The Observer Issue 04 Fall 2025

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October 22, 2025

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

VOLUME XLVI, ISSUE 4

Tetlow Talks: Keeping Up With Fordham

By MICHELLE WILSON News Editor

University President Tania Tetlow met with the student press on Oct. 16 and discussed tuition costs, school rankings, Graduate Student Union protests and recent university changes like administrative restructuring and donations to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.

Last year, four Fordham students’ visas were revoked and later restored. Tetlow said that this year, Fordham’s visa application rate of success “was the same as last year, so that was a major achievement and not true at every institution.”

Tetlow attributed this success to a new task force of administrators and faculty, created this summer to help support international students in tandem with the pre-existing Office of International Services.

However, Tetlow said the university has seen a small decline in international graduate student applications from certain

DURGA DESAI/THE OBSERVER

University President Tania Tetlow discussed various university updates with members of The Observer and The Ram.

countries, a trend she worries may escalate next application cycle.

“We have seen a decline in applications, more at the graduate level than undergrad, from China and India, which were particularly discouraged at various times by the (federal) administration from coming here,” Tetlow said. “A lot of what happened last spring happened late in the admissions cycle, so I worry that there will be more opting out next year.”

Nationwide, there has been a 19% decrease in international student arrivals, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office.

Tetlow said that “what didn’t get nearly enough attention last summer were the efforts to cut back on students’ financial aid.”

Fordham reached out to students, staff and alumni over the summer, asking them to contact Congress regarding this matter, which Tetlow said is “about making the American dream a reality.” see TETLOW TALKS page 3

$160,000 Research Grant on Clergy Sexual Abuse

By SOPHIA STEPHAN Asst. News Editor

On Oct. 14, the theology department’s newsletter featured the latest development in Fordham’s Taking Responsibility initiative, a $160,000 grant for research on clergy sexual abuse. The newsletter closely followed the announcement of Superior General Arturo Sosa’s confirmation of Fordham’s Jesuit mission.

Revelations of clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, and a call by the Society of Jesus to take accountability for its part in this, prompted Fordham to launch the first phase of the Taking Responsibility initiative in 2019. Phase one aimed to uncover structures within the church that enabled and hid the abuse. The initiative recently received a $160,000 grant to launch their second

phase through an international research project.

The initiative’s webpage details how “the long-lasting harm and suffering inflicted on vulnerable victim-survivors, the evil and scandal perpetrated by abusers, and the sorry record of silence, denial, or cover-up on the parts of church leaders have precipitated a crisis of faith, trust, and moral and spiritual credibility.” Through research, their goal is to shine light on the “features of Jesuit educational institutions that, in the past, facilitated both abuse and concealment.”

The second phase of the initiative is being spearheaded by John Seitz, associate professor of theology at Fordham Lincoln Center, as well as theologians Sónia da Silva Monteiro and Carolina Montero Orphanopoulos. see ABUSE RESEARCH page 4

COURTESY OF CASON DOYLE

Cast and crew members said they learned invaluable lessons working with director Williams.

Mainstage Play Tells the Story and Struggle of Stardom

John Cecero, vice president of Mission Integration and Ministry, said following the Jesuit mission can help students live more authentically.

From Oct. 9 to Oct. 17, seven young actors hit the Pope Auditorium stage in “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark,” a play that follows the story of an aspiring Black actress as she navigates the intricate racial stereotypes of 1930s Hollywood. Directed by Adrienne C. Williams, this play encapsulates the realities many Black women were subjected to when trying to build a career.

Williams, who has been directing plays since the early 2000s, brought over 30 years of acting experience and intimate knowledge of the drama world.

She said that the show’s themes remain current, despite its period setting.

“I definitely think it’s a great show to do in a school that has

a BFA program because really, those are questions that will come up over these actors’ careers as well,” Williams said. “It does speak to literally the world that they’re going to walk out into.”

One particular scene that encapsulated the central theme of the play was the last scene of Act 1, where Gloria is hosting a very well-known director at her house. He arrogantly rambles about wanting to create a “thoroughly authentic” film depicting the experience of enslaved people with “real people, not actors.”

When he declares this desire, both Vera and Lottie, one of Vera’s roommates, start shifting their posture in hopes of landing roles in the film. This scene highlighted how Black women were forced to conform to white men’s stereotypes of them in order to succeed in their careers. The audience

spent the intermission wondering what would happen to Vera and how centering her identity around other people’s ideals would ultimately affect her.

These were complex topics to bring to life, especially with only four and a half weeks to rehearse.

The cast rehearsed four hours a day, five days a week. It was Williams’ first time working with Fordham’s Theatre department, an experience she described as very positive.

“The process is always particular to the team that you’re working with, so I really enjoyed it,” Williams said.

Arden Carethers, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’26, played Vera, and said that her favorite part of the process was getting to do the protagonist justice.

NEWS PAGE 5

FEATURES PAGE 8-9

OPINIONS PAGE 10

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 15

By JORDAN DONEGAN Contributing Writer

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Frontrunners Face Off

Candidates participate in the first NYC mayoral debate

SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 6

Run, Rams, Run!

Fordham’s run club issues Strava competitions to get students

Reporting Tiananmen CBS documentary on uprising coverage premiered at FLC

I Give it a 10!

Why “Dancing with the Stars” needs a fairer scoring system

see VERA STARK page 13

A Stand-up Ex

Bradley Cooper’s low-budget dramedy explores life after love

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News

October 22, 2023

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THE OBSERVER

Fordham Clubs Host Immigration Law Panel

Immigration lawyers discussed visa challenges, legal rights and career pathways for students interested in immigration law

By ROOP SOMAL Asst. Layout Editor

The Oct. 16 “Immigrant Rights and Immigration Law” discussion panel brought together legal professionals to address uncertainty around U.S. immigration policies, offer advice on visa applications and guide students who want to pursue immigration law at the Lincoln Center campus.

The event was co-hosted by the Immigration Advocacy Club, United Student Government and the Asian Pacific American Coalition.

As rapidly changing federal regulations continue to affect students and families, questions surrounding legal status and rights have grown increasingly urgent.

The panelists, who all possess over a decade of experience, discussed how immigration law evolves in accordance with each presidential administration’s priorities.

Susan Song, an immigration attorney at Fragomen, said the current administration’s emphasis is on protecting national security through increased enforcement of visa regulations.

For example, when applying for an immigrant visa, people must now apply only through their country of residence or a country in which they have citizenship. Prior to this, applicants could request a visa at a U.S. consulate in a nearby country, even if they were not residents of that country.

Customs and Border Patrol have also increased scrutiny at

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Fordham community members gathered to receive advice from seasoned immigration lawyers.

borders by conducting greater numbers of, and more thorough, background checks.

Given this shift, Yen-Yi Anderson, founder and managing principal at Anderson and Associates Law, P.C., advised students to keep track of their immigration status and ensure that their I-20 and visa documents are up to date.

Anderson explained the importance of attending classes and maintaining a full course of study for international students.

She suggested that students utilize campus resources and seek help from faculty if they are struggling. Maintaining legal status requires full-time enrollment, so absences and unpaid tuition balances can compromise

this status. The Department of Homeland Security website provides further information on this, stating that students must speak with their designated school officer prior to changing addresses, transferring schools, switching their major or taking a leave of absence.

Regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Anderson strongly recommended that, should students be approached, they stay calm in order to not give officers any reason for concern. As long as students are compliant in their F-1 visa status, they should not worry, as ICE cannot make arrests without a judicial warrant. If someone is approached at their home, they can refuse to open the door and

request that the officers slip a warrant underneath it.

Anderson also advised that students obtain and carry IDNYC cards as their primary form of identification, rather than their foreign passports, as IDNYC cards provide proof of residency. International students aged 18 or older are expected to carry documentation at all times.

As Song elaborated further on the particulars of legal status, she noted that a criminal record, to ICE, constitutes a citation or charge, even without a conviction. She also added that, now, arrests may happen at adjustment of status interviews, so it is important to be alert at consulates and not spend unnecessary time there.

As immigration lawyers, Song and Anderson described the fulfillment they gain from helping people receive authorization for their legal status. They agreed on the crucial importance of immigration law and its increasing relevance given rapid federal changes to visa regulations.

The panelists also concurred on the importance of students aspiring toward careers in international law to be willing to advocate for justice, fight difficult cases and contest policies in court.

“You’ll find that it’s very intellectually challenging and you also find that your work will help a lot of people, your community or the community that you care about,” Song said.

To get a head start on their careers, students can volunteer or intern with organizations like legal aid societies, nonprofit organizations, bar associations, pro-bono clinics and more. These organizations provide training on how to guide people applying for citizenship status and other legal immigration processes.

For students looking to help outside of a legal career, Song suggested aiding people facing linguistic barriers who may run into difficulty when updating their documents or speaking to officers. She also touched on the importance of simply checking in on one’s peers and offering emotional support.

International students should be advised that federal visa regulations are subject to continuous change.

Student Republicans and Democrats Debate American Values

The Fordham Political Union hosted the bipartisan debate to promote civil discourse.

By MICHELLE WILSON News Editor

Members of the Fordham College Republicans (FCR) and the Fordham College Democrats (FCD) debated key issues like free speech, immigration, political polarization and the mayoral race on Oct. 20 in Keating Hall at the Rose Hill campus.

The event was hosted and moderated by the Fordham Political Union, a club focused on fostering healthy discourse between students of all political affiliations, which was the ethos of the debate.

Each club put forth three members to debate.

The primary themes of the event were: What is the American dream? What are American values? And what makes someone an American?

The debate began with two-minute opening statements from each club, which reflected the divisions between their answers to those questions. FCR’s opening statement expressed their intention to “defend popular government … defend the rights of each and every person to succeed within their means” and defend conservative traditions.

FCD’s opening statement also focused on equality of rights — but with a different idea for what those rights constitute and how they should be expressed — and on the equality of opportunity for all people as the founding values of the nation.

“We need to ensure that we are a government of the people, for the people and by the people, not of the corporations, for the

corporations and by the corporations,” Javeer Khan, debater of FCD and Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’29, said.

Which party best supports working-class Americans emerged as another major point of contention. Lorenzo Camillio, debater and president of FCR and FCRH ’26, said that “working people have been abandoned by the Democratic party,” and it is in fact the Republican party that “transitioned, especially in the Trump era, away from billionaires” and away from being “the party of the rich.”

FCD disagreed with this idea, pointing to billionaires like Elon Musk who contributed monetarily to and maintained relationships with the Trump administration.

The topic of immigration came up frequently, sparked largely by one student’s pre-submitted question: “Is there such a thing as too much legal immigration, if it’s too many people or from too different of a place?” FCR and FCD each had two minutes to respond.

Camillio from FCR started by condemning illegal immigration, and then moved to the question of legal immigration, claiming that immigrants must subscribe to “American values” or else risk the erosion of the U.S.’s national identity.

“We do not need to ease the process (of legal immigration).

We need to make it more complicated,” Camillio said. “When you abuse the system of legal immigration … you don't have an identity. That’s when you lose everything that the country is being founded on, every principle of the founding fathers

… If you come here and do not espouse those values, you do not belong.”

FCD’s rebuttal focused on how immigrants make the nation better.

“Legal immigration isn’t putting us back. It’s moving us forward and what we want is to be the best country, and immigration forces us to do that,” Cameron Garland, debater of FCD and FCRH ’29, said.

Another major subject at the debate was that of free speech, censorship and hate speech on social media and on university campuses.

Khan argued that FCD supports the rights to free speech and protest, but only “until they become hateful, until there’s actual violence against certain groups or in certain communities.” Khan cited the Jan. 6 insurrection as an instance of the right to protest being taken too far.

Khan also said that social media platforms have the responsibility to “have some regulations on just statements that are blatantly false.”

“Despite the fact that the Republicans claim to support the First Amendment, President Trump has been consistently leaning on social media companies to promote favorable views,” Khan said.

FCR’s rebuttal pointed out what they called the “hypocrisy” of the differential condemnation Democrats apply to Republicans that they do not call out amongst themselves. Camillio referred to the pro-Palestinian student protests in New York City as an example, claiming that they were

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Three members from each club participated in the debate hosted by the Fordham Political Union.

violent. FCD countered, pointing out that other than an incident at Columbia where students broke into one building, the protests were otherwise peaceful.

Regarding social media, Camillio said that “governments (have) ruled on many occasions that it’s up to these individual companies to regulate the speech on their platforms” and that a “feeling of fear … of hate speech has brought about new echo chambers. It’s bred new hate speech.”

Questions around the best policies to address affordability and the allocation of government funding shaped each club’s alignment with their preferred mayoral candidate.

FCR threw their support behind Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate. FCD voiced their endorsement of Zohran Mamdani, the progressive Democratic

candidate. Both sides expressed their distaste for Andrew Cuomo, the conservative Democrat running as an independent.

Another point of agreement between the two groups was on the importance of civil bipartisan discussion given increasing political polarization. Reflecting on the event, many panelists said this was successful.

This year’s event was held in the fall after last year’s spring debate fell through last minute, and to help inform students prior to the upcoming Nov. 4 mayoral election.

This year also introduced a more interactive format, with questions submitted by students in a survey prior to the debate and by live attendees on top of those asked by the moderators.

Fordham Political Union are planning another debate in the spring.

www.fordhamobserver.com

October 22, 2023

THE OBSERVER

News

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Tetlow Discusses Admissions, STEM Investments, Rankings The university president explained various recent administrative changes in an interview with student press TETLOW TALKS from page 1

“We got a phenomenal response,” Tetlow said. “It is the most short-sighted move in the world to cut back on educational opportunity in this country …

The more we chip away at that, the worse our country will do in a global economy, but also, we just squander talent in unimaginable ways.”

