Volume 105 Issue 14

The Fordham Ram

Resident Assistants

Union Faces Bargaining Obstacles

By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR

Over the summer, negotiations stalled between the Fordham Resident Assistants Union (FRA) and Fordham University. This comes after the Resident Assistants (RAs) voted 47-19 to ratify FRA back in March of this year with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which forced the university to recognize the union after refusing to in February.

“We started bargaining sessions in the middle of May since the University, by law, cannot ignore the election decisions. However, we had to stop after a bargaining session in June,” said Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24, one of the six members of the FRA bargaining committee.

Chandra Sekharan explained that after their first bargaining session in May, Fordham refused to bargain hybridly, which would entail having the bargaining sessions online during the summer and in

SEE FRA, PAGE 3

Fordham Introduces Islamic Studies Minor

By NORA MALONE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A new Islamic Studies minor joins the ranks of Fordham’s 70-plus majors and minors after student petitioning.

“[I was] approached by both Muslim and Catholic students,” said Sarah Eltantawi, Ph.D., associate professor of Modern Islam in the Department of Theology. “They were all saying, ‘we’ve been taking all these Islamic Studies classes, and there’s no way to formalize what we’re learning, no way to get any kind of degree. ’”

Fordham already offers many classes in the Islamic studies field, so creating the minor was just a process of refining which classes students should take.

Campus Ministry Hosts Second Annual Interfaith Prayer Picnic with the President

By SOFIA DONOHUE DIGITAL PRODUCER

“We entertained a number of different models for what the minor might look like, surveyed students, met with interested faculty, wrote a number of drafts, refined those drafts, and then finalized a version we were happy with before the minor was in good enough shape

SEE MINOR, PAGE 4

By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday, Sept. 14, the Office of Campus Ministry hosted the second annual Interfaith Prayer and Picnic with the President. The theme of the prayer service was “A Season to Grow Together.” The event, which was held in the Lincoln Center Outdoor Plaza, included prayer, reflection and a luncheon

Fordham Introduces

New Major in Biochemistry

By SAMANTHA MINEAR FEATURES EDITOR

This past August, Fordham introduced a new major in biochemistry. After the minor in biochemistry was launched in 2020, faculty from the biology

and chemistry departments sought to establish a major in the program.

“The biochemistry major opens new career opportunities for students as the scope of the subject is very broad,” said Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D, chair of the chemistry department. “It will prepare students

for a wide range of professional careers, particularly for those interested in pursuing medicine or allied health fields or those who envision working in biotechnology, cosmetics, forensics, pharmacology, bioengineering or a career in research.”

SEE BIOCHEM, PAGE 5

following the service.

The prayer service included presentations from several student groups, including the University Choir and Empire Dance Club. The event also included readings and songs from several different faiths. It celebrated the four seasons, inviting attendees to reflect and share their thoughts with one another.

The prayer service opened with a dance performance by students in Fordham’s Ailey School. Meredith Brown, FCLC ’24, was one of four students who participated in the opening number.

Brown said, “The piece in an essence is about leaning on one another and interconnected relationships. It is about how we all use each

SEE PICNIC, PAGE 4

Fordham Ranks Average in Economic Diversity

By SOFIA DONOHUE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

On Sept. 7, The New York Times published the CollegeAccess Index, a list of 286 of the country’s most selective universities, public and private, ranked in order of economic diversity. Fordham is ranked 117, tied with 15 other universities including comparable institutions such as Marquette University and Trinity University.

The economic diversity of each university was measured by analyzing the share of students receiving a Pell Grant, which generally go to students from the lower half of the in-

Page 6

Meet the Candidates: 2027 Senate Election Begins

Page 19

come distribution. The goal of the grant is to give lower-middleclass to low-class students the opportunity to attend college. According to Brian Ghanoo, associate vice president for the Office of Student Financial Services, approximately 2,200 students receive a Pell Grant at Fordham.

According to 2015 data from Opportunity Insights, 5% of Fordham students came from families earning in the bottom 20% of family incomes while 49% came from families earning in the top 10%. Boston College, a Jesuit University of comparable-value, only had 2% of students from the bottom 20% while 63% of students came from families earning

Page 11

Page 24

COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

Students of Dr. Ipsita Banerjee work in a labratory as a part of their research projects.

The second annual Interfaith Picnic, hosted at Lincoln Center, featured performances from the Ailey School.

COURTESY OF GRACE GALBREATH/THE FORDHAM RAM

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Sept. 13 Larkin Hall

10:55 a.m.

On Wednesday, a male was seen on video climbing the Fordham Road fence behind Larkin Hall. A supervisor located the male exiting Duane Library and escorted them off-campus.

Sept. 13 Southern Boulevard

9:30 a.m.

A supervisor observed several vehicles parked on Southern Boulevard with broken windows. The supervisor contacted the owner of the vehicles. One student had a credit card removed from their vehicle. A review of the video showed that two people broke into the vehicles. The vehicle owners declined to notify the NYPD.

Sept. 15 McShane Center

9:30 a.m.

On Friday, there was a stuck elevator in the McShane Campus Center. The supervisor responded and notified the elevator company. A technician responded, freed the occupant and repaired the elevator.

Sept. 15 Lorillard Place

3:30 p.m.

A student reported a burglary at their off-campus residence on Lorillard Place. The supervisor responded and called 9-1-1. The investigation revealed a female offender entered the residence through a rear door. The incident was captured on video. The NYPD responded and prepared a report. The supervisor contacted the property owner to make repairs to the damaged door.

“The Light of the Revival” Stained Glass Exhibition Debuts in Walsh Library

By MICHELA FAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By ADITHI VIMALANATHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Eugeny Kotylar is a professor of art history at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and came to Fordham through the AAJRFordham-NYPL Fellowship for Ukrainian Scholars. He first began working with stained glass in the 1990s amidst a cultural and community movement in Ukraine to restore houses of worship that were desecrated and often destroyed by years of Soviet rule. “Many of the sacred buildings, churches, synagogues were appropriated for swimming pools, for storage facilities, or if they were lucky, for archives for workers clubs… As a result, many of the synagogues were either destroyed or certainly the sacred art has been destroyed,” said Professor Magda Teter, chair of Shvidler Studies at Fordham and administrator of the fellowship program Kotlyar completed. Jewish architecture, including existing stained glass windows, were lost to pogroms such as Kristallnacht, where Nazis burned over 900 synagogues in a single night.

This destruction was followed by a community revival on all levels. As Kotlyar puts it in his opening remarks at the exhibition, “a spiritual life was reviving in the grain, and it became necessary to return the houses of worship to joyful life.” It involved a return to practice and theology, with rabbis even traveling to bring religious education to Ukrainian Jews. Artists, too, especially those working in synagogue restoration, had to experience a reeducation of sorts — as Teter explained: “They all lived in, for generations, in a culture, in a society and in a system that worked to erase religious identities and religious knowledge… They also had to learn what is appropriate, what is not appropriate in synagogues, because again, they had no background, no religious education, no understanding of symbols, of religious language and iconographic language.”

While academic and state institutions had a hand in restoring these houses of worship,

Wednesday Sept. 20

JMCC Room 112 3 p.m.

Join your fellow classmates, faculty and staff to discuss questions, concerns or ideas for our campus community. Lunch will be provided for all those who attend the event.

the movement was very much also community-led. “You can’t do it just as an artist or as an art student, you have to have a larger support,” Teter said. She noted that in Kharkiv, where Kotlyar was based as a student, there was a large community of 40,000 Jews who were also involved in the push to reclaim and restore these synagogues.

Kotlyar began creating these stained glass windows in 1993 for a course project while a student at the Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute. The first of his designs was for the Kharkiv Choral Synagogue, the largest in the country. In his opening remarks at the exhibition, Kotlyar described his moment of inspiration: “When inside, I raised my head up to where the dome was rising, and seeing the crumbling plaster, I said to myself, ‘Oh, I would create something like the Sistine Chapel by the great Michelangelo here.’” He designed two windows on the theme of Jewish holidays which would have run along the sides of the synagogue. The final result was unfortunately never implemented as it was lost to a fire, but his original designs and images are currently on display in Walsh Library. The exhibit features two additional designs by Kotlyar, one for a synagogue in Podil and another for one in Kyiv.

Nearly 20 years after the initial stages of the project, Teter and Kotlyar met through the afore-

mentioned virtual fellowship program, which was instituted in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The fellowship extended to scholars and students of Jewish studies a space to continue their studies amidst the war, offering workshops and extensive source material through access to the Fordham and NYPL archives. “He is a very, very interesting person,” Teter said of Kotlyar, “because he’s an artist, he’s a designer, but he’s also a scholar of art history… And it’s a very interesting way to look at his work of how he is able to balance and combine both his scholarship, but also his personal commitment to Judaism, to reviving Jewish faith and Jewish community in Ukraine as well.”

It was here that Teter came across Kotlyar’s designs and arrived at the idea for an exhibit: “I looked at a catalog of his designs, and I was blown away — they were just beautiful, the stained glass windows was beautiful. And that’s when I said, ‘Okay, we have to sort of see how we can do it here.’”

“Putting together an exhibit is an extremely arduous process,” said Linda LoSchiavo, director of libraries at Fordham University. The exhibit is the second held in the Henry S. Miller Judaica Room, which was inaugurated less than a year ago. “It was much more complex than our previous

This Week at Fordham

Thursday Sept. 21

JMCC 303 5:30 p.m.

Join Campus Ministry’s Pedro Arrupe Volunteers at their first Common Grounds Conversation to celebrate Latine Heritage Month. There will be delicious food, dancing and music.

Saturday Sept. 23

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

Show your school spirit and support Fordham Football as they play Stonehill College. The game is in celebration of Kids Day and kids get free entry if they wear a jersey.

Monday Sept. 25

Jack Coffey Field 7 p.m.

Support the Fordham women’s soccer team at Jack Coffey Field as they compete against Yale University. The game commemorates National Faculty Appreciation Day.

opening exhibit last year. Our new layout offered challenges and opportunities, as we will be displaying items both inside and outside the room itself,” said LoSchiavo.

The exhibit is aims to be thoroughly historic as well as artistic, sharing with the visitor not only Kotlyar’s designs, but also the history of reclamation, restoration and return to roots for Jews in Ukraine at the turn of the century. In his opening remarks, Kotlyar introduces the exhibit to Fordham: “Displayed here are historical photos and designs of synagogues, sketches of stained glass windows, as well as photographs of completed works. Together, as artistic images in connection with a larger historical context, and from a broad perspective you can see… the first samples of stained glass designs from modern Ukrainian synagogues.”

Teter said she encourages Fordham undergraduates to visit the exhibit, even through a simple library study break. “Just, if you need a break, you’re studying in the library… go to the fourth floor to the Henry Miller Judaica study room. And just look at the beautiful images. And you can stand and look at just one at a time… You can engage with it at the historical level, but you can also engage with it in this sort of aesthetic level, and even a spiritual level.”

Tuesday Sept. 26

Keating Steps 6 p.m.

Enjoy a fun night of performances by Fordham’s various amazing campus performance groups at the annual Keating Steps Showcase. There will be free ice cream and t-shirts.

COURTESY OF DIEGO MARTINEZ FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The exhibit is located in the Henry S. Miller Judaica Room in Walsh Library.

Resident Assistants Union Faces Bargaining Obstacles

FROM FRA, PAGE 1

person during the school year.

“We filed a board charge against them. Most RAs are not on campus, and thus, bargaining only in person was not possible for us,” Chandra Sekharan said.

After Fordham agreed to bargain hybridly only when classes were not in session, the union dropped the labor charge against Fordham in return.

The bargaining then resumed late in August. Chandra Sekharan explained that Fordham has countered every aspect of the contract over language, but that is normal in the bargaining process.

The FRA represents the RAs in Fordham’s Rose Hill campus under the Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 153 (OPEIU-153). FRA is one of three unions at Fordham that have taken recent action — including Fordham Faculty Union (FFU) and Graduate Student Workers Union (FGSW).

FRA originally petitioned for recognition in February of this year when their petition for voluntary recognition from the university was delivered to the president’s office on Feb. 1. On Feb. 7, President Tania Tetlow refused to recognize the union. After the ratification of FRA in

March, the university was then forced to start the bargaining process.

“The University and the union are committed to negotiating in good faith to improve the working conditions for Resident Assistants in the bargaining unit. These workers are an important resource to the Fordham community, and their work provides a valuable aspect of their professional development,” said Bob Howe, associate vice president for communications.

Currently, FRA has introduced 10 proposals to Fordham, which were made available in one of FRA’s recent Instagram posts. The first five proposals were made at a previous bargaining session while the five most recent ones were proposed during the Aug. 22 bargaining session.

The first three proposals are that Fordham recognizes FRA, states the rights of the union — such as the right to be involved in settling grievances — and that they are given union access for a representative to meet with the union in the workplace.

The next two proposals are that the union will have shop stewards — members who will act as representatives who will have time during training for

union orientation — and that Fordham must not discriminate against RAs for union involvement, marginalized identities and accommodations will be provided for RAs for reasons such as disabilities or religious beliefs.

The next three proposals state that if part of the contract is deemed illegal the rest will remain valid, terms of appointment are outlined with accommodations for RAs who require a different duration and that there will be a labor-management committee that is composed of five representatives from the union and university each that resolves problems.

The final two proposals present an official step-by-step process of warning and disciplining RAs and an official step-by-step process for an RA to present a grievance.

The next, and fifth, bargaining session is scheduled for Oct. 4.

Chandra Sekharan added: “A shout-out to the other unions on our Fordham campus (FFU and FGSW). Their support of us has been so monumental for us. We are also in solidarity with all other RA unions nationwide right now!”

Fordham Ranks Average in Economic Diversity

in the top 10%, a larger percentage than Fordham students. The percentage of first-year Fordham students who received a Pell Grant for the 2020-21 academic year is 21%, a 2 percentage point change from 2011. In comparison, only 12% of Boston College students received a Pell Grant.

“I think Fordham does have students from lots of different economic backgrounds, but I don’t think there is a very proportional mix of those backgrounds,” said Jackie Kobeski, FCRH ’24.

“From what I have seen, I feel that the majority of the students at Fordham come from highincome families, and there is not an equal representation of various economic backgrounds,” said Mary Alice Schuck, FCRH ’25.

Some students chose to attend the university because Fordham offered them a more substantial

By SOFIA SEMPER STAFF WRITER

financial aid package than other institutions. 96% of first-year students received financial aid.

“I did decide on Fordham because I received a significant scholarship. It was especially important to my decision because I began college in 2020 and my dad’s firm had shut down, leaving my family in a more difficult financial situation than expected,” said Kobeski.

Similarly, Schuck chose Fordham because of the financial aid she received. “Part of the reason I came to Fordham was because of its financial aid, but other schools were able to offer me more financial compensation. Despite this, the assistance Fordham offered still played a role in my decision between schools. Additionally, the other schools that I applied to were mainly Jesuit and were similar in stand -

ings to Fordham,” said Schuck. When compared to older and more prestigious universities, Fordham’s endowment per student is modest. A university is considered highly endowed if its endowment per student is at least $1 million, which is the case at Harvard University, Yale University, Wellesley College and dozens of other universities included in the New York Times’ ranking. Fordham’s endowment per student is $99,000. Additionally, interest earned from the endowment supports the whole university, not just financial aid. Undergraduate students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the CSS Profile in their first year at Fordham in order to qualify for financial aid.

“The Office of Student Financial Services will perform a holistic review of these applications. This

evaluation, in combination with the holistic review of the student’s admission application, is used to create a financial aid offer that factors both the student’s financial need and academic achievements. Every student, and every student’s financial situation, is different, so we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Ghanoo. Last spring, the university faced retaliation from students and their families after the Office of the President announced that there will be a 6% increase in tuition and room-and-board fees for the 2023-24 academic year. Following the announcement, President Tetlow said that the budget for financial aid will be increased by $10 million. Ghanoo confirmed that the class of 2027’s financial aid packages were increased to mirror the tuition increase.

“Fordham could improve greatly with the way in which they evaluate need-based scholarships, but I do feel as if meritbased scholarships have been offered a good amount. While talking with my peers, it seems that the majority of us are receiving some type of aid, but in minimal amounts compared to tuition costs,” said Schuck. Despite an increase in tuition and an uptick in undergraduate enrollment, the university has continued to enroll low-income students.

“While we have increased the number of low-income students enrolled, we have also increased the overall number of students enrolled over the last 10 years. Fordham has consistently averaged between 19-20% of low-income students (Pell eligible) over the last 10 years,” said Ghanoo.

USG Discusses New Business and Elections

The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met to discuss new business and elections on Thursday, Sept. 14.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative stated that they had their first meeting last week and discussed different ways to increase student turnout at athletic events.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) representative said that campaigning for elections began last week.

The two candidates running for President Pro Tempore, Isaac Muir, FCRH ’26, and Jack Hanus, FCRH ’24, presented their campaigns to the senate. Hanus said

that he felt qualified for the position of president pro tempore because he has had many years of experience on USG and that he is a very approachable, amicable person, and those qualities are important for this position. Muir stated that he greatly values what the senate has done and wants to be there to support them in their future proposals. Muir was elected as the new President Pro Tempore.

Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, presented the new bylaws for the Facilities and Dining Committee. The committee is now led by a committee chair that must be elected by the student body. There are three new subcommittees, including health and nutrition,

sustainability and facilities. There is also a new mission statement. These changes to the bylaws were approved by the Senate.

Executive President Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, announced that they will have a full senate by their next meeting as the class of 2027 elections will have been completed. Al-Omoush announced that there are two town hall meetings planned for this semester, and the first one is currently scheduled for Oct. 3 but is still subject to change. She also stated that the Student Life Council will be meeting this Wednesday at 3 p.m. in McShane 112.

Senator Nicky D’Abundo, FCRH ’26, had the idea of cre-

ating an Instagram page for each class senate to provide more visibility to the student body. Al-Omoush said that they will be creating the Instagram accounts soon.

Vice President of Finance and Budgets Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, explained that there is not much money available for tabling events this semester as USG is blockfunded for $9,000 and there was an unexpected cost. He also announced that the Finance and Budget committees’ vice chair was elected and that liaisons were assigned to every club. Vice President of Communications Ariadna Wong, FCRH ’25, stated they are closing committee applications, and they are considering sending out a survey to the student body to see how much they know about USG.

Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Mirei Fukushima, GSB ’25, said that the Diversity Action Coalition had their first meeting last Monday, and they assigned subcommittee heads.

Senator Karam Youssef, GSB ’26, said that he spoke with Dr. Jeffrey Ng about advertising programs to the student body and about restarting Active Minds, a national organization that works towards mental health. Senator Deborah Adebanjo, FCRH ’26, said that she is hoping to collaborate with Serruto about having more diverse dining options, such as kosher, halal, vegan, etc., available on campus. Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, announced that Collins Auditorium is now open.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The union is supported by OPEIU-153, which has helped Barnard RAs.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The Rose Hill RAs established a union last spring after a majority vote.

to be read and approved by our colleague representatives in the two college councils, and in the Arts & Sciences council,” said Kathryn Kueny, theology professor and director of Fordham’s Middle East Studies program.

The minor requires students to take six classes: a foundational/sacred texts class, a class in Islamic Theology, history or philosophy, a class in arts, culture, politics and then three electives.

“Taking Islamic Studies courses in the humanities and social sciences, as well as one in a

foundational survey course, provides the necessary breadth to understanding Islam as a global faith and civilization that takes different forms in different cultural and historical contexts,” said Kueny.

The minor is recommended for anyone interested and is available for both Fordham College and Gabelli Business School students.

“There’s no limitation that I can think of whatsoever for who would benefit from this minor,” said Eltantawi. “It gives you that skill set to look at the world from a different paradigm.”

The minor is still new, but the idea of it becoming a major is not impossible.

“If there is enough interest in the minor, we could make a good case in the future for a major,” said Kueny.

Both Kueny and Eltantawi, along with students, worked to create this minor. There has been interest for a while, but momentum picked up in 2020, which is when the duo began to work on fully creating the minor.

“There is the option for Jewish and Orthodox Christian minors, but there was never one for Islam,”

said Amira Motair, FCLC ’25. “I believe that having a specific minor with eligible professors who don’t reflect Islamic studies in a bad light is a very significant addition to Fordham.”

There are plans for events to spread information about the minor and connect with interested students.

“We are looking to host a number of kick-off events this year and plan to promote the minor in the context of courses and through advertisements,” said Kueny.

“I wasn’t involved with peti-

tioning the minor, but I did sign it and share it with other students when Professor Eltantawi told us about it. I would recommend it because I think having the option of an Islamic minor is very important,” said Motair. Eltantawi said she regularly mentions the minor in class, and the students who petitioned for it also share it with their peers.

