in his perspec tive chapter, a declaration that is followed by a ghastly descrip tion of Pop killing and skinning a goat. Though it was not the horror of the scene that drew me in, but rather the scene that is set — one that perfectly encapsulates Jojo’s experience from the get-go. The language isn’t flowery, but honest.

Similarly, Ward does a fantas tic job at switching the perspec tives of the chapters at the mo ment when one desperately needs to see the scene from the other point of view. For example, the first chapter is Jojo’s recollection

of all the ways his mother failed at being a mother, hence why he refers to her by her first name, Leonie. Then, the next chapter is in Leonie’s point of view, work ing through all the ways in which she is cognizant of the fact she is a less-than-capable mother. Ward plays a fascinating game of play ing on the reader’s sympathies, not letting us be convinced of our love or hate for the characters she created.

Beyond the captivating story of tangled and strained family dynamics, I particularly liked the phenomenon of a cultural haunt ing that underlined each instance of interaction with the ghosts in this novel. Made apparent is the fact that the world is made uncom fortable by ghost stories, in par ticular when they remind one of a less than savory past, instances that the living should be made aware of about the dead. Richie and Given, the ghosts in this story, parallel each other in the way that they remind those they haunt of past events, but also make connec tions to the present day.

Ward does not shy away from social commentary. She includes instances of flagrant racism in the 1920s, mentioning lynching and police brutality, and explores how these instances then parallel current events today.

The strength in Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” is his ability to cultivate comfort among the sadness.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

“Sing, Unburied, Sing” leaves a lasting impression after each page.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Fordham Junior Fosters Community Through Founding Clubs

By EMMA KIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

David Moran, GSB ’25, wasn’t always a volleyball player. In high school, he started playing club volleyball in Seattle with no experience because his school didn’t have a team. He took his love for volleyball and brought it into his freshman year of college.

When he got to Fordham, he was surprised to realize that there was no volleyball team. “I was going around the club fair sure that I was missing club volley ball,” said Moran. He soon found another volleyball player in his orientation group, Ariadna Wong, FCRH ’25, who also shared his passion for volleyball.

They decided to start a vol leyball club, and they worked on getting it approved all last year. “Our whole freshman year we were fighting to get these meet ings,” said Moran. After their persistence, they finally got ap proved at the end of the last aca demic year.

While waiting for the club to officially be approved during his freshman year, Moran never stopped playing. He stayed ac tive in intramural volleyball, and he was able to grow a community of fellow players before the club even started.

This fall semester, the club was officially able to start. “It is so great because I didn’t expect this much traction. The first year the club is on its probationary peri od,” explained Moran. While other clubs are able to have merchan dise and an alumni network, their

club is unable to until their second year. “We weren’t even allowed to have a club stand at the club fair,” said Moran.

Despite this, there were over 60 people at tryouts, and they were only marketed through posters. “I was also impressed with the level that people were at,” said Moran. With the club now active, there is a separate

girls and boys team, each with 15 members.

Moving forward, Moran’s main goal is to make sure the club lives on even after he graduates. Before this club, there was a vol leyball club at Fordham that died out in the 2010s, said Moran, and he wants to make sure that doesn’t happen again. In addition to that goal, Moran hopes to win

tournaments with the club and continue to improve.

Volleyball is not the only club that Moran has recently started. This year, Moran started The Rambling House, which is a writ ing club for everyone. Moran ex plained that most writing groups require people to be at a certain skill level or fit a criteria. The Rambling House has no criteria

that people have to meet.

“The purpose of the club is to take pressure off of people writing,” said Moran. Besides groups, there are deadlines and guidelines when people have to write essays or writing assign ments for class, which adds a level of pressure.

“I think that it would be the best place for people to refine their writing skills,” said Moran. Overall, Moran wants people to have a safe place where they are able to express themselves with no pressure, even if their work is just for themselves.

Moran’s involvement doesn’t stop at leading volleyball and writing clubs. Moran is part of the Global Business Honors Program and Fordham Orchestra.

Even with all his activities, Moran loves everything he does. “I do not think I could put this many hours into something I am not interested in. It matters how passionate I actually am about it,” said Moran.

In the Fordham Orchestra, Moran plays the violin, which along with writing, he doesn’t really view as work. Instead, he sees music and writing as doing something he likes that helps him to de-stress.

Overall, when starting a club, Moran believes that the most important thing is not giving up. “You can’t get discouraged if the people reject you or tell you don’t have time. It is their way of testing if you are dedicated in the future,” said Moran. “You cannot give up on your idea. If it has enough support, it is pretty sure to get approved. If you have a good idea, don’t give up.”

“Late Night on the Hill” Ignites Ramily Spirit

By NORA KILMARTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thursday night, the na tion’s oldest on-campus arena, Rose Hill Gymnasium, proved that despite its age, it is still the place to be. Late Night on the Hill celebrated the men’s and women’s basketball teams’ kickoff to the 2022-23 season. Students were welcomed by the Fordham University marching band, Chick-fil-A sandwiches and free t-shirts. Throughout the night, fans were awarded for their involvement with games, music and prizes.

The audience was enter tained by a nail-biting dance competition turned trick off, between Ramses the Ram and a Fordham cheerleader. The victor, Gina Valenti, FCRH ’26, walked away with a swag bag and bragging rights for the night. There were endless giveaways as other winners walked away with gift cards to small businesses located in the Bronx: an Enzo’s gift card for an intense game of musi cal chairs and a Mike’s Deli gift card for the uniform relay. Finally, a Halloween-themed

mummy wrap competition de livered yet another swag bag to the winners.

And this was just the be ginning of Late Night on the Hill. The audience was kept busy with a hype man and DJ equipped with energizing mu sic. They got everyone out of their seats, moving, and aim ing to get onto the jumbotron. Before the basketball teams got their spotlight, the Fordham University Dance team and the Fordham University Cheer Squad performed. Their show-stopping numbers were a great preview for what’s to come in their winter season.

Finally, the anticipation was over and spirits reached an all time high when the ros ters were announced for the women’s and men’s teams.

Each freshman, sophomore, junior, senior and graduate student strutted through the court with their favorite song and overwhelming pride in their school. The entire arena cheered on each player for not only their athletic prowess, but their persona as fellow classmates, roommates, club members and friends.

The Fordham “Ramily” was

the men’s basketball coach, Keith Urgo. They spoke to their high expectations for a great year at Fordham and reminded the crowd of their home opener on Nov. 7.

“I promise it’ll be a historic season here at Fordham,” said Urgo.

Before the night was over, rapper and hip-hop artist Wale rocked the arena. Wale first made his entry into the music world through a local radio chan nel located in Washington, D.C. He made his initial impact with his number “Dig Dug” and won the “DC Metro Breakthrough Artist of the Year” in 2006. Since then, he has released multiple albums and has been featured on countless songs such as “No Hands” by Waka Flocka Flame. He connected with the teams through his music and tumbled off song after song to make for a great performance.

His energy and success is but a foreshadowing for the “historic” seasons to come from both the men’s and wom en’s sports teams. I for one will be attending every game, ogling for a free shirt and re minding any competitors what it means to be a Ram.

“Late Night on the Hill” celebrated the kickoff of basketball season.