Financial aid is a widespread concern for students following the university’s 4.65% tuition hike last semester. Tetlow said it is possible tuition will be raised again as inflationary costs continue to rise, as “providing the excellence you deserve at a price we hope you can afford and that is a more and more miserable process every year.”

“If costs are going up and the vast majority of the revenue of the university comes from tuition, the only way that we can avoid raising tuition is if we cut the quality or … how much we spend per student,” Tetlow said.

Tetlow added that financial aid is “the biggest priority in the budget” and “raising money for scholarships from our alumni remains one of our biggest fundraising priorities.” She also noted that Fordham faces an equity issue in distributing financial aid to students who need it most.

“We hold back as much of that money as we can to help scholarship more of the students who cannot afford to pay the actual increasing cost of their education,” Tetlow said. “What we are doing more of, this year especially, is to really think about how to be more generous in financial aid for returning students as much as we can, because the idea of losing any student over a couple of point increase in the bill is anathema to us.”

The tuition increase sparked frustration among students as Fordham has steadily dropped in U.S. News and World Report rankings over the last few years, going from 72nd in 2022 to its current tie for 97th. Tetlow responded to this and said that, in 2012, Fordham was ranked in the 50s out of 174 schools, putting it in the top 30th percentile, whereas now it is 97th out of 434 schools, or in the top 22nd percentile.

Tetlow said that, while admission rate is no longer part of the rankings, Fordham is focused on “getting the admission rate down” because “we do know that (selectivity is) something students look to as they’re choosing a school.”

Tetlow cited U.S. News’ recent shift in criteria toward outcomes and social mobility as the reason for the drop, which she said

disproportionately impacted private universities as public universities receive more government subsidies. Private universities are also subsidized indirectly, primarily through tax deductions and other federal privileges.

“Public surged forward, privates dropped,” Tetlow said. “But our raw score stayed the same.

So is it a change in the quality of Fordham? No. By definition, no.”

Of U.S. News’ criteria, Tetlow agreed on the importance of retention and graduation rate.

Fordham’s 2025 ­­–26 Strategic Plan is “focused on being student-centered on academic excellence and quality, and that which ultimately will move the needle,” Tetlow said.

Part of this strategic vision includes Fordham’s rebranding and deepening investment in STEM following the $100 million donation for a new STEM building last semester, as well as the $1 million gift for artificial intelligence research this month.

The rebranding and new logo were met with mixed feedback from students, many of whom were unhappy about the change.

Tetlow said the decision followed extensive market research and focus grouping showing that Gen Z is increasingly unaware of what Fordham’s Jesuit mission means.

She added that the rebranding hopes to show incoming students the “academic excellence and social justice and brilliant teaching” central to the cura personalis of a Jesuit education.

“Thus far, it’s really working.

It’s very early in the application cycle, but we are way up on applications,” Tetlow said. “Changing the ‘F’ is the least of it. It was really about developing copy, a language to describe who we are in our Jesuit identity … but to translate it into the language of a younger generation in a way that will resonate with them.”

Fordham’s recent fall open house saw 1,500 students and their families, a 38% increase from the year prior, according to an email from the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Regarding the STEM donation, Tetlow clarified that this is “not a pivot.” Rather, she said that the university has “fallen behind in our investment in STEM” and is prioritizing connecting “science and technology to our existing strengths,” which will help better prepare students for a changing job market.

“You guys face a rate of change that is unimaginable, so Fordham has to be quicker to help prepare you for that world,” Tetlow said. “A lot of the jobs that are most technical are going away very, very quickly … What

DURGA DESAI/THE OBSERVER

Despite international student visa revocations last year, Fordham’s visa application success rate was the same this year as the last.

Tetlow reported an increase in undergraduate applications for the 2025–26 cycle.

employers will need is our graduates who have facility and technology … but also, who have the deeply human skills that we hope the software will never replace.”

Tetlow went on to address the administration’s position on the Fordham Graduate Student Workers (FGSW) rally last month, in response to a question from The Observer. FGSW claimed they received only one week’s pay on Aug. 8 (in contrast to the standard two-week pay cycles), were not notified of the expiration of their health insurance and that the university will change their compensation of Graduate Student Council (GSC) officers to treat their roles as service, not work. Previously, graduate student fees to Student Services had been used to pay

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The university’s rebranding to strengthen their Jesuit messaging was met with mixed feedback from students.

employee part-time salaries to GSC officers, which the university believes should no longer be the case.

The protest followed an updated contract agreement between Fordham and FGSW in spring 2024 after two years of negotiations.

Molly Crawford, a chief steward with FGSW, described the situation as a series of administrative errors with “pretty serious consequences … (that) speak to a larger culture” that does not sufficiently value graduate student workers as important members of the Fordham community.

However, Crawford clarified that FGSW has “spoken with the administration and we’ve gotten confirmation that it (miscommunication around pay cycles and healthcare) won’t happen again,” during FGSW’s regular committee meetings with administration.

Tetlow said that Fordham disagrees with the previous system of paying GSC officers as employees, despite a stipulation of compensation in GSC’s constitution.

“The fact that students have created a document in the past that maybe doesn’t align with normal best practices or our own sense of ethics about the use of student money, that doesn’t bind us going forward,” Tetlow said.

“Ultimately, we’re trying to protect graduate student fees that they’re used for the ways that students pay them.”

Crawford added that, “during the contract negotiations and into last academic year,” FGSW “understood those to be jobs covered by the union.”

Tetlow compared the situation to Fordham’s undergraduate United Student Government (USG) officers, who are not paid

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using undergraduate student fees.

“Undergraduate student fees go to support student organizations and clubs and operating expenses, and they’re part of the support of club sports … We don’t use undergraduate student fees to pay USG,” Tetlow said.

Tetlow said that the university is not in contract negotiations, but that the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and FGSW are in talks regarding GSC compensation.

In discussing broader administrative changes, Tetlow touched on inter-campus unity, noting that the consolidation of the School of Arts and Sciences is the “most important strategy to help us in the goal of ‘One Fordham.’”

This restructuring was marked by the introduction of Dean of Arts and Sciences Jessica Lang last March, as opposed to the former model of four deans.

Tetlow also said the administration would like to foster more Fordham traditions toward this end, especially at the Lincoln Center campus, and has reached out to the United Student Government to brainstorm.

“The warmth of this community is unusually amazing …

We want to find more reasons, whether it’s Ailey performances or the theater performances …

What events could we have there that Rose Hill students would never want to miss?” Tetlow said.

“And just generally, what events we could have at both campuses that create that sense of community, of joy, of fun.”

For the coming academic year, Tetlow looked forward to the continued growth of inter-campus unity and a warm, positive campus culture, which she said is already what makes the Fordham community so special.

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News

October 22, 2023

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THE OBSERVER

Fordham Receives Grant for Clergy Sexual Abuse Research Fordham’s Taking Responsibility initiative kickstarts an international undertaking

ABUSE RESEARCH from page 1

Seitz explained that their initial research “to help (Jesuit) institutions become leaders in the care, protection, and well-being of every person” turned their focus onto “restorative justice,” an approach to trauma “that focuses less on retribution and more on repair and restoration.”

“In thinking about the first phase’s final report, we saw an emphasis on the idea that Jesuit (and other) institutions should ‘focus on justice rather than on strict adherence to the letter of the law,’” Seitz said. “We thought that Restorative Justice and Jesuit intellectual and spiritual traditions might make good conversation partners in the construction of a new model that communities could use in dealing with clergy abuse.”

The Taking Responsibility team is currently assembling a group of research fellows for their second phase, composed of international scholars in restorative justice and other related fields — some of whom are survivors of abuse themselves. Phase two aims to explore the intersections between restorative justice and Jesuit values.

“It is really important to emphasize … the involvement of survivors, who have a perspective on this that others simply cannot have,” Seitz said.

The interdisciplinary work they are planning will involve a review of relevant literature, a series of meetings and the securing of support and publicity amongst Jesuit leaders and communities. With these efforts, the team hopes to construct a new model for communities to use in confronting clergy abuse by 2027.

Seitz described the importance of utilizing the concept of restorative justice in their approach to the plan. “(Restorative justice) enables diligent attention to the sorrowful and difficult details of what happened in cases of clergy sexual abuse without getting wholly swallowed up by them,” Seitz said.

“It is both attentive to the past and forward looking, in the direction of repair, care, and restoration.”

The launch of Taking Responsibility’s second phase was announced soon after Sosa’s confirmation of Fordham’s Jesuit mission based on the 2024–25 Mission Priority Examen (MPE).

The practice of the examen prayer, put forth by Saint Ignatius, calls for individuals to examine each of their days and find where God might have been present. In doing so, one is enabled to express gratitude and acknowledge one’s mistakes.

Following this practice, many Jesuit universities and institutions undergo a self-examination every seven years to review how

effectively they are following their Jesuit missions. The MPE reports Fordham’s most recent self-examination.

The MPE summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of Jesuit messaging on campus revealed through a number of interviews and focus groups that involved students, alumni and faculty. It also lists four priorities that Fordham plans to focus on to strengthen its Jesuit mission: bettering teaching, research, faith-based culture and community engagement.

John Cecero, vice president of Mission Integration and Ministry, specifically noted that Fordham should work on “making people aware of our Jesuit mission from the time that they come to Fordham, all the way through graduation and beyond.”

“We have seen that there is around 30 (to) 35% of the students that … have reported as Catholic, and I am personally concerned about that,” Cecero said. “I think we need to have a kind of core group of Catholic students here in order to engage in the kind of dialogue with people of different religious traditions.”

The MPE states that, in an Aug. 2024 study of prospective and current students, 29% of the current undergraduates attributed Fordham’s Jesuit mission as their reason for enrollment. 27% reported that their original negative feelings or indifference toward the mission turned into appreciation over their time at Fordham. 40% said that the Jesuit mission did not affect their Fordham experience.

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The Taking Responsibility initiative researches the persisting issues enabling clergy sexual abuse in Jesuit institutions.

“ The way we talk about ourselves, communicate about ourselves ... that has to be an expression of how we authentically live here on the campus. ”

John Cecero, vice president of Mission Integration and Ministry

Cecero cited the recent rebranding of the university’s slogan to “For What Matters” as a step towards emphasizing Fordham’s Jesuit identity. He explained the slogan’s roots in the Ignatian concept of “magis,” which urges the prioritization of the greater good, doing more for God by doing more for others.

“The way we talk about ourselves, communicate about ourselves, but that has to be an expression of how we authentically live here on the campus,”

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The initiative is assembling a team of international scholars and theologians to serve as research fellows.

Cecero said.

University President Tania Tetlow addressed the new rebrand when she met with the Fordham student press on Oct. 16.

“It changes how we tell our story so that the language we use in our marketing material is all deeply familiar. It’s the same message but described in, we hope a more intriguing, persuasive way,” Tetlow said.

Erin Hoffman, director of Campus Ministry for Lincoln Center, also pointed to Ignatian themes of the greater good and how they should drive the conduct of the Fordham community.

“Ignatius really saw value in being integrated into the cities and getting to know people (as opposed to) other religious orders,

The university’s new slogan, “For What Matters,” underscores Fordham’s Jesuit mission.

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which were more monastic,” Hoffman said. “He was like, ‘Go into the cities, find out what people need, respond to the times that we’re in.’”

“ We recognize

that we’re a human institution — we’re not a perfect institution — and that there’s always opportunity for growth.

Erin Hoffman, director of Campus Ministry

Following these values using the Ignatian examen, the MPE’s Implementation and Integration section reflects an effort to enhance the Fordham community’s engagement with Jesuit themes. To build community among students, a new intercampus first-year experience will be developed to encourage cross-campus connection.

Hoffman described the eye-opening nature of the MPE that will ultimately foster growth.

“We recognize that we’re a human institution — we’re not a perfect institution — and that there’s always opportunity for growth,” Hoffman said. “I think that what it helps to focus on is not just change for the sake of change, but intentional change that leads to growth.”

Cecero also spoke to what can be learned from the examen.

Describing the complex process of

confirmation, Cicero said students and staff should “take consolation in the fact that (Fordham’s) mission has been viewed and reviewed at multiple levels. The bottom line is: (Fordham is) doing something right.”

Hoffman echoed this sentiment, explaining that, in her 15 years at Fordham, she has seen the practice of the Jesuit mission “becoming more and more palpable, instead of the opposite, which does tend to happen at institutions over time.”

Hoffman and Cecero both urged students to leverage Ignatian teachings to prioritize what is meaningful and purposeful, and encourage authentic living.

“Ignatius would often ask, ‘What is your deepest desire … that you might get a job?’” Cecero said. “And hopefully we’ve prepared all our students to get jobs, but the real question is, ‘Are you going to get the position that makes you happy?’”

Hoffman encouraged students to reflect thoughtfully on how they spend their days, because “there’s so much learning that can happen when we stop and notice.”

“Whether it’s a very intentional spiritual prayer practice … or taking a little bit more of a secular version of (an examen), I think it can offer everybody a way to grow more into the person that you feel like you’re meant to be,” Hoffman said.

Both Campus Ministry and Mission Integration continue to underscore the significance of Fordham’s Jesuit roots not just as a chapter of the university’s past, but as a theme to drive its future.

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THE OBSERVER

October 22, 2023

Mayoral Candidates Face Off In Debate

News

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Cuomo, Sliwa and Mamdani took the stage in the first mayoral general debate before the Nov. 4 election

By MACKENZIE COOPER News Editor

NBC 4 New York hosted the first of the two New York City mayoral debates on Oct. 16 at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios. All three candidates — Curtis Sliwa, Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani — were present for the entire duration of the event.

