Volume 103 Issue 14

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 103, Issue 14

TheFordhamRam.com

October 6, 2021

Fordham Invests in Student Business

Long Lines Plague Dining

By ISABEL DANZIS

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Fordham Foundry’s Angel Fund recently made its first investment in student business.

The fund’s first investment was made to the company Cinesave, founded by Fordham student Ethan Manning, FCLC ’21.

The Angel Fund has $100,000 in commitment money, according to Al Bartosic, GSB ’84, the Executive Director of the Fordham Foundry. The fund was established in 2019 ​​to help the Fordham community bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life.

According to Bartosic, the Angel Fund has a group of Fordham students called Angel Fund Fellows who act as venture capitalists. The fellows speak to founders and assess where new companies are in their development. Once a month, the fellows bring their companies to an investment committee made up of five investment professionals to try to receive funding.

“We have probably brought somewhere north of 60 companies to the investment committee,” said Bartosic. “Cinesave was the first investment that was made.”

With thousands of people returning to Fordham’s campus following a hybrid year and the largest freshman class in Fordham history, the sudden increase in the student body is beginning to affect campus dining in the form of long wait lines at Fordham’s campus dining locations.

According to Fordham Facts, there are currently 3,425 undergraduate students living on the Rose Hill campus this fall. With only six dining spaces on campus, the Marketplace, Urban Kitchen, Cosi, Boar’s Head Deli, Starbucks and Salt and Sesame, the ratio of student-to-restaurant is 571 to one.

At peak dining hours, students said the wait can become frustratingly long.

“One time my friend and I waited an hour and a half just to get a small coffee,” Penelope Cespedes, FCRH ’24, told the Ram. Cespedes said the implementation of Grubhub may be exacerbating wait times. “The Grubhub orders are insane, too,” she said.

“There’s like a 30 to 40-minute wait for Urban Kitchen and Starbucks all the time.”

Deming Yaun, the university dining contract liaison, gave insight into these long wait times and what Fordham Dining Services is working on to alleviate the current stresses on the dining environment.

“Everyone knew we had to take some actions to reduce the line,” said Yaun. “The first few days, people were doing orientation and were released at once. We could have done a better job being prepared for that. We had a day of class and then we had the storm.

During the storm, most everyone seemed to come to meals at the same time. They didn’t have to but they did. That created long lines.

SEE INVEST, PAGE 3

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Fordham appears open to considering lay candidates to replace Rev. Joseph M. McShane as president of the university.

Could Fordham Appoint Its First Ever Lay Person as President?

By LUCY PETERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 2, 2021, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, announced in an email to the Fordham community that this will be the last academic year he serves in his position. Roughly a month later, on Sept. 30, 2021, Fordham’s Board of Trustees announced in an email to the university community that a search committee for the next president of the university has been appointed.

“The committee, composed of

trustees, faculty, staff and students, is broadly representative of the Fordham Community,” the board announced in their email.

The search is raising many questions among students and faculty about the possibility of Fordham’s next president being a lay-person, possibly even a woman.

According to the university library guides, every one of Fordham’s past 33 presidents has been a member of the Society of Jesus, dating back to the founding of the university in 1841. The choice to

appoint a lay-person, especially a woman, to the position of president would be historically unprecedented, as well as potentially controversial According to Xavier University's “Guide to Jesuit Education,” the foundation of Jesuit universities are “based on a 450-year-old tradition that aims to form high school and college students intellectually, morally and spiritually toward lives of solidarity, service and SEE PRESIDENT, PAGE 3

Students Boost Bronx Business

By MOLLY EGAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The city saw record rainfall and extensive flooding in early September, the effects of severe weather caused by climate change.

Fordham Administration Grapples With the Climate’s Dire Future

By AVA KNIGHT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After Walsh Library and the basement of the McGinley Center flooded due to excessive rainfall last month, Fordham’s administration began to question

whether the systems currently in place could withstand the changing climate and what could be done to make Fordham more sustainable.

Marco Valera, Fordham’s vice president of administration, said

the systems currently in place to prevent flooding and mitigate damage due to extreme rain weren’t necessarily designed to withstand the effects of global climate change.

“We’ve had extreme weather; it’s not a new thing for us,” Valera said.

SEE CLIMATE, PAGE 5

Fordham may be located in the Bronx, but on the Rose Hill campus, it can be easy to forget about the city outside the iron gates. The Fordham Business Development Collaboratory (FDBC) aims to bridge that gap. The club, founded by Rich Shrestha, FCRH ’22, gives Fordham students the opportunity to interact with the Bronx by helping its local businesses flourish.

FDBC provides consulting services to local businesses free of charge, while also helping Fordham students build their own business skills in the process, said Shrestha. Primarily, they offer four services, divided into four different sections of the club: compliance, finance, marketing and web developSEE BRONX, PAGE 5

SEE DINING, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion

Page 7

The UN Needs Reforms to Remain Relevant

Sports

Page 20

Football Opens Patriot League Play With a Win

Culture

Page 14

Keating Steps Showcases Performance Groups

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Sept. 29, 2021 Loyola Hall 11:37 a.m.

A fire alarm was activated in Loyola Hall, which caused an evacuation. FDNY responded and determined that the alarm was set off by a steam valve. The condition was corrected by university facilities employees, and students were able to reenter the building without any further issues or injuries.

Oct. 1, 2021 Dealy Hall 1:47 p.m.

Public Safety received a report of a fire alarm in Dealy Hall. The alarm forced the evacuation of the building.

FDNY responded and determined that the alarm was caused by a contractor working in the building. There were no injuries and the building was repopulated shortly therafter.

Oct. 3, 2021 Salice-Conley Hall 3:40 p.m.

A stuck and occupied elevator was reported in Salice-Conley Hall. One student was inside the elevator. FDNY responded and freed the trapped student.

Oct. 3, 2021 Urban Kitchen 6:15 p.m.

Three Aramark workers were trapped in a stuck elevator in Urban Kitchen. FDNY responded and freed the individuals.

There were no injuries.

Oct. 4, 2021 Lombardi Center 6:15 a.m.

A fire alarm was reported in Lombardi Center, and FDNY responded. The cause of the fire alarm is undetermined. The alarm was reset and the building was repopulated.

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

October 6, 2021

A Look Back at Fordham’s Experimental Bensalem College

By JULIANNA MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Graduating from a college, of any kind, is an achievement. It means a student has fulfilled the given requirements for a degree.

Typically, these requirements are relatively standardized. Students earn certain grades in classes based on what they are pursuing a degree in and completing a set number of credit hours. However, there are exceptions to this structure.

What if there was a college with no exams, no papers, no compulsory classes? One where students didn’t even need a high school diploma to get in? According to Isabella Taves, quoted in “A Radical Departure: College in the ’60s,” this was the case at Bensalem College, Fordham University’s own short-lived experimental college.

The goal of this college was “to find out, students and faculty alike, what education is, what we need in this day and age, how to learn, how to teach, and what,” according to Elizabeth Swell, Ph.D., an original chairman of the institution. Despite the lofty ambitions of the school, little planning was done ahead of time.

James McCabe, Ph.D., explained in “A Radical Departure: College in the ’60s” that the idea was for the students to essentially run the school with the faculty through democracy. Students held the power to fire and hire faculty in addition to taking part in the admissions process.

For the first year, students were admitted to Bensalem through the same process as they would be for Fordham College, according to John Coyne in “Bensalem: When the Dream Died.” After this initial acceptance, a separate admissions process was created where acceptance was based solely on an interview with two students and a faculty member.

Once admitted, students would spend three full calendar years at the school. The first six to nine months were meant to be spent studying broad topics before choosing a specialization. The only requirement was the study of Urdu, though even this didn’t last long, as students revolted against it, said Taves.

Graduation from the college was

guaranteed to anyone who completed the full three years. Along the way, students could choose to take any classes or none, as there were no grades. Students were simply obligated to keep a portfolio of their experiences throughout their time at Bensalem, according to Coyne.

The college was less about academics and more focused on life and finding one’s individual passion.

Before the school opened, the New York Times published an article, “Fordham to Test Utopian College,” which quotes Swell as stating, “We hope to make life so interesting that students won’t need LSD.” During Bensalem College’s first semester, it was a wonderful place to be, wrote Coyne. The students were highly intelligent individuals with interests in Latin, philosophy, religion and more. They took advantage of the freedom to inquire in their own way and made the most of what Bensalem had to offer. Coyne’s article, published in Change Magazine, listed some achievements of these students.

When the first class of a mere 17 students graduated, six of them won Woodrow Wilson fellowships.

Additionally, three won Danforth fellowships, and the majority went on to continue at prestigious graduate programs, according to Coyne.

However, this type of outcome from Bensalem did not last long.

Coyne wrote that the college earned a reputation as the “free and experimental school, a place where you could do your own thing.” This caused it to get the attention of students seeking a college to take over rather than the intellectuals of the year before, explained Coyne.

The conditions at the college began to deteriorate, as it was hard to get the required 75 percent majority on any decision, according to Taves. Bensalem College moved off Fordham’s Rose Hill campus for its second year, and the college then consisted of one building where not only were the classes taught, but both students and faculty lived, according to Taves.

According to Coyne, who visited the building in May 1971, the college could have been classified as a “slum.” He wrote about several encounters he had with people during his visit, none pleasant. Both students and faculty expressed a desire to get out as

THE RAM ARCHIVES

Photograph of the original Bensalem College building, on E. 191st Street.

quickly as they could, saying the place made people crazy, according to Coyne. A professor complained about the lack of privacy at the school, saying that staff would try to hide away from the students. “My wife and I will be making love and some nut walks in, bumming for a cigarette.

Weird, I tell you,” he told Coyne.

A student who Coyne spoke to had recently graduated and explained that the school was not beneficial for him. When asked what he studied, he replied that no one at Bensalem was studying anything and called the school a joke. The student said that he was leaving as soon as he could. However, the student’s wife, who lived with him but didn’t attend Bensalem herself, told Coyne that not everyone was bad and that they had made some friends.

In November of that same year, the New York Times published an article entitled “Fordham Asked to Disband Experimental College.” The brief article stated

the campus council had voted to phase the school out. The reason was said to be high rates of student dropouts and faculty turnover. The plan was to not admit any more students and have the last class graduate in June 1974.

At the time of the article, Bensalem was awaiting a decision from the board of trustees to determine the school’s fate.

Ultimately, it was agreed upon to close the school, and the experimental college Bensalem became nothing more than a piece of Fordham history.

The idea of an experimental college did not begin or end with Bensalem College. Many shared similar fates, while others are still around today. “A lot of people made very good use of the freedom, and a lot of others should have gone somewhere else,” stated Swell, who initially proposed the concept of Bensalem.

According to Taves, when Swell resigned, she went on to say that she had “no idea how destructive absolute freedom could be.”

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Oct. 6

Thursday Oct. 7

Friday Oct. 8

Saturday Oct. 9

Sunday Oct. 10

Pre-Law Society Introductory Meeting

Every Vote Counts: A Ranked Choice Voting Event

President’s Ball

Homecoming Football: vs. Wagner College

CAB WAC Six Flags Fright Fest

Keating First Auditorium 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Edwards Parade 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

Six Flags New Jersey 11 a.m.

EVC Fordham is holding a mock election night in which attending students will learn about ranked choice voting by voting for students’ favorite musical artists.

The 2021 President’s Ball will be held under tents on Edward’s Parade Friday night. Students are invited to attend at no cost though they must be vaccinated to attend.

Fordham Football’s Homecoming game against Wagner College will be on saturday. The game will be covered on WFUV 90.7 FM. Adult Tickets start at $15.

CAB’s Weekend Activity Committee is hosting a group trip to Six Flags in New Jersey to participate in Six Flags’ annual Halloween-centered celebration.

Freeman 105 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The Rose Hill Pre-Law Society will be holding their first meeting of the semester. Students can visit @fordham_prelawrh on Instagram for a virtual option.

NEWS

October 6, 2021

Page 3

Fordham Foundry’s Angel Fund Makes First Investment FROM INVEST, PAGE 1

Cinesave is a company that tracks and analyzes audience attendance at theatres to help them manage prices and marketing strategies, as well as other strategic business moves. Manning said his own moviegoing experiences inspired him to create his business.

“I was motivated to come up with the idea for Cinesave after constantly finding myself in near-empty movie showings,” said Manning. “Because of this, I was encouraged to find a mutually beneficial model that could help theaters while also providing benefits to consumers. Cinesave, by providing discounted tickets and turning otherwise empty seats into sources of revenue, did just that.”

Much like the airline industry, Cinesave helps theatres create dynamic pricing of tickets. “A movie theater is just like an airplane in the sense that once you press the button and start the film, whether there are two people in the seats or one hundred people, the cost of showing that film is pretty much the same,” said Bartosic.

Dynamic pricing is when the price of a good or service fluctuates depending on supply and demand.

Manning was able to set his company apart by showing the extensive research he had done.

In fact, according to Bartosic, before coming to the Angel Fund, Manning had already worked with

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Fordham Foundry first established its Angel Fund in 2019 to provide funding and support to students hoping to find investors for their start-up businesses.

a few theatres in New Jersey.

“He figured out how to build the model, how to build the algorithm. He had tested it out,” said Bartosic. “He had done the research and had proven the fact that there was interest out there from theater owners for this type of product.”

Manning is a film major, giving him a personal connection to movie theatres. He said he began

developing Cinesave many years ago.

“Ethan came, and he had been developing Cinesave for at least two or three years,” said Bartosic.

“He is really committed and passionate about the movie industry in general. That’s another [reason why Manning stood out] — most founders that are successful have some kind of passion for their industry or the problem

that they’re solving.”

According to Bartosic, Manning received $15,000 from the Angel Fund. Additionally, Cinesave will be eligible for more funding if it is able to meet a couple of milestones regarding signing up for theatres and getting more people involved.

“What we’re hoping is that if Ethan needs more money, he can use his experience at the Angel

Fund to go out and raise additional funds for his business as it grows,” said Bartosic.

Manning noted the impact that this funding will have on his business’s ability to grow. “[The investment] will give us the funds to get all the business formation and legal work complete, as well as get our product to a point where it can launch effectively in the coming months,” said Manning.

Fordham Presidential Search Open to Lay Candidates

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Rev. Joseph M. McShane is one of a long line of Fordham presidents, all of whom have been Jesuits or Catholic priests.

FROM PRESIDENT, PAGE 1

professional success.” Moreover, Jesuit institutions stand out for their direction by members of the Society of Jesus. The major values promoted by a Jesuit education include “cura personalis, discernment, finding God in all things, Magis, reflection, service rooted in justice and love, solidarity and kinship,” according to

the guide.

Furthering the debate, students and faculty question whether or not a lay-person would be capable of effectively leading the university in its Jesuit mission as the next president of Fordham University.

Julianna Cavallaro, FCRH ’22, said, “I’d be open to Fordham having a lay person as the next

president, as long as the Jesuit ideals are still maintained because they are so foundational to our identity.”

While Fordham is a Jesuit institution instilled with a deep tradition of religious values, the student body is made up of students from a wide variety of spiritual backgrounds. As a nonreligious student, Olivia Gold-

berg, GSB ’22, said that while she “respect[s] the Jesuits and understand[s] the traditional value they bring to the school,” she does not feel “especially tied to the Jesuit community here.”

“If the president of Fordham was someone who all students could better relate to, or if she/ he has a background that is more strongly rooted in broader education (rather than religious education), I think this would be a more representative leader of the students at Fordham,” Goldberg said.