“It’s a grassroots project, it always has been,” said Eltantawi. Interested students should keep an eye on their email or contact Kueny or Eltantawi.

Campus Ministry Hosts Second Annual Interfaith Picnic with President

other to get through the mundanity of life. Also, how in our own faith, we use one another to progress forward.”

Naia Neal, FCLC ’25, was another member of the opening number.

Neal added, “I was at the event last year, and it was so beautiful watching all of the performances. Now that I am a part of it, I am really excited to be a part of the show and be a part of the mission.”

The other members of the dance group included Kelli Charles Thomas, FCLC ’25, and Jaron Givems, FCLC ’25.

Following the prayer service, several Fordham faith-based groups hosted a fair with various activities. The fair gave the Fordham community an opportunity to recognize and connect with the resources offered by Fordham ministry groups.

Erin Hoffman, director of Campus Ministry at Fordham Lincoln Center, took a leading role in planning the Interfaith Prayer and Picnic. Hoffman chaired the committee and

oversaw the planning of the event.

“It really takes most of the summer,” Hoffman said. “As soon as we had the date set in late spring we decided on the theme and went from there. We bring in different collaborators and different partners, so it takes quite a while to bring everything together. To think about the theme, the structure, the content, who is going to be involved, bringing in the dancers, the jazz ensemble and all of those pieces; it is a lot of little details.”

This is the second annual Fordham interfaith prayer service. Hoffman said that the event was held to celebrate diversity in Fordham’s religious beliefs.

“Going back many years, it was something that had been on my wishlist,” she said. “Having been part of the Lincoln Center community, and starting to see the diversity of backgrounds and beliefs that make up this campus especially, we really wanted to start the year in a way that brought all of that together and that celebrated the diversity of beliefs and unified

us as a community. There were lots of other people on campus who felt similarly.”

Hoffman added, “Last year with the start of a new president and a new chapter at Fordham, the time was right to begin it. The support was there institutionally and financially. When we started it last year, we were not sure if it was going to be something we just did once or something we continue annually. It was met with such positive reception from our community and the university as a whole that we would like to continue to do it annually.”

The prayer service was well attended by Fordham students, faculty and staff. Members of the Fordham community gathered from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. Notable attendees included President Tania Tetlow, Dennis Jacobs and Keith Eldredge.

Hoffman said that the event is important because it gives the Fordham community an opportunity to pause and reflect at the beginning of a new year. She is very proud of the collaboration between Fordham

departments to make the prayer service possible.

Hoffman said, “We are the only Jesuit University, out of the network of Jesuit universities in the United States, that starts the year with an event of this size and scope. That is something that I am particularly proud of;

I am very grateful to spearhead the whole operation. The success of it is dependent on so many people and on the collaboration of so many people, and I think I have been really touched to see the excitement with which people have stepped up to be a part of it.”

Senior Researches the Disparities in New York’ s Public Defense System

By ALICE GAALSYWK STAFF WRITER

Over the course of the summer, Alexandra Rapp, FCRH ’24, worked on a research project investigating disparities in New York’s public defense system and indigent defendants.

“A public defender’s job is to represent indigent defendants, which is the legal term for somebody who can’t afford an attorney,” Rapp said.

Rapp’s research follows a Supreme Court case that directly impacted federal and state law — Hurrell-Harring, et al. v. State of New York. Rapp explained that, on a state-tostate basis, public defense systems can vary greatly based on funding, qualifications to be a public defender and other factors. Rapp wanted to look at variation across counties in New York state. She chose New York because, around 2004, New York was identified as one of the worst states in the country in terms of public defense, and promised to fix their public defense system. Then, in 2010 a New York state Supreme Court case identified 10 counties that

were still extremely lacking in their public defense. While the New York public defense system is mostly state-funded, it also relies in part on local funding, which can differ significantly based on factors like the county tax rate. “So I started tracking a bunch of different factors that could potentially indicate some sort of egregious disparity in terms of service quality,” Rapp said.

Rapp tracked factors like crime rates, number of public defenders, how many offices they have and what services they offer. Then using these factors, she looked for violations of Title VI and Title IX, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race and sex in any program that receives funding from the federal government. She also screened for large disparities in the amounts of funding per case that public defense systems were receiving across counties.

“I looked at the number of weighted cases versus the number of cases that lawyers are taking each year, and how much money is going per case… The lowest I found was $19… versus in Suffolk County, where it was upwards of $1,000 per case…

There should not be that big of a variation in the same state,” Rapp said.

Rapp also saw that these counties had some of the highest rates of poverty, and poverty disproportionately affects people of color, women and children. During her project, Rapp was using statistical data from 2019, which should be after these major legislative changes were meant to take place. But according to Rapp, her findings reported enormous disparities, indicating that there are still many underfunded counties.

Rapp became interested in this issue of public defense after looking at her home state of Pennsylvania, which is the only state where the public defense system is entirely locally funded, and as a result, has a huge lack of resources and funding for public defense in some of its counties. She wanted to look at New York state because there is a preconceived notion that New York’s justice system is ahead of the curve in terms of the laws they make and the social services that they provide to people, setting an example

for what a good public defense system should look like.

However, as she started to take a closer look at New York, Rapp realized that there were some large issues within the system. She started her research trying to read as much literature as she could to understand how the public defense system functions. Then, she started to look at the statistical data that New York state has made publicly available. After the 2010 Supreme Court case, New York state was mandated to publish its data on public defense, so Rapp was able to break down these compiled reports to try and extract the raw data, which she says was the most time-consuming part of the process. “They don’t make it easy to find the raw data, which is the big problem,” Rapp said.

Rapp was advised on this project by Robert Hume, Ph.D., of Fordham’s political science department. Through Hume, Rapp was able to get into contact with a public defender and verify a lot of her early research findings.

Looking towards the future of her research project, Rapp said she hopes that by the spring, she will have enough to apply to the

Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal and share some of her findings with a wider audience. While she has not come to her final conclusions yet, Rapp has seen a lot of correlations within her data that point to some broader issues. “There have been some insane correlations… in terms of budget, caseload, geographic location and poverty rate; a lot of these things obviously play into each other and kind of demonstrate on a wider scale the socioeconomic issues that we all kind of know exist, but sometimes don’t address on these minute scales,” Rapp said.

While she has never wanted to be a policymaker, Rapp has always been interested in public defense and law for her future. She said she thinks that this research is crucial for understanding the more human side of law.

“Part of what I think is so interesting about the world of law is that it’s very easy to ignore the human parts of it, and I think that’s where public policy research comes in, and having information on actual disparities that exist is an important part of understanding how public policy interacts and influences the day-to-day lives of people,” Rapp said.

FROM PICNIC, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF GRACE GALBREATH/THE FORDHAM RAM Fordham had its second annual Interfaith Picnic with the President.

Fordham Introduces New Biochemistry Major

1

FROM BIOCHEM, PAGE

The biochemistry major boasts a hands-on and interdisciplinary approach to today’s biggest questions and problems, such as possible cures for Alzheimer’s or cancer. There are two tracks for the major: a general track and an American Chemical Society (ACS) track. The general track is best suited for students with an interest in “cell[ular], molecular, and structural aspects of biochemistry,” while the ACS track is for students who are “interested in chemistry and advanced structural and molecular aspects of biochemistry,” according to Fordham News.

First-year students looking to become a biochemistry major this fall had to enter undeclared, but starting next year, students may enter the university as a biochemistry major. Many students in the biology and chemistry departments are also switching their major to biochemistry.

Hannah Hunt, FCRH ’24, a biochemistry minor, explained what drew her to the program. “I was particularly interested in biochemistry because the way in which chemicals interact with biological systems is so complex, but really important for understanding how the world works and how we can best take care of ourselves,” she said. “I never feel bored studying biochemistry because there’s always something new to learn and the opportunity to improve our quality of life.”

In addition, Hunt was consulted

on what the biochemistry major may look like for future students over the course of four years. “For many STEM majors, our major and core requirements rarely overlap, so it was important to provide a guide for course planning that wouldn’t be super overwhelming. Hopefully, it will allow students to create a schedule with plenty of time for research, extracurriculars and personal time,” she said.

Mary Biggs, FCRH ’25, a biochemistry major, also spoke positively about the development of the biochemistry program. Previously a biology and chemistry double major, switching to biochemistry was an obvious choice, and she “appreciate[s]” the interdisciplinary approach to the program.

“For example, I’m currently taking a neurochemistry class at Lincoln Center that counts as a major elective,” she said. “The interdisciplinary nature of the major program really drew me to switch.”

Banerjee said she hopes that the creation of the biochemistry major will “elevate the University’s connections to growing STEM industries,” according to Fordham News, and that this interdisciplinary program will broaden research opportunities. “Research is very highly recommended as it provides students with indispensable skills and also makes you think out of the box,” said Banerjee.

For those interested in declaring the biochemistry major, students can reach out to Banerjee or their core advisor.

Fordham Continues Alumni Mentorship Program

By DANA VATAFU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham’s Mentoring Program aims to support students by providing opportunities to connect with alumni. The program has existed for two decades and is hosted by the web-based platform, The Fordham Mentoring Program Network. In addition to the formal program, the online platform hosts other resources like a directory that aims to connect students with alumni.

The mentorship program matches undergraduate junior and senior students with an alumni mentor based on common interests and professional profiles. The students and mentors that participate have a variety of majors and professional goals from business to science. However, in some years it was more difficult than others to find mentors in certain sectors. Typically, the largest percentage of mentors and mentees are found in businessrelated sectors, but there are not as many in an industry like film or art. Although applying doesn’t always guarantee a match for the student, the administrators of the program in the Office of Alumni

Relations try to encourage the participation of mentors in more niche industries or career fields.

“We still try to find someone that’s going to be able to help the mentee in some capacity even if it's in a different field,” said program administrator Jesse Tompkins. “It’s still a valuable experience where they will learn what it’s like to exit college and enter the workforce.”

Tompkins said that they “are actively searching the databases, looking for alumni in those fields, and recruiting through as many avenues as possible.” He also said he predicts a successful year for the program because they have a diverse selection of mentors this year in different fields.

The goal of the Fordham Mentoring Program is to provide motivated undergraduate students a role model that can guide them in making careerrelated decisions and help them set goals for their remaining time at Fordham and for after graduation, explained the administrators of the program. This program can be an introduction to long-term relationship building and networking, and it can serve as an opportunity for students to explore certain career paths or fields

of interest. Mentees may also polish their resumes, LinkedIn profiles and interview skills. However, the administrators of the program stressed that this is not a way to get immediate job placement and that students should not ask their mentors for job or internship opportunities. This program is designed to be a learning opportunity for mentees. And for mentors, it’s a chance to positively impact a student’s future by imparting valuable industry knowledge.

Regarding its purpose, the Alumni Relations Specialist for the program, Jerry Goldstein, stated, “For alumni, it’s a way to give back, stay connected with alma mater and make a difference in a younger Fordham graduate’s life. For students, the program can give insight into career paths, entering the workforce, and networking. For some it can build confidence, and for others it can help with navigating the uncertain as they embark on their journey into the workforce.”

“There are more than 200,000 living Fordham alumni, and the Fordham Mentoring Program is one of the best ways for students to tap into this network,” said the former program manager Mathew Burns. “The platform enabled us to triple the number of students with access to alumni mentorship.”

communication and the frequency in which the mentors meet with the students are determined by a mentor and mentee agreement talked about at the beginning of the program. Administrators said they recommend that pairs attend two milestone events and two additional events of their choice based on a provided list, and there will be regular check-in surveys that would need to be completed. Some of the hybrid workshops students may look forward to include a LinkedIn Workshop, Job Hunting with AI, ChatGPT, Speed Networking and Skill Building. If the student’s mentor and place of employment allows it, the student may even be able to shadow their mentor and see first hand how the day-to-day work experience looks like.

“We make sure the mentees and mentors are committed to the process and we go through various factors that can include geography, hobbies and interests, and of course career goals,” said Goldstein.

mentors that return every year excited to help guide more Fordham students because of their great experiences in the past, said Tompkins.

“This year we are introducing a newsletter where we will collect stories of success from mentees and mentors and send those out, and then we have an end-of-year survey each year that asks about the students’ experiences in the program that we will share with the rest of our university community,” Tompkins said.

Although the formal program provides students with lots of benefits, the program administrators advise students who can’t commit to the full-year program to still create a profile on their online platform and participate in flash mentoring. It’s still a way to form connections and get questions answered by a professional.

“An algorithm looks for similarities between your profile and those of alumni,” said Burns. “You then get recommended alumni matches for one-off connections and conversations.”

“Students who apply should try and really envision themselves as alumni one day because the current mentors were once students at Fordham University too and are still a part of our community and giving back to our university,” Tompkins said.

The programming throughout the year will consist of opening and closing banquets, hybrid career development workshops and one-on-one meetings between the mentors and mentees. The

terms

of

The main expectation for students who apply to be a mentee is that they can demonstrate that they are motivated, proactive and exhibit the utmost professionalism at all times in recognition of the time their mentors are volunteering. Students must be willing to learn and develop their skills and motivated to form future career goals, and students are required to complete a training course on professionalism before they may receive a mentor.

“The student can take as little or as much from the program as they put in,” said Goldstein.

The program has created success stories as shown by the

The program applications for the 2023-2024 academic year opened on Aug. 1 online, and the deadline is Sept. 28. Participants will receive notification of their pairings along with more information by Oct. 1.

COURTESY OF IPSITA BANERJEE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Hunt, Beatriz Goncalves (FCRH ’23) and Molly Murray (FCRH ’23) at a research conference.

COURTESY OF IPSITA BANERJEE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Biggs and Emma Phan (FCRH ’26) in Banerjee’s research laboratory.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The Fordham Mentorship Porgram works to connect students and alumni.

Fordham Library Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

By KEAGAN OSTOP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A newly curated exhibit in Walsh Library commemorates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Hip-hop, a form of artistic expression that originated in the Bronx, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Aug. 11.

Reference and digital humanities librarian Tierney Gleason curated the Walsh Library hip-hop exhibit as a tribute to this milestone. “I knew that the 50th anniversary was coming up, and other cultural heritage institutions in New York City would be celebrating it, so why should Fordham be any different?” said Gleason.

Located in the reference room on the first floor of Walsh Library, the exhibit showcases a diverse collection of books and digital resources that explore art, music and poetry from various cultures worldwide. The exhibition aims to serve as a platform to celebrate the history and ignite students’

curiosity about the Bronx, its historical significance and the seemingly limitless resources the library offers.

Gleason was responsible for selecting the “50 Years of Hip Hop” exhibition content, but she said that the library’s work is collaborative. Other librarians provide input, organize materials and manage electronic resources to ensure accessibility and functionality.

The exhibit commences with general encyclopedias on hip-hop and the birthplace of hip-hop at the “Back to School Jam,” which occurred on Aug. 11, 1973, at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx. The exhibit then explores the four pillars of hip-hop: DJing, MCing, graffiti and breakdancing. The exhibit delves into Caribbean influence, followed by various aspects of hip-hop apparent in fashion, skateboarding and magazines.

“When focusing on the Bronx, we aimed to ensure that we included elements that capture the cultural essence of hip-hop, as well as aspects that reflect Fordham’s

culture,” said Gleason.

The exhibit continues by showcasing material studying the role of women, the LGBTQ+ community and religion in hip-hop. In each display, visitors can find traditional books or encyclopedias and QR codes linked to digital materials in the library database, such as movies, music videos, soundtracks and articles.

Fordham students have the opportunity to explore the Bronx, gain knowledge about it and become advocates for it during their studies. This exhibition has the opportunity to serve as a starting point for students to develop an interest in the Bronx and discover the wide range of resources available at the library. Despite hip-hop not being the first thing that comes to mind when considering university libraries for many people, Walsh Library displays a vast collection of books and digital resources. The librarians at Walsh Library said they are eager to showcase the resources and assistance

they can provide to students that many are unaware of. The librarians also said that students often come to the library without fully realizing the extent of what is accessible to them. Reference librarian Jane Suda said that she didn’t know that some of the things on display were in their collection. According to Suda, reference books, in particular, tend not to circulate, so the hidden gems are endless.

Gleason said she first became interested in hip-hop culture when, in October 2017, she visited a class to teach students how to use the library.

In the course, one student mentioned he was considering writing his master’s thesis about an aspect of hip-hop culture, and then Gleason said she was inspired. She thought, “This is Fordham, and we are in the Bronx. Why don’t we have more visible library resources about this? I know we have them.”

She then created a page on

hip-hop history resources, available on the library website under research guides.

Seven years later, these resources are coming to the forefront again, showing the importance of all kinds of studies in the library and attempting to drive students to become curious about both the Bronx and the library’s content.

Instead of relying solely on Google for information and Amazon for books, the librarians said they encourage students to come to the library because they likely have what they need and much more.

Gleason said that the way students think about the library needs to change. She said the librarians are there to help and provide resources on all types of studies, from fashion and skateboarding to medieval studies.

The “50 Years of Hip Hop” exhibit will be up until midOctober. To suggest a topic for the next exhibition, follow the QR code posted at the end of the exhibit.

Fordham Extends Test-Optional Policy for Admissions

By SAMUEL DREW CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham announced their decision to extend the university’s test-optional policy through the 2025 admissions cycle on Sept. 6. This comes after Fordham initially implemented a test-optional admissions policy during the 2020-21 admissions cycle, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on education. After an initial two-year pilot program, the university decided to once again extend the policy for an additional year in May 2022. Fordham is not alone in offering test-optional admissions for their undergraduate students. Currently, in the New York area, NYU, Columbia, St. John’s and the State University of New York system all offer test-optional admissions at least through this year, with some moving to a permanent test-optional program.

According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing

(FairTest), for the 2024 admissions cycle, over 2,000 schools will be either test-optional or test-free entirely. FairTest has also studied the correlation between test scores and financial aid.

While some schools have eliminated testing requirements for admissions, some continue to have those requirements for some financial aid programs. In a report by FairTest, they stated, “Despite changes in admissions policies, using test scores as gatekeepers for grant aid neutralizes any real access to college for many low income students.”

John Buckley, Fordham’s vice president for enrollment, explained why the test-optional policy was extended at Fordham.

“As test submission is only one part of an admission application, it is a factor that needs to be analyzed in the context of other factors associated with the pandemic (such as remote learning, etc.). We believe in the value of

the test-optional policy but want to gather additional data to help us more fully understand its impact,” said Buckley.

Buckley added: “Testing was only employed in relation to grades, trends and rigor. One element that has become increasingly important in our review has been the challenge of the

academic program taken within the context of the applicant’s high school.”

Buckley explained that there is no test-optional policy yet that has been confirmed past the 2025 admissions cycle. “These options are possibilities as we continue to analyze data, adjust our assessment practices and

assess next steps,” said Buckley. “I think it’s great, puts more focus on who the applicants are rather than their test scores,” said Nico Naguiat, FCRH ’27. It remains unclear if there will be a policy shift beyond 2025, but the current policy is in line with most universities across the country.

Meet the Candidates: 2027 Senate Election Begins

By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

On Friday, Sept. 15, first-year students running for the United Student Government (USG) senator positions introduced themselves to the Fordham community. Executive President of USG, Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, introduced each candidate while The Fordham Ram moderated the event.

Candidates from the class of 2027 were each given two minutes to introduce themselves. Following the introductions, candidates were asked questions from the moderators and the audience.

Megan Ruzicka, FCRH ’27, was first to present her platform. She spoke about her experience with the “Out of Darkness Walk Committee.” Ruzicka said she hopes to bring the walk to Fordham. She also spoke about improving the mental and physical health of the

Fordham community through the expansion of RamFit hours. She said they can be expanded by offering new job positions to first-years.

Emma Dolan, FCRH ’27, cited prior experience working in student government. She also mentioned the need to create a better site for Fordham students to access information. Dolan said the new site will differ from pre-existing interfaces like Rams Involved and Fordham Hub because it will be easier for students to access.

Lilian Hunter, FCRH ’27, emphasized her campaign slogan: “by the people, for the people.” Hunter, who spoke about her status as a student-athlete and an international student, created a form for firstyear students to ask questions and receive feedback from others.

Aidan Costella, FCRH ’27, mentioned his experience working in student government and his passion for social justice. He raised

concerns about the lack of air conditioning and broken bathroom facilities in dorms. Costella said that, over the past week, students were sleeping in communal lounges to combat the heat. He also said that the promotion of campus ministry and the Jesuit mission should not overpower student needs.

Laila Sayegh, FCRH ’27, presented a four-pillar platform of change. The pillars included increasing accessibility, off-campus safety, overall sustainability and further advocacy for mental health. Sayegh said she hopes to improve mental health services at Fordham by allowing Fordham students to work for Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) and through the implementation of virtual sessions. Sayegh also highlighted the accessibility of the Marketplace as something she would like to

improve.