Mamdani, the Democrat candidate, Sliwa, the Republican, and Cuomo, the Independent, all engaged in a heated debate, discussing issues ranging from the National Guard’s potential presence in New York City to the Israel-Hamas war.

Moderating this debate were David Ushery and Melissa Russo of WNBC-TV, Rosarina Bretón of Telemundo 47 and Sally Goldenberg of Politico New York.

To kick off the debate, the moderators asked each candidate to come up with a headline for what their first year of office would look like, should they be elected.

Cuomo was up first.

“Rent down, crime down, education scores up, more jobs in New York City, but optimism high,” Cuomo said.

Sliwa’s headline followed, sharing a similar theme of optimism.

“Curtis Sliwa exceeds all expectations and looks very mayoral tonight,” Sliwa said.

Mamdani concluded the section with a reference to the Trump administration.

“In about a year, Mandani continues to take on Trump, delivers on affordability agenda for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.

During the debate, each candidate faced scrutiny over key weaknesses in their campaigns.

The topic of the Israel-Hamas war was addressed during the debate when moderator Ushery focused his question to Mamdani regarding his stance on the conflict.

“For the voters tuning in tonight, Mr. Mamdani, what do you believe about Hamas and how lasting peace will be achieved?”

Ushery said.

Mamdani, who has been very vocal in his support for Palestine and his criticism of Israel, has participated in and supported related protest movements. Recently, he attended a vigil on Oct. 7, organized by Israelis for Peace and Lab/Shul, to memorialize the second anniversary of the Hamasled attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Mamdani responded to the question by calling for a ceasefire.

“I believe that they should lay down their arms. I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire,” Mamdani said. “The reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. I, like many New Yorkers, am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.”

During the debate, each candidate faced scrutiny over key weaknesses in their campaigns. Their flaws were brought into focus by opponents and moderators. Both Sliwa and Cuomo were quick to address that Mamdani has not yet served as an executive official.

“In other words, what the assemblyman said is he has no experience. And this is not a job for someone who has no management experience to run 300,000

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Curtis Sliwa, known for starting the Guardian Angels, is running for mayor for the second time.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Andrew Cuomo, former Governor of New York, is a Democrat running as the independent candidate.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic candidate, is the first Muslim nominee for mayor in New York City history.

people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani countered and said, “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for integrity. And what you don't have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience.”

He also pointed to several high-profile incidents that Cuomo was involved in during his time as New York’s governor, including controversies around sexual misconduct and his handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March of 2020, the Cuomo administration required nursing homes to admit COVID-19 positive patients discharged from hospitals, in order to free up hospital beds. In 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed that Cuomo’s administration had significantly undercounted the number of deaths at these nursing homes by excluding residents who

died in hospitals after being transferred. Mamdani was the first to bring up coronavirus.

“If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor who sent seniors to their death(s) in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experience that’s on offer here today,” Mamdani said.

Sliwa attempted to stand out from his fellow opponents, asking the moderators to focus more on him.

“Excuse me,” Sliwa said. “I’m being marginalized out of this.”

Sliwa, who is running for mayor for the second time, is no stranger to the spotlight. He is known for donning his famous red beret (which he did not wear during the debate) and founding the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit organization that aims to stop crime. First established in New York City, the Guardian Angels have expanded not only across the U.S., but around the world.

The questions then shifted from the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, to issues facing New Yorkers.

The candidates were all asked what they would do if President Donald Trump were to bring the National Guard into New York City.

Sliwa, who supported Trump’s stances on many issues throughout the night, including Trump’s role in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, answered first.

“I would tell the president of the United States, since I’m familiar with cities all across America, having Guardian Angels there, if you were going to send the National Guard, you don’t need to send them to New York City. There are other cities that could desperately use their help in dealing with their crime crisis,” Sliwa said.

Cuomo agreed, saying that Trump is “not sending in the National Guard to do any real function. It’s control. It’s power.

He’s trying to say these Democrats

don’t know how to run these cities and it’s a political gesture by sending in the National Guard.”

Mamdani also shared this stance: the National Guard does not need to come to New York City.

“I agree with Police Commissioner Tish and that we do not need the National Guard here in New York City. We do not need them for the purpose of safety because if it was safety that President Trump was so concerned about, he would send them to the eight out of ten states that have the highest levels of crime in this country,” Mamdani said.

President Trump has been very vocal about his opinions of Mamdani. In a Truth Social post, Trump said, “Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party. He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises.”

Mamdani has also been vocal of President Trump’s opinions of him, going on Fox News for a one-onone sit-down interview on Oct. 15, asking to speak directly to Trump through the interview.

“I just want to speak directly to the president. I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams, who will call you to stay out of jail. I won’t be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo, who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own,” Mamdani said.

Each nominee has received endorsements from elected officials, organizations and other prominent government higher-ups.

Mamdani has been endorsed by James, New York City Governor Kathy Hochul and Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Cuomo has been endorsed by New York State Senator Sam Sutton, former Independent Mayoral Candidate Jim Walden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Sliwa has been endorsed by Representative Elise Stefanik, former New York State Governor George Pataki and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

When asked a question regarding what the mayoral candidates “would say in their theoretical first official call with the president,” Mamdani said Cuomo would not address Trump’s “weaponi(zation) of the justice system to go after the Attorney General of this state.”

James, who recently endorsed Mamdani for mayor, was indicted on charges of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution on Oct. 9 by the federal grand jury. She spoke publicly for the first time since the indictment at Mamdani’s campaign rally on Oct. 13.

The debate wrapped up in a lightning round where each candidate was asked questions ranging from what their go-to deli order is, to whether they would rather watch the Mets or the Knicks play.

Ending off the night in a lighthearted manner. Cuomo and Sliwa shared the same order: “Egg and cheese on a roll. No salt.” Mamdani, a little different, chose, “Egg and cheese on a roll with jalapenos.” In regards to the question on sports, Mamdani and Curtis agreed that they would be supporting the Knicks, while Cuomo would juggle between the two.

The latest polls show Mamdani leading, followed by Cuomo and then Sliwa. On Oct. 22, the three candidates will face off again at 7 p.m. in a debate hosted by Spectrum News NY1.

Editor In-Chief Jane Roche

Sports & Health

October 22, 2025 THE OBSERVER

Run@LC Promotes Healthy Competition

The club incentivizes runners to join with the October Strides for Strava challenge

By ANNIE LANAHAN Contributing Writer

Run@LC, Fordham Lincoln Center’s running club, is hosting a Strides for Strava mileage challenge from Oct. 1 to 31 to foster community, create motivation and encourage healthy competition among peers. The top three students with the highest total mileage will win Fleet Feet gift cards of $75, $50 and $25.

“ So it’s kind of fun to

just do the best you can and try to get as many miles as you can.”

Averi Schirmers, President of Run@LC

Students compete by logging the miles they run on the Strava app, which tracks runners’ data and distance and allows Run@LC to monitor participant progress.

Additionally, each time they participate in a Run@LC group run, students are awarded five bonus miles to incentivize connections with other Fordham students.

According to Run@LC President Averi Schirmers, this month’s Strides for Strava challenge and bonus miles have encouraged greater club turnout.

“It’s actually been a really good way to get people to come out,” she said.

The challenge currently has around 10-15 runners, and E-board members are excluded from participating, Schirmers said. This gives students a good chance to win prizes while reaping the benefits of running.

“Obviously, only three of them will get a reward in monetary value, but everybody gets a reward in miles over the month.

And what’s a better reward than running, right?” Schirmers said.

Strava is a popular application that allows users to track their running data and engage with the running community. Within the app, Run@LC also has their own Strava club, which allows student-runners to follow each others’ distances and progress, leave encouraging comments, connect through events and participate in virtual challenges like Strides for Strava. This data is only visible to runners who have added each other on the app.

“The nature of the activity, of the challenge, is you don’t know how many miles other people have unless you’re friends with them,” Schirmers said. “And so it’s kind of fun to just do the best you can and try to get as many miles as you can.”

Run@LC is one of over 200 run clubs in New York City, which have become incredibly popular as the running community continues to see immense growth.

The popularity of Strava challenges like Run@LC’s Strides for Strava reflects the increasing desire for social activities with elements of healthy competition. Strava

challenges range from intergroup to nationwide, with some challenges offering notable prizes and high-profile brand sponsorships.

In January 2025, for instance, Chipotle sponsored an international Strava challenge across major cities, including New York City, London, Toronto and Paris.

The winner in each city was awarded free Chipotle bowls for the remainder of the year, and the challenge resulted in a total of over 9.25 million miles run and logged.

According to Schirmers, past Strides for Strava challenges have resulted in close competition among the top three runners. However, she believes that the goal of Strides for Strava goes beyond winning prizes, as the larger aim is to strengthen Fordham’s running community.

“I know a lot of runners that don’t necessarily want to make it a competition between themselves and other runners, and I don’t think that’s really our point, which is why we provided the incentive to join Run Club,” she said. “That’s really where the community building occurs.”

Club Treasurer John Assad also expressed how group running serves as an effective stress management tool that provides balance to a busy schedule of academics and work.

Run@LC hosts runs most days of the week at different times.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

“ When I learned about

the run club at Lincoln Center, I was so excited to be able to run with other college students.”

The Strides for Strava mileage challenge has increased turnout to run during the month of October, so far.

Averi Schirmers, President of Run@LC

“I think it’s such an effective way to manage stress … so I always manage to make it a priority every day,” he said. “I always try to make time in my schedule, even though my day is very busy, because I also have a job, and then I’m also studying for the MCAT, and I also have to study for my classes,” he said.

In addition to stress management, Schirmers described how the Strava challenge and group runs act as vehicles of encouragement and sources of individual motivation, especially during the city’s winter months.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get yourself out for a run, especially if the weather’s bad … we also hold the Strides for Strava in the spring in February, which really helps convince people to get out when the weather is terrible,” Schirmers said.

Run@LC is one of over 200 run clubs in New York City, which have become incredibly popular as the running community continues to see immense growth. In 2025, the city-wide “running economy” generated $934 million through race-related spending — a 58% increase in five years.

As social outlets become more valuable in an increasingly digital world, run clubs provide a healthy, affordable and positive activity that brings people with shared interests together.

This year, New York Road Runners — the official New York City running organization — reported over 668,000 race participants and 81,000 full-time organization members.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Run clubs have become a phenomenon in New York City and are a great way to build community.

The appeal of run clubs like Run@LC comes from their ability to meet the needs of athletes at every skill level, allowing anyone, regardless of previous experience, to participate. According to Schirmers, club members are typically casual runners rather than competitive or professional athletes. She explained that runners can tailor each group run based on their goals.

“Usually I send out a message on the day … I’m planning on running this amount of miles and this amount of this pace group,” Schirmers said. “A lot of times we just do loops, so people can either go for three miles, six miles or nine miles or whatever it is.”

Schirmers expressed that Run@LC provides a way for newly arrived students to find community on campus.

“When I started running in college, I was a little bit lonely,

and running can be a kind of isolating sport, in my opinion,” she explained. “When I learned about the run club at Lincoln Center, I was so excited to be able to run with other college students …

I really want to make sure that other students that might be interested in it can experience it, and … to just experience running in a way that’s not intimidating and not lonely.”

Run@LC has an average of four to five members on each run, in addition to a minimum of one E-board member. The club meets each day, with different E-board members hosting runs at varying meeting times to accommodate students’ varying academic schedules. Runs take place at Central Park and Riverside Park to encourage students to explore and enjoy the parks close to campus.

“I feel like it’s such a way to experience the city,” said Assad.

“I found out about so many nice places and hidden gems in Central Park … I just love running through the area and then through the city. It made me get to know New York City a little bit better.”

Run@LC is planning on hosting another Strava challenge next semester in February. Throughout the rest of the semester, they will continue to host events and outings. Group night runs are held periodically, providing a welcoming atmosphere to socialize and enjoy snacks with other runners after dark.

Run@LC’s next event is their New York City Marathon PreParty on Oct. 29. Runners can share snacks, decorate posters and show support for their peers participating in the marathon the following week. The club also hopes to coordinate a cheering section for club members on race day.

THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Sports & Health

October 22, 2025

7

Fordham Women’s Tennis Moves on to NCAA Nationals Fordham doubles team won the ITA doubles event, and two singles players made it to the round of 16

their opponents uncomfortable, which is not always easy to do.”

Sowter and Nguyen both expressed confidence in the pair’s abilities for the championships in Florida.

“I think that we have a good momentum to carry off of,” Nguyen said. “I think we’ve been doing the right things in practice … we’ve been under a lot of pressure in matches and we showed a lot of grit and passion.”

Sowter agreed, saying that “Julianne has exceptional volleys of the net and really good instincts.

Nevena — we nicknamed her ‘The Sniper’ because she could just hit any target from anywhere from the baseline.”

By ANA WINSTON Managing Editor

Fordham Women’s Tennis made team history at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Championships, which took place from Oct. 9 to 14 at the University of Pennsylvania. Two singles players and one doubles team made it to the round of 16, with the doubles team ultimately winning their event.

“ We’re all really

excited. It’s never happened in the history of Fordham tennis.”

Michael Sowter, Head coach of women’s tennis

“ One of the big

things with doubles, especially, is how to make your opponents as uncomfortable as possible.”

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Nevena Kolarevic and Julianne Nguyen with their awards at the ITA Northeast Regional Championships.

According to Michael Sowter, head coach of the women’s tennis team, having this many players in the championships was a first.

“We’re all really excited. It’s never happened in the history of Fordham tennis,” Sowter said.

