Volume 105 Issue 19

Volume 105, Issue 19

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918.

TheFordhamRam.com

Fordam Faces Mixed Opinions On Overnight Guest Policy

November 1, 2023

FCRH’s Excused Absence Policy Remains Under Review

By NORA MALONE

By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Despite widespread student disapproval, Fordham University’s overnight guest policy has remained unchanged for a number of years.

The current overnight guest policy states that undergraduate students are only approved to host “overnight guests of the same sex as themselves,” and that over the course of a week, students are limited to host no more than two overnight guests for a maximum of three consecutive nights. The policy also states that only overnight guests between the ages of 16 and 23 are permitted to spend the night on campus.

In order to gain approval to host guests, students must fill out the online approval form that corresponds to their dorm building. On the form, they are asked to identify their guest’s gender and home address.

Residents are also required to submit a photo of their guest’s state-issued ID. Additionally, students must request a guest pass 24–48 hours prior to the

In the past two years, there have been changes in Fordham’s excused absence policy. Previously, clubs were able to request absences for events. However, this was removed last year when the policy went under review. Near the end of the 2022-23 school year, clubs were once again allowed to request excused absences, but as this year begins, the policy appears to remain in limbo.

At the beginning of the year, the FCRH Dean’s newsletter on Oct. 11 commented on the new policy, “You may request excused absences if you have a documented medical reason, a death in the family, a religious holiday, or a qualified university-sponsored event that you are required to attend. In general, club events (including conferences and performances) are not considered University-sponsored events.”

For the majority of clubs, this causes no issue. However, for clubs that travel, like Mock Trial and Debate Society, this policy can be restricting.

“For Mock Trial, we have to travel on Friday because our competition starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday,” said Mock Trial President Teshley Kamen, FCRH ’24. “We can’t be traveling at 1 or 2 a.m. to get there on time.”

“We have our student-athletes that represent our university,” said internal Vice President of Debate Society Alexander Yankovsky, FCRH ’24. “Academic competition is a very important pillar of Fordham.”

According to Yankovsky, the Debate Society has not had difficulty this year getting excused absences. “No one has approached me so far this year about absences,” he said.

Kamen said Mock Trial has been having issues and is having

SEE GUEST, PAGE 4

COURTESY OF CRISTINA STEFANIZZI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

On Friday, Family Weekend kicked off with a Welcome Reception on Keating Steps.

Fordham Community Celebrates Family Weekend

By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR

Fordham hosted their annual family weekend from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29. The weekend was full of events from Spooky Bingo to a Continental Breakfast. The weekend was presented by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) which is under the Office of Student Involvement (OSI).

Jaclyn Wickersham, FCRH ’25,

president of CAB, explained that Fordham’s Family Weekend is unique compared to other universities because it is run by students.

“I think it’s, like, really special that Fordham lets CAB put this on because you have actual students planning what they want their families to see,” said Wickersham. “The Office of Student Involvement gives us, like, the reins to kind of plan what we want to see and what we

think our families would want to see and what other students want to show their families and get that unique perspective.”

“Our Fordham Family can be found all over the world (literally) so it is an amazing weekend to see families come back to visit their students, experience all that we love about Fordham while being able to make some special memories with their SEE FAMILY, PAGE 4

Fordham’s Law School Offers Volunteer Program

By TASNIMAH RAHMAN STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The Campus Ministry food drive began on Oct. 23, and it runs until Nov. 30 with only monetary donations.

Campus Ministry Begins Food Drive for Monetary Donations

By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Campus Ministry is hosting its annual Thanksgiving food drive from Oct. 23 to Nov. 30.

Only monetary donations are accepted. According to

an email sent to members of the Fordham community by Campus Ministry, donations will “help Fordham’s community partners provide food for struggling families in the New York area.”

Fordham campuses will partner with different locations.

Rose Hill donations will go to The Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Part of the Solution and Creston Avenue Baptist Soup Kitchen.

Lincoln Center donations will go to the Church of St. Paul the Apostle Soup Kitchen and Xavier Mission. Westchester donations SEE FOOD, PAGE 3

Fordham Law School’s (FLS) Feerick Center for Social Justice opened up volunteer opportunities for immigrant support services. They seek to recruit volunteers — both undergraduate and non-law graduate students are welcome. Those that volunteer are expected to commit to six events from September 2023 to June 2024 affiliated with New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC). In addition, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks undergraduate and graduate student volunteers without satisfying a required number of events to volunteer. There is an upcoming immigrant service event at the asylum clinic on Nov. 3 by the Feerick Center.

The Feerick Center for Social Justice began this SEE FLS, PAGE 3

SEE ABSENCES, PAGE 5

in this issue

Opinion Page 8 Teenagers Should See Beauty in Aging

Culture

Page 11

The Spooky Scene at Fordham's Halloween

Sports

Page 20

Water Polo Clinches Top Seed in MAWPC

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Oct. 25 Southern Boulevard 10:45 a.m.

On Wednesday, a professor emailed Public Safety to report that their car was broken into and their belongings were taken from it. A review of the video showed that a male broke into the passenger side window and removed the professor’s property. The professor declined to notify the NYPD. Oct. 25 Thebaud Hall 2:25 p.m.

On Wednesday, a fire alarm was activated in Thebaud Hall. FDNY and the supervisor responded and evacuated the building. Investigation revealed that staff was having a Halloween party and using a smoke machine. The supervisor ventilated the area and reset the alarm panel. Enrollment services staff were advised of the university’s policy prohibiting the use of smoke machines inside university buildings and all occupants were allowed to reenter the building.

Oct. 27 Fordham Road 8:58 p.m.

On Friday, a student reported that they were robbed on the corner of Fordham Road and Bathgate Avenue, near the Auto Zone. The student said they were on the corner with three other students, when two males on a scooter stopped near them. One male got off the scooter, came up behind the student and attempted to grab the gold chain off their neck. The student resisted and all four students ran onto campus through Post 1. The student received a scratch to their right chin. The other students were not injured. The student prepared a report with the NYPD.

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November 1, 2023

Fordham Presents Second Part of Environmental Proposal: “Laudate Deum”

By SOFIA DONOHUE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 4, Pope Francis issued “Laudate Deum,” an Apostolic Exhortation building on his 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’.” In “Laudato Si’, Pope Francis focuses on care for the natural environment and all people – the encyclical’s subtitle “Care for Our Common Home” mirrors the document’s theme.

“Laudate Deum,” published on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, critically addresses the current climate crisis. Pope Francis opens the exhortation by defining climate change as “a global social issue and one intimately related to the dignity of human life” (“Laudate Deum” 3).

Throughout the exhortation, Pope Francis argues for the anthropic origin of climate change, stating, “It is not possible to conceal the correlation of these global climate phenomena and the accelerated increase in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly since the mid-twentieth century” (“Laudate Deum” 13).

With Pope Francis writing “despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativize the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident” (“Laudato Deum” 5), the exhortation is an explicit call for political action. In the remainder of the Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Francis laid out scientific data, damages and risks and spiritual motivations.

Fordham’s Environmental Action Plan Proposal, which was authored by the Laudato Si’ Action Planning Committee, outlines an action plan to guide a “seven-year transformation process at Fordham University.” The proposal includes an in-depth baseline evaluation of Fordham’s green work to date, a response to the most recent Climate Action Report and goals the Committee would like to fulfill. The Committee aims to update the university community in real time on

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

This spring, the university will offer a one credit course for students interested in envionmental justice.

their progress relevant to the plan proposal; the 2022-23 action plan is the most recent action plan. Julie Gafney, assistant vice president of Strategic Mission Initiatives and executive director for The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), is chair of the Laudato Si’ Action Planning Committee and co-author of the plan proposal.

“The first thing I wanted to communicate to the campus community [in the university’s Environmental Action Proposal] and beyond is that we have to work across our respective areas on this crucial project. This is not work that can be handed off to one person at an organization. It has to be integrated as a priority into everything we do — the classes we teach, the research projects we take on, the grants we apply for, the considerations we make when

we build or grow a program,” said Gafney.

According to Gafney, “Laudate Deum” will further influence the university community to take action against the climate crisis. “‘Laudate Deum’ is a powerful exhortation that we have not made enough progress in the past eight years since ‘Laudato Si’.’ I think it will serve as a motivator to the University community to see the plan as a living commitment. It’s not enough to write the plan — we need to make progress every day. And it’s also a message of hope — I think we all need that,” said Gafney.

Similarly, Will Gualtiere, FCLC ’25, said he agreed that the papal texts are vital and can help to understand the convergence of the climate crisis and religion. “The climate crisis is something that

affects everyone while people know little about it. Texts like ‘Laudato Si’ and ‘Laudate Deum’ are an important part of this crisis as it allows those unacquainted with it to see its intersection with religion and faith, something they may not initially see as connected,” said Gualitiere.

If students are interested in learning more about the climate crisis, there is a new onecredit course being offered in spring 2024. The course will introduce students to environmental justice and sustainability in New York City.

“I’d like students to think about their role in building and running projects that will outlast them here at Fordham.

That’s a powerful legacy. For all of us, it’s hard to push beyond issue-spotting and actually roll up our sleeves, but when we do, that’s when the real work happens,” said Gafney.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Nov. 1

Wednesday Nov. 1

Friday Nov. 3

Saturday Nov. 4

Monday Nov. 6

Meet Fordham’s First Dog: Archie

Premium Dinner Resturaunt Night

ASILI: Taste the World

Fordham Football versus Bucknell

Jesuit Walking Tour

Edward’s Parade 11:30 a.m.

Dagger Johns Pub 6 p.m.

Lombardi Field House 7-11 p.m.

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

Meet at The Great Hall 11 a.m.

Feeling overwhelmed with school work? Stop by Eddie’s to take a break from studying and play with Archie Tetlow.

Dean Mast’s dog, Pumpkin, will also be there.

Stop by Dagger Johns Pub on Wednesday night to enjoy fine dining and wonderful conversation. The event will includea a four-course meal. Bring your appetite and a smile.

ASILI is welcoming all students to their annual Taste the World event. The event will feature delicious food and performances from several on-campus groups.

On Saturday, the Fordham Rams will host the Bucknell Bison At Jack Coffey Field.

Cheer on the Rams in their final home football game of the season. Go Rams!

On Monday, Women’s Basketball is playing Adelphi. Head over to the Rose Hill Gym to cheer on your fellow Rams to victory in their first home game of the season.

NEWS

November 1, 2023

Page 3

Fordham’s Law School Offers Volunteer Program

FROM FLS, PAGE 1

initiative in 2012 but made it public in summer of 2023 due to the ongoing migrant crisis in New York City. The first event students could join was the Pro Se asylum clinic for NYLAG. The majority of migrants come from southern Central America and Latin America in the Western Hemisphere and populations from across the world using the migration route through southern Mexico.

Emerson Argueta, associate director at Feerick Center for Social Justice, said he was inspired to do immigration work through his own lived experience. Argueta was born in El Salvador and was an asylum seeker along with his family as war raged in his country at the time.

According to Argueta, his college experience brought the realization that many immigrants have a hard time getting situated in the United States. When applying to law school, he learned that the immigrant community in his hometown Long Island was growing and many people were fleeing conditions in Central America. He then got involved and volunteered

with some efforts to support the migrants of Long Island. Starting law school, he took on service opportunities like trips to the U.S.-Mexico border. Argueta said it was inspiring to him as he realized he had a specific skill set of cultural competency which is integral for these types of immigration cases that seek humanitarian relief. After law school, Argueta continued an Immigrant Justice Corps fellowship, and now is an immigration lawyer.

Undergraduate student volunteers would be supporting general event logistics, helping guide migrants through the events. Students would guide them toward various tables on city agencies and resources available to support them or direct them to where they will need to go for legal consultation.

FLS is also seeking students who have the skill to provide interpretation services. Students that are bilingual, trilingual, multilingual or speak some of the languages specifically requested in the sign up form could possibly partner with the legal volunteers associated with NYLAG and serve as interpreters.

Legal volunteers would conduct consultations with migrants and provide information for this con-

sultation. Volunteers that are committed and consistent can be trained to conduct legal intakes. Currently, there are 254 sign-ups across the university doing this migrant and immigration work, as well as 55 sign-ups within the law school for a total of almost 300 students.

The Feerick Center said they welcome students to these opportunities for students to sign up directly with partner organizations.

Key to the City organization is run by NYLAG and NYIC. Other initiatives are held by FLS. One initiative held by FLS is hosting, organizing and recruiting volunteers for Pro Se asylum application clinics. After, Key to the City connects with migrants to see what kind of legal relief they are eligible for. Then, NYLAG invites those migrants to the FLS initiative Pro Se asylum application clinics.

Pro Se is an attorney that does not officially represent you but a volunteer that helps prepare migrant cases. The person ultimately represents themselves and gets a lawyer down the line. As there are not enough attorneys, providers do these clinics. The goal is to

get migrants to file applications within one year of arriving in the United States. The Feerick Center recruits volunteers for monthly asylum clinics, but most volunteers are law students, due to their knowledge on asylum law.

Undergraduates are welcomed and encouraged to be interpreters at these clinics as well.

Daniel Daly, FCRH ’25, volunteers at asylum clinics helping immigrants with I-589 applications in Jackson Heights and spoke on his experience with this volunteer work as a minor in Spanish as well.

“I definitely have a way better understanding of, like, immigration to the U.S., because it’s always in the news. There is so much polemic rhetoric that’s coming in, you don't really know what to believe. You are like, face to face with these people. You hear about their experiences.

So I guess kind of what I’ve taken away, it is like that. [...]

But I believe that these people are not just looking to feed off of the Social Security system like these, the vast majority of these people are actually fleeing danger and crime, and also like, authoritarian governments, especially in Venezu-

ela. But also, I mean, I’ve also taken away like that, I mean, I realized that I like public service, and it’s something that we want to pursue in the future,” said Daly.

Daly added: “If you’re a Spanish student, I think this is like an amazing way to practice your Spanish if you’re looking to do that. If you are keen about humanitarian issues, I feel like there’s no better opportunity than doing this.”

Feerick Center is recruiting volunteers for November events at asylum application clinics with NYLAG. There is one on Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rose Hill McShane Campus Center.

These are more so intended for law students because they need knowledge on asylum law.

However, undergraduate students can volunteer to be interpreters and logistic support.

NYLAG thus far has flagged the need for Russian and Spanish interpreters, and the Ferrick Center invites such volunteers.

Argueta encouraged students to volunteer, saying that volunteering will give students “real-world” experience regardig asylum law and important volunteer work.

Campus Ministry Begins Food Drive for Monetary Donations FROM FOOD, PAGE 1

will go to the Carver Center.

Campus Ministry said donations made are not given to the university. “The money is given directly to our partners as they know what their guests need best,” said Gilda Severiano, an administrator of Campus Ministry operations.

All funds will be distributed to the three soup kitchens.

“Our partners are churches and groups we were already working with through the Pedro Arrupe Volunteers or established cam-

pus relationships like the Carver Center in Westchester,” said Severiano.

Additionally, Campus Ministry said that they encourage students to consider donating guest meal swipes to others in need. “Students with meal plans can donate guest meal swipes to students experiencing hunger on campus,” read the email.

Guest meal swipes are added to meal plans at no cost, and never expire once they are donated. “The gate does not keep food insecurity out of our

campus,” said Severiano.

Severiano shared that initially, the drive included donations of non-perishable food and turkeys that were donated to local churches and organizations.

According to Severiano, the switch was made to solely monetary donations so the university’s community partners can “buy fresh fruits and vegetables.”

She said that, in the past, campus groups collected canned foods for Part of the Solution (POTS), a Bronx-based soup kitchen and homeless shelter. “We

also found that non-perishable food was often expired or not known culturally by recipients,” Severiano said.

“Every donation is food on someone’s plate so the food drive has been very successful as we usually distribute $5,000 or more each year,” said Severiano.

“During COVID-19 our partners began feeding twice as many people, and with the housing shortage and increases in rent and evictions those numbers have not dropped.”

Students and members of the

Fordham community are able to donate to the drive here.

Severiano also stated that students wishing to lend a hand can volunteer directly with POTS or the Xavier Mission, Additionally, there are two PAV Thanksgiving food distributions in Noveber: on Nov. 18 at Amsterdam House by meeting at 9 a.m. at Lincoln Center or on Nov. 21 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church at Rose Hill by meeting at 9:30 a.m. All students are welcome to attend and lend their aid.

USG Discusses Proposals and New Business

By SOFIA SEMPER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Oct. 27, to discuss proposals and new business.

Vice President of Sustainability Sean Power, FCRH ’24, Anthony Lekakis, FCRH ’24, and Senator Isaac Muir, FCRH ’26, presented the Sustainability Committee’s Native Plant Proposal. Fordham is looking to create a rain garden as a drainage basin for flooding.

The rain garden would collect water through a drainage pipe connected to Dealy Hall’s roof.

The Native Plant Proposal asks that this rain garden and drainage basin includes plants native to the Bronx’s biodiversity.

Power said that not only will using native plants help increase the biodiversity of the rain garden, but it will also be cheaper for the university and better for the soil. He said that there are a multitude of universities, including Harvard University and New York University, that have already implemented something similar to this proposal. Power

also said he hopes student volunteers would be able to be involved with the planting of the garden. This proposal was passed by the Senate.

The Committee for International Integration (CII) representative presented a budget request for catering for a future event. The committee requested $300 from the USG’s discretionary spending because the CII does not have a budget. Vice President of Finance and Budgets Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, explained CII did not receive a budget this year because last year the committee did not use any of their budget. This budget request was approved.

Executive President Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, presented the Senate with new Senate Agreements. She explained that she and Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, decided that they wanted to create agreements that outline every USG member’s role according to the bylaws. She also stated any breach in this contract can jeopardize the member’s current position on USG and would result in a

meeting with Al-Omoush and Coogan.

Al-Omoush and Coogan announced their decision to appoint class senate heads — an informal position that works as the main source of communication with Coogan for that class year’s senate — in an attempt to have more organized class senate groups.

Al-Omoush said this person would host monthly meetings with their senators and act as a helping guide. Additionally, Coogan explained that appointing class senate heads is to help with communication between the senators and the Executive Board. Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, said this position should be listed in the USG bylaws.

Al-Omoush explained this idea is simply a trial-run for right now and currently, this position is very informal so there is no need to have this written in the bylaws as of right now.

Coogan said this position is not like a class president at all but is simply to make communication easier. They announced Senator Emily Kennedy, GSB

’24, Zachary Visconti, GSB ’25, Nicky D’Abundo, FCRH ’26, and Megan Ruzicka, FCRH ’27, as the class senate heads.