Carter Soderberg, GSB ’27, was the first GSB senator to present. Soderberg emphasized boosting school spirit as one of his main initiatives. He said that a lack of pride at the first football game led him to create this initiative, and that he will work to create more opportunities for student engagement during sporting events. Soderberg also spoke about extending the Marketplace hours, fostering free speech and improving dorm conditions.

Brandon Macaluso, GSB ’27, spoke about creating a “voice for the mute,” in which he hopes to advocate for first-year students who feel isolated. He said that the transition from high school to college is difficult for many, likening the move to living in a “cold, dark, terrible, terrible world.”

Macaluso said he will ease the inevitable transition period by remaining an available voice for all

students. He also mentioned that if he becomes a senator, he will focus on the needs of the student body.

Michael Charney, GSB ’27, spoke about expanding the Rose Hill hours of operation, specifically in the post office and Marketplace. Charney also mentioned increasing the number of GSB networking events and expanding the hours of the trading floor to be open 24 hours a day.

Shawn Nguyen, GSB ’27, said he hopes to improve the quality of the dorms. Nguyen said that the lack of air conditioning in the first-year dorms is “an injustice.” He also stated that he hopes to reallocate money to focus on the needs of the students.

Following the presentations, the class of 2027’s Meet the Candidates night concluded. Due to technical issues, the voting time and date for the USG class of 2027 representatives is to be determined.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Fordham is following the lead of thousands of universities and remaining test-optional for the next cycle.

R OPINION From a Wallflower to a Social Butterfly

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

Website

TheFordhamRam.com

Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor in Chief

Isabel Danzis

Managing Editor

Sebastian Diaz

Editorial Director

Jamison Rodgers

Production Editor

Michael Sluck

Multimedia Director

Frances Schnepff

Business Director

Matthew Colucci

Copy Chief

Hannah Boring

Assistant Copy Chief

Sophia Forlenza

News Editor

Emma Kim

Features Editor

Samantha Minear

Assistant News Editors

Sofia Donohue

Grace Galbreath

Opinion Editor

Nicole Braun

Assistant Opinion Editors

Evan McManus

Allison Schneider

Culture Editors

Kari White

Ilaina Kim

Assistant Culture Editor

Lauren Lombardi

Sports Editors

Nick Guzman

Maddie Bimonte

Assistant Sports Editor

Lou Orlando

Social Media Director

Rory Donahue

Digital Producers

Ava Carreiro

Julia Ocello

Grace Campbell

Claire Krieger

Video Editor

Skylar Harris

Photo Editor

Alexandra Antonov

Advertising Directors

Kathleen Hollinger

Grace Miller

Faculty Advisor

Beth Knobel

Editorial Policy

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

Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram.

Submissions Policy

The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject or edit any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. No part of the The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

I’ve realized in all my articles I’ve ever written for the Ram, I’ve never once formally introduced myself. Hi, I’m Maddie and I’m a senior at Fordham University.

For those of you who do not know me, don’t worry, hopefully by the end of this you’ll be able to piece together the basics of who I am. Even though this seems like it comes at a bad time, since this is the last From the Desk I’ll ever write. Better late than never, I suppose.

I’m about two weeks into my senior year, already feeling like it’s been six months and I’m on my way out the door. Taking an Introduction to Astronomy class your senior year will do that to you. Anyway, looking back on my time here, not just at the Ram, but at Fordham, has been a trip. In fact, I’ve taken away two key things.

Number one, I have much shorter hair than when I came to Fordham. I mean seriously, I barely recognize myself sometimes when I see photos of 19-year-old me. I swear my hair just refuses to stay long when I’m at Fordham. And yes, I said 19-year-old me because as I like to shove down everyone’s throats, I was a transfer.

Number two, I actually involve myself in stuff now. Everyone at Fordham has the esteemed pleasure of not knowing me in high school, but I was a stereotypical wallflower. But don’t be quick to label me a loser. I could never be that. I had a great group of friends in high school, but I never really did anything. I just floated

From the Desk | Maddie Bimonte

through my high school years and was just another face in my large graduating class.

When I came to Fordham, I was essentially starting from scratch. I didn’t know anyone at Rose Hill and honestly, I thought I was originally destined to fail. I quickly had to shake myself out of that mindset. What could’ve been a continuation of blending aimlessly into the crowd had to instead be something new. I knew I wanted to pave a different path for myself.

So I signed up for things like the Ram. It was actually the first organization I signed up for on campus after being too scared to join the newspaper at my old college. I was encouraged by former Sports Editor Alex Wolz to go to weekly meetings and also join other things like WFUV Sports.

I was not a public speaker. I was a girl that simply liked tweeting and talking about sports and had no direction when it came to what I wanted to do with a journalism degree. But I knew I had to make myself uncomfortable. People get so wrapped up in living comfortably that they remain stagnant. They never change.

I knew that college is one of the last formative times you can comfortably change. You’re still wrapped in a bubble from society, so if you fail, at least you failed without any major consequences.

So I started writing. And I wrote, and wrote and wrote. By then I realized how much I loved it. Whether it be about

sports, or my opinions or the music I liked, I wanted to share it through writing, because my wallflower brain found it more comfortable than talking.

I started putting myself out there with other people, becoming best friends with my random roommate and then meeting all of her friends that welcomed me with open arms. I actually made friends with people at the radio station — who make up some of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And then I met people at the Ram, and I found people that shared the same love for writing I did. Each and every relationship is so special to me that it caused me to crawl out of my shell.

So as I sit here writing this, I finally feel comfortable saying that I love the legacy I’m leaving behind. A legacy doesn’t have to be huge. I mean, I certainly didn’t win a national championship or make some revolutionary

Editorial | Academic Advisors

study that changed the course of history.

Because truly, what is a legacy? A legacy is, according to the Oxford Dictionary, “the longlasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.” So for me, my legacy is the articles I wrote way past deadlines for the Ram, the jokes I would make on air at WFUV, the tours I would give as a guide and the memories I made with people all across the Fordham community. That’s what will get remembered at the end of the day. Not me, but what I did and shared.

There are times where I let myself fall back into the comfortability of being a wallflower. Sticking to the outsides of rooms and remaining quiet. But hey, I still have a lifetime ahead of me to keep growing and changing, and by then, I’ll be the best social butterfly you’ve ever seen.

Some Advice for Fordham’s Advising System

College can be a very confusing and complicated system for students to navigate through with its different departments and deans. The solution to make this confusion more manageable is guiding figures who act as mentors and resources for students, in explaining how everything works. However, the idea of these guiding figures, or advisors, only seems to work in theory as it is a commonly held belief advising experiences at Fordham seem to vary student to student, depending on the advisor that each student randomly gets assigned to. The Fordham Ram E-board is made up of upperclassmen and every person reports a vastly different experience. Some of the members love their advisor and have a close relationship, others depend on staff members other than their advisor for academic support while others have never spoken to them.

Many juniors and seniors will tell you that they have had little to no contact with their advisors over the years and have solutioned themselves out of any obstacles or questions they came up against.

In theory, upperclassmen should be meeting with their advisor at least once a semester in order to remove the hold for registering for classes. Many upperclassmen advisors, however, will automatically

remove their hold regardless of whether or not they have met with a student.

In fairness, not many upperclassmen are reaching out to set up these meetings with their advisor.

In fact, many of these students will report that they have never initiated a meeting with their advisor or have never even emailed with them. The problem here, however, is not that upperclassmen are not reaching out to their advisor or that advisors are not reaching out to their students; it’s that neither advisors nor advisees are being properly supported. As a result, things slip through the cracks and students have to take on maneuvering their education without guidance.

The first problem with the current advising system at Fordham is that department members and professors often act as advisors. Faculty members with a full course load are already stretched thin by teaching and preparing for their classes, grading and holding office hours. Faculty members who are also advisors also have to allot time to meet with the students they advise. This extra responsibility can cut into research or writing time for faculty members. Additionally, it requires faculty to have knowledge of administrative resources they may never have interacted with, such as housing,

departments outside of their own and specific grad school processes.

If a student declares their major in the beginning of sophomore year and still has semesters of the core curriculum to complete, how will a sociology professor be able to guide their advisee on choosing a natural science class?

Without an advisor who has the necessary knowledge, students are often forced to figure things out on their own. If their advisor is unable to translate their knowledge across departments, then students have to research what each class is and what attributes they meet, they have to figure out what classes to take and how many in order to graduate on time. If they are unable to figure out what department handles their problem, they have to rely on Google to assist them. Both faculty and students need more support from the university in terms of advising.

Fordham attempted to remedy this problem of students not being able to figure out what department did what and alleviate faculty

workload with a new advising system launched in 2022. Fordham brought in five professionals whose sole job at the university was to advise students. First-year students are placed with one professional advisor for their first two years whose focus is to help students acclimate to college, pick a major and finish the core curriculum. When students reach junior year, they get a new professional advisor whose job is to help them complete their major, graduate on time and find success post-graduation. While this system fixes many of the issues with Fordham’s previous advising methods, it most importantly attempts to equalize the amount of attention students receive.

The Fordham Ram endorses this new advising system. Students will now have an advisor who is unburdened by other responsibilities of being a faculty member, which will hopefully normalize advising experiences across the board. The Ram is optimistic that this system is a change for the better.

G20 Recap & What It Says About Global Geopolitical Trends

By BEN OPPENHEIMER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The 2023 G20 Summit was held in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 9. With the forum being known as a significant annual meeting for major world leaders and diplomats representing their respective countries, two powerful heads of state were notably absent from the affair. Russia’s strongman, President Vladimir Putin, did not make an appearance, particularly because he and his country have become a global pariah after he initiated his widely condemned invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March of this year, which has made him hesitant to travel outside of his home country. China’s President Xi Jinping also did not show up, which raised questions and rampant speculation, as China is a major player on the world stage, and Xi is arguably the most powerful leader on the planet. China offered no explanation for his absence and sent second-in-command Chinese premier Li Qiang instead.

So why did China make this decision? And what impact did it have on the relations between the United States and other countries at the G20?

First, China’s state of affairs domestically shows a country that is in a time of relative crisis. When China opened up its economy after almost three years of strict lockdowns and restrictions, many economists expected the country to roar back to its pre-COVID-19 economic output. It never

materialized. Now, in 2023, a real estate crisis is growing in the country, set up by years of building empty apartments, and a debt crisis is growing because of China’s excessive borrowing from investors overseas. China’s youth unemployment rate, which includes a range of 16 to 24 year olds, is at 21.3%, as many Chinese college graduates are graduating with no career prospects. In response to young Chinese economic woes, Xi remarked that young people should learn to strive to work hard in difficult or remote areas and that they should learn to “eat bitterness,” which is a Chinese colloquial term that means to endure hardship. China is also in an uncomfortable position regarding its foreign policy. Many countries have seen their position on the war in Ukraine as too vague and have criticized Xi for his close relations to Putin and his refusal to condemn the invasion. Some analysts have even suggested that Xi may have avoided the G20 in solidarity with Putin in response to the arrest warrant he received from the ICC. Or, perhaps a factor that plays into Xi’s absence is the border tension between India and China. With China and Russia both having their leaders decline to attend the G20, the United States pounced on the opportunity to make new alliances with different countries.

In a partnership that would have been thought to be impossible decades ago, the U.S. and Vietnam inked a historic deal at the G20, where U.S. and Vietnamese officials discussed an arms supply

agreement, as well as boosting cooperation on semiconductor chips and rare earth minerals. Vietnam also lifted the U.S. to its highest diplomatic status, alongside China and Russia. This new agreement comes at a crucial time for the U.S., as a major priority of the Biden administration’s foreign policy is securing global supply chains, particularly in the production and manufacturing of semiconductors. Semiconductors are vitally important for the contemporary world economy, and they are seen as essential for the advancement of technologies that will spur U.S. competitiveness. They are an integral part of smartphones, cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. As U.S.-China relations grow frostier, U.S. diplomats and officials are scrambling to stake out a place in the world’s global supply chain without needing to rely on China, which still leads the world in semiconductor production. With this new deal, the U.S. racks up a win in its policy of competition with China, while Vietnam seeks to find its own foothold and remain on good terms with superpower countries as the geopolitical landscape changes. However, not everything on the agenda went well for the U.S. and its allies, as a joint statement released by the countries that attended notably omitted any condemnation of Russia’s invasion and war in Ukraine and instead lamented the “suffering” of the Ukrainian people, as well as the “adverse impacts of wars and conflicts around the world.” The declaration also called on Russia to

allow grain and fertilizer to be exported from Ukraine as the world deals with shortages of both. A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the omission of condemnation of Russian aggression was “nothing to be proud of,” while Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor, said the joint statement “does a very good job of standing up for the principle that states cannot use force to seek territorial acquisitions.” Why did the joint declaration make no mention or condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? According to foreign policy experts, joint declarations at the G20 usually take on the characteristics of the host country. In this case, India has generally had the reputation of being neutral in conflicts between major world powers, as the country stayed neutral during the Cold War, and Prime Minister Narenda Modi has refused to condemn the war in Ukraine, calling for a cease-fire instead. With the G20 statement, Modi and India looked to continue their record of neutrality and did not want to “antagonize” Russia or China. Much to the U.S. and other Western countries’ dismay, India will likely continue to hold this position as it aims to appear as an ascendant nation that is able to have good relations with many varying geopolitical factions, as Vietnam is trying to do the same.

The 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi showed a trend of an increasingly multilateral geopolitical landscape. Gone are the days of two competing

superpowers, such as in the era of the Cold War with tensions between the U.S.S.R and the U.S., but today’s world is one where many countries are looking to expand their influence and make their foreign policy decisions autonomously. India is one example, where the U.S. and NATO can’t seem to convince India to go along with their condemnation and restriction of Russia and its leader. Another example is China, which was once hyped up during the preCOVID-19 years as an emerging superpower that would one day overtake the U.S. in a Cold War-like conflict, only to find that in 2023, the country is reeling from numerous critical issues domestically. Or take the U.S., for example, which many pundits and politicians, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, call a “nation in decline” to make important new agreements with other countries that give it the upper hand in securing the global supply chain. Many people are quick to label certain countries as “emerging superpowers” or “nations in decline,” but the truth shows that the world today is brimming with countries that are simply looking to maintain their own interests and expand their influence. Whether or not that means they will become “superpowers,” like in the era of the Cold War, is another story.

We Need to Utilize Empty Offices’ Wasted Space

By SAISHA ISLAM STAFF WRITER

The remote working transition of many New York City residents during the COVID-19 pandemic has left employers with empty office spaces throughout the city. This surplus of empty office spaces raises questions about whether employees should be encouraged to return to in-person work and what can be done with the empty space.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a series of tumultuous changes which have created an entirely new working environment. The mass availability of remote careers and more options to work from home has created a new work format that relies less on face-to-face communication. As a result, office spaces which were packed prepandemic have now become emptier. This has left employers concerned about wasting their real estate and whether employees are as engaged when they work remotely.

Employers and businesses

argue that in-person work is more productive and engaging than remote meetings. While employers acknowledge that there are various online platforms that “facilitate some really amazing sessions via Teams, Skype, Zoom, and there’s a lot that can happen to enrich the dialogue,” they believe that in-person work is best able to “drive innovation and especially culture forwards,” and that “we still need to have faceto-face collaboration.” Additionally, there is an emphasis on face-to face collaboration because employers believe that remote work will detach employees from each other. While this can be seen in some situations, remote work options may also allow employees to work closer than ever by offering a wide availability of connection that isn’t strictly limited to being in-person.

In response to employers advocating for more in-person work, most employees claim that they enjoy working from home as they feel more productive and have more free

time. Remote work is especially beneficial for people who have a harder time getting to work or have other obligations such as children or pets. The rigidity and superstructure of the workplace pre-pandemic has now become softer and more flexible, which allows many employees to balance their work and personal life better than before. The availability of another format of work allows people to choose what is better for them and their output at work.

But while remote work or school does have a lot of pros, in my personal opinion, there is something to be said about meeting in-person as well. During quarantine, when I attended school remotely, I felt more easily distracted and less able to retain as much information as I did when I was attending school in-person. While it was easy to communicate with my peers over Zoom or Google Classroom, seeing and listening to them in person allowed me to focus, be engaged and connect better with others. On the other

hand, remote work depends on the individual, as some people are more motivated than others. For the issue of collaboration in person, engagement and morale between employees can be boosted through in-person meetings once a week or biweekly, which wouldn’t revert to the rigidity of the workplace pre-pandemic but would still allow face-to-face interaction. This would also utilize empty office space more. But while employers argue about in-person work, empty office space is still becoming more common. The increase of this space has led to questions on what can be done with it and how employers can choose between options depending on cost or public good. NYC

Mayor Eric Adams expresses optimism for “office-toresidential conversions” which “could produce 20,000 new homes in the next decade.” While some offices can be converted to homes, this is not possible for all offices, especially for many newer office buildings as “Building typology, floor plate

shape, and access to light and ventilation will determine the suitability of office buildings for residential conversions.”

Other than converting office space to homes, there are numerous other possibilities. Ideas range from renting to other businesses, to providing space for photographers and other artists or using the space for catering events. The availability of office space can open up new venues for employers that they wouldn’t have thought of taking in the first place and could benefit others. The best option for the use of office space depends on who is being asked. Many employers would consider the choice which brings them the most revenue, while others would say whichever option benefits the public. In my opinion, the best option would be the one that reconciles both.

Ben Oppenheimer, FCRH ’24, is a film and television major from Hempstead, N.Y.

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

Let’s Leave Leather Behind & Protect Animals From the Fashion Industry

By JULIA LEEDOM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

During New York Fashion Week, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) caused a disruption when two of their supporters intervened in the Coach runway show by holding up signs and wearing outlandish clothes displaying the statement “Coach: Leather Kills.” Animal products in the fashion world have engendered controversy for a long time. PETA radically pursues their mission to stop the use of animal products in the fashion industry. But a question to pose is: Should PETA and other animal rights proponents and foundations be labeled extremists? Or is the fashion industry and its consumers who hardly bat an eye when purchasing products derived from horrific forms of animal cruelty be labeled extreme? As someone who is passionate about fashion but also deeply cares for animals, these questions can be hard to grapple with and arrive at a definitive position. But when I step away from my undeniable love for all things fashion and solely think about animal rights, I know in my heart, it is unethical to buy and promote new products made from animal leather.

The way American agricultural businesses treat and process animals is unacceptable. I have been a vegetarian for most of my life and, therefore, know all about the ways animals are handled and harvested in the meat industry. But I am slightly

ashamed to say that I did not know — or more candidly, did not want to know — just how poorly animals are treated when it comes to clothing and accessory production. I wanted to believe the fashion industry was different and animals were not treated as purely disposable to deliver the latest and greatest fashion items and trends. For too long I have failed to see the similarities between agri-business and the fashion industry, indulging in the mantra, “ignorance is bliss.”

But now, as a fashion studies minor who is becoming more immersed in the fashion world, I cannot live in denial anymore. PETA has brought to my attention that every year more than a billion animals are unethically slaughtered for the global leather industry. Throughout the process, many of these animals experience terrible forms of factory farming which include confinement, crowding, deprivation and more. How can I consider myself an animal rights activist when I support this type of treatment by falling in line with fashion trends? Sometimes it is really hard to do the right thing. But the world is full of injustices and we, as a society, need to start working together to make a difference in all the ways we can.

If we cared for animals during their lives by treating them humanely, letting them live a full life and then fully using their remains, the story of leather products would be different. But unfortunately,

largely due to supply and demand, that is not the case. We can no longer turn a blind eye; we must address the problem at hand.

It is deeply challenging for most people to acknowledge and/or accept the unethical ways of life in this world. I have fallen victim to this way of thinking. That is why I admire organizations such as PETA for fighting for what they believe is right and making significant strides towards accomplishing their goals. Having PETA activists storm the Coach show was an extremely effective way to gain media attention and educate a broader range of people about the use of animal cruelty in the fashion industry. Generating awareness of unethical practices and advocating change is what we need to do collectively. As a young adult who is trying to figure out her place in this world, I am continually reminded that living beyond personal ethics and embracing more global and higher standards necessitates difficult lifestyle shifts. Living with intention and making these shifts is how we as a society can effectively start to make a difference.

