Volume 106 Issue 1

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 106, Issue 1

TheFordhamRam.com

January 24, 2024

Fordham Recieves $50 Million Grant from the EPA

Fordham Offers Spring One-Credit Seminars

By SAMANTHA MINEAR

By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI

Fordham University was selected by the Biden administration to receive a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “fund environmental justice projects” across New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the EPA. The grant, which was announced this past December, is meant to specifically cater towards underserved and overburdened communities in EPA Region 2. This includes the above states and territories, as well as eight federally recognized Indian Nations.

The university will act as a conduit to disseminate funds to different organizations and communities in need via the newly-established Flourishing in Community (FIC) Grantmaker Initiative. “[FIC] proposes an intersectional approach to place frontline communities in positions of power to advance environmental justice and climate

Sixteen one-credit seminars, along with two zero-credit seminars, are being offered to students for the spring semester.

The symposiums range from topics such as pre-health, prelaw, business, nutrition, liberal arts, sustainability, environmental justice and research, as well as symposiums targeted towards first-generation students, members of the Manresa program and commuter students.

The pre-health symposium is mandatory for pre-med s t u d e n t s . “We had a Zoom meeting where a previous Fordham student who failed chemistry and did poorly in some STEM classes still got into medical school, so it was really inspiring,” said Brandon Cordy, FCRH ’27.

The diversity in the program’s offerings appeals to students in a variety of fields.

“What I really like about Fordham is the liberal arts education which allows students like me to explore all sorts of different career pathways and what fits them and their interests,” said Pierce Liestenfeltz, FCRH ’27. He is taking the pre-law symposium.

“As a pre-law student I thought the symposium would give me a head start on internships, thinking about law school in the future, preparing for the LSAT and the overall law school application process,” said Megan Ruzicka, FCRH ’27.

The programs, covering a variety of career paths and discussion topics, also feature guest speakers currently working in the field.

“I’m most excited for all of the different guest speak-

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

FEATURE EDITOR EMERITUS

SEE EPA, PAGE 4

COURTESY MARY HAWTHORN/FORDHAM RAM

The annoucment came after several months of discussion within the Fordham community

Fordham Prematurely Announces Policy Allowing Opposite Gender Guests

By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The Office of Residential Life prematurely announced a new policy allowing residents to have overnight guests of the opposite gender beginning in the spring semester.

Upon the return to campus after the winter break, residents were informed of changes made to the guest policy, allowing for guests of a different gender to

stay overnight beginning Jan. 19. However, it was later announced by the Office of Residential Life that the change is not yet to be implemented as the university is still developing the policy.

Currently, residents are allowed two guest passes per semester and are required to request them 24 hours prior to their guest’s arrival. Guests can only stay for two consecutive nights and must be aged 16-

23 and be the same sex as the resident. The proposed change in policy would allow for residents to host guests of a different gender with roommate approval shared with their respective dorm’s Resident Director.

Some residents were told

by Resident Assistants (RAs) at their floor meetings that the policy allowing guests of SEE POLICY, PAGE 5

First Semester of New Biochemistry Major

By NORA MALONE NEWS EDITOR

The number of emails has increased over the past semester.

which came from a compromised institutional email account. The phishing emails ranged from offers for free musical instruments to job opportunities for Fordham students. In response to these attacks, Fordham’s Department of

Last summer, Fordham University was approved to add a new biochemistry major to their course offerings.

This comes three years after the introduction of the biochemistry minor in 2020.

Focusing on the intersection of biology and chemistry, the first semester of the major being offered has just been completed.

“We wanted to make sure the minor was doing well and that a lot of students were interested in that and when that worked the next logical step was major,” said Dr. Ipsita Banerjee, chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry. This December, the Department of Chemistry had its name officially changed to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We

SEE PHISHING, PAGE 5

SEE BIOCHEM, PAGE 3

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Increase of Phishing Emails from Compromised Accounts

By ADITHI VIMALANTHAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Phishing emails, texts and group messages have been distributed en masse to Fordham University students over the course of the last year.

These scams have arrived by

various means, including text or GroupMe messages. However, in recent semesters, they have achieved significant reach through vulnerable Fordham University email accounts. In 2023, Fordham IT sent four emails warning students about phishing messages, each of

SEE SEMINARS, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion Page 7

The DNC Made a Mistake in Creating New Primary Schedule

Culture

Page 12

Joe Koy ’s Globes Missed The Mark

Sports

Page 20

WBB Off to Worst Conference Start in 15 Years

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Jan. 19 Off Campus 4:30 p.m.

On Friday, a Fordham employee reported the theft of their University cell phone from their vehicle which was parked on Southern Boulevard behind the Lombardi Center. When they returned, the rear windows of their vehicle were smashed and their cell phone and other property was taken.

Jan. 20 Off Campus 2:05 a.m.

On Saturday, a student reported the theft of their jacket from the Last Call Bar. The student states they went to the bar at 12:01 a.m., and hung up their black leather jacket inside the bar. At 1:50 a.m., they discovered that their jacket, containing a wallet, $20 and their Fordham ID card, had been taken. At 2:00 a.m., a female turned in the wallet to the Security Officer operating Van 2. The female said that they found the wallet on Arthur Avenue.

The supervisor took the reporter to the bar. The jacket was not located.

Jan. 19 Loyola Hall 6:58 p.m.

On Friday, a smoke alarm went off in Loyola Hall. The supervisor and FDNY responded. The investigation revealed that students cooking popcorn triggered the alarm.

Follow us on Instagram! @thefordhamram

January 24. 2024

Fordham Students Participate in Research as a Part of the Core Curriculum

By HANNAH HOFFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF MARY HAWTHORN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students do research in core classes.

Fordham University’s core curriculum includes classes such as “Composition II” and “Advanced Composition II,” which are gradually becoming more research-based. Taking one of these courses is required as a part of Fordham’s core curriculum. Fordham states that “Composition II” is meant to “help students learn sound practices with respect to conventions of citation, quotation, paraphrase and documentation,” along with improving students’ skills in comprehending and writing about texts. One of the major projects of “Composition II” is a research paper that the students spend around a month on, in addition to developing the skills to properly write this paper throughout the year.

This shift in the curriculum pushes the mandatory English course away from a literature focus and onto a more handson research approach, teaching students how to begin writing professionally.

Three students found the research focus in their composition class’ curriculum interesting. The three students shared their experiences in their respective composition classes.

Hartley Loomis, FCRH ’27 was enrolled in “Composition II” for the fall semester with Professor Sarah Hildeb-

rand and wrote her paper on the increasingly intense forming of parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities through social media. She explained that her interest in this topic formed throughout her high school experience, and when she came to Fordham, she was interested enough to write about it for the project.

Loomis’ thesis stated there was a contrast between the way in which these parasocial relationships are negatively regarded in media versus the reality of the relationships. She argued that they are not as harmful as the media makes them out to be. Loomis explains that while there are sensationalized cases of people going too far with a celebrity crush, these are one-off experiences. Usually, the only thing the parasocial relationship does is help make the fans happy and give the celebrity a financial boost. Further, it eliminates the possibility of rejection, which can be very comforting to a number of people. Loomis enjoyed being able to research a topic she found interesting in an immersive way that allowed her to develop an in-depth understanding of not only parasocial relationships but also the process of researching. “[I learned] how to go into more detail with my writing,” said Loomis.

Grace McCarron, FCRH ’27 took “Advanced Composition II” last semester with Professor Meghan Dahn. McCarron did her research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by multiple or severe concussions. Her research focused specifically on how CTE relates to football and other high-contact sports. McCarron formulated the thesis of her research revolving around the idea that the National Football League (NFL) has taken measures to try to reduce CTE from occurring. McCarron highlighted that these measures include penalizing hits to the head and constant checks and changes of equipment to try and ensure the safety of the players.

The course emphasized find-

ing as many specific details regarding the research topic as possible to formulate a unique thesis in the same way that professional researchers do.

McCarron had the chance to look at specific case studies like former tight end for the New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez’s CTE, which she states sparked discussions of CTE as an increasing concern to highimpact sports players. This is a topic that she says is of “pressing concern” because CTE is something that affects a person for the rest of their lives in a very prominent way and exists after their football career. She explained that this topic has always been something she is interested in, and furthermore, she was excited to explore the topic in a journalistic fashion.

The entire course focuses on research, leading up to the firstyear students conducting their own research. Professors do this by embedding techniques and ideas about how to write in a manner that incorporates sources and uses outside evidence throughout the semester. The paper was gradually worked on over the course of the entire semester, according to Loomis. Additionally, she states that because of the overarching focus on research, the deadline seemed manageable instead of inducing a sense of impending doom.

“There was much less work to do by the time the deadline actually rolled around,” said Loomis.

Both the topics and theses that Loomis and McCarron explored were done thoroughly, emulating research that they may be doing in the future of their undergraduate career or after they graduate. The point of the research-focused course is to dig into a topic of interest, allowing students to learn about a topic they already enjoy.

McCarron explains that this research leans toward investigative journalism, which is “more connected to the kind of writing I am interested in.” As a journalism major, McCarron

said that writing in a researchdriven way positively impacted her ability to write for her future aspirations and career goals.

Julia Murphy, FCRH ’27 also took Dahn’s “Composition II” class and wrote about how the general American public responded and were persuaded on social media by QAnon, a right-wing, politically charged conspiracy group.,. Murphy examined how the group opened up an intersection between social media and politics. “[Through] the variety of sources I got to choose, it was easier to learn about the topic,” said Murphy. “It was easier for me to write and be motivated to write when I was interested in the topic.”

The curriculum allows students to do research in a field and topic that they find interesting, which motivates them to do a thorough job with their research. Introducing undergraduate research to first-year students early pushes them to understand the research process, how long it takes to do research and introduces them to what it takes to write a research paper. These methods push a deeper understanding of the research to the students.

The in-depth look at the research process put a semesterlong emphasis on flushing out the process of doing and writing one’s own research. It offers skills to students in all majors, providing them with a good foundation for writing.

“Writing the research paper was more helpful for the types of papers I’ll be writing in the future,” said Loomis.

Whether or not the student is in a STEM, journalism or English major, the research curriculum that is pushed in “Composition II” has been seemingly positive in terms of how students are learning through the curriculum to write in different and untraditional ways compared to a standard English class. Students are able to create a more personalized and enjoyable experience in the required core curriculum.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Jan. 24

Thursday Jan. 25

Friday Jan. 26

Friday Jan. 26

Saturday Jan. 27

Kicking off the Humanities

Java with the Jesuits

Club Fair

Lincoln Center Winterfest

WBB Celebrates Pride

McShane Campus Center 1:30 p.m.

McShane Campus Center 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Pope Auditorium 5 p.m.

Rose Hill Gymnasium 2 p.m.

Studying English, philosophy, theology, history, etc.? Join ambassadors of the humanities program to network and discuss humanities-related careers and events.

Stop by the McShane Campus Center to enjoy free coffee and converse with the Jesuits of the Fordham community. This event is every Thursday at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center.

Singer Ricky Montgomery is

#FillTheHill and support Women’s Basketball as they take on George Washington University. Fans in attendance will recieve a Fordham pride-themed sticker sheet.

McShane Campus Center 12:45-3:45 p.m.

From Mimes & Mummers to Mock Trial to WFUV, check out the club fair in McShane to meet Fordham’s 170+ different clubs to find a new activity and community to join on campus.

headlining the Lincoln Center Campus Activities Board’s annual Winterfest concert.

Tickets can be purchased online by students.

NEWS

January 24, 2024

Page 3

Fordham Introduces New Biochemistry Major FROM BIOCHEM, PAGE 1

want our department to reflect what we offer and what students can get out of it.”

The program comes after several years of student interest.

“Most other universities have it so they [the students] were always asking why we [Fordham] didn't have a biochemistry major,” said Banerjee.

The program is broken into two tracks, a general track and an American Chemical Society (ACS) Certified Track. The ACS track is recommended for students focused on biochemistry’s analytical, physical and structural aspects, while the general track is for students more interested in cellular, molecular and physiological approaches.

Students in both tracks will be involved in research as well as have opportunities to co-author journals. They will also have the option to connect with Fordhampartnered research centers such as the Center for Urban Ecology, the Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases, and Gene Regulation and the Calder Center Biological Field Station. In these facilities,

students have the opportunity to use tools such as 3D bioprinters, scanning electron microscopes, atomic force microscopes, surface plasmon resonance and single molecule imaging microscopy.

“I always encourage research.

I think that's how you learn the best,” said Banerjee. Students have begun research in tissue engineering, targeting cancer cells and Alzheimer's.

Students already majoring in chemistry or biology may not double major in biochemistry but can pursue a minor. Many students outside the program can also take advantage of the biochemistry classes offered by Fordham.

“I’m interested in taking biochemistry because I think it would be very aligned with what I want to do,” said Abigail Lopez, FCRH ’27. Lopez is a biology major but considers the biochemistry classes an asset to the biology department.

Since its introduction this year, many students have expressed interest in the major, with many students switching majors or double majoring. Starting next fall,

Interim Chief Diversity Officer Appointed

By NORA MALONE NEWS EDITOR

In the beginning of the 202324 academic year, Fordham University’s Chief Diversity Officer Rafael Zapata stepped down after five years in the role. While the search for his replacement continues, Kamille Dean Esq. has been appointed as Interim Chief Diversity Officer. Dean is also the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Fordham School of Law as well as the Interim Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Before coming to Fordham, Dean worked at St. John’s University School of Law as the director of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Director of Diversity and Inclusion and as a tenured Associate Professor of Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. “I was initially brought to Fordham to serve as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the Law School in the fall of 2020,” said Dean. “Through the Office of Student Affairs, I partnered with students, faculty, and staff to advance an anti-racism plan and further the Law School’s commitment to DEI.” In her expanded role, Dean has been meeting with members of the community to plan future DEI programs. As her appointment will end in June 2024, Dean is focusing on working on the university’s strategic plan towards excellence in higher education.

“With sustainability in mind, I am collaborating with colleagues across the University to build a strong framework for the future of DEIB at Fordham,” said Dean.

Through her multiple roles, Dean is able to bring together a variety of resources across Fordham.

Dean began working at Fordham through the law school; however, she has expanded into working in the undergraduate programs. This provides her with a unique and comprehensive view of Fordham as a whole.

“I have a greater appreciation of how vast our institution is, in terms of academics, research, and community engagement. Fordham is a beacon of cutting-edge innovation in the midst of New York City,” said Dean. “Fordham’s global influence can be seen near and far.”

Dean has worked on various programs to foster a community between the undergraduate and law students.

“Synergies between the University’s schools and departments are achieved through my involvement with both undergraduate and law students through our pipeline programs such as IDEAL and the REAL,” she said.

Dean hopes to continue working at Fordham and keep up her work of expanding diverse and equitable initiatives.

“I will continue to advocate for inclusive access to opportunities for the greater good,” she said.

first-year students will be able to enter Fordham as biochemistry majors.

Banerjee started developing the program when she became head of the department in 2018, getting the minor approved in 2020 and began working on the major after the COVID-19 pandemic. She worked with members of the biology and chemistry departments to create new major-specific courses.

“Currently I’m teaching Biochemistry I which is one of the fundamental classes,” said Banerjee. Starting next fall students will begin taking some of the newer, biochemistry-specific classes.

As the program grows, Banerjee hopes to expand the course offerings and research opportunities for students. She wants the program to not just educate students, but to adequately prepare them for their post-graduate plans.

“I really want to grow the major and improve STEM at Fordham,” said Banerjee. “To increase the visibility of STEM at Fordham and increase student opportunities and student success.”

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

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

COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Students in the department are encouraged to pursue their own research.

USG Discusses OMA and Updated Dining Options

By SOFIA SEMPER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Jan. 18, to discuss new business and learn about the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA).

Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president of student affairs for diversity and inclusion, explained the importance of OMA and presented a short video showcasing the OMA team. The OMA team consists of Matos; Marie Castro, assistant director of OMA; and Lincoln Center and Rose Hill graduate interns Rashain Adams, Krish Persaud and Kat Manansala.

Matos explained that the main goals of OMA is to increase multicultural and intercultural competency, create a welcoming and inclusive environment and increase diverse student engagement at Fordham. Some of their initiatives include networking programs, such as their LGBTQ+ and Ally Network of Support Training, cultural heritage month events, such as their multicultural reception and BIPOC student mixer and general cultural club and student support. Matos shared that the OMA will be reaching out to students about creating a Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) committee and about possibly setting up a Jewish heritage week. Senator Karam Yousseff, GSB ’26, asked when OMA would be reaching out to students about the MENA committee. Matos said that the project is not finalized yet but he hopes to be able to reach out to students sometime next week.

Andres Cuevas, GSB ’24,

ran for the open seat on the Gabelli class of 2024 senate.

Cuevas stated he has been a part of the Facilities and Dining Committee for a while and he would like to continue his work on that committee. He also expressed his excitement to work with the marketing team and he hopes that, with this position as senator, he can work towards increasing security on campus. Cuevas won the election.

Executive President Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, announced that the Club Fair will take place Friday, Jan. 26, from 12-1:30 p.m. and 2:153:45 p.m. The Club Fair had to be split up into two time slots due to there not being enough space to accommodate every club at once.

Kayla Velez, assistant director for leadership and commuter student services, gave the advisor report for t h e O f f i c e for Student Involvement (OSI). She stated OSI recently hired a new graduate intern and that their January new student orientation program went well. They welcomed nearly 50 new students, with about half of those being commuter students.

Vice President of Finance and Budgets Lucas Hjertberg,

FCRH ’26, announced that the Budget Committee has five non-USG seats and two USG seats open for students to join. Hjertberg also announced that he and the Budget Committee are discussing the new activity fees referendum number. He is considering doing a paper ballot instead of electronic voting. Vice President of FCRH Emma Balint, FCRH ’24, stated that the FCRH Dean’s Council’s Undergraduate Research committee is participating in a discussion panel about summer research opportunities, and the STEM subcommittee is also participating in a discussion panel.

