The Observer Issue 1 Fall 2025

Observer the

September 10, 2025

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

VOLUME XLVI, ISSUE 1

Mamdani Becomes Democratic Nominee

DURGA DESAI/THE OBSERVER

Mayoral candidate and state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s platform focuses on affordable housing, free bus fares and addressing income inequality.

see LOCAL NEWS page 5

Picnic with the President

By MICHELLE WILSON News Editor

The Multifaith Picnic with the President featured speeches from University President Tania Tetlow and Campus Ministry leaders, student performances, activities, food and more on the Outdoor Plaza on Sep. 3 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

As the fourth annual iteration, this year’s event centered around community building. Erin Hoffman, director of Campus Ministry, said this mission inspired a slight shift in focus from formal prayer to student engagement. “(We) really put more energy into the picnic portion this year, making it an experience not just of hearing from people, but then having opportunities to interact, to do activities, to talk to people, to get to know people …

So our goal in the end was really to create and celebrate not just community at Fordham, but meaningful community,” Hoffman said.

Formerly known as the Interfaith Picnic and Prayer, Hoffman said she and the other organizers decided to use the word “multifaith” rather than “interfaith” to highlight how Fordham

NEWS PAGE 4

Future in Focus

This year’s orientation proved meaningful amid rebrand

brings together different faiths in community, embracing their differences rather than trying to solve them.

Hoffman also said this shift was inspired by the additions of full-time Muslim and Jewish staff last year, and said she hopes “one day in the future, we will be able to have more.”

“Multifaith is different than interfaith because in interfaith, (we) can come together and learn from one another and share the space together, but multifaith really allows for the authenticity of each tradition to be celebrated and showcased,” Hoffman said.

The weather was a warm and breezy 77 degrees as students arrived on the plaza for the picnic. The first 250 claimed a free picnic blanket.

There were club tables dotted around the space offering various activities. The Islamic Arts and Henna club gave free henna designs to attendees and the Muslim Student Association passed out free hijabs, Qurans and kufis. Also in attendance were two other clubs: the Catholic Student Fellowship and the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship. see MULTIFAITH PICNIC page 3

SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 6

From Field to Feed

Social media connects Fordham athletes to their fans

Butler Gallery’s Summer Exhibition Closes

By NORA KINNEY & ALEXA MARTINEZ Arts Editor & Contributing Writer

“Ground Meets Water,” a photography exhibition by Michael Chovan-Dalton, opened earlier this summer in the Ildiko Butler Gallery. Captured in and around

bodies of water in New Jersey, this collection of photographs evokes the slow ritual of fishing and the ways in which families pass down traditions.

Chovan-Dalton moved to Hoboken, New Jersey in 1993.

Over the course of 32 years, he learned the natural glory of the

Garden State. In the overlooked places — reservoirs, canal paths, muddy riverbanks — he noticed people teaching their children how to wait. In photos taken this year, Chovan-Dalton captured those quiet moments of shared patience. see BUTLER EXHIBITION page 13

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

At the start of the semester, visitors flocked to the exhibition before it closed on September 8.

CENTERFOLD PAGE 8-9

Mimicked Melodies

AI-generated music violates integrity and monetization

OPINIONS PAGE 10

The Tea on TV

“Bad” romance shows brought Gen Z together this summer

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 15

Shameless Sabrina

Despite controversies, Carpenter released empowering album

2

News

September 10, 2025

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

New Class, New Changes

This year’s orientation welcomes the Class of 2029 and a new brand identity

By MACKENZIE COOPER News Editor

Fordham University hosted its new student orientation here at Lincoln Center, welcoming the Class of 2029. The rush of incoming freshmen was accompanied by further changes, from a new logo to a shift to digital, rather than physical, IDs. Fordham announced a complete rebranding of the Fordham logo and brand identity via an Instagram post on July 31.

“Fordham University is embarking on an exciting journey, moving our brand into the future,” the post read.

Fordham’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications Justin Bell was featured on Fordham University’s Voice radio station’s (WFUV) podcast “What’s What” to discuss the new changes that tie in the past to the present.

“It carries a lot of meaning and it actually ties back really well to our history and our past,” Bell said.

The decision took over 16 months and brought together 8,600 members of the community, including students, alumni, faculty and staff, to be a part of the decision.

The brand’s design is a modern twist on Fordham’s gothic revival architecture, bridging tradition with contemporary New York City — where both campuses are based.

According to Fordham’s University Marketing and Communications site, Fordham will be moving away from using the tagline, “The Jesuit University of New York.”

“ Yes, Fordham will

always be ‘The Jesuit University of New York.’

However, the tagline will no longer be locked up as part of Fordham’s visual identity moving forward.”

Fordham Marketing and Communications

“Yes, Fordham will always be ‘The Jesuit University of New York.’ However, the tagline will no longer be locked up as part of Fordham’s visual identity moving forward,” according to the website.

Another new change to Fordham this year is the switch from

physical to digital ID cards.

As stated on the Information and Technology page on their website, Fordham announced that it would be making the transition towards a more sustainable future by switching from physical ID cards to electronic ones.

“Fordham University is excited to announce a move towards a more convenient and sustainable campus experience! Beginning in the Fall of 2025, Fordham will become an electronic ID (eID) first campus for incoming students,” read the post.

All upperclassmen students are welcome to continue using their existing physical or electronic IDs, but first-year and transfer students will have to use an electronic ID.

“ Beginning in the Fall

of 2025, Fordham will become an electronic ID (eID) first campus for incoming students. goes here.”

Fordham’s new logo can now be found on all merchandise sold at the bookstore.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Fordham Information and Technology

Many events took place during orientation week, including the Traditional Welcome Mass, Multicultural and First Generation Receptions, as well as the One Fordham party.

This year’s orientation debuted a new tradition that not only brought together first-year students from the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, but also the Orientation Leaders. In order to foster unity, during Orientation Leader training, Rose Hill Orientation Leaders came down to work with Lincoln Center Orientation Leaders to collaborate on ways to welcome the first-year students.

Another novel aspect of this year's orientation program was the addition of a service project.

This was introduced to the firstyear students as a way to integrate them into Fordham’s Jesuit mission of service, according to the “Living the Mission” section of the Fordham website.

“Fordham is an institution, and all of its various parts seek to insert themselves in the world on the side of the poor, the marginalized, and those seeking justice.

It does this in particular by using its academic and professional resources,” the website states.

Students were instructed to write cards and letters to three organizations: Letters of Love,

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The new rebrand features the Gothic F, connecting Fordham’s architecture and shield from the seal.

Jesuit Infirmary and New York Housing Authority (NYCHA) Amsterdam Houses. These letters were then delivered to individuals who form part of the organizations.

Maddie Etkin, FCLC ’27, was one of four orientation coordinators involved with planning and organization. She had a large role in the establishment of the service project.

“Basically, the incentive was to make the new students feel not only connected to each other, but connected to a greater good and to have them do something as a collective,” Etkin said.

She described the process behind choosing where to send the cards as “more of a higher up decision.” Etkin said.

“We did a lot of research on different places to send cards.

We were talking about retirement communities and we ended up with our biggest one being the Letters of Love Foundation … and after researching them we really, really loved it.” Etkin said.

“ Basically, the

incentive was to make the new students feel not only connected to each other, but connected to a greater good and to have them do something as a collective.”

Maddie Etkin, FCLC '27

In spring of 2026, the new identity will be integrated into Fordham athletics.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Letters of Love is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to provide emotional support to children battling serious illnesses through the creation of handcrafted, heartfelt letters,” according to its website.

After being founded in 2018, Letters of Love has established over 284 active clubs across the country as of 2024. They are an internationally recognized organization and receive cards from individuals across 18 countries.

Etkin also explained how Robert Parmach, Inaugural Director of Ignatian mission initiatives, forged a connection with the Jesuit Infirmary. Parmach has been working at Fordham for the last 20 years, incorporating Jesuit values, teachings and practices in all roles he has taken on — including

professor, first-year class dean and leader of the Manresa program.

“We learned about the Jesuit housing up at Rose Hill from Dr. Parmach who works in campus ministry here,” Etkin said.

The Jesuit Infirmary is a community and nursing home for elderly and infirmed Jesuit priests and brothers located in the Murray-Weigel Hall at Rose Hill. Working with the organization was an opportunity for first-year and transfer students to learn more about the Jesuit mission, an important part of Fordham’s identity.

Etkin recalled that the letter-writing process was easy; all they needed to do was supply the materials needed to make the cards, and then leave it up to the students to create the magic of bringing joy to someone in need.

“It was such an easy process, which I’m so grateful for because it totally couldn’t have been, but the ease of motion was really, really great,” Etkin said.

The Class of 2029’s orientation program wrapped up with the One Fordham Party, held at the Lincoln Center campus, celebrating the union between the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses.

The event, organized by the orientation coordinators, invited all first-year students to have fun and participate in activities like laser tag, arcade games and silent disco.

A new orientation program, a brand new logo and a switch to the virtual world were some of the changes the class of 2029 has experienced in their short time on campus thus far. With more to come as the school year progresses, it remains to be seen how the first-year students make their mark on the Fordham community.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

September 10, 2025

High Turnout for Club Fair

News

3

Students crowded the Lowenstein Plaza for free candy and future connections these clubs that are outside of the arts can allow me to dip my toes in that water.”

Senior club members like Simrath Parmar, FCLC ’26, well-exemplified Duffy’s well-rounded aspirations. Parmar is president of Desi Chai, a delegate for Model UN, a contributing writer for The Observer and a member of the Pre-Law Society and the Fordham Law Journal.

By SOPHIA STEPHAN Assistant News Editor

On Thursday, Aug. 28, the Fordham Lincoln Center plaza buzzed with students searching for extracurriculars at the annual Club Fair. The sun shone down on 87 clubs and over 800 attendees, according to the Office of Student Involvement (OSI).

Melissa Gazal, Associate Director for Student Involvement, attributed this year’s particular excitement to the greater number of clubs on campus compared to last year’s.

“Given the increase … I thought that the students brought a really special energy and excitement to Club Day this year,” Gazal said. “And I also felt that there was a higher level of excitement around Club Day in the lead up versus in previous years.”

“ I want to expand my

Fordham students speak with club leaders at the Club Fair.

“ It felt like a more chill Group and secretary of the Resi- excited to be out from under

event last year, and I feel like this (year) brings the energy and the spirit that is that pride in club(s). ”

Chara Blagrove, FCLC '28

OSI were not the only ones to feel this shift. Chara Blagrove, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’28, reflected on her club fair experience as a first-year student, and how it compared to her experience this year as vice president of Splinter

dential Hall Association. Blagrove was “so freaking excited” about the many interested students at Splinter Group’s table.

“I can’t tell you if there’s more or less people, but I can tell you that there’s a lot of people,” Blagrove said. “It felt like a more chill event last year, and I feel like this (year) brings the energy and the spirit that is that pride in club(s).”

Per new building codes, OSI could not place tables under the plaza scaffolding, which condensed clubs into a smaller space.

This caused what OSI deemed a “space challenge,” but it seemed that the clubs themselves were grateful for the change.

Sammy Vuong, FCLC ’26, and Tatiana Sze, FCLC ’27, were

the scaffolding and to “have a lot of space” to promote the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC). Vuong and Sze are treasurer and vice president of APAC, respectively.

“We’ve had a lot of foot traffic,” Sze said. “This is just a better position than we were last year under the scaffolding.”

Eight new organizations joined Lincoln Center student life this academic year: the Anthropology Society; Brasa at Fordham, the Brazilian students’ association; the Catholic Student Fellowship; the Dungeons and Dragons club; the Public Speaking Society; the Law Journal club; the Women in Law and Leadership group; and the Youth Advocacy Coalition.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The president of the Dungeons and Dragons Club Lana Guber, FCLC ’28, said she was optimistic about breaking the ice as a new club.