COURTESY OF DAVID MORAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

David Moran has founded both the Volleyball Club and The Rambling House in order to foster campus community.

then ignited by rallies to gather support throughout the season

from the women’s basketball coach, Candice Green, and

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Who’s That Kid? | David Moran, GSB ’25

Cafe & Pastry Shop

Yes, the Perfect Pastry Shop Exists

By ELENI BONIKOS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DeLillo’s Cafe & Pastry Shop is located on the main stay of the Arthur Avenue food scene. It has been perfecting its authentic Italian pastries and cakes since opening their doors in 1925. Everyday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — except until 7 p.m. on Sundays — the shop serves fresh batches of its de lectable trademark pastries.

Whether your sweet tooth de mands cannoli, calzones, ama retti, biscotti or pignoli, there is certain to be an abundance of each lined neatly behind the shiniest of windows. In the warmer months, customers can savor some gelato on the outdoor patio, but as it’s fall I highly recommend ordering a cappuccino and slice of carrot cake to blissfully consume at some quiet corner table.

Another reason DeLillo’s is such a tempting location is because of its soothing atmo sphere; the soft rumblings of customers placing their cov eted orders and the bakers in the back conjuring up iced perfections is enough to set any anxious student’s mind at ease. More often than not I find myself staying at a table even after my espresso is long finished and the last morsels of my naparelli cookies have been devoured. It’s one of

my favorite spots to get work done — especially on those rainy days when being inside bores you, but it’s too wet to study on some secluded bench. No one will bother you and there’s nothing that helps pass by hours of work better than coffee and something sweet.

DeLillo’s is also the per fect spot to place an order for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations or wed dings. This month and last it was two of my close friends’ birthdays, and my roommates and I wanted to surprise them.

I knew no other pastry shop could

prepare the kind of cake we had in mind better than DeLillo’s would. The red velvet cake was flawlessly frosted and didn’t murder my tastebuds with too much sweetness, as red velvet cakes often do. We also ordered the assorted box of cookies which was the per fect choice and afforded ev eryone something small and delicious to celebrate with. As our friend blew out the candle on her rainbow cookie I found myself trying one of my new favorite ones, the anginetti.

On another note, customer service is almost as sweet as

what they sell. Every person who has ever placed my or der has done it with genuine kindness and a smile (even in the early morning, which is saying something). Altogeth er it has a warm atmosphere where service is friendly and the food is always succulent. And, although DeLillo’s has a wide variety of pastries they also have some of the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted. For all the coffee lov ers who may be looking for a place besides Starbucks to grab some caffeine, and don’t have a particularly sweet tooth

or a fondness for ridiculously long lines, DeLillo’s may be just the place for you. Just be cause it’s a pastry shop doesn’t mean you can’t only order cof fee (although how can you not be tempted?).

My go-to order at DeLillo’s will always be a cappuccino with extra cinnamon and a slice of double chocolate cake. This order is a great way to treat yourself, especially at the end of a very long and drain ing week. Because of its close proximity to Fordham it’s an easy way to grab something off campus for a change, but without having to walk too far. I happened to find this little gem on Arthur by acci dent while seeking shelter in a rainstorm. I wound up stay ing even after the rain cleared and ordering what has become my go-to order. Although I might have stumbled upon it sooner or later I like to think that the way I found it was a sign. A silly little sign I have interpreted to say that the cafe will always be there whenever I need something sweet to lift my spirits or a place to study when I need some peace and grow tired of Walsh Library.

Overall one does not have to be an Italian pastry connoisseur to enjoy the warm ambiance of DeLillo’s Cafe, but simply be in want of a good cup of coffee and a quiet place to work.

Watch “Cat People” For a Foray into 1940s Horror

By MICHAEL SLUCK PRODUCTION EDITOR

Throughout the month of October, in honor of the Halloween season, my roommate embarked on a quest to watch at least one scary movie a week. Taking advantage of Fordham library’s free movie streaming service, Swank (Side note: if you haven’t used Swank, you’re missing out. It’s an amaz ing perk that we only discovered this year), we watched a number of classic horror films. While some of the films we watched were closer to the modern era, such as “The Shining,” the films we really focused on were the ones nearly a century old, the original black-andwhite cinematic frights that defined an entire generation of horror.

We enjoyed the legendary 1931 “Frankenstein” and the 1935 se quel “Bride of Frankenstein” even more. We were equally enter tained and amused by the 1931 “Dracula.” Of these films, howev er, there was none so memorable, so strange and so under-discussed as the 1942 classic “Cat People.”

There’s something about the title that immediately grabs the attention. While we’ve heard scary stories about bats and spiders, rats and wolves, there doesn’t seem anything particu larly horrific about the average American feline. The other titles of the day bring chills to the spine — who hasn’t been afraid,

at least a little bit, of Count Dracula? — but the most “Cat People” gets is a mild chuckle.

We were nonetheless intrigued. The film appeared as #39 on Rotten Tomatoes’ “200 Best Horror Movies of All Time” list, with a respectable 91% critics’ score. The movie was apparently popular enough to merit both a sequel two years later, as well as a 1982 remake. What was it about this movie that captivated people?

“Cat People” follows Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a Serbian-born woman living in New York City. Over the course of the first few minutes of the movie, she meets, falls in love with and becomes engaged to Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). While their relation ship seems happy at first, on their wedding night, Irene reveals her terrible secret: she is descended from a tribe of Serbian cat people, who turn into deadly panthers when they feel extreme passion, including sexual arousal and jeal ousy. As a result, she is terrified to consummate the marriage, lest she become a giant cat and kill her new husband.

This is perhaps one of the strangest film premises of all time, made even more strange by the fact that it was produced in 1942; as a result, any mention of sex or sexuality is heavily censored. Irena references that she is afraid to “kiss” her husband, and that she wishes she could “really become

his wife,” but the restrictions of the day mean they must dance around what she’s really talking about.

Despite the self-censorship, a lot of the movie feels very modern. Oliver’s reaction to Irena’s beliefs isn’t to mock her or fight with her; instead, he respects her wishes, but calmly suggests she see a therapist. The themes of women being made to fear their own passion, and be ing taught to shove their feelings down rather than succumb, are ones that would fit very well in a modern film.

While “Cat People” is many things, bone-chillingly scary is never one of them. There are some suspenseful moments, but most of the “scary” scenes fall flat. That’s not to say the movie isn’t enjoy able, however. The plot is inter esting. Most of the characters are likable. There are certain moments that are, intentionally or uninten tionally, hysterical. My roommate and I simultaneously burst out laughing at the movie’s opening line, as Oliver tries to flirt with Irene at a zoo, by greeting her with the line, “You won’t believe this. You’ve probably heard it a dozen times before, but I’ve never known any artists.”

The films of this era were much shorter than the long-drawn out movies of modern cinema; “Cat People” clocks in at about 75 min utes, making this perfect for when you don’t want to devote the entire evening to one movie.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its oddness, the movie was highly entertaining. It’s the sort of film that demands to be viewed in a group setting, to comprehend ex actly how strange of an experience

it is. So, whenever you get the op portunity, be it next Halloween or sometime sooner, settle in with a group of friends and watch “Cat People.” I promise it’s an experi ence you’ll never forget.

1942’s “Cat People” walks the line between horror and ridiculousness.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

DeLillo’s Pastry Shop and Cafe is the perfect place on Arthur Avenue to grab a cup of coffee and a pastry.

