Volume 104 Issue 15

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 104, Issue 15

TheFordhamRam.com

September 28, 2022

Fordham Announces New Booster Shot Requirement

Number of Students Getting the Flu Vaccine Increases

By GRACE GALBREATH

By ISABEL DANZIS

STAFF WRITER

With the approach of flu season, University Health Services (UHS) has started offering vaccination clinics to combat the spread of the virus. According to Maureen Keown, director of University Health Services, the number of Fordham students receiving the flu vaccination has increased in the last three years following the introduction and spread of COVID-19.

In the 2020-21 academic year, UHS administered 327 flu vaccinations on campus. The following year, 2021-22, UHS administered a total of 884 flu vaccines on campus. Keown said so far this year, 174 students have received the vaccine. According to Keown, “COVID-19 has changed how multiple different viruses such as the common cold and flu have changed in their virulence.”

Additionally, “Outreach programs and having scheduled flu clinics at both campuses have increased the number of students receiving the vaccine.” she said.

Many Fordham students say they that getting the flu vaccine is important. Kylie Phillips, GSB SEE FLU, PAGE 3

NEWS EDITOR

COURTESY OF EMMA KIM FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” follows a female comedian in the late 1950s and early 1960s New York City.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Comes to Fordham

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Sept. 22 and 23, Fordham acted as the background of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The show’s cast and crew set up on Edward’s Parade along with cameras, microphones, monitors and other necessary equipment. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a TV show set in New York City in the late 1950s to early 1960s and follows

Miriam “Midge” Maisel as she becomes a comedian.

According to Leslie Timoney, director of conference services, Fordham was used to film a scene at Midge Maisel’s college reunion.

Timoney said that “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” team needed a quad surrounded by older buildings to achieve the look they were going for, which brought them to Fordham. However, Timoney is not sure how much of the campus

will be able to be seen.

“When I looked on the monitors, the garden party looked like it could be anywhere,” said Timoney.

Preparation for the shoot was done a few days prior as crews came to Fordham to set up a tent and install generators and electrical equipment on Edward’s Parade. Given that the show takes place in the early 1960s, SEE MAISEL, PAGE 4

CPS Unveils New Care System to Address Student Needs

By ADAM LEMOINE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF OWEN SIBAL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Students volunteered with Campus Ministry on their day of service with The Bronx is Blooming.

Campus Ministry Partners with The Bronx is Blooming

By EMMA KIM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Campus Ministry partnered with The Bronx is Blooming for an Ignatian Day of Service on Sept. 24. The event was mainly composed of the Pedro Arrupe Volunteers, but many other

campus groups also participated, such as CCEL, West Wing in O’Hare and Manresa Scholars.

According to Carol Gibney, director of the Office of Campus Ministry Solidarity and Leadership, the Pedro Arrupe Volunteers (PAV) is a student-led multi-faith organization, where students are

provided with opportunities to engage with various partners.

Pedro Arrupe, S.J. was part of the Society of Jesus. He was known for his commitment to social justice and helping others, which is where the volunteers get their name from. He SEE MINISTRY, PAGE 4

On Sept. 15, Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) sent out an email to the Fordham University community informing them of a change in the department’s practices as part of its commitment to the delivery of tailored and culturally competent services.

In regards to the needs that arise from the diverse range of Fordham students’ backgrounds and identities, CPS will be implementing a “Customized and EquityBased” model of care and service during the Fall 2022 semester.

To create a new framework for Fordham's future, CPS has drawn on the “Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to SEE CPS, PAGE 3

On Sept. 26, Fordham announced that all students, faculty and staff must receive a COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccination by Nov. 1. The Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) now considers a “fully vaccinated” individual to have the original vaccination set and the “most recent” booster shot.

Bivalent booster shots are essentially updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters. They are formulated to protect against the omicron variant and other newer strains of the virus. The bivalent shots include two mRNA strains of the virus. They have one strain from the original COVID-19 virus, just like previous vaccinations, and they also include a strain from the omicron variant.

According to the email sent out by Fordham on Sept. 26, “individuals 12 and older are eligible for the updated (bivalent) booster that is effective against multiple COVID variants, and in order to be considered up to date with vaccines, they should receive the updated booster if it has been 2 months or longer since their last COVID-19 vaccine.”

The university has both Pfizer and Moderna bivalent booster vaccinations. The vaccination clinic is in O’Hare Hall across from the Ram Van pick-up site.

Bob Howe, associate vice president for communications and special adviser to the president, said that vaccination is a large reason why the pandemic has slowed, so it’s important to continue vaccinating.

“To the extent that the pandemic’s lethality has been blunted, it is because of widespread vaccination for COVID-19. People are still getting sick, but the percentage of those who require hospitalization SEE BOOSTER, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion

Page 10

Ukrainians Need Support With No Strings Attached

Culture

Page 14

On Wednesdays, We Go to the Botans

Sports

Page 16

Football Falls to Ohio in Thriller

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Sept. 21 Faber Hall 7:23 p.m.

The smoke detector in the basement laundry room of Faber Hall was activated, resulting in an alarm being transmitted to FDNY and a building evacuation. Investigation revealed that the dryer directly below the smoke alarm was recently used and left with its door open, which caused the heat to activate the smoke alarm. The panel was reset

by FDNY. Sept. 21 Metro North Station 9:41 p.m.