We can start by moving away from purchasing newly manufactured leather products and seeking out alternatives. For one, buying second-hand authentic leather products is a way to give already manufactured leather a life. Promoting vintage or used leather is a great way to get your fix, but also advocate against purchasing fresh factory developments. Leather

does not have to disappear entirely, but the high demand for it does. There are also a lot of brands that are experimenting and working with proteins extracted from plants as well as various forms of fungi to generate “faux” leather products. Doing research and testing out these leather substitutes can be another great way to actively work towards shifting to a more ethical lifestyle. Polyurethane is another popular replacement. I acknowledge that the use of polyurethane brings sustainability into question as a large percentage of its makeup is plastic. However, the overly high demand and excessive breeding of animals also has major environmental effects. Cutting down on animal products and changing the way we treat animals is the first step that needs to be made and then, as an industry, fashion brands and designers can continue to

work on creating sustainable faux leather products that provide a sense of luxury and durability. Making this change will not happen overnight, but we can do it if we work together. The systems that animals are treated under — not just in the clothing industry but also in the beauty, meat industries, etc. — need to be disrupted and changed. Perhaps we can all take a page out of PETA’s play book and put ourselves out there to work together to create a better world for all living beings. Wouldn’t it be incredible if the next trend in fashion increased demand for humanely crafted products? Who knows, maybe Coach will rise to this challenge and take a leadership role at next year’s fashion week.

Fulton County Hoping to Hold Election Criminals Accountable

By ELEANOR SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A special grand jury recommended a few weeks ago that the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis bring racketeering charges against 39 people, including the former president, Donald Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham and former Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The special grand jury met last year, but the report was only released Sept. 8, as Willis wanted the report to remain confidential until she decided what charges to bring. The panel did not have the power to issue indictments, but it had full subpoena power and could call witnesses, so Willis sought an indictment of Trump and 18 others from a regular grand jury using the evidence the special grand jury gathered.

Among those who were not indicted are Graham, Perdue and Loeffler. While determining who to bring charges against, the District Attorney had to decide which prosecutions were most likely to succeed. As the indictment is a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)

indictment, everybody on the indictment needs to be proven to have taken part in the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Additionally, while the special grand jury heard only from the prosecution, in an actual criminal trial, the jury would hear from the defense as well, making Willis’s job even more difficult. In a criminal trial, the jury’s decision to convict must be unanimous.

The special grand jury charged Trump in three areas: his call with Georgia’s secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, calls to “multiple Georgia officials and employees” and the “national effort” to overturn the election results. However, in all three of these votes, one juror voted against bringing charges against Trump. The reasons for the juror’s votes are not known, but in a highprofile and politically charged case such as this one, it is extremely possible that jurors struggled to separate their own views on Trump and the election from the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Willis received some criticism for choosing not to prosecute all 39 people that the spe-

cial grand jury recommended they bring charges against. While it is important for all that interfered with the election process to be held responsible for their actions, it is also vital to recognize that, in this criminal case, the jury needs to unanimously decide that everybody on the RICO indictment took part in the efforts to overturn the presidential election.

Graham was investigated by the special grand jury because of a phone call he made to Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. According to Raffensperger, in a phone call made on Nov. 13, 2020, Graham asked Raffensperger to illegally set aside lawfully cast ballots. Graham, however, has continued to deny these allegations. The conflicting accounts of this telephone call mean that the prosecution of Graham is unlikely to succeed. The other people that were removed from the indictment were removed because, like Graham, it was unlikely that they would be found guilty; or because they will be indicted separately; or because they made deals with the state.

Notably, Trump is still allowed to run for president if he

is under indictment or even if he is convicted. It is clear that, at least in Trump’s case, the indictment has thus far had no effect on his political plans. While Trump is likely to remain the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, recent polling shows that the indictments may hinder his success in the general election. Even if the legal system does not adequately punish Trump for his unlawful and unethical efforts to overturn the 2020 election, much of the public is taking these proceedings very seriously.

In August, a conservative argument emerged that said the Constitution bars Trump from serving as president because he “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the [United States].” This provision

is Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was first written to keep Confederate officers and soldiers from holding office. However, this rule is still in effect and entirely independent from criminal prosecutions. If this issue is deemed important enough to be resolved, that would happen in court independent of a jury. This deliberation would be different proceeding from the current indictments in Fulton County, and it is important to investigate this provision sooner rather than later to avoid a major crisis like the one that might arise if Trump is deemed unable to serve after winning the Republican nomination.

Eleanor Smith, FCRH ’26, is an American Studies and history major,from St. Paul, Minn.

Avoid supporting the mistreatment of animals by buying second-hand leather.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

JuliaLeedom,FCRH’25,isacommunications and media studies major from Duxbury, Mass.

Investigators should move forward with charges before the 2024 election. COURTESY OF TWITTER

Ticketmaster Has Priced Out Passionate Music Fans

By HANIYYAH USMANI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

You’re mindlessly scrolling through your phone when you see your favorite artist is going on tour and, OMG — they’ve finally posted their concert dates! Your eyes rove the list and widen when you see your city listed, and a bright excitement settles over you, shooting through all your worries of the moment as your mind focuses on this single matter in front of you. You run to Google to find tickets but stop short when you see the price. They’re cheaper than you thought, but you know all too well that it won’t stay that way for very long, especially since this particular artist has gained too much popularity — their songs endlessly trending on social media have ensured that. A few weeks before the concert, you see that you were right.

Ticket prices have soared, and you realize you cannot go, even though you would have absolutely loved to.

This is a situation that many face due to both direct and indirect effects brought about by COVID-19. The economy faces raising prices on almost everything nowadays due to inflation, most notably in the rise of gas

prices and grocery items. However, The Atlantic reports that the inflation of concert tickets is actually 2.6% higher than the general inflation rate we are seeing in the United States.

This, paired with the fact that the pandemic brought about changes in people’s spending behavior, shows how, although prices rise, there are some people who are willing to spend their money on one-time opportunities like concerts. These increases in price also impact the cost of performing, making it tougher for smaller artists to make concerts possible. Because these artists cannot afford it, shows are canceled and they don’t have any control over the cost of their tickets. This puts those artists in a really tough spot and effectively cuts them out of the live music performing world completely.

Another reason for costly tickets is the companies in charge of selling those tickets. In addition to the initial cost of tickets, sites like Ticketmaster charge additional hidden fees, resulting in a much higher final price. It turns out such fees actually add an average of 27% to the labeled ticket price. Even aside from these company-added fees, it’s the

larger artists who really control the pricing, since they have the influence to do so. For them it’s like “one artist sets a new bar and then the next artist can take it from there.”

I, personally, would’ve loved to see the Arctic Monkeys concert that took place here in New York City on Sept. 8 and 9 at Forest Hills Stadium, but I couldn’t. Even worse, I saw people who never even listened to the band post about being at the concert, for no other reason than to just let people know they were there. It was frustrating because I know that these people were probably just cheering the whole time, not knowing the words to any song except for one or two that trended on Instagram and TikTok for a while.

A former high school classmate posted pictures of herself at the concert, with a caption that referenced one of the band’s songs. I commented on the post, “superior concert fr,” and she proceeded to reply, “well I’m a die-hard swiftie sooooo.”

I won’t lie, I raised an eyebrow at that because she seemed like she couldn’t care less about the performing band that, again, she paid to see. I’m happy that Arctic Monkeys was able to fully book the stadium for

two nights, but I just wish that it would’ve been filled with people who actually cared a little more and could support in the right way (actually knowing the lyrics) and not those who are just looking for another experience (being clueless as to what most of these lyrics even are).

The rush brought about by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is something everyone has heard of, or experienced for themselves, and the exorbitant cost of the tickets and practically bloody battle to get them united all of the Swifties. In nearly every social media conversation, there is at least a brief mention of the extremely heightened costs people are paying to be able to go see her. Fordham student Bridget Godfrey, GSB ’27, was talking with a classmate about the cost of obtaining a frontrow seat to the Eras Tour just a day before the performance. Recently, Godfrey was asking her classmate to guess how much it was, before revealing that the ticket was higher than $10,000. Hearing this, I was shocked — how could a concert ticket cost $10,000, with that not even being the most expensive one? It turns out that the most expensive seat in the house was $20,000.

It’s beyond me how much people are willing to pay for live performances; does this amount of money mean nothing to them? I wonder, if people didn’t buy any tickets, or only a few, what would happen? Event and ticketing companies would be forced to reduce prices, or else face the reality of having a halfempty venue. It’s angering. Seeing these ridiculous prices indicate that only certain people can go see their favorite artists, especially when that audience often includes people who aren’t huge fans. A friend of mine complained to me about seeing a girl post about attending the Taylor Swift concert, when she clearly recalled that same girl making fun of her for liking Swift’s music when they were younger. “I’ve been here since I was a kid,” she told me, often giving detailed explanations for the stories behind every album and song. In my mind, she’s one of the realest Swifties, truly dedicated to her passion. And yet she’s also the one who couldn’t go.

Mayor Adams Sees the Light on Biden’s Border Crisis

By MICHAEL DUKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Corruption, lack of focus, extreme trespassing and neglect of law are commonalities between the fall of Rome and the current immigration crisis. In the last week, one of the nation’s most left-leaning mayors, Eric Adams (D-N.Y.), fell under fire for claiming that the United States’ illegal immigration crisis will “destroy” New York. This statement not only admits a problem in our nation, but solidifies arguments that Republican lawmakers across the nation have been making for the last two and a half years: open borders do not work. The border crisis that President Joe Biden has presented to the nation is a multifaceted issue that not only impacts New Yorkers, but is a humanitarian nightmare and economic strain that significantly amplifies national security threats to the United States.

Since Biden took office, there has been a surge in illegal immigrants crossing the U.S. southern border. So much so, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has released statements with intense wording like, “The state of our border is in crisis,” or “His administration’s policies have eroded

deterrence and stripped away enforcement tools.” Accrediting the southern border crisis to Biden’s impotence over federal agencies, whose jobs are to keep the U.S. homeland secure, the recorded undocumented immigrant encounters at the southern border at 2.76 million in 2022 is an extreme issue and worrisome when compared to 2021 records of 1.72 million undocumented immigrant encounters in the region.

However, what is more concerning is that the mayor of a city more than a thousand miles from the Texas-Mexico border feels the effects of the open-border policies. As of Sept. 10, more than 113,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the beginning of the spring. Further, these numbers only add to the 835,000 known illegal immigrants who have flocked to New York and will drum up a bill of $4.7 billion. This is estimated to be $12.2 billion by next year, but more concerningly, this current expense of migrants in New York’s care is equal to the budgets of New York City’s combined sanitation, parks and fire departments.

The media have scrutinized

Governors Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.)

for bussing immigrants into dem-run cities like New York City, Philadelphia and D.C., but their actions of bussing illegal immigrants around the country is not a partisan issue. They are trying to aid law support by clearing the way for the 3,700 unscheduled daily encounters in their home states. Records indicate that immigrants, regardless of status, have always moved to new places within the United States once they arrived, and this is a large part of why many call New York City home. The city’s rich history has made it a melting pot of many cultures and backgrounds. However, the situation at hand is far from constructive or positive. With migrants causing economic constraints on the city to the point where Adams has asked for federal aid to alleviate the situation, Adams language that admits the crisis is causing issues for the city is backtracking on prior scrutiny of the border state governor’s actions.

With the border crisis crowding New York City classrooms, limiting affordable housing and driving living costs up, the flow of people presents a potential national security threat to our communities and endangers many U.S. citizens.

However, Adams was elected

as mayor of New York City — not president, not Homeland Security Advisor and certainly not Secretary of Homeland Security. Because of these facts, he should not be cleaning up where others cannot seem to. He should be allowed to focus on issues he campaigned and won on. The crisis at hand only inhibits his ability to act in the best interest of the people of New York City, and he is right to call out injustices where he sees them.

However, the issue is more extensive than Mayor Adams. Speaking on the migrant influx into his city, he said, “Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this.”

It is time for the Department

of Homeland Security, State Department, Department of Justice and the White House to get a grip on the issues their job descriptions require them to address. The severity of illegal immigration is an issue all Americans west and east of the Mississippi face. If officials in our federal government will not act to secure America now for the sake of this problem snowballing in the future, they must resign so America may be able to return to the preinvasion state our country was in three, 29 or 33 years ago.

Michael Duke, GSB ’26, is undecided from Scottsdale, Ariz.

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

Mayor Adams has stated the current migrant crisis has challenged New York. COURTESY OF TWITTER

Stop Telling Me to “Explore” Arthur Avenue

By ALLISON SCHNEIDER ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Fordham University’s administration loves to remind students that the Bronx has a lot to offer in terms of food and entertainment, but the spots they highlight are almost exclusively along Arthur Avenue. Having been here for over a year, I am certainly no stranger to Arthur Ave., and the various establishments that call the street home. From Prince Coffee Shop to Enzo’s to Estrellita’s to Last Call, I feel almost as if I’ve seen it all, and I’m only a sophomore. Although becoming a regular at these spots is no crime, that’s not really my style, and I’m sure others can relate. There’s something to be said for trying new things, visiting new places and meeting new people, and the only way to do that now is to go elsewhere.

A girl can only have so many variations of pasta and *insert sauce variety* before she starts to wonder about the Yemeni cuisine just east of campus or the story-book-themed Tortoise & Hare Restaurant near Van Cortlandt Park. But my trips throughout the Bronx this year have shown me there’s so much more than just food at these spots, even if it was my stomach that

got me there. I mean, by all accounts, Little Yemen is amazing, and Van Cortlandt is cleaner, less busy and much bigger than Central Park.

So why did it take me a year to check out these spots? Convenience is certainly a part of it; almost all of these locations necessitate a bus ride or at least a longer walk than the one to Michaelangelo’s. And when you’re in a pinch, Belmont establishments will suit all your needs, but there are plenty of times when I’m not in a pinch. I plan day-long trips to Bushwick and purchase scheduled tickets for museum exhibits and outdoor concerts. I make restaurant reservations along Arthur and in Manhattan. So why not make plans to go to the South Bronx for a quick thrift trip? Or east past Webster for a different reason than just getting to the D train?

Sometimes the tricky part is awareness. Most of the places I go to in New York are recommendations from people I know or places I’ve seen on social media. And I’d say that Fordham definitely plays a role in that as well. The social culture certainly favors Arthur Avenue, but so does the administration. Their newsletters often highlight events south of campus, and they

routinely encourage visiting families and prospective students to explore the Bronx by “checking out the real Little Italy on Arthur Avenue.” Still, as much as these influences prop up the street, Arthur’s biggest supporters are our very own Public Safety officers.

Public Safety routinely advises students to stick to the streets of Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road, clearly favoring the culturally white Little Italy over other neighboring areas. Their presentations at incoming student events and New Student Orientation every year highlight this mentality. I know Public Safety has a responsibility to keep students as safe as they possibly can, but encouraging students not to stray from Arthur lest they encounter… what? Real Bronxites? Or maybe they’re worried that we’ll run into more feral cats.

Of course, when you go out into the city in any neighborhood, you should be aware of your surroundings and practice street safety, but you shouldn’t ignore an entire area just because Public Safety hasn’t deemed it “Ram Safe.” Nearly all of us have access to smartphones, meaning you can research neighborhoods, pull up a map or call for help with the touch of a button.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking the bus to Little Yemen for a change of scenery, and the fact I even have to spell that out is more than a little disappointing.

In the past few years, Public Safety has been refining their “Ram Safety Corridor” map, which is essentially a list of businesses along Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road that promise to be a safe haven for any Fordham students who may be in danger while in the area. While this program is great for students remaining in the area, especially when going out late at night, it doesn’t even begin to address all the possible situations that a student may encounter while exploring the rest of the Bronx.

Fordham’s Public Safety should be encouraging students to practice street safety all throughout the city by offering specific advice that can be used in a variety of situations. Rather than telling students to stick to Arthur, we should be teaching them how to avoid dangerous situations by traveling in groups, staying off their phones and not wearing headphones. We need to inform students of all the resources available to them while they’re out and about. We should be offering Public Safety sponsored

self-defense classes. Public Safety should expand their operating perimeter and work with other nearby institutions, such as Bronx Community College, when possible to increase the protection of all young New Yorkers.

As students, we need to encourage each other when the university refuses to. We need to share our experiences with each other and offer up our own tips about street safety. We need to resist Public Safety’s all-toopopular narrative and work together to destigmatize the surrounding areas. Most of all, we need to apply pressure on the administration to stop feeding new students this Arthur-only perception of the Bronx.

Exploring the city can feel like a daunting task, but it’s important to make the most of your four years here. The Bronx and the Rose Hill campus aren’t just resting places between trips to Manhattan. They can be a home if you let them be one. So ask yourself, is New York really your campus? Or is it just Arthur Avenue?

Hollywood Is Bleeding as Writers Strike Continues

By ZACHARY BADALAMENTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Hollywood is bleeding, and bigwig executives are to blame for the current writers strike that will cost studios an estimated $5 billion in revenue. One of longest labor strikes in the history of Hollywood, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is nearing its 140th day on strike, and there are not enough empty award ceremonies to remedy the tension between writers and studios. On May 2 of this year, members of the WGA voted to go on strike to demand better compensation, arguing the current contract negotiated between the WGA and Hollywood studios does not adequately reflect the current landscape of digital entertainment. Additionally, not only are writers on strike, but actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have also gone on strike as of July 13. The obvious catalyst of the strikes is pay, but the last time writers and actors were on strike together was in 1960, so why now?

The 1960 strike was a landmark event in the history of Hollywood and entertainment as it laid the foundation for how writers and actors would be compensated in the years

to come. Arguably the most notable result of the strike was that writers and actors would now earn residual payments from their projects: a form of passive income generated from reruns of the program on cable television. As the years went on, these residual payments extended past cable television and included a small portion of DVD sales. In the last decade or so, the agreed upon pay structures in the digital media industry have become outdated. The sources of revenue generated by studios have transformed drastically as consumers have shifted from traditional cable television to online streaming services. Consequently, the previously negotiated contracts between Hollywood studios and the labor unions do not include provisions to protect writers and actors working on productions made for streaming services. In prior decades, tenured writers and actors were able to achieve financial security in large part due to the residual payments they received from working on shows and movies that had reruns air on cable networks or from the DVD sales of the production project. With streaming services, these residual payments are not properly regulated and, as a result, writers and actors working on big-name productions

that air directly to streaming services have been given laughable checks that are widely disproportionate to the actual revenue the projects generate. One notable example of this was the measly $27 in residual payments Kimiko Glenn received over the last decade from her role on Netflix’s hit television show, “Orange is the New Black.” To put that number into perspective, in July 2019, Netflix tweeted, “105m households have watched at least one episode of OITNB [Orange is the New Black]. It’s our mostwatched original ever.” Despite the enormous success of this show and other streaming shows alike, actors and writers typically receive the largest stake of their profits during the actual stages of production. Regardless of Glenn’s lack of compensation for her major role in the production of “Orange is the New Black,” for some, international fame and notoriety is a worthy supplement for the wages she could have earned.

To those few, you are wrong.

To explain why, it’s easiest to describe the way the digital entertainment industry works in the context of an entry-level corporate sales job. As an employee in sales, one’s salary is typically predicated on commission, so being the one to finalize the sale matters. Now, say the boss comes in and says

the entirety of commissions generated from the new online sales platform will be given to the top few sales employees, but otherwise, everyone else’s salaries will remain the same. That is basically what the top Hollywood executives did when they shifted to a more streaming-centric approach to producing shows and movies. Reports published by Variety show that Hollywood executives have been making outrageously disproportionate salaries to the writers they employ. According to the report, the two co-CEOs of Netflix, Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings, reported over $100 million in earnings in 2022. In comparison, the combined salaries of over 458 average employees at Netflix makes just slightly less than the two executives. The pay structure in the streaming entertainment industry is basically the same as

if the owner of the Golden State Warriors made significantly more than Stephen Curry, their star player. It is ironic that an industry formulated around creativity and artistic expression regularly undervalues the creatives it employees.

The significance of the union strikes in Hollywood is far greater than just whether or not the production of “Dune 2” will be pushed back. The predatory practices of Hollywood executives in the entertainment industry are as old as the industry itself to the point where it is easy to forget that without the writer and actor, there would be no show or movie at all. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are empowering to not just current actors and writers, but aspiring creatives as well.

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

Allison Schneider, FCRH ’26, is an English and political science major from Indianapolis,Ind.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Protests continue as members of the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strike.

ISABEL DANZIS - EDITOR IN CHIEF

Isabel Danzis is a senior from Bethesda, Md. She is double majoring in journalism and digital technologies and emerging media. The Ram has been a very important part of her college experience. She originally joined the Ram staff as the Volume 103 Assistant News Editor. She worked as News Editor for Volume 104 and is excited to be Editor in Chief for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Isabel enjoys reading, writing, crocheting and exploring New York City.

MICHAEL SLUCK - PRODUCTION EDITOR

Michael Sluck is a senior from New Jersey majoring in political science and computer science. He has been copy editing for The Fordham Ram for the entirety of his college career, and looks forward to continuing to serve as Production Editor during Volume 105. At the Ram, you can find him deleting Oxford commas, posing philosophical questions or participating in the intramural volleyball team.