Overtime: Legacies Live OnMen’s Soccer Ends Season

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT

EDITOR

After a long and challenging fall, the Fordham men’s soccer team wrapped up their season last Saturday with a 3-2 loss against Loyola University Chicago on the Rams’ Senior Day.

The match was crucial for Fordham, as a win would have seen them claim an Atlantic 10 playoff spot. Loyola Chicago, also playing for their playoff lives, stood firmly in Fordham’s way and ended their season.

The Ramblers began the scoring in the 16th minute, when gradu ate student Andrew Schweinert dribbled up the field and layed off a pass to senior Oscar Dueso. The midfielder converted a shot to the right side past senior goalkeeper Callum James, making the score 1-0 Ramblers.

The Rams quickly got an equal izer in the first half. Junior Florian Deletioglu got the play started by playing the ball over to sophomore defender Jed Dixon, who delivered a beautiful cross to the head of gradu ate student Timo Hummrich for his fifth goal of the year.

The second half of the game opened with a bang as both teams scored within a minute of each oth er. Once again, the Ramblers got to it first, with redshirt senior Billy Hency making magic in the mid field. He created space for himself in the middle before driving down the field and delivering a rocket of a shot past James with his weak foot. Hency caused havoc for the Rams all day with his accurate set piece deliv eries and poise under pressure.

Fordham answered back with an other goal from Hummrich. The star of the game for the Rams scored off a penalty kick due to a handball by Hency in the box.

However, the Rams faltered later in the second half, allowing Loyola Chicago to take the lead. Hency de livered a beautiful free kick to the head of Dueso, forcing James into a

diving save.

Junior Julian Cisneros was there to tap in the rebound from close range, making the score 3-2 Ramblers. This marked Cisneros’ first goal of the season and the fourth game-winning goal of his career.

There was plenty of time for the Rams to find that equalizer, but they could not manage to grab it. Fordham’s season ended with the 3-2 loss, while the Ramblers secured their spot in the A-10 tournament, seeding fourth. This marked Fordham’s eighth consec utive game without a win.

It was a long road for Fordham this season as they struggled to lock down games, leading them to tie nine times and only secure one win in the A-10 conference against St. Bonaventure back in September.

Many young Rams had break out seasons, as freshmen Daniel D’Ippolito and Nathan Simes started in three and nine games, respectively. D’Ippolito started in midfield against Loyola Chicago in place of suspended graduate student Daniel Espeleta, while Simes’ five goals were second on the team behind Hummrich.

Meanwhile, many graduate stu dents and seniors will likely take their final bows. Graduate stu dents Demetri Skoumbakis, Jakob Gesien, Espeleta, Ben Shepherd, Jack Sluys and Hummrich were key leaders this year for the Rams.

With an extra year of eligibil ity due to COVID-19, the future is more clouded for seniors Conrado Duhour, Ben Lekperic, Adrian Valentine, Savvas Christoforou and James. All were critical players throughout their time in the program and could return to Fordham if they desire.

It is a sad ending for the Rams, even after their excellent start to the season in their non-conference schedule. Now, with the season in the books, the Rams will have to look towards next year to hopefully return to the A-10 tournament and perform better in conference play.

Athletes of the Week

Fordham Women’s Tennis competed at the Shark Bite Invitational this past week, with tremendous efforts from play ers such as Lindsay Hung. Hung opened up play on Friday, winning her singles match against Savannah Williams (Uni versity of Tampa), taking the sets 6-2, 7-6 (3). She went on to play in the doubles match with Carlota Casasampere Escoda and defeated Carme Ibanez Navarro and Lia Pena (St. Thomas University), 6-2. On Saturday, Hung won once again against Natalie Espinal (Nova Southeastern Uni versity), 6-3, 6-3.

In the final game of the season for the Rams, Timo Hummrich showed out, knocking in Fordham’s two goals. The first goal came from a header of a beau tiful cross from sophomore Jed Dixon, while the second came from a pen alty kick. While the Rams dropped the contest, Hummrich was essential for the momentum during the game. The graduate student started in every single game this year, recording six goals and three assists.

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

I don’t see dead people be cause I’m not in an M. Night Shyamalan film, but I always hear an array of voices when I am doing certain things. When I am performing at WFUV, specifically for basketball-related things, the voice of my dear friend Richie “Doc” Mannion speaks when re citing historical basketball infor mation. When I’m playing sports or working out, I hear the great John Chaney screaming at me.

Why can’t these voices go away? I don’t know and I frankly do not care. I hear them because they are telling me to do things a certain way. They were indirectly (and directly) a part of my life and for long stretches of time go ing back almost 15 years or so.

Doc was the most intelligent, opinionated man about basket ball I ever knew. He could tell you about a random player for the Detroit Pistons in the 1960s. Any opinion he had on a player or a statistic was to be taken with face value, because he was prob ably correct. He was advertised to me as a “basketball encyclopedia,” which he embodied in every sense.

Mannion held the highest stan dards of anyone. He was born in the Bronx but split time between Boston as a die hard Celtics fan. A firsthand witness of Bill Russell, his knowledge was top tier and al most impenetrable.

He always referred to me as “Tommy” in his signature Boston accent. I am not a fan of people calling me Tommy because it sounds childish, but there are few exceptions. Doc was first and fore most one of those exceptions.

The first question I asked him when I first met him was, “How would Oscar Schmidt be in the NBA if he played?”

The answer was so wellthought-out I felt inferior with my knowledge. Everytime I had a question, Doc had an answer. His mental knowledge was so vast, he once called to tell me about Danny Doyle, a one-time Detroit Piston in 1963 who averaged four points and two rebounds.

I had to look him up on my com puter because I didn’t believe him, but he was dead-on.

Each time I recite basketball fac toids, history or opinions, I hear Mannion’s raspy voice telling me

what to say and how to present it. For every screw up I make with in formation, he starts yelling at me in my head. He taught me basket ball, how to read and appreciate history and how knowledge of the past helps understand the future.

Chaney is the most successful mid-major college basketball coach ever in my estimation, with over 20 seasons at Temple University at North Broad Street in Philadelphia and every season nothing short of near perfection. 17 NCAA Tour naments, eight A-10 conference tournament titles, six regular sea son titles, five elite eights and an All-American. There’s no dispute of him being the greatest Temple basketball figure ever.

I remember watching him coach against Fordham at the Rose Hill Gym in 2006, his final year, even then still an excellent in-game genius mixed with an enthusiasm for screaming. He walked the sidelines with stone cold expressions, steaming eyes of the devil and a tie that slouched halfway down his body. That was the Chaney I thought I knew.

The Chaney I now listen to is a life teacher beyond basketball strategy, his philosophies about life serve as everyday lessons on improving as a human being. Things such as “discipline is a high form of intellect” or telling myself

“I am the most disciplined person I know” challenges me to bring out the best in myself.

One of his overall messages is to strive for excellence everyday (I wake up late most days so I’m still working on my perfectionist part), a strong precedent to live by for improvement no matter where you are in the development of your life. I could not get up for his 5:30 a.m. practices right now, but I can develop a rigid routine.

