Volume 104 Issue 22

CPS Hosts Conscious Dating Workshop

By AVA CARREIRO DIGITAL PRODUCER

On Wednesday Nov. 16, Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) held a virtual workshop on conscious dating.

The workshop was an in itiative to educate students about how to approach re lationships from a place of awareness and acceptance.

The workshop was led by Sarika Persaud, Ph.D., super vising psychologist and assistant director of training at Fordham CPS, and Peter Goldie, a trainee therapist at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

Persaud said that this initia tive is important because rela tionships give our lives mean ing. According to Persaud, when someone encounters struggles in their relationships, it can be very stressful since human beings are inherently social. She added that “learn ing about how to navigate oth ers’ expectations and live a life connected to what brings you intrinsic joy is probably one of the most important things we

The Fordham Ram

CSA Hosts Annual

ThanksGive-Away

By CEARA PERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Nov. 17, the Commuter Student Association (CSA) host ed its annual Thanks-Give-Away event. This year’s event was “CSAturday Night Fever” theme, complete with 70s disco music, arcade games, colorful lights and decorations.

By EMMA KIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Fordham’s United Student Government’s Committee on Sexual Misconduct’s (CSM) bi annual Week of Action will oc cur from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. The week includes different events

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

Thanks-Give-Away annually features performances from Fordham dance and a capella performing arts groups, a raf fle, food and an opportunity for commuter students to get to know each other. At the raffle portion of the event, prizes such as senior ball tickets, AirPods and speakers were given away. A ticket to the event includes an entry to the raffle. The prizes giv en away at this event were gifts from campus organizations such as Ram Vam, Public Safety and the Office of the President.

The event is primarily a fun draiser for Part of the Solution (POTS), a local nonprofit orga nization and close community partner dedicated to combating poverty and hunger in the Bronx.

Rose Hill Hosts Workshops to Welcome

“Hostile Terrain” Display

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

Last year, Fordham University’s Ildiko Butler Gallery displayed an exhibit titled “Hostile Terrain 94: A Vigil for Lives Lost.” Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) is an art project sponsored and organized by the Undocumented Migration Project

(UMP). This year, the exhibi tion will be located on the Rose Hill campus, and the installa tion process is projected to be gin in February 2023.

The exhibition includes over 3,200 handwritten toe tags that each represent a migrant who died while at tempting to cross the Sonoran

Desert of Arizona between the mid-1990s and 2019. The tags are placed on a 16-20 foot long map of the Arizona/Mexico bor der, each tag accurately reflect ing the location where the mi grant died. Each tag includes the name, age, sex, cause of death, condition of body and the loca tion of recovery for each person.

Update on Fordham’ s Diversity Action Plan

By SAMANTHA MINEAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In summer 2020, the uni versity released a plan to “[address] racism” and “[ed ucate] for justice.” This ac tion plan included a pledge to develop admission strate gies to recruit a more diverse student body, increase at tention to the diversification of faculty and develop and cement stronger partner ships with organizations in the Bronx.

As of the last update posted in spring 2022, the enroll ment of non-white students steadily grew. For example, the recruitment of Asian-identifying students increased from 14% to 16%. The Office of Admissions also continued their participa tion in the National Recognition Program Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to Hispanic, African-American and indigenous students.

“I have noticed a push for

in this issue

each day from Monday to Friday. The purpose of the week is to help increase awareness on Fordham’s campus about sexual harassment and assault.

Farah Elrakhawi, FCRH ’24, chairperson of CSM, believes that Week of Action goes beyond

just the committee and members. “It is so important. Clothesline project and different events that are visual representations and symbolic,” said Elrakhawi.

Elrakhawi explained that events like these are supposed to give SEE CSM, PAGE 5

Culture

Fordham Jetès Put on a Stunning Performance of Nutcracker

Psychedelic Drug Usage in Mental Health Treament Should be Normalized

Sports

Men’s Basketball Extends Win Streak to Five

COURTESY PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

CSM kicked off the Week of Action by participating in the “ Clothesline Project” to show support for survivors.

Hostile Terrain 94: A Vigil for Lives Lost was displayed at Lincoln Center last year in the Ildiko Butler gallery.

Fordham Hosts Lecture on Civil Rights featuring Patricia Sullivan

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Nov. 20

Queen’s Court 10:10 p.m.

There was a smoke alarm in the Queen’s Court deli. The supervi sor and FDNY responded. An investigation found an Aramark employee was cleaning the pizza oven. The steam activated the smoke alarm. The room was venti lated, and the alarm was reset.

Nov. 20

Loschert Hall 11:45 p.m.

A student reported the theft of their laundry from Loschert Hall. The supervisor responded and interviewed the student who said they placed their laundry in the washing machine then went for pizza. When the student returned, someone had removed five pairs of jeans valued at $1,350. The stu dent declined to notify the NYPD.

Nov. 21

McShane Campus Center 11:00 a.m.

A student reported the theft of their scooter from the front of the McShane Center. The student stated they parked the scooter on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, at 3:15 p.m., and when they returned at 4:45 p.m., the scooter was gone. A review of video footage shows the offender riding off on the scooter into the garage. The scooter was located and returned to the owner.

Nov. 25

Rose Hill Gym 8:45 p.m.

Public Safety observed six males riding scooters on the side of Rose Hill Gym. The males stated they observed scooters alongside the Rose Hill gym and wanted to take them for a spin. The males were guests of a student. The group was directed to exit campus. The scooters are secured in the Public Safety Office.

USG’s Diversity Action Coalition Hosts Student Activism Panel

By MICHELA FAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Nov. 28, United Student Government’s (USG) Diversity Action Coalition (DAC) hosted its third annual student activism panel. The panel featured stu dent activists, all of whom par ticipated in various social move ments while in college and high school. The participants includ ed: Andy Diaz, FCRH ’25, Kellen Zeng, GSB ’25, Liz Shim, FCRH ’23, Jillian Douglas, FCRH ’25 and Nicola D’Abundo, FCRH ’26.

The panel was moderated by Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, vice president of diver sity and inclusion and chair of the Diversity Action Coalition. Al-Omoush started the panel discussion by asking the par ticipants what activism means to them. D’Abundo began by saying that advocacy meant using your voice to stand up to others. He said that without passion, activ ism is hard to maintain.

Douglas said that activism is about supporting marginalized people. Douglas started getting involved in activism after her sports shut down due to the pan demic. Shim said that activism was about supporting vulnerable people. Shim serves as USG’s vice president of sustainability, and she said that sustainability is highly connected to activism, as many marginalized communities are the most at risk of the effects of climate change. Zeng said that it’s important to shine a light on issues that matter.

Al-Omoush then moved the conversation to how each par ticipant got involved in activism, and all the participants shared their experiences. Zeng said that she got involved through volun teering with nonprofits. Diaz said that the best way to get involved is to find groups to work with, and he stressed the importance of collaboration in activism.

“Activism can’t function with out collaboration,” said Diaz.

Shim said that students should attend protests and get involved in movements in their areas. She told a story about how she bumped into a protest in Flushing during the Anti-Asian Hate movement while walking home. She said that even though she wasn’t planning on partici pating, she did because the cause was important to her.

The conversation then turned

to what it means to be a good ally. Douglas started the conversation by telling a story about how she transferred schools in high school. At her new school, she said she noticed how English as a second language (ESL) students were othered within the school commu nity. She shared how she created programs to help students adapt to the school. In that instance, allyship to her meant helping people who have barriers in their way. Shim said allyship takes on a “we’re all in this together mental ity.” Zeng said that allyship means being aware.

She spoke about the importance of being intentional about activ ism and understanding how to use your privileges and voice to help productively advance the agenda of others. She said oftentimes al lies need to remember that they have to listen to the group they are helping and not dominate the con versation. Diaz agreed with Zeng and emphasized that allies should not lead conversations but rather try and amplify them.

Al-Omoush then pivoted the conversation to address social me dia and how it changed activism.

Diaz said that social media ac tivism should be used intentional ly. He said that there’s a difference between “sharing a pretty graphic” than sharing “links to mutual aid resources.” Douglas said that it is

easy to share resources on social media, and she said that people should be educated on the issues they are posting about.

“Don’t post anything if you don’t understand the context,” said Douglas.

D’Abundo pointed out that many times social media posts only go out to someone’s fol lowers, meaning that the length that the message can spread is limited.

The panelists then discussed what Fordham could do to im prove their activism on campus.

Shim encouraged the univer sity to expand its course offer ings. She mentioned the ongoing efforts to get the university to offer an Asian American Studies minor. Douglas said Fordham should increase its engagement with the Bronx community and work on educating students on the history of the Bronx.

D’Abundo said Fordham stu dents need to be aware of their presence in the Bronx. He en couraged the university to start diversity training for all students. Zeng mentioned that she thought Fordham did a good job in the number of cultural clubs and their activity on campus, but also said that she thought there was too much red tape on campus and that it was extremely difficult to enact change on a university

This Week at Fordham

Wednesday Nov. 30

Thursday Dec. 1

Rose Hill Gymnasium 5:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball is facing Fairfield this week in a bas ketball doubleheader. Join the Rams to watch the com petition for the A-10 heat up! Stay until 7:30 for the men’s basketball game.

McShane Center Gallery

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Come learn about the USG Student Experience Committee and how to join with refresh ments including cookies and hot chocolate. The event will include a performance from the Hot Notes.

Friday Dec. 2

Friday Dec. 2

McGinley Ballroom 5:30 p.m.

Fordham’s CASA is hosting Jerk and Jollof, an event with Fordham’s MSA. There will be food, activities and music. The menu for the evening will be posted on their Instagram ac count, @fordham_casa.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 9 p.m.

For this week’s Rodrigue’s concert, the coffee house and indie music venue will be hosting Leya and Thoom. Make sure to get there early if you want a front row seat to good music and cheap drinks.

level, which she said she believes is a big issue at Fordham.

The panel then opened for audi ence questions. An audience mem ber asked the panelists how ac tivism varies between visible identities, like race and invis ible identities, like sexuality or gender identity. Zeng respond ed by emphasizing the need to verbalize hidden identities and bring them to the forefront of the conversation.

The event ended by raffling off the books “How to be an AntiRacist” and “At the Dark End of the Street.”

Al-Omoush said hosting a panel like this is important because it fits into DAC’s goals.

“One of DAC’s priorities is to uplift student voices, and that’s exactly what we’re doing [at the panel]. We’re amplifying the stu dent voice,” said Al-Omoush.

Al-Omoush said that she hoped that the attendants of the panel learned that activism takes many forms. She said that she liked learning more about her fellow students and the work they have done.

“Three of the members of the panel were [on] USG,” said AlOmoush. “I didn’t understand the breadth of their other extra curriculars and their roles out side of USG, so it was really nice to hear that.”

Sunday Dec. 4

Rose Hill Campus 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Fordham’s annual celebra tion of the season will be happening on Sunday, with performances from the Bronx Arts Ensemble. Fordham’s university choir will also be featured.

COURTESY OF AYLA D’SILVA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

(L-R) Liz Shim, Jillian Douglas and Nicola D’Abundo, three of the featured speakers on the DAC panel this past Monday.

CPS Focuses on Conscious Dating in New Workshop

FROM CPS PAGE 1

can spend time learning.”

The workshop covered a wide range of topics, including un derstanding why people enter relationships, theoretical per spectives on the role of love, cognitive defusion and rela tionship structures.

The presentation explained that humans tend to enter rela tionships either for reproduction and fulfilling societal expectations, having a lifelong friend/compan ion or learning more about oneself through the use of another person. Along with this is understanding what it means to enter a relation ship consciously.

In the workshop, Persaud said that we need to embrace our nature as social creatures with an innate need for con nection, which can explain why we enter relationships. She also discussed how entering relationships consciously can help create greater psycholog ical flexibility in how we think about our relationships.

Persaud dived into the theo retical perspectives on the role that love plays in our lives, citing three different theories: psychodynamic/psychoanalyt ic, humanistic/existentialist and behavioral. These theories provide reasoning that can res onate with different people re garding the impact that love has

on humans.

The presentation presented the question “does love cause suffering?” Persaud explained that love does not cause suf fering. Instead, things that are often confused with love, cause suffering. This includes the envi ronment of the relationship one is in, choosing the wrong person to seek a relationship with, co dependency and not communi cating one’s own needs.

Cognitive defusion is the act of creating distance between a thought, feeling or action. In the workshop, Persaud defined this term and explained how it oc curs when a person labels their thoughts as just thoughts — not a reality. Instead of wondering if thoughts about yourself are true, she recommended that you should ask yourself, “Which thoughts are useful for me to con struct a life of value for myself?”

Goldie went on to discuss different types of relationship structures, such as monogamy, coparenting, platonic, swinging, poly-fidelity and polyamory. He explained that each of these struc tures are valid and touched upon certain ways to negotiate these relationship structures: openness, mutual respect, honesty, trust, consent and destigmatization.

Reflecting on the workshop, Persaud shared that “college is a time where family relationships

are changing, people are learn ing about what really matters to them, and different rela tionships are being explored.” She said, “It can be difficult to disentangle all of the direc tions you’re being pulled in, so it’s important to learn how to connect with yourself and

ground yourself during difficult emotional moments to learn how to navigate relationships with wisdom.”

When asked what students should take away from the con scious dating workshop, Persaud said that spending time getting to know yourself is one of the most

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

valuable gifts you can give your self.

She added that “If you can sit with yourself with compassion and presence, you will become naturally attractive to others, and you won’t have to worry about pleasing people or being validated in order to feel good.”

United Student Government Discusses Emergency Preparedness on Campus

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Nov. 17, United Student Government (USG) held its weekly meeting. The meet ing was led by Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25. Coogan opened the meeting with public concerns, but there were none. The meeting then went into delegate updates. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) shared their plans to host a “Holiday Extravaganza” in December.

USG then welcomed guest Robert Fitzer, associate vice president for Public Safety, who gave a presentation. Fitzer was asked to come and give a presentation about Fordham’s active shooter awareness by Executive President Santiago Vidal, FCRH ’24, in light of the recent shooting at the Univer sity of Virginia. Fitzer said that active shooter situations typi cally last between 7-10 minutes

and that each situation “is hard to predict.” Fitzer also added that “timely intelligence is critical,” meaning students should report suspicious behavior to Public Safety. According to Fitzer, Pub lic Safety officers are trained to respond to active shooter situa tions. All Public Safety officers are retired police officers and receive alert training from the NYPD counterterrorism unit during university breaks.

Fitzer said that in active shoot er situations, people should fol low the “run, hide, fight” for mula. The first thing that people should do is run. If they are not in a situation where running is possible, people should hide and barricade doors. As a last resort, they should fight, turn ing things in the room they are in into weapons.

In the case of a situation at Fordham, Public Safety will send out a text notification to everyone on campus. The blue

lights around campus dou ble as speakers and will an nounce the situation. Public Safety officers will respond first to the situation and NYPD will follow.

“We’re going to be the first through the doors. You’re go ing to see us first,” said Fitzer.

Public Safety officers are armed. Fitzer also spoke about the “Ram Path” pro gram. This is a pilot program in which the university part ners with local businesses on Arthur Ave. Students and Fordham community mem bers can seek shelter in busi nesses that participate, and those businesses will call Public Safety. Participating businesses have stickers on their windows marking their involvement. Fitzer also said that the university is not ex periencing a rise in threats.

Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, vice president of diversity

and inclusion, presented a budget for an upcoming Diversity Action Coalition event. The tabling event will give students hot chocolate and cookies during finals. The budget was approved.

Alex Chavez, GSB ’23, vice president of finance and bud gets, opened the issue of USG’s remaining budget for the 2022 fall semester. USG has to either spend the remaining money this semester, vote to roll over their budget to next semester or vote for the money to go back to

the general student activities fund.

USG is the only club that can elect for their extra mon ey to roll over to the follow ing semester, and according to Chavez, have in the past. USG’s excess money comes from canceled or postponed events this semester.

A concern was raised about the FCRH Dean’s List as the Gabelli Dean’s List receives a ceremony for their accomplish ments, while FCRH does not.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

CPS’s workshop focuses on teaching students about ways to cultivate healthy relationships in college.

Public Safety discussed Fordham’s prepardness in the case of an active shooter.

Fordham Continues Diversity Action Plan

diversity at Fordham,” said Vincent Vitanza, FCRH ’24. “As an orientation leader, a lot of our training happens with OMA [Office of Multicultural Affairs], and we are trained on how to make the experience more inclusive and welcoming for the incoming freshmen.”

Although an updated report has not been published for fall 2022, Rafael Zapata, the chief diversity officer, said he is pre pared to publish a report soon and is working on an update let ter to the campus community.

“Thanks to the work of our admissions team, and the myr iad faculty, students and staff across Fordham that support those recruitment and yield efforts, we are making signifi cant progress on undergradu ate student diversity: The in coming class consists of more than 46% domestic students of color,” said Zapata.

“Various staff development opportunities are taking place across the university, some sup ported centrally by the Office of Human Resources, and others sponsored more locally at the division, school and depart

mental levels.”

A common critique of the uni versity’s administration is the degree of separation between Fordham and its Bronx com munity. However, since the launch of the initiative in 2020, there has been an increased ef fort to bridge that gap.

“We are working with our colleagues in finance on an ongoing effort to promote busi ness relationships with minority and women owned businesses in the local area,” said Zapata.

However, some students are unaware that this initiative ex ists at all, which may damper the university’s success.

“I didn’t know about this goal specifically, and I do think it’s been pushed to the shadows since its original publication,” said Vitanza. “I think the university [should] restate this goal.”

Despite this, Zapata restated an emphasis on students thriv ing more than anything else, and the overall development of the student body as a whole.

Students can expect a full update when the full letter to the community is released.

Fordham Hosts Lecture on Civil Rights Featuring Patricia Sullivan

By GRACE GALBREATH STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 15, Fordham host ed a lecture featuring Patricia Sullivan, Ph.D., titled, “Robert Kennedy, Civil Rights, and the Racial Reckoning of the 1960s.” The event, open to the public, was hosted at the Lincoln Center campus.

Sullivan is currently a history professor at the University of South Carolina.

She published many books, like, “Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy’s America in Black” and “White and Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Sullivan said it is important to share this history with a younger audience.

“History is always relevant to the present and understanding it is the first step. This group was very interested in the discussion and they had really good ques tions and comments about facts from that period, the relation ship of the Kennedys to the FBI and what students can do today,” said Sullivan.

While at Fordham, Sullivan also met with Bentley Anderson’s, S.J., Understanding Historical Change class and spoke with his students. She highlighted the encounter, saying, “I’ve known Bentley Anderson for a long time and coming to his class and being engaged with his stu dents was definitely a standout

moment for me.”

Sullivan also mentioned meet ing professor of African American studies and history, Mark Naison, Ph.D. “I got to meet someone I’ve admired for a long time, Mark Naison, who is also in the African American Studies department. When I was in graduate school I read his book, ‘Communists in Harlem during the Depression.’ The book had a huge influence on me,” said Sullivan.

Farah Elrakhawi, FCRH ’24, attended the lecture on Tuesday, “Professor Sullivan’s talk on the Kennedy brother’s roles in the Civil Rights movement was in credible. I absolutely loved her. Not only did I grow to admire her as a person, but as an incredibly knowledgeable historian who clearly knew exactly what she was talking about.”

Both Sullivan and Elrakhawi mentioned that in 1967, Robert F. Kennedy gave the commence ment address at Fordham.

Sullivan said that in his speech, “He [Kennedy] urged the graduates to hear the voices of the poor and the disadvantaged, to participate in public life, and to remember the difference one person can make.”

Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Mark Chapman, Ph.D., strongly encouraged his students to at tend the lecture.

“The African American studies department was proud to present Dr. Patricia Sullivan’s research on the role of Robert F. Kennedy dur ing the civil rights movement. It is important that Fordham students are exposed to the work of schol ars who have examined this criti cal period in American history. The presentation of this lecture is consistent with Fordham’s mis sion to educate students for the work of justice,” said Chapman.

Chapman also commented on the importance of hosting lectures such as Sullivan’s for Fordham students to attend, “We hope that Dr. Sullivan’s lecture serves as a reminder that one person can make a difference in the world. RFK’s growing commitment to racial and economic justice should inspire us all to work for a more equal and just world.”

Sullivan said that young people are the future. As a college profes sor, she finds students to be en gaged in history and humanities.

“One of the things I loved about coming to Fordham and going to other colleges is that it was one of Robert Kennedy’s favorite things to do. He felt that young people who had the opportunity to get a good education were in a won derful position to be engaged and really had a responsibility to be active in their times and in the problems and challenges of their society,” said Sullivan.