“It’s been a little bit difficult, considering that so many clubs have already their established reputations,” Guber said. “But I have a good feeling about ours.”

Edric Duffy, FCLC ’29, also commented on the positive future that the club fair showed. Duffy, a first-year theatre major, was excited to “make a lot of great new connections,” and had trouble remembering the many email lists he had signed up for.

“I feel like I myself have a lot of interests,” Duffy said. “I want to expand my horizons and see what else is out there for me … joining

horizons and see what else is out there for me … joining these clubs that are outside of the arts can allow me to dip my toes in that water.”

Edric Duffy, FLCL '29

“I really want to go to law school … I love writing … I love being a part of the South Asian community here,” Parmar said. “I think I’ve just met so many people … and I think it teaches you a lot about … social skills and just how to communicate.”

The momentum of this year’s high-energy club fair will propel the Fordham community through the first weeks of classes as clubs, societies and associations hold their premier general meetings.

OSI announces specific information on these meetings via email about twice a month.

Students Connect at Multifaith Picnic

This year’s event focused more on community building and engagement, and slightly less on prayer Father Philip Judge, executive director of Campus Ministry, for a group prayer. Tetlow’s address focused on the power of community as a transformative and unifying force.

MULTIFAITH PICNIC from page 1

Maya Zhorov, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’27, said she was very happy with this year’s activities and organization.

“ Dream big, discover

“ Multifaith is different

than interfaith because in interfaith, (we) can come together and learn from one another and share the space together, but multifaith really allows for the authenticity of each tradition to be celebrated and showcased.”

Erin Hoffman, Director of Campus Ministry

“I love it. It was planned so well. Yeah. The food — all the vendors and everything — and the jazz — the jazz was a really good part,” Zhorov said.

Simrath Parmar, FCLC ’26, and president of Desi Chai, a cultural club celebrating Desi culture, said she wished the multifaith picnic featured a bit more representation for Sikhism, her religion.

Sikhism, which originated in the Punjab region of India, follows the

and follow what makes your heart sing … make space in your life for the things that matter to you (family, friends, love, generosity, fun and joy) ... And work hard.”

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The Fordham community attends the Multifaith Picnic with the President on the Outdoor Plaza on Sept. 3

teachings of the ten Gurus in service of one God, the Creator.

Former iterations of the event featured a Sikh prayer, which Parmar delivered.

“I do sometimes think it does center around Abrahamic religion … The first three years, it was a little bit of a different setup. I did the Sikh prayer, which was great.

I loved having that. I hope someone else can do that next year. But yeah, a little bit more inclusivity sometimes, especially hearing more about my religion, which is not Abrahamic,” Parmar said.

In another corner of the plaza, the Office of Mission Integration and Ministry offered a five-minute service project assembling school supplies with a note of affirmation for local public schools, and there was a group yoga session at 5 p.m.

As students weaved between tables, the Fordham Jazz Ensemble played and a few Fordham students gave faith-centered performances of song and dance.

Prior to the performances on a small stage constructed on the Plaza, Hoffman delivered an introductory speech followed by addresses from Tetlow and multifaith messages from the directors of Jewish, Catholic and Muslim Life.

Rabbi Katja Vehlow, director of Jewish Life, spoke of the four suggestions she has for students going into the new school year.

“Dream big, discover and follow what makes your heart sing … make space in your life for the things that matter to you (family, friends, love, generosity, fun and joy) ... And work hard,”

Vehlow said.

Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman, director of Muslim Life, asked students to engage in a “fundamental shift in perception” away from the anxieties of everyday life and toward the blessings and gifts that one has.

“Let’s choose to practice gratitude for the gifts that we’ve been given. Let’s approach every interaction with a heart open to knowing and being known by others.

And most importantly, let’s choose to be each other’s keeper, fight for justice and spread peace,” Rahman said.

Rahman concluded his speech by asking students to turn to each other and say, “May peace be unto you.”

Tetlow gave the final speech before turning the floor over to

Rabbi Katja Vehlow, Director of Jewish Life

“I hope you use this time at the beginning of the academic year … to really take stock of who you want to be. And that’s not just an individual question because who you are is all about how you treat others,” Tetlow said. “Whatever you are studying, wherever you come from in the world, wherever you personally find your own strength and grace that I hope you find in the Fordham community, the overwhelming love of God and of each other.”

This year’s multifaith picnic brought students of all faiths together to learn from one another and, most importantly, to simply have fun — celebrating community in its most genuine form.

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News

September 10, 2025

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

Students Leave Fordham due to Tuition Hike

After attempting to seek additional financial aid, some reevaluate their future at the university

By MICHELLE WILSON News Editors

Fordham students have had to adjust their financial plans for the 2025-26 school year after the university’s 4.65% tuition increase last semester. Several have sought additional employment, financial aid appeals and even transferred out of Fordham.

On March 31, the university announced a 4.65% tuition hike, bumping yearly tuition up to $65,000. Room fees also increased by 4.3%, and meal plan costs went up by 4%.

Grace Deschenes, formerly Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’28, said she transferred from Fordham to the University of Rhode Island after the tuition hike made her education unaffordable.

“ I don’t want to leave Fordham. I want to make that really clear.

I love the school, but I just can’t deal with how much I’m paying.”

Francesca Williams, FCLC '28

“I wanted to stay at Fordham, there were a lot of things about it that I loved, but I couldn't afford to be there. It just wasn't worth the money,” Deschenes said.

Lauren Maden, formerly FCLC ’27, also left Fordham this summer. She described the tuition increase as the “last nail in the coffin” of her decision to transfer.

“It didn’t make or break my decision,” Maden said. “It's not that I didn't like Fordham, but it was just kind of one of those things that I was paying so much and I didn't really feel like it was worth it.”

The university has raised tuition each year since 2022, after the expected 2021 increase was canceled due to the pandemic.

Maden said that concern about tuition continuing to increase factored into her decision to leave.

“I was like, ‘Well, if it’s going to get even more expensive, and I'm sure they're going to do this again later, I might as well go back closer to home somewhere I can go cheaper,’” Maden said.

The Office of Financial Aid and Associate Vice President for Media and Public Relations Bob Howe were not immediately available for comment at the time of publication.

Francesca Williams, FCLC

(transfer from Fordham College at Rose Hill) ’28, said she has begun working full-time as a nanny and has filed several financial aid appeals due to the hike. However, she said her current financial situation remains unsustainable despite these changes and she is considering transferring in the spring semester.

“I don’t want to leave Fordham. I want to make that really clear. I love the school, but I just can’t deal with how much I’m paying,” Williams said. “She (Williams’ mother) is making $14,000 a year, and they’re expecting me to pay $28,000 a year. It’s just like, okay, if you guys are going to do need-based aid, this isn’t that, because you’re doubling the amount that my mother makes in an entire year.”

Williams is from Mexico, which she said has made appealing her aid more difficult because her mom “doesn’t qualify for taxes in Mexico,” meaning she “can’t even send them tax forms.”

Williams said she had an “incredibly rude” conversation on the phone with the Office of Financial Aid regarding her appeal. She told the representative that her housing costs have gone up unsustainably after transferring to Lincoln Center from the Rose Hill campus and that her father is no longer supporting her financially.

“I’m on the phone with this lady from financial aid, and she's like, ‘Oh, just because daddy's not paying for school doesn't mean that you get to just get money from us,’” Williams said. “I just felt like all my options had been closed in on me and that I couldn’t come back to school.”

Williams was offered $63,000 in aid for the 2025-26 school year, $10,000 less than she received the year before. Williams said she received a $6,000 increase in aid in response to her request for $30,000. She refiled the appeal and received another $5,000.

Williams also said that her experience with the Office of Financial Aid was more positive in person than over the phone.

“When I go into the office in person and I ask to speak with someone from the back, they’re helpful. They still don't give me solutions, but at least they’re more understanding,” Williams said.

However, Deschenes had a different experience with administration. She had a poor experience when speaking with a Lincoln Center dean after her appeal (one of many filed throughout the year) was denied. She said the administrator forgot about their appointment and arrived 30 minutes late.

She described the conversation as “not very empathetic.”

“It made me feel a little sick.

Fordham raised tuition by 4.65%, housing by 4.3% and meal plans by 4% on March 31.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The Office of Financial Aid is located in room 214J on the second floor of the Lowenstein Center.

She was like, ‘Well, does anybody at the school even know you want to be here?’ … It sounded like she was saying I wasn't involved enough to deserve more money,” Deschenes said. “It felt like she just didn't care.”

Michael Magazine, FCLC ’27, is another student who transferred out of Fordham due to the tuition hike. He appealed his financial aid “pretty much every semester” that he was at Fordham and received the maximum amount of federal aid. He said his appeals, when successful, consisted of scholarship increases too small to make a meaningful difference.

“From my conversations and many appeals to the financial aid office, I felt like anytime you'd ask for more money, if it would increase, it would be by a couple hundred,” Magazine said.

Magazine also said he is concerned that the tuition hike will disproportionately affect low-income students and criticized what he views as a lack of transparency regarding the university’s finances and the true necessity of the tuition hike.

“ It really did feel like

a bunch of people in a room deciding that they need to take more money from students, and it’s really the lower end of the student population that’s going to suffer.”

Michael Magazine, FCLC '27

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Many Fordham students have attempted to appeal their financial aid after the tuition hike last semester.

Furthermore, he said he felt the tuition hike was in contradiction with the university’s Jesuit values.

“It’s not just a betrayal of my trust as a student that came to Fordham, but it felt as though the academics and all the things that we espouse, the Jesuit values that we put on our website and we tell all the students … was not actually being adhered to when it came to at least the way tuition was being treated,” Magazine said. “It really did feel like a bunch of people in a room deciding that they need to take more money from students, and it’s really the lower end of the student population that’s going to suffer.”

Deschenes and Magazine both

said they were unhappy with how Fordham announced the tuition hike. The news was delivered in a university-wide email on March 31, citing inflation as the primary cause. Deschenes said she disliked that Fordham announced the increase after transfer applications for top New York City schools like New York University (NYU) and Columbia University had already closed in early and mid-March.

“I would've at least applied to transfer to NYU or Barnard if I had known the tuition would increase, and they announced it not very long after that was closed. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I mean … I was like, wow, that’s very cruel,” Deschenes said.

Magazine said he would like to see the university create spaces for dialogue between students and administrators regarding university finances and tuition increases.

“It just felt like for as much as they were increasing tuition time and time again and for as little transparency as they had as to where the funds were going … at the very least there should be some semblance of, ‘Hey, students can speak and discuss with the university about why this isn't a good decision or why they shouldn't increase that,’” Magazine said.

Deschenes summarized what she described as a shared sentiment among students toward Fordham’s administration after the tuition hike.

“Fordham feels more like a business than a school in terms of what they care about,” Deschenes said.

The future of tuition increases, federal loans and financial aid remains uncertain.

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THE OBSERVER

September 10, 2025

Local Updates to Politics, Crime and Economy

News

5

A refresher on the New York City news Fordham students may have missed while away for the summer 345 Park Avenue, a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, killing four people. Several other people were injured in the lobby and on the 33rd floor before Tamura took his own life. This was the deadliest mass shooting in New York City in 25 years.

By MICHELLE WILSON & MACKENZIE COOPER Co-News Editors

New York City saw various changes this summer, including Zohran Mamdani winning the mayoral primary, the end of broker fees, new corruption allegations around the Adams administration, unusually high heat and more.

MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI CLAIMED A SWEEPING VICTORY IN THE JUNE MAYORAL PRIMARY. Zohran Mamdani, state assemblyman from Queens, won the New York City democratic primary on July 1 with 56% of the vote. Former governor Andrew Cuomo came in second place with 44% and subsequently announced that he will run in the general election as an independent. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams opted out of participation in the primary and is also running as an independent.

This was the deadliest mass shooting in New York City in 25 years.

New York City put an end to broker fees via the FARE Act, which went into effect on June 11.

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Mamdani received 43.8% of the vote in the first round, compared to Cuomo’s 36.1% and city comptroller Brad Lander’s 11.3%.

Mamdani received 43.8% of the vote in the first round, compared to Cuomo’s 36.1% and city comptroller Brad Lander’s 11.3%.

Lander has since dropped his candidacy, as did Jim Walden, a former lawyer and independent candidate, on Sept. 2.

COURTESTY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Two former advisors to Mayor Eric Adams have faced corruption scandals, which could endanger Adams’s reelection campaign.

Mamdani, Cuomo and Adams will face off in the general election in November alongside Republican candidate and activist Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani’s supporter base stretches across Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens and drew tens of thousands of young, previously unregistered voters to the polls in the weeks leading up to the primary. He engaged various campaign strategies to boost voter turnout this summer, including an Aug. 25 scavenger hunt with over 2,000 participants.

The primary operated via ranked-choice voting, which allows New Yorkers to list their top five candidates, but the general election will not. Mamdani, Cuomo and Adams will face off in the general election in November alongside Republican candidate and activist Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani is the projected frontrunner, given his campaign’s many successes, Adams’ indictment scandals and Cuomo’s turbulent political history, as marked by a 2021 sexual assault scandal.

NEW YORK CITY ENDED BROKER FEES. Local Law 119 of 2024 or the FARE Act went into effect on June 11 and prohibits landlords from passing broker fees onto new tenants by placing the responsibility of payment on the party who hired the broker. Typically, brokers charge about a month’s rent

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Two former advisors to Mayor Eric Adams have faced corruption scandals, which could endanger Adams’s reelection campaign.

or 15% of the annual rent in fees.

Combined with security deposits and other upfront costs, tenants face paying up to $13,000 when moving apartments. With over half of New York City residents qualifying as rent-burdened – meaning they pay over 30% of their income on rent – the law aims to alleviate financial stressors on renters and make the rental housing market more fair.

The law aims to alleviate financial stressors on renters and make the rental housing market more fair.

The FARE Act was created by Brooklyn councilman Chi Ossé after he experienced similar

difficulty in finding an apartment.

The bill was passed by the City Council in November and became law 30 days later after Mayor Eric Adams took no definitive action toward the bill, despite refusing to sign it.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS FACED REELECTION HURDLES DUE TO NEW CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS. Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a longtime advisor to Adams, has been charged with four separate indictments on counts of bribery, money-laundering and conspiracy.

Lewis-Martin allegedly manipulated development contracts and sped up permit approvals in exchange for various favors. She is said to have received over $75,000 in bribes and other benefits. Lewis-Martin’s alleged crimes span from March 2022 to November 2024, during which she was serving as chief advisor to the mayor until her abrupt resignation in

Dec. 2024. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Aug. 21.

Winnie Greco, another former City Hall advisor, handed a journalist a potato chip bag containing a red envelope filled with cash on Aug. 20. The event sparked controversy, with Greco claiming it was a gesture of friendship stemming from her Chinese culture. Skeptics have pointed to her history of questionable conduct. Greco resigned from City Hall in Oct. 2024 after the FBI raided her home as part of the Adams indictment investigation but has remained a close confidant to Adams. Following the scandal, she was suspended from all volunteer campaign activities.

MASS SHOOTINGS STIRRED A FLURRY OF MEDIA ATTENTION, DESPITE AN OVERALL DECREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE. On Jul. 28, Shane Tamura, a Las Vegas native armed with an assault-style rifle, opened fire at

This was just one of several high-profile mass shootings this summer, including the Aug. 17 Brooklyn nightclub shooting, which left three dead and nine wounded.

Despite this, New York City has seen a drop in gun violence, a Gothamist analysis of NYPD data found. The NYPD reported 489 shooting incidents in the first eight months of 2025, a 20% decrease from the same time period in 2024. 41 out of 78 precincts have seen a drop in shootings, with precincts averaging six shooting incidents since the start of the year.

NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS EXPERIENCED A BLISTERING SUMMER. This summer featured unusually high heat with temperatures at or above 90 degrees and “feels like” temperatures reaching into the 100s. With four separate heat waves, this was the second-hottest summer and the fourth-hottest year on record.

In 2020, New York City was officially reclassified from a coastal temperate to a humid subtropical climate zone, which requires summers to average above 72 degrees and winters to average above 27 degrees. According to the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment, this trend will continue. By 2050, the average yearly temperature in New York City is expected to increase between 4 and 6 degrees, with the number of days over 90 degrees to triple from 18 to 57.

PLANS TO INCREASE MTA SUBWAY AND BUS FARES WERE DELAYED, DRAWING CONTINUED CONTROVERSY. The MTA was expected to increase subway and bus fares from $2.90 to $3 in mid-August.

Due to the transition from MetroCards to OMNY and tap-to-pay, the policy will take effect Jan. 4, 2026. The announcement sparked outrage from the start as New York City residents claimed that the subway’s efficiency and overall quality do not reflect the increase in prices.

Another layer to the controversy around the fare hike’s necessity is congestion pricing, implemented in Jan. 2025, which charges passenger vehicles a $9 toll during peak hours. The policy is meant to generate around $15 billion to be spent on improvements to the MTA network.

Mayor Eric Adams released a statement in July calling the fare increase “offensive to hard-working New Yorkers,” citing a lack of “meaningful improvements.”

Zohran Mamdani’s pitch for free buses remains a central point of his campaign for mayor.

The MTA is known to hike fares every two years, having raised prices from $2.75 to $2.90 in 2023.

The mayoral election in November will bring further changes, particularly with respect to the candidates’ varying stances on affordable housing, public transportation and environmental reform.

Editor-in-Chief Jane Roche

Sports & Health

September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

The Stars Behind the Cameras

The Fordham undergraduates behind the Fordham Athletics’ Creative Media Department

By CORA COST Former Sports & Health Editor

From game-day posts to preand post-practice TikToks, social media has become an effective tool for the sports industry to engage with its fan bases, and Fordham Athletics is no exception.

Each of Fordham’s Division I athletic teams has its own Instagram page, along with a page for Fordham Athletics as a whole, which currently has 10,400 followers. Behind almost every one of these Instagram accounts are the creative minds of Fordham’s very own students.

These students make up the Fordham Athletics’ Creative Media Department (FACMD) team and are the creators of most of the social content on Fordham Athletics pages. They are the masterminds of everything from the photos taken at games to the media designed for social media platforms and promotional content.

“ My goal is to create

new, innovative and creative content to keep people engaged.”

Cristina Stefanizzi, Social Media Manager, FCRH ‘27

One of those students is Cristina Stefanizzi, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’27, who has been part of the creative team since

her first week at Rose Hill. Stefanizzi has created content for several teams at Fordham, but now predominantly works with Fordham Football as their social media manager.

“I focus specifically on photography, graphic design and creative content ( — ) Instagram (R)eels and TikToks ( — ) but we also have videography, video editing, data analysis and content planning people on our team,” Stefanizzi said.

“ I remembered how

gratifying it was to get a sticker in elementary school, so I thought it would be cute to give to the players as they left practice.”

Cristina Stefanizzi, Social Media Manager, FCRH ‘27

Recently, one of the TikToks created by Stefanizzi has gained a lot of traction across the Fordham Football social media pages.

On Aug. 4, Stefanizzi uploaded an Instagram Reel and TikTok in which she gave the Fordham football players a gold star after one of their training camp practices. The video now has 39,600 views on Instagram and 2.3 million views on TikTok with over 527,000 likes.

“The gold star (T)ik(T)oks

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRISTINA STEFANIZZI

Cristina Stefanizzi at Fordham Football’s 2026 season opener against Boston College.

came to me out of the blue, I just had a lot of extra stickers,” Stefanizzi said. “I remembered how gratifying it was to get a sticker in elementary school, so I thought it would be cute to give to the players as they left practice. I’m really glad it’s getting a lot of traction online, I’ve seen a couple other teams try and do it too(,) which is kind of crazy.”

Although the reason for content online going viral can be hard to pinpoint, Stefanizzi credits the traction her video received to the different perspective it gave fans of the athletes on the football team.

“ Sometimes practices

and game days can feel like Groundhog Day ( — ) the same photos over and over ( — ) so I try to switch up my angles or do something creative.”

Cristina Stefanizzi, Social Media Manager, FCRH ‘27

Student creatives who make up the undergraduate portion of the Fordham Athletics Creative Media Department.

The students of Fordham Athletics Creative Media Department posed in front of some of their work during the Block F Awards.

“I think it performed so well because it showcases the players’ personalities, which is something fans can’t see from the stands during a game. Some of the players even kept their stickers and put them on their pads and helmets(,) which I thought was sweet,” Stefanizzi said.

The way that the gold star video highlighted the Fordham football players’ personalities is exactly what Stefanizzi strives to do — not just with her social media posts, but with all her other creative work within the athletics department.

“My goal is to create new, innovative and creative content to keep people engaged, document important moments and milestones, showcase the personalities of our team ( … ) and show fans a different perspective that they may not be able to experience from their seats on gameday,” Stefanizzi said.

Creating content that drives engagement and does not become repetitive on followers’ feeds is not an easy task. From photography to videos to promotional

content, Stefanizzi and the other creatives for Fordham Athletics are always looking to see how they can keep things interesting for their followers.

“Sometimes practices and game days can feel like Groundhog Day ( — ) the same photos over and over ( — ) so I try to switch up my angles or do something creative ( — ) aerial shots, double exposure, black and white ( — ) to keep viewers interested,” Stefanizzi said. “For (T)ik(T)oks, I try to see what content is performing well on the algorithm at the time. If you’re hopping onto a trend you want to try and be really early to it, otherwise your video won’t do as well. I also find that content that is (both) unique and ( … ) shows off the personality of the players is what performs the absolute best.”

Although Stefanizzi is the main creator of the content on the Fordham football pages, there are several undergraduate students behind every single piece of media shared by Fordham Athletics pages. There are almost 30 students that make up the FACMD team, along with two student managers and an Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions Eilish Devine, who oversees all of the student workers and interns.

“We’re basically entirely student run, so all the content is produced by full(-)time undergraduate students(,) which is kind of crazy if you think about it. The Athletics Dep(ar)t(ment) just hired a full time graphic designer(,) but aside from him and ( … ) Eilish Devine(,) it’s all students. I think it’s really impressive how much work we all put in and how much content we’re able to produce,” Stefanizzi said.

From attending practices and games to designing content alongside the Fordham Athletics marketing team, the students on the FACMD team are integrated in every aspect of the athletic department at Rose Hill. Aside from being able to express her creativity, Stefanizzi has enjoyed being able to be part of the Fordham Athletics family.

“My favorite part is the community I’ve been able to meet. I love all of my talented and creative coworkers, and all of the athletes I’ve met have been so

kind. It’s also such a privilege to capture and share their stories and document Fordham history,” Stefanizzi said.

The work of the FACMD team highlights social media’s ability to connect people to their communities. These student creatives are able to celebrate both the big and small moments of Fordham Athletics through their photos, videos and promotional content.

“ Being able to make

graphics about athletes breaking a school or league record, capture a photo of a player’s first or last game with Fordham, a hug with a parent pre-game, a celebration on the field ( … ) is really rewarding and it makes me feel like my work is actually meaningful.”

