Volume 105 Issue 15

By ALEXANDRA RAPP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Changes are coming for the International Studies program, a major once reserved only to Lincoln Center students. International Studies (IS) allows students to explore the intersections between political theory, culture and global affairs, drawing in over a hundred majors per class. IS at Fordham is an interdisciplinary major, where students are encouraged to pick from a number of regional tracks or a global track, making it an opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds and interests to engage in a variety of academic disciplines.

In the past, Fordham had only offered the IS major to Lincoln Center students, but for many years now, students at Rose Hill have been able to declare the major — although this often required traveling down to Lincoln Center for course requirements. Students entering Fordham at Rose Hill would have to wait until they were on campus before

SEE INST, PAGE 4

Fordham Students Show Up To Protest Fossil Fuels

By CAROLINE DURKIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Over 75,000 participants lined up for the 2023 March to End Fossil Fuels as a kickoff to NYC Climate Week. Many Fordham students attended the march.

Members of Fordham’s Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ) attended the March to End Fossil Fuels on Sept. 17.

Starting at 56th and Broadway

and ending at 51st and 1st Ave with a closing rally, members of SEAJ described the atmosphere as “excited,” “persistent” and “inspiring.”

The unifying message — demanding politicians divest from fossil fuel usage.

Rosella Cecil, FCRH ’25, attended the march as a member of SEAJ. “Everybody who was there was there for all of the right reasons. Everyone wanted to make a change,” said Cecil.

GO! Applications Open for the Winter Cycle

By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Walking the streets of jolly old London, Abby Wilson, FCLC ’25, spent her spring learning about housing justice, urban development and environmental sustainability. “We engaged with the London Jesuit Centre and Toynbee Hall where we learned more about London’s involvement with the Laudato Si’ — an advocacy movement for social justice,” said Wilson.

Fordham Career Center Hosts First Annual Humanities Day

By SOFIA DONOHUE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Fordham hosted the first annual Humanities Day on Sept. 20. “Passion to Purpose: The Humanities After College” was curated for students majoring

in the humanities and featured an alumni and faculty panel and employer and alumni roundtable networking.

The idea for Humanities Day was conceived when Professor Brenna Moore, department of theology, reached out to faculty

in the humanities to figure out how they can best support students in disciplines, such as theology, English, classics and history, given the increasing pressure for students to study STEM and Business. After brainstorming, faculty members hosted Humanities Day

Cecil explained that the march’s relevance circles back to stopping preventable damage to the planet. “Fossil fuels are not sustainable in any way. We need to end our reliance on them, and we need to stop funding these big oil companies that are hurting all of us and the planet,” Cecil said.

Sejal Getchell, FCRH ’25, attended the march with similar motivations. Getchell described

SEE MARCH, PAGE 4

This program, organized by the Center for Community and Engaged Learning (CCEL), is called Global Outreach (GO!). GO!, Fordham’s short-term service and immersion program rooted in social justice and community engagement, is currently accepting applications for the winter session. Students accepted to the program will travel from Jan. 7-14 to California, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Mexico or Arizona, engaging with members of the community in different ways to learn more about other communities.

“The winter locations are all partners we’ve worked with in different capacities in the past and who we’re looking to strengthen our relationships with,” said Benjamin Medeiros, immersion coordinator for CCEL.

The program started in 1962, when the university sent 27 students to Mexico for the months of June to August, according to Medeiros.

By NORA MALONE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While New York City is known for its rat infestation, the animals that fill Fordham’s campus are quite the opposite.

The Fordham cats are quite popular among students, with multiple Instagram accounts dedicated to their escapades.

Campus Cats Continue to Make Their Mark Opinion

Past students who have participated in GO! have the opportunity to return to the program to serve as a Student Leader, alongside a Fordham chaperone on the trip, which Wilson said she plans to do this winter while serving as a Student Leader on the California GO! team.

“We’ll work with [the Dolores

SEE GO!, PAGE 5

There are also volunteers who keep an eye on the cats, mostly retired Fordham employees. These cats’ fame, however, is not all positive.

The cats have been on campus and in the Bronx area almost as long as Fordham.

Cats are far from uncommon in urban places, and college campuses are often hubs due to their lack of other wild animals and the regularity of provided food. The Fordham cats were no different, until 2016.

“The Fordham community started noticing an increased

in this issue

Subway Fare Hikes Are Not Fair

Culture Fitness Influencer Hosts HOKA Run Club

Page 15

Sports

Football Dominates Stonehill College at Home

COURTESY OF ROSELLA CECIL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Members of Fordham’s SEAJ attended the March to End Fossil Fuels on Sept. 17.

Fordham University hosted their first-ever Humanities Day this past week on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Sept. 15 McShane Center 9:30 a.m.

On Friday, there was a person stuck inside the McShane Campus Center elevator. The supervisor responded and notified the elevator company. A technician responded and removed the person from the elevator. The elevator was returned to service.

Sept. 15 Faber Hall 9:45 a.m.

On Friday, a person was stuck in the Faber Hall elevator. The supervisor responded and notified the elevator company. A technician responded and removed the person from the elevator. The technician examined the elevator and returned it to service.

Sept. 21 Alumni Court South 1:30 a.m.

On Thursday, a fire alarm went off in Alumni Court South. The supervisor and FDNY responded and evacuated the building. The investigation revealed that a student was smoking inside a room. The area was ventilated and the supervisor reset the alarm panel.

Bill Pascrell: Taking Wisdom Learned at Fordham and Putting it to Use

By MICHELA FAHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By RYAN FLYNN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A member of the tax-writing U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), FCRH ’59, said he is not slowing down at all. “I may be up there in years, but I still have a fight left in me,” he said from his office in the Rayburn House Office Building. Pascrell has represented New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District for 26 years. Despite some challenges, he said he feels confident that at age 86, he can continue to serve his district well. Pascrell said he attributes his strength to his time as a student at Fordham and the values he attained there that are critical to the Jesuits. “Those values include saying it like it is, don’t camouflage what you’re trying to get across, say it, don’t be afraid,” he said. “We say at Mass many times, in fact, we sing it, be not afraid. You go to Fordham, you’re not afraid. It seems that everyone at Fordham knows how to speak their mind so that definitely helps.”

He doesn’t act or sound like what one typically assumes of an octogenarian. Pascrell said that his energy level has not changed. His storied career has taken Pascrell from Fordham and the New Jersey General Assembly to Mayor of Paterson — New Jersey’s third largest city — and leadership in Congress to cochairman of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, where he uses his post to watch out for the interests of community police departments across America.

Last week, The Fordham Ram published an article entitled, Fordham Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop. The article incorrectly attributed information from Jeannie Hoag to another member of the Walsh Library Team, Jane Suda. The Ram sincerely apologizes for this mistake and appreciates the affected parties bringing this to our attention. Corrections can be sent to theram@fordham.edu.

- Isabel Danzis, Editor in Chief of The Fordham Ram

Thursday Sept. 28

Keating Steps Performances

Edward’s Parade 6 p.m.

Stop by Edward’s Parade for the annual Keating Steps performance. Allow yourself to be dazzled by Fordham’s brightest performing arts groups.

He also serves as co-chair of the Italian-American Congressional Delegation and is a frequent visitor to the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue. “Arthur Avenue is a favorite — my wife and family love it,” he said. “I take my friends there and go eat before Fordham basketball games. Or, on a Saturday, we go to a game and eat afterwards.”

And now, Pascrell said he sees an opportunity to focus on legislative priorities like Social Security, taxes, Medicare, health policy and international trade.

The tale of Pascrell’s path to public service began

U.S. House Representative, Bill Pascrell, FCRH ’59, has represented New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District for 26 years. your own street, your own town and your own district when you’re a congressman.” He said that’s what representatives are primarily there for, people who have problems and don’t know who to turn to. “They turn to their congressman,” he said. “You have got to be everything — a sociologist, a teacher, everything. It’s a great job.” Over the course of the next two and a half decades, Pascrell climbed into House leadership roles. He said he partly attributes his years of success to the 9th District because he grew up there.

in 1955 at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. Then-18-year-old Pascrell was a journalism major who was considering working as a reporter, but jobs were few and far between. He went to graduate school right away, got his master’s degree also at Fordham and went right into the Army. “My degree from Fordham gave me an opportunity to help my community and make it better and that is the way I looked at it,” said Pascrell. “After that, I came out of the service and started to teach and I taught for 10 years before going into public service and became Director of Policy for the City of Paterson,” he said. “I was Mayor of the city until I left in 1996 when I ran for Congress.”

He said he can still remember the day he was sworn into Congress after he was elected as if it was yesterday. “The only thing I could think about was how am I going to help my community in this position,” said Pascrell. “Some people go to Congress to change the world, but I didn’t. That comes after you can help your own household,

“Where I grew up in South Paterson, there were no lawyers, no people that graduated college,” he said. “Very few — and it was as different from a place where you are expected to go to college.” According to Pascrell, it was a blue-collar area. “My father had a sixthgrade education and went to work for the railroad. You have to face up to problems. You cannot run from them, and you can’t be a coward. We have too many cowards in public life that are

This Week at Fordham

Friday Sept. 29

Rod’s Free Concert

Rodriguez’s Coffee House 8 p.m.

On Friday, Rod’s is hosting a concert. Stop by to watch PACKS and Worlds Biggest Corporation perform and to jam out with your friends.

Saturday Sept. 30

Fordham EMS CPR Class

Campbell Multipurpose 1 p.m.

Fordham Emergency Medical Services is hosting a $50 CPR class. Completion of the class will result in CPR certification and a day’s worth of fun.

Saturday Sept. 30

afraid to say what they believe in, and many times don’t. They vacate their job while they’re still at it. I exist to help the working man and working families. I like union work. I like it a lot. The salt of the earth. The saltier the better,” Pascrell said. He said the best advice that he would give a student at Fordham on how to approach their experience at the school to have a successful outcome after graduation is to focus on the professors. “Anything you can extract from a professor at Fordham even under threat of death, get from them,” he said.

“Because you’re never going to have that opportunity again. Particularly when you’re in college and you’re a young Turk looking for all the answers and direction. Listen to what they say. I had great professors in my freshman and sophomore year. I knew the problems I was going to have on certain courses, and they helped. Your job is to live up to your responsibilities as a citizen of the greatest of all countries. That’s what I believe.”

Sunday Oct. 1

Men’s Soccer versus Davidson College Women’s Soccer versus Davidson

Jack Coffey Field 7 p.m.

Stop by Jack Coffey Field to watch Men’s Soccer as they take on Davidson College. Come cheer them on in this competitive A-10 game.

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer is playing Davidson College on Sunday. The game celebrates Alumni Day. Stop by to help cheer on the Rams to victory.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Campus Cats Continue to Make Their Mark

FROM CATS, PAGE 1 population of feral cats and kittens and alerted one of the volunteers managing the small colony,” said George Smith of Rose Hill Public Safety, “This is when the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program began.”

The TNR program is a method to keep the cat population minimal. Cats are found on campus, neutered and then returned to campus. This allows Fordham to keep an eye on how many cats there are, and if any are ill or injured. As of the writing of this article, there are 20 cats on Fordham’s campus.

Last week, members of the Fordham community received an email from Public Safety with information about interacting with

the cats. Warning students not to “feed, handle, touch, grab, or make sudden movements toward the animals.”

Public Safety sends a similar message at the beginning of every year, primarily due to the influx of new students who haven’t interacted with the cats before.

“Since the start of the Fall semester, we have seen a couple of students who were petting the feral cats on campus and were scratched or bitten by the cat,” said Maureen Keown, director of Health Services.

If students are bitten, they are instructed to keep the area clean and covered, and in some cases, are given oral antibiotics. However, the Fordham Health Center sometimes sends students elsewhere for further treatment.

“We usually need to refer the students with cat bites off campus for rabies prophylaxis,” said Keown. “Many of the cats on campus have been vaccinated for rabies, but we cannot confirm that the cat involved was one of the cats who were vaccinated so we generally send the student for rabies prophylaxis as a precaution.”

Despite Public Safety’s warning, many students said they hold no fear for the cats and plan to continue to interact with them.

“I firmly believe that if a cat attacks you, it’s your fault. If you understand cat behavior at all, you can very easily tell if they want to be pet,” said Caitlin Wong FCRH ’27. “I love that there are campus cats. I care a lot

about stray animals, and knowing they have a safe place on campus makes me happy.”

But while the cats are famous to some, there are still some students unaware of them or that they cause any problems.

“So far this year, I’ve only seen one cat, and it did not look ‘feral,’” said Leah Tamasker, FCRH ’27.

As the year continues, Public Safety said they plan to keep the students aware of the animals and what to do if they are bitten. They said they hope to keep both the Fordham community and the cats safe.

“They’ve been on campus as many years as the campus has been in existence,” said Smith.

Fordham Career Center Hosts First Annual Humanities Day

to celebrate how the humanities can lead students to successful careers post-graduation. Marianna “Mari” Apazidis, FCRH ’24, and Leah Langhoff, FCRH ’24, volunteered to organize the event in collaboration with the Career Center and the Fordham Alumni Association.

“The planning process for the event involved sourcing alumni, faculty and employers to participate in the panels and roundtables. We had an outpouring of alumni who were interested in joining us for the event — they were so enthusiastic that something like Humanities Day was finally in the works! We had a lot of support from our student workers at the Career Center, Mari and Leah and Professor Moore in distributing this marketing across campus,” said Allyson Blatz, assistant director for student engagement.

The event facilitated a large turnout — students gathered in the back of the room because all of the tables were at capacity.

“When I was originally booking a space for Humanities Day in the summer, I thought we

would have ample room in the third floor multipurpose room of the McShane Campus Center, as we were only anticipating 50 attendees,” said Blatz. “It was mind blowing to see over 80 students at the event and tons of faculty. I’m still shocked and overjoyed by the turnout!”

Moore and Blatz introduced a panel of seven alumni who majored in the humanities, and Apazidis and Langhoff facilitated a Q&A. Alumni shared insight into their career and how the humanities helped them discover their passions and morals.

Alumni represented a variety of employers, including the United Nations, MacMillan Publishers and the U.S. Department of Justice. The alumni panel was followed by a faculty panel, which featured four current faculty members; students were encouraged to ask questions.

“From a student perspective, we wanted to show humanities students that they can foster a successful future postundergrad. In the job market, it can feel as though STEM and business degrees are valu-

able whereas other degrees are significantly less valuable. We wanted students to know that plenty of humanities undergraduates have cultivated successful careers with their degree,” said Apazidis.

Similarly, Blatz said she is optimistic that Humanities Day fostered a sense of relief among students who may have been told that their degree results in a dead-end and leads to destitute opportunities post-graduation.

“I remember how hesitant I felt when I decided to major in English and French Language & Literature as an undergraduate student — largely because of the rhetoric I absorbed surrounding the ‘uselessness’ and economic irrelevance of humanities degrees. The humanities play a pivotal role in helping us understand who we were, who we are and who we can be and deserve to be celebrated,” said Blatz.

Cailee Zeraat, FCRH ’25, an English major, found Humanities Day to be an ideal opportunity to network with students, faculty and alumni as well as commemorate the value of a humanities degree.

“I just transferred to Fordham this semester and I am trying to meet peers and faculty in humanities fields. When I got an email for this event, I recognized it as the perfect opportunity to learn more about the humanities at Fordham and potentially meet some interesting alumni who could share their experiences and how their choice of major helped them in their careers,” said Zeraat.

Humanities Day also featured an opportunity for students to network with employers through roundtable discussions. Employers included AlphaSights, The Boys’ Room, MacMillan Publishers, The New-York Historical Society and Phillips.

“I had some insightful conversations with a few of the alumni speakers and was able to connect with them on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Rather than help me feel more decisive in my career path, it actually opened up some other possibilities that I hadn’t been considering,” said Zeraat.

The Career Center is working on a Humanities Student Ambassadors (HSA) program

— the idea was devised by Apazidis and Langhoff. The program will work to organize more events, workshops and networking opportunities for humanities students.

“It’s our goal for the HSAs to develop professional development programming that speaks to the specific needs of humanities students,” said Blatz.

“Mari and Leah wanted to build this out, and the Career Center was willing to work with them as an extension to our current Fordham Career Ambassadors (FCA) program," said Cheretta Robson, senior associate director at the Career Center.

“We hope to engage students and make them value the power of their humanities education to connect more opportunities with employers and to encourage students to use the Career Center resources," Robson said.

Although the Career Center is still building out the idea of the HSAs program, interested students can attend the Career Center’s “Oh the Humanities: How to Put Your Humanities to Work” workshop on Oct. 12.

USG Discusses Budgets and Committee Updates

By SOFIA SEMPER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Sept. 21, to discuss new business and give committee updates.

Vice President of Student Life Brian Inguanti, FCRH ’24, presented a budget request for ice cream for the Keating Steps event. He requested funding for ice cream for 200 people and an ice cream cart rental which would cost about $800. This request was approved.

El Grito, Beta Alpha Si, Freshman Advising Mentor Program (FAMP) and The Fordham Ram were all nominated for September club of the month. The senate voted for FAMP to be named as the club of the month.

Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, said that they had their first Student Life Council (SLC) last week and there was a very good turnout with

great questions from students.

Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catherine McGlade, Ed.D., stated that they are working very closely with their partners in health services and psychological services for the CARE programs. They are in the process of helping plan large events, such as the President’s Ball. She also said that there are over 130 new commuter student lockers in the McShane Campus Center which is a great increase from the past year, when there were only 90.

Vice President of Finance and Budgets Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, stated that his committees’ website was updated by Vice President of Communications Ariadna Wong, FCRH ’25, and their FAQ document is now on the website as well.

Wong announced that three USG committees have not scheduled their committee pictures yet and that needs to be scheduled as soon as possible. She also said that she is making

tabling flyers for the class of 2026 senate.