Fordham created a plan in 2020 to foster diversity on campus, they plan to update the community on their progression.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

In addition to giving a lecture, Sullivan visited a Fordham history class.

CSM Raises Awareness about Sexual Assault and Harrasment

FROM

people comfort, especially sur vivors, which is a group that is often unrecognized. “People don’t really say they are a sur vivor. It is an uncomfortable thing to disclose. It is a big issue in our culture, not just Fordham. Week of Action is very available and in your face in a good way. It is very sym bolic and permanent for the week,” said Elrakhawi.

The Clothesline Project is not just at Fordham. Accord ing to Elrakhawi, the proj ect has “been going on for a while.” The project involves asking students and others to write words of affirmation and encouragement to survivors of sexual assault and harrasment on white t-shirts.

“The white t-shirt is a blank canvas. We hang it up with pur ple and blue ribbons all week. We have a poster that has de signs and phrases if they can’t think of anything. They can write anything uplifting and empowering,” said Elrakhawi.

Last semester, when the CSM did The Clothesline Project, it rained and snowed while they were hanging up on Edward’s

Parade. Despite this, the shirts all stayed together. “It was very symbolic,” said Elrakhawi. “The shirts survived, and the mes sage survived. We always do it no matter what the weather is. The shirts stay up. It is very symbolic of survivors’ strength and resilience.”

Molly Ewing, FCRH ’25, a member of CSM, said she hopes that the Week of Action makes survivors feel welcome and accepted on campus. “Our clothesline project is an impact ful way for our community to send a message of strength and love to survivors,” said Ewing. “I also think this week is a time for education and awareness for everyone on campus. Many peo ple do not realize the number of people impacted by this issue.”

In addition to The Clothesline Project, there are other events throughout the week. One of the biggest events during the week is the keynote speaker, Marlee Liss, from Toronto.

Marlee Liss’s sexual assault case was the first in North America that concluded with restorative justice in the courts. Restorative justice is a different way of dealing with crimes in

the justice system.

According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, restorative justice works “to address the dehumaniza tion frequently experienced by people in the traditional crimi nal justice system” and “seeks to examine the harmful impact of a crime and then determines what can be done to repair that harm while holding the person who caused it accountable for his or her actions.”

Ewing said she is most look ing forward to this event. “I have heard many amazing things about her from stu dents who were here a couple of years ago when she came for CSM’s Week of Action. She will be talking about restor ative justice and her experi ences with it as a survivor of sexual assault,” said Ewing.

Emily Kennedy, GSB ’24, another member of CSM, said she hopes that overall this week brings more aware ness to the topic. “This week is important to me because it is a week-long demonstra tion of the need for more sup port for survivors of sexual misconduct. The programs

and events our team has been working on will hopefully show the Fordham community how important it is to support each other and be mindful of topics not often talked about,” said Kennedy.

Elrakhawi said that her big gest hope for the week is that students learn the importance of awareness. “The responsibil ity falls on all of us. There are definitely groups and people that are disproportionately im pacted. The responsibility falls

on all of us to combat it and prevent it,” said Elrakhawi.

Elrakhawi emphasized that sometimes the easiest way to take action is accountability within people’s own circles. “I think that the best way to rein force that is accountability with in ourselves first, our friends and when we see something, say something … Accountabil ity within our social circle is the most important because that is where we can make the biggest impact,” said Elrakhawi.

CSA Hosts “Thanks-Give-Away” Event for Commuters

FROM CSA, PAGE 1

A ticket to Thanks-Give-Away is how CSA fundraises, with one hundred percent of the proceeds going to POTS. The event broke the fundraising goal set by CSA, raising over $2,000 for POTS, not including contributions from donors such as Fordham Toyota and Coca-Cola.

Giving back to the community is especially important to commuter students, said Alessandra Carino, FCRH ’23 executive president of

CSA, “since we are the Commuting Students Association, and many of us are New Yorkers, native to New York City, even native to the Bronx, it is very powerful to be able to give back to our home.”

Whether or not attendees of the event are commuters, engag ing with this event is impactful to the local community. “It’s re ally important to look outside of campus and see the impact that we can make on the commu nity we will be living in for four years,” says Malia Guebli, FCRH ’23, executive treasurer of CSA.

According to Carino, events like these are important to commuter students, as the event provides an opportuni ty for them to come together and form a community both as commuter students and as New Yorkers.

Carino said, “having a com mon identity is helpful to culti vating community.” She added, “we have a very particular col lege experience.”

“We don’t dorm on cam pus, so it’s harder for us to make friends and feel con

nected,” said Katya Drohan, GSB ’25, a commuter student.

“At events like these, we all can get to know each other. Even if we’re not from the same areas, we can all relate to each other in that were commuters, and we just want to have fun,”

The event is traditionally held on the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

Thanks-Give-Away occurring at night is important to the na ture of the event, as it brings com muter students together at a time after they typically leave campus.

The interactive atmosphere of the event is meant to create a sense of togetherness to form as a kickoff to the holiday season.

“Community is the most important part of college, no matter if you are a commuter or not,” said Christina Figura, FCRH ’25.

The consistent success of the Thanks-Give-Away event fundraiser can be seen as an indicates growth for the pro gram and organizers say they hope for more positive impact in the future.

Fordham Hosts “Living the Mission

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

On Nov. 16, the Division of Mission Integration and Ministry hosted a panel titled “Living the Mission.” The event was orga nized by Robert Parmach, direc tor of Ignatian mission initiatives, and Vanessa Rotondo, associate director of campus engagement and senior advisor for Ignatian leadership. The panel was mod erated by Fr. John Cecero, vice president for mission integration and ministry. The panel’s purpose was to have the event’s attendees dig deeper into Fordham’s mis sion, inspire each other as a call to action and become reaf firmed in the Jesuit identity. Parmach noted that the event was not a lecture, rather, a presentation and a space for conversation among friends. There were three panelists: Dr. Renaldo Alba, associate direc tor of STEP/CSTEP, Benedict Reilly, FCRH ’23, and Angela

”

Event

Flynn, officer manager in the Office for Student Involvement at Rose Hill.

The panelists began by address ing the first question: “What strikes you about Fordham’s mission statement?” Flynn began the con versation, sharing that Fordham students’ yearning for knowledge stands out to her.

“My whole experience in all of my classes has just been so fulfilling for me … it taught me a lot about knowledge being a burden. When you know something, there’s deci sions to make. I wanted to know more, even if it complicates life,” said Flynn.

For Reilly, the Jesuit aspect of Fordham’s mission statement spoke to him the most. He reflected on the story of St. Ignatius, specifi cally, how his life was transformed after he was struck by a cannon ball. Reilly analyzed three main elements of Ignatius’ narrative: the source of the cannonball, the can

nonball’s impact and Ignatius’ recovery and life afterwards. Reflecting on Ignatius’s recov ery after he was struck, Reilly invited the audience to consider God’s role in everyday life. Reilly reminded the audience that God was truly at work throughout Ignatius’s life, however, just because God is at work doesn’t mean that we should live inde pendently from him.

“When we’re thinking about the mission and integration, these 85 acres are not the bound aries of this mission,” said Reilly.

Alba reiterated the impor tance of looking for God in all things. An aspect of the mission statement that most profoundly resonated with him was the fos tering of intellectual, moral and religious development.

“Living the mission and fos tering this moral intellect strikes me. A lot of [the service work] that I’m engaged in, I get a lot

out of it and it helps me become a better person,” said Alba.

On par with Reilly’s discussion of Ignatius’ cannonball, Alba dis cussed his own “cannonball mo ment” when he traveled to the Dominican Republic after gradu ating from high school. While in the Dominican Republic, Alba began to recognize what privilege looked like as well as the separa tion between groups of people.

Adding on to Flynn’s ascrip tion of knowledge as a burden, Alba noted that, in college, he be gan asking himself difficult ques tions: “I was burdened by what I saw, and I felt like I needed to do something.” Alba concluded by stating that, although he hasn’t been able to find a concludable answer to his questions, he’s be ginning to accept that not every question has an answer.

“It’s now 20 years after under grad that I’m starting to sort of understand what it means to let go and let God,” said Alba.

Audience members were direct ed to take a few minutes of silence for individual reflection. Attend ees were presented with the ques tion “What three takeaways from the panelists resonate with your Fordham experience?”

Cecero noted that a recurrent idea throughout the panel was the idea that God meets us where we are. According to Cecero, often, people think conversion looks like Ignatius being struck by a cannonball; however, sometimes conversion happens in the gentle awakening of an interest or de sire. Cecero recited a quote from Ignatius: “Love ought to show it self in deeds more than in words.” According to Cecero, the panelists are an embodiment of the quote.

“[The panelists] are passionate about what they believe in, and that’s where love is most eloquent ly expressed,” Cecero concluded.

Students were encouraged to share their thoughts and take aways from the panel. Many stu dents discussed the uniqueness of Fordham’s community, refer ring to Fordham as “a family.” A few students had worked with the panelists, and they expressed their gratitude for the impact they’ve had on their Fordham experience. The event concluded with table discussions where stu dents were encouraged to become acquaintanced with those around them and discuss their thoughts on the panel and how they can live Fordham’s mission.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM CSM ’s programing includes both interactive and speaker events.

New Exhibit Aims to Honor Lives Lost at the Border

FROM

PAGE 1

HOSTILE,

Additionally, the tags are color coded: White tags correspond to the information of identified individuals, while orange tags correspond to the information of unidentified individuals. The project is directed by anthropolo gist Jason De Leòn who currently works as a professor of anthro pology and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The exhibition commemo rates the thousands of lives lost at the border while simultane ously raising awareness of the U.S. Border Patrol’s 1994 im migration enforcement strategy known as “Prevention Through Deterrence.” This policy aimed

to discourage undocumented migrants from crossing the bor der near urban ports of entry. By closing off crossing points, individuals attempting to cross the border are forced to cross through more remote and de populated regions.

The policy’s goal was for the desert’s natural environment to act as a deterrent, however, the desert’s “hostile terrain” doesn’t stop migrants from attempting to cross the border. As a result, thousands of migrants have lost their lives.

Aidan Auel, FCRH ’23, noted the significance of the exhibi tion as well as the act of filling out the toe tags.

“The display is effective by

showing the deaths at the bor der caused by U.S. policy in a physical way and a three-di mensional way. It really helps people see the scale of the is sue that you don’t get when you look at a statistic. However, the act of filling out the tags is equally as important as the final tag. The goal is to bring people together to reflect and bear wit ness to this humanitarian is sue in a variety of ways,” said Auel. This semester Auel and Michelle Moughan, FCRH ’23, serve as lead exhibition coor dinators for the Hostile Terrain Project.

The pair have been working closely with Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning

(CCEL) and Carey Kasten, associ ate professor of Spanish, who or ganized the exhibition at Lincoln Center. Students have been given the opportunity to contribute to the exhibition by filling out tags.

Auel and Moughan have vis ited over a dozen classes and clubs to get students involved with the project.

“Students are often very moved by this project. Many find writing down the names of those who passed on the border to be hu manizing, bringing to the front of the conversation the individual lives lost rather than just the sta tistics,” said Auel.

On Nov. 14, CCEL hosted a workshop for students to gather to fill out toe tags. The

workshop gave students the opportunity to learn more about the humanitarian crisis at the border while promoting conver sation about the issue.

“One of the highlights of the workshop was a discussion fa cilitated by Carey Casten, who provided her perspective on this project. We discussed the importance of having conversa tions about this issue and work ing to not only educate people about the crisis at the border but humanize those affected by U.S. border policy, especially the policy of Prevention Through Deterrence,” reflected Auel.

Students can view updates on the project and get involved on @ht94fordham on Instagram.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERISTY GALLERIES

The display aims to honor people who died in hostile conditions at the American and Mexican border.

Students learn about the Hostile Terrain display at Lincoln Center.

R OPINION

From the Desk | Ava Erickson

In a Windowless Room, Inspiration Is on the Walls

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

Website

TheFordhamRam.com

Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor in Chief

Ava Erickson

Managing Editor

Hanif Amanullah

Editorial Director

Sebastian Diaz

Production Editor

Michael Sluck

Multimedia Director

Pia Fischetti

Business Director

Matthew Colucci

Copy Chief

Amanda Yarolin

Assistant Copy Chief

Hannah Boring News Editor

Isabel Danzis Assistant News Editors

Emma Kim Samantha Minear Opinion Editors

Nicole Braun

Taylor Herzlich Assistant Opinion Editor

Michela Fahy Culture Editors

Kari White Ilaina Kim

Assistant Culture Editor

Elisabeth Murray Sports Editor

Nick Guzman

Assistant Sports Editors

Thomas Aiello

Maddie Bimonte

Social Media Director

Frances Schnepff

Digital Producers

Ava Carreiro Justin Charles

Sofia Donohue

Visual Director

Nicoleta Papavasilakis

Photo Editor

Nick DeSilva

Graphics/Illustrations

Cory Bork

Faculty Advisor

Beth Knobel

Editorial Policy

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

Opinion Policy

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

Submissions Policy

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

I have sat at many desks in my life. The one in my childhood bed room where I practiced my times tables and filled out countless col lege applications, my freshman year dorm desk where I discov ered I was bad at biology, my cur rent desk which is uncomfortably small to accommodate my NYC apartment and my go-to desk in the periodicals room in the library where I study and people-watch out the window. But I think my fa vorite desk, and the one it makes the most sense to write my From the Desk at, is my desk in the Ram office (which I will add is in the basement and has no big windows to romantically gaze out of).

The “editor in chief desk” is in the back corner of the office, which allows me to see everything that’s going on from my chair — which is one of the more comfortable chairs in the room, a perk of being the editor in chief. Over the past year I spent many hours observ ing this room, and I found that the things in it are truly a testament to what makes the Ram so special.

So, with that being said, here are some of my favorite things in the Ram office that I can see “from the desk.”

The Archives. For many years the Ram’s archives were stored in beautifully bound maroon books. As time went on, and budgets tightened, the print issues were stashed in file cabinets which now line the walls of the office. Several interesting issues are framed on the wall, and random old papers scatter the room. These archives are a testament to the incred ible legacy and longevity of The Fordham Ram. I had the privi lege to serve as editor in chief for the 104th year of this paper, an

astounding number that wouldn’t be possible without all the amaz ing and dedicated staff members, writers, contributors and readers before us. Our archives are a time capsule of the university. You can pick any week in the past 100 years and find out what was going on at Fordham. The history contained in these archives is priceless.

Quote by Loretta Tofani. On a piece of printer paper tacked to the wall is a quote by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Loretta Tofani, the first female editor in chief of the Ram: “Journalism is supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Since Tofani graduated in 1975, many women have held the position and now, in fact, the majority of our staff is women. Tofani is an inspi ration to me as throughout my life I struggled to speak up. I am soft spoken and I’ve been criticized for my “ditzy” vocal fry, but the Ram empowered me to share my voice, and I thank Loretta Tofani for paving the way for me and all the women on the Ram staff.

Center Spreads. The Ram sometimes prints center spreads that include a compilation of pho tos tied to a specific theme. Cop ies of these spreads, which con tain photos of Fordham and the Bronx, are hung up on the walls throughout the office reminding me just how lucky I am to go to school here. As cliché as it sounds, when I first started at Fordham, I never would have believed I would be the editor in chief of the school newspaper — I was a biology major after all. But I was able to find my passion, and now I can’t imagine my time in college spent in any other way. These spreads are a symbol of the wonderful and

life-changing experience I’ve had at Fordham, at the Ram and in New York City.

The Printer. My fellow staff members are probably shocked to read this is one of my favorite things. In fact, on my first pro duction night as editor in chief, the printer broke. As the culture editor the year before, I remember the printer breaking all the time, but it was never a big deal. Some one else always ended up fixing it, right? Well, that first night when the light turned red and pages stopped coming out, I realized, in a moment of panic, that the per son who had to figure this out was me. Recently, the printer broke again. I calmly went through the problem-solving steps the IT de partment taught me and mulled over possible back-up printers around the school we could use.

It wasn’t until later that I real ized how symbolic this moment was for me. This year at the Ram taught me a lot about dealing with problems as a leader — from small things like the printer breaking to difficult ethical questions. So, I thank everyone on staff this year

Editorial | Free Speech

for your patience, because I made a lot of mistakes along the way.

Everything Else on the Walls. In addition to old issues, AP style guidelines and formatting rules, the walls of the Ram office are covered in pictures and notes. They range from heartfelt mes sages to inside jokes I can’t even begin to explain. These are a tes tament to the sense of community the Ram fosters.

The Ram office is a place where you can create; laugh; struggle; share ideas; discuss morals, poli tics or life; fail and succeed. While I am endlessly proud of the skills and talents of everyone at the Ram, it is really the community that made this year so special.

Michael, thank you for being the calm voice of reason in times of chaos and Hanif, thank you for your constant words of encour agement and positivity. And to the rest of the staff, I am so proud of everything you did this year. I can’t wait to see what you do next, both for the Ram and beyond.

Good luck everyone, and please keep hanging things on the walls of McGinley B52.

Speak Up, But Not at Fordham

As per the university’s instruc tion, students who are working under the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) as Residential Assistants (RAs) are not allowed to speak to media or student-run press regarding matters related to ResLife.

The Fordham Ram is concerned about a recent development in the policy handed down by Dean Christopher Rogers, up dating the instructions to pro hibit RAs from speaking publicly about all Fordham-related issues, not just those specifically tied to ResLife. This information was confirmed by an RA who chose to remain anonymous.

Since Fordham is a private in stitution, it has the legal right to regulate the speech of its commu nity members. However, their ex ertion of this right has been a point of contention for years.

In 2021, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) ranked Fordham among its “10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech” after it had also ranked the university in its list in 2017 and 2018. While it managed to avoid being ranked in the 2022 list, be ing listed for nearly half of the past six yearly lists does not put Fordham in the clear regarding is sues of free speech.

In the particular case of 2021, FIRE cited the university’s prohi bition of a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter as well as the university’s well-maintained and well-publicized legal defense against the student club for about five years now.

The history of the legal affair be tween SJP and the university is a years-long showcase of the extent to which the university actively suppresses student voices, as it has funded a well-equipped legal team to successfully appeal court rulings supporting the student organiza tion’s existence. The university’s unwillingness to accept the club on campus and its active struggle against the student organization is one of the strongest, most recent examples of the university

Even university faculty mem bers have criticized the university for the large financial expenditure undertaken in order to keep the le gal case afloat.

At least one other student-led political organization on campus has had issues being recognized by the university: the Fordham chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, whose appli cation for official club status seem ingly became stagnant during the administration review, while other club applications made around the

same time were approved.

Additionally, in 2014, the stu dent organization Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety (SAGES) decided to distribute condoms (alongside informational pamplets) anonymously, fearing repercussions from the univer sity, which prohibits the distribu tion of contraceptives on campus.

The university publicly criticized SAGES via its social media pages for the Dean of Students Office. With a minimal platform, the club became inactive at the end of the spring 2020 semester.

Another well-known example of the university’s troubled rela tionship with “free speech” is the Austin Tong case. In this particu lar example, Tong, a student who posted an image of himself on Instagram holding a rifle in com memoration of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, was placed on academic probation and barred from entering campus

by the university in 2020.

Tong’s vocal resistance to Fordham’s decision as well as his legal case against the university garnered national coverage from organizations including Fox News and the National Rifle Association as an issue regarding free speech.

Free speech at Fordham is a bipartisan controversy. With as many cases as there are for stu dents struggling to find a platform at the university, it becomes clear the university must make changes to provide students a space to ex press themselves.

As its policies stand, student voices are perpetually at the mer cy of university decisions; any expression the university deems “unsuitable” could result in pun ishment against the student who spoke. If Fordham wants to avoid ending up on future FIRE rank ings, it needs to rework its policies regarding student expression and free speech on campus.

OPINION

American Commitment is Needed to Fight Climate Change

By SAMANTHA MINEAR ASST. NEWS EDITOR

At the 27th U.N. Climate Conference (COP27) in Egypt this November, the United States faced scrutiny for not following in the footsteps of countries like Scotland, Germany and Belgium, who committed various amounts of money to fighting climate change. Instead, in the days following, the Biden admin istration unveiled a multifac eted plan to “[tackle] climate change,” which involves “bol stering climate resilience” and “engaging all of society in the climate crisis.” His announcement is a sincere declaration that the United States is dedicated to finan cially supporting the fight against climate change.