A student reported that as they were walking to the Metro North train station, they were followed by an unknown male. The male followed the student onto the Westchesterbound train, where he proceeded to expose and fondle himself. Other passengers alerted the conductor who escorted the male off the train at the Woodlawn station.

Sept. 25 Off-Campus 6:45 a.m.

A student reported a male attempting to gain entry to their off-campus apartment building. The student said the male, wearing all black and a baseball cap, began banging on their apartment window. They could hear the male banging and kicking the door. Public Safety searched the building. The offender was not located. There was visible damage to the entrance door lock.

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Sept. 28, 2022

Class of 2026 and 2025 Rival for Biggest Classes in School History

By MICHELA FAHY By ISABEL DANZIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER NEWS EDITOR

The classes of 2025 and 2026 are the largest classes to ever come to Fordham. Due to the combined sizes of both classes, some new procedures have had to be taken to accommodate them on campus.

Many first-year and sophomore students take primarily core-level classes. According to Maura Mast, dean of Fordham College Rose Hill, the university had to add new faculty to teach these classes last year.

“In fall 2021, we definitely needed to add more sections of core courses and, therefore, had to hire more faculty. We also increased course caps for some courses, because room availability at peak times is really limited. For fall 2022, we didn’t need to add too many additional sections,” said Mast.

Individual departments have different procedures for hiring staff. According to Mast, the same had to request more faculty in the spring of 2022.

“Departments and programs take multiple approaches to staff courses. It helped that last year, over 10 new, tenuretrack faculty were hired in Arts and Sciences. In spring 2022, departments made requests for additional lecturers in order to fully support the courses that we need to offer,” said Mast. “The Office of the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences manages this process, in consultation with the deans of FCRH and FCLC. Departments and programs also hire adjunct faculty, depending on availability and needs.

In some departments, graduate students teach.”

However, it is important to note that enrollment is low in the class of 2024. Because of that, it is easier to accommodate students in the classes of 2025 and 2026.

“The class that entered in fall 2021 was quite large, but on the other hand the class that entered in fall 2020 was quite small. We look at the size of the entering class but we also look at the overall size of the student body in each college,” said Mast. “In fall 2021, the total number of creditbearing students enrolled in FCRH was 3,965. This is more

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham has had to hire more faculty and expand their residental housing to accomodate bigger class sizes.

than the total enrollment for fall 2020, which was 3,815, but lower than the total enrollment in fall 2018 and fall 2017.”

Housing is another area that had to adapt to the larger class sizes. Fordham University guarantees housing to students for all four years of their undergraduate education. Guaranteed housing and COVID-19 isolation housing accommodations can make housing difficult. One unique complication that faced the class of 2026 was accommodating students in on-campus housing at Lincoln Center. According to Charles Clency, director of residential life, about a dozen Lincoln Center students were “temporarily placed” at Rose Hill. Clency said all those students have been relocated to Lincoln Center or “scheduled to be assigned as soon as possible.”

Last year to accommodate the class of 2025, Tierney Hall was converted from a sophomore to a first-year residence hall. According to Clency, it has not entirely reverted to a sophomore year dorm.

“For the class of 2026, we

used two floors of Tierney and some converted triples to assign this class — though it was not as large as the class of 2025 when they entered,” said Clency.

According to Clency, the class of 2026 currently has 28 converted triples.

“Typically, Alumni Court South and Loschert have more converted spaces as the individual rooms are larger, and Loyola has several rooms that are already designed to be triples,” said Clency.

In a statement to the Ram, Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, spoke to how classes of these sizes can be sustained.

“Fordham is blessed with one of those fortunate problems — an extraordinary number of students want to join our community. Each year — even through the uncertain environment of the ongoing health emergency — we work with colleagues to manage the number of admitted students guaranteed housing, an important tradition at Fordham.

Tremendous credit for this ef-

fort goes to our housing operations staff in Residential Life — they are miracle workers, even searching residence halls for new places for students who need an assignment. We will be adjusting our approaches in the coming cycles to insure that our spaces in housing, services, and other necessities match rising demand. Looking ahead and through careful strategic planning, additional housing will be important for us to consider.”

The combined sizes of the class of 2025 and 2026 have created some changes within the university. When it comes to housing, Clency encourages students to reach out with questions or concerns.

“We encourage all students to seek out assistance whenever they may have questions or concerns. Residential Life is equally invested in our residents having a good experience living in the residence halls,” said Clency.

Looking to the future, if the class of 2027 is similar in size to the class of 2025 and 2026, changes will have to be made.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Sept. 28

Thursday Sept. 29

Saturday Oct. 1

Monday Oct. 3

Tuesday Oct. 4

IPED: Defining Democracy

Public Service Micro-Fair

Fordham vs.

Georgetown

Graduate School Info Session

National News Day Tabling Event

Dealy 207 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

McShane Center 303 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Keating Hall 219 1 p.m.

Outside the Marketplace 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

A part of the graduate program IPED’s series with the Council on Foreign Relations, academic Yascha Mounk will be discussing how democracy has evolved in history and its place in society today.

Campus Ministry is hosting a series of volunteering events this Thursday, including their midnight run, which will involve assembling toiletry kits for the homeless in JMCC. There are other events online.

The center of the university’s Family Weekend is football!

The Rams face the Hoyas of Georgetown this weekend in a Patriot League match up. With the worst record in the league, it should be an easy win.