Vice President of Fordham College at Rose Hill Emma Balint, FCRH ’24, announced that the Dean’s Council’s first meeting with the Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill Maura Mast was last week, and it went very well. She explained that they are in the process of reconnecting with the core revision program, and they are currently in the second phase. She also stated that one of Dean’s Council’s subcommittees is starting a support group and study group for students who are struggling in school.

Vice President of Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Catie Flores, GSB ’25, said that the GSB Dean’s Council were also able to have their first meeting with the GSB deans. She also said that they are hoping to send out a GSB newsletter soon.

Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, stated that questions and

concerns from students about dining are being looked into. He then explained that he went to the Fordham Lincoln Center (LC) campus to see their dining options and make comparisons between the FCRH campus dining and the LC campus dining. He also an-

nounced that there is currently a search for a vice president of student affairs.

Lastly, Senator Deborah Adebanjo, FCRH ’26, announced that the class of 2026 senate is working on doing a tabling event soon.

COURTESY OF SAMANTHA MINEAR/THE FORDHAM RAM Fordham currently has 20 cats on campus.

Fordham Students Show Up to Protest Fossil Fuels

FROM MARCH, PAGE 1

a highlight of the event to be the solidarity she felt with other New Yorkers. Getchell said: “It was just so wonderful to see the amount of people that came out. I think that solidarity is a huge part of it, of showing that this is an issue that matters to the people in this country and obviously all over, but especially in New York City.”

The timeline of NYC Climate week was orchestrated in line with the UN General assembly, also taking place in Manhattan. Cecil described the relevance between the two events – “Every year climate week in New York coincides with the UN General assembly. When

all the important change makers and movers are in New York, we gather and we let them know that climate change is real and we care about it — and they should too.”

Fordham SEAJ Co-President, Stizzy Demacopoulos, FCRH ’24, said they felt that the March to End Fossil Fuels has important and crucial ties to social justice. They explained that “Climate change is a class issue, and marginalized individuals who are the least responsible for the climate crisis are facing its most severe consequences.”

Research has shown that communities of color are more likely to face toxic levels of air pollution.

In New York City specifically, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) found that in “the South Bronx, Mott Haven neighborhood, 97% Latinx and Black residents are collectively exposed to about 60% more pollution than is caused by their own consumption.”

The Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx, roughly a 20-minute drive from Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus, has some of the worst recorded air quality in the United States. The neighborhood has been dubbed “Asthma Alley” to describe the physiological harm air pollution, caused by burning fossil fuels, can inevitably cause.

This past June, the city faced

orange skies as a result of wildfires in British Columbia, Canada. Air quality in New York City was deemed to be the worst in the world. Air quality advisories were in effect for the entire state.

In a press conference, Governor Kathy Hochul stated that she “would certainly say we did not deal with this in the past” and that “If you want to know the effects of climate change, you’re going to feel it tomorrow in real time.”

Members of SEAJ also expressed their goal of holding politicians accountable during the March. Specifically, they encouraged the Biden Administration to declare a climate emergency. The goal was to allow

for more immediate and drastic steps taken to cut emissions caused by fossil fuels.

“We march hoping to pressure Biden into ending fossil fuels for the U.S.,” said Demacopoulos.

SEAJ member Getchall shared sentiments of dissatisfaction with the Biden administration and their current approach to the climate crisis.

“I do wish that the Biden administration was doing more. And I think that younger generations are certainly calling this to light and acknowledging the fact that we’re going to be the ones that have to deal with this issue more than older generations,” Getchell said.

International Studies Adds Chair and Drops Thesis Requirement

declaring their IS major. However, in the last few years, it has become an increasingly popular major at both campuses, opening up opportunities for students to access their courses on either campus easily. Now, students who are planning to enter Fordham at either campus will be allowed to declare an IS major before they attend.

The biggest changes for the 2023-24 school year are the installation of a Rose Hill International Studies Chair and the re-installment of a student board. In 2021, the department officially applied to be a part of Rose Hill, thereby opening up the ability to install a co-chair for the major. Dr. Ida Bastiaens was named as the Rose Hill Chair, and she is now overseeing all RH International Studies majors while Dr. Sarah Lockhart will now exclusively serve as the advisor for Lincoln Center majors. Lockhart expressed her excitement for the student board’s input, as it will be a good way to gauge both chairs’ and students’ aspirations for the program. When asked

what changes they hoped to see in the future, both chairs echoed similar sentiments Bastiaens said:

“I think Dr. Lockhart and I are really trying to modernize the program a bit because it hasn’t gone through an extensive review in some time. We put out applications for a student board so students can help with things like organizing activities and giving input on study abroad. The student board will help with any sort of curricular discussions that we have, so just thinking about ways we can improve the program in terms of being responsive to students.”

Beyond the new installment of a second chair and the student board to give insight are the changes to the senior thesis requirement. Although the thesis is still mandatory for this year’s seniors, the word count has been reduced, hopefully allowing students to focus more on content than stressing over reaching a minimum word count. Lockhart explained that the shortened thesis aims to address a few major problems:

“We were trying to address a couple problems: For one,

students being intimidated by the length. We wanted to encourage students to focus on something more narrow, [and] if you have a shorter thesis and it’s good, you can publish it – you will rarely see a journal publish more than 10k words.”

The IS program’s thesis requirement is a single semester course, where students are expected to work with their professor and a chosen thesis advisor to write a comprehensive thesis on any topic of their choice – from international security in Hungary to nightlife culture in Lebanon to French youth radicalization. But the biggest change to the IS major thesis will not begin until the 2024-25 school year when the mandatory thesis requirement will officially become optional. Lockhart explained what went into this change:

“The program committee, with the support of the deans, unanimously agreed to make the thesis optional with the class of 2025. We are still working on the details – what classes will be allowed to substitute for it. The intention is to have a 4000 level class

that is related to the student’s track. The idea is that most 4000 classes require a large research paper – we want there to be a research component. In the next month, we are having chair members survey their departments for classes that would be appropriate for it.”

Although this will be a big change, both Lockhart and Bastiaens stressed the importance of a thesis. Students will continue to be encouraged to do the thesis because it builds valuable research skills and

can demonstrate to both future employers and graduate schools a high level of competency in important skills. The hope was expressed by both chairs that this change is meant to make students happier and more engaged in their studies, releasing those students who find the thesis more painful than anything from the obligation.

As Bastiaens puts it, the thesis is “Really an opportunity to say, ‘this is really interesting to me’ and dive into it.”

Fordham Searches for New Vice President of Student Affairs

By ADITHI VIMALANATHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham University is currently conducting a national search for a new Vice President of Student Affairs. President

Tania Tetlow has appointed John J. Cecero, S.J., Vice President for Mission Integration and Ministry, to head up the search, which is estimated to be completed in January. As of Sept. 26, 2023, two student listening sessions have been completed with a faculty listening session scheduled for the near future.

Roughly 90 applications are in and will be narrowed down before being discussed by the committee. A shortlist will be presented to Tania Tetlow, who will make the final decision.

The Vice President of Student Affairs is responsible for managing student concerns, which encompasses student life, residential life, academics, mental and physical health, among many

other departments. They are a member of the president’s cabinet, where they will work closely with other university officials across departments such as Enrollment, Academic Affairs and Finance.

The cabinet is composed of 14 officials who all report directly to Tania Tetlow. In weekly meetings, they address university concerns and advise her as a team.

“You have these different divisions… that are really intended to pay attention to the core needs that the university has to kind of tend to in order to make the whole university work,” said Cecero.

As a member of the president’s cabinet, the Vice President of Student Affairs will be responsible for bringing student concerns to university-wide discussions as well as coordinating with other members of the Cabinet.“Everything is interconnected, right?” said Cecero.

“With student affairs, a per -

son who oversees residential life is concerned with the vice president who oversees enrollment to say, ‘Are you taking in too many students next year? You might not have the residence space to accommodate them.’ And then the finance person will say, ‘But we need so many in order to make the budget demands’… It's important for the president to hear that.”

Because of the importance and intensely collaborative nature of the role, the search for a new vice president was conducted internally.

The search committee chaired by Cecero includes Fordham faculty and staff as opposed to a search firm:

“Sometimes for searches at this senior level we use a search firm that comes in and we pay them a lot of money… my role, as I say, will be to kind of convene, oversee, try to make the group as productive as possible,” Cecero said.

This process was also used

by the university to select the recently appointed vice president for finance and vice president for marketing and communications.

Cecero notes that the university is looking for a candidate with a very diverse skill set and bandwidth: “I think we’ll be looking for a person … who really has a lot of capacity, you know. I mean, sometimes people joke about it and say, ‘I think we’re looking for a psychologist, a lawyer, an administrator.’”

Collaboration and teamwork are also integral to the role’s function within the president’s cabinet. Perhaps most importantly is the need for experience working with student life and within student communities.

“We can’t just take a business person who may have a lot of these skills but who’s never worked with students before,” Cecero said.

“This is a vice presidential role where you need somebody

who’s had extensive experience with students.”

At listening sessions, students have brought up various topics that they would like the search committee to be aware of while filling the new role. Equal attention to both campuses was especially important for students at Lincoln Center.

“Lincoln Center students who were in that listening session were saying pretty strongly that sometimes they feel as though all the resources are directed here at Rose Hill and that they’re kind of the stepchildren of Lincoln Center,” said Cecero.

Mental health was another prominent concern, with the search committee highlighting the increased demand for mental health services following the pandemic.

Other topics students brought up included the university’s poor rankings in dining and the advantage of having a Fordham outsider in the role.

The International Studies major went through a series of changes this year.

COURTESY OF PIXABAY

GO! Applications Open for Winter Cycle

communities on a variety of topics and issues.

They will work with Dolores Mission in California. The GO! California team will be engaging with the local community, providing support for various populations including Spanishspeaking immigrants and lower-income families, while also learning about the Boyle Heights Community of East Los Angeles.

FROM GO!, PAGE 1

Mission] on immigration and the intersectionality with other social justice issues like health equity, environmental sustainability, et cetera,” said Wilson.

“With acknowledgment to

the wildfires, I will really be emphasizing the effects of environmental sustainability on immigrant health.”

GO! said they plan to send teams to five different locations to engage with different

In Puerto Rico, the GO! Team will work with Friends of Puerto Rico. The GO! Puerto Rico team will be doing service work at Panorama Farm, learning best practices for coffee farming and having advocacy-rooted conversations about economic justice and social opportunity.

The GO! Mexico team will work with Enlaces Comunitarios Internacionales, a communityrun sustainability organization based in Puebla, Mexico

aiming to empower local farmers through sustainable ecological practices.

The GO! North Carolina team will work with the Industrial Commons. The team will be working with sustainable circular economic models through the examples of various textile mills, working primarily with Venezuelan and Hmong immigrant communities.

The GO! Arizona team will be partnering with the Kino Borders Initiative, a bi-national, Jesuit organization that provides humanitarian aid to Mexican migrants and refugees in both Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico and is committed to a social and pastoral education for its members.

According to Medeiros, GO! operates in three phases: formation, immersion and sustainable outcomes. Formation consists of group members con -

necting with each other prior to the trip in order to learn more about each other and the location the group will be going to. Immersion happens on the field as groups engage with the community socially and culturally, demonstrating elements of service, dialogue and advocacy.

The third phase, sustainable outcomes, emphasizes taking lessons learned abroad and relating them back to the Fordham, the Bronx and greater New York communities.

“I hope participants on all GO! projects take the time to reflect on global experiences and how they relate to their experiences in their own communities,” said Wilson.

Interested students can keep an eye out for spring applications, typically released during the latter half of the fall semester.

Fordham Hires New Director for First- and Second-Year Students

By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR

Fordham recently hired Beth Markowitz as the new director of first- and second-year advising at Fordham College at Rose Hill. The new position is part of the new Fordham College Advising Center, which is a new cooperative advising center for Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center students.

Markowitz is originally from upstate New York. She received her B.A. in sociology from Siena College and moved to the city in 2002. She then got her M.A. in school counseling from Manhattan College, and worked for 16 years at New York University, where she also got her Ed.D. in 2020. During her time in the city, Markowitz was able to live in a wide range of

boroughs and surrounding cities, including Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Yonkers and Riverdale.

Markowitz was the assistant director for academic affairs at NYU since 2014, and after getting her doctorate, she knew she wanted to do something new.

“Fordham was a college I’ve always been interested in,” Markowtiz said.

“I believe in the Jesuit tradition and their priority on education and then I also know people who have gone here, and they were always very happy. And so I knew that they were giving a quality education to students, and so it’s something I would want to be a part of.”

Regarding her new position, Markowitz explained that she also has a counterpart that was hired at the Lincoln Center campus and

that they work closely together to make the advising center consistent across campuses. In addition, the advising center is still in the process of being fully operational, since it is currently only for firstand second-year students.

“Every year we’re grandfathering in the new students into the center. So right now we have the freshmen and sophomores and then the juniors and seniors who are still seeing their class deans for advising. And so there’s growth every year and so there’s new policy every year and just new programming so that we serve students,” Markowitz said. Eventually, a director of thirdand fourth-year advising will be hired to help advise the current first- and second-year students. Currently, each class year has a group of advisors that will work

with them for their first two years and then a group of advisors for their last two years. Markowitz explained that it helps for students to have advisors who are able to help them with transitioning into college and declaring majors, and then the new advisors in the last two years will help them transition out of college.

Being almost two months into her new position, Markowtiz is looking forward to meeting new people.

“I’m looking forward to getting together with the different departments and meeting them and working with them to best serve the students. So that’s kind of next on my agenda. We’ll also be working on major declaration for the sophomores. So that’s something new that will be coming up soon,” Markowitz said.

The new advising center will officially include all four years of students in the 2025-26 academic school year, once the current juniors graduate.

“I’m kind of looking forward to when we have all four years in the advising center… Once we have that, there won’t be something brand new every year, and we can focus on where we want to grow and new things that we want to do,” Markowitz said.

Overall, Markowitz said she is excited to work with students and continue to meet more people.

“I have been having a great experience so far. People have been really friendly, very welcoming. I love working with the students. They’re really great, motivated students. And I feel lucky, you know, to be in a position that I love,” Markowitz said.

Student Life Council COVID-19 and Campus Activities

By MICHAEL DUKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Student Life Council (SLC) convened for their first full council meeting of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

The SLC is Fordham’s collaborative space between deans of both Gabelli and Rose Hill, students, administrators, Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) representatives and other selected individuals to discuss campus activities and involvements. Being the first meeting of the year, new members were introduced, such as Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, and Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, who won USG’s executive ticket last spring and sit on the council as members. Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, Michele C. Burris, also sat in on the meeting as a guest to provide insight on student affairs and field questions from the committee.

Burris spoke about tasks that she’s undertaken this semester and that she enjoys her position. She said Tania Tetlow’s new tenure as president has been energetic; she nodded to how she has spent the beginning of this year navigating the role to make student affairs and activities a space

where “hopes or dreams students might have” can be fulfilled.

When fielding questions and comments from the committee, some members expressed concern about how to properly address student issues, both known and unknown. Burris established that it is her goal as interim vice president to meet with students and listen to them prior to setting goals for the academic year.

Following the discussion on outreach, Vice President of Operations Lauren Walcyzk, FCRH ’25, directed concern toward Burris as she urged the need for gender-inclusive language in all communications coming from Burris’s and other departments at Fordham. Speaking on the matter at the meeting, she stated, “It is important to be patient, assist one another, and we need to learn that language is changing.”

Following this, Hector Cruz, FCRH ’24, executive president of the Commuting Students Association (CSA), discussed the importance of keeping attention towards commuter student needs and events geared towards commuters. Discussing how the new McShane Campus Center commuter lockers are

having technical issues, an interim solution of first-come, first-serve lockers will begin on Monday, Sept. 25 in McShane, as students await the solution to these technical difficulties.

Following this discussion, the Intoxication Transports Update reported that the university had 24 intoxes and six refused medical attention (RMAs) so far this year, compared to last year’s 19 intoxes and eight RMAs.

Continuing on, the meeting’s focus then shifted to the university’s recent analysis of COVID-19 and rising cases in New York. The committee discussed how Finlay Hall’s garden level has been discontinued as a quarantine option this year and is housing students.

As an alternative to this option, the university said they urge students who are diagnosed with COVID-19 to go home, quarantine in place, mask up and remain in isolation for five days. The committee said that students are free to go on campus to get food while positive for COVID-19, but must wear a mask while doing so.

Following this, the committee discussed how students

should be taking actions themselves to keep the community safe at Fordham, such as vaccinating against COVID-19, referencing an email advisory sent out late August on the university’s stance on the virus.

When answering the question as to whether or not Fordham has taken direction from other Jesuit universities or organizations on the steps taken regarding COVID-19 protocols, Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers said that the university keeps their stance aligned with CDC advisories and communicates information to other institutions. Once the discussion on COVID-19 concluded, the committee transitioned to more Fordham organization updates. CSA reported that they have four vacant spots on their general assembly and will continue to hold special elections until they are filled.

Al-Omoush discussed recent special elections to fill vacancies on USG. Following this disclosure, Coogan said she has been conducting one-on-ones with current senators to advance the USG agenda and set the year off in a positive direction.

Campus Activities Board (CAB) then discussed how the recent events of their live speak-

er from SNL had record attendance, and other events, such as their Rods’ concert.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) then discussed how genboard elections are underway and large-scale events are currently being planned.

Following, the Office for Multicultural Affairs (OMA) said 65% of the 400 students who attended their student leader training strongly agreed that the training helped set themselves up for success this year. Also at the meeting, the OMA announced how they will be holding more events this semester. The Gabelli School of Business said Mario Gabelli’s annual talk with first-year students was a success, giving every freshman $100 to start their IRA.

Wrapping the meeting up, The Office of Student Involvement (OSI) discussed the club fair and week of welcome. Concerns were brought up about the timing of orientation and club events, and the accessibility to commuters. OSI said despite this obstacle, all students have the ability to be involved despite barriers, as club involvement saw a surge, with some clubs seeing more than 600 new student sign-ups at the club fair.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

GO! goes on trips in the winter, spring and summer.