European countries have shown up to so-called climate fights in more ways than one. For many of these states, they are on the front lines, bat tling the effects of climate change alongside nearby de veloping countries, who have fallen victim to the ricochet. However, given America’s tumultuous political climate, climate change issues have become partisan and politi cal. This politicization makes

it tremendously difficult to enact real, positive change for those who need the most aid.

Thankfully, the Biden ad ministration heeded advice from its European allies and pledged a series of grants to various different funds and or ganizations across the globe, including $100 million to the Adaptation Fund — an NGO dedicated to climate resilien cy — as well as roughly $28.6 million to the development of early-warning systems in Africa. This is a fantastic start to what many believed would be a terrible let-down from the United States, with the ad ministration facing pressure from what was then a fastapproaching midterm election alleging a “red wave” on the horizon.

Climate change has been on the forefront of most countries’ minds for a while and for a good reason. In 2021, Congress introduced a bill which would enable the president to declare a climate emergency. Many countries across the world, including Spain, Portugal, Canada and Argentina have declared cli mate emergencies, which is defined as “[an acknowledg ment] that humanity is in a climate emergency,” a term

used to describe the threat of global warming and climate change.

Truthfully, the United States is far behind in the worldwide efforts to combat climate change. As the “greatest coun try in the world,” there is a certain expectation to lead the way so others may follow. It is disappointing that the United States has failed to declare a climate emergency, or even pass legislation making that declaration a possibility, all because the ever-so-extreme conservative party has made it their mission to slander any attempt at doing so.

I believe America is making the right decision by aiding its European neighbors and de veloping countries who have been experiencing the brunt of climate change. The Biden administration has made it clear that climate change is at the top of their agenda, de spite naysayers from Capitol Hill trying to contest science. Since there is a lack of a uni fied front against climate change in the United States, I think it is easy for distrust to breed from across the Atlantic, with many interna tional leaders disapproving of the United States’ historically noncommittal approach. After

all, former President Donald Trump withdrew from the long standing Paris Agreement just a few years ago, which was ulti mately a slap in the face to ev ery country who had worked with the United States to cre ate something fruitful and mutually beneficial.

It remains to be seen if Biden’s words will spur con crete action. The financial contributions he has com mitted will undoubtedly help those in need, but more needs to be done to fill the gaps

where the United States has floundered in the past. Ulti mately, if the United States wants to maintain its hege mony and keep its edge over global competitor China, it’s going to have to earn its keep by leading the pack in the fight against climate change and global warming.

Samantha Minear, FCRH ’24, is an international studies and communications major from Long Branch, N.J.

Musk In Over His Head, Evidenced by Prank Accounts

By ZACHARY BADALAMENTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From electric cars to rocket science, the business acumen of Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has appeared prac tically infallible before his lat est venture. Despite his his tory of financial success as the richest person in the world, Musk has faced a considerable amount of economic turmoil trying to navigate the after shocks of purchasing Twitter in October. Looking back on Twitter’s recent month of eco nomic disrepair, the Musk ma nia that has unfolded paints the multibillionaire as being completely out of his element. For a man who knows the intri cacies of rocket science, Musk has shown that understanding the inner workings of a social media company is far more complex.

The driving factor behind the Twitter upheaval is Musk’s de sire to make the company prof itable, which has ended up be ing a very lofty goal due to the company’s perennial economic failures. Over the course of Twitter’s history, the company has consistently posted annual net losses. Even in 2021, when Twitter saw a 35% increase in revenue from the prior year, the company managed to lose $221 million in operational expenses. Without any sort of paywall for its use, Twitter gen erated around 98% of its an

nual revenue that year from advertisers. The advertising revenue that was generated in the past was contingent upon a level of censorship across the platform. Musk publicly and adamantly denounces censor ship, and this has triggered half of Twitter’s top 100 advertisers to remove themselves from the app. This loss, coupled with the additional interest-gaining $13 billion worth of debt Musk ac crued from banks in order to meet Twitter’s $44 billion ask ing price, has made its goal of profitability that much more unattainable.

For all of the stories herald ing his business acumen and predictions of Twitter’s future success, Musk has positioned the company to be headed more likely toward bankruptcy than prosperity. Only a few days following the finalizing of the purchase, Musk revealed in a tweet his plan to revamp the verification process: the infamous $8 verification pro gram. Prior to the new plan for verification, users were judged and granted verified account status on an individual basis. The way the plan had previ ously been functioning al lowed for Twitter to minimize the amount of parody accounts of celebrities, athletes, politi cians and companies. Under the guidelines of Musk’s new plan, the process of verification went as follows: in exchange for $8 and no proof of identity,

any user could receive verified status across the platform with any username.

In a deleted tweet from Nov. 1, Musk states that the idea for the $8 verification enrollment program was fueled by his hopes to eradicate Twitter’s caste-like system between “Lords,” those verified, and “peasants,” those who are not. Despite his so-called care for the welfare of those on his plat form, the program resulted in extreme consequences to those both on and off the platform, appearing to have been rushed to release in attempts to quell the ever-growing mountain of debt facing the company. With the blatant lack of attention to the real identities of users sign ing up for the subscription ser vice, parody accounts have run rampant throughout the site. From Nintendo’s beloved char acter Mario to an account pos ing as Apple advertising its new product, Apple oxygen, these fake accounts can mask how seriously harmful they are.

A “verified” account posing as Eli Lilly & Co., a chief dis tributor for insulin in North America, announced that the company would henceforth of fer insulin for free. Following this statement, the price of the company’s stock dropped from $368 a share to $352 in the span of a day. Clearly not an ticipating the potential for the subscription service’s failure, Elon Musk and Twitter were

forced to concede to their mis take as the service was prompt ly paused on Nov. 11 following the pharmaceutical company’s stock collapse. In attempts to save face and get out in front of the narrative, Musk has scrubbed his Twitter of any mention of the program.

To a college student with some understanding of the world of social media and of the existence of internet trolls, the outcome of the verifica tion debacle could have eas ily been predicted. Despite his attempts to save face and rid his account of any reference to the program, the blunder of creating a verification sub scription service without any identification requirement is obvious and points to Musk being out of touch with the us ers who frequent his platform. Although the stock price of Eli Lilly has since recovered, such a significant, immediate drop of the market value for a

company can lead to mass lay offs. A prime example of such dire consequences can be seen in Twitter, with more than 50% of its workforce losing their jobs following the change in ownership.

It is too early in Musk’s ten ure as owner of Twitter to make conclusions regarding his ability to run the company. Musk is consistently painted as having almost otherworldly levels of business intellect, which is a foolish notion, but one we often bestow upon wellknown billionaires. Now that the world has experienced his shortcomings, it exposes his flaws and humanity in the pro fessional world. As the famous saying goes, he may have bitten off more than he could chew.

Zachary Badalamenti, FCRH ’25, is a journalism major from Oakland, Calif.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM Musk’s verification plan was ill-conceived and led to financial consequences.

COURTESY OF TWITTER The U.S. did not contribute money to fight climate change at COP27 in Egypt.

Close Relationship Between China and North Korea is Cause for Concern

By SARAH KENNY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are a lot of important events recently happening on the international stage, spe cifically involving North Korea.

In mid-November, North Korea launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that flew into the waters west of Japan. This is the first missile North Korea has launched over another nation. This activity is a contrast from the last few years when mis sile launches and nuclear tests were put on pause due to the pandemic and meet ings during Trump’s tenure.

At the same time, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) passed two constitutional amendments at the CCP meet ing that gave him an unprec edented third term and paved the way for him to reign for an extended amount of time.

These recent events are important because the fu tures of these two countries are connected in a deli cate dance. China is North Korea’s main trade partner, but with North Korea hav ing access to the “Nuclear Weapons Club,” they are not just any old trade part ner. While North Korea has been building up its nucle ar arsenal for quite some time, China’s position in the world under the direc tion of Xi seems to be shifting toward gaining more power and threatening the United

States’ position as a leading superpower in the world. The takeaway from these current events is that China is heading down its chosen path full steam ahead, and North Korea seems to be less and less willing to work with the United States to denuclearize. China’s con tinued rise to the top of the world food chain could lead to a deepening of the rela tionship between China and North Korea.

One way I could see this increased relationship oc curring is through North Korea’s inclusion in a Chinese economic and for eign policy called the One Belt, One Road Initiative, known more colloquially as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI, launched in 2013, is an economic and foreign policy in which the Chinese government funds foreign infrastructure proj ects. However, it’s more than just Chinese banks writing checks for projects around the world. These deals also establish special economic zones and free trade. They are billed as a “modern-day Silk Road,” but these networks would benefit China more because they would increase their influence across the world, which could help them be come a superpower over time. As China’s BRI ex pands and strengthens the country’s diplomatic con nections around the world,

these countries may be less swayed to compete for American interests. After all, it is difficult to switch paths and answer to the United States if you are paying back a lengthy debt to China.

This relates to North Korea because once the BRI networks have been solidified, North Korea could become a recipient of BRI infrastructure funds and join the extensive Chinese net works. This would benefit both states economically, especially North Korea because of the long-term financial impact of international sanctions. A deepened relationship would also benefit Chinese security because they would have bet ter access to North Korean leaders to keep their nuclear program in control.

So why hasn’t this hap pened yet? Why is North Korea not already a mem ber of the BRI network? I believe it’s because neither country has been in the right position to make it hap pen. China launched the BRI in 2013, so it will take time for these trade routes to be established and main tained. Xi has also only been in power since 2012, and if he was still making adjust ments in 2022 to further solidify his control over the government, then the tim ing may not have been right to wade into the politics of bringing North Korea into the BRI. In addition, North Korea may not have been ready to completely turn its

back on the West. Joining the BRI to spur its economy in spite of ongoing UN sanc tions would be a complete and utter turn away from the Western-led world or der. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was open to dialogue with the United States for denuclearization as recently as the Trump ad ministration. It would take a shake-up of the unipolar world order for North Korea to join the BRI.

It seems, though, that the winds have changed. North Korea is continuing its nu clear activity, and Xi is the definite leader of China. Clearly, China is confident it

can force a bipolar world order with a Chinese sphere of influ ence and an American sphere of influence. A recent meeting between Xi and Kim is evi dence that the relationship between their nations is headed in the direction of a world where Chinese inter ests are considered as im portant as American ones. Though I merely theorize as to how North Korea could move away from appeasing the West and toward China, no one can deny that our inter national politics are shifting.

Sarah Kenny, FCRH ’24, is a po litical science and history major from Seattle, Wash.

Maxwell Frost Represents Generation Z and the Future of Congress

By EVAN McMANUS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The election of Maxwell Frost to Congress is a watershed mo ment in American politics. It is a sign of how powerful a force Generation Z has become with in the electorate. Democratic Congressman-elect Maxwell Frost will be representing Florida’s 10th Congressional district. At just 25 years old, he will be the first Congressional representative that is a mem ber of Gen Z. His top priorities are increasing gun regulations, implementing Medicare for All and taking measures against climate change. All of these po sitions are ones that resonate with young voters. Youth turn out during this election was at 27%, which was the second highest in 30 years. Even at 27%, the effect of the youth vote was felt nationally. Voters be tween ages 18 and 29 voted for Democratic candidates in the House of Representatives by a whopping 62% compared to 35% for Republicans. This new found youth enthusiasm is hap pening at a crucial time within the Democratic Party.

The current Congress has the oldest members in American

history with an average age of 60.7. The leadership of the Democratic Party is dominat ed by politicians like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Chief Whip Jim Clyburn, who are all in their 80s.

Gen Z is disconnected from this group of politicians. The youth today are worried about issues like abortion, infla tion, gun control and climate change. However, when mem bers of Gen Z see the leadership of the Democratic party being dominated by older members, it does not inspire confidence or excitement.

For all the legislative prowess that Pelosi has, she has trouble connecting with Gen Z. A po litical party whose leaders are dominated by old faces does not inspire confidence in the creation and implementation of new ideas, which is what our young people crave. The lead ership of the House Democrats seem to understand this. After all, some older party members are stepping down from their leadership roles. Whoever is replacing them will have to consider how to make Gen Z feel like the party is more in touch with their concerns. I

would suggest that they look to whom young voters respond positively.

Some politicians that seem to inspire young voters are younger politicians with pro gressive ideas, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Frost. In stead of creating apathy, these younger politicians inspire — but it is not just because of their younger age. They know how to communicate with a younger base of constituents. Both poli ticians use social media as a way to engage with their voters, and social media is home to Gen Z.

When voters feel like poli ticians are making the ef fort to reach out and listen, like with Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Q&A’s and livestreams, then they are more likely to want to support them. Both politicians have also used social media to seem more relatable and genu ine by tweeting about lighthearted subjects. These are the politicians that the youth are relating to and the Democratic Party should take note. Now that there is change going on in the upper levels of leader ship, the party should do more to promote voices like OcasioCortez and Frost.

With the election of Frost,

Gen Z now has a voice on the floor of Congress. When the House is debating taking mea sures on gun control, a former March for Our Lives organizer will be in the room. Members of Gen Z are now entering adult hood and we don’t need to de pend on adults to take action for us anymore. If Gen Z feels like their representatives don’t care about the issues important to them, they have the power to start running for office. To some, the election of one Gen Z representative may seem small since he is only one of 435 other Congress members, but I think that this point of view is incred ibly short-sighted and ignores the influence that a young rep resentative can have on people

outside of Congress.

At the moment there is only one Gen Z representative in Congress, although he can inspire others to join him. Gen Z is already engaged on many levels of the political process, which is impressive for such a young generation. Politicians like Frost can inspire younger people to run for office. Even tually, more members of Gen Z will be elected. For all we know the election of Frost could be the start of a political wave that fundamentally changes Congress. It is up to Gen Z to make that future a reality.

Evan McManus, FCRH ’25, is a political science major from Dover, Mass.

China’s BRI could strenghten the country’s relationship with North Korea.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Maxwell Frost is the first member of Gen Z to be elected to Congress.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

N.I.L. Deals Are Not to Blame for Sexism in Women’s Sports OPINION

where women were given substan tially less in gift bags, equipment space and coverage.

With the rise of N.I.L. deals, women were finally able to re ceive compensation for their hard work on and off the field, which is especially important when their sports are underfunded. According to a CNBC article, while football is miles ahead of every sport in terms of N.I.L. deals, six women’s sports are in the top 10 among all college athletics for N.I.L. compensation.

and age, they will most likely re ceive some sexual comments. The N.I.L. deals themselves should not be blamed.

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

In July 2021, the Supreme Court laid down a unanimous decision that would drastically alter the col lege sports landscape forever: the ability to pay college athletes. The decision arrived after heated de bates, stating that college athletes were now able to be paid for use of their name, image and likeness in the form of N.I.L. deals.

These deals were used to justify the unpaid nature of college sports, as many athletes put in time and

effort just like professional ath letes, yet go uncompensated.

I will admit there was major concern on my end when this de cision was made, specifically to ward how equal the N.I.L. deals would truly be when it comes to women athletes.

Historically, women’s sports have taken a backseat to men’s in terms of pay, attention and overall treatment, not just at the professional level but at the col legiate level as well. Take, for example, the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament in 2021,

I personally see this as a re sounding win for women’s ath letics, particularly because of the attention these athletes receive in their respective sports. These col lege athletes have become celebri ties in their own right, with some, like NCAA gymnasts Sunisa Lee and Olivia Dunne, garnering huge deals. While some may view these deals as exploitative, I disagree. It isn’t necessarily the deals that are exploitative, but rather the people that idolize them.

Creepy sports fans who launch inappropriate comments toward these women athletes are a separate entity from the deal itself. Some of the deals these women athletes are getting include Nike, athletic wear brands, Beats by Dre and others, with many athletes posting photos on social media in brand partner ships. We must remember that if a woman posts anything in this day

The sponsors of these N.I.L. deals currently seem to be giving equal opportunities to women ath letes alongside men. Women are not being barred from Nike deals, although they may be solicited by other brands to do swimsuit or lingerie deals more often than men. Of course, if women athletes are only offered the latter deals mentioned, then it would be dis criminatory behavior, but women athletes are being presented with opportunities by other giants in the sports industry. They are not forced to take these swimwear deals.

Unfortunately, women in all career fields can be sexualized for what they post on social me dia. Even the most tame posts can garner unwarranted attention from others. It does not necessarily matter what N.I.L. deal a woman takes; she most likely will receive at least one untoward comment.

However, I think that these deals can do more good than harm be cause of how they can promote women’s sports as a whole.

As mentioned, women’s sports are in need of help in terms of funding. So many male-dominated sports receive higher amounts of funding from schools and wom en’s sports are often the first to get

cut in instances of budget issues. With more N.I.L. deals shedding light on women’s sports, more companies may be inclined to help women’s sports succeed as well as sponsor more tournaments for these athletes.

Viewership for women’s sports has begun to drastically increase. ESPN announced that in the 202122 season, three separate women’s sports championships brought in the biggest audiences in more than a decade — volleyball, basketball and gymnastics. As more of an au dience develops for women’s col legiate sports, more revenue will be generated.

As women decide to enter into N.I.L. deals, there should always be some caution as to what deal they are signing, just as anyone should have caution as they ap proach any contract. The deals themselves, though, have been a key building block to the funding and promotion of women’s sports over the past two years.

Public opinion will never be perfect, but at the end of the day, women collegiate athletes are finally getting the attention and pay they deserve as a result of N.I.L. deals.

Maddie Bimonte, FCRH ’24, is a journalism major and political science minor from Raleigh, N.C.

Future of Tourism: Airbnbs Won’t Replace Hotels

By SAISHA ISLAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Airbnbs grew in popularity as a cheaper alternative to ho tels because they offered users a more private experience with more personal space during the pandemic. Although this rise in popularity has added a new perspective to the traveling ex perience, I don’t think Airbnbs will ever fully replace the tradi tional hotel industry.

While Airbnbs are less ex pensive than most hotel expe riences and offer other benefits like privacy and space, they do have some issues. First of all, checking out of an Airbnb may be more expensive than ex pected due to hidden cleaning fees and unreasonable check out requirements such as “do ing the laundry and vacuuming before departure.” This issue will hopefully be remedied with a new feature on Airbnb. In December, Airbnb will allow users to see the total price of their experience prior to check out, including cleaning fees. Airbnb also plans to get rid of unreasonable requirements and make sure that the processes that add up to these fees are clearer. Although this solution will improve initial user expe rience with transparency during checkout, being more upfront about excessive cleaning fees and checkout requirements will probably draw some users away from the start as they see exor bitant prices.

Additionally, there has been

a growth in the purchase of properties and transformations of long-term homes into shortterm spaces for Airbnb. This boom in Airbnb properties is outpacing demand in many lo cations with occupancy rates dropping in “31 of the top 50 largest U.S. short-term rental markets from July through September.” While the rise of Airbnb properties in some spaces overcrowds demand, Airbnb states that there is still strong and growing demand and a rise in bookings and rev enue overall.

This growth in Airbnb prop erties and choices has induced competitiveness among hosts and given more power to us ers. Hosts are now paying more attention to their reviews and users’ experiences on their properties. Airbnb properties with more laborious cleaning fees and checkout requirements will suffer in a market where there are more choices which are easier on users. Due to this, hosts are now looking for more ways to make their properties stand out and, in the future, de creased Airbnb booking prices may occur in more competitive spaces.

On the other hand, hotels are a constant which have grown to offer a wide variety of benefits to guests. Although hotels were hit hard during the pandemic, many have adapted and are steadily recovering. Tradition ally, hotels are common and often integral parts of a per son’s travel experiences. There

are numerous choices depend ing on a person’s travel budget. While Airbnbs can be cheaper than a hotel experience, hotels often include multiple ameni ties which can help a traveler on their journey such as restau rants, spas, parks, gyms, pools and other services within the same building or close by. Ho tel staff can also help guests with booking, transportation and any other travel plans in someone’s itinerary. Often, ho tels are found close by a city’s landmarks or popular attrac tions which makes it easier for guests to travel around. Hotels also provide a feeling of safety and comfort to guests which is appealing. Fees for cleaning services and other things such as Wi-Fi or for resorts may add up in hotels, but unlike many

Airbnbs, there aren’t check out requirements or excessive cleaning fees.

Personally, I feel as if I have more experience with hotels which offer a feeling of adven ture and comfort on travels. I’ve been in many different hotels, each which offer a new experience and a great way to meet other travelers. Hotels were also a great help in getting to difficult destinations or for suggestions on other interest ing places to go. Also, at times when I went on a trip to an unfamiliar place and needed a place to stay, many hotels were flexible and available as safe choices.