Paola Dalmonico, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’28, won two matches 6-0 and 6-1, respectively, to ultimately make it to the round of 16. Nevena Kolarevic, FCRH ’26, also made it to the round of 16. Both Dalmonico and Kolarevic were defeated by opponents who were playing in their school’s state, with Kolarevic’s opponent even competing on her own university’s turf.

Kolarevic and Julianne Nguyen, FCRH ’27, played as a doubles team and won five matches in the main draw to

make it to the final. They faced off against Olivia Dorner and Maiko Uchijima, both Penn State University (PSU) ’26.

Kolarevic and Nguyen defeated the PSU team 6-3 and 7-5, earning the ITA Regionals Division I Women’s Doubles Championship title.

“They work hard together, they play well together, they have good chemistry, their play styles match up really well and they’ve just been doing it for week after week, and it’s culminated in this tournament,” Sowter said.

Kolarevic and Nguyen were also awarded a spot in the NCAA Women’s Doubles National Championships, which take place in Florida. Sowter highlighted the importance of Fordham’s entry into the selective competition.

“They’re going to be one of the top 32 teams out of, you know, 300 schools,” he said. “Over 900 teams are competing for these 32 spots, so for them to be able to make a tournament of this caliber, it’s really a big deal, and I just hope that the people understand how impressive it is for them to get to this stage.”

Nguyen reiterated the sentiment and said that she was looking forward to representing Fordham.

“This kind of experience … most people dream of (it), and to be able to even qualify for it is kind of like a dream come true, so I’m really excited to be able to play with some of the best players in the country, and … just show everyone what we’re made of and bring Fordham’s name into the

conversation more,” she said.

Kolarevic and Nguyen are no strangers to success. Last year, they won the Atlantic 10 (A10) Masters Doubles Championships.

“That was our first tournament together as a pair, and we ended up winning it against some of the top teams in our conference,” Nguyen said. “That was when (Sowter) realized that we were good together.”

Sowter emphasized Kolarevic and Nguyen’s compatibility as a doubles pair and praised their strategy on the court.

“One of the big things with doubles, especially, is how to make your opponents as uncomfortable as possible,” he said.

“They do a really good job of incorporating different strategies and different styles to make

October Update

Michael Sowter, Head coach of women’s tennis

Kolarevic is currently in a winning streak; she also won the A10 Masters singles championship earlier this month, qualifying her for the singles tournament in the ITA Conference Masters Championships.

Kolarevic will take to the courts solo in California at the ITA Masters Championships from Nov. 6 to 9. She and Nguyen will play as a duo in the NCAA Championships from Nov. 18 to 23.

By JANE ROCHE Editor In-Chief

Find out where Fordham athletic teams currently stand in their seasons.

The Fordham football team has five more games left to try to improve their stats.

TEAM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

STATS

Women’s soccer is currently ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 conference.

NOTES

Overall

Conference

Water Polo

14-1

6-0

Ranked fifth in the nation, according to CWPA

Women’s Soccer

9-5-2

4-3-1

In contention for A10 Championships spot

Men’s Soccer

7-3-3

4-1-2

Ranked second in A10 conference

Volleyball

7-12

1-8

Tatum Holderied, FCRH ’27, ranked first in the NCAA in blocks per set

Football

1-6

1-2

Five regular-season games remain

8

Features October 22, 2025

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THE OBSERVER

Journalism in Service of Democracy “Tiananmen Tonight” premiered at Fordham Lincoln Center about the historic CBS coverage at Tiananmen Square in 1989

By JANE ROCHE Editor-in-Chief

An unknown man halted 18 military tanks exiting Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 5, 1989. For three minutes, amid the noises of gunfire and distressed civilians, he stopped a convoy all on his own.

The image of the encounter immortalized the man and earned him the moniker “Tank Man.” The story behind it, however, covered extensively by the CBS Evening News team, faced censorship from the Chinese government in 1989 and erasure from history in today’s China.

As many major news outlets face pressure from the current American presidential administration and civil assembly in the form of “No Kings” protests erupt around the nation, “Tiananmen Tonight,” a documentary detailing CBS’s coverage of the Tiananmen uprising of 1989, promotes a larger discussion about government interference today.

On June 4, 1989, approximately 2,600 Chinese students were massacred by their own government in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, while protesting in pursuit of freedom and democracy. Journalists from CBS Evening News were there to bear witness.

For over 50 days, CBS Evening News took to the streets of Beijing to report on the demonstrations that culminated in

the massive death toll. From April 15, 1989, through the early morning of June 4, students protested tirelessly against the centralized power of their government, looking to America’s democracy as a symbol of hope.

The media presence at the square amplified the students’ voices internationally.

Chinese activist Wang Dan, interviewed in the documentary, was one of the most prominent student figures during the protests at the square.

“Gradually, there were more and more reporters,” Wang said. “I think, ‘That’s kind of an encouragement … we have to try to express clearly.’”

Michael Streissguth and Bestor Cram recognized the impact of the courageous coverage CBS delivered and co-directed the film.

“CBS was able to inform its viewers of a very impactful story … much more effectively than its competition,” Streissguth said. “It was a special moment in the history of CBS News.”

Fordham Lincoln Center hosted the New York premiere of the film in the McNally Amphitheatre on Oct. 16 in collaboration with the New York Press Club. Fordham students and individuals associated with CBS were in attendance.

The documentary featured archival footage from Beijing in 1989 and interviews with the main players present during the coverage of the square. Six of them sat on a panel after the screening:

JEFF WIDENER/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Award-winning reporter Richard Roth wrote and voiced the broadcast of the short clip CBS aired of “Tank Man.”

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Bob Woodruff suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in 2006 while reporting in Iraq and was in a coma for 36 days.

Linda Mason, Suzanne Allen, Peter Schweitzer, Susan Zirinsky, Bob Woodruff and Tom Bettag.

The panelists shared their firsthand accounts of how the Tiananmen coverage forever impacted their careers.

According to Streissguth, Woodruff’s journalism career was born at Tiananmen Square. He had arrived in Beijing as a young lawyer to teach at a local law school. Woodruff ended up aiding the CBS Evening News team in translating Chinese and provided a voice to the student protesters, some of whom he had in his classroom.

“When my students started protesting and not going to class anymore, I approached Susan Zirinsky, who was running the entire coverage for CBS,” Woodruff said. “And that completely changed the direction of my life.”

Zirinsky was appointed the first woman president of CBS News in 2019.

Seeing the panelists’ reunion at the screening, it was clear to the audience how the Tiananmen coverage forever bonded them as colleagues in journalism and, more importantly, as friends.

Streissguth spoke to the relevance of the film not just for CBS News but for journalism as a whole.

“The coverage of Tiananmen was not only a point of pride for CBSers who worked the story, but also a page in CBS News tradition, not unlike the selling of the Pentagon or Harvest of Shame,” Streissguth said. “That kind of moment.”

Streissguth was an intern at CBS Evening News in 1989. In 2014, he wrote a story for The Washington Post to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the uprising, titled “How CBS Scooped the World on the Tiananmen Square Story.”

Cram is a career filmmaker and collaborated with Streissguth once before on the documentary “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.” According to Streissguth, a theme of Cram’s work follows the guiding adage that “we don’t always know what we think we know.”

Cram echoed this theme in his explanation of why he wanted to direct “Tiananmen Tonight.”

“It was a recognition that we shared interest in understanding what was happening in terms of the world of journalism, as well as wanting to find ways in which to think about how the past is the present and shapes the way in which we think about our future,” Cram said.

In 1989, CBS News faced decreased ratings due to competition with rival news agencies such as ABC and NBC. A new CEO, Larry Tisch, was appointed in 1986 and began conducting mass budget cuts and layoffs in the news department.

Bettag, former executive producer of CBS Evening News, began his tenure with the evening news around the same time as Tisch was made CEO. “Larry Tisch came in as one of the first corporate buyers who was buying it for the money and as a pawn,” Bettag said. “Tisch actually said during a group meeting, ‘There are two words that I don’t ever want to hear said here, because it is always used to be an obstructionist, and that is quality and morale.’”

The profit-centric ownership of the late 1980s is not unlike CBS’s new corporate owners today, the Ellison family of Paramount Skydance. Bettag drew the comparison between the CBS he worked at and the state of the company’s leadership now.

“I think what makes the film special is it’s something that happened 36 years ago that is so relevant today. That this is happening when CBS is going through what it’s going through now,” he said.

“It is fiscally repeating itself.”

In a company-wide letter, David Ellison, Paramount Skydance Chairman and CEO, announced that the company — which owns CBS — would seek to cut $2 billion in costs; layoffs are antic-

“It’s a film about Chinese citizens and CBS News importantly, stood up,” co-director Bestor Cram s

ipated to begin Oct. 27. This comes after Skydance merged with Paramount Global on Aug. 7.

CBS News also welcomed a new Editor-in-Chief, Bari Weiss. She was appointed following Paramount Skydance’s purchase of Weiss’s company, “The Free Press,” a news site known for scrutinizing mainstream media and left-leaning “woke” culture, for $150 million. Dan Rather, former managing editor of CBS Evening News and a main character in the documentary, referred to Weiss in a Substack post as “one of the most polarizing figures in today’s American media landscape.”

www.fordhamobserver.com

Weiss was an op-ed editor at the New York Times before she left the organization and founded “The Free Press.” In her resignation letter, Weiss accused her colleagues of harassment and described the environment as hostile and illiberal. Ahead of entering the CBS newsroom, Weiss had no experience in TV broadcast journalism.

The leadership change follows CBS’s previous owner settling a lawsuit with a $16 million payment to President Donald Trump. He brought the lawsuit against the network over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The President claimed the interview was deceptively edited to favor the Democratic Party.

Also following scrutiny from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the network has agreed to release full, unedited interviews on “Face the Nation.” Consequently, “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens resigned, stating it had become clear he will be

COURTESY OF “TIANANMEN TONIGHT”

journalists who all stood out and, more said.

unable to make independent journalistic decisions for the program. “(The film) is timely in the sense that we’re seeing mainstream media taking it on the chin from our president,” Streissguth said. “All eyes are on CBS News, ABC and NBC to see how it will continue to report and do its work.

A film like this can promote discussion about that.”

Schweitzer, senior producer at CBS News, is not pessimistic about the obstacles journalism faces in America.

“The challenges are bigger than they’ve been in the past, but we have a saying: ‘No is just the beginning of the conversation,’” he said.

THE OBSERVER

CBS News reporters ended their nearly 60-year stint in the Pentagon, alongside reporters from dozens of other networks, on Oct. 17. “The journalists exited rather than agree to a 21-page list of new restrictions which would prevent them from soliciting information that has not been preapproved by the government,” CBS News journalist Margaret Brennan reported on “Face the Nation.”

Mainstream media has faced drastic changes in the wake of Trump’s second term, which may compel reporters to adapt their practices to continue to pursue truthful journalism.

Beth Knobel was also interviewed for the film. She is currently a professor of journalism at Fordham and, before she began her tenure, worked at CBS News for nine years. She suggested hosting the premiere at Fordham because of its proximity to CBS Broadcasting Center.

“It’s timely to talk about how journalism creates the food that feeds democracy and fights authoritarianism,” Knobel said.

In 1989 and today, China is a one-party state headed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and run under a centralized system of control. Speech and assembly are strictly limited through online censorship, which prohibits sensitive subject matters including any mention of the Tiananmen uprising.

“CBS News had followed what it called the changing face of communism through Poland, USSR, Cuba and other countries,” Streissguth said. “CBS had followed the change in the communist world right to the doorstep of the Tiananmen Square uprising and its viewers were the beneficiaries.”

Rather and the CBS Evening News team knew they needed to heighten their foreign coverage in order to be contenders for first place in the race against their competitors, ABC and NBC. They went to Tokyo for the farewell of the Japanese emperor. President George H. W. Bush attended and announced, while in Tokyo, that he would spend a weekend in China. So, CBS took the evening news to China while their competitors returned to America.

The team’s time in China proved productive. Zirinsky heard about Purple Bamboo Park in Beijing, where people gathered to talk politics on Sundays. On air, Rather painted the picture of the dramatically changing attitude concerning the government in China through speaking with individuals in Purple Bamboo Park face-to-face.

“It was a revolution,” Rather said. “We came back from the experience saying there’s something going on here … given the context of what we thought we knew about China, we wouldn’t have thought any of that would be possible.”

They discovered themes of distress among students towards the government and knew a story was brewing.

“What journalism is at its base is a witness to history,” Bettag said. “And this was huge.”

The Tiananmen Square uprising began after the death of Hu Yaobang, former secretary of the CCP, on April 15, 1989, and culminated on June 4, 1989, with bloodshed.

Hu Yaobang encouraged democratic reform in China and was transformed into a martyr for the cause of political liberation. In the following weeks, large crowds of students and other individuals gathered in Tiananmen Square seeking political reform and democracy. About 3,500 individuals protested in the form of a week-long hunger strike, vowing that death was a consequence they were willing to face in the name of the cause they were fighting for.

Rather was there, reporting live with just a microphone and a camera-person.

He spoke with the students. He listened to them intensely with his face mere inches from theirs as they wept for their country, which showed no sign of remorse as the students starved themselves.

Army troops were deployed and helicopters flew overhead. Protesters

October 22, 2025

Features

9

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Susan Zirinsky is the founder and president of “See It Now Studios,” an in-house documentary production studio for Paramount Skydance.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Tom Bettag is currently a lecturer at the University of Maryland’s Merrill School of Journalism.

persisted in their demonstrations. In the middle of the square, demonstrators crafted a look-alike of the Statue of Liberty out of gauze and called her the “goddess of democracy.” She stood as a symbol of motivation for their cause.

“I think the students could see that they couldn’t just believe everything that the government told them,” Woodruff said. “ And they’re, for the first time, being able to express that. And I think they could see some hope from the outside.”