Cristina Stefanizzi, Social Media Manager, FCRH ‘27

“The importance of my role is to capture the milestones of Fordham Athletics and its teams(,) but also our student athletes. Being able to make graphics about athletes breaking a school or league record, capture a photo of a player’s first or last game with Fordham, a hug with a parent pre-game, a celebration on the field ( … ) is really rewarding and it makes me feel like my work is actually meaningful,” Stefanizzi said. “I also find it admirable and important to represent and make other women feel included in such a male(-)dominated industry such as sports.”

The creative work that Stefanizzi has done over the course of her last two years at Fordham has not only made her a valuable part of Fordham Athletics, but also shows the incredible undergraduate creative talents that are working behind the scenes year-round.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

September 10, 2025

Sports & Health

7

Fordham Women’s Soccer Brings Home a Win

The Rams rallied in the final minute for the second time this season to defeat the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights 2-1

By JANE ROCHE Editor-in-Chief

The Fordham women’s soccer team took home a win on Sunday against the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Knights. The matchup was the second this season in which the Rams rallied in the last minute to secure a 2-1 win from an initial 1-0 deficit.

Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Knights, the players were familiar with their opponents. Midfielder Lena Johnsen, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’27, recognized the Knights’ strengths despite their 0-5-1 record so far this season.

“Our focus going into the game against FDU was to play more direct and come in playing more aggressive since FDU plays very similarly to us,” Johnsen said. “We knew that despite their record they have some talented players and have been close to winning games.”

“ Our focus going into

the game against FDU was to play more direct and come in playing more aggressive since FDU plays very similarly to us.”

Lena Johnsen, Midfielder, FCRH ‘27

The first half of the game wrapped with a 1-0 deficit for the Rams. Knights forward Dominique Liberto, FDU ’26, scored in the 38th minute.

According to forward Julia Acosta, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’28, the Rams

made adjustments for the second half.

“We realized in the second half that they play a high line so we quickly realized to switch to playing long balls over the top,” Acosta said.

In the 50th minute, Acosta tied the game with a goal from 15 yards out.

“ Our defense had

one of the best games we have played all season. ”

Kyla King, Goalkeeper and Captain, FCRH ‘26

“I had success staying wide until getting the ball to then dribble and attack the goal,” she said.

Fordham’s defense was led by goalkeeper and captain Kyla King, FCRH ’26. King helped guide the defense through the game with consistent communication.

“The central focus in our scouting of FDU was making sure the center backs and midfielders matched the runners coming into the box for crosses (especially the cut-back passes). Throughout the game, we prioritized communicating about this,” King said. “I communicated with midfielders throughout the game to talk to the centerbacks about marking up on these runs, and encouraged the centerbacks to communicate to the midfielders what they needed to hear.”

King totaled six saves against the Knights to improve her record to 3-0 this season.

“Our defense had one of the best games we have played all season. We all communicated more than ever and minimized individual mistakes to create a solid back line against a creative,

Fordham football only won two of 12 games during the 2024 season.

COURTESY OF DIEGO MARTINEZ REYES

Julia Acosta celebrated with teammates after her goal that tied the game.

talented FDU attack,” King said.

The game-winning goal came from Johnsen in the 90th minute, closing out the game with a 2-1 final score. Midfielder Ava Giudice, FCRH ’27, made the assist from the right side of the box so Johnsen could find the net and score her second goal of the season. The win improved the Rams’ season record to 4-1-1.

“We were confident in ourselves and knew we didn’t need to panic and with the effort to get the second goal it just proved how calm we were. It was probably one of the calmest

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Record (Overall)

Football

Men’s Soccer

0-2 at Boston College vs. Monmouth University

L, 10-66 L, 28-49

3-2-1 at James Madison University vs. Drexel University at Colgate University vs. Lafayette College vs. Marist University at Manhattan University

W, 1-0 T, 1-1 L,1-2 W,1-0 L, 2-4 W, 3-0

goals I’ve scored that has been in the last minutes of a game,” Johnsen said.

Johnsen and Giudice are tied with forward Liina Tervo, FCRH ’28, for the team lead in scoring. All three players have eight points so far this season.

The Rams will face two Ivy League competitors next.

“We’re playing Columbia and Yale this upcoming week who are tough opponents but also leads to a good tight game,” Johnsen said. “We have a good momentum going for us that should give us an advantage.”

King echoed the Rams’ strength ahead of their upcoming games.

“This year we have a team that is deep in talent. Every player on our team could be a starter and make a difference for us, but not everyone has the chance to get onto the field and get the same minutes. It takes every single player to make a winning team, and we push each other every day,” King said.

The Rams will face Columbia University at Moglia Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. for “Never Forget” Remembrance Day.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The football team went eight consecutive games without seeing a win.

Conference Record

Notable Stats — Averages (Overall)

0-0 No conference games yet

Fordham: 19 points per game Opponents: 57.5 points per game

0-0 No conference games yet

Fordham: 1.5 goals per game 16.5 shots per game Opponents: 1.17 goals per game 11 shots per game

8

Arts & Culture September 10, 2025

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER

The Clankers are Coming! Can Independent Artists Save Music from Generative AI? Young musicians reflect on the rise of AI in the music industry, creative theft and what independent artists can do to preserve authenticity

By MARGO CRAVEN Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

In November 2022, Generative AI became widely available to the public, with the release of OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT. It has been used to create increasingly realistic images, videos and even music.

Spotify, the most popular streaming service globally, has received backlash from users and artists due to the platform’s shady and unethical use of artificial intelligence. Spotify users have been raising alarm bells on Reddit forums for years, calling out the platform for making their own AI “music” and releasing it under fake artist and band names in order to avoid paying real artists royalties for their work.

Now that Spotify is creating its own “artists,” the opportunities for smaller musicians are even scarcer.

According to the British news magazine The Week, “reports as far back as 2016 indicate that the platform was allegedly making its own records using the names of people that did not exist. But the recent jumpstart of AI seems to have brought the problem to a heightened level.”

Spotify has long faced backlash for its insufficient royalty payments, which make it impossible for independent artists to make a living from their work.

Now that Spotify is creating its own “artists,” the opportunities for smaller musicians are even scarcer.

For those familiar with the issue, these fake bands and artists are generally easy to identify.

“The artists ‘performing’ the covers — the Highway Outlaws, Waterfront Wranglers, Saltwater Saddles — all fit a certain pattern, with monthly listeners in the hundreds of thousands, zero social media footprint, and some very ChatGPT-sounding bios,” according to Slate Magazine’s Andy Vasoyan.

“ AI music crowding these

streaming services only makes it harder for marginalized artists to get their work out there and to be heard.”

Gabe Perez, New York City-based artist

But to the untrained ear, it can be nearly impossible to discern these recycled tracks from real music. They are generated by scraping actual copyrighted songs from the internet, stealing from independent and established artists alike, resulting in several lawsuits by major labels and taking away the already limited opportunities for exposure available to independent artists.

For independent artists like Viena Aiello, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, music is a way of life. The New Jersey-raised singer-songwriter and guitarist started writing songs in elementary school and has been releasing music on streaming services under the name ViVi since 2023. In 2025, she released her first EP “Perennial,” which she recorded and produced from her bedroom.

Exposure is vital for independent artists to find success in the incredibly cutthroat and saturated music industry.

Exposure is vital for independent artists to find success in the incredibly cutthroat and saturated music industry. In 2015, alternative pop artist Billie Eilish began her rise to fame after she and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, uploaded her song “Ocean Eyes” to the streaming platform Soundcloud. The song quickly went viral, garnering over a million plays on Spotify, and eventually led to Eilish being signed by Darkroom Records.

Ten years later, the rise

CAITLIN LAMBROS/THE OBSERVER

Viena Aiello writes and records music from her New York City apartment.

The artist Grimes, known for her genre-bending electronic music and relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk, encouraged people to use her voice for AI-generated songs.

of generative artificial intelligence has made this kind of success story something independent artists can only dream of.

“AI steals from everyone all the time, and sometimes you can’t even really trace that it is one specific artist. It’s just a bunch of artists mushed together to make something that is not quite new, but at least did not exist before,” Aiello said. “If all of the Spotify recommended playlists are creating their own fake music to recommend to people, there’s no inkling of a chance of exposure for other artists who used to get discovered on Spotify.”

New York City-based artist Gabe Perez has been playing music for over a decade.

They graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in songwriting and are a guitarist and drummer in addition to producing their own music, including two recently released singles.

Perez has heard the argument that generative AI makes music production more “accessible” to those without experience playing instruments, but thinks “that’s totally the wrong way to look at it.”

“The music industry is so male-dominated, and particularly white male-dominated. AI music crowding these streaming services only makes it harder for marginalized artists to get their work out there and to be heard,” Perez said.

Maco Dacanay, FCLC ’26, is a jazz guitarist originally from Seattle, Washington, who studies under Dr. Matthew Buttermann,

director of jazz studies at Fordham.

Dacanay grew up playing guitar and performs jazz around New York City.

“The time when it will be impossible for a layperson to discern between AI music and real-life musicians is coming very quick, and it’s a threat to artists,” Dacanay said. “I would feel more comfortable if Spotify didn’t have AI music on the platform. It would be helpful to know what was made by a real musician and what was made by a robot.”

“ The consequences of major

artists endorsing the use of AI fall upon not themselves, but upon those that are advocating against the use.”

Maco Dacanay, Jazz guitarist, FCLC ‘26

Currently, there is no ​​ mandatory labeling requirement for AI-generated music on streaming platforms.

In 2025, over 200 massively popular artists, including Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Zayn Malik and even the estates of Frank Sinatra and Bob Marley, signed an open letter organized by the Artists’ Rights Alliance calling to stop the “predatory use” of AI in the music industry. They called on “all AI developers, technology companies, platforms, and digital music services” to “pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists, or deny us fair

compensation for our work.”

However, not all major artists share this view, such as electronic artist Grimes, who has given anyone permission to use her voice for AI-generated songs, according to the BBC. In a post shared to X, the singer said she would split “50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses (her) voice” and gave permission to use her voice “without penalty.”

“ The time when it will be

impossible for a layperson to discern between AI music and real-life musicians is coming very quick, and it’s a threat to artists.”

Maco Dacanay, FCLC ‘26

“If (people are) using Grimes’ voice (for) AI, and she’s getting the royalties for it … then I would almost say fine for her, except all of the other instrumentation

happening in the background is also just being ripped from other musicians, and they’re not getting their royalties.

So that feels like a very selfish way to try to co-opt the AI situation … and completely ignore what’s actually going on,” Aiello said.

“The consequences of major artists endorsing the use of AI fall upon not themselves, but upon those that are advocating against the use,” Dacanay said.

“None of us can walk away from this battle unharmed.”

Perez also weighed in on Grimes’ statement: “She might have a legal team to fight something like that, but smaller artists do not, and I think it’s very dangerous.”

Despite her concerns for the future of the industry, Aiello remains hopeful that the majority of consumers will continue to seek out real music over AI-generated songs. She believes Spotify must be held accountable for its lack of transparency and treatment of musicians, and that it is not artists’ job to “fight the robots.”

“I think there is something so human in real music that AI is entirely incapable of replicating as close as it may try,” Aiello said. “I think consumers know that. I think most people would rather listen to a real

person sing about their real feelings than a robot mimic a bunch of other people singing about their feelings.”

So what can be done to fight against the creative theft perpetrated by AI and to support real, independent music?

“We’re all artists together, not just musicians, but actors, photographers, dancers, performers — all means of creativity. We’re all at risk of AI in different forms, so we can’t really leave each other (behind). We have to stick together in this, (because) AI is only going to get better,” Dacanay said.

For Perez, resistance comes in two ways.