President Al-Omoush announced the second Town Hall meeting is set to be on Nov. 27. Vice President of FCRH Emma Balint, FCRH ’24, said she thinks that study abroad should be the next topic for the Town Hall. She explained that, in FCRH’s Dean’s Council,

she has heard from many students about countless issues they have faced with the study abroad application process and issues in communicating with the study abroad office as well.

Balint stated this would be a good opportunity for students to hear one representative from the study abroad office explaining the answer to their questions.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

USG reviewed their constitution and bylaws on Thursday.

Page 4

NEWS Fordham Community Celebrates Family Weekend

November 1, 2023

FROM FAMILY, PAGE 1

students as well,” said Arlene Ganess, assistant director for student organizations and programming. “It’s a long-standing tradition and our families really look forward to a weekend on campus, reuniting with their students and honestly a beautiful thing to see, especially the amount of hugs I saw between families and their students!”

Wickersham explained that there are 10 different committees on CAB, one being the Special Events Committee — which planned the whole weekend. The executive board of the committee are Kiri Kenman, FCRH ’25, Megan Blaustein, GSB ’25 and Zoe Skinner, GSB ’26.

Kenman said that they started planning for Family Weekend in July.

“The hardest part was coordinating all the moving parts. There are nine events over the three days with nearly 3,000 attendees across them and we have a team of about 30 [CAB] executive board members plus general board members to facilitate everything,” Kenman said.

Ganess added that another difficulty of planning was Family Weekend falling right before Halloween.

“Family Weekend is a date that is chosen by the university so it is out of our control when it happens, so a lot of students reached out to us a bit upset it was during Halloweekend,” Ganess said.

The nine events included a Welcome Reception, Spooky Bingo, Continental Breakfast,

Parents University, Welcome and Conversation with President Tetlow, Game Day Lunch, Cards to Home, Maroon Mainstage and a walking tour of campus with the former Fordham Law School assistant dean.

Kenman added that Maroon Mainstage, which included nine performance groups, had to be coordinated with over 300 family and friends, tech run by Fordham Backstage, photographers and emcees from FET Stand Up. “The weekend was a success because of all the support we got from everyone who participated, but it definitely took a lot of forethought and logistical planning to make sure it ran smoothly!”

Kenman said.

The performers included the Hot Notes, Ramblers, B-Sides, Satin Dolls, Jetés, Dance Co-Op, Flava, Candela Latina and Sláinte.

Sophia Ricci, FCRH ’24, president of the Jetés, explained that they did three pieces from their upcoming production of the Nutcracker and one piece from the ballet La Bayadere for their performance for Maroon MainStage.

“We like to showcase these pieces because our dancers work so hard on them all semester, and hopefully, seeing those dances will encourage audiences to come see our full show. Also, it is nice to be able to practice some of our dances in front of an audience before the show to ease nerves,” Ricci said.

Ricci added that they find it important to participate in events like this because they value out-

reach to help make ballet a more accessible art form for both the Fordham community and wider Bronx community.

“Maroon Mainstage is a really supportive environment because you get to watch the other groups perform and compliment each other when you come off stage,” Ricci said. “I always love watching the other dance groups because they perform such a wide variety of dance styles, and the a cappella groups never fail to impress me.”

“I’m happy that my family had the chance to visit Fordham this family weekend! It was the first time my whole family was together on campus, and we were lucky to have beautiful weather to tailgate and watch the football game on Saturday,” said Molly Farrell, GSB ’25. “They loved seeing the campus and the new McShane Center, and we finished the weekend by eating out on Arthur Ave!” “My dad and I ate in the dining

hall on the second floor of JMCC for the ‘families eat free’ weekend thing. It was kinda fun to relive my first time eating in the dining hall, because I got to see the curiosity on my dad’s face,” said Alexandra Tamsi, FCRH ’24.

Wickersham explained that Parents University was one of her favorite events that was planned.

It included university staff from both FCRH and Gabelli on a panel, and it gave parents an insight into the classes that are being taught and where their money is going in terms of education, said Wickersham.

For Kenman, she enjoyed planning the Welcome Reception and Resource Fair, which had over 700 attendees.

“Aramark always comes up with a fun menu of hors d’oeuvres and mocktails which this time included lobster puffs and mojitos. We also had representatives from 10 campus clubs and organizations

who tabled at the Resource Fair and mingled with students and guests,” Kenman said.

Kenman added that the event would not have been possible without OSI, other CAB committees, Fordham Backstage, professors/ administrators, Aramark catering, President Tetlow, assistant dean Robert J. Reilly, everyone who attended and Cristina Stefanizzi — who photographed all the events.

CAB’s next big programming event will be Holiday Week, which will be from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8, which will include all 10 committees working on it.

“I hope students got a bigger sense of Fordham pride in themselves after Family Weekend. I saw so many students giving their families personal tours of Fordham, showing them where they ate, their favorite spots on campus, what their classes looked like, introducing their friends and more,” Ganess said.

COURTESY OF CRISTINA STEFANIZZI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The Hot Notes, an a capella group, was one of the nine perfomers at Maroon Mainstage.

Fordham Faces Mixed Opinions on Overnight Guest Policy FROM GUEST, PAGE 1

guest’s arrival on campus. Students who host unapproved overnight guests or incorrectly sign in/out overnight guests are subject to university fines.

Some Fordham students expressed mixed opinions about the overnight guest policy age restriction. Some students said they understand the reason behind the policy, while other students criticized the policy because it excludes younger family members from spending the night. Years ago, students were permitted to host younger siblings as overnight guests during the university’s Family Weekend, but the programming event has not been

offered since Fall 2021.

Carolyn Weinberger, GSB ’25, said she thinks that the fines for incorrectly signing in/out overnight guests are unfair. She also commented on the age restriction policy.

Weinberger said, “I think it’s tricky. Younger siblings should be allowed to stay, but also the cap off at age 23 is pretty fair.”

Anna Mandaro, FCRH ’24, said, “It does sound like a lot of work for something that should not be that big of a deal. I don’t think it’s fair. I think we are legal adults, so I do not think that [the policy] should be the case.”

Other students expressed

criticism for the guest policy’s restriction that requires guests to be the same sex as their resident host.

Alexandra Diaz, FCRH ’27, does not agree with Fordham’s guest pass restrictions. In regards to the gender policy restriction, Diaz said, “I don’t think it should be a policy, because I think it’s really up to each person, who they want in their dorm.”

Diaz also commented on the age restriction policy. She said, “I think it should be changed because we are trying to create an environment for everyone to enjoy, but it is hard if it is limiting certain members of the community.”

John Leonick, GSB ’26, also

does not agree with the current overnight guest pass policy. Leonick said, “I don’t love it. They give a lot of freedom in other areas, and it’s kind of hypocritical. Is it only same-sex couples having sex? It doesn't really make any sense logistically.

If you are going to ban people from being in each other’s rooms past 3 a.m., from one gender to the next, you should then ban it across all genders.

And that obviously makes no sense, as we are all adults.”

Director of Residential Life and Assistant Dean of Students, Charles Clency, commented on the matter on behalf of the Office of Residential Life.

Clency, who took over as office

director in 2021, said: “The Office of Residential Life and various offices around campus are engaging with Student Life Council this semester to carefully consider changes in our guest pass policy. These changes would include opening guest pass privileges to cover guests of the opposite sex in a way that respects the rights of roommates.

The University is looking forward to working with student leadership to update this policy over the upcoming months and semester.”

While no immediate updates are expected, students can contact their Resident Director if they have any questions or require an exception to the rule.

Fordham IT Raises Awareness in Honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month

By SAMANTHA MINEAR FEATURES EDITOR

Since 2004, October has been designated as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the United States in an effort to raise awareness of the potential risks of Internet scams and hacking.

Fordham’s IT department is responsible for the health and safety of the university’s technology and managing its security across multiple platforms. “​​S tudents are often a vulnerable target for various types of cyberattacks due to their sometimes limited awareness of the risks involved. Being

informed about cybersecurity is crucial for several reasons,” said Katherine Morris, IT’s communications manager. “[Firstly], personal safety.

Students store a lot of personal information on their devices, which could be compromised. Academic work could be lost or stolen, impacting grades and academic records.”

Additionally, Morris warned students of the risks regarding their financial information, which many students log and save on their personal devices.

“Many students manage their finances online, making them susceptible to financial

fraud,” she said.

For those looking for a career in cybersecurity, being aware of Internet safety is the first step.

The IT department sees two types of online attacks in particular. The first is phishing attacks, which target students and faculty in attempts to get them to click foreign and invasive links. The second is social engineering, which “manipulate[s] individuals into divulging confidential information.”

“With the advent of generative artificial intelligence, we see a significant uptick in wellformed social engineering attacks

and business email compromises via email,” said Morris.

The IT department posts almost daily on their blog which includes “articles and content about the importance of strong passwords,” as well as “how to secure mobile devices, how to backup files to OneDrive, secure networks, multi-factor authentication and safe browsing habits,” said Morris.

There was an additional influx of informational content sent to students during the month of October, but IT is always sending cautionary emails to remind students and faculty to remain vigilant online.

Faculty recently underwent a security awareness training module, where they “engaged in a very successful phishing simulation to ensure that the folks serving the students have a keen eye and sufficient knowledge to recognize and thwart emailborne risks,” said Morris.

For any and all issues related to cybersecurity, information technology and online security, the IT department can be reached at helpIT@fordham. edu, their phone number 718817-3999 or their walk-in centers at JMCC 266 and Lowenstein SL18. Their services are available to all students.

NEWS

November 1, 2023

Page 5

FCRH’s Excused Absence Policy Remains Under Review FROM ABSENCES, PAGE 1

students ask their professors directly, but that doesn’t always work.

“We are upset. It’s extremely unfair that we are going to represent our university in competition without being acknowledged for the work we put in or for the recognition we bring to the school,” Kamen said.

Currently, there is a group working on creating a policy. The policy group comprises undergraduate students, faculty and administration from the three undergraduate colleges and

the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

“We used last year as an opportunity to get feedback from important stakeholders like students, faculty, and administrators and review how excused absence policies are implemented here at Fordham and at some other colleges and universities,” said Dean Rachel Annunziato, who is working alongside Dean Mark Silver and Dean Marisa Villani. “The only change this year has been clarifying implementation of the already established policy.”

The policy currently states that

“in general,” club events are not considered universitysponsored.

“We interpret this to mean that most club activities, such as club meetings and on-campus events, do not qualify for absences,” said Annunziato. “Exceptions to this are considered in instances when there may be a broad competition among colleges and universities, perhaps at a national or regional level.”

Currently, students involved with sports teams do get excused absences for their games and traveling.

“I plan to reach out to administration because it doesn’t make sense that sports teams who compete under the Fordham name get excused absences, but Mock Trial and other academic clubs who compete under the Fordham name are not afforded that same luxury,” said Kamen.

There is no set date for the policy review to be completed.

“The focus is on developing the best policy possible, and since we are in early phases, we have not set a strict completion timeline,” said Annunziato.

“We recognize the importance

and value of club and leadership experiences and are carrying this with us as we kickoff our policy review.”

“Since these [traveling] clubs are run exclusively by students, we don’t have as much administrative support compared to athletics, and we just want to keep doing what we enjoy,” said Yankovsky.

As the policy group continues its review, the Fordham community will remain aware of any updates and should keep an eye out for statements from the administration.

Fordham Junior Researches 21st Century Mystics

By EMMA KARN STAFF WRITER

Christopher Ciaccio, FCRH ’25, spent the summer using philosophy and theology to answer questions about the capitalist world.

Ciaccio is a philosophy major with a minor in theology. He worked with Brenna Moore, Ph.D., in the theology department. Ciaccio said he was inspired by “Capitalist Realism,” a book by Mark Fisher that focuses on issues of culture and neo-liberal capitalism in the 21st century. Fisher calls for an alternative to the economic, political and cultural order, but acknowledges the capitalist system’s power is that it makes it seem as though there is no other way.

Ciaccio said he wanted to ask, “Where can we find alternatives?

Is it even possible to find alternatives?” These issues were the framework for Ciaccio’s project and inspired his research.

On a mysticism retreat with the Fordham Philosophy Society, Ciaccio did a lecture on two mystics, Simone Weil and Georges Batille. “I have loved Batille for forever,” he said. He said he was inspired to do more extensive re-

search on the two thinkers in relation to each other. At first glance, they couldn’t be more different.

Weil was an unbaptized Christian mystic with a strict moral code.

Ciaccio called her a “paragon of morality.” Batille, on the other hand, drank heavily and frequented brothels. However, both philosophers had mystical experiences as well as political projects, and were prolific writers on these subjects.

Weil and Batille lived and published in an age of 20thcentury capitalism, trending toward industrialism, far-right ideology, consumerism and secularism.

Ciaccio said he believed they were “addressing similar problems to the ones we have in the 21st century,” and drew connections to Mark Fisher. “A lot of traditional ways of being were replaced,” he said. In an attempt to explore ways of living counter-culturally, and getting around the seeming inevitability of capitalism, Ciaccio began to read and study these two authors and their perspectives on “new ways of being in the world that aren’t mediated by capitalism.”

Weil, a communist turned Christian, was so committed to a “complete rejection of material

pleasures” that she abstained from sex, drinking and became so anorexic that she was unhealthy for the rest of her life.

While Weil was a model of selfdenial, Batille was focused on selfindulgence.

However, Ciaccio saw the parallels between their thinking. Both mystics identified a problem in society — “the sacred” as a concept was no longer present. “Their solutions are different,” he said, “but they both involve a reintroduction of the sacred.”

One of Batille’s solutions was the formation of a secret society, Acéphale, whose goal was “creating new myths and sacred things.”

The society involved strict rules and human sacrifice, though the latter never occurred. Batille also emphasized writing and meditation in his attempt to “create new stories” for society. Weil was well known as a political activist, and frequently participated in and organized anarchist marches. Once, when she was eight years old, her parents lost track of her on vacation, only to find her in the hotel lobby convincing all the hotel workers to unionize.

Weil had terrible health all her life, but throughout her migraines and physical pain, she found a spiritual connection to God. Ciaccio said that for Batille, “mystical experience was also tied to selfdestruction.” In his book “Inner Experience,” Batille talks about laceration and about cutting off parts of life that are not serving the inner spirituality. His first mystical experience came when meditating on a picture of someone being executed through the method of death by a thousand cuts. Weil voluntarily worked in a factory with horrific working conditions so she could experience the pain of working class people. She wrote that this experience made her feel like an object in an assembly line, but she believed it was deconstructing the part of her that was herself and leaving only God. Ciaccio’s research ultimately focused on what these two thinkers had to say about alternatives to capitalism. Batille wrote a book called “The Accursed Share,” in which he critiques the post-World War II Marshall Plan. His thesis is that as organisms gather energy and use it to sustain themselves and grow,

there will always be some wasted energy, and that portion is the accursed share. Batille hopes to avoid war and violence, which would result in more wasted wealth and energy, and thinks that there should be an alternative to the Marshall Plan. In Weil’s book “The Need for Roots,” she claims people are lost in work, without a past or future. She also writes in “Waiting for God” about the concept of attention: a meditative state where one empties oneself out and “turns towards the other.” Ciaccio said this is Weil’s most important solution “in a society where we are more separated from each other than ever, more atomized than ever.”

Ciaccio says he sees this as a remedy for the mindlessness of everyday life — it is “forcing you to be conscious.” He also emphasizes Weil’s argument that we should not be treating other people as objects.

Ciaccio wrote a secondary literature article on Weil and Batille, and is currently in the process of editing his work to publish it.

OPINION

Page 6

R

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

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor in Chief Isabel Danzis Managing Editor Sebastian Diaz Editorial Director Jamison Rodgers Production Editor Michael Sluck Multimedia Director Frances Schnepff Business Director Matthew Colucci Copy Chief Hannah Boring Assistant Copy Chief Sophia Forlenza News Editor Emma Kim Features Editor Samantha Minear Assistant News Editors Sofia Donohue Grace Galbreath Opinion Editor Nicole Braun Assistant Opinion Editors Evan McManus Allison Schneider Culture Editors Kari White Ilaina Kim Assistant Culture Editor Lauren Lombardi Sports Editors Nick Guzman Maddie Bimonte Assistant Sports Editor Lou Orlando Social Media Director Rory Donahue Digital Producers Ava Carreiro Julia Ocello Grace Campbell Claire Krieger Video Editor Skylar Harris Photo Editor Alexandra Antonov Advertising Directors Kathleen Hollinger Grace Miller Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

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

November 1, 2023

From the Desk | Jamison Rodgers

A Window Into My Time at The Fordham Ram College is the best four years of your life.

If you know me, or are taking the writing the original TV pilot class with me this semester, you know I strongly disagree with this statement. Actually, it’s less of a disagreement and more of a belief that this saying is super depressing. If this statement is correct, then the best four years of your life are over by the time you’re 22 and, hopefully, we all have a lot more living to do past then.

However, when I started college, this saying colored my expectations of what the next four years of my life would look like. I expected each day to feel like my life was an early 2000s/2010s comingof-age movie. I imagined “Pitch Perfect,” sans the a cappella drama.

I had visions of meeting my best friends during move-in, of meeting my soulmate on day one in an overcrowded gymnasium during orientation and endless afternoons spent on the “quad.”

I must have missed the comingof-age college flick that starts in the middle of a global pandemic.

Needless to say, college in 2020 was nothing like the movies. Unless, of course, that film is reminiscent of “Contagion” with a deleted scene of Zoom philosophy class.

So, let’s just say that freshman year was not one of the best four years of my life.

The start of the fall semester brought with it what would change the trajectory of my college career from flop to bop: the club fair. During my cabin fever days sequestered in my dorm room, otherwise known as being socially distant, I started writing for the opinion section of The Fordham Ram. And in the fall of 2021, they were recruiting a new batch of copy editors.

I, and my overly passionate views about grammar, signed up

for the Tuesday night slot. At first, I sat quietly in a corner of the copy table, a piece of my soul dying every time I had to remove an Oxford comma, until I started to keep up with the rapport between the copy team. I’m convinced my promotion from copy editor to executive copy was because I stuck to that copy table like a barnacle to a boat — shoutout to Vanessa and Ginny for welcoming me into the fold. Whatever the reason, I could feel my “Pitch Perfect” college years sliding into place with that promotion.

In the spring of 2022, we formed an intramural volleyball team, and we brought a lot more enthusiasm than ability to the court. I was starting to feel like I found those people to spend a respectable number of afternoons camped out on Eddie’s with.