His other calling card was get ting up every morning; the most difficult task for any college stu dent is starting the day. We all struggle with it because our minds and bodies are still changing at such young ages. But we get up faster to be winners, we challenge ourselves to find perfection even if we don’t get it.

Just get as close to perfection as you can. Time is a formality as based on my experiences, both coach Chaney and Doc passed away in 2021 but left ideas and concepts beyond the grave. Two people who I draw a lot of wisdom from were no longer in my physi cal life, they now exist in my imagi nation as menacing voices that have distinct traits.

No matter how much I don’t want to hear voices in my head, these two just don’t seem to go away, but it’s for the better.

Varsity Calendar

Thursday Nov. 3 Wednesday Nov. 2 Friday Nov. 4 Saturday Nov. 5

Monday Nov. 7 Sunday Nov. 6

Dartmouth 7:30 p.m.

Kutztown 6 p.m. Yale 5:30 p.m. Rhode Island 5 p.m.

Saint Louis 12:30 p.m. Bucknell 1 p.m. Cornell (Club) 7:30 p.m. BU/Georgetown 10 a.m/2 p.m.

Bard/Vassar 9:30/10:30 a.m.

Timo Hummrich Graduate Student Men’s Soccer

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

Iona 7 p.m.

GW/Navy 12 p.m/8 p.m. Johns Hopkins 11 a.m.

Georgetown 1 p.m.

Nov. 8

AWAY Volleyball

Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Water Polo

Football Squash Swimming

Lindsay Hung Graduate Student Women’s Tennis

Even if they have passed on, idols like John Chaney still linger.

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Rowing Finds Success in Philadelphia

By ANDREW FALDUTO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham women’s rowing team traveled to Philadelphia this past weekend to compete in the historic 2022 Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, finding sig nificant success in a number of events throughout the day.

Fordham launched a total of eight boats in the regatta, star ting with the Freshman/Novice Four. With an impressive sho wing in their heat, the Fordham Novice Four put up a time of 15:09.653, finishing just behind the Philadelphia hometeam Temple University. The boat placed second, taking home a silver medal for their perfor mance in the water.

The Championship Eight found slightly less success on the water, placing fourth behind Drexel University, Temple and George town University, but still beating out the College of the Holy Cross and Duquesne University. The Championship Four A, compri sed of select team members from the Championship Eight, also placed fourth in their event.

The team also put forth three shell boats in the Championship

Four event: the Persistence shell, the Momentum shell and the FM shell. These boats placed 10th, 27th and 34th, respectively, in the Four race, showing off the team’s depth of talent. The Rams also entered two boats into the Club Championship Eight event, with the Rising Tide shell taking 18th place and the Sandy Kriss shell ta king 30th.

The day ultimately was a suc cess for the team, and as the

last prominent regatta of the fall season, it was a great op portunity for the team to hit the water one last time as they head into the offseason. The high vo lume of boats also allowed for the team to showcase a variety of athletes and garner competi tion experience for some novice rowers.

The team looks ahead to the Fall Metropolitan Championships on Nov. 12, an event that they will likely enter only a few boats into.

Women’s Tennis Wraps Up Fall Season

By BRETT TULIP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last weekend, the Fordham women’s tennis team traveled to sunny Florida where they participated in the Shark Bite Invitational. This three-day event wrapped up the team’s fall schedule. After multiple consecutive weeks of travel for tournaments, they receive a much-needed break un til play resumes in January. In this tournament, the team competed against three differ ent universities, hailing from Nova Southwestern University (NSU), the University of Tampa and St. Thomas University.

Over the course of the week end, Fordham had six of their eight rostered players compete. Although this was a great oppor tunity for some of the younger players to get more practice and reps, notable absentees from this event included senior Avery Aude and graduate student Valeriya Deminova.

At the invitational, sopho more Lorraine Bergmann fin ished with the highest combined win total of any individual play er on the team, securing the vic tory in four of the six matches she participated in. Bergmann shined above the rest, first de feating Fatima Bizhukova from NSU on Friday in three sets.

Later that day, Bergmann, along with freshman Sofie Siem, won in doubles against NSU when they outplayed Julie Razafindranaly and Eva Gon charov 6-4. This was a big win for the team’s youth, as the two youngest players on Fordham’s roster managed to find success against a doubles duo that in cluded a graduate student.

On day two, Fordham struggled

in five of their six singles matches, with the only win coming from the graduate student Lindsay Hung when she defeated senior Nata lie Espinal from NSU 6-3, 6-3.

However, in Saturday’s doubles matches, the young and promis ing duo of Bergmann and Siem again came up big when they took down St. Thomas’ sophomore duo of Lauren Seeman and Maria Tonito 6-3.

On Sunday, the team played their last matches before be ginning their two-month break. Unfortunately, in the singles matches it was more of the same with the only win com ing from junior Eleni Fasoula when she won against NSU’s Kayla Solagnier.

Later in doubles, Bergmann and Siem won for the third time as partners in this tournament as they succeeded against Tampa’s Tatiana Harrelson and Tal Zinn. Fasoula and senior Rachelle Yang also won a doubles match, taking down Kashmira Monohar and Karolina Snita from NSU by

a score of 6-0.

Without Aude and Deminova throughout this tournament, the team did understandably struggle overall. However, this opened up more opportunities for the younger players, and they delivered when called on. Another notable observation in cludes graduate student Carlota Casasampere Escoda only play ing in three matches, the lowest number of anybody on the team this weekend.

It appears head coach Mike Sowter wanted to see more of his younger players and test out different options before they begin one-on-one play against other colleges in January.

The Bergmann and Siem combination in doubles ap peared to be something to build on in the future after their 3-0 record together in this tour nament as partners. They will continue to try different lineups and techniques until they take on Drexel University in January at Life Time Athletic Center.

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Fordham 52 Holy Cross 53 Volleyball Fordham 1 Duquesne 3 Fordham 3 Duquesne 0

Women’s XC A-10 Championship (13th/15 teams)

Men’s XC A-10 Championship (8th/15 teams)

Women’s Tennis Shark Bite Invitational NTS (No Team Scoring)

Water Polo Fordham

Bucknell

Fordham 23

Mount. St. Mary’s 7

Men’s Soccer Fordham 2 Loyola Chicago 1 Golf Metropolitan Championship Day 1: (4th/8 Teams) Day 2: (5th/8 Teams)

Women’s Rowing Head of the Schuylkill NTS (No Team Scoring)

News & Notes

SNY to Broadcast Fordham Basketball

Fordham Basketball is hosting their annual Late Night on the Hill on Thursday at the Rose Hill Gym. The event will include team intro ductions, giveaways and a special performance from a musical guest. Students can reserve their tickets online through an email sent to their student account. Tickets are available for pick up on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rose Hill.

Cross Country Competes In Atlantic 10 Championship

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

On one of the final days of October, Fordham Cross Country valiantly competed in the Atlantic 10 Championship (A-10). The event took place all the way in Mechanicsville, Va.’s Pole Green Park and was the culmination of a packed season of A-10 action. Neither squad placed as one of the top five teams, but each boasted some standout performances.

The women’s section was ulti mately won by Loyola University Chicago, and Fordham placed 13th in a field of 15 clubs. The Rams placed ahead of St. Bona venture University and Virginia Commonwealth University after a 10th place at last year’s compe tition.