If the Fordham search committee were to appoint a lay-person as the next president, they would not be the first Jesuit institution to do so. According to an article in The Cincinnati Enquirer, there are currently “15 lay presidents and three female presidents across the nation’s 26 other Jesuit, Catholic universities,” including Xavier University’s recent appointment of female president Colleen Hanycz, Ph.D. According to the article “Do we need priests to run Catholic Colleges?” in U.S. Catholic, the transition to appoint lay-people as presidents of Jesuit institutions stems back to Georgetown University’s naming of John J. DeGioia as the first lay president of the university in 2001.

DeGioia’s appointment initially sparked backlash from “some Jesuits and Georgetown graduates who felt it represented a major breach with tradition,” according to the article. However, the decision was later favored by many who felt that DeGioia’s fundrais-

ing abilities and commitment to social justice reflected his success as a president.

According to the article in American Magazine, “Meet the women leaders who are transforming Jesuit higher education,” other Jesuit universities in the United States that have appointed laywomen as presidents in recent years include Linda LeMura at LeMoyne College, Jo Ann Rooney at Loyola University Chicago and Tania Tetlow at Loyola University New Orleans.

In the article, author Emma Winters highlights the challenges faced by universities today including “prepar[ing] students for a diverse job market while maintaining a free exchange of ideas,” as well as being “diverse and inclusive” and “keep[ing] a college affordable and accessible while providing the best education possible.”

Luke Corrado, GSB ’22, said he believes that “leaders should be appointed based on their qualifications and abilities.” He told the Ram that he “trusts the presidential search committee to appoint the most qualified person regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.”

The many factors that must be considered when making this decision are all challenges that Fordham’s search committee will face in the coming months as they begin the process to select McShane’s successor. According to the board of trustees, the search committee expects to announce its choice for the position by early 2022.

NEWS

Page 4

October 6, 2021

Fordham Dining Works to Resolve Long Wait Times FROM DINING, PAGE 1

Once classes really started, there was a leveling out but a bottleneck created by the need to check for vaccinations.”

The Marketplace, the dining space inside the McGinley Center, requires proof of vaccination status for students who want to dine inside the cafeteria. In the first few days of the new semester, the cafeteria staff would check for vaccination at the same time that students were expected to swipe their meal card. This process created the bottleneck at the entrance that Yaun described. The solution was to place staff whose job it was to specifically verify student vaccination before the students would swipe in.

“What would we do differently?

I would certainly have had the vaccination verification people immediately instead of on day two,” explained Yaun. “That might’ve been handled better.”

According to Yaun, the reports of long wait lines have consistently been dropping since the first week of school.

“We’ve had some focus groups with students that indicated that, in their experience, [the lines] were much, much shorter and well

within tolerance,” he said. “It’s a bit of a rocky opening. It does happen in the first few days of a normal semester. It seemed to be far greater this semester than ever before, perhaps due to the fact that we had so many sophomores and freshmen on campus for the first time.”

Students on campus seem to agree with Yaun’s assessment.

Julian Shuttleworth, FCRH ’24, explained his own experiences waiting for food.

“I’d say the average time waiting to get in is around 10 minutes, plus another wait once you get in to actually get food,” he said.

“This is only if you go around times when classes are released.”

Yaun also spoke about improvements to the dining system that the university is currently working to implement, including changes to Grubhub availability and changes to the food service workforce on campus. “Items that were not on the Grubhub menu are being added, such as Grab ‘n’ Go,” Yaun said.

As for the university’s position on staffing changes, Yaun commented that most of the changes will be made to the procedures for current staff while the univer-

SEBASTIAN DIAZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Marketplace added a staff member at the door to check students’ vaccination status before they enter the cafeteria.

sity attempts to hire more workers. For the most part, the changes “mostly revolve around freeing up staff,” explained Yaun.

“Given the labor environment, we’ve decided to change the routing on the staff we have so we can focus on putting the order together,” he said. “Staff is being rearranged so that there are more people producing orders, taking and

ringing them up. There are more people being added in and putting the orders together.”

When asked about how the university plans on hiring more food staff, Yaun said this is “easier said than done.”

“The environment in the labor force, nationally, [is that] people are not returning to work as fast as they’re expected to nation-

wide,” said Yaun.

The ending of the federal unemployment boost, Yaun said, is helpful in getting more people to work for Fordham Dining. “As they suddenly realize the unemployment boost is over, there is no stimulus on the horizon, they’re feeling more pressure to go back to work. That’s helping us,” said Yaun.

University Welcomes New Interim Assistant Dean This Fall

By ABBEY DELK NEWS EDITOR

After the retirement of William Gould, the former assistant dean for juniors at Fordham College at Rose Hill, the university began searching for a replacement. Dr. Jillian Minahan Zucchetto, FCRH ’13, has stepped in to serve as interim assistant dean for the fall 2021 semester.

Minahan Zucchetto grew up in New Jersey and earned her undergraduate degree in psychology. After graduating, she took a year off from school to gain work experience. She then returned to Fordham to complete a doctorate in applied developmental psychology.

Minahan Zucchetto took over her role as interim assistant dean for juniors and pre-health firstyear students in mid-August. She said she feels her years as a Fordham student, both in undergraduate and graduate programs, have helped her understand the ins and outs of the university. During her years in graduate school, she worked as a graduate assistant and a fellow in the dean’s office, which she said helped her prepare to take on her current position.

Through her work in the dean’s office, Minahan Zucchetto worked closely with Dr. Rachel Annunziato, the associate dean for strategic initiatives, helping to facilitate the undergraduate research symposium. Minahan Zucchetto has also served as a core advisor for firstyear students for several years, as well as an advisor for incoming students for the last three summers. She also worked with the ASPIRES program at Fordham, a cohort of first-year STEM students who receive scholarship awards and funding for undergraduate research. Stepping into the interim assistant dean post felt like “a natural progression” of

COURTESY OF JILLIAN MINAHAN ZUCCHETTO FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Dr. Jillian Minahan Zucchetto says her years at Fordham as a student prepared her to be an interim assistant dean.

her previous work with students, Minahan Zucchetto said.

However, Minahan Zucchetto said taking on her new role has still been challenging. “Since starting the position, it’s been a lot of learning,” she said. In her previous advising roles, Minahan Zucchetto mostly worked with students interested in psychology, her area of specialty. Now, she said she has been working on expanding her knowledge of resources on campus to provide academic counseling and support to students of all

backgrounds and interests.

Minahan Zucchetto said she also had initial concerns that her young age might make her look more like a student than a dean but said she has gotten over that fear. “I think it ended up being a strong asset,” said Minahan Zucchetto. “I have a lot of different perspectives.

I was an undergraduate once, so it’s nice to be able to say [to students], ‘I was in your shoes once.’”

A lot of Minahan Zucchetto’s

current work with students involves providing academic support for students who come to her for advice. However, Minahan Zucchetto said she is always sure to connect students with other resources on campus that can help them with the challenges they face during their college years.

“My focus is on helping students thrive academically,” said Minahan Zucchetto. “But I’m definitely always communicating with Dean Garcia [and] Residential Life and all of these different places on

campus that are involved in a student's life.”

Minahan Zucchetto said she connects her students with academic opportunities, advising them on how to gain research experience and build competitive graduate school applications, as well as sharing information on fellowship opportunities. She also has a series of graduate school advising sessions planned for the fall semester, which will walk students through the process of applying to graduate programs.

Minahan Zucchetto said she hopes to continue to build deeper relationships with other departments on campus in the coming months. “I think that it really is helpful to build a strong team that helps students,” she said.

She said she is also focused on helping her students through the transition back to in-person classes. “Everyone wanted to be back in person,” she said. “But it’s a transition and transitions are always going to be difficult. We are being sensitive to the fact that it’s still a pandemic — it’s still a looming stressor.”

Minahan Zucchetto will remain in the interim assistant dean role until the end of the fall semester, though her position could be extended. Either way, she said she would be happy to stay at Fordham, whether in her current position or a new one. Minahan Zucchetto said she deeply values the Jesuit values she has learned at Fordham, especially the idea of “cura personalis,” or care of the whole person.

She said she appreciates that faculty and administrators at Fordham treat students as whole, complex people and that students are encouraged to view others in the same way. “We aren’t just helping students grow academically,” said Minahan Zucchetto. “We’re helping them grow morally.”

NEWS

October 6, 2021

Page 5

University Considers Climate Changes’ Impact FROM CLIMATE, PAGE 1

“But with climate change, we’re seeing a lot more of it a lot more often, so that’s our concern.”

Valera explained how Rose Hill’s topography allows certain places like Walsh Library and the McGinley Center to be more prone to flooding and that because of this, there are already systems in place to minimize damage. “[In this recent event], these systems were just overwhelmed,” Valera said. “So we’re revisiting that, looking at how we can make our infrastructure more robust, and this is happening city-wide ... Right now, we’ve engaged a civil engineering firm to look at our weak spots ... and out of that study we will do [what’s recommended] and upgrade our infrastructure where it needs to be upgraded.”

Valera discussed that many don’t realize these systems are there because they’re either underground or hidden in plain sight. “All of the gravel that you see in the wooded area [outside Cuniffe], that’s to retain water,” he said. “Underground between the library and Campbell, there is a system of bases that take runoff and hold it.”

In regard to Walsh Library’s flooding, Valera explained how Fordham is working to address these infrastructure issues. “The library is a unique location, and the loading dock has to be redesigned — that’s what we’re

working on,” he said. “The loading dock built up with water, the water got to about 5-6 feet [high], overwhelmed the doors, and that’s how it flooded into the basement.”

Because Walsh Library’s lowest level was the most affected by last month’s flooding, Valera said the university is prioritizing improving its infrastructure going forward. “We’re hardening the library in particular [because it is most vulnerable] and trying to put in water-tight doors and possibly pumping equipment,” he said.

Another factor in the Rose Hill campus’s susceptibility to flooding is the infrastructure of the Bronx, said Valera. The Bronx has a combined sewer system, where sewage and storm water are not treated separately but rather are held together in one pipe.

The New York City government website reports that “approximately 60% of New York City has a combined sewer system [where] managing stormwater in this system can pose challenges because during heavy rainstorms, combined sewers receive higher than normal amounts of stormwater.”

In terms of Fordham’s ability to deal with heavy rainfall, Valera said that “even though our infrastructure is probably good and everything’s running smoothly, we get it out to the city sewer and it [backs up] and then our

ABBEY DELK/THE FORDHAM RAM

The flash flooding damage in early September led the university to temporarily close the lowest level of Walsh Library.

system backs up.”

On the topic of general sustainability, Valera spoke briefly about Fordham’s efforts to lessen dependency on fossil fuels and start to rely on electric power around campus.

“We have natural gas on this campus [Rose Hill] primarily for heating, and we have initiatives to make that much more

efficient so we can reduce the amount of gas that we use,” he said. “Since we have started our Climate Action Plan, we have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 26%, and we’re shooting to [reduce emissions] by 40% by 2030.”

Fordham’s 2014 Climate Action Plan outlines several initiatives to improve efficiency of energy usage

around campus such as replacing old lighting systems and installing solar panels.

“But it’s really hard to untangle infrastructure that’s been in place for decades from [natural gas],” Valera said. “But [my office] invests several million dollars a year into getting our infrastructure to be less polluting ... it just takes a lot of time.”

Business Development Collaboratory Partners with Bronx

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The Fordham Business Development Collaboratory provides Fordham students with the opportunity to grow and support local Bronx businesses.

FROM BRONX, PAGE 1

ment. One of the team’s leaders, Marisa Garvin, GSB ’23, explained that even though the club, founded in June 2020, is relatively new, they’ve still managed to make a lot of progress in helping the Bronx. The club has already assisted 17 Bronx businesses, said Garvin.

One of the club's biggest successes was helping a local business owner with his startup. He came to the club with a business

idea, and club members were able to help him plan and set up his business. Once he had a starting place, he was able to go off on his own and run the business however he wanted, said Garvin. Additionally, they helped a woman turn her Instagram jewelry sales into a business. They were able to help her with marketing and even created a website for her, Garvin explained.

The club’s founding during the COVID-19 pandemic also helped

them find new businesses to help. With the shift to a primarily virtual world throughout 2020, the club helped businesses that, prior to the pandemic, had had little virtual presence. They assisted Bronx business owners in developing websites and social media presences so that they could continue to function while physically closed, said Garvin.

In addition to helping the businesses, the club helps

Fordham students apply the skills they learn in class, said Shrestha. While the club's business focus makes it seem like something primarily for Gabelli students, Shrestha said he wants the club to have involvement from all students.

Shrestha is an economics major at Rose Hill, and he explained that the club benefits not just Gabelli students but also students interested in subjects like web design, communications and

Spanish. Having people with experience in web design helps with marketing for businesses, and Spanish skills are essential for communicating within the Bronx, explained Shrestha.

The club is open to anyone and makes use of any skills that members can bring to the table.

As of right now, the club has around 40 staff members, but they’re looking to grow, said Garvin. She said that while they do feel they have a presence on campus, they “don’t have as large a presence as [they] would like.”

This year, they’re focusing on growing the club, both within Fordham and in its reach across New York, said Garvin. While the club was initially founded to help businesses in the Bronx, they want to expand their services across all five boroughs of New York. Ultimately, the club is about bridging gaps — whether between Rose Hill and Gabelli students or Fordham and the Bronx. Through events like the FBDC Days of Service, where they go into the Bronx to do things like trash pickups, the club is helping nurture the Bronx community while building its own community, said Shrestha.

Although Shrestha said he thinks the word “diversity” is overused, he admits that it does describe the club well. “The best experience and value you can add is having people from all different walks of life and backgrounds, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.

Page 6

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor-in-Chief Rachel Gow Managing Editor Dylan Balsamo Editorial Director Erica Weidner Multimedia Director Hunter Benegas Business Director Aidan Youngs Production Editor Vanessa DeJesus Copy Chief Megan Dowden Assistant Copy Chief Ginny Belt News Editor Abbey Delk Features Editor Hasna Ceran Assistant News Editors Sebastian Diaz Isabel Danzis Opinion Editors Emma Lipkind Taylor Herzlich Assistant Opinion Editor Michela Fahy Culture Editors Ava Erickson Sara Tsugranis Assistant Culture Editor Hanif Amanullah Sports Editor Alexander Wolz Assistant Sports Editors Michael Hernandez Kaley Bell Digital Director Katie Morris Digital Producer Collette Campbell Visual Director Pia Fischetti Photo Editor Mackenzie Cranna Graphics/Illustrations Cory Bork Editorial Page Policy

The Fordham Ram’s editorial re-

flects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram accepts submissions to fordhamramopinions@gmail. com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. Opinions expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

October 6, 2021

From the Desk | Abbey Delk

The Importance of Trust in the Newsroom I applied to be the news editor for Volume 103 of The Fordham Ram on a whim. Well, maybe not a whim exactly, but the decision did feel a bit odd. I hadn’t ever held an editor’s position at the newspaper before. I had been writing for the news section for less than a year.

So, it was very much a shot in the dark. I didn’t expect to actually get the position.

Yet, here I am with 14 issues under my belt as news editor. How did I get here? I can partially thank my writing ability, my confidence, and, of course, my incredibly good looks. If you look back on the past few news editors, you’ll see that we are a wildly attractive bunch. But I think the real reason I was lucky enough to land this incredible position was trust.

The executive team for Volume 102 was willing to believe that I would put my best effort into learning the ins and outs of the news editor role. I promised them I would work hard and take care of the section, and they trusted me. I am grateful for that trust every day.

Trust is a big part of the world of journalism. The public trusts journalists to deliver the truth, to help them see a more accurate, detailed picture of the world around them.

Journalistic integrity is the foundation of our work, and it’s the thing that separates true journalists from opportunists and manipulators.