Balint said the FCRH Dean’s Council is going to begin discussing the Study Abroad Town Hall again. Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, announced he will be resigning from his position as vice president, but he will remain active on the Facilities and Dining committee. He also explained that the food truck was officially launched last week. However, due to the harsh weather conditions, the truck had to be closed and will open again once temperatures go above 30 degrees.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

USG held an election and discussed policy at their meeting.

Page 4

NEWS Spring Seminars Draw Interest

FROM SEMINARS, PAGE 1

ers,” said Ruzicka. “Each week there’s going to be a new guest speaker. I’m also excited to learn more about Fordham’s 3+3 program.”

Some of the seminars were also held in the fall semester.

“The pre-health symposium was very insightful on different types of careers in the healthcare field,” said Lauren Rocco, FCRH ’27. “It was interesting to learn about the multitude of different options there are and to hear from people in such fields. For example, an anesthesiologist hosted one of the sessions and talked about his life at work and what his job can look like. It was inspiring to hear about other people’s journeys to medicine.”

The pre-health and pre-law symposiums were the first one-credit programs offered, to give students a direct look into the lives of professionals currently working in the field.

“In response to student demand for more opportunities for involvement in undergraduate research, we first created the ‘Foundations in Research Engagement’ seminar in 2019,” said Dr. Patricio Meneses, associate dean for student support and academic initiatives.

“We are seeking to absolutely consider additional ideas as well as rotating offerings in the

FROM EPA, PAGE 1

New Vice President of Student Affairs Appointed

By ADITHI VIMALANTHAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM IT NEWS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Seminars are offered in a variety of displines across Fordhams schools. spring or fall,” Meneses said.

He points students to contacting Natasha Tretter with any requests for symposiums at ntretter@fordham.edu.

The one-credit symposiums are as follows: Pre-Health, Pre-Law, First Year Research Experience, Manresa CEL Ignatian, Big Data, West Wing ILC, Nutrition Essentials, Commuter Leadership, Foundation in Research Engagement, First Generation, Liberal Arts, Career Exploration, Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Discerning your future: an Ignatian guide and a Matteo Ricci Seminar.

Additionally, the two onecredit symposiums, one for first-year students and another with pre-health peer mentors, are offered for students.

In the 2023-24 academic year, the symposiums reached a total registration of 480 stu-

dents, with enrollments being 186 for the fall semester and 294 for the spring.

“I signed up for the prehealth symposium because of the opportunities it provides to learn about different fields in medicine,” said Jada Feldman, FCRH ’27.

In addition to the seminars, there are also numerous events held throughout the semester by the Career Center, allowing students to hear from numerous professionals across different fields of work to better gauge what careers they would like to pursue in the future.

The spring career fair will be held on Feb. 7. The Career Center will also hold an event on Jan. 31 in preparation for the career fair, where students can receive information and guidance on researching participating organizations and networking.

Grant Funds Environmental Justice justice in disadvantaged and hard-to-reach communities,” said the office of Ritchie Torres, representative of the 15th district, where Fordham is located.

The FIC will work in tandem with the EPA to issue subgrants in accordance with EPA regulations, which specify certain tiers and guidelines for funding projects. Competitions and awards are expected to begin in summer 2024. There will be $150,000 to $350,000 in competitive grants and $75,000 in community-selected awards.

Many different types of projects qualify for submission, including public health initiatives and waste management. “[The grant] is intended to support organizations and initiatives that do not usually receive EPA money,” said Surey Miranda-Alarcon, director of

January 24, 2024

campus and community engagement at the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL). There is a community board in each part of the EPA region to assist FIC and the university and provide input.

Additionally, the university is collaborating with a number of organizations in EPA Region 2 such as the “New York Immigration Coalition, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, ConPRmetidos in Puerto Rico, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, [and] Business Initiative Corporation of New York,” according to Fordham News. This is a part of Fordham’s effort to broaden its impact and uplift voices that are generally overlooked by the federal government and its agencies.

There are 10 areas of priority, which include workforce

development, transitioning to clean energy, biodiversity and sustainable transportation.

Ten million of the grant money will be used to support the program’s efforts and Fordham’s own environmental research at the graduate level.

President Tania Tetlow told the EPA that “this project embodies Fordham’s mission,” and the university believes in the “power of community-driven solutions to climate change to capture the insights and ingenuity of the people on the front lines of global warming.”

CCEL intends on officially announcing the program launch, guidelines and application information on April 8, 2024. Organizations and individuals interested in learning more about the program can fill out this form on CCEL’s page.

The Biden Adminstration worked alongside the EPA to foster this initative across the US.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Fordham University’s 2024 spring semester arrives with the long-awaited appointment of a new vice president of student affairs: Michele Burris. After initial screenings and two rounds of elimination, Burris was selected by President Tania Tetlow from a final shortlist of four candidates. She has over 35 years of experience in Jesuit higher education, most of which have been spent at Fordham. During her time here, Burris has filled several roles, including dean of Residential Life, dean of students and associate vice president of student affairs.

Most recently, she has served as interim vice president of student affairs over the last seven months. The decision comes after a nearly semester-long, nationwide search led by Vice President for Mission Integration and Ministry John Cecero, S.J. The vice president of student affairs is responsible for acting as a liaison for student concerns to university administration and the President’s Cabinet, where student needs will be attended to by the university at large. The role, as Burris explains, is inherently collaborative: “It is collaborative with other areas of the university…

Things that I’m looking at are real collaboration with the Provost’s Office, Academic Affairs [and] faculty so that the life inside the classroom is connected to life outside the classroom.”

Burris steps into her new role after seven months as interim vice president of student affairs after former Vice President Dr. Jeffrey Gray retired last spring. She was previously the associate vice president of student affairs at Rose Hill — a role she maintained alongside her appointment as interim vice president. “The associate vice president role was the person assisting Mr. Gray as vice president in managing the division of student affairs,” she said. The role involved supervising Fordham’s deans of students and training staff across the university.

Throughout her seven months as interim vice president, Burris maintained strong priorities relating to student support while simultaneously entering the nationwide search for a new permanent vice president. “I was really honored when President Tetlow asked me to serve as the interim vice president… It was like on-the-job interviewing for seven months,” she recalled.

At the same time, it was important to her that she continued prioritizing connecting with students and honoring their priorities even while performing both roles of associate vice president and interim vice president. “I tried to come into the role saying, ‘I’m going to do this job to the best of my ability and do my best to go through the search process and be successful in getting the job,’ and so it was important to me… that I didn’t just serve as an interim and just tread water.”

In listening sessions held last fall, faculty members and students alike were able to voice their concerns and priorities to the search committee. Father Cecero, head of the search committee, noted, “we were able to include really all of the major constituents of Fordham in conversation primarily in groups… We had certain groups of students, we had groups of people who work in student affairs, we had faculty, we had groups of administrators and that was all in the process of honing in on what we were looking for.” Among student concerns were mental health services, campus dining and equal attention paid to both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses.

Cecero believes that Burris is attentive to these concerns, demonstrating these both in action and administrative planning. In regards to student concerns such as equal attention being paid to both campuses, he notes that Burris makes a point to spend equal time at both campuses throughout the week and attend student club and organization meetings herself instead of calling a meeting with them.

COURTESY OF MICHELE BURRIS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Michele Burris wants to have direct student engagement.

January 24, 2024

Too Many Phish in the Sea FROM PHISHING, PAGE 1

Information Technology often reinstitutes protections for the compromised accounts, deletes the phishing emails from Fordham accounts and follows up with a general advisory on scam emails.

Compromised emails seem to be the most prominent source of phishing attacks. Several Fordham emails have been used to distribute misleading messages, in a variety of ways.

In response to discovering the phishing attacks, Fordham IT “scramble[s] the account password and close[s] any active sessions.” However, the accounts themselves are not disabled, and it remains unclear if the emails used are still susceptible for phishing and whether there are plans to protect and maintain the integrity of stray, unused or otherwise vulnerable email accounts.

Students often respond to the attacks in different ways.

Therese Burgo, FCRH ’26, says that she often responds to phishing emails with skepticism. “I feel like if I get a phishing email, I can tell it’s fake because the format is off or it’s asking for personal information I know Fordham would really ask for,” she said.

“I’m a suspicious person anyway.” Moreover, she generally doesn’t trust information she doesn’t recognize: “If someone calls me or texts me and I don’t know the number, I’m never answering.”

Hannah Valencia, FCRH ’26, on the other hand says that while the emails had telltale signs of phishing, the fact that they came from a Fordham email might leave many inclined to believe the information within. “I was confused by the legitimacy of these emails.

There are some indicators that tell me they were spam, like the informal language used or

spelling and grammar mistakes, but ultimately, if I see a Fordham account being used to send emails, I’m inclined to trust it,” she said.

To some students, the phishing presents a significant breach of privacy and institutional security. When asked if she was personally concerned about the frequent phishing emails, Valencia responded, “I do view this as a significant concern. I have personal information on my Fordham account. If the emails of administrators can be compromised, student emails can be too. I’m not exactly sure how Fordham can improve this issue, but I would appreciate more transparency. How can emails be compromised? What can we do when we receive phishing emails, besides merely blocking the sender?” She also noted that email is often a very important avenue for communication: “It’s scary to think that our Fordham emails can be compromised, especially considering that that is the main form of communication for students and professors.”

Fordham IT advises that students protect themselves by not interacting or giving information to accounts they don’t recognize, and urge them to come forward with reports of phishing emails that they receive. Additionally, they have online guides offering tips on identifying and reporting phishing on the Fordham IT blog. In the meantime, Fordham students and faculty should stay vigilant, monitoring their inboxes for phishing and only interacting with senders they recognize and trust.

Students are recommended to email Fordham IT at HelpIT@fordham.edu if they receive a phishing email.

NEWS

Fordham Participates in NYC Carbon Challenge

By JULIANNA MORALES FEATURES EDITOR

The NYC Carbon Challenge refers to a voluntary initiative introduced in 2007 by former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The City of New York describes the project to be a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and the leaders of the institutions and companies who join. The initiative was made to encourage leaders throughout New York City to do their part in helping the planet by reducing the carbon emissions of their businesses or organizations by 30% before 2030.

The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice pledged to help by providing those who took the initiative with support, resources and recognition of their efforts.

Fordham University is among 18 universities who have joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, including Columbia University, New York University and Fashion Institute of Technology. Sustainability at Fordham states that Fordham University was a founding signatory of the challenge, having joined it in 2007 when the project debuted. Fordham’s initial commitment was to lower their carbon emissions by 30% as the initiative outlined. However, in the fall of 2017, Fordham decided to expand their challenge by pledging to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. As of now, Fordham University’s carbon emissions intensity is 31.77% lower than in 2005, with a 22.6% reduction in energy consumption, via Sustainability at Fordham.

Marco Valera, vice president of administration, was the associate vice president of facilities management at the time of the NYC Carbon Challenge’s introduction and

Updates to Fordham Guest Policy

FROM POLICY, PAGE 1

a different gender would begin this month. However, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Charles Clency shared with RAs later that week that while the university anticipates this change, they are going to keep the current policy in place.

Dean Clency declined to speak on the record.

“The old policy was steeped in heteronormativity and in a moral system that most of the student body does not adhere to,” said Seamus Doherty, FCRH ’26. “This doesn’t mean that campus is going to get suddenly wild, it’ll probably make it a lot harder to get a guest pass in general. RDs and RAs are going to have to do a lot more work to prevent issues coming up, and I foresee a lot of trial and error as the university tries to figure out how to appropriately make this shift.”

Students have met with administration in the past in an attempt to get the policy changed to allow for family members, like siblings and cousins, to experience life on campus. In November, the Student Life Council discussed

the guest pass policy with the Office of Residential Life. It was outlined at that meeting that more accommodating changes to the policy would be implemented as early as January 2024.

“I personally think it’s a great change in policy,” said Erica Pruno, GSB ’26. “I think it was a bit unfair how this was a rule, it limited Fordham’s actions at being inclusive. It stopped students from being able to see their friends and caused great inconvenience.”

The more inclusive policy would allow for more siblings, cousins, friends and potential future Rams to experience Fordham campus life by dorming overnight with current students.

“We are all adults and should be allowed to decide for ourselves who can spend the night and who cannot,” said Kate Cassidy, FCRH ’26. “Not to mention the previous policy completely disregarded family members of the opposite sex spending the night. When my cousin came to visit he was not allowed to stay overnight.”

Other Jesuit colleges and universities across the country have varying policies regarding overnight guests. College of the Holy Cross located in Worcester,

Page 5

Mass., allows for any guest above 18 to spend the night on campus with a resident.

Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles allows for residents to have overnight guests of any gender with roommate approval. However, Boston College in Chestnut Hills, Mass., does not allow for guests of a different gender to spend the night.

“I am also curious as to how the new policy plans to address non-binary students to make campus a more inclusive space,” said Cassidy.

The Office of Residential Life plans on implementing the new guest policy in the future.

“I am grateful to our Student Life Council executive board for their careful look at the University’s guest pass policy with us over the past few months. Their collaboration along with that of colleagues and student leaders at Lincoln Center has been critical in coming up with new approaches and we are looking forward to announcing changes for spring semester shortly,” said Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers in a statement.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The program aims to reduce carbon emissions city wide. co-chaired the Sustainability Committee. Valera has been a part of Fordham’s participation in the challenge since the beginning and continues to help and support it. When asked if Fordham University would likely extend their challenge once again after meeting their new goal, he confidently replied, “Yes! Yes, we [Fordham] really want to be a leader in this area.” Valera also stated that Fordham has many projects under consideration at the moment to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of such projects is the introduction of geothermal energy, specifically at the Rose Hill campus.

Valera explained that they “are hoping to have something in the next few years but it’s under review right now.”

Among the changes that the university has already made that have aided in the reduction of carbon emissions, Valera noted “two feature projects” which were the addition of solar power and the decarbonization of Fordham’s fossil fuel plant. Valera explained that the solar power comes from the sources, the first of which is solar panels on the top of the garage which provide about a megawatt of power. The second source, Valera explained saying, “We also have agreed to take on 2.6 megawatts of power from a solar ray offsite in Staten Island.” Valera stated that the agreement is 20+ years long.

Between these two sources, the university is able to use up to 30% solar energy. Valera explained, “The thing with solar is it varies, it’s really really good in the summer, you get a lot of solar and less power generation after that because of the angle of the sun and a bunch of other things. But at peak capacity, it’s about 30% of Rose Hill campus electrical use.”

Valera went on to explain that the university is working to move away from the use of natural gas and fossil fuels in the heating systems of the university. He explained that this is a long-term goal, likely to occur over the next 10 to 20 years, but that as the university continues

to undergo renovations, they are making the switch from fossil fuels to heating methods such as heat pumps and geothermal energy.

Valera additionally explained, “The biggest challenge for any large institution like us who have these intricate plants, and even individual buildings, is [that] retrofitting them is difficult and expensive. I wish it weren’t so but that’s just the way it is, it’s not as easy as one could think.” He added that New York City is the most expensive market for construction in the United States, which accentuates the unfortunate costs associated with environmental changes.

Fordham provides an especially interesting dynamic in which to apply these carbon reduction adjustments because some of the university buildings are new and efficient whereas others are very old constructions with much less efficient energy use. An example of this is Keating Hall which is still heated by old fashion radiators. Valera explained that the university has plans to implement a new technology in Keating in the next year or so, saying, “There is a new technology that in essence puts a Nest-like device on each radiator, so it operates independently. So, what that’s going to do is, sometimes one side of the building is hotter than the other side, etc., these things will talk to each other and adjust the amount of steam that’s being used.” This will lower the amount of steam being used. The university expects that this change could potentially decrease Keating energy use by 20%.

Fordham University hopes to do the best they can to combat the climate crisis. Valera and the university encourage people to be conscious of their environmental impact. Anyone interested in learning more can turn to Sustainability at Fordham or the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice for Fordham and citywide initiatives.

COURTESY OF GRACE CAMPELL/THE FORDHAM RAM

OPINION

Page 6

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published every Wednesday during the academic year to all campuses.

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor in Chief Sofia Donohue Managing Editor Allison Schneider Editorial Director Evan McManus Production Editor Hannah Boring Multimedia Director Grace Campbell Business Director Grace Miller Copy Chief Cailee Zeraat News Editor Nora Malone Features Editor Julianna Morales Assistant News Editors Cristina Stefanizzi Adithi Vimalanathan Opinion Editor Saisha Islam Assistant Opinion Editors Zachary Badalamenti Eleanor Smith Culture Editors Claire Krieger Caleb Stine Assistant Culture Editor Isabella DeRosa Sports Editor Jonah Ring Assistant Sports Editors Griffin Stevenson Noah Hoffman Social Media Director Alexis Hurchalla Digital Producers Sophie Maselli Sarah Urbano Haniyyah Usmani Photo Editor Mary Hawthorn Advertising Directors Katriina Fiedler Kathleen Hollinger Diana Juarez Emily Roe Faculty Advisor Qun Wang Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

Opinion Policy The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram. Submissions Policy The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject or edit any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. No part of the The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

January 24, 2024

From the Desk | Nora Malone

Can We Stop Tracking Everything?

There are few holidays that are anticipated with as much excitement as Spotify Wrapped Day. People wait with bated breath to see their top artist, their favorite genre or what tarot card they will receive based on their listening habits. We all fall victim to it, to the debate of which slide we should share on social media, whether it correctly shows the persona we’ve been attempting to perfect (and hoping that one night when we listened to “My Heart Will Go On” on repeat won’t show up).