Tragically, for some, not for me, I left my little Ram family to study abroad in London. However, I couldn’t get away from the Ram entirely, even with an ocean between us, and was tasked, nay forced, to write a study abroad column by our Production Editor, Michael Sluck.

Upon landing back on this side of the pond, I took up the role of Editorial Director. With it came the task of writing the editorial each week and a bump up to an e-board position. Descending back into that windowless basement, it felt like no time had passed, and I fell back into the rhythm of the Ram instantaneously.

Now, this is the point in the From the Desk where I’m supposed to issue my goodbyes to those who made the journey and the late nights producing a newspaper worth it. But, I am famous for invoking the classic Irish goodbye.

However, I am challenging myself to teach an old dog new tricks, and making good on the few minor threats from other staffers on the

type of goodbye they expect, to say a proper goodbye to the Ram. As I write this, the copy table group chat has set off an incessant buzzing of a barrage of text messages ranging from iPhone games to planning a bowling outing. The copy table and the people at it are what brings a smile to my face, even if I’ve had a tough day, and make me chuckle the next morning thinking about a particularly funny “your mom” joke courtesy of the lovely Sophia Forlenza. In short, to keep this from a gushing, rambling mess, the copy table is what makes the Ram so special to me.

Cailee, you’re the newest addition to our merry band of copy editors and are proof of just how magnetic our table really is by seamlessly joining our ranks. Nora and Nicki, I’ve immensely enjoyed the time we’ve spent working together, and I will miss the nights of playing skribblio.io.

The copy table not only gave me a gaggle of friends but my lovely roommate as well. Thank you, Amanda, for not only picking me up like a stray cat from out of our backyard but for being an amazing friend for the past few years.

To my five fine friends, it’s been a privilege to work alongside you, but an even bigger one to call you my friends. Sophia, you’re my voice of reason and a true friend.

I couldn’t imagine my life without

you. At least, that’s what your mom said yesterday. Hannah, I love our yelled debates across the copy table about whether it’s a shark bite or a shark nibble. I love you like you’re my little sister. Kari, I love our publishing discussions and can’t wait to read what you have in store for us. Isabel, thank you for keeping me company on the night shuttle and for being an amazing leader this year. Nicole, thank you for thinking of a title for 99% of the editorials and not saying anything when I turn in massive articles — like this one. I am forever thankful that the Ram brought an unconditional friend like you into my life.

To the rest of my e-board members, Seb, Matt and Frances, thank you for keeping budget meetings interesting and for your help in creating our beloved newspaper.

Last, but not least, thank you to Michael. Your editorial skills are in a league of their own, but where you truly shine is as a friend. Thank you for walking me home after production night and for going to obscure poetry exhibits with me. I promise, I’ve learned how to spell dinosaur. Or is it dinosour? Dinosoar? I’ll get it one of these days.

So, was college the best four years of my life? I hope not. I hope my best years are still to come. But the Ram gave me the people who made sure my college years were some damn good ones.

Editorial | Bias Incidents

Fordham’s Hesitant Hate Crime Response Public Safety sent an email to the Fordham community on Oct. 2 detailing a bias incident that happened in Martyrs’ Court’s Goupil Hall on Oct. 1. The email described the incident as defacing a student’s door “with a racial and misogynistic threat.” The perpetrator of this incident has been identified as a guest of a student and has subsequently been banned from campus.

While this is the first bias incident of 2023 on Fordham’s campus, it is far from the first that this campus has experienced before.

Two recent incidents include the termination of an English professor after misnaming two of his Black students and Austin Tong’s suspension from campus following social media activity.

Christopher Trogan was fired midsemester in fall 2021 after mixing up the names of two of his Black students and his excessive email response to their complaint about the incident. Additionally, Tong was found in violation of the university’s bias/hate crimes policies in relation to his social media activity and thus barred from physically visiting campus.

While these two cases have garnered media attention outside of Fordham’s community, there are several incidents that follow the

same pattern as the one on Oct. 1 that don’t get the same coverage.

In September 2015, there were two bias incidents back to back, one involving a racial slur etched on a student’s door and the other an engraving of a backwards swastika in a residence hall stairwell.

Before these 2015 incidents, between February and March 2012, there were three bias incidents across both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, two involving racial slurs and one involving a homophobic word.

It is disappointing that the university has not had a larger response to this problem. The minimum the university can do is send an email to the community detailing the incident and banning the perpetrator from campus.

However, there have been other issues that the university is quick to host a panel or discussion on. A recent example was the university’s response to affirmative action.

Not even a week after the decision was announced, the university was able to organize a panel with some of our law professors to go over the implications of the decision. Why was something similar not employed in response to these incidents? Even Fordham’s Law School held an event last year on the topic entitled “United Against

Hate: Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Hate Crimes.” This shows that if the university has been able to hold this event for law students in the past, then they can replicate this for undergraduate students now.

This disappointment in the university’s response is not new either. In 2012, after a bias incident involving a racial slur, students received a letter from the university informing them of the incident 10 days after it occurred. Students were angered by both the response time and the minimal effort put into the response. While response time has improved over the years and the university now informs students much more quickly, what they are doing in terms of response has not changed. If these incidents keep happening and the university’s response has stayed the same over the years, then one can deduce that there needs to be a more active approach to dispelling these incidents from campus.

The university further sours its response to these events by including exempting language of the expression of controversial views on the bias-related incidents webpage. The website states that “although the expression of an idea or point of view may be offensive or inflammatory to others, it may

not constitute a hate crime or bias-related incident.” This feels like the university added this to the webpage to use this language as a loophole for these incidents.

There really is no reason to have this statement on the same page as outlining what a bias-related incident is. All it does is detract from the importance of the issue and states the obvious fact that people have different opinions.

It is equally as disappointing that the university has described past bias incidents as isolated events when the list above proves they’re anything but. And these incidents are not isolated to just Fordham’s campus. In 2018, there were 314 hate crime incidents reported on college and university campuses. This is clearly a larger problem within the higher education space that requires a better response than what is currently being done about it.

Clearly, if these events keep arising within our community, then Fordham’s response has not been effective enough in the past. And yes, while bias-related incidents and hate crimes are a larger problem globally that will take systemic changes to improve, claiming helplessness at the local community level just feels like a way to excuse why you are not doing more.

OPINION

November 1 , 2023

Page 7

Transforming the Music Industry (Taylor’s Version)

By HAILEY BAKER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Taylor Swift’s “1989” never goes out of style, even nine years after its initial release.

On Friday, Oct. 27, the megastar released “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” an album consisting of the original 19 songs on the album’s deluxe edition and five additional new tracks.

“1989 TV” is the fourth of six re-recordings Swift is releasing to become the rightful owner of her work. Swift’s decision to re-record her first six studio albums not only captures the magic of her earlier work that catapulted her to the top, but also sets a powerful example for other artists to stand up for their right to own their work.

As a big fan of Swift’s music, it’s exciting to see her reclaiming ownership of her work.

In the harsh music industry, where artists are often treated as products instead of people, Swift’s fearless decision to re-record her work sends a powerful message to executives, artists and fans alike.

This decision goes beyond her music; it enables other artists to have the confidence to fight for the right to own their art.

At just 15 years old, Swift signed a record deal with Big Machine Label Group, where she went on to record six albums. As the writer of her songs, Swift owned the lyrics and compositions. However, Big Machine retained control of the master recordings and the power to decide their

usage regardless of Swift’s consent. The repercussions of this arrangement became apparent when, in June 2019, Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings company acquired Big Machine Label, including the ownership of all of Swift’s master recordings. The selling of her masters to Braun was devastating for Swift, as Braun managed several artists who publicly feuded with and bullied her.

In this scenario, Swift felt both betrayed by Big Machine’s former owner, Scott Borchetta, who failed to consult with her before the deal, and blindsided by the news as she did not find out about the sale until Big Machine announced it to the world.

In response to this injustice, Swift made a bold move, deciding to re-record her first six albums. In a statement Swift posted on social media, she wrote, “Thankfully, I am now signed to a label that believes I should own anything I create. Thankfully, I left my past in Scott’s hands and not my future. And hopefully, young artists or kids with musical dreams will read this and learn about how to better protect themselves in a negotiation.

You deserve to own the art you make.” Her primary objective was clear: she wanted to regain control of her masters.

This battle over master recordings has ignited discussion in the music industry. It has also highlighted the imbalance of power that exists between artists and their labels. In Swift’s case, she is not just standing

up for the work that is rightfully hers, but also advocating for the artistic integrity and importance of maintaining creative control for all artists.

In an industry where women have historically been taken advantage of by men, Swift is fighting back. Re-recording her old music at a time when she was at the height of her success, risking it all, highlights Swift’s willingness to advocate for herself and other artists who look up to her. Despite Swift’s large and loyal fanbase, there was no guarantee they would support her decision. This risk is reminiscent of 2014 when Swift made the transition from country to pop music. At the time, there was no guarantee that Swift’s fan base, which she built by dominating country music, would stand by her as she rebranded herself from the sweet, southern girl-next-door to a worldrenowned pop sensation. Big Machine and Borchetta advised against the transition, raising concerns of upsetting her fans. Still, Swift trusted her instinct and released “1989,” which became one of her most successful projects, becoming certified 9x platinum by RIAA. While each re-recording is significant as Swift acquires ownership of her work, “1989 TV” is special. “1989 TV” has had immense success as the most streamed album in a single day on Spotify in 2023 so far. This success represents the loyalty and willingness of Swift’s fan base to support her and her decisions, whether it’s her

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Swift’s re-recording of her music has been an inspiration to other musicians.

transition from country to pop, or the re-release of her debut pop album nine years later.

Swift is not just inspiring fans but other artists, too. Swift inspired the pop and R&B 2000s band 98 Degrees to re-record their music. In September, 98 Degrees reunited for a 25th Anniversary Tour to celebrate the group’s tenure in pop music. Now that the tour is over, the group announced they are going to re-record five of their classic hits, an initiative they’ve been wanting to take for a while but haven’t been able to due to disputes with their label. However, “Taylor Swift sort of brought it to the forefront. The fans have embraced that. And so we’re like, ‘Ok, now’s the time to do it,’” singer Jeff Timmons said. Drew Lachey, another band member, applauded Swift for giving other artists the confidence to re-record

their masters, explaining that her decision created an agreement between artists and fans to support other artists re-recording their masters as well.

As she prepares to re-record her last two albums, “Taylor Swift” and “Reputation,” it is evident that Swift’s unwavering dedication to reclaiming her work has set a new music industry standard for artists worldwide. By fighting for the ownership of her work, Swift is not just asserting her rights but inspiring a movement advocating for artist integrity and just representation in their labels and the music industry as a whole. As an avid supporter of Swift and her journey, it’s encouraging to witness Swift’s resilience and the unwavering support of her fans.

Hailey Baker, FCRH ’27, is a political science major from Gaithersburg, Md.

Let it Be; Posthumous Song Releases Aren’t Necessary

By MICHAEL DUKE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fond memories, familial preferences for certain genres and artists’ music or some artists’ untimely and sudden deaths are all reasons why people want posthumous music releases. Whether that is AI generation of voice recreation to fill in gaps in unfinished songs or completed songs later being released to the public, it is a taboo topic that is both respectful of deceased artists and musicians, yet still feels wrong in a way.

The posthumous release of artists’ songs, while it is motivated by a desire to honor their legacy, has sparked ethical debates within the music industry. These practices involve unveiling previously unreleased material after an artist’s death, which holds the potential to exploit creative output for profit. The music industry is valued at close to $26.2 billion. Critics argue such releases may compromise an artist’s intended vision, as they cannot provide consent or guidance, something the music industry has a strong emphasis on at the current moment

with the contentious copyright law debate. Additionally, the motivations of record labels and next-of-kin to capitalize on a deceased artist’s work can overshadow artistic integrity.

Simply put, it’s a question of not only right or wrong, but it is something where the artist in question doesn’t get the final say. To be fair, songs are not people and cannot allow the power of attorney to anyone; it should only be the song’s creator who can allow them to be released or not. While fans may appreciate new music, the moral dilemmas surrounding the release of songs posthumously raise concerns about respecting an artist’s autonomy and artistic intentions beyond the grave.

The ethical barriers surrounding posthumous song releases are also incredibly intricate. Releasing an artist’s music after their death can be seen as a tribute to their legacy, but it also raises concern about whether their creative intent is being preserved or exploited.

As an example, The Beatles split up in the mid-1970s. However, it has just been announced that a song titled “Now and Then” was recorded on a tape

by John Lennon, given to Paul

McCartney and will be released on Nov. 2. While fans of The Beatles are excited about the new release, the use of AI and sound studios to make this final installment in The Beatles’ legacy is somewhat controversial. It is Lennon’s child, and to any keen person, the release raises questions of consent and artistic control, since Lennon cannot be consulted or provide input.

Moreover, these releases often serve financial interests, potentially overshadowing the artistry. With such a cult following behind The Beatles, also known as Beatlemania, the release of this new song is sure to bring in substantial revenue the group hasn’t seen since their heyday.

While posthumous releases may bring joy to fans, they remind us of the complex moralterrain that involves respecting an artist’s vision and legacy.

Another example of this recently heightened phenomenon is what many fans of the late artist, Juice WRLD, are experiencing after his untimely death. New Juice WRLD content is being released on Dec. 16 to HBO Max in the form of a documentary that focuses

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The ethics of posthumous producing makes it difficult to enjoy the new music.

on his legacy and impact on rap and hip-hop to give fans one last goodbye. But a question outstanding from the decision to release some of his songs is the looming one of: “Is this what he would have wanted?”

Artists perform and craft music as a means of relaying their art to the world, but when they aren’t calling the shots, it is a moral gray area.

Some might argue and say that releasing music with the aid of AI or simply releasing songs that remained unreleased prior to an artist’s death is something that lacks taste.

Further, some might simply say the means by which these songs are made, after the untimely deaths of singers and songwriters we love, is just unnecessary.

Though you might not be able to immediately tell the differences between when a song might be recorded and whether or not it is recently released, the moral and ethical clouds that loom over them are sometimes too large to disregard.

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

OPINION

Page 8

November 1 , 2023

Teenagers Should See the Beauty in Aging

By SOPHIE MASELLI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anti-wrinkle beauty practices are not unreasonable for appropriate audiences, but when teenage girls become part of that audience, it may lead to a toxic mindset.

However, this is subjective to the methods used and the attitude towards them. To be clear, this beauty trend is far less toxic and harmful than those of the past. Although it does have the ability, like most beauty trends, to cause harm to the self-image of teens.

Anti-wrinkle practices are not like the toxic beauty standards of the past until they are executed as such. It is only when anti-wrinkling practices are used to promote fear and anxiety based on unnatural beauty standards do they become a problem. These practices are used because of the toxic beauty standards that attempt to stop women from aging. As teens have access to and consume more media, they are exposed to the practices of older people and begin to take notice. Because, as they say, the younger you start, the better.

In an article published by The Cut, “They Always Say the Younger You Start, the Better,” a 14-year-old girl, Carson Bradley, describes her 12-step and 25-minute skincare routine, saying to her audience: “Here are some things I do to slow down the aging

process as a 14-year-old,” and then drops the bombshell that she “started doing most of these things at 12.”

A 12-year-old girl concerned with her aging appearance is a shocking fact, one that I, at least, would not expect.

I was far more worried about impending acne rather than wrinkles in my pre-adolescent years.

I haven’t ever been one to be big on beauty practices, especially not antiwrinkle ones, as I’ve only used a cream to depuff my eyebags of lack of sleep over the course of a week out of my mother’s insistence. As a teenage girl, I’ve learned how to make a surprised expression without creating the 20 wrinkles on my forehead. I’ve embraced the smile lines and wrinkles of laughter at the outside corners of my eyes that are traces of happiness, and am thankful that they are more prominent than any frown lines. As a woman, I’ll say that femininity can be a fragile thing, and it is when one’s self-esteem is low that anti-wrinkling practices become toxic. I condone all beauty enhancers; if it’s your body, of course, you have the right to choose what to do with it. I just fear that once it becomes less about happiness and more about insecurity provoked by unnatural beauty standards, anti-wrinkling practices may become toxic.

The Baby Botox Boom is an example. Botox has a

bad reputation for “freezing” faces, making appearances look “plastic” or incredibly fake. But over the years, Botox has become a popular anti-aging tool rather than a way to change one’s appearance.

A study at the University of Southern California found that 65% of the students who participated would plan on getting Botox in their 20s, and 58% said they had considered getting it. Most of these participants were not even 33 years old. Baby Botox is the term used for these non-structure-altering procedures to refresh and youthen facial features without losing the ability to move one’s face. The “logic” behind getting Baby Botox is, as said previously, to stop wrinkles from appearing before they do.

Botox has become popularized through social media with famous influencers, like Alix Earle, being honest about the work they’ve done. This honesty is great and very healthy.

But are influencers then influencing their audiences to also follow these practices? While they might not mean to, they certainly do. Through normalizing anti-wrinkling practices, these practices become popularized, made light of and even trendy.

Beauty trends are vastly inconsistent. Society’s ideal “perfect” body changes yearly, and so many beauty trends come and go. I’m sure most

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Aging is inevitable, developing wrinkles should not inspire fear in teens.

of us have mothers that regret plucking their eyebrows to thin lines in the ’90s, precautioning us against doing the same. Will anti-wrinkling practices become the same?

Another anti-aging practice of dying graying roots, the natural color is slowly going out of style, and more people are claiming their gray hairs.

Why are we so terrified of looking like we age, anyway?

It’s not some secret that people get older. But in women especially, aging is a daunting topic, looming over her each birthday. In these troubling, fearful moments, scared of getting older and looking like it, I think it is important to remember the scene Greta Gerwig fought to keep in the “Barbie” movie: “You’re beautiful.” Whether you’re a blonde woman with no specified age, famously plastic and in California for the first time, or an elderly woman

waiting at the bus stop, wrinkles are proof of the years you’ve lived; you are beautiful.

Using expensive, timely, obsessive and more irreversible methods to achieve a smooth face when there are not yet wrinkles, fearful of getting them, can become toxic. Using anti-wrinkling practices makes sense to prevent wrinkles from appearing on the skin. But when it becomes compulsive, a desperate hyper-fixation, I think it becomes a problem in young adults, especially teens. At the end of the day, you should do whatever makes you feel most beautiful, most comfortable in your skin, and most you. Aging is inevitable, but for how long can we get away with appearing not to?

Sophie Maselli, FCRH ’26, is an English major from Milford, Conn.

Is Air Travel Still Sustainable?