Sophomore Madeleine Ryan was the maroon’s top perfor mer. She finished 47th and ran the 5K course in a time of

18:26.5. Senior Nathania Tan was the next Ram to finish. She placed 88th and clocked in at 19:08.0. Junior Marin Bogulski, sophomore Caroline McDonagh and senior Taylor Mascetta placed 97th, 102nd and 104th respectively.

The men’s section was also won by Loyola Chicago. Fordham’s group placed 8th in a field of 15 units on the 8K course, ahead of schools like the University of Massachusetts and the University of Rhode Island.

Junior Steven Zucca was a top 20 finisher. He took home 18th place thanks to a time of 24:41.6. Senior Colin Flood placed 40th with a mark of 25:19.2, and sophomore Nathan Bezuneh grabbed 56th with a time of 25:34.4.

Cross Country will wrap up their season on Friday, Nov. 11 when they compete in the NCAA Northeast Regional at the familiar confines of Van Cortlandt Park.

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams finished their season at the Shark Bite Invitational in Florida.

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Fordham Rowing had a successful weekend at the Schuylkill Regatta.

Both the men’s and women’s teams had solid performers in Virginia.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Women’s Basketball Hunting for More Silverware

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

A new era of Fordham Women’s Basketball will officially begin on Nov. 3 when the Rams take on Kutztown University in an exhi bition game. Interim head coach Candice Green is tasked with lead ing the team into a world without former school staple and longtime head coach Stephanie Gaitley. It will undoubtedly be a large task, but with much of last year’s core re turning, Green and her team will be in the hunt for an Atlantic 10 (A-10) Championship.

Green had been an assistant coach at Fordham since 2019 before becoming the interim head coach. Prior to her start at Fordham, Green worked for head coach Bill Cleary at her alma mater Colgate University.

Green herself once graced Colgate’s hardwood and served as team captain for two seasons. Her wealth of experience will be an asset to both experienced veterans and younger individu als trying to make their mark.

Last season, women’s basketball fell in the quarterfinal round of the A-10 tournament to the University of Massachusetts. Collectively, it

seemed as though the team “ran out [of] gas.” One could plausibly say the decline started after a heart breaking loss in Rhode Island.

The Rams shot an abysmal 28% in the game and proceeded to lose six of their final eight contests. Key pieces struggled down the stretch and couldn’t seem to score against the Minutemen in the quarterfinal. Fordham went home empty-hand ed as a result.

Senior guard Anna DeWolfe is back and looking to improve upon a stellar 2021-22 campaign in which she averaged a team high of 17.8 points per game.

Additionally, graduate student guard Asiah Dingle and forward Kaitlyn Downey will also make im pactful returns. Dingle led the team in assists last season, averaging 3.2 per game. Downey was a fierce de fender last season. She provided over five rebounds per game and also contributed a team high of 22 total blocks on the season.

This core will have to be even more effective given the loss of Kendell Heremaia. The former Ram was a major scorer and de fensive presence. Graduate student forward Megan Jonassen will be forced to take on even more defen sive responsibility. Green referred

to her as an “energy person” during A-10 media day and highlighted her willingness to dive on loose balls and do other gritty things that help the team win.

Even with Jonassen’s impact, Fordham will have to get a slew of contributions from players such as sophomore Colleen McQuillen, junior Matilda Flood and senior Sarah Karpell. It is essential they make an impact on defense. Each of these women has experience with the team and now have the chance to bridge the gap between good and exceptional. It’s no secret that great units tend to have great defenses.

Last season, Fordham allowed the fourth fewest points per game in the A-10. This trend will have to remain stable if they are go ing to compete against the likes of the University of Rhode Island, UMass, the University of Dayton and the University of Richmond.

This season’s freshman crop is another aspect of the team that could help propel Fordham into the upper echelon of A-10. If Faith Pappas, Rose Nelson, Kaila Berry or Ashley O’Connor are able to adapt to collegiate ball and the team’s defensive scheme quickly, the Rams will boast an added layer

Fordham Water Polo Ups Win Streak to 11

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

Fordham Water Polo increased their winning streak to 11 games with a double-header sweep on Saturday. Picking up two more conference wins, the Rams once again flexed their muscles at home.

Fordham kicked off Saturday’s action with a matchup against Bucknell University.

Recently ranked fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) polls, Bucknell had proven itself as a tough conference opponent this season.

Fordham dominated to start, holding a 7-2 lead after the first half, but Bucknell came roaring back in the second half, cutting the lead down to 11-10 midway through the fourth quarter. Backto-back goals from sophomore Luca Silvestri gave the Rams a late 13-10 lead. Bucknell surged once again, cutting the lead down to one with a minute to play, but the Rams held strong defensively for the 13-12 win.

Silvestri netted five goals, ty ing his season-high mark that he set two weeks ago against George Washington University.

Silvestri wasn’t the only sopho more to make an impact, as Lucas Nieto Jasny netted a hat trick while Jacopo Parrella posted four points behind a pair of goals and assists. Sophomore goalkeeper and reign ing MAWPC Defensive Player of the Week Thomas Lercari played well once again, making 10 saves with a huge penalty block as the Rams held on to sweep Bucknell in

the season series.

In the second match of the day, Fordham cruised to a 23-7 win over Mount St. Mary’s University. Taking a 8-1 lead after one quar ter of play, the Rams’ offense was sharp as ever in the blowout win, tallying 23 goals for the second time in three weeks.

Silvestri and Nieto Jasny led the way once again, each notching four goals and an assist. It was a total effort for the offense as 13 differ ent Rams scored a goal. Fresh man Balazs Berenyi was among the many goal scorers, notching his 40th of the season. It’s been an impressive season for Berenyi, who ranks third on the team in goals.

The stars of the weekend were undoubtedly Silvestri and Nieto Jasny, who notched nine and eight goals respectively in just two games. It’s a bit of a relief to see these two get more active in the scoring for Fordham.

As a transfer from Westcliff University, Silvestri needed a little adjustment period to get acquainted with the system. It seems now that he’s adjusted just fine. Silvestri entered play two weeks ago with 19 goals on the season. He’s doubled that now, scoring 19 goals in the last five games alone.

Nieto Jasny has been a top-three points scorer all year for the Rams, but his goal scoring has taken a dip from last year. After tallying 66 markers last year, good for sec ond on the team, Nieto Jasny has struggled to score at the same clip this year, despite still being a very productive offensive player.

He’s seen his scoring rise the last two weeks as well, scoring 13 goals over five games.

The offense in general is in a super great spot as the Rams near tournament play. Last year, Fordham had five players score 30 goals or more.

This year, Fordham already has seven players that have reached the 30 goal mark: Parrella (57), sopho more George Papanikolaou (41), Berenyi (40), Nieto Jasny (39), Silvestri (38), Loupakis (38) and graduate student Nir Gross (34). That number may grow even larger come seasons end.

One of the criticisms you could make about the Rams last year was that they were a bit top heavy scoring wise. The freshman trio of Parrella, Papanikolaou and Nieto Jasny accounted for almost half of the scoring while Loupakis and Hans Zdolsek were major scorers as well. This year, Fordham has an array of elite scoring talent. It’s evenly distributed and will give op posing coaches headaches as they try to scheme against this group.

