Observer Issue 12 Spring 2025 by Fordham Observer

The STudenT Voice of fordham LincoLn cenTer

Head Coach Fired: The Keith Urgo Era is Over

University Pauses Hiring

By MICHELLE WILSON Asst. News Editor

Fordham CFO Tokumbe Shobowale announced a hiring pause and reduced departmental spending due to a “forecast budget deﬁcit” in the 2026 ﬁscal year in an email sent to all faculty on March 14.

Shobowale cited the uncertain future of federal higher education funding and the graduation of Fordham’s largest undergraduate class this May as the key factors driving the expected deﬁcit. Fordham also recently cut student work-study hours to a maximum of 10 hours per week.

Shobowale wrote that exceptions may be considered to the hiring pause.

By CORA COST Sports and Health Editor

Athletic trainers are present in almost every facet of an athlete’s life, athletic trainers are the people who make sure that everyone is healthy and safe in whatever they are doing.

March is recognized as National Athletic Training Month, a time to celebrate the athletic trainers who work in every part of people's lives. For the Fordham community, it is a time to thank the nine athletic trainers who work with all 22 NCAA Division I teams at Fordham Athletics.

Kelsy Pacheco, assistant athletic trainer at Fordham University, said her path to becoming an athletic trainer was similar

By CORA COST Sports & Health Editor

Basketball head coach has been ﬁred after three seasons leading the Rams, according to a statement posted by Fordham University Athletics on March 20. The announcement made by Fordham’s new athletic director Charles Guthrie stated that “the university is making a change in the leadership of its men's basketball program, parting ways with head coach Keith Urgo.” The Fordham Athletics Department is unable to comment anything further than their ofﬁcial statement on their website at this time.

Urgo’s departure from the head coach position of Fordham’s men’s basketball program comes after the team’s Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship run ended with their 88-81 loss to George Washington University in the second round on March 13.

Government vs. Education The Unsung Heroes of Fordham Athletics

Written by William Lee Opinions Editor

The detainment of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil represents an alarming meeting of pro-Zionist and anti-immigrant rhetorics that have become normalized in American politics. It is particularly alarming to see educational institutions become the ﬁrst battleground in a new push against dissent. The federal government’s political repression on university campuses gives insight into how repression will manifest elsewhere.

The United States government has a storied history of political repression. While backing coups against democratically elected ofﬁcials abroad and surveilling civil rights leaders at home, our

government has maintained its so-called “commitment to freedom.”

Born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria, Mahmoud Khalil is a Columbia graduate student and a permanent resident of the United States. He was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 8 and is being held in Louisiana without a criminal charge.

Khalil led negotiations during pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia’s campus, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as having “led activities aligned to Hamas.”

Badar Khan Suri of Georgetown University has also been detained due to his marriage to Palestinian student Mapheze Saleh, who

U.S. authorities allege to have connections to Hamas. Additionally, Rasha Alawieh of Brown University was deported to her native Lebanon. The DHS characterized her attendance at Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut as explicit support for Hezbollah. None of them did anything remotely illegal, but they have all been labeled as terrorists.

Others at Columbia who have been targeted include undergraduate Yunseo Chung and Ph.D. student Ranjani Srinivasan. Chung got an initial win from a lawsuit she began against government ofﬁcials after she was almost deported, while Srinivasan ﬂed to Canada.

to many others in her ﬁeld. She said that many athletic trainers choose the profession because it allows them to have a foot in professional athletics and healthcare at the same time.

“I feel like most athletic trainers have a similar ‘origin story’ and mine doesn’t differ much from everyone else’s. I played soccer in high school, sprained my ankle one day, learned we had an athletic trainer and fell in love with the profession.” Pacheco wrote. “From then on I kind of always knew it was going to be athletic training for me- it combined everything I wanted; a way to stay around professional athletes and sports while still getting to be a part of healthcare.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Keith Urgo’s tenure as the head coach of the Fordham men’s basketball team ends after his third season with the Rams.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSSA PLANTZ

Alyssa Plantz, Fordham AT, embracing a women’s tennis athlete after a win.

How to Defend LGBTQ+ Rights

The event featured lawyers and activists invested in the ﬁght against rights rollbacks and repression

By MICHELLE WILSON Asst. News Editor

Fordham OUTLaws hosted its annual symposium in the Law School on Mar. 4, educating students on the effects of federal, state and local elections on LGBTQ+ rights and how to get involved.

The event was part of Fordham’s 2025 Week of Abolition, in which various Fordham Law student organizations presented events focused on justice and advocacy.

OUTLaws is Fordham Law School’s (LAW) LGBTQ+ afﬁnity and advocacy group. Around 35 people attended in person and another 90 joined over Zoom. The event was split into three panels and ran from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a reception at Valhalla, a bar near Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

LAW Dean Joseph Landau gave a brief speech to kick off the event, lauding the value of a law education as a tool for justice in today’s fraught political climate.

“If you think for a moment you're not doing enough, or that you’re not doing the right thing, I want you to think again. You’re doing everything right by preparing for a career in which you advocate, counsel, speak up and ﬁght,” Landau said.

Dominic Cigna, organizing co-chair of the event, introduced the ﬁrst panel on the future of LGBTQ+ rights under a “Trumpled” Supreme Court. They emphasized the importance of political action to protect trans youth, even in a progressive city like New York City.

“In many ways, we’re fortunate to live in the city that we do. We’ve also seen proof that passive existence is not enough. We must actively engage in elections at every level to protect all of us,” Cigna said.

The ﬁrst three panelists counseled law students on how best to leverage their educations to protect queer, trans and otherwise marginalized New Yorkers.

Alexia Korberg, executive director of Her Justice, a nonprofit offering free legal help to New York City women living in poverty, argued that the current Supreme Court was the wrong venue for lawsuits intended to affect social change or “impact litigation.” They specified this should apply to affirmative litigation cases, not if the plaintiff is the defendant.

Korberg worked as a constitutional litigation attorney for 13 years before they came to Her Justice. Korberg said they were demoralized by what they considered an erosion of the rule of law

in the Supreme Court.

“I think it’s a farce that we’re doing rule of law on constitutional issues,” Korberg said.

Lauren Zimmerman, a partner at the Selendy Gay PLLC law ﬁrm, has litigated book bans at public schools and libraries for the last two years. She shared a similar perspective on the future of antiLGBTQ+ rulings during the third panel, saying judges are failing to follow any legal standard on book bans.

“I think that the gloves are off in terms of the reasoning for why books can be removed,” Zimmerman said.

James Salwen, a bankruptcy lawyer “by day” and pro bono litigator on the side, agreed with Korberg’s stance. Salwen said “choosing your battles” is key in cases where “the bad result is the status quo.”

“You don’t want to be making bold charges where a loss makes things worse,” Salwen said.

Salwen also shared practical advice for law students wishing to get involved on the ground level. He said it is important to choose the correct plaintiffs, legal theory and district court, particularly when litigating in right-leaning states.

“I think there are judges there who, most likely, really consider themselves on a mission to accomplish certain non-judicial ends. But I think we have judges who are trying on some level to do the right thing and have what I would consider the wrong premises in their minds to begin with,” Salwen said.

Salwen worked pro bono on United States v. Skrmetti, a pending Supreme Court case on whether bans on gender-afﬁrming care for minors in Tennessee violate the Equal Protection Clause.

Beyond this clause, other potential protections against executive orders, including the New York state Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law, were discussed in the second panel, “State of Equality: Safeguarding LGBTQ+ Rights in NY.”

Gabriella Laros, an attorney at the New York City Civil Liberties Union, used both these provisions in two suits against Nassau County. The suits countered a new regulation requiring any team using county facilities to designate itself as male, female or co-ed — deﬁning gender based on sex assigned at birth — in order to bar trans people from competing in sports.

“The judge in our case issued a decision concluding without much reasoning that this local law doesn't discriminate on the basis of gender identity and that it doesn't violate the human rights

law or the civil rights law in New York,” Laros said.

Another potential provision is the Nov. 2024 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which protects against discrimination based on “race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

The original suits did not consider the ERA because it had not yet been instituted. An appeal has been ﬁled.

This expansive definition of discrimination aims to protect affirmative action, reproductive rights and more, but may result in conflicts between groups claiming protections, according to Julie Suk, professor of law.

“I think it is worth taking seriously because I think that the concept of discrimination doesn't get us that far,” Suk said. “Once you have that in there, now you say no disparate impact based on religion, that's actually giving traditional and conservative religious communities an opportunity to say, ‘oh, if you make us comply with anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ+ people, that is a disparate impact on religious communities.’”

Sahar Moazami, assistant deputy director of the New York City Council, offered a more heartening perspective in the third panel: “Understanding the Impact of Local Politics on Our City’s Queer and Trans Community.”

“We in New York, in New York City and New York state, have some of the most expansive and inclusive laws and protections, including the most recently passed ERA provisions in our state constitution, but also our New York City human rights law,” Moazami said.

New York City’s $110 billion budget insulates New Yorkers from federal funding cuts.

They also said New York City’s $110 billion budget insulates New Yorkers from federal funding cuts. Filament Kind, an intern at assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas’s ofﬁce, countered this assertion, pointing out that well-intentioned laws may not best serve their constituents, such as in the case of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“To qualify for SNAP, a family of one must make under $19,584 a year, which is less than $1,632 monthly. I dunno what you guys pay in rent. That's insane,” Kind said.

All panelists agreed on the importance of voting for local elections, with New York City ranking second-to-last in voter turnout for big cities. But, there is more to do besides voting. Kind pointed to the value of mutual aid to support queer and trans people, who face higher poverty rates.

“Voting is just the start. There's so much more that we can do more broadly … I also think importantly, to bring it back to mutual aid, engaging in your community and assisting your community is also incredibly valuable,” Kind said.

There was a shared sentiment amongst panelists to encourage community organization, engagement and voter turnout.

“Encourage you to get your friends to pay attention to local politics, board elections, understand what jurisdiction, what districts near you are doing what, and focus on candidates that'll help us with the issues we want, because I think it's really easy right now to put our heads in the sand,” Zimmerman said.

All three panels lasted an hour, with around 45 minutes dedicated to panel discussion before the ﬂoor was opened for questions.

The event’s funding was coordinated by OUTLaws’s Fundraising Chair Kate Whitin, who managed donations from law ﬁrms and a portion of the group’s annual budget to cover the event. It was co-sponsored by Advocates for Trans Law Students through their yearly grant and Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights and FLS Voting Rights and Democracy Project.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Filament Kind is a masters student in social work at Hunter College and works as an intern at assemblywoman

Jessica González-Rojas’s ofﬁce.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham OUTLAWS organized their annual symposium at Fordham Law School on the Lincoln Center campus.

The panelists discussed the effects of local elections of queer and trans New Yorkers.

Fordham Employs New Budgetary Measures

A hiring pause and reduced departmental spending have been introduced, amid union negotiations

BUDGET from page 1

Position requests will undergo review by the relevant administrator and, afterward, by the president’s Cabinet. Shobowale wrote that the announced measures balanced ﬁnancial and academic priorities.

“We must take proactive steps to ensure ﬁnancial stability without compromising the core mission of the University,” Shobowale wrote.

Diane George, co-chair of Fordham Faculty United (FFU), said she was skeptical that the measures put educators ﬁrst.

“Isn't the core mission of the university teaching? So, teaching needs to be supported, teachers need to be supported,” George said.