MATT COLUCCI - BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Matthew Colucci is a junior from Long Island, N.Y., majoring in marketing at the Gabelli School of Business. He has been managing the Business Team for The Fordham Ram since Volume 104 and is really excited for Volume 105. He is looking for anyone who may be interested in helping out the Business Team!

SEBASTIAN DIAZ - MANAGING EDITOR

Sebastian Diaz is a senior from Chapel Hill, N.C. who is double majoring in journalism and film. After starting as a news reporter for The Fordham Ram during Volume 102, Sebastian has stayed with the newspaper ever since in various staff positions, including Features Editor and Editorial Director. For Volume 105, Sebastian is still on staff as Managing Editor. When they aren’t working at the Ram, you can usually find Sebastian reading, watching movies or playing drums.

JAMISON RODGERS - EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Jamison Rodgers is from Silver Spring, Md. She is pursuing a major in English, concentrating in creative writing, and a minor in psychology. Jamison started working for the Ram the fall of her freshman year as an opinion writer before moving to the production side as a copy editor. She is excited to take on a new role as Editorial Director. Outside of the Ram, Jamison works in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and dominates the court as a member of the Ram’s intramural volleyball team.

FRANCES SCHNEPFF - MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

Frances Schnepff is a junior hailing from Chicago, majoring in communications and minoring in marketing and French. She has been the Ram’s Social Media Director for the past year and is excited to take on the role of Multimedia Director for Volume 105. In her spare time, Frances loves reading and watching films!

HANNAH BORING - COPY CHIEF

Hannah Boring is a junior from Annapolis, Md., majoring in English. She started as a copy editor for Volume 103, fell in love with it and joined Volume 104 as Assistant Copy Chief. Now, she is excited to keep doing what she loves as Volume 105’s Copy Chief. When she’s not drawing little circles on the print editions, she can be found blasting Taylor Swift, reading the next best rom com and leading the Ram’s intramural volleyball team to endless victory.

EMMA KIM - NEWS EDITOR

Emma Kim is a junior from Pittsburgh. She is double majoring in economics and English. She started as a contributing writer for news in her freshman year and became Assistant News Editor for Volume 104. She is excited to be News Editor for Volume 105. In addition to the Ram, Emma enjoys reading, participating in other clubs and exploring the city.

SOFIA DONAHUE - ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Sofia Donohue is a junior hailing from Kensington, Md. majoring in English and history. Sofia began writing for news her freshman year and worked as a digital producer for Volume 104. She is excited to be Assistant News Editor for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Sofia loves to read, explore New York City and rewatch her favorite shows.

SOPHIA FORLENZA - ASST. COPY CHIEF

Sophia Forlenza is a senior from Brookfield, Conn.. She is majoring in digital technologies and emerging media and minoring in television. She first joined the Ram as a copy editor for Volume 104 and is thrilled to join the staff for Volume 105 as Assistant Copy Chief. If she’s not at the copy table in B-52, she’s most likely writing music or relaxing with a cup of English breakfast tea and an episode of “Stranger Things.”

SAMANTHA MINEAR - FEATURES EDITOR

Samantha “Sam” Minear is a senior from Long Branch, N.J., majoring in international studies and communications. She started as a contributing writer during her freshman year and slowly ascended the ranks to Features Editor. Sam is passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices and bringing awareness to otherwise taboo or marginalized topics. Outside of the Ram, Sam can be seen flexing her muscles as a Finlay Hall RA or playing the flute.

GRACE GALBREATH - ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Grace Galbreath is a junior from Willow Grove, Pa. majoring in communications and minoring in journalism. She began writing for the Ram spring of her freshman year and is very excited to be joining the staff as an Assistant News Editor for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Grace can be found running in the Botans, waltzing in Collins Auditorium and spending time with friends and family.

NICOLE BRAUN - OPINION EDITOR

Nicole Braun is a senior from Saddle River, N.J. and she is thrilled to be a member of Volume 105! Her love for writing and editing led her to begin writing for Volume 102, serve as Opinion Editor for Volume 104 and pursue a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing. Outside of her love for the Ram, Nicole enjoys reading, discussing and debating all sorts of media and playing volleyball with her friends.

EVAN McMANUS - ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Evan McManus is a junior from Dover, Mass., majoring in political science. He started writing opinion articles for the Ram during his sophomore year and will be working as an Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 105. In this role, he hopes to promote Fordham students’ voices through the Opinion Section. Outside of the Ram, he loves to watch movies, be outdoors and hang out with friends.

ALLISON SCHNEIDER - ASST. OPINION EDITOR

Allison Schneider is a sophomore from a small town outside of Indianapolis, Ind. and plans to double major in English and Political Science. She began writing and copy editing for The Ram in fall 2022 and is beyond excited to join the staff for Volume 105 as Assistant Opinion Editor. When she’s not in B-52, you can find her perusing the shelves of used bookstores or trying not to fall asleep on the 4 Train.

KARI WHITE - CULTURE EDITOR

Kari White is a senior from the blink-andyou’ll-miss-it state of Delaware. She is majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing, as well as minoring in environmental studies. This will be her second volume as a culture editor, and she’s excited to continue ranting about pop culture, documenting events throughout the city and highlighting the talents of Fordham’s own student body. Beyond the Ram, she enjoys hiking, reading and trying new foods.

MADDIE BIMONTE - SPORTS EDITOR

Maddie Bimonte is a senior from Raleigh, N. C. majoring in journalism and minoring in political science. She first joined the Ram writing for the sports section during Volume 103 and became one of the Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 104. She is super excited to take on the role as co-editor of the Sports section for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Maddie dedicates her time to WFUV Sports and endlessly talking about her favorite team, the New York Mets, curating Spotify playlists and hiking.

LOU ORLANDO - ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Lou Orlando is a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y. majoring in journalism. He joined the Ram as a freshman, writing articles for the sports section. Lou is thrilled to take over the role of Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Lou plays an active role at WFUV Sports and is fiercely dedicated to defending the sport of hockey and his beloved New York Rangers.

SKYLAR HARRIS - VIDEO PRODUCER

Skylar Harris is a senior from Voorhees, N.J. She is majoring in journalism and started as a video editor for the Fordham Ram in her junior year. She is looking forward to her position as the Video Director for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Skylar is a Fordham Track and Field team member and enjoys watching documentaries and walking on self-guided tours.

ILAINA KIM - CULTURE EDITOR

Ilaina Kim is a senior from Atlanta pursuing a major in English with a minor in philosophical studies. She joined The Fordham Ram as an Assistant Editor for the Culture Section and is excited to join Volume 105 as an editor. When she’s not in the Keating piano room or St. Rose’s Garden, you can find her sketching, reading or watching movies.

LAUREN

LOMBARDI -

ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Lauren Lombardi is a junior from Long Island, N.Y. majoring in communications. Lauren began as a contributing writer for The Fordham Ram her freshman year and is excited to join the staff as Assistant Culture Editor for Volume 105. Besides writing and editing for the Ram, Lauren enjoys reading, going to concerts and spending time with friends.

NICK GUZMAN - SPORTS EDITOR

Nick Guzman is a junior from Flemington, N.J. majoring in journalism. He first joined the Ram as a freshman, beginning as a contributing writer before serving as Sports Editor for Volume 104. Nick is excited to be back in that same position for Volume 105. Outside of the Ram, Nick is involved with WFUV Sports as a producer, beat reporter and commentator.

RORY DONAHUE - SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Rory Donahue is a junior from Haverford, Pa., majoring in digital technologies and emerging media and minoring in marketing. She joined the Ram this year for her love of writing and the Fordham community. In Volume 105, she is very excited to serve as the Social Media Director. Outside of the Ram, she loves to spend time with friends, read books and go on walks in the Botanical Gardens!

ALEX ANTONOV - PHOTO EDITOR

Alex Antonov is a junior from New Jersey majoring in economics. She is very excited to join the Volume 105 crew as Photo Editor and share her love for telling stories through photography. Outside of the Ram, Alex is also a member of the Fordham swimming and diving team. She loves reading, art, exploring NYC and spending time in nature.

Climate Crisis Brought to the Courts of the U.S. Open

By ALEXANDRA RAPP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is always a time and place for disruption in the name of climate protest. I truly believe that being loud, angry and unignorable is a legitimate protest tactic; I am all for disrupting particularly unsustainable events and making it impossible to ignore climate protesters. Yes, that includes tennis matches, concerts and rallies. However, these tactics are only effective when the message they are communicating is deliberate and discernible, and the protestors do not garner the rage of people who empathize with their cause by harming someone unrelated to their cause. Coco Gauff cannot end fossil fuels, even if she wants to. Throwing tomatoes at a Van Gogh painting and gluing your feet to the bleachers during the U.S. Open are not what I would call effective or discernable demonstrations. We need climate protesters more than ever. But we need to find a way to be both incredibly irritat -

of the protesters, and by then, the protestors were painted as “misguided,” and the message became muddled by outrage.

Unfortunately, I believe Extinction Rebellion’s demonstration at the U.S. Open fall in the category of shocking but ineffective protests. During the semifinal match between Coco Gauff, the first American teenager to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams and Karolina Muchova, several people stood up and began to shout from the stands. The protestors adorned shirts saying “End Fossil Fuels,” and one glued their shoes to the bleachers to make themselves harder to remove. When the NYPD showed up to remove them, the crowd in attendance cheered. The entire event lasted less than an hour, and the game resumed after a roughly 50-minute delay. So, what did the protestors communicate? Honestly, they managed to make some headlines, but Gauff’s own response seems to echo how a lot of people felt about it: “Throughout history, mo-

Unfortunately, we don’t know if any of these methods were tried because none of us can honestly believe that the people with the power to make the U.S. Open more sustainable would take the steps to do so.

I cannot stress enough the importance of targeting the parts and people of society who are producing the greatest carbon emissions. Do I really think that the protesrors’ demonstration was trying to do that? Kind of. Do I think they communicated it well? No. I agree that no one should have a private jet, no matter who they are or how important they think they are. No stadium should continue its wasteful habits. And everything that goes into major sporting events is inherently wasteful. We should end the use of fossil fuels. But I also recognize that people doing incredible things deserve a moment in the sun — as in the case of Gauff. She deserved her moment. Taking away a moment of celebration for someone who has worked incredibly hard to get where

they are is not going to sway people toward a cause, no matter how good that cause may be.

Although I fully stand beside the motives for these actions, their vague messaging through seemingly random acts of resistance leads people to question the seriousness of these climate activist groups. Shock has value in protest, and it is undeniable that throwing tomato soup at a beloved painting or gluing yourself to the bleachers during the U.S. Open is

shocking. I am all for meaningful destruction and disruption, but when people cannot easily identify the meaning or understand the motive, the message is easily corrupted to sew a narrative against climate action.

Climate protestors wanted to bring attention to

Open.

Alexandra Rapp, FCRH ’24, is a history and international studies major from Hershey, Pa.

Four Fall Recommendations That Aren’t “Gilmore Girls”

By CLAIRE KRIEGER DIGITAL PRODUCER

Give yourself a pat on the back everyone. After a long and chilling winter, two weeks of what could be considered spring and three months of one of the hottest summers on record, we made it. Fall is finally here.

I truly think fall is the season that trumps all. Seven times out of 10, when you ask someone what their favorite season is, they are going to say fall. What is not to love about it? You can wear sweaters with shorts or pants with a T-shirt and still be comfortable. It has the best flavored foods in my opinion, from apple pie to, admittedly, pumpkin spice. But what truly takes the cake is the entertainment associated with the autumn season.

However, I feel that whenever this time of year rolls around, everyone’s knee-jerk reaction when they turn on the TV is to re-binge all seven seasons of “Gilmore Girls” with a couple of trashy horror flicks thrown in. While I also cannot complain about returning to the world of Stars Hollow, I challenge you to branch out with these four fall media recommendations you may or may not have seen yet.

“Ginny and Georgia.” This show is slightly controversial in the eyes of the public. It is basically “Gilmore Girls” but with a slightly darker plot line and numerous plot twists.

However, it is still a comforting mom-and-daughter show set on the East Coast in a cute little town. While it may seem like a cheesy premise, I went into this show with the exact same skepticism and finished it eager for season two. There is something comforting about the corny dialogue and predictable couplings. I argue that “Ginny and Georgia” is actually very entertaining, and lines up well with the autumnal season we just began. If it is ever a chilly night and you feel like returning to a classic, I challenge you to try out this show instead.

“The Haunting of Bly Manor.” Many people know the sister show, “The Haunting of Hill House.” The reason I recommend this show over the latter is truly due to personal bias. I thought “The Haunting of Bly Manor” was just the right amount of scary, combined with plot. I am in no way saying that this show is good for people who have no tolerance for spookier media. Rather, I think Netflix was able to create a horror television show that did not sacrifice the quality of the story or characters, just so a couple of extra jump scares could be added in.

It also incorporates elements of a love story. By no means does this make it a rom-com, quite the opposite, actually. But, if you’re looking for a new show to start that you need

to be engaged with instead of passively watching, this is the one for you. It has a very intricate plot and a timeline that leaves you wanting answers at the end of each episode. Plus, it takes place in the ’80s, so the costume design is more fun than your run-of-the-mill contemporary horror show.

“The Blair Witch Project.” We cannot have a fall watch list without some Halloween movies on it. Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. The main activities are dressing up in fun costumes or staying in with a bowl of candy and silly horror movies. Yet, I need to give at least one serious horror recommendation. This movie is not for the faint of heart.

Without giving any spoilers, I’ll preface this by saying it is not a horrifically gory movie with heart-stopping monsters. This movie is more of a psychological horror movie. The suspense that gradually builds up over the course of the film puts the audience in a constant state of fear over what will happen next. The movie itself is a very interesting work of art, seeing how the movie is shot purely from a “found footage” point of view. All the scenes are shot by one of the characters on a shoddy hand camera that they brought with them. This is my favorite horror movie of all time, but I recommend you watch it with a buddy.

“Ghostbusters.” Honestly, I

feel like I need no justification for this film. When I was pondering a less intense Halloween movie to add in, I had some other films such as “Hocus Pocus” and “Casper.” While they are good movies, I do not believe they carry the same cultural significance as “Ghostbusters” does. It is so beloved that they have remade the movie, once in 2016 and again in 2021.

Nothing beats the nostalgia that you get watching this movie. It is a classic family-friendly movie that does not make you feel like a toddler while viewing. I guarantee if you ask some friends if they would want to have a “Ghostbusters” viewing party, few would say no.

José James Jams In Bryant Park’s Final Concert

By DIEGO MARTINEZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Minneapolis-born vocalist José James, dubbed “one of the suavest vocal improvisers on the scene” by Pitchfork, performed at Bryant Park on Thursday, Sept. 14. James closed out Bryant Park’s 2023 Picnic Performance with his emphatic tribute to legendary singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. I am familiar with the idea of modern jazz as artists like Jon Batiste and Lawrence have reimagined the genre. However, James’s approach to redefining jazz while still maintaining its historical identity was new to me. James has credited the likes of jazz greats of old as his inspiration, such as John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye and Billie Holiday. Having very little to go off, I was very skeptical of going to a concert of an artist I didn’t know, on a weekday. And besides, taking the trip down to Manhattan is always a complicated endeavor. I arrived at the beautiful park and met up with a group of other Fordham students. However, I was greeted with James’s tranquil voice and the high-tempo drums that accompanied it. From the opening song, I was engulfed by the rich culture and art New York has to offer in such a beautiful setting. Going into this experience, I

had no real idea of who James was and what I was getting myself into. James brought out all the stops in jazz’s rich history, and I left impressed by his ability to mix his unique style with elements that are not typically associated with the genre (e.g. the synthesizer) and how that opened a door to what the future of jazz can look like.

James’s titular track, “On & On,” set the stage. The beginning of the song felt as if I was being transported to a different world. As the song acclimated to

the rhythm, I had found my place in Bryant Park’s beautiful lawn. As the concert continued, the cool and collected instrumentation began to rise in intensity as James reached the song “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long,” which brought out a tonal shift that caught me by surprise, and all I could think of was to get up and dance. I wasn’t alone in that thought, as a handful of people got up and danced along to the rhythm. I heard the slow, shallow snares and felt a rush of peace. The fantastic four-count

was so simply made but carried such a heavy weight when it was paired with the soft synths and smooth vocals that James brought to the table.

It was a nearly full night, as a couple hundred people refused to miss out on the final show in the 2023 Picnic Performance lineup. As the sun set, James continued to soothe the audience with his vocals, and many people enjoyed the food and drink options that were situated inside tents near the back of the park. As the nearly full Bryant Park

listened on, James reached his closing song. The song “Bag Lady” concluded with a slower (but still groovy) rhythm, which was supported by the aforementioned synthesizer. The lyrics and his vocal performance capped off a magical night that I would have completely missed if it weren’t for this article.

I was lucky enough to not be the only Fordham student there. Josie Kinney, FCRH ’27, commented, “Personally I felt as though the music was a means to socialize and expose yourself to an otherwise unfamiliar artist.”

Katerina Kleinschmidt, FCRH ’27, said, “Personally, I was thrilled to learn that they had significant jazz-soul influences because I’ve been wanting to find an entry-level jazz artist to listen to. I’d highly recommend going to a Bryant Park concert (or any other free musical performance you can find). Even if you don’t know the performers, you just might find yourself a new favorite song, artist or genre.” I went into this experience nearly blind to what I was getting myself into, but being able to share this special memory with some wonderful people, I was more than happy with my experience of James’s jam at Bryant Park.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Rather than watching “Gilmore Girls” again, branch out this fall with our list of other autumnal flicks.

Bryant Park’s summer concert series concluded with jazz singer, José James, paying tribute to Erykah Badu.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too In Riverdale

By CALEB STINE COLUMNIST

When I was young, even after multiple trips to the city, I always thought of New York as a sprawling metropolis, consuming anything in and around it. A place where trains are standing-room only all 24 hours of the day, cars drive a mile-an-hour in traffic and a buffer of at least an hour lead one to even a sniff of suburban life.

Riverdale proves this simply isn’t true.

To think that Riverdale, the most affluent neighborhood of the Bronx, sits roughly 12 miles north of Midtown Manhattan, America’s urban center, is baffling. I realize that there are other examples of New York’s chameleonic landscape (Forest Hills is perhaps the secondbest example), and while I have the utmost respect for Central Queens, Riverdale takes the cake in the suburbs-in-thecity competition.

With walkability to Van Cortlandt, a park nearly 200 square miles larger than Central Park, and direct access to the 1 train, Riverdale is the perfect commuter neighborhood for those looking to sleep in the suburbs, work in the city

and live in both.

Early in Riverdale’s development, the town functioned as an enclave for aristocrats to keep their estates. These mansions and estates of 19th- and 20th-century moguls remain today, especially in the Hudson Hill neighborhood.

At the turn of the 20th century, the popularity of railroad commutes allowed these men to permanently reside in Riverdale year-round, with the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad being rerouted by Cornelius Vanderbilt to enter into his new Grand Central Depot (now Grand Central Station). Later, developer Leland Weintraub called for the creation of “a picturesque site, landscaping and architecture; connection to the city by accessible transportation and a layout adapted to the topography” to be present in the area.

It’s fair to say that Weintraub’s vision was achieved in spades.

Riverdale acts as a time machine into 19th-century wealth, when sprawling estates just outside of the city were regular for the American elite. What makes Riverdale especially unique, though, is its identity as a New York neighborhood, because it is

one. Developers of this lush neighborhood didn’t wish to create an area outside the city to separate it from a New York identity. Riverdale was created as an enclave to retain that invaluable identity while also providing residents the undoubtable luxuries that were, at the time (and for the most part still is), only available in the suburbs.

The Van Cortlandt House Museum offers a comprehensive history of the wealthy Van Cortlandts and other members of the Riverdale elite of old, atop a hill on the beautiful park that bears their name. Their estate has been wonderfully preserved, and admission to students is a meager $3. Riverdale’s historic and present affluence, as well as it being a stone’s throw from the best Italian food minds in the country on Arthur Avenue, allows residents and visitors to get classed-up, and the suburbanized atmospheres in the restaurants never sacrifice quality or ambience. Beccofino performs this balancing act with ease, producing highly-recommended veal and calamari at decent prices that could easily be 20% more in Manhattan.

I will shout from the rooftops

that I don’t miss living in the suburbs, but it’s restaurants like Bronx Burger House, unpretentious places with simple menu options, affordable prices and laid-back vibes, that are admittedly in short supply throughout the five boroughs.