Mikhail Gorbachev, then-president of the Soviet Union, arrived in China approximately a month after Hu Yaobang’s death, adding more fuel to the demonstrations. The Chinese government did what it could to shield Gorbachev from them. It was the first formal meeting between the two countries in 30 years.

Following Gorbachev’s visit and the increase in the size of demonstrations, the government began to crackdown on CBS coverage. Government officials came to the hotel where the CBS Evening News team had set up camp, threatening to cut their satellite off.

Rather reported up until the very last moment, when the connection was cut and the TV turned to hash.

Shortly thereafter, Rather returned home to New York, but the reporting did not stop. Many journalists remained in Beijing to follow the story to its end.

The events culminated on the night of June 3 and early morning of June 4. Statesman Deng Xiaoping led the charge for a forceful crackdown, ordering the Chinese government to retaliate with military force and declaring martial law.

“You saw the humanity rise up, and then you saw them squashed,” Zirinsky said.

Thousands of army troops were stationed around Beijing on foot and in military tanks and, on the night of June 3, began to open fire and crush citizens at Tiananmen Square who stood in their way. On June 4, the Chinese Red Cross reported approximately 2,600 Chinese civilians dead. The government had reestablished control of Tiananmen Square.

“The next morning in my university, where I had taught for that whole year, we found four big blocks of ice with dead bodies at the top of (them) with blood coming out of their heads,” Woodruff said.

Award-winning journalist Richard Roth reported from the scenes of the massacre over the phone. His call was broadcast internationally, and millions around the world were listening when the phone line went dark after the sound of gunfire and Roth’s struggle.

“I thought I had just heard the sound of my friend getting shot in Tiananmen Square,” Schweitzer said.

Fortunately, Roth came out unharmed. He had been roughed up and arrested by Chinese officials, and subsequently released 20 hours later.

Upon his return to New York, Streissguth, an intern in the CBS newsroom, recalls his welcome home like a hero coming back from battle.

“The staff just engulfed him, and that moment really embodied how much that coverage — how much that effort, that victory, in some ways — meant to that organization … almost like a family coming together,” he said.

The network returned to the number one spot in ratings after Tiananmen.

In China today, the uprising has been reduced to a mere incident and faces erasure by the government. The memory of the courageous Chinese students, however, carry on in the history of American journalism thanks to the CBS reporters who bore witness at Tiananmen Square.

As the Trump administration continues to crackdown on mainstream media, pursuit of the truth within journalism is vital to maintaining a strong democracy.

“The press sadly is under attack today and documentaries like this one that show the power of journalism, that show the power of having people whose only agenda is finding out the truth and sharing it with their audience is extremely powerful,” Knobel said.

“Tiananmen Tonight” is set to premiere later this year.

DESIGNED BY DURGA DESAI PHOTOS COURTESY OF FINANCIAL TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, CBS, CNN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, PBS, THE NEW YORKER

Opinions Editor Tucker Flynn

Opinions

October 22, 2025 THE OBSERVER

Hot Take or Hot Garbage?

Rampant ideological plagiarism on social media has consequences

Opinions spread like wildfire, with users choosing sides to curry favor among the online populus.

An important distinction to make before proceeding: What I describe as ideological plagiarism here does not include the regurgitation of humorous moments from one point or another in the course of internet history. In fact, I consider the backbone of internet humor to be well-timed references, or even verbatim quotes, from different moments in the internet timeline. I specifically refer to opinions or “takes,” whether they be regarding popular culture, social phenomena or politics.

A hallmark of current internet culture is the grapevine. Opinions spread like wildfire, with users choosing sides to curry favor among the online populus or vlogging their perspectives to farm engagement and promote their own celebrity. In the process, the conflicting voices usually peter out, with only the most widely accepted opinions remaining. However, acceptance has become a byproduct of clamoring repetition instead of logical substance.

When Taylor Swift released her new album, it took less than a day to see the same variety of phrases permeating comment sections on TikTok. The internet had decided that Swift was MAGA now, her lyrics were racist dog whistles and her merch was emblazoned with white supremacy symbolism.

While everyone is, of course, entitled to believe whatever they wish about Swift, the moment that small alarm bells began to ring inside my head came during a conversation with a friend who responded to the question of why they no longer liked Swift by rattling off the above trilogy of offenses in a sentence that I recognized in a flash of déjà vu.

I paused to think, and realized where I’d heard it before: in TikTok comment sections, parroted with increasing frequency by those who wished to contribute to the discourse but couldn’t be bothered to formulate an original sentence, instead deciding to harvest the low-hanging fruit of others’ opinions.

My alarm heightened when I enquired further, and received no substantive justification from my friend as

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TUCKER FLYNN Opinions Editor

Whenever I engage in the time-honored tradition of doomscrolling, I can only hope that my time will be well spent. I might come upon a truly ridiculous meme, a compilation of the best awkward moments on the “Wicked” press tour or a thought-provoking “hot take,” and thereby justify the time I’ve wasted by focusing on the intellectual enrichment I can sometimes derive from hours spent scrolling. As such, I’ve begun to raise my expectations for social media.

Of course, it might seem a little ridiculous, or even naive, to have high expectations for the experiential quality of an activity designed to produce cheap satisfaction for your brain. But really, is it wrong for me to expect a little bang for my buck?

Thanks to this mindset, I have found myself both increasingly concerned and annoyed at what comes across my screen more and more often as of late: plagiarism. While it was once thought to only be a threat in academic settings, I am here to spread the word regarding its consequences in the context of brain-rotted doomscrolling. Ideological plagiarism exacerbates political extremism, and social media provides the perfect vector by which to make the practice more commonplace.

Observer the

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If your thoughts echo a TikTok comment, maybe it’s time to think again.

to why they believed this; the conversation ended abruptly.

It’s one thing for ideas to become ubiquitous in internet circles, where algorithms create feedback loops that make the same lukewarm takes unavoidable. It’s another thing entirely for those takes to escape the online bubble and be regurgitated verbatim without any consideration of whether or not a substantive logical basis exists from the people repeating it.

However, I suspect that a large portion of the people reading this article would find themselves unperturbed at the thought of unsubstantiated rumors about Swift. More concerningly, this phenomenon of thoughtless regurgitation has spread into the political sphere and portends disaster if left unchecked.

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a wide variety of perspectives first emerged across various social media platforms. However, before long, I began to observe a similarly distinct homogenization of viewpoints akin to the discourse surrounding Swift, only now on a topic with much more serious implications.

This phenomenon of thoughtless regurgitation has spread into the political sphere and portends disaster if left unchecked.

A phrase that habitual doomscrollers might have come across at one point or another is some variation of “only two original sentences left” or “there goes the last original sentence,” usually in a comment section on a video containing such intentionally absurd statements that the viewer is left with no recourse but to assume that this phrase can’t possibly have been spoken or written before.

However, in the era of algorithms, large language models and purity politics, it seems as though the dwindling quantity of original sentences yet to be expressed is no longer indicative of scarce availability, but rather reflects a lack of will within the collective consciousness to express them.

It is far easier to embrace intellectual lackadaisicalness, to simply parrot the opinions that we read in comment sections or in op-eds without bothering to cross-check claims or verify statistics. Based on what I’ve observed in real-life conversations, it seems like that is the path that many are choosing.

However, this is an unacceptable path for people to veer toward, since it allows us all to become prime targets for misinformation.

There is a demonstrable relationship between social media usage and

impaired capacity for critical thinking, and it is this relationship that gives me the greatest worry when considering the consequences of unchecked ideological plagiarism.

When people see information online, regardless of whether or not they engage with it critically at that moment, their brain processes the experience and files away the information it perceived. When they see the same information repeated 10 different times, it becomes more trustworthy and easier to accept without proof.

The difference between these illusory truths and actual self-generated ideas, however, is that only the latter arose from logical processes and conscious justification. Without this foundation, it becomes harder to engage in respectful dialogue, especially on inflammatory political topics, as emotions begin to trump reason.

When respectful dialogue between differing opinions ceases, it not only becomes harder to change minds but also more enticing to engage in confirmatory bias activities, or only acknowledging information that lies in accordance with previously held beliefs.

As if to add fuel to the fire, earlier this year, Meta decided to end their fact-checking initiative. When unverified information is allowed to propagate itself across Instagram, Facebook and the like, the consequences are severe. Research not only demonstrates that misinformation is strongly associated with the development of extremist ideology, which in turn provokes political violence, but also that those with more extreme opinions are more likely to encounter and believe misinformation, therefore creating a vicious cycle where pockets of the population spiral further and further into provocative engagement bait content, mistaking it for truth.

Except, with the current pattern I’ve been witnessing, it won’t be restricted to pockets of the population for long.

Studies have already indicated that eight in 10 United States voters across both sides of the aisle believe that the members of the opposite party cannot agree on basic facts, much less on policy.

If we do not become more guarded in what information we ingest, we run the risk of finding ourselves delving further into extremism and, in turn, putting our democracy at risk.

Of course, this could all be nothing more than paranoia, and I could actually be falling victim to the very same cognitive bias I outlined above. Perhaps I saw someone talking about this on TikTok, and my brain convinced me it was all my own idea. Regardless, the fact of the matter is that the solution isn’t to disengage entirely. Instead, before you make that TikTok comment, or post that think-piece on your Instagram story, consider: Do you believe what you’re saying or did you just read it somewhere?

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Opinions

October 22, 2025

It’s Time to Pivot

11

‘Dancing with the Stars’ needs a new scoring system KATIE BROSKY Assistant Opinions Editor

I ran into two-time NBA all-star Baron Davis last week in Soho. A month ago, I wouldn’t have recognized him, but that night I walked up to him and said, “I loved you on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”

Unfortunately, Davis was one of the first stars to get eliminated this season — a surprise to me, because I thought he showed quite promising potential compared to basketball players in the show’s past (I’m looking at you, Dwight Howard). Yes, Davis might have made a few missteps in his routine, but do you want to know the real reason I think he got the boot so early? An unfair scoring system.

And this system has time and time again led better dancers to be eliminated before those with more star power and relevance.

For those unfamiliar, “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) pairs celebrities — actors, singers, athletes, etc. — with professional ballroom dancers to perform choreographed routines each week.

Judges’ scores and audience votes (cast through text) determine who stays in the competition and who is eliminated.

Fans have long criticized the competition for being a contest of popularity rather than talent.

Many attribute this to the show’s resurgence in the age of social media, but the scoring system has been the same since its inception in 2005 — a 50-50 split between judges’ scores and audience votes.

And this system has time and time again led better dancers to be eliminated before those with more star power and relevance.

In the end, the fact that I hadn’t heard of Baron Davis before this season says it all — his downfall wasn’t about talent, but about visibility.

One might assume that a 50-50 split between judges’ scores and audience votes would be the fairest system. In practice, however, the judges’ scores often fail to differentiate between contestants who are objectively performing well. Week after week, most performers land in the same narrow range — typically sixes, sevens or eights — not because they’re equally skilled, but because the system lacks nuance.

This compresses the leaderboard and diminishes the impact of the judges’ scores, leaving the audience vote to carry far more weight than intended.

In week four of this season, eight out of the 11 couples scored between 22 out of 30 and 25 out of 30. These scores are divided by the total number of points given that night (in this case: 248), translating into a percentage that contributes to their overall standing. A couple with a score of 22 out of 30 would receive 8.87%, and a couple who scores 25 out of 30 would receive 10.08%. They’re only separated by less than 1.3% in the end.

When it comes to audience votes, however, the gap widens significantly. Out of 50 million total audience votes — the record-breaking number the show saw for the first time this season — a couple earning seven million votes would hold 14% of the total, while a couple earning 10 million

would reach 20%. That 6% difference can easily outweigh the narrow margin from the judges and ultimately decide who stays or goes.

One of the most controversial winners in the show’s history was Bobby Bones, an American radio and television personality who openly referred to himself as “the worst dancer” of his season. Despite earning some of the lowest scores from the judges week after week, he still walked away with the Mirrorball Trophy — thanks to a dedicated fan base that voted for him.

I’m not suggesting that audience votes shouldn’t matter, but I do believe a 70-30 split would create a fairer balance. With this system, stars would need strong judges’ scores just as much as a significant number of audience votes to advance.

But of course, this adjustment wouldn’t solve every issue — giving more weight to the judges’ scores would also require them to refine their scoring methods.

Over the past 20 years and 34 seasons that DWTS has been around, the judges have scored based on no concrete rubric or criteria; their experience in the industry alone qualifies them to score based on their knowledge and how well, in their opinion, the stars execute the styles.

The current judging panel includes Carrie Ann Inaba, a former professional dancer and choreographer who has been a judge since the show’s debut in 2005; Bruno Tonioli, an Italian choreographer known for his work with Tina Turner and Michael Jackson, who has also been on the panel since the beginning; and Derek Hough, who joined as a judge in 2020 after a highly successful run as a professional dancer on the show, winning the Mirrorball Trophy a record six times.

If I were in charge, I’d propose a scoring system that evaluates four key elements — improvement, technique, difficulty (of choreography) and performance.

Still, even with that level of expertise at the table, the scoring often feels inconsistent. Viewers are left wondering what, exactly, earns a “nine” instead of an “eight,” or why one mistake is penalized while another is overlooked. The show’s credibility and fairness would benefit from a clearer structure that holds both judges and contestants to the same standard.

If I were in charge, I’d propose a scoring system that evaluates four key elements — improvement, technique, difficulty (of choreography) and performance.

Each would be scored out of 10 and then averaged to determine the couple’s final score.

Scoring on improvement would tackle one of the show’s longest-standing critiques: the unfair advantage of casting celebrities with prior dance experience.