While Airbnbs are growing in popularity, they won’t re place the traditional hospital ity industry. The new feature

on Airbnbs which lets users view cleaning fees and makes sure checkout requirements are reasonable will make Airbnbs more reliable with users but may turn them away from the start.

The boom in Airbnb proper ties can outpace the demand in some locations and create a more competitive market which makes it harder for hosts. Ho tels, on the other hand, are a constant which have been adapting to pandemic condi tions and can offer multiple convenient services under one roof which allow them to sur vive in the industry.

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

During the pandemic, Airbnbs grew in popularity as a cheaper alternative to hotels with a more private experience.

American gymnast Olivia Dunne has an N.I.L. partnership with Forever 21. COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

OPINION

American Two-Party System Intrinsically Restricts Liberties

a broader issue at hand, one that lies in the structure of the gov ernment in which long-standing stability largely inhibits the pos sibility of sweeping reforms.

By LINDSEY OSIT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since 1994, 59 countries around the world have ex panded reproductive rights, yet the United States continues to push in the opposite direction. America’s two-party system pro motes a divisive culture that op poses individual liberties. When each individual is forced to em body only one school of thought that completely contradicts an other separate, competing en tity, these individuals lose sight of the democratic foundations of popular sovereignty, equality and freedom. The recent ruling to overturn the nation’s abor tion rights resulted from a series of unfortunate proceedings: the election of a far-right president, that president’s later appoint

ments to the Supreme Court and the court’s ruling on the prec edent case Roe v. Wade.

While some countries’ recent expansion of reproductive free doms resulted from grass-roots movements, others were the product of lobbying by advocates and doctors. Colombia’s ruling occurred after years of feminist protests, while the West African nation of Benin decriminalized abortion after reports surfaced on the dangers of illegal procedures.

In the United States, the issue does not lie in a lack of activ ism; hundreds of protesters gath ered across the country as word spread of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Access to medical information on the dangers of illegal abortion has not been re stricted. Thus, the destruction of human rights can be attributed to

Bipartisanship has remained at the center of the U.S. government since its inception. However, its historical efficacy often obscures its current drawbacks to the pub lic. When voters are required to identify as either Republican or Democrat (or as an independent voter), they automatically restrict themselves to a caged ideology. Though a large portion of voters might be more moderate than the polls indicate, the very nature of our system polarizes them. Vot ers are led to believe that repre sentatives aligning most strictly with their designated party are the best choice, even if those rep resentatives’ agendas are hardly indicative of the majority’s be liefs. Ultimately, we are left with politicians who lean so far in one direction that they nearly fall off the spectrum. Moderate voices are silenced, and names like Donald Trump predominate.

The same two-party system that led to Trump’s presidency enabled Republican domination of the Supreme Court. With only two parties, one will always have the upper-hand majority in the court. And by using his presi dential power to appoint justices

that leaned as far to the right as himself, Trump exacerbated this imbalance. The former president appointed Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, three of the five con servative justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Though Trump lost the 2020 election, Roe v. Wade’s reversal revealed the consequences of his term in office.

If the Supreme Court had not ruled to rescind women’s repro ductive rights, our nation would not be backtracking in liberties while other countries progress. If that court had not been the most conservative Supreme Court in the history of the U.S., that de cision would never have been made. Trump caused the imbal ance by appointing conservative justices; had he never been elect ed, the Supreme Court wouldn’t be what it is today. And if America’s bipartisan structure did not promote a cut-throat, divisive competition between Republicans and Democrats, it’s unlikely that such a polarizing figure would have won the elec tion. This series of events put America on a different path than neighboring nations, but the first domino to fall wasn’t a single act. America’s political system values two narrow viewpoints over the individual’s voice; each

side’s purpose has become to dominate the other, and it’s not surprising that the prevailing party’s victory was a loss for the rest of the country.

Nor is it surprising when con sidering other nations’ political systems and the value they place on human rights. According to the 2021 Human Freedom Index, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and New Zealand are all included in the top ten freest countries in the world — coun tries that are thus progressing toward more reproductive free dom. Is it a coincidence that all of these countries use a multiparty system? When multiple parties are considered, constitu ents’ voices are better represent ed by elected officials. They are no longer forced to choose the most radical-minded candidates.

In America, Democrats are only likely to win representa tion when selecting the most liberal-minded candidates; the same goes for Republicans and their conservative representa tives. In the case of Roe v. Wade, polarization caused conservative ideology to rule supreme and de prive women of their liberties.

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

Psychedelic Drug Usage in Mental Health Treatment Should be Normalized

By ALLY DUGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is plenty of research to support the benefits of psyche delic drugs. This research has likely contributed to the recent legalization of some psychedel ics, such as mushrooms, which Colorado most recently legal ized in early November. Skep tics believe that these drugs are harmful, a belief which can be traced back to the 1970s War on Drugs. However, as re search has shown, psychedelic drugs are relatively harmless

compared to drugs like alcohol and tobacco, two things that so ciety has only deemed “harm less” due to how economical and normalized they are.

In order to better understand why some drugs are being legal ized, we have to start looking at the research of individual drugs instead of grouping drugs as a whole.

In early November, Colorado passed a proposition to allow regulated use of psychedelic mushrooms. Possession of psy chedelic drugs for people over 21 has been decriminalized,

and allowed for the legalization of limited use of psychedelic drugs. Proposition 122 passed with 53 percent of Colorado voters supporting the initiative. Denver, in 2019, became the first U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin.

The new proposition titled “Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022” only allows for the use of psilocybin at state-regulat ed centers — retail sales are not allowed and use of psychedelics are prohibited in public, schools or while operating a vehicle.

In recent years, there have been violent and deadly acts that have been blamed as part of a mental health crisis by politicians. 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a diagnosable men tal illness. However, with little to no help to solve this issue, Colorado has taken it upon themselves to address this, be lieving that a turn to natural medicine could improve their citizens’ lives.

The document explains that “Colorado’s current approach to mental health has failed to fulfill its promise. Coloradans deserve more tools to address mental health issues, includ ing approaches such as natural medicines that are grounded in treatment, recovery, health and wellness rather than criminal ization, stigma, suffering and punishment.”

Psilocybin has been sub stantially studied recently and found to have therapeutic and anti-anxiety effects. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) announced psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy.”

Even long before then, in 2006, a double-blind study ex amined the acute and long-term psychological effects of a high dose of psilocybin in com parison to methylphenidate, an FDA approved drug. The study found that people treated with psilocybin reported that they ex perienced a “mystical” feeling, which contributed, long-term, in positive changes in attitudes and behavior.

In February of this year, Johns Hopkins, an institution dedicat ed to helping uncover the effects of psychedelics with $17 million in funding, noted in a study that psilocybin treatment for major depression was effective for up to a year for most patients.

In the first study, research ers showed that treatment with psilocybin was effective in adults for a month. A followup study, the one published this year in February, was conduct ed, in which it showed the effec tiveness in a year.

Back in 2020, Johns Hopkins Medicine published a break through study that showcased how two doses of psilocybin, along with supportive psycho therapy, resulted in rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms.

Another important argument for the legalization of psyche delics is how the drugs will benefit the economy. Standard or traditional mental health treatments are not working. The mental health crisis costs

the global economy $1 trillion a year. Money contributing to these standard treatments is a waste, especially since these treatments or medicines do not have long-term effects on people.

In January 2022, it was ex amined that the market for psy chedelic substances is projected to grow from $2 billion in 2020 to $10.75 billion by 2027. By saving money from not using traditional and non-effective treatments and legalizing a drug that is easily accessible and has proven effects long-term, this would help the economy sub stantially, which is a concern for most Americans aside from mental health. It is important to note that taking these drugs, like all drugs, can have risks. With out guidance and regulation, drugs can be dangerous as their effects vary from individual to individual. However, under reg ulation, psilocybin is proven to have extraordinary effects and positive experiences for people seeking an alternative to stan dard medicine.

Colorado and other states that are in the process of legalizing psychedelics will set the tone for the rest of the nation, de pending on the area. My hope is that people become aware of the positive effects of psychedel ics, rather than assuming that all drugs are intrinsically bad.

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

Since 1994, 59 countries around the world have expanded reproductive rights. COURTESY OF TWITTER

Colorado passed a proposition to allow regulated use of psychedelic mushrooms.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Our Story Provides a Safe Space for Students to Share

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

Stories filled Bepler Commons on Nov. 17, crafted by the impas sioned speakers and their mentors, who together make up the club of Our Story. The evening marked the culmination of a semesterlong process, where the members of Our Story sought candidates for their speakers, and then worked with those selected to transform their experiences into stories that would enrapture their audiences.

As Magdalena Yank, FCRH ’25, the president of Our Story, ex plained, “Our Story is so important because it is one of the few spaces on campus where students can comfortably share an extremely personal story with a very under standing, non-judgemental audi ence. There are few times where we get to listen deeply and connect with others, and Our Story gives all students in the Fordham commu nity an opportunity to do just this.”

The actual event conveyed just this, as the lack of flashy music or offensively bright graphics created an intimate atmosphere. The event was quiet, understated. The speakers and their mentors sat in two rows off to the side of the “stage,” watching as whom ever had the floor told their tale.

Friends, roommates and even a few parents filled the audience, quietly cheering on whomever they had ventured all the way to Faber Hall for. “Stage” is in quotes, as rather than a raised platform, the stage consisted of a cleared space of floor, a microphone and a screen onto which a presentation was displayed. Even the voices of

the Our Story members, and the speakers were lower, quieter. The intimate, quieter atmosphere de manded that its audience close their mouths and listen. Lean in. Strangely enough, they did. It’s a feat that the Our Story team should be proud of.

And, it’s a feat that was accom plished only through great ef fort. The process of creating the Our Story event took months. The first half of the process con sisted of finding their speakers, which requires both a nomina tion and application. “The rea soning behind this process is that we try to find people who have a story to share and are eager to tell it,” said Yank. “Our goal is to get a diverse group of speakers, but also speakers who are truly interested in the entire process and who do not have another platform to share their story.”

Once the candidates were select ed, the second half of the process began. Yank explained, “Mentors and storytellers meet one-on-one about 3 to 5 times over the span of a month for as much time as they need (typically around an hour or less per meeting) in order to develop their stories.”

All of this work comes to a head at the end of the semester, when Our Story hosts their main event and invites the student body to hear their speakers’ stories.

The story that each speaker told ranged widely from one another, but each revolved around this se mester’s theme, “Rose-Colored Glasses: Stories of Revelation.” As these stories were personal for each speaker, I will only mention them briefly. Julia Leahy, FCRH ’23, dis cussed her rise to TikTok stardom — and shamelessly plugged her account, @morepestoplease, as,

after all, it does pay her rent — and discussed her struggle with an eat ing disorder. It’s a disease that many young people, especially young women, know too well. Emilio Grillo, FCRH ’25, discussed his struggle overcoming rejection from an Ivy school, and how he found peace in the community he dis covered at Fordham. Leah Glaser, FCRH ’25, explained the difficul ties she faced as a child with cere bral palsy that loved sports, and her triumph as she won a gold medal for the United States as a member of the U.S. Women’s paralympic soccer team. Hadley Silvas, FCRH ’25, recollected on how she clung to music during hard times of her life, especially when her father passed. Noran Shabana, FCLC ’23, ended the event, explaining the trauma of moving from NYC to Cairo and back again, as well as her struggle with mental health. Each of these

speakers stepped onto the stage to do one of the bravest acts any of us could ask of another: share their ex periences with absolute strangers.

To Yank, this is one of the most magical aspects of Our Story.

“Being able to put together and experience the main event each semester is very special to me. It is an incredible experience to see how all of the stories come to gether from the beginning, when we choose the storytellers, to the end, when the stories are shared at our main event. I love being able to create a community within Fordham of people who appreci ate and express a strong sense of vulnerability,” said Yank.

Although I had never met any of these individual speakers before, I felt as if I had gained some insight into a very specific moment in their lives. Their vulnerability, to parrot Yank, made me reflect on my own. If I had taken that stage, what would I have spoken about? Would I have had the courage to discuss my more vulnerable mo ments in front of people?

When the event ended, Yank in vited audience members to write down onto Post-it notes a word that described how they felt after listening to the speaker’s stories. Passing the packs of yellow and pink Post-its down through the lines (and scrambling in their bags for the pens they swore were in there), they scrambled a short word or two onto the small piece of paper and stuck it to a wall at the back of the room. Sentiments of gratitude, hope, pride and awe for the speakers, as well as the mentors who had worked along side them, decorated the wall in hues of pink and yellow.

“Enola Holmes 2” is an Exciting and Youthful Mystery

By AMELIA SILVESTRO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Enola Holmes 2,” released at the end of October 2022 and directed by Harry Bradbeer, is a well-thought-out, fun and capti vating mystery film. The sequel to “Enola Holmes” picks up right in the action; we follow curious and clever Enola, played by Millie Bobby Brown, as she navigates the journey to create a name for herself and find a place of her own as a young, female detective in Victorian England.

I was excited to see that “Enola Holmes 2” carried the fun, light hearted and exciting tone from the first film into the sequel, fur ther exploring the characters and placing Enola in interesting and unique situations. Not only is the story captivating, but the cin ematography is beautiful, with a smooth and warm quality that further enhances the film.

Enola breaks the fourth wall throughout the film, speaking di rectly to the audience and looking at the camera. Breaking the fourth wall was also a prominent feature in “Fleabag,” a television series that Harry Bradbeer also helped direct. The film’s creators make

this creative decision carefully and deliberately, avoiding mud dling the effect by overusing it. It is done skillfully and occurs just enough in “Enola Holmes 2” to draw the audience in, making you feel as though you are solving the mystery with Enola and are part of her journey. We see the world from Enola’s perspective, hearing her internal dialogue through nar ration and feeling as though we are interacting with her through the screen.

The portrayal of multiple strong female characters whose personalities and strengths differ and complement (or sometimes contradict) one another authen tically shows the theme of fe male empowerment. Throughout the film, these multidimensional women are role models for Enola and display physical strength and intellectual courage to the audi ence of young women. Famil iar characters Enola, her mother Eudoria and Edith display how there is not simply one way to be strong.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times from 2020, Brown shares, “There’s definitely very different perspectives through out the film — philosophies of women from women. Enola has

her own philosophy that she’s learning. How does she want to live her life?” These themes hold true in the sequel, growing and developing as Enola evolves. The first “Enola Holmes” film, and the character as a whole, is adapted from the young adult book series “The Enola Holmes Mysteries” by Nancy Springer. The book series’ young adult rating may be why this film could appeal more to younger audiences. Yet the sometimes slightly childish humor does add to the feeling of youth in the film, helping it appeal to a younger audience while still capti vating older viewers with complex characters and a complex mystery.

Being a mystery film, the planning that goes into creating an exciting mystery within the storyline and then placing clues and hints about it that are subtle enough to be sewn throughout the film and then connected only later on is truly admirable. I did not feel like the clues were spoonfed to the audience; instead, they were revealed deliberately, tak ing us through Enola’s thought process with interesting visual sequences.

The storyline, great acting and cinematography create a balanced film, lending itself to humor, intrigue and an overall exciting tone. “Enola Holmes 2” is an exciting, heartfelt and empowering journey to witness.

“Enola Holmes 2” was a fun and captivating sequel with strong leads.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Our Story sought to foster hope and give students in the Fordham community a safe space to share their stories.

Every Woman Shouldn’t Have To Be An Anti-Hero

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

“It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.”

Um, actually it’s not. I love it. I like to be a little nervous when I’m watching TV — the edge of my seat is my favorite place to be. And when I’m watching my beloved anti-heroes, I feel no shortage of anxious energy.

Anti-hero shows are a form of escapism. I know I’m never go ing to be a mob boss like Tony Soprano, a cartel lawyer like Saul Goodman and I am 100% posi tive I’ll never be a cartoon horse and washed-up sitcom celebrity acting opposite esteemed charac ter actress Margo Martindale like Bojack Horseman. Yet I love be ing immersed in their high-stakes worlds, knowing that I can easily shut off my screen and resume my normal life.

An anti-hero “is character ized as a rebel who stands apart from society and societal ex pectations.” Technically, by this definition, not all anti-heroes are blood-thirsty, money-grubbing people — but aren’t they more fun that way? This more extreme understanding of the anti-hero in our common lexicon is, in large part, thanks to the era of pres tige TV. Prestige TV is defined by a provision of a more elevat ed watching experience to the

viewer; it isn’t simply turning on the television and watching any thing that’s on. No, it’s more like engaging with an art form.

But think about who is often excluded from this anti-hero conversation… female charac ters, of course! Though show creators definitely experimented with archetypes in the first de cade of this new TV era, they didn’t really test the waters in terms of whose perspective they were telling these stories from. Thankfully, in recent years there has been a shift to more femalecentric stories. Some examples are Annalise Keating of “How to Get Away With Murder,” an alco holic lawyer covering up danger ous secrets; Elizabeth Jennings stars as a KGB agent living in 1980s’ D.C. in the criminally un derrated “The Americans;” and Eve and Villanelle as the morally compromised intelligence agent and the assassin she’s meant to find in “Killing Eve.”

That said, when TV critics and pop culture writers so thought fully shed light on the plight and disregard of the female anti-hero, they often do so in a sexist way and miss the point of their exis tence entirely. Pop culture writers will sometimes deem very normal, if chaotic, female characters as antiheroes. They are put in the same category as Russian sleeper agents and international assassins, when

in actuality they’re just normal people making the same stumbles as you and me. In championing female anti-heroes, writers indict regular women.

No character embodies such ironic analysis as the main char acter of the eponymous show “Fleabag.” I won’t get into spe cifics lest you haven’t seen it yet (though you really need to fix that), but the gist of the show is that Fleabag has a struggling career, makes terrible decisions and falls in love with the wrong people. That sounds pretty… normal, right? So why do these characteristics make her “unlik able”? Why do they make her an anti-hero?

On the perception of her main character, creator and star of “Fleabag” Phoebe Waller-Bridge said, “I think that a woman not giving a s**t about what people think in a certain moment — be ing undercutting or self-aware —weirdly means that she’s a profoundly unlikable person.” Women are already held to such high standards in society — the way we think, behave and look is dictated by a white patriarchal system. The list of expectations we must strive to meet is both endless and endlessly contradic tory, so we can’t help but fall short of meeting them. We can’t help but fall outside of society’s ac cepted margins and consequently

become anti-heroes just by liv ing our ordinary lives.

To give you another example, and I’m so sorry for what I’m about to say here, but… take a look at the show “Girls.” Yes, yes, I know! The show is in sufferable, but please bear with me here for a second. What is “Girls” about? It’s about women trying to grow up and become the people they want to be. For six dreadful seasons, we watched the four most annoying girls to ever traipse around the Big Apple live their lives as emotionally messy twenty-somethings. Are they annoying? Yes. Does that make them anti-heroes? No. They are just young women learning to live in this compli cated world of ours, and for all her many, many flaws, creator and star of the show Lena Dunham is somewhat admirable (I’m sorry) for her portrayal of such realities. “Girls” doesn’t shy away from the raw, naked (literally) truth of growing up, and that makes people uncom fortable, but it does not make the characters societal subversives.

In this sexist understanding, aren’t all women anti-heroes?

No one can deny that Fleabag and the characters of “Girls” are chaotic and polarizing, but they are also enigmatic and charm ing in their own flawed ways. They may be unlikable, but that

doesn’t make them anti-heroes. There is another interesting paradox in how we see male ver sus female anti-heroes: We are supposed to like our difficult fe male characters in spite of their “terrible” qualities, but we love male characters because of them. Viewers watched Tony Soprano kill a man with his bare hands, yet he and the adjective “unlik able” are not inextricably linked. But female characters sometimes throw their friends under the bus and cheat on their partners. Yet, they are the moral disgrace?

I don’t mean to condemn the anti-hero archetype, as it is an important and entertaining trope that lets viewers analyze the dif ferent moral and ethical gradients of our not-so black and white world. But the regular women we see on screen do not deserve that title. Unlikeable does not equate to criminal; annoying and unpleasant women are not on the same moral level as men with drug empires, and we should not give them labels that suggest as much. There are definitely fe male anti-heroes, but we need to be more thoughtful about which women deserve that ti tle. We need to think about why we are relegating normal char acters to be among such dan gerous company just because they do not meet our ideal standards of womanhood.

New Instagram Account Finds Flossers at Fordham

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

When Nicole Braun, FCRH ’24, began her Instagram account, “flossed.n.found,” on Sept. 17, she wanted to convince people that she was not, in fact, crazy. The preva lence of discarded flossers around Rose Hill, in the parking lot of the retail store where she works and at various other locales, has haunted her for years. Her friends’ and family’s indifference to (and occa sional contempt of) the mounting threat of these flossers drove Braun to launch “flossed.n.found,” which she hopes will serve as a means of collecting data about littered floss ers and raise awareness about the very real danger they pose.