It’s a habit that we as a society just can’t kick: tracking. We all know that most of our internet activity is tracked; how else would my computer know I texted my mom about needing toothpaste? But, for some reason, we decided we needed to track everything else. What we read and watch, how long our runs are and, of course, our music. And it’s not enough just to track it; we have to share it. Everyone must know our review of the most recent “Indiana Jones” movie. They have to see our reading goal for the year, and what would they do without knowing our mile time? It’s inescapable.

Not to say I am not a victim of this — I am among those addicted to a multicolored pie chart detailing my habits for the past year, and I’m just as nosy as anyone else. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone’s Wrapped and wondering why their most listened-to artists are Frank Sinatra and

Olivia Rodrigo. There’s a sense of wonder that you get a peek into their lives.

Except this is where the issue starts. If we’re tracking and sharing everything we do, we stop doing it for ourselves. If every song we queue up may alter our perfectly curated Wrapped, then why listen to it at all? If we want to be seen as intellectuals, our Goodreads can’t show our addiction to the “Divergent” series. If we worry about the ratio of our movie ratings too much, we stop watching. We’ve somehow managed to commodify our personalities, and we’ve lost our enjoyment.

This isn’t an argument to stop using apps like Spotify or Letterboxd. There’s nothing inherently wrong with keeping track of what you consume.

And it’s perfectly fine to share it with your friends and to want to see theirs. But it’s important to remember that you don’t have Spotify to see data, you have Spotify to listen to music; you use Goodreads to remember how much you enjoyed a book. These services are meant to uplift our interactions with media, not stunt them.

It’s been tough to apply these ideas I can so easily type into my actions. There’s a constant pressure that comes with being alive in our age of social media and interconnectedness. I can speak to people across the ocean with a few clicks, I can see a photo or video of anything I want and any question I have can be answered easily.

Yet, on the flip side, everyone can contact me whenever they want, I never get a moment of silence and I can’t escape anything because it’s always in my back pocket. And if I try to distract myself in the ways humans have done for millennia, suddenly that’s taken from me, too. The world can’t know I’m reading a cheesy romance book, the world can’t know I’m still listening to “Dear Evan Hansen.” What if my old friend from elementary school judges my favorite movie? I can see everything, but it can also see me.

Yet, the everything doesn’t actually care what I read. The vast unendingness of our world is not focused on my favorite song of the week. No one is actually looking as much as

we think they are. Despite the invisible strings connecting us, we can still be in our little world. We can still shut off the news alerts and ignore the messages; we can go outside and be alone or together and do whatever we want.

I guess this rambling story is less something others needed to hear than something I needed to hear. But I’ll share it anyway. Listen to that song, read that book, watch that movie.

Track it or don’t; share it or hide it under your bed. Allow yourself to fully experience the world without fear of its perception of you. Because, when you really think about it, do you remember anyone’s Wrapped but your own?

Editorial | Fordham Transparency

Let’s Start a Productive Conversation For many of us, the beginning of the year is full of potential. Whatever our shortcomings were the previous year, we have another chance to challenge ourselves to change for the better.

It’s why New Year’s resolutions are so popular. In this spirit, we at the Editorial Board believe the Fordham University administration should challenge themselves with their own New Year’s resolution: finding ways to enhance productive dialogue with the student body.

What is our definition of productive dialogue? It is when the administration actively listens to the concerns of Fordham students. While some Fordham administrators may feel like they do address students’ concerns, the existing venues of dialogue between the students and administration can feel constraining for students. Improving these avenues of dialogue is achievable. Fordham can deepen a culture of constructive conversation between the administration and student body by continuing some of its existing practices and expanding on others.

One current practice Fordham should continue is President Tania Tetlow’s meetings with the student press organizations at Fordham. At these meetings, reporters from The Fordham Ram and other organizations can ask Tetlow questions directly on topics, such as the 6% tuition hike

and negotiations between the unions on campus. We believe that this is an example of productive dialogue because it allows students to engage directly with Tetlow and ask questions on issues that affect them. At the November meeting, she said she hopes to hold student press conferences once a semester. That is a good idea, and Tetlow can expand on this by announcing her commitment to it. A public commitment to the student body will display that Tetlow believes healthy engagement with students should be a top priority.

While the student press conferences are a positive example of productive dialogue, other areas of engagement need to be improved. The event we have in mind is the Student Life Council (SLC). SLC is a group “made up of students, faculty, and administrators” organized

by Fordham Rose Hill’s Student Life Executive Board and the Office of the Dean of Students.

The council’s stated purpose is to, among other things, “discuss the campus community with all members of the Fordham College at Rose Hill and Gabelli School of Business student body.” The discussions happen about once a month during semesters and are done in a “town hall” style.

Students can attend these meetings and discuss issues that affect them at the university. For example, the subject of the

meeting on Nov. 15 was possible changes to the guest policy pass policy in residence halls.

We think that the basic premise of these meetings is a good idea, but an element of SLC holds it back from its full potential: the time the meetings take place. SLC meetings are held on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. That time is not convenient for many students. On Wednesdays, students usually have fewer classes, but that does not mean they have an open schedule. Many students go to work or have internships during the day, which makes a meeting in the middle of the afternoon difficult to attend. If the university wants a more productive dialogue with the student body, they should move the SLC meetings to the evening so attending them is easier for the student body. While the SLC organizers may be reluctant to modify their schedule to have an evening meeting, we think the overall benefit of having more attendees would make the

change worth it. Another issue with the meetings is students’ awareness of them. One of the main ways the university notifies students about the SLC meetings is through their email. However, it is easy for these emails to either be forgotten or ignored. If Fordham found more creative ways to advertise SLC, like making eye-catching advertisements, more students may attend, making the event more successful.

Improving productive dialogue is an achievable goal the university should strive to follow. But if productive dialogue is to work, students will also have to actively participate in it. If you can attend a SLC meeting, let your opinion be known. If both the Fordham administration and students agree to engage in productive dialogue, relationships between both groups will improve, and students will feel like they are respected and heard.

OPINION The DNC Made a Mistake in Creating a New Primary Schedule

January 24, 2024

By LINDSEY OSIT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) approved a proposal reordering the presidential primary calendar on Feb. 4, 2024. As the 2024 election season rolls around, heightened deliberation over the decision’s justification ensues. The new calendar places South Carolina first, followed

by New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan. The Iowa caucus, held before any other primary for over five decades, has now been changed to an election via mail-in ballot, with the votes set to be counted on March 5.

The change marks an end to a tradition dating back to 1972, and many voters aren’t happy about it. Dissent goes beyond Iowans’ regret at losing their coveted election: politicians and constituents across the country see the policy change as a boundary that the DNC should not have crossed. According to the 2020 election results, states currently selected for the first primaries heavily favored the current president of the United States.

The new schedule may thus be interpreted as a tactical approach by leaders to sway election results, setting an unsettling precedent for future primary election procedures.

Many DNC leaders have cited Iowa’s lack of diversity as the reason for the reordering: voters of color comprise much

Page 7

of the Democratic party, but the majority of Iowa’s population is white. Democrats believe that more diverse states better represent their party’s constituents, which makes sense when considering the party’s racial composition.

That said, by entirely changing the schedule to be in disaccord with that of the Republican Party, the committee risks inducing conflict for independent and more moderate voters.

Arguably, the most controversial part of the policy is that, according to the Washington Post’s Philip Bump, “[it is] certainly a reflection of Biden’s own priorities, given what happened in 2020.” While it might seem as though this is inevitable due to the Democratic Party’s higher diversity as opposed to the makeup of the Republican Party, the states selected to be first specifically favor President Joe Biden over other Democratic candidates.

According to a recent New York Times article, South Carolina’s Democratic primary electorate is more conservative than the Democratic left of Iowa and New Hampshire despite the majority of voters choosing Biden in the 2020 primary elections. It becomes difficult to decipher whether the policy change intends to help early primaries better represent the Democratic Party, or better support the

Biden’s attempt at re-election.

South Carolina’s congressional Democrat Jim Clyburn has also publicly been working with the president. He said that Biden called after the discussion was finalized to inform him of his push to move South Carolina up in the schedule.

A known supporter of Biden, Clyburn endorsed him in 2020 prior to South Carolina’s primary elections and before he was eventually victorious.

South Carolina’s new spot in the election schedule could be seen as a political reward for past decisions in the same way Iowa and New Hampshire might be suffering for rejecting Biden in 2020.

Even if the new early primary states weren’t pro-Biden, and the bumped states weren’t so anti-Biden, the reordered caucus schedule poses complications for both constituents and state governments. Rural consciousness is a term coined by political scientist Katherine Cramer which refers to the perception that cities greatly exceed rural areas in terms of importance: the idea that “cities are where decisions are made, culture happens, and resources flow, and that rural communities are not in control of their own futures.” By taking away Iowa’s established importance in the election process, the policy change heeds this idea.

Still, the mostly-rural state isn’t going down without a fight. Iowa Democratic Party

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Iowa voters are frustrated by the new presidential nominating schedule.

officials have discussed the possibility of holding an unsanctioned early caucus instead of the mail-in ballots. If a state refuses to comply with the schedule, it forfeits half of its delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Still, Dave Nagle, Iowa Democratic Party Chair, has previously said the penalty won’t stop them from holding their caucus.

Additionally, an article published by the Associated Press states that other states have also vowed to ignore the schedule changes altogether.

The fact that states aren’t afraid to revolt against the approved proposal is indicative of conflict within the party between individual states and the DNC. Such public displays of dissidence pose concerns for the DNC regarding unity, compliance and efficacy for the

future.

Other drawbacks to the reordering include bureaucratic complications for this year’s elections and those in the coming years. If Democrats permit states to postpone their primaries, those states might fail to comply with the Republican National Committee’s rules.

The proposal also included a provision for the calendar to be reviewed every four years, which means these discrepancies will be revisited and potentially enhanced each time debate ensues. By changing the primary schedule, the DNC has upended a system that has proved effective for the past five decades. This decision has opened the door for confusion, chaos and corruption.

Lindsey Osit, FCRH ‘24, is a journalism major from South Windsor, Conn.

Setting New Year’s Resolutions? Here Are Some Tips For Success

By HANIYYAH USMANI DIGITAL PRODUCER

The year comes to an end, and new beginnings are on the horizon as the countdown shifts from hours to minutes to seconds. 5… 4…

3… 2… 1… The new year is ushered in as fireworks light the sky. Everyone is filled with vigor and hope, eager to make this year “their year.” New Year’s resolutions will be put to the test, and after the rush of excitement settles, it’s hard to believe they won’t be successful this time, unlike last year and the year before that.

How many resolutions have been taken from last year’s list? How much of that old list was even actually completed? The new year stirs strong desires of self-improvement and brings about a willingness to change everything even slightly wrong with life. Fitness goals, new hobbies and all sorts of self-reflectionbased resolutions are set.

Just as soon as these hopes are piled into a list, they’re suddenly left behind. Why make New Year’s resolutions to begin with?

There is nothing wrong

with the idea of setting these means of self-improvement, but it’s important to understand that these are goals and should be approached as such. According to Time Magazine, 8% of Americans stay true to their resolutions for the entire year. The issue is that many people treat their New Year’s resolutions as a checklist to run through, which is why they don’t end up as effective as they’d hoped it would be.

Sometimes, people set resolutions just for the sake of doing so, which makes them even less likely to work on them. Resolutions that are set without purpose or without a proper plan are the ones that are abandoned sooner, mostly two to three months into the year, because it’s hard to keep up with things that don’t mean anything to you or just seem like too much to handle.

When setting goals, it’s not just about reaching the end result. It’s about breaking it down into smaller everyday steps that are more easily attainable and that amount to something bigger over time. So how can New Year’s resolutions be more

effective? Like with setting any major goal, it’s necessary to create a plan that can be followed easily and be aware of potential factors that might get in the way of accomplishing these smaller tasks.

This is where something that’s taught in school comes in: SMART goals. The “S” stands for specific. If a goal is vague and lacks clear boundaries to reach, it might seem too overwhelming and, therefore, unattainable. The “M” stands for measurable, which means a goal needs to be trackable in some way to measure and, hopefully, succeed. The “A” is a major one when it comes to setting New Year’s resolutions because it represents attainability. This is where a lot of resolutions fail; they’re so vast and out of reach. Success isn’t realistic if the goal itself isn’t. The “R” stands for relevance, which ties into the idea of setting resolutions with a reason. It needs to be important, or else there will be no motivation to achieve the goal that’s been set. The “R” can also mean realistic, which, again, ties into being attainable.

Finally, the “T” is for time.

Any goal or resolution needs to be set with being aware of how much time it’ll take, both on a long-term level and when making smaller steps toward achieving it.

An example is allotting time for an assignment that will take longer than usual ones, rather than procrastinating and mushing in a bunch of time at once at the last minute.

Following the SMART acronym for setting any kind of goal helps to make sure it’s a realistic one that can be accomplished in a given amount of time, no matter how time-consuming or hard it is. If the goal is specific enough, measurable in order to track progress, attainable in the sense that it’s realistic on a personal level, relevant to what’s actually desired and timely, then it’s a good goal that won’t fail like New Year’s resolutions typically end up doing.

Personally, I do not set any New Year’s resolutions.

I find that telling myself I’m going to do something doesn’t exactly make it work since there’s more effort required than that. I believe

that resolutions and selfreflections are a year-round effort, not one that peaks between the months of January and March. We can never tell where life takes us, and living in the moment allows us to learn from small everyday experiences, which is a sign of growth in itself. Different perspectives we face all the time teach us a lot about ourselves, as well as about the world around us. Setting goals doesn’t require a special time to do so, and a new year can sometimes just mean carrying who you currently are into the next year. Mindset is the most important part, whether resolutions are set or not.

Change isn’t always intentionally necessary. We are always changing, whether it be because of something new you read, a new song you listened to or even a new friend who’s entered your life. What matters most is perspective and how you view personal growth.

Haniyyah Usmani, FCRH ’27, is undecided from The Bronx, N.Y.

OPINION Why New York City’s Migrant Shelter Time Limits Aren’t Working January 24, 2024

Page 8

By ERYNN SWEENEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

New York’s current migrant shelter time limits do more harm than good in helping migrants find permanent homes. Policies that limit the stay for migrant families to 60 days and individuals to 30 days perpetuate barriers to migrants seeking employment and contribute to physical and emotional displacement. The policies keep newcomers to the U.S. in a constant state of uncertainty and prevent them from settling down into places of permanency. Our city must treat migrants with the dignity they deserve, strengthen migrant services to protect their civil rights and provide sustainable support that will last more than 60 days.

Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, claims that the current time limits on migrant stays promote the stable settlement of migrants, but given all the extra hurdles migrants must go through to qualify for work, 30 to 60 days isn’t enough time to find a job, let alone a permanent home. To be eligible for work in the above-ground economy, New York migrants need a state-issued occupational license from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). License requirements include evidence of legal residency in the U.S., such as a Green Card or federal work visa. Formal identification is also required.

Forms of this include a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate. These can be difficult for migrant workers to obtain quickly after coming to the U.S., especially given limited access to lawyers and the overburdened migrant service systems that help with these tasks. The NYSDOL also requires migrants to obtain certain industry-specific traits, such as degrees or certificates, which poses another challenge because of educational variation from country to country — foreign credentials neither align perfectly with American degrees nor hold the same prestige in the hiring process.

The language barrier is another obstacle in obtaining a license, as many professional licenses require passing written exams in English. The hiring process may pose similar issues, as interviews and informal interactions can be more difficult for those lacking fluency. Even for those fluent in English, a foreign accent from a non-English speaking country is sadly perceived as a negative trait. It remains a justification for discrimination against migrant workers, either consciously or unconsciously, on the part of employers. It is irrational to expect that migrants can achieve legal resident status, obtain the identification they may be lacking, transfer foreign credentials, fill in educational and linguistic gaps for their profession, apply for jobs, get a job and find a place

to stay, all within 30 to 60 days. Placing these unrealistic timelines on incoming migrants is unjust and sets them further behind when so many things are already working against them.

Along with the barriers to migrant employment, the way shelter time limits disrupt the everyday lives of migrant individuals and families shows that they do more harm than good. After the 30 to 60 days, migrants wake up to eviction notices, which some describe as being akin to criminal encounters with police. Karina Obando, a 38-year-old mother from Ecuador temporarily placed at a Manhattan Hotel, told her son in Spanish, “Take advantage. Enjoy the hotel because we have a roof right now. Because they’re going to send us away and we’re going to be sleeping on the train, or on the street.”

Once their time limit is up, families like the Obandos wait in long lines outside of reticketing centers, one of which is outside St. Brigid Elementary School in the East Village, to apply for a spot at a new shelter. The lucky ones may find a new temporary home; the unlucky ones sleep on the streets and hope for a placement the next day. Many migrants are desperate to avoid this situation in the freezing cold temperatures of winter. Barbara Coromoto Monzon Peña, a 22-year-old Venezuelan woman, expressed a common sentiment amongst those waiting in line: “I’m scared of dying,

sleeping on the street.”

Aside from all of the physical disruption of being displaced from a shelter, these experiences for migrants like Obando and Peña are emotionally disruptive. They are forgotten and treated as dispensable, sharing the streets with trash cans. I do not say this to disregard the efforts of the city and various migrant organizations, but it seems as if no matter how hard anyone works, the system works against the migrants.

The deeper problem is a political and social structure unequipped to treat migrants with the human dignity they deserve. An example of the structural inability to give migrants needed services is the evacuation of 2,000 migrants from tent shelters in Brooklyn to James Madison High School’s auditorium in a precautionary measure before an incoming storm.

Parents and faculty were angered because the situation forced them to cancel classes the next day. Although their anger is justified, the more significant issue that we need to consider is the lack of shelter space and resources to help migrants settle with jobs and homes. Moving the migrants to the high school was an ill-advised decision on the city’s part, but it happened in the first place because there was nowhere else for the migrants to go.