“There’s directly resisting these big tech companies by boycotting or switching off of Spotify or the major streaming platforms,” Perez said. “Live music is kind of the lifeblood of the music scene. I think supporting your local scene and going out to shows is a really good way to support these independent artists. And, you know, AI can’t play live — at least not yet!”

You can support local, independent live music on Friday, Sept. 12 and Friday, Sept.

19 at Kayle Rivington, a Filipino restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Maco Dacanay will be playing two jazz sets from 7 to 10 p.m. on both nights.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JO MALICDEM

New York City-based artist Gabe Perez recently released two singles, “Bleed” and “If You Saw Me Now,” available on all streaming platforms.

Fordham senior and jazz guitarist Maco Dacanay hopes to see Spotify implement AI transparency features.

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Zayn Malik, J Balvin and the estate of Frank Sinatra were among those that signed an open letter warning against the irresponsible use of AI and its disruption of the music industry.

DESIGNED BY DURGA DESAI GRAPHICS BY KEI SUGAE

Opinions Editor Tucker Flynn

Opinions

September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

The Summer I Watched Bad TV Finding community through collective cringing

Editor-in-Chief Jane Roche

Managing Editor Ana Winston

KATIE BROSKY Assistant Opinions Editor

It was the phone call heard around the world: “Belly, cacao is the bean — it’s what chocolate is made of. Look, the whole flavor profile depends on the bitterness of the dark chocolate and the sweet tartness of the raspberry.” It was also the phone call that made me think: Why the hell am I watching this show?

I didn’t have the answer until I slipped down a rabbit hole on TikTok, finding meme after meme, after meme about that ridiculous line. By the time I was watching romantic edits of Jeremiah and a chocolate cake set to Chappell Roan’s “Casual,” it hit me: this is why we watch. We want to understand those memes when they inevitably flood our social media pages after each new episode, to keep up with the discourse of it all and not to feel left out of something everyone is talking about.

When a television show goes viral, like “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” most Gen Z-ers feel almost obligated to binge it and join the conversation, no matter how bad the show might be. Our tolerance of bad acting, painfully awkward scenes and drama so confusing it gives us a headache makes it clear that we’re not chasing quality here. We’re searching for a sense of belonging — for the chance to be a part of a community, to choose a “team” and to fold that into our identity.

That’s what makes “The Summer I Turned Pretty” such a perfect show for this kind of culture to latch on tothis kind of cultural latching on — the fact that we are invited to pick a side. Are you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?

The fun is in choosing and then fully throwing yourself into the team you’ve sworn your loyalty to.

Fans are claiming the role of storytellers, reshaping these shows into something new and giving them fresh meaning that often outweighs the original.

The thing about so-called “bad television” is that it is, in fact, the best kind of television for community-building.

Messy love triangles, melodramatic betrayals, plot points that make no sense — these aren’t flaws, they’re talking points.

Sure, we discuss more refined, prestige television like “Severance” or “Adolescence,” but that conversation often takes the form of admiration or analysis. What “bad” television offers us is different. We approach it with

Observer the

Online Editors Morgan Johnson Creative Director Kei Sugae Layout Editor Anum Ansari Durga Desai Head Copy Editor Leeya Azemoun Asst. Copy Editor Lara Popovic News Editors Mackenzie Cooper Michelle Wilson Asst. News Editors Paris Mathuku Sofia Stephan Opinions Editors Tucker Flynn Asst. Opinions Editors Katie Brosky Lukas Ruano-Lumpris

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Gen Z has made watching bad television a social phenomenon, with viewers bonding over inside jokes.

the same kind of unhinged enthusiasm that suburban dads reserve for football Sundays. We yell at the screen, throw insults at the other team and root for our chosen favorite.

It’s not just passive consumption; it’s participation. And that participation is the whole point. It’s why we watch.

This phenomenon was also witnessed earlier this summer with the addictive reality television show “Love Island USA.” While season seven is known as “the worst season” of the show (a label well agreed on by its audience across the internet), it also set the record as Peacock’s most-watched original season of all time, garnering 18.4 billion minutes streamed. So why did so many of us keep watching even while calling it unbearable?

Nicolandria. Amaya Papaya. “I Pick Clarke.”

Now, if you watched “Love Island,” those words and phrases would mean something to you. And if you didn’t … see, don’t you want to know?

This season of “Love Island” redefined what it means for young audiences to rally around so-called “bad” television. The discourse didn’t just stay online. It became the summer of the “watch party.” Across the country, bars hosted fans to swoon over the slow burn of the century and root for their favorite “sensitive gangster” all together, in person.

Both long-time fans and curious newcomers just looking for a fun time packed into these spaces to watch the drama as it unfolded. It didn’t matter if you knew everybody’s name on the screen or caught every whispered word. What mattered was simply being together and sharing our passion in

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Dramatic television shows such as “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Love Island” have turned into cultural touchstones.

real time.

The fact that these shows don’t necessarily require our deep attention to follow along is what makes community events like this possible. But for this same reason, these shows are often shamed, and Gen Z’s obsession with them is sometimes labelled as nothing more than cultural brain rot.

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Love Island” have both been frequent targets, criticized for their shallow dialogue or overdramatic plots.

To skeptics, this isn’t community-building — it’s a sign that younger generations would rather binge fluff and meme it to death than engage with anything that demands focus or thought. Often, when Gen Z builds these online spaces, it just gets dismissed as mindless bandwagoning that values short-lived trends over individuality or “real culture.”

But I believe that the content Gen Z creates out of so-called “mindless” television is evidence that the generation is anything but. In fact, these edits and endless debates are revealing a generation that is deeply creative, passionate and community-driven. This is cultural innovation, not cultural decline.

Scroll through TikTok and you’ll see that the real magic isn’t just in the shows themselves, but in the edits fans create out of them. Young creators turn 30 seconds of awkward flirting into sweeping love stories, or a single look from Conrad Fischer into a romantic tragedy set to Jeff Buckley.

This is where it becomes clear it isn’t only about jokes and memes. Fans are claiming the role of storytellers, reshaping these shows into something new and giving them fresh meaning that often outweighs the original.

Too often overlooked is the sheer talent behind these edits. To splice together just a few seconds of footage into something that feels cinematic takes an incredible amount of patience and technical skill. To choose the perfect glance, the perfect pause, the perfect line of dialogue and then pair those moments to the right song — one that builds at just the right second or drops into silence to let the tension land — that requires artistic vision.

And the audience notices.

Just one edit of Belly and Conrad posted on TikTok three weeks ago has garnered 6.2 million views, 1.1 million likes and over 3500 comments. These videos double as art and as conversation starters, drawing young people into a community where they are encouraged to shape their own opinions and revel in a shared obsession.

So go ahead Gen Z, keep watching “bad” TV. We’ve turned it into something bigger than itself: A way to create, connect and claim your place in the culture.

Arts & Culture Editor Nora Kinney Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Margo Craven Madeleine Signore Sarah Sullivan Features Editor Ikma Inusah Asst. Features Editor Lila Kelleher Fun & Games Editors Damian Grove Jasmine White Fact Checker Jack Brudecki Social Media Editor Sofia Strelnikova Multimedia Editor Caitlin Lambros Podcast Producer Shine Alagba Editorial Adviser Richard Rosen

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THE OBSERVER

September 10, 2025

Is Pinterest Killing Your Creativity?

Opinions

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Moving offline and into New York City archives

MIA MAGDARAOG Contributor writer

In the headline-trot and armslength reach of digital media, younger generations have sought out hyper-specific communities and special interests to find belonging in an ever-lonesome age. This has churned out an obsession with the search for one’s “niche” and respective coined phrases that come served on an empty platter. It seems everyone knows what they like, but not why they like it.

I recently deleted the Pinterest tab from my browser after frequenting the site nearly every week for the last six — maybe seven — years. In my late middle school days, Pinterest was a hub for community seekers who continue to fuel the platform today. Like many other teenagers, envisioning my future and “pinning” outfit inspiration became my favorite pastime.

Rightfully so, Pinterest was the digital poster-ridden wall of my dreams.

Over time, we have become accustomed to being spoon-fed content that the algorithm tailor has custom-fit just to us — how kind!

However, now a new media and digital design major and an eager interdisciplinary creative (buzzword-victim of my own circumstances), I find myself questioning the critical value of this age-old practice. Sure, I was fluent in the visual language I crafted and my compartmentalization skills had peaked, but my ability to identify the origins of the things I liked and articulate why I liked them had subsided.

Armed with newfound curiosity,

MIA MAGDARAOG/THE OBSERVER

The NYPL’s Picture Collection is a specialized reference collection, meaning items are actively curated, organized and labeled by staff.

I returned to the long-forgotten question: What makes something good?

Over time, we have become accustomed to being spoon-fed content that the algorithm tailor has custom-fit just to us — how kind! TikTok is a platform that does not dance around this fact.

With their neatly labeled “For You” page, you can leisurely scroll for hours on end and enjoy videos that just so happen to match your age, location and personality.

Content has become capital in a transactional age. More specifically, personalization and self-optimization are displayed in the content we consume.

This spreads beyond social-centered platforms. On Spotify, for example, its Smart

Shuffle, Discovery Weekly playlist and AI DJ that work to ensure the listener doesn’t have to comb through dozens of records to determine what music they like and don’t like.

It’s no wonder that we have become accustomed to this way of life and why we, as students, are losing our sense of purpose in higher education. In a sea of faces, it seems there are fewer and fewer voices every semester. Maybe people are too afraid now to speak their mind, afraid of not having the properly “curated” answer. Or maybe “cancel culture” has cultivated a widespread fear of rejection and failure. Or hyper-saturated personalized feeds leave students at a lack for originality and ideas.

Regardless, it is evidently a

MIA MAGDARAOG/THE OBSERVER

The NYPL archive is neatly alphabetized for easy wandering — flip to F and you’ll land on furniture.

trend that is sweeping through universities — and not one handed to us by an algorithm.

Social media may come and go, but creativity is forever.

So down with the apps and on with the search for tangible inspiration. Soon after closing the Pinterest tab off my browser, I found myself exploring digital archives — the Internet Archive, to be exact. I learned about the FWA, Favourite Website Awards, which highlights a new platform every day from around the world. I browsed virtual copies of SPIN magazine from the 80s, bookmarking pages that I enjoyed.

Essentially, putting the cataloging skills I learned from Pinterest into use. One honorable mention is Are.na — an “internet memory palace” that I have yet to explore.

Pre-Pinterest-purge, I spent the greater part of the last year visiting physical archives here in New York. One of my favorite places to “Pinterest IRL,” if you will, is at the New York Public Library. As much as I want to keep the Picture Collection and its magical shelves all to myself, just this once, I’ll make an exception due to the dire need to keep places like this alive.

Aside from being smack dab in the middle of Tourist City (midtown), the Picture Collection is a magical, magical place housing thousands of photographs and magazine clippings galore — each sorted by subject.

Truly, they have anything you can imagine. A few favorites of mine I’ve visited include: Music - 1960s, Nightclubs, Dining 1990s, New York City - Brooklyn, Teenagers, Tableware and I could go on and on.

Now, I’m a creature of comfort, so I typically end up crawling back to those grand lion-safeguarded steps, but a couple more archives have come across my desk that I am eager to explore. First and foremost, Library180 in the Financial District — a “new image reference library” available by appointment. If it were a tad closer to me, that red library card would be sitting pretty in my wallet right about now, but alas … today is another day without it. The main attraction of Library180 seems to be its

massive archive of vintage fashion magazines. Where the NYPL Picture Collection has subjects and select pages, Library180 offers print issues in their entirety. My dream date … cute.