“I just wanted to make people laugh, and wanted to document this weird occurrence that I see. Why are there so many flossers on the street? I still don’t know the answer. But, I think I’ve con vinced people that I’m not crazy. That I’m not the only one who sees them. Which I think is a vic tory,” said Braun.

Braun’s inaugural post on “flossed.n.found” featured a close up of a flosser, the small pieces of plastic that hold a taut piece of floss on one end and often include a toothpick on the other, against an asphalt background. The cap tion describes where she found the flosser, “Outside Dealy Hall,” as well as the date and time, Sept. 16 at 3:48 p.m. Not only does the

caption record this flosser into what has become a compendium of dates, times and locations of lit tered flossers, it also expresses the questions driving Braun’s passion to document these flossers: “Who are all these people flossing in public? And then littering??? Nei ther are acceptable, but together they’re insane.”

The following images featured on the Instagram document similar occurrences of the flossers littering campus, as well as some farther afield. Braun manages to include the date and location of each floss er, and rarely neglects to mention the time that these flossers were spotted. More impressive, howev er, is Braun’s recruitment of other individuals. Most of the pictures featured on the account do not originate on her phone, but come from submissions of other people that have spotted the flossers. This is a particular point of pride to Braun, whose hope to prove to others the prevalence of these flossers served as her sole motiva tion in starting the account.

“No one believed me,” said Braun, recollecting on her previ ous exasperation at her friends’ ignorance. “‘You guys watch, I’ll show you.’ And I did.” If the doz ens of submissions serve as proof, then she has certainly proven the ignorance of her friends wrong.

Dulling the glimmer of Braun’s newfound stardom, however, is the controversy that has dogged the account since its inception.

Some critics have complained that noticing flossers so frequently might result from a larger issue of focusing too heavily on the ground and neglecting to pay attention to the world around them. “The real ity is,” Braun explained, “some times when it’s raining, you’re just shuffling along … It’s not that big of a deal to just look down and see something.” Other critics have ar gued that any account document ing litter should also invest some of their energy into throwing away the aforementioned litter. To them, Braun takes a less defensive stance: “That’s a valid point.”

Braun hopes to incorporate that criticism into her vision for “flossed.n.found’s” future: “I start ed this account to just make my friends and myself laugh, but I do think that there’s now a greater op portunity to bring attention to this unique type of littering.” In her view, this account could become a vessel for drawing attention to the weighty environmental and moral implications of littered flossers.

“Flossing is something you should do in the privacy of your own bathroom,” said Braun. “Even if you use something that’s meant for children, if it helps your dental hygiene… whatever. Just throw them out. Or, again, use them in the privacy of your own home. Just because you use a tool maybe meant for children doesn’t mean you can’t grow up and throw out your trash.”

The shift in perspective that

Braun has undergone has ap peared, not only in the ways in which she speaks about flossers and floss-er’s, but also in the tone of her Instagram captions. The fea tured few, who spot flossers, snap a picture and send these pictures to Braun, receive the honor of being called one of Braun’s “foot sol diers.” The belligerent and explicit ly militaristic imagery is not lost on Braun. Rather, she encourages it.

“I initially started doing that as a melodramatic way of getting peo ple involved in my crusade, but now I think maybe … it should be a tiny war against this weird piece

of trash that litters our streets,” said Braun.

Whether or not Braun has con vinced her family and friends that she is not, in fact, crazy, is still up for debate. However, through her whopping 31 posts, she has suc cessfully proved her point that flossers do indeed litter Fordham’s Rose Hill campus to her 70 fol lowers. Big things lie in store for Braun as she continues to docu ment (and hopefully dispose of) these odd little bits of plastic that haunt campus. Anyone using and irresponsibly discarding their flossers in public has been warned.

Braun posts pictures documenting flossers found all around Rose Hill.

A Final Hurrah in Belgium as the Semester Abroad Ends

By EMMA LIPKIND COLUMNIST

Since I was pretty young, I always imagined how amazing staying alone at a hotel would be. The peace and quiet, the bed all to myself and most importantly the ability to sing in the shower without people hearing — it sounded like a dream.

So when I booked the Goezeput Hotel for a single night in Bruges, Belgium, I was absolutely thrilled to fulfill the fantasies of 12-yearold Emma. A solo trip had also been long overdue, and as this was probably my last chance for a weekend getaway before I head back home, there couldn’t have been a better time. Except, maybe if it weren’t the holiday season so I could’ve paid a bit less … but onwards and upwards.

Now, you might be wondering: Why Bruges? What’s in Bruges? Both great questions. In short, I was looking for Christmas mar kets, peace and quiet and beau tiful scenery. Frankly, I’m over museums, expensive activities, monuments and history. There’s enough of that in Paris. So, after asking around and doing some research, Bruges seemed to fit the description, and off I went.

The journey was relatively easy compared to some of the other train experiences I’ve had (remember Milan?), and soon af ter dropping my things off at the hotel, I was ready to take on the

town. I plopped myself at the first charming café I found for some matcha, sipping it outside to really get into the winter spirit.

It took me a second to readjust to being alone. Feeling aware of people perceiving me as a solo traveler, I felt watched and vulner able. In the past, and especially in New York, I became accustomed to being alone except for when I wanted company, but in Paris it’s the other way around.

I finished my matcha and em barked on the next task: head to the Christmas market. What’s beautiful about traveling alone is that I don’t have to plan 10 steps ahead or stick to a plan — if I wanted to, I could spend 45 min utes wandering along the canal all the way to the top of the city. And that’s exactly what I did.

Headphones blaring, sun peek ing through tree branches, swans floating in the canal, I found myself practically giggling from joy. It was so fun that I started questioning if I’m really the ex trovert I thought I once was, be cause not talking to anyone and just observing my surroundings was reviving me.

The feeling of myself that I seemed to lose upon arriving in Paris suddenly reappeared in Belgium. As magical as my two days were, I doubt it had anything to do with the physical place, but rather the fact that I reconnected with the version of myself I’ve been missing.

After spending the majority of night one in my hotel room, I embarked on a journey to see Brussels early the next morning. But first, I stopped for a bagel. What can I say? I’m homesick.

It was in the main square of Brussels that I felt that magical feeling I expected from the start. I stumbled upon it, only to find a gi ant Christmas tree surrounded by white and gold buildings and huge crowds. I got as close to the tree as I could, and just when the gratitude was washing over me, a light show complete with music and projec tions took over the square. Sud denly, gratitude and disbelief were punching me in the face. Even though I was disappointed this didn’t happen earlier, it’s probably better this way.

I left the Christmas epicenter with a few hours left in Brussels and the biggest smile I’ve had in a while. When I finally got back to my host mom’s apartment, I felt the relief of being at home. Things suddenly fell into place.

With all of that being said, this is also my last article for this col umn. To end things off, I consid ered recapping the semester, look ing ahead to graduation or even talking about all the things I wish I did differently. Instead, I think my trip to Belgium says everything. I finally had that out-of-body mo ment, the awakening, when it hit me how lucky I am to be in this moment and in this experience.

As my friends recently described

me, I’m a realist. That was prob ably very clear in my articles — I am not going to sugarcoat the truth nor pretend like my lived experience isn’t reality. At the same time, I can recognize the im pact studying abroad has had on me, for better or for worse. And because of my realist perspec tive, it’s clear that what people said in the beginning was true: I changed, I learned innumerable things about myself and I’m go ing to miss Paris like crazy. Sure, would it have been nice if it were a bit less stressful and overwhelm ing? Of course. But I know that

this is how it was supposed to be, and that doesn’t take away from all the amazing things I’ve done, wonderful people I’ve met and in credible places I’ve seen.

So, like I said earlier, onwards and upwards. Thank you for com ing along with me on this insane journey. I hope I offered something beneficial to you, whether that be a laugh, an unspoken understanding or a sign to study abroad (or may be to stay home). Now I just have to get through finals and go home, where I’m sure I’ll look back on this much more fondly.

As they say in Paris, à bientôt.

Learning to Dwell in the Present While Abroad

By JAMISON RODGERS COLUMNIST

There has been an idea, per petuated by social media, that has taken root in our society

that we must always be “hus tling” or “grinding.” Essential ly, this idea is that success is measured in how many hours of work you are putting in or how hard you are working.

This pervasive rhetoric has started to bubble to the surface as we approach the end of the semester and thus, the end of my study abroad experience.

I have witnessed this idea of constantly looking ahead, and being consumed by the stress of reaching your next goal, take over the student body here in London. There are nev er ending conversations in the student lounge about intern ships for next semester, who has or has not heard back after an interview and plans already made for next summer. Aside from the nagging pressure to get your ducks in a row for the upcoming semester, there is also this persistent feeling of not having done enough or worrying over not taking full advantage of the study abroad experience as you listen to classmates recount their trav els and experiences from this past semester.

It is easy to let other people’s stress infiltrate your conscious ness and cause feelings of pan ic or franticness. It is natural to compare yourself and what you are doing to what you see on social media or hear in the student lounge. To help soothe these worries, I have made a concerted effort to remain present and soak up the last remnants of this experience. The most prominent example

of forcing myself to be present and simply enjoy where I am right now was my solo trip to Paris a few weeks ago.

I departed from St. Pancras International on my own very early on a cold November morn ing. After taking in the scenery of the French countryside from the train, I wound my way through the antique city streets of Paris. I strolled along the peaceful banks of the Seine river, browsed the shelves at the original Shakespeare & Co. bookstore and climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Later in the trip, as I sat on the steps of the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre listening to the peaceful strummings of “La Vie en Rose,” I took a minute to simply be present in the mo ment I was experiencing in stead of focusing on what I had to do next.

Some other ways I have forced myself to be present instead of getting swept away into the hustle and bustle of this time of year is by mak ing time to unwind with my friends. This has taken shape in going to Christmas markets and taking in the decorations all across the city to going out to dinner to just sitting on the couch and watching Christmas movies.

This stress is not unique to study abroad, but it does have

a tendency to rear its head dur ing the holiday season as we try to balance work and holi day activities. There also tends to be an influx of questions about what your plans for the future are around the holidays as you catch up with family and friends. It can cause an over load of nerves, so this article is simply to remind you it’s ok to not be constantly “grind ing” and to take a moment and be present with what you have accomplished so far and where you are right now.

This article is technically supposed to be my semester wrap up and goodbye to study abroad, but I felt it was impor tant to share that reality has a way of working its way into even the most idyllic of experi ences. It is hard to believe that three months have come and gone in the blink of an eye and my study abroad experience is coming to a close. While I have loved my experience abroad and would choose to study abroad again in a heartbeat, it has gotten to the point in the se mester where I am getting the itch to wrap up my classes and head home for the holidays. Until that end inevitably draws this experience to a close, I will be making a deliberate effort to remain present in every mo ment and try to shut out the rest of the noise.

COURTESY OF JAMISON RODGERS FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Emma Lipkind reconnected with herself on her solo-trip in Bruge s.

Jamison Rodgers learned the importance of slowing down while abroad.

Studying Abroad | Paris, France

Studying Abroad | London, England

Rose Hill Symphony Orchestra Shines in Fall Concert

By ZOE KAROUB CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Classical music has stood the test of time as a way to transport audiences into an other world, one that allows each listener to project their imagination onto the wordless melodies. Movies, TV shows and ballets are a few exam ples of how classical music continues to inspire modern audiences. Live symphony or chestras especially maximize this power with the help of a staggering variety of sounds that surround an enraptured audience.

On Sunday, Nov. 20, mem bers of the Fordham commu nity filtered into the Fordham Prep Leonard Theater to en joy the talent of Rose Hill’s own Symphony Orchestra. The group performs once a semes ter, so catching them in action is an almost rare experience. This semester, friends, family and faculty who took advan tage of the opportunity were transported into worlds like the Czech Republic and Spain over the course of an hour.

The program consisted of three classical selections, ac companied by brief descriptions of their origins. Smetana’s “The Moldau” is inspired by the shifting sounds and rich his tory of the Moldau River, the longest in the Czech Republic. Each movement of the piece corresponds with the flowing

movement of the river through different locations in Central Europe. The third movement of Fauré’s “Suite from Pelléas et Mélisande” is a haunting selection that also formed the background music for a play by Maurice Maeterlinck in 1898. Finally, the concert ended with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol,” a cel ebration of Spanish folk mu sic. Director of Orchestral Ensembles Andy Bhasin lov ingly dedicated this last piece to his one year old daughter in the crowd. At the end of each selection, the student perform ers were met with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience.

Each musician seemed to wholeheartedly connect with this semester’s selections. Vio linist David Moran, GSB ’25, said, “This was my second concert, and it was by far my favorite. The best part about it was our music selection, which I thought was wellplanned. ‘The Moldau’ meant a lot to me, as it is a tradi tional Czech piece about a river which flows through my country.”

Students like Moran are part of an incredibly passionate group of Rose Hill’s popula tion. The Rose Hill Symphony Orchestra is made up of 58 musicians. According to the Music Department website, students do not need to audi tion in order to join the group.

Additionally, all majors are welcome. This fact stands out

to the students, like clarinet ist Gabriel Roman, FCRH ’25, who wish to continue their music education alongside other interests. “The Fordham Orchestra offers the opportu nity for non-music and music majors alike to come together and produce music. This fall’s

concert went wonderfully and has been my most enjoyable performance at Fordham,” said Roman.

In preparation for the fall con cert, orchestra members devot ed a substantial amount of time to perfecting the pieces. “For this performance, the students

had to prepare for two rehears als each week, submit individ ual playing exams and attend multiple coaching sessions, often outside of scheduled rehearsal times. Our perfor mance is a direct result of the dedication and hard work of all our students this semester,” said director Bhasin.

This semester marks Bhasin’s first as Director of Orchestral Ensembles, a role that also in cludes conducting the Lincoln Center Chamber Orchestra. Bhasin comes to Fordham as a violinist and conductor with an impressive resume. He has traveled globally, performed in renowned settings and worked under legendary com posers, such as John Williams.

Bhasin’s expertise, as well as the dedication of the or chestra members, were obvi ous to audience members like Madison Gakopoulos, FCRH ’25. “I thought the quality of the performance was fantas tic. It was wonderful to see the months of hard work come to fruition in a great concert,” said Gakopoulos.

If you missed the fall concert, be sure to catch the Rose Hill Symphony Orchestra for their next performance in the spring. Until then, the Fordham Music Department is hosting several performances of the various music groups on both campus es. Check their website for more detailed information, and don’t miss your chance to experience all the talents that the Fordham community has to offer.

Branch Out with These Underrated Italian Spots in the Bronx

By HANNAH DEVLIN & MICHAEL SLUCK

When choosing a spot to eat on Arthur Avenue, there are a few popular places that jump to mind. Enzo’s, Simon’s Deli and Bagels, Estrellita Poblana III and Full Moon Pizza are a few Fordham student staples. While it may be easy to stick with what you know, there are a slew of Italian restaurants that decorate Arthur Avenue. And because it can be over whelming to choose a dining location, we’ve conveniently listed some of the ones that stand out.

For the purposes of trying new things, we’ve neglected to mention a few of the most popular choices — like Enzo’s, Mario’s and Michalangelo’s — to highlight some of the less well-known, but equally deli cious, options.

Ann & Tony’s restaurant is a quaint restaurant with big por tions and friendly staff mem bers. The restaurant has been in the family for five genera tions, and although the ambi ance and decor of the restau rant isn’t anything too fancy, it provides its visitors with a sense of nostalgia. The serving

sizes are generous, and left overs make a great lunch when on a college student’s budget. Plus, the restaurant is usually pretty quiet, which means that the service is fast.

Emilia’s is another one of our personal favorites. The restaurant has indoor seating, as well as a spacious heated back patio. With murals of Italian landscapes painting the walls, the indoor seating is definitely idyllic, but the pa tio is nice on sunny evenings. On most nights, the restaurant isn’t too busy and the food is delicious (especially the gnoc chi with burrata cheese).

Gerbasi offers Fordham stu dents a discount on Mondays through Thursdays, and is a perfect place if you want something out of the ordinary.

Staff members take the time to read the specials menu to each table and make note of their own recommendations.

Arthur Avenue restaurants tend to offer the same dishes at each place, but with a ro tating specials menu, Gerbasi is a great restaurant to visit if you are looking for something different. (And the chocolate mousse cake is wonderful, by the way.)

Although a popular lunch

spot for visitors, Zero Otto Nove is often overlooked among Fordham students. The restaurant cooks their pizzas in a wood-burning oven and uses its fish and meat ingredients from Arthur Avenue shops. The indoor seating provides a great ambiance with its high ceilings and white brick walls. Zero Otto Nove — the area code of Naples — has tradi tional Italian dishes, as well as unique dishes.

If you’re looking for some thing a little less formal, Dominick’s is a delicious alter native, with the classic Italian selection of other Arthur spots. When faced with so many options, it can be tempting to stick with old favorites. Many students never venture beyond Enzo’s or Mario’s, despite the variety of other options avail able on Arthur Ave. As the se mester comes to a close and a new year begins, challenge yourself to try something new. A year ago, there was an ad vertisement at the end of Arthur saying that if you ate at one restaurant per night, it would take more than 70 years to eat at every restaurant in New York City. With so many op tions, don’t limit yourself to just a few.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Gerbasi offers student discounts and a rotating specials menu.

COURTESY OF ZOE KAROUB/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Orchestra’s Fall Concert showcased student musical talents.

Smushie is a Smash Hit at Rodrigue’s Coffee House

By CLAIRE KRIEGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Friday, Nov. 18, Rodrigue’s Coffee House hosted a mini concert right on campus. The headlining artist was Smushie, an independent Chicago-born artist, who was accompanied by a new Fordham-filled band, Crotana. Smushie’s music leans towards the Indie Pop genre. I listened to his hits on Spotify and my two personal favorites were “Suepuff” and “Complete Annihilation,” but all the songs carried the same melancholic and easy-to-listen-to feel.

I reached out to the artist via Instagram before the concert to find out how he came about playing at Fordham. According to Smushie, this is not his debut at Fordham. He has performed on our campus twice now, the first time being when he was just 18-years-old. He played with a friend of his in another band, and then last year he came back again to do a proper show with his band Berta Bigtoe. Smushie was able to keep in contact with the presidents of Rod’s, and they managed to set up this show. He was super excited to come back and be able to perform at

Fordham again. He commented, “Every show feels different, but I’ve been enjoying going kind of nuts on this new track called ‘Kernel Shmegegge.’”

Smushie’s passion for his mu sic was apparent in how enthusi astic and energetic he was during his set. However, when asked what his favorite track was he re marked he did not think he had a favorite song. He said, “I’m having a ton of fun playing this other new song called ‘Field of Dreams.’ I wrote it after watch ing the movie, which is a freak ing ridiculous movie, and I really resonated with the line ‘ease his pain,’ so I developed my own story based on that and laid a lil demo to the tape.” I was lucky enough to be able to hear “Field of Dreams” during the perfor mance, and the song definitely deserved the hype. There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t at least nodding their head along to the song.

One of the Rod’s Presidents, Beckett Zinn-Rawthorn, said the opener Crotana is new to the scene with Friday night being their debut performance. Howev er, they did not appear to be new to performing at all. The group’s music was splendid acoustics paired with the melodic voice of

the lead singer, falling in line with the same genre as Smushie’s.

Vice President of Rod’s, Aine Mullaly, was one of the guitarists for the band and was cheered on by her peers in the audience. One of the best parts of the concert was the true community that was present in the coffee house during the set.

President Zinn-Rawthorn com mented on the community of Rod’s, saying that, “The com munity effort that goes into the concerts is integral to the spirit of Rodrigue’s.” Any member of Rod’s can pitch a concert idea, and Zinn-Rawthorn said there are rarely ever objections to anyone’s ideas. From there, it is purely a community effort to put the show on. Whether it be publicity or the sound system for the shows, it is all coordinated by Rod’s mem bers. The music scene at Rod’s has been around for years, and it brings joy and lots of awesome noise onto campus.

The concert itself was a smash ing success. Crotana’s opening music got the crowd amped with their eerie and melodic cover of Drake’s “Just Hold On We’re Going Home” and a few other songs they wrote themselves. Crotana’s music was a lot more drum heavy than Smushie’s,

making it the perfect music to move along to, even though we were all smushed into the main room. After Crotana, there was a quick 15 minute intermission, and then Smushie started their set.