While it is unfortunate the crisis affected students’ learning, one could consider how a

single day of inconvenience, rearranging schedules and losing the comfort of a predictable routine for students, teachers and families at James Madison is a fragment of the daily struggles faced by migrants. The backlash the city received for this decision reflects the emotional distress of being displaced from the spaces that we call home, and it should serve as motivation for our city’s leaders to build structures that prevent this feeling of displacement that migrants constantly experience.

Obando expressed her disillusionment with moving to America by saying, “They told me that this country was different, but for me, it’s been hell.” To change our country into the place of freedom it proclaims to be, we need to reform our political and social systems so that they can better promote the inclusion and equality of our migrant population. Our policymakers must extend shelter time limits, expand resources and reform the current structures that support migrant housing and employment. Our city needs systems that permanently support the dignity of migrants as human beings instead of leaving them in the dust after 30 to 60 days.

Erynn Sweeney, FCRH ’27, is an international political economy major from Cypress, Calif.

Permission to Learn? Sign Below

By LUSA HOLMSTROM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Historically, public schools have been the cornerstones of robust education in American society. Yet in 2022, in the week before the U.S. House Republicans passed legislation supporting the Parental Bill of Rights, Florida principal Hope Carrasquilla was asked to resign from her position. Her crime? Allowing students to view a photo of Michelangelo’s “David” in class without giving adequate notice to parents.

As a result of Governor Ron DeSantis’s Parental Bill of Rights Act, new regulations are putting Florida educators under heavy pressure and national scrutiny. Originally passed in 2022, modifications to the act include requirements for permission slips for nearly anything imaginable — and at times, even unimaginable. Permission slips are now mandated for students to access library books, to be called by anything but their legal name and to receive medical attention at school. School nurses have been experiencing difficulties as a result of the new regulations, as stated by the Director of the Florida Association of School Nurses Lisa Kern, who

claimed, “Nurses are spending most of their time trying to obtain permission [from parents]” for fixes as minor as bandaids and ice packs. It is hard to imagine any parent’s reasonable objection to a free and safe medical solution for their children’s playground injuries.

At the basic convenience level, many Florida parents have expressed exasperation with the voluminous amounts of slips that now need to be signed, though this problem extends far beyond the flourish of a pen.

Through the regulation of student preferred names, as evidenced by permission slips in a recent New York Times article, DeSantis is strengthening the infrastructure supported by the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” laws, which prohibit classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation. As the main — if not only — place students spend time outside of their homes, school should be a safe place for expression of identity, personality and beliefs. In requiring permission for something as minor as a name change to one that a student feels better represented by, many students may not only lose their connection with their classmates and teachers, but LGBTQ+ community members

risk being outed to their families before they are ready.

When I was a public school student in California many years ago, the only times my parents ever had to sign a permission slip was for when my body was physically leaving the school campus, albeit under strict chaperone supervision.

This use of permission slips was necessary and just a fun thing for students eagerly looking forward to their next field trip to bring home. Though it may be argued that increasingly regulated involvement for parents might encourage some to become more invested in their children’s education, I believe it will ultimately hinder the students’ ability to become independent individuals, as well as the teachers’ ability to confidently teach as they have been trained to do. This kind of surveillance and scrutiny places teachers in a very difficult bind — how can they ensure that, for example, a last-minute supplement to a lesson will be deemed “appropriate” by every single parent, teacher and member of the school board?

A mainstay of education is its ability to present ideas and concepts that may be controversial or uncomfortable, but promote the development of its

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Florida’s Parental Bill of Rights censors public school education.

students as individual thinkers and learners that are open to different perspectives and ways of life. As students, we’re often reminded of the importance of getting out of our comfort zones and engaging in topics, experiences and viewpoints that present discomfort as the best way to learn and develop.

It is clear that DeSantis’s expanded parental rights bill is not one that will benefit the students it is so publicly trying to support, but rather the next step in an effort to minimize student expression and independence. This kind of educational censorship will only instill a culture of intolerance and aid and abet the cycles of misinformation.

Educators are the most un-

dervalued members of our society, and they should be trusted as such. Many influential activists, politicians, creators and successful business people credit their own teachers as inspirations and sources of personal growth.

And remember Florida Principal Carrasquilla? She was personally invited to Italy by the director of Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, for a private viewing of “David.” All thanks to the power of education.

Lusa Holmstrom, FCRH ’25, is an English and Spanish studies major from Venice, Calif.

OPINION

January 24, 2024

Page 9

How To Fix The American Healthcare System

By KATHRYN-ALEXANDRA ROSSI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There comes a time when human need and the desire to make money become irreconcilable with each other, and this has become the case with the rising debt and affordability crisis of American medicine. Indeed, it has reached the point that nothing short of a complete overhaul of how healthcare is paid for will remedy this problem.

It is dreadfully clear to anyone that healthcare in the United States is far beyond the financial means of many Americans. This is a unique problem: healthcare in the U.S. is more expensive compared to similarly developed countries. Additionally, the U.S. is the only country that has left this universal necessity for life to the chance of the market, and in order to clean up the utter mess that the market has led healthcare to become, it is necessary to decommodify healthcare itself.

Like many other things within this economy, the cost of medical care has consistently increased. There are a number of reasons for this: the advancement of technology demanding a greater amount of resources, the centralization and expansion of hospitals, maintenance and labor costs — and this is not the place that these will be judged — but the fact remains that the cost of healthcare has increased and continues to do so. As healthcare is a necessary, universal good —

meaning everyone requires it — methods to defray the cost of healthcare have materialized: vouchers, government programs, insurance and charity. However, despite these efforts, not only has the cost of healthcare been increasing, the amount of debt Americans have taken on has also increased — that is to say, the means to make healthcare actually affordable have failed in their purpose.

We see, furthermore, a very concerning trend: while people who are becoming sicker are also younger and requiring healthcare at higher rates, the cost of healthcare is rising, as is the debt of those who require it, while in emergency rooms and psychiatric facilities, there seems to be a perpetual shortage of beds.

On the side of the firms providing healthcare, there are a number of other concerning trends: medical resources are being stretched incredibly thin as available trained personnel dwindle or quit due to burnout or insufficient pay, and rural hospitals continue to close, reducing the number of hospitals in areas that desperately need them.

Of course, to an economist, there is another story to be told here: that of supply, demand, scarcity and price. It is no coincidence that higher demands and dwindling supply — the most pressing issues of medicine presently — contribute to higher prices.

This is a phenomenon generally agreed upon by economists and known as price-

gouging. Further, it ought to be no surprise at all that firms responsible for healthcare have consistently posted higher year-over-year profits and revenues — in the case of UnitedHealth Group, the largest of these firms, that number has quintupled since 2007.

This trend has continued despite every attempt otherwise: price controls, moral arguments, charities and even vast sums of government money have failed to abate the trend — as evidenced by the existence of this problem — and even the vast coffers of the insurance industry seem to have hardly any effect on the cost of healthcare. It may be tempting, and many of those in my opposing camp do so proudly, to retreat into the belief all that is needed to abate this crisis is to reduce restrictions on the market and increase the level of competition. But this is contradictory: the market has been free and has had the desired degree of competition, and it is precisely that modus operandi which has created this problem. It would be foolish to try to fix a problem by intensifying what created it.

This, therefore, brings us back to the point from the beginning: that the decommodification of healthcare is the sole solution; that is to say, the removal of it from the exchange of commodities is the only way to fully remove the curse of the commodity fetish. This does not necessarily mean free healthcare (although this is a possibility)

but instead makes possible the control of the cost of healthcare and removes it from the fluctuations of the market. Just this alone would have enormous effects on American pocketbooks. Let us examine what decommodification would look like — we will assume that the personnel that make it run are benevolent and non-corrupt, and we will assume that the level and form of care remain the same.

We may imagine that the basic decommodification of healthcare in this manner — that is, the transformation of healthcare into a public service like the post office — would require some level of government control (federal and state) over the industry. This opens the door to several possibilities: firstly, the usage of tax funds to ensure hospitals are staffed and stocked with the best resources, and secondly, the usage of taxpayer funds to cover the maintenance of those preexisting resources. This means that the money one would pay for healthcare would simply be for the procedure itself and for expendable medical supplies used in that procedure.

This would remove the financial pressures of wages, equipment and plant upkeep from the individual facility and place it instead in the hands of the local, state or federal government — bodies that have far more funds at their disposal and have public consent to collect necessary funds — meaning the healthcare facility will be able to focus on its intent: providing quality healthcare.

There will, of course, be increased taxation at some level — as the funds must come from somewhere — but this is no different from the postal service or public transit. It will also completely eliminate the challenge of finding a hospital within one’s insurance network, as healthcare facilities, by being a public service, would be unable to deny service to anyone.

However, a valid point to be made about the potential inefficiencies of this system, by the sputtering machine of the British NHS. Without sufficient funds, authority, direction or cohesion, this may truly spell disaster for healthcare, and this is universally true no matter the way healthcare systems are set up, as we see with both the American healthcare system and the British NHS. The function of public services depends on the quality of governance itself rather than its precise form, and problems arising from within can often be mitigated by good governance rather than budget cuts. It is easier to solve a problem if the institution responsible for the remedy has complete authority to do so, and it is here that there is a compelling defense for the decommodification of healthcare.

Kathryn-Alexandra Rossi, FCRH ’27, is a philosophy and economics major from Arlington, Va.

Peacock’s Exclusive Streaming Rights Threaten Traditional Sports Media

By LAILA SAYEGH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Jan. 13, 2024, spirits rose as the Miami Dolphins played against the Kansas City Chiefs in a National Football League (NFL) wild card playoff game.

At Arrowhead Stadium, stakes were high as the Chiefs attempted to make their Super Bowl return. However, to the surprise of many football fans, accessing the anticipated playoff game wouldn’t be so easy.

Outside of Kansas City, Mo., and Miami, NFL fans could not watch the game live on cable television. Instead, they could only watch the live broadcast with a Peacock subscription. This marks the first time in history that an NFL playoff game could only be viewed on a streaming service.

The exclusive streaming of the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs playoff game on Peacock represents a significant shift in how sports, especially football, are consumed.

The decision to limit live broadcast access to a streaming service like Peacock suggests a growing trend towards digital platforms as the main means of watching

sports events. This inevitably will leave fans frustrated, specifically those who are accustomed to traditional television, as it reflects the changing landscape of media consumption. This shift to streaming could potentially reshape the future of sports broadcasting, making online platforms more integral to the fan experience.

This is not the first time the NFL has made a game exclusively for streaming. In 2015, the Carolina Panthers faced off in a playoff against the Arizona Cardinals that was aired exclusively on ESPN, and not a free cable network.

However, this game became one of the lowest-rated playoff games, and since then, the NFL has aired all of its playoff games on cable television.

That is, until now.

For football fans around the country, a Peacock subscription starts at $5.99 a month.

NBCUniversal, the company that owns Peacock, paid the NFL $110 million for the chance to stream a wild card playoff exclusively on Peacock. This was only a one-year deal. The decision to exclusively stream the playoff game

on Peacock raises concerns about the financial viability of such a move. Looking back at the 2015 playoff game exclusively aired on ESPN, which received low ratings, there is a precedent for the potential challenges in attracting a broad audience through nontraditional means of broadcasting.

The $110 million investment from NBC to the NFL is substantial, and I question whether the revenue generated from Peacock subscriptions, which start at $5.99 a month, would be enough to offset the hefty payment made to the NFL. The concern is whether or not a sufficient number of fans would be willing to pay for a Peacock subscription specifically to watch this game, considering the existing landscape of cable television options and existing subscriptions to other streaming platforms. If the streaming platform hadn’t attracted enough subscribers for this kind of exclusive content, it could have led to financial losses for Peacock, which is a major risk.

However, according to NBC, 5.7 million people watched the Dolphins vs. Chiefs game

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Peacock had the sole streaming rights to the NFL Wildcard Game.

on Peacock, which is a very high turnout. What does this mean for the future of cable television, specifically in the realm of sports? While the reported turnout of viewers for the game suggests a substantial online audience, it also raises concerns about the potential negative impacts on accessibility, especially for certain demographic groups.

The shift towards exclusive streaming platforms requiring additional payments may pose challenges for older populations who are less tech-savvy and accustomed to traditional cable television. Additionally, individuals facing financial instability may find it difficult to justify the expense of subscribing to multiple streaming services to access specific

games.

This move also has broader implications for the future of cable television, particularly in the realm of sports broadcasting. Cable television has long been a staple for sports enthusiasts, providing a more inclusive and accessible way to watch games without the need for multiple subscriptions.

The exclusive streaming deals, such as the one with Peacock, may contribute to a fragmentation of sports content, making it more challenging and costly for fans to follow their favorite teams and leagues.

Laila Sayegh, FCRH ’27, is a political sciences major from Congers, N.Y.

Page 10

MEET THE STAFF SOFIA DONOHUE | EDITOR IN CHIEF

January 24, 2024 ALLISON SCHNEIDER | MANAGING EDITOR

Sofia Donohue is a junior from Kensington, Md., who is majoring in English with a double minor in history and Italian. She first joined the Ram as a digital producer for Volume 104 and was Assistant News Editor for Volume 105. The Ram has been a large part of her college experience and she can’t wait to serve as Editor in Chief for Volume 106. Outside of the Ram, Sofia loves to read, explore New York City and spend time with friends.

Allison Schneider is a sophomore from New Palestine, Ind., who is majoring in English with a creative writing concentration and a minor in political science. She joined the Ram as a copy editor for Volume 104 and was promoted to Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 105. She could not be more excited to work alongside her talented peers as Managing Editor for Volume 106! Allison loves writing for the Ram and looks forward to production nights spent with the rest of the Ram staff every week. When she is not in B-52, you can find her perusing the shelves of used bookstores or trying not to fall asleep on the 4 train.

HANNAH BORING | PRODUCTION EDITOR

EVAN MCMANUS | EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Hannah Boring is a junior from Annapolis, Md., majoring in English and minoring in communication and culture with a concentration in media studies. She has spent every semester thus far sitting at the copy table in B-52, and she is unbelievably excited to continue working for the Ram as Volume 106’s Production Editor. Outside of the McShane basement, she enjoys exploring the beautiful city and its bookstores, blasting her music a little too loud and cooking what she believes is the best chili on Earth.

Evan McManus is a junior from Dover, Mass., majoring in political science and minoring in communications. As a sophomore, he started writing for The Fordham Ram and worked as an Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 105.

Evan is excited to be the Editorial Director for Volume 106 and hopes to address issues important to Fordham’s student body. Outside the Ram, he enjoys going to the movies, walking in Central Park and having fun with his friends.

GRACE MILLER | BUSINESS DIRECTOR

GRACE CAMPBELL | MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

Grace Miller is a junior from New Providence, N.J., pursuing a major in economics and a minor in English. She first joined the Ram during the fall 2022 semester because of her love of writing and paper editing and then transitioned to the business team. Recently, Grace was promoted to Business Director from Co-Advertising Director. She is excited to lead and contribute to this new role as well as to work alongside the other staff members in Volume 106. In her free time, Grace enjoys spending time with friends, trying out new cuisines, traveling/road tripping and watching the NJ Devils.

Grace Campbell is a junior from Northborough, Mass., majoring in new media and digital design and minoring in marketing. She spent Volume 105 as a digital producer and is so excited to be back as the Multimedia Director!

While not at the Ram, she enjoys reading, painting and spending time with friends!

CAILEE ZERAAT | COPY CHIEF

NORA MALONE | NEWS EDITOR

Cailee Zeraat is a junior from Fairfax, Va., majoring in English on the pre-law track. Cailee is a transfer student and joined the Ram as a copy editor during her first semester at Fordham. As Copy Chief, she hopes to continue deleting oxford commas and excessive exclamation points. When not in the basement of McShane, Cailee writes hot takes for the opinion section, plays bass in the university orchestra and studies the chemistry behind baking cakes.

Nora Malone is a first-year who is “from” Brooklyn, N.Y., but has bounced around to Boston and D.C. as well. She is a medieval studies major with a rotating cast of minors. Nora joined the Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 105 and is ecstatic to be News Editor for Volume 106. Outside of the Ram, Nora enjoys going to museums, rollerblading and attempting to pet the campus cats. She can’t wait to work alongside the talented staff to produce this volume.

JULIANNA MORALES | FEATURES EDITOR Julianna Morales is a junior from Pittsford, N.Y., majoring in psychology with a double minor in disability studies and business administration.

Julianna joined the Ram as a contributing writer in the news and opinion sections and a copy editor as a first-year. She is very excited to work with the Ram team as the Features Editor for Volume 106.

Outside of the Ram, Julianna enjoys playing tennis, reading, exploring the city and being a member of Rod’s Coffee House on campus.

CRISTINA STEFANIZZI | ASST. NEWS EDITOR

ADITHI VIMALANATHAN | ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Cristina Stefanizzi is a first-year from Pelham, N.Y., who is pursuing a double major in new media and digital design and political science. She first joined the Ram for Volume 105 as a contributing writer, and is looking forward to being Assistant News Editor for Volume 106. Cristina is very passionate about journalism, having been Executive Editor of her town’s nonprofit newspaper where she has earned numerous awards from the New York Press Association for her stories. Outside of the Ram, you can find Cristina on the field or court taking photos for Fordham Athletics as a photographer… or listening to Taylor Swift.

Adithi Vimalanathan is a sophomore proudly hailing from Jersey City, N.J., and majoring in English and economics. She first joined the Ram as a contributing writer in her first year and is excited to join Volume 106 as Assistant News Editor. At Fordham, you can find her reading poetry, baking cookies or finishing her fifth cup of coffee.

CLAIRE KRIEGER | CULTURE EDITOR Claire Krieger is a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minn., pursuing a journalism degree. Claire joined the Ram as a contributing writer her first year of college then became a digital producer in the previous edition of the Ram. She is excited to contribute to the culture section and hopes to feature her favorite NYC foods, particularly bagels.