Filmmaker Ignacio Agüero Delivers Masterclass

By SAMANTHA MINEAR FEATURES EDITOR

On Sept. 19, Chilean-American filmmaker Ignacio Agüero visited the university to deliver a masterclass on film, hedging on his multi-decade career by asking one very important question: “what is cinema?” Throughout the masterclass, he spoke about his experience evolving into a documentarian, offered clips of his films to demonstrate their important themes and answered questions from

students — many of them inspiring filmmakers themselves — about his work and the political atmosphere of Chile today.

Agüero said he “wanted to direct fiction films,” but became drawn to the idea of creating a documentary film when he realized he wanted to tell the story of post-Pinochet Chile. He was struck by the story of a mother who walked along a rural road to bring flowers to Saint Rose de Pequén every Sunday in thanks

for “bringing back her sons” who had disappeared during the dictatorship. His first documentary, “No olvidar,” is about her story, which he created under the alias Pedro Meneses. Meneses was a friend of Agüero’s who had passed during the Pinochet era. However, Agüero “knew nothing about documentaries” when he started. Still, he ended up “falling in love” with the craft and created his second film, “Como de la gana,” which “revolves around the question of ‘why’” in regards to cinema: why filmmakers

create and the importance of their themes. “Como de la gama” tells the story of some of Agüero’s closest filmmaking friends, and they discussed their respective processes.

“It revolves around an image,” said Agüero. “The image of understanding why people make films and what messages they are trying to convey.”

Later, he said he embraced the title of ‘documentary filmmaker’ because it gave him “full creative freedom,” versus being a fiction filmmaker,

which typically involves a lot of people, such as actors, writers and camera operators. Creating documentaries meant that Agüero could work by himself answering the question he had about the world.

“[Documentaries] are less to say something and more to create, to explore,” said Agüero.

This visit was in recognition of Lincoln Center holding a special screening of Agüero’s latest film, “Notes for a Film” (Notas para una película), on Sept. 20.

Fordham Continues to Prepare for MSCHE Accreditation

By TASNIMAH RAHMAN STAFF WRITER

Fordham is preparing for the accreditation process it embodies from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the regional accrediting body in the United States. It all culminates in the site visit in spring of 2025. MSCHE has seven standards of excellence the university continuously strives to comply with every eight years. The university was last accredited in 2016 and prepares for accreditation this upcoming spring 2025. Co-chairs Dr. Melissa Labonte and Dr. Greer Jason-DiBartolo are facilitating an institutional self-study, inviting all students to volunteer their time, ask questions and contribute thoughts by emailing selfstudy2025@fordham.edu. It is a two-year process for this institutional self-study where accreditation is maintained through compliance every day. In preparation for the visit, the university is keeping itself informed of the standards that the Middle States Commission outlines for Fordham as an organization. The university has been working since the last accreditation, ensuring familiarity with new standards in place and that all activities are meeting and exceeding those standards. The university going through a re-accreditation process is not about preparing a report or for a visit, but living as an organization day to day as a reflection of those standards and expectations

by the Middle States Commission’s accrediting body. The university has been working towards the visit, and, most recently, Jason-DiBartolo and Labonte assembled seven working groups and teams, one working group for each of the seven standards and three teams. One team is the evidence inventory team. Their role is to collect all data and documents all seven working groups need to do. Team two is the communications team, where they help to finalize the resort and put together websites. Team three is the student voice team, a profile of students in leadership and not. Provost seeks to maximize the diversity of membership of these groups of students.

“The next step is to invite these diverse and representative groups of students in a week or two to serve as sounding boards for all of the working groups. If a working group wants to do a focus group with students, they’ll have this student group of volunteers. If the working group would like to survey students, they’ll have this group of students. If a working group would like a student perspective on something on a survey that may go out to a larger population of students, they can consult with this group of student volunteers,” said Jason-DiBartolo. These groups of students will represent all the colleges, undergraduate and graduate, commuters, residents, business and social work. A meeting was held on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Lincoln Center

campus where working groups were presented with self-study materials and guidelines on how to engage in work. The working groups will meet several times in the next couple of months to answer a series of questions related to their standards, which help shape and guide the work of each of the standards.

“There would be no way for us to do justice to a self-study process without including and integrating meaningfully the student voice. We take that part of the entire initiative very seriously. We are really looking forward to engaging with students across different working groups to be able to hear from their perspective the different standards and lines of inquiry. There will be opportunities for students who are interested in being more involved. They should email us at the self-study email and website,” said Labonte. There are plenty of opportunities for community engagement, including students, like the student town hall. Last April, a town hall event took place with Sean McKitrick for faculty and staff, as well as a separate town hall for students. Provost intends to continue to engage in this manner, reaching out to students and welcoming students to ask questions and get involved.

After the planning part of the study, Provost seeks to gauge interest and perspectives needing to be covered. This is where direct engagement with students is expected to happen through the

student voice team. In fall of 2024, a draft of the final report will be prepared, and will begin to engage with different community stakeholder groups, including students.

“We’re looking forward to engaging with formal institutions like USG and students with unique perspectives on the university, residential life, resident hall directors or commuter or international students. We want to cast that net as wide as possible in terms of consultation that's going to give us the most information that will tell us how well we are meeting the standards and what area we need to pay closer attention to for continuous improvement,” said Dr. Labonte.

“It is important for the university to maintain its accreditation and utilize the self-study process as a discernment opportunity to dive deep into what is promised to students and if the university is delivering on that promise,” said Jason-DiBartolo, co-chair associate dean of strategic initiative and executive director of operations.

The standards of excellence within eight years make for institutional success. “The standards are a vision of what higher education should be serving in terms of goals, practices, policies, and day-to-day practices of the institution, reflecting a series of standards in order to deliver on the goals of higher education. The seven standards are outlined by Middle States, things like mission and goals, ethics and integrity, design and delivery of student learning experience, the support for student experience, ed-

ucational effectiveness assessment, planning resources and institutional improvement, and governance/ leaderships/administration,” said Labonte. Standards overlap, and within each standard, there are a set of criteria that need to be fulfilled. According to “Standards of Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation,” there are requirements for affiliation. Middle State Standards overlap with federal compliance standards universities must abide by. All accreditation processes are multi-year in length. There is a lot of coordination and collaboration to compile evidence demonstrating Fordham’s compliance with those seven standards for accreditation, as well as a number of requirements of affiliation that to maintain full compliance with federal regulations.

While the Middle States has standards for universities to uphold and define, the university also has institutional priorities.

In preparation for the visit, Labonte and Jason-DiBartolo met with many organizations. A steering committee is then established, a collection of faculty and administrators to help lead efforts to write the self-study. This brings to fruition a self-study design, a fifty-page document outlining how the next year and a half will be spent writing the self-study itself. After this document is put together, the Office of Provost hosts the liaison this past spring semester, the Vice President Liaison from the Middle States, Sean McKitrick, for a one-day visit.

Fordham Junior Researches the Influence of Blindness on Notable Musicians

By EMMA KARN STAFF WRITER

Samuel Scriven, FCRH ’25, is a music major researching the influence of blindness on four notable musicians of the 20th century. His research project, entitled “Inner Visions,” mentored by Professor Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis, began over the summer of 2023 and explores how blind musicians shaped Black music styles. He focused on four musicians — Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Marcus Roberts and Art Tatum. These four musicians, each influential in 20th-century Black music, all had a visual impairment. This pattern, Scriven said, “couldn’t be a coincidence.”

Stevie Wonder, known for his contributions to funk and the popularization of synthesizers, became blind as a newborn when exposed to too much oxygen in the hospital bassinet. Ray Charles, a pioneer of soul, had glaucoma

at age seven. Marcus Roberts, a leader of the acoustic jazz movement, had cataracts. Art Tatum, a virtuosic jazz pianist, was already blind in one eye when a childhood accident took his vision in the other. The first phase of Scriven’s project started with historical research, reading about the lives of these musicians through whatever means available — interviews, autobiographies and the like. “I wanted to contextualize myself in their world,” he said.

Phase two was to zoom out, researching blind musicians in general and diving into some of the neuroscience behind this phenomenon. It turns out that in cases of visual impairment, there is enhanced cortical plasticity in the auditory region of the brain. This can lead to some benefits — in fact, “57% of blind musicians have perfect pitch,” Scriven said. This is a staggering statistic, especially when compared to the percentage

of the general population. Scriven wanted to focus on the positive outcomes of making music with visual impairment. “I lived with cataracts my whole life, until 19, and after my surgery I was able to appreciate how beautiful life is,” he said. “You can make so much good out of it.”

In a world where they often had to depend on others because of their visual impairment, “they all sought this creative autonomy,” Scriven said. These musicians all taught themselves music, playing by ear. They were influenced by their experiences in church or by other Black musicians. Some eventually went to music school and received formal training, but they were all essentially selftaught. Scriven thinks there is certainly something conducive to art in the experience of suffering. He uses the examples of Wonder and Tatum. Wonder was a vocalist as well, and his lyrics often

have personal meaning. Tatum developed his pianist skills through unconventional ways.

“In order to be great, you have to rise above challenges,” Scriven said. He finds these musicians inspiring for his own musical journey, both technically and emotionally.

Scriven said that “despite scientists finding a connection between childhood blindness and musical ability, there really isn’t much other research about it.” He said this made the research process challenging but also more rewarding. He was able to find some performance parallels in physical movement and technique among these four musicians — they “tended to play pieces in keys with a lot of flats as a means to orient themselves on the keyboard using the black notes, even when that made the piece so much harder to play given the position of the fingers when orienting in those keys,” Scriven said.

“Some like Stevie Wonder and Art Tatum also played with a splayed fingers technique that helped them do lightning fast runs and maneuver around the piano, something that traditional music schools wouldn’t teach,” he added. Scriven said his goal is to compile this research into a paper and to create an accompanying performance. A musician himself, he said he is passionate about playing piano and singing, and said: “I want to combine these loves… create my own sound… express myself.” He said he hopes to resume his investigations as well, researching more musicians, conducting additional visits to music schools for the blind and interacting with professors at these institutions. Most of all, he will continue to develop as a musician. In seeing all the beauty the world holds, he said, “I want to be able to put that beauty into my music.”

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

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News Editor

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Features Editor

Samantha Minear

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Culture Editors

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

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The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

The Changing Worlds of Growing Up

The world feels like it’s ending. I’m not sure if it’s the increase in political extremism, the unending string of climate catastrophes or because it just has that tendency. I’m starting to think it’s the latter. With college ending, my younger sister turning 20, the paleolithic history YouTube videos that helped me survive COVID-19 and this, my goodbye to The Fordham Ram, I’ve been thinking a lot about the world ending. Or, rather, worlds.

It’s not nearly as original a thought as I might like, but I have always felt that everyone had a handful of worlds that they existed in — and that existed within them. When I was 10 and coming up with this theory, those worlds consisted of my grandparent’s house, my classroom, my neighborhood and the entirety of the vast, chilling universe that stretched around us. They wound on and on, spinning around me like the stars in the night sky. It’s only been recently that I’ve understood that, like those stars, those worlds too can go dark.

This past year is when I saw the first world blink out.

Last October, I turned 21, crossing the final threshold from childhood into adulthood, and woke the next morning to news that my grandfather, whom I called Papa, had passed. He was the first true loss I had ever suffered, and it was devastating. There’s no other word for it. I went for a walk in the New York Botanical Gardens, and spent the rest of the day curled up on my floor. It wasn’t just a chapter that ended in my life, but a world lost. A world where I was three feet tall and furiously

making tuna fish sandwiches for our grandparents with my sister; where I was 16, visiting London and gagging on black pudding while my Papa and the English waiter chuckled; where I was 18, listening to yet another lecture on what it was like growing up in an English collier town; and where I was 20, and my Papa said that I’ve got a real gift, that he wished he could write like me. That world is dark now, and accessible only through shared memories, photo albums and the memories falling further and further from my mind.

It really wrecks me sometimes. Not only my papa’s passing, but the realization that everyone’s childhood is expiring. My baby cousin is 12, and he looks it. All arms and legs, like a foal. His older sister, “Baby Kelly,” is 16 now. I still remember when she was all blue eyes and white blonde ringlets, scared stiff when my sisters and I came screaming and singing and yelling to play with her. She’s studying for the SAT now, and rolling her eyes every chance she gets. I can’t even think of my sisters without getting emotional. The older one is about to turn 20 — her childhood’s as finished as mine.

I was told the homesickness would go away a few months into freshman year, but it honestly still knocks the wind from me.

It’s not all horribly depressing, however. Truthfully, most of it is amazing. I’ve loved growing up, loved becoming an adult, loved finally feeling comfortable in who I am. My 15-year-old self would be shocked to see how confident I’ve become, how extroverted.

Some days, when I’m wandering Manhattan in between my Lincoln Center classes, I almost pinch myself because the fact that I’m studying creative writing and learning from published authors in New York City doesn’t quite feel real. My 17-year-old self would certainly be proud, as would my 18-year-old self, who worried I wouldn’t make the most of my college experience. But I have. I’ve met my best friends here, and learned so much.

My time at the Ram has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. Entering B-52 — our cramped closet of an office — as a sophomore terrified of whatever InDesign was, I never would have expected to find such a home. When Volume 105 is over, and all we have left of it are the shared jokes, the pictures and the sweatshirts, I’ll miss the little world we created in it. To Isabel, I’m so glad that you’re one of the first people I met freshman year, and so ecstatic that we’ve shared so many wonderful memories

Editorial | MTA Price Increase

since. I honestly would not be who I am today had I not met you, and I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished at the Ram and WFUV. To Nicole, I’m so glad that we’ve sat beside each other (ever since I escaped the annex), and gotten to exchange so many unnecessarily intense discussions about pop culture. To Michael, I’m so grateful for your friendship, and how my grammar’s gotten better because of it. To Sophia, Jamison and Hannah, thank you so much for being lovely and deleting all my oxford commas. To Ilaina and Lauren, thank you for being such terrific people to work with. When this world blinks out, I’ll miss you all.

There’s a lot I’m looking forward to in life. Publishing a book, traveling the world, seeing my sisters grow up and exploring my own interests are just a few. Obviously, there will be more losses, more worlds ending. I’ve realized it’s best to simply kiss them goodbye, wish them well and look forward to exploring the next one.

Subway Fare Hikes Are Not Fair

Recently, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) raised fares on all public transportation, including buses, the subway, the Metro-North and even tolls. The MTA has kept subway fares at the same $2.75 for the past few years in order to encourage people to utilize public transportation as ridership numbers decreased due to the pandemic. As the number of riders began to increase in the wake of the pandemic, New York raised their fare for the first time in eight years from $2.75 to $2.90.

While the increase may seem inconsequential to some, the population most affected in New York will be low-income workers who need public transportation to go to work every day. Additionally, these rising fares come in the wake of price increases in other necessary areas, such as food prices and housing costs, which combine to pack a punch to people’s budgets.

It is unfair to put the burden of inflation-related pricing changes primarily onto the customer. This is especially true as rider counts are increasing back towards pre-pandemic numbers, meaning there are more people paying more fares. This increase is also an unfair burden for New

Yorkers as the programs to help alleviate the stress of rising costs are not matching the demand. Mayor Eric Adams did expand eligibility to receive subsidized transit fares through the program Fair Fares for families below the poverty line. However, there are more New Yorkers who need financial assistance. About half of working-aged New Yorkers are struggling to cover general life necessities, which is an increase from the 36% from 2021.

These financial struggles aren’t a new concept for MTA. Since the 1970s, the cost of operation has superseded the amount of income generated by passengers.

If this is a consistent problem that the MTA is facing, then raising prices for customers who are already struggling to make ends meet is clearly not a solution that has been effective in the past. There needs to be more of an investment in infrastructure on the part of the government and not leave that burden to rest solely with the passengers.

Looking closer within the Fordham community, one of the biggest populations affected by this increase is commuter students. Keeping in mind that 40% of Fordham’s student body is made up of commuter students, this is a large portion

of the community that will be impacted. Enrollment Services does offer a $10,000 Metro Grant per year for students commuting from any of the five boroughs and the surrounding areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut towns within commuting distance.

The caveat is that the portion of the grant each student receives can only be applied to public transportation costs and not Fordham parking garage fees. This means that all commuting students driving to campus do not receive the same funding to alleviate the stress of transportation costs that other commuters receive. A review of the transportation support for commuter students needs to be conducted in order to include students driving to campus and to consider whether the grant needs to be increased to match the MTA price increases.

Fordham has a history of improving services for commuter

students. Before opening the McShane Campus Center, commuter students were relegated to the basement to enjoy a subpar lounge space. Now, there is a large, comfortable area where both commuter and resident students can congregate. In 2021, the Commuter Student Association took feedback from a student survey and implemented a free laundry program running every other Wednesday for commuter students. Fordham needs to bring this commitment to enhancing resources for all students, including commuters, back.

Fordham students and New York residents alike rely heavily on public transportation. It is unfair to continuously burden customers with helping turn around a failing budget when there is not enough support from other avenues. Changes need to be made to pricing and the aid given to alleviate the stress of pricing for public transportation.

We Need to Make Impeachments Moral Again

By MICHAEL DUKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Before former President Donald Trump took office in 2016, there were only two times when impeachment was something of a fuss in our nation. Since, impeachment has become something that we can expect to hear every news cycle, and the formerly-revered practice has been rucked through dirt to the point where it is simply tabloid garbage.

First, in 1868, President Andrew Johnson barricaded himself in his office after replacing then Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton with Ulysses S. Grant as Secretary of War ad interim. This highly politicized and unconstitutional move resulted in Johnson being impeached by the House and was one vote shy of conviction in the Senate. In 1998, President Bill Clinton found himself at the center of two articles of impeachment in connection to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

However, the difference between these two examples of impeachment and more recent examples of impeachment is one thing: legitimacy.

In 2016, Trump was accused by House and Senate Democrats of allegedly abusing power and soliciting foreign interference from the Ukranian president in the 2020 election. He was found guilty by the House but then

acquitted by the Senate.