The community of Rod’s that Zinn-Rawthorn spoke to me about was truly prevalent as I watched the show. Everyone there was dancing, laughing and fraterniz ing with each other and every sin gle person had a content smile on their face as we all listened to the merry music that Smushie was playing. With the spotted graphics being projected over the band, it was a euphoric image of the band while they played. That paired with the groovy, laid-back songs made for a truly invigorating set. The member on the keyboard even pulled out a saxophone and a flute for a couple songs, two

instruments I didn’t know could get a crowd so excited. After fin ishing the set, and doing one final encore, it was safe to say that ev eryone could have listened to the band for hours more if given the opportunity.

If you haven’t taken advantage of Rod’s free concerts, I whole heartedly recommend going to at least one. A free show paired with the fun care-free ambiance of Rod’s is a breath of fresh air com pared to the usual steep prices that come with activities in the city. Be sure to be on the lookout for the next free concert, or just stop by the coffee shop to take part in the beloved Rod’s community. And of course, be sure to listen to Smushie’s music on whatever streaming platform you use; his music is out-of-this world and is great to listen to if you are looking for new music.

Fordham Jetés Put on a Stunning Performance of the Nutcracker

By REGINA MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Saturday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 21, the Fordham Jetés performed their classic rendition of the Nutcracker. As a club, the Jetés perform this show every year as Christmas approaches. The entire show lasted almost two hours and was easy to follow because the dancers were very expressive, telling the story through their movements. The level of detail in the show was impressive, from the intricate costumes to the beautifully designed set, and all of the ensembles were well-choreographed and syn chronized. My two favorite scenes were the snow dance and the coffee dance, and it was clear in every scene that the performers were experi enced dancers and put a lot of energy into the show.

The Jetés hold class three to four times a week, with a re quirement for members to at tend at least two. Once parts were announced after audi tions, some dancers picked up extra rehearsals for their scenes. Sophomore Lauryn Williams, who played Clara in the Sunday performance, es timates that the dancers with the most scenes spend up to 10 hours a week rehearsing for the show. With this being such a large time commitment, I asked her why she would choose to be a part of the Jetés rather than apply to the Alvin Ailey School of Dance at Fordham

Lincoln Center. She responded, “I decided to focus on my aca demics in college and I didn’t want a BA in dance … the Jetés fit easily into my schedule, and was a fun and low-pressure environment to practice.”

For as much of an intense

commitment the Jetés are, get ting a degree in dance is even more so, and since that was not her goal, Lauryn found the Jetés worked better for her as an activity outside of her schoolwork. Most of the Jetés practiced ballet formerly

at companies in a competitive environment, and joining a bal let club as opposed to a formal program is a way for them to enjoy their hobby without the stress and expectations the competition brings.

As a student-run club that

puts on productions such as the Nutcracker, the Jetés need to be on top of their game at all times. Time management comes easily to many of the dancers, being that most of them come from a dance back ground. Williams said, “In high school, I would be practicing six days a week, so coming to college it was easy to stay motivated because the Jetés is relaxed compared to what I was doing before.”

The discipline that the danc ers come to college with enables them to put on shows like the Nutcracker, and camaraderie in the group keeps them motivated. Putting on the show and running the club is a very collaborative effort, and each dancer I spoke with stressed to me how impera tive each person in the club is to putting on the performance. In the Nutcracker, each scene was brought to life by a student cho reographer. Choreography posi tions are open to each dancer once they have been a part of the Jetés for one semester. In addi tion, the executive board carries out and plans weekly activities. President Colette DeBenedittis said, “I like being in an adminis trative role, but in that role I still stand behind other dancers in re hearsal and learn choreography from them.”

The Nutcracker would not run as professionally as it did with out the hard work of each dancer. For now, the season will wind down a bit before the next show this spring, when Jetés plan to premier Peter Pan during their 2023 Spring Showcase.

COURTESY OF JULIETTE ROWE/THE FORDHAM RAM

From choreography to intricate costumes, the J etés have put on a passionate Nutcracker performance.

COURTESY OF CLAIRE KRIEGER/THE FORDHAM RAM Chicago-born and energetic, Smushie is a familiar Rod’s favorite.

Senior Expresses Self Through Instagram Art

Bingus has a floppy head, a floppy nose and socks for hands, which are great for puppet shows. Bort has a five-head, a pointy nose and two left feet, so turning right makes him very uncomfort able. “He just looks like a Bort,” says Nolan Chiles, FCRH ’23. He came up with Bingus’ name while watch ing a YouTube video on funny cat names. Chiles liked the quirky name of the hairless cat he found. Bingus and Bort became the alter ego duo, ani mating his thoughts in a vi sual journal.

“I like to journal and draw ing is a good way of ex pressing profound ideas or thoughts or even silly ones,” said Chiles.

Chiles is a cell and molecu lar neuroscience major, with a Catholic studies concentra tion: a seemingly polar ad jacent to the arts. But Chiles insists “there are absolutely elements of creativity in sci ence.” Chiles taught himself how to code for his research over the summer. He created

a computational model of the fruit fly smelling circuit in the brain. This could help in discovering new drugs to treat cancer. He is also exploring how different visual scenes and contexts are encoded in different brain pathways us ing artificial neural networks (a.k.a. code).

“That’s a really boring sounding thing, but you have to approach problem solv ing in really creative ways, so I spend a lot of time not in front of the computer screen, just mentally thinking through how I want the flow of the program to go before actually writing the code,” said Chiles. He believes that engaging with a subject beyond the textbook, through different disciplines like art, not only makes the learning process become more interesting, it also makes in formation more digestible.

The last time Chiles took an art class was in eighth grade. It was a requirement to graduate.

At his high school, Fayetteville Manlius, students were select ed to take art. He wasn’t one of them.

Chiles hasn’t opened a sketch book since middle school. His

art class heavily focused on hyperrealistic drawings, which averted him from the subject. He recalls going through the painstaking effort sketching a stapler with perfect propor tions. But since he’s picked up the pencil again, he’s taken up a different style.

He adds color and shadow with watercolor, a freeform paint that spreads unpredict ability across the image. Chiles uses an ink pen to outline and accentuate the wavy figures. It’s not exact science.

“That’s why I like Bingus and Bort because they are pur posely squiggly and messy,” Chiles said.

Most people keep their jour nals private, but Chiles made his account, @bingus_n_bort, on Instagram, where he shares his animated journal and imagemaking process. “I feel like it’s something people can re late to,” said Chiles. Rather than expressing his thoughts in long-winded paragraphs, he does so through his ani mated creatures, accompanied by a simple phrase or play on words. Some don’t have any words at all. He just lets the images do all of the talking.

In Praise of an Underrated Director, Elaine May

By LANDIS HALL COLUMNIST

In 1961, the comedy duo of Mike Nichols and Elaine May disbanded at the height of their success. Naturally, both members continued their careers in the film industry. Nichols would impress critics and audiences alike with his di rectorial debut “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” before sky rocketing into the canon of great American filmmakers with his follow up “The Graduate.” In comparison, May’s experience in the film industry was far more troubled, and she’s only directed four features to date. Her final film, 1987’s “Ishtar,” was a critical bomb that many at the time deemed to be the worst movie ever made. Yet I maintain that May is not only an under-appreciated director but also completely deserving of a spot within the pantheon of American film artists. Her oeuvre examines masculinity, politics, relationships and class through a satirical lens, deftly balancing sardonic humor with heartbreaking gravitas.

May’s debut, “A New Leaf,” plays like a macabre screwball comedy: after losing his for tune, a wealthy playboy plots to murder his wife-to-be and col lect on her inheritance, a plan complicated by his growing feelings for her. Her follow up, “The Heartbreak Kid,” follows a shallow salesman who cheats on his newlywed wife with a college student on their honey moon. Bitingly satirical, both

films showcase May’s thematic interest in masculinity, featur ing self-absorbed male protag onists who don’t get what they want but rather what they de serve. “A New Leaf,” in spite of its grim premise, is a far sweeter movie than one would expect, while “The Heartbreak Kid” is more akin to watching a car crash in slow motion. Her third film, “Mikey and Nicky,” is a gangster picture starring the acting powerhouse of Peter Falk and John Cassavetes as the respective titular charac ters. After stealing money from a Philadelphia gangster, Nicky calls upon his childhood friend Mikey to help him evade a mob hitman (Ned Beatty). Both of the leads turn in career best performances, with Falk pro viding a cool and collected coun terpoint to Cassavetes’ volatile paranoia. The film showcases May’s singular, actor-centric directorial style. She would often leave the camera running for long after the scene was through, encouraging impro visation among her actors and adding a sense of documentary realism to her films. “Mikey and Nicky” is no exception as May shot well over a million feet of film. Edited down to a mere 106 minutes, the result is an intimate, character driven take on a familiar genre. After a nearly 10 year hiatus from the chair, she would direct her final film, “Ishtar.” What started out as a debt of gratitude to May from producer and star Warren Beatty soon descended into a quagmire marked by both high

production costs and tensions among the cast and crew. The film stars Beatty and Dustin Hoffman as two dimwitted musicians who, after accepting a gig in Morocco, find them selves in the crossfire between a leftist militia group and the CIA. The film is not May’s fin est, but it’s certainly not one of the worst films ever made, as it is both a razor sharp satire of the Reagan years and a loving ode to male friendships.

Beatty and Hoffman, cast against their respective types as the smooth talker and the innocent dimwit, manage to inject their characters with just enough simplemindedness so as to not become too juvenile, and the film shines in its mo ments of physical comedy.

Unfortunately, the combina tion of the exhausting shooting schedule and the ravenous man ner in which the critics attacked the film proved to be too much for May, and despite working intermittently in screenwriting and acting, she hasn’t directed another film since.

In spite of her short-lived career, I maintain that Elaine May is one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema. She was a pioneer of both comedy and cinema, flouting traditional gender roles and defying all expectations of what women in the film industry could be. Part of the reason why the stu dios never gave her the full support she deserved was that her work deconstructed the

very patriarchal foundations upon which the film industry was built. Despite the growing prominence of women’s rights movements during the New Hollywood era, May and her subversive body of work never had the same initial impact as many of her male contempo raries. Thankfully, as evidenced by the Criterion Collection’s 2019 release of “Mikey and Nicky,” there seems to be a shift on the part of cinematic tastemakers towards recogniz ing May and her efforts. I can only hope that wider apprecia tion for her work continues to grow, as I strongly believe that her films have aged like fine wine, taking on even greater significance now than they did during the ’70s and ’80s.

Elaine May’s work as a director falls under the radar of many film conoisseurs, but her work deserves praise.

Chiles shares his cathartic doodles with the world via Instagram.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Rams Review Film | Landis Hall

Squash Handles Busy Weekend With Three Wins

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After a four-game weekend, the Fordham squash team took three out of four matches from Nov. 18 to Nov. 20.

The wins came from the University of California, Berkeley, at home in Rose Hill, while they traveled to the Hackley School in Tarrytown, N.Y. for match ups against Washington University in St. Louis, George Washington University and Northeastern University. Northeastern would be the only team that would get the best of the Rams.

On Friday, the Rams defeated the Golden Bears 5-4 in the Bronx after going up 3-0 early. Cal, play ing with six players, could not out last Fordham in fifth and sixth po sition, ultimately giving the Rams a decisive victory.

Sophomore Sofia Arseniev locked things down in fifth position, defeat ing Zachary Slonim in three games, with scores of 11-1, 11-7 and 11-4.

In sixth position, sophomore Robert Cruikshank also knocked down his opponent, Daniel Yang, in three games, 11-4, 11-6 and 11-0.

Fordham opened their matches at the Hackley School with ease, taking the first match against Washington University in St. Louis, 7-2.

The Rams made quick work of the top of the order with freshman Adham Nassar winning against his opponent Rohan Sampath in first position 11-3, 15-13, 7-11 and

11-7. The number two and three positions were locked down by the Rams with freshman Nicholas Gilman and junior Henry Frawley winning their both matches in three games.

The fifth, sixth and seventh po sitions also saw victories for the Rams in three sets.

George Washington was next up against the Rams, who also went down swiftly, 7-2.

While the Rams lost at the one spot, Gilman and Frawley secured two huge wins at the two and three. The rest of the Rams efforts would come from the bottom half of the lineup as fifth through eighth posi tion swept their matches in three.

The last match for the Rams over the weekend wasn’t what they hoped for, as they lost to the Northeastern Huskies 5-4.

Wins from Gilman, Frawley, Arseniev and Cruikshank helped get the Rams close to winning, but the losses at fifth and first position were too great to make up.

Now, the Rams are 10-4 on the season as they gear up to take on their last slew of matches for the fall season. They’ll be taking on Yale University’s club team, the University of Connecticut and Swarthmore College all at Rose Hill starting at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 3.

Swimming and Diving Competes at Bucknell Invitational

By NICHOLAS RAPTIS STAFF WRITER

Last weekend, the Fordham Swimming and Diving team trav eled to Pennsylvania to compete in the three-day Bucknell Invitational. The women’s team has been on a hot streak, entering the competi tion with an undefeated record. While the men’s team is not unde feated, their 3-1 record is also ex tremely impressive this season. Day one of the competition end ed well for the women’s team. At the end of the day, they scored a total of 316 points. This was enough to put them in second place out of eight, with only Bucknell sitting ahead of them. They were not far behind, though, as Bucknell scored only 400 points.

The 500 individual freestyle, 200 medley relay and 200 individual medley races were the strongest events of the day for the women. All these events had multiple Fordham athletes competing in the finals.

For the 500 freestyle, sophomore Emilie Krog had the best time for the Rams with 4:55.80. This time earned her third overall in the event. Senior Clare Culver came sixth overall with a time of 4:57.67. In the 200 freestyle event, sophomore Zoei Howard, sophomore Jessica Zebrowski, senior Alison Lin and graduate student Megan Morris combined to score sixth in the 200 relay with a time of 1:34.94. In the 200 individual medley, sophomore Leire Martin finished in fourth, while her sister Ainhoa Martin came in fifth place.

Fordham was also very com petitive in the diving events, where graduate student Millie Haffety se cured second place in the one-meter dive with a score of 271.55. Next was graduate student Lilia de Oliveira Pelaez, who came in fifth with a score of 239.60.

who took fifth place with a time of 20.47, and graduate student Taras Zherebetskyy, who finished eighth with a time of 21.01.

The highlight of the night came during the 200 freestyle relay finals when the team set a new school re cord with their performance. Taylor, Zherebetskyy, Chao and junior Noah Altoff worked together to beat the previous record set in 2018. Their time of 1:20.87 was fast enough to beat the old record of 1:21.10.

The Rams also won the finals in two other events. In the 500 free style, freshman Ethan Newberry won the “C” final for Fordham with a time of 4:37.36. For the 200 indi vidual medley, junior Alex Wilhem was able to win the “B” final with a time of 1:50.96 while Althoff won the “C” final with a time of 1:53.14.

After the second day of competi tion, the women’s team remained in second place behind Bucknell with an overall score of 726.5. The men were still ranked fourth among their competition, scoring 523 points overall.

Among the women’s team, five different athletes scored in the 400 individual medley, the Martin sis ters both finished in the top three, with Leire Martin winning the event with an impressive time of 4:16.17 and Ainhoa Martin finish ing third at 4:24.77.

The second day also saw positive results for the women in their relay events. The 200 medley relay team between Leire Martin, Shaughnessy, Zebrowski and Howard finished first overall with a fantastic time of 1:42.34.

the women’s team ended in second just as they had started with 1,151.5 points. Similarly, the men’s team ended in fourth just as they had af ter day one. Their final total was 726 points.

The women competed best in the 1650 freestyle and 100 freestyle events. Culver was the best female performer for Fordham with a time of 17:02.39, earning fourth place.

The 200 butterfly event was equally as strong, with four Rams scoring in the event. With a strong performance of 2:03.78, Zebrowski was able to finish second overall.

A highlight of the night for the team overall came when Ainhoa Martin competed in the 200 breast stroke event. With a spectacular time of 2:13.49, she secured first overall in the event. This was the only event that Fordham won on the third day at Bucknell.

The women’s team also had a strong showing in the diving events for the night. Seven different mem bers of the team scored for the 3M diving event. Scoring best on the team was Haffety, who placed fourth overall with 250.80 points. Oliveira Peleaz was next, scoring 231.90 and coming in eighth overall.

The strongest event of day three for the men’s team was the 100 free style event in which six members of the team scored. Zherebetskyy took home seventh overall with a performance time of 45.18, and Kanjanakaset was next best in the event with ninth overall and a time of 45.53 seconds, also winning the “B” final in the process.

The

Athletes of the Week

Off to a hot start to her final year as a Ram, graduate student Kaitlyn Downey was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the third time in her career this past week. Prior to the Las Vegas Classic, Downey averages a double-double, which she tallied in four contests, tied for fourth nationally, with 15.4 points and 10.0 boards, the latter number 42nd in the country. Her 19 assists (4.8 per game) are second-most on the team.

The women also placed second in the 400 medley relay behind the ef forts of Martin, Zebrowski, Howard and sophomore Emma Shaughnessy. With this strong performance on day one, the women’s swimming and div ing team set a solid tone for the rest of the tournament.

Over on the men’s side of the competition, Fordham scored 216 points after one day of action. This placed them in fourth place, right in the middle of the pack among eight teams in the tournament.

An astounding six different Rams scored in the 50 freestyle event, in cluding freshman Christian Taylor,

While the men’s team overall did not make any progress in the standings, a new school record was set in the 100 butterfly event. With a time of 47.87, Raptis broke the old record of 47.98 that was set in 2018 by Joe Mercurio.

In the 200 free, Kanjanakaset grabbed ninth overall while also se curing a victory in the “B” final. Two of his teammates joined him in scor ing for the event. Wilhelm finished twelfth with a time of 1:42.31 and Newberry placed twenty-first after finishing in 1:44.40.

In the 200 medley, Raptis joined Taylor, Onu and Zherebetskyy to take home third after finishing the event with a time of 1:29.73.

The final day of the tournament did not see much movement in the standings, at least for Fordham. Af ter the full three days of competition,

In the 200 butterfly, Raptis had another strong showing, placing third behind a time of 1:48.02. He was followed by sophomore Daniel Badawy and junior Ryan Davidoff. The pair finished in 1:54.07 and 1:58.73, respectively.

Similar to the women’s team, the last event that the men were scheduled to take place in was the 400 freestyle relay. However, a false start from one of the team members forced Fordham to be disqualified from the event. The Rams did not score in this event.

The Fordham Swimming and Diving team will get a muchneeded rest after a long matchup against Bucknell. Their next event will be Saturday, Jan. 21, when La Salle University is scheduled to face off against the Fordham Rams in the Bronx.

Varsity Calendar

Fordham is currently riding a five game winning streak, and Abdou Tsimbila has been a big presence for the Rams this season, especially in their win against Harvard last Sunday. The junior netted his first double-double of his college career against the Crimson, scoring 16 points and adding 15 rebounds, both career-highs. He included five blocks and currently ranks second on the team in blocked shots.

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

AWAY

Men’s

Squash

Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball

Maine 7:30 p.m.

Fairfield 5:30 p.m.

Youree

Spence-Garcia Invitational

Youree Spence-Garcia Invitational Connecticut/ Swarthmore 11 a.m./2 p.m.

Tulane 1 p.m.

Manhattan 2 p.m.

Wagner 6 p.m.

Track and Field Women’s Track and Field

Kaitlyn Downey Graduate Student Women’s Basketball

Abdou Tsimbila

Junior Men’s Basketball

Rams showed out for three out of their four games last weekend.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Water Polo Wins Second Straight Championship, Falls in NCAA’s

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

“The goal is to win a conference championship.” That’s something Fordham Water Polo head coach Brian Bacharach said before the season. It’s become a mission statement for a Fordham team loaded with talent and coming off a championship just last season. Prior to last year, the Rams had ne ver reached the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) finals. Now, the program boasts back-toback MAWPC championships.

Fordham entered the MAWPC Championship as the #1 seed, boasting an undefeated record in-conference. Still, with tour nament play spanning Nov. 1820 with three games in as many days, the path to the finals was no cakewalk.

Fordham’s playoff run began with a quarterfinals matchup against McKendree University. With McKendree having already played earlier in the day, the Rams came out the gates strong and held a 7-2 lead by the end of the first quarter. They would never relin quish the lead, as hat tricks from graduate student Nir Gross, sopho more Lucas Nieto Jasny and junior Christos Loupakis secured the Rams’ 15-6 win in their inaugural playoff matchup.