The reduced department spending aims to minimize non-staff expenses. Shobowale requested that all departments cut 10% of their current spending. George teaches in sociology and anthropology and said the cuts may disproportionately affect departments with smaller budgets.

“I know that our department budget is very small anyhow, so I am not sure what we're going to cut,” George said. “We do not even have notepads in our department anymore.”

Kari Evans, the other co-chair of FFU, said she had similar concerns that budgets, which had already been cut in the 2008 recession and COVID-19 pandemic, will not be restored.

“It is kind of the same pattern as with inﬂation. Inﬂation costs go up, they never actually come back down, they just stop going up as exponentially. And so it has kind of been the same with budgets. Budgets get cut, but then they never get reestablished,” Evans said.

Evans said budget cuts affect students and faculty while “administrative bloat” alone causes an imbalance between academic departments and administrative costs.

“I think that balance follows a pattern across higher education that, as funding is cut for instructional resources and research, as it is cut for faculty and some of those resources are then cut for students, but the administrative salaries are not cut, and often raised,” Evans said.

George specifically identified the hiring of academic advisors as an unnecessary expense that does not benefit students’ educations.

“They have added this huge salary compensation expense to their budget and I am not sure that it is actually helping,” George said.

George also expressed frustration at what she perceives as a lack of transparency from Fordham regarding the state of their

finances, despite claims of financial difficulties.

“Our position is, okay, show us your ﬁnances, and if it is truly a crisis, we are part of the Fordham community. We support the students. We want resources going towards student learning and education, but they will not show us their ﬁnances. So they say they do not have money but there's never any hard evidence of that,”

George said.

Shobowale and Vice President for Communications Bob Howe were not immediately available for comment.

Fordham is not alone in implementing new budgetary measures. There have been a slew of similar ﬁscal policies at universities across the country. Harvard University, for example, which possesses the largest endowment in the world at approximately $52 billion, instituted a hiring freeze on March 10, along with other spending cuts. Fordham has an endowment of approximately $1 billion. North Carolina State University, Stanford University and the University of Louisville have also ordered hiring pauses.

The Trump administration has recently issued attacks on higher education, attempting to shut down the Department of Education. They have also canceled $400 million of federal funding from Columbia University due to “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students” and withheld $175 million from the University of Pennsylvania over the school’s policies toward transgender athletes. The administration is considering raising the excise tax on university

endowments to 14% and lowering the National Institute of Health’s research grants to 15%.

Columbia’s recent compliance with federal demands has exacerbated concerns over the future of academic freedom, and higher education as a whole, as federal funding continues to be weaponized. Despite this, George said University President Tania Tetlow stated in a recent faculty meeting that “Fordham would probably not be as affected by the cuts to federal funding as other schools.”

These ﬁnancial uncertainties may pose difﬁculties for upcoming contract negotiations between FFU and the university.

These financial uncertainties may pose difficulties for upcoming contract negotiations between FFU and the university. FFU represents both adjunct faculty — which make up a majority of the union — and non-tenure full-time professors. FFU is demanding more robust academic protections, a no-strike no-lockout clause (prohibiting both strikes by the union and lockouts by the university) and a reduction of the probationary period before presumption of reappointment for adjunct faculty. Adjuncts are capped at two classes per semester, so the probationary period generally lasts four to five years. Administration said no to the first

two proposals, and will provide a counter-proposal to the third during the next bargaining session on March 26.

The co-chairs said they were “very disappointed” that Fordham brought in an outside lawyer from the Jackson Lewis Firm, which George characterized as having a “national reputation for being a union-busting ﬁrm.”

Evans agreed, adding that this decision came as an additional blow due to the union’s positive relationship with administration.

“I wanted to add that this is disappointing to us because we work very well with the administration,” Evans said. “We feel that the negotiations would run more smoothly if we could continue this direct discussion with the Fordham administration.”

George added that Fordham’s messaging of financial difficulties is hardly new. She believes the university’s claims of having to cut budget costs due to inflation and high operating costs in New York City are hypocritical.

“We need more money because we also live in New York City and operate in New York City and have to deal with inﬂation. So they can use that as an excuse to raise tuition, which they did last year, and the year before, but we can't use that to justify higher salaries for ourselves,” George said.

In 2023, Tetlow cited inﬂation, lingering effects from the pandemic and faculty pay increases as prompting the 6% tuition increase for the 2023-2024 academic year. Fordham cited similar reasons again for the 4.4% increase for the 2024-2025 academic year.

George said that Fordham faculty are not asking for “high salaries,” but rather, salaries that get them “slightly closer to the cost of living in New York.” Adjuncts at Fordham, due to their teaching cap, make a maximum of $40,000 per year, according to George, which she said is “not a living wage.”

The co-chairs also said that Shobowale has a history of union-busting behavior. Shobowale was hired as Fordham CFO in Sep. 2023. Before that, he spent 10 years as the executive vice president of business and operations at The New School (TNS) before he resigned from his position shortly after TNS faculty went on strike in fall 2022.

The part-time and adjunct faculty, who make up around 90% of the university, effectively shut down the school in a threeweek long strike for higher pay.

The strike was accompanied by a storm of media coverage and a barrage of emails from parents threatening a class-action lawsuit.

George said Shobowale’s track record at TNS indicates that “this is going to be a difﬁcult negotiation.” The email informing faculty members of the budgetary measures was sent shortly after FFU’s ﬁrst negotiation session, which George believes was intentional.

“Those negotiations were protracted … Yes, there are other things going on besides our negotiations, but I think the timing is a little calculated,” George said.

Like Fordham, TNS hired an external lawyer with a reputation for union-busting during the fall negotiations, according to LeeSean Huang, an adjunct professor of graphic design at TNS who dealt with media relations for the TNS adjunct faculty union during the strike. Huang said universities “cry poverty” to avoid paying faculty what they’re worth.

He referred to a disagreement between Shobowale and Sanjay Reddy, an economic professor at TNS, in 2022. Reddy published an analysis of TNS’s ﬁnances during the strike, resulting in a public dispute on social media regarding the university’s economic stability, according to Huang.

“I'm not an expert on ﬁnances. I can't tell you what was going on, but there's the expertise of somebody who went to business school versus somebody who has a PhD and is a professor in economics, and supposedly they both know numbers,” Huang said. “And it does behoove the university to present themselves as poorer than they really are because then, obviously, the way that they play their game is they want to pay us as little as possible and get away with it.”

Shobowale acknowledged the seeming incongruity of Fordham’s budgetary cuts arriving despite the recent $100 million gift, the largest donation the university has ever received. Shobowale wrote that it will be used for a new facility, rather than to offset the forecasted budget deﬁcit.

“Like gifts from many of the University's largest benefactors, it was made to support new initiatives that signiﬁcantly strengthen Fordham’s future—in this case, primarily the construction of a new building—not to cover the cost of ongoing operations,” Shobowale wrote.

Further budgetary measures and adjustments may continue to be implemented.

SAM BRACY/THE OBSERVER

Fordham Faculty United are in negotiations with Fordham’s administration for a new collective bargaining agreement.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANE GEORGE Fordham Faculty United rally on Fordham Rose Hill during Tetlow’s inauguration in 2022.

Justino’s Pizza May Reopen as Chicken Spot

The Pizzeria’s owner said that a recent burst pipe at the 9th Avenue shop temporarily closed the location

By COLBY MCCASKILL

Features Editor

The owner of the 9th Avenue Justino’s Pizza location said on March 25 that the store will reopen soon, more than a week after the store closed for maintenance due to a burst water pipe.

Justino Alioni, the owner of the multi-location pizza franchise, said that he hopes to reopen the location as a franchise of La Rosa Chicken & Grill. He said that the deal, while not ofﬁcial yet, is in the works.

There are “a lot of moving parts,” Alioni said. But he said that he was “almost there.”

Students still said they were sad to see a neighborhood business close, even if for a little bit. Alioni said students should not worry — he hopes to reopen after he receives the all-clear from city health inspectors.

“Don’t be concerned,” Alioni said.

Alioni said that, as the plan has been developing since the beginning of the year, he saw the pipe burst as more of a happy accident than anything. “It’s not that I wanted to switch,” he explained, but the close proximity of his two Upper West Side pizza locations was hurting business.

“I needed a change in January, anyway,” he said. Alioni added that students wanting pizza can still eat at his other location on 10th Avenue.

Alioni, 52, said that the pipe burst happened the morning a city ofﬁcial arrived for a routine health inspection. Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Alioni was able to laugh about his bad luck.

“When the health inspector came, I said, ‘do you pray that something happens the same day you guys show up?’” Alioni said.

“

100-year-old-pipes

— something is going to go wrong sometime. ”

one, “but it happens,” Alioni said.

The 9th Avenue location is just three blocks south of Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, drawing consistent patronage from students. Alioni’s other Upper West Side location is one avenue west on 10th Avenue, halfway between West 57th Street and West 58th Street.

The evening of March 12, Matthias Lai, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25 and a former opinions editor at The Observer, noticed the locked storefront after a late night on campus.

Lai said that he saw the “lights were off and there was no one home. I just wanted something to eat. Everything on campus was closed, so I went to Justino’s.”

“I was a little confused because it was 10 p.m. and they’re usually open till 1 a.m.,” Lai said.

Lai said that Justino’s was a mainstay in the Fordham neighborhood, and the closure of one location would not deter him from venturing to the other spot close by.

“It’s cheap pizza. It’s pretty good. It’s worth the extra walk,” Lai said.

Manhattan locations are close to campus on the Upper West Side, and the other is in the Financial District in Lower Manhattan.

According to Alioni, the burst was inevitable due to the age of the building.

“100-year-old-pipes — something is going to go wrong sometime,” Alioni said.

Alioni explained that repairs take time. In the decades he has spent in the pizza business, he has not seen a situation quite like this

Other Fordham students, like Xavier Urena, FCLC ’27, have never eaten at the pizza shop. Regardless, he said it was sad to see a local business close temporarily.

“It feels a little disappointing for Fordham students,” Urena said.

Alioni, is the owner of four Justino’s Pizza locations, with three in Manhattan. Two of the

They all don the same iconic sign: big yellow bold italic letters spell “Justino’s,” looking as if the signs are ﬁlled with bright Hollywood lights. The southern location is situated beside a hopping alley.

The narrow walkway, lined with red brick walls, is covered with a web of string lights that evokes the drying lines of linens that populated Manhattan throughout

the nineteenth century.

Like his storied locations, Alioni has a committed history to the pizza game as an owner for three decades — and as a baker for even more.

Alioni said he was the “second-fastest” pizza maker in the continental United States at the age of 13 while he was working at Domino’s Pizza.

Alioni said he was the “second-fastest” pizza maker in the continental United States at the age of 13 while he was working at Domino’s Pizza. He said he consistently pumped out a pizza every 11 seconds.

Alioni turned to pizza after being disillusioned by higher education. His brothers had gone to college, but he was on a different path.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go to college. I had got to do something else,” Alioni said.

When he turned 18, he bought his ﬁrst deli. It cost him $40,000. At that time, he was also working as a ﬁll-in postal carrier.

“I worked in every post ofﬁce in Brooklyn. I used to bounce around,” Alioni said. Soon, he took up a third job at

a friend’s pizza shop but began to feel the strain of working three jobs. Eventually, he made up his mind to go all in on the food businesses and bought his ﬁrst pizzeria for $30,000 in Staten Island. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Alioni and his businesses in the early 2020s. He told this publication in the summer of 2020 that it felt as though “everybody has left the city — no one is around anymore.”