CALEB STINE | CULTURE EDITOR

ISABELLA DEROSA | ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Caleb Stine is a junior from Durham, N.C., studying journalism. After transferring his sophomore year to Fordham, he joined the Ram as a copy editor of Volume 104 before becoming a columnist for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Caleb loves to watch movies, explore New York and cheer on the Boston Red Sox.

Isabella DeRosa is a sophomore from Wayne, N.J., majoring in psychology and minoring in journalism. She joined the Ram as a contributing writer her first year and is excited to join the Volume 106 staff as an Assistant Culture Editor. Outside of the Ram, Isabella enjoys reading, spending time with her friends and exploring NYC.

VOLUME 106

January 24, 2024

Page 11

SAISHA ISLAM | OPINION EDITOR

ZACHARY BADALAMENTI | ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Saisha Islam is a junior from the Bronx, N.Y., who is majoring in biological sciences and minoring in English. She first joined The Fordham Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 103 and is excited to work on Volume 106 of the Ram as the Opinion Editor. Outside of the Ram, Saisha enjoys biking, going on walks around campus and reading mysteries.

Zachary Badalamenti is a junior from Oakland, Calif., majoring in journalism. He joined the Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 104 and was promoted to staff writer for Volume 105. He is excited to take on the role of Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 106 and contribute to the Ram in a greater capacity. Outside of the Ram, Zachary is an avid NBA fan and loves comedy.

ELEANOR SMITH | ASST. OPINION EDITOR

JONAH RING | SPORTS EDITOR

Eleanor Smith is a sophomore from St. Paul, Minn., majoring in American studies and history. She started writing for the Ram for Volume 105, and is excited to be joining the staff as an Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 106. Outside of the Ram, Eleanor enjoys playing jazz trombone, exploring NYC on foot and reading.

Jonah Ring is a sophomore from Norfolk, Va., pursuing a degree in both theology and art history. He joined the sports section of the Ram during his first semester on campus, working as a staff writer and the Women’s Tennis beat writer prior to becoming Volume 106’s Sports Editor.

When he is not writing painfully pretentious articles for the Ram, Jonah can often be found wandering through some random NYC art gallery or bookstore while listening to Jeff Buckley, Chet Baker or Westside Gunn.

GRIFFIN STEVENSON | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

NOAH HOFFMAN | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Griffin Stevenson is a sophomore from Portland, Ore., majoring in digital technologies and emerging media and minoring in sports journalism. He joined the Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 105, focusing on the sometimes overlooked sport of soccer. He is excited to work on Volume 106 of The Fordham Ram as an Assistant Sports Editor. Outside of the Ram, Griffin enjoys fashion and hanging out with friends in the city.

Noah Hoffman is a junior from Richmond, Mass., double majoring in journalism and communications with a minor in marketing. He joined The Fordham Ram sports section during his first semester, starting as a contributing writer before becoming a staff writer on the Fordham Rowing and Women’s Soccer beats. He took up the Assistant Sports Editor position for Volume 106. Along with writing for the Ram, Noah also works at Jomboy Media, a sports media company in Manhattan.

ALEXIS HURCHALLA | SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

SOPHIE MASELLI | DIGITAL PRODUCER

Alexis Hurchalla is a sophomore from Chester Springs, Penn., studying communications with minors in marketing and digital technology and emerging media.

She joined the Ram as a contributing writer in the fall of 2023 and is now the Social Media Director for Volume 106. Outside of the Ram, Lexi loves exploring NYC with her friends!

Sophie Maselli is a sophomore from Milford, Conn., majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing.

Sophie began working for the Ram for Volume 105 as an opinion writer and copy editor, and is excited to work as a Digital Producer for Volume 106! Outside of the Ram, you can find her listening to showtunes, reading or writing a future bestseller.

SARAH URBANO | DIGITAL PRODUCER Sarah Urbano is a junior from Falmouth, Mass., majoring in digital technologies and emerging media and minoring in marketing. She started as a contributing writer for features this year, and is extremely excited to join the staff as a Digital Producer! Outside of the Ram, Sarah likes to spend time outside, play volleyball and watch her favorite show, “Criminal Minds.”

HANIYYAH USMANI | DIGITAL PRODUCER

MARY HAWTHORN | PHOTO EDITOR Mary Hawthorn is a sophomore from Greenwich, Conn. She is double majoring in English and political science with an honors concentration in Catholic studies. She joined the Ram in 2023 as a contributing writer, and is eager to start her role as Photo Editor of Volume 106! Outside of the Ram, Mary enjoys playing on the Fordham Women’s Squash Team, volunteering with Fordham Circle K and spending time with friends.

KATRIINA FIEDLER | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Katriina Fiedler is a sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., who is majoring in economics and urban studies. She first joined the Ram as a contributing writer her first year. She is excited to join the advertising team as a sophomore.

Outside of the Ram, Katriina enjoys reading, exploring the city and spending time with her two dogs.

Haniyyah Usmani is a freshman from the Bronx, N.Y., and is currently undecided in her major, but is considering computer science. She joined the Ram as a copy editor and contributing writer for Volume 105, and is very excited to begin her journey with the amazing staff as a Digital Producer for Volume 106! Outside the Ram, Haniyyah is the First Year Marketing Coordinator for the Commuting Students Association, a Fordham Career Center Ambassador, a writer and an avid reader.

KATHLEEN HOLLINGER | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathleen Hollinger is a junior from Seattle, Wash., who is majoring in finance. She first joined the Ram as a member of the Business Team as a sophomore, and is beyond excited to begin her second year as an Advertising Director for Volume 106. Outside of the Ram, Kathleen spends her time doing puzzles with her roommates, reading new books, visiting art galleries and riding the train up to Boston.

DIANA JUAREZ | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Diana Juarez is a freshman from Phoenix, Ariz., majoring in marketing with a concentration in digital media and technology and minoring in fashion studies. She joined the Ram during Volume 105 and is excited to return as Co-Advertising Director for Volume 106.

In her free time, Diana enjoys exploring new restaurants and spending time with her friends in the city.

EMILY ROE | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Emily Roe is a sophomore from Newburgh, Ind., majoring in marketing. Emily began working for the Ram as a member of the Business Team for Volume 105, and is excited to contribute as an Advertising Director for Volume 106.

In her free time, Emily enjoys trying new restaurants around NYC, vintage shopping, listening to records and binging the “Great British Baking Show.”

CULTURE

Page 12

January 24, 2024

Jo Koy’s Globes Missed The Mark

By GRACE CAMPBELL MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

Earlier this month, award season was kicked off with the 81st Golden Globe Awards. The Golden Globes are a forum for actors, comics and singers to be recognized for their work in film and television. This particular year, though, was busier than most. With some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in attendance, the biggest shows and movies of the year being recognized, and an unfortunate side of some problematic jokes, this night was one to talk about.

Hosted by comedian Jo Koy, the night was kicked off with a slew of thorny jokes in his monologue, specifically in regard to the women nominated and films telling largely feminine stories. Everyone knows that 2023 was the year of “Barbenheimer,” the combined viewing of two movies from wildly different genres, yet being celebrated together.

However, in his monologue, Koy regarded “Oppenheimer” as “based on the 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project,” while reducing “Barbie” to a

movie about a doll with “big boobies.” Later in his monologue he noted Taylor Swift’s attendance and compared it to the coverage she received attending NFL games. The audience was unappreciative of these jokes, causing Koy to have a tantrum on stage. He complained that he didn’t write these jokes and it’s not his fault they’re not funny; not particularly a good look for him.

Audiences at home were equally unhappy with these sexist jokes and took to the internet to voice their concerns. The problem isn’t nec-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Pictured above are some of the female Golden Globe nominees Greta Lee, Margot Robbie and Taylor Swift.

essarily the jokes themselves, but instead what they symbolize: women, no matter who they are, are going to be pushed down and made fun of for the same things men get praised for. Regardless of the achievements women have made, these “unfortunate” jokes are always going to be there to diminish their accomplishments. In an era where the entertainment industry is increasingly striving for more inclusivity and gender equality, these jokes are a reminder of the progress there is still left to make.

However, the rest of the night seemed to go in an upswing, and focused on actually celebrating the stories of the past year. The awards include two new categories celebrating stand up comedy specials and box office achievement. The winners were Ricky Gervais and “Barbie,” respectively. Including these two awards creates a more well-rounded award ceremony and appropriately appreciates all sides of the entertainment industry.

The big sweepers in television of the night were “The Bear” and “Beef.” As two newer shows on the scene, they have both been able to grow cult followings and fans were happy to see these two

shows recognized. As for film, “Oppenheimer” took home awards for best director, best actor and best original score.

“Barbie” was recognized for best original song for “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish and box office achievement.

Aside from all the awards and controversy of the night, a big takeaway is the fashion.

Every celebrity stylist stepped up their game for this year’s Globes, making the red carpet was a moment to be remembered. Margot Robbie wore another Barbie recreation, a take on “Superstar Barbie” by Armani. Swift donned a custom green Gucci dress, leaving many fans wondering if the color is an easter egg for an upcoming rerecording. Either way, she looked incredible. Other stand out outfits were worn

by Hunter Schafer in Prada, America Ferrera in Dolce and Gabbana and Jeremy Allen White in Calvin Klein, perhaps a nod to his viral ad for them made earlier this year.

This year’s Golden Globes were certainly a night to be remembered, hopefully for the awards and looks, and not so much for the problematic jokes.

A Look At Women In Fashion Through Time

By CAMILA MIRANDA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Being able to experience and observe firsthand the beautiful “Women Dressing Women” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was truly a privilege. As an admirer of the fashion industry, I had high expectations and was very excited to check out this exhibit, never having experienced anything like it. This exhibit went above and beyond, from presentation to the incorporation of diversity, making this not only fun, but educational as well.

One of my favorite aspects of this exhibit was the incorporation and emphasis on diversity. As I walked through the exhibit I was able to see pieces made by artists of many different cultures and how this was reflected in their pieces.

One of the most eye-catching, culturally-inspired pieces I saw was a 1995 spring/summer collection piece by Vivienne Tam. Tam was born in Mao Zedong’s People’s Republic of China and fled to Hong Kong at just three years old where she grew up during Mao’s cultural revolution. Her piece on display was a black and white checkered suit that included inversions of the leader’s official portrait, symbolizing the positive and nega-

tive effects of Mao’s influence on China. This piece in particular really stood out to me due to the message Tam was able to send through her art. I was able to immediately recognize that this piece was more than just clothing but a bold political statement as well.

Another aspect of this exhibit I truly appreciated was the inclusion of fashion pieces for women of all different sizes.

The exhibit highlighted multiple pieces made by women who believe it is important to make clothing something that caters to every woman and not just a single type. Specifically, a piece I personally thought was not only beautiful but did a great job of being inclusive of different bodies than those usually portrayed by the fashion industry is a dress by Ester Manas’s spring/summer 2022 collection. This mesh light green ruffled dress celebrates plus size bodies which are often excluded from high fashion. I think it is very important for the exhibit to celebrate all types of women and bodies, with most of the more inclusive pieces being pieces from more recent years. This highlights the entire message the exhibit intends to send which is that as time has passed women have taken more and more charge in making pieces

for themselves in the fashion industry, taking into account all types of women.

Though I thought it was cool to see so much diversity in this exhibit, I also really enjoyed being able to see more recent and vintage pieces made by women designers for some of the most iconic brands in high fashion today such as Vivianne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Celine and Dior. It was an honor just to be able to see these beautiful pieces up close and in person knowing how iconic and timeless these brands are.

However, though the exhibit itself was very beautiful and a great experience, the only negative thing I have to say about it is how hard it was to find within the museum. As someone who has been to the MET only a couple of times, I had a pretty tough time finding the actual exhibit and had to ask multiple times for directions. I think the MET could’ve done a better job of making the exhibit more accessible or at least easier to find. If visiting, do it with a lot of time on your hands to be able to not only appreciate the actual exhibit but also find it, considering you will certainly be distracted by other pieces of art as you make your way to the exhibit.

I had a great time visiting the

“Women Dressing Women” exhibit at the MET and think it is an activity anyone would enjoy.

It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I am happy I got to visit seeing as it is only available until March 3. I loved

the diversity and presentation of the beautiful and iconic pieces displayed and would definitely recommend it to someone looking for something fun to do.

COURTESY OF CAMILA MIRANDA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

One of the pieces shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

CULTURE

January 24, 2024

By CLAIRE KRIEGER

Page 13

Start The Semester Off Right

CULTURE EDITOR

After a month-long break and the beginning of a new year, Fordham students are back on campus and starting the spring 2024 semester. The transition back to school after being home for so long can pose challenges for some students, whether it be homesickness or adapting to new classes.

While January is notorious for being the month of selfimprovement for most people, it is especially pertinent to prioritize your goals and wellness during a period of change and adaptation.

It is definitely becoming a popular trend to educate yourself on skincare and how to correctly take care of your appearance. While this is important, all facets of life require bolstering and now is the perfect time to do it. Classes are just starting and students likely have the most free time they ever will until finals are over.

Therefore, here are some of the most important goals to hit to start the semester off right.

First off, establishing a weekly schedule or routine can easily help you adapt back into college life seamlessly and avoid stress later on in the year. I personally felt that coming back to school was an abrupt 180-degree turn from life back home, where I mostly sat at home with no agenda. Breaks are obviously vital for college students,but embracing some semblance of a routine can promote your productivity and create

healthy habits early on, before your course load gets heavier.

It does not have to be so intense that you know what your plan is hour by hour. It can start with small tasks, such as having a consistent wake-up time each day. Of course, if you do not have 8:30s, there is no logical reason to be an early riser (unless you want to!). Waking up at a set time each day fosters a productive mindset and starts each day with a sense of consistency and stability.

Continuing this throughout your week and carving out time for doing work will make it easier to get work done.

Along with having set times to do homework or work on other projects, down time is a must. Burning out is an inevitable part of college but no one wants it to happen three weeks in. The best way to stave off this feeling is by emphasizing your free time. If you have a particularly packed schedule one day, estimating when to take breaks and relax can help mitigate feelings of stress or anxiety. When you perhaps are not so busy and have a free day, try to avoid feeling guilty or as if you should be doing something more “productive.”

Having days off allows you to rejuvenate and be prepared for more taxing days.

Rest and relaxation are good ways to deal with the stress of school, but movement is also important for mental health.

You don’t need to start weightlifting at the RamFit

everyday, but little changes can boost your thinking and positivity. Things such as a 30-minute yoga routine or going outside for a walk helps you clear your mind and focus on the one task at hand. It is also a great time to find new music or catch up on your favorite podcast. Getting in movement everyday will eventually turn into a habit that will boost your overall health and well-being.

The last piece of advice I will impart to you is a bit more fun: try something new! A new year opens us all up to endless possibilities. We can shed the

person that we were in 2023 and focus on who we want to become in 2024. I do not mean a personality change or dropping every single one of your friends, but rather opening yourself up to a new experience, maybe something you would never have thought to do last semester. There are a million different ways to go about this, such as joining a new club, being more bold and asking someone from class to hang out or taking up a new hobby. It can be as simple as trying a food you have never thought to try. I

just implore you to go outside of your comfort zones.

It may not be the best thing you have ever done, but I promise you will walk away from the experience having learned something.

These few ideas are not the 10 commandments of how to survive college by any means, but they are simple and effective ways to start off this semester by taking care of yourself and also taking advantage of the new year. I wish you all the best of luck this semester and hope it is the best semester ever!

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Keating Hall, a staple of Fordham’s campus, pictured on a snowy January winter day.

Study Abroad | London

A Glance Across The Pond

By GRACE GALBREATH

ASST. NEWS EDITOR EMERITUS

Cheers, and welcome to London! This week, I will be writing The Fordham Ram’s study abroad column.

Pour yourself a spot of tea, grab a biscuit and sit down to read all about my first two weeks at Fordham University London Centre.

I flew into Heathrow Airport the second week of January and immediately headed to the baggage claim. Why? Because the first stop on my glamorous journey was to pick up my massively overpacked luggage. After collecting what could be deemed “the biggest bag to ever fly over the Atlantic Ocean,” I headed to the train station.

Although it was a bit confusing at the start, my first time using London’s public transportation system was a breeze, and I soon arrived at my home-away-from-home for the next five months.

My first week was a whirlwind of Fordham-sponsored activities and explor-

ing London. Each day, we had a few orientation events and then were encouraged to explore our new neighborhood. The first day, my friends and I headed to see some of London’s most famous sights.

We stopped by the London Eye, strolled along the River Thames and, of course, headed over to Big Ben. It is safe to say that after visiting, approximately half of my camera is filled with pictures of ole’ Ben! Later in the week, we visited Buckingham Palace to try to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family. The palace is beautiful, and the architecture is amazing. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the royal guards laugh, which was a slightly disappointing outcome, but definitely expected.

Of the welcome week events, one of my favorites was a Fordham-sponsored boat tour of the River Thames. As my roommate always says, the best way to explore a city is on the water. The evening ride was gorgeous and indeed a great

way to explore the city.

Historical sites and tourist attractions aside, one of the most exciting parts of studying abroad in Europe has been the food. Although I am not a fan of beans on toast, I certainly do enjoy my fair share of English delicacies. I have yet to dabble in a full English breakfast, but I have tried bubble and squeak, a dish consisting of fried potatoes and cabbage.

It is fantastic. The first classic British meal I tried was a jacket potato, which, if you are unfamiliar, is essentially a loaded baked potato. Mine was filled with ham, cheese and sour cream. It was amazing! I also tried fish and chips at a local pub. The meal was (and I don’t say this lightly) life-changing.

I also tried one of England’s most sacred traditions, the Sunday roast. After surviving almost a full week in London, my friends and I commemorated the occasion with the traditional roast. The meal consisted of English classics like roasted vegetables and

Yorkshire pudding, which is essentially a flakey piece of bread. The meal was delicious and well worth it.