Readers’ trust in journalists has never felt more tenuous, as accusations of “fake news” toward credible media outlets continue to run rampant. Powerful people benefit from an erosion of trust between journalists and the public, as it allows them to operate in the dark

without consequence or accountability. Maintaining and fostering trust in the media is the essential mission of the newest generation of young journalists.

Everything we do in the news section is built around trust. The other editors on staff trust me to manage our news section with care and dedication. The students and faculty I interview trust me to represent their stories accurately and fairly. I trust the news writers I work with to work diligently on their articles and always value accuracy over ease or speed. Fordham administrators trust that our staff has the Fordham community’s best interest at heart. Our readers trust us to bring the stories that matter to them. Everything, and I mean everything, goes back to trust.

I want to thank everyone who has put their trust in me over this past year. Thank you to our brilliant and unwavering editor-in-chief, Rachel Gow, who I’ve been able to rely on and confide in over the last year.

She’s done everything possible to bring this newspaper through the pandemic in one piece. Thank you to the executive board at the Ram for making me feel welcomed when I joined staff last semester. It’s such a gift to be able to leave this experience with such a wonderful group of new friends.

Thank you to Hasna Ceran, our features editor, who knows more than I do already and has a bright future ahead of her at the Ram. Thank you to Sebastian Diaz and Isabel Danzis, our assistant news editors, who never complain and are always willing to help with anything I throw at them. The section wouldn’t be what it is without their

hard work. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.

And, of course, I want to thank the readers. Whether you pick up a copy of our print edition every Wednesday morning like clockwork or occasionally browse our website, everything we do is for you. Thank you for trusting me and my news team to bring you the stories of the Fordham community.

We take our job seriously. We hope you can tell.

I’m going to be relieved when December rolls around and I turn in my last layout pages as news editor. It really is a lot of work to

make a newspaper every week, and I think all of us will be glad for a break. But I will miss the late nights in the Ram office. I’ll miss writing news budgets. I’ll miss the jokes and stories the editors share on production nights. I’ll miss the carefully-crafted playlists of our managing editor Dylan Balsamo.

I’ll miss the trust everyone had in me for the last year. It was invaluable and precious. I hope that wherever I go after the Ram, I’ll find that kind of trust again. The Ram really is something special, and I’ll miss being part of this amazing team.

But for now — back to work!

Editorial | Campus Dining

Fewer Dining Locations, More Student Diners In many respects, Fordham University has done a decent job restoring campus to its pre-coronavirus state. Our classrooms have the correct number of chairs and desks, and study spaces in the library are open again. However, Fordham seems to have overlooked a crucial part of bringing campus back to full capacity: its dining halls.

Expanding dining locations to full capacity involves more than just peeling the social distancing stickers off the floor. It is clear that Fordham was not ready for the deluge of students pouring into its on-campus dining options. The wait times are ridiculously long regardless of whether students order using Grubhub or order in person. The dining employees seem overwhelmed and unprepared to handle the high volume of students ordering food. We do not blame them for this — they are trying their best to serve students food in a hectic environment. However, we do see a problem with Fordham’s management of this issue.

In March 2020, Fordham’s dining locations closed down when students were sent home for the remainder of that semester.

When students returned in August 2020, almost all of these locations reopened. One of the stragglers, Salt & Sesame, reopened last month. But one location never did: Dagger John’s tucked away in the McGinley Center basement remains permanently closed.

Dagger John’s was home to three dining options: Chopsticks, which served Asian food; Sambazon, which made açaí bowls and BKG Coffee Roasters, which sold coffee and muffins. There was a large dining area, and while wait times could get long, the place was rarely crowded. We won’t romanticize the site — it was a Fordham Dining location, not a five-star restaurant — but we want to point out the void it left behind, especially in light of long wait times at locations across campus.

During the 2020-21 school year, far fewer students were

around — Rose Hill’s “on-ground population” was 5,193 people.

With fewer students attempting to eat on campus, the loss of Dagger John’s went unnoticed — there were plenty of other options, and the wait times were predictable and reasonable. At most, students had to wait 20 minutes for their orders to be ready.

This semester, the on-ground population consists of 9,408 people, 3,425 of which are students living in university housing. Many Fordham students in on-campus housing are required to use a meal plan because their dorms lack kitchens. This burden generally falls on underclassmen, and this year, it disproportionately affects freshmen. Due to the high volume of orders being placed, students are waiting 40 minutes for their food.

There have been rumblings of new dining options, but nothing has come to fruition. Last spring, one of our writers talked to Fordham Dining Contract Liaison Deming Yaun about plans for future dining locations at Rose Hill.

We learned of plans for a partnership with Sous Vide Kitchen and rumors of a halal option on the Rose Hill campus. We think these additions are long overdue, and we ask where those plans and rumors leave us today. When will dining options expand to accommodate an influx of students?

The current Fordham dining situation is unsustainable. It is impossible to increase the number of student diners, decrease the number of dining locations and expect the process to go smoothly.

Fordham needs to find a way to cut down wait times and relieve pressure on its dining employees.

We hope Fordham will address this issue and work to improve it.

To all our freshman readers, we want to express our sympathy.

We know that your dorms do not have kitchens and that you are dependent on Fordham for your meals. It’s hard enough learning how to take care of yourself without the added uncertainty of mealtime. Fordham must take swift action to remedy this issue.

October 6, 2021

OPINION

Page 7

76 Years Later, the UN Requires Reforms to Retain Relevancy

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The 76th annual United Nations General Assembly kicked off this past week.

By ALLISON LECCE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The 76th annual United Nations General Assembly kicked off with a bang this past week in New York City. After last year’s virtual session, diplomats were eager to return in person to the iconic grand hall.

Most of the speeches focused on the same issues: climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and stability in a world that has become increasingly unstable.

It must be a positive sign that our leaders are recognizing the urgent need to address these issues, right?

Not according to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados. “If I used the speech prepared for me to deliver today, it will be a repetition,” she said. “I will not repeat my statements of previous years. Why? Because we have not moved on. We

have not moved the needle.”

“We are waiting, waiting for global moral strategic leadership,” Mottley scolded. “How many more crises need to hit before we see that the international system divides, not lifts?”

The unfortunate truth is that Mottley is right. The international system, built by and around the United Nations in 1946, is becoming outdated. Many have been questioning the efficacy of the institution in recent years. Between its apparent inability to prevent or mitigate international crises, from Haiti to Yemen to Venezuela, as well as numerous structural problems, the U.N. needs to shift its focus to institutional reforms and revive its multilateral spirit once more.

We live in a state of anarchy — and no, I’m not talking about the

anarchy from movies and books.

What I mean is that we live in a world where there is no world government or higher authority. Each state has its own sovereignty and the U.N., as a merely diplomatic institution, must respect this individual power. The U.N. is not a world government, nor should it be, so it makes sense that this is a necessary aspect of its charter. But the document also acknowledges the role that the U.N. plays in “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights.”

So often the U.N. is unable to step in to mitigate crises and deliver aid because of this respect for state sovereignty. In Ethiopia the government is blocking critical supplies from reaching the Tigray region, where civil war broke out late last year. The prime minister is also dismissing seven U.N. officials from the country after accusing them of “meddling” in the state’s internal affairs. The U.N. is meant to be a forum for diplomacy and a provider of aid, but its authoritative powers are relatively limited beyond that.

Even the few authoritative powers that the U.N. possess internally are outdated and in need of reform.

One of the best examples of this is the Security Council. A body of 15 member states, the Security Council is meant to lead the way in addressing crises and threats to peace.

But the structure of the U.N.S.C. doesn’t allow this to happen.

While 10 members rotate through seats in the council, the P5 — Russia, Britain, France, China

and the U.S. — are given extensive powers. These states, many of them notorious for not getting along (I’m looking at you, China and the U.S.), often spend more time squabbling amongst themselves and vetoing resolutions than actually getting things done.

Just take a look at the Security Council’s handling of the war in Syria, the hub of the world’s largest refugee crisis. It took months for the council to renew cross-border aid into the country, and in the end the council approved the renewal of only one of the four checkpoints.

In the past decade of war, Russia has vetoed 16 resolutions related to Syria. Too often disputes in the Security Council are more about ideological differences than the actual problems at hand.

The Security Council remains one of the more pressing reforms at the U.N. Of the 15 members, the P5 are the only ones with veto power. The other 10 members rotate through two-year terms and are not given nearly as much power. This structure only promotes the hierarchical order of the international system, with the most powerful countries remaining at the top in an institution that is supposed to level the playing field.

Calls for reform in the Security Council have grown louder in recent years. The African Union, whose member states make up the largest membership of the General Assembly, is campaigning to add two permanent African seats to the Security Council. Sup-

port for this and other reforms have been echoed by numerous other states and external organizations.

So, it seems like the U.N. has a lot of problems and not enough solutions. But does that mean that this is the end of the U.N.? No. I had the privilege of interning with the U.N. press corps during the summer of 2020 when the pandemic first hit. I observed and reported on the ways COVID-19 completely upended the U.N. and many of its operations. I could feel the wariness when the pandemic dragged into its third, fourth and fifth month. At the very least, the pandemic revealed the systemic issues and inequalities that persist both in the U.N. and the overarching international order. This did not go unnoticed. It’s why SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guiterres’ slogan in recovering from the pandemic is “build back better.”

After the two years that we have all had, I think it is easy to see that things cannot stay the same. Call me an optimist, but there seems to be a noticeable difference in the way issues at the U.N. are being talked about and addressed.

Yes, Mottley was right: the needle hasn’t been moved. But this year’s General Assembly came with a renewed sense of urgency that proves this may finally be the U.N.’s time of reckoning.

Allison Lecce, FRCH ’22, is an international studies major from​ Westchester, N.Y.

Fridays for Future Leads to Symbolic Change

By NICOLE BRAUN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fridays for Future, Greta Thunberg’s weekly climate justice campaigns, are not yet successful in instituting any significant governmental change. However, they are giving young people something that might be equally important: a sense of hope and empowerment.

Fridays for Future was born in 2018 when Thunberg, a then 15-yearold Swedish teenager, “sat outside Swedish Parliament every school day, demanding urgent action on the climate crisis” in the weeks leading up to the Swedish election, according to the movement’s webpage. Before long, countless others joined Thunberg’s resistance.

Thunberg launched a global campaign for young activists who wanted to shake politicians out of their complacency and enact meaningful change surrounding climate justice.

The response to Thunberg’s call-toaction was unprecedented; millions of students and activists protested in hundreds of locations worldwide.

Young people are the future of the climate change movement because “the younger generation no longer wants to wait for politicians to act — they want to take responsibility for their future into their own hands,”

says Mathias Albert, German professor and global governance researcher.

The global goals of the Fridays for Future campaign are to “Keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels …

Ensure climate justice and equity …

Listen to the best-united science currently available.”

However, “none of [Fridays for Future’s goals] has been clearly achieved, but they have had an effect on some political decisions and political discourse,” explains Sebastian Haunss, a German-based political scientist.

Fridays for Future reached its peak in 2019, with millions continuing to protest for decisive solutions to the climate crisis. Unfortunately, the pandemic then derailed that momentum.

Though the movement held some online protest events, the attendance and enthusiasm did not match those of the in-person events that occurred in 2019. The first in-person Friday for Future events since the beginning of the pandemic occurred on Sept. 24.

They were localized in Germany, and although there were 1,500 protests worldwide, the turnout was nowhere near those of 2019.

There seems to be a superficial quality to the Fridays for Future campaign and those who participate

in it. True and complete dedication like Thunberg’s is rare. At least from what I see on my social media feed, a lot of people will attend one rally at most and maybe post a “Respect Our Mother Earth” graphic along with a slew of sunset pictures from their most recent vacation.

In addition, I noticed that most think-pieces and academic articles written on the Fridays for Future campaigns are by European news publications and professors. This could be due to a variety of factors.

Firstly, American activists may be more focused on putting out fires more symbolic than the increasing wildfires across America. This includes continuing Black Lives Matter protests and recent nationwide protests against Texas’s new abortion ban. The Fridays for Future campaigns need to improve their publicity strategy. The recent protests in the U.S. did not make as many headlines as those in 2019.

Secondly, I think Americans have become complacent alongside their politicians. Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, there was a glaring social issue being overlooked or antagonized every week. People responded passionately to this in record numbers.

Now, with a Democrat in the executive branch, some think that their

work is done even though there has not been any substantial change, only meaningless rhetoric.

The Financial Times recently reported that “there is no doubt that Biden wants to do the right thing.

But he keeps encountering reasons to postpone the reckoning.”

Despite the goals of the movement and the awareness it brings to the climate crisis, the most significant achievement of Fridays for Future is the way it has been able to inspire an entire generation of activists. As the title of Thunberg’s book proclaims, “No One is Too Small to Make a Difference.”

Fridays for Future unites young people worldwide toward a common goal, which is incredibly empowering. The notoriety and early success of the campaign inspired a lot of kids while also giving them a community

where their fears for the future are taken seriously. This is not a feeling that will fade over time.

Thunberg and her campaign have given young people an outlet to express their frustration at agencies that have never taken them seriously.

Jerome Foster II, the youngest member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, said at a recent protest, “now we’re being taken seriously, we have a seat at the table, we’re gonna make sure that everyone in that table [understands] the pressing urgency and [takes] action.”

Maybe the most significant impact of Fridays for Future has not been on the future of the planet but on the future generations who inhabit it.

Nicole Braun, FCRH ’24, is undecided from Saddle River, N.J.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Fridays for Future have yet to institute significant governmental change.

OPINION

Page 8

October 6, 2021

New Mario Movie Completely Disregards Diversity

By CAROLYN BRANIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Following the announcement of the cast for Nintendo’s new animated Mario film, many people have taken to Instagram and Twitter to voice their opinions. Most of them are positive, with lots of people expressing great interest in the release, which is set for Dec. 2022. Making this film animated, as opposed to live-action, allows for more creative control and world building.

When simply looking at the story idea, I can imagine this film will be a success.

The Mario games themselves have remained incredibly popular throughout the years as one of Nintendo’s biggest cash cows.

Some of the opinions of the upcoming Nintendo film, however, are quite critical.

The 1993 live action Mario film did surprisingly poorly, scoring only a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many argue that this is because the story simply does not belong in the “real world.”

I agree with this critique and commend those in charge for choosing to animate the 2022 film, as it maintains the same imagery of the video game world.

As a child I would have loved to see my favorite video game characters on the big screen. I’m sure I am not alone in my excitement

for the film’s release.

However, when it comes to the casting decisions, a lot more could have been done in terms of inclusion. The cast list includes a lot of big Hollywood names, which will definitely set the film up for good press.

After the live action 1993 Super Mario Movie, a box office dud, I understand the decision to cast famous Hollywood regulars.

The cast includes Anya TaylorJoy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and more household-name actors. Charles Martinet, the original video game voice actor for Mario, is even slated to participate in the production in a cameo role.

All of these actors are great choices in the technical sense.

Nevertheless, the casting decision failed to adequately incorporate people of color. John Leguizamo, who played Luigi in the previous live action film, pointed out that the executives “went all white.”

There was so much potential to create a diverse cast and include everyone in such an iconic piece of video-game culture. These particular castings completely overlooked this opportunity: none of the cast members have any kind of non-white heritage.

Leguizamo was quick to point out that there was no Latinx rep-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Nintendo recently announced a star-studded cast for its new animated Mario film, but it lacks diversity.

resentation in the casting decision. Being Mexican myself, I am always excited at the prospect of seeing any kind of Latinx representation, so I was disappointed upon discovering that the cast did not include anyone with Hispanic heritage.