“Not knowing when it’s going to be back to normal, or back to open … not knowing, that’s the biggest problem,” Alioni told The Observer in 2020. “We don’t know what to do: surrender or hang in there.”

Alioni had recently opened another location in Lower Manhattan on Fulton Street, just two months before the pandemic shut down New York City. Eventually, he had to shed it.

“During the pandemic, I could only hang in there so much,” Alioni said.

Alioni’s sprawl of franchises has contracted through the years. He said at his peak, he was overseeing 12 locations. Now, he has four. His Staten Island location is on Guyon Avenue near the Oakwood Heights Staten Island Railroad stop. Even so, he spoke of his career and accomplishments with pride. He said he still works hard, moving from his multiple locations across the boroughs throughout the day.

Even late at night on Monday, he cheerily sat down to his “breakfast.” He was, after a packed day, having his

ﬁrst slice.

Justino Alioni, Owner of Justino's Pizza

COLBY MCCASKILL/THE OBSERVER

One of two Justino’s shops near Fordham Lincoln Center, located on 10th Avenue.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Justino’s on 9th Avenue is temporarily closed due to a broken water pipe. The 10th Avenue location is still open for business.

COLBY MCCASKILL/THE OBSERVER

Justino Alioni, 52, is the longtime owner of Justino’s Pizza Shop. He said he’s been making pizzas since he was 13.

The Ban of Contraceptives at Jesuit Universities

Jesuit Universities across the US share similar policies to Fordham’s regarding contraceptives

By MACKENZIE COOPER

Asst. News Editor

Due to Fordham’s Jesuit afﬁliation, the university does not provide contraceptive products on campus — sparking criticism from some students.

Fordham’s sexual health policies follow the teachings of the Catholic Church. According to the 1997 Vatican’s Pontiﬁcal Council for the Family, “The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception.”

According to Fordham’s Health Center Mission, “Fordham University is a Catholic and Jesuit University. As such, the physicians, nurse practitioners, and staff of the University Health Services abide by the guidelines of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.”

Other Jesuit Universities across the United States share similar contraceptive policies to Fordham’s. For Fairfield University, a private Jesuit school in Fairfield, Connecticut, their health services website states, “While we honor the freedom of our students to make decisions as free and responsible persons — and we recognize that persons of good will may choose otherwise — as a Catholic institution committed to the dignity of the human person we (Fairfield employees, students or club members, or organizations and events sponsored by the university) will not sell or offer any contraceptive devices or birth control.”

Gonzaga University, a private Jesuit institution in Spokane, Washington, does not explicitly provide information on its website about its contraceptive policies. Under the excluded services folder on their website, they have birth control devices or contraceptives used for the purpose of birth control written down.

In 2020, Gonzaga graduate student Mattise Wood wrote an article in the Spokesman-Review about her disappointment in her university's refusal to distribute birth control.

“The Catholic university I went to provided me my degrees, but when I needed birth control — something just as important for my future — I was on my own,” Wood wrote.

Wood found Gonzaga’s health center was not at all supportive when she needed the proper resources for contraceptives. As a ﬁrst-year college student who

was used to getting birth control from her provider at home, Wood thought that it would only be right for the University to provide it as well. When she went to the health center and asked the staff there about birth control, they passed it over and claimed “that’s really not our specialty.” But birth control was not the only thing they lacked information on.

“At my university, it went beyond birth control. The health center there wouldn’t provide prescription birth control, STI tests, or even condoms,” Wood wrote.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

contraceptive mandate came into effect in 2012, requiring most private health insurance plans to cover FDA-approved contraceptive methods and related services without sharing expenses. The employees and health insurers are required to cover the contraceptive costs, but some universities’ policies have prevented students from beneﬁting from these aids.

In November 2012, Thayne McCulloh, president of Gonzaga, announced that the University would directly pay for contraceptive services. In 2013, the decision was reversed due

to Gonzaga's commitment to its Jesuit and Catholic identity, as the Catholic Church has a strong preference for abstention over contraceptives. During this time, the Obama administration implemented a new policy that ensured that women would have access to preventative health care, including contraceptives at no cost, as well as accommodating religious freedoms.

“But if a woman’s employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the insurance company — not the hospital, not the charity — will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge, without co-pays and without hassles,” former President Barack Obama said.

Since this policy’s implementation, Roe v. Wade was overturned, which made it harder to access contraceptives in some states like Texas and Missouri.

Saint Louis University (SLU), a Jesuit university in St. Louis, Missouri, does not provide contraceptives or prescription medication for pregnancy prevention. Like other Jesuit universities, they abide by “Jesuit Catholic beliefs regarding family planning.”

There is a response to an oral contraceptive question on the SLU “New Student Checklist and Frequently Asked Questions” page which is one of the only places you can ﬁnd information about their policies on contraceptives.

“In alignment with Catholic moral tradition, the Saint Louis University Student Health Center does not prescribe oral contraceptives, dispense condoms or provide any other devices for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. Our medical providers are sensitive to issues surrounding sexual

and reproductive health,” the university wrote.

Fordham is a part of the few schools that offer limited exceptions to what the university can provide to students. The Fordham Student Handbook: Contraceptives/Birth Control states “University Health Services staff do make limited exceptions in writing appropriate prescriptions for the treatment of an existing medical condition accompanied by supporting documentation. Some examples of medical indications are: acne, irregular periods, heavy periods, cramps, and polycystic ovary syndrome.”

Fordham students can go to university health services located in G16 in the basement of the 140 West 62nd Street Building at Lincoln Center. Their reproductive care will adhere to university standards.

Fordham has two clubs that lie on opposite sides of this issue.

Fordham’s Respect For Life club is the university’s pro-life club that offers free services to pregnant and parenting students on campus. They are holding an event on March 25 at Rose Hill with associate professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of law Michael Baur. Baur will be discussing the ethics of killing in relation to the abortion issue and other life issues.

The Young Democratic Socialists of America is another Rose Hill-based club that deals with issues relating to reproductive rights.

In the past, they have held events that have offered free Plan-B and condoms. They have been vocal in their opposition towards Fordham’s policies on contraceptives. Their Instagram page keeps students up to date with upcoming events and reminders from the club.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham Health Services cannot provide contraceptives due to the school's strong Jesuit beliefs.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham University Health Services is located at G16.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Gonzaga University was rebuked by then-President Barack Obama for its policy to not distribute contraceptives on campus in 2013.

Sports & Health

The Athletic Trainers Behind Every Athlete

National Athletic Training month honors the crucial work of athletic trainers, including Fordham’s own

By CORA COST Sports & Health Editor

The athletic trainers at Fordham work with the university’s over 500 student-athletes, on recovering physically, from prevention to injury. Women’s basketball head coach Bridgette Mitchell wrote that the Fordham athletic trainers are a vital part of the athletics program.

“Trainers are arguably the most important people when it comes to athletes. Within our program, we don’t just use the training room for injuries, we have our players go there for prevention and maintenance also,” Mitchell wrote.

The athletic trainers at Fordham often work long hours seven days a week to ensure the health of their athletes. The type of work that the athletic trainers do changes from day to day, depending on the status of athletes or the sports they are working with.

However, Fordham’s associate athletic director and head athletic trainer Erin Cameron said that the ever-changing nature of the job is one of her favorite parts.

“There’s never a day that’s the same for me, which I kind of like. There’s all that’s going to happen at a practice or a game that’s going to come your way and you have to think on your toes a little bit,” Cameron said.

“ We’re so supportive of the little wins because for our profession that’s what you have to celebrate. ”

For Alyssa Plantz, Fordham’s associate athletic trainer, one of the most important parts of the everyday work that the athletic training department offers to all Fordham athletes is their prevention and maintenance training.

“We always tell our teams, ‘the room is not just for when you’re injured. The room is to prevent injury.’ As an athletic trainer, your goal is to not have anybody in your room, obviously. We offer preventative rehabilitation

programs. We like to call them ‘prehab,’” Plantz said.

The “prehab” that Fordham’s athletic trainer offers to the athletes on campus looks like anything from working out sore muscles, ﬁguring out why athletes can lift more with one arm than the other or providing treatments like hydrotherapy to the athletes. Fordham’s athletic trainers are present in most of the athletic days at Fordham.

“We balance our days with enough time in the athletic training room to perform treatments, rehabs, pre-practice prep, post-practice stuff and then we spend a good chunk of our day as well, either out on our ﬁeld or on our court or at our facility,” Plantz said. “Whatever sport we are working, that day, we spend a good amount of time with that team actually out at their practice, or competition.”

One of the biggest tasks Fordham athletic trainers have aside from their daily treatments is getting an injured athlete back to full-time play. After athletes have been assessed for an injury, the athletic trainers are in charge of developing a program that will

restore athletes to a place in their physical health where they can return to play. This is often a long process that requires a lot of physical therapy for the athletes, so for Plantz it is important to celebrate the small improvements that are made every day.

“We like to celebrate the little ones. Somebody is just getting off crutches and they’re taking baby steps, like we jump up and down like cheerleaders. We’re so supportive of the little wins because for our profession that’s what you have to celebrate,” Plantz said.

Getting back on the ﬁeld or into play is often a highly emotional period for an athlete because a part of their identity is put on hold, but as an athletic trainer, Pacheco said she tries to support her athletes’ emotional health as much as she is able to support their physical recovery.

“As much as I would love to carry the burdens that come with injuries for my athletes, I know that I can’t and I’ll never be able to do that. What I can do is listen and help take the load off for a little. Sometimes, they just ask to come in and rant and we’ll just book a treatment session to

get everything off our chests … treatment isn’t always hands on,” Pacheco wrote.

The athletic training room that is in the basement of the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium is not only a space for athletes to recover physically but also a space where they unwind socially. Especially during an injury period, athletes at Fordham see their athletic trainers almost every day. All of Fordham’s athletic directors are trained in mental health ﬁrst aid, meaning the environment that they cultivate in their training room allows them to be emotional outlets for their student-athletes.

“We have a good relationship with our student athletes just because they’re around them so much. You can have one on one conversations and get to know the athlete on a personal level, in addition to helping them succeed on the ﬁeld,” Cameron said.

Part of the emotional connection that athletic trainers have with their athletes, is seeing them beyond their student-athlete identities. Plantz highlighted the importance of seeing the athletes who come through the training

room as humans ﬁrst and foremost.

“We like to make everyone feel important and like they’re not just here as a chess piece in the game,” Plantz said. “We’re a friend, we’re a therapist, we’re maybe a big sister or big brother, maybe a mom or dad. Depending on how they view us, athletic trainers at Fordham are super important for athlete life.”

A lot of the work that the athletic trainers do at Fordham is behind the scenes, mainly between them and the athletes they are supporting.

“It’s an underrecognized, underrepresented and under-respected profession. We’re not spotlight people,” Plantz said.

Despite the lack of recognition for the work they do in ensuring the physical and emotional health of the Fordham student-athletes, Plantz said that being able to see her athletes’ accomplishments on and off the ﬁeld is enough.

“As infrequently as athletic trainers are, you know, thanked and given any sort of credit for the process, it’s enough for most of us just to see our athletes succeed,” Plantz said.

Alyssa Plantz, Associate Athletic Trainer

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS/THE OBSERVER

Erin Cameroan and Alyssa Plantz in action, assessing a Fordham football player who has taken a injury break during a game.

Erin Cameron and Alyssa Plantz cheering on the Fordham football teams while working on the sidelines of the game.