A second time Trump faced impeachment was during his lame-duck period following him being voted out of office. Again, he was found guilty by the House but acquitted by the Senate concerning the charge of “incitement of insurrection.” However, this move by House Democrats to organize impeachment managers was considered controversial and unconstitutional as Trump had already been voted out of office. Further, many cite this move by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as a means to prevent one of the Democrats’ chief political rival from holding public office again. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) commented on the second Trump impeachment, saying, “I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated president.”

Being the main target of those impeachment articles, Trump had even thought the charges against him were partisanmotivated as he said Democrats have “cheapened the impeachment process.”

Since Trump’s tenure, the vindictive impeachment pendulum that Democrats have set into motion has continued to swing, but now is swinging against the Democratic Party, as President Joe Biden is finding himself in his own impeachment fiasco in the House of Representatives. It’s been found he allegedly took bribes

from Ukrainian and Chinese sources in exchange for influence in U.S. policy.

Some other allegations being investigated in the House are connected to a number of issues that endanger the United States’ national security, including an incriminating hard drive which Hunter Biden abandoned at a repair shop that indicates and details a shifty $11 million funneled to Biden and an email from a colleague to Hunter Biden about not reporting a questionable $400,000 on tax returns.

However, the nail in the coffin tying these together is an email from one of Hunter Biden’s business associates, which revealed that President Biden received 10% of a $4.8 million payment and was referenced as “the big guy” in communications.

Though only time will tell what happens to President Biden’s presidential reputation, Axios reports that 48% of voters support the Biden impeachment inquiry, and of those voters, 36% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans in the poll are supportive of the measures in the House. Regardless, Biden’s White House appears to continue to deflect any attention towards the impeachment inquiry, as Biden’s administration officials have urged the media to “ramp up its scrutiny” of the efforts of impeachment.

Regardless of the cloudiness that recent impeachments have

held, they have all been made that much more cloudy due to FBI intervention. The agency has clearly chosen sides and made it distinct that they’ll give Biden a hall pass, as the intelligence agency worked to block interviews regarding corruption surrounding Biden. In comparison, the FBI continues to give Trump more grief as he’s been harassed by intelligence agencies for as long as even before taking office in 2016 and, more recently with the raid on Mar-a-Lago, looking for classified documents that Trump stole from the White House.

The present state of U.S. politics is nothing but a system full of spite and no apparent state of common sense by focusing on impeachment rather than other issues. Our nation is experiencing the worst economic

decline since the Carter administration and is being strangled by inflation. We are hurting due to a national security and humanitarian crisis at our open southern border. Worst of all, we are being laughed at on the world stage for our leader’s weak grip. Politicians call for unity after every election, and it’s time for them to walk the walk while talking the talk and end the impeachment fiasco that has held our nation in a chokehold.

We elect new government officials to let go of the past and yearn eagerly toward the future, but the issues at hand keep hauling us back by focusing on impeachment.

Unraveling the Jonas-Turner PR Spin Campaign

By CAROLYN BRANIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Celebrity lives are frequently the subject of incessant media scrutiny in the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle. No exception was made with the recent announcement of Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas’s divorce. From the moment news of the divorce hit headlines, the information has been fast to come out, and Jonas’s team was the one that was running point. His team’s PR strategy was simple; to disparage Turner and paint her as a bad mother to make himself look like the victim.

The Daily Mail and Page Six tabloids both swiftly published pieces implying that Turner was leaving their kids at home while she was partying. The message was obvious: Jonas was portrayed as the doting and dependable father while Turner was painted as a careless mother. There was nothing civilized about the way Jonas and his team painted Turner, and the worst part was that Jonas did not directly made these disparaging comments against his

ex. Instead, when asked, he said Turner was a wonderful mother and he was not to blame for the way the media interpreted things, when he and his team were responsible for creating this false narrative. It was a despicable and dishonorable tactic to try and force a young and working mother to put aside her flourishing career to act like a 1950s housewife.

This whole campaign against Turner is rooted in misogyny. Jonas’s smear campaign tries to make him seem burdened by the concept of taking care of his own children as their mother works. The reality is that if the genders were reversed and it was Jonas who was doing the partying, this PR tactic wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. Both Jonas and Turner are parents, and most importantly, both Jonas and Turner are working parents. They both have responsibilities at home and at work, not just Turner. It is ridiculous to expect a world-renowned actress to stay home with the kids just because she is the mom. Why can’t the father do the same? And when he does, why does he need

to make such a big show and expect the public to praise him? Jonas acts like he is being forced to babysit against his will, but these are his own children. It is not a sign of excessive partying to enjoy a drink with your coworkers after finishing up working on a new television show, especially not if you are required to attend these events as a condition of your employment. Jonas and his team made a horrible error in judgment in lobbying these claims, and the public’s response was a good indication that these sexist and controlling tactics would not work to smear Turner’s name. However, this incident did reveal a profound change in how the public perceives celebrity PR tactics. Twenty years ago there is no doubt that Turner would be seen as an unfit mother, and the consequences might include the loss of custody of her children. But now, smearcampaign strategies are becoming more widely regarded as antiquated and unconvincing. We are in a time of increased social awareness which has created a growing

emphasis on gender equality, which makes it harder to force restrictive stereotypes on celebrities. Many of the things that used to be seen as unacceptable are suddenly becoming mainstream, which makes the public less susceptible to being duped by stereotype-reinforcing tabloid rumors. Now, thanks to social changes over the last decade, the public does not take the bait the way they used to and recognizes these deceptive tactics for what they are. A more discriminating and socially-conscious audience will probably define the future of entertainment media

as we move forward. There are bound to be exceptions, but if anything came out of this incident between Turner and Jonas, it’s that false narratives are likely to be a lot less convincing than they used to be. Fans now have direct access to their favorite celebrities because of the growth of social media platforms, which allows them to contest false narratives and demand accountability from the media industry.

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

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

Impeachments keep pulling us back into past problems instead of moving on. COURTESY OF TWITTER

The PR campaign against Turner is sexist and reflective of misogynistic ideas. COURTESY OF TWITTER

Hysterectomy Hesitancy: Helpful or Harmful?

By ALLISON SCHNEIDER ASST. OPINION EDITOR

A hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women of reproductive age, following Cesarean sections (C-sections). Despite their popularity, many people remain ignorant of the purposes, procedures and possible side effects of hysterectomies. It is past time to fill in the gaps; the general public should be more aware of what hysterectomies are and why women of all ages might seek them out. It is only from the accumulation of public knowledge of hysterectomies that the stigmas surrounding them can be erased, hopefully making the procedure more accessible for women and other people with uteruses who want them. A more acute understanding of why women might want or need hysterectomies is also imperative if we hope to improve women’s healthcare in the United States, especially after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure intended to remove or partially remove the female reproductive organs. Typically, hysterectomies entail the removal of the uterus, but they might also include the removal of the ovaries, cervix or fallopian tubes. Of the nearly 600,000 American women who get hysterectomies each year, each person has a unique set of circumstances that has led

them to that decision. That said, the most common reasons a person might seek out a hysterectomy include cancer in the reproductive organs, gender-affirming care, unmanageable pain or bleeding, often from other medical conditions such as endometriosis or desire for permanent sterilization. However, many doctors hesitate to perform hysterectomies and only do so as a last resort. Some alternatives to hysterectomies include intense hormone treatments, tubal ligation (cauterization of the fallopian tubes) and endometrial ablation (removal of tissue lining the uterus). These alternatives are incredibly case-specific. For example, tubal ligation is most often done as a form of permanent sterilization and will not effectively prevent the spread of uterine cancer. Because of the case-specific nature of these operations, women, trans men and nonbinary people are often left to the mercy of their doctors and their own, probably limited, knowledge of female reproductive health procedures.

In addition to the general public’s lack of knowledge about women’s health, not all doctors are equipped with the expertise and understanding that one might expect. In fact, 45% of women in the United States aged 20-34 say that their medical concerns were not taken seriously by their doctors, and 35% of women from this age group say they have

had a condition that was misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or inadequately treated. In contrast, men experience better medical treatment across the board, especially pertaining to reproductive health. Experts have cited the exclusion of women, especially pregnant women, from medical studies as a key factor in medical inequality. Others say it is because researchers cannot “adequately control for women’s variable hormone status.” In the 21st century, these arguments fall flat.

Aside from any unconscious biases or lack of knowledge about women’s health, many doctors are blatantly hesitant to adhere to women’s requests based on the assumption that all women want to have biological children. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to find a doctor to perform a hysterectomy or similar procedure on a woman between the ages of 18-35, unless they are deemed “medically necessary.” A procedure is deemed medically necessary when the alternative to having the procedure is the death of the patient. Unless a condition is life-threatening, most physicians will explore all other routes of treatment, “even if those options include dealing with unbearable pain.”

It is no secret that hysterectomies and other similar procedures come with a slew of unfortunate side effects, including early-onset menopause, but the real source of physicians’ hesitancy is often a concern

about young women’s reproductive abilities. By irreversibly removing the uterus, a hysterectomy ensures that pregnancy is no longer possible, thereby sterilizing the women who receive the procedure. However, not every woman wants to get pregnant. While some women may see sterilization as a significant deterrent to getting a hysterectomy, others do not, and that decision should have nothing to do with their doctor’s personal beliefs about sex, reproduction or motherhood. All medical decisions should be made in consultation with that individual’s doctor; however, medical professionals should not allow their own beliefs to influence the decisions they make in the office. I’m not saying that doctors should be performing hysterectomies and tubal ligations willy-nilly, but I do think that the idea that all women should reproduce or that all women

want to reproduce is both antiquated and out-of-place in a doctor’s office. Women looking for permanent birth control options or pain alleviation may find themselves face-to-face with the possibility of a hysterectomy. They may decide that they’ve had enough of the pain or fear of pregnancy in a post-Dobbs society and that a hysterectomy or similar procedure is worth the risks. These women have likely endured years of pain and anxiety. They didn’t come to this decision easily. The last thing they need is a doctor telling them they refuse to perform the procedure because their intensely real pain is “worth it” for the chance at biological reproduction.

Senate Dress Code Needs to Accomodate

By SAISHA ISLAM STAFF WRITER

Recently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Senate’s Sergeant at Arms to stop the implementation of the chambers’ informal dress code. This change only applies to senators; staff will still be required to follow the code. The Senate’s informal dress code, which refers to business attire, has been an unwritten tradition. Senators who opt out of business attire, like Senator John Fetterman, have found loopholes in the dress code by “voting from the edge of the Senate floor, with one foot still in the cloakroom” and indicating their positions with either a thumbs up or down. The discharge of the informal dress code would allow senators who are not adorned in business attire to remain in the chambers for a longer period of time.

The informal dress code isn’t something that has remained constant over the years and has been relaxed many times before. Up to the 1990s, there was an “unwritten rule” that “dictated that women could not wear pants on the Senate floor” — something which was

challenged and reformed in the 1990s. About five years ago, women in the Senate were allowed to wear clothing without sleeves. While challenges to unwritten rules about attire in the Senate haven’t been new, the rule change has divided many in the Senate and outside of it. Many who oppose the change in the informal dress code state that this is a sign of “civilization in serious decline.”

I believe the Senate should keep its informal dress code but that there should be more laxity and changes based on comfort and both physical and mental health. For example, if a senator feels as if their health suffers from the discomfort of wearing dress shoes all day and they feel as if sneakers would be more beneficial, then they should be allowed to wear sneakers. I also believe that women should have the choice of wearing business attire, which they feel is more comforting to them.

The business attire presented in the informal dress code allows senators to be seen with a more professional and unified image, something the government should reflect. Many supporters for the

elimination of the dress code claim that wearing clothing outside of business attire will allow senators to show their individuality and help constituents feel closer to their elected officials. Yet individuality can also be shown to some extent with business attire. The divide in the dress code discharges question about whether individualization should come at the cost of limited unity in clothing.

Clothing is an important part of forming an impression, and disjointed attire without a common theme presents a more disorganized appearance of the Senate. Tradition and change also play an important role in the dress code discharge. By eliminating the informal dress code and introducing change, younger constituents can feel more connected with the Senate. But this change doesn’t apply to a wide enough level to sustain this connection. The informal dress code discharge only applies to senators and not their staff members. Senators tend to be much older than their younger staff, and this change being permitted only for older senators further amplifies the image of a gerontocracy.

If senators are allowed to dress more casually, should the same changes not be applied to staff members?

Overall, the business attire directed in the informal dress code is important in allowing the Senate to show itself in a more powerful and unified image. Business attire presents a different impression than more casual clothing, and discharging the dress code will take away from the professional and serious impression of the Senate. While removing the dress code can help connect to younger constituents, this connection is superficial in the sense that

this change is only allowed for senators, which gives an unconscious impression of privilege. Change is inevitable, and while I am not saying that the informal dress code shouldn’t change, I do believe that taking it down is too hasty of a change without examining the implications of how the Senate will appear, who this change targets and who it benefits. Changes in the informal dress code should be made to promote equity in consideration of physical and mental health.

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

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

COURTESY OF PIXABAY

Young women seeking hysterectomies often run into roadblocks: their doctors.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The Senate grapples with the importance of professional attire in the chamber.

Felons Shouldn’t Be Found On the Presidential Ballot

By ABIGAIL SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Donald Trump, the former president and front-runner for the Republican Party nomination, could be trading the Oval Office for a jail cell. Facing four criminal indictments and a total of 91 felony counts, Trump’s eligibility for president is questionable. To allow a convicted felon to run for the highest-ranking public office in the country is an attack on the American people’s political judgment and integrity.

Looking closely at Trump’s four criminal indictments, it is bewildering to think that some Americans and politicians would consider Trump as their top choice for 2024. In 2016, Trump was charged with filing hush money payments to an adult film star. Then comes the series of 2020 election interference cases. In August 2022, the FBI found about 100 classified documents in his home at Mara-Lago. As further evidence, a recording caught Trump speaking directly about holding secret documents that he did not classify. Next, there is special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election by exploiting the chaos on Jan. 6, 2021, in hopes of stopping the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.

Additionally, there is the phone call between Trump and Brad Raffensperger, the Georgian Secretary of

State, with Trump demanding Raffensperegr to find the missing 11,000 votes to overturn his defeat. The most recent is the Fulton County indictment, where Trump and 18 others were charged for allegedly overturning the 2020 election. Trump has pleaded guilty in all four cases, perhaps to avoid feeding into any distractions that could potentially harm his 2024 campaign. A candidate with such a lengthy criminal history would be incapable of upholding moral values and the Constitution.

In some parts of the country, the American people have raised their voices in challenging candidates’ eligibility for office by taking them to court. In Minnesota, a liberal group successfully went to court over removing Trump from the 2024 ballot. The “insurrectionist ban” of the 14th Amendment is the best choice for blocking Trump from appearing on the 2024 ballot. According to the third section of the 14th Amendment, any oath-taken American official is disqualified from holding future office if they have “engaged in the insurrection of rebellion” or have “given aid or comfort” to insurrectionists. Guilty Trump holds both of these cards, looking back on his behavior from the Jan. 6 attack. Unfortunately, the Constitution does not explicitly say a convicted person cannot run for office, and attempts to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

have never been tested. Congress must listen to the American people and their right to challenge a candidate’s eligibility for office, for we must honor the election’s outcome and do so with integrity. A future where Americans take their vote less seriously due to unqualified candidates may loom should Trump win with his current status under conviction. Not to mention, the average citizen’s trust in government is sacred to any campaigner, and once it is tarnished, it is hard to earn back. A convicted felon as president would be to silence the voices of Americans and dishonor the oath to uphold the Constitution.

A consequence of their crimes, convicted citizens do not have suffrage rights. A convicted felon’s permanent records make finding employment, buying a home and other normal endeavors difficult. If a regular convicted felon cannot even vote, why should they have the ability to run for president, a much heavier responsibility?

The morality of this answer lies in the fact that convicted felons should not have this privilege because the restrictions on convicted felons are enforced to protect society and the definition of justice. A president in power standing before a personal criminal history is no exception to the protection of society.

The qualifications to run for president are in Article II of the Constitution. Firstly, a

candidate must be a naturalborn citizen of the U.S., have been a resident for 14 years and be 35 years or older. That’s it. So, as long as one has these requirements that most Americans have already, any person is eligible to run for office. Even those with criminal backgrounds and 91 felony counts can be president. The solution to this depravity? Amending the Constitution can prevent future convicted felons similar to Trump from achieving the presidency. However, the amendment process is long and tedious. Both houses of Congress would have to propose the amendment, and state legislatures would have to follow up with ratification. The “what ifs” of Trump winning back the office are not kind to the imagination. In his previous presidency, a commonly used weapon in Trump’s arsenal was the pardoning power. No president has ever attempted to

self-pardon, nor does the Constitution forbid it. In the classified documents case, a re-elected Trump could call on the Justice Department and dismiss the case entirely if it is still pending at the time. As for his other federal and state cases, he will find the power to dismiss them and any other related party member as if nothing ever happened. This scenario is a real possibility in 2024 and an alarming one that may tarnish what it means to have a democracy. If Trump comes to power again, the integrity and respect we have for the president will be tainted with crimes and lies. The American people need an honest leader, not a crook. Convicted felons should not have the privilege of holding the presidency.

If Trump still runs for president as a felon, it would undermine democracy.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Abigail Smith, FCRH ’27, is an English major from Verona, N.J.

September

Page 11

Hunter Biden Becomes the Hunted In House Investigation

By ZACHARY BADALAMENTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last Thursday, Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on three separate charges relating to his possession of a firearm while potentially in the midst of his battle with narcotic addiction. Hunter Biden has long been the ire of the Republican Party as many conservative news outlets have speculated that he leveraged his father’s position of authority in order to profit in his international business dealings. Additionally, in the wake of the death of his brother, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden began a pattern of self-destruction, and his battles with narcotic addiction intensified, attracting mainstream attention. Although there is no substantial evidence that indicates Hunter Biden participated in large-scale corruption efforts to benefit himself and his family, this has not stopped members of the Republican Party from using this speculation in attacks on the character of his father and the rest of their family. That said, Hunter Biden’s charges are completely unrelated and far less legally significant than political corruption. Given that fact, the explanation for the level of media attention and legal scrutiny Hunter Biden is facing can only be that it is politically motivated due to his father’s position in office.