The cast is primarily white, a decision that I feel does not accurately represent the ever-changing world in which we live, regardless of the actual ethnicities of the characters in the video game.

Aside from the lack of diversity in the cast, there are other issues that arise with these particular casting decisions. For one, I have a hard time picturing Chris Pratt as a believable Mario. Though his roles have always been quite eclectic — from his work in “Parks and Recreation” to “Guardians of the Galaxy” — I cannot envision him embodying Mario in a believable way. Charlie Day, for instance, is someone who would make a much better Mario.

Day’s tone is much more suited for the role of a video-game character, especially based on his past movie experience.

The film is still not ready yet, so there is always room for improvement. Perhaps the executives can make a more inclusive decision and create a film that more accurately reflects our society.

Carolyn Branigan, FCRH ’24, is a film and English major from Tinton Falls, N.J.

October 6, 2021

OPINION

Page 9

Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Highlights American Partisanship

By NOAH OSBORNE STAFF WRITER

As if President Biden was not already struggling to navigate the murky waters of his presidency, his upcoming mandate will further cast a shadow of uncertainty over his administration. The order in question will mandate all businesses with at least 100 employees to require its workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.

The legislation has elicited sharp criticism from many federal workers who feel the policy provides no “middle ground” to the unvaccinated. Many others are left in a state of confusion over the specificity of this minimum employer requirement, similar to those confused by the need for a vaccine mandate in the first place.

Although this threshold covers about 80 million people in the nation’s workforce, Biden’s team refused to clarify the logic behind choosing this seemingly arbitrary number.

However, Biden’s team drew another dividing line between what constitutes a large or small business. This move comes as business owners are already struggling to maintain staff during the pandemic.

The number 100 will inevitably have a disproportionate influence.

The tensions between small and large businesses will be heightened because not all businesses will be subject to this law. Employees at businesses with under 100 employees won’t be affected

by this mandate, while those at larger companies could face losing their jobs if they are not vaccinated.

There is a lack of consolidation among vaccine rules from different states; it is becoming increasingly apparent that not all vaccine policies are created equal.

If President Biden truly wants to unite Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, he needs to understand that numerous COVID-19 policy discrepancies across America are holding the country back from this goal.

For example, in New York, vaccination for COVID-19 is a prerequisite for education officials to return to classrooms. Similarly, in California, Governor Newsom is exploring the option of mandating school children get vaccinated, a move likely to be echoed by other states once it is officially passed.

Yet in Florida, Gov. Ron Desantis has been a staunch opponent of federal vaccine mandates, which is certainly reflected in the state’s soaring infection rates.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also stood in vocal opposition to vaccine mandates, going as far as to slam the Biden administration’s proposed mandate for federal employers.

This clear disparity between state and federal perspectives on vaccine mandates will put unnecessary pressure on already strained businesses, emphasizing economic inequality.

If Biden truly wants to see a bright recovery from the darkest

days of the pandemic, COVID-19 policies must become uniform throughout the country. Otherwise, dissonance will ensue. It is unacceptable to witness New York recover from the pandemic while Florida drowns in it simply due to the two states’ very different methods of handling the pandemic.

Our country has reached the bleak new milestone of 700,000 deaths due to COVID-19. We must not allow any open window of opportunity for the virus to spread, especially as the more contagious delta variant continues to make rounds. To close this window, there should be no variation in how the federal government implements COVID-19 policies among states.

The separation of state and federal power has been the root of conflict since the nascent stages of our country, but this is different.

In 2020, America’s population, economy and political structure were torn asunder in the midst of the global pandemic.

With vaccines, we now have a heightened understanding of what it will take to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. This knowledge must not be taken for granted.

If Americans want to return to work without the worry of being laid off for their children to return to school safely, there needs to be increased bipartisan outreach efforts for vaccination. Standardizing vaccine requirements across every state in this country is a pivotal first step in this process.

There should not be a situation in which vaccine requirements

are more relaxed in conservative states than in liberal ones. This creates both economic and moral inequity. This will stifle the recovery progress. This is the last thing Americans need as we near the dreaded second anniversary of placing our lives on pause.

The basis of standardizing these COVID-19 policies aligns with the need to rectify a clear disconnect in our country — partisanship. The United States of America will never be united if only traditionally Democratic states support COVID-19 mask

and vaccine mandates. Part of a vaccine outreach effort should be targeted towards these Republican states that continue to resist COVID-19 safety measures publically.

The logic behind President Biden’s “100 rule” remains ambiguous. However, combating the unnecessary variation in COVID-19 policies nationwide is the only way to ensure our country can be 100% again.

Noah Osborne, FRCH ’23, is a journalism major from Harlem, N.Y.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Biden’s mandate requires vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing.

CULTURE

Page 10

October 6, 2021

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Robert Megennis

Fordham Student Is an International Race Car Driver

By AIDAN YOUNGS BUSINESS DIRECTOR

No two days are the same for Indy race car driver and Fordham student Robert Megennis, PCS. Megennis has been racing since the age of nine when he began go-karting and found his passion for the pavement.

After going on a trip to the gokart track with his family for his father’s birthday, Megennis

became fascinated with the sport of racing and knew he had to get started. He worked his way up through go-karting before ultimately joining Mazda Road, a driver development program which provides drivers the path to reach the IndyCar Series, where he currently drives today.

Megennis is currently a member of the Andretti Autosport team in the Indy Lights

series as well as the Vasser Sullivan Racing team, a Lexussponsored racing team that competes in GT races. In his time as an Indy Lights driver, he has earned a pole position at the Freedom 100, a race win at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a double podium at Circuit of the Americas. Before Indy Lights, Robert competed in 2019 for Juncos Racing team in the Pro Mazda

COURTESY OF ROBERT MEGENNIS/THE FORDHAM RAM

Robert Megennis is an Indy car race car driver who has participated in races in the United States, Belgium, Italy and France.

Championship with six podiums and 11 Top 10 finishes.

He also competed for Team Pelfrey in the 2016 and 2017 USF2000 Championship seasons, where he collected three podiums and 21 Top 10 finishes, earning the 2016 USF 2000 Rookie of the Year award.

Due to the enforced hiatus of the Indy Lights season last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Megennis had to look for other places to race. He was selected to compete in the 2020 European Le Mans Series for RLR MSport, taking him around the world to places like France, Italy and Belgium for races and earning Top 10 finishes. Additionally, he finished seventh in an eight-hour Intercontinental GT Challenge race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in February of 2020, competing for Acura/HPD/Racers Edge Motorsports. These were his first forays into the endurance racing circuit. “It was so much fun working with other drivers, doing pit stops and most especially having more strategy come into play while racing for a team,” Megennis said.

Prior to becoming a student

at Fordham, Megennis grew up in New York City and was homeschooled for most of his life which allowed him the flexibility to race and fence competitively. He took a gap year before attending Fordham to focus on racing and building his career. Megennis began his studies in the fall of 2019 as a philosophy major at Fordham College at Rose Hill before switching to the school of Professional and Continuing Studies in the spring of 2021 to continue his racing and academic careers simultaneously.

Some of Megennis’ interests outside of racing include fencing, reading philosophy, dirt-biking, watching Newcastle United in the Premier League (the team his dad used to play for) and hanging out with his dog Bertie.

He is also an ambassador for the Starlight Children’s Foundation as well as an outside advisor for West Point and M.I.T. as they aim to build completely autonomous versions of his race car. Megennis still enjoys racing go-karts in his free time and competing with his brother George, who is also a race car driver.

How To Make the Most of Fall in New York City

By HANIF AMANULLAH

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

If the erratic weather and sporadic pumpkin placement hasn’t tipped you off, it’s officially autumn in New York City. Flannel is back for the next six months. The sun is sinking earlier each day.

Pumpkin spice lattes are back on the Starbucks menu, and in turn, pumpkin spice latte ridicule has returned with its usual fer vor. Given these telltale signs of the upcoming holiday season, here are some fun fall-based activities to stave off any accompanying seasonal depression.

The first and most apparent fall activity is perhaps the simplest of them all: go outside. New York City is particularly vibrant during fall months, a cozy paradise before winter ’s slush piles and gray clouds blow into town.

Any park you’ve visited during the summer takes on a new persona during October, and now is the perfect time to take advantage of the fier y foliage.

Central Park is a great place to absorb the changing colors and cooler temperatures — and if you’re in th e area, check out The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s ongoing

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

There are plenty of great opportunities to enjoy fall over the city.

“Medici Por traits & Politics” ex hibit, on display through Oct. 31. Speaking of museums, Shigeko Kubota’s Museum of Modern Ar t ex hibit, “Liquid R ealit y,” is on dis play through Jan. 1, 2022.

In a similar vein, the Bronx ’s ver y own NYBG has been populated by the odd (and much appreciated) scarecrow.

The garden is mere steps from the Fordham Rose Hill campus, and admission is free to students with school identification. Now, the winding paths of the NYBG are lined with not-so-menacing pumpkin-headed scarecrows. From now until Oct. 31, promenade among the whimsical statuettes as golden leaves rain down upon the beautifully manicured NYBG grounds.

In less poetic phrasing , it’s football season. Visit Metlife Stadium to catch a New York Jets game; socialize, eat hot dogs and heckle your own team to the best of your abilities. Sports games are a great way to spend a Sunday, and Yankee Stadium is only a few stops away on the D train.

The arrival of fall also marks the start of spooky season. Halloween — parents’ bane and dentists’ blessing — is right around the corner, and there are plenty of activities for those who, for reasons sadistic or à la mode, enjoy being terrorized. On Halloween day, join the 2021 Village Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village. For those interested in a more firsthand experience, the city has

COURTESY OF HANIF AMANULLAH/THE FORDHAM RAM

Dancing pumpkins decorate the entrance of the New York Botanical Gardens.

plenty of haunted houses — the most notable of which is Tribeca’s Blood Manor. The name is a tad bit on the nose — enough to seem pulled from Stefon’s list of Halloween activities on SNL — but the house offers terrif ying tours of its 5,000 square feet layout.

Fall also signals the return of hot coffee. As someone who prefers iced drinks year-round, I am not quite on board with this change. However, for those specifically looking not to be refreshed, New York offers hundreds — or perhaps trillions — of cof feehouses. Some, l i ke Astoria in Queens, feature artisanal coffee and walkable surroundings. Others, like

The Hungarian Pastr y Shop on the Upper West Side, specialize in study spaces and delectable Eastern European Treats. Others still, like Arthur Avenue’s ver y own Prince Coffee House, provide arbored outdoor seating and a lively clientele.

Finally, if you don’t feel like journeying outside of the Fordham gates, there is always activity on campus. The President’s Ball takes place on Oct. 8 this homecoming weekend, and the trees surrounding Edward’s Parade usually burst into color around late October and early November.

W herever you go, there are always plenty of great opportunities for a fun-filled fall here in the Big Apple.

October 6, 2021

CULTURE

Page 11

Shakya Trading Embodies the Mantra of Compassion

By RYAN HEFFRON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The sun covers the store in a warm blanket of light, its rays dancing off a myriad of gold and silver. The noise of the street outside is reduced to a faint din, tamed by the ringing of meditation bells. A string of colorful prayer flags flap in the breeze across the doorway. Shakya Trading Company is tucked away on Mulberry Street amongst a row of similar storefronts. It offers a huge stock of handmade statues of the Buddha and other Tibetan Buddhist icons. The proprietor is Sagar Shakya. His easy smile and relaxed tone mirror the effortless tranquility of his store.

A Nepalese immigrant, Shakya used to travel to his hometown of Patan every few months but has not been able to do so for the past two years due to international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 cut his retail sales in half and stifled his shipping process. Despite the pandemic’s impact on Shakya’s personal life, his chief concern lies with the welfare of his two homes: Patan and Chinatown.

“Just in the last two weeks, [Nepal] started to open up, but many places are going to close,” Shakya said as his tone softened.

“Last month, around 10,000 people died.” Nepal is small and relies on tourism. With no economic stimulation, they have relied on vaccine donations from other countries. It is a slow process with no clear end. “We are suffering,” Shakya said.

Shakya’s family is embedded in a culturally rich community of Buddhist artists. Patan serves as Nepal’s artistic center and carries a long tradition of metal crafting.

“Almost all the people who live there work with metal statues and metalwork,” he said. In Patan, the multitude of artists are like an extended family of sorts in which loss is felt collectively. Shakya’s demeanor shifted and became somber when talking of their pain.

“Our friends are getting lost. We are artists, you know. So, we are like one community. That is Patan,” he said. ​Shakya learned the metalworking trade from his father, who learned it from Shakya’s grandfather, carrying on their craft for at least three generations. Every piece in his store reflects the commitment to a legacy of craftsmanship. The largest statue in the store, located at the back, is one of Maitreya Buddha. “You imagine this one statue,” he said, gesturing to the Maitreya Buddha, “I’m making it in maybe two years and seven months.”

The process consists of four crafts: clay making, wax making, metal casting and gold plating.

Shakya’s face lit up as he described each step. The projects involve different artists and require a great deal of teamwork.

In 2004, Shakya brought his business to the United States. In Nepal, he would work for months on projects and then travel to the United States to sell them. It was a back-and-forth business until 2009 when he established the store on Mulberry. Shakya’s first major client was Dorje Ling Buddhist

Center in Brooklyn, established in 1991. Since then, he has sold to clients across the United States and even the world. “Seattle, Colorado, North Carolina and Chicago. And now we just did the project for San Francisco. We even did a project for London,” he nodded with satisfaction. The San Francisco project is an eighteen-foot-tall golden Buddha statue. Shakya displays this accomplishment with an unassuming photo at the front of the shop.

As pandemic restrictions in the United States have relaxed, people are returning to Chinatown. This has improved Shakya’s business somewhat, but he fears for the safety of other business owners in the area. “They’re getting a very bad effect. People are coming to see Chinatown, and they give the store owners problems. Everybody’s scared,” Shakya said with great concern.

Shakya noted that the many residents in the area have come in to buy statues of Green Tārā, one of the many Buddhas venerated in Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. The statue is intended to bring health and wealth. He believes that this is a sign of people’s suffering.

Shakya’s past year has been one of disruption and loss, but he credits his Buddhist practice with keeping him in Right Mind. Such practice entails chanting mantras at the temple, meditation, engaging in acts of compassion and working to walk the path of Enlightenment. “We are lay people, we are not like the monks. We have to go to work; we have to do everything. But our mind is getting very good if we practice

every day.” Shakya described Tibetan Buddhism as a daily force in his life. It grounds him in the dual virtues of wisdom and compassion, which can help to deal with the unpredictability of life. ​“Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum; it is a six-character chant,” he said with a smile, “Oh, it is very strong.”

Shakya offered this mantra as a finger pointing towards compassion. “Anyone can do it. We need to see that everybody is the same.

I am not a Lama, but I know that people need compassion.”

Shakya Trading serves as an intersection between the authentic traditions of Nepalese craftsmen, an enclave of Chinese immigrants and a global market of Buddhist faithfuls. This interconnected position greatly informs Shakya’s concern for his fellow humans.

Shakya’s mantra can serve as a call to look around and help each other pick up the pieces we can.

You can visit Shakya Trading Company located at 82-A Mulberry Street, and also peruse their wares on their online store as well.

COURTESY OF RYAN HEFFRON/THE FORDHAM RAM

Owner Sagar Shakya and the Maitreya Buddha at Shakya Trading Company.

The Tony Awards Celebrate the Triumph of Broadway

By SARA TSUGRANIS CULTURE EDITOR

On Sept. 26, 2021, the Winter Garden Theatre hosted the 74th Tony Awards in New York City. This was the first Tony Award ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The theme of the cere-

mony was “Broadway is back!”