Alyssa Plantz walking off on the sidelines of a Fordham football game with a player who appears to be being treated for an arm injury.

Men’s Basketball Faces the End of ‘Rose Thrill’

Fordham Athletics ﬁres head coach Keith Urgo after three years and two consecutive losing seasons

By CORA COST Sports & Health Editor

In the opening round of the A10 Championship, the Rams beat Rhode Island University 88-71, however, their eventual loss in the second round cemented their last place standing in the conference and a 12-21 record this season.

Despite the timing or shock that the announcement has caused, Urgo has run into some signiﬁcant trouble over his three years with the team. This announcement comes after the university imposed a four-game self-suspension for Urgo earlier in the season on Jan. 16. The self-suspension was due to an ongoing investigation by the NCAA into the program for potential recruitment violations.

The four-game suspension meant that Urgo left the team in the hands of associate head coach Tray Woodall who took over the Rams as interim head coach. The team won two out of the four games played under Woodhall, which accounted for two of the Rams’ three conference wins this year.

The 2024-25 season was Urgo’s third with the Rams. During his ﬁrst season as head coach following the departure of Kyle Neptune, Urgo showed great potential, winning the 2022-23 A10 Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a tied second-place regular season ﬁnish in the A10 with a 25-8 record.

However, in the last two years of Urgo’s leadership, the Rams have struggled to ﬁnd the spark of his ﬁrst year as head coach. Over

the last two seasons under Urgo, the Rams have had a combined record of 25-41.

The announcement about Urgo’s departure marks the ﬁrst time since Charles Guthrie took over as director of intercollegiate athletics this year, that the Fordham Athletics department will commence “a national search for its next head coach.”

Despite the struggles that Urgo and Fordham men’s basketball have faced in recent years, Urgo showed a deep care for the men’s basketball program and all his athletes. Additionally, Urgo’s ties to Fordham are not only to those part of the basketball program, but his grandfather is a Fordham alumnus.

Urgo pushed hard to try to bring the Fordham student body back to Fordham athletics games, coining the term “Rose Thrill” to describe the electric student body atmosphere he hoped to have at every basketball game in the historic Rose Hill gymnasium.

Former Athletic Director Edward M. Kull, who left Fordham at the start of the 2024-25 year posted a thank you to Urgo for his time at Fordham basketball on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“No one has cared more about Fordham U and its family’s alma-mater than @Keith Urgo! Will always have #RoseThrill and the greatest season in 50 years of the Program! Though disappointing, thankful for Keith, his family and the role they played in changing a culture and campus!” Kull wrote.

Urgo thanked all those who have reached out since the athletics department’s decision was announced in an ofﬁcial statement he posted to his Instagram

on March 25.

“While tremendously disappointed by their decision, I have been touched by the countless players, coaches, donors, alumni, students and fans that have reached out to me over the last several days. Your support has meant the world to me.” Urgo wrote.

The Rams’ 2024-25 guards Jackie Johnson III, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, and Japhet Medor, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’25, were asked at the A10 Championship post-game press conference what allowed them to play their best basketball this season. They said that Urgo and the culture that he has cultivated amongst his players helped them to feel supported.

“Coach Urgo, everyday he came in energized, like he just said a couple minutes ago anybody who would have went through what we went through would have quit. But coach never quit so it is like we can’t quit, so he came everyday with energy and we just followed his lead,” Johnson said.

Medor followed his teammates’ comments by highlighting the importance of the “Fordham pride” that Urgo built over his time with the Rams, this mentality was focused on their work ethic as a team.

“We stick with his mentality with the Fordham pride, we come in everyday and work our butts off and just try to follow his footsteps,” Medor said.

As the Urgo era comes to an end, the Fordham community waits to see who will come out ahead of the athletics department’s national search for a

replacement. This will be one of the ﬁrst big decisions for Guthrie after coming to Fordham from Akron University.

On the 90.7 WFUV Sports “On The Hill” podcast following the announcement, Nick Guzman, FCRH ’25, one of the play-by-play commentators who followed the Rams all season for WFUV, shared his hopes for Urgo’s replacement.

“In terms of who comes next it’s gotta be somebody who has that same level of care and that level of ﬁre, not just about this program but about this university. Because anybody can come here and lose,” Guzman said.

Urgo was also responsible for obtaining signiﬁcant recruits to commit to Fordham in his three

Allergy Season Springs Upon Us

years as head coach. However, without Urgo heading the ship for the Rams and the uncertainty of who will take over next, there have been reports that several athletes have made the choice to enter the transfer portal.

According to sources at Rivals, Jaden Smith who redshirted his ﬁrst year at Fordham has decided to enter the transfer portal. Additionally, forward Romad Dean will also enter the transfer portal, as said by his agent Lenny Minaya. With one of the largest budgets within Fordham Athletics, the future of the Fordham men’s basketball program is uncertain. The Ramily will now have to wait and see how the program will move on from the Urgo era.

Take precautions against rising airborne allergens to minimize symptoms of seasonal allergies

By CORA COST Sports & Health Editor

The springtime, with its warmer weather and proximity to the end of the school year, is often a welcomed time on college campuses. However, with the turn of the season and its blooming ﬂowers comes seasonal allergies for many college students.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the ﬁrst day of spring is denoted by the spring equinox, which typically occurs on March 20. As the days get longer and warmer, many plants begin to bloom. The blossoming process for many plants, especially trees, produces a “ﬁne, yellow” pollen.

The pollen allows plants to reproduce, according to the Smithsonian Gardens, “Pollination is an essential part of plant reproduction. Pollen from a flower’s anthers (the male part of the plant) rubs or drops onto a pollinator. The pollinator then takes this pollen to another flower, where the pollen sticks to the stigma (the female part). The fertilized flower later yields fruit and seeds.”

Springtime denotes the start of reproduction periods for many plants, causing an uptick in pollen in the air, which makes spring a difﬁcult time to be outside for those who have seasonal allergies.

According to Dr. Shaan Waqar, allergist and immunologist with ENT and Allergy Associates at the Plainview clinical site, people who experience seasonal allergies have immune systems that react poorly to the pollen that is in the air in larger numbers during the springtime.

“In humans who suffer from seasonal allergies, their immune systems overreact to airborne allergens like pollen,” Waqar wrote. “Allergen exposure triggers an inﬂammatory response in the body, leading to the release of chemical mediators responsible for allergy symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, itchy nose and itchy eyes.”

The body’s reaction to airborne allergens is dependent on the person, meaning that in

the springtime there is a wide range in the severity of college students’ reactions to upticks in pollen. According to the CDC about one-quarter (25.7%) of adults have a seasonal allergy and nearly one in ﬁve children (18.9%). During the spring months of March and April, the most common airborne allergen is tree pollen. For those who struggle with seasonal allergies, Waqar recommends that they see an allergist to perform an allergy test,

through which students can ﬁgure out what they are speciﬁcally allergic to.

“Testing is usually done for both outdoor and indoor allergens, and can be very beneﬁcial in the development of an appropriate allergy treatment plan. Allergy testing can be performed by an allergist via skin testing or blood testing,” Waqar wrote.

Many people who know they have seasonal allergies, use over-the-counter medications like Zyrtec, Allegra or Claritin

to mitigate their symptoms. But for students who continue to suffer even when they use these over-the-counter remedies, immunotherapy might be a more suitable option.

“For patients with moderate or severe allergy symptoms, allergen immunotherapy or allergy shots, can be very helpful. Allergy shots help patients build tolerance to their allergens by turning down the immune response to common allergens over time,” Waqar wrote.

Along with getting tested for potential allergies and discussing a medication regimen with a medical professional, there are measures for all college students to implement in their springtime routines, even if they do not have severe allergies, to mitigate their exposure to airborne allergens.

“Try to stay indoors when the pollen levels are high, especially during mornings. Keep your windows closed at home and also when traveling by car. Use air conditioning instead. Wear sunglasses or glasses to protect your eyes from pollen exposure,” Waqar wrote. “Shower after coming back in from outdoor activities to ensure pollen is removed from your body. Avoid hanging sheets or clothes outside to dry.”

As the cherry blossoms begin to bloom in Central Park, remember that even if they are not completely visible to the human eye, airborne allergens are here for the spring. So pack your allergy meds, make an appointment with an allergist and reduce your exposure to airborne allergens. Your nose and eyes will thank you.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Keith Urgo’s tenure as the head coach of the Fordham men’s basketball team ends after his third season with the Rams.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Groceries Are Getting Eggspensive

Local delis and supermarkets are experiencing inﬂation ﬁrsthand

By LILA KELLEHER IKMA INUSAH Contributing Writer Asst. Features Editor

Vasileios Katsampas likes to use breakfast as a moment for quality time with his partner. They recreate Turkish eggs, or “çilbir,” a recipe they saw on TikTok. Katsampas poaches a set of eggs while his partner creates the creamy sauce base for the dish, a combination of yogurt and minced garlic. The two come together with melted butter, paprika and crushed peppers.

Katsampas, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’26, said that eggs are an essential ingredient in his and his partner’s diet. His partner, a vegetarian, relies on eggs as their main source of protein. When Katsampas noticed egg prices rising recently, however, his habits changed. Turkish eggs were replaced by more cost-conscious breakfasts.

Katsampas is far from the only Fordham student who has had to change their diet. And actually, across Fordham’s Lincoln Center (FLC) campus and in its immediate vicinity, the prices of eggs are rising, prompting cost-conscious habit alterations.

“ I mean, I need eggs.”

Park West/8th Avenue, and West End/11th Avenue).

This investigation found that the cheapest price for a dozen eggs was the same as the cheapest price for a bacon, egg and cheese (BEC) sandwich. Egg prices, in general, have risen dramatically, hiking prices up at supermarkets and typically prompting a $1 egg surcharge on breakfast sandwiches at locally-owned delis.

Sara Buffamanti, an adjunct faculty member in the theatreprogram at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), said that New Yorkers are accustomed to high egg prices, but the recent egg ordeal has been hard to miss.

“I went to Trader Joe’s one day to buy eggs, and there were none. The entire case was empty. So that’s when I noticed that something was up,” Buffamanti said.

Inﬂation associated with eggs (or eggﬂation) has extended beyond Fordham and New York City. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released that egg prices, for the past decade, have been on the rise. However, there has been a stark increase in the past year, from an average $3 a dozen to an average $5.90.

The Associated Press wrote that an outbreak of bird ﬂu is mainly to blame. To prevent the outbreak from spreading, farmers are slaughtering their egg-laying chickens. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this resulted in more than 23 million chickens being slaughtered in January 2025.

Inﬂation of other goods, such as chicken feed, is also causing farmers to drive up the costs of eggs.

The least expensive 12-count egg carton available for purchase close to FLC is at the Morton Williams supermarket on West End Avenue between West 59th and West 60th Street.

The refrigerated dairy aisle was stocked up with an array of pastel-colored styrofoam egg cartons. The most expensive option reached over $10. But the cheapest carton did not have a sticker.

One store clerk went to check the price. He then reported that a dozen of the “Eggland’s Best” brand eggs cost $5.49.

“Es un muy buen precio, ¿no?” he remarked in Spanish.

FLC

Gracefully supermarket, on West End Avenue and West 65th Street, boasts its name on a bright red awning. The grocery store had

a large selection of eggs, from a half dozen to 18-egg cartons and various brands.