By LAILA SAYEGH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In recent years, many airlines, such as American, Delta, Southwest and United, have all claimed to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

They have sought to use sustainable aviation fuels, which are produced from plants or waste, as opposed to the current fuels they use from gas or oil. However, this seemingly positive advancement in combating climate change comes with many dangerous risks and factors to take into consideration. While many airlines performatively advocate for climate change, they fail to regard the conventionality and long-term implications of their plans.

Currently, aviation fuels are responsible for about 3% of global warming. This number is projected to increase rapidly in the coming years. Airlines believe sustainable aviation fuels are the solution to minimizing their contributions to climate change. However, realistically speaking, this innovation is far too expensive to become practical and widely utilized across airlines. Sustainable aviation

fuels, made from algae, crops or waste, don’t even make up 1% of fuel in the market. The composition of these fuels relies on renewable feedstocks that are not produced in sufficient enough quantities to meet the needs of the aviation industry. Not only this, but they cost four times as much as standard aviation fuels. While they may be more sustainable for the environment, they definitely are not for the economy. Therefore, in the foreseeable future, it is unlikely these fuels will be implemented.

It is also important to consider how effective sustainable aviation fuels are before we invest so heavily into them. According to a study that was conducted by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, these fuels do not do much to aid the environment. So, the increase in aviation would overpower the minor cutbacks on greenhouse gasses that would come with sustainable aviation fuels. In reality, these seemingly green fuels will still contribute to global warming. While it is true they will provide lower rates of greenhouse gas emissions than other sources of fuel, like oil or gas, they

ultimately release similar quantities of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere when they are burned. Also, it is crucial to understand sustainable aviation fuels are only built to combat carbon emissions. Yet, these fuels have negative impacts that are not related to carbon emissions. For example, they may cause contrails and cirrus trails.

These impacts trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, which further contributes to the warming effect. Therefore, we must look at these fuels holistically.

While they can slightly help reduce carbon emissions in the short term, their long-term effects will undoubtedly be overwhelmed by standard aviation.

Also, their effects seem to be not as productive as they were made out to be. It would not be reasonable to assume sustainable aviation fuels are bound to make a significant change in our current climate, given the questionable status of their efficacy.

Lastly, sustainable aviation fuels have horrible effects on the health of our global community.

They are linked to a dangerously high cancer risk. Sustainable fuels may be created from discarded plastics. While this

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Sustainable fuels for aviation travel are still a dream for major airlines.

seems to be climate-friendly, it actually has negative implications for the world as a whole.

Studies have shown these fuels can pollute the air with so many toxins that approximately 25% of individuals who are exposed to them over a lifetime will get cancer. The risk proposed by these harmful fuels is 250,000 times greater than the amount allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Because of these dangers, until they are reinvented to be safe for humans, sustainable aviation fuels are counterproductive. While they claim to rid the environment of its ills, they are creating ills elsewhere. The entire point of sustainability is to create a world in which our health and

our planet’s health are priorities. By emitting plastics into the air that humans will inevitably inhale, the purpose of the entire mission is defeated.

From where we are currently, sustainable aviation fuels have a long way to go before they can make a positive impact on us globally. Their costliness, uncertain success and health risks make them undesirable.

However, I hope that in the future, we can discover a more productive, effective and efficient method of making air travel more sustainable.

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

OPINION

November 1, 2023

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The Future of America’s Downtowns Lies in Fun

By LUCA AMATURO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Downtown areas across the United States are suffering with the shift to remote work in the post-COVID-19 era, and radical change is necessary to revitalize local economies.

For far too long, downtown areas across the country have been neglected, relying on the once-abundant amount of office buildings full of busy employees to stimulate local businesses and bring millions of dollars in commerce. Unfortunately, the streets of downtown areas are no longer bustling with workers seeking to spend their disposable incomes before, during and after work since the COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses to vacate their offices and transition to remote work. A thriving postpandemic downtown is not reliant on commuting workers, but rather is a downtown that is culturally vibrant and bustling with young adults and families.

The first step to creating a thriving downtown is to bring young adults and families to the area, allowing for a stable set of consumers within the city that aren’t based on the businesses occupying office buildings. Jacob Fisher, the mayor of Minneapolis, has stressed the importance of “having more people in the core of the downtown doing something other than working.” The future of the

development of downtowns must be predicated on incentivizing people to live and visit the downtown area for reasons besides having to work. An easy incentive for families and young adults to visit or reside in downtowns is providing socially and culturally rich offerings throughout the area.

Creating a culturally rich downtown with plenty of social offerings will not happen rapidly and will not be solved by the addition of more restaurants and bars, as those already exist in downtown areas. Social offerings need to drive traffic to the downtown area, which can then allow for that foot traffic to be redirected to the local restaurants and bars. Public live events, open pop-up markets, temporary sculpture displays and green spaces are simple ways to bring affordable social offerings that will make downtown areas fun and bring foot traffic. Nearby downtown businesses are suffering as office districts become increasingly outdated, making it all the more critical that downtowns morph into places of entertainment to drive people to local businesses.

Transforming downtowns to an area where families and young adults live faces two significant hurdles: lack of housing and perceived danger in an urban environment. Hanna Love, a senior associate at the

think tank Brookings Institute, mentioned that “the number one barrier that we heard from people was that fear of crime was preventing them from going downtown.” These fears are often misconstrued and don’t match the reality of living in a downtown area, as there has only been a slight uptick in crime in downtown areas that, before the pandemic, were some of the safest places to live. People are often swayed by the news coverage of a few violent crimes, as downtowns tend to experience more media coverage, shaping their perception of what the safety of downtowns is.

A potential solution to this perceived fear about safety in a downtown area is updating the general aesthetic of the area to have more lighting, better street and sidewalk maintenance and the use of brighter colors. By updating the general aesthetic of downtown areas, people will feel safer walking the streets and the perception of downtown as rundown with rampant crime becomes negated. By creating an aesthetic where people feel comfortable walking around downtowns, a feedback loop is created because it would lead to an increase in residents within the area, which will make downtowns perceived as even safer. If a downtown area is full of residents, then visually, the streets will feel less empty and people’s insecurity

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Downtowns can no longer rely on office workers to stimulate their economies.

about the safety of an area will decrease.

Lack of housing is a major hurdle that must be surpassed before downtowns are no longer reliant on office workers and can be given consistent foot traffic through the shift to becoming a more residential neighborhood. Currently, a majority of the buildings in downtown areas are vacant office buildings that have the potential to become residential buildings that could increase housing in the area. Renovating a vacant office building into usable apartments is not a simple task since many of these office buildings were constructed in such a way that creating apartments in them is extremely expensive. Through a mixture of tax incentives and subsidies, downtown areas can make it economically beneficial for developers to redevelop these office buildings into apartments, bringing troves of people to live in the downtown area. Families and young adults who are bound

to the downtown because it is their home rather than because they work there give the area increased stability and assurance that the local businesses will be stimulated.

A thriving downtown is advantageous not just to the area but to surrounding neighborhoods and the state as they generate large sums of tax revenue and are often essential to a state’s economic growth. Coming off the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, the downtown area requires a desperate transformation that can only be provided through radical changes in how downtowns function. Downtowns nationwide can no longer be synonymous with workers and offices; they must evolve into places where fun and entertainment meet family and young adult housing.

Luca Amaturo, FCRH ’26, is a communications & media studies major from Marlboro, N.J.

National Security Lessons from Arkansas

By MICHAEL DUKE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Whether you’re from South Carolina, Montana or New Hampshire, property owners know that 1-2 acres is no small amount of land. However, as recent news out of Arkansas has been reported, a Chinese-owned company and subsidiary that belongs to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has recently been forced to give up its holdings and ownership on 160 acres of agricultural land located across the state of Arkansas.

As a result of new legislation signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ariz.), it is part of the pro-America movement that is restricting foreign ownership of American property and land ownership within the United States. While some might think that the topic is trivial and another exercise of government overreach, this is something that promotes our national security, keeps our citizens safe and is something that ensures that we consider American sovereignty and interests before all others.

Focusing on our allies while keeping hostile enemies close is a good practice, just not in the way that state governments

have been allowing up until recently. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) is one of many legislators who have claimed that the CCP is an entity and foreign government that is an enemy of the United States. With recent hostile military actions taken against the United States that have put our servicemen and women in peril, Gallagher appeared on CNN to further admit this notion by even saying that he “views the Chinese Communist Party as an enemy of its own people.”

This notion in itself shows how the interests of leaders like Xi Jinping are all for the sake of one thing: flexing power and influence.

Thankfully, Sanders’s actions limit this influence.

Arkansas’s actions are the first real steps taken, hopefully guiding the direction that recently discussed legislation at the federal level will take. Recently, a Chineseowned company submitted a bid to purchase land in Grand Forks, N.D., with intentions to operate a mill plant. The plan was only scrapped by the Chinese government after legislators in the state became alarmed by the action as many military bases are located near the proposed site of the

mill, and the operation of such a plant is a blatant national security risk. This just goes to show that the CCP is willing to grab as much influence and land in America and will only back down when its hand is caught in the cookie jar.

A recently proposed rule that has been published in the Federal Register amidst the debate over Chinese-owned land would require that the U.S. government would have to approve any land purchase by a foreign entity or firm within 100 miles of any U.S. military base in a number of states. This proposed rule alone vindicates Sanders’s actions as being polarized by any means and displays how she and the great state of Arkansas are promoting the law of the land and keeping our people safe.

With recent severe national security risks, including multiple Chinese spy balloons gathering data and intelligence while hovering above multiple U.S. military sites earlier this year, Governor Sanders’s actions are more than justified. Let’s not forget how President Joe Biden was informed of the national security risks that these balloons carried and was slow to act to

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States need to put American sovereignty and national security first.

promote American sovereignty and safety, with even Bidensympathizing CNN questioning why they weren’t shot down earlier than they were.

Governor Sanders’s actions are those that clean up where, again, the federal government refuses to. Standing alongside her attorney general at a press conference when the actions were announced, Sanders stated: “Seeds are technology. Chinese stateowned corporations filter that technology back to their homeland, stealing American research and telling our enemies how to target American farms. That is a clear threat to our national security.”

It is clear that the actions

being taken by state governments are strong and strictly promote our national security and American interests and are a strong take on the future outlook of our nation concerning our military, government and economy. We need to keep on the path that we are on, or else China will see us as weak and divided, and we will be eaten up as a nation by foreign interests and influence. Our sense of what makes America “America” will be no more, and our house will be further divided.

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

OPINION

Page 10

November 1, 2023

Neo-Colonialism at the IMF and the World Bank

By SAISHA ISLAM STAFF WRITER

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are international institutions created after World War II to aid countries with their funds and boost their economies. The IMF monitors changing economic conditions and stabilizes currency values and rates of exchange, while the World Bank works with developing countries to fund risky and/or expensive development projects. It also provides advice to these countries on how best to boost their economy and organize their domestic and international economic affairs.

While the IMF and World Bank do point to cooperation in a time of increased globalization, they also attract attention due to how they help developing countries. Many of these practices, along with the structure of the IMF and the World Bank, perpetuate neo-colonist ideas.

In examining the structure of the IMF and World Bank, you will find that “the head of the World Bank is an American and the head of the IMF is a non-American, in practice always a Western European”— individuals who fail to represent the developing countries that require the most aid. In the case of the IMF, voting power is “severely imbalanced in favor of

the US, European countries and Japan,” and only the U.S. has veto power. Additionally, in the IMF, each member country has a governor and alternate governor that meet once a year, but everyday work is done by representative members of states known as executive-directors who serve on the Executive Board.

Each executive-director represents a country or group of countries. However, there is biased representation of member countries regarding executive-directors because “only the largest member countries — the United States, Germany, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China — are directly represented by their own executive-director,” while “21 Anglophone African countries, at least 11 of which have an intensive-care relationship with the institution… are represented by a single executive-director and have a voting share of 3.26 percent.”

The division of voting power and the structure of the IMF and World Bank point to a more Western-leaning leadership and underrepresent the developing countries that need the most help from the IMF and World Bank. The unbalanced structures of the IMF and World Bank introduce bias into their practices of lending money.

This can be particularly

seen with the conditions the IMF and World Bank attach to their funding agreements.

Both the IMF and World Bank have utilized structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which include various economic reforms that a country must follow in order to receive a loan. SAP reforms can include “devaluing their currencies to reduce balanceof-payments deficits, cutting public sector employment, subsidies and other spending to reduce budget deficits, and privatizing state-owned enterprises and deregulating state-controlled industries.”

While SAPs are intended to make a country’s economy more competitive and open to free trade, they can often have the opposite effect, with many countries experiencing a lowered standard of living due to “labor legislation or amended land laws.” The conditions of SAPs can give less freedom in economic policy for developing countries that most need those loans. Additionally, the accruement of fees from these loans can affect the economy of developing countries more harshly than wealthier, developed countries, which can pile on debt and deal more easily with economic problems. The impact of debts and surcharges from loans lent from the IMF and World Bank could particularly be

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International institutions need to consider their impact on the world.

seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many developing countries paying these surcharges only vaccinated a small portion of their population, such as Egypt, Ukraine and Armenia who had “vaccinated only about a third of their populations.”

Recently, rather than SAPs, the IMF and the World Bank have utilized different practices that still exercise economic control through conditions on countries that require funds. The IMF requires countries to give a letter of intent to receive a loan which includes completion of prior actions: “quantitative performance criteria and structural benchmarks — the latter of which continues to contain structural macroeconomic policy reforms.”

The World Bank also utilizes prior actions through its Development Policy Financing (DPF). In 2017, it was found that the World Bank directed 434 prior actions.

Although the IMF and the

World Bank are well-intentioned in boosting global trade and the economies of developing countries, their practices and structure are rooted in neo-colonialism.

While some of the IMF and the World Bank’s policies have helped some countries, overall, the conditions they require for funding weaken the policy freedom and job legislation of developing countries, who often struggle deeply to pay back surcharges for loans they took.

In order for the IMF and the World Bank to improve, they need to deeply consider how to more effectively represent all member countries, especially developing countries, and consider the implications of and revise the conditions of getting a loan from these institutions.

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

Barnes & Noble’s New “Back to Books” Strategy

By CAILEE ZERAAT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When asked about my hobbies, reading always finds its way to the top of the list.

Curling up with a book under a blanket with a cup of Earl Gray is my idea of the perfect afternoon. However, along with the act of reading itself, shopping for the right book is an important experience on its own.

As the world has moved to digital marketplaces and two-day shipping, physical bookstores have become forgotten. Ten years ago, my after-school hang-out was the neighborhood Barnes & Noble. However, as stores started to shut down and big retailers like Target or Amazon picked up the bookselling slack, I struggled to find comfort in the new Barnes & Noble layouts that became entirely less bookfocused. Instead of seeing a table of “Staff Picks” at the front of the door with the best new releases, I was often met with stationary, toys or B&N-branded merchandise. It was a sad attempt to diversify the stock of a store that shouldn’t have to keep up with non-bookstore competitors. Barnes & Noble forgot what it was created for: books.

Fortunately, Barnes & Noble has begun to revamp their stores following a recent leadership change. The bookstore chain has effectively told their stores to disregard branding and uniformity, encouraging store owners to create unique spaces. The Union Square store has stuck to the old aesthetic, with dark wood shelves and forest green accents, but the Upper West Side location boasts a more modern take on the brand, illuminated by large windows. The lack of uniformity is reminiscent of smaller, local bookstores that have similar charm and character.

While the unique design is a big part of their new or renovated stores, what also interests me about this strategy is their return to books.

Shopping for books is not just a way to acquire your next read. If you are just looking to purchase an item, then the decline of physical bookstores probably didn’t matter much to you. However, for an avid reader like myself, purchasing books is not only an experience but part of the hobby. Being able to walk into a store filled with the thing that excites me most in the world is an incomparable feeling. And to

have that excitement never dulled by the interruption of useless trinkets in my immediate sightline is even better.

Barnes & Noble stores fell victim to the severe commercialization we see plaguing many stores today that struggle to keep up with bigbox retailers. It was quite tempting to return to smaller, locally-owned bookstores with the previous downfall of Barnes & Noble. The simplicity of shopping for books was disappearing in the chain, and that same feeling could only be found in tiny, local bookstores that couldn’t compete with the size and selection of Barnes & Noble stores. However, with their revamping, I feel more excited to walk into a Barnes & Noble store and truly feel like I am there for books.

For too long, it felt as though books were secondary to the brand. Rarely would I see people perusing the shelves, looking for their next read.

Most shoppers at the store were buying stationary and toys, spending fleeting moments in such a vast sea of knowledge and creativity.

Now, it finally feels like the brand is returning to the one I grew up with. The one where people could order a

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A new Barnes & Noble CEO is encouraging stores to lean into unique looks.

coffee and sit for hours in a comfy lounge chair reading their newest buy. Or the one where you could strike up a conversation with the person looking at the shelf next to you and walk out with a stellar recommendation.

Bookstores are not just for purchasing, but for a moment, Barnes & Noble fell victim to that mindset. The goal of trying to get people in and out of the store as quickly as possible and spending as much money as possible overshadowed why people loved the store in the first place. I don’t love Barnes & Noble just for the books because if I did, I would just go on Amazon and order it

online. Waking up on a chilly Sunday morning, throwing on a scarf and a jacket, and taking the train to the nearest Barnes & Noble is a daylong activity that I wholeheartedly look forward to.

Walking through the endless shelves with a hot drink in hand is a euphoric feeling that simply cannot be replaced by a click on a computer. Barnes & Noble is ensuring that buying a book is not just a purchase anymore but an experience to embrace.

Cailee Zeraat, FCRH ’25, is an English major from Fairfax, Va.

November 1, 2023

CULTURE The Spooky Scene at Fordham’s Halloween

By KASSITY GARRET CONRIBUTING WRITER

My roommates and I dressed up as Grimace from McDonald’s.

We wanted to do something silly and fun. After running through many options, we felt as though group Grimace was the perfect selection! We felt a level

of celebrity that only Taylor Swift herself has felt before. We stepped out on the street and immediately heard shouts from our peers, “Grimace! Can I please get a picture with the Grimaces?” Or we were hit with many “Oh my… what are those things?” With our identities hidden, we remained anonymous throughout the night,

Page 11

finding our friends, confusing them, creeping them out and generating good laughs, finally revealing ourselves at the end of the night to everyone’s surprise. Despite all of the sweat and not being able to see, the Grimaces danced the night away without any milkshake casualties, making for a memorable Halloweekend.

COURTESY OF KASSITY GARRET FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Some Rams dressed up as iconic fast-food characters, like Grimace.