To round out the archive trifecta is Vowels Research Library at 76 Bowery. Again, I can’t believe I’m revealing this one before I get a chance to get my hands on it myself — but power to the print. Also by appointment, this archive resides in the Vowels clothing store. Like their denim, knitwear and accessories, I believe Vowels’ library is notable for their archival books and magazines from Japan, but I will report back soon.

All in all, each of these inspiration hubs has further influenced my eventual breakup with Pinterest and encouraged my ever-turbulent battle with social media at large. But, it’s an on-again, off-again sort of relationship. What’s a girl to do?

Social media may come and go, but creativity is forever.

Evidently — ad-swarming, overconsumption-encouraging and spoon-feeding aside — the functionality of the digital catalog on Pinterest can be great!

What’s a better dopamine hit than refreshing the page to a brand-new paper garland to craft? Or a quick savior outfit for the days you’re running out of the house with a mountain of clothes on your bed?

Admittedly, I would rather spend hours spinning my favorite albums and scrolling Pinterest than on TikTok — it’s a great place to get the gears turning when setting out on a new project. But in order to maintain a finger on the pulse of your own creativity, I think it’s important to get your hands dirty every now and then. Yes, it’s true, boredom can in fact be the best fuel to one’s imagination. What better way to spend boredom in one of the busiest cities in the world than in a place where creativity is, quite literally, at your fingertips?

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Opinions September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

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Authoritarianism is Imminent — Make Every Second As online censorship tightens, we must take meaningful action through our rhetoric

LEEYA AZEMOUN Copy Editor

To call this summer’s political turbulence unprecedented would be an overstatement. The U.S. is spiraling toward an era of fascism, and public discourse is adjusting accordingly. Whether posting online, taking to the streets or for some, justifying their own prejudices, Americans sure love their First Amendment rights. In response to this relentless national spiral, some are using those rights in more productive ways than others.

The imminent threat of fascism and the rise of authoritarianism should scare you. It is imperative that we use our time wisely — producing unrelated content sparingly — before our conduits of information are entirely dismantled.

This Trump administration has been acting authoritatively in ways that would be ignorant to dismiss: employment of excessive federal law enforcement in ICE raids, protests and policing; threatening revocation of birthright citizenship; throwing a military parade that coincided with Trump’s birthday; involvement in media censorship; creating and boasting concentration camp-like deportation hubs; and of course, a healthy dose of racist propaganda.

We should be angry, and we should be allowing others who see it to understand our anger, too.

The White House’s X account has fielded Nazi propaganda comparisons — referring to this administration as “The Age of Trump,” or even “the Golden Age of America” in a poster from the Department of Labor featuring a young, white, blond man. In contrast, during the ongoing occupation of the capital by the National Guard, the account posted a thread of freshly arrested citizens on sidewalks — prior to any trial — each captioned “OPERATION MAKING D.C. SAFE & BEAUTIFUL.” All but one of those pictured are Black, and that was surely no accident.

Extreme enforcement and public shaming rituals displayed

on federal social media accounts exemplify the steps in the authoritarian pipeline following the executive order calling for the dismantling of the Education Department. The Trump administration is growing frighteningly similar to the Nazi regime, in which education was restricted, censorship ran rampant and both immigrants and ethnic groups were publicly chastised and shamed. Censorship and a “purification” agenda come straight from the fascism textbook, as well. Unfortunately, for many, these tactics are working.

During the first Trump administration, progressive Americans seemed hopeful that President Donald Trump’s tyranny could be thwarted through cohesive action. After voters made the same “mistake” a second time, hope shifted toward anger and fear that we have reached a point of no return.

Faith in demonstrations wavered copiously throughout this presidential year too: During the winter following Trump’s inauguration, people worried about whether public action would be worth it again, and faced a litigious fear that pushed them toward compliance. Before and during the summer, faith was restored as political battles reached internationally threatening heights and more insight was gained on how protests work.

“Why Civil Resistance Works”

by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan is a book that debunks the “5% rule,” a theory stating that 5% of a population must participate in civil resistance to incur success. Chenoweth and Stephan divulged that the necessary percentage is more like 3.5%. No Kings Day, the nationwide protest against Trump’s monarchical path (largely in response to his “birthday parade” and its similarities to Hitler’s), yielded a confirmed estimated count of 4-6 million — around 1.2% to 1.8% of the U.S. population — with some unconfirmed protest organizations claiming there were over 13 million participants — well over 3.5% of the U.S. population. In theory, it should have been enough to at least begin some productive conversations or, in the bestcase scenario, to actually begin making change. So, what did we do wrong?

Unfocused, gimmicky protest signs like “Trump rigged the Super Bowl” certainly did not help. Political action must be taken seriously and must involve outward education to spur any desired change. Many protest

KEI SUGAE/THE OBSERVER

Straightforward, no-nonsense signs like these are an effective way to get a message across without risking disparagement.

signs lean into irony or absurdity, sometimes at the expense of real messaging. Some fetishize, romanticize, or make a jest of serious, history-defining causes, detracting from the spread of factual or moral awareness.

While humor is necessary for things to be palatable and subsequently acknowledged, there is a delicate line between making light of a situation and taking it seriously enough to enact change. With fascism openly on the rise, it is imperative that we name it for what it is. Sugarcoating the crisis only delays the public reckoning we need — and time is running out. As things get worse and political issues get personal, it is easy to swing to either side of the emotional spectrum, but balance is what we all need, and that balance must be realized quickly for the sake of the country.

Some protest signs I have seen on my feed poke fun at seriously accountable parties rather than exposing what they have done, offering shallow retorts in place of messages that are morally thought-provoking, factually informational or, at the very least, expressing blatant opposition.

A popular sign I saw bouncing around read “You sucked in Home Alone 2,” in reference to Trump’s cameo in the film. I have no idea what the point of this sign is. If a child or misinformed person were to see that, they might feel like the demonstration’s cause is rooted in

PHOTO COURTESY OF @THRASHERXY VIA X

To the left, a humorous “ICE gets no pussy” sign is held by a protester. To the right, a “Free Palestine” poster is held by a serious protester productively contributing to the protest.

something trivial — like movies — rather than human rights.

An X user @thrasherxy posted another photo from a protest that circulated far and wide. Two protesters each held signs while marching. The first read “ICE gets no pussy,” and the second read “Free Palestine.”

“Free Palestine” has a clear message and takes on an appropriate tone, allowing uninitiated onlookers to immediately grasp the purpose of the demonstration and possibly compelling viewers to do their research on the subject (i.e., “Who or what is Palestine being freed from?”).

“ICE gets no pussy” implies to an uninitiated onlooker that the demonstration is against ICE because of their sexual activity.

The severity of the message is lost, and the onlooker’s questions are answered in all the wrong ways (i.e., “Why is this demonstration protesting ICE? Oh right, because they ‘get no pussy.’”).

Humor and satirization should still be used not just for attention, but to really make a point with the severity of the subject in mind.

Activists need to revisit the painfully gimmicky “I understand that I will never understand, However, I stand (with you)” slogan that was endlessly reposted in 2020. Although it was corny (and sometimes misused), it did share the sentiment that extending support to a group requires empathy for their suffering, understanding that it is unique to that group and treating it accordingly.

Even in what was probably my first ever protest — the 2018 Women’s March — I remember reading a sign that read “Trump listens to Macklemore” and thinking to myself, “What’s that got to do with anything?” We should be angry, and we should be allowing others who see it to understand our anger, too.

Especially now, the message has not proven timeless.

Macklemore has since become a staunch, outspoken supporter of Palestinian liberation, and subsequently, could not be aligned with Trump.

The dramatic abridgement of disruptive measures is being pushed to an absurd extreme: treating civil resistance as

something romantic or even erotic.

I have somehow seen multiple videos of proposals taking place at protests, a practice that some social media users diagnosed as a symptom of gross white ignorance. In moments like these, that tacky 2020 slogan proves unexpectedly useful once again.

Had these people considered that the whole purpose of protests is to act for struggling parties and not for themselves, they would have thought twice before exhibiting such gross disrespect.

X user @tylerduran21 shared similar sentiments: “their priv(i) lege makes them politically ignorant and they think oppre(s) sion is a joke. The same way that white people were making signs with BBC jokes on them during the BLM protests the whole point is to show what you’re standing up against, we need to be taken seriously.”

Among others, I have seen signs like “Don’t deport the Latina baddies,” and even TikToks and Instagram Reels that blatantly fetishize deportation through fantasized storylines, as if human rights violations are on par with fan fiction. It is nothing short of disgusting.

On a less extreme scale, humor and satyrization should still be used not just for attention, but to really make a point with the severity of the subject in mind. There is a huge difference between “ICE gets no pussy” or “Trump listens to Macklemore” and “We can’t have a friendly neighborhood Spiderman without a neighborhood.”

The former two read as taunting and unrelated to any real grievances. The last contains both a humorous reference and a concern for communities ravaged by ICE. The Spiderman-themed sign does not poke fun at the issues or provide unrelated reasoning, but instead uses a well-known reference as an emotional appeal to make certain issues both more palatable and — the crucial part — more understandable to a wider audience.

Protesting can and should be for everyone, as long as participants believe in what they represent and act with respect. If the point is just bodies, then we have them, but presence alone does not make the message itself clear. If the only way to break through is with jest, we risk complicity and distraction. To resort to jokes is to cower from the issues at hand. We must attack these threats head-on before censorship takes away our agency.

Arts & Culture Editor Nora Kinney

Arts & Culture

September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

Summer of Love at War

Gen Z spent the summer rooting for on-screen heartbreak and messy TV romance

By LAINEY COLLIER Staff Writer

Messy romance dominated television screens and social media feeds this summer. Between the TikTok-fueled frenzy around the brother-versus-brother love triangle from “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and the climactic contestant dumpings on “Love Island USA,” one thing became clear: Heartbreak is no longer part of the modern love story, it is the story.

Of course, this theme is nothing new. Romantic conflict has always been central to drama, from Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers to Jane Austen’s headstrong heroines. But heartbreak takes on a different form in today’s stories. Instead of building toward love, many of today’s most popular romances linger in the drama, signaling that chaos is what makes a relationship worth watching.

Amazon Prime’s hit series “The Summer I Turned Pretty” took off this summer with its third season. It looks like a coming-of-age beachside romance, but beneath the nostalgic soundtrack and pretty landscapes lies a lesson in emotional unavailability. Leading love interest Conrad Fisher runs hot and cold, keeping Isabel “Belly” Conklin hooked with just enough attention. Belly overlooks issues in the name of love and finds distraction, solace and double red flags in his brother, Jeremiah.

The message? If you love someone hard enough, relationship problems like emotional abuse and toxicity do not matter.

Fans take sides online, cementing these negative connections as something to root for.

The reality show “Love Island USA” takes things further and turns heartbreak into sport. Set against a Fijian backdrop and airing in real time, contestants

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The hype around popular romance shows this summer raises questions about how Gen Z views relationships, dating and love off-screen.

cycle through coupling ceremonies designed to spark meltdowns and fights. Many already arrive as influencers, prioritizing clout over genuine connection.

Producers engineer drama with “bombshell” cast members and strategic edits.

This summer, ​ invested viewers at home created parasocial relationships so extreme that islanders faced death threats just for making unpopular choices. In more than one case, fans targeted contestants of color with racist memes and comments. What was once marketed as a lighthearted dating show has become a hostile environment, powered by jealousy, love-bombing and embattled online fanbases.

Even rooting for love has a sour side, as seen with the viral ship name Nicolandria. “Love Island USA”’s Nicolas Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen spent most of the show dating

other people, but found their way to each other by the end of the summer. While fans came together for what they believed was a love match, their hopes hinged on the two splitting from their original couples.

Put together, these series make one thing clear: We rarely want love without some form of heartbreak — at least not on our screens.