The cheaper eggs, in the neighborhood of $7.99, were housed in colorful styrofoam, saying only “Grade A Eggs” or “no hormones added.” The pricier eggs touted their “pasture-raised” and “organic” status. The least

Vasileios Katsampas GGSB ’26 “ I don’t want to charge a lot. It’s not fair. ”

expensive 12-count carton was the “Mountainside Farms” brand, priced at $7.99, while “Vital Farms” cost $13.99.

The “Vital Farms” 6-counts were the same price as the cheapest carton of a dozen eggs.

A cashier at Gracefully, Thandar, spoke about how the price of eggs had grown “a lot, more than doubled.”

When walking into the Brooklyn Fare supermarket on West End Avenue and West 62nd Street, a black piece of laminated paper greets customers.

The sign read, “due to the rising cost of eggs we are forced to raise the price of our breakfast sandwiches.”

Kevin Klein, Fordham Law School ’26, pointed out the frustrating reality of the situation.

“I just paid $12 for a carton of twelve eggs,” Klein said. “I’m not proud of it, but I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again.”

Klein’s sentiment was echoed in the helpful tones of store clerks and complaints from students However, not everyone was willing to go that far. Dylan Stern, FCLC ’28, was adamantly opposed to the idea of paying twelve dollars for eggs.

Stern said as he threw his hands up, “Oh God, I hope not. Please, no, I would not. That’s ridiculous.”

New Yorkers, like Stern, are reckoning with how much they are willing to pay for the basics.

Nash, Manager of Roosevelt Gourmet Deli

Other students, like Hazel Wilkins, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’25, have given up on eating eggs altogether.

“As soon as they ﬁrst went up to about $8 or $9, I stopped buying them just because I thought that they would go down. I thought I would just stop buying them after just a week or two, but then the prices never went down. So, I just have been sticking it out, I guess. I got used to not eating them,”

Reporters from The Observer visited more than a dozen delis and supermarkets within a quarter-mile radius of the

campus (from West 57th to West 66th Street, between Central

High-priced Vital Farms eggs might be the safest bet, but at what cost?

Here’s your best deal: Egg cartons line the refrigeration display at Morton Williams on West End Ave.

PHOTOS BY COLBY MCCASKILL/THE OBSERVER

As egg cartons line the shelves, one has to wonder how long these prices will last.

Vasileios Katsampas smiles despite his favorite recipe facing rising prices

Manager Nash at Roosevelt Gourmet Deli ﬁghts against rising egg prices to keep his customers satisﬁed.

“ I thought I would just stop buying them after just a week or two, but then the prices never went down.”

Wilkins said.

Although Wilkins may be forgoing eggs, for New Yorkers, they are a part of an undeniable breakfast staple: BEC sandwich.

New Yorkers want something fast and convenient — something they can grab at almost any bodega or corner store for a decent price. The New York Times claims that the BEC “doesn’t divide New Yorkers by class, income or neighborhood.” But the rising prices threaten to make something as simple as a BEC into a luxury.

The Observer found that BEC prices have gone up by $1 to $3 in a matter of a few weeks. Gracefully and Riverside Gourmet Deli have made the most prominent increases. A few workers speculated customers have noticed all deli prices increasing.

The crown jewel of overpriced BECs came from Bagel Market, on 10th Avenue and West 57th Street, at $9.80. Roberto, the store’s manager, said that prices for everything, including eggs, have risen.

The runner-up for the most-expensive BEC within a quarter-mile of FLC can be purchased at Broad Nosh Bagels on West 58th Street near 8th Avenue.

A sign at the cash register alerted customers to the recent

increase in egg sandwich prices. The sandwich on a plain, toasted bagel costs $9.65. Until recently, that price had been a dollar less. The sign explained the hike resulted from “unprecedented price increases in eggs.” And it consoled customers, apologizing for the inconvenience. “We are committed to our customers and providing great quality products for you,” it read. As for Roosevelt Gourmet Deli, located on West 57th Street, the

price for a BEC has also changed. Once it had been $5.49, but due to a rise in egg prices, it’s now $5.99 before 11 a.m.

The deli offers a 10% discount for Fordham students, according to the manager, Nash.

“I could reduce my price because I don’t want to charge a lot. It’s not fair,” Nash said.

Alan’s Marketplace, the deli just across 9th Avenue from Fordham’s Leon Lowenstein Center, advertised its BEC price at $7.99.

But not every deli had felt the eggﬂation. At Appleton Market on West End Ave, near West 65th Street, Nina, a cashier, said that they have always only charged $1.50 for an extra egg on a sandwich.

Nina, wearing a red apron, said that the prices barely changed. But for Katsampas, he said that rising egg prices are something he is going to have to accept.

“I mean, I need eggs,” Katsampas said.

IKMA INUSAH/THE OBSERVER

The price of egg cartons — from the most expensive to the cheapest option — and egg sandwiches from local stores demonstrate increasing costs for Fordham students.

Hazel Wilkins, GSAS ’25

A sign at Brooklyn Fare informs customers that rising egg prices have led to an increase in breakfast sandwich costs.

Hazel shares how she bowed out of the egg dilemma, revealing she no longer buys them due to rising prices.

Opinions

Don’t Text Your Ex

Here are some things you should do instead!

As the weather starts to warm and the leaves come back to the trees, I have noticed that people in my life have a sudden urge to rekindle old ﬂames. Let this column be a cautionary tale — put your phone down. Do not text them. Do not reread old texts. Do not look at their social media. Do not look at their new partner’s social media. In fact, delete the burner account that you use to stalk their Instagram. In a culture that idealizes romantic relationships far too much, it is time we all have a crash course on how to embrace being single.

In a culture that idealizes romantic relationships far too much, it is time we all have a crash course in how to embrace being single.

Why are you interested in getting in contact with someone who you blame for the ending of your relationship? Perhaps you need closure. Maybe you did not get the intimate details during the breakup that you needed to properly close the lid on the connection. Do you think contacting that person will solve the problem? If you are looking for closure, know that you will not ﬁnd it in the lost person. If their past words are rushing through your mind or you are lusting after one last touch, know that speaking to this person will not quell that desire. It will only make it worse.

When you learn to live with all that you have done to and with another person, you truly get closure on the relationship.

My favorite way to get closure on my relationships is to look at each one for exactly what it was. Ancient history is meant to be studied. Map out the events and the facts of your relationship. If it was more of a long-term relationship, start small. How would a journalist report on your relationship? What are the facts? If this person really hurt you then map out what intervention is necessary to heal these scars.

You will most likely fail to ﬁnd closure in your assessment of the other person. He never valued my perspective! They never made time for my needs! She completely disregarded my emotions! While I am sure these qualms are completely valid, there is no way to ﬁx the past. Complaining without a way to resolve the situation is a way of escaping accountability.

When you learn to live with all that you have done to and with another person, you truly get closure on the relationship. Be honest with yourself and ask which parts of the relationship failed because of your actions. It is the single most rewarding question during your healing process. Knowing where you went wrong in the past will inspire you to do better in the future. It is hard to do right by a person you have wronged in the romance department.

Perhaps you just want to see them again. You remember how your body shudders when you are near them, and you would do anything for that feeling.

You are walking on the sidewalk and see a silhouette that could be them and flirt with a fight-or-flight breakdown all in a matter of seconds. As they brush past, you realize it is not your ex but a random person on the street getting where they are going. As you continue down the street, you are left thinking God, if only I could see them one more time.

You know that date you have in mind? You wish for a dramatic reconciliation in the rain, running to the nearest indie movie theater and sipping cocktails in a trendy bar. You yearn for one more picnic together in Central Park, munching on charcuterie and slugging down Pinot Grigio. You long for the opportunity of stumbling into their bedroom, peeling off your clothes and unwinding into bed. The truth is you can ﬂy solo on all these dates.

Flying solo reminds you that you were a whole person before your other half came into your life.

The ﬁrst step in ditching the urge to text your ex is getting in touch with the person you were before they got caught up in your mind. To clear your thoughts, you need to remind yourself of the person you were before you met your ex. My gay millennial therapist calls it “taking yourself on a date.” I like to call it ﬂying solo.

Flying solo reminds you that you were a whole person before your other half came into your life and left you feeling incomplete. Some suggest delving into entirely new adventures to get over your ex. New adventures are unfulﬁlling as they only remind you of how different things are now that you are on the other side of this relationship. When “taking yourself on a date” as a newly single person, start with something familiar. Maybe something that your ex-partner would never indulge during your relationship. Perhaps you are just horny. It has been a while since someone’s touch has meant as much as theirs, and you just want to get it on. What is your endgame here? Getting back with an ex is never a good idea. There is a reason why you

two know you are incompatible. Why would you put yourself through the emotional pain of rediscovery months or years later? Get over it.

Flying solo reminds you that you were a whole person before your other half came into your life and left you feeling incomplete.

Maybe you just want a casual thing and your ex is looking like a good option. Are you crazy? This has to be some elaborate form of self-harm. If you are truly that horny, for the love of God just ask someone out. If you need guides on how to ask someone out or how to improve your game, I have you covered. Find someone else. Whether it is a class crush, someone from a club or God forbid a dating app, casual sexual relationships are best without your old ﬂame.

Beyond sex, maybe you crave intimacy. You miss the familiarity of partnership. You miss sharing feelings with the person you desire most. You miss the push and pull of lying in bed together. You miss crying on their shoulder as they kiss your forehead, telling you “Everything is going to be okay.”

You miss your support system. Sometimes I miss ﬁnding comfort in the one I love. You can replace emotional intimacy with a routine. The method is dummy-proof. Create a routine that allows for self-improvement — make time for exercise, healthy eating and passion projects. There are chasms of yourself that have yet to be ﬁlled. Routines are the best way to treat postbreakup blues and ensure that you will always be there for yourself.

Being single is a gift. Do not throw that away by going back to something that has ended. Texting your ex is an infallible way to ruin your life. When scars are aching, it can be tempting to open old wounds, but that will only lead to more stinging pain. Do not get back together with them. Do not try to make things better between the two of you. Do not even text your ex.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Don’t give into the temptation; you’re better off without them.

RYANN LYNN MURPHY Columnist

US vs. Education

The Trump administration will stop at nothing

to crush dissent

WILLIAM LEE Opinions Editor

Terrorism in America is a distinctly political rather than moral label. A paper published in the Fordham Law Review describes the “persistent discriminatory stereotype of the Muslim terrorist.” The stereotype was pervasive after 9/11, precipitating hate crimes such as the murder of Balbir Singh Sodi. A moral condemnation of terrorism would imply concern for innocents — major civilian casualties in the American “war on terror” do not receive nearly the same attention. Now, public resistance to Israel is labeled “terrorism” by the United States government.

“Undocumented immigrant” has become a buzzword for some mythical group coming to steal jobs and commit crimes.

The Trump administration has justiﬁed its crackdown with a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, stating that “An alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.” The very presence of a clause in U.S. law allowing for arbitrary deportation is absurdly problematic, and the critical point is deﬁning “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”

Anti-Zionist political expression — against the political formation of the Israeli state, speciﬁcally regarding the subjugation of Palestinians — has gained ground in the past two years. Instead of addressing widespread condemnations of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians (as deﬁned by Amnesty International), the U.S. government has characterized any criticism of Israel as antisemitic discrimination. Politicians of both parties passed the House resolution codifying such a blatant distortion of the truth, and now its effects are becoming clear. All three of the people above arrived in America via legal means and are now facing deportation for dissent with the U.S. government.