By rewarding growth rather than perfection, it levels the playing field and highlights the effort of contestants starting from scratch.

This issue has surfaced season after season. TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, who took home the Mirrorball Trophy in season 31, faced

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Now in its 34th season, “Dancing with the Stars” has reached its highest viewership to date.

Should there really be less than a 2% difference between Andy Richter and Robert Irwin?

backlash for her extensive dance background. The then 18-yearold had been performing since she was three and brought over a decade of competitive dance experience to the show.

This season, contestants Whitney Leavitt and Hilaria Baldwin have received similar backlash.

Leavitt, a former dancer and cheerleader, holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from Brigham Young University, while Baldwin’s case is even more controversial — she competed in ballroom professionally as a young adult.

In fact, a user on X discovered that Baldwin competed in Blackpool Dance Festival — the world’s most famous annual ballroom dance competition — in 2004, and actually placed higher than the current pro-dancer on the show, Emma Slater. For this reason, I view Baldwin’s casting as particularly problematic and an outlier to my proposed framework.

That said, celebrities with dance backgrounds, such as D’Amelio and Leavitt, have trained in contemporary or commercial dance styles — not ballroom. This distinction matters.

Ballroom requires an entirely different skill set, from posture and frame to footwork and partner connection. Including technique as an element for scoring would ensure that contestants are judged on how well they adapt to the specific demands of ballroom dance, rather than on their pre-existing familiarity with other genres.

Continuing on, scoring on difficulty rewards couples who take on more ambitious choreography. Tackling challenging routines highlights the commitment and courage of contestants and should be recognized just as

much as proper execution. Additionally, I believe it would bring more excitement to the ballroom, encouraging pros to take more creative risks and introduce greater innovation to the stage.

Lastly, there’s performance, an element that any celebrity can excel at regardless of experience.

Scoring on performance recognizes not just how well someone moves, but how well they sell the dance — their facial expressions, confidence and chemistry with their partner. After all, that’s what keeps audiences tuning in to DWTS: to see people we know and love step outside their comfort zones, put on a show and have fun doing it.

With this proposed criteria, I think we’d see a fuller range of paddles other than the consistent sixes, sevens and eights we’ve been seeing this season. Judges shouldn’t be afraid to give out twos and threes in the beginning weeks, and giving out a 10 should really mean something — not just be a standard by the end of each season.

Reintroducing half-point scores could also go a long way in creating more distinct differentiation between couples.

Right now, a performance that feels slightly stronger or weaker often ends up with the same whole-number score, which doesn’t accurately reflect the nuances the judges themselves often point out.

Interestingly, showrunners experimented with this idea once before, during its all-star season (season 15), to “allow judges to make finer distinctions between performances.” The change made sense at the time — that season featured some of the most technically skilled contestants the show had ever seen — but it’s unclear

KAITLYN SQUYRES/THE OBSERVER

why the format didn’t stick.

If anything, the same logic should apply to every season.

Even among less experienced celebrity contestants, there are often subtle differences in execution, musicality and overall performance quality that whole numbers simply can’t capture.

In the past, showrunners also explored the idea of the judges’ save, which ruled that the 50-50 split between judges’ scores and audience votes determined the bottom two couples of each week, but the judges would make the final decision of which couple was eliminated. This structure was introduced in season 28 after the aforementioned, highly controversial Bobby Bones win, but it only lasted four seasons before reverting back.

Executive Producer Deena Katz admitted that the judges’ save diminished the impact of viewers’ votes, and I tend to agree. Fans tune in to DWTS not just to watch routines, but to have a meaningful say in who stays and who goes — we just don’t need to have the only say.

With the help of a more rigid rubric and a rebalanced scoring split, fans could continue to vote with their hearts and the judges with their heads.

And as a longtime fan of the show, I must say, I am begging those judges to use their heads a little more. Between Bruno gyrating through critiques, Derek’s overly cautious niceties and Carrie Ann’s misogynistic tendencies, it might be time for a little cleanup behind the desk.

If I really were newly in charge, I might consider a “spill and fill,” but that’s a battle for another byline. For now, let’s just agree — a few guidelines could go a long way.

12

Opinions October 22, 2025

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New York is the New York of New York

Eric Adams’ comedic turns of phrase conceal a normalization of deceit and misinformation VIER GRAYBILL-ROBERTS Contributing Writer

Earlier this October, a week after dropping out of the New York City mayoral race and less than a month before Election Day, current Mayor Eric Adams made a strange and quite inexplicable trip to the Balkan nation of Albania. Speaking to reporters, Adams stated, “New York is the Albania of America.” Catchy, simple and diplomatic.

To those unacquainted with the antics of the 110th mayor of New York City, this phrase resembles the kind of non-statement common to political rhetoric. However, to those familiar with Adams, this structure of sentiment has become a staple of the soon-to-be ex-mayor.

Adams’ continual use of these comically senseless phrases and comparisons reflects a novel, absurd pattern.

“New York is the Islamabad of America,” he said during a flag-raising in New York with the Pakistani consul. In Israel: “New York is the Tel Aviv of America.”

On the topic of Mexico: “New York is the Mexico City of America,” and so on.

This stock phrase does not even begin to scratch the surface of Adams’ chronic absurdity.

Over the past four years, his eccentric use of language has garnered many questions and much criticism.

Rhetoric such as Adams’ meaningless off-kilter ramblings serves to offset and diminish the gravity of his lies. The more a politician like Adams becomes unserious and enigmatic, the more permissible their deceit becomes.

In 2023, Adams said, “This is a place where every day you wake up, you could experience everything from a plane crashing into our trade center to a person who’s celebrating a new business that’s open.”

Adams was also quoted as saying, “I am the pilot, folks, and you are all passengers.

Stop praying for me to crash the plane. Pray for me to land the plane because there’s no parachutes on this plane.”

Adams’ continual use of these comically senseless phrases and comparisons reflects a novel and puzzling new pattern in American political discourse: That is, the devaluation of the speech used by figures of authority to the point of absurdity and meaninglessness. This trend toward a cheap, inconsistent style in American politics reflects an assertion of authority over truth itself, as well as encouraging the public to view politicians through a cynical lens of perception.

These values and shifts have manifested in Adams, a mayor who is more interested in self-aggrandizement and deceit than in the issues facing the New Yorkers who voted him into office.

Adams was elected on a platform of law and order, rooted in his 22 years as a police officer in the NYPD. Throughout his tenure as mayor, he has invested considerable time in improving and reorganizing the NYPD to become a tool of social change and influence. In the 2024 fiscal

KAITLYN SQUYRES/THE OBSERVER

New York will not feel the same without Eric Adams … and that’s a good thing.

year under Adams, the NYPD had its highest budget in history, as per the Independent Budget Office.

During his campaign, Adams stood in direct, explicit defiance of the increased support for defunding the police following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. As such, it was clear from the beginning of his campaign that Adams found a great utility in policing.

His gravitation toward the police department — and the dynamic of officer-over-citizen as a paradigm for political reasoning — is telling. In organizations such as the NYPD, power is asserted from agents of the state directly down toward the people, and the validity of information is asserted in the same top-down social order.

In this political standard, the “truth” as propounded by figures of authority is more an order than a fact. As such, truth to Adams has never exactly resembled reality. Inconvenient realities have lost their importance and have become obstacles to Adams’ administration.

In the first month of the Adams administration, two police officers were killed in a shooting in Harlem. During a press conference that followed, Adams removed an old blackand-white photo from his wallet, lamenting the 1987 shooting death of his alleged friend in the police force, Robert Venable. The photo, he claimed, had been in his wallet for decades. However, in 2023, the New York Times reported that the photo was printed and artificially aged by members of Adams’ staff. Adams knew full well he had not been carrying this photo in his wallet for decades, but insisted on the obvious lie anyway.

Adams also publicly identified as a vegan during his campaign and pushed related health policies in New York public schools, until he was discovered eating fish in public and, when pressed, admitted to not adhering to veganism.

More recently, early last August, Gothamist reported that many of the signatures gathered for the petition to keep Adams

on the ballot as an independent candidate in the 2025 mayoral race were forged, with multiple signatures even belonging to deceased New Yorkers. When confronted over this blatant and widespread strategy of fabricating and falsifying records, Adams simply diminished the severity of the findings, insisting on political sabotage as the cause.

These scandals have been effectively swept under the rug through Adams’ eccentricities.

When the mayor is always engaged in a form of unprofessional, headline-worthy conduct, the public can only focus on so much.

Why is Eric Adams like this?

Why does he lie so frequently about strange things? In order to understand his motives, one must look at the Trump administration, which contributed to the now commonplace nature of absurd politics.

The commitment to truth that should define their speech has been replaced by a cynical downward exercise of power, where truth withers into a mindless order.

From 2017 to 2021, the White House consistently pushed incoherent misinformation and constantly misled the public.

President Donald Trump famously altered and made up data regarding Hurricane Dorian’s projected landfall in 2019, insisting that it would pass through Florida and hit Alabama.

This was supplemented by a map depicting the hurricane’s projected path that was seemingly hand-altered with a black Sharpie to include Alabama. No credible meteorology service concurred with the president, and Hurricane Dorian did not hit Alabama.

The Hurricane Dorian incident

reflects the absolute nonsense of Trump’s first-term lies, where the misinformation spread by the White House served no apparent political end. The primary effect instead was confusion, alarm and a loss of credibility behind the words of the president.

Where the obfuscation of the first administration could largely be attributed to incompetence and poor judgment, the second administration has initiated a perplexing, obviously intentional strategy of perpetually pushing misinformation and falsehoods.

In August, in the wake of negative revisions to a job report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — a nonpartisan entity concerned with monitoring and reporting trends in economic data — Trump fired the head of the organization. On the ironically named Truth Social, the president falsely claimed, “Today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”

The firing of the commissioner of an independent statistics agency is extremely concerning.

The very instruments relied upon by government and non-government entities alike for accurate data have been stripped of their independence and commitment to truth.

Most alarming has been the assertion of soaring rates of violent crime in major American cities, which the administration has used as a pretext for deploying the National Guard. From Washington, D.C. to Chicago, violent crime rates have been falling, contrary to the narrative pushed by the White House. Yet, the Trump administration continues to employ misinformation to crack down on dissent and political opposition.

Political strategist and Trump ally Steve Bannon described Trump’s second-term tactic as “muzzle velocity,” in which political orders and partisan litigation occur too fast for both journalists and courts to consistently report and rule on their movements.

There is no word that most aptly describes this tactic than sinister. The discrepancy between modes of conduct

during the first and second administrations is tremendously useful for understanding Adams.

Does his lying and fraudulence more closely resemble a deficiency of logical reasoning or a sinister attempt to overwhelm and mislead the public?

Unfortunately for Adams, it seems to be a mistake to assign a logical strategy to his mayhem.

Yet his bizarre white lies have still been blatantly corrupt attempts to infiltrate the office of mayor with personal indulgences and embellishments.

From his intentional unreliability to his farcical quips, Adams’s speech has become entirely worthless. In essence, this movement toward meaninglessness and absurdity has enabled, if not encouraged, Adams to utilize deceit to enrich and aggrandize himself.

What is truly tragic, what is really sacrificed through this constant obfuscation, is the trust and honesty needed in American politics today. Adams and other politicians of this same inane style cannot be held accountable for the beliefs that form the basis of their actions, because their speech consistently demonstrates that they do not really believe in anything. These politicians have been reduced by their deceit to empty symbols and buzzwords.

The commitment to truth that should define their speech has been replaced by a cynical downward exercise of power, where truth withers into a mindless order.

In effect, American political discourse has been progressively disfigured by this oppression of truth over the past decade, and Adams is both a product and a perpetrator of this disfiguration.

So, as Election Day draws near and the Adams administration winds down over the next two months, it is increasingly important to recognize that Americans deserve more than nonsensical ramblings and duplicitous politicians. Americans deserve better than figures like Adams and Trump. Americans deserve politicians who will commit themselves to honestly and transparently serving the public who put them in office.

Arts & Culture Editor Nora Kinney

Arts & Culture Fordham Alumnus’ Abstract Paintings Arrive at the Butler Gallery

October 22, 2025 THE OBSERVER

Mason Saltarelli’s large-format, chromatic paintings currently on view in the Ildiko Butler Gallery evoke the effect of the Rorschach test, probing viewers’ psyches

By ELLIOT RICHTER Contributing Writer

A quote opens the exhibit “Cartographer’s Tunnel” in the Ildiko Butler Gallery: “Certain abstract paintings live as maps towards our interior labyrinth.”

The exhibit showcases the work of Mason Saltarelli, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’01, and displays just four paintings by the alumnus.

All of Saltarelli’s work is abstract; there is no figuration in any of his work. Consequently, the work challenges the viewer to interpret it not only aesthetically, but also through a self-reflective psychological lens.

Psychologists have been using pictures to further understand their patients’ unconscious minds for decades — most famously, with Rorschach inkblot tests. Devised in 1921 by artist Hermann Rorschach, this test consists of 10 cards, each with a distinct inkblot on it. Patients are asked to describe what they see represented by each blot of ink, and their answers are then analyzed to uncover an unconscious aspect of their personality. For example, if a patient keeps seeing violent imagery in the inkblots, it may be a sign of trauma.

I was curious about the kinds of reactions that Saltarelli’s paintings would elicit in the Fordham community, so I decided to have some

GIANA VISCONTI/THE OBSERVER

Fordham alumnus Mason Saltarelli’s paintings evoke the effect of Rorschach tests used in psychology.

fun and use his paintings as Rorschach tests.

I took a postcard of each painting in the gallery, labeled it numbers one through four, then wandered the halls of the Lowenstein building with my cards brandished.