After trying it, we decided that a weekly Sunday roast definitely has the potential to become a tradition.

After a great first few weeks adjusting to London, I am looking forward to further exploring and keeping the Ram updated on my travels. Until next time!

COURTESY OF TWITTER

A traditional double decker British bus on a picturesque street.

CULTURE

Page 14

January 24, 2024

A “Yes, Chef” To Calvin Klein

By GABRIELLA NISCO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Calvin Klein knows their recipe for success — it’s the same simple formula they have been using since the 1970s. The fashion brand does not avoid accessorizing its iconic logo and undergarments with a lot of skin.

Most recently, “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White sparked excitement with his appearance in the recent 2024 Calvin Klein campaign.

By setting the ad in downtown New York City, Calvin Klein gets intimate with White’s upbringing in Brooklyn. As White climbs fire escapes, moves around the rooftop and poses with the skyline behind him, cameras capture the recent Golden Globes winner’s physique and stoic expressions in nothing but a pair of boxers.

Posted to YouTube on Jan. 4, the campaign has grossed over two million views. This outshines past campaigns with celebrities such as Jacob Elordi and Michael B. Jordan.

Though the views on YouTube are successful, it’s safe to say that, like most trends these days, the majority of the excitement surrounding this ad is on TikTok.

Since the campaign’s release earlier this month, Calvin Klein has posted five TikToks (@calvinklein) featuring clips of White’s ad, earning a cumulative total of 54.3 million views. Independent TikTok users are also joining the conversation, sparking even more engagement with the campaign.

TikTokers cannot get enough of White in his tighty whities. People are leaving comments on Calvin Klein’s post, begging for other users to interact with their comments so they can be “reminded to watch.” Other commenters refer to his role in “The Bear” by leaving comments like “yes, chef.”

And it is not just the views that are exploding. According to Launchmetrics, within 48 hours of the ad’s release, the campaign accumulated $12.7 million in media impact value, which measures the engagement of a post necessary to understand the brand’s performance.

So, if Calvin Klein stuck to their formula with its most recent campaign, why is the internet going crazy?

Though “The Bear” is a popular show accredited by major award shows, there is little correlation between

the show’s success and ad.

People are obsessing over this campaign for its artistic qualities that paint White as a life-like Greek God sent down from above… Or rather, that’s just what people on social media say.

A fashion photographer, Mert Alas, directed this campaign and successfully captured the male body cinematically. The combination of aesthetically warm lightning and exquisite camera angles allows viewers to soak in the fluid-like movement of White’s sculpted body.

What works is the absence of stillness and stiffness of the camerawork and modeling. Even when White poses on the couch in the final shot, there’s still movement with the doves soaring into the sky. And with that, the product being advertised is highly represented.

With this ad, Calvin Klein went back to basics. Yes, they kept the formula of showing off someone’s body in underwear, but the logo is not the main focus like in past campaigns. Instead, by capturing White’s movement, there’s something different from previous campaigns: the human body in motion.

Rather than putting White

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Pictured is the Calvin Klein advertisement that went viral on social media.

in a pair of underwear and telling him to stand on a marker and flex his muscles only to overlay the video in a black-and-white filter, Alas and the rest of the crew told a story that molded discussion and the urge to purchase a product.

It is safe to say that this campaign will go down in history as one of the best advertisements, potentially landing a spot next to Brooke Shields’s iconic 1980s ad.

This campaign is truly chefs kiss.

Who’s That Kid | Siobhan Rushin FCRH’26

Sophomore Finds Passion At Campus Radio Station

By SOFIA DONOHUE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When Siobhan Rushin, FCRH ’26, began her first year at Fordham University, she was immediately drawn to WFUV — a nationally acclaimed radio station located on the Rose Hill campus.

From a young age, Rushin has been a large fan of music. On a typical weekend you can find her commuting to Manhattan for a Maggie Rogers versus Taylor Swift SoulCycle class, camping out in the rain to see Noah Kahan on Saturday Night Live or seeing one of her favorite artists in concert.

“I’ve always been enamored with music, and once I got to Fordham my freshman year and heard about WFUV, a real radio station on campus, I immediately wanted to get involved,” said Rushin.

Rushin wasn’t exaggerating when she told me that she wanted to get involved immediately. Rushin first discovered WFUV winter of her first year and had secured a job at the station by the spring. While WFUV contains numerous departments such as promotions, music, news

and sports, Rushin was drawn to the promotions department primarily because it falls under the music department. During the academic year, WFUV’s promotion department consists of three student workers, a “small but mighty” team as described by Rushin. A major part of the job is contacting concert promoters and overseeing concert ticket giveaways. While managing spreadsheets may seem boring to the typical Fordham student, Rushin appreciates the backstage perspective WFUV’s promotions department has offered her.

“I definitely want to work in live music and I honestly wasn’t sure what aspect of it until I joined WFUV, but now I’m really interested in the marketing side of it. It’s a big learning process and it’s very exciting to learn how the behind-the-scenes stuff works in the music industry,” Rushin noted.

While Rushin has helped promote and execute events during the school year, such as WFUV’s “Holiday Cheer” concert in December, Rushin also works at WFUV during the summer. She describes summer at WFUV as “less

office-y and more fun.”

“This is where the fun stuff comes in. I’m a music and concert nerd so I enjoy emailing concert promoters during the year but the summer is more hands-on,” said Rushin.

Throughout the past summer, Rushin attended numerous concerts and worked WFUV’s promotional booth in Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. As my roommate at Lincoln Center this past summer, Rushin has gifted me a fair share of WFUV hand sanitizer and chapstick (they’re all-natural!). While working events, Rushin got to see some of her favorite artists in concert — however, her favorite performer was Zach Bryan. On her way to the venue, the train schedule was convoluted so Rushin arrived at Forest Hills early enough to enjoy Bryan’s soundcheck.

“I got to hear one of my favorite artists play in an empty stadium with just me and my friends,” Rushin reminisced.

A few artists whose performances received honorary mentions from Rushin included Maggie Rogers and Boygenius. As an aside and a testament to her music

knowledge, Rushin told me that Rogers’ first album, “Heard It in a Past Life,” came out exactly five years ago.

“Maggie Rogers is my favorite artist so it was surreal working a show through WFUV for an artist I’ve looked up to since high school.”

Throughout the past year of working at WFUV, Rushin has met a variety of different people whether they be

strangers in a concert crowd, her fellow coworkers or longtime WFUV listeners. However, her favorite part of working at WFUV is working in a fun environment and getting a glimpse of what the music industry has to offer.

“My favorite part of working at WFUV is definitely getting my foot in the door of the music industry. That’s definitely something I see myself pursuing as a future career,” said Rushin.

COURTESY OF SOFIA DONOHUE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Siobhan Rushin pictured showing her love of music.

CULTURE

January 24, 2024

Page 15

Editor’s Pick | Literature

“If We Were Villians” and the Obsessive Love of Shakespeare

By HANNAH BORING PRODUCTION EDITOR “Actors are by nature volatile—alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy.

Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster.”

M.L. Rio’s “If We Were Villains” follows seven actors at the fictional Dellecher Shakespeare Conservatory, a prestigious university acting program in Illinois. The main cast are all assigned a sort of persona, repeated performance after performance over their time in the program: James (the hero), Alexander (the villain), Richard (the tyrant), Meredith (the femme fatale), Wren (the ingénue), Filippa and Oliver (the extras).

But these typecasts get turned over for the Halloween production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” and these acting personalities transform into their real ones until disaster strikes, leaving one of the seven dead.

We enter the novel to find Oliver finishing his 10-yearlong jail sentence. Detective Colborne suspects that Oliver is hiding the truth of what happened that fateful night, and Oliver agrees to give him the answers following his release.

These details are relayed

to us, the reader, over the course of five acts, much like a Shakespearean play. The introduction of each act is based in the present — Oliver and Colborne walking around old Dellecher — and the rest in the past. There is betrayal, violence, affairs, jealousy, revelations and heartache in each act.

All of these emotions culminate in the final act, where the remaining six are performing a production of “King Lear.”

An essential theme of “King Lear” is knowledge of self.

In Act One, Scene One, King Lear’s own daughter says of him: “he hath ever but slenderly known himself.” Using “King Lear” as the backdrop for the striking disaster was beautiful, a direct parallel to Oliver.

Oliver did not realize who he truly was — more specifically, who he truly loved — until it was too late, and once he discovered this about himself, it only made the fallout worse. As Oliver said, “But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”

During the novel, Detective Colborne asks Oliver, “Do you blame Shakespeare for any of it?” Oliver responds, “I blame him for all of it.”

What do I blame this book

for? Everything.

I read this book during the fall of my first year here at Fordham. On Nov. 15, 2021, I left this review on Goodreads: “If I could give this more than five stars, I would. Everything about this book is heartbreaking perfection. I’m shaking right now… It took me over a month to read because I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle the ending. I’m not okay.” Now, I am nothing if not dramatic, but having to think this much about this book while writing this Editor’s Pick makes me want to throw up.

One thing about “If We Were Villains” is that, thematically, some things will fly over your head if you are not well-versed in Shakespeare’s works. Reading this novel made me want to study Shakespeare, and sparked one of my first thoughts of declaring an English major. This novel is why I decided to take a three-hour Wednesday class on Shakespeare in the spring of my sophomore year, where I fell even more in love with the Bard and his words (shoutout to my professor Stuart Sherman, who is one of the best professors I’ve had at Fordham).

The author states, “The

thing about Shakespeare is, he’s so eloquent… He speaks the unspeakable. He turns grief and triumph and rapture and rage into words, into something we can understand. He renders the whole mystery of humanity comprehensible.” For Oliver and the others at Dellecher, Shakespeare brings meaning to life. He makes it easier to understand the intricacies of humanity. Their need to find themselves through Shakespeare led to the de-

mise of their triumphs, and their lives at Dellecher paralleled the works of Shakespeare in the most tragic of ways.

A quote that follows me everywhere — especially here at the Ram — is, “For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.” While words may have failed Oliver, they did not fail Rio in writing this exquisite, heartbreaking, gutwrenching, life-altering novel of love, obsession and betrayal.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The haunting cover of the featured novel, “If We Were Villians.”

Delayed 75th Emmys Were Solid And Refreshing

By CALEB STINE

CULTURE EDITOR

Last Monday, Anthony Anderson corralled his colleagues across the industry to recognize their achievement in television during the 75th Emmy Awards.

The third Black host of the awards in three years (following Kenan Thompson and Cedric the Entertainer), Anderson enlisted the help of his mother, Doris Bowman, to jokingly help “play people off” who took their time with their acceptance speeches in his opening monologue.

Anderson was able to achieve a laid-back and comfortable show that audiences and attendees were visibly refreshed by, especially after Jo Koy’s awkward and distasteful Golden Globe hosting job just eight days before.

The night was a tale of two shows: known laugh-out-loud “comedy” series “The Bear” and “Succession” running the gamut in the drama series categories. Both series came into the awards with nominations.

“Succession” was on the ballot a whopping 27 times, while “The Bear” came in with 13 nods and left with 10 wins. The Roys and Co. left the ceremony with six wins,

all in major categories.

All three main characters from “The Bear” took home their owed acting awards, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White all gave heartfelt speeches.

The winners were predictable and generally satisfying, and my only serious gripes came from nominees on my

“wishlist” and were more personal (and very subjective) favorites than anything else.

Nicholas Braun bringing one home for the tall guy community (I’m a proud member) would have been huge, but his co-star Matthew Macfadyen was the proper choice for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (filmed on Eddie’s and outside Dealy!) also left the series without a major category win, but Midge and Friends have gotten their well-deserved flowers in previous years.

While Rachel Brosnahan of “Maisel” was the Stineendorsed pick for Lead

COURTESY OF TWITTER

“Succession,” cast pictured above, won Outstanding Drama Series among other awards at the Emmys.

Actress in a Comedy Series, Quinta Brunson of “Abbott Elementary” won for delivering the many character nuances common to elementary school teachers across the country.

“Ted Lasso” left the Peacock Theater without a major win. The good-not-great show was nominated in all eligible major categories. The show from a production standpoint was satisfying as well.

The production team smartly capitalized on viewers’ nostalgia for television with touching tributes to “Cheers,” “The Sopranos” and more.

Up against a four-month delay of the ceremony due to the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes, as well as the peak of the Iowa Caucus and NFL Playoffs, the Emmys had their backs against the wall in more ways than one, and while viewership was the lowest ever, fetching just 4.3 million eyes last Monday, those numbers certainly didn’t tell the whole story.

The Emmys were a great show about shows.

Page 16

CULTURE

A Deep Look Into Global Outreach’s California Experience

By SEAN PARKINSON & ANGEL DUCRET

A couple of months before the Global Outreach (GO!) trip, we were all Fordham students on different paths. We came together with the same passion for going to California and experiencing the impacts Boyle Heights had on East Los Angeles. We acknowledged that we were about to encounter a week of simple living.

But we didn’t understand the unbreakable bond that would form the moment we landed, as each day in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, flew by quicker than the last.

Angel and Sean both hold many reflections and personal thoughts on the trip that will be shared soon, but first, we feel the importance of highlighting some of the experiences working with the Dolores Mission community, specifically visiting Homeboy Industries and Skid Row. We all come from different backgrounds and are thankful for the opportunities presented to us.

Touring Homeboy Industries, an organization that provides case management support in an 18-month program to previously incarcerated or gang-involved East L.A. community members, was one experience our group consistently highlighted. Being greeted with “Hi! Welcome to Homeboy!” at every desk, hallway and corner demonstrated the value of the Homeboy community. We spoke to a man

who had been incarcerated for 40 years, half of them in solitary confinement. We heard his story and how Homeboy Industries helped him adjust and better his quality of life after entering prison at 19 years old. We then spoke to a man at Homeboy Silkscreen who had lived through being shot nine different times and how Homeboy helped him start a loving family and a working career. Homeboy is a place of second, third and even 50 chances to help people with not only staying out of trouble but also finding new values and cultivating the life they want to live. Skid Row is considered an area where the majority of the streets are used for shelter for the homeless. Creating hygiene kits for homeless people on Skid Row was an eye-opening experience for the group.

We were met by a community filled with people who wanted to help each other. We experienced a different narrative than what others perceive Skid Row to be. While giving out hygiene kits, we learned how the people on Skid Row constantly prevail and rely on each from while facing overenforcement and criminalization of poverty in Los Angeles.

As we heard these emotionally heavy stories of surviving being shot nine times or watching a man on Skid Row cuddle his dog, we saw compassion, community and love remaining a highlighted value. Father

Brendan, Dolores Mission Church’s pastor, said to us, “The more you know people, the less you hurt them.” As a college student in NYC, it can be easy to neglect those around you, not just on campus but also on the streets.

We are taught to step over the manmouthing nonsense on the sidewalk or ignore the girl we see on the same route to work or class every day. These are missed opportunities. It is easy to wake up each day and tell ourselves if today isn’t the day, try again tomorrow. The immersion taught us so many powerful lessons, but one to remember is to not take our days for granted. There are people with less than others who manage to hold a smile through it all.

Angel wanted to be a part of GO! to hear the stories of people who want to be heard.

Many of the people we encountered were happy to be heard and have a group witness the work they do that isn’t spread and discussed outside of California. Everyone deserves a chance to be heard, and there are people hidden in the shadows making impacts in a world divided by power.

For Sean, allowing himself to embrace these people and have an open perspective for just a week in L.A. showed him how much more he can embrace the same people here.

Sean believes communities are loving support systems that symbiotically help their people. They are all around

you; all you have to do is be open to knowing them.

On that note, the awkward barrier between our group was already surpassed in our weekly meetings, and friendships began the moment we hit L.A. Everyone was open to being friends and having the opportunity to get to know each other. Being together 24/7 for a week brought out the worst and best of everyone. We got to learn everyone’s personalities, routines and habits. Every activity on the trip brought us closer together. Our last two days were free from immersion, and we wanted the chance to bond.

We went on a 10-mile hike up the mountains one day and explored Santa Monica Pier the next. We could just talk to each other outside of the immersions and get deep and personal. An activity suggested by our chaperone really grounded us all individually.

Since journal reflections were

January 24, 2024

part of our nightly routine, every morning, we would read the name of another member’s journal and become their “guardian angel.” That night, we would write a genuine message to the person, affirming the qualities we saw throughout the day. Reading our notes from everyone at the end of the trip made us all realize what a blessing it was to meet one another through this program. Angel and Sean both stated they enjoy keeping their journals nearby throughout the day as a reminder of the loving community they found themselves in. On the last night, we wanted to spread affirmation to everyone in the group and discuss what we appreciate about each other. Those hours talking about each other sums up the entire trip and why we became a close family. There is no other group we would have wanted to experience this trip with.

COURTESY OF SEAN PARKINSON FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Global Outreach participants in Los Angeles.

ASST. NEWS EDITOR EMERITUS

SPORTS

January 24, 2024

Page 17

Squash’s Strong Start The Flawed Philosophy Of Coach Firings

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Fordham Squash is entering the new year on a strong foot, after winning three out of five matches to start their opening weekend of 2024. Returning from training camp in the Netherlands, the team had a lot of excitement as they got back to work very quickly.

In a five-game weekend, the Rams took on Brown University’s club team, Connecticut College, Northeastern University, the University of Pennsylvania’s club team and Boston University over the course of three days.

While Fordham had a rocky start, they regained momentum, heading into the back half of the week.

To start, the Rams faced a definitive 0-9 loss, snapping the Rams’ eight-game win streak they had accumulated in 2023. All but one of the matches were clean sweeps by the Brown team, with the third slot featuring sophomore Jack Stanley who pushed his match to a fourth game, but ultimately falling to Dawson Lin, 3-1, by scores of 11-5, 11-2, 11-13 and 11-8.