Primarily for FCRH juniors, the GSAS will be hosting their first of many information sessions in Keating, which will “cover the basics of graduate school” and help prepare students for apps.

To celebrate the national holiday, members of the Communications and Media department will be giving away free swag, treats and fun quizzes for students to take and enjoy.

NEWS

September 28, 2022

Page 3

Health Services Encourage Flu Vaccines FROM FLU, PAGE 1

’25, said she will get the flu shot.

“The pandemic hasn’t really positively or negatively affected my willingness to get the flu shot. I’ve always been proshot,” said Phillips.

Thomas Huitfeldt, FCRH ’25, felt similarly, affirming that he also plans on receiving the flu shot.

He also added, “The pandemic has definitely positively affected my willingness to get the flu shot.”

Huitfeldt and other students state they understand the importance of receiving vaccinations, now more than ever, in a COVID-19 world.

Keown also took time to stress the importance of the flu shot,

encouraging students to receive the vaccine even if they do not do so at UHS. Many pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, offer free flu shots available by both appointment and walk-in.

However, receiving the flu vaccine through UHS is not free. The vaccination costs $35, which is charged to the

students’ Bursar bill. It can be reimbursed upon students’ submission of a receipt to their medical insurance. Keown also warned about a possible rise in the number of cases this year, saying, “UHS anticipates an increase in flu cases this fall and winter due to relaxation of mandates and mask requirements that COVID-19 had originally brought to our world.

During the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years, the number of flu cases decreased due to mask wearing, social distancing, increased hand washing and other measures taken by people to stay healthy.”

According to an email sent on Sept. 15, UHS plans to offer more clinics as the semester progresses. Students can call ahead to make an appointment.

CPS Starts New “Customized and Equity-Based” Model FROM CPS, PAGE 1

Ethnic, Linguistic and Culturally Diverse Populations” established by the American Psychological Association. There is an emphasis placed on recognizing the significance of ethnicity and culture in psychological processes and eliminating biases as well as discriminatory practices.

These guidelines advocate for training providers to be able to accomplish four main goals: to recognize cultural diversity, understand the role one’s identity plays in development, understand how socioeconomic and political factors impact development and how to help people understand, maintain and resolve their own sociocultural identification.

CPS staff have made a number of changes in conjunction with these guidelines. A CPS Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice lists commitments to practicing cultural

humility, increasing accessibility and continuing ethical and professional development. Director of CPS Jeffrey Ng will help to lead this shift.

Based on this new model Ng said that care at CPS will be more tailored to individual student’s needs.

“Rather than offering most students ‘10 counseling sessions,’ we are now customizing the type, frequency and duration of services we offer based on the intersection of each student’s presenting concerns, psycho-social history, identities and access to resources,” said Ng. CPS’s clinical capacity at the time a student is seeking services will also impact their approach.

“In short, this new model means that not every student will be receiving the same type, level or frequency of services from CPS. Some students may be seen for just a few sessions while others may be seen indefinitely,” said Ng.

While Ng says the department has been unofficially following this model for approximately a decade, this marks an official change in the CPS guidelines.

By adopting less strict guidelines for approaching new patients, CPS aims to provide better, more specialized care to those seeking it. Ng gave an example of the way that CPS can specialize care.

“A student who is struggling with a temporary stressor or adjustment concern may only need to be seen for 3-4 weeks while a student with a longstanding psychiatric condition and who does not have the resources/supports to access off-campus care could be seen indefinitely by CPS,” said Ng. Ng and the rest of CPS aim to fulfill a commitment to reducing health and educational disparities for young people.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

CPS gives psycological services to students on campus.

USG Discusses Recent Events and Public Concerns

By SOFIA SEMPER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

USG gave out 250 tickets to Rolling Loud, a music festival.

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Fordham University Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met to discuss recent and upcoming events on campus, as well as public concerns.

Gaby Simperios, vice president of Fordham College Rose Hill FCRH ’24, reported that there have been issues with room reservations for the Dean’s Council.

Simporios said that Rose Hill Commons, which was reserved for the Dean’s Council meeting last Thursday, was unavailable when she arrived. Without any prior notice, she was told the meeting was moved to Bepler Commons. Stephen Clarke, assistant director of student involvement, clarified that the issue regarding the reservation was due to an unexpected leak in Rose Hill Commons.

Despite not sending an email with the updated room change, the Office of Student Involvement calendar with all information regarding USG meetings had been updated prior to the Dean’s

Council meeting.

Newly-elected class of 2026 Senators, Rhianna Danes, FCRH ’26, Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, Nicky D’Abundo, FCRH ’26, Mikaela Casanova, GSB ’26, and Muhammed Zaveri, GSB ’26, attended their first meeting on Thursday. Their official inauguration occurred at this past weekend’s USG’s retreat.

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) has been preparing for the upcoming Family Weekend, from Friday, Sept. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 2. They have prepared activities for the visiting families including a welcome reception and brunch before the football game commences.

Vice President of International Integration Luisa Rosa, FCRH ’24, discussed her plans for an international student mixer during Family Weekend. Rosa explained how difficult Family Weekend can be for international students, and she introduced the mixer as a way to provide them with a community.

The International Student Mixer will be taking place on Sept. 30 from 6-8 p.m. in the Campbell Multipurpose Room, and she invited all international

students as well as any other student whose family is unable to attend Family Weekend.

Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, reported the Diversity Action Coalition (DAC) submitted two requests to increase funding for two future DAC events.

The first request was for DAC’s October Tabling Event, a mental health event where they will hand out t-shirts and stickers.

The second request was for a student activism event where there will be catered food and raffles for two social justice books.

Both requests for funding have been approved.

Executive President Santiago Vidal, FCRH ’24, and Alex Chavez, FCRH ’23, vice president of finance and budgets, worked together to create the Ad Hoc Appeal where they asked for additional funding for upcoming projects and events this semester and were approved for a new budget of about $14,200.

Lastly, Vidal reported that Rolling Loud gave away 3,000 free tickets to multiple New York college students this past weekend, including 250 free tickets to Fordham students.

NEWS

Page 4

September 28, 2022

Campus Ministry’s Day of Service in Bronx FROM MINISTRY, PAGE 1

is known for his phrase “Men and Women for others.”

“He dedicated his life in service to others, and he is the one who really did move the Jesuits into a direction of faith and service and justice,” said Gibney.

According to the Fordham website, PAV’s goals include “community engagement; nurturing and sustaining relationships between the Fordham community and our neighbors in the Bronx and NYC.” The Bronx is Blooming is a Bronx-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to “environmental stewardship, community building and youth leadership development.” In the past, other Fordham groups have also partnered with them.

Campus Ministry partnered with The Bronx is Blooming because of their similar values.

“Their mission aligns with what Fordham’s mission is,” said Gibney.

“It is about raising awareness for community members and being good stewards of the land.

The Bronx [has] the largest swath of parks per capita more than all

other boroughs.”

“With cuts in city budgets, they are filling a gap,” said Gibney. “This organization really helps make this community more beautiful and a pleasant place to be living in.”

On Saturday, 75 Fordham volunteers walked from campus to Mosholu Park. They worked on cleaning, planting trees, mulching and getting rid of invasive plants.

“The trees will be covered soon, and in the springtime, hopefully, they will take root. We want the kids and the elders in the community to have lots of trees and oxygen and birds and all the things the great outdoors provide,” said Gibney.

Marlaina Cirone, FCRH ’24, first participated in The Bronx is Blooming service project three years ago when she was a freshman in the Manresa program. “Since then, I have joined Campus Ministry’s PAV and got the opportunity to captain this Saturday’s project, where we led over 70 volunteers to Mosholu park,” said Cirone.

“Bronx is Blooming is an important local nonprofit that helps

to care for parks in the Bronx that don’t nearly get enough funding and resources as they should,” said Cirone, “It was great to see Fordham students out in our community to learn how small efforts like caring for trees can have far-reaching effects on our environment.”

Michela Fahy, FCRH ’23, also helped run Saturday’s event by working to winterize the trees at Mosholu Park by removing dead branches and insulating them.

“This community partner is so important as the Bronx is New York City’s greenest borough, it is a constant effort to maintain it for the community. It is a privilege to be able to spend time in the community, working to maintain the park’s beauty while also getting to form stronger connections between fellow students,” said Fahy.

Overall, Gibney said that she hopes students were able to take away a sense of community and meet other people interested in environmental justice. “They might meet people that will spark interest in topics that they might be interested in deepening their understanding of.”

COURTESY OF OWEN SIBAL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Students work with Campus Ministry on a day of service in the Bronx.

COURTESY OF OWEN SIBAL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Students volunteered at Mosholu Park.

Fordham Requires Second COVID-19 Booster FROM BOOSTER, PAGE 1

or who die is much lower — this, by itself, is reason enough to require everyone on campus to be vaccinated and boosted,” said Howe.

Howe noted that it’s important to consider university community members who have medical conditions that make COVID-19

a large concern.

“Also, the university community is composed of more than just students, obviously, and there are many faculty and staff (and some students) who are vulnerable because of their age and other factors,” said Howe.

Many university community

members who have medical conditions echo Howe’s sentiments.

Claire Bickel, FCRH ’24, is a Type 1 diabetic.

“I feel safer knowing that the university is taking the recommended steps to protect the community,” said Bickel.

Other students are also glad

that Fordham is requiring vaccinations.

“I like that Fordham is requiring the new booster because it makes the campus a more secure and safe place for those that are immunocompromised,”said Malvi Patel, FCRH ’24.

Howe said that the university

made the decision to require another booster shot based on the advice of medical professionals.

“We follow this advice for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. As an institution that practices care for the whole person, we can’t do otherwise,” said Bob Howe.

Students Cite TV Show Filming as an Inconvenience FROM MAISEL, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF NICOLE BRAUN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

The cast and crew of the television show filmed on Edward’s Parade.

COURTESY OF DALIA FOURQUART FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Extras of the show walked around Fordham’s campus in 1960s costumes.

Timoney said that signs of modern life had to be disguised.

“This episode took place in 1961, so we had to remove air conditioners, replace VIP parking with period cars, turn off the tower bells, turn off the stadium lights, turn off the Coffey Field PA system, hide Maisel bathrooms, hide Maisel generators, make sure the street cable runs were safe for students and work with the construction crew,” said Timoney.

Timoney said it would have been ideal to have filmed during the summer without students.

However, that was not possible.

“Ideally, we’d love to film over the summer when there is less activity on campus. But to be in this business, you need to allow some filming during the academic year,” said Timoney.