Although shows had already started to return slowly in the preceding weeks, large productions like “The Lion King,” “Hamilton” and “Wicked” opened this September.

Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald hosted

the live presentation. Following the award ceremony, Tony and Grammy Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated singer and actor Leslie Odom Jr. hosted “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway ’s Back!”, which is a live concert celebrating the return of Broadway. The awards

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

“Moulin Rouge!” wins 10 Tony Awards, the most awards at the 74th ceremony, including Best Musical.

ceremony was exclusively streamed on Paramount+, but the live concert was available for viewing on CBS as well.

The Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical Tony Awards were presented during the live concert. This multiplatform presentation of the ceremony was criticized as an odd layout and inaccessible, a c r i t i q u e B roa d w ay o f te n eceives.

Among the nominees this year was Fordham theatre Professor Clint R amos. Professor R amos was nominated for Best Scenic Design in a Play for “Slave Play ” and Best Costume Design in a Play for “The Rose Tattoo.” “Slave Play ” is a provocative play discussing interracial relationships and power dynamics.

“Slave Play ” was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, making it the most nominated play of the Tony Awards. “The Rose Tattoo,” originally written by Tennessee Williams, follows a widow who finds love again.

Professor R amos won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Play in 2016 for “Eclipsed.” He was the first Asian-American and person of color to win a Tony Award

for Best Costume Design in a Play. Professor R amos’ exceptional design can be seen in his Tony red carpet look .

He is most recently the costume designer for the Aretha Franklin biopic “RESPECT.” “Jagged Little Pill” received the most nominations for a musical (15), but “Moulin Rouge!” won the most awards (10). The most spectacular performances were from these two musicals during the “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway ’s Back!”

Aaron Tveit was the sole nominee and winner of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical as Christian in “Moulin Rouge!” However, his win was not guaranteed. Tveit had to win at least 60% of the votes to win, and Tony voters could choose not to vote for anyone.

Though certain aspects of the ceremony caused confusion, it was clear how overjoyed Broadway fanatics were to celebrate the return of Broadway. Actors, set designers, choreographers and musicians could f inal ly set their achievements as the lights came back on.

CULTURE

Page 12

October 6, 2021

Jasper Johns Mind/Mirror Art Exhibition Makes its Debut

BY NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 29, 2021, the Jasper Johns Mind/Mirror Exhibition debuted at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is the most expansive retrospective of the famous American artist. The gallery guides visitors through over 70 years of Jasper Johns’ art with more than 250 works on display. This exhibition was intended to celebrate Jasper Johns’ 90th birthday last year, but its opening was postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The exhibition is twofold, with the other half of Johns’s work presented at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (totaling 500 showcased pieces).

Adhering to the theme of mirrors and doubles, the museum spaces are meticulously constructed to reflect one another. Each gallery presents different prints, sculptures and paintings to show the various perspectives Johns utilizes while creating his art.

Exiting the elevator on the fifth floor of the Whitney Museum, visitors’ eyes instantly meet a dizzying array of doubles. The gallery is a manifestation of the complex inner workings of Johns’ mind. Motifs of the American flag, Savarin coffee cans, maps and the human anatomy are obsessively revisited in his work.

Beyond the initial glance, visitors will notice the artworks are not identical; rather, they are distinguished by a range of mediums, color palettes

and dimensions. The subtle alterations illuminate the ways in which concepts are subject to an everchanging spectrum of Johns’ emotional states.

Jasper Johns emerged in the American art scene during the early 1950s.

He became an emblematic figure of the minimalist movement, with geometry, color and repetition as essential elements of his work.

At 91 years old, Johns continues to create poignant art that reflects the relationship between self and surroundings. The Whitney Museum features his most recent work, which was completed in 2020, during the solitary period of the coronavirus pandemic.

An oil painting titled “Slice,” illustrates a map of nearby galaxies superimposed by an anatomical diagram of the human knee. Initially, the speckled red and blue dots on a black oil abyss produce an uncanny sentiment of human insignificance in comparison to the infinitely vast universe.

However, upon further inspection, the viewer can see that the particles create the faint outline of a stick figure. Simultaneously, the dissection of intricate tendons and ligaments in the knee convey the extraordinary architecture of the human body. Together, the two images depict the purposeful construction of human beings within the fabric of the universe.

“Three Flags,” is one of Jasper Johns’ most iconic paintings dis-

COURTESY OF NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS / THE FORDHAM RAM

The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are jointly showcasing Johns’ work.

played at the Whitney Museum. As its title suggests, the work is constructed of three separate canvases depicting the American Flag. The individual paintings are layered in descending size order. The repetition creates a mind-boggling convergence of lines and stars, alternating in red, white and blue. The symbolism of “Three Flags” is still debated to this day. Some viewers interpret the painting as a romantic tribute to the nation while others perceive it to be a critique on overwhelming patriotism.

Regardless, Johns wanted to present “things the mind already knows” and challenge his viewers to reexamine their connotative meanings.

Repetition also provides a visual map of Johns’ artistic methodology.

He believes that his art is best conveyed in the process of creating rather than in the product itself. One room in the exhibition is strictly dedicated to Johns’ “Savarin Monotypes.” The piece is composed of 17 prints with the motif of a coffee can containing weathered paint brushes occupying the space. Each print is differentiated by a unique background of handprints, crosshatches and brush strokes. Cumulatively, the double images are an expression of Johns’ artistic persona. The repurposed Savarin symbolizes how his artistic practice is interwoven into prosaic life. The

interplay of color and pattern blur the lines of reality and add vivacity to the mundane.

Reflection, revisitation and refraction capture the essence of Jasper Johns’ Mind/Mirror Exhibition. His compulsive gravitations towards certain objects, along with the various approaches he utilizes to portray them dismantles the familiar. Johns compels viewers to do a double take on reality and see how it transforms with the mind’s emotional tides.

The Jasper Johns Mirrors/ Doubles Exhibition is open to the public until Feb. 13 at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

“No Time to Die” Is a Plot-Packed Epic of an Adieu

BY CHRIS CAPUANO STAFF WRITER

Bond is back. After a break that extended from five to six years due to pandemic-related delays, the franchise’s 25th installment will finally hit U.S. theaters this Friday. “No Time to Die” concludes Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond in spectacular fashion, tying together threads that have been woven throughout his five-film run

as the storied spy, all while offering a fresh take on the franchise and a glimpse towards the future of Bond.

Recently, The Fordham Ram had the opportunity to speak with director Cary Joji Fukunaga — who also directed “True Detective” and “Maniac” — and series newcomer Lashana Lynch — who was also in “Captain Marvel” — about the film.

They both expressed excitement

COURTESY OF UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING

“No Time to Die” will be premiering on Oct. 8 in theatres.

about the film’s thrice-delayed release, especially since it will be shown in theaters after its fate was in limbo for well over a year. Right now, “it’s mainly just relief and gratitude,” said Fukunaga.

When moviegoers do enter theaters, they’ll have to remember to use the bathroom before getting comfortable, as the film clocks in at a hefty 2 hours and 43 minutes. Despite its extensive runtime, “No Time to Die” is so plot heavy that finding an ideal minute to exit the theater will be a tall task for audience members.

“There was a lot to wrap up,” Fukunaga explained. The film begins with Bond in retirement following the events of 2015’s “Spectre,” but before long he’s thrust back into the world of international espionage surrounded by the familiar faces of MI6 colleagues M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Tanner (Rory Kinnear). Also returning are Jeffery Wright as Bond’s CIA buddy Felix Leiter, Christoph Waltz as now-imprisoned villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Léa Seydoux as love interest Madeleine Swann, whose relationship with Bond gives the film a rewarding level of emotional depth.

Joining the returning cast are a number of notable newcomers, with Ana de Armas turning in an all-toobrief performance as suave CIA agent Paloma and Rami Malek serving as Bond’s main foe, Lyutsifer Safin.

But none of the new faces shine brighter than Lashana Lynch, who plays 00 agent Nomi. Her character serves as a contrast to Bond, a sign

that the world he inhabits is moving just a bit faster than he is. “She challenges Bond’s way of thinking, and helps to usher in this new era of how women are viewed and represented in the franchise,” Lynch said. The chemistry between the two characters is competitive, yet playful and filled with refreshingly witty banter, something Craig’s Bond has sometimes lacked — perhaps an effect of Phoebe-Waller Bridge’s (“Fleabag”) work on the script.

Indeed, Waller-Bridge’s mark is felt throughout the film — in its more fleshed-out female characters (though Naomie Harris’ Moneypenny is disappointingly scarce), in a few notable scenes that directly challenge the notion of the Bond girl and in the humor injected throughout the film.

Despite the presence of that humor, though, “No Time to Die” is not a lighthearted affair. In fact, its emotional weight is consistently felt through Bond’s relationship with Swann, the presence of past demons that continue to haunt him and, most of all, through the impressively nuanced performance of Daniel Craig, who dispels any remaining doubt that he was the right choice for the job back in 2005. The film benefits massively from being the fifth installment of the interconnected Craig era, as his character is afforded a degree of depth that would have been impossible to create with just one movie — even one that is nearly three hours long.

Of course, while the film is not chock full of humor, it is by no means a dramatic masterpiece. “No Time to

Die” is an action movie, and a Bond movie on top of that: there is no shortage of eye-popping set pieces, ridiculously fun fights and chases, and perfectly over-the-top stunts throughout the film. Overall, Fukunaga does an excellent job incorporating these classic Bond ingredients with the fresh and unexpected plot elements that accompany them.

But, with a movie as full of plot as this one is, it is difficult to make each and every facet shine. The dullest component of “No Time to Die” is Rami Malek’s villain Safin. While Malek’s performance is solid enough, the script simply does not give enough to make him interesting or really worth caring about at all. The result is a third act that falls somewhat flat on a story level, though the set pieces, action scenes and emotional payoff mostly make up for it.

On the whole, “No Time to Die” is a decidedly unique entry in the Bond pantheon, even while staying true to most of the things that make Bond movies great. When it deviates from the usual, almost every risk it takes pays off, and through this combination of the classic and the unexpected, nearly every minute of the film’s runtime commands attention. Daniel Craig’s final run as James Bond will be remembered as one of the finest moments of his tenure, and most fans will be satisfied with his sendoff, even as speculation around his successor begins to mount.

CULTURE #VanLife Trend Takes Over the Internet Page 13

October 6, 2021

By ELISABETH MURRAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the Gabby Petito case took over the media this past month, a new spotlight has been cast on the so-called “#VanLife” trend. Petito and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, were a quintessential “van life” couple — they were young, good-looking and they actively posted about their extraordinary adventures. They pushed the very fantasy of excitement and freedom that has compelled young adults across the U.S. to participate in the trend for quite some time now.

“Van life” has been coined on social media to describe the adventuretourist lifestyle that involves living in a converted, self-sustained van to explore remote areas. Petito and Laundrie are just one example of an entire genre of influencers who glamorize and promote the minimalistic way of life in the name of simplicity and balance.

Van life dominates TikTok and Instagram as audiences are eager to watch these social media nomads go about their excursions. Videos of camper conversions and migratory

daily routines attract just as many likes as the sweeping landscapes and breathtaking horizons. Posts are usually accompanied with descriptive captions expressing how incredibly freeing the vagrant lifestyle is; going through a van life influencer’s Instagram page is like watching a scene out of “Nomadland.”

Halle Homel had been dreaming of this lifestyle ever since she came across a road trip Facebook post when she was 15. In the summer of 2019 Homel set off to follow her wanderlust dreams, hitting the road for a three month cross country road trip in her Kia Soul just three days after graduating college.

“Halfway through that trip, I knew I didn’t want to stop,” Homel said.

Once she returned home, she exchanged her Kia Soul for a van and traded her settled life in her hometown of Los Angeles for a nomadic journey all over the map — she has not looked back since. “Car repairs can definitely make you think twice,” Homel explained when asked if she had ever doubted her decision to live on the road. “But I’m so much hap-

pier on the road than living in one place.”

While the van life trend has been popular for years now, it has really taken off in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial van sales skyrocketed — with Mercedes sprinter vans increasing in sales by 26% in 2020 — and the subculture’s presence on social media has exploded. But what is it about van life that has drawn so many people to it?

Homel said the answer is quite simple, “remote work means people are realizing they don’t have to work in one location” but road-tripping in a van still provides a “home base” that is not as accessible in other forms of travel. Van life has served as a perfect balance of freedom to alleviate the stir-craziness of prolonged quarantine, while still allowing people to maintain some kind of stability that you can’t get “just living in a backpack and traveling abroad” Homel said.

However, despite the pleasing aesthetics and riveting tales of adventure, van life isn’t for everyone. Beyond the obvious difficulties that come with living on the road — long car rides,

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Halle Homel posted this picture of her decked out camper van on her Instagram @HallesWanderingSoul.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

This post is one of the 11.2 million posts under the #VanLife tag.

budgeting, strategic packing and having to find a new place to sleep every week — the nomadic way of life calls for fundamental lifestyle changes that can be hard to get used to. “In order to complete basic tasks it often takes a bunch of extra steps you wouldn’t have to worry about in a house,” Homel explained. For instance, limited access to water means you have to be mindful of how much you’re consuming. Cooking, showering and using the bathroom suddenly become much more complicated when you live in a van.

Becoming a social media trend has trivialized the trials and tribulations that come with van life by romanticizing the vagrant lifestyle with aesthetically pleasing posts and enthusiastic captions. The recent rise of the trend has also brought a new wave of criticism to vanlife influencers.

“A lot of people think people who live like this are automatically rich,” explained Homel, who works full

time. “Or they think that we’re lazy or that this is temporary and just for fun, but people live this way for a myriad of reasons, including financial insecurity.”

For Homel, like many others, vanlife is the happy medium that allows for travel without breaking the bank. “I wanted to travel, but I couldn’t if I was paying rent, so I chose to take my house with me instead.”

Social media isn’t real life. This sentiment has been repeated time and time again in the context of beauty standards and material flexes, but it applies to van life, too. Every popular van life TikTok and Instagram page is meticulously curated to show the highlights of each adventure without a look into nitty-gritty behind-thescenes circumstances.

Van life has its perks — but if you’re just intrigued by it because of what your favorite influencer is posting, then you should probably do a bit more research. It’s not just a trend, it’s a way of life.

In the Meantime: Listen to Alessia Cara’s Newest Album

BY JACQUELINE DELIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

At just 25 years old, Alessia Cara made a name for herself in the music industry. Her most popular songs “Here,” “Scars to Your Beautiful” and “Stay” ft.

Zedd are no strangers to the top of the charts. Within the past seven years, she became the first Canadian artist to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, performed on many late night shows and released three studio albums.

Her most recent release, “In the Meantime,” showcases Cara’s mixed emotions. The album takes the listener on a journey through Cara’s experience following a breakup. Listeners experience not just the singer’s sadness and pain, but how heartbreak is just another part of growing up. This album is the perfect sequel to her most recent album, “Pains of Growing.”

With that being said, I had high expectations for this album. I was

a big fan of “Pains of Growing.” It has some of my favorite songs on it. I did like “In the Meantime” the first time I listened to it, but after a while, I caught the songs blending together in my mind.

The first half of the album was stronger than the second half because it was more experimental, with different backing tracks and transitions between the chorus and verses.

I found that a few of the songs on the album sounded very similar to one another, and did not stand out as anything special.

Of course every album is going to have songs that you skip, but this album had more “skip” songs than I had hoped.

Quickly after I finished the album, I settled on my top three songs: “Lie to Me,” “Box in the Ocean” and “Bluebird.” These songs had the best storytelling, and Cara’s creativity shone through. Especially with her

1920s speakeasy vibes in “Bluebird,” I really felt the fun that she felt when writing these songs because she went outside the box with her vocals and the main beat of the song.