Nativist rhetoric has been on the rise in the United States for the past decade. President Donald Trump has consistently characterized immigrants as violent and dangerous on his way to winning two presidential terms. His opponent in the 2024 election, former Vice President Kamala Harris, also promised to continue “cracking down” on immigration. Both dehumanize immigrants completely by assuming immigration to be a danger to national security. Khalil, Khan Suri and Alawieh all had visas or green cards. If such legal status does not guarantee safety from arbitrary expulsion, then undocumented immigrants face almost insurmountable obstacles to a life well lived. “Undocumented immigrant” has become a buzzword for some mythical group coming to steal jobs and commit crimes. Immigration policy in the United States exhibits a similar departure from reality to foreign policy in Israel.

By creating arbitrary associations in the minds of Americans — immigrants as criminals, pro-Palestinian activists as terrorists — the government dehumanizes innocent people and legitimizes violence against them.

The U.S. government gives away the game by linking antisemitism to foreign policy interests. Any assertion of Palestinian humanity, in deﬁance of the Israeli state, is deemed “fomenting anti-Semitism” or “supporting Hamas.” Never mind that “Semite” refers to a collection of ethnic groups, or what it means for Hamas to be designated “terrorists” in the face of Israel’s mounting crimes: the real danger in the American government’s eyes is anti-Zionism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said explicitly on social media that the US government “will be revoking the visas

As the U.S. government continues to target education, political activism and advocacy are more necessary than ever.

and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”

Organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace have sought to re-establish the distinction between ethnic discrimination and opposition to colonial apartheid a million times over, but many Americans remain ignorant. Instead, speaking out against genocide is somehow a threat to American life.

That said, university administrators nationwide were entirely too punitive with proPalestine protesters on campus. Fordham’s own administration called police on peaceful protesters, arresting 15 people on May 1.

In order to concretize punitive narratives based on misconceptions, reactionaries have targeted American education. Last spring, The Washington Post charted the starkly restrictive character of education reforms in red states. At earlier stages of childhood education, leaving decisions up to the states has proven effective for conservatives. Given Trump’s executive order on March 20 calling for the dissolution of the Department of Education, the planned regression of American education is continuing apace. The university should stand apart as a haven of free thought, allowing for intellectual exploration beyond the preferences of a given presidential administration.

Instead, universities are kneeling to reactionary political pressure. Khalil, Khan Suri and Alawieh were all established at their respective institutions. Khalil specifically was one of the faces of pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia, and according to the New York Times, ICE moved to detain him after a protest on March 5 following the expulsion of pro-Palestine Barnard students. Notably, Khan Suri and Alawieh were not publicly active whatsoever.

Visiting horriﬁc consequences upon any academic even vaguely tied to anti-Zionism creates a chilling effect on campuses. For university students and faculty, the deﬁnition of pro-Palestinian speech as hate speech presents a constant professional — i.e. economic — threat. For lower-income students facing steeper tuition fees each

year, the stakes could easily prevent them from protesting. The Trump administration recognizes the threat of student protests in affecting social change; Khalil himself wrote from jail on March 18 that “even if the public has yet to fully grasp it, it is students who steer us toward truth and justice.”

The Trump administration drives a hard bargain, having recently coerced Columbia and threatened the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) with losses of hundreds of millions of dollars if they fail to enact specific draconian rules. In Columbia’s case, they hired 36 “special officers” to police students on campus and codified a definition of antisemitism. For UPenn, the administration wants them to ban transgender athletes, once again attempting to entrench and institutionalize reactionary rhetoric against a marginalized group. It seems colleges across the country can only hope for pyrrhic victories.

That said, university administrators nationwide were entirely too punitive with pro-Palestine protesters on campus. Fordham’s own administration called police on peaceful protesters, arresting 15

people on May 1. In his letter from jail, Khalil described how “Presidents Shaﬁk, Armstrong, and Dean Yarhi-Milo laid the groundwork for the U.S. government to target me by arbitrarily disciplining pro-Palestinian students and allowing viral doxing campaigns — based on racism and disinformation — to go unchecked.” Surveillance creates a disciplinary effect in the minds of students. If you are always watched (e.g. by a special ofﬁcer), your behavior is perpetually subject to evaluation and potential regulation. Students will continue to agitate for necessary social change, but the government will do its best to silence free speech.

In his “Postscript on the Societies of Control,” philosopher Gilles Deleuze predicted “continuous forms of control” in the school system and “the corresponding abandonment of all university research.” If the government is allowed to systematically target groups and discipline collegiate communities into obedience, then the United States faces a bleak future. Political organizing, agitation and research must all continue, as they are the key behaviors under attack.

COLUMBIA from page 1

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Protestors demanded the release of Khalil.

To Love More Fully

In a world as chaotic as today’s , a rethinking of love can offer respite

JACK BRUDECKI Contributing Writer

My daily commute consists of an hourlong ride into Manhattan across two different trains. It is exceedingly rare to ﬁnd anyone engaging in direct communication with one another. Some read a book. One or two talk over the phone. Most simply sit in silence. I often ﬁnd myself drifting toward sleep. In short, everyone attempts to furnish the train rather than actively occupy it as individuals. Everyone is attempting to become unnoticeable.

This scene is a far cry from the vitality of so much of our media, art, music and dreams. The conscious, active disengagement I see on the train feels completely contrary to the connection we strive to achieve with others. A Statista survey found almost 60 million American users on dating apps in 2023, with the number of users increasing each year since 2018. In the wake of these struggles, a redeﬁnition of love can prove tremendously fruitful in paving the way for far more and far deeper connections.

The primary goal of such a redeﬁnition is to alleviate the burden of public presentation. I ﬁnd Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon provides a tangible visual for this burden. Bentham’s panopticon is a model for a prison where a single guard within a solitary watchtower could survey an entire prison population. Consequently, each prisoner would be unable to tell when they were being observed. Each must therefore constantly police themselves, for they could be seen at any moment. Each occupant becomes their own imposing enforcer.

Nevertheless, we still strive for a genuine connection, where we are seen and valued without feeling the need to perform according to another’s expectations.

I ﬁnd — and I would wager that others do too — that I act in ways similar to Bentham’s prisoners. The notion of constriction arising from within rather than an external judgment is deeply unsettling. It is the internalization of external conventions and their subsequent usurping of our

beliefs that can minimize our individual agency. I believe that we often behave with more respect for how others may perceive us, rather than acting in accordance with what we personally want. We become passengers in our own experience, as another, the internalized other, takes the wheel of our vehicular existence. We go in the directions they take us rather than our own desired destinations.

A recentering of love and self-expression can provide the saving grace from the turbulence of life and the omnipresent potential of judgment that lies within.

Love has much to offer in counterbalancing this propensity. This internal other wields an enormous amount of power over us. Each moment of our lives gains another dimension of worry from the sheer possibility of being observed by another. Outside expectations are always playing a role in our lives; it may only be a matter of degree. Nevertheless, we still strive for a genuine connection, where we are seen and valued without feeling the need to perform according to another’s expectations. This tension between striving for connection and worrying over judgment compounds the already inconsistent manner in which we live our lives.

Reality is tragically unstable. The only constant of life is perpetual change. Cultivating a uniﬁed sense of self-identity is hardly possible. Any sweeping statements about ourselves will by deﬁnition struggle to encompass the complete beings that we are. Even more pressing is the question of how another person may gain a full image of you.

We still exist in the fragmentary state Michel de Montaigne described nearly ﬁve centuries ago: “not only does the wind of chance events shake me about as it lists, but I also shake and disturb myself by the instability of my stance: anyone who turns his prime attention on to himself will hardly ever ﬁnd himself in the same state twice.”

A recentering of love and self-expression can provide the saving grace from the turbulence of life and the omnipresent potential of judgment that lies within. I envision a love focused precisely on

the preservation of personal boundaries between each unique soul involved. Love is marked by basking in an individual’s glory, not a judgment of their perceived shortcomings or contradictions. Love should be molded and shaped anew with each new relationship, reacting to the individuals rather than imposing upon them.

Love is redefinition without end; it is as fluid as the individuals constructing it. A relationship cannot remain stagnant given the constant change undergone by each person throughout their lives. A precise articulation of love must not become idealized. To idealize love reverses its dependence on the beings creating it, forcing the participants to conform to a narrow dogma rather than continually expanding as only they see fit.

Rather than consisting of mere concessions and a diminishing of personal agency, close relationships can form a veiled sanctuary, sparing participants from the imposing gaze of others. These close relationships — platonic and otherwise — can achieve so much in their intimacy. They present nearly the fullest experience of feeling and awareness of how astonishingly complex every individual truly is.

One does not attempt to impose and solve the other’s problem for them unprompted; instead, one allows and recognizes the vulnerability the other displays through the caring act of listening.

The primary example of such closeness lies in intimate conversation. By intimate, I refer to a conversation that discloses information that is shared with a select few. It is confessional and necessarily vulnerable. Loving relationships allow for the space to share the emotions and thoughts we so often bury to avoid discovery by others. Importantly, I posit that these conversations should not take the form of a didactic correction, but rather a comforting space for processing and sharing. One does not attempt to impose and solve the other’s problem for them unprompted; instead, one allows and recognizes the vulnerability the other displays through the caring act of listening.

Another motivator for this view of love is the possibility of desiring more genuinely or, at the very least, a heightened awareness of how our desires develop. As feminist thinker Amia Srinivasan wrote in her noteworthy essay “Does anyone have the right to sex?” we must “acknowledge that no one is obliged to desire anyone else, that no one has the right to be desired, but also that who is desired and who isn’t is a political question often answered by more general patterns of domination and exclusion.” The latter stipulation is particularly eye-opening. A more blossoming form of love comes about from an embracing of the whole person, as opposed to a reduction to only the sum of their parts. It is a love that witnesses rather than analyzes.

While I recognize it is difﬁcult to imagine love eventually achieving complete separation from politics and social convention, I do not believe that striving for such a thing is fruitless. There is so much beauty and fulﬁllment to be gained in approaching others as irreplaceably unique persons. Namely, it is through accepting and loving others simply as they are that we may do so for ourselves in the same manner. I do not love my neighbor as I love myself; I love my neighbor so that I can.

In considering how to capture the unique wholeness of every human being, Russian philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin wrote “only love is capable of holding and making fast all this multiformity and diversity, without losing and dissipating it, without leaving behind a mere skeleton of basic lines and sense-moments.” I believe Bakhtin refers to a view of love similar to my own. Love should not come with pre-requisites for our own ephemeral satisfaction. Likewise, self-love should not be stipulated on archetypes we must reshape ourselves to align with, for we would forgo the appreciation that is to be found in our own unique place in the world. We must love and receive each other as if nothing else matters.

In a world where we are so constantly aware of how we may be seen and judged, I wish for love to serve as a reprieve. As vulnerable as this image may be, the potential precarity should be embraced, not shunned. It is only through the unlocking of our doors and the opening of our windows that another may see us in an unﬁltered, uninhibited fashion. We may be approached in our wholeness. We may not only become noticeable; we can be truly noticed.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Arts & Culture

‘Roots’: a Testament to Friendship, Nature

and Childhood

The Butler Gallery joint exhibition tackles ideas of nostalgia through diverse yet cohesive modes of expression

By VEE VENNING Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

On March 6, the ﬁnal theses of Fordham Lincoln Center seniors Brenda Bouvier and Alison Kulak debuted in the Ildiko Butler Gallery. While the gallery, situated at the bottom of the Lowenstein Center escalators, houses the work of various artists throughout the year, the spring semester exhibitions are particularly special: during this time, senior visual art majors have the unique opportunity to display their ﬁnal thesis for approximately two weeks.