The charges being brought against Hunter all stem from a period of time stretching from Oct. 12 to Oct. 23, 2018, during which Hunter Biden purchased and got rid of a Colt Cobra revolver. Prosecutors believe Hunter Biden violated the United States Code 922(g)(3), which prohibits those addicted to controlled substances from owning and possessing firearms. One reason to suggest the indictment has been politically motivated is that recent court cases have caused the constitutionality of U.S.C. 922(g)(3) to be brought into question. In the 2022 Supreme Court case of New York State Pistol and Rifle Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court established that all forms of governmental gun regulation must be rooted in the nation’s tradition and history. This case set the precedent for future case U.S. v Connelly in which the state of Texas ruled the statute unconstitutional.

Considering the fact that the Court’s understanding of the Second Amendment has changed and that there is currently a debate surrounding the constitutionality of the specific statute Hunter Biden is charged with having violated, the government’s efforts to indict him appear to be less about achieving justice and more about creating credibility for the countless political attacks against him and President Joe Biden. Even if one can

ignore the fact that Hunter Biden is being charged with a crime that is not universally perceived as a crime by the Justice Department, there is very little precedent to suggest the level of scrutiny and criminal ramifications Hunter Biden is currently under is warranted. In fact, from the beginning of the 2013 fiscal year to the end of the 2017 fiscal year, only 614 of the 32,401 gun-related court cases, or about 1.9% of the cases, had the lead charge against the defendant be possession by an addict. I bring this up to show how rare these types of cases actually result in prosecutions and to illustrate that the charges allotted against Hunter Biden are not typically significant enough to garner national headlines. The charges in the indictment of Hunter Biden suggest that the prosecution is not seeking actual justice; they are merely seeking to sully the name of Hunter Biden and, consequently, President Biden.

Although none of the criminal charges against Hunter Biden address his speculated corruption in international business, they do aid the efforts of the Republican Party to diminish the character of Hunter and the rest of the Biden family. If the prosecution is successful in their indictment and Hunter Biden is forced to deal with legal repercussions, the ethics of the Biden family will be put

Republicans discuss ongoing investigation into President Biden’s son.

into question by the general public. Additionally, if the indictment is successful and Hunter faces prison time, it justifies the attacks of many Republican politicians on the character of the Biden family. When considering the potential future optics of Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, his son’s legal situation and potential label as a “felon” will, without question, be at the forefront of voters’ minds and at the center of any political attacks against President Joe Biden.

Ever since former President Trump questioned former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, there has been a clear shift in the way political campaigns are run as personal attacks towards another candidate have generatef large-scale publicity, especially

among the Republican Party.

Understanding this, there will be a remark about Hunter Biden’s crimes or his yearslong drug addiction anytime Biden’s reelection campaign is mentioned. If Hunter Biden loses his court case, Joe Biden may have to weigh the scrutiny he and his family will be under during a reelection campaign.

At the end of the day, President Joe Biden has expressed his undying love for his son on numerous occasions, and it may be impossible to ignore the negative attention his son has and will continue to receive if he runs for reelection.

UAW’s Innovative Strike Changes the Game

“Why is it easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?”

I wish I could have been the one inspired enough to evoke a biblical reference of Matthew 19:23-24 to apply to the corporate greed displayed by automobile manufacturing companies General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (known jointly as the Big Three), currently being combated by ongoing labor strikes from the United Auto Workers union (UAW). The biblical reference, however, was spoken by UAW President Shawn Fain in a YouTube address to the union. He answered his own question by stating:

over their heads. That world is not the kingdom of God; that world is Hell.”

On Friday, Sept. 15, 10% of unionized auto workers, 13,000 of the 146,000 total workers at the three impacted companies, went on strike at three assembly plants to demand a wage increase of 36% spread across four years, and the restoration of various compensation plans that have been stripped away as early as 2007. By Sept. 22, the strike expanded to include an additional 5,600 workers and now affects all 38 partsdistribution centers operated by the Big Three.

When this article was pitched to the Ram, one of the driving questions was “Could the strike harm the economy?”

If a shortage of labor at manufacturing plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio causes any sort of economic harm, the onus is not on the laborers sacrificing their livelihood for better working conditions, but on executives at the Big Three who continue to stockpile and hoard the wealth produced by the workers they preside over.

As it stands, the UAW is attempting to reduce economic harm by not striking

at the manufacturing plants that produce automobiles in high demand, like the Ford F-150. While this does mitigate economic harm in the shortterm, it also provides an area for the union to increase pressure should the Big Three not counter the strike with fair negotiation.

Analyses from various economic outlets have already quantified the negative economic impacts. Estimates from Deutsche Bank claim that the strike caused a production loss of 16,000 vehicles, while the Anderson Economic Group estimates a loss greater than $1.6 billion.

In the face of economic damages, the strike has seen support from President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders.

While support from highranking government officials can lend some strength to the striking workers, this kind of support cannot sustain labor struggles — only the support of you, me and everyone in our community can do that.

While you or your neighbor might not be personally affected or invested in the health of auto workers, it’s important to recognize that the struggles of

laborers across the country are not singular, isolated incidents but a large, unified fight for the prosperity of America’s largest class.

The UAW is not the only section of labor to go on strike within the past few years, and it certainly isn’t the only group of laborers currently on strike. Besides the ongoing strike of the Screen Actors Guild (and the recently-ended Writers Guild of America strike) in Hollywood, hotel workers in Los Angeles and nurses in New Brunswick, N.J., school teachers, Starbucks baristas and Amazon delivery drivers have all shown that the direction of labor action in the

United States is accelerating toward progress for the country’s working class.

Even here at Fordham labor action has shown itself to be lucrative for university educators and workers. While strikes have yet to occur, the threat of them and the wave of unionization for adjunct faculty, graduate students and Resident Assistants have shown that solidarity with the workers around us builds potential for better working and living conditions for the whole community.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ MANAGING EDITOR

The UAW is striking against the Big Three American automakers for fair wages.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

“Percy Jackson & The Olympians” Still Holds Up

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

About a week ago, Disney+ released the trailer for the new “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” television series. It’s not the first time there’s been an attempt to convert “Percy Jackson” to live action with two movies in the 2010s released to middling reviews. But I’m not here to talk about any on-screen adaptations. I’m here to talk about the source material.

Rick Riordan is no stranger to book series, with over 50 works to his name. For my money, the “Percy Jackson” pentalogy isn’t just his best work — it’s one of the best series ever written. It’s easily my number one.

Sports editor Maddie Bimonte, FCRH ’24, would be quick to interject that I have never read “The Hunger Games.” In light of this, I’d like to take this time to apologize for the immense disappointment I have caused my friends and family, and for my lack of a welllived childhood in general, but we trudge on.

I’ve read my fair share of young adult series in the course of my life. Every single “Harry Potter” book, every single “Chronicles of Narnia” book and even a large chunk of “The Secret Series” by

Pseudonymous Bosch, which is in its own right a hilarious and awesome read. None of them, however, have quite captured my utter enjoyment the way the “Percy Jackson” series did.

In lieu of prepping for my SATs, I decided to reread the series in high school, just to see if it was still as captivating as I found it when I was a kid. I was not surprised in the slightest — but nonetheless thrilled — to find that it does indeed hold up.

Young adult fiction that appeals to an adult audience is probably not an easy line to walk, but it’s one that Riordan does exceptionally well. Riordan trusts his young audience with mature themes, but doesn’t let it bog down the tone of the story. We’re confronted with death, hopelessness and the seemingly inevitable nature of fate. Yet he tells it all through the lens of his main characters, who are young children similar in age to the kids that represent his target audience. The end result is a distinct tone that’s hard to replicate. With a fitting combination of authentic humor and captivating drama, we get a genuinely enthralling story embedded with hilarity. Without ever cheapening the emotional resonance of the most raw and dramatic moments, there’s a

haze of levity that keeps the story true to its roots. Sometimes, you get tender and emotional exchanges between Percy and Annabeth. Sometimes Percy calls a William H. Seward statue “Bill.” And when it’s all said and done, it just works.

I’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly how Riordan creates a vibe that I haven’t found in anything else. Not to take away from the scholarly points that I’ve so eloquently laid out, but I really think it comes down to one simple thing: Riordan writes the series in the first person and Percy is, for lack of a better word, an idiot. To clarify, it’s not that he’s not smart, but rather that a good majority of his jokes and thoughts are delightfully dumb. This is perfect because we, the audience, get the absolute pleasure of being privy to all of the thoughts and quips that he has. It made him incredibly relatable as a kid, and I have no issue saying that I still find him relatable now. For all of his heroic triumphs, Percy is really just a sarcastic and sassy little guy.

It had been a little while since I’d thought about “Percy Jackson.” Then I saw the Disney+ trailer and I was reminded of my childhood and how much I enjoyed reading this series. I can only hope that the show does justice to my unreasonably

high expectations.

Naturally, upon seeing the trailer, I quickly hopped into a groupchat to express my excitement. Everyone echoed my joy — except for one troubled soul. This pitiful individual couldn’t care less about “Percy Jackson,” and decided to rain on our parade. To out this person would be sentencing him to a life of ridicule, so let’s just call him Brian

Rabacs, GSB ’24. You don’t want to be like Brian Rabacs.

The “Percy Jackson” books are great. If you haven’t read them yet, give it a try. If you have read them, there’s no harm in reading every book again. And finally, a word of advice. If someone asks you if you’ve read “The Hunger Games” series, just lie and tell them that “Catching Fire” was a true masterpiece.

Bleachers’ Newest Single Enchants the “Modern Girl”

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

I listened to Bleachers’ new single “Modern Girl” in the way it was meant to be listened to: driving on a New Jersey highway toward New York City. In some ways, that’s the thesis of Bleachers, super-producer Jack Antonoff’s band. He always feels like that kid living in “the shadow of the city” — perpetually on the highway, never quite arriving in the place that he’s been dreaming of. This has never been clearer than on “Modern Girl,” the band’s first single off of their fourth album,

released Sept. 20.

Since last Wednesday, I have been listening to “Modern Girl” practically nonstop. Stylistically, it perfects the sound that the band has been experimenting with since the release of their second album, “Gone Now,” in 2017. That style being modernyet-vintage synth, combined with the saxophone-y energy of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band of the ’70s and ’80s. The similarities are striking and evident from the first seconds of the song Antonoff’s “one, two, three, go!” and subsequent sax blare are identical to the opening of Springsteen’s

song “Bobby Jean” off of “Born in the U.S.A.” This is not a comparison that Antonoff shies away from — Springsteen was actually featured on “Chinatown,” the first single from Bleachers’ third album. At their Radio City concert last summer, the Boss actually came out to perform the song with the band that likes to riff in his shadow.

Where most Bleachers’ songs have raucous musical moments that bely lyrics tinged or overt with melancholy, “Modern Girl” is just pure fun from start to finish. With a pace reminiscent of (a more melodious) “We Didn’t Start the Fire,”

“Modern Girls” is the rallying cry for a Friday night out on the town, capturing the possibility and excitement of being young in the city and sharing a night (and early, early morning) with friends.

Bleachers is often referred to as Antonoff’s passion-project that he putters around with when he’s not busy producing for the biggest names in music like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, FCRH ’08, and Lorde. This is a massive presumption that overlooks the exciting work that the band is doing both sonically and lyrically.

For massive Bleachers fans with a careful ear for detail, “Modern Girls” is especially rich. Lead singer Antonoff takes the time to call out each original member of the band, including himself who he refers to as “New Jersey’s finest New Yorker.” While self-referential lyrics are not necessarily new for the band (see “I’m Ready to Move On/Mickey Mantle Reprise,” for example), the latest single features the band’s most expansive and creative call-backs to date. The phrase “killer queens” recalls the chorus of the band’s third single, “Rollercoaster,” off their first album in 2014. “Love on a wire” in “Modern Girl” is a lyric that’s reminiscent of Antonoff’s “standing on a wire” back in their second album’s “Everybody

Lost Somebody” — the first song to feature the band’s nowintegral saxophonist. Lastly, the band chants “Hutch!” at the end of the song, both a celebration of their drummer and a repeat of the outro of “How Dare You Want More” from 2021’s album, “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night.”

“Modern Girl” is a celebration of where the band comes from, both lyrically and thematically, and where the band is headed with their upcoming fourth album. It’s hard to predict when Bleachers’ fourth album will be released — the time between first single and album for “Gone Now” was two months, for “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night” it was eight. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later; “Modern Girl” was the perfect song to listen to as I got ready for Senior Toast, and I would love to have more new music from my favorite band to soundtrack my senior year.

In “Strange Desire,” the band raged against the longing and recklessness of love. “Gone Now” was a mournful yet joyful expression of loss and selfdiscovery. “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night” unpacked the vulnerability of intimacy and what’s left of us once we’re out in the open. I can’t wait to see what Bleachers explore in their next album.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM Riordan’s pentalogy is the ultimate young adult adventure.

Junior Lays Out Her Passion in Information Sciences

By LAUREN LOMBARDI ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Emily Koch, GSB ’25, originally thought business school was lame. Koch, a Michigan native, came to a school she had never visited, in a city she had never been to, but a place filled with the most impressive people. She was only lacking one thing: a major.

She first came to Fordham for New York City-related reasons. “It was a place I could explore,” Koch explained. She is one of the few people I know who would tag along to any event, activity or watch party of a silly show. She’s someone who’s willing to not only dip her toe into something but will go for a full-on swim.

Koch said her parents told her to go into business “for a long, long time,” but she wasn’t convinced it would be right for her. She’s a very creative person, and on the long list of possible majors (visual arts, psychology and communications among them), a business major barely made the cut. However, like most things, Koch decided to give it a try.

Koch joined the Gabelli School of Business in the second semester of freshman year, and stuck with it through all the strenuous Ground Floor tasks. Now, whenever someone in our friend group needs help wording a career-related email, we know who to ask: our very own

in-person ChatGPT, Emily Koch.

This past summer, Koch completed an internship at Ernst & Young as a Technology Risk Consultant. Her great success isn’t shocking in the slightest. For every interview, even if it was over the phone, Koch got out of bed, put on her business attire and rented out a room in Walsh Library. And they weren’t even going to see her! I once slept through an interview I had already rescheduled (thankfully, Koch was there to help me craft my apology).

Koch is an information systems major, most easily explained as a mix of business, information technology and computer science. She explained the coding as a puzzle: “It’s satisfying when you’re finally able to understand it, everything eventually fits together.”

We decided it shares similarities with the other, less Advanced Placement-esque role she’s taken on since coming to Fordham: layout director of Really Magazine.

“Making a magazine spread and programming kind of work in a similar way,” Koch said.

“If I’m asked to do something, there are a million ways to do that with code. It’s up to me to find the way that makes the most sense to me, but I also have to consider that if other people are reading the code, it has to make sense to them, too.”

“And layouts need to look good to other people, too! Not

just Emily,” I joked.

Koch added, “Exactly, and layouts need to deliver to the readers, too!”

And deliver, they do! Koch toyed around with graphic design for the first time in high school during Yearbook Club, but it wasn’t inherently creative. She decided the proposed designs were boring and worked to make them more fun.

In the first semester of freshman year, Koch decided, right away, to make time for graphic design in her life at Fordham. She worked on the layout team at MODE Magazine for two years, tossing away her limited yearbook design program in favor of using Adobe InDesign.

In the winter of her sophomore year, she joined Really Mag, her friend Grace Livecchi’s, GSB ’25, startup fashion and lifestyle magazine.

Koch was one of the first people Livecchi reached out to when planning to launch Really.

“I saw how easy layout came to her [Koch]... She had an amazing creative vision,” Livecchi said. “When I had the idea to start Really, it was a no-brainer for Emily to be my Layout Director.”

someone I call if I want a partner in enjoying someone else’s. Whenever I hear a cool song or want to go to a concert I’d have to pay anyone else to accompany me to, Koch is there to listen and attend. As always, she throws herself into whatever it is and becomes as excited about it as I am. She just gets it. I asked her if New York City has lived up to her expectation

of always being something to do. She said yes, and I know it’s true because today I watched her lookup which concerts were in NY tonight. “But mostly,” she said, “I love it so much because of the people I’ve met here.”

As I watched her click on the Terminal 5 website, the closest concert venue to our beloved Ram Van route, I thought the feeling was absolutely mutual.

Not only is she the person I ask for opinions on internship matters, but if I was starting a creative endeavor, Koch would also be the first person I’d run to. It doesn’t even have to be an endeavor of my own; she’s Koch forges ahead in her Fordham career with kindness and sincerity.

Hall de Lumières’ Breaks Down Hip-Hop History

By ISABELLA TERRACINI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

all the way to the FiDi absolutely worth my Wednesday. My first impression of the exhibition was that it simply seemed like fun — I would learn about key people and

places. Little did I know what I was going to walk right into. If I were prompted to choose five words for this exhibition they would be: loud, informative, organized, immersive and fun. A unique and lively exhibit sitting right at 49 Chambers St. walks you through the five decades of hip-hop.

From the moment I scanned my student discounted ticket, my assumption that it would be loud immediately came to fruition. As I was blasted with familiar songs, I read the background on the panel and thought, “Wow, there is a lot more to hip-hop than I thought.” I am not someone who follows hiphop or rap but I did love the Super Bowl LVI Halftime show with all the icons of hip-hop, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige.

One panel explained that hip-hop was born by “isolating the breaks on a record” at a back-to-school house party in the Bronx, N.Y. Along with underlining the importance of the Bronx, the Hall de Lumières does a fantastic job showcasing other cities around the states, including my hometown of Houston. Important cities in rap’s history are highlighted by showing a map of certain points in various cities on the back wall. On another wall were photos and biographies of

key hip-hop artists from each city who changed the genre in their own way.