My results were fascinating.

It turned out that, when faced with one of the paintings, people would almost universally either personify it or at least see a living thing; however, they rarely agreed upon smaller details.

The card showing the painting where one half of the canvas is covered in an organic black shape and the other is covered

by a yellow, circular shape, was interpreted by Wes Nelson, FCLC ’29 as “a cat and a flower,” while Spencer Doyle, FCLC ’29, saw it as a “town or a city.” Both of my peers saw multiple living things interacting with one another, but in dramatically different ways.

The most interesting responses, however, came from card number three, a mostly blank canvas with two circular objects and connected colored cones. Every person I asked saw something related to reproduction or movement. Spanish professor and curator Dr. Carey Kasten saw a person doing “pilates,” while Nelson very

quickly responded that he saw a “mother and child.”

The most common answer people gave, no matter how euphemistic they were trying to be, was that they saw two people having sex. It was fascinating to me that so many people parsed a dynamic and intimate significance from an ostensibly minimal painting.

I do not claim to understand these patterns or why my subjects all aligned with them.

However, it was incredible to watch people break away from the flippant and all-too-common “I could do this myself” attitude that people approach modern art

with, instead focusing on what the work meant to them.

“Cartographer’s Tunnel,” located across from the escalators up to the Lowenstein Center, is a very small exhibition. It could feasibly be looked through in 30 seconds. My shortest interview was twice that amount of time, and conducted while my participant was rushing to class.

Saltarelli’s works fascinated people; everyone had something they wanted to say about them.

People spent minutes reflecting and connecting to the art.

It seems that “Cartographer’s Tunnel” is having the intended effect: making people self-analyze. Analysis is a goal of Saltarelli’s: He was described in the press release as a “story” painter — not in a depictive, literal way, but rather, “a language that transcends the dry recitation of sequenced events to capture the immediacy of emotion.” He is an intuitive painter, challenging us to consider the story he has set before us in our own way.

Saltarelli, who has lived in the New York City area since his graduation from Fordham in 2001, is often on display in local galleries like Charles Bank in Manhattan and Interstate Projects in Brooklyn. As Fordham students, we have a unique chance to see the art in our very halls. Saltarelli’s work will be on view in the Ildiko Butler Gallery until Nov. 19. Take a look. What do you see?

Mainstage Play ‘By The Way, Meet Vera Stark’ Wowed Audiences

Guest director Adrienne Williams brought Lynne Nottage’s satire on race relations in Hollywood to life in the Pope Auditorium VERA STARK from page 1

“(Vera) gets to be angry, and she gets to be frustrated and driven, but also, she gets to be in love and excited,” Carethers said.

“It’s not always often that characters — especially Black characters — are written with so much dimension. So it was a big honor to play her.”

Carethers noted that Vera is based on a combination of Black actresses from the 1930s, with Teresa Harris serving as the main inspiration for the character.

She said playing Vera was “very rewarding, but very scary.”

“It’s a big thing to take on a story that is supposed to represent the community almost through a singular woman and the people around her. So it was frightening, and at the same time, that was the entire reason that I wanted to go on this journey,” Carethers said.

Developing Vera’s voice was a particular challenge for Carethers. With the help of a vocal coach, who gave her lots of old video footage to study, she learned to hone her cadence and tone to match the eras of the story. She paid special attention to external factors that would affect how Vera sounded, like a years-long smoking habit. Later in the show, when Carethers portrayed Vera as an older woman, she spoke more bluntly. She explained that “it seemed like by the time that (Vera) got to that age, nothing mattered: She said what she said.” This intentional shift in tone reflected the weight of the character’s experiences.

Carethers, who does not frequently act in musical theater productions, also noted that

PHOTO COURTESY OF CASON DOYLE

The show’s protagonist Vera was inspired by multiple 1930s-era Black actresses, including Teresa Harris.

singing in the show was something she had to get comfortable with. She credited her fellow cast members for helping her develop her musicality and said that she intends on continuing to explore the skill.

Other cast members faced unique challenges, such as Nalin Reed, FCLC ’28, who played Leroy in Act 1 and Herb in Act 2. Reed said that developing the characters differed from his usual process.

“This role probably stretched me the most because the dynamics between both characters, Leroy and Herb, are so vastly different,” Reed said. “Whenever I build a character, I start with the walk, and then I go into the

psychology. However, this time, I think there was so much on the page … that both characters just manifested.”

Reed, along with other cast and crew members, said Williams’ leadership was invaluable.

Reed, along with other cast and crew members, said Williams’ leadership was invaluable.

Reed described a major lesson that he and the cast members learned throughout the process.

“Something our director said to us the first day of the process is everything costs something,” Reed said. “The truth of the matter is the choices you make and the things you decide upon — you might get that gold, but also, you might lose the silver.”

Reed continued to highlight how the lessons he learned from Williams shaped his perception of the meaning of the play.

“Vera made a choice to go after her dream with the options that she had … because we also have remembered that we were in 1933, back when we didn’t have a lot of options,” he said. “We can judge the decision that she made; however, we weren’t present in the room when the options were laid on the table.”

Reed was not the only production member who said they learned something from Williams. Assistant director Elise Benson, FCLC ’26, said that learning from Williams was the “most rewarding part of the process.”

“Hearing random stories of anecdotes from her every day about her career as both an actress and director was amazing. She really ushered me towards what it means to be a great collaborator,” Benson said.

While the cast members had just over a month of rehearsal, the production team had been working on this piece since the summer. One of the production managers, Jackie Kimbrough, FCLC ’28, said they were proud to see all of their hard work pay off.

“It was very rewarding to see the process finally come together with all of the technical elements,” Kimbrough said. They also emphasized the importance for audience members to have seen this production.

“It is a show that will broaden people’s horizons about the realities of Hollywood in the 1930’s and how that has affected Hollywood as a whole currently,” Kimborough said.

When asked what she wanted audience members to take away from this production, Williams said that “it would be nice if people went out and talked about the way we treat each other,” highlighting her hope for the play’s message to extend far beyond the stage.

“By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” closed on Oct. 17 in the Pope Auditorium.

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Arts & Culture October 22, 2025

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Exhibit Explores the ‘Defiant Joy’ of Social Dance in New York

Music, color and a dance floor set the Museum of the City of New York’s ‘Urban Stomp’ exhibit apart

By INDIRA BUSH Contributing Writer

If going to a history museum conjures up images of standing still in silence and squinting at black and white photos, it is time to refresh your perception. Derrick León Washington, anthropologist and curator of “Urban Stomp: Dreams and Defiance on the Dance Floor” at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), wants “more out of dance” and museum exhibitions.

“I was really persistent that this is going to change how exhibitions are done and what’s included in museums,” Washington said.

The exhibit, in collaboration with the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark, opened last April and is on view through February 2026. It dives into the history of social dance in New York City, with a focus on the role of these dances as community builders, catalysts of social change and stimulators of what Washington describes as “defiant joy.”

“Urban Stomp” is the latest development in a years-long project for Washington. His work began in 2018 under the name “Urban Stomp: From Swing to Mambo,” but has always been about more than just these styles.

It examines cultural connections across African American, Caribbean, Latin and Jewish communities in the city.

The project developed educational programming in neighborhoods where these dances were created, including the Bronx, Harlem and the Lower East Side, with the goal of tracing the ways in which music and dance represent the larger history of New York City. This programming led to a documentary and an evening of performance at Lincoln Center in 2019.

Then, in 2024, Sarah Henry, former chief curator and deputy director of MCNY, reached out to Washington about creating an exhibit on social dance at the museum (he had curated there once in 2017 for an exhibition entitled “Rhythm and Power: Salsa in New York”). It was an opportunity to highlight an often underappreciated part of our city’s history.

According to Washington, before “Urban Stomp,” there had not been much focus in museums on the history of New York’s social dance scene, which he said “has always been part of New York City’s history.”

With a history so vast, and only two galleries and a connecting hallway to work with, not every dance style could be featured.

When it came to making the final decisions, Washington said the idea of “dreams and defiance” became a major factor. The exhibition had an important focus on dances where “people are negotiating power, space, race and even citizenship.” Each dance included is vital to the story because, according to Washington, “they all have an aspect of them that goes beyond just steps. They have an aspect of sociality, of anthropology, of ‘Why are people still practicing them?’”

Different colored walls separate the styles into sections, emphasizing the theme of change. The pink walls at the beginning focus on the “Balls, Ballrooms, and Bars” of the 19th century — everything from the formal balls of the elite to dances hosted by workers’ unions to the start of ragtime. On the yellow walls, the exhibition dives into

the jazz age when swing, tap and the Lindy hop developed alongside piano jazz and the music of Louis Armstrong and big bands.

On the red walls is the section titled “¡Wepa!”, which highlights the wide array of styles brought to the city by Afro-Latin communities, including tango, salsa, mambo (also called “salsa on two”), bachata and merengue.

On the purple walls: “Cypher,” the term for a dance space (often a circle) where dancers share their skills and create a space of “radical inclusivity.” The section highlights styles like hustle, hip hop and vogue, all of which originated in the same small area of the Bronx. This section also features “digital dance floors” — social media spaces that make up a large part of the way in which social dancers connect today.

The blue walls of the second gallery showcase the social dance climate of present-day New York City, a remarkable change from the intensely socially stratified city of the start of the exhibit.

This section asks, “Are we All-City Yet?” and is labeled as a “sampling of the many examples of cross-fertilization that appear on New York City dance floors everyday.” These are dances that are shared at neighborhood events, religious spaces and at family gatherings, like the emerging practice of traditional Arab Dabke dancing with remixed music, or Chinatown’s block parties that play everything from Cantonese pop music to Bhangra made in New York City.

PHOTOS BY INDIRA BUSH/THE OBSERVER

With limited wall space, “Urban Stomp” curator Derrick Washington got creative with color and audiovisual experiences.

The music makes the exhibit accessible for those who do not feel an immediate connection to the dance world.

“Urban Stomp” is truly like no other exhibit; there is a feeling of complete immersion, both in history and in a story still unfolding.

“The idea of ‘Urban Stomp,’ it’s the program, but it’s also the way of curating,” Washington said. “Curating where there’s actual dance and music in the galleries. Curating to where you have photography, but you also have different objects.”

This effort was visible throughout the exhibition: in the objects displayed, in the music played and in the many opportunities for museum-goers to join on the dance floor.

Washington’s curatorial goal was to reach beyond the traditional use of photography.

“Photography is interesting, but dance is a 3-D embodied practice,” he said.

To build the collection of displayed materials, he had to curate in a way that would truly represent the diversity of the city.

Viewers can see ball gowns worn at the turn of the 20th century, as well as gowns worn at present-day vogue balls by members of the Royal House of LaBeija.

There are also invitations to elite dances, musical instruments and authentic posters that make the history feel real. Some items, like the gloves and dresses from the “Balls, Ballrooms, and Bars” section, came from the MCNY archives, but for others, he had to look further, whether that be the Jazz Institute at Rutgers, other museums (Benny Goodman’s clarinet is on loan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The exhibit encourages attendees to learn dance steps and move their bodies at multiple points.

or private donors who own these remarkable pieces.

Beyond the physical items, music was vital to the “Urban Stomp” experience.

“For many of the styles, you can’t separate the music and the dance,” Washington said.

The music makes the exhibit accessible for those who do not feel an immediate connection to the dance world. In the galleries, visitors could use headphones to watch videos of the dances with their signature music, adding a whole new way of experiencing the art.

Even with all these elements, what makes the exhibit the most magical is what Washington described as “embodied learning.” “Urban Stomp” includes more than 20 screens placed throughout the galleries for visitors to learn the basics of most of the dance styles discussed on the walls. Washington made clear that these are not meant as “movies,” but instead as an invitation to join in.

The invitation is also extended through community programming, which has so far included events like bachata instruction during Hispanic Heritage Month, a Lindy hop-focused tour (with dancing at the end) and classes in coordination with the Ailey Extension program for National Dance Day. Katherine Jimenez, a lifelong dancer and instructor, taught a class called “NY Style Mambo”

on National Dance Day. As an instructor, Jimenez loves seeing how learning new social dance styles provides opportunities for “empathy” and “connection.”

As for the power of sharing this knowledge with all New Yorkers through “Urban Stomp,” “it’s really just like a reminder of all of our history, so that it doesn’t get lost with future generations,” Jimenez said.

The dances showcased through the galleries are not only pieces of New York City’s history, but stories of marginalized communities finding power and creating connections on the dance floor.

“Urban Stomp: Dreams and Defiance on the Dance Floor” is an incredible and much-needed exhibit for our time. It is the story of New Yorkers breaking down social boundaries defined by race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity and ability through a community practice of dance. The dances showcased through the galleries are not only pieces of New York

City’s history, but stories of marginalized communities finding power and creating connections on the dance floor, all in the practice of “defiant joy.”

“I don’t want dance to be used as just something superficial, because dance can be just as deep as a speech or a song or a protest song,” Washington said.

Avoiding superficiality can be hard within the walls of a museum space, but “Urban Stomp” transcends the traditional format.

The exhibit culminates with a dance space called “All Dancing Allowed,” which references New York City’s restrictive 1926 Cabaret Law. Visitors can switch out pretend records to change the music and the dance style that is being shown on projected screens. Then, they can let loose on the dance floor. The projections, created by Earthbound Productions, show a combination of professionals and newcomers, an important reminder “Urban Stomp” is not just history, it is an invitation into the world of social dance.

“Urban Stomp” is on view through February 2026, and Fordham students can get in with discounted tickets (student ID required) or for free on Wednesdays. Those interested can also purchase the companion book “Inside Urban Stomp” to dive deeper into the exhibition, or keep up to date with events at the Museum of the City of New York.