The Rams struggled in their second match of the weekend as well, against Connecticut, but managed to secure two big victories in the six and eight slots. Junior Robert Cruikshank defeated Alex LorenzoCruz at sixth position, sweeping him with a final match total of 11-7, 11-9 and 11-5. Sophomore Crispin McCarthy saw his ultimate win go to four games, defeating Timothy First at the eight slot.

Facing a doubleheader the next day, the Rams were looking to rebound strong and in their two matches against Northeastern and Penn’s club team, they were able to walk away with two victories.

In the first matches against Northeastern, Fordham locked down six straight wins across six slots, with decisive wins in the first through fifth slots, started by number one position sophomore from Maryland, Nicholas Gilman.

In the six slot, Cruikshank battled it in a dramatic five-game match against Northeastern’s Arjan Trehan, ultimately beating him 11-8, 17-15, 8-11, 8-11 and 11-8.

In the second event of the day against Penn’s club team, the Rams were able to squeak out a win after a long battle. The third through fifth slots, including senior Henry Frawley, sophomore Jack Stanley and freshman Peter Vorbach took hard fought wins.

Later, Nicholas Choo in the eighth position defeated Kunli Zhang 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 and 11-4, giving Fordham the chance to win the day with just one win needed.

Gilman in the first position, leading the Rams, beat Albert Chen in a nailtbiter of four matches, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10 and 11-5.

Finally, in their final matchup of the week, the Rams were able to get a strong win of their own with an 8-1 victory over Boston University.

Fordham had two thriller comeback wins in the second, third and eighth slots as junior Bennett VanwLiew came back after losing his first game, defeating Milan Tahliani 1-11, 12-10, 11-8 and 11-7 in the two slot.

Frawley fell behind two games against Spencer Choice. In five games, Frawley rebounded and took a win, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 and 11-8. Meanwhile, McCarthy struggled in the opening game of his matches against Sean Gregg, later rebounding to win in four games, 9-11, 11-6, 15-13 and 11-6.

Sophomore Gray Kearns added to the Rams winning total as he had a strong showing in the seventh slot, defeating Matthew Liuzza in four games, 11-5, 7-11, 11-1 and 11-6.

Now, the Rams are 14-6 on the season, with a two-game weekend incoming for the Rams on Saturday against Drexel University and Dartmouth University’s club teams.

Matches against Drexel will start at 10:30 a.m., followed by Dartmouth at 1:30 p.m. at the Lombardi Center.

Athletes of the Week

By JOE HENRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As it stands, eight NFL teams remain in contention for the Super Bowl; likewise, a whopping eight teams have fired their head coach this season. While some of the firings, like that of the Chargers’ Brandon Staley, were a long time coming, others have left fans and players shocked. For instance, when Robert Kraft and the Patriots announced that Bill Belichick had “mutually agreed” to part ways with the team, it marked, to many, the end of the NFL’s most dominant dynasty — one helmed by Belichick for the past 24 years. So what led the team to fire the man chiefly in charge of making its hands six rings richer? A deeper dive shows that this firing is emblematic of a worrying pattern across the league: teams with subpar rosters turn in subpar seasons, while proven head coaches get caught in the crossfire.

The NBA’s San Antonio Spurs are currently 8-34, on pace to turn in one of the worst seasons in recent memory. However, if you floated around the idea of firing Gregg Popovich, you’d be laughed at by NBA fans and media personalities alike. Meanwhile, when Belichick’s team limped to a 4-13 finish, the team’s worst since he became head coach in 2000, he got the axe. If you were to ask anyone why the Spurs have been so dismal, every single person would point to a roster that, Victor Wembanyama aside, is capable of giving onlookers an eyesore. So why is it that Belicheck was fired when the same can be said for a Patriots roster that ranked 31st in points and first downs, 30th in yards and featured almost impressively bad special teams play?

The bottom line is that a coach shouldn’t be punished for having to make do with a team without a clear QB1, battered RB and O-Line rooms, horrific WR play and a defense missing two of its premier players in Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez. It must be conceded that Belichick is to

Gray was one of the lone bright spots for the men’s basketball team this past week, as he not only recorded an impressive 12-point double-double against Davidson University, but he also registered a 15-point effort against Loyola University Chicago.

Sophomore Men’s Basketball

Michaela Gier Freshman Women’s Track and Field

AWAY

Wednesday Jan. 24

Men’s Basketball

Rhode Island 7:00 p.m.

Chicago Women’s Basketball Loyola 7:00 p.m.

Gier was one of the standout performers this past weekend for the Fordham track team, as she managed to break the Fordham’s women’s pole vault record, completing an impressive 10’ 10” attempt that would also net her a third place finish in the event.

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

had a career renaissance under center and Carroll’s club achieved a winning record in back-to-back years. Under Carroll, the Seahawks fast-tracked their post-Russell Wilson rebuild and competed with the league’s juggernauts despite a shoddy offensive line, QB and defense. Carroll’s recompense? A demotion to an “advisory role.”

It’s an all-too-familiar story for Vrabel, who transformed the evermiddling Tennessee Titans into a contender during his tenure, before the team fell back down to Earth last year. One glance at the team’s roster paints a pretty clear picture of what changed from Vrabel’s early years to his final ones; it lost one of the league’s top wideouts in AJ Brown, its revamped offensive line proved inferior to its original and its young defensive players failed to break out. The same team that went 59-85 in the nine years preceding Vrabel’s tenure went 5445 under the former linebacker, but it was an underwhelming roster that eventually did him in; I have no doubt that Vrabel will prove that he was not the problem with the team he coaches next.

Of course, perplexing coaching decisions can sometimes turn out to be for the best. The Patriots, Seahawks and Titans could each bounce back next year with a regime in order, as proven as their predecessors were. Refer back to the NBA, where Dwayne Casey was fired the year after he won Coach of the Year, only for the Raptors’ to win their first championship the year after his departure.

Ultimately, we can’t know what goes on behind closed doors; we can’t perfectly measure a coach’s ability to bring out the best in his players, nor can we always assess whether a coach “has the locker room.” Moreover, sometimes a change of scenery proves to be all a team needs to actualize its potential. Whether that’s the case for these teams remains to be seen, but nothing can take away from the accomplishments of Belichick, Carroll and Vrabel — I have no doubt that they’ll prove their value in whatever venture comes next.

Varsity Calendar HOME

Elijah Gray

blame for some of these issues — as General Manager, his recent drafts have been puzzling at best (Cole Strange and N’Keal Harry in the first round?), his offensive coaching staff hirings have baffled (Matt Patricia at OC?) and many of his free agency moves have backfired (see Jonnu Smith’s $50 million contract). In many ways, GM Belichick dealt HC Belichick an unwinnable hand, and he lost his job because of it.

Belichick’s questionable roster construction can not be lumped together with his coaching. The Krafts could have relieved Belichick of his GM’ing duties, and rightfully so, without letting go of him as a coach. The Patriots defense was top 10 against the pass and the run and looked every bit as solid as it did during the Pats’ Super Bowl runs of old. While a player may regress with age, the Patriots’ defensive performance proves that the same can’t be said for coaches.

And, with a capable roster and a proven OC in Josh McDaniels in 2021, the Patriots were just fine on that side of the ball. With $70 million in cap space and the third overall draft pick, the Patriots could be able to retool their offense in a hurry. Had it only relinquished Belichick’s GM status, the team would be rolling into 2024 with the greatest coach of all time, minus his Achilles heel. However, as we’ve seen time and time again, an undeniably brilliant coaching mind has been thrown under the bus because his personnel produced lackluster results; as Belichick said in his farewell address, “players win games in the NFL.” Belichick isn’t the only victim of this type of firing, with Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel being thrown by the wayside this month after failing to bring their teams to the playoffs.

For Carroll, the man who brought the Seahawks their first Super Bowl ring and was beloved by players and fans, the news was astonishing.

The team narrowly missed the playoffs this year after making the Wild Card the year prior; going into 2022, the team was expected to tank. However, Geno Smith

Mens & Women’s Track and Field

Thursday Jan. 25

Friday Jan. 26

Saturday Jan. 27

Sunday Jan. 28

Duquesne 12:30 p.m.

.

George Washington 2:00 p.m.

River Hawk Invitational 9 a.m.

Marist 5:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Dartmouth & Drexel Club 10,11:30 a.m.

Squash Men’s Swim and Dive

Iona Iona 5:00 5:00 p.m. p.m.

Women’s Swim and Dive

Iona 5:00 p.m.

Monday Jan. 29

Tuesday Jan. 30

SPORTS

Page 18

Swimming and Diving Looks to Continue Stellar Season

By NOAH HOFFMAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Under interim head coach Tom Wilkens, Fordham Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving started the 2023-24 campaign undefeated after beating each of their first five opponents.

The women’s program has not lost a meet since they lost to Boston College by one point back on Jan. 17, 2020. The men’s team, on the other hand, got off to its best start since its inaugural 1995-96 season.

The season started with a dual sweep of Manhattan College at home. The men’s and women’s teams separately notched 163 points, winning every event, including five Rams claiming the top spot in multiple.

The second meet of the season was another easy win for the women’s team, blowing out Marist College 188-104 and taking first in all 16 events. However, on the men’s side, it came down to the final event for the second straight year, with the Rams prevailing and edging Marist 150.5-140.5 to complete back-to-back sweeps.

The 400-meter freestyle event determined if the meet would be a split or a sweep, with the team of Wojciech Dutkowiak, Guy Gropper, Noah Althoff and Christian Taylor outlasting the Marist Red Foxes by just under five seconds.

The first away meet was a dominant performance by both teams, as the Rams took home first in 23 of the 28 events at Monmouth University. Fordham finished out the meet, winning the final 16

events with ease.

History was made for the fourth matchup of the season with the first-ever dual sweep for Fordham at Georgetown University. The women’s team won handily as they have all season with a 50-point win, with Mya Bokerman, Leire Martin, Ainhoa Martin and Manon Compagner all taking home multiple first-place finishes and eight of their 10 wins.

For the men, it again came down to the final event in the 400 freestyle relay to close out the sweep and win narrowly 151-147 after another just under five-second win.

The men placed first in eight events, including the final one, to secure a hard fought victory.

The final regular season meet of 2023 was another sweep at home over Bryant University. The men’s team recorded four season’s best times en route to the 185-113 win, while the women handled the Bulldogs 193-105. In total, the Rams claimed first in 23 of the 32 events.

Both teams traveled to La Salle University this past weekend to start the second half of their campaigns.

The women’s team continued their domination, winning 165-135, while the men’s team, on the other hand, lost 169-129 for their first loss of the season. The men’s loss squashed the possibility of the program’s first dual undefeated season.

So far, leading the way for the women’s team are graduate students Manon Compagner and Jane Brown, alongside juniors Emilie Krog, Ainhoa Martin and Jessica Zebrowski. Sophomore Mya Bokerman leads the way in the

women’s diving sector.

Compagner holds the top times in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events, along with the 100-yard butterfly. Krog has the top times for the 500, 1000 and 1650-yard freestyles. Brown has the top times in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke contests. Martin holds the number one time for the 200 and 400-yard individual medley and the top 200yard breaststroke time. Zebrowski leads the way in the 200-yard butterfly. Lastly, Bokerman owns the top diving scores for the 1-meter and 3-meter dives.

For their efforts, both Compagner and Zebrowski have won Atlantic 10 awards over the course of the season. On the men’s side, graduate students Gropper and Dutkowiak, senior Noah Althof, sophomore Taylor and lone diver sophomore Marco Petit all hold top times.

Gropper claims the top times for the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. Dutkowiak in the 200, 500 and 1000 yard freestyles. Althof is the top scorer in the 100 and 200yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. Taylor holds number one for the 100 and 200yard backstrokes and the 50-yard freestyle. Being the only diver, Petit holds the top spot for the 1-meter and 3-meter dives.

The two teams will look to lean on their top scorers as they aim to continue their incredible season.

They will both be in action on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at Iona before finishing the season off at home for the last two meets of the season.

January 24, 2024

Varsity Scores & Stats

Women’s Basketball Fordham 44 Rhode Island 55

Mens + Women’s Track Ramapo College Season Opener NTS (No Team Scoring) Squash Fordham Brown Club

0 9

Fordham Connecticut College

2 0

Fordham Northwestern

7 2

Fordham Penn Club

5 4

Women’s Swimming Fordham 165 La Salle 135

Men’s Basketball Fordham Davidson

69 79

Fordham Loyola Chicago

61 65

Women’s Tennis Fordham Cornell

1 6

Fordham Syracuse

0 7

Men’s Swimming Fordham La Salle

129 169

–Compiled by Griffin Stevenson

News & Notes Fordham Dance Team Finds Major Success in Debut Fordham’s dance team competed in the program’s long-awaited first competition recently, traveling down south to New Jersey in order to participate in the Dance Team Union’s New Jersey regional competition. The Rams had an extremely impressive showing there, their stellar score of 89.77 earning them first place in the College Hip Hop Division and the right to compete in the Dance Team Union national competition in February.

Track and Field Continues Indoor Season

By JONAH RING SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham track & field team continued their indoor season this past weekend, leaving the greystone confines of Fordham in order to compete in the Ramapo College Season Opener at one of New York City’s premier athletic sites: the famed Armory. The Rams found mostly nothing but success while at this cathedral of athletics, as despite the fact that many of the team’s usual standouts did not compete, with figures such as graduate sprinter Kyla Hill and sophomore sprinter Matt Nurse missing the meet, and the reality that the competition present was mostly of a very high level, with prominent schools like Colby College and Colgate University sending their best athletes, many of Fordham’s younger athletes stepped up and announced their arrival with strong performances.

One standout performance was that of freshman pole vaulter Michaela Gier, as she managed to break the Fordham’s women’s pole vault record, completing an impressive 10’ 10” attempt that would also net her a third place finish in the event.

Another freshman who likewise experienced massive success was distance runner Sarah Zahaykevich, who gave the Rams one of their event victories of the weekend by finishing first in the Women’s 5,000-meter with a blistering time of 18:59.95.

While the men’s side of the

team did not field anybody for the 5,000-meter event, they did see two stellar freshmen excel in a different distance event: the 3,000-meter race. It was here that the duo of freshman Sean Reidy and freshman Jack Boerger were able to put together a dominating performance, with Reidy finishing in first place with a time of 8:47.57, while Boerger came just behind him in third with his own respective exceptional time of 8:53.87.

Boerger and Reidy were not the only freshmen duo to dominate an event for the Rams, however, as Sam Freeman and Dakota Strain both put in a strong performance for the Rams in the men’s 400-meter.

Freeman was able to finish 12th in the event, posting a time of 51.72, while Strain placed 19th in the overly crowded field with a time of 52.08. Strain’s impressive day was not limited to that singular strong performance, however, as he would likewise go on to finish sixth in the men’s 200-meter, posting an impressive time of 22.63.

The last strong freshmen performances of the day came on the field side of the meet for the Rams, as Sarah Cooley, Ashley Holbrook and DaRon Elam all found themselves in the top five of their respective events. Cooley not only powered her way to fifth place in the women’s shot put, her best throw of the day traveling a whopping 11.06 meters, but she also set a personal record in the women’s weight throw event, recording a ninth place finish with a best-throw of 12.92 meters. Elam’s respective

strong performance came in the men’s high jump, as his score of 1.87 meters allowed him to capture fourth place. Finally, for Holbrook, her respective success was found in the women’s triple jump, her personal best attempt of 10.49 meters, allowing her to capture sixth place. It should also be noted that higher honors in the event, however, were reserved for another Fordham athlete, as sophomore Leia Ruvo came in second with an outstanding recorded highest-jump of 11.34 meters.

Outside of these strong freshmen performances by the track team’s youth, Fordham also found success turning to some of their usual contributors.

One of these mainstays was sophomore sprinter Kylie Ritz, who was able to win the unseeded women’s 60-meter with a time of 8.08 seconds to beat out New Jersey City University’s Ayriana Young for the top spot.

The Women’s High Jump event likewise found experienced Fordham sophomores dominating, as the Rams nearly swept the podium with sophomores Zoe Arakelian and Alexandra Manetovic coming in second and third, both finishing with a personal best of 1.62 meters. Moreover, just behind them in fourth place was yet another Ram, with junior Anya AlfonsettiTerry likewise having a banner day by recording a personal record of 1.57 meters.

Lastly of note was the spectacular day that sophomore Alexandra Williams had, as she notched a top

10 finish in two different events, running a personal best 59.82 in the women’s 400-meter to finish sixth in the race, and another personal best of 26.13 in the women’s 200-meter to finish ninth.

In terms of what is next for the Rams after this impressive performance, they are slated to head down to the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Brighton, Mass., to compete in the River Hawk Invitational this coming weekend.

The two-day meet will occur across Friday Jan. 25 and Saturday Jan. 26, with the Rams likely again facing tough competition in almost every event. However, if this past weekend indicated anything, they will be more than up to the task.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham found success in a variety of events at the fabled armory.

SPORTS

Page 19

January 24, 2024

Overtime: Loving(?) Sports in Late Capitalism

By JONAH RING SPORTS EDITOR

In recent years, I have come to find the act of following and engaging in the so-called “world of sports” to often be a troubling and laborious task. These are potentially not the words that one would like to hear born from the pen of a sports editor, but that does not detract from the sad reality that my once sacred and dear pastime has lost its luster in so many ways, becoming a sort of mooring post upon which I now consistently lose my sanity and patience.

The question then is why.

Why have I come to see the “world of sports” as so terribly burdensome? While I do not think there is necessarily a singular answer to this question (can one describe in detail that agonizing and subconscious shift from love to disdain?), I think that the most valid and true response that I could potentially provide would be that sports have undergone a categorical shift in my eyes. For me, sports have long left the category of “leisure activity” and have instead entered one that is typical of America’s latestage capitalistic society: that of the commodity. In essence, whenever I sit down to watch a game or read an article about my favorite teams, I cannot help but feel I am sinking deeper into that dark abyss that is the endless creation of capital that so dominates our real world.