It can be easy to rave about Riverdale’s proximity to Manhattan, considering what it’s near. It’s also easy to marvel at its gorgeous homes and

leafy sidewalks, simply what it is. Perhaps, it’s also easy to compliment Riverdale on what it’s not, but very well could be: needlessly swanky, tacky or showy.

Riverdale is all about balance, not in providing extremes in any one characteristic but not skimping on positive traits either. Riverdale residents can truly have their cake and eat it too.

Hearts Stop For Netflix’s Hit Show: “Heartstopper”

By HANNAH BORING COPY CHIEF

Netflix’s “Heartstopper” had a stellar year after the premiere of the first season. Not only did season one receive a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it also received 23 award nominations with 14 wins, including two nominations at the 2023 BAFTA awards and nine nominations, four of which won, at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. With this continued

support and praise for the series, “Heartstopper” had a lot to follow with season two. The new eight episodes that premiered on Aug. 3 were, in my opinion, infinitely better than the first season. This is a bold statement from me considering the amount of times I rewatched it, but it’s true. Not only has the acting and cinematography improved, but the storyline also developed in a way that allows for all of the characters to seem like

real people, not just the two main leads, Nick and Charlie, played by Kit Connor and Joe Locke, respectively.

One of my favorite parts about season two is the overarching theme of friendship.

I love a good found family trope, especially in young adult material, and nothing can compare to the found family in “Heartstopper.” In season two, no matter what happened in regards to their relationships, each of the characters continued to put these friendships first. This was especially seen in the budding relationship between Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney).

The two were best friends, and in season one, we got to see their developing crushes on each other. Throughout season two, they struggled to pursue their romantic feelings while maintaining their previous friendship, not wanting to ruin what their friendship means.

And, as Finney said in an interview with Teen Vogue, “It just fills my heart with joy to have a love story [where] a trans person is just happy and positive.”

Season two promised to dive into deeper topics, and it definitely did. From Nick’s older brother David (Jack Barton) not respecting his sexuality, to Dara’s (Kizzy Edgell) homophobic mother and the reveal and return of Charlie’s eating disorder, “Heartstopper” and the cast were able to dive into the harsher reality for many teenagers in the LGBTQ+

community and beyond. All of the actors excelled in their respective areas, bringing these issues to light with a level of respect and care that is needed when addressing such topics.

An especially big applause from me goes to Locke on his portrayal of Charlie’s growing mental health issues. One moment in episode four sticks out as a testament to Locke’s skill, where almost the entirety of a scene revolves around him, yet he doesn’t utter a single word. The audience can see every thought running through his head without ever hearing him express these thoughts outside of his facial expressions. Personally, I have not found this in any media outside of literature, and the connection with the audience despite the lack of words was outstanding to witness on the first watch.

Following Connor’s win for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program at the first Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, he went above and beyond his performance in season one. Season two saw Nick struggling to come out to his peers, and the audience can’t help but see the similarities between Nick’s coming out story and Connor’s. On Halloween of 2022, Connor came out in a tweet after suffering harassment from fans and accusations of queerbaiting — an unfortunate situation that I personally had some strong opinions about. In season

two, the speculations and rumors pushed Nick’s coming out story, similar to Connor’s. However, in “Heartstopper,” Nick still had the final say. While the context of this situation makes this storyline quite bittersweet, Connor still did a beautiful job at portraying Nick with love, care and empathy. There has been online criticism across social media over the “cringey” aspects of the show. While I do agree there are parts of season two that have a mild second-hand embarrassment factor, I have to remind myself in those moments that this show is primarily targeted towards a younger audience than the newly-21-yearold me. However, is there any point of high school that you look back on and don’t cringe inwardly? It’s a universal, basic part of growing up. When we can get off of our pretentious television-connoisseur highhorses, we can see how relatable the “Heartstopper” characters and their growth is.

I find so much comfort in “Heartstopper.” Its positive outlook on the world isn’t dimmed by the trauma and hardship the characters face, which is something many of us can’t say the same about ourselves. In a year where anti-LGBTQ+ incidents during Pride Month are three times higher compared to the last one, “Heartstopper” was the warmth, comfort and light we all needed, and I can’t wait to see what season three has in store.

COURTESY OF CALEB STINE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Riverdale offers the luxuries of city-living without the stress.

Laufey’s “Bewitched” Leaves Listeners Spellbound

By ALLY SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I had eagerly awaited the release of Laufey’s next album for what felt like forever. I first stumbled across the gift that is Laufey’s music in the summer of ’22, as a snippet of her viral song, “Dear Soulmate,” appeared before me on my TikTok “For You” page. There, in the complete darkness of my room at approximately two in the morning, Laufey single-handedly shifted my world for the better and my soul ascended to new heights. The song was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard –– it sounded like floating in a perfect dreamland. So, when I heard the news about a new album, I was elated.

The wait was tough, but well worth it. After months of anticipation, the clock struck 12 a.m. on Sept. 8, Laufey released “Bewitched,” and my toil was over at last. True to the title, the album is impossibly bewitching. Laufey’s classical background and jazz influence are prevalent throughout the work, each track’s instrumentation bursting at the seams with a jazzy swing, transcendent strings and rich, breathtaking vocals.

The magic begins from the very first track and the very first chords. “Dreamer” is the perfect introduction to the album, as Laufey greets listeners with ethereal harmonies, expressing how she wishes she

could stay in the clouds and just, “Be a dreamer.” The track has an intoxicating swing, the piano and percussion inspiring such

delight through their syncopated rhythm that you can’t help but dance and snap along. Laufey’s vocals are truly spellbinding, her

lower register smooth and silky.

“Dreamer” has a very nostalgic sound, the layered harmonies especially reminiscent of older

music, the kind you would hear in old Disney movies, such as “Once Upon a Dream” in the “Sleeping Beauty” soundtrack.

Laufey maintains this sound throughout, each track somehow better than the last. “Bewitched” is a love note to love and all its splendors and tribulations, covering everything from the joys of first love to gut-wrenching heartbreak. You might think that with such a range of situations, the album’s tone would feel a bit jagged and rough, but that is not true at all. While I could see a case for the transition from “Promise” (absolutely soul-crushing) to “From the Start” (absolutely jovial and fun) being jarring, the quality of the music irons out any potential complications in the album.

In truth, the tone shifts present in “Bewitched” perfectly fit the theme at hand: love. Laufey depicts love in its rawest forms, casting her perspective against a backdrop of dreamy and nostalgic instrumentation paired with raw, honest and beautiful lyricism. The album has a wide range of emotions, reflecting such a range in real life and love.

Laufey’s “Bewitched” is a work of pure magic — it’s the kind of album that takes you on a journey that you will never want to part with. It’s truly heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once.

Laufey’s latest alum, “Bewitched,” is full of beautiful instrumentation, jazzy swings and dreamy vocals.

Laufey simultaneously crushes and reforms your heart. In the words of my friend and roommate, Isabelle Aengenheyster, FCRH ’25: “Laufey is a genius.”

Netflix’s “One Piece” Breaks the Live-Action Stereotype

By JACK MARTENS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the manga and anime series “One Piece,” originally written by Eiichiro Oda, released to overwhelming praise, reaching a 95% audience score and 85% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite what Netflix’s “Death Note” and other terrible anime adaptations would have you believe, Netflix is, in fact, perfectly capable of producing something spectacular out of Japanese source media.

The series compacts and reconstructs over 40 chapters into an eight-episode series, all while somehow retaining the themes and character arcs of the original, giving the possibility for new fans to experience the series without feeling daunted by the nearly 1,100 episodes/chapters of the original. While the adaptation does take on a darker tone than the original, cutting some of the slapstick humor and goofiness, this actually produces a show in line with the medium of live-action, while still retaining a certain level of the original comedy. Early scenes from the live-action series do a fantastic job of introducing the audience to the vast and epic world of “One Piece,” with expansive seascapes and the towering architecture of Shells Town. As the series

continues, complex moral situations arise, shining a light on the brokenness of the world of “One Piece” with clear analogies and real-world meaning, such as the dubious government-sanctioned Warlords system or tenuous race relations between humans and fishmen.

The casting of the main crew (five in number), known as the Straw Hat Pirates, which was personally overseen by Oda himself, ranges from palatable to utter perfection. To start with the good, Inaki Godoy perfectly captures the explosive charisma and lovable idiocy of our protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, and Taz Skylar, who faced criticism upon the reveal of his initial casting as Sanji the Cook, has proven himself by demonstrating an intense passion and appreciation for that which his character holds sacred. The strengths of the remaining castings are less obvious, but at least they do not betray the central themes of their characters through acting, direction or screenwriting.

The fight choreography is well-done and exciting, particularly with Zoro’s scenes, although Luffy’s stretchy powers translate strangely into live-action, which was admittedly underwhelming to see. Each fight in the series was meaningful, having both narrative and emotional weight – once again, mainly the fights

that involved Zoro.

The aforementioned “darker tone” of the adaptation is somewhat betrayed by the latent and intentional silliness, although downplayed within this adaptation. Yet, that is what makes the series so compelling and ties closely to its central theme.

The message of “One Piece” is thus: Dreams are the ultimate freedom and can never die, no matter how absurd, improbable

or ridiculous they seem. All of the powers of “One Piece” are derived from people’s dreams, and Luffy is present at the core of that, encouraging others to follow their dreams, no matter how arduous or unserious. He is a unique protagonist in that he does not act out of virtue, but out of respect for dreams and a simple love of meat, and it is very obvious that this adaptation keeps this in mind throughout

the progression of the show. Is the “One Piece” live-action series right for you? If you are already a fan of “One Piece,” you will most likely watch it regardless of this article, fiending for just another ounce of the Straw Hats. If you have a low or nonexistent familiarity with “One Piece,” you can still enjoy the show just as much as you are whisked away into this vast world of ridiculous characters and earnest dreams.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Leather to Lace: NYFW Takes the World By Storm

By MIA LUDINGTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With advertisements everywhere, from sidewalks to subway stations, New York Fashion Week took not only the city, but also the world by storm this year. The biggest names in fashion took to the runway to show off their spring collections, and we saw it all, from leather to lace, ballet flats to platforms. These shows revealed the ins and outs of this upcoming season’s fashion, and the clothes we can predict to be seeing this year.

One of the biggest trends on runways this fashion week was lace. Almost every collection had a look in which it was involved. Michael Kors’ line combined lace with leather and metallic accessories, contrasting this delicate material with timeless accessories. The idea of a “timeless wardrobe” was endlessly present throughout the shows, as designers utilized timeless pieces like business-appropriate clothing, neutral color schemes and everyday staple jewelry with a modern twist in order to create the essence of spring fashion

this year. Modern elements such as color blocking, floral textures and unconventional shaping were large part in making the designs really stand out.

My favorite collection was the Anna Sui spring line. The designs combined modern elements with classic ones such as tweed or the classic and colorful patterns inspired by ’60s fashion. The show reinvented designs from those of the past and showed Sui’s ability to combine vintage designs with modern ideas.

Although the Miu Miu show represented modern trends and ready-to-wear style, the show was definitely more on the disappointing side for me. Many designs for the collection left me asking myself if they were even different from last year’s show. Although the brand centers around its business casual style, nothing really stood out to me while watching. The same pieces were worn over and over, and the repetition of these styles from previous collections didn’t give us anything new.

There were many new trends and ideas throughout the week, which I think will remain popular throughout the rest of the month, including sheer-everything, ruffles, bows, metallics and drop

waists. Overall, the week truly displayed a new era in fashion for the upcoming year. Even walking up and down the streets of New York, I saw these trends off the runway and in the context of casual street style.

Fashion week is not only the place where designers are able to showcase their looks on the runway, but they are also able to show them off the runway as well. Pre-show red carpet events are the perfect place for designers to style our favorite celebrities in their new designs. It’s no surprise that we have not seen many actors and actresses in red carpets preceding fashion week as the SAG-AFTRA strikes continue, pushing back movie release dates and press tours. Instead of seeing these stars at movie premieres, we have seen many of them at fashion week events. At the Kors show we saw Blake Lively, Tiffany Haddish, Ellen Pompeo and Olivia Wilde. Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were seen at the Haider Ackermann show; Chalamet is currently supposed to be on the “Dune: Part Two” press release tour alongside Zendaya, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh, but strikes have pushed the movie’s release date to next year.

Many are questioning whether fashion week is these actors’ “replacement red carpet” as a way to keep their names in headlines. Even SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher was put under fire for attending Dolce and Gabbana’s Alta Moda celebration in Italy, even though she said it was an agreement made in the past by contract. In the past, actors such as Pugh publicly made comments in support of the strike, but Pugh was also in attendance at previous fashion week events in Paris. There is a fear that celebrities will appear insensitive whilst attending these events. PR expert Lucien Pagés thinks that New York Fashion Week was a “test” by actors to see if they will or will not receive backlash for attending events. If they do not, Pagés presumes they will attend upcoming fashion weeks in even larger numbers.

New York Fashion Week was a great success this year for the fashion industry. New concepts were brought to life by designers, photographers, videographers and models who brought the events to life. NYFW successfully created a lively atmosphere in fashion, which will hopefully continue into London Fashion Week, Sept. 15 through Sept. 19.

Fordham Senior is Celebrity Chef Turned FITV Major

By JAMISON RODGERS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Gibson Borelli, FCRH ’24, is a man who wears many hats. You may know him as the kid chef from Food Network who appeared on shows such as “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Rachael vs Guy Kids Cook Off” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” You may also follow his TikTok page, Dinner Music, which has amassed over 10,000 followers and holds a collection of videos from recipes inspired by songs and albums, travel content and concert and music festival videos.

While becoming a celebrity chef at 12 years old can be very challenging, Borelli is grateful for the lessons learned from those experiences. “It taught me a lot about making an active effort in always being proactive in getting what you want and to always be your own advocate when it comes to your success. Being shown that you have to really fight for what you want and for your own success has been a really valuable experience to have had that I carry over to this day,” he said.

Additionally, having such an extensive history in the entertainment industry before even starting college, it’s no surprise that Borelli ended up at Fordham and living in New York City. “Growing up in New Jersey, I spent so much time pre-college on NJ Transit

coming in and out of NYC. So, to be able to live in NYC has been something I always wanted to do from a really young age,” he said. Aside from the location that Fordham affords him, Gibson was also attracted to the film and television (FITV) major and the opportunities Fordham offers its FITV students just by being situated in one of the entertainment capitals of the world.

Borelli has certainly been able to take advantage of those opportunities. Over the last four years, he interned at companies such as NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery where he was able to work on several shows, including most recently “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” On campus, he is just as busy as he is off campus. He is one of the Concert Committee cochairs for Campus Activities Board (CAB) and has served in this position since sophomore year, putting on events like the Spring Weekend concert.

Another reason why the FITV major was a big draw for Borelli is because of the unusual educational experience he had in high school. “Before Fordham, I actually went to a culinary high school instead of a normal high school and got a degree in Culinary Arts before I even enrolled in college.” Having experienced the creative side of food television, the FITV major allowed Borelli to gain insight and experience in the business side of things as well.

Despite having these amazing experiences and achieving celebrity status in the food television realm, Borelli remains a humble king. I asked him to describe what an ideal day was for him, expecting it to be filled with crazy and fun experiences around the city. But for Borelli the perfect day is “spending time with people who fulfill me emotionally, getting to walk around in nature with my headphones in listening to music, eating a delicious meal and indulging in a sweet treat (in any order).” This is reflected in his favorite activity at Fordham, “which is sitting on Eddies in the sunshine with some friends, a speaker and some snacks.”

This down-to-earth energy can also be seen in the quotes that inspire Gibson. When asked what sayings influence the way he lives his life, Borelli gave two: “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives” from Annie Dillard, and, “If tomorrow it’s all over at least we had it for a moment” from Florence Welsh. This can be seen in Borelli’s passion for working in the entertainment industry, but also in his prioritization of the relationships in his life. For many, Borelli is a TV personality/celebrity, but for me, Borelli will always be a friend I made by struggling through Spanish 2001 together.

Looking ahead, Borelli is still figuring out post-graduation plans. “I definitely want to work within the film and television industry, but whether that means

the food television universe or the late night talk show world is still up for debate.” Regardless of the path he chooses to take, Borelli is aware of the amazing opportunities he has been exposed to because of Fordham.

“Without Fordham, I wouldn’t have been able to be in the position to have so many amazing internships, get involved with so many amazing organizations and

meet so many amazing people.”

Whatever path Borelli chooses, I’m sure it will be great. For now, he is enjoying life in New York and his senior year at Fordham. You’ll frequently see him wandering around campus with his AirPods while listening to any type of music under the sun. If you do happen to see him on campus, Borelli said, “Don’t be a stranger! I’m friendly, I promise.”

Borelli has competed in shows such as “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

The biggest names in fashion showed off their latest collections this NYFW. COURTESY OF TWITTER

A Recap of the 2023 Video Music Awards

By GABRIELLA NISCO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Over four hours and 20 performances, the annual Video Music Awards (VMAs) streamed its 38th award show on Tuesday, Sept. 12, officially celebrating industry success, record-breaking wins and 50 years of hip-hop.

This year’s VMAs were triumphant for women, from Nicki Minaj hosting to women dominating the nominations. For the first time in VMA history, all nominees for Artist of the Year were women. Fan-favorite Taylor Swift took home the award, but Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Karol G, Shakira and Nicki Minaj were the other female nominees who contributed to this important milestone in VMA history.

According to MTV, Swift tied the record for most wins in a night. Video of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year are among her seven other wins that contributed to the star’s impressive cumulative lifetime total of 23 VMAs, putting her second only to Beyoncé.

*NSYNC made a surprise reunion to reveal the winner for Best Pop Video, to which Swift, the queen of Easter eggs, said, “They’re going to do something, and I need to know what it is,” when accepting the award for “Anti-Hero.” Two days after their reunion on Thursday, Sept. 14, the ’90s boy band announced the release date of their first song since 2002, “Better Place.”

Four-time VMA winner Shakira

was recognized for her lifetime achievement with the Vanguard Award, making her the first South American to receive this honor.

The Latin performer returned to the VMA stage for the first time since 2006, where she gave an electric performance singing and dancing to songs such as “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever” and “Te Felicito.” The Vanguard Award winner energized the arena by crowd surfing while singing “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”

Olivia Rodrigo recently released her sophomore album, “GUTS,” just four days before the VMAs and performed two of her newest songs. Rodrigo’s performance of “vampire” mirrored the music video, with an identical forest backdrop with intentional stage malfunctions. As the pyrotechnics sparked and started to fall from the ceiling, celebrities like Selena Gomez were caught noticeably confused and concerned for the “drivers license” singer. The pop rock singer finished her VMAs with a youthful and energetic performance of “get him back!” which featured a group of Rodrigo look-alikes. The up-and-coming artist was nominated for six awards and secured Best Editing for her hit “vampire.”

Many TikTok users are praising Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s performance of their new song “Bongos.” The “WAP” singers riled up attendees with vibrant dancing and energy. Cardi B made a grand entrance to the stage as she rode down a disco ball to the beat of congo drums.

To celebrate the five-decade anniversary of hip-hop, the stage hosted an ensemble of the genre’s leading artists. The star-studded group performance featured host Minaj, Diddy, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and DMC. The 10-minute mashup paid homage to the legacy of this revolutionary genre by blending old and leading hip-hop artists.

Legendary rapper Diddy was honored with the Global Icon Award and expressed gratitude. “I grew up watching MTV like, ‘Man, I wish one day I could be up there,’ and I started out as a paperboy. I didn’t know I was going to be here,” he shared to the crowd.

Other notable performances include Demi Lovato’s return to the stage and Karol G’s VMA debut. In Fordham-related news, Lana Del Rey, FCRH ’08, won Best Alternative Music Video for “Candy Necklace,” and the famous Fordham Road native, Ice Spice, won Best New Artist.

From all the show-stopping live performances and headlining artists, MTV reports that the VMAs had 37% more viewers than the year before. The ceremony on Tuesday was streamed by 865,000 people, increasing from 235,000 in 2022. As the excitement surrounding award shows dwindled in recent years, it is interesting to unpack the reasons behind this year’s jump in numbers.

The VMA stage is notorious for consistently producing iconic pop-culture moments. More often

than not, these iconic and often controversial moments are more memorable than the awards itself. We see this through the Britney Spears and Madonna kiss in 2003, Lady Gaga’s meat dress in 2010, Kanye hijacking Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech in 2009 and the jaw-dropping twerking/foam finger performance by Miley Cyrus in 2013.

In the past, these headlining performances attracted viewers to tune into these performances to stay entertained by the possibility of witnessing an iconic interaction on live television. But today, there is a lack of excitement surrounding award shows, specifically the VMAs. When the VMAs launched in 1984, MTV was at its peak, dominating cable networks until more and more programs started to stream. Despite the decline in MTV’s popularity, people were still eager to watch the VMAs to get glimpses of their favorite celebrities, consume live-time news on new music and ultimately, watch customized performances.