By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Over my 20 years of dressing up for Halloween, I have had many perfect costumes spoiled by the chilly October temperatures.

This year I knew I had to take advantage of the forecasted sunny

weather, so my friend Sarah and I decided to dress as arguably the most classic duo of all time: a burger and a hotdog. When I decided to embody my favorite baseball-game snack, I knew it had to have all the fixings. My costume featured mustard and

relish, two of my favorite condiments! Sarah and I unveiled our costumes at the biggest event of the weekend: the Family Weekend tailgate. Our costumes were for sure a crowd favorite, but we definitely stood out from the sea of maroon and white in Parking Lot A!

COURTESY OF GRACE GALBREATH / THE FORDHAM RAM

Other Rams dressed up as various tailgate-friendly foods.

By CAROLYN WEIDENHOFT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Our costume was inspired by the 1899 New York newsboy strike, made famous by Disney’s “Newsies The Musical,” choreographed by Kenny Ortega with

leading man Jeremy Jordan.

Inspiration struck when this ragtag bunch of roommates were watching the musical — from left to right Kate Laboda, FCRH ’24, Carolyn Wiedenhoft, FCRH ’24, Kaitlyn Maltempi, GSB ’24 — and decided to hit the Bronx pavement with the

Ram in hand. Just like any good newsie, we donned our caps, buttoned our flannels and snapped our suspenders on to fit the part.

As Disney said, “for years they delivered the papers, now they’re making headlines.” Cheers to the Kings of New York!

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These Rams sported Fordham’s journal of record as part of their costume.

By GRACE McCARRON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF GRACE MCCARRON FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

This Ram paid homage to her favorite kind of sports car driver.

For one of our costumes this Halloween, my friend and I decided to dress up in matching costumes as Formula 1 drivers. My friend Kléa, who goes

to Fordham College at Lincoln Center, has recently gotten into Formula 1 racing, following drivers such as Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen, and suggested the idea to me when we discussed Halloween plans.

I styled my costume with a

racing jacket found on Etsy, a black top and shorts and sunglasses, while Kléa wore a racing bodysuit with black pants and silver sunglasses. I liked how our costumes were structured differently, but still had the same concept.

CULTURE

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November 1, 2023

Who’s That Kid? | Allie Small, FCRH ’24

Senior Explores Her Heritage Through Music and Dance

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR

Many people are proud of their heritage, while some know little about it at all. In New York City, where 5.3% of the population is Irish American, Fordham University is a home to many Irish folk. One of those people is Allie Small, FCRH ’24.

“Where I grew up, I wasn’t surrounded by a strong Irish community, and I had a huge fear of losing touch with my connections to Ireland in terms of family and culture (so much so that I wrote my Common App essay about it),” Small said. “When I came to Fordham, I found an Irish community full of people I could relate to in a way that I could never really relate to my peers at home, and plenty of opportunities to further my connection to my Irish heritage.”

As a biology major on the pre-health track, STEM has always been at the forefront of Small’s mind, but in her heart, she’s always loved exploring her heritage.

Starting her dancing career at age four, Small stepped her way through multiple studios and performed at the national level for about a decade before coming to Fordham. Most importantly, what kept her going for so long was the unity and friendships that were made through dance.

“It’s a big community. There’s a certain connection that you can make with people, from things like the competition circuits. When I came to Fordham, I knew a lot of girls that I grew up competing with and against who were already on Sláinte, so it was a community building thing for me here as an incoming freshman,” she said.

Serving as co-president of Sláinte, Fordham’s Irish Dance troupe, Small choreographs, leads practices and dances weekly among 18 dancers.

They dance to traditional routines like Michael Flatley’s “Riverdance” to modern-pop songs like “Angel” off of the Barbie soundtrack.

The goal is to spread awareness of the talent and beauty of Irish dance by competing in competitions as well as performing in Fordham events like Keating Steps and Maroon Mainstage.

Aside from that, Sláinte hosts their annual Irish Night, celebrating Irish dance and music with families and friends in the Fordham community. More importantly, Small is hoping to establish an alumni network to unite the community more after COVID-19 severed some ties.

“During COVID, we couldn’t really have guests at Irish Night, and so previous members that had been involved with Sláinte couldn’t come back and lost touch with the club. So this

year and last year, we’ve been running events that alumni can come back to and stay involved with the Fordham community and also the Irish dance community,” she said.

Outside of that, Small is also a host on Ceol na nGael, WFUV Radio’s Irish music program.

Named “Music of the Irish,” Ceol na nGael is the most popular irish radio show in New York City and is run by student DJs like Small every year.

But originally, Small had no interest in taking up something like a radio host job. “The last two hosts were both on Sláinte with me, and we had talked about Irish music and they recommended that I apply to be a production assistant on the show. I was really torn about it because I was not a communications major and it wasn’t something I was going to pursue career wise.”

But what brought Small back to the role? Her own family.

“My grandpa used to listen to Ceol na nGael every Sunday. It would be silence in the house, radio on, no one is allowed to speak, just listening to Ceol na nGael. It’s just so special because it’s definitely a family thing, you hear it from a lot of people in New York City. That was some of their formative experiences with Irish music.”

You’ll find Small spending basically every Sunday in the WFUV studio. Ceol na nGael

runs from 12-4 p.m. on Sunday, featuring Irish news and music, spreading the love of Irish culture to not just the Fordham community, but beyond.

Things are looking green for Small as she is hopeful for the future with events Sláinte has planned for the year, as well as what she hopes to accomplish later on.

But more importantly, she’s proud of what she’s done at

Fordham to leave a lasting legacy in not just the classroom, but in developing a community of fellow Irishmen and women.

“I prioritized taking advantage of opportunities like joining Sláinte and Ceol na nGael and all the connections that come with it because it truly is a privilege to have access to a strong Irish community that I can relate to. I only hope it continues even after I leave Fordham.”

COURTESY OF ALLIE SMALL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Small discovered avenues for exploring her Irish heritage on campus.

Taylor Swift Brings “The Eras Tour” To Theaters

By AVA PASTORE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Those who were not able to attend “The Eras Tour” this summer now have an opportunity to see a pretty close second: “The Eras Tour Film.”

With a price of $22 instead of $500, these tickets began to sell at extremely fast rates after Taylor Swift announced the presale on Aug. 31, 2023. On the first day of availability, these tickets garnered $26 million in sales. If that doesn’t show the power of Swift, what does?

As someone who attended “The Eras Tour” live in Philadelphia this past May, I can say that nothing can truly compare.

However, I would be lying if I said the film didn’t come close. As I sat in a theater with about 50 other fans, I felt like I was back on the floor at Lincoln Financial Field screaming the bridge to “Cruel Summer,” crying during “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) [Taylor’s Version] [From The Vault]” and cheering for five extra minutes after “champagne problems.” Although movie viewers do not get to be in the same venue as Swift while watching the film, it certainly feels like she is speaking to you and singing with you.

Something that Swifties have

always been able to do well is make people feel like a part of a community. Swift told her fans to treat this movie like a concert, and that is exactly what they did.

Upon entry into the theater, I was met with the sight of exclusive Eras Tour popcorn buckets, cups, light-up wands and tote bags. Swift also knows how to market to her fans, pricing these bundle packages of merchandise at $13 (her lucky number) and $19.89 (in honor of the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

By the time I made my way to the front of the line, the only item left was the popcorn bucket, which I bought with joy. The movie began with the famous countdown that was shown at the in-person concert, followed by her opening song: “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” Even though I was sitting in a folding chair watching her from afar, I got the same skip in my heart when I saw the unveiling of the artist on the big screen.

Watching these songs being performed on a screen was a completely different — but equally phenomenal — experience. Not only were the speakers playing these songs at the perfect, loud and crisp volume, but the camera work

was also impeccable. Viewers got a clear, close-up view of the band, dancers, stage effects, fans in the crowd and Swift, of course. There is something special about getting to watch others’ reactions to these personal, moving and iconic songs that brings a new level of appreciation to the concert.

Just as the artist took the fans through a journey of her musical career at the concert, she did the same with the film, bringing the crowd through nine eras of albums: “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” “Reputation,” “Lover,” “folklore,” “evermore” and “Midnights.”

In addition to these albums, the film also included two surprise songs that Swift performed on the final night of the U.S. leg of the tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles: “Our Song” and “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” If you’re not already aware, these surprise songs are performed between the “1989” and “Midnights” eras. Swift grabs her guitar and sits at the piano, and plays two songs that the crowd has not yet heard, giving us an authentic, acoustic performance.

This is an extremely special part of the concert, and one that I am pleased made it into the film. I can confidently say that I left the theater that night

with the same pit in my stomach that left with me in May after the concert. If you have not yet had the opportunity to see this film, I would strongly

advise purchasing tickets, as watching this concert on the big screen is something that every Swiftie (and non-Swiftie) should experience.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Swift brings her record-breaking tour to cities all across America.

CULTURE

November 1, 2023

Page 13

An Interview With a Jesuit: Father Thomas Scirghi

By ANNA FERONE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Friday, Sept. 22, I sat down with Father Thomas Scirghi in a parlor at the Jesuit residence, Spellman Hall. Originally from Brooklyn, Scirghi grew up as the oldest of four children. He attended St. Vincent Ferrer for grammar school. “I grew up in this Catholic world,” Scirghi explained. “We were at the local parish pretty much seven days a week.” On Sundays, Scirghi said they attended the children’s Mass at 9 a.m. From Monday to Friday, they were in grammar school. Then, on Saturdays, they would have Little League Baseball in the morning. Instead of picking up McDonald’s on the way home, his family would go to church, pick up prayer and go to confession in the afternoons.

“This was a vibrant community for me,” Scirghi said. “The priests in the parish were wellrespected, and they were cool!

They were smart and played baseball, too!” Looking back on his life, Scirghi admitted there was always a “seed” of his vocation waiting to be planted.

“Priesthood seemed like a viable option for me. It was something I looked up to as a boy.”

In 1965, his family uprooted to “suburbia” in Huntington, N.Y. From sixth grade on, Scirghi attended a local public school

in Dix Hills. Scirghi attended their local high school at 14 a few years later, then continued his education at Stony Brook University in 1972. He studied philosophy, intending to go to law school with the possible intent of running for office. “I was always interested in politics,” Scirghi explained. “I joined the Young Democrats in Huntington, and I felt an affinity for that kind of work.”

The priesthood, however, still called for him as he studied.

“I went to college during the Vietnam War. Living in America at that time was chaotic. Institutions and authority were questioned,” Scirghi mentioned. At the forefront of his mind, Scirghi questioned the church’s standpoint and what they had to say concerning the war. During this time, many religious figures who were vocal influenced Scirghi. An example Scirghi mentioned was Congressman Robert Drinan, a Jesuit priest, lawyer and human rights activist.

“For a college boy, this stuff was cool,” Scirghi stated. “We had these priests who were in the world, and I thought this was good.” Once again, the priesthood always stood out.

For those who have taken “Journey of Faith” with Scirghi, you know what a “crisis moment” is. For those who haven’t, a crisis moment is a turning

point in a person’s life, and will vary from person to person. Unfortunately, it can be traumatic for some, which was the case for Scirghi. In 1973, his younger brother, John, died in a car accident. “We were very close, only 18 months apart,” Scirghi explained. “For me, my crisis moment was his wake.” When Scirghi looked into his brother’s casket, he had a thought about life. Everything he had learned about his faith came down to this moment: “When I looked down at my brother, the thought arose that there must be more to life than this.”

This was the confirmation Scirghi needed to begin his journey into priesthood with a solid foundation surrounding him.

“I had a lot of encouragement from my family. My mother and father supported me. Even my girlfriend at the time said I would make a good priest, which I didn’t want to hear from my own girlfriend,” Scirghi said with a laugh. After realizing this was his path, Scirghi transferred from Stony Brook to Le Moyne College in 1975. Scirghi attended a retreat at a monastery but soon realized the monastic life wasn’t for him. Each day, the Jesuit priesthood became more appealing. “I didn’t think I could live at the monastery forever. However, it did seem to point me in this direction of

the Jesuits,” Scirghi said.

After one year at Le Moyne, Scirghi decided to apply to the Jesuits and was quickly accepted. While applying, he had a relatively uncanny experience as he dropped his application in the mail. “It was a Saturday morning, and I remember walking to the mailbox at noon.

When I dropped my letter in, the college bells rang for noon, and I thought that was very funny. It was a symbolic confirmation I was making the right decision,” Scirghi said. During his senior year, Scirghi was in the Novitiate, across the street from the campus of Le Moyne in 1976.

Fast forward a few years, Father Scirghi was ordained in 1986 at Fordham and received his doctorate in 1996 from Boston University. He

has taught a multitude of students, including students at The Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. From 2001-09, Scirghi taught men and women there who wanted to work in the ministry for the church.

While he was teaching, there was a period where Scirghi felt overwhelmed. “I felt swamped.

One day, I went for a walk and received what I took as a message from Jesus Christ. I heard, ‘As long as you do it for me, I will give you the time,’” Scirghi said.

At the end of our interview, I asked Scirghi if he had any advice for those who want to give their lives to God. He replied, “Realize it’s not an easy life. It is demanding, but if you find that it is all for the greater glory of God, then you will succeed.”

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Many forces drew Father Scirghi toward becoming a Jesuit priest.

Editor’s Pick | Television

Jaw-Dropping J.A.W. Stuns in “The Bear”

By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

For Halloween, my friend Lauren Lombardi, FCRH ’25, and I dressed as Carmy from Hulu’s hit show, “The Bear.” The costume was just one of many things I’ve done to show my love for the 2022 masterpiece.

Easily one of my favorite shows, “The Bear” is a fastpaced “dramedy” based out of a family-owned Chicago sandwich shop. It follows Carmy Berzatto, a young, accomplished chef who, following a family tragedy, must leave the world of fine dining and Michelin Stars to help run his brother’s hole-in-the-wall restaurant. While Carmy, who left home at a young age to pursue culinary greatness, reunites with family and friends, viewers get to explore the Berzatto family dynamic. Despite Carmy and his coworkers constantly butting heads and the restaurant’s chaotic serving style, the shop always finds a way to come out on top.

What first drew me to “The Bear” was my love for the main character’s actor, Jeremy Allen White. I love Jeremy Allen White (JAW). I can’t keep track of the number of people that I have yelled, “J.A.W., J.A.W., J.A.W.” at. I have also been known to show strangers pictures of White and joke that he is a Fordham Gabelli student.

If you have ever spoken to me, odds are high that I have found a way to work Jeremy Allen White into the conversation.

White, who rose to fame with his role as Lip in “Shameless,” is a fantastic actor. He plays the “sad, miserable, down-on-myluck” character very well. White’s amazing co-stars, Ayo Edebri, Matty Matheson and Ebon MossBachrach, only fuel the fire of greatness that is “The Bear.”

Aside from the amazing cast, the quick timing of “The Bear” does well at keeping my

generation’s short attention span.

At times, its fast-paced nature is even too much for me. When watching episode six of season two, I got so worked up that I had to pause the show and take a walk. (If you have seen that episode, you know why.) Even though the show gets my heart racing, I can’t get enough of it.

Another great aspect of “The Bear” is its ability to make me hate and love a character at the same time. The show’s creator, Christopher Storer, had a perfect approach to season

two. Over the expanse of the season, Storer dedicated individual episodes to exploring each character’s motivations, as well as their trials and tribulations. For me, the exploration resulted in a roller coaster of emotions. At the beginning of episode seven of the second season, I hated Richie. By the end, I sympathized with his character and even found myself relating to “cousin!”

Also, I want to take this time to add that I was an O.G. fan of “The Bear.” Not a season

COURTESY OF GRACE GALBREATH / THE FORDHAM RAM

Hulu’s hit show “The Bear” is a terrific show, inspiring its fans to don costumes honoring it for Halloween.

two bandwagon fan, but a fan back when the cast was full of unknown actors and actresses.

Full of nobodies. I liked the show before it began featuring already famous stars — not that I don’t appreciate season two’s John Mulaney, Joel McHale and Will Poulter features.

You might be thinking, why would anyone care this much for a cooking show? But it is not just a cooking show — it is so much more. It is a show about family and love and finding yourself in your 20s. On paper, “The Bear” is about a sandwich stop, but it also addresses important issues like trauma and addiction. It even includes a little bit of romance for all of you rom-com lovers! Speaking of romance, I’ll say what everyone who has watched the show is thinking: Carmy and Sydney belong together. Despite what doubter and known Claire/Carmy shipper Emma Holmgren, FCRH ’25, thinks, I know they would make the perfect couple. Hulu, forget Claire, let’s make “Sarmy” happen! Take that, Holmgren.

In summary, I love “The Bear,” and I love Jeremy Allen White, and you should too. Let’s get White an Emmy! (Then an EGOT, then world domination.)

Before I wrap this up, can I let you all in on a secret? I’ve yet to finish season two of “The Bear.”

I’m a fake fan, I know. I will get to it at some point soon, I promise.

CULTURE

Page 14

November 1, 2023

Memoir Reveals the Hardships Spears Endured

By CLAIRE KRIEGER DIGITAL PRODUCER

Britney Spears finally revealed her side of the battle to end the 13-year conservatorship she was forced into under her father.

“The Woman In Me,” released Oct. 24, gained mass popularity and speculation long before officially hitting the shelves. It

is no surprise that people are jumping on this opportunity for more information about Spears’s life. She has been subject to the spotlight her entire life, and this glimpse into her life indeed reveals just how drastically she was affected by her rise to fame as a child.

The wait for the memoir has been around two years since, in

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Spears’s long-awaited memoir helped the artist finally gain closure.

2021, Spears was finally freed from the conservatorship with her father that began in 2008.

In 2018, however, the abusive nature of this relationship became a pop culture frenzy. “#FreeBritney” was trending everywhere, and dedicated fans even visited a mental facility to protest her unfair treatment. She describes the events leading up to why she was placed under a conservatorship, such as when she infamously shaved her head.

After her quick rise to fame, she found herself in over-dramatized paparazzi articles, unhealthy relationships and dependent on energy stimulants to keep up with her rigorous performance schedule. After some public scandals, the threat of losing her children forced her to give in to her father.

Spears stated in her memoir, “My freedom in exchange for naps with my children — it was a trade I was willing to make.”

It goes into in-depth detail about some of the most iconic periods of her life. Everything from the public breakup with Justin Timberlake to how she felt abandoned by her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears. However, the media’s reception of the tell-all book is all over the board.

Some outlets took the book and analytically covered all the main points laid out by Spears. The New York Times, for instance, went through bullet point by bullet point, framing the main

arguments in the broader context of the pop star’s career.