Both thematic elements and medium are taken into account when determining pairings for the gallery exhibition, and although students can request partners, the decision ultimately falls to the visual arts faculty. Fortunately enough, the request of Bouvier, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, and Kulak, FCLC ’25, was approved, and “Roots” was born.

“ I realized that since artwork is a reﬂection of yourself, there’s not really any limits to what you do. ”

As soon as you step inside the space, the rationale behind this pairing becomes apparent. While Bovier and Kulak’s theses vary in subject matter and medium, both evoke a serendipitous charm, and the thematic and visual cohesion between the two artists’ installations is undeniable. The pair are best friends and roommates, a relationship that creates a palpable sense of unity within the exhibition. But their work still manages to maintain its distinction. It is this variety that makes “Roots” so multi-faceted.

Comprising poetry, textile work, music and video elements, Bouvier’s multi-media installation is a collage in and of itself. Her thesis explores the passage of time, invoking nostalgia as a means of returning viewers to childhood whimsy. While this project is a continuation of Bouvier’s interest in collages, this thesis marks a major increase in complexity within her work. Bouvier’s application of collage has evolved from smaller paper pieces into a larger-scale project that incorporates textile elements, and this development stems from a newfound courage motivating her artistic process.

While “Roots” is a multi-media spectacle, this is something Bouvier had to work her way up to, and in doing so, she had to surpass a fear of discord within the project. She said that despite fearing a lack of unity, she has grown a lot in terms of incorporating a range of components within her work; this evolution is apparent, especially when analyzing the variety that deﬁnes her installation.

“I realized that since artwork is a reﬂection of yourself, there’s not really any limits to what you do,” Bouvier said.

While Bouvier’s thesis contains various components, the quilt, which consists of an amalgamation of family photos, found fabrics, magazines and even pieces that Bouvier embroidered herself, is arguably the centerpiece of her project. The quilt also features

NAME/THE OBSERVER

what she described as an “abstract family tree.” The quilt is undoubtedly a labor of love, as the majority of these details are hand-sewn in what she admitted to being a painstaking process.

Bouvier revealed that she had originally gotten the idea for the textile element from a ride on the Ram Van. After seeing blocks of grafﬁti that resembled a quilt, she said that she realized the thematic relevance one could have in her thesis. Heritage and the collection of memory are two huge focuses of her project. Therefore, a quilt, which is a physical manifestation of the compilation and preservation of experience, became the perfect means of demonstrating these ideas.

Bouvier’s family is another major source of inspiration for her work. Her mother was born and raised in the Netherlands, and a signiﬁcant portion of her family lives in Friesland, a province in the northern part of the

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family and environmental protection.

nation. Bouvier also spent last summer working on a farm in the Netherlands, an experience that she said brought her closer to her family and the land they are grounded in. Her Dutch heritage shines through in several aspects of her project, but it is especially prevalent in the fairy house and music box that sits on top of the pedestal in the right corner of the exhibition.

Beyond the textile element, music plays a major role in Bouvier’s portion of “Roots,” and the song that plays alongside the video component of her project is a piece titled “Follow their way” that Bouvier composed herself. While her use of media is diverse, these distinct components come together to tell a story of retention and evolution. In “Roots,” Bouvier manages to capture the process of growing up, while simultaneously celebrating “this magical, ethereal view of the world and nature” that we have

is simultaneously foreign and familiar, and the frames house gorgeous prints documenting Kulak’s trip. These digital photos capture life out West from a distinctly metropolitan East Coast perspective, providing city-dwellers with a rare glance into the more rural parts of the U.S.

As a visual art major with a minor in environmental studies, Kulak’s ﬁnal thesis is the perfect fusion of her interests. Her journey was funded by the FCLC Dean’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Practice Grant. The grant application process involved weeks of research, after which Kulak formulated a proposal, budget and an eight-week schedule under the tutelage of her faculty mentor, Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock.

Kulak’s curiosity and wonder manifest brilliantly in her photography.

Kulak was shocked and disappointed by the contrast between the practices of small-scale farming families like that of her partner and corporate unethical farming businesses. This disparity is ultimately what motivated Kulak’s thesis, and through her research and photography, she investigated what it means to form a more meaningful and ethical relationship with the environment.

Her research culminated in a photo book consisting of a stunning compilation of her photography throughout her travels. The book rests on a corner table alongside embroidery and various household items, all of which contribute to the snug and inviting feel of the exhibition.

Kulak’s curiosity and wonder manifest brilliantly in her photography, and while she captures scenes that may be unfamiliar to many of us, she does so through a well-informed lens. Not only do her photos manage to capture the vastness of the West, but they also compassionately document both the human and animal life that exists within such land, and the considerable research she has invested into this project shines through in her work.

as children. It is this exploration of our connections to nature that elevates the unity between Bouvier and Kulak’s projects beyond the aesthetic level.

The other half of “Roots” displayed on the left side of the gallery consists of Kulak’s work , who manufactured a beautifully homey exhibition documenting a striking journey out west. During a ten-day road trip, Kulak visited Idaho, Washington, Montana and Wyoming alongside her partner, who was the main source of inspiration for this project. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Kulak had never been exposed to the beautiful expanses of the West, but after visiting her partner’s home in Idaho for the ﬁrst time, she was struck by the landscape, its inhabitants and their relationship with the land.

With a variety of vintage frames sourced from thrift stores adorning the wall, Kulak’s contribution to “Roots”

While the photographs are the focal point in Kulak’s installation, she has also manufactured a faux home, complete with a rustic coat hanger from which one of her sweaters hangs. Before “Roots” was on display, Kulak could often be seen around campus wearing this very garment, and her choice to include it contributes to the intimacy of the exhibition.

With its diverse range of mediums and overlapping themes, “Roots” is a beautiful set of installations that inadvertently demonstrates the capacity for friendship to unite artists and their work. “Roots” was on display until March 24, but during its brief life, it authentically displayed the culmination of Bouvier and Kulak’s efforts as well as the variety of expression that Fordham’s art students have to offer.

The end of “Roots” marks the beginning of a new exhibition, and the work of Madeleine Johnson, FCLC ’25, and Claire Seka, FCLC ’25, which opened on March 25 and will be on display until April 8.

Alison Kulak, FCLCe

PHOTOGRAPHER’S

The Butler Gallery continues its longstanding tradition of featuring senior visual art student’s theses every spring.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S

Brenda Bouvier and Alison Kulak’s, both FCLC ’25, exhibition “Roots” was on display at the gallery until March 24.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S

Bouvier and Kulak’s joint exhibition touched on themes of childhood,

NYPL Exhibit Spotlights Women Who Shaped Jazz

Offering a testament to the women who laid the foundation for the world of jazz

By SOPHIA STEPHAN Staff Writer

Armstrong and Coltrane: two household-name musicians who were pivotal ﬁgures in the development of jazz. Despite their historical essentiality, you probably ﬁrst thought of their husbands, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane. Lil Hardin Armstrong and Alice Coltrane are just two of the female jazz musicians who society has turned a blind eye to. How can we confront our unawareness and maintain appreciation for women in jazz?

Through June 13, the New York Public Library of Performing Arts (NYPL) will be shedding some well-deserved light on female jazz musicians who played signiﬁcant roles in establishing the genre in the 19th century Southern United States, in their exhibition “Rhythm Is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz.”

Free of charge and conveniently located one block from Fordham Lincoln Center’s campus, this exhibit offers an invaluable educational experience.

Authors Danielle Cordovez, Rebecca Littman and curator Kevin Parks showcased a collection of photos, recordings and music records for this historical gallery walk in the Shelby Cullom Davis Museum. In the gallery’s orientation plaques, they declare their mission to showcase the diverse accomplishments of jazz women “who kept the world swinging through the Great Depression, World War II and into the prosperous days of the 1950s, 60s, and beyond.”

The walk-through begins with a clip from the 1981 documentary “Women in Jazz: The

Instrumentalists” narrated by Marian McPartland, a prominent musician described by the curators as “a force in jazz.” McPartland was a talented pianist, composer and radio host, and co-founded her own record company, Halcyon Records, that supported lesser-known jazz artists dropped from larger labels, such as Eubie Blake and Mary Lou Williams.

McPartland describes how society was set on diminishing female jazz talent...

A clip from the documentary shows trumpet player Dolly Jones

Alema acting in Oscar Micheaux’s 1936 feature ﬁlm “Swing!” — particularly showcasing the scene in which she must prove her ability to male jazz musicians — a situation that McPartland mentions was rooted in reality. She says that prevailing narratives claimed that playing instruments beyond piano required a “strength that only men were supposed to have.”

McPartland describes how society was set on diminishing female jazz talent, saying that standard “attitudes towards women … took their toll,” and women either “didn’t even try” or were simply “not accepted.” Regarding those who were able to gain career traction despite societal pressures, McPartland states, “We don’t know anything about them.” This statement targets society’s ignorance of the

signiﬁcance of women in cultural movements. NYPL’s exhibit makes great leaps in educating the importance of women in jazz history and historical change in the 20th century.

The exhibition’s showcase of iconic American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone is a perfect display of the intersection of jazz, women and the civil rights movement. According to the NYPL exhibition curators, “Simone’s music often addressed themes of social justice and the African American experience, making her an inﬂuential ﬁgure in the Civil Rights Movement.” With her music, Simone was able to empower women in jazz and Black women, in general. Further along the gallery, the exhibit offers the opportunity to listen to Alice Coltrane’s piece

“One for the Father,” which she wrote for her husband, famed jazz musician John Coltrane. The immersive experience allowed me to fully appreciate Alice Coltrane’s mastery of the piano. It is not enough to read about a female jazz musician — you must listen to her art to realize her impact in the genre. It is incredible to listen to a woman who has acquired such skill when so many were against her.

McPartland, Simone and Coltrane are a few of the signiﬁcant women the gallery pays homage to with photos, music records and informational blurbs. These musicians have made their marks on history and opened doors for women in music at large.

While their signiﬁcance is their own, it is important to note that their fame is often described in reference to male musicians. In fact, an all-male supporting jazz band is given the spotlight in an image, despite it being there to highlight a lead woman solo singer, Ina Ray Hutton.

This detail of the exhibit showcases a tendency to measure women against men as the standard; most women in jazz had to be associated with men to gain any recognition or opportunity. Single women had to excel phenomenally in their time to be seen at all.

Despite this tension, the NYPL curators’ effort to highlight women across jazz is an introductory example of how we can alter perspectives to uplift all women. Continuing to combat historical neglect towards women — in jazz and in general — will ultimately empower young girls to take their place in the spotlight, following the powerful women that came before them.

The Rise and Fall of Freedom in ‘Cabaret’

Broadway’s ‘Cabaret’ lures fans in with old-timey glitz and glam, only to leave them with fear of the future

By LAINEY COLLIER Staff Writer

Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub of Weimar Republic Germany, where you can drink and dance the night away. Your Emcee (Adam Lambert) greets you with jokes and a smirk. The show’s star, Sally Bowles (Auli’i Cravalho), stumbles in dressed as a baby and pleads with you not to tell her “mama” about her risqué choice of employment.

Lambert and Cravalho began their run in “Cabaret” at the August Wilson Theatre on Sept. 16, 2024.

Lambert’s rendition of the Emcee comedically invited the audience inside the Klub through live interactions as he walked around the 360-degree stage in the center of the theater. For instance, he called out a woman in the second row for being late and demanded her necklace as payment. His charm and impressive German accent rule the show, while his slow character development is a harbinger.