Members of the campus community reported that the filming on campus caused disruptions for students, faculty and staff. While the cameras were rolling, students were prohibited from walking around Edward’s Parade in certain areas so they would not be in the background of the shot. For many, this was an inconvenience when

trying to get around campus for classes or daily life.

“I was trying to go from Eddies to the [Marketplace], and they wouldn’t let me cross the street in front of the student center for about five minutes,” said Joseph Ryan, FCRH ’24. “[It was] annoying because it didn’t seem to be in the shot at all.”

According to Timoney, the television crew tried to avoid this problem by filming during class periods, however, sometimes, a scene took a little longer.

“On typical productions, cameras roll for 5 minutes at a time.

'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' rolls film for 6-8 minutes with 20-minute scene setups in between shooting. We were hoping to be able to shoot twice in each class period but sometimes it fell into the 15 minute class change,” said Timoney.

Despite students’ frustration with the filming, the crew was happy with the students, faculty and staff’s cooperation according to Timoney.

“The crew was so impressed with how quiet our students were, especially by the fountain when we were all watching the lawn game filming. As a matter of fact,

Maisel stayed on schedule both days thanks to the cooperation of Fordham students,” said Timoney.

Regardless of the inconvenience, Ryan also thought it was cool that “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was filming on Fordham’s campus.

“I think it’s cool that they filmed here. I just wish they would have made it more clear where they didn’t want us to walk,” said Ryan.

Ryan also added that he “might” watch the show when it comes out.

During the taping, students, staff and faculty got to see actors in costume and what an active set looks like. Some students even took pictures with the star of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Midge Maisel.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is not the first piece of media to be filmed at Fordham. Fordham has been in other notable productions such as “A Bronx Tale,” “The Exorcist” and “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.” Timoney said that this episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” should be coming out on on Amazon Prime in late February or early March.

NEWS

September 28, 2022

Page 5

SEAJ Attends Friday for Future’s Climate Strike

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Friday, Sept. 23, leaders of Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ) took a group of students to Battery Park in Manhattan for Fridays for Future’s global climate strike. The strike included a march from Foley Square to Battery Park. At Battery Park, speakers ranging from New York State Assemblymembers to Indigenous leaders spoke about the importance of reversing climate change.

Fridays for Future is a global youth-led climate advocacy group. The group was started in 2018 by climate advocate Greta Thunberg and others.

Every day leading up to the Swedish parliamentary elections, Thunberg sat in front of parliament to advocate for climate change legislation.

She started alone but was soon joined by other young advocates. Videos and pictures of their strike caught attention online, and people worldwide started following suit. Now, among other initiatives, Fridays for Future plans an annual Global Climate Strike day, which took place this year on Sept. 23.

SEAJ’s group left Fordham’s Rose Hill campus to catch the speakers presenting at Battery Park. The group made signs the night before on pieces of reused cardboard. For many, the experience of traveling and attending

the strike with other Fordham students was powerful.

“I think what stuck with me was the fact that I was able to attend the strike with an amazing group of people from Fordham,” said SEAJ’s secretary, Zainab Ali, FCRH ’24. “I have always attended strikes by myself and met people along the way, however making posters and commuting to Battery Park was very special.”

The strike focused on how young people can help reverse the effects of climate change. Some speakers like Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou urged students to take action by voting on local bills to help reverse climate change in New York City. Others, like White House advisor Jerome Foster II, spoke about how climate change disproportionately affects communities and people of color.

“My favorite part of the strike was hearing an advisor from the White House speak. It was inspiring to see a young representative using his voice in politics. We don’t see that much,” said Ali. Young Indigenous leaders from South and Central American communities came to the New York City strike to speak about how climate change has affected their lives.

“I enjoyed listening to all the speeches given by Indigenous Youth Activists. It was incredibly inspiring that they were able to come to the strike and to hear about the work that needs to be done,” said Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24,

treasurer of SEAJ. Ali and Chandra Sekharan echoed common sentiments presented at the strike. They think that young people, specifically college students, need to take action against climate change.

“College students are the prime voters because there are so many of us, and we have access to education,” said Ali. “Climate change is also a generational issue. If this gets worse we will have to live with constant fear and anxiety, from surviving floods in our own campus to deciding whether we should have children in the future.”

Chandra Sekharan thinks that students should use the independence that they have in college to take action for climate justice, given that climate

change is a pressing issue.

“College students are for the most part stepping out into their own independence for the first time,” said Chandra Sekharan.

“Our first intentional and independent actions as adults must have climate change as a factor even if it is indirect as we are already falling behind.”

According to Ali, there are many ways that college students can get involved in the climate movement.

“I would say [college students can get] involved in voting for representatives of the youth and making sustainability our goal for our future careers, whether it is business, art, politics, etc,” said Ali. Chandra Sekharan also said that students should be petitioning and voting for climate

reform, but that there are also ways to be more environmentally conscious in everyday life. She said that “rinsing recyclable items before putting them in the bin [and] being intentional with single-use items being bought as well as clothes,” are easy ways to help the environment.

SEAJ has attended Friday for Future’s climate strikes in the past. SEAJ is also attempting to change their name from Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice to Students for Environmental Justice and Action. According to Chandra Sekharan, the club has moved past environmental awareness and now focuses on actions related to the issue.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

On Friday in Manhattan, Friday for Future's Global Climate Strike occured.