“I think any form of media that has drama is interesting,” said Chelsea Laubach, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’27. “My life wouldn’t be a good TV show because it’s kind of boring. There’s not this unrealistic drama. People like the escape that they can get with crazy things that happen on TV that they’re not going to get in their everyday lives.”

Laubach said that even when she hates a show, she is still hooked.

“I really don’t like this season (of “The Summer I Turned Pretty”). But I tune in every single Wednesday because I need to know what happens, even though I’m yelling at my TV. I’m angry at every single character … but it’s so crazy that it makes it interesting, because it’s different than my everyday life.”

That frustration is part of the appeal. For Gen Z, stability often reads as boring, while chaos keeps us coming back.

Social media makes it impossible to ignore. Hashtags like #TeamConrad and #TeamJeremiah, or entire TikTok edits dedicated to one “Love Island” kiss pull us further into debates over fictional and semi-fictional relationships.

And the more we argue, the more influence the shows have.

But what does all this say about how our generation views real relationships?

“I think that, especially this

summer, there’s media that revolves around love, and that makes people want that,” Laubach said. “Not necessarily the toxic love, but some form of being chosen by someone … even if it’s unrealistic, it’s something.”

That craving for recognition — being chosen and wanted in a world of social invisibility — explains why we watch characters ignore red flags or cycle through heartbreak. It is not that we want to mimic them, but that we want the same intensity of feeling.

At the same time, when toxic behaviors are glamorized on screen, they risk being normalized, especially for younger viewers still learning what love should look like.

Healthy love stories do appear, but they are often relegated to the side characters or to the finale when the protagonists can finally reap their reward.

“I think there’s definitely a risk of (healthy relationships) being boring,” Laubach said. “But ending a show or movie with a healthy relationship is good …

I usually don’t root for the toxic relationship. I like when it ends in a healthy way and the main characters get what they deserve.”

In other words, we want both the drama to get us through the season and the stability to tie it up at the end.

The rise of messy romance this summer does not mean Gen Z necessarily wants chaos in our own lives, it just means we want to feel something, even if it happens to be through a screen.

These shows might not teach us how to build real relationships, but they do tap into the human desire to be chosen, to fight for love and to feel alive in the process.

In a generation where real life often feels scary and uncertain, maybe putting chaos on screen is the safest place to keep it.

Where the Water Waits: Michael Chovan-Dalton at Ildiko Butler Gallery

The summer exhibition drew in viewers with its tender images of family fishing trips in the Garden State BUTLER GALLERY from page 1

The large stills evoke convergence — generations meeting, differences dissolving in pursuit of the same goal. The New Jersey landscapes offer the edge of suburbia, where domesticity runs up to the wild. Chovan-Dalton suggests that these spaces are natural equalizers. In one photo, a man in a suit and a boy in sneakers both kneel by the same water.

Joe Lawton, who curated the exhibit, has taught photography at Fordham for over 35 years.

He had been in the same circles as Chovan-Dalton for a long time, but discovered his photos relatively recently.

Lawton remembers being impressed by how simple and poignant the work was upon first look.

“It celebrates the everyday joy of sight, and if you’re paying attention, the wonderful little lyric of details you can see. So I thought, ‘What a great summer show,’” Lawton said.

Plans came together in the Ildiko Butler Gallery, located in the lobby of the Leon Lowenstein Center. It is one of two spaces on campus dedicated

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Photographer Michael Chovan-Dalton took photos off the beaten path around New Jersey’s watering holes and creeks.

to hosting professional outside artists. In addition to the Lipani Gallery, it also serves as a primary showcase for seniors in the visual arts program to present their thesis projects. Both spaces are named after Lawton’s former students whose families

continue to support visual arts education at Fordham to this day.

To Lawton, the Butler Gallery provides the Fordham community a social space akin to those captured in ChovanDalton’s lens.

“You come down the escalator and it’s almost like the curtain pulls up when you see it,” Lawton said. “What’s really wonderful is everyone at the university is going to come through there — guests, students, faculty … some of the

best remarks we get are from the facilities people.”

Beyond its accessibility to the public, the Butler Gallery offers a level field for the artists it displays. For Fordham students, the chance to present their work in the same gallery that career artists do is both dignifying and motivating.

Through these qualities, the Butler Gallery finds a spiritual alignment with Chovan-Dalton’s work. It is an oasis in our midst where anyone can come together, share, learn and disperse — perhaps the earliest way we bond with one another and strengthen our communities. If you wander in and take a moment to meditate, you might just sense “the feeling that a tradition or an important skill was being passed along,” as Chovan-Dalton writes in the exhibition text.

In a cultural moment that often demands immediacy and spectacle, “Ground Meets Water” resists. Its power lies in its stillness, and in the idea that what we can teach one another might still be enough.

“Ground Meets Water” closed on Sept. 8 in the Ildiko Butler Gallery.

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Arts & Culture September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

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Rejecting the Reboot Craze

Nostalgia cannot be the only emotion that gets movie theater seats filled

By ANA WINSTON Managing Editor

I call myself a casual cinephile, but I did not see any movies in theaters this past summer. Can you blame me? Every time I checked my local theater’s listings, there was nothing to watch but reboots and sequels. “The Naked Gun”? Remake. “Freakier Friday”? Sequel. “The Roses”? A remake of a 1989 book adaptation.

“From the World of John Wick: Ballerina”? A reboot of a movie franchise. There are simply fewer original ideas being put to screen these days, and it does not seem like audiences care.

Especially in the postCOVID era, when theater attendance rests at dangerously unprofitable rates, there is no impetus for film distribution companies to take risks.

Even new scripts originate from existing texts — “The Long Walk” is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is another adaptation of the eponymous novel and Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film is another take on the Emily Brontë classic “Wuthering Heights.”

It seems that the film industry is veering away from original creations in favor of rehashing the same storylines, replacing old scripts with currently famous actors, contemporary references and recognizable soundtracks.

It is not difficult to figure out why adaptations and sequels are easier choices for production companies — it is guaranteed profit, as relying on existing intellectual property is less of a gamble than spending on promotion for a title, characters and storyline no one has ever heard of. Especially in the post-COVID era, when theater attendance rests at dangerously unprofitable rates, there is no impetus for film distribution companies to take risks. Why waste money trying to endear audiences to a brand-new narrative when you can simply rely on the audience’s nostalgia to get them flocking to the box office?

James Gunn’s summer

blockbuster “Superman” remake made $125 million at the box office on its opening weekend in July, according to Variety. That was one of Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing films of the summer based on opening weekends, alongside “The Conjuring: Last Rites” at $83 million, “A Minecraft Movie” at $162 million and “Final Destination Bloodlines” at $51.6 million. For comparison, the most popular original films on the list, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and Joseph Kozinski’s “F1,” made $48 million and $57 million respectively.

In another instance of the reboot craze, the “Harry Potter” franchise has a new installment in the works: a TV series by HBO retelling the events of the original book series and films. If the series of prequel films and Broadway show sequel were not enough, now there is a reboot of the original story, including one of the same actors and similar costumes and filming locations as the films. One cannot help but wonder the same thing as what Chris Columbus, a previous director and producer for the “Harry Potter” films, was quoted in Variety for saying about the series: “What is the point? … It’s all going to be the same.”

HBO’s history as a subscription-based cable television network allowed it to be the motivating force behind many iconic, prestigious television shows in the late ’90s and early 2000s, such as “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” More recent projects such as “Game of Thrones” or “Succession” have continued the network’s legacy for producing original and successful projects. If HBO has decided to spend its capital financing and releasing a reboot of an adaptation of a twenty-year-old franchise, that is undeniable proof that nostalgia is the goldmine for today’s film and television industry.

Why are audiences complacent in the revival frenzy? Why can we not shake ourselves from rewatching the same storylines?

This strategic choice made by major players in the film industry has completely overtaken

GRAPHIC BY IKMA INUSAH/THE OBSERVER

James Gunn’s summer blockbuster “Superman,” one of many adaptations of the comic book series, made $125 million domestically in its opening weekend.

both local movie theaters and streaming services, while original art is sidelined to limited releases in major American cities. It is safe to assume that the revenue made by these safe choices is reinvested in more reboots and sequels, continuing the positive feedback cycle and spurring the growth of the film adaptation business.

Why are audiences complacent in the revival frenzy? Why can we not shake ourselves from rewatching the same storylines?

Why do we prefer the assurance of a familiar character, albeit performed by a different actor and in different costuming?

My diagnosis is that, in the post-COVID era, we desire continuity — proof that we live in the same world we were born into. We consume the same narrative conflicts we have watched earlier in our lives, comforted by our knowledge that they will be dependably resolved. We develop parasocial connections with characters, preferring their company rather than risking the turbulence of losing oneself in a new narrative with no guaranteed ending.

This desire for comfort through repetition is evident in a pop culture moment from 2021. Steve Burns, the actor who played the eponymous host in the children’s television show “Blue’s Clues” from 1996 to 2003, participated in a video for Nickelodeon’s social media. Although the video was posted on the accounts

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

As box office numbers report less moviegoers, reboots are an assured way for film distribution companies to make a profit.

for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s specialized channel for preschool programming, the intended audience for the short clip was millennials who had grown up watching the show.

Inhabiting his character from “Blue’s Clues” again, Burns apologized for leaving the show abruptly, reiterated the relevance of the lessons he taught in the kid’s television show and congratulated his former viewers on having made it to the challenges of adulthood. He did this all in the friendly, patient and gently patronizing cadences of a children’s television show host. As of now, the video has received more than a million likes on X.

We desire the recapitulation of familiar problems, searching for a resolution that satisfies our need for congruity in the world.

The embrace of Burns’ video demonstrates the grip that nostalgia has on millennials and Generation Z. It seems that grown-up audiences spent years waiting for an apology from Burns as to why he suddenly left the show — a decision he revealed he made based on his struggle with depression and a nagging feeling that he was getting too old to play a sprightly host of kid’s television programming. His return — and acknowledgment of the trauma he caused by his departure — was cathartic for those who had seen him suddenly disappear from their screens and lives.

Perhaps this is why adaptations and reboots are what motivate audiences to buy movie tickets. We desire the recapitulation of familiar problems, searching for a resolution that satisfies our need for congruity in the world. We watch sequels of older films because it is reassuring to see the characters we once watched as children grow up like us, struggling with the same problems as always, which are doubtlessly resolved by the inevitable happy ending. Our curiosity is stimulated in safe doses by slight changes to the same old stories.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a period of turbulence that will define our age in future history books. It is unsurprising

that those who lived through it are marked by the experience of social isolation and economic uncertainty. This anxiety is reflected in our generation’s overarching taste in art, which conveys a desire for conserving repetitive, predictable narratives.

However, is the right solution really sticking to reboots? Satisfying our desire to immerse ourselves in a film or television show by reliving the same narrative, albeit with actor, costume and set changes, is a vicious cycle which promotes an uncurious approach to art. The more one refuses to challenge oneself, the more likely watching a new, unheard-of movie will be anxiety-inducing rather than compelling.

The argument against reboots does not just have to be a philosophical diatribe — it can be put to action, as well. Individuals, after all, are what make up the box office numbers that convey what kind of art is lucrative to distribution companies. I am not arguing you should not watch the “Wuthering Heights” film if you are really looking forward to seeing how Emerald Fennel pulls it off, but maybe if it is a casual hate watch, you might consider ignoring your ire and buying a ticket to another title you have never heard of.

Nostalgia is alright in small doses, but it cannot be the only motivating factor behind what we see in theaters. Creativity still exists — one only needs to browse local film festival selections or peruse the low-budget sections of streaming services to find that new narratives are put to reel every day. The surge in reboots does not signify a lack of original ideas, but the refusal to entertain them in movie theaters which seek to make the most money they can out of a film’s screening.