With the pair of wins, Fordham adds two more conference sweeps to their season record. They re main undefeated at home (6-0) and in conference play (13-0). Only five games remain in the regular season. Next up for the Rams is a Wednesday matchup with local rival Iona College in the annual Judge Cup. After that, they’ll be on the road this weekend to take on George Washington, Navy and Johns Hopkins University. It’s by no means an easy schedule, but Fordham remains up to the task.

of depth that few teams possess. Specifically, Pappas and O’Connor add the sort of speed and athleti cism that work well in the college game. If their game rapidly grows, it will afford Green the opportunity to give DeWolfe and Dingle some minutes off. Doing so would ulti mately reduce the kind of burnout that seemed to plague the club last year.

It will undoubtedly be a fascinat ing season for women’s hoops. It is evidently the start of a new era, but Fordham will have to rely on an experienced core that remembers past shortcomings as well as an

unbridled enthusiasm on defense from younger contributors.

“This group is just so much fun to be around, all the buzzwords that you can think of — family, dedicated, accountable, etc. — this group has it. Losing in the [quarter finals] last year hurt us all deeply,” said Green. “We have six seniors and grads with one more chance at this thing. And being honest I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of this year in terms of myself [and the] staff as well. We’re all working with this quiet despera tion to do everything we can to ac complish our goals.”

Golf Closes Fall Season

By WILL TALLANT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It was the last outing of the fall season for the Fordham golf team as the Rams competed in the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship, hosted by Wagner University, at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J. Fordham, as a team, carried a score of 18-over, good for fourth place out of eight programs on day one heading into Tuesday.

Senior P.J. O’Rourke and sopho more Jake Mrva led the charge for the Rams on Monday as both golf ers shot two-over, tied for the best score out of the entire Fordham roster.

O’Rourke and Mrva entered Tuesday’s competition in a tie for eighth place after their first rounds. Sophomore Chris Konefal followed with his score of five-over to put him in a tie for 22nd in the stand ings. Senior Nicholas Manning notched a 79 during his first round, and senior Andreas Aivazoglou capped off his Monday with an 83, placing him in sole possession of 44th place.

Day two saw some bright lights for a few Rams as Fordham fin ished fifth out of eight teams to wrap up the fall season. Mrva re corded his first top-10 finish, tally ing consecutive 72’s in his second 36 holes. Mrva finished in a share of eighth place.

Mrva would finish his day with a combined score of 144, to set a career-best. Konefal continued his day one success as the senior matched his collegiate-best with an even-par 70 to move him into a tie for 10th place.

This was Konefal’s first ever top-10 placement. Manning just missed the cut for the top-20 as the senior carded a 71 to place him in a share of 21st.

O’Rourke dipped from his eighth-place finish on Monday to a tie for 25th on Tuesday after the se nior shot a 79 in his second round of play. Aivazoglou lowered his day one score of 83 to a 78 which ulti mately placed him alone for 43rd in the tournament.

The Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship concludes Fordham’s fall season. The Rams will resume action on the links in March.

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Last year, Women's Basketball left a lot to be desired at season ’s end.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Golf placed fifth in the Metropolitan intercollegiates.

Football Drops Huge Game Against Holy Cross

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Heading into Saturday’s game against the College of the Holy Cross, Fordham Football was on a quest to prove they have enough to win a Patriot League title.

The Rams hadn’t defeated the Crusaders since 2016, back when now Denver Broncos running back Chase Edmonds scored four touchdowns in a 54-14 win at Yankee Stadium.

This year had the promise to be different, Fordham be ing one of the premier offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision led by senior quar terback Tim DeMorat, senior wide receiver Fotis Kokosioulis and a plethora of other weap ons.

But unfortunately for the Rams, Saturday’s matchup be tween two of the top teams in the FCS ended in heartbreak.

In an instant classic, Holy Cross defeated Fordham 53-52 in overtime at Fitton Field in Worcester, Mass. The Crusaders improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in Patriot League play, while the Rams fell to 6-2 on the year and 2-1 in-conference.

Holy Cross was led by an out standing day from quarterback Matthew Sluka both through the air and on the ground. The junior totalled 294 yards passing and 174 yards rushing to go along with five total touchdowns.

Other Crusaders with big days included receiver Jalen Coker, who hauled in three touchdowns on six catches for 131 yards.

Fordham, who have been known this season for their prolific aerial attack, switched things up a bit on Saturday.

The Rams running game took center stage against Holy

Cross, with sophomore Julius Loughridge and graduate stu dent Trey Sneed both contrib uting over 100 yards rushing.

DeMorat still had a big day, although he was not as accu rate as he’s been for most of this season. On 19/38 passing, DeMorat threw for 256 yards and five touchdowns.

Those five scores brought his season total to 38, breaking both the Fordham and Patriot League record for touchdowns in a single season.

Senior receiver Dequece Carter was also impressive, totaling 107 yards and three touchdowns on just four receptions, while junior Mekai Felton had two touchdown catches on 92 yards receiving.

Holy Cross started on the front foot, opening the scoring just two minutes into the first quarter. Sluka found Coker over the middle of the field for a big 58-yard touchdown to give the Crusaders the early 7-0 advantage.

The Rams answered back with a 39-yard field goal from junior Brandon Peskin, but Holy Cross quickly scored again on a touchdown run from Peter Oliver to make it 14-3 Crusaders.With a minute to go in the first, Carter made an un real touchdown catch on third and long to get Fordham back within four.

The teams then traded scores in the second quarter, with Sluka punching it in for Holy Cross and Felton hauling in another long touchdown from DeMorat to cut the Crusaders lead back down to four at 21-17.

Just before the end of the first half, the Rams took their first lead of the day. DeMorat once again found Felton in the endzone for the score to give

Athlete

By TAYLOR MASCETTA STAFF WRITER

At long last, Halloween’s ar rived. But for us cross country runners, something a little scarier fittingly comes along this weekend too — conference championships. Months of blood, sweat and tears are poured into this one race. So what happens when it doesn’t exactly go your way?

On one hand, the women’s team placed 13th. We came into the race wanting to place within the top half, so it was a disappointment for all of us. But on the other hand, ev ery single one of us went up to the starting line and gave it absolutely everything we had.

Nearly everyone ran a season’s best in the 5K, myself included. And I will say, the Atlantic 10 (A-10) is both underrated and stacked. We did what we could do, and there’s nothing else I could ask for.

Last year’s A-10 was a massive breakthrough for me. I set a big PR and cracked the top 40, placing 39th. To say I was excited was an understatement.

This year, I wanted to be in the top 25. Plot twist, I didn’t make the top 100, barely missing it in 102nd.

A big disappointment for sure, but not entirely a downgrade. On the bright side, the time was only ten seconds off of last year’s. That just goes to show how much faster this conference has gotten over the past year.

I also came into A-10s wanting to break 19 minutes in the 5K. It’s been a goal of mine since freshman year. Admittedly, I’m not exactly a distance runner. Shorter distances like the 800m or the mile are more my forte. Cross country always comes as both a mental and physi cal struggle for me (hills are my worst nightmare).

But this course was flat the whole way, save for one incline near the finish line. Nothing crazy. So when I ran 19:22, I was admit tedly bummed at first not to cross that magical 19 minute mark. But I knew I fought hard, so that disap pointment didn’t last long.