Senior Writes Musical About Shanghainese Immigrant

By ALICE GAALSWYK STAFF WRITER

For the past three years, Miguel Sutedjo, FCRH ’23, has been working on writing his own musical for his senior thesis project.

Over the summer, Sutedjo, who is studying music, international political economy and Mandarin, received a grant from the university to participate in the Narnia International Vocal Arts Festival in Narni, Italy. At this festival, Sutedjo had the opportunity to premiere two new theatric vocal works, an art song and a musical theater scene. Sutedjo was also able to have his pieces performed by professional musicians and singers.

“Using the knowledge that I gained while workshopping and premiering those pieces, I have since come back and used the tools that I have learned from there to inform this musical that I’m working on,” said Sutedjo.

Writing this musical has been an ongoing process for Sutedjo, but using the musical as his senior thesis project has provided him with a more rigid framework and structure to complete the work.

The musical, entitled “A Taste” is Sutedjo’s reflection on the Asian American hustle culture that is present in America.

The plot centers around a Shanghainese businessman father and his jazz pianist son who

move from Shanghai to New York City’s Chinatown. The son decides to explore the city’s jazz culture against the wishes of his father, who wants him to follow the standard, more traditional path of studying and going to college. Within the musical, Sutedjo explores the themes of the conflict between passions and practicality and how American society defines success.

Sutedjo wrote the first song for his musical many years ago.

The song is used in a scene during which the main character reflects on his life as he prepares to move from Shanghai to New York City with his father.

COURTESY OF MIGUEL SUTEDJO

Sutedjo's musical focuses on a Shanghainese immigrant in New York City and his relationship with his father.

After this initial song, Sutedjo started to construct an outline for the plot of the musical and the story he wanted to convey.

After nailing down this outline, Sutedjo wrote the songs and the script for the musical.

Then Sutedjo focused on revising, editing and receiving feedback from his advisor here at Fordham, Eric Bianchi, Ph.D., of the music department.

“That process varies from day to day, some days I’ll be writing a new number, some days I’ll be going out and studying a musical’s libretto or score and seeing what I can learn from that and doing that analysis to inform my own work,” said Sutedjo.

Some of Sutedjo’s classes this semester, like Asian diasporic literatures and a class on famed composer Stephen Sondheim, have also been extremely helpful and relevant to his project as well.

Throughout his entire life, Sutedjo has always been extremely involved in music and in many different types of musical disciplines.

He started classical piano at the age of three and later switched to jazz piano during high school. He also participated in musical theater during high school.

“For me, I knew I wanted to try it out because I felt like writing musicals combines all of my skill sets into one project, but as I

kept on working on it, it’s really been sort of the culmination of not only my artistic journey over these past 21 years but also intellectually how I view myself as an Asian American facing a lot of the same issues regarding hustle culture,” said Sutedjo.

This element of the musical is essential for Sutedjo. He said that he strives to be “emotionally autobiographical” in the work that he creates.

Looking towards the future, Sutedjo hopes that in the spring, he can put on some sort of reading or performance of his musical.

Since the musical meditates on the Asian American experience, Sutedjo wants to use a cast made up of entirely AAPI performers.

He is unsure whether or not he will have to look outside of Fordham for these resources.

After that, Sutedjo says that he would love to be able to do some sort of professional production of the show, but he mostly will just be reaching out to people and seeing where the project can go.

“But at the end of the day, I think for me, writing this piece is not only just a musical that I’m doing but an emotionally charged, memory type work as well, and I think that the process of it has already been so fulfilling that I think that for me, it’s enough reward even if it doesn’t go anywhere,” said Sutedjo.

OPINION

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R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

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September 28, 2022

From the Desk | Nicoleta Papavasilakis

My Failures Are Integral to My Resume I hate updating my resume and writing cover letters. Every time I feel like a phony. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve never fabricated my accomplishments, pretended I speak five different languages or feigned a black belt in karate. I’ve done everything I listed, like announcing for the New Balance Armory Track, hosting for WFUV public radio and speaking not five, but three different languages. That being said it still doesn’t feel right; a crucial part of myself is missing in the job descriptions — my f*** ups. And trust me, I have plenty.

In my resume under the title of WFUV host/reporter I write: Hosted daily “What’s What” podcast covering current events, culture, news and hot topic issues in the New York Metropolitan Area.

Here’s what’s missing. When I started hosting for WFUV, it was a nightmare. The “What’s What” podcast made its debut this past summer and the whole goal of it is to make news as conversational and accessible as possible. This was easier said than done. Creating the script for the first time seemed simple enough, but actually recording it was a whole other story. When I introduced myself, I couldn’t pronounce my own last name correctly and it was all downhill from there.

Although they were my words on paper, I could not get through a complete sentence without messing up. When I finally finished, I

sounded robotic and disconnected from the context of the news itself. I reported on a fun disco event at Lincoln Center with as much enthusiasm as reading off a grocery list. I cringed when I listened back to it and still refuse to revisit that first episode. Nonetheless, it was a valuable experience; I realized that I had to write in a way that suits my voice. It made me consider, “Would I really say something like that?” I learned to say my words with purpose.

Journalists are taught to be objective, but I’ve learned to connect to stories in this way and reflect the appropriate tones in my voice, rather than just reading words from a script.

Here’s another example of one of my accomplishments from my resume, working at the Armory: Organized and hosted awards ceremonies at the 2022 New Balance Indoor Nationals.