By the looks of their headlines, other sites used the release of Spears’s book to attract the most clicks on their site. Headlines advertising that Britney knew Timberlake was cheating on her or dramatizing her drug use are mixed among the press surrounding the memoir.

These articles do not focus on the time of her life Spears described as being “ritualistically tortured” with any sort of grace.

Instead, she bore the last decade of what she endured, and they turned around and perpetuated the same media behavior that landed Spears in this position in the first place.

Spears’s memoir was necessary for her to write to gain closure for everything she faced, from being forced into mental hospitals to constant body shaming from her father and peers. She outlined the hostile environment she grew up in and how the spotlight became inescapable once she was a part of it.

Ever since the #FreeBritney trend made its way onto social media, there was an air of mystery surrounding Spears’s life.

This made it easy to become a common joke on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where the star is still subject to constant scrutiny from dancing videos. While the issue of her

current social media presence is unanswered, the resolution to fans’ questions about her conservatorship and circumstances finally arrived.

More so, Spears is finally free of her father and overbearing managers to expose them for how they manipulated her status for their own gain. After receiving negative criticism, she wrote in an Instagram post, “It has given me closure on everything for a better future!”

Many are disappointed the memoir did not have as much of a feminist mentality behind the writing. The overall expectation was a piece that would leave you with a “stick-it-to-the-man” message that cursed the many people who took advantage of her year after year.

Yet, “The Woman In Me” is exactly what Britney Spears wanted to write after years of being trapped by her own family.

It exposes the abusive industry she grew up in but focuses on her thoughts and feelings surrounding the last decade of her life. One can only hope the media can take a hint from her book and see how detrimental their harmful exposure of her was in a difficult period of her life. A quote from BookMark sums it up all too well: “Ultimately, what is clear is that Britney Spears is a woman recovering from trauma.

And we ought to give her the space to do so.”

“Henry Sugar” is a Must-Watch for Wes Anderson Fans

By MICHAEL SLUCK PRODUCTION EDITOR

While famous for some of the most celebrated children’s books in literary history, Roald Dahl is less well-known today for the litany of short stories he produced throughout his career.

Alternatively, extremely witty and emotive, Dahl combined fantastical elements with mundane experiences to craft the same literary masterpieces that made him so beloved among children for a more mature audience. Most of these stories, however, have been forgotten, eclipsed by Dahl’s much more famous works.

Director Wes Anderson has brought some of these stories back into the public eye, however, with his collection of short films based on four of Dahl’s short stories. All four films premiered on Netflix over the past month and provide an entertaining way to spend an autumn afternoon.

The longest story in the collection, “The Incredible Story of Henry Sugar,” recounts the tale of bored English playboy Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch), who stumbles across an incredible secret that he decides to use to enrich his fortune.

“The Swan” tells the story of Peter Watson (Asa Jennings), who is viciously tormented by two bullies. Of the four, this story is certainly the most disturbing, and at points, is difficult to watch.

“Poison” recounts the story of a man (Cumberbatch) on whom a poisonous snake has fallen asleep, preventing him from moving in fear that it will awaken the reptile, leading to his demise. The film follows the efforts of his friend and a doctor to remove the serpent without killing the man. Even though the film is only about 17 minutes long, the viewer is on the edge of their seat, feeling the fear and tension of the moment.

“The Ratcatcher” follows a man exterminating a rat-infested building, and his explanations of the unusual methods with which he carries out his tasks.

Each of the segments is classic Anderson — charming and quirky in a way that only he can be. The stories are unique in that the characters narrate events as they occur, quoting directly from the short stories on which they are based. Rather than pulling the viewer out of the tale, however, it enriches the story through the use of Dahl’s prose, making the reader feel like they are watching a live play right in front of them.

Rather than the increasingly familiar three-hour Hollywood blockbuster, each of the films is a quick watch. “Henry Sugar” is the longest of the four films, at only 41 minutes. The other three clock in at less than 20.

If you decided to watch all four together, it would constitute a

full-length movie, but the stories are completely separate from one another, and there’s no specific order to watch them in or any need to watch them all at once.

Though wildly different in terms of plot, all four stories share certain common qualities, contributed by both the director and the author on whose stories the shorts are based. Each tale has moments of comedy drawn from both Dahl’s witty writing and the amusing way Anderson shoots the moments. Interspaced throughout the films, there are cuts back to Dahl — himself a character in his own stories, played

by Ralph Fiennes — sitting in his cottage, narrating the tales he’s in the middle of writing.

Most of the stories (exempting “Henry Sugar”) have at least some disturbing elements, and there are often tense scenes that push the viewer to the edge of their seat. And the endings frequently leave the viewer sitting there, deep in thought — at the end of each film, my roommate and I sat in silence, processing everything we had just viewed.

The only critique I can level at the films is that sometimes they feel rather rushed — the characters tend to speak very quickly, and while this might be a directorial decision, it sometimes makes the stories feel sped up in places they shouldn’t be sped up. The relative quickness of the narration, however, makes the

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“Henry Sugar” provides endless entertainment for any autumn evening.

slow moments feel more dramatic, so perhaps the pacing does more for the story than it seems at first glance.

If you’re an Anderson fan, this series is a must-watch (though you probably knew that before you read my review. In fact, you’ve probably already seen these films). For those who have never ventured into Anderson’s domain, I absolutely recommend

giving these films a watch. Most of them are shorter than your average episode of television, making it perfect to fit into a busy day when you don’t have time to watch a full movie. Despite their brevity, however, each film manages to pack in an entertaining story and an emotional punch, a testament to the talent of one of the most creative directors in cinema history.

CULTURE

November 1, 2023

The Best Study Spots in New York City

By HANNAH BORING COPY CHIEF

The wind is picking up, the coats are coming out, Eddie’s looks like a mud pile after Homecoming. It’s getting time to do our studying inside. But why should we be confined to our boring rooms, the drab Walsh Library or the weird plastic tents outside of Starbucks and Cosi?

Autumn and the coming winter are some of the prettiest times to explore New York City. The leaves are falling, and soon all the Christmas lights will be shining. If you’re going to be stuck studying for finals, why not do it somewhere in our beautiful city?

Personally, I love studying in the city and making a whole day of it. But, the most important part of this is the study spot. My criteria: good drinks, maybe a bite to eat, a vibe straight from my favorite novels and close proximity to something fun to do afterwards. So, even though no one really asked, here are my top four places to study in New York City.

NewsBar Café, 107 University Pl.: Located about a block south of Union Square Station, NewsBar Café is a fun, green and delicious

study spot. This was the first non-Starbucks coffee shop I visited when I was a baby freshman at Fordham, and it is still one of my favorite spots in the city.

From a great seasonal drink menu to some delicious sandwiches and soups, it’s a great spot to grab a quick bite when you’re out in the city. It also has multiple seating options for studying: inside and two separate areas outside.

While it is possible to snag a table during the lunch rush (I’m writing this from here at 12:34 p.m. on a Wednesday), I would avoid the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekday times, purely just to avoid waiting in line. Lastly, as someone who is an avid headphone user, this was the first time in a very long time that I did my work without my own Spotify playlists rolling through my AirPods — the playlist in NewsBar fit the same green aesthetic as the café itself.

If you find yourself here during the wintertime, I highly recommend getting a gingerbread latte to go along with your rigorous finals studying. And when you’re done, treat yourself to a trip to the Strand Book Store, only two blocks east of NewsBar! New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Ave.:

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is the main branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) system. It’s only two blocks west of Grand Central, making it an easy trip on the Metro-North from Rose Hill.

You’ve probably heard about this one already, as it has some museum elements that draw in a lot of tourists. However, this is, by far, my favorite place to study in the city. I come here when I want peace and quiet, when I want to pretend I’m living in a dark academia novel or when I just want to get a ton of work done. The only downside to this location is that you can’t bring drinks in unless they are in a water bottle. My advice is to either chug a coffee on your way to the library or stop at one of the many coffee shops around NYPL. Lastly, come wintertime, why not take a stroll through the Bryant Park Winter Village right behind the library? At least for me, it’s the perfect way to end an excruciating study session, drinking some hot cocoa and watching people (beautifully or horribly) ice skate.

Irving Farm, 224 W 79th St.: While I was writing this article, I realized I didn’t have a study spot

in the Upper West Side. So, after some research, I found Irving Farm. It’s an easy ride on the 1 train from Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus and not even a block away from 79th St. station.

As per my usual quality study spot requirements, Irving Farm has a good drink and food menu.

There are two seating areas — one up front by the counter and one tucked away in the back — giving you plenty of room for a good study session. A bonus: it has charging stations at almost every table. This comes in handy when you’re trying to study before your three-hour-long LC class and your MacBook Air circa 2020 battery life is much shorter than it used to be. The only downside is that there isn’t any WiFi here, or at least none that I could find. So, this is really only a good study place if you have a personal hotspot (thank you, T-Mobile). Even though Irving Farm is right off of Broadway, the streets are pretty quiet, making it a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of traditional NYC. After your study session, you can hit up the Barnes & Noble a few blocks away on Broadway — something I didn’t know until I hopped off the train and realized I

Page 15

have incredible luck. outro nyc, 816 Broadway: The last study spot I’ll mention here is also by the Strand, because who would I be if I didn’t plan all of my study locations around where the nearest bookstore is? outro nyc is, in my opinion, the coolest of all of these locations based on vibe alone.

A few blocks away from Union Square Station, this is an easy, accessible and delicious place to visit. My first time studying here, it was raining and cold, and yet, with the partially-covered patio in the back, I was able to study “outside.” I looked up and saw the rain drops hitting the ceiling, but my computer (thankfully) stayed dry and I finished a week’s worth of work in one sitting. But don’t worry, there is also plenty of indoor seating for those slightly too cold days.

What really sold me on outro nyc was their impressive drink menu. Now, I’m not a big matcha girl, but their iced matcha rose was absolutely delicious.

While it’s not too far from the NewsBar Café mentioned prior, they have completely different vibes, and I highly recommend taking time to visit both when you’re in the city.

COURTESY OF HANNAH BORING FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

(From left: NewsBar Café, New York Public Library, Irving Farm, outro nyc) As the weather gets colder, enjoy a delicious drink to pair with your work at any of these study spots.

Sheeran’s New Vibe with “Autumn Variations”

By ISABELLA DeROSA

listen to these while walking to class or studying. They have a

lowkey sound that is very easy to listen to, which is typically

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Sept. 29, Ed Sheeran kicked off fall with a new album entitled “Autumn Variations.” The album has 14 songs ranging from slow and emotional to upbeat. The album fits the soft indie-pop style you would imagine a fall-themed album to have.

If you love emotional music and listening to songs that get you in your feelings, then this album is for you. Songs like “That’s on Me,” “The Day That I Was Born” and “Page” are the most emotional songs on the album. Although I am not one for sad music, I appreciate how well-written these songs are.

Sheeran is known for having good lyrics in his music, and this album remains true to his typical musical nature.

If you want aesthetic songs to add to your fall playlist, I highly recommend “England” or “American Town.” These songs are descriptive and have the most imagery on the album. I would

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Sheeran’s latest release is the perfect fall-themed album for autumn.

what I look for in songs when making an “everyday” playlist.

A more unusual approach I noticed in this album was songs that gave a positive spin on emotional themes. “Amazing” and “Spring” were two of my favorites. They had the same heartfelt themes of loneliness or heartbreak but gave the more hopeful message that it was okay to go through these experiences or that everything gets better. Rather than being songs that were simply meant to be relatable, I found that they were meant to be more consoling or meant to make you feel better. That is something I do not encounter in music often, and I thought it was a nice spin on the “sad music” genre.

My overall favorite song out of the entire album was the track “Midnight.” I would describe this song as cute. I liked the tune of this one the best; it was more upbeat than the others and was a hopeful love song, which was a nice break from the intensity of the other more emotional songs.

On the other hand, my least

favorites would be “Blue” and “When Will I Be Alright.” They were very slow and a little too melancholy. I got slightly bored when listening to them. Nevertheless, they add to the concept of the album, as it is meant to be slower. My favorite of the slower songs was “Punchline.” I thought it sounded more unique than the other slow songs while still fitting into the overall theme. Unlike Sheeran’s previous albums, “Autumn Variations” sticks to one vibe rather than spreading to different genres. For example, the album “Divide” has more variance in both sound and lyrics in comparison to this one.

Surprisingly, I liked the lack of variance. It made it more pleasant to listen to the whole album as each song easily transitioned from one to the next.

Overall, I would say this album is definitely worth a listen. If you are a fan of Sheeran, you will like this album. And if you have never given Sheeran a listen before, I believe this album is a very good introduction to his music and style.

SPORTS

Page 16

November 1, 2023

Overtime:Are Players Safe on the Ice?

Cross Country Competes at Atlantic 10 Championship

By MADDIE BIMONTE

By COLIN LOUGHRAN

SPORTS EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

Roughly two weeks after the Fordham men placed 16th out of 43 teams and the Fordham women placed 26th out of 36 teams in the 40th edition of the ECAC Championship, both sides of the cross country team placed 11th at the Atlantic 10 Championship this past Saturday at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio.

The men’s circuit was individually won by Loyola Chicago’s Chris Devaney. The graduate student finished the five-mile course in 23:48.6, and led the Ramblers to a first-place team finish in a field of 15 squads.

Fordham’s 11th-place finish was aided by the performance of senior Steven Zucca, who placed 18th overall with a final time of 24:39.4.

Zucca has been one the Rams’ most consistent competitors this season, and his showing this past weekend was par for the course.

Graduate student Colin Flood was the next Ram to complete the 8K course. The New Jersey native placed 39th at 24:58.4.

Freshman Sean Reidy placed 71st at 25:35.7, and freshman Jack Boerger grabbed 78th with a mark of 25:48.0.

Sophomores Nicolas Grabarz and Darren Croke and freshmen

Matthew McCabe, John Corrigan and Tadael Mihret all competed and placed among the top 130 finishers in a field of 141.

Loyola Chicago won the women’s team championship, but the competition was individually won by Virginia Commonwealth University junior Lauren Tunnell.

The Virginia native completed the 6K race in 20:50.6, and became the third Conference Champion in program history.

The women of Fordham were able to grab 11th place thanks in large part to freshman Meredith Gotzman. The freshman from Maryland placed 36th with a final time of 22:20.7. Junior Caitrina Barton was not far behind, finishing 46th at 22:36.3.

Senior Marin Bogulski finished 73rd with a time of 23:04.0, and junior Madeleine Ryan placed 79th at 23:13.3.

Freshman Sarah Zahaykevich, seniors Maddy Kopec and Clodagh McGroary and sophomores Quincy Biddle and Alexis Smith all competed and placed among the top 130 runners in a field of 139.

Cross Country’s next test will come in the form of the NCAA Northeast Regional.

The next event will be held on Friday, Nov. 10 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Both teams had an okay finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships.

Just this past week, former National Hockey League (NHL) player Adam Johnson lost his life after his neck was sliced by a skate during a game in England.

What is referred to by the team as a “freak accident” occurred midway through the second period of an Elite Ice Hockey League game between Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers.

The devastating event was met with an outpouring of love and support from players across not only the English Ice Hockey Association, but the NHL and greater hockey community.

Moments of silence held around the NHL and the Penguins adding “AJ 47” decals to their helmets included multiple tributes this past week.

Twenty-seven-year-old Johnson joined the Pittsburgh Penguins organization back in 2017, and later joined the Nottingham Panthers to play hockey internationally.

In the wake of the event, the English Ice Hockey Association has already said neck guards, which are usually recommended for hockey beginners, would now be mandatory for its players after Dec. 31.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL is strongly recommending the use of neck guards, as it explores the option of making it mandatory in the future.

Across the sport, this is not the first case of this incident occurring.

Last year, Teddy Balkind, a high school sophomore in Connecticut,

HOME AWAY

Wednesday Nov. 1

Thursday Nov. 2

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

Monday Nov. 6

Adelphi 5:30 p.m.

Loyola Chicago Loyola Chicago 6 p.m.

2 p.m.

VCU 7 p.m.

Bucknell 1 p.m.

Squash Bucknell

Rowing Water Polo

TBA Iona 7 p.m.

NYAC 7 p.m.

Golf

Julius Loughridge Junior Football

Sunday Nov. 5

Women’s Basketball

Football Loughridge had a career day on Saturday in Fordham’s heartbreaking loss against the College of the Holy Cross. He rushed for a career-high 211 yards on 25 carries to go along with three touchdowns, including a 45-yard and 50-yard score.

Saturday Nov. 4

Wagner 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Senior Volleyball

Friday Nov. 3

Men’s Basketball

Volleyball

Whitley Moody

T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals recently had designed turtleneck shirts with protective plastic inserts around the throat area in conjunction with his apparel company.

While they have not been debuted yet, Oshie told The Athletic recently that “he’s having some shipped to him and a handful of teammates so they can experiment with them.”

So with the new technology and modernization of the neck guard, it may be hard to argue against the use of them. While yes, it may feel uncomfortable for the average player who is not used to playing with one on, its value outweighs being uncomfortable for three periods of hockey.

It’s easy to call this a “freak accident” but it could be even worse to call it a “freak pattern” if these things continue to happen.

I think while the NHL will not make them mandatory outright, even in wake of this accident, many players will pop up on the ice with more safety precautions. So many players knew Johnson and loved him across the league that they may feel it’s time to wear something like that because it puts into perspective how anything can happen to anyone.

All around, this is not an intentional event. The hate being sent to the player who hit him with the skate should not face death threats or hate over an accident. It’s now up to the league to prevent those tragic accidents from happening again.

Varsity Calendar

Athletes of the Week Moody was a key part of Fordham’s offense and defense as the Rams tallied to big wins in Atlantic 10 play against the University of Rhode Island and Davidson College. She registered 13 kills, seven digs and two service aces against URI and 12 kills and 13 digs against Davidson.

died after suffering a cut to the neck during a collision. In 1989, goalkeeper Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres had his neck cut during a game against the St. Louis Blues. He survived the collision at the goalmouth.

In professional hockey, things like neck guards are not mandated. However, players may choose to wear them in games.

Across the board, many NHL goalies have chosen to wear neck guards after recalling the 1989 Malarchuk injury.

Yet for the average skater, it is not as popular.

Discourse on this issue has also trickled into death threats and hate messages being sent towards the player who collided with Johnson. But looking at this, it, to me, is clear this was not a targeted attempt.

In what is an unfortunate and tragic occurrence, the real question should not revolve around if he meant to kill Johnson, but rather, what can the hockey leagues do to minimize the chances of an occurrence like this to happen again.