This being one of the first things to see upon walking in immediately captivates you to sit and tune into the map of hip-hop icons, so you can understand more about the “who” and the “where.” Big screens in the main atrium displayed live footage of the first street performers and their dancers, who danced on the breaks of the track, hence the term breakdancer.

As I walked down the stairs into a replica street, I saw videos along the illuminated walls that broke down the “how” of hip-hop. The videos explained captivating facts, from the very moves of breakdancing to the spinning of the record and even going as far as the graffiti and art that was born from this movement. One 10-minute video elaborates on Kool Herc’s isolation of the drum beat and how his Jamaican roots were a foundation of hip-hop in New York City.

Once I had finished watching this, I walked down the stairs to find I had really been immersed in the music. I was in a small room with mirrors on every wall and a screen showing music videos and concert footage: The Music Video Box. To enter this time capsule, you

walk past Ralph McDaniels’s story of how he created the “Music Video Box” television show, which is what is shown in this room and doubles as the Hall’s vault.

If someone who is new to hip-hop is looking to learn more about the sounds and how they came to rise in the Bronx, this is the place for them. Even a hip-hop connoisseur would come to appreciate how the exhibit was put together, how immersive it was and its uniqueness. I liked how it wasn’t a quiet museum; it was loud, with familiar songs playing from the moment I walked in.

While walking through this exhibit, something I wish I knew was when they would replay these short films that told you everything about people and places. Having a schedule for when the videos in the atrium would play again would have helped me gain a better understanding of what I would go on to learn when I went downstairs to the basement.

Although this is a great opportunity for anyone to go and learn about hip-hop, the target audience for this would definitely be music lovers or avid fans who want to learn more about how the sounds and chords were made, such as a songwriter or rapper.

The interactive exhibit immersed its visitors in the beloved genre.

The colorful and loud rooms in the Hall de Lumières’ “HipHop Til Infinity” made the trek

COURTESY OF ISABELLA TERRACINI FOR THE

Who’s That Kid? | Emily Koch, GSB ’25

Netflix Asks Viewers To “Choose Love” In Interactive

By MIA BATTISTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Released on Aug. 31, “Choose Love” starring Laura Marano is Netflix’s latest rom-com that tackles the willthey-won’t-they theme with an exciting and unique twist.

Marano plays recording engineer Cami Conway, who is happily settled into her adult life. Conway has student loans paid off, a fulfilling job and a happy long-term relationship. However, Conway’s perfect life is challenged when two alluring men unexpectedly walk into her life.

“Choose Love” takes audience engagement to the next level. From the comfort of their own homes, viewers can alter the course of character relationships and plot development. This film follows a concept comparable to the interactive storytelling mobile game called “Episode.” This film experiments with breaking the fourth wall as the main character deliberates about a difficult decision. Viewers are presented with on-screen text prompts of two choices that will determine the subsequent scenes of the movie.

This is not Netflix’s first encounter with a choose-your-ownadventure format. In 2018, the science fiction anthology episode “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” featured a similar audience participation interface. “Black Mirror” integrates this concept

into the storyline because the main character tries to turn a choose your own adventure book into a video game. While “Black Mirror” often incorporates grim and introspective themes into its episodes, “Choose Love” leads the resurgence of this audiencebased style with a comedic and playful tone.

Most of the choices are simple and insignificant to the final ending, while a select few are critical to the result of Conway’s romantic relationships. The audience interaction moments often consist of the three romantic interests inviting Conway to various events, which can become tiresome and repetitive. Luckily, viewers can elect to undo their last choice to see all of the different outcomes.

The film opens with a psychic laying tarot cards onto a table and asking Conway if she wants to hear the good news or bad news first. Here is where audiences can pitch-in their opinion for the first time. The psychic introduces Conway to three potential suitors: Knight of Swords, the Magician or the Fool. Confused, Conway begins to question her relationship with her loyal boyfriend of three years, Paul, played by Scott Michael Foster.

Her adventure begins when her high school boyfriend, Jack, played by Jordi Webber, runs into her and invites her to lunch. This is the moment

when viewers must make an important choice: should she accept Jack’s invitation to lunch?

After this surprising encounter, Conway heads to the studio for a typical day of work. She is assigned to produce a song for famous British musician Rex Galier, played by Avan Jogia. Their successful collaboration sparks an intriguing conversation outside of the studio. At the end of the day, Rex approaches Conway with a tempting business opportunity that could influence her future career. As a result, audience members must decide whether or not she should take him up on his offer.

Conway’s main goal in this film is to pick a romantic partner and become grounded in her career and life. In a confrontation with Paul, Conway says that she has “been a little at sea lately.” Viewers can relate to the overarching theme of searching for purpose and fulfillment in life. However, given its runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes, “Choose Love” proposes surface-level interactions between the main characters. Consequently, viewers do not have sufficient time to truly invest in a particular relationship by the final choice at the end of the film, when viewers have to select either Rex, Jack or Paul.

At its core, “Choose Love” is a video game in a film’s shell. Conway’s character does not appear to have a clear character

arc or personality because the audience is manipulating all of her decisions and feelings. The film provides the main character with a basic backstory about her career and family, but it fails to describe Conway’s primary motivation throughout the movie. On the other hand, her romantic interests are more dynamic and

unique characters because they are not affected by the audience’s choices. As a result, viewers can insert themselves into the story under the mask of the main character, Conway. Overall, if you are looking for a lighthearted film and a fun experience, “Choose Love” will be the perfect addition to your next movie night.

Marano’s newest film asks the audience to dictate her love story.

Drew Barrymore’s Fall From Grace

By NORA LEACH EXEC. COPY EDITOR

After 146 days on strike, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has finally reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). The entertainment industry had been feeling its effects for months, from delays on movie releases and estimated economic losses of over $3 billion. However, some celebrities attempted to continue production on their shows without their writers, much to the disapproval of the WGA. One of the most notable examples was “The Drew Barrymore Show.”

On Sept. 10, weeks before the strike’s end, Drew Barrymore announced in a now-deleted Instagram post that her talk show would return that same month. Barrymore claimed that production on her show would comply with the ongoing Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and WGA strikes. On one hand, Barrymore is allowed to host her talk show as a member of SAG-AFTRA, as there is a separate “contract that covers talk shows, game shows, variety shows and soap operas [that] was renewed and ratified by union members in 2022.”

On the other hand, the WGA claimed that any writing on the show violated their strike rules. The guild released a Twitter statement, stating that her show “is a WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike.” She received backlash for her show’s return, with other writers echoing a similar sentiment to the WGA’s Twitter statement by calling her a “scab.”

Barrymore initially defended the decision in a now-deleted video: “I wanted to do this because, as I said, this is bigger than me, and there are other people’s jobs on the line.” However, just a few days later, she announced on Instagram that she would halt production on the show until the strikes were over after listening to criticism: “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”

While Barrymore was in a complicated situation, I believe she made the right decision to stop production on her show. The WGA’s strike rules stated that “[writers]

may not meet or negotiate with a struck company” or “provide writing services, sell or option literary material to a struck company.” Therefore, any new writing on the show would have violated those rules. The point of the strike was to stop any productions, putting pressure on studio and streaming executives to meet the WGA’s demands. If she had continued production on her show, she would not have been showing support for the writers she employs.

It is difficult to know what her true intentions were in making these decisions. When she decided to bring back her show, was she being greedy and impatient, or was she really supporting her workers? She is still a celebrity and millionaire, meaning that, financially, she was the least affected by the strikes. It is possible that she really did not care about her writers’ concerns and was using the “support” of her other employees to justify her show’s return when she only cared about herself.

However, there was some truth in her reasoning. Other workers, including union members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), could not work during the WGA strike because they only worked on struck productions, including movies and television shows. It made sense that she would have wanted to provide

her workers with some financial stability, as they, along with the writers, were struggling. At least Barrymore showed (or pretended) she cared about other workers without disregarding the hard work and needs of her writers.

Still, she was misguided in wanting to continue the show prior to the end of the strike. By continuing her show, she, intentionally or not, would have appeared unsupportive of her writers and other struggling workers in the entertainment industry, aligning herself with the AMPTP — the ones who prolonged the strike in the first place by not agreeing to the WGA’s terms.

The criticism from the WGA was valid, and I think this situation will

affect her public perception for a while, at least among members of the WGA. While the apology seemed fine on its own, as it emphasized the care for her workers and her ability to listen to criticism, it came across as fake. Maybe if she hadn’t released the video doubling down on her initial decision, her apology and backtracking would have been better received.

Even though the WGA strike is ending, Barrymore’s controversy serves as a lesson: celebrities must support and listen to their workers. With the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, let’s hope that other celebrities will respect their strike rules as well.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Barrymore lost her sweetheart status after crossing picket lines.

The Land Is Inhospitable and We Live in Spite of It

By ILAINA KIM CULTURE EDITOR

Shrouded in a layer of cosmic frost and effervescent vocals, Mitski’s latest album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” seems as if it were conjured up during a lamp-lit walk over railway tracks and through lush cicada hymns. Emerging from her usual curtain of synthpop angst and distortion guitar rage is a strikingly organic sound that feels like a newfound, albeit long-awaited, sigh of relief. Flanked by barking dogs, freight train hisses, seraphic choral veils and sweeping orchestral constructions, it is both a resurrection and a haunting.

Released on Sept. 15, Mitski’s seventh studio album comes a little more than a year after “Laurel Hell,” a punctuated ’80s electro-rock lament of the artist’s fraught relationship with the anonymizing knife that is the music industry. Amidst rumors of retirement that began circulating in 2019, the singer-songwriter found peace in Nashville, Tenn., where “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” was recorded. And in typical Mitski fashion, her alchemical songwriting paints an immersive picture of the droning fuzziness of the surrounding countryside that bleeds into the album’s contemporary folk mystique.

Infused with the orchestral mirth of Angel Olsen and the atmospheric ambiance of Sea Oleena, Mitski straddles the borderlands of wilderness and the human

condition. Her voice, despite its soft-leather musk, ripples a tremor that translates as watery echoes rather than submerged screams (her infamous Tiny Desk performance of “Class of 2013” immediately comes to mind). The solidarity that most find in her music — which feels more like turning a blade within oneself — has now flowered into a deep-rooted and introspective comfort. The “tall child” of “First Love/Late Spring” still remains as pensive as ever, only now her existentialism has found celestial solace in a previously godless land.

Mitski’s landscape is inhabited by themes she’s traversed before — self-deprecation and aching desire are familiar fauna — as seen in tracks like “I’m Your Man” and “The Deal.” In the former, she contemplates power as she sings, “You’re an angel, I’m a dog.” The latter, set to a chugging railroad beat and sealed with sonorous violin, follows a desperate bargaining with an eerie songbird: “I want someone to take this soul / I can’t bear to keep it.” Yet the path forks, or more so ascends, as she wills herself up from the dredges of earthly agonies and into the arms of nature and vatic deities.

Making space for her breath in tracks like “Heaven” and “Buffalo

Replaced,” she quiets, “But here, in our place, we have for the day / Can we stay for a while and listen for heaven?” and makes herself malleable in the hands of the landscape: “Now I bend like a willow thinking of you / Like a murmuring brook curving

about you.” Channeling the stirring force of “I Don’t Smoke,” she pounds her chest to “Streets are mine, the night is mine” in “I Love Me After You.” And in the hushed vespers of “Star,” she makes a cosmic promise to a lover — “Keep a leftover light burning, so you can keep looking up / Isn’t that worth holding on?”

“My Love Mine All Mine,” the seventh track and undoubtedly my favorite, has a delicate grace about its lyrical simplicity and fragile instrumentation. Despite its brevity, it materializes streams of moonlight and bird murmurations, an evocation that undulates with soft piano runs and her jazzy low register. Pulling poetry from a page and putting it to a shimmering backtrack, she begins with, “Moon a hole of light, through the big top tent up high,” and the

alliterative staccato feels like raindrops on face turned towards an unyielding sky. “My baby here on earth, showed me what my heart was worth,” she swoons, going on to serenade the moon herself: “So when it comes to be my turn, could you shine it down here for her?” Half elegy and half ballad, Mitski exalts love as the greatest act one can accomplish in this lifetime that shall persist long after we’ve returned to dust.

When I think about what I adore most about this track, I think of idiophones. Any instrument that produces sounds primarily from its own body (rather than from strings or membranes or electricity) is classified as such. A vibration that comes from being shaken, struck, scraped — a sort of stoic reeling in the wind. The loneliness that strikes in “Bury Me

at Makeout Creek,” the shaking tremors of alienation in “Puberty 2” and the scraping bellows of “Retired from Sad, New Career in Business” have coalesced into the vibrating newness of her romantic realization: “Nothing in the world belongs to me, but my love, mine all mine.” Its body, while still harboring glimmers of past pinings, has an unadorned wholeness that speaks entirely for itself.

Deeply, deeply human, yet wondrously surreal, Mitski weaves a loom of the quotidien while dreaming of a spectral fate. Domesticity, suffering, mortality, being and love inhabit a rugged terrain dusted with “memories like snow,” beckoning us to shuffle on through the wilderness. The land is inhospitable, infinitely gentle and infinitely suffering, and we live in spite of it.

Fitness Influencer Hosts HOKA Run Club

By CAROLYN KENNEDY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Kate Glavan, fitness and health content creator, hosted one of her monthly HOKA run clubs. She hosts her run clubs one Saturday per month, which start and end at the HOKA Flatiron store. The September run was a four-mile loop down 5th Avenue, up the West Side Highway and back to the HOKA store. There were hundreds of participants all eager to start their Saturday in a positive way around fellow runners. Another wonderful perk of the event: it’s free.

Glavan is a recent New York University graduate who is pursuing social media and working freelance. Her content highlights her running career, fashion, books and wellness tips. She is also very passionate about social justice issues, and shares helpful links on her platforms on how to support progressive causes. At the moment, Glavan is training for the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. She is running for Planned Parenthood and has been very transparent about her training journey with her followers, posting weekly updates on her YouTube channel. Her honesty

with followers about injury and mental strength is comforting for both experienced runners and those just starting their journey. Along with promoting her own fundraising page for Planned Parenthood, she highlights her followers’ NYC marathon charities. Glavan has created more than just a social media following, but a community of runners in New

York and its surrounding areas. I grew up running cross country in high school and since coming to Fordham I typically run alone, so this was the first run club I attended. I could not recommend it enough. The run started at 8:30 a.m. and all of the participants gathered at the HOKA store. Everyone was given the opportunity to demo a pair of

HOKA sneakers. I happily took them up on the offer and ran in the HOKA Clifton 9, which is an everyday running shoe. The running shoe I have been wearing since high school is the Asics Gel Nimbus 24. The HOKA was great, but I did not feel much of a difference between them and my own Asics.

Before the run, Glavan’s personal physical therapist, Mike, did an active warm up for the group. It was great to learn new stretches and hip mobility exercises, which I can use for my own pre-run routine.

Finally, we began the run. Glavan led everyone as we ran down 5th Avenue on the sidewalk. We first stopped under the arch in Washington Square Park for a group photo, then headed towards the West Side Highway. The group ran at about a 9:30 pace, which was perfect for talking and getting to know other runners. Everyone was so friendly and eager to learn about one another’s running journeys. My roommate and I chatted with fellow runners who gave us great recommendations for future run clubs, which we will definitely be trying out in the future. The event was also a great way to see different parts of Manhattan that I do not usually visit, such as the West

Side Highway. I loved seeing everyone so active and lively on an early Saturday morning.

The run finished back at the HOKA store. Spirits among the participants were high and positivity filled the store. Glavan thanked everyone for coming and announced there was a giveaway for a free pair of any HOKAs. Unfortunately, I did not win the giveaway, but every attendee walked away with a bag of goodies. Glavan explained the bags include her everyday favorites, such as Simple Mills crackers and granola bars, Joggy energy drink, a starter set of AG1 by Athletic Greens, Supergoop Play spray sunscreen, CocoJune yogurt, a Recess drink and Olipop soda. I enjoyed the Simple Mills products and CocoJune yogurt the most, and I will definitely buy them for myself in the future.

I had a great experience at Glavan’s September run club and would definitely participate again. I would recommend this event to anyone, even if you are not typically a runner. It is a great way to start your running journey and meet others who are on the same path as you. It’s always good to keep an eye out for free events in the city, because there are so many opportunities that encompass all sorts of hobbies.

Kate Glavan boosted morale at her monthly run club.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Mitski’s seventh studio album is a stunning departure from her usual sound that has dazzled those who listen.

Tube Girl: Getting the Good Angles

By SARAH URBANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Taking public transportation means standing closer to strangers than you would normally stand next to your loved ones. Most of the time, when we are on public transportation, we either just keep to ourselves or talk to the people we are with, but Sabrina Bahsoon is on a mission to get the best videos of her outfits she possibly can, and what better place to do it then the London Underground?

On Sept. 13, Bahsoon perfected a TikTok of her lip syncing to “Starships” by Nicki Minaj and uploaded it without any extra thought. She now has over 400,000 followers on TikTok and has received 15.4 million likes.

Bahsoon, aka “Tube Girl,” is a 22-year-old living in London who rose to fame due to the videos she films of herself on the London Underground, commonly referred to as the tube, hence her nickname.

Her videos consist of her dancing and lip syncing to songs on the underground, filming herself using the 0.5x lens on the back camera of her phone. Bahsoon looks like she is having the time of her life, and she looks phenomenal doing it too.

You can clearly see in her videos that there are a lot of people around, which is what made them so popular. It isn’t common to see people dancing

and singing into their phone on a crowded subway, and videos of people doing things out of the ordinary go viral.

In one of her videos, Bahsoon dances to the song “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber featuring Nicki Minaj, putting a text on the video that says, “Live your life. Romanticize the journey. Trust me no one actually cares.” In the lower caption, she put, “Like

trust me there are crazier things happening on the tube dont worry bout me.”