This sounds more glamorous than it actually was. The New Balance Indoor Nationals is one of the most prestigious track events that takes place at the Armory. It’s a three-day televised production where the fastest high schoolers gather from across the country for the chance to compete and win champion titles. It was my job to announce the awards, but there was a lot more to it than that.

What I would like to put on the resume is how I ran more than those kids that weekend, frantically going back and forth

from the podium to the timing room to retrieve the winning results five minutes before each awards ceremony. I’d like to write down how I had to smile and try to pronounce each unfamiliar name as I heard my two bosses curse each other out through my headset. And of course, the most glamorous part of the job was explaining to parents that their kids were not getting the top prize — a set of airpods — because they didn’t win first place. I know that these aren’t necessarily failures, but they were definitely obstacles that I had to overcome. They speak more to how I can handle pressure than

simply “Organized and Hosted Awards.”

I obviously can’t put these explanations in my resume, especially when I am confined to the standard one page limit. A portfolio is meant to showcase an applicant’s best work, but my failures are as informative as my successes, if not more. I have learned to be flexible and versatile, to think out of the box when things don’t go my way. I, like many others, am not a product of accomplishments alone.

I had to fall, f*** up and start over again to get to the onesentence descriptions I write on my resume.

Editorial | Fordham Dining

Babylon is a Rare Glimmer of Green from Aramark In the McShane Campus Center’s Marketplace, Fordham recently introduced a new microfarm display: Babylon. Babylon, a glass box housing a micro farm, also features a large standee that advertises the sustainability, health and the generally net-positive eco-friendliness in the display.

According to Deming Yaun, the university’s dining contract liaison, the greens grown within the Babylon display will be directly used in select foods from the Marketplace cafeteria.

The introduction of Babylon is not the only initiative in recent memory that suggests the university is starting to promote healthier, more sustainable and greener eating habits among its students. An email from Fordham Hospitality Services showcased “La Latina Cocina,” a limited-time Latin-based dish pop-up at both campuses and Vegan Pizza pop-ups also at both campuses. A sign at the front of the Marketplace advises students to try fresh vegetables, fruits, water, beans, whole grains and seafood to curb Type 2 Diabetes and weight gain.

While the sentiment for healthier eating practices is well appreciated, these promotions are

still a relatively small portion of the food served on campus (it isn’t easy to find fresh seafood on campus). This is largely because a near-total majority of food present on campus is serviced and provided by Aramark.

According to Is It Bad For You?, an organization of Board Certified medical doctors and nutritionists, Aramark has “a long, checkered past with providing sub-par food” and its food “should be avoided as much as possible.” The site also suggests an alternative from Aramark: a homemade lunch.

The website goes through a number of incidents in which Aramark has shown negligence in clean food distribution (including maggots found in food preparation for Michigan prisoners) and generally cutting corners for food safety, suggesting that Aramark’s forprofit mindset may be actively unhealthy for students who are forced to consume these products.

Chances are, someone you know, be it a classmate or roommate, has been the victim of some form of food poisoning from on-campus meals.

Outside of meals prepared by Aramark or the small amounts

COURTESY OF NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Dining promotes healthy eating.

of healthy food promotions, the other alternative students can find are the processed and manufactured food products in stock at P.O.D. (or Provisions on Demand).

These products, like Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals, dry ramen, chips and snack foods, are notoriously unhealthy. There are not many options on campus available to students looking to better their nutritional habits.

Overall, the quality of food on Fordham’s campus is lacking in nutritional value or health benefits, despite the fact that Fordham advertised otherwise.

There are multiple avenues that the university can take to improve the quality of its food, the largest and most substantial change being to cut ties with Aramark. There have already been a number of student movements and calls-to-action for the company’s removal, both at Fordham and at many other universities across the country.

Until Fordham cuts ties with the perpetually disappointing Aramark, the quality of food on this campus and Fordham dining will continue to not meet the bare minimum of the nutritional needs of its students.

OPINION

September 28, 2022

Page 7

Claims of a Far-Right Rise are Overexaggerated

By PETER MCGOWAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In both Sweden and Italy, the emergence of far-right political leaders has taken the two European nations by storm.

Sweden’s far-right political party, the Democrats, have recently risen to take second place in the country’s elections, and have been described as having its roots in neo-Nazism.

Meanwhile, Giorgia Meloni’s election as prime minister of Italy has drawn attention to the far-right roots of her party, the Brothers of Italy, and its ties to the Italian fascism of Benito Mussolini. While it may seem as though this trend of rightwing victory in Europe suggests a shift to the political right globally, and particularly in the West, this is not necessarily the case when examining the politics of the last several years.

While Meloni’s victory in Italy could be seen as a triumph for the far-right, suggesting a trend in a swing to the right of politics, it simply seems to be an outlier in the larger political arena. Italy has a number of factors that make it more hospitable to right-wing

leadership, such as a strong tie to conservative religious values, and a struggling economy that many in the country blame on the country’s ties to the European Union, seeing globalism as a threat to Italy.

However, it would be foolish to suggest that Meloni’s government will be in power for a long period of time, at least by American standards. As observers have noted, Italy has a long history of governmental instability. According to The Economist, “Italy will have its 70th government since the end of the second world war — on average, one every 13 months.”