Discussions in the greater community on platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) have mentioned the uncomfortability of neck guards and their cumbersome fitting.

However, technology is constantly adapting and changing, resulting in new forms of neck guards like Kevlar turtleneck sweaters that amateur hockey players often favor. However, for the pros, many have complained that it makes them too hot.

Women’s Swim and Dive

Georgetown

Men’s Swim and Dive

Georgetown

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

Tuesday Nov. 7

SPORTS

November 1, 2023

Men’s Soccer Shutout In Regular Season Finale

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR

In the regular season finale for the Fordham men’s soccer team, things did not fall their way as they were shutout on the road against Loyola University Chicago with a hard-fought 0-1 battle.

While the men already clinched an Atlantic 10 playoff berth, they were battling for a home quarterfinal match. Unfortunately, with the loss, the Rams are assured a road game.

Fordham managed to rack up some scary shots but were unable to find the back of the net. The Rams’ first chance came when sophomore Daniel D’Ippolito soared a kick towards the goal, which was swatted by the goalkeeper in the third minute of play.

The Rams remained on the front foot in the early going, holding a 6-1 edge in shots at the

25-minute mark of the match.

Fordham outshot Loyola, 7-5, in the opening 45 minutes.

Loyola managed to put up their own shots that were saved by graduate student goalkeeper Carter Abbott. The graduate student has been a key figure piece in close games with 43 saves across 15 games played.

The Rams’ best chance of the game came in the 75th minute, when graduate student Liam Salmon launched a shot that just missed the net, being deflected

by Rambler goalkeeper Aidan Crawford off the crossbar.

The lone goal of the game was scored in the 85th minute, with Markus Maurer having a stellar header goal after a cross came in from teammate Jack McFeely.

With five minutes left, there was little for the Rams to do, so they conceded the match, 0-1.

The Rams finish the regular season with a 6-3-7 record and

a 3-3-2 record in A-10 play.

They improved since last year’s season in which the team only recorded three wins. However, in both years, they tied many of their matches.

Their first matchup of the postseason is against Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Friday at 7 p.m. on the road.

VCU comes into the tournament as the number one seed, and Fordham the number eight seed.

The tournament this year is an eight-team single elimination tournament. After the quarterfinals, matchups will be re-seeded heading into the Nov. 8 semifinals, which the two highest remaining seeds will host.

Then, the winner of the A-10 Men’s Soccer Championship will be determined with the A-10 Championship Final at the highest seed’s home site at noon on Nov. 12. The winner of that game will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Page 17

Varsity Scores & Stats 47 49

Men’s Soccer Fordham Loyola Chicago

0 1

Water Polo Fordham George Washington

11 10

Volleyball Fordham Rhode Island

3 1

Fordham Mt. St Mary’s

19 8

Fordham Davidson

3 0

Fordham Bucknell

16 12

Fordham Davidson

1 3

Men’s Basketball Exhibition Fordham Loyola Chicago

79 75

Football Fordham Holy Cross

Men’s Tennis Fordham Invitational NTS (No Team Score) Squash Fordham Vassar

1 8

Fordham St. Lawrence

0 9

Rowing Head of the Schuylkill NTS (No Team Score) –Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

Men’s Cross Country Atlantic 10 Championship 11th/15 teams Women’s Cross Country Atlantic 10 Championship 11th/15 teams Golf Veterans Intercollegiate 9th/12 Teams

News & Notes

Water Polo Star Named to Cutino Award Watch List

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Men’s Soccer will take on top-seeded VCU this week in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Fordham Squash Opens Season in Poughkeepsie

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Squash opened their season this past Saturday in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with two matches against Vassar College and St. Lawrence University.

Unfortunately for the Rams, they dropped both matches in blowout fashion, losing to Vassar 8-1 and St. Lawrence 9-0.

Fordham’s only point against Vassar came courtesy of freshman Peter Vorbach at fifth position. He defeated Razaan Lalji in five games, 11-3, 10-12, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6. Vorbach is a Bronxville, N.Y. native who attended the Salisbury School in Connecticut.

Senior Henry Frawley was the closest Ram behind Vorbach to winning a game, but he dropped a heartbreaking five-set thriller to Konstan Georgallides at third position in a match where he had a two-set lead. After dropping the first two sets 9-11, 11-13, Georgallides impressively rallied to beat Frawley with a 11-1 win in set three, 11-7 in set four and 11-5 in set five.

In positions one and two, Fordham also came close to winning another point.

The Cutino Award Watch List recognizes the best player in men’s and women’s college water polo, and Fordham junior George Papanikolaou was named to this year’s watch list. The list is made up of 20 athletes, who are submitted by coaches across the country and are recognized for their amazing play.

While it doesn’t guarantee the winner of the Cutino Award will come from the list, it does emphasize the strong level of play thus far in the 2023 season.

Rams Row With Ease at Head of the Schuylkill

By MADDIE BIMONTE SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Squash had a tough opening weekend to their season.

Sophomore Nicholas Gilman fell in four sets to Rithik Jalali at first position 10-12, 11-7, 117, 11-1. Gilman is coming off an impressive freshman season for the Rams where he played all 21 of his matches in the top two positions. He’ll be looking to step into an even larger role this season as the Rams’ best option at the top of the order. Junior Bennett Van Liew also lost in four sets at second position. Jay Vashisht topped Van Liew 11-6, 13-11, 11-13, 11-4.

Against St. Lawrence, Fordham was absolutely dismantled. The Rams lost all nine of their matches, all by 3-0 scores.

St. Lawrence had an incredible weekend overall as they didn’t lose a single set in three matches against Fordham, Vassar and Boston University.

After a successful 2022-23 campaign that saw Fordham go 20-11 overall including a win at the Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) Championship, this was a disappointing start to the season for the Rams.

Fordham will look to bounce back next at the Navy Round Robin beginning on Nov. 10, where they’ll square off with a number of talented schools including Navy, Bucknell University and Georgetown University.

The Fordham rowing squad headed to Philadelphia this past weekend to row in the Head of the Schuylkill, and took home a pair of top-four finishes to mark the weekend as a strong success.

The day for the Rams began with the Varsity 4 race, as the Rams’ top boat finished fourth with a time of 15:01.4. The squad, consisting of graduate student coxswain Stefania Rocca, graduate students Anya Casey and Jamie Forbes and seniors Eleanor Rodde and Elli Lewis, finished just behind the University of Connecticut by a few milliseconds.

The top spot went to George Washington University with a time of 14:57.6.

The Fourth Varsity 4 shell finished two spots behind in sixth, finishing the course in 15:09.6. The Third Varsity 4 finished in 15:40.9 while Second Varsity 4 tallied 15:48.

The Freshmen/Novice 8 boat also had a strong showing this past weekend, earning a spot on the podium and finishing third in a time of 14:07.9.

The freshman team was led

by Kadence Mahlenbrock in the coxswain position, alongside her fellow rowers Isabella Barone, Lucy Cunningham, Riva Zellers, Elizabeth Barker, Stella Toro, Sunshine Frankenstein, Faith Lee and Sarah Porter.

Temple University claimed the gold in the event while Monmouth University followed suit by winning silver.

In the Championship 8 race, the Rams’ top boat finished seventh in a time of 13:25.9.

In the Club Championship 8 races, the Rams’ Second Varsity Boat finished sixth overall in a time of 13:54.7. The Third Varsity 8 shell came in 14:34.3 before the Fourth Varsity 8 crossed the line in 15:02.2.

The Rams are back in action on Saturday at Bucknell University for another event. The matchup starts at 3 p.m.

SPORTS

Page 18

November, 1, 2023

Women’s Basketball Season Preview: Plant the Roots

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

When Women’s Basketball hits the court this November, it will mark the beginning of a brand new multi-year plan.

Bridgette Mitchell takes over the reins for her first year as head coach in the Bronx, bringing with her an entirely new staff and nearly an entirely different roster.

The change comes following a disappointing exit in last year’s Atlantic 10 tournament. Despite earning a double bye, the Rams fell to University of Richmond in their opening matchup, blowing a 14-point first quarter lead.

It’s a dramatic reset for a program that has posted a record above .500 in its last seven seasons, making either the NCAA tournament or WNIT in all seven and winning 20+ games in four. As the A-10 preseason polls indicate, Fordham fans might have to prepare for a significant dropoff.

The Rams find themselves ranked 13th out of 15 teams in the A-10, ahead of both St. Bonaventure University and Loyola Chicago University.

They’re one of just five teams without any recognition on any of the A-10 preseason all-conference teams.

This year’s squad brings uncertainty and loads of unanswered questions. Of last year’s 17-man roster, only four players return: seniors Matilda Flood and Maranda Nyborg and sophomores Rose Nelson and Kaila Berry.

Flood comes off her best season at Rose Hill, setting career highs in every major category as one of

five Rams to appear in all 32 contests. The guard settled nicely into a sixth-man role, and her tenacious defense and ability to guard one through four on the court should give the Rams some useful versatility this year.

Nelson, a 6 foot 1 inch forward from Australia, went through some growing pains in her freshman campaigns, averaging 1.8 points per game on 54.2% shooting with most of her points coming inside the paint. Her development was expedited by a season-ending injury to forward Meg Jonassen, opening up playing time in the front court. Her athleticism is undeniable and her efficiency inside could translate to a breakout season with increased playing time.

Nyborg missed all of last season with an injury but saw regular playing time as a 6 foot 3-inch forward in each of her first two seasons, while Berry appeared in just two games as a freshman.

The biggest question is how Fordham will make up for all of their departing talent. The Rams tallied 2315 points last season. They returned just 107 points, thanks to the combined efforts of Flood and Nelson. To save you all some math, that’s 4.6% of their season total.

Fordham lost four players to graduation and an additional seven to the transfer portal. The biggest blows come in the form of A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year Asiah Dingle and Notre Dame transfer Anna DeWolfe, both of whom were named First Team All-Conference. The dynamic guard pairing accounted for nearly 52% of team scoring last year. Add Kaitlyn Downey, Jada Dapaa and a massive

chunk of their regular rotation to the list of departures and you’ve got the unenviable task of replacing all that production.

Coach Mitchell will seek to address that by bringing in six transfers from a wide range of schools.

Leading the pack is a trio of multi-year starters in senior guard Taylor Donaldson (New Mexico State University) and graduate student guards Emy Hayford (Pittsburgh University) and Mandy McGurk (University of Pennsylvania).

McGurk started all 29 of Penn’s games last season, averaging 8.0 points per game while finishing in the top 10 of the Ivy League with 81 assists and 49 steals. Donaldson posted 7.5 points per game while Hayford led Pitt with 53 assists.

Junior guard Taya Davis should also be an exciting addition, making the leap to Division 1 basketball after two years at the JUCO level. In those two years, Davis has done nothing but impress. Totaling 225 assists at Garden City Community College, Davis finished fourth in the entire National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) with 7.3 assists per game, doing so with 1.7 assist per turnover ratio. That’s on top of being named to the All-Conference team in her freshman campaign at Odessa Community College.

Davis’s speed and playmaking could be a game changer for the Rams this season.

Forwards Aminata Ly and Kailah Harris, hailing from Cleveland State University and Seton Hall University respectively, round out the transfers, adding some length and depth to the backcourt. With Ly standing at 6 feet 4 inches and Harris at 6 feet 1 inch, it gives the staff some options to play

Student Athlete Column: When to Let Go

By TIERNAN DEGNAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Rowing had the biggest race of our fall season this past weekend. I raced twice: first in the Second Varsity 4 and next in the Varsity 8. I was excited for Saturday, but when I crossed the finish line of my first race this weekend, all I felt was disappointment. It was supposed to be such a great race. We practiced with this lineup for weeks and the boat felt strong.

We worked well together, we had power, we had done so well in our race two weeks earlier.

We set ourselves up to have such a well-executed race, but I faltered. We ended up placing 17th, but it’s not the results that upset me—it’s my performance.

The race wasn’t disastrous, but I knew I could do better; I had wanted to do better. We put in so much effort for these moments.

We push ourselves at practice, put in the work in the weight room and train hard on the erg.

So much effort gets boiled down to a handful of races, so I want my rowing on race day to reflect what I’m capable of. I felt like I let down my teammates by not rowing my best. When you row, you can feel the other people in

with when it comes to constructing this rotation.

Mitchell was named head coach on April 7, limiting what the Rams could do recruiting-wise. However, they did manage to snag two freshmen in the form of guards Miya Giles-Jones and Cassidy Mahaney.

Giles-Jones brings a versatile and athletic 6-foot frame to the table, along with a decorated high school career at Terry Sanford High School in North Carolina.

The McDonald’s All-American nominee was named conference Player of the Year in all four seasons, and district Player of the Year twice.

Mahaney joins her as a First Team All-County selection to round off a small but promising inaugural class for coach Mitchell.

Looking at this roster holistically, there’s been a clear effort on getting bigger and quicker. Last year, Fordham had just three active players over 6 feet. This year, they’ll have five, headlined by the 6 foot 4 inch Ly and the 6 foot 3 inch Nyborg. The additions of Davis and Giles-Jones indicate the prioritization of fielding an athletic group.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re gonna play fast,” Mitchell said back at her introductory interview with WFUV. It certainly seems like she kept that in mind when trying to build out this roster.

Resets at the collegiate level can often be messy. Frankly, it’s not that hard to see why. With a newlook staff and new-look roster, there’s exponentially more ground to cover when it comes to preparing for the season. For this year’s roster, it’s not just learning a new system, but learning how to play with new teammates as well. Surprising

Men’s Tennis Wraps Up Fall with Invitational

By JOE MASTERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

I am constamtly improving and adjusting to become a better athlete.

the boat move with you. You know they are giving it their all and you want to do the same. I also let myself down in the first race. I kept replaying the race in my head trying to understand what went wrong, what I was doing differently, but I was coming up short. It wasn’t any one thing, so I didn’t know what I needed to change.

I was shaken after my first race and felt so uncertain about the next one. I spent so much time in that boat and felt confident because of that, but it hadn’t turned out as I had expected. I was glad I had the opportunity to race a second time, but I was nervous that I wouldn’t do any better. I already felt anxious about being in Varsity 8. I spent all of last year’s spring season in the Second Varsity 8, and this was my first race in our top boat. As we got closer and closer to our start time, I felt overwhelmed by the pressure to

perform, so I did the only thing I could in that moment and let go of the first race, at least temporarily. Being able to criticize yourself is important as an athlete, but I knew holding on to my disappointment and self-doubt wouldn’t be helpful in that moment. I was there, the first race was over and there was nothing I could do to change how I had done. It wasn’t easy. The fear of failure would come bubbling back up while I was warming up and when we were rowing to the start line, but I just kept telling myself to keep my eyes up and follow the girl in front of me.

When I crossed the finish line for the second time that day I knew I had shown up differently. I’d done the most I was capable of, and that was something I could be proud of.

I’ll continue thinking about my first race and about how I can improve, but sometimes it is okay to just let it go.

the prognosticators will be no easy task. It’s going to take a lot of effort to get the team flowing on the same page, particularly early on.

The Rams aren’t the only team in the conference entering a reset.

The University of Massachusetts, a bitter rival of Fordham and one of the A-10’s top programs the last few seasons, are undergoing a similar change with head coach Tory Verdi off to Pitt and their entire starting five departing. Unfortunately for teams like the Rams and the Minutewomen, there are plenty of schools who are returning their top talent.

The University of Rhode Island, who were last year’s Co-Regular Season Champions, was named atop the preseason poll, returning two all-conference selections while adding a Syracuse University transfer to the mix as well. Saint Joseph’s College keeps much of their core intact after a breakout season and last year’s A-10 champion Saint Louis University returns leading scorer Kyla McMakin.

The Fordham Rams begin their 2023-24 season on Monday, Nov. 6, hosting Adelphi College right here at Rose Hill.“We aren’t going to promise the university or people to win. We aren’t going to promise that we can do magical things,” said Mitchell. “We are going to be a group of people that compete, work, and have fun.

We know for a fact that wins will come in overflow once we establish our culture.”

It’s clear coach Mitchell is trying to build something long term. This year should be the roots of what may once again blossom into a top program in the A-10.

The Fordham men’s tennis team ended its fall season on a positive note, coming away with numerous impressive victories while hosting the tournament, the Fordham Invitational this weekend in the Bronx. Also taking part in the invitational were players from Wagner College and Queens College.

As a squad, the Rams took home eight match victories with six coming from the singles courts and two from the doubles side of play. Sophomores Dhillon Virdee-Oakley, John Mascone and Stefan Stojanovic, and freshman Yi-Shen Wee all won in straight sets. Mascone and Wee each won both of their matches in the invitational, with the Wee impressively winning both matches in straight sets.

Mascone topped Wagner’s Filippo Tonnicchi 6-0, 3-0 and Queens’ Lucas Foix Satos 5-7, 7-5, 10-6.Wee bested Wagner’s Kunsh Moolchandani 6-2, 6-3 and Queens’ David Cerne 6-2, 6-3.

On the doubles courts, the Rams saw the senior/sophomore pairing of Nicholas Kanazirev and Dhillon Virdee-Oakley defeat Wagner’s David Krasner and Rodrigo Perez, 8-7 (4). Mascone and graduate student Nick Mueller also came out on top against Wagner’s Aryan Gupta and Lucas Darling, 8-6. Queens ultimately had the most success in doubles play, winning a total of three matches.

For this Rams team, the invitational this weekend, in addition to previous tournaments earlier in the fall, serve as a tune up for what awaits in the spring: a chance at redemption. After falling short in the Atlantic 10 Playoffs last year, Fordham will look to bounce back in 2024 with something to prove. With all but two players returning from last season, the Rams head into their spring season with a roster full of veterans looking to build off their 2023 campaign.

The next time the Fordham men’s tennis team hits the courts will be on Feb. 3, when they take on Boston University.

SPORTS

November 1, 2023

Page 19

Fordham Men’s Basketball Season Preview: What’s in Store for an Encore?

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

It’s often said that the sequel is never as good as the original.

Fordham Men’s Basketball has a chance to prove otherwise.

Last year’s 25-8 season saw Fordham post a 12-6 conference record, and make an appearance in the Atlantic 10 Semifinals where they ultimately fell to the Dayton Flyers. The 2023-24 campaign is set to tip off with a Nov. 6 home game against Wagner, and second-year Rams head coach Keith Urgo will boast a blend of both fresh and familiar faces looking to show that they can compete in an extremely deep conference.