Before social media dominated the scene, fans turned to magazines, interviews and red

carpets to stay updated with the latest celebrity news. Unlike today, where musicians share daily snippets of their lives and their fans’ live-stream concerts, the award shows used to offer a rare portal into the faces of Hollywood.

Today, people are more comfortable with not tuning in live as social media accounts like MTV will keep users posted with live updates, or anything worth seeing will go viral the next day. Social media has given people who typically stay engaged a safety net to carry on with their lives while still giving the basic gist of information.

As seen with the spike in viewership at this year’s ceremony, people are still engaging with award shows, only if the lineup of celebrities is worth watching. With Minaj hosting and Swift’s 11 nominations, it is possible that their army of fans contributed to the viewership.

It is interesting to see how these numbers will fluctuate in the future and do further research on how much the nominations and performers influence engagement. Overall, the success and attention of the 2023 VMAs were refreshing for the award show industry.

“I Think You Should Leave” is Stupidly Funny

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

“I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson” (ITYSL) is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever watched. That’s a compliment, believe it or not. No show has made me laugh quite as much as “I Think You Should Leave.” It’s a sketch comedy series on Netflix created by and starring Tim Robinson, who

was a writer and performer on “Saturday Night Live.”

The sketches are absurdist in the best way possible. Whether it’s a doctor that really wants to get into the hottest club in town, a man on a dating show who just wants to ride a zipline or a professor who really wants his student’s hamburger, “I Think You Should Leave” perfectly teeters on the line of stupid and funny.

It’s honestly hard to describe

the show to someone who hasn’t seen it before. Almost every sketch will start out completely normal. A normal setting, normal characters — a normal situation. Then, everything goes off the rails.

In one sketch from season two, what starts as an insider trading trial in a courtroom divulges into a saga about a man’s hat with safari flaps on the back. Or, from season three, a man innocuously offers to be a designated driver

for his co-workers only to later reveal that he is “The Driving Crooner.” It’s dumb, sure. But it’s an amusing kind of dumb.

I’m definitely someone who appreciates subtle humor. Humor that lies a bit below the surface, or maybe humor that is a comment on some kind of societal problem.

“I Think You Should Leave” is not that. The show is loud and right in your face at all times. But I love it for that reason. Sometimes, it’s nice to not have to think so hard. It’s nice to just laugh at someone doing a funny thing. Robinson has perfected this loud and energetic brand of comedy.

Robinson has one of those faces that is just funny. Whenever he pops up in a sketch, I laugh just because of the way he looks. Although that may seem mean, there are very few people whose sheer existence is amusing. Robinson is one of those people, and to me, that’s a gift.

Quotes from the show have become part of my everyday vocabulary. “I Think You Should Leave” lines are almost like a language to me at this point. A lot of sketch comedy gets old after you’ve seen it a million times, but there’s something about “ITYSL” that keeps it fresh.

I think a big reason for that

freshness is because lines that aren’t laugh-out-loud funny are still funny. People’s names, like “Carmine Laguzio,” or the name of a nightclub, like “Club Aqua,” are somehow amusing in the context of the show. I don’t know why, but nearly every line in “ITYSL” is hilarious to me.

I’ll even chuckle to myself during the day when something reminds me of a particular sketch. I honestly think I might have a disease of some kind because of how much space this show takes up in my head.

But, as I’ve learned the hard way, not everybody finds “I Think You Should Leave” funny. In my experience, about 50% of the people I recommend the show to enjoy it. One half finds it hysterical, and the other half sits there with a confused look on their face. It’s really hit-or-miss.

For me, it’s not just a hit. It’s a 500-foot home run. When season three came out at the beginning of the summer, it was like Christmas. So, if you’re looking for something funny to watch, try “I Think You Should Leave.” You might think it’s incredibly stupid, but there’s a chance it becomes that one show that you can’t get off your mind.

“I Think You Should Leave” is packed with absurdist sketches that make nearly every line hilarious.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The 2023 VMAs viewership was a triumph for the award show industry.

Women’s Soccer Outlasts George Mason, Draws With George Washington

By NOAH HOFFMAN STAFF WRITER

After finishing off non-conference play with two shutout losses last weekend, the Fordham women’s soccer team began Atlantic 10 Conference play this past week sitting at 2-4-1 for the season.

Fordham began their week welcoming the winless and scoreless George Mason University to the Bronx. George Mason remained scoreless through the first 32 minutes of the game, even with a golden opportunity after being awarded a penalty kick which sophomore goalie Kyla King saved. Two more opportunities were presented to the Patriots off the penalty kick rebound, but one hit the left post while the other was blocked. They finally managed to net their first goal of the season at the 33rd-minute mark off a long shot from Milan Pierre-Jerome. Fordham had their fair share of opportunities throughout the first half with seven shots, but none of them found the back of the net as they would head into the half down 1-0, threatening to hand the Patriots their first win. George Mason added to their lead just nine minutes into the second half with a goal in the 54th minute from Rachel Eberly on another shot from distance. Just one minute later, Fordham cut the lead in half with a goal of their own by junior captain Abby Doyle. From this point on, the Rams would find their game and not look back, taking 12 more shots in the second half, three of them finding the back of the net. The equalizer came in the 67th minute after a throw-in from sophomore mid-

fielder Julia Holten found freshman midfielder Lena Johnsen, who snuck the ball just under the bar for a beautiful goal. The Rams go-ahead goal involved Johnsen again after her long ball to freshman forward Riley Carroll resulted in the team’s third score of the game at the 73rdminute mark. The insurance goal came just three minutes later when freshman forward Marie Degroote joined the party on an assist from fellow freshman midfielder Sari Frankl.

The 4-2 victory left the Rams on a high note to start A-10 play before their first away conference game down in the nation’s capital at George Washington University.

In the first 45 minutes of the game, the two teams combined for 14 shots, but only one was on target. That came at the 16th-minute mark when the Revolutionaries had an opportunity, but a diving save by King spoiled it. King had three saves on the day en route to her third shutout of the season. The first Fordham shot on goal came in the 64th minute when graduate student forward Caroline Monahan threatened to break the 0-0 tie. Fordham had a pair of opportunities in the final two minutes, getting two more shots on goal, but both were saved to end the game at a 0-0 draw. With the win and draw from this week, the team goes to 3-4-2 overall and 1-0-1 in conference play on the season. Fordham continues A-10 play this week, hosting St. Bonaventure University at 5 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a Monday night game at 7 p.m. against Yale University, also at home.

Athletes of the Week

In yet another strong week for Fordham Water Polo, Berenyi shined for the team, winning the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference’s (MAWPC) weekly honor for Player of the Week. Kicking off the week, Berenyi had a pair of goals, one assist and two steals against Chapman University. Netting five goals against #18 Harvard, the sophomore continued to make a splash, getting a goal and steal against #6 Princeton.

Men’s Soccer Starts Strong in Atlantic 10 Play

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Men’s Soccer kicked off their week with their first game in Atlantic 10 Conference play, easily taking down the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, before heading over to Manhattan College for the Battle of the Bronx.

Leading the team in goals is graduate student Timo Hummrich and senior Florian Deletioglu, and both played essential roles in the big win against St. Bonaventure this past week.

Kicking things off in the first half, graduate student Louis Lehr and junior Grady Kozak took opening shots against St. Bonaventure’s goalie, Jules Dechert, but were stopped just short of goals.

In the 25th minute, Lehr would be back on the ball again, this time threading a long ball to sophomore Daniel D’Ippolito threading a stellar pass to Deletioglu who found the back of the net on the near side.

Graduate student Carter Abbott had a quiet first half in the net, as he didn’t have any shots on goal against him in the first 45 minutes.

Things picked up in the second half as the Bonnies began to put pressure on, recording three shots, but had trouble finding the back of the net with the Rams’ defense

staying characteristically strong.

The Rams opened up scoring in the second half with a foul inside the box on graduate student Kai Griese which set up a penalty kick for Fordham. Hummrich was selected to take the kick and easily buried it past Dechert for the second goal for the Rams.

But the third goal of the game was a show-stopper for the Rams as Deletioglu had a photo-finish goal as he showed off his bicycle kick off a header from sophomore Nathan Simes.

Shocking the Bonnies, Dechert stood no chance stopping the foot of Deletioglu, bringing the score

up to 3-0 and securing Fordham the solid victory.

Later in the week, the Rams had their big matchup against rival school Manhattan for the Battle of the Bronx. The Rams jumped to scoring first as D’Ippolito scored into the low corner just past Danny DiMarco for the first goal in the 36th minute.While all remained quiet for the Rams through the end of the first half, the Rams outshot the Jaspers 14-4.

Things stayed in the Rams favor heading into the second half, as Griese set up Hummrich for yet another goal this week. This assist allowed Hummrich to slot it in the back of the net to make the lead 2-0 going into the last 27 minutes of the game. Fordham locked things down, securing their win in the Battle of the Bronx with a score of 2-0.

The Rams have gone undefeated in their last seven games and are slowing things down this week, playing only one game instead of two. This next game will be their biggest test yet as they go on the road to St. Louis University. While St. Louis has under performed so far this year in their matches, the Rams and the Billikens always have a tough battle. That game starts at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Varsity Calendar

The freshman is already making her mark on Fordham’s Women’s Soccer team as she brings home the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week accolade for her efforts last week in the team’s matchup against George Mason. In nine games this season, she is tied for second on the Rams in scoring and assists for a total of six points.

Women’s Soccer

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

Balazs Berenyi Sopohmore, Water Polo

Lena Johnsen Freshman, Women’s Soccer

The Rams were strong as they keep a seven-game win streak to end the week.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Timo Hummrich and Florian Deletioglu have been stars as of late for the Rams.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Volleyball Continues Historic Start

By BRETT TULIP STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball’s hot start to the season continued at the Rose Hill Classic this past weekend. Fordham put together two strong wins against Dartmouth College and Fairleigh Dickinson University, the last two competitors before they enter conference play. The Rams now sit at 9-1 to begin the season.

Dartmouth has been quite competitive in recent years, with .500+ seasons in the last two years. However, the Rams were able to come out on top after an extremely close match, which went to five sets.

The teams traded sets all afternoon, with Fordham beginning by squeaking a 25-23 win in the first, led mostly by senior outside hitter Whitley Moody and sophomore outside hitter Audrey Brown, with four and three kills respectively in the first set. The clutch set-winning kill came from graduate student middle blocker Nailah Jenkins. Fordham struggled in the second, losing 25-17, with multiple errors and a lack of dominating attack. They bounced back in the third, winning 25-16, with a great all-around performance from the squad that saw multiple different players register kills. The fourth set was the most intense of the

night, with the Rams just barely losing 28-26, ending on a block from Dartmouth’s Emma Sinclair. In a rare fifth set, the Rams were able to close it out with a 15-12 win powered by a block and kill from Jenkins. It was an amazing effort overall, with the team having three different double-digit attackers in this contest.

Riding the success of their last win, Fordham took on the struggling Fairleigh Dickinson University at the Rose Hill Gym, who entered this match at 1-11 on the season. Regardless of their record, the Rams made sure to not underestimate their opponent, as they mostly controlled the match throughout. Their only dropped set came in the second, where they were defeated 25-20 as FDU became red-hot and scored the last 8 points. Fordham

Varsity Scores & Stats

recovered quickly and won the last two sets 25-18 and 25-16. Standouts from this game included Moody once again, as she had a double-double with kills and digs. It was a promising final non-conference opponent and despite their opposition’s poor record, it was an exciting victory that will provide Fordham with momentum as they head into the most important stretch of the season.

This Friday, the Rams will have back-to-back games against Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne University at home.

The Dukes currently stand at 5-3 on the year, but have struggled in the past, with the program’s last .500+ season coming seven years ago in 2016. It should be an exciting matchup as the Rams look to start conference play on the right foot.

Overtime: Should We Show Gruesome Injuries?

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

On the latest edition of Monday Night Football, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome, season-ending injury to his left knee. It’s one of those injuries that you need to issue a graphic content warning for. I’m not going to go into detail about it, but to put it simply, Chubb’s knee bent in a way that no human knee should ever bend. The injury was so bad that the ABC broadcast refused to show a replay.

In the classic wide television angle, all you see on the play is Chubb getting flipped over. Most viewers didn’t even realize that he was injured until cameras zoomed in on Chubb sitting up, shaking his head and signaling to his teammates that he was unable to get up.

It’s at this point that we’d usually get a replay of the last play. Much more often than not following an injury of any severity, the television broadcast will cut to numerous slow motion angles of the previous play, giving us a crystal clear view of the injury.

That wasn’t the case on Monday.

“I am told that the replay of Nick Chubb getting injured is not to be seen,” interjected Joe Buck as the ABC broadcast cut to an overhead shot. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, working alongside Buck, quickly voiced his support of the decision. “Yeah we’re not gonna show it. It’s about as bad as you can imagine.”

It might sound weird to praise ABC for this. Am I really going to give them credit for electing to not show a human being suffering a horrific injury? Part of the problem is it’s so rare to see a television broadcast do this.

In November 2018, Washington Commanders quarterback Alex Smith suffered a life-threatening injury to his right leg. At one point, doctors feared amputation would be his only option. Smith was able to keep his leg and after 17 different surgeries, miraculously returned to the NFL for another season. I say all this to say that even on this injury, easily one of the worst not just in football but in sports history, the CBS broadcast still showed a slow-motion replay one time.

Can we even give credit to ABC who’s had their own recent issues as well? Just last year, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field due to a cardiac arrest. With his life clearly in danger, Hamlin was rushed to the hospital, intubated and hospitalized for over a week. Despite the fact that, even in the moment, Hamlin’s life was clearly in danger, ABC’s partner company ESPN cut to numerous replays

on a broadcast that also featured Buck and Aikman, sparking discourse as to whether or not it was ethical for them to continue to show it.

One of the biggest critiques of the NFL is that players are treated like products, not people. That goes for both the league itself and the media that covers it. To see that this ABC broadcast took into consideration the humanity of Chubb is a small but poignant stance against a society that too often dehumanizes the very same players they dedicate every weekend to. It probably doesn’t excuse past critiques, but maybe it indicates a shift in philosophy moving forward.

This moment is somewhat undercut by the fact that the alternative angle, which displayed every vivid detail of the nauseating injury, was released to social media several minutes after the injury. Any fan that wished to see what exactly happened to Chubb’s knee could find it very easily on Twitter. In fact, if you looked up Chubb’s name into Twitter on Monday night, the first videos that popped up weren’t ABC’s broadcast angle, but the alternative angle.

Men’s Cross Country

Jasper Fall Invite

6th/20 teams

Women’s Cross Country

Jasper Fall Invite

7th/19 teams

Women’s Tennis Fordham Invitational No Team Scoring

News & Notes

XC & Track and Field Receive Women’s Sports Foundation Coaching Grant

Fordham’s Cross Country/Track and Field squad announced that for the second year in a row, they have received the Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF). Coach Nickeela Austin is the fellow of the grant for the Fordham squad, who receives the grant to assist with living expenses, professional development and leadership. This is her third season as a member of the coaching staff for Fordham Cross Country/Track and Field.

This discussion delves far deeper than whether or not a television broadcast decides to show a replay of an injury. It begs the question, “Why are we so captured by watching sports injuries?”

I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t immensely curious about what exactly happened to Chubb’s knee. And I’d be lying to you if I said that I didn’t watch the alternative angle. I’ve watched it multiple times. Clearly, I’m not the only one either. Once the video found its way to Twitter, it was posted by numerous accounts and screenshots were posted in bunches.

It’s not that there’s any pleasure in watching the video or looking at the screenshot. It’s absolutely stomach churning. My initial reaction to watching the alternate angle was an involuntary groan of horror. Nothing about watching the video is enjoyable in any way. But for some fans, myself included, there’s this insatiable curiosity and this need to know exactly what happened. I’ve watched a lot of awful injuries in my 20 years as a sports fan. Part of me wanted to know just how bad this one was in comparison to what I’ve seen.

Sports fans have become used to watching injuries on TV. Every time a player goes down, we expect to see a replay. Often we play armchair doctor about what exactly the injury is and how long the player will be out. It’s become somewhat of a habit. But just because we’ve been doing something for a long time doesn’t mean we should continue to do it.

It’s really hard to justify watching replays of injuries to athletes from an ethical perspective. At a base level, you’re watching one of the lowest moments in an athlete’s life again and again and again. Obviously no one can control what gets shown on a live play of a live game, but we can control what gets shown after the play. As nice as it would be, it feels unrealistic to expect fans to temper their morbid curiosity. More television networks need to follow in the footsteps of Monday’s ABC broadcast and consider the ethics of what they show on replays.

There used to be a time where sports broadcasts would show fans that ran onto the field. Over time, broadcasts stopped showing these fans to take away the source of attention that they were craving. In a similar vein, television broadcasts need to take away the source that encourages this interest and this curiosity when it comes to these gruesome injuries.

At first I thought that the stance the ABC broadcast made was all for naught since the replay made its way into the ether anyway.

But the more I think about it, the more I admire their decision, if only on principle alone. It’s already sparked conversation online with NFL reporters like Ari Meirov voicing their support. Before we can solve the issue, we need to be aware that it is an issue. That alone might be enough to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

The Rams are now 9-1 to start the 2023 season heading into conference play.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

F1: Strong Weekend for Ferrari in Singapore

By ALLIE COPPOLA STAFF WRITER

After placing at the top of the timesheets all throughout the weekend, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took pole position in qualifying and won Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix in the most exciting race of the Formula 1 season so far.

Sainz broke Red Bull Racing’s win streak that started at the end of the 2022 season, and broke Max Verstappen’s individual 10-race win streak after fending off McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the final laps. In an eventful weekend that saw Red Bull uncharacteristically struggling, F1’s top teams put on an exciting performance at the Marina Bay Circuit throughout the grand prix.

Ferrari continued their success from Monza, with Sainz and Charles Leclerc never dipping below P5 throughout the practices and qualifying. The Spanish driver earned his second pole position in a row, while Leclerc earned P3 behind Russell in his Mercedes. The Ferraris led the race in first and second until the safety

car was deployed on lap 19 of 62 which allowed them both to go for a pit stop. Sainz’s stop was quick, but Leclerc had to be held due to pit lane traffic and reentered the race in P5. Both drivers used this one-stop strategy, leading Sainz to the race win and Leclerc to P4 after Russell’s unfortunate last lap crash. Ferrari continue to be on the upswing after an abysmal start to the season, and they remain third in the constructors’ standings with Sainz and Leclerc fifth and sixth respectively in the drivers’ standings.

George Russell had an excellent qualifying performance and was the quickest driver on the grid throughout the race, while Lewis Hamilton earned his 196th podium overall and seventh at the Marina Bay Circuit. Mercedes ran an excellent strategy throughout the race, with two double-stacked pit stops that increased their pace in the final laps to try to catch up with Sainz and Norris. Russell and Hamilton found themselves on the quicker and fresher medium-compound tires after a strategic pit stop on lap 43 of 62 when a virtual safety car was deployed. By lap 58, the two Mercedes drivers

Cross Country Shows Ferocity at Jasper XC Invitational

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

Fordham Cross Country competed at the Manhattan College-hosted Jasper XC Invitational this past Saturday in Montgomery, N.Y., and finished in the top half of both the men’s and women’s fields.

The men were sixth out of a 20-team field, and the women were seventh in a grouping of 19 squads. While neither section “won the day,” they competed valiantly against schools such as Quinnipiac and Rider, who won the women’s and men’s sides respectively. Cansius Senior Tom Appenheimer was the men’s individual winner. He finished with a time of 24:33.6 over the five-mile course.

As for the men of Fordham, freshman Sean Reidy led the way. Entering competition, he was the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week thanks to his second-place finish at the Fordham Fiasco. The White Plains native rose to the occasion for a second week in a row. He placed 21st in a field of 189 qualifying finishers with a time of 25:45.6.

Freshmen Matthew McCabe and Jack Boerger were next to cross the finish line for the Rams. McCabe placed 37th in 26:19.0, and Boerger finished 42nd with a time of 26:24.3.

Sophomore Darren Croke was not far behind McCabe or Boerger. The Fordham Prep product placed 45th in 26:27.4. Additionally,

were on the tail of Lando Norris running in P2, and Hamilton appeared to be faster than Russell. In their one and only strategy blunder in a seemingly perfectly executed race, Mercedes decided not to switch the two drivers which would have given them a better chance at P2, or even the win. Instead, Russell stayed ahead and crashed out in the final lap, giving Hamilton P3 behind Sainz and Norris. Russell’s heartbreaking crash in the final lap cost him 15 points in the drivers’ standings, and allowed Ferrari to inch closer to Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.