One thing that I always appreciated about Cara’s songwriting was how she never sugarcoats her experiences, but also does not make herself seem like a victim.

“In the Meantime” does an especially good job of recognizing her own unstable emotions. She is quick to call herself out in the song “Somebody Else” with the line “I fill blanks with my own pride/I tell myself you’re miserable without me.” It’s lyrics like these that make her songs extremely relatable to listeners, especially those going through heartbreak.

In general, I am impressed with Cara’s creativity on this album, and I think it is one of her most mature pieces to date, and really

shows her range as an artist. She has come a long way since the release of “Here,” and I am ex-

tremely excited to see what else she puts out in the future.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Alessia Cara’s album “In the Meantime” was released on Sept. 24, 2021.

CULTURE

Page 14

October 6, 2021

USG’s Keating Steps Showcases Fordham’s Performance Groups

BY AVA ERICKSON CULTURE EDITOR

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, the United Student Government (USG) hosted its annual “Keating Steps” event to showcase Fordham’s various performance based clubs. After both rain and the pandemic impacted last years Keating Steps, this year’s felt a lot more like the traditional event.

Over 200 students attended, gathering on Eddie’s with chairs and blankets to watch the showcase.

Expressions Dance Alliance, a

contemporary dance group, opened the show. They performed three numbers. The first two dances had more of a jazz and ballet influence, while the final dance was more experimental. The dances were all very well choreographed and cohesive — a great way to kick off the showcase.

The second group to perform was Fordham Flava, a hip hop dance group. They performed a medley of dances to pop songs, which made for an exciting performance that had the whole crowd cheering. Their first

COURTESY OF PATRICK BREEN / THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s Irish Dance Team, Sláinte, performed at Keating Steps.

dance, which was performed to “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, was especially fun as it included a lot of unique and upbeat choreography.

The b-Sides, Fordham’s oldest coed a cappella group, performed next.

Their rendition of “Chasing Pavements” by Adele and Eg White was incredibly beautiful. The Hot Notes, another co-ed a cappella group, took the stage next. As a jazz inspired group, they performed three popular songs, but added a jazz beat, making for a fun and funky set.

Sláinte, Fordham’s Irish dance company, performed fifth. They did several dances, including one to “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, which was a fun twist on traditional Irish dance.

The Satin Dolls, Fordham’s all female a cappella group, performed next.

Their set was beautiful and featured solos by Blake Mongno, FCRH ’22, and Olivia Eguia, FCRH ’22. Fordham’s all-male a cappella group, the Fordham Ramblers, also performed incredibly well at the showcase with solos by Jamie Barker, FCRH ’23, and Matthew Tobin, GSB ’22. Their rendition of “Rabid Animal” by Lake Street Drive was especially striking.

Both of these groups are now turning their attention to preparing for their performance at Radio City Music Hall on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6.

The Fordham Dance Co-op, an all-inclusive dance group, performed one hip-hop inspired dance. It was an upbeat, fun performance to “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott. Fordham’s

COURTESY OF AVA ERICKSON / THE FORDHAM RAM

Expressions Dance Alliance, a contemporary dance group, performed first.

ballet club, The Jetés, performed two dances. The first was a contemporary number featuring two female dancers, and the second was a solo male dancer performing a dance from The Nutcracker.

The final group to perform was the Fordham Dance Team, a perfect group to wrap up the show. They made great use of the “stage” coming down and spreading out on Keating Steps, celebrating Fordham University.

Overall, it was a great show. All of the groups performed well, and

it is clear we are in for a great year of shows and performances. What’s even more impressive is that for many of these groups, it was their first time performing for a live audience in over a year.

Patrick Breen, FCRH ’22, the co-president of Sláinte, said, “I don’t think we knew just how much we missed performing in front of a live audience until yesterday, but afterwards we were all grinning ear to ear. It’s been a full 18 months since we got to hear the cheers of a crowd.”

Editor’s Pick | Film

Hayao Miyazaki Is a Pioneer of Female Representation in Film

BY COLLETTE CAMPBELL DIGITAL PRODUCER

Studio Ghibli is Japan’s most acclaimed animation studio. Cofounded by five men in 1985, the studio seeks to tell over-the-top stories full of magic that draw in an audience. Yet, one of the founders stands above the rest

with the most recognizable name.

His name? Hayao Miyazaki.

Out of the five co-founders, Miyazaki is the only animator and artist. He hand-draws every scene for movies, and his studio has become well-known for his 2D style. He rose to international fame with “Spirited Away”

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Hayao Miyazaki is one of animation Studio Ghibli’s most famous directors.

(2001) after the film picked up awards around the globe, most notably Best Feature Film at the Academy Awards.

Although he and Studio Ghibli rose to fame in the 2000s, Miyazaki has been a pioneer in leading female representation in film since the 1980s. He created worlds full of feminist gravitas in male-dominated Hollywood.

Right off the bat, Miyazaki sets himself apart by creating films with relatable female protagonists. They are young women who are the leaders of their own stories. Many of his movies are fantastical and incredibly imaginative. Still, at the heart of them, the journeys the protagonists go on capture the very nature of our world’s life journeys too. In “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989), Kiki, a 13-year-old witch, has to start her formal witch training by going away from home for a year.

Although Kiki lives in a world of magic, this movie tackles the idea of independence and finding one’s way at a young age. “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988) takes us on a journey of two sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who encounter a woodland spirit, namely, Totoro, in their new home in the countryside. Since their mother is sick in the hospital, Satsuki becomes the primary caretaker of her younger sister while her dad works. This movie is intriguing because the sisters only encounter Totoro without adults around, keeping

the curiosity of a child present while Satsuki has to grow up faster than anticipated.

While these young women are journeying through their lives, it’s important to note what they are wearing. Since Miyazaki makes the young women relatable, it makes sense that he would have them wear realistic clothing too.

In “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (1984), Nausicaä, the protagonist, wears a protective, durable jumpsuit to ride her glider safely. Sheeta in “Castle in the Sky” (1986) starts the film in a dress and quickly transitions to outfits with pants as she is always on the move. These subtle details make the protagonists that much more personable. Along with this, they aren’t decorated with fancy jewelry or faces full of makeup.

Having young women who aren’t defined by their physical appearance gives viewers space to focus on their characteristics, shifting the mindset of wanting to look like the protagonist to wanting to be like the protagonist.

What makes Miyazaki’s films so distinct, though, is the absence of male saviors. An intentional decision on his part, Miyazaki’s protagonists often have a male companion who aids her on her journey but never saves her. In “Whisper of the Heart” (1995), our lead girl Shizuku, who adores books, meets Seiji, a violin maker who wants to follow his dreams and learn how to make violins in

Italy. While Shizuku takes to Seiji, her affection for him never turns her weak but inspires her to take on a task she has always wanted to do: write a book. “Princess Mononoke” (1997) displays fierce loyalty between San and Ashitaka from their first meeting. Time and time again, the two work together to save nature from human-induced environmental disasters. San spent her whole life doing this, and Ashitaka comes into the storyline to support her.

To Miyazaki, men and women are equal. Just as the clothing colors and choices are subtle details, so are the character designs. In most of the films, the protagonist and her friend are the same height. If there is a difference, it’s not over exaggerated, but normal.

Even though they’re animated, they’re relatable. Miyazaki’s films have always provided stories of female independence, even when it was not as easily recognizable. As Miyazaki said, “Many of my movies have strong female leads — brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.”

If you’re looking for independent women in films, look no further. Studio Ghibli can provide you with the realness within the magic of it all.

October 6, 2021

ADVERTISEMENT

Page 15

thefordhamram.com

Follow Us! thefordhamram.com @thefordhamram Instagram and Twitter

The Fordham Ram

SPORTS Women’s Tennis Opens Season at Northeast Championships

Page 16

By ALEXANDER WOLZ SPORTS EDITOR

The fall season is officially underway for Fordham Women’s Tennis as they competed in this past weekend’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional Championship at Army West Point.

The four-day event opened with the Round of 128 as a single elimination competition, headlined by the doubles pairing of senior Valeria Deminova and sophomore Eleni Fasoula advancing into Day three’s round of 16.

The competition started on day one with Fordham fielding five different athletes into the singles competition. The win came from junior Avery Aude over opponent Sienna College’s Emma Boggiali, 6–4, 6–3.

Aude, who went 11–9 as a freshman, earning her title of Atlantic 10

Rookie of the Week honors once, returns to the team after missing out on the 2020-21 season.

Another returning player was junior Rachelle Yang who saw her first action since compiling a 2–7 record during her freshman year.

Yang fell to UConn’s Aleksandra Karamyshev in straight sets, 6–4, 6–2.

Carlota Casasampere Escoda, a newcomer to Fordham from Cali State University, Long Beach transfer won a first set tiebreaker en route to a 7–6 (4), 6–4 finish. The Hispanic player has not competed since the 2018–19 season, when she posted a positive 9–6 record in singles matches. She will look to bring the same productivity to the Bronx as the season progresses.

Rounding out the singles results, senior Nicole Li was defeated by Bryant University’s Leanne Ken-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women's Tennis started its fall season with a few positive performances.

dall in straight sets, 6–2, 6–3 and Deminova moved forward with a bye. Deminova got an early look at a conference opponent on day two, as UMass’s Danielle Hack rolled past her 6–2, 6–1. Escoda fell in similar fashion, 6–2, 6–0, and Aude put up a fight against Yale’s Mirabelle Bretkelly in the closest contest of the bunch, a 6–3, 6–7 (6), [10-5] defeat.

Fordham saw much greater success in doubles, as Deminova and Fasoula rolled past day one with an 8–6 victory. So too did the pairing of Li and Aude, winning 8–4 themselves.

The road stopped on day two for the latter, but Deminova and Fasoula moved on to day three, where the Rams' time at West Point ended at the hands of opponents Leonie Hoppe and Julieanne Bou. This was Fordham’s first competitive action of the fall season in the short turnaround after this year’s spring campaign that culminated in a second round exit at the Atlantic 10 Championship. Fordham will hope to surpass that mark this season but have a long way to go until they get there, as Coach Sowter stated, noting he wanted to hopes to remember how to play fall tennis again.

The Rams' next competition on the court comes this weekend with their first home match against Wagner College. Fans will be filling the hill this weekend as homecoming matches like these are expected to bring large crowds That bout on Saturday at 11 a.m. will be followed bySunday's matinee against St. Francis College.

Water Polo Finishes 5–1 on West Coast Trip

By JACK ROCHE STAFF WRITER

Fordham Water Polo’s west coast trip has officially concluded, as they return to New York going 5–1 on the weekend. They faced off against the University of Redlands Bulldogs and Mt. San Antonio College Mounties on Thursday night, followed by the Gary Troyer Tournament, where they played four more times.

The 16th ranked Rams opened up against Redlands with six consecutive goals en route to a 12–6 victory. Freshman Jacopo Parrella took the lead in this one with three goals and three assists to go with a pair of steals.

In its second contest on Thursday, Fordham took an early lead on Mt. San Antonio and refused to look back. By the third period, its lead had grown to an impressive 14–2, which resulted in a final score of 18–6.

On Friday, it captured two more wins. Quite possibly the most exciting match of the season was against Cal Lutheran University, which went down to the wire. Knotted at 9–9 in the final moments of regulation, freshman driver George Papanikolaou put the Rams on top through a score with just nine seconds on the clock.

This success carried into the day’s second match, when the Rams bested Westcliff University in the evening. This match was also a close one, with Fordham only leading 6–4 at the half. However, Fordham grabbed four of the five goals in the third quarter to take a 10–5 advantage, leading to a 13–6 final score. Fresh-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Water Polo again demonstrates their dominance this time in the West Coast.

man driver and reigning MidAtlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Rookie of the Week, Lucas Nieto Jasny led the offense with three goals, four assists and three steals. This marks the third straight week that the Rookie of the Week award has gone to a Fordham player, which previously went to George Papanikolaou and Jacopo Parrella.

On Saturday, the Rams split its two matches. Fordham’s 14–11 win over Whittier College served as the team’s tenth straight victory. However, this streak came to an end against seventh ranked California State University, Long Beach. Fordham led 4–3 after the opening period, but LBSU gained a 6–5 edge in the second, which it comfortably controlled, handing the Rams a 12–6 loss. In total, the Rams finished the Gary Troyer Tournament with a 3–1 record.

Co-captain Hans Zdolsek had much to say about the West Coast trip and how far the team has

come this season.

“Going to California and playing six games over a three-day period taught us a lot as a team.

With the talent that we have this year, there is no doubt that we have the capacity to be a top contender in our conference on the east coast, and I would even argue nationally – which we managed to show in our last game in California against the seventh-ranked Long Beach.”

Fordham officially wrapped up its tournament play, with the bulk of the remaining schedule being in the conference. With nine of its final 11 games in the MAWPC, the Rams currently boast a perfect 3–0 record. Next, they host Mount St. Mary’s University at the Francis B. Messmore Aquatics Center on Friday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. Fordham’s next five bouts will be played in the Bronx, with an impressive 14–4 record on the season, having played just one home match in 2021.

October 6, 2021

Volleyball Falls to 0-3 in Conference

By GIGI SPEER STAFF WRITER

With Saturday’s loss to Saint Louis University, Fordham Volleyball drops to 3–11 overall and 0–3 in the Atlantic 10. They dropped all three sets to the Billikens, 15–25, 20–25 and 15–25 and had 18 errors against the hosts’ 12 kills.

Sophomore Whitley Moody led the offense with 10 kills, while junior middle blockers Aria De La Rosa and Isabel Fichtel added five and four, respectively, of their own. De La Rosa also had three blocks.

“SLU had a very strong service game and played scrappy defense that helped them to top us,” Moody stated.

Junior libero Mallory Lipski added 17 digs and an ace, while freshman Ryan Naumann had seven digs in her first start. That versatility was something else that stood out to Moody.

“Our game this past Saturday taught our team a lot about our abilities to adapt under pressure and to come together as a team when we are struggling to execute our game plan.

We have been spending a lot of time off the court developing our communication skills and we are seeing positive results of this during our conference matches,” Moody added.

Fordham hopes those positive results will translate into victories.

Looking forward to their next A-10 matchups, Fordham will host George Washington University and George Mason University on Friday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., respectively.

Moody is excited about what's to come, hoping that an exciting return home is just what the team needs to succeed. “We have a solid practice plan in place for the next few days and are looking forward to beating the Georges this weekend during Homecoming Weekend!”

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Volleyball suffered a straight sets loss to the Billikens in Saint Louis.

UCL Matchday Two Recap

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Last week, the Champions League resumed with its second matchday of the group stages where two of the all-time greats made their mark in their games.

Group A provided the clash fans were waiting for: Paris Saint Germain (PSG) against Manchester City, including PSG's big trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. The Parisians beat City 2–0, with Messi scoring his first club goal with his new squad to get their first win in this year’s group stage. In the other match, Club Brugge beat RB Leipzig 2–1 to give them the three points.

Nicknamed "the group of death," Group B saw goals galore in Liverpool versus Porto. The Reds thrashed Porto 5–1. As for the other match, Atletico Madrid won 2–1 against AC Milan in the final minutes with a controversial penalty that was slotted home by striker Luis Suarez.

Borussia Dortmund continued their winning ways by beating Sporting 1–0. Ajax did the same, winning 2–0 against Besiktas.

Sheriff continued their fairytale Champions League debut by beating 13-time champions Real Madrid, 2–1. Sheriff got the winner in the 89th minute, courtesy of Sebastian Thill. Inter Milan tied with Shakhtar Donetsk 0–0.