It’s been a tough season, espe cially coming off of my injury last

Fordham the 24-21 advantage heading into halftime.

The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued throughout the third quarter, with both of fenses striking once in between a few defensive spots. For Fordham, DeMorat perfectly executed a read-option play on first and goal for his first rushing touchdown of the day.

But, just as they did all day long, Holy Cross had an im mediate answer. On their first play following the Fordham touchdown, Sluka had a beau tiful option of his own, rum bling 66 yards down the field to set Holy Cross up with a first-and-goal situation.

Oliver punched it in for the Crusaders, cutting Fordham’s lead to three at 31-28 moving into the final quarter of play.

Early in the fourth, Fordham’s defense stood strong in a goalto-go situation, forcing Holy Cross to kick a field goal to level the game at 31. But after that, the offenses went to work.

Julius Loughridge took over on Fordham’s ensuing posses sion. Loughridge ran for all of Fordham’s 71 yards on the drive, including a 34-yard score to put the Rams back up by seven. The Houston native’s 121 total rush ing yards on the day were a ca reer high.

Coker replied with a touch down catch off a slant to im mediately nullify Fordham’s advantage, but the Rams came right back with a 38-yard touchdown from DeMorat to Carter to go back up seven.

A huge fourth down stop forced by the Fordham defense gave the Rams the ball back with just 3:40 to go at the Holy Cross 46-yard line up 45-38. Just one or two first downs

would have iced the game for Fordham and delivered a huge victory against the Patriot League’s premier school.

The team was in a similar posi tion in their only other loss this year against Ohio University, but once again the Rams couldn’t seal the victory on offense and handed the football back to Holy Cross with barely any time having elapsed.

Starting from their own 20 with three minutes to play, the Crusaders marched down the field and tied the game on a 15-yard touchdown from Sluka to Coker. Fordham couldn’t answer with a minute to go in their final possession, sending the game into overtime.

The Rams got the ball to begin overtime and wasted no time in striking first. On the first play of OT, DeMorat found Carter in the endzone for a 25-yard touchdown, putting Fordham up 52-45. Now, all the Rams needed was a stop to secure victory.

But Holy Cross would not go away once again. Even after a holding penalty pushed the Crusaders back to 2nd and 22, the Fordham defense could not hold strong.

Sluka hit Justin Shorter for a nine yard score to get Holy Cross within one.

Then, instead of kicking the extra point to send the game into double overtime, Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney opted to go for two. The entire game, and possibly the conference championship, all came down to one play.

A Holy Cross conversion would mean a victory for them and in all likelihood another Patriot League title, but a Fordham stop would shake up the con ference at last.

The Crusaders ran a reverse on the two-point attempt, catching Fordham off guard and allowing Asante Ayir to waltz into the endzone with the game winner.

The gutsy call from Chesney spelled doom for the Rams, who fell to Holy Cross by a final score of 53-52.

After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was vis ibly down and disappointed.

“Obviously a frustrating loss,” he said. “We had a lot of oppor tunities to put that game away. We have to execute better down the stretch, particularly in the fourth quarter on offense and defense. I’m proud of the kids, they played as hard as they could and left it all out there. We have to do a better job as coaches of putting them in a position to win football games.”

Although it was a deflating defeat for the Rams after get ting so close to a monumental victory, all hope is not lost for the group.

While their Patriot League title hopes seem axed at this point, Fordham are still very much alive for an at-large FCS playoff bid. The Rams will like ly have to win out in their re maining three games for this to remain the case.

Next up for Fordham is an other Patriot League road test, this time against Bucknell Uni versity.

Bucknell has had a rough sea son thus far, sitting at 1-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Ex pect Fordham to take out their anger on the Bison look to get back on track this Saturday in Pennsylvania.

That game will start at 1 p.m. streaming live on ESPN+ or heard on WFUV 90.7.

on a Challenging Season

May. At this time six months ago, I could not walk.

Summer training was far from smooth sailing, and I came into the fall with less miles under my belt than usual. But I trusted my self through the entire process, and while this season came with frustrations, there was never a mo ment where I decided to throw in the towel. I kept fighting no matter what.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from this cross country season, it’s the importance of grati tude. I’ve been blessed with the ability to run.

Even better, I run for a Division 1 program at an exceptional universi ty. I have incredible friends on and off the team, as well as an incredibly supportive, knowledgeable coach ing staff. We know how to make the most out of the hardest of days. One undesired result doesn’t change any of that. I’m still standing.

Every year, teammates back home make personalized note cards for every person racing, say ing good luck and hyping us up. I

got quite a few.

One drew Taylor Swift from memory. Another said I should pretend I was hopping out of the Fortnite battle bus. Even my favor ite Mario Kart character, Rosalina, made an appearance.

Every year I read these cards the night before the race, and I usually laugh for ten minutes straight. It

really shows how much this team cares for each other. And while I love hitting a PR, having this love and support matters even more.

We’ve got regionals up next, back on our home course at Van Cortlandt Park. I’m hoping to go out in a blaze of glory. But I’ve come a long way regarding results, and I’m grateful for it.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Mascetta reflects on her Fordham journey with enthusiasm.

Fordham Men’s Basketball’s New Attitude for 2022-23

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Men’s Basketball has been an albatross since joining the Atlantic 10 (A-10), but they defied odds last year. The Rams saw one of their best players, Antonio Daye Jr., leave midseason and former head coach Kyle Neptune assume command at Villanova University after the retirement of Jay Wright.

Now it is head coach Keith Urgo’s turn to lead Fordham. He comes in with a marvelous track record as an assistant coach under multiple winning coaches in the Big East and Big Ten conferences in Wright and Pat Chambers at Pennsylvania State University. He returns most of the pieces from last year, with a few additions.

Chuba Ohams, one of the na tion’s leading rebounders, and Josh Colon-Navarro both gradu ated. Kam’ron Cunningham, Jalen Cobb and Ahmad Harrison all transferred to new schools. This year, continuity is king in the A-10 Conference and Fordham retained their veterans.

Graduate student guard Darius Quisenberry returns for his final year of college eligibility. Last sea son, he threw up 16.2 points per contest while battling various ail ments. He played sparingly in the A-10 tournament last March and does have injury history, but the preseason all-league selection is ready to roll.

Junior Antrell Charlton returns following a season in which he logged 1,062 minutes, the most on the team. He will once again be in his role as the team’s defen sive leader and point man. He led the team last year in assists (113) and steals (56) and will look to do so again. He was also second on the team in rebounds, grabbing 5.4 boards per game.

Senior wing Kyle Rose was an unsung hero last year as a twoway threat. His big three-pointer

against George Mason University on Feb. 22 was his signature mo ment, and he will look to improve his scoring output which jumped to 7.5 per game, 2.3 higher than the previous year. Rose’s value as a set shooter is key on a team who struggled with threes last year.

Junior center Abdou Tsimbila looks to fill large shoes left by Ohams as the team’s lead center. Tsimbila started 17 games along side Ohams, and in the final 11 games the team went 6-5. He was also second last year in blocks (23) and second in offensive rebounds (54). He must avoid foul trouble, as he averaged 2.0 fouls last year.

Fellow senior center Rostyslav Novitskyi returns to add some offensive juice. Last year, he shot 33% from long range while help ing out with rebounding and post defense.