“Obviously everyone talks about Championships. That’s the ultimate goal, making the NCAA Tournament,” Urgo said at the annual A-10 Media Day event. “Hearing your name called on selection Sunday, there is nothing quite like that. I feel like we have enough talent and depth where that could be a possibility, but you just never know. There’s so many different factors. We’ve got to continue to get better. We’ve got to mature, and obviously we have to stay healthy.”

The boys from the Bronx had a clear calling card during their breakout season-sturdy defense.

They surrendered the fourth fewest points per game, and forced the third most opponent turnovers per contest.

From a personnel perspective, Fordham’s defensive grit figures to remain a vital part of

the equation. The departure of Rostyslav Novitskyi will place more responsibility on the shoulders of senior Abdou Tsimbila.

“He knows what his strengths are,” Urgo said of Tsimbila. “He works on his weaknesses, so he’s going to be more of an offensive threat this year. I couldn’t be more thrilled with his development.”

The Cameroon native, along with sophomores Romad Dean, Angel Montas and Elijah Gray, will be charged with protecting the paint. The latter three forwards are interesting pieces to the Fordham puzzle. Their size and athleticism complement the physical brand of ball Urgo has preached about, but it is not known if they will be fixtures in the rotation.

On the perimeter, Kyle Rose cemented his status as one of the conference’s best defenders last season. The Maryland native led the maroon in steals thanks in large part to his tenacity at the point of attack, and recently earned Atlantic 10 Preseason AllDefensive Team honors along with Tsimbila as a result.

“I want to continue to get better on defense and just show the rest of my team that it’s not only about putting the ball in the basket,” said Rose. “You can affect the game in many other ways.”

Graduate transfer Ogheneyole Akuwovo, sophomore transfer Joshua Rivera and senior transfer Japhet Medor will each be asked to embrace the mentality that

landed Rose and the Rams the A-10’s second best overall record.

With the culture that Urgo has attempted to mold, and with the returning defenders like Rose, it’s not a stretch to say that Fordham will be able to replicate what they were able to do defensively, but scoring on the other end could be their biggest question mark.

The Rams will be uniquely tasked with finding an offensive identity. Darius Quisenberry and Khalid Moore led the team in scoring last season. Either player could have served as a primary option on any given occasion, and their scoring ability often opened up avenues for teammates.

Their departure leaves Fordham without a true number one option, but there are still numerous players who could spark the offense.

Chief among them is senior Antrell Chartlon. He led the team in assists per game, and averaged the fourth most points of any Ram. Much like Rose, Charlton is a fiery defender on the perimeter who can turn good defense into better offense.

Without Quisenberry and Moore, Fordham will need Charlton to continue to serve as both a facilitator and a scorer, and hope that others like Rose, Tsimbila, Rivera, Medor and junior Zach Riley follow suit.

As a freshman at Lafayette, Rivera posted 10.6 points. Medor Ranked fifth in the C-USA in assists at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Riley offered moments of offensive agility for Fordham

Volleyball Defeats Rhode Island; Splits with Davidson

By BRETT TULIP STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball played three matches this week, starting on Wednesday against the University of Rhode Island Rams on the road before taking on the Davidson College Wildcats this weekend at the Rose Hill Gymnasium.

Having almost a month between matches against URI, it is good to see Fordham was able to again put their opponents away.

Winning on Oct. 4, 3-0, they won 3-1 this time, with their only dropped set being a tight 28-26 loss. Senior Whitley Moody again showed out, totaling 13 kills on the night. Another notable performance came from freshman

Lorenza Rosenkilde, who finished with seven kills. The three sets where Fordham was victorious would end 25-17, 25-22 and 25-18 in the first, second and fourth.

Onto their next match, Fordham was able to stay home and had a dominating performance in front of the hundreds of fans in attendance. They started the first set by edging past Davidson in a 25-23 win. It was a mostly backand-forth rhythm, with each team trading points and neither particularly going on a huge run. However, in the second set, Fordham closed out their 26-24 game with a clutch block and kill from graduate student Nailah Jenkins. Lastly, they concluded their outstanding Saturday with

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams got back to .500 in conference play with two wins this week.

a dominating 25-18 victory led by sophomores Audrey Brown and Mackenzie Colvin, who would finish the day with a career-high 20 assists.

Unfortunately, the Rams cooled off completely on Sunday in their second match against Davidson.

They were unable to replicate their previous successes and fell 3-1. They won the first set 25-18, in large part due to a late sixpoint run led by sophomore Zoe Talabong. However, it would only go down from there. They lost the second set in a heartbreaking 26-24 performance before dropping the last two, both ending in scores of 25-14.

Fordham picking up multiple key Atlantic 10 wins will prove to be very helpful in a few weeks.

The 2023 A-10 Championship starts on Nov. 17 in Davidson, N.C., and the Rams will continue to try to make a push for a bid.

They currently stand at 16-8 on the year and are .500 in conference play at 7-7. The team only has four matches against two teams left this season, the first two of which will be against new conference rival Loyola University Chicago at home. For the season’s conclusion, they will travel to George Mason University in Virginia and wrap up the rest of their conference schedule.

last year that stimulated offensive production.

Sophomore Will Richardson is another individual whose offensive growth will be paramount.

During his freshman campaign, the guard averaged 6.6 points across 33 games while struggling to take care of the ball and be a consistently good defender.

Richardson’s first year at the collegiate level could best be described as streaky, but there is no reason to believe he won’t be able to improve certain areas of his game as he becomes more at home in the Bronx.

Richardson’s development could serve as a blueprint for freshman Jahmere Tripp. The Brooklyn native is a hybrid whose size and strength allow play either guard or forward. He played in the Overtime Elite circuit with Our Saviour Lutheran as a senior, and averaged 11.7 points. If Tripp could provide similar spurts of electricity this year, it will be akin to what Richardson was able to do a year ago from an offensive perspective.

The Rams were ranked seventh in the A-10 preseason poll. They received one vote to finish in first place, but the majority of voters selected either Dayton or VCU. The DaRon Holmes III-led Flyers reigned in 20 first place votes while the defending A-10-Champion Rams secured one first place vote.

Third place-ranked St. Bonaventure was the only other school to receive a first place vote while intrigu-

ing programs such as Duquesne, St. Josephs, St. Louis and Loyola Chicago rounded out the top eight teams.

The bottom of the A-10 preseason poll featured schools such as La Salle, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. When in-conference play kicks off in January, Fordham will have to handle these kinds of opponents, and not allow a hectic non-conference schedule to distract them from the job at hand.

Such a task will not be easy considering some of the A-10’s less touted units have either plugged their deficiencies through the transfer portal or elected to try and develop returning players who’ve shown promise.

Just before the Rams begin their A-10 slate against George Washington on Jan. 3, they’ll face Rick Pitino’s Johnnies at Madison Square Garden, and then return to Rose Hill for two final non-conference contests against Central Connecticut State and Columbia.

Success at the collegiate level often depends on culture, continuity and player development.

The Fordham Rams thrived a year ago due to a powerful culture shift and noteworthy roster continuity.

This season will require that same culture to influence the development of both new and returning players as Fordham aims to continue their rise towards the top of the heap.

Golf Closes Fall Season

By WILL TALLANT STAFF WRITER

Fordham Golf opened their final outing of the fall season in Southampton, N.Y., competing in the Veterans Intercollegiate at Sebonack Golf Club. In their final fall action, the Rams saw a ninth-place finish in the 12-team field with Long Island University taking home the hometown title.

Fordham’s top performer this goaround came from one of the Rams’ standout freshmen Felix Luetke-Meyring, continuing his steady progression all season long up until his last round of the fall. It was a season highlighted by electric play from junior Jake Mrva, but one thing remained the same with this roster; the underclassmen provided quite the supporting cast behind a light upperclassmen roster.

Day one of action began on Monday, Oct. 30 as Fordham finished their opening round in the same place they finished overall, ninth. Luetke-Meyring was the one in charge all tournament long for the Rams as the freshman flashed a one-under 71 in the opening round to slot the freshman into ninth on the individual leaderboard. The next best Ram was fellow freshman Tucker Silva, carding a three-over 75 and in a tie for 22nd place. Veterans of the Fordham roster, Mrva and junior Chris Konefal, shot seven-over and 13-over respectively in their final opening round until

the spring. Mrva slotted into a tie for 40th with Konefal rounding the leaderboard out for the Rams in a share of 55th.

On Tuesday, Mrva saw a fourstroke improvement, etching a 75 and ultimately finishing his last tournament of the fall in a tie for the 24th spot. Outside of their standout junior, the Rams did not have the same play they had on Monday as each Ram delivered an increased score from the day one scores aside from Mrva. Silva jumped from an excellent 75 on Monday to an 86 in his second round of play. The freshman would ultimately fall to a share of 45th.

Luetke-Meyring concluded his fall with a 76 final round, netting him an excellent finish in sixth overall on the individual leaderboard.

Sophomore Mashu Nish improved in his second round of play, jumping into a share of 33rd with a three-stroke improvement of 77.

The Veterans Intercollegiate concluded the 2023 fall season for the Fordham Rams golf team who saw very encouraging play from such a young roster for the entirety of the fall. Head coach Gary Murphy needed his juniors to come through with no seniors returning and after the season Mrva put together, it appears as though these Rams have a true anchor in the middle of this roster. There are lots to look forward to for Fordham Golf as the spring waits in the wings.

SPORTS

Page 20

November 1, 2023

Football Loses Another Heartbreaker to Holy Cross

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Heading into this weekend, it seemed like it would be difficult for Fordham and the College of the Holy Cross to top last year’s dramafilled, overtime thriller between these two Patriot League rivals.

But on a beautiful family weekend Saturday at Moglia Stadium, the Rams and the Crusaders played another all-time classic.

Despite 600 yards of total offense for the Rams, Holy Cross defeated Fordham 49-47 to claim the annual Ram-Crusader cup. This was the seventh consecutive victory for Holy Cross over Fordham dating back to 2017. Both teams are now 5-3 on the season, but the Crusaders sit at 3-1 in Patriot League play while the Rams are a disappointing 1-2.

Sophomore quarterback CJ Montes and junior running back Julius Loughridge both had career days in the loss. Montes threw for a career-high 410 yards and four touchdowns, while Loughridge added an outstanding 211 yards and three touchdowns. But Montes also suffered the first interception of his Fordham career, a critical pick-six late in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was disappointed with his team’s lack of discipline in the loss. Fordham were penalized 10 times for 81 yards, compared with five penalties for 35 yards for the Crusaders.

“Too many mistakes. You can’t beat a good team, the defending champs, if you have that many penalties. Obviously, we turned the ball

over and they didn’t,” Conlin said.

“We shot ourselves in the foot.”

Fordham started out fast on Saturday, scoring a touchdown on the opening possession of the games. Montes hit graduate student Garrett Cody on a deep ball over the middle of the field for a 36-yard touchdown, a perfect beginning to the afternoon for the Rams.

Holy Cross quickly responded with two scores of their own on back-to-back possessions to go up 14-7 in the first. Quarterback Joe Pesansky connected with receiver Jalen Coker on a 41-yard strike for the first score, while running back Jordan Fuller punched the ball in from the one-yard line to put the Crusaders up for the first time on the day.

On Fordham’s next two possessions, Loughridge made his presence felt. In the final minute of the first quarter, the sophomore broke a 45-yard touchdown run to get Fordham within one, although the extra point from senior Brandon Peskin was no good. That missed extra point proved to loom large as the game continued. After a three-and-out from Holy Cross, Loughridge again ripped a huge touchdown run. This one happened on 4th-and-2 from midfield, with Loughridge breaking through the Crusader defense for the 50yard score.

Loughridge’s second touchdown was the start of five consecutive scores from both teams. Fuller and Holy Cross came right back with a one-yard touchdown of their own, which was immediately followed by a 55-yard touchdown bomb

from Montes to graduate student receiver MJ Wright. That made the score 27-21 Rams, but Holy Cross again had an immediate response to go back on top 28-27.

The back-and-forth action did not stop there as Montes once again found Cody on a deep ball, this one for a 47-yard touchdown over the top of Holy Cross’s defense.

With Fordham leading 34-28 heading into halftime, the scoring picked up in the second half right where it left off in the first. Pesansky connected with a wide-open Tyler Purdy off play action from a heavy formation to once again give the Crusaders a one-point edge.

The Rams then restored their six-point lead on a five-yard touchdown from Montes to senior Mekai Felton.

Both offenses finally began to stall in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders missed a short field goal attempt, and the Rams were forced into back-to-back punts.

Holy Cross finally broke through with under seven minutes to play, as Purdy scored his second touchdown of the day on a 14-yard rush.

Fordham trailed 42-41 at this point, with the narrow one-point edge coming as a result of Peskin’s missed extra point way back in the first quarter.

As Montes and Fordham attempted to drive down the field and retake the lead, disaster struck. Montes had not thrown an interception all season up to this point, but his first one came at a huge moment. With the ball in Holy Cross territory, Montes was picked off by Matt Duchemin

who returned it 68 yards to the house for the pick six. This made it 49-41 Holy Cross with 4:55 to play.

But, it was still a one-possession game. A touchdown and twopoint conversion from the Rams would tie things up and send the contest to overtime. Montes marched Fordham’s offense methodically down the field, eventually getting set up inside the Holy Cross five-yard line with one minute to play. Loughridge then scored his third touchdown of the day from short-distance, meaning Fordham only needed a two-point conversion to tie.

On the crucial two-point attempt, Montes threw a shovel pass inside to Loughridge, but he was swallowed up and stopped mere inches from the goal line by the Holy Cross defense. The Crusaders escaped from Moglia Stadium with the 49-47 win, with Fordham once again suffering an absolutely heartbreaking loss at the hands of Holy Cross.

Conlin chuckled in the postgame

press conference when asked about Holy Cross’s seven-game winning streak against the Rams.

“I appreciate the reminder,” he laughed. “They’re good. We seem to have bad luck against them…

They seem to be really good games. Clearly, I have to do a better job down the stretch to get this team to the finish.”

Fordham’s Patriot League title aspirations seem to be down the drain after their second loss in just three conference games so far this season.

The Rams can still hope for an at-large bid to the FCS Tournament, but that would require them to win out the rest of the way.

Even then, there are no guarantees.

Fordham will be back in action next Saturday against Bucknell University at Moglia Stadium. That game is set for a 1 p.m. start and can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7 FM.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

For the seventh consecutive time, Holy Cross has defeated Fordham.

Water Polo Clinches Top Seed in MAWPC

By LOU ORLANDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

#15 Fordham Water Polo already boasts consecutive MidAtlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) championships. Now they’re poised to claim a third straight title, clinching the top seed in the MAWPC for the third year in a row with a trio of wins to close out conference play.

There was little break in the schedule for the Rams who, returning from a grueling five-day West Coast trip the week prior, were met with a trio of MAWPC opponents this weekend to close out conference play for the regular season.

With Fordham protecting both the top seed and a perfect 9-0 conference record, they controlled their destiny in the final stretch.

A Saturday doubleheader awaited the Rams, kicking things off with an 11 a.m. match against George Washington University.

Meeting earlier in the season, Fordham had blown the doors off of the Revolutionaries with an 18-6 win in September. This time, it wouldn’t be so easy.

GW grabbed a 4-1 first quarter lead, but the Rams quickly responded, netting five goals in the second to take a 6-5 lead at halftime. Tied 7-7 entering the final frame, junior Lucas Nieto Jasny and senior Christos Loupakis tallied markers to give Fordham a two-goal lead.

The Revolutionaries answered right back with three straight, giving GW the advantage with less than three minutes to play.

Luckily for the Rams, junior Jacopo Parrella has never met a

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Water Polo clinched another undefeated season in MAWPC play.

big moment he didn’t like. After tying the game with 2:36 left, Parrella recorded a steal and converted on the ensuing breakaway to give Fordham the lead with 1:56 left. The Rams would hold it down from there, staving off a GW power play in the final minute to come away with a tight win.

Parrella turned in a hat trick while reigning MAWPC Rookie of the Week Barnabas Eppel turned in another multi-goal performance.

Fordham avoided a tight-knit affair in the second game of the day, defeating Mount St. Mary’s University by a score of 19-8.

Leaping out quickly with back-toback five-goal quarters, the Rams rode a 10-4 lead at halftime all the way to an easy finish. Parrella notched a second straight hat trick alongside sophomore Balazs Berenyi, but both were outdone

by Nieto Jasny’s game-high four goals.

With their two wins, Fordham officially secured the top seed in the 2023 MAWPC Championship. A Sunday matchup against Bucknell University would be the last time the Rams would face a conference opponent prior to the tournament, with Fordham looking to go undefeated in regular season league play for the second season in a row.

For the second game in a row, Fordham leapt out to a red-hot start, taking a 6-1 first quarter

lead as Eppel and junior George Papanikolaou each netted two in the frame. Berenyi scored once in the first as well, which proved to be just the start of a phenomenal day for the sophomore. Tallying a hat trick in the second quarter alone, Berenyi tacked on three more in the second half for a career-high seven goals.

Papanikolaou notched four goals while Parrella had a complete day with one goal, five assists and five steals.

In net, junior Thomas Lercari, just one week removed from earning Defensive Player of the Week honors in the MAWPC, posted 14 saves and a pair of steals.

It’s hard to describe just how dominant Fordham’s been in the MAWPC over the last three years, but I’ll do my darndest. Since receiving an influx of young talent in 2021, the Rams are 39-1 in regular season league play, winning their last 30 contests. If you include the MAWPC tournament, that winning streak stands at 36.

It won’t be a cake walk by any means, particularly with the #19 ranked United States Naval Academy in the mix vying for a top-four seed.

Navy currently sits 4th in the MAWPC with a 5-3 conference record, but with four league games at hand and consensus polls pointing to them as the second best team in the conference,

don’t be surprised if they ended up with the #2 seed. But let’s put all that aside for now. By claiming the top seed, the Rams have once again put themselves in an excellent position to repeat for a third year in a row. And if we’re to make anything of recent history, another banner is certainly feasible.

With conference play concluded, the Rams will wrap up their regular season with two weeks of nonconference action, with the likes of schools like Iona College and Brown University on the schedule.

“It’s a little weird this year.

Usually the last league games are two weeks before. Everyone else had got games two weeks before, but we had none,” said head coach Brian Bacharach. “We scheduled a few other games so that we could maybe work on a few things going into the conference championships. But at the same time really, it’s just about keeping sharp.”

Next due up, it’s the Iona Gaels on Wednesday in the annual Judge Cup. Fordham has won the last eight meetings, and is now just one win away from evening the series at 21, with the cup’s history dating back to 1999.

The MAWPC Championship begins November 17, this year hosted by Bucknell.

The Rams will look to stay sharp until then.