Bayern Munich continued cruising with a 5–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in which striker Robert Lewandoski scored a brace.

Barcelona lost again to Benfica, 3–0. One of the most iconic clubs in the world is now last in their

group. It sounds unimaginable.

Atalanta beat BSC Young Boys 1–0 to get all three points in Group F. However, the main match was Villareal against Manchester United. The last time they faced off was in the summer where United lost 1–1 (11–10) on penalties in the Europa League final.

In this match, Villareal scored the opener, and it seemed as if they were going to win. However, United equalized in the 60th minute with Alex Telles scoring a wonderful volley into the right-hand corner. Just as the whistle was about to blow at the end of the game, United found a winner. Of course, it came from striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

In group G, Sevilla drew against Wolfsburg 1–1 while RB Salzburg beat Lille 2–1. In the final group, Group H, Juventus beat Champions League winners Chelsea 1–0. The lone goal of the match was courtesy of Frederico Chiesa within seconds of the second half ’s beginning. Zenit beat Malmo with a comfortable scoreline of 4–0.

The group standings are starting to shape up after two matchdays. The third matchday is not for a while due to the international break, coming on the week of Oct. 17. The matches to watch are Liverpool against Atletico Madrid and Sheriff against Inter Milan.

With the group stages already one-third of the way done, several teams are now in a must win position to qualify for the knockout rounds. If these first two match days are any indication of what is to come, expect matchday three to have twists and turns as another exciting edition of the Champions League continues.

SPORTS

October 6, 2021

Page 17

The NBA’s Vaccine Problem

By ALEXANDER WOLZ SPORTS EDITOR

One of the most surprising things about sports’ evolution amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been its acceptance of the vaccine. There were serious concerns about whether athletes would get vaccinated, what the requirements for fans would be, and everything in between.

Instead, things have been largely a success. A significant majority of NFL organizations have over 90% of their personnel vaccinated, a number that will only continue to increase considering the league’s strict protocol differences. Major League Baseball, which was criticized for its handling of the pandemic a year ago and faced its fair share of controversy surrounding events like the All-Star Game, brought 23 of its teams above the 85% benchmark to create more lenient COVID-19 protocols. Even NCAA schools have set an example for vaccination rates, with the entirety of their programs vaccinated to create as seamless a playing experience as possible.

With all that in mind, it is a surprise that the NBA, widely viewed as the country’s most progressive sports league, is facing the biggest vaccination hurdles yet. Yes, the league’s numbers are

comparable to others, with 95% of players vaccinated, and those leagues have their outspoken opponents, none bigger than the Buffalo Bills’ Cole Beasley.

But something feels different about the NBA, contrary to the league’s stance itself.

Much of that is because the NBA is centered around personalities, with players’ lives off the court tracked as closely as those on it. So when people like Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving are revealed to be unvaccinated, it is not just a side note; it is the story. That is especially the case in places like Brooklyn and San Francisco, where their ability to play is put in jeopardy.

Those states require all individuals to be vaccinated when entering indoor venues. Sports arenas are no exception, and neither are players. So, when a player like Kyrie Irving is unvaccinated, the issue is not a matter of politics or personal decision but of playing time and availability. Were Irving to stay unvaccinated, he would miss 41 of the season’s 82 games. And he does not seem to have a problem with that.

As a result, like the NFL, the NBA has begun instituting much stricter rules, or more accurately, consequences, for the unvac-

cinated. Now, those like Irving will face fines for each game they miss equivalent to 1/96th of a player’s salary, in addition to not being paid for those absences. So, throughout an entire season, an unvaccinated player would lose 42.6% of their salary. For Irving, that is $14.9 million. And he does not seem to care about that either.

There are those like Andrew Wiggins who have received the vaccine because of this. Simply put, Wiggins said, “The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA.” He chose the former, hoping that decision does not hurt him in the long run. He continued, “If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do. Hopefully, there’s a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them.” Other vaccinated players, like LeBron James, the face of the NBA, have also hesitated to endorse it.

The issue plaguing the NBA stems from the very politics it embraces. In some cases, such as discrimination or social injustice, that can be a positive. But, in this scenario, it turns out to be the opposite, as those like Irving and Wiggins turn the COVID-19 vac-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Irving is the leading name behind those yet to receive the vaccine in the NBA.

cine into a political statement.

Ultimately, that should not be the case. For the NBA, like other sports, it is merely a matter of doing what an employer, or more specifically a state, requires and what gives one’s team the best chance to win. Irving would place his team at a severe disadvantage if he stays unvaccinated at a time when winning an NBA Finals should be their only priority.

But, for Irving, that may not be the priority. As talented a basketball player as he is, in recent years, the sport has not seemed his primary focus. Whether in press conferences or practices, Irving’s mind has strayed away from the court and into matters of much more import to him. That is not necessarily an issue, as sports have become much bigger than

the game on the court, and in some cases, it has been very beneficial to his community. Irving’s contributions there cannot be ignored. But, he must understand the consequences here.

At this point, one has to think that he does, meaning that a trade or perhaps even retirement are not unreasonable conclusions. Wiggins did not want to reach those; maybe Irving does.

Because if he stays unvaccinated, he has no place with his team.

Time will tell which direction he ultimately goes, but basketball has already begun, and Irving is not a part of it. The NBA has enough names, though, that they will not lose sleep over it.

It seems neither will Irving. And there is nothing wrong with that either way.

Nestor Cortes Jr.’s Rise to Stardom with the Yankees

By LAUREN MONDARULI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

New York Yankees star pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. made the 2021 season worth watching. Cortes has racked up many memorable games during his third season in the Bronx. He has been playing in the majors since 2018, but he is only getting his name out there now.

Cortes was born in Cuba and moved to the United States at seven months old. He played baseball throughout high school and in college for Florida International University. He was part of the 2013 MLB Draft, where he was the Yankees’ 36th overall pick. Cortes did not get to the dugout right away, playing for the Yankees’ rookie team in the Gulf.

Cortes stayed with the Yankees until 2017 when the Baltimore Orioles selected him. Spring rolled around and Cortes finally had his moment. He pitched relief on March 31, 2018. The 2018 Cortes is unrecognizable from his 2021 self. He gave up two walks, two singles and a double in just two innings, which brought in a run for Minnesota.

After a disappointing season, Cortes made his way back to the Yankees. This time around though, Cortes played 33 games, starting one of those. Cortes moved again in 2020, going all

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Nestor Cortes Jr. has been one of the most surprising pitcher not only for the Yankees, but across the MLB this season.

the way to Seattle to pitch five games for the Mariners to a 15.26 ERA. It is fair to say Cortes was not feeling it on the West Coast.

In 2021, he made his way back to his roots in New York, where he is now thriving and having a career-best season.

Starting 2021 in Detroit and ending the regular season back home, Cortes has obviously made himself comfortable on the mound. His first major moment this season was in July at Houston. Cortes started there and pitched 4.2 innings with two strikeouts and gave up zero runs.

Not only was this huge for his personal goals, but for the Yankees’ too, with the Astros 2017

World Series cheating scandal fresh in their minds.

Cortes’ teammates made the veteran feel at home in August.

Many players wore a “Nasty Nestor” T-shirt to the pregame practice to show their appreciation for his contributions this season. This shirt sealed the deal for Cortes. In an interview with the Daily News, Cortes said, “It’s awesome. I feel like I said to my friends, ‘when you get a shirt, it’s like you finally made it.’” As small as a T-shirt seems, it also gave fans a new nickname, “Nasty Nestor.” It is perfect for him.

Nasty Nestor continued starting all his games in the regular season, making his way into the

rotation for good. Manager Aaron Boone shared with the Daily News how he was not expecting Cortes to become a backbone for the Bronx Bombers, but it is just

how it all worked out.

Boone went on to talk about how 2021 Cortes differs from 2019 Cortes and how big of a difference there really is, stating, “I think the difference between ’19 and now is he’s a better pitcher.

He’s just got a better delivery, better command and crisper stuff. He’s been good for us all year.” Cortes has not had a oneoff game during the 2021 season.

He has gotten himself in tricky situations but always managed to get out of them safely.

Cortes finished off the season at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. He gave up two runs and picked up five strikeouts across 4.2 innings. That made his season ERA 2.90, a career low.

Cortes is not new to the majors, but the entire ballgame has changed with him pitching the way he has.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

SPORTS

Page 18

News & Notes Football Claims Player of the Week Honors After a massive win against Lafayette College this past Saturday to open Patriot League play, Fordham Football had another two players named to the Patriot League Player of the Week arsenal. First was fifth year running back Trey Sneed, who shined in his season debut with a career-high 147 yards on his 23 carries. The Rams’ kicker, Nick Leinenwebber, was also recognized after drilling two field goals and all four PATs to stay perfect on the season.

13 Athletes Enter Scholar Athlete List Each year, Easton and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association recognize student-athletes who earn a cumulative 3.5 GPA or higher across the academic year. After taking a hiatus last season, Easton and NFCA returned by recognizing a record number of athletes — 8,800 — this time around, including 13 Rams: Madie Aughinbaugh, Aubree Barney, Kelly Bright, Brielle Cerchio, Rachel Hubertus, Julia Martine, Makenzie McGrath, Julia Petrovich, Brianna Pinto, Anne Marie Prentiss, Gianna Ranieri, Gigi Speer and Sarah Taffet.

Fordham Will Induct New Hall of Fame Members to Kick Off Homecoming

October 6, 2021

Varsity Scores & Stats Water Polo Gary Troyer Tournament Fordham California Lutheran J. Parrella: 5 G, 3 S

10 9

Fordham Westcliff

N. Jasny: 3 G, 4 A, 3 S

13 6

Fordham Whittier N. Jasny: 4 G, 3 A, 2 S

14 11

Fordham 6 Long Beach State 12 G. Papanikolau: 3 G, 1 A

Fordham Redlands J. Parrella: 3 G, 23A, 2 S

12 6

Fordham Mt. San Antonio S. Knoflick: 4 G, 1 A, 2 S

18 6

Women’s Soccer Davidson 0 Fordham 1 M. Bornstein: 1 S, 1 SOG, 1 G Fordham 1 Rhode Island 2 S. Groton: 2 S, 1 SOG, 1 G

Volleyball Fordham 0 Saint Louis

3 W.Moody: 10 K, 4 DIG Men’s Soccer Fordham Saint Louis N. Buchholz: 9 SV

0 2

Football Fordham 42 Lafayette 41 T. Sneed: 147 yds, 2 TD Women’s Tennis Northeast Championships Deminova/Fasoula: RD 16

–Compiled by Michael Hernandez

This Thursday, Oct. 7, Fordham Athletics will honor the members of the 2021 Hall of Fame under the Homecoming Tent. This year’s 13 inductees include Joe Runco, Ali Arat, Ted Bonanno, Abigail Corning, Erin Rooney, Jocelyn Dearborn, Jay Fazande, Ryan Meara, Caitlin Napoli, Mike Nebrich, Ralph Rios, Joe McGovern and Joe Moglia. In addition, Fordham will present the annual Victory Bell award to Sister Anne along with the Constantino, Lumelleau and Zizzo families for their contributions to the Football program.

Cross Country to Compete in Metropolitan Invitational Fordham Cross Country will embark on the biggest tournament of its regular season with this weekend’s Metropolitan Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. It is the Rams’ second home seet of the season, as they finished third in the Fordham Fiasco. The men will put their natural progression to the test, improving from fifth in the year’s opening event to first at last weekend’s Jasper Invite. Back in 2019, the women had one of their season’s best finishes here in second, with the men claiming the top spot themselves.

–Compiled by Alexander Wolz PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Faces Guiding Men’s Tennis’ Future

By MILES GROSSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Men’s Tennis head coach Mike Sowter has been promoted to director of tennis and head coach of the women’s team, leaving a temporary void in the men’s program. The search for a replacement is nearing its end but will likely last through the fall preseason. In the meantime, Coach Sowter will continue to act as head coach while Athletic Director Ed Kull and his associates find a new leader for the program.

Fordham’s roster has some great additions, in particular a transfer from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, junior Toi Kobayashi. He attended IMG academy, the athletic powerhouse in Bradenton, Florida, where the WNBA bubble was held during the 2020 season. Kobayashi had an extremely impressive career on the junior circuits, reaching #750 in the International Tennis Federation’s rankings. Kobayashi played high school tennis with former Fordham Men’s Tennis standout Lutwin de Macar, who graduated from Fordham last May. Both were internationally ranked juniors who were recruited to join IMG from Japan and Belgium, respectively.

In keeping with the theme of formidable international talent, freshman Pierre Boullenger out of Paris’ All in Academy was set

to join the team this year but has elected to sit out of the fall season in preparation for his transfer to UC Santa Barbara. He was recently offered a scholarship by the Gaucho’s, and with Fordham’s lack of scholarships, the decision was made for him.

The 6’ 3” Frenchman climbed to #1112 in the ITF’s junior rankings at his highest point, which considering the sheer volume of competitive junior tennis players in the world, is world-class for his age.

Another new face is power-five junior transfer Giorgio Soemarno out of Oregon. He will be forced to sit out this season, without losing eligiblity, after he was deemed academically ineligible. Soemarno transferred to the Gabelli School of Business whose requirements differ from Oregon’s. After transferring, he was in violation of the NCAA’s “progress toward degree rule,” which mandates every student athlete must have completed at least 40% of their degree by the end of their sophomore year.

Soemarno was also wellschooled on the junior circuit, training at Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, California, and he peaked at #855 on ITF’s junior rankings.

Like all internationally ranked players, Soemarno’s life has revolved around his tennis. Originally born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Soemarno moved to California to attend Weil Prep School, an elite

boarding school and tennis academy.

The team will look to build on what Sowter had brewing over the past few years. The team achieved the sort of success that was unprecedented in recent history prior to his arrival, and his absence will surely be felt. While Sowter might not be hands-on this year, he is still responsible for recruiting this year’s group and snatching up all the international talent seen throughout the roster.

In fact, eight out of nine currently rostered players were not born in the United States. The only U.S.-born player on the roster this year is sophomore Rhett Bailey from Dallas, Texas. While many of Fordham’s international players played high school tennis in the U.S., having this many experienced players from South America, Asia and Europe is exceptionally rare, and bodes well for the squad’s prospects during the spring season.

This past Saturday, Fordham drove up the Hudson River to Marist College in Poughkeepsie for a scrimmage match. They will continue preseason play this Saturday as they head to Staten Island to face Wagner College.

Sunday they will play a doubleheader, first at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York at 10 a.m. and then come home to face Franklin Pierce University in the afternoon.

Where Will the Bears Go?

By GRACE COYNE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Recent developments in the Chicago Bears’ stadium plans raise debate about the local government’s investment in the city’s sports venues. This past week, the Bears signed a contract to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property, an agreement valued at $197.2 million.

This property could be a potential new site for the Bears stadium as they consider a move away from Chicago. While the Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, this new Arlington Heights property has many of its own advantages.

As reported by Front Office Sports’ Justin Byers, “Chicago city officials have insisted that the Bears could remain at Soldier Field as the team’s lease runs through 2033, according to WGN News. However, the team would be forced to pay $84 million to the city if the lease is broken in 2026.”

This $84 million would go to the city as the Chicago Park District currently owns the stadium.

Even so, taxpayers may have to pay for the Bears’ leave of absence because of the team’s deferred debt. A report from the “Illinois Policy” said, “Last year, the debt service payment was $46.5 million. By 2032, when the Bears existing contract expires, that annual payment on deferred debt will

have ballooned to $86.9 million.”