In an interview with BBC, Bahsoon spoke about her rise to fame and what inspired her to make these videos. She says she was riding the underground one day when she thought of an idea for a TikTok because she wanted to show off her outfit. Bahsoon took it upon herself to

ask a stranger to help her film it. “And he just straight up said no,” she said. “So I was like ‘you know what? I’m gonna do this alone. I want to make this video.”’ She started filming herself, posted it and is now famously known as Tube Girl.

These videos have opened many opportunities for Bahsoon, including being invited to walk in the MAC Cosmetics “The

Face Show” that took place during London’s Fashion Week on Sept. 13. Additionally, Bahsoon has collaborated with singer Omar Apollo to promote his new music. Bahsoon recently uploaded a TikTok which showed the two of them in the underground singing and dancing to his upcoming single, “Live For Me.”

After one of Bahsoon’s videos hit one million likes, people began recreating her style of videos on their cities’ public transportation, furthering the spread of the trend on TikTok. “When I see people imitating it I’m like ‘finally like people are getting it,’” she said. She said she loves the fact that people are ignoring the fear of judgment in public spaces and doing whatever they want: “They’re enjoying their commute a little bit better. And I love to see people having fun, so it’s honestly such a heart-warming thing for me.”

This trend is one I can confidently get behind. Speaking from personal experience, I can name numerous times where I was in public and I wanted a photo of myself taken, but I was afraid of judgment from strangers. Thinking about it from a logical perspective, we probably won’t see those we pass on the street again, so who cares if they might be silently judging you for a couple seconds? It doesn’t matter, and this trend is a fun way to show people the enjoyment in getting out of our comfort zones every once in a while.

Lauren Halsey’s Modern Take on Ancient Art

By ISABELLA DeROSA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From April 18 to Oct. 22, the Met is featuring a new exhibit, and it is probably the museum’s best hidden gem. Artist Lauren Halsey was commissioned to create a unique architectural design, one that blended Black culture in Los Angeles with ancient Egyptian art style. This structure is being displayed on the roof of the Met in the museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor rooftop garden. In order to view this exhibit, guests must take the elevator all the way to the top floor, where they can exit to the roof of the Met. Entering the rooftop garden feels like walking into a secret room. It seems as though it is closed off from the rest of the museum, yet somehow even more connected to the rest of the city. The walls are lined with hedges and greenery complimented by the most beautiful view of the city skyline. In the center of the garden is Halsey’s commission: a giant white temple structure flanked with columns and sphinx sculptures. In an interview with the Met, Halsey claimed that she was “super inspired by Archigram’s walking city proposals… That compelled me to think about these architectural interventions that I wanted to see happen in empty lots in Los Angeles.”

Halsey said that her commission, titled “the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture,” was a prototype for her vision of a temple built on a main street in Los Angeles. Halsey explained that her central idea is the hope of building architectural intervention in spaces in the city to represent the city and make it more beautiful. “The eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture” is certainly a beautiful adaptation of Los Angeles Black culture.

In creating this specific piece, Halsey sourced her style from looking at the Egyptian pieces in the Met. The hieroglyphs on ancient pyramids are designed to tell stories. They are incredibly intricate and can not be understood by just a quick glance.

Halsey made her hieroglyphs the same way. Made of reinforced glass fiber concrete, Halsey made about 750 engravings on walls of her temple. She noted that the hieroglyphs do not just make the art, but the physical structure as well, since they cover every wall.

Advertisement signs, inspirational messages and depictions of people and places are just some of the many images on the temple. Messages such as “Moving Forward” and “Black x Brown Power” reinstate the true meaning of her piece: to

represent the Black culture of Los Angeles. These images and messages all come together to create fantastical scenes on the temple walls, combining the modern world with both the past and the future.

The sphinxes placed on each corner of the space each represent one of Halsey’s loved ones. They are sculpted as traditional ancient Egyptian style sphinxes with the faces of her loved ones. Halsey said that the sphinxes are meant to be the “protectors” of the structure, as you have to pass through them in order to enter the temple. On the tops of the columns placed alongside each sphinx are faces of her cousins, good friend and favorite artist.

The temple itself has a rather unique shape. Halsey said she wanted “folks to feel welcomed.” This effect is held up by the fourth wall being entirely opened, along with an open oculus-style roof.

Overall, this was one of my favorite exhibits I have visited at the Met so far. Halsey’s strategic design made her piece easy to understand. It was not difficult to see her message in the artwork and walking through the temple itself was a cool experience. The architectural aspect of this exhibit made it interactive in a sense, which was certainly appealing to viewers. The rooftop garden was beautiful, and the

structure both stood out and fit right in with the beauty. Taking root in an ancient style of art and making it reflect modern culture was something I haven’t seen from a Met exhibit before, and

definitely caught my interest. As this piece is just a prototype of what Halsey hopes to accomplish, I would love to see her dream of artwork filling spaces in the real city come to life.

“Tube Girl” has taken the internet by storm in part to her unabashed confidence, even in public spaces.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Lauren Halsey’s artistic vision combines multiple cultures and periods.

Women’s Soccer Drops Two Before Crucial Stretch

By NOAH HOFFMAN STAFF WRITER

After going 2-4-1 across seven non-conference play to start the season, the Fordham women’s soccer team bounced back at the start of conference play last week.

They started Atlantic 10 play by defeating George Mason University before traveling to Washington, D.C. and tying with George Washington University.

The Rams continued conference play by welcoming St. Bonaventure University to Jack Coffey Field last Thursday. The Bonnies also came into the game going 1-0-1 in their two conference games, putting them in a tie in the A-10 standings early on in the season. Before Fordham’s defense allowed a shot, the offense took four of their own, three being on target but none finding the back of the net. In the 16th minute of the game, a questionable no-call led to a St. Bonaventure breakaway, which turned into the first goal of the game for Ami Komori. In the 20th minute, Fordham had an excellent opportunity to tie up the game when the whistle was blown at midfield for an injured Bonnies player, with freshman Riley Carroll possessing the ball inside the opponent’s penalty box. At the 43rd minute mark, on the Rams’ 16th shot of the half, Fordham finally pushed the ball over the goal line when graduate student Cianna Elmazaj netted her second of the season on an assist from freshman Marie Degroote for the equalizer just before the half.

The second half started similarly to the first, with Fordham’s defense not allowing a shot while the offense took three of their own. In the 54th minute, St. Bonaventure’s Komori notched her second goal of the day from 16 yards out to put the Bonnies

Overtime: The NHL Needs to be Done With Mike Babcock

back up one. In the 62nd minute, the Rams had a golden opportunity to knot the game at two when Carroll once again was one-on-one with the St. Bonaventure goalie. With no whistle called on this play, the Bonnies goalie kicked the shot on goal away to her right, preserving the one-score lead. After four more Fordham shots, St. Bonaventure’s Komori struck for the third time on the night with the insurance goal and earned herself a hat trick. Although the Rams took 32 shots, more than three times as many shots as the Bonnies 10, they could only find the back of the net once. Fordham hosted Yale University on Monday for their last non-conference matchup.

The Rams started the game threatening and preserving the ball but only managed to get two shots off, neither on target.

In the 23rd minute, the Bulldogs struck first with a ball sneaking by Fordham goalie Serena Mensah. The two shots Fordham took before the goal would be the only two before the halftime whistle blew.

The second half started with a quick Yale goal one minute in, putting the Rams in a 0-2 hole. In the 68th minute, Fordham conceded their third goal of the day, giving them an even steeper hill to climb out of down 3-0. Three minutes later, the Bulldogs padded their lead with their fourth score. In the 72nd minute, the Rams tacked on a goal of their own after Elmazaj found Carolina Monahan, cutting the deficit to three at 4-1.

That would be the game’s final score from either side, with Yale handing Fordham a loss. The two losses put Fordham at 3-6-2 overall and 1-11 in conference play. Seven straight conference games to end the season will determine if the Rams can lock up an A-10 tournament berth.

Athletes of the Week

The junior linebacker was at the forefront of a Fordham defense that recorded its first shutout in 11 years, defeating Stonehill 44-0 in dominant fashion. Conway was all over the place for the Rams, leading the team with 10 total tackles while also recording a blocked field goal, one tackle for a loss and one pass break up.

The freshman excelled at the Army West Point Invitational, making it all the way to the finals and taking the match to a tiebreaker, finishing as the runner-up. Xie won four matches in Flight B singles en route to her finals appearance, eventually falling to Cornell’s Michelle Ryndin.

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

Last week, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock resigned from his position following allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct and an investigation by the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA). It’s alleged that Babcock asked to look through camera rolls of several different players, a clear violation of their privacy.

After these allegations were first brought to light on the Barstool Sports “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, Babcock released a statement through the Blue Jackets denying that the request to look through players’ phones was nefarious. He asserted that it was simply an attempt to get to know his players better. A similar statement was made by Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner.

However, more details soon emerged that made Babcock’s actions seem much worse than he initially admitted. Some of the instances occurred away from the team facility at Babcock’s home, where he allegedly invited players over for lunch one-on-one. In one instance reported to Ryan Whitney of “Spittin’ Chiclets,” Babcock invited an unnamed player over for lunch and then proceeded to look through that player’s phone for “several minutes.”

Babcock has had a lot of success as a head coach in the NHL. He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008 and was regarded as one of the best coaches in hockey for well over a decade. However, there’s always been talk in the hockey community about Babcock’s style of coaching.

Although his teams have always been successful on the ice, several players have alleged that Babcock frequently mistreated them. These allegations go far beyond any level of

“tough” coaching and enter into the realm of psychological abuse.

During his time in Toronto, Babcock told then-rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates based on their work ethic. Marner was told this list would be private and only Babcock would see it.

However, Babcock shared Marner’s list with several members of the team. Marner may have been a professional hockey player, but he was only 19 at the time. What kind of coach lies to a player like that and violates their trust?

That doesn’t even go into his behavior toward Johan Franzen when Babcock was coaching the Detroit Red Wings. During a Stanley Cup Playoff game against the Nashville Predators, Babcock allegedly verbally assaulted Franzen on the bench.

Chris Chelios, a teammate of Franzen’s, recalled the incident on a 2019 episode “Spittin’ Chiclets.”

“Some of the things [Babcock] said to [Franzen] on the bench, I don’t know what he said to him behind closed doors one-on-one, but he blatantly verbally assaulted him during the game on the bench,” Chelios said. “It got to the point where poor Johan, no one really knowing he was suffering with the concussion thing and the depression thing, he just broke down and had a nervous breakdown, not only on the bench but after the game in one of the rooms in Nashville. It was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.” Franzen described Babcock as “a terrible person, the worst I have ever met. He’s a bully who was attacking people. It could be a cleaner at the arena in Detroit or anybody. He would lay into people

without any reason.” With Babcock, these instances of abuse are not isolated and have been prevalent throughout his entire career.

There are several “tough” or “oldschool” coaches in the NHL, but none of them commit the strange, psychologically abusive acts that Babcock does. A coach like John Tortorella of the Philadelphia Flyers has a “tough” reputation, but that comes from strictly hockey-related activities. Tortorella will yell at a player on the ice if they make a mistake, but there is a culture of respect that exists when the skates aren’t on. With Babcock, these incidents constantly have nothing to do with hockey. They’re personal.

Babcock never should have been hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets. His reputation as a coach was public knowledge before this incident. I have little sympathy for an organization that hired a man with a reputation as bad as Babcock’s. Sure, he might have spent some time away from the league after what happened in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean he changed. Evident by this most recent incident, Babcock is still the same coach he was a decade ago. Many people thought Babcock wouldn’t get another job in the NHL after he was fired by Toronto, but now he surely has to be done.

Players are finally aware that they don’t have to put up with his psychological torment, and that there are outlets where they can anonymously go to make any kind of mistreatment public.

Those coaching tactics have never belonged in any era, much less in 2023. Mike Babcock will likely never coach in the NHL again, and the league is better off for it.

Varsity Calendar

Football

Men’s Tennis

Volleyball

Women’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR Water Polo

AWAY Golf

Davidson 7 p.m.

James Conway Junior, Football

Anlin Xie Freshman, Women’s Tennis

Fordham Volleyball Splits with Duquesne

By BRETT TULIP STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball opened up its Atlantic 10 schedule this weekend at the Rose Hill Gym, playing the Duquesne University Dukes twice on Friday and Saturday.

They managed to go 1-1, with the first win coming in a narrow 3-2 thriller.

The team began by winning the first set before dropping the next two. After that, they closed out the last two sets thanks to an outstanding clutch performance from freshman Lola Fernandez, who was able to score five straight serves to secure the come-from-behind victory in the last set. More highlights included freshman Tatum Holderied finishing with 10 blocks, making for a great individual defensive showing for the freshman. After the win, head coach Ian Choi expressed his pride in the team, saying, “Our team’s choice to stay present and dial in throughout those critical moments proves that this will be a special year. I’m proud of every student-athlete on this team!” Seeing such strong belief in a team is always a great sign, and is representative of the stellar and historic season the Rams have had up to this point.

However, the team would struggle on Saturday against the

same Duquesne team. The second match was not nearly as successful, as the Rams started off slow and were never able to recover. They lost the first set 25-20, the second 25-23 and the third 25-18. The Dukes made adjustments and were much better prepared in the second game than in the previous. Though disappointing, the loss is not completely unexpected as the team plays all conference opponents twice, and teams often split wins as game-planning can be adjusted for different approaches depending on how a team fared in the first match. In both matches, the top three in kills for Fordham were the same, with senior Whitley Moody, sophomore Audrey Brown and

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Fordham 44 Stonehill 0

graduate student Nailah Jenkins leading the team.

Freshman Whitney Woodrow led the team in assists in both matches with 36 and 27 a piece.

Now sitting at 10-2 on the season, the Rams will hope to bounce back from the loss as they take on the outstanding 13-2 University of Dayton Flyers this Friday and Saturday in Ohio. Dayton has played and hung with some of the top teams in the country, including three ranked teams in #2 Louisville, #12 Marquette and #24 Western Kentucky, the last of which they defeated 3-0.

It will be a proper test for Fordham, a team that has been playing about as well as this program has ever seen.

Student Athlete Column: Positivity

By SOPHIA CRUCS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last Wednesday it was sunny and 70 degrees in the Bronx and running conditions could not have been better. Leaving lift after track practice to go to the cafeteria with my teammates, the sky was blue, the birds were chirping and everything was just perfect. This was one of those rare mornings where I truly felt invincible and my runner’s high was at its peak. Of course, not every day feels this good. Earlier in the week, it poured rain as I schlepped to practice (sans raincoat since I forgot to bring it and my umbrella to school this year). Morale was low to say the least as I slouched into practice, sopping wet, ready to do a track workout followed by another hour of team lift.

Just like any day, track practice can be hit or miss. Sometimes I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, sometimes an

upcoming workout can be intimidating or sometimes I’m exhausted from the previous day and don’t want to get out of bed. Everyone has good days and bad days. However, what I have learned over the past three years is that the days are going to pass no matter how you’re feeling. I’ve asked myself whether or not I’d rather try my hardest to enjoy them instead of being miserable. I saw a post on the internet a while ago that read something like, “this is going to take years” and the reply was, “the time will pass anyway.” I’ll be at practice every morning, whether or not I’m enjoying myself. The rain this morning wasn’t going to stop regardless of if I was upset about it or not. The day will pass, so do I want to let it pass or do I want to fully experience it?

What I have learned, now being in my fourth year of being a student athlete, is that discipline is about more than showing up every morning; it’s about actively

making the choice to try to enjoy what I do, even when I’d rather be in bed. Ultimately, I’m a little better for it. Obviously, you aren’t going to be happy 100% of the time; what I’m attempting to illustrate is that when you catch yourself falling into the rut of thinking “today is a miserable day,” (which is very easy to do when it’s rainy and gray outside) it’s possible to take a step back and try to focus on the positive, because there is always something to be grateful for. I’m choosing to seek out the enjoyable aspects of this lifestyle. I try to remind myself that each day I have the opportunity to get a little better; each workout makes me a little more in shape and a little faster. When the sunny days inevitably return, of course I’m glad to have them back.

Sometimes, however, it’s even more satisfying to know that yes, yesterday was gross and drizzly, but I still enjoyed myself (or at least I tried to).

Women’s Tennis Army West Point Invitational

No Team Scoring

Men’s Tennis Fairfield Invitational

No Team Scoring

Golf Macdonald Cup 12th/17 teams

News & Notes

Men’s Basketball to Host Open Practice

On Oct. 13, the general public will be able to get a sneak peak at the Fordham Rams men’s basketball team. Head coach Keith Urgo and the team will be on display for any fan to come watch and see what practice is like. Food will be provided from Mike’s Deli on Arthur Ave. RSVPing is not required but encouraged, and those who are interested can do so on fordhamsports.com.

Fordham Hall of Fame Ceremony

Fordham Athletics will be honoring eight inductees from Fordham football, women’s basketball, women’s track and field, softball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer and women’s tennis. Four special award recipients will also be recognized at the event. The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 5 on Edward’s Parade from 6-9 p.m.

Men’s Soccer Drops First Game of Season

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR

After going 4-0-3 on the season across seven games, the Fordham men’s soccer team suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Saint Louis University Billikens on Saturday.

The Rams were coming into a tough match against Saint Louis, who took home the Atlantic 10 Championship last season. Fans flocked to Hermann Stadium for the highly anticipated matchup, with a total attendance of 6,457, the second-largest attendance in Hermann Stadium history.

The Rams now sit seventh in the A-10 standings with their first conference loss as well.

It was homecoming night for the Billikens as they hosted the Rams, and things got underway quickly with a penalty kick goal for Saint Louis in the 19th minute.

Things kept quiet through the end of the first half. However, some Rams were quickly getting the attention of referee Matthew Geringer in a not-so-good way.

Graduate student Louis Lehr picked up his first yellow in the seventh minute of the game, and would later get into serious trouble for the Rams.