A recent Chiefs playoff game was blocked behind a paywall.

I think what has contributed the most to this change from leisure into commodity has been the advent of this gross new identity that contemporary sports media boasts. Sports media has, in so many ways, metamorphosed into that greedy, materialistic troll who lurks under a bridge, with every streaming network or journalistic website now requiring that you offer some sort of payment in exchange for access to whatever they offer on the proverbial “other side.” Yet even if you produce such a toll, that sought-after “other side” only further attempts to leech you of your money through its unbearable number of advertisements. Each pause in a game, however brief, must be filled by senseless and artistically soulless commercials; each team must bear a scarlet letter on their uniform that outs

COURTESY OF TWITTER

them as sellouts to some megacorporation; and each moment of basic reality must be refracted through the phrase “this is brought to you by…” In essence, everything now feels so entangled with monetary consequences, sports media having gone to bed with capitalism and produced a monster where everything is now for purchase.

Likewise contributing to this shift in my categorical perception of sports has been the fact that the flesh and blood of athletes’ bodies have themselves become chained to the very idea of capital, irrevocably becoming a commodity and nothing but. With how large and public athletes’ contracts have become, how increasingly profound our insights into the nuances and workings of the “free agency market” now are, and how culturally aware we are of the tendency for owners

and executive management to treat players like a good (players rushed out when profitable, and then inversely thrown back into dark storerooms without a second thought when their “run” is over), I cannot help but get the sense that I am no longer watching individuals take the field. Instead, I now have this guttural feeling that I am simply watching multimillion-dollar products play those sports that I once found bewitching and beautiful, their appearances and actions filtered almost strictly through a monetary lens. For instance, I can never see Shohei Ohtani as a transcendent athlete whose abilities blur the line between the human and the divine, as I rather am forced to view him as a commercial product that is raking in more money than any man should ever be able to.

Finally, I have come to feel that even one’s own thoughts, predictions and insights have become the subject of late capitalism’s rampant commodification, as the sports betting industry has developed a disgusting and distinct ubiquity in recent years. While watching almost every game or while reading any article, I seem to encounter a handful of ads from different betting companies encouraging me to turn my sports knowledge or opinions into real money by placing a wager on a certain outcome, with live betting lines, moneymatch deals and all sorts of

“pick-em”

gimmicks

being

constantly paraded across my screen in a sort of macabre dance of monetary risk. With all this, I simply cannot help but get the feeling that my very consciousness is being goaded into becoming some exchange of capital itself, my very brain becoming infested with some sort

of

monetarily-driven

parasite.

So

this

then

begs

the

question: What does one do about all this? Is there a chance that I can ever truly get back that which I truly loved, or has my love of sports effectively been condemned to take on the role of ever-elusive Eurydice? I think that the answer is a sad one, as this tragic entanglement with capitalism simply cannot be walked back in my eyes…

Companies will not just stop advertising ad-nauseum now that they have gotten a taste of how deeply profitable it is; players will, in all likelihood, not

voluntarily

opt-in

to

taking small paychecks; and sportsbooks will only continue to grow the more and more we as a culture indulge in the vice that they offer. In a way, the onus is now on me to change, as I now have to adjust and grow accustomed

to

this

current

reality or be forever miserable doing what I once loved.

Student Athlete Column: Pay College Athletes?

By LIAM VOLZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A couple of years ago, I participated in an organized debate arguing that collegiate athletes should be allowed to profit off of their name and image. The debate occurred when any athletic-based profit outside of scholarships would cause athletes to lose National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) eligibility. Just weeks after this debate, the NCAA lifted its ban on college athletes earning money for their name, image and likeness (NIL), and sponsorships for college athletics became an integral part of the college athlete experience.

In just a few years, NIL sponsorships have become widespread, and top athletes and NCAA influencers reported earned millions annually from NIL deals. This unprecedented surge in earnings and the associated prestige from major brand collaborations marked the dawn of a new era in collegiate sports NCAA President Charlie Baker recently proposed college athletes should receive direct compensation for their

contributions to their school’s athletics program. Under this proposal, top athletic programs could establish an “enhanced educational trust fund,” investing a minimum of $30,000 per year for at least half of their student-athletes.

While not feasible for many smaller Division I schools, if approved, this proposal could pave the way for schools to gain more autonomy from the NCAA, with potential implications for NIL deals and logistical changes as well.

There are a number of benefits for compensating college athletes. For one, college athletics earn the NCAA billions, 2019 producing $15.9 billion. With this proposal, schools would be able to properly compensate the athletes bringing in the most money. For schools such as the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia, with billions funding their football programs, $30,000 per athlete for at least half of their athletes is nothing but a drop in the bucket. By the end of his career, Alabama football coach Nick Saban made a salary of $11.1 million, close to the amount that it would cost Alabama to

pay half of their 786 student athletes $30,000 annually.

Beyond monetary value for providing compensation is justified by the immense dedication and physical toll that college athletes endure.

They often face injuries such as broken limbs, concussions and muscle tears, with substantial time commitment for training and other athletic responsibilities. The popular notion of “student comes first in student-athlete” is frequently challenged, especially for athletes in top programs who allocate more time to sports than academics due to external pressures.

Though supported, Baker’s proposal has faced immense criticism. One argument is that because these athletes are not professionals, they should not be treated or compensated as such. They are being compensated for their athletic contributions to the school with scholarship money that grants them a degree which can be used later in life. According to this argument, athletes are at school to receive an education, and athletics are a way of earning this education.

To pay college athletes would

be accepting that they are, essentially, no longer students — they are employees of the school.

Logistically, there are also some issues that would have to be addressed with the proposal. For one thing, the proposal would force a strict divide between big-money athletic programs and smaller D1 programs. The proposal specifies that schools who choose to pay their athletes would have to invest at least $30,000 per year for at least half of their athletes — for a big school like Alabama, Georgia or the University of Texas, this may be viable, but for a smaller school with less of a focus on athletics, this makes the proposal impractical and, quite frankly, out of the question. Because only a small percentage of Division I programs have the resources to adopt this proposal, it would create a stark divide between smaller schools and larger schools in terms of who could pay athletes and would lead to fewer talented high school athletes choosing small schools over larger programs.

The proposal would create competition, both between

athletes and schools. Schools would not be required to pay all of their student-athletes, which could cause tension between teammates or coaches and athletes. Salaries, which would undoubtedly be based on performance and perceived value, would be highly disputed, and unsatisfied athletes would be inclined to transfer to other schools in hopes of better salaries. With this in mind, schools would be in direct competition. Some schools would automatically be able to offer recruits significantly higher salaries, giving them an advantage that would only grow as they obtain and retain top talent.

Despite its potential impact, the proposal is unlikely to affect Fordham’s athletics program. Given the school’s expenses, salaries would probably be offered only to athletes whose contributions surpass the value of a full athletic scholarship. While this proposal may primarily benefit top programs, it offers unprecedented opportunities for a number of NCAA stars to be directly compensated for

their significant contributions to their schools.

SPORTS

Page 20

January 24, 2024

Women’s Basketball Off to Worst Conference Start in 15 Years

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Christmas was not at all kind to Fordham Women’s Basketball.

With a 82-56 blowout loss to the University of Virginia on Dec. 21, the Rams took a five-game losing streak into their week-long Christmas break. The losing streak would unfortunately be a sign of things to come. With Atlantic 10 play beginning at the turn of the new year, Fordham has stumbled out to a 1-6 start, their worst since 2009.

Fordham technically played their first conference game on Dec. 5, a one-off affair against Duquesne University in which the Rams battled valiantly, but fell 75-73 in overtime. It’s unusual to play an A-10 opponent that early in the season, but the Rams looked competitive against a promising Duquesne team, lending to some optimism about the team’s latter half of the season.

The Rams would have to wait until the end of December for their remaining 17 conference games.

Despite the five-game losing streak, vibes weren’t at an all-time low.

Three of the five losses were one score games decided in the final possession, and while head coach Bridgette Mitchell isn’t one to celebrate moral victories, it was encouraging to see a Fordham team with low expectations compete tightly in the non-conference slate.

You’d prefer to have momentum going into conference play, but at the same time, it was hard to be dissatisfied with a 5-7 record after Christmas. Entering the season with low expectations and loads of uncertainty, the overhauled roster had

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham women’s basketball has had a rocky start to their season thus far, struggling to string together consecutive wins.

managed to show glimpses here and there of winning basketball.

But the five-game losing streak proved to be more than just a blip on the radar. Conference play resumed on Dec. 30 against the dangerous St. Joseph’s University. The Hawks quickly overwhelmed the Rams, leaping out to a 23-4 first quarter lead.

Fordham’s four points marked their lowest output in a single quarter as the Rams went 2-15 from the field in the opening frame. It was certainly not the picture perfect way to start a two and a half month stretch of A-10 play, with Fordham ultimately falling by 27 points.

Three days later, the Rams bounced back, earning their first win since Nov. 28 with a 65-57 win over St. Bonaventure University. Entering the game with a season-high six-game losing streak, their longest since 2012, Mitchell had some brutally honest words for her squad.

“It’s time for you guys to do something. We’ve tried a few things, now it’s up to you guys to go play.”

Sparked by their coaches’ call to action, the Rams were wide-awake for the 11 a.m. tip off, claiming their first conference win of the year on

the back of a 24-point performance by senior guard Taylor Donaldson.

The win snapped the losing streak, but a new one would quickly resurface. Following their Jan. 3 win against St. Bonaventure, the Rams have dropped their last four conference games, sitting dead last with a 1-6 A-10 record.

The new skid has been marked by a jarring lack of offensive production, with Fordham averaging a measly 49.8 points per game over their last four. Despite boasting the A-10’s leading scorer in Donaldson (17.6 points per game), Fordham’s offense has struggled to find consistent means of scoring, particularly beyond Donaldson’s efforts.

The Rams had an opportunity to stack wins after facing the Bonnies, going on the road against a La Salle University team that entered with a 3-10 record and amidst an eight-game losing streak. Fordham, however, struggled down the stretch as the Explorers outscored the Rams by 12 in the second half for a 64-53 victory.

The Rams followed that showing up with a 57-54 loss to to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

While the last two weeks have not been marked by excellence, this was certainly the brightest spot in the current skid as Fordham battled hard against a VCU team that currently has the second best overall record in the A-10 at 16-2. Outside of a six-point quarter where the Rams shot 2-13, Fordham was highly efficient, shooting 54% through the other three frames.

Unfortunately, this game encapsulated one of Fordham’s key issues as Donaldson’s 27 points accounted for exactly 50% of Fordham’s scoring. While Graduate student Emy Hayford finished with 10 points after playing just two minutes in the first half, the bulk of Fordham’s offensive production fell almost solely on the shoulders of Donaldson.

It seems that this formula has betrayed them in the last two games as the Fordham offense has hit rock bottom. The Rams only mustered 48 points in a tough 18-point loss to Davidson College and followed that up with just 44 points against the Rams of the University of Rhode Island (URI) this past Wednesday.

The common denominator in both losses was the opposing team

neutralizing Donaldson. Davidson held her under double figures for the first time all season as Donaldson tallied eight points on a season-low seven shots attempted. Donaldson responded nicely with 11 first half points against URI but a third quarter injury contributed to her totally scoreless second half Hayford has stepped up in this recent stretch, reaching double figures in her last five games and scoring a career high 23 points against URI. Still, the ancillary scoring has proven to be a bigger issue as the team has transitioned into conference play. Fordham tallied just two bench points in their most recent contest and has struggled to find a consistent means of offense.

Thanks to the two lengthy skids, Fordham has managed just one win in their last 11 contests. On top of an A-10 worst 1-6 conference record, they now sit at 6-12 overall, third worst in the conference.

Granted, the recent stretch has presented some extremely challenging competition. The A-10 is the strongest and deepest it’s been in several years and St. Joseph’s, VCU, Davidson, and URI are four of the conference’s most dangerous teams.

Still, Fordham will need to improve upon their recent play if they wish to be competitive down the stretch.

Fordham is back in the Bronx this week for back-to-back home games, a much-welcomed return to Rose Hill after the Rams fell to 0-8 on the road with the loss at Rhode Island.

After six days off, Fordham will take on Loyola University Chicago and George Washington University this coming week; these two critical showdowns occuring on the 24th and the 26th respectively.

Inconsistency Plagues Men’s Basketball

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

It’s impossible to know just “what” a team is going to be by the end of season while they are still dealing with injuries and developmental growing pains.

Fordham Men’s Basketball has started Atlantic 10 play with a lackluster 2-3 record, but it is evident that health and maturity have stifled the team’s ability to illustrate its full potential. Road wins against George Washington University and Saint Bonaventure University required the kind of work ethic that made last season’s bunch successful, but home losses to La Salle University, Davidson University and Loyola University Chicago presented a few issues that could be cause for concern.

After thrasing a solid Fairleigh Dickinson University squad, the team proceeded to lose its next two games against Tulane University and New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Each of these contests were decided by fewer than five points and came just before what may have been the most fitting four-game prelude to the Rams’ conference schedule.

Fordham defeated reigning NIT championNorthTexasUniversity6059 on Dec. 17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. An Abdou Tsimbila slam dunk at the buzzer cemented what was a comeback win. However, the optimism that came with such a victory was short-lived, as the men

in maroon were trounced 77-55 by Rick Pitino’s St. John’s University Johnnies at Madison Square Garden the following Saturday, and five days later they suffered a 82-80 home loss to Central Connecticut State University.

The boys from the Bronx then concluded their non-conference portion of their season with an 8778 comeback win over Columbia University, but by that time there were already a number of questions regarding the health of sophomore forward Joshua Rivera and the team’s general development.

The team’s A-10 opener against the Revs of George Washington University proved to be an instant classic that momentarily quelled these fears. Without Rivera, Fordham defeated the Revs in a 119-113 overtime thriller. Japhet Medor finished with a team-high 24 points and drilled five three-pointers in the process. Additionally, Kyle Rose and Antrell Charlton combined for 40 points while sophomore Elijah Gray posted a career-high 22 points with the help of an 8-10 clip from the free throw line.

The win showed a glimpse of what this season could be for a Fordham team that is still growing. While it was not the Rams’ best defensive game, they were able to keep up with GW’s duo of Darren Buchanan Jr. and James Bishop IV. The tandem combined for a sizzling 70 points and were able to score at all three levels. Even still, the Rams used a

9-0 start to set the offensive pace early in the game and continued to show resilience even when the Revolutionaries garnered serious momentum.

That same weekend, the Rams returned to the Bronx and dropped a tight 81-76 affair to the Fran Dunphycoached La Salle Explorers. The team that hails from Philadelphia received five double-figure scoring outings and specifically benefited from a complete statline from Jhamir Brickus. The senior did a fantastic job of picking his spots and working as a facilitator on the perimeter. All told he tallied 14 points, five dimes and four rebounds. Additionally, he hit a key layup that made it 74-68 with just over three minutes to play.

The Rams trailed the entire second half and trimmed the La Salle University lead to two points with 2:08 remaining, thanks to a Gray three-ball. However, a Daeshon Shepherd three-pointer gave the Explorers a 79-74 edge that would help them outpace Fordham.

With a 1-1 A-10 record, the Rams traveled to Olean, N.Y., in search of another road victory. They delivered a gutsy 80-74 win. Rose played arguably his best game as a Ram. Despite dealing with some sickness during the contest, he managed to deliver 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Romad Dean and Medor were also key to the win. Medor put up 16 points while Dean scored eight bench points and swiped down two boards.

Chad Venning led the way for St. Bonaventure. The big man cashed in a game-high 22 points along with seven boards. He dominated the painted area for a vast majority of the game and worked in conjunction with Charles Pride who tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds of his own.

The bunch from Western New York never gained full control of the game but did manage to tie it at 70 apiece with under two minutes to play in regulation. Ultimately, Fordham prevailed against a squad that entered that weekend ranked 64th in the NET and 74th according to KenPom. The Rams’ past two games were vaguely similar competitions that highlighted some of their weaknesses. Both were home losses.

They fell to the Davidson Wildcats and Loyola Chicago Ramblers, 7969 and 65-61 respectively. Fordham had a halftime lead in both games and shot below 40% from the field in each instance.

On a more granular level, the men in maroon may have won the contest against Davidson with a more offensively experienced group.

Medor left the game in the first half with an ankle injury after only playing eight minutes, and it was clear Fordham was struggling to have a consistent initiator. Rose, Tsimbila and Charlton all contributed points, but their game is not necessarily defined by offense.

Will Richardson poured in a teamhigh 16 points, and Gray was not far

behind with 12 points of his own.

Both of these players have been relied on for their offensive skill but are not efficient enough to carry the load that would have defeated Davidson.

Medor missed the contest against the Ramblers, and while Fordham had a lead at halftime, it became evident down the stretch that the team could have used his offensive skill set. Des Watson, Philip Alston and Dame Adelekun combined for 51 of Loyola Chicago’s 65 points. Meanwhile Fordham received a team-high 15 points from Richardson and 11 points from both Gray and freshman Jahmere Tripp. Rivera tallied six points in 19 minutes while slowly working his way back into the frey.

It is not yet known when Medor will return, but his absence gives the Rams an opportunity to see how much their young core has grown.

Without Medor, players such as Richardson, Gray, Dean, Rivera and Tripp will have to simply find ways to score and convert at the free throw line when opportunities arise.

Fordham currently holds the A-10’s second-worst free throw percentage.

On the other end of the court, Charlton, Tsimbila and Rose will have to continually lead by example as the Rams hope to improve upon their defensive identity. At present the team has given up the fourthmost points per game in the A-10.

This season’s team is much different from the one that energized Rose Hill last season. But, it would be foolish to write off these Rams.