This adds to the ongoing argument of whether state legislatures should pay for stadiums as a source of revenue and economic growth. Since the government of the city of New Orleans paid for the Saints stadium, the MercedesBenz Superdome, critics blamed the government for spending funds on public projects rather than flood protections following Hurricane Katrina. While people could seek refuge in the stadium, the money could have been allocated to measures preventing homelessness in the wake of the hurricane.

The Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot, wants to try to keep the Bears in the city, but is she willing to spend much in taxpayer dollars to support the Bears at Soldier Field? Not really.

Byers says, “The Bears are in talks for renovations at Soldier Field with the Chicago Park District, owner of the historic stadium. Its 2001-2003 renovation cost a reported $733 million, including $432 million in taxpayer dollars.”

If those numbers are any indication, today’s renovations will be even more expensive. And if Lightfoot is not intending to use taxpayer money to fund it, then the Bears may not be in Chicago much longer. Now, they have a new home in Arlington as a potential replacement.

SPORTS

October 6, 2021

Page 19

Women’s Soccer Splits A-10 Conference Games

By KALEY BELL

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It was a lively game this past Thursday as Fordham fans stood in the stands, cheering on the Rams as they went head-to-head with the Davidson Wildcats. The game was played in the name of PRIDE, celebrating inclusivity and respect.

Rainbow sunglasses were handed out as a symbol of these values.

Fordham won, 1–0.

The win solidified the team’s strength and confidence that has been building over previous weeks.

Within the first few minutes of the game, Fordham seized the lead. In the 16th minute, fifth year midfielder Milan Bornstein headed the ball into the goal, scoring the match’s one and only goal. This marked Bornstein’s third goal of the season.

On the other side, sophomore goalkeeper Serena Mensah was excellent and had her first career shutout, standing out with three saves and leaving the Wildcats scoreless.

It was also Mensah’s first career win as a Ram. After the win, Fordham geared up to face its next opponent, knowing that it would be a tough match.

With home-field advantage, the University of Rhode Island bested the Rams. It was an even contest throughout and it took until the end for URI to get the win.

Scoring did not occur until the second half of the game, and it came in a hurry. In the 70th minute, senior defender Claudia Cuicani assisted the game’s first goal to sophomore defender Schae Groton, the first of her career.

Just four minutes later, Rhode Island answered back, with a goal from junior forward Brooke Cavino. The game stayed deadlocked from there, with both teams fighting to claim the advantage.

In the last five minutes of the game, however, Cavino scored again for Rhode Island, as the ball narrowly missed Mensah’s fingertips, securing the win, 2–1.

Despite the loss, head coach Jessica Clinton is ready to keep pushing forward. She said, “We are certainly frustrated with the outcomes of our games but not discouraged. Our play has been very good for a majority of games, but it has been the mistakes that have unfortunately been costly for us.”

Fordham will look to put those mistakes behind them on Jack Coffey Field on Sunday, October.

10 against Saint Joseph’s University.

With only five games to go until the conference tournament, the women’s soccer team is looking to close the season out strong.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams beat Atlantic 10 rivals Davidson in a 1-0 thriller.

Athletes of the Week Trey Sneed Fifth Year Football Following its 42–41 victory against Lafayette, the Rams have opened up Patriot League play 1–0. The Rams rode its backfield to the win, headlined by fifth year running back Trey Sneed. Sneed found the house twice and rumbled for 147 yards on 23 carries. With the high volume, Sneed was able to remain highly efficient with 6.4 yards per carry and earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Honors.

Milan Bornstein Fifth Year Women’s Soccer

In Sports, Cash is Always King

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

As a lifelong sports fan, I’ve grown up watching every sport there is.

Baseball, football, basketball – name it and I’ve probably seen it. As I’ve grown older, I decided to stick with soccer and Formula 1. Both of these sports are my favorites.

On one hand, soccer is the best sport in the world. It is the most popular and so much can happen.

For Formula 1, it is the fastest and most technologically advanced as cars are pushed to their limits.

In recent years, one trend has started to appear that slightly worries me. In both sports, there have been decisions that give the impression that the leagues and teams are more focused on money rather than the sport itself. In soccer, you can look at the proposed Super League as an example, while for a club the same can be said about Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and even Manchester City, to a lesser extent.

In Formula 1, you can look at the number and location of races. It is an expensive sport. Each car costs millions of dollars. Each team alone has millions to play with as they try to make the fastest car possible to win the championship. For example, a couple of years ago, Mercedes’ budget was around $300–400 million while Williams’, who had the slowest car, was less than half at around $130 million.

But that’s not why I said Formula 1 is focused on money. They actually proposed and introduced a budget cap that limits what the higher teams can spend and is meant to bridge the gap between the teams. Instead, my belief is based on where they race.

Last year, Formula 1 was planning to race in Australia. This was back in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to rise. When the paddock arrived, there were questions about if the race should even be allowed to continue. When asked about this during the pre-race conference, aired in the “Drive to Survive” Netflix documentary, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton simply replied: “Cash is king.”

Ultimately, the race was canceled and all races in 2020 were closed to spectators, but the point was made.

In addition to that, Formula 1 is racing in countries with questionable histories. Bahrain, Hungary, Russia and now Qatar are examples. Qatar is a country that uses slave labor, specifically in the construction of the

upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hamilton himself has spoken out, specifically on Instagram, about human rights abuses in Bahrain stressing the need for F1 to not ignore the issues in the countries that they visit.

For soccer, the recent Super League was an example of that “Cash is king” mantra. The Super League had 12 founding members.

The initial six clubs from England were Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. From Spain, it was Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The three Italian teams were Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan. It would have replaced the Champions League as the primary European competition, with the best teams playing there instead. Each club would have received around $400 million per year.

Within 48 hours of its inception, the league was killed due to immense backlash from fans, pundits, players and even coaches. This would have ruined soccer as we know it because the top clubs would only get richer and richer while the other clubs would suffer. They would ignore the other competitions such as their domestic leagues and cups. It would also remove an essential part of international soccer: relegation.

The founding clubs could never be removed regardless of performance, which could deny better teams the chance to compete.

As for the clubs themselves, both PSG and City have had a massive financial injection due to their owners. In the past decade, both clubs have had a net spend of over $1.4 billion in transfers. City broke the record for an English player in signing foward Jack Grealish for a whopping $129 million. PSG paid FC Barcelona $244 million for Neymar, while also spending $159 million on

foward Kylian Mbappe. None of this includes the free signing of star Lionel Messi, who will be paid around $41 million annually. That is around $400 million in transfer fees on two players alone. Do not get me wrong, they have talent, and transfer prices have been increasing in recent years, but my point still stands.

Now, PSG received multiple offers for Mbappe from Real Madrid that eventually rose to around $230 million. PSG declined them despite the fact that Mbappe’s contract ends next year and will be able to leave on a free transfer. Let that sink in: PSG turned down a $230 million offer and will most likely lose him for free next year anyway. They simply do not care.

Despite all of that talent, these teams are not infallible. In any given match, anything can happen and any team can win. In this year’s Champions League, PSG drew to Club Brugge, a result no one expected.

And in their domestic league, they lost 2–0 to Rennes. Also, in the Champions League, Sheriff won its first two games in its inaugural trip to the Champions League. A club that everyone expected to finish bottom of their group is now leading it with six points against the 13 time Champion League winners and Inter Milan, defending Serie A champions. Sports are for the fans, whose passion cannot be articulated. As long as we remember that, the sports that we love to watch will continue to prosper.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

PSG’s attack of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe is one of soccer’s most expensive trios.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Men’s Soccer

Wednesday Oct. 6 Davidson 7 P.M.

Thursday Oct. 7

Friday Oct. 8

Saturday Oct. 9 George Mason 7 P.M.

George Washington 5 P.M.

Men’s Tennis

Wagner College 9 A.M.

Women’s Tennis

Wagner College 11 A.M.

Water Polo

Mount St. Mary 7 P.M.

Wagner College 1 P.M.

Football

Milan Bornstein scored the only goal in Fordham’s 1–0 win over Davidson to help secure the Rams’ first conference victory in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Bornstein scored the goal in the 15th minute of the game and was able to hold serve as the only goal scored in the game. Bornstein adds to her goal total with three on the season, second on the team.

Cross Country

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

Women’s Rowing

George Washington 11 A.M.

Metropolitan Championship 11:30 A. M. St. Johns 10 A.M.

Softball Head of the Housatonic

Monday Oct. 11

Tuesday Oct. 12 Hofstra 7 P.M.

St. Josephs 1 P.M. George Mason 1 P.M.

Women’s Soccer Volleyball

Sunday Oct. 10

Adelphi 10 A.M.

Franklin Pierce 3 P.M.

St. Francis 11 A.M.

Page 20

SPORTS

October 6, 2021

The Fordham Ram

Football Opens Patriot League Play with Win Over Lafayette Leopards

By DYLAN BALSAMO MANGAGING EDITOR

Fordham Football had a brutally tough non-conference schedule to begin 2021. Losses to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents University of Nebraska and Florida Atlantic University left them 1–3 to begin their season. However, the upside of this start to the season is that by the time conference play began, they were battle-tested and ready to dive in.

The maroon and white played their first game of the Patriot League season on Saturday against Lafayette College at Fisher Stadium Pennsylvania and pulled out a decisive 42–41 victory within the final 30 seconds. Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat was the hero of the afternoon, rushing the ball from the Lafayette two-yard line into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown and adding another outstanding moment to his already illustrious Fordham career. The Rams then stopped an attempted Hail Mary pass by the Leopards to secure the lead as the final whistle sounded.

The victory is the second in two weeks for the Rams and concludes a five-game stretch to start the season that featured four road games, including the past three. It puts them at 1–0 in the Patriot League and 2–3 overall.

DeMorat led the way by throwing for 305 yards, throwing a touchdown pass and then running in the aforementioned game-winner. This was the sixth game of DeMorat’s career in which he threw for at least 300 yards.

The team collectively had a seasonhigh in offensive yardage, with 519.

Defensively, the Rams recorded four sacks and stopped five third down

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham's defense held on just long enough for the offense to put away the Leopards to start conference competition.

conversions. Senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen recorded nine tackles on Saturday and was well on his way to recording double-digit tackles for a fifth consecutive game when he injured himself on the second half kickoff, thus pulling him from the remainder of the game.

While the Rams only held possession of the ball for a total of 24:45, they made the most of the time they were on offense, especially in the first quarter. On the opening drive of the afternoon, Fordham brought the ball from its own 27-yard line into the Leopards’ end zone in just four plays, completed by a four-yard touchdown run by fifthyear running back Trey Sneed.

That score was the first of two in the game for Sneed, who was seeing his first playing time of the year. Along with the two touchdowns, Sneed had 147 rushing yards on 23 carries.

On the very next possession, the Rams got things done quickly again.

Fordham junior running back Trey Wilson ran into the end zone to record another Fordham touchdown, completing a nine play, 74-yard drive that began back at the Lafayette 24yard line. Fordham needed only 5:10 with the football on its first two drives to make the game 14–0 and give the Leopards a huge deficit to overcome for the remainder.

However, Lafayette responded on its next drive and made a rather big splash. Leopards’ wide receiver Julius Young caught a 46-yard pass from quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis, completing a drive that started on their four-yard line to make the score 14–7 in favor of Fordham.

Luckily, the Rams were able to tack on a third touchdown before the first quarter came to a close. Fordham

junior receiver Garrett Cody caught DeMorat’s lone touchdown pass of the day, good for 14 yards.

By the time the first quarter was over, the Rams had a commanding 21–7 advantage.

However, when the squads switched sides for the second quarter, the Lafayette Leopards were able to take complete control of the game and made up that deficit.

Lafayette scored two touchdowns in the quarter on two separate oneyard runs, one from Selwyn Simpson and another from Ty Hranicka. At halftime, the game was tied at 21.

The Leopards got on the board first in the second half. On the second play of the opening drive, Lafayette receiver K.J. Rodgers went 74 yards with a reception and a venture into the end zone, giving his team its first lead of the day, 28–21.

Fordham recorded a total of five points in the third quarter on a safety forced by graduate defensive lineman Deondre Carter and a field goal from senior kicker Nick Leinenweber.

Lafayette put up another touchdown after a four-yard run by Davis that made the score 35–26 heading into the fourth. The Rams put up 10 more points on their first two possessions of the final quarter after Sneed’s second score of the day and another field goal from Leinenweber giving Fordham a 36–35 lead before the Leopards’ Michael Hayes ran for three yards into the end zone to make the score 41–36. A failed two point conversion kept the score stagnant.

It came down to the final drive. That was when DeMorat ran the ball in for a touchdown with 28 seconds left to play to give Fordham a one-point lead.

After that came the failed Hail Mary pass for Lafayette, and then, suddenly, the game was over and Fordham had won, 42–41.

“Obviously, [it was] a heck of a finish,” Rams’ head coach Joe Conlin reported to Fordham Athletics immediately after the game. “We started out great on offense, [and] defensively we came up big at the end … The guys played hard, and they finished the game in the fourth quarter, which is all you can ask.”

Now, the Rams, with a win under their belts in Patriot League play, will prepare for their upcoming game against another non-conference opponent, this time at Wagner College at Jack Coffey Field on Saturday. The game will be a part of the annual Homecoming festivities for the University. The Patriot League season is underway, and the Fordham Rams look ready.

Men’s Soccer Comes Head to Head with Saint Louis

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Last week, Fordham Men’s Soccer played against the 15th seed in the country, A-10 Saint Louis University. Unfortunately, the Rams fell to the Billikens by a 2–0 scoreline.

Saint Louis opened the scoring in the 11th minute after a couple of clever passes that eventually found their way to Simon Beecher, who then executed a give and go with John Klein. Beecher evaded sophomore goalkeeper Nick Buchholz and had an easy tap-in for his sixth goal of the season, taking the lead against the Rams.

Saint Louis then doubled the score in the 31st minute with a free kick from long distance, which Klein whipped into the box. The ball found Mujeeb Murana’s head on the corner of the six-yard box, and he plastered it into the lower right corner for his second goal of the year. That was the final goal Fordham conceded in the match.

Buchholz had a busy night in goal with a career-high nine saves.

In addition, graduate student Luke McNamara was credited with a defender save when he cleared the ball off the goal line to prevent it from becoming a 3–0 scoreline. Overall, Saint Louis outshot the Rams 18 to eight. Saint Louis also had the majority of shots on goal, with 12 in

comparison to Fordham’s one.

When asked about the defeat, head coach Carlo Acquista said that some positives could be drawn from the match. He praised the team’s performance during the second half, saying that several adjustments were made, creating a few quality chances.

Over the past couple of games, Fordham has usually been the first to concede. When asked if the team was just unlucky or if some defensive

adjustments needed to be made, Acquista replied, “That’s the milliondollar question that every coach asks when that happens.”

Regardless, he maintained that the team has talked about and even trained for such a situation through practice scenarios and game simulations in which the Rams are already down by a goal. Acquista also attributes it to a lack of finishing where “We get opportunities [of our own]

and we don’t put them away and then we give up one goal.”

With this defeat, the Rams are now 3–7–1 overall with a 1–2 conference record. Acquista remained optimistic when asked about the team’s chances to qualify for the Atlantic 10 championship and to compete for the title: “The goal is to always reach the A-10 playoffs, and then from there, it’s just the knockout stages where anything can hap-

pen.”

The Rams return to action Wednesday against the Davidson Wildcats. When asked about what the team can improve on in facing another A-10 rival, Acquista said, “Scoring first, just like we did against Seton Hall. We have the ability; it’s just the matter of scoring first.” The Rams will play at home in the Bronx at 7:00 p.m. and can also be streamed via ESPN+.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Men’s Soccer traveled to Saint Louis, Missouri to face the nationally ranked St. Louis Billikens after coming off a strong home win.