It was much of the same on Saturday night as the Rams crui sed to a semifinals win over Salem University. Once again taking a 7-2 lead by the end of the first quarter, Fordham’s offense continued to roll, culminating in a 19-8 win. This time, four players netted hat tricks as sophomore Jacopo Parrella and freshman Balazs Berenyi joined Gross and Jasny, who also added three assists in his six point effort.

For the second straight year, Fordham had reached the finals. The only thing in their way was a red hot Bucknell University team, coming off a win against an excel lent Naval Academy team and an upset win over the #2 seed George Washington University. Facing an early deficit, sophomore George Papanikolaou scored three times in the first quarter, giving Fordham a 3-2 lead. The Rams scored the first three goals of the second quarter as well behind markers from Parrella, Nieto Jasny and sophomore Luca Silvestri. Trailing 7-4 after one half of play, Bucknell scored the first three goals of the third quarter, reducing the Fordham lead to just one.

Back-to-back goals scored from Loupakis and senior Jason Hiremath left the Rams with a three goal lead heading into the final quarter of play. A Thomas Lercari save on a Bucknell penalty shot was the final dagger as the sophomore’s fantastic stop drew a deafening uproar from the home crowd and ignited the Rams, who outscored Bucknell 5-1 in the final frame to seal the championship.

Needless to say, Bacahrach loved what he saw, saying, “I think we withstood a lot of adversity.” Des pite numerous ejections from some questionable officiating, Fordham stood strong on the biggest of sta ges. “They never wavered for a se cond on Sunday. It was fun to be a part of.”

For the first time in program history, Fordham celebrated a wa ter polo championship in front of their home fans. Highlights of the

celebration included members of the coaching and training staff jumping into the pool as a packed out Francis B. Messmore Aqua tic Center echoed with applause.

“Every time I think about it, I still get a smile on my face,” said Bacharach, reminiscing about the win just days later. “I know the guys appreciate it. That’s a memory you don’t forget.”

It’s been a long road leading up to this. “I remember vividly my first years at Fordham and how hard we fought just to get to this point.”

Fordham had fallen in the semifi nals of the MAWPC championship four consecutive years prior to their first finals appearance in 2021.

“The ability to get to win conferen ce championships is not something you get to do every day. It took Fordham a long time to get to this point. You certainly don’t take it for granted.”

Gross was named MVP of the MAWPC Championship, on top of his MAWPC regular season MVP. The 2021 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Player of the Year transfer red to Fordham after three seasons at UC Davis, and made an immedia te impact. Gross posted six goals, two steals and drew six ejections through three tournament ga mes. “It’s sometimes subtle what he’s doing and what he’s causing,” noted Bacharach. “The respect he commands from multiple people on defense, that’s what opens up an outside shooter. I’m not sure we’ve ever had anyone who can open up the outside quite like Nir does.”

Gross was far from the only im pact player in the tournament. Parrella and Papanikolaou both posted four goals in the champion ship game and Papanikolaou led Fordham with 14 points in the tour nament. Highlighted by his 14 saves in the championship game, Lercari’s tournament play gives him the se cond most saves in a single season in program history.

With the season coming to a clo se, Lercari falls just 12 saves short of Bailey O’Mara’s 351, set in 2019. “I think that speaks to the season he’s had and probably a little quiet ly,” said Bacharach, who has spo ken highly of the sophomore’s play throughout the season. “He has worked so hard to get to this point. I really am proud of Thomas.”

Fordham’s championship earn ed them an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament and a rematch with Princeton. Ranked #8 in the nation by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) polls, the Tigers were the best team on the east coast according to the na tional rankings.

Furthermore, Princeton held the upper hand in recent matchups, defeating Fordham last year in the opening round of NCAAs and

mounting a five goal comeback earlier this season to defeat the Rams by one.

Fordham battled with Princeton University in a thrilling back and forth game. Princeton held a slim lead for most of the game, taking a 9-8 lead into the fourth quarter. The Rams’ defense stepped up when it mattered most, holding the Tigers scoreless for the enti rety of the quarter. With the sco re still 9-8, Papanikolaou found Silvestri for the game-tier with 23 seconds left. The squads entered overtime, where the Tigers jumped ahead first, grabbing a 10-9 lead in the first overtime period. The Rams bounced back in the second three-minute overtime period, with Papanikolaou netting one ear ly to tie things at 10. Each side had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but after a missed shot by Fordham, it was Princeton who held it for the final possession. Drawing an exclusion, Princeton took advantage of the one-man advantage as Roko Pazaric netted the game winner with three se conds left.

It was a heartbreaking loss for a Fordham team that took one of the best teams in the nation into overtime. Still, after losing by nine goals last year in the very same NCAA round, the Rams are moving in the right direction.

Fordham finishes the season with a 26-8 record. Despite quite a slow start, the Rams had one of the best stretches in program his tory, winning a program-best 15 straight games towards the end of the regular season. Including tournament play, the Rams were an undefeated 19-0 in conferen ce play, establishing themselves once again as the most dominant team in the MAWPC.

Parrella led the team with 80 goals while Papanikolaou led with 146 points and 90 assists, all career highs. Lercari posted 339 saves, se cond most all time, and a 9.87 GAA. This year also marks the final season for the following players Gross, Curtis Vidinoff, Hiremath, Daniel Lynch and Paul Pittion.

As they continue to win, pres sure on Fordham will only increa se. It will be difficult to repeat that success for a third straight year, particularly with MAWPC MVP Gross departing, but Fordham’s young and ever-improving core as well as a stable coaching staff led by back-to-back Coach of the Year winner Bacharach will ensure that they remain one of the best teams in the MAWPC.

But let’s just table all that for next year. Back-to-back cham pionships don’t come around very often. It’s time for Fordham to enjoy their moment.

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Fordham 52 Colgate 38

Fordham 42 New Hampshire 45

Women’s Basketball Fordham 95 Wagner 48

Fordham 62 Washington 71 Fordham 78 South Dakota 65

Men’s Basketball Fordham 79 UIC 65

Fordham 67 Holy Cross 53

Fordham 71 Stonehill 60

Fordham 68 Harvard 60

Women’s Swim and Dive Bucknell Invitational 2nd/8 teams (1,151.5 pts.)

Men’s Swim and Dive Bucknell Invitational 4th/8 teams (726 pts.)

Squash

Fordham 5 Cal 4

Fordham 7 Washington University in St. Louis 2

Fordham 7 George Washington 2

Fordham 4 Northeastern 5

Water Polo Fordham 15 McKendree 6

Fordham 19 Salem 8 Fordham 14 Bucknell 7

NCAA Playoffs Fordham 10 Princeton 11

News & Notes

Fordham Athletics

Releases

Annual Report

The Fordham University athletic department recently released their list of accomplishments and highlights of the 2021-22 year. These accomplishments include: Softball won the Atlantic 10 cham pionship, Water Polo captured its first ever Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) title, Women’s Tennis advanced to the A-10 championship final and the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams won the Metropolitan championships.

Fordham Football’s Season Comes to a Close

After a 9-2 season, the Fordham Football team lost their opening round FCS playoff game against the University of New Hampshire, 4252. It was the first time the Rams had made the playoffs since 2015.

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

The Rams dominance continues with back-to-back championships.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Overtime: The Fork in the Road

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

If this serves as a template of a thank you, good. That’s what this is supposed to be.

So many sports figures have been at a crossroads in their life: LeBron James jumping ship from Cleveland to Miami, Luis Figo leaving Barcelona for Real Madrid, Johnny Damon choos ing the Yankees over the Red Sox or Primetime Sanders being on both sides of the Dallas Cowboys’ two rivals: San Francisco and Washington.

But they always had people close, telling them where to go when the fork in the road came along. Pointing out their mistakes and working to fix them, pushing them into making smart decisions at the fork in the road.

Rewinding to March 2021, I came to a fork in the road fol lowing my time in quarantine in O’Hare Hall. I placed myself out of favor in WFUV. I wasn’t doing anything productive with the ca reer path I wanted to choose. My ambitions of working in the world of sports media were there, but I wasn’t doing any of the things I was supposed to be doing.

I had a decision to make: make something out of my Fordham tenure to pursue the career I

wanted, or be useless and work a 9-5 job with an hourly wage.

To play the words of Yogi Berra, I took the fork in the road.

My good friend Ryan Gregware, who also just so happens to be my current boss at WFUV, told me that I was being lazy (to my face, I might add) and needed to get my act together. One of those avenues was to write for The Fordham Ram.

I had another friend who was in the newspaper and just so hap pened to be the sports editor of Volume 103: Alex Wolz. I pitched an idea about my experience in a quarantine dorm at Fordham (which he liked) but redirected me to the future (and fabulous) editor in chief of Volume 104, Ava Erickson, who was running the culture section at the time.

So beyond that, I slowly started becoming a consistent writer for the sports section of Volume 103. I wrote over the summer about three or four times all while play ing catch-up with WFUV. By the

found a new passion: writing.

I kept writing blog pieces, even tually moving to feature pieces. My first two were about the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness proto col and what an athlete’s mindset is like.

By the time December rolled in, it was finals time and I had seen applications for Volume 104 staff positions. I was in a good spot at that time: I was a key member of the basketball broadcasts for WFUV, as well as a consistent tal ent for other opportunities, I was working for the sports informa tion department, and was doing decently well in school and social life.

I was assigned to help work a cam era for a soccer game at Jack Coffey field, and was stopped by another good friend of mine in the broad cast booth: Volume 103 Managing Editor Dylan Balsamo. One of the other assistants in the sports sec tion, Michael Hernandez was also in the room and I was talking to them

Both of them, especially Dylan, encouraged me to apply. I felt un sure of myself, I didn’t know of the other applicants in consideration, and zero clue about being an edi tor for a publication.

So I filled out the application, conducted my interview with Rachel, Vanessa, Hunter and Erica on Zoom and received an email that had my name next to “assistant sports editor” for Volume 104.

As myself, Nick and Maddie put it jokingly: All three of us were very UNQUALIFIED to run the sports section. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

But we had help: Hanif was a very efficient managing editor for this volume, keeping everyone on their toes and troubleshooting with precision. Michael and the copy team had milked their red pens empty every Tuesday night catching all of our formatting er rors, all to help make us better.

Sebastian, Hasna and Matt all

played key roles in organization, troubleshooting and the busi ness side of things. Pia, Nicoleta and the social media crew got things onto platforms in timely manners while making the posts look professional.

Alex and Dylan would come by every-so-often to check in on us, help with any InDesign problems we had, discuss things happening with the Fordham sports teams, entertain us and always look out for us.

How could I forget my sports people? For Nick and Maddie: I really don’t understand how lucky I was that you guys were my editor and fellow assistant for this volume. Though I graduate this coming May, you both are going to flourish in whatever you choose to do. Thank you for teaching the three G’s, the USMNT, life in the south and one liners that pack powerful laughs.

To the entire Volume 104 staff: You have been a new branch of family for me, everyone on the staff is awesome and will continue to shape the world with positive change. It’s been a true honor working with the best staff this publication has ever had.

I would like to think most of the decisions in life I make are good, but the next time I come to a fork in the road, I’ll be taking it.

NFL Midseason Report: A Look Across the League

By NOAH HOFFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The first 12 weeks of the 2022 NFL season have come and gone, and a lot has been learned about the 32 teams in the league. There have been some massive surprises as well as some mas sive disappointments to start the year in both conferences.

The AFC East has been the strongest and most consistent division in the conference. The Miami Dolphins at 8-3 hold the division tiebreaker over the rival Buffalo Bills. After some quarter back controversy in the middle of the season with Tua Tagovalioa having a series of concussions, the Dolphins have cemented themselves as true contend ers. The Bills have had some key victories over the Chiefs and Ravens. However, injuries could prevent the preseason Super Bowl favorites from ac complishing their goal. The New York Jets are one of the surprise teams of the season, boasting an impressive 7-4 record. Carried by its young stars on defense and possibly finding a solu tion at quarterback with Mike White, the Jets will look to con tinue to turn heads during the stretch run of the season. Last are the New England Patriots at 6-5. Second-year quarterback Mac Jones has regressed, but head coach Bill Belichick has had his defense looking like one of the best in the league at times, making them a poten tial seventh seed sneak into the playoffs.

After a 2021 season that had each of the AFC North teams putting up eight in the

wins column, it has not been the same competitive division this year. It has been another up-and-down season for the Ravens, with one week having them looking like a Super Bowl contender and Lamar Jackson a potential MVP, and the next not being able to consistently put offensive drives together. This roller coaster has landed them at 7-4 and atop the divi sion, for now. Right on their heels are last year’s AFC cham pion Bengals, also with a 7-4 record, but without the tie breaker. The early offensive line struggles have died down, al lowing star Joe Burrow to flour ish once again. Along with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase coming back from injury, the Bengals are in a prime position to steal the division and make another deep run. Both the Browns and Steelers lie at the bottom of the division looking towards next year.

The AFC South looks about the same as it has the last few years. The Tennessee Titans hold the top record at 7-4, holding the keys to their own destiny. After an 0-2 start to the season, the Titans rattled off seven wins in their last nine games on the backs of running back Derrick Henry.

Midseason hire Jeff Saturday has the Indianapolis Colts settled at the number two spot in the divi sion at 4-6-1, in a clear rebuilding year. In the back end of the divi sion are the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans at 4-7 and 1-9-1, still struggling to find an identity.

The AFC West has been no where close to the juggernaut division that it was hyped up

to be at the start of the season.

Patrick Mahomes has his Kansas City Chiefs in a comfortable posi tion at the top with a 9-2 record, the best in the entire AFC. The Los Angeles Chargers have been mediocre, finding themselves at 6-5 and second in the division. The two disappointments have been the Las Vegas Raiders and Russell Wilson’s Denver Bron cos which see them riding the back of the bus in the division.

The NFC East has been the best division in all of football. At the lead of that division are the Philadelphia Eagles with a 10-1 record. Undefeated up until their week 10 loss to the Commanders, the Eagles have looked like the best team almost every week. Right behind them are the Dallas Cowboys at 8-3; their defense was able to carry them to wins when Dak Prescott was out. Since his return, the Cowboys have looked like one of the better teams in football and a potential threat to the Eagles. Third in the division are the New York Football Giants at 7-4. Some early season onescore wins have put the Giants in a prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Last but certainly not least in the division are the Washington Commanders with a 7-5 record. Holding a record that would be first in the NFC South, the Commanders led by Taylor Heinicke hope to sneak into the playoffs or potentially even leap to the top spot in the division.

The NFC North this season has finally seen the downfall of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. After a massive

Thanksgiving win over New England, the Minnesota Vikings are in front at 9-2. The purple and gold have looked like con tenders for much of the season with their only two losses com ing to the Eagles and Cowboys, but with the division in their grasp, they hope to put them selves in prime position for a playoff push. Sitting second in the division is the Detroit Lions at 4-7. Head coach Dan Campbell has improved his team since last season’s three wins but still is a ways away from contention. Third and fourth in the division are the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears at 4-8 and 3-9, respectively.

Aaron Rodgers clearly does not own the division anymore as the Packers are spiraling after losing five in a row midseason. Justin Fields has been the lone bright spot for the Bears this season as he looks like someone that can be built around.

The NFC South has been ab solutely abysmal this year, with no one in the division holding a

winning record after 12 weeks. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in first with a 5-6 record after a disappoint ing loss to the Browns this past weekend. Age has finally caught up with Brady, but the rest of the division is just as bad leaving his team in first once again. The Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers are all in contention for the number one spot as the Falcons are just half a game back at 5-7, with the Saints and Panthers both at 4-8.

The NFC West has almost been as disappointing as the AFC West. With the mid-season acquisition of Christian McCaf frey, the San Francisco 49ers are in first with a 7-4 record.

The Seattle Seahawks and the surprising emergence of Geno Smith find their team in second with a 6-5 record, while the Arizona Cardinals and last season’s Super Bowl winners Los Angeles Rams round out the bottom of the division with 4-8 and 3-8 record.

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Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs find themselves atop the AFC West.

Are the Buffalo Bills Back?

By MICHAEL MATUCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

At the beginning of the NFL sea son, there was one team that stood above the rest of the league: the Buffalo Bills. This past off-season, the Bills went out and made their already stellar team even better by signing Super Bowl champion outside linebacker Von Miller.

Through the first seven weeks of the season, Buffalo appeared un stoppable, with their only loss to the Miami Dolphins in 95-degree heat. In that seven week stretch, Buffalo beat some of the best teams in the league. The opening game of the season against the reigning Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams was a great win to start off.

Another important comeback win was against the Baltimore Ravens where Buffalo won the game on a walk-off field goal. While all the Bills wins were impressive, one vic tory stands out above the rest: tak ing down the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs in their home.

Continued success is never al lowed in Buffalo, and the wheels began to fall off the Bills wagon once they went to East Rutherford, N.J. to face the Jets. The Bills receiv ers were lost in the sauce all game

long. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and the rest of the Jets defense held the Bills receivers to zero passing touchdowns. The Bills defense also had no ability to stop the Jets run ning game. Throughout the game, Jets running backs combined to have 174 yards and one touchdown on the ground. The Bills had no ability to gain any true momentum throughout the game.

Another thorn in the Bills side that occurred during the Jets game happened on the Bills final drive, when Josh Allen injured his UCL on his throwing arm. Since that in jury, Allen has not looked like him self. Throughout his career, Allen has looked impeccable in the red zone. This season, however, some thing is off. Allen has thrown five red zone interceptions in the last six games, and his injury is no help to this problem.

As the Minnesota Vikings game kicked off in Buffalo in week 10, the outlook for the Bills appeared to be good. At the end of the first half, the score was 24-10 in favor of the Bills. However, the Bills col lapsed in the second half. Through out the rest of the game, the Bills were only able to score on two field goals while the Vikings were able to mount a 23-point comeback as

Dalvin Cook rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown. Allen did not look like himself yet again. He had another red zone interception along with a fumble in the endzone with 37 seconds remaining after the Bills defense was able to hold Kirk Cousins on fourth down at the half-yard line. Panic was beginning to set in for Buffalo fans.

The Bills were in dire need of something to go their way. How ever, they had nearly seven feet of snow in their way. Upwards of 77 inches of snow fell in Buffalo forc ing the NFL to move the Bills game on Nov. 20 against the Cleveland Browns Ford Field in Detroit. Go ing into this game, the Bills knew they had to dig themselves out of the situation they had put them selves in. The Browns turned out to be the rebound Buffalo needed in their 31-23 victory. In this game, the Bills were able to score a sec ond-half touchdown for the first time since that staple win against the Chiefs in week six. Allen was able to keep the interceptions away and throw a touchdown to reciever Stefon Diggs.

were back to a national audience, as games on Thanksgiving typical ly have high viewership numbers. Detroit was also hungry, as they were on their first three-game win streak since 2017. Buffalo wanted to demolish the worst defense in the NFL for all to see. The Lions came to play, as Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown were in sync all game long. St. Brown recorded 122 yards and a receiving touch down. This also coincided with Allen and his receivers having a connection all game long. Diggs and Isaiah McKenzie combined for 173 yards and two receiving touch downs. However, there were still some struggles for Allen. He threw another red zone interception and

had many other errant throws dur ing the game. The game ultimately came to kicker Tyler Bass, as he was able to hit a 45-yard field goal to win the game for Buffalo.

Even though there are still many challenges the Buffalo Bills will have to overcome in their upcom ing games, there is no need to sound the alarm just yet. This time last year, the Bills had a 7-6 record and were still able to make a deep run into the playoffs. As long as Buffalo is able to secure a playoff spot, they will be able to blossom then. As the Bills await the return of many injured players, fans know they will have to bear the winter storm to come out stronger as a team and push for a championship.

The Bills entered Detroit for the second time in five days on Thanksgiving, looking for another win. Buffalo wanted to prove they The Bills

Club Sports: November Wrap-Up

By ALLIE COPPOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The club sports teams here at Fordham have had a busy month as the end of the semes ter approaches. Many teams fin ished up their seasons and look forward to the spring, while some have remaining matchups in the final weeks of the year.

The hockey team had the busiest month of all, includ ing some single matchups and their East Coast Showdown tournament. They began the month on Nov. 5 with a home game against Quinnipiac Uni versity, falling to the Bobcats 10-5 despite a valiant offen sive effort. They bounced back a week later with a strong 6-1 win over Columbia University, preparing them for their event ful following weekend.

On Nov. 18, the team traveled to Aston, Penn. for the East Coast Showdown with matchups against Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Harrisburg, Kutztown Uni versity and Neumann University to close out.

The Rams finished the week end with a 2-1 record, defeat ing PSU Harrisburg 6-3 and Neumann 7-5, but falling to Kutztown 6-3.