Novitskyi flashed potential in the team’s A-10 quarterfinal game against Davidson, nailing 18 points on 58% shooting. There are more opportunities in the forward rotation this year which could line up perfectly for Novitskyi’s weighty improvement.

The same applies for sophomores Patrick Kelly and Zach Riley, both of whom entered the equation late. Kelly had a hand injury and didn’t debut until Dec. 9, 2021. He went off in the first A-10 tournament game vs. George Mason by tallying nine points on 3-3 from range.

Riley came in the spring semes ter due to the New Zealand school year calendar, but made strides as a tough guard who adds a shooting touch.

Full off-seasons have been key for late bloomers and injury riddled players. Over 50% of the team’s production returns, a welcomed sight for Urgo. This will also help once the new Rams adjust as they enter A-10 play come December 28th.

The best talent the program

has seen in years has entered the equation. Fordham typically con cocts high level two-star players and low end three-star players who would grow during their four years. This class, however, has significantly raised the Fordham recruiting profile.

The first to sign was point guard Will Richardson from Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J. Richardson is the highest rated Fordham recruit since Jio Fontan in 2008, com ing in as the all time leading scorer at Bergen Catholic and a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group Tournament, Non-Public A, state champion.

Richardson is a complete point guard: finishing, passing and a commitment to defense should serve both parties very well. But one thing he knows is creating shots from the perimeter and getting into driving lanes, traits Fordham lacked last year and be came apparent in the A-10 tour nament when Davidson exposed the team’s weaknesses.

Once the year ended, Fordham announced their second recruit in Romad Dean, a wiry, 6’7” for ward by way of the Bahamas. In an interview with prospectivein sigh.com, he claimed that he once grabbed 55 rebounds in a single game.

His freak athleticism will serve him well as a shot blocker, cutter and the high flying antics will en tertain all fans.

The third recruit came in April, when it was announced that the Rams had landed Angel Montas, a highly sought after guard from the Dominican Republic.

Montas played his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball with SOH Elite based in Florida. He averaged 34.3 points, 8.4 re bounds, 3.4 steals and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. Montas was

also a Sunshine Independent Athletic Association first-team selection.

Montas, like Richardson, adds an off-the-dribble game and another scoring option for the Rams. His 6’5”, 228 pound frame makes him a handful when he goes downhill and will create easy three point looks for open shooters.

The transfer portal has allowed Fordham to inherit a graduate student: former Georgia Tech forward and Briarwood native, Khalid Moore.

Standing at 6’7”, Moore will serve as Fordham’s defensive spe cialist and another leader for the younger group. He willingly does the dirty work to help the team rather than piling his individual stats. Given the current makeup of the roster, a player like Moore is essential.

In May, Fordham landed their fourth true freshman: combo guard Noah Best from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx. The local product chose Fordham over the likes of the University of Illinois, Manhattan College, Rutgers University, Saint Peter’s University and Quinnipiac University.

Best’s greatest tool, his three point shooting, is something the Rams will covet. They were ranked last in the A-10 last year in team three point percentage (.297%) on the fourth most attempts (25 per game). Though he may play spar ingly, the Rams will ride whoever has the hot hand.

The team added a fifth fresh man in June when they an nounced Elijah Gray. He posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.2 re bounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks on 58% shooting in his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy. Gray was a two star recruit as graded by most of the recruiting services, but has been impressive in practices. He’s light on his feet,

powerful in the post and defends at a high level with the rebounding to go along with it.

The team believes the momen tum can continue rolling forward with Urgo in charge, who added former George Mason head coach Dave Paulsen as an assistant to help bolster the team’s offensive schemes.

Fordham’s pedestrian offense must improve from last year, plain and simple. Players such as Quisenberry, Kelly, Riley, Rose, Best and Novistkyi need to add volume while being efficient from distance.

The out-of-conference sched ule is a point of emphasis for this program due to the weakness of it year in and year out, and that hasn’t changed this season very much.

The team opens up at home against Dartmouth College on Nov. 7 before hitting the road to face the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, a potential final four team following a very successful elite eight run last year.

Fordham will travel for a second time against Tulane University down in New Orleans on Dec. 3, finishing the rest of their non-con ference matchups at the Rose Hill Gym.

The team will also be hosting the Tom Konchalski tournament in honor of the late Tom Konchalski, widely considered the most im portant scout in basketball. In that tournament, the Rams will play the University of Illinois Chicago, Holy Cross and Stonehill College.

The non-conference schedule also includes Harvard University, Wagner College and Binghamton University before the first A-10 matchup with Davidson College on Dec. 28.

All told, Fordham looks to build upon last season’s success despite the unplanned circumstances they were dealt rather quickly.

Freshman Brown Shines for Fordham Once Again at Duquesne

By MILES GROSSMAN STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball completed the road portion of the season by splitting a pair at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh this past weekend.

The Rams’ quest to qualify for the postseason over the next few weeks will take place exclusively on their Rose Hill home floor. While the standout of the week end, freshman Audrey Brown, would have preferred a perfect 2-0 weekend, the Rams looked solid throughout both matches.

“Our stats showed we played really well on Friday and we still lost so that happens, that’s just something you gotta accept,” said Brown. “But on Saturday we came out extremely focused on the game plan and what Ian [Choi] told us to do and that’s why we won, because we worked together as a team.”

In Friday’s tough loss, the Rams posted 20+ in each of the three sets while being swept in extreme ly competitive fashion. Brown played a huge role in keeping it

tight with 19 kills from the out side hitter spot. But just about 20 hours later in the same gym, the Rams picked up their third road sweep of 2022 behind another 19 kills from Brown.

As a result of yet another stel lar performance, Brown picked up the third Atlantic 10 (A-10) Rookie of the Week honor of her young career. When asked if she anticipated this level of success

so early in her tenure, the humble freshman replied, “I was hope fully going to make an impact, but I wouldn ’t say I expected it at all.”

The Rams have had an up-anddown year, but the presence of a young talent in Brown has been genuinely inspiring for all. There is no telling how high Brown’s ceiling is. In her collegiate de but, she matched junior Whitley Moody’s career high in kills. And

Moody is not just the average player to grace Rose Hill; she has led the Rams in kills in all three of her seasons with the program and has solidified herself as one of the more explosive players across the A-10. So to be compared to the highly accomplished striker so early in her career is nothing short of extraordinary.

While a spot at the A-10 tourna ment now seems unlikely for the

Rams, the chase is not over yet.

“A few things would have to fall into place, but we have control of our own destiny… the A-10 tour nament is definitely still one of our goals,” said Brown.

One of the only reasons the Rams are at least within shouting distance of qualifying for postsea son play is a two-game set with the Saint Louis University (SLU) Billikens from the Bronx this weekend.

SLU currently holds the allimportant six seed in the confer ence and a three-game lead over the Rams.

If the Rams were able to pull off the weekend sweep, then it will all come down to the final weekend of regular-season play.

But if the Rams do not take both from SLU this weekend, their chances of making the league tournament are officially off the table.

Stay tuned for an exciting stretch run by these talented Fordham Rams, whose con siderable potential has not yet been reached during this chal lenging fall campaign.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Freshman Audrey Brown dishes out high-fives to Duquesne following a win on Rose Hill.