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THE OBSERVER

October 22, 2025

Arts & Culture

15

Thank You for My Pants, Amelia Bloomer

A 19th-century woman editor wrote herself into history by turning a pair of pants into a national debate

By KAILEY SIGODA Contributing Writer

Do not take your jeans for granted; what is now an everyday staple for women was once a serious scandal. The story of women’s pants is also the story of free press and its ability to challenge the status quo, with one activist at its center. With today’s media landscape facing threats to journalistic independence, it is worth revisiting the history that proves why we need it.

In the mid-19th century, American newspaper editor Amelia Bloomer pushed for trousers as a practical alternative to restrictive dresses. As editor of The Lily, the first newspaper in the United States edited by and for women, she wrote about health, education and temperance — but it was her decision to promote the “Bloomer costume” that captured national attention and sparked fierce public debate.

In Bloomer’s time, women were bound not just by corsets and layers of fabric, but by a domestic sphere that left little room for independence. A garment was not only a garment but a daily reminder of the limitations placed on women’s bodies, and by extension, their lives.

As Bloomer wrote in the September 1851 issue of The Lily, “The new costume appeals, however, to our common sense — that back-bone of the mind.”

She argued that trousers offered women practical freedom by “redeeming woman from bondage of dress,” which quickly linked clothing reform to a larger emancipation movement.

MAYA MACKI/THE OBSERVER

The Bloomer costume liberated women from the restrictive corsets and social norms of the time.

Bloomer did not invent the outfit that would come to bear her name. The idea of loose trousers worn under a shortened skirt had already been circulating among women’s rights activists, but it was Bloomer who gave it momentum. Reform meant little if women had few rights to call their own. Without those words, the outfit might have remained an obscure experiment. In the press, it became impossible to ignore.

Like The Lily, independent outlets today continue to challenge dominant narratives.

“The Lily was revolutionary because it gave women a space

to speak in their own voices at a time when the overwhelming majority of newspapers and journals were edited by and for men,” Fordham journalism professor Amy Aronson, who has extensively studied the history of women’s magazines, said.

“That same spirit lives on today in smaller, independent, and digital outlets — especially those led by women and marginalized communities — which publish stories and perspectives mainstream media often overlook,” Aronson said.

Once published, the “Bloomer costume” became a cultural flashpoint. Satirical cartoons appeared

in newspapers, lampooning women with swollen pantaloons and cropped skirts. Preachers railed against the “unnaturalness” of women stepping into trousers. It clearly became a threat to the male sphere.

To many, the outfit was laughable, even dangerous. But the ridicule only confirmed what Bloomer herself must have known: Words in print could transform a piece of clothing into a political statement.

Just like in Bloomer’s story, using visibility as resistance is still a vital tool in modern journalism.

“Think of sports

reporters calling out sexist coverage, or foreign correspondents documenting gendered violence, or commentators challenging online harassment and double standards,” Aronson said. “Like Bloomer, they use visibility itself as a form of resistance — turning what society tries to regulate into a statement of agency.”

The “Bloomer costume” is undoubtedly a landmark piece in fashion history, but it was the role of a woman journalist who brought it to life. Bloomer’s independence is a leading example for a media landscape strained by financial pressures and corporate priority, much like the current industry.

“They may not have the biggest budgets, but they often have the clearest sense of purpose,” Aronson said. “Bloomer published ‘The Lily’ from her home, often funding it herself and relying on a network of reform-minded contributors. That independence gave her freedom to cover ideas that mainstream editors dismissed as trivial or dangerous.”

Today, when large organizations face layoffs and shrinking budgets, smaller publications and newsrooms are capable of carrying forward Bloomer’s mission.

“Her legacy endures in every journalist who treats independence as a form of integrity,” Aronson said.

To thank Bloomer is not only to thank her for trousers, but to thank her for proving that a woman’s words are truly and exceedingly powerful. This is something worth remembering as the future of journalism faces its own constraints.

‘Is This Thing On?’ is an On-Point Close to the New York Film Festival

Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett craft a resonant NYC feature about comedy and relationships

By SAM SPEISER Contributing Writer

Two years after his failed Oscarbait “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper returns with his third directorial feature “Is This Thing On?”, a low-key, personal dramedy featuring Will Arnett in a raw, dramatic role.

Although Arnett is the star, “Is This Thing On?” is Cooper’s film. It is also starkly different from Cooper’s previous movies.

In a directorial 180, Cooper swapped out ambitious filmmaking for something much more down-to-earth, crafting a bittersweet character drama. Where Cooper’s other films — “A Star is Born” and “Maestro” — were high-budget, epic stories stretching years, “Is This Thing On?” is deftly low-budget and contained.

For some scenes, Cooper himself serves as the camera operator, shooting handheld, up close and personal. The shots make it all feel natural and chaotic, and the small, personal stakes large and meaningful.

“Is This Thing On?” is all the better for its smaller-scale approach. The camerawork and other visual creative decisions made by Cooper are well done and engaging, drawing and absorbing the viewer into the film’s world and the characters’ mindsets in a way only a lower-budget, thoughtful film can.

Arnett plays Alex, a man who has idly let life pass him by to such an extent that his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern, casually initiates their amicable separation while in the midst of brushing her teeth before bed. As Alex

COURTESY OF FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER PRESS

Will Arnett and Laura Dern give masterclass performances in “Is This Thing On?”

grapples with his newly separated life, he inadvertently stumbles upon the New York City comedy club scene in the Lower East Side, a rejuvenating thrill that imbues Alex with passion. As Alex becomes an amateur comic, his new and old lives come together and he must come to terms with his relationship with Tess and his own failings.

If one thing unites all of Cooper’s movies, it is that interpersonal relationships are at their centers. In the latter half of “Is This Thing On?” Dern and Arnett

shine, grappling with their roles in their broken marriage. The film shifts from comedy to drama as Alex and Tess struggle to reconcile their love with their personal history and heartbreak, and the consequences of action and inaction over their two-plus decades of marriage. It is further complicated by the “will-they-won’tthey” of Tess and Alex giving each other one more chance. Cooper excels at relationship drama, and here, it is the highlight of the film.

“Is This Thing On?” is a slow burn, but really hits its groove

about halfway through as Tess and Alex’s fates converge. The tedium and subtlety of the film may split audiences; I know the audience at my screening was torn, with some of my fellow theater-goers left lukewarm by the film’s end. However, I thought “Is This Thing On?” was a legitimately cathartic, funny and intelligent film. There are many visceral and thought-provoking scenes that enhance the film’s themes and still stick out in my mind and make me laugh, cringe and feel something after the screening.

It would be remiss not to highlight Arnett, of “Bojack Horseman” and “Arrested Development” level fame, headlining this movie. Arnett portrays the tenderness, heartbreak, confusion and anger of his character Alex exceptionally well, making the character his own. This is Arnett’s first leading dramatic role in a film, and he kills it.

Dern also gives a worthy companion performance as Arnett’s ex-wife, embarking on a path to regain some much-needed and desired purpose. She is extremely well-realized in her role, and the film does a great job of not playing one side but portraying both characters’ feelings and perspectives. There may likely be some well-deserved awards buzz for both Dern and Arnett’s roles here.

“Is This Thing On?” also joins the canon of New York City movies, featuring iconic sites such as Grand Central Station, subway trains and the Comedy Cellar, of course. It captures the bustle, lighting and atmosphere of the city well, elevated by a solid musical score — although the environment could have been embraced more.

Additionally, five or so minutes could have been shaved off the movie’s runtime, and some scenes come off a little too vulgar, including one in particular that flippantly discussed hookups.

However, by its end, “Is This Thing On?” shows its true colors as a sweet film about a marriage falling apart and coming back together, and a simple man’s catharsis through comedy and realization.

Fun & Games Editors Damian Grove Jasmine White

un & ames

October 22, 2025 THE OBSERVER

Crossword: I’ve Got A Bone To Cross Complete the puzzle and unscramble the three-word phrase hidden in the circled letters!

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BY DAMIAN GROVE

Across 1. Common subway sighting (2 Wds.) 5. NFL selection event 10. Cain’s brother 14. One of many in this puzzle’s hidden phrase?

15. Wizard Potter, for one

16. “Marco!”

17. “I’m so hungry I could ____ __ horse! ” (2 Wds.) 18. Fiancé of Betty Schaefer in “Sunset Boulevard” 19. Peek-__-____ 20. *Option on Oct. 31 22. Brain wave readout (Abbr.)

23. *Often results in a mess on Halloween 24. Main body of a pirate ship

26. What already replaced A/C in McMahon Hall 28. Goblin preceder 31. The sun, to us (2 Wds.) 33. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars hit: “____ With a Smile” 36. Skilled speaker 38. Snugglers 40. Metallica drummer Ulrich 41. In unison (2 Wds.) 43. Nonetheless 44. Online stock buying (Hyph.)

46. Contact solution, for example 48. Look at 49. “Friends” actress Jennifer 51. Bro’s sibling 52. Baldwin who has hosted “Saturday Night Live” 17 times 53. Go ___ ___ great lengths (2 Wds.) 55. *Often results in a mess on Halloween 58. “The Jungle Book” serpent 60. *Option on Oct. 31 64. Trendy Canadian shoe brand 65. Meter prefix 67. “The Good Dinosaur” protagonist or singer Guthrie 68. “Eyeballing” is the informal way to do this (Abbr.)

69. ____ chicken 70. “The Tragedy of Othello, the ____ of Venice” 71. Latin verb meaning “to be” 72. Donkeys 73. Debut album for Olivia Rodrigo

Down 1. Aid and ____ 2. Howl, for a lion 3. Prefix implying opposition 4. Instruct 5. One omega-3 fatty acid, alongside ALA and EPA (Abbr.)

6. Not often 7. Commedia dell’____ 8. *Often the goal of a trick is to ____ 9. “Ready Player One” actor Sheridan 10. Not together 11. ____ tea 12. Tesla creator Musk 13. Take a gander 21. Singular praise?

23. Segment with a comb 25. Newman of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast 27. How Dorothy gets “down the road” in “The Wiz” (2 Wds.) 28. Young adult novel with main character Stanley Yelnats 29. What 36-Across does 30. Ballet support rail 32. Makes out, to 15-Across 33. Sandwich shops, for short 34. Farsi speaker 35. Signature letter of each word in this puzzle’s hidden phrase 37. Airport organization (Abbr.)

39. NBA team for Kobe and Shaq (Abbr.)

42. *Comedians’ treats?

45. “Judging Amy ” actress Tyne 47. Body-focused science class (Abbr.)

50. Matched with complete accuracy (3 Wds.) 52. One prescribed amount (2 Wds.) 54. Shuttles in airports and large parking lots 55. 2011 The Wanted song “Glad You ____” 56. Pub drinks 57. Contracts of secrecy (Abbr.)

59. Belonging to a young Darth Vader 61. “The old switch____” 62. MLB brothers Felipe, Matty and Jesús 63. Unit of pressure in physics 65. Fast food place closed on Sundays (Abbr.)

66. American airports now require REAL ones (Abbr.)

Hallow’s Eve Horoscopes

BY JASMINE WHITE

Aries: Did somebody say costume contest? You already know your Halloween

look is going to be fire (even if you don’t know what it is yet). You might be feeling especially connected to your favorite people, so if your costume’s still up in the air, try a duo or group idea — your friends are your best accessory this year.

Taurus: Taurus, don’t be scared to take a breath and let yourself rest this

Halloween. You’ve been in go mode all month, but it’s okay to trade ambition for enjoyment. So throw that party, carve those pumpkins or go to that parade — maybe even all three! You’ve earned it.

Gemini: This Halloween, honesty is your best trick (and treat). Be real with yourself about what you actually want to do, not just what sounds good in the group chat. Your best plans are the ones that feel like you.

Cancer: Change can be scary, but being ruled by the moon means transformation is where you thrive, Cancer. Let this Halloween unfold naturally instead of overplanning. Say yes to something unexpected; the surprise might turn into your favorite memory of the season.

Libra: October may have tested your balance, Leo, but with Halloween closing out the month comes a chance for you to center yourself and find steadiness.

Whether that looks like a big night out or a quiet one in, trust that you’ll know what you need.

Virgo: You’ve probably already planned your Halloween to perfection, Virgo,

but don’t forget to actually enjoy it! Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and leave room for a little chaos.

Libra: With Venus — your ruling planet — in your sign, everything feels a little more enchanting. You’re radiating charm, and this Halloween is shaping up to be especially harmonious for you. How exciting!

Scorpio: Happy Scorpio season! You’re in your element this time of year, so trust your gut when it comes to Halloween plans. Wherever you end up, you’re sure to have a magical night.

Sagittarius: With Mercury entering your sign on Oct. 29, your words

carry extra weight this Halloween. Expect deep conversations — the kind that start with “What’s your costume supposed to be?” and end with talking about the meaning of life at 2 a.m. Stay curious; you never know who’ll stay up with you.

Capricorn: Going into the end of this month finds you on solid ground,

Capricorn. Your steady energy acts as an anchor for everyone around you, but remember, you don’t have to be the rock all the time. Halloween is an opportunity to celebrate the stability you’ve built.

Aquarius: You’re feeling inventive this Halloween, Aquarius. Ditch the

Amazon corset and animal ears and make your own masterpiece; you’ll probably end up inspiring half your friends’ looks next year.

Pisces: With the moon in your sign, this Halloween feels almost cinematic.

You’re extra intuitive, and maybe a little sentimental too, so the best plans might be whatever fulfills your inner child.

COMICS BY AAYUSHA DUWADI

GRAPHICS BY DAMIAN GROVE & JASMINE WHITE