Club President Bryce Vitale, FCRH ’25, is happy with the team’s performance and is grate ful for the experience. “The time that the boys spent together in Pennsylvania was critical for the growth of our team and we had lots of fun at the tournament. With the season arriving at the halfway point, I am ex cited to see how we continue to become stronger as one unit on and off the ice.”

Vitale is looking forward to the spring season and is confi dent that the team will contin ue its success, despite the loss of part of the team. “Although we will be losing a few impact players for the study abroad program, I think we should be able to compete very well against the more difficult oppo nents in our division. From now until March we will be preparing to get to nationals and win the title.” They’ll travel to Northford, Conn. for another game against Quinnipiac on Dec. 4, closing out their incredible season with an exciting rematch.

In the weekend before Ford ham’s Thanksgiving break, the men’s lacrosse team hosted the City College of New York (CCNY) and Columbia in a round robin event at Murphy Field on Nov. 19. They swept the day with a dominant 9-2 win over CCNY and an 8-3 win over Columbia, ending the sea son on a high note. Earlier in the month, on Nov. 6, the wom en’s lacrosse team traveled to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for Marist University’s round robin event alongside New York University for their final two games of the fall season. They handily de feated the latter in a 15-0 rout, but lost a hard-fought game to Marist by a 10-6 score. Both teams look forward to busier schedules in the spring, as la crosse is primarily a spring sport.

Back on Nov. 6, the women’s rugby team played Stony Brook University in their league semi final matchup, with wins against SUNY Maritime and SUNY New Paltz in the previous weeks pro pelling them to the top of their

division. Although they lost 6712, the team is incredibly proud of how far they’ve come com pared to previous years, and they look forward to the future of their program.

The women’s squash team began their season on Nov. 5 at Vassar College as the fourth team in a round robin event. They matched up against Vas sar, Northeastern University and Boston University (BU). Both the Vassar and Northeastern match ups resulted in 8-1 losses, but the BU contest ended with a much closer score of 6-3. Though they had a tough start, there is plenty of room for improvement and time to turn it around.

Rounding out the contests in November, the baseball team hosted Montclair State on the 13th in a Sunday doublehead er. They split the games, los ing the first 3-0 and winning the second 4-1. They finished their fall season with a 6-6 re cord, an impressive outcome against some tough competi tion. They’ll also have a busier spring season.

The final club team with a November event was the ulti mate frisbee team, as they par ticipated in the Hudson River Rumble on the 19th. With wins against two Cornell teams and one against Sarah Lawrence College, they swept the day adding three wins to their fall record. They finish the season with a 5-2 record, joining the success of many other club teams this Fall.

Fordham’s club sports pro grams have seen overall suc cess this fall, and many of them look forward to even busier spring seasons.

Relax and Rejuvenate

By TAYLOR MASCETTA STAFF WRITER

Let’s get one thing straight. The two-week stretch postThanksgiving break is the single worst time of the year. You’re ripped away from the warm com forts of your home, filled with tur key, football and quality family time, only to be greeted with nev er-ending final projects the mo ment you step back onto campus. It’s awful, but it all leads up with the sweet release of Christmas break. Thanksgiving break is just a taste of what’s to come — much needed downtime and actually getting over ten hours of sleep. This got me thinking. One thing that’s often overlooked in athletics is the importance of rest. Not just physical, but mental as well. Taking a break from everything can make the most difference come race day. My coach reminds our team to prioritize sleep all the time. It’s been a mantra that haunts me when the clock strikes midnight. I still get about eight hours a night (coach, my bedtime is 11 p.m., I promise!), but I also take this as a reminder to relax. After all, athletes are always going, going, going. Most of my mornings consist of rolling out of bed around 6:50 a.m., then prac tice, then lift, then either work or class. On top of that, I’ve got pod casts, homework and live shows to work on. My coworkers tell me they don’t know how I do it. To that I say: I’m used to the grind.

But, I’m also used to burnout. The last stretch of this year’s cross country season was the most tired I’ve ever felt in my life. I’d only have time to squeeze in a half-hour nap in the most dire of situations and live off Starbucks cold brew. While I enjoyed every second of it (ex cept for the times I practically fell asleep standing up), I knew that the

eventual break would do wonders for my mental health. I tend to get overwhelmed very easily, so taking a step back from everything over Thanksgiving felt liberating. I got to eat home-cooked meals, finally crack into my new Pokemon game and watch Michigan absolutely de molish Ohio State in “The Game.” Nothing better than that.

Athletes often feel pressured to keep pushing forward, even as their bodies and minds scream at them to stop. While pushing for one more rep often makes you stronger, it’s also important to know when to stop while you’re ahead. Constantly aiming to do the absolute most usu ally results in crashing and burn ing more frequently than success. I know this firsthand with running. If there’s a tugging in your foot, pause and check it out. Take a day off or crosstrain if necessary. Don’t run another five miles and give yourself an easily avoidable stress fracture. Been there, done that.

I always think that the most successful people have enough trust in their training to know when to take a break, so they can come back fresher than ever. It’s important to look from the outside looking in, see all the awesome things you’re doing and acknowl edge that you deserve to slow down every once in a while. You’ll enter more races with a relaxed mindset, rather than one cluttered with stress.

Rams, we’re in the home stretch now. Two hard weeks, and then we get a month to sit back and re charge. Everyone deserves it.

have bounced back with two wins after a rough stretch.

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Football Ends Season With Loss to New Hampshire in FCS Playoffs

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

All good things come to an end. A long, grueling and memorable sea son for Fordham Football has now concluded following a tough 52-42 loss against the University of New Hampshire last Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Championship.

The Rams earned their sixth ever championship appearance and first since 2015 following a 9-2 regular season that was capped off with a 52-38 win over Colgate University at Jack Coffey Field on Nov. 19. Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat tossed six touchdown passes while graduate student run ning back Trey Sneed totalled 230 yards rushing as Fordham secured their postseason bid.

DeMorat’s performance was one that Fordham fans have become accustomed to seeing. In a season where he threw for 4,891 yards and 56 touch downs, DeMorat was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year last week. Both of those marks led both the Patriot League and the entire FCS.

Colgate matched the Rams throughout much of that con test, but Fordham were able to keep the Raiders at distance in the fourth quarter. An inter ception from graduate student Ryan Greenhagen sealed the win for Fordham, who were drawn against New Hampshire on se lection Sunday just 24 hours later.For Fordham, a postseason berth is a reward for a recordsetting offensive season that saw the Rams fall just short of a Patriot League title following an overtime loss to the College

of the Holy Cross on Oct. 29. For New Hampshire, a successful run in the Colonial Athletic Conference earned them the right to host the Rams on Saturday, with the win ner advancing to face that same Holy Cross team that Fordham were so eager to meet again.

But on Saturday in Durham, the Wildcats had all the answers for the Rams. Fordham turned the ball over three times, includ ing a fumble on their opening possession of the game inside New Hampshire’s 10-yard line by Sneed. DeMorat threw two interceptions, both in the first half, allowing New Hampshire to take a 28-21 lead into halftime.

The Rams started the second half of the game slowly as well, allowing Heron Maurisseau of

New Hampshire to break a 71yard touchdown on the half’s opening play.

The Wildcats kept Fordham at bay throughout the third quarter, entering the fourth quarter with a 42-28 advantage.

With their season on the line, the Rams answered immedi ately in the fourth with a touch down from senior receiver Fo tis Kokosioulis to cut the deficit to seven.

After a New Hampshire field goal put them back up by 10, freshman defensive lineman Peter Chalhoub and the Fordham de fense forced a fumble to give the Rams the ball back. But Fordham turned the ball over on downs, and New Hampshire extended the lead to 17 on their ensuing pos session thanks to a Dylan Laube

touchdown run.

Fordham got a touchdown back late, but it wasn’t enough as the Rams fell to New Hampshire 52-42. After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin said, “It’s tough to win on the road as it is, but it’s certainly very difficult when you spot them 21 points in the first quarter … I just didn’t think we executed like we needed to execute to win a playoff game against a good team on the road.”

Although this has been a suc cessful season for the Rams by most measures, you can’t help but think about what could have been. In their two regular season losses to Ohio University and Holy Cross, Fordham had a lead late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t secure the victory. Those two games could have

swung so easily in Fordham’s fa vor, which would have changed the entire outlook of this season.

Instead of facing the Wildcats in the first round, the Rams could’ ve had a marquee FBS win, a Patriot League title under their belts and a bye to the second round. But the Rams couldn’t seal the deal, giving the end of this season a different outlook.

In the end, Fordham’s defense let them down for large stretches this season.

While DeMorat and company led the entire FCS in total of fense, the defense sat dead last in the Patriot League in nearly all defensive metrics, whether it’s total defense, touchdowns allowed, rushing yards allowed or passing yards allowed.

Despite this, the offense still turned the ball over in key ar eas and couldn’t convert on big fourth downs against New Hampshire. Neither unit played to their best of their ability against the Wildcats.

This also felt like it should have been Fordham’s year for another reason: so many of the key contributors from this team were either seniors or graduate students.

With an the year of COVID-19 induced eligibility, there’s no telling whether players will stay at Fordham or try their luck elsewhere in the transfer portal. But for players like DeMorat, Greenhagen and Kokosioulis, the professional ranks could be on the horizon, as well as seniors using their fifth year elsehwere.

Either way, this Fordham team will look a lot different come next fall. And despite some tough losses this season, the Rams gave their loyal fans a lot to cheer for.

Women’s Hoops Shows Grit “East To West”

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

The holiday season often brings much travel and an increased sense of self. For the average individual, this time of year typically warrants a trip “home” that reminds them of just who they are.

For Women’s Basketball how ever, it was a stretch of both home and away affairs that al lowed for the proper self assess ment for the Rams.

The Rams split east coast games against Princeton University and Wagner College before the Las Vegas Holiday Classic where they did the same against relatively nu anced opponents, the University of Washington and the University of South Dakota.

Coming off of Nov. 17’s loss to a nationally ranked Maryland team, Fordham traveled to New Jersey for a bout with Princeton that they would ultimately lose by a final of 70-67. Much like their previous games, the Rams kept things close throughout.

There were 15 lead changes and five ties throughout the contest. Additionally, graduate student for ward Kaitlyn Downey made history by scoring her 1,000th career point.

Ultimately however, Princeton’s win came in shootout fashion. The Tigers shot 53.8% on the night, and were greatly aided by a pair of 19-point performances from Grace Stone and Kaitlyn Chen.

The women in maroon benefit ted from Downey’s scoring all game long. She poured in 19 points, and graduate student Megan Jonassen also performed well with 15 points.

Graduate student Asiah Dingle and senior Anna DeWolfe struggled greatly against the Tiger defense. Dingle shot 5-18 from the field, and DeWolfe was only able to collect 6 points on a 3-6 day from the floor. Overall, Fordham didn’t have the firepower to outlast Princeton in an offensive slugfest.

After a close loss to the Princeton Tigers, Fordham returned to the friendly confines of Rose Hill for a game against Wagner that went ex actly according to plan.

The Rams won by a bold mark of 95-48 and had five players with double figure scoring marks by the final buzzer. The team’s 59 first half points set a school record for most points in any half of the program’s history.

Dingle bounced back from a lackluster game against Princeton

and led all scorers with 20 points. Downey continued to roll against Wagner, and collected a healthy combination of 17 points, 13 re bounds and five assists in what was a prolific team win.

Once Wagner left the premises, Fordham set their sights on the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. Women’s hoops battled with Washington in their first Sin City match. However, the Huskies bested the Rams by a score of 71-62. Washington crashed the boards with ferocity.

They grabbed 15 offensive re bounds and collected a total of 43 boards. The contest was won in the paint. The Huskies shot 50% from inside the perimeter while Fordham could only shoot 31.4% on two-point attempts.

Dingle and DeWolfe contributed 24 and 22 points respectively, but Washington’s Emma Grothaus led her team to win with 21 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Even after a loss to the Huskies, the Las Vegas trip ended on a high note that allowed the Rams to get key contributions from two mem bers of their core.

Fordham defeated South Dakota by a mark of 78-65 to improve to 4-3 on the young season. South

Dakota kept the first half of action close, and even outscored the Rams by a margin of 10 in the second quarter.

However, phenomenal second halves from Dingle and DeWolfe ensured a maroon win. The back court duo became the first pair of Rams in the Atlantic 10 era to score 25 or more points in the same game.

Dingle finished with 27 points and was a pristine 8-of-8 from the

free-throw line. DeWolfe netted 26 points, and matched her personalbest of six threes.

Fordham’s latest stretch of con tests saw them show team grit “east to west.”

They returned to the Bronx to play Fairfield University at home Wednesday night before traveling to Riverdale on Satur day for a rivalry match with the Manhattan College Jaspers in the Draddy Gymnasium.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Led by Tim DeMorat, the Fordham Football team concluded what was a historic season.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Anna DeWolfe and the Rams have faced tough competition.

Men’s Basketball Extends Win Streak to Five

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISANT SPORTS EDITOR

The goal this year for the Rams has been one thing: play 40 min utes of Fordham basketball. That’s been the brand head coach Keith Urgo and his staff are trying to build at Rose Hill. But what exactly does that entail?

Beyond the extremely physical style, run n’gun offense and infec tious culture, the current state of affairs of “Fordham Basketball” in cludes a five-game winning streak headlined by a sweep at the Tom Konchalski classic.

The multi-team event (MTE) was the first one Fordham has hosted since 2018, but it’s all part of Director of Athletics Ed Kull’s vision to raise Fordham’s profile in college basketball.

The event was named after Tom Konchalski, the super scout who wrote the High School Basketball Illustrated (HSBI) for high school basketball recruiting. A name her alded all over the nation as the man who college coaches would call when they had a question on a player.

The MTE began against the University of Illinois-Chica go (UIC) on Nov. 19, the first ever meeting between the two teams. Coming in, Fordham was seen as the far superior opponent and with good rea son. But the Flames punched Fordham in the mouth, getting out to a 14-7 lead in the open ing minutes and went up by as many as 14 in the first half.

Former Duquesne University Duke Toby Okani led the way for the Flames with 21 in the game, but was the only player for UIC in double figures. Fordham slimmed the lead down to seven going into the break with two threes by se nior Kyle Rose and freshman Will Richardson hitting a long ball in the final moments of the first half.

But a key factor was graduate student Khalid Moore, who sat all but four minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Urgo admitted in the post game press conference that the staff had contemplated putting Moore back into the game with those two fouls, but the deci sion to sit him paid dividends.

The second half was an on slaught, which began via graduate student Darius Quisenberry scor ing a tough layup. Fordham started to step up their physicality in the paint, drawing a number of fouls to accumulate 19 free throw attempts in the game. Moore went bonkers in the second half, scoring all 14 of his points and hitting a huge three to tie the game at 51.

Junior Antrell Charlton was Fordham’s main facilitator, end ing the evening with seven dimes, seven boards and seven points. His role in helping the Rams shoot north of 55% from three in the second half pushed Fordham in front for a 79-65 victory.

Game two of the MTE was an old school Patriot League matchup between Fordham and the College of the Holy Cross, a team the Rams hadn’t seen since December 2005. Beyond dominating the Rams on the gridiron, the Crusaders had won the last six meetings against

Fordham on the hardwood.

The Rams got off to an 8-4 start with two threes from Kyle Rose and never relinquished the lead. Fordham dominated the Crusaders in every facet of the game: rebounding, shooting at all three levels, blocks and steals.

Kyle Rose led the way with 15 points, Quisenberry was two as sists away from a triple-double (which would have been the first ever in Fordham Basketball his tory), Moore added 10 points and senior Rostik Novitskyi added 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Fordham’s perimeter defense was also elite in this game, holding Holy Cross to 23% shooting from distance, including the Crusaders going 0-8 from three in the first half and 32% overall from the field.

Game three was a much closer contest than expected in the MTE, as Fordham played first time di vision one program Stonehill College. Similar to Holy Cross, Fordham took a lead and never relinquished it.

Moore took charge in this game, scoring 24 points on 69% shoot ing from the field. Junior Abdou Tsimbila turned in one of his bet ter games in his college career, as the center snagged 12 rebounds to contribute to the Rams’ 37 to tal boards to Stonehill’s 19 in the game. Richardson posted five points and three assists off the bench with Novitskyi throwing up eight points and five rebounds of his own.

Playing their third game in four days, the Rams did look le thargic at times against Stonehill. Fatigue was a factor no question, and Fordham should have washed Stonehill away by more than 11 points, but for Urgo’s team wins are wins.

Quisenberry was named the tournament’s most outstanding player while Moore and Rose made the all-tournament team with Quisenberry.

Following a nice layoff during Thanksgiving break, Fordham returned to the Rose Hill Gym to host one of their biggest out of conference challenges: the Harvard University Crimson.

A side led by Tommy Amaker, who in his 16th season as head coach is one of the most respected mid-major coaches in the world of college basketball. Since 2007, Amaker has brought seven regu lar season titles to Harvard and led the Crimson to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2012 to 2015.

The Crimson came into Rose Hill last Sunday as a true test of mental toughness for the Rams. Beyond Arkansas, Harvard is the closest replication to any of the teams Fordham will see in this coming Atlantic 10 season.

This game included tons of ex tra baggage as well: In four of the last five meetings, Fordham beat the Crimson once when Harvard was the 22nd ranked team in the AP Poll in December 2012. They also once played Harved in a se ries of baseball games to deter mine which school would keep magenta as their school colors.

Fordham also honored iconic administrator and longtime direc tor of athletics, Frank McLoughlin, with an official enshrinement cer emony of the floor in his name.

The hardwood will forever display “The Frank McLoughlin Family Court” in recognition of the six decades of service he gave to the school as an administrator and basketball player.

On top of all that, McLoughlin spent 1977-1985 as the head coach of the Harvard men’s basketball team.

There was pride on the line, plus a benchmark for Urgo’s team to see where they were.

The game was a battle from the start; both teams traded leads four times and were tied at seven different points throughout the game. Both teams in the first half were not hitting shots. At one point, the game didn’t see a field goal in almost three minutes un til Sam Silverstein nailed two free throws to extend Harvard’s lead to three until Darius Quisenberry tied it seconds later.

Silverstein was Harvard’s main catalyst, with 17 points on 6-14 shooting overall despite Chris Ledlum being the name every one highlighted before the game. It is worth noting that Harvard had just beaten Loyola University Chicago last Friday, another A-10 team.

Harvard hung tough, even leading with 1:53 left in the first half. But it was a 7-0 Fordham run to give the Rams breathing room heading into the break. Charlton hit consecutive jumpers and Tsimbila dropped in a layup to end the first half.

Fordham’s start to the second half started with a 9-4 run, fueled

by a three from Rose and a lob from Charlton to Tsimbila for a monster dunk four minutes in.

The Rams and Crimson traded blows throughout the second half, even getting as close as two points, but Fordham went on a 10-0 run to end the game and seal an eight point victory, 68-60.

Despite getting only four bench points, Quisenberry, Moore and Rose all hit double figures. Charlton led the team in assists with six and didn’t commit any turnovers.

But the star of the show was Abdou Tsimbila. He posted a 16 point, 15 rebound, five block ef fort, by far his signature game in college.

As a freshman at Penn State in 2020-21, Tsimbila played just under five minutes per game in 16 games. When he transferred to Fordham, Tsimbila was still a major work in progress but picked up some steam once 2022 rolled around, starting the final 11 regu lar season games. The team went 6-5 in that stretch, and he was a major force on the defensive end alongside Chuba Ohams.

This year, he’s been thrusted into a starting role, and has been a capable pivot in the middle.

As Keith Urgo put it in the press conference Sunday, “We think Abdou can be the defensive player of the year in this league.”

But another interesting thing to note in the Harvard game is Fordham’s ability to adjust.

The first six games, fans have been treated to a run and gun of fense. But they reverted back to their form last year under Kyle Neptune: a slow, gritty, defensive minded team that uses timely shot making by milking the clock.

Come A-10 play, Fordham will need to adjust more often than they already are. The ability they showed to play multiple styles while sticking to their main phi losophies is a good asset to have.

The last four games have shown the team’s capabilities on both ends, thus winning the Tom Konchalski Classic only empha sized that Fordham is here and ready to fight in the conference.

Their next game is Wednesday against the University of Maine. The Rams then travel for the final time until after New Years to New Orleans to face the Green Wave of Tulane University.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Abdou Tsimbila had a career day in his college career, propelling Fordham to a win over Harvard.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

McLoughlin dedicated over six decades of service to the university as a player and administer.