After a difficult weekend at Monza for McLaren three weeks ago, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri returned to form in Singapore. After qualifying P4 on Saturday, Norris benefitted from the safety car deployment and was able to make a pit stop for hard-compound tires, and ended up finishing the race on them despite pressure from the Mercedes’ fresher and grippier tires. He moved into P2 and displayed an incredible defensive effort against Russell before the latter crashed out. Singapore marks his third

P2 performance this season, and a win may be on the horizon for the British driver. Oscar Piastri provided an excellent showing for McLaren as well, and finished in P7 despite qualifying P17 when his fast lap was canceled due to Lance Stroll’s crash in the final corner on Saturday. Making up 10 positions at a track like the Marina Bay Circuit is incredibly difficult, and he continues to demonstrate his potential at McLaren. He didn’t have the same upgrades as Norris this weekend, so he’ll be one to watch next weekend with the new upgrade package. The biggest story this weekend was the struggling Red Bull team. Coming off of 10 straight wins, Max Verstappen never cracked the top of the timesheets during practices and missed the third and final round of qualifying for the first time this season. He started in P11, while his teammate Sergio Perez started in P13 after a troubling Saturday. Both drivers ran the same strategy on Sunday, starting with the hard-compound tires and hoping for a late safety car in order to make their pit stops without losing much time. Their strategy

proved ineffective after the early safety car, and they chose to stay out on old hard tires which propelled them to the front. They were overtaken quickly and chose to pit for medium tires later, sending Verstappen up to P5 and Perez up to P8. Overall, it wasn’t a bad result for the Red Bull drivers, but they expected much more out of the weekend. Around the rest of the grid, Liam Lawson of AlphaTauri had a great race, finishing in P9 and earning his first points in Formula One. With Daniel Ricciardo potentially returning next weekend, Lawson could be out of a seat for the rest of the season, or his teammate Yuki Tsunoda could be replaced after two DNFs in a row. The Williams drivers struggled for most of the weekend, earning P11 and P14 after a stretch of races in the top 10. Haas received a rare point from driver Kevin Magnussen, and Aston Martin had a weekend to forget after Lance Stroll’s scary crash in qualifying and Fernando Alonso’s P15 performance in the race. Most of the teams look to turn things around in Japan, while Ferrari and McLaren hope to repeat their most recent success.

Golf Competes at Ryan Lee Memorial

By WILL TALANT STAFF WRITER

freshman John Corrigan, sophomore Ben Borchers and freshman Tadael Mihret finished 47th, 55th and 66th respectively.

Quinnipiac senior Liv DiStefano won the women’s side with a time of 20:56.6.

This past week’s Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, freshman Meredith Gotzman led Fordham’s women. The Maryland native was third overall at the Fordham Fiasco and dashed her way to 27th place with a time of 22:29.4 this past Saturday.

Senior Marin Bogulski was the next Fordham woman to finish the 6K course. She placed 53rd in the field of 193 qualifying finishers with a time of 23:17.2.

Freshman Kate Meeks and senior Maddy Kopec also performed well. Meeks placed 58th in 23:31.4 while Kopec finished 62nd in 23:46.1.

Freshman Sarah Zahaykevich was also able to finish among the top 70 runners. The Port Jervis native placed 66th with a final time of 23:59.4.

The men and women of Cross Country did not dominate the Jasper XC Invitational, but each group showed they could hold their own against some of the region’s best runners.

They’ll have to show a similar edge in two weeks’ time on Saturday, Sept. 30 when they head to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Paul Short Invitational hosted by Lehigh University.

Coming off a historic outing just one short week ago, Fordham Golf stayed in Kensington, Conn., playing at the Shuttle Meadow Country Club for the Ryan Lee Memorial. The Rams finished 13th of 17 programs competing in the two-day outing. The rest of the field ahead of Fordham saw Atlantic 10 rival College of the Holy Cross in a tie for ninth with Sacred Heart University. The best representative from the conference was La Salle University, with the Explorers shooting a collective one-under team score and alone in fifth place of the field.

The Rams saw solid consistency from their five competing golfers, all of whom shot scores of 77 or better at the conclusion of day one play. It was junior Bryan Ruland who led the charge for the Rams on the green in the opening round, notching three birdies en route to a three-over finish of 74 on the scorecard and good for a share of 35th in standing. After a historic performance last week, junior Jake Mrva was the next Ram on the leaderboard at 44th, finishing his first round with a four-over score of 75. The Fordham underclassmen remained consistent in their second outings with freshmen AJ DePaolo and Felix Luetke Meyring posting identical 18’s with a five-over 76. Sophomore Chris Konefal rounded out day one standing for the Rams with a 77 score and in a tie for 57th. Day two action concluded with three Rams in a tie for 47th as Konefal posted an even

par on Tuesday, finishing as the top Fordham player in a share of 42nd. Meyring jumped one spot in individual standing as Mrva and Ruland dropped three and twelve spots respectively, leaving the three Rams in a three-way share of the 47th spot.

DePaolo saw a dip in his individual standing on Tuesday. At

six-over 77, and one stroke off his day one 76 score, the freshman finished his two-round outing in 66th.

The Rams will move right along and into their third outing of the fall season this weekend (Sept. 23-24) with one more two-round in Connecticut at the MacDonald Cup, hosted by Yale University.

By MOLLY EWING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since probably the age of seven or eight, I have not gone more than a couple of months at a time without being on a sports team of some kind, whether this be rec league co-ed soccer coached by a parent or Division 1 rowing at Fordham University. Athletics has also been a stable force throughout my childhood and into my adult life. It has provided me with not only an outlet for my physical and mental health, but also with community, confidence and life lessons.

I had the experience that many others have during childhood of trying out a bunch of different sports to see what sticks and had the privilege of parents who would spend hours out of their time driving me to practices and games. Throughout elementary school, soccer and basketball were my main “focus” (I use this word loosely as I would often be caught picking flowers in the field during games), with a little bit of tee-ball and swim team thrown in there. My love for soccer did not last long, though, and, in middle school, I joined my school’s inaugural volleyball team. I was instantly hooked and fell in love with the sport. For someone like me, six feet tall, basketball and volleyball were the perfect sports

By JONAH RING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are times in the world of sports when a stark solemnity seemingly consumes all, with athletes and fans alike being invited to engage in a pregnant moment of meditation on sports’ current ontological status. Damar Hamlin’s terrifying collapse and Lou Gehrig’s eternal coda are poignant examples of these brief, yet unforgettable instances when the sports world was forced to reckon with what it was, what it offered and what it took away. In my jaded eyes, the events of Aug. 8, 2023 should have joined the ranks of these landscapingdefining moments, yet their significance has seemingly been ignored or swept away into a proverbial closet where the general public will fail to find them.

For those unfamiliar with this less than infamous date, Aug. 8 was the day that ESPN officially gave the public the first look at their new venture: ESPN BET. This “first look” is better categorized as a terribly brief and vague article posted on ESPN. com that declared that ESPN had signed what they are calling “a licensing deal” with Penn Entertainment — a well established player in the gambling scene that boasts 43 casinos and racetracks nationwide plus a “robust [online] sports betting presence” to their name — to rebrand Penn Entertainment’s already established sportsbook

where I was able to excel. The first couple of weeks of freshman year of college were hard for me, as it is for many other new students thrown into a strange new environment for the first time. The transition from my small town and local high school, where I knew almost every student, to living in New York City and attending a university 15 times the size of any school I have ever been to and knowing practically no one, was hard and created an immense amount of uncertainty in my life. But, if I’m being honest, my biggest struggle wasn’t the new environment, lack of friends or college-level classes — it was my new day-to-day schedule. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I had large amounts of free time. It felt like I had no structure in my life. I would come back from class and find myself with endless options of what to do while also having nothing to do at all at the same time.

During the first week of school, I found myself at the club fair, along with many other freshmen looking to get involved and meet new people. While hopping from table to table, adding my name to the email list of any club even remotely interesting to me, I came across the women’s rowing team table. At the time, I didn’t know much about the sport and never

knew anyone who did it. I thought it was just a funny sport that only private schools had where you rowed backward down a river while someone in the front of the boat yelled at you the whole time (thinking about it now, though, I was not entirely wrong).

I approached the table to learn more about this foreign sport and quickly learned that my height would be an advantage to me, even if I were completely new. Hearing this was not new to me, and coaches all my life had been utilizing me for my height to score easy layups or blocks at the net, but hearing this about rowing surprised me. I never considered that my height would help me with a water sport.

I added my name to the email list, not thinking much of it at the time, making it just one of dozens of other clubs that I expressed interest in. Within two weeks or so, I received an email from the coach explaining that the first practice for walk-ons would be at 6 a.m. the next week. I remember reading this and laughing out loud, “why would anyone voluntarily wake up that early every day?” I told my mom about the email and that I was considering going. Knowing that I was struggling with the lack of structure, she persuaded me to give it a try, reminding me about how much I have always loved

being a part of a sports team and that this would be the perfect opportunity to meet people.

I went to the first walk-on practice along with about 15-20 other girls, some with rowing experience and some with none. Every week, sometimes every day, there were more and more girls who quit, deciding that the time commitment and early wake-up was not for them.

The thing about rowing is that there is such a high learning curve during your first couple of weeks with the sport. You go from not knowing how to sit in the boat or hold the oar, to rowing long distances with a whole crew.

I would be lying if I told you that I immediately loved rowing when I first joined. The 6 a.m.

Student Athlete Column: I Cannot Seem to Get Away from Sports Scene of a Shipwreck: The Reality of ESPN BET

into an entity bearing the culturally pervasive ESPN branding. As part of this agreement, Penn is to pay ESPN $1.5 billion in cash over the next 10 years, as well as provide ESPN the funds to purchase around 31.8 million common shares of Penn. It is this last detail of the deal, ESPN being now a prominent investor in Penn Entertainment, that is absolutely critical to note, as it implies that ESPN could further its financial gain in the deal should the sportsbook find great success. Thus, ESPN is not simply being paid to acquiesce the license to their branding, but the “World Wide Leader in Sports” has now actually become a bookie.

This direct financial interconnectedness between ESPN and a sportsbook makes this whole situation so unfathomably dangerous, as it means that those who will be sharing in the profits collected from “missed bets” will be the same ones creating the influential narratives that led to those very same “missed bets.” Elaborating on this, ESPN has built what is essentially a monopoly in the sports media industry, with most fans relying on the media conglomerate for anything and everything sports-related: who is injured and how badly, in what direction are teams trending, what gameplans teams plan to use, etc. It is this sort of information that undeniably drives people’s betting habits,

as the “informed bettor” likely pays attention to these sorts of narratives in a sort of holistic approach that takes into account all the possible factors.

This then begs the question: what stops ESPN from pushing blatantly false narratives in order to manipulate betting lines and betting patterns? For instance, what prevents the network’s journalists from falsely reporting that a team is banged-up so as to drive betting traffic towards their opponent that, in all reality, does not have much of a chance? What keeps the network’s announcers from making statements like “the away team looks tired and rattled, you would have to imagine that the home team will pull this one out,” that nudge bettors towards placing money on the most profitable outcome for the sportsbook?

It certainly will not be morals and/ or ethics, as ESPN is notorious for already manipulating narratives in order to cultivate a sense of drama that increases viewership. More importantly, however, it will also not be legal consequences, as there is no legislation pertaining to this dangerous situation (due in part, I may note, to the fact that nobody ever thought a company would engage in such egregious misconduct). Thus, it seems that ESPN is free to play the role of cunning bookie all they want, using their veil of legitimacy to drive individuals into their financial demise.

The use of the word “demise”

here is no exaggeration or hyperbolic ploy, as this tale has genuine, real-world consequences. Real people are going to lose big amounts of real money, with many of these folks not having the financial stability to have bet their money in the first place. Sure, some lucky individuals will win big here and there, but the saying “the house always wins” exists for a reason. Especially concerning is Caitlin Huston of the Hollywood Reporter’s report that Disney CEO Bob Iger’s made comments in a recent earnings call that amounted to the idea that ESPN BET will look to attract an audience of younger gamblers: those with the sorts of easily persuadable sensibilities that would fall victim to false narratives. Thus, this seems to be a Dantain nightmare in every sense of the word, with a product

practice times six days a week were a stark awakening to what it took to really be a Division 1 athlete. The sport has provided me with the structure to my schedule that I was seeking and lacking since high school. It has also given me friendships and bonds that only six days a week practice through rain, waves and cold can form.

Thinking about what I will do after college makes me anxious. Without that stable force of a team and athletics giving me structure and discipline, what will I do with myself? I don’t know who I am without it. I may have to join an adult volleyball league or go down the classic pipeline of D1 athlete to marathon runner; only time will tell.

that has been mandated by federal authorities to be promoted no differently than cigarettes — having to always be accompanied by visible warnings and helpline numbers — becoming ever more exploitative and pervasive.

What has been especially incomprehensible about this situation is the distinct lack of discourse surrounding it. There are so clearly monumental stakes present here, yet nobody says a thing. This is a move that will dramatically shift the sports landscape, yet it is being so subtly ushered into the shadows that nobody will pay it any attention until lots of decent people will find their bank accounts barren. We sports fans are venturing into murky waters that will soon become our financial grave lest radical change and pushback is brought about.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

For Ewing, rowing has been a great source of structure and discipline.

The creation of ESPN BET raises questions about the company’s priorities.

Water Polo Enjoys First Taste of Conference Play

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

As the reigning back-to-back champs of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC), the Fordham Rams know a thing or two about winning league games. That’s exactly what they did this past weekend, opening conference play with a four-game sweep and improving their conference win streak to a whopping 22 games.

After opening their season with seven straight non-conference games, four of which came against ranked opponents, the Rams turned their attention towards the MAWPC, traveling to Lewisburg, Pa. for the Bison Invitational, hosted by Bucknell University.

Fordham would kick things off bright and early, squaring off against host Bucknell in a 10 a.m. Saturday matchup. The Rams overcame a slow first quarter to take a 7-5 lead heading into half, thanks in large part to a second quarter hat trick by sophomore Balazs Berenyi. The Bison kept things close, cutting the Fordham lead to one not once but twice in the fourth quarter. Still, it wasn’t enough as the Rams’ next three goals in the final 90 seconds secured them a 14-11 win.

Berenyi finished with four goals, accompanied by a hat trick from junior George Papanikolaou while junior Lucas Nieto Jasny dished out a season-high five assists.

Despite a more than six-hour wait for their next match of the day, Fordham looked sharp as ever for their 6 p.m. affair with Johns Hopkins University, coming away in triumphant fashion with a resounding 21-8 victory.

Twelve different Rams tallied a goal in a complete team effort that also saw junior goalkeeper Riccardo Di Giuseppe record a season-high nine saves. The offensive attack was highlighted by a trio of hat tricks from Nieto Jasny, junior Luca Silvestri and freshman Barnabas Eppel, who notched the first hat trick in his collegiate career.

On Sunday morning, it was the defense’s turn to bask in the spotlight as the Rams defeated Wagner College 14-5. Trailing 2-1 after one quarter, Fordham scored the next 12 goals in the game as their defense held Wagner scoreless from the beginning of the second quarter until halfway through the fourth quarter. The Rams completely tilted the

pool as Wagner went over 20 consecutive minutes of gametime without finding the back of the net. Di Giuseppe posted seven saves as his five goals allowed marked the fewest for the Rams in the early 2023 season.

On the offensive side, Silvestri posted his second straight hat trick while junior Gabriel Melillo notched a game-high four goals.

Fordham closed out the fourgame weekend with their third straight victory of double digit points, defeating Mount St. Mary’s University by a score of 21-11. Luca Silvestri notched his third straight hat trick, all three goals coming in the second quarter as the Rams took a 12-7 lead into halftime.

Then the defense flexed its

muscles yet again, holding the Mountaineers scoreless in the third and without a goal for over 13 consecutive minutes of gametime while the Fordham offense continued to tack on. Junior Jacopo Parrella tallied four goals alongside hat tricks from Silvestri, Nieto Jasny and junior transfer Paul Armingol as the Rams finished off a four-game conference sweep.

The weekend marks Fordham’s first weekend sweep of the 2023 season, improving to 8-3 overall and 4-0 in MAWPC play. Boasting back-to-back conference championships, it’s no surprise that the Rams have enjoyed their fair share of success in league play. That being said, prepare to be surprised.

On top of their active 22-game win streak against conference opponents, the Fordham Rams are 37-1 in the MAWPC dating back to 2020. Simply put, that’s a run of sheer dominance by head coach Brian Bacharach and his program.

It’s easy to be excited about the Rams right now. They just outscored four MAWPC teams 70-35 and seem to be the clear favorites for a third straight league title. A few weeks into the season, the offense has hit its groove. Returners like Parrella, Papanikolaou, Nieto Jasny and Silvestri have picked up right where they left off last season while newcomers like Armingol and Eppel are adjusting nicely to the system. On the defensive side, Fordham is smothering opponents, and that’s despite an injury to First Team All-MAWPC goalkeeper Thomas Lercari, who’s yet to play this season. With that in mind, one starts to wonder what the ceiling for this team might look like.

Following 11 straight road games to start the season, the Rams will have a hard-earned break with no matches this upcoming weekend.

After the break, they’ll continue this stretch of conference play, eyeing down five more MAWPC opponents before their next non-conference match.

The Rams return to action on Sept. 30 with three more road games as they’re set to play George Washington University and the United States Naval Academy as well as a second match against Johns Hopkins in a three-game weekend.

Women’s Tennis Begins Fall Season With Fordham Invitational

By JONAH RING CONTRIBUTNG WRITER

The Fordham women’s tennis team kicked off their fall campaign this past weekend under a blue-gray September sky, with the team hosting their annual Fordham Invitational at the Hawthorn/Rooney Court.

The three-day competition was mostly comprised of local teams, with the Rams squaring off with the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Pirates of Seton Hall University, the Seahawks of Wagner College, the Red Foxes of Marist College and the Skyhawks of Stonehill College.

In my eyes, this weekend should be labeled as nothing but a huge success for this new look squad, as the glut of new transfers and freshman, plus some older faces, found themselves dominating the competition, posting a very impressive overall singles record of 19-3 and a phenomenal 11-2 overall doubles record.

This stellar performance was truly set into motion by a strong day one singles showing, with graduate students Demi Jhaveri and Franny Shea both opening their years up by dispatching

their singles opponents with ease, not dropping a single game across their respective straight set 6-0, 6-0 victories.

Freshman Anlin Xie, Cindy Zhou and Julianne Nyugen likewise made their presence felt, all working straight set victories in their collegiate debuts. And while the team did briefly hit a speedbump during the doubles matches, unfortunately falling short in two of them, the Rams still managed to post an overall winning doubles record in the first round of doubles matches.

Jhaveri and Shea teamed up to post a perfect 6-0 victory, while returning senior superstar Eleni Fasoula and graduate student Raffaela Alhach used their experience to surge to a 6-2 victory. Nguyen and Zhou rounded out their excellent debuts with a 6-3 victory.

Day two only saw the Rams build off and elevate their day one success, as the team won all four of their doubles matches this time around, three by a score of 6-1, while Fasoula and Alhach found a way to prevail

in their tighter 6-4 clash. On the singles side, the team produced a dominant 7-1 record, with the Rams only dropping three sets as a team across their eight total matches.

Day three was more of the same, with the Rams once again flexing their superior talent on the way to an overall perfect day: a 7-0 total singles showing where everyone won in straight sets, plus by a 4-0 doubles record.

Four of these victories were flawless, with junior Lorraine Bergmann and Zhou both winning

6-0, 6-0 in their respective singles matches, while the doubles pairings of freshman Anlin Xie and senior transfer Rose Hu plus Jhaveri and Shea both cruised in 6-0 thrashings.

For a team that seemingly had so many question marks entering the season after losing so much of last year’s production, there simply could not have been a better way to start the 2023-24 campaign.

Everyone got in on the action, with every player, young or old, finding a way to make meaningful contributions to the overall dominance that the Rams displayed this past weekend.

Much of the credit has to go to coach Michael Sowter for this, as he undoubtedly had his team ready to defend the greystone confines of Fordham.

Now looking ahead, the Rams will travel upstate this coming weekend to play in the West Point Invitational hosted by a strong Army team.

This will certainly be the toughest test so far for the Rams in this very young season, but, if this past weekend proved anything, it was that this team has the talent to rise to the occasion.

Fordham Water Polo won their first four MAWPC contests of the season this past weekend in Pennsylvania.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Cindy Zhou and Fordham Women’s Tennis opened their fall campaign with a successful showing in the Bronx.