Opening up the second half, the Rams were able to find the equalizer as sophomore Daniel D’Ippolito acquired his third goal of the season. He sits third overall on the team in points (nine) behind teammates senior

Florian Deletioglu and graduate student Timo Hummrich.

Deletioglu racked up an assist on the equalizer as well.

Disaster struck for the Rams as the yellow card Lehr picked up early in the match came back to haunt them. Lehr was issued a red card after his second yellow card in the 66th minute and sent off the field.

Fordham, now playing with 10 men, tried to hold off the Billikens, but conceded the winning goal to CJ Coppola.

Taking a shot from close range, Coppola’s attempt deflected off a Fordham defender and into the back of the net, past graduate student goalkeeper Carter Abbott.

The Rams had two more attempts to try and equalize.

Deletioglu headed off a cross from Grady Kozak that narrowly missed the far post in the 85th minute.

With only 10 seconds remaining in regulation, graduate student Sigfus Arnason shot a rocket to the lower-left corner of the Saint Louis goal, but Jeremi Abonnel was there in time to shut down Arnason.

It will be another quiet week for the Rams as they only have one match. Fordham resumes play on Saturday against Davidson College at Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field. Game time is 7 p.m. on both ESPN+ and MSG Network.

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

Fordham opened their A-10 schedule at home against Duquesne last weekend.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Sophia Crucs discusses the importance of having a positive attitude while training and competing. COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Red Bull Clinch Constructors’ Championship at Suzuka

By ALLIE COPPOLA STAFF WRITER

With an exceptional weekend at Suzuka Circuit in Japan, Red Bull Racing claimed their second consecutive constructors’ title with Max Verstappen’s win. McLaren had a dominant weekend with a double podium after skidding in last week’s race, while Ferrari cooled off, finishing P4 and P6. The other top team, Mercedes, made another bad strategy call and cost themselves a couple of points in the constructors’ standings. Finally, Williams’ struggles continued through the weekend and AlphaTauri made some interesting moves going into the next season. Red Bull finally clinched their constructors’ championship, which seemed inevitable early on in the season. It wasn’t a perfect weekend for the team, though. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez finished the day with a DNF after crashing multiple times in the opening laps and picking up two fivesecond penalties, so Verstappen’s 26 points helped carry Red Bull to the title this weekend. Verstappen himself has a chance to win the drivers’ championship during the next race weekend. Depending on the results of the Saturday sprint race in Qatar, he could win before the Sunday race even begins. Unless Perez starts to score more consistent points, he is at risk of being passed by Lewis Hamilton who has shown his immense talent in a below-average car this season. While the team’s

championship win seemed to be a long time coming, Ferrari and Mercedes are still fighting for second place.

McLaren had the best weekend in terms of driver and car performance at Suzuka. Lando Norris

finished P2 for the fourth time this season and showed incredible pace around the high-speed Japanese track. Oscar Piastri, the 21-yearold McLaren rookie, took home his first trophy and made his first podium appearance in Formula 1. After qualifying P2 on Saturday, he made a run at Verstappen in the first turn, but ultimately backed out and lost a position to Norris. Despite never racing at the Suzuka Circuit, arguably one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar, Piastri showed his resilience and helped McLaren creep up in the standings.

After incredible results in Singapore, Ferrari struggled with pace in Japan and couldn’t match the performance of the upgraded McLarens. Carlos Sainz, last week’s race winner, qualified sixth while Charles Leclerc qualified fourth. Leclerc was essentially racing Mercedes driver George Russel during the last half of the race, and passed him on fresh tires while holding off Hamilton behind. Sainz also made a move on Russell near the end of the race, but couldn’t catch Hamilton despite only being less than a second behind. Ferrari gained two points over Mercedes in the standings,

but still remained behind after Mercedes’ improvements in the second half of the season.

P5 and P7 weren’t bad results for Mercedes, but another bad strategy call potentially cost them fourth and sixth place. Instead of the Mercedes drivers working together to give each other drag reduction system and defend from Carlos Sainz behind, they decided to switch the drivers because Hamilton was lapping faster. Although this strategy call only cost them two points, it certainly could shake out to be what makes the difference at the end of the season because of how close the two teams are in the standings.

At his home race, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda finished in P12, right behind his temporary teammate Liam Lawson. Daniel Ricciardo is expected to return after his wrist injury in time for the Qatar Grand Prix on Oct. 6, even though Lawson has put together incredible performances for the last-place team. At the beginning of the weekend, it was announced that Tsunoda and Ricciardo would return to the team next season, meaning Lawson would have to find a seat with a different team. He’s demonstrated too much talent to remain on the pitwall, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see some changes over the winter.

Williams Racing had a difficult weekend, with a double-DNF after Logan Sargeant’s floor damage and an issue with Alex Albon’s car.

Sargeant is the only driver remaining to not have signed a contract for next year, and while rumors point to his return to Williams, Lawson is a proven candidate for an F1 seat. After a promising couple of qualifying sessions, Sargeant is struggling to finish races or finish within the points-scoring positions. There have to be some doubts swirling around the paddock about the final seat and Sargeant’s return.

With Red Bull firmly at the top, Ferrari and Mercedes race for second place in the standings, which would provide a greater monetary bonus than third place. Further down the rankings, McLaren is approaching Aston Martin, who have struggled since Fernando Alonso’s hot start to the season. With only six races remaining, the top four teams will look to climb as high as they can up the standings.

Football Remains Sports’ King of American Culture Golf Competes at MacDonald Cup

By WILL TALLANT STAFF WRITER

In their third outing of the fall season, the Fordham golf team competed in the MacDonald Cup hosted by Yale University in New Haven, Conn. It wasn’t the most glamorous of weekends for the Rams, despite strong showings in the first two outings of the season. Tropical storm Ophelia played a factor in New Haven as heavy winds and steady rains battered the Yale University Golf Course all weekend. After a treacherous 72-hole tournament, the Rams finished 12th of the 12 competing programs, with sights set on Lake Placid this upcoming weekend.

Jake Mrva’s junior campaign continued its impressive start as Mrva was the Rams’ leading scorer after play on day one. A first-round 76, followed by a four-stroke decrease in round two for a 72, Mrva slotted in the 22nd spot following Saturday’s first thirty-six holes. Fordham’s underclassmen have provided young life to the new Fordham roster, once again posting very solid scores following some’s third week of collegiate action.

Sophomore Chris Konefal finished 61st in standing after his 82 first-round and 78 secondround on Saturday. The next Ram ahead of the Shrewsbury, N.J. native sat 15 places higher

than Konefal as freshman Tucker Silva remained consistent on day one with a 77-76 tally between his two rounds and in a tie for 46th in the individual standing. Sunday’s 36-holes brought very similar conditions to the table: strong winds, cold rain. In his final round of play for the weekend, Mrva etched a 77 into his scorecard, ultimately finishing the highest of any Ram in the leaderboard in 32nd. Trailing Mrva and making a massive leap forward from Saturday was freshman Tucker Silva. He arguably had the best weekend of any Ram, shooting a 73 in his final round and climbing his way into a share of the 35th spot. Fellow freshman Felix Luetke Meyring opened his tournament with a 73, but settled for a pair of 78’s on Sunday and was the next highest Ram on the board in 48th. Behind Silva for the best score on Sunday from Fordham saw Konefal card a 76, and finish his weekend in a tie for 60th.

The Rams will look to bounce back after a solid start to the fall season in Lake Placid, N.Y. as they make the trip north to compete in the Columbia Alumni Invitational. Fordham aims to open their second half slate strong with the first round set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Lake Placid Club.

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

Football superseded baseball as America’s true pastime some time ago. Each and every weekend, fans flock to their couches ready to see what will happen next on both the professional and collegiate gridirons.

The rise of Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders and the budding romance between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and 12-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift have both become similar sensations that are guided by the kind of individual storylines that make football’s current cultural presence unique.

Sanders’ time in MLB and the NFL is still fondly remembered by sports fans to this day, and the persona he’s cultivated is not surprising to those familiar with his career.

“Prime Time” has utilized both his celebrity and competitive mindset as a coach. Regardless of whether or not his former team, Jackson State, or current Colorado squad wins or loses, Sanders brings a polarizing sense of swagger that sometimes becomes more entertaining than the game itself.

Even though Colorado fell to the Oregon Ducks this past Sunday in crushing fashion, Sanders still made headlines in more ways than one. Oregon

head coach Dan Lanning mentioned the opposing coach in his pregame speech.

“Today, we talk with our pads. You talk with your helmet. Every moment. The Cinderella story is over man,” Lanning said to his team prior to a 42-6 win. “They’re fighting for clicks, we’re fighting for wins. There’s a difference. This game isn’t gonna be played in Hollywood, it’s gonna be played on the grass.”

The fact that a coach could evoke this kind of public attention from both his peers and the public speaks to a larger media phenomenon that goes beyond sports and may partially explain why Kelce and Swift’s romance has become the talk of the NFL.

A quick scroll through social media reveals thousands of posts reacting to Swift’s visit to Kansas City, Mo., this past Sunday. The musical sensation was in attendance for Kelce’s game against the Chicago Bears, and was seen interacting with the two-time champion’s mother.

Unlike sports such as baseball or hockey, football has done a tremendous job of maintaining television viewers. The NBA has done a commendable job of growing its viewership over the years, but football, both collegiate and professional, has the advantage of being viewed as an

integral part of the “American weekend.”

This, combined with the power of social media, has allowed the sport to survive multiple controversies while building star personalities that captivate audiences throughout the country.

Swift’s fans may not care about the Chiefs’ season, but are intrigued by her connection to Kelce. Football fans may not enjoy Swift’s work, but her celebrity makes her presence within the NFL landscape quite hard to ignore.

One may say that Sanders’ recent boom in relevance is entirely different from Kelce and Swift’s because he’s going against the status quo of collegiate athletics. But, the reason he’s been able to “upset the apple cart” has been because of his personal brand and willingness to embrace notoriety.

People are hooked on Sanders for the same reason they are fascinated by Kelce, Swift or even standard social media influencers. The collective cultural climate has placed individual storylines above ensemble efforts.

Football’s unique media presence and latest blend of characters has allowed for nuanced parasocial relationships that go beyond the first down marker in terms of cultural significance.

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Red Bull Racing claims its second consecutive constructors’ title.

Football Dominates Stonehill College at Home

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

No amount of post-bye week rust or torrential rain could slow down Fordham Football on Saturday afternoon against Stonehill College at Moglia Stadium. The Rams rolled to a 44-0 victory over the Skyhawks behind superb defensive play that saw Fordham record their first shutout since 2018.

Despite the rain, sophomore quarterback CJ Montes turned in another solid performance. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, a more modest statline then previous weeks thanks in large part to the weather. But Montes made the throws he needed to as the Rams improved to 3-1 on the season.

Fordham’s defense were the stars of the show this time, limiting Stonehill to just 257 total yards on the day. Junior linebacker James Conway led the way with 10 tackles and a blocked field goal in the second quarter. The defense didn’t get any sacks, but they used the sloppy conditions to their advantage, making it difficult for the Stonehill offense to make any substantial gains.

The game started like most rain-soaked affairs, with neither team able to make any strides

on offense in a scoreless first quarter. Stonehill came close to opening the scoring early in the second quarter, when a 13-play drive was capped off by a 40yard field goal attempt by Perry Shelbred. Shelbred missed the kick, and Fordham took advantage of the break on their ensuing possession.

Senior kicker Brandon Peskin got the Rams on the board with a 25-yard field goal on a drive bolstered by a 57-yard run from freshman running back Jamell James. Fordham struck again before the half-time break, as junior running back Julius Loughridge punched the ball in from oneyard out making it 10-0 Rams.

In the third quarter, the Rams blew the doors off this one. Four touchdown drives and 28 third quarter points put Fordham

clear of Stonehill and ensured a victorious Saturday afternoon for the Rams.

First, Montes hit graduate student receiver MJ Wright over the middle of the field for a 28yard touchdown, Wright’s fourth score of the season. Later in the quarter, Montes found graduate student Garrett Cody on backto-back big plays to set Fordham up deep in Stonehill territory. Loughridge capped the drive off with a 12-yard touchdown run, his second of the day.

That made it 24-0 Fordham, and the offense didn’t stop there. On Fordham’s next possession, freshman running back Jacob Rodriguez broke a 30-yard run, which was followed by a 17-yard touchdown from Montes to senior receiver Mekai Felton.

Cody then capped off his terrific

day with a beautiful play on special teams. With Stonehill set to punt the ball away, Cody broke around the edge and blocked the kick. He recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown, making it 38-0 Fordham. Cody was Fordham’s leading receiver with 119 yards in addition to the blocked kick and touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Jack Kaiser punched in a two-yard touchdown to put the cherry on top of Fordham’s performance. The Rams rushed for 245 yards on the day, with six different running backs getting carries. Loughridge was Fordham’s top ball-carrier with 108 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was once again complimentary of his defensive

unit. “The defense were helped out I think by the weather in a couple spots, but I thought they played great for the most part and were pretty opportunistic.”

Conlin then joked about his defense’s inability to secure interceptions, saying, “We still can’t catch to save our lives… It’s now becoming a thing. I’m waiting to see a TikTok of our guys dropping balls! Other than that, great win.”

Now sitting at 3-1, Fordham were ranked #15 in the latest FCS Coaches Poll after being ranked #22 the previous week.

The Rams head into their first Patriot League Contest of the season against Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. this Saturday. Fordham rolled over the Hoyas 59-38 last season thanks to a 348-yard performance by Tim DeMorat.

Georgetown currently sit at 2-2, but one of their losses includes a 23-20 defeat at home against the same Stonehill team Fordham just trounced.

All Patriot League games are difficult, especially those on the road, but Fordham will be looking to get their conference schedule started on the right foot this weekend.

Fordham vs. Georgetown is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday and can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7 FM.

Women’s Tennis Racks Up Individual Success

By JONAH RING CONTRIBUTNG WRITER

The Fordham women’s tennis team made their way up north this past weekend, with the Rams traveling to the west bank of the Hudson in order to compete in the Army West Point Invitational. Fordham was not the only school to make this trip, as the three-day tournament featured a plethora of local teams, with The Big Red of Cornell University, the Huskies of the University of Connecticut (UConn), the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Pirates of Seton Hall University and the Wildcats of Villanova University being just a few of the other teams present.

Overall, the weekend is best characterized as one of individual successes for the Rams, as while many of the team’s players made deep and highly impressive runs in their respective flights, the team struggled mightily in the doubles portion of the competition.

Looking first at the positives, both of Fordham’s representatives made some noise in Singles Flight A, as both graduate student Raffaela Alhach and senior transfer Rose Hu were able to put themselves in the win column. First, looking at Alhach, she grinded out gritty wins her first two matches (7-5, 6-2 and 6-4, 7-6(4) respectively), before unfortunately falling to Lauren Stein of Cornell in the quarterfinals. Hu, on the other hand, dominated Maria Constantinou

of UConn 6-3, 6-1 in her firstround matchup, before unfortunately losing, however, in the second round against one of Cornell University’s strongest players in Emma Baker.

Singles Flight B likewise saw some strong performances from the Rams, with graduate student Demi Jhaveri, junior Lorraine Bergmann and freshman Cindy Zhou all dispatching their respective first-round opponents prior to their second-round losses.

Most notable, however, was the dominance that freshman Anlin Xie displayed so early into her college career, as she was able to impressively play her way into the Singles Flight B final (where she would unfortunately not prevail), gaining the title of Flight B’s runner-up after defeating

Marist College’s Deana Giambo, Army West Point’s Paulina Feoli, UConn’s Cameron Didion and Villanova University’s Miriam Gondorova all in straight sets. Singles Flight C likewise saw a Fordham player make it to the championship round, with senior Eleni Fasoula continuing her strong senior campaign by gaining a finals berth on the back of four straight impressive victories. Like Xie, she would unfortunately fall just short, with her stellar run ending in a championship round defeat against Army’s Emily Ruckno 7-6(5), 6-0. Graduate student Franny Shea and freshman Julianne Nyugen also both managed to notch a win for Fordham in Flight C, with Shea pulling out a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 14-12 victory and Nyugen

defeating Rider’s Jett Cozette in straight sets before they both stumbled against their respective second-round opponents.

Looking finally at Singles Flight D, the Rams’ only fielded a single player, with sophomore Sofie Siem being the lone representative for Fordham in the section. Despite this, she made the Rams’ presence felt, defeating her first two opponents in straight sets on the way to a quarter-finals berth.

Turning now to the doubles portion of the tournament, the Rams struggled in this half of the competition to achieve the same sort of high-level success that they found on the singles side. Elaborating on this, two of Fordham’s four doubles pairings bowed out in the first round, with the pairing of Xie and Hu falling

6-3, and Shea and Jhaveri seeing their journey cut short with a 6-4 defeat. The pairing of Fasoula and Alhach likewise saw their soirée in the doubles bracket cut short, as despite the solid 6-4 victory that they grinded out in the first round, they fell to a Colgate duo 7-5 shortly thereafter. The duo of Nyugen and Zhou had the most success out of Fordham’s doubles pairings, however, managing to rattle off two straight victories to secure a berth in the quarter-finals (they would, unfortunately, suffer a 6-4 defeat there to a UConn pairing).

All in all, as aforementioned, it was really more of a mixed bag for the Rams this past weekend, with the team not exhibiting the same sort of consistent dominance that was on display last weekend. Yet, there are still many things to build upon, with the experience and leadership of Fasoula and the infusion of young talent that is Xie providing something to get truly excited about going forward.

Looking ahead, the Rams have this coming weekend off, with their next appearance in an official tournament not being until they travel to the oak-laden grounds of Harvard University to compete in the ITA Northeast Regionals on Oct. 6.

Until then, the Rams will likely be trying to iron out any issues that reared their ugly heads this weekend, hoping to continue their rather strong start to their season.

Fordham Football improved to 3-1 after a shutout win over Stonehill College at a rainy Moglia Stadium.

Women’s Tennis continued their fall season with successful individual performances at the Army West Point Invitational.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

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