As students at Lincoln Center, we are in the unique position of being able to watch a plethora of original movies — arthouse cinemas such as Metrograph or the IFC are mere train rides away. The New York Film Festival is held a block away from our campus every year — even if you cannot get in-demand tickets for highly coveted releases, you can always rely on Film at Lincoln Center’s prestigious programming to bring you interesting, international films.

This fall, consider skipping the adaptation-reboot “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and opt for an original story that has never been put to screen before — uncertainty and surprise are not unworthy emotions.

THE OBSERVER September 10, 2025

www.fordhamobserver.com

Arts & Culture

15

Gen Z Fans Left Shook Up After SNL Cast Changes

Four younger cast members are departing Saturday Night Live ahead of its 51st season, disappointing new fans

By ELEANA KOSTAKIS Staff Writer

On Aug. 28, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow announced on their respective Instagram accounts that they would be departing from Saturday Night Live (SNL) ahead of its 51st season. Soon after, major cast member Heidi Gardener also announced that she would not appear in season 51.

The late-night sketch comedy show had barely wrapped its milestone 50th season when rumors of a cast shake-up began circulating.

The previous season included many celebrity guest stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Mikey Madison and Paul Mescal. There were iconic sketches that took over the internet — the musical parody “Domingo” featuring Ariana Grande went so viral it received its own tribute during the SNL 50th Anniversary Special.

By appealing to Gen Z culture, SNL cultivated a large following of new fans who boosted its online presence with recreations of popular sketches and songs on social media.

Graye Sesty, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’28, is a member of Stove’s Comedy Club on campus and an SNL fan who followed the recent drama.

“The general assumption at that point was that a lot of older cast members or the writers that had been on staff longer would be leaving because they had been there for a while,” Sesty said.

“There were a lot of cast members who were just getting started.”

GRAPHIC BY GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim recently announced their departures from the cast of SNL.

Longfellow and Walker joined SNL in 2022, while Wakim joined in 2024. Their short-lived tenures pale in comparison to veterans like Kenan Thompson and Mikey Day, who some presumed would be moving on.

The departing cast members had represented a new generation of talent, signaling to younger fans that they can be part of a legacy comedy show.

“They got rid of three cast members who hadn’t had experience or time to shine on the show.

So it definitely was a bleak reflection for younger people trying

to get into comedy,” said Sesty. “(They might) think that this huge staple show of the American comedy scene wasn’t even giving young people a chance.”

Earning a spot at SNL is notoriously difficult, and young comedians flock to local comedy clubs to perform sets in the hope of getting scouted or blowing up on the internet. However, the role that social media plays in casting decisions has seemingly only intensified. One of the incoming cast members for season 51 is Veronika Slowikowska, who has racked up over 48 million likes

on TikTok across popular sketch comedy videos. If there is any rule of thumb for aspiring comedy performers in this age, it is to leverage your digital presence.

But social media may prove disadvantageous to up-and-comers in the long run, as it accelerates the scouting process and generates an ever-changing pool of young talent to draw from.

New cast members who got their start online may be seen as easily replaced.

As of Sept. 2, SNL has welcomed five new cast members — Ben Marshall, who was previously

featured on the show as part of the comedy trio “Please Don’t Destroy,” TikTok-viral comedians Slowikowska and Jeremy Culhane, and Kam Patterson and Tommy Brennan — both of whom have amassed cult followings online for their stand-up comedy.

The newcomers have varying degrees of experience in show business, acting and their local stand-up scene, but all boast significant social media followings.

With Marshall added to the main cast, that means that “Please Don’t Destroy” has disbanded — at least at SNL. Several writers on staff are also saying farewell, including Celeste Yim, known for their collaborations with Bowen Yang, and Rosebud Baker, who wrote for the Weekend Update segment for four seasons. In their farewell statement, Yim noted the “grueling” nature of the job.

Nonetheless, Sesty is still holding out hope for the acclaimed comedy show and its new cast.

“There’s a tiny bit of hope in the fact that they did hire five new people, which was more than anyone was expecting, at least from a fan perspective,” they said.

As an institutional titan in the comedy world, it is hard not to see portents in the cast changes at SNL. The quick-to-rise, faster-tofall trend among Gen Z cast members may signal job instability for young performers hoping to grace the vaunted NBC set. For student comedians at Fordham, SNL stardom is still an uphill battle — but the cast changes signify that it might be increasingly fought on the digital stage.

Flirty, Feisty, Unfazed: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” Challenges Gender Norms

Some called the cover of “Man’s Best Friend” misogynistic, but Carpenter sings a different tune

By NEHIR CETIN Contributing Writer

When Sabrina Carpenter dropped “Man’s Best Friend” on Aug. 29, the internet “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” to decide whether the album was a bop or a flop.

Carpenter’s seventh studio album sparked controversy earlier this summer over its cover art, which shows the two-time Grammy Award winner on her knees while a man holds her hair as if it were a leash. Some called this an outright objectification of women, while others, including Carpenter herself, claim it’s a metaphor for submission and control rather than sexual exploitation.

Now with all 12 songs available to listen to, the cover seems like a false teaser. At first glance, viewers might assume that the album will be sexualizing and provocative, but listening to the music reveals that Carpenter is instead critiquing the ways women are sexualized and asserting control over her own image through playful lyrics.

The underlying theme of the album is that she only submits when treated with respect and care, emphasizing healthy, consensual intimacy. Laden with her signature wit and innuendos, Carpenter refuses to tolerate toxic behavior, proving that her intention was never to portray female degradation.

The question on everyone’s lips: Is Carpenter sexy or sexist?

Her goal seems not to be convincing her audience of either, but to make them question gender roles and power. Carpenter’s efforts also confront the influence of political and social conservatism, which continues to shape

GRACE SANTOLI/THE OBSERVER

The cover of “Man’s Best Friend” shocked audiences with its regressive imagery, but the artist defended her vision.

women’s sexuality and independence, and fuel criticism. She presented the album cover as an intentional subversion of the album’s themes rather than an obvious statement. The backlash reinforced Carpenter’s scrutiny of gender stereotypes, assuring that the conversation began before even hitting play on the album.

Carpenter proves her motive for the album by splitting her songs into two main concepts, one in which she asserts dominance and one in which she is left rejected and lonely.

Songs like “Sugar Talking” and “Tears” show a side of her where she is aroused not by the physicality of a man, but instead

by the thought of him being the ideal partner and acting right.

She’s a woman who knows what she wants: passion and loyalty.

In “Sugar Talking,” Carpenter chooses to be assertive rather than submitting to a man’s foolish acts. She knows her self-worth, and she reads right through the sweet talk. She challenges gender norms through her lyrics and takes pleasure in seeing “him” carrying out a domestic role traditionally expected of women. A similar theme occurs in “Tears” when she sings: “Baby, just do the dishes, I’ll give you what you, what you want.”

“Don’t Worry, I’ll Make You Worry” focuses on Carpenter’s power over a man, letting her emotionally manipulate him while maintaining her dignity. The track radiates her confidence and celebrates her empowered femininity in a maledominated society.

Carpenter then takes a more vulnerable approach with some of her songs. She expresses the feeling of the honeymoon phase of a relationship being over. Songs such as “My Man on Willpower,” “Nobody’s Son” and “Never Getting Laid” center around the reality of rejection and the feeling of no longer being desired, with lyrics like:

“He used to be literally obsessed with me / I’m suddenly the least sought out girl in the world,” (“My Man on Willpower”).

Incorporating lyrics that are simultaneously catchy and relatable draws more viewers in, giving them a sense of comfort and confidence.

After heartbreak, Carpenter turns into a more exuberant kind of relatability with “Go Go Juice.” This song is about being broken up with and drunk dialing several love interests, both past and present. She showcases her self-deprecating sense of humor, revealing names that rhyme with her exes.

“I’m just drinking to call someone / Ain’t nobody’s safe when I’m a little drunk / Could be John or Larry, gosh, who’s to say? / Or the one that rhymes with ‘villain’ if I’m feelin’ that way.”

These lyrics went viral as fans decoded who Carpenter was hinting at. Results? “John” for Shawn Mendes, “Larry” for Barry Keoghan, “gosh” for Joshua Basset and last but not least, “villain” for Dylan O’Brien.

“Man’s Best Friend” is a true display of Carpenter’s progress in the music industry. Her songwriting has improved noticeably throughout her albums, and the production has become layered, employing lively instrumentals that reveal her frisky and authoritative vocals.

While the cover might have stirred some commotion in the media, the music behind it carries a lot more meaning than anticipated. Some may still argue that “Man’s Best Friend” is too much, but a bold artist will always have the loudest critics.

Fun & Games Editors DAMIAN GROVE & JASMINE WHITE

un & ames

September 10, 2025 THE OBSERVER

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BY DAMIAN GROVE & JASMINE WHITE

Across 1. Steams up, like a windshield 5. Trucker’s need (Abbr.)

8. What some celebrities may have gotten insured?

13. Farmland unit

14. “Cabaret” number: “I Don’t ___ Much” 15. Beauty brand: ___ Lauder 16. Bridle strap 17. Some, in San Juan 18. In New York City, these are infamous for arriving late or not at all 19. *Beachy structures + educational exercise

22. Double down on a request 23. “It ___” (reply to “Who’s there?”) (2 Wds.) 24. *Shelled swimmer + professors’ presentations 31. Letters on an ambulance 34. “___ to Joy” 35. Dance, in Fortnite 36. Summary, perhaps at the start of a Netflix series episode 39. Video game character with a plumbob above its head 41. Popular shapewear brand 42. “We’re live” indicator for a radio show (2 Wds.) 43. Dove’s call 45. 86,400 seconds 46. *Grade schooler’s getaway + university grounds 51. Nickname for Henry V 52. It’s often picked up in a bar (2 Wds.) 56. *Explosive entertainment + paper assignments 61. Titular role for Tyler Perry 62. Subject code for some English courses at Fordham (Abbr.)

63. Draped South Asian garment 64. Isn’t, for you?

65. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” director Daniel 66. Nailed, as a midterm 67. Messes around 68. Utter 69. Amusement park exclamation

Down 1. Primary language in Iran 2. Neptune’s domain 3. Smiles 4. Fully commit, slangily (2 Wds.) 5. Soup cylinders 6. “Fiddlesticks!”

7. Odom Jr. best known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” 8. Internet locations 9. Zenbook laptop company 10. “Don’t take ____ seriously!” (2 Wds.) 11. Spotted 12. Kelce and Gronkowski, for two (Abbr.)

14. Cinco menos uno 20. One of the three public higher education systems in the Golden State (Abbr.)

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38. What an oven does before baking 40. Beyoncé, to Blue Ivy 44. Subscribes to a mailing list, perhaps (2 Wds.) 47. Uncooked 48. Uncovers a truth, slangily 49. Exclamation made when struggling to answer a crossword clue?

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56. $2.90, for a New York City subway ride 57. The ___ of March 58. “Seasons of Love” musical 59. Line of seats closest to the stage (2 Wds.) 60. Dallas Mavericks player Thompson 61. What Fordham undergrads must declare by the end of their sophomore year (Abbr.)

Sudoku

BY DAMIAN GROVE

Word Search

Instructions: Each row, column and 3×3 box must contain the numbers 1-9 exactly once.

BY JASMINE WHITE

1

Instructions: Search up, down, forward, backward and on the diagonal to find the hidden words.

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A S D L O O P E D I Beach Ball Bucket Ice Cream Lifeguard

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Sunscreen Sunshine Tide Pool Towel

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GRAPHICS BY DAMIAN GROVE & JASMINE WHITE