Cravalho’s performance as Bowles absolutely blew me away. She dropped all pretenses of her acclaimed Disney princess innocence. Her rendition of “Maybe This Time” halts movement on stage and off, leaving everyone rapt as she sings of fear and desperation for love. But outside the sparkling excitement of the Kit Kat Klub and its stars is a politically charged and increasingly dangerous Germany.

The show presents the freedom and artistic expression of Weimar Berlin as the city slowly yields to extremism. Members of the

once-ridiculed Nazi Party grow in power; violence against Jewish citizens and political opponents increases. The freedom inside the Klub and ignorance of politics are no longer an option — German citizens must make the choice to conform, ﬂee or make a stand and face harsh consequences.

Another dynamic lead character, Clifford Bradshaw (Calvin Leon Smith), is an American novelist seeking inspiration in Berlin. He meets a suspicious, bag-smuggling German on the train with whom he becomes quick friends.

The man, Ernst Ludwig (Henry Gottfried), recommends a boarding house full of colorful characters to Bradshaw and introduces him to the Klub, where he meets Bowles.

While enamored by this new world, Bradshaw soon becomes trapped in a battle between his craft, politics and pleasure. After being kicked out of the Klub, Bowles moves in with Bradshaw, grows close to him, and they decide to raise a baby together. Even though Bowles is unsure who the father is, Bradshaw sees a family as a chance to ﬁnd his purpose in life.

But childcare requires money — and so does the world.

Bradshaw begins smuggling money for Ludwig, unaware that it funds the rising Nazi Party. Hence, the Emcee cuts to a chilling performance by the Emcee and Kit Kat girls: “Money,” a commentary on greed and power. All plays have lessons, and “Cabaret”’s must be

that history repeats itself in ugly ways.

The tumult is elevated by the end of Act One. Fraulein Schneider (Bebe Neuwirth) plans to marry one of her boarders, Herr Schultz (Steven Skybell), a Jewish fruit vendor. Here, the audience learns Ludwig is a Nazi, and Ludwig learns Schultz is Jewish.

The audience could feel the heartbreak on stage and a chill in the Klub over the clear repetition of history. No one with social or political awareness could miss the reﬂection of the present in “Cabaret”’s story of the past.

The slow, but certain normalization of extremist ideologies, the targeting of marginalized groups, and the inescapable hatred in every aspect of life exceed the

boundaries of 1930s Berlin are playing out in real-time in the United States.

The audience of “Cabaret” was hushed after the lights signaled a reprieve from the silly costumes and hedonistic characters. The air was heavy with people mulling over the books our government wants to ban, the freedom of gender and sexual expression the current administration loves to hate and take away, and the hiring of public ﬁgures who possess only self-interest.

The show forces people to ask themselves a serious question that the characters struggle with themselves: When does silence or indifference become complicity? It is a harsh reminder of how the Nazis viewed Jewish people and a realization that the time for naïveté is over. Goodbye glitz and glamor and hello to hatred, misogyny and conformity.

Following the darkening atmosphere, the Emcee loses his playfulness and turns into a blonde, stoic man in a three-piece suit. The dancers abandon their makeup and embrace corporate attire, all become carbon copies of one another spinning in robotic unison. Bowles is rehired by the Klub, gets an abortion and ends things with Bradshaw, who is leaving Berlin.

“Ladies and gentlemen, where are your troubles now? Forgotten?” the Emcee said, taking the audience back to the opening lines.

“Cabaret” is more than an exciting, star-studded revival of a play that originally opened in 1966: it’s a warning. After all, it is easy to dance through life until freedom is merely a memory.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

The New York Public Library of Performing Arts’ latest exhibition “Rhythm Is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz” features underrepresented female artists within the genre.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho star in the latest Broadway adaptation of “Cabaret”.

Orchids and Architecture

Luscious

ﬂowers make up this year’s

By ELIZABETH CORALLO Staff Writer

The tropical climate of sweet orchids overpowers the chilly temperatures of the Bronx in March at the New York Botanical Garden’s latest exhibit.

“The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism” in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory takes the viewer on a trip around the world with a variety of diverse orchid species, cacti and architecture found throughout Mexico. Upon entering the building, viewers are greeted by the strong sweetness of the ﬂowers, transporting them into a warm and welcoming exhibit. The dozens of windows lining the walls and ceilings of the conservatory shine onto the ﬂowers in brilliant rays, creating an experience that is more similar to a spring day in California than a winter afternoon in New York.

The ﬁrst room, known as the Palm Dome, includes banana trees surrounding the circular space, sprouts of orchid plants, and a fountain with a wall of orchids inspired by the architect of the hour for this exhibit, Luis Barragán. This luminous pink fountain is inspired by the Mexican architect’s iconic 1960s installation, “The Lover’s Fountain,” from a landscaping project he did in Los Cubes, a residential enclave in Mexico City. This fountain was part of horse stables that he designed for the town, which was known for its equestrian roots, and this fountain is meant to resemble a horse trough, symbolizing one’s love for their partner as a parallel to a rider’s love for his horse.

The English translation of Barragán’s words about the original fountain on a plaque in the Palm Dome reads “A fountain brings us peace, joy, and restful sensuality and reaches the epitome of its very essence when, by its power to bewitch, it will stir dreams of distant worlds.”

Viewers were quickly and easily transported from the Bronx to a sunny spring day in the ﬁrst room of the exhibit, the second room threw viewers into an Amazon jungle just as fast, as if the doorway between rooms was a portal to different orchid-ﬁlled worlds. This room, in which viewers are guided to their left from the Palm Dome to enter, is best described as an orchid jungle, complete with tree branches wrapping around the ceiling to create an archway effect as patrons walk through the space. Informational plaques offered different facts about orchid care in between winding vines and leaves.

Beyond these boards, the ceilings and walls are shrouded in

orchid show: ‘Mexican Modernism’ at New York Botanical Garden

green, blocking out much of the sunlight that penetrated the Palm Dome. The two worlds were separate for viewers to enjoy as parts of the same show. To break up the blanket of leaves, different species of orchids popped out like pockets of color, contributing to this calm, serene space as mist stemmed from the tropical plants and their humid environment.

As viewers move through the exhibit, they pass through a sunroom with a fountain, many more orchids of various colors, and a lily pond, which was inspired by the motif of water in Barragán’s architecture. The sunroom featured benches along the window-covered walls where viewers are invited to rest for a moment and enjoy the peaceful pond before them and the archway of orchids above their heads. Past this room was another trip to the jungle, complete with a waterfall, a treehouse and slipper orchids that have a pouch of petals at the bottom of the ﬂower, resembling their namesake.

After exiting the rainforest portion of the exhibit, viewers walk down a rainbow hallway that leads to a desert-themed area. This space was surprisingly cooler than the rainforest and featured cacti and spotted-colored window panes.

The last part of the exhibit was the most striking because it featured rows of arches covered in orchids and bright pastel colors, such as pink and purple, inspired by Barragán’s Casa Gilardi. This portion of the exhibit is a modernist house designed by the featured architect. The arches were arranged simply yet beautifully, curving about 15 feet above the ground and painted in bright, matte pastels. A jacaranda tree with blooming ﬂowers was a centerpiece in the original home’s garden. To simulate the presence of this tree, there are bright blue trees curling around the corners of the arches as viewers walk through them. Wandering through this large circular room and the hallway that leads visitors toward the end of the show, viewers can imagine themselves at the original Casa Gilardi as they are surrounded by blue trees, fountains and dozens of orchids.

There is a sign that reads “Garden as Magic” as viewers stroll towards the exit — summarizing the experience of this stunning orchid show and the cultural signiﬁcance of Barragán on modernist architecture in Mexico.

The Orchid Show will be on view until April 27. The New York Botanical Garden can be accessed easily across the street from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus and entry is free to Fordham students with a valid student ID.

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH CORALLO/THE OBSERVER

The Botanical Garden’s latest exhibition “The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism,” will be on view until Apr. 27.

The exhibit featured arches inspired by the modernist house, Casa Gilardi, designed Mexican architect Luis Barragán

Viewers learn about the variety of diverse orchid species, cacti and architecture found throughout Mexico.

The NYBG’s orchid show is on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

The exhibit establishes the interconnected artistic relationship between nature and man-made creations.

un & ames

Crossword: Spring, We’ve

Missed

You!

BY ABBY GRUNZINGER

known for this feature

17. Rap artist who sings “1-800273-8255”

18. Italian river that ﬂows through Florence and Pisa

6. Instrument used in COVID-19 testing 10. Stock launches (Abbr.) 14. Sudden invasion

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19. Zendaya played Meechee, one of these mythical creatures, in the 2018 ﬁlm “Smallfoot”

20. *A vegetarian salad order at Panera? (2 Wds.)

22. Not closed

23. Ending to “dioc-” or “che-”

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30. Next in line for the throne

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32. 43,560 square feet

35. Military tactic that involves propaganda and emotional manipulation

39. Planes often offer window, aisle or middle

40. Ships

42. Task list (Hyph.)

43. One of the seven ways to get on base in baseball

45. Second-year (Abbr.)

46. Narcissists have big ones

47. Competent

49. Aim (to)

51. Cement-like substance often applied to the exterior of buildings

54. River that ﬂows through Leeds, England

56. The Manson family or NXIVM, for two

57. *Like an extended Jack-inthe-Box or pogo stick?

62. Taylor Swift sings about this kind of hero in a single from 2022s “Midnights”

63. Largest continent by both land area and population

64. Home to pasta, Pisa and Pavarotti

66. Famous Spanish painter Joan

67. Response to “gracias” with

Word Ladder: Spring Has Sprung

BY JASMINE WHITE

68. One who snacks

69. Function of many printers

70. Work done without pay in the hopes of getting a job or contract

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1. Professional pigskin league in the 1960s

2. “Bugs Bunny” or “The Flintstones,” for example

3. Famous ship from Greek myths that lends its name to a Fordham café

4. Not clerical

5. Small sweet fruit that is a common ﬂavor in bubble tea beverages

6. Where astronauts go

7. Is employed

8. Steak sauce option, spelled out? (2 Wds.)

9. Surname for literary sisters Anne, Emily and Charlotte

10. *How someone who looks up to you might follow you?

11. Marshmallow candies popular around Easter

12. Group of eight musicians

13. Avatar options in video games

21. Second-largest religion

25. Abbreviation often seen on gravestones

26. Medication amount

27. State or assert

28. Not far

29. *Where front-line soldiers are sent (2 Wds.)

30. LifeAlert advertisements: “____! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

33. A cold one is unsolved

34. 2011 animated movie about a macaw named Blu

36. Berra who said “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”

37. Smell

38. What models do

41. Witty

44. Common term for erythrocyte (Abbr.)

48. Stars of 1998s “The Parent Trap”?

50. “Harry Potter” or “Game of Thrones,” for two

51. Phishing and Ponzi schemes, for example

52. Loose-ﬁtting garment that dates back to ancient times

53. Word with “violet” or “Michelob”

54. “All jokes _____ ”

55. Scientist Newton or author Asimov

58. Now, please! (Abbr.)

59. State home to ﬁve national parks, including Zion and Arches

60. International alliance headquartered in Belgium (Abbr.)

61. Will Schuester led this club in a popular TV show of the same name

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Fill in the blanks by changing only one letter from the previous word to create a new one and bring on the warmer weather!

Connect the Dots: Soaking Up Spring

1. “I don’t like him __ ___” (2 Wds.)