Arguably, the global populist right’s largest recent victory came in 2016, with the election of Donald Trump as the U.S. president. At the time, this was also suggested as a global turning point, in which the far right had taken control of the political narrative and would only see more wins in the future. As it turns out, this was not the case, as Trump was defeated, with record turnout, in the 2020 presidential election, only serving a single term. In his first two years in office, Biden has pushed legislation that has

a more populist bend, but to the left instead of the right. According to Ross Douthat of the New York Times, Biden was able to flip Trump’s narrative into a victory for the left, disproving of the theory that the right wing is the dominant ideology in America. “So now comes Biden, in a sense, to simply scoop up elements of Trumpian populism and try the trick himself.”

The far-right wing also saw a defeat in France in April, when incumbent President Emmanuel Macron beat back a challenge from Marine Le Pen, a popular far-right figure, whose party had once engaged in Holocaust denial and championed extreme immigration restrictions. This again showed people’s displeasure with the insurgent right, making the not-always-so-popular Macron the first French president to be reelected in 20 years. According to CNN, French voters were uneasy with Le Pen’s stances on the most important European issues of today, stating that, “A Le Pen presidency would have fundamentally changed France’s relationship with the European Union and the West, at a time when the bloc

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Far-right victories in Sweden and Italy are not indicative of a larger trend.

and its allies rely on Paris to take a leading role in confronting some of the world’s biggest challenges — most notably, the war in Ukraine.” Again, the global right had another opportunity to pick up a key victory, and yet their message did not resonate with the voters.

Since the Leave campaign’s victory in the Brexit referendum in the U.K. in 2015, and Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president in 2016, there has been a narrative amongst political observers that the far right was becoming a dominant political force worldwide. However, victories for the global center to center left worldwide have disproved this theory. Not even including the prior examples, since then, former Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forced from power, Justin Trudeau has won two elections in Canada and following the ousting of Boris Johnston, the U.K. Conservative Party faces daunting poll numbers.

Perhaps increased political polarization has led to more people supporting parties or politicians on further opposite ends of the political spectrum.

However, this does not suggest a dominant far right. Instead, it is clear that they have lost more than they have won, and voters have been proven to be uncomfortable with their politics.

Peter McGowan, FCRH ’24, is a political science major from Rochester, N.Y.

People and Planet Over Profit — the Patagonia Way

By MICHELA FAHY

ASST. OPINION EDITOR EMERITA

The founder and owner of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, has given up his billionaire status and is funneling all revenue from his company into a nonprofit dedicated to fighting climate change. Chouinard wrote a letter to customers explaining this decision with the headline “Earth is now our only shareholder.” Such a claim can bring out the natural skepticism of consumers, many of whom are desperately trying to navigate the intentionally murky waters of ethical consumption. Is this yet another sneaky attempt to market capitalism and the extreme consumer culture of America as a positive thing? Although Chouinard’s intentions are well founded, I don’t think it will initiate a move towards this approach by billionaires in the long term.

“Despite its immensity, the Earth’s resources are not infinite, and it’s clear we’ve exceeded its limits. But it’s also resilient. We can save our planet if we commit to it,” said Chouinard. Transitioning to this precedent-setting business model is Chouinard’s attempt to ensure that Patagonia’s mission and values remain the top priority, regardless of who is in charge. This new approach to billionaire philanthropy is an unconventional move from Patagonia, forcing for-profit companies to reevaluate how they can remain relevant to an increasingly socially-conscious demographic of consumers.

The precedent Patagonia has set will certainly spark a larger

conversation about other companies’ responses to the climate crisis. This restructuring will make it more difficult for companies to hide behind an ambiguous model of social responsibility; progress can be made if company leaders are willing to let go of some of their wealth and redistribute it towards a greater purpose.

Chouinard went through many possibilities for a new business model, trying to find a happy medium between remaining profitable and sustained giving. Chouinard has been vocal about his discomfort with his “billionaire” status. “I didn’t want to be a businessman. Now I could die tomorrow and the company is going to continue doing the right thing for the next 50 years, and I don’t have to be around,” explained Chouinard.

The New York Times classified the founder as “an outsider who abhors excessive wealth” as Chouinard uncomfortably described his financial gains as Patagonia grew in popularity over the last five decades. The company has grown to be one of the most recognized for its commitment to its employees, its partners and its customers.

Chouinard is not interested in Patagonia conforming to be like its competitors and has remained steadfast in building a company that is led by its values first and its profits second. In a way, Patagonia is an extension of Chouinard himself and his values.

Ownership of the new company will be split between the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. The

Patagonia Purpose Trust will protect and promote the company’s mission by owning the voting stock of the company.

The Holdfast Collective will “use every dollar received to fight the environmental crisis, protect nature and biodiversity and support thriving communities.” 98% of the company’s profits will be used to ensure that “Patagonia makes good on its commitment to run a socially responsible business and give away its profits,” something that has never been a priority in federal legislation. With the birth of the Collective, Patagonia now has the non-profit status to be able to participate in political activism, in addition to advocating for social justice issues independently. All funding for both of these organizations will come from Patagonia.

Patagonia is a company that has consistently wrestled with its contributions to excessive consumption, an issue that seems to only accelerate every year. Patagonia famously had a campaign on Black Friday with the headline called “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” This advertisement was an attempt to encourage conscious spending on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The company recognized that this advertisement could be interpreted as hypocritical, explaining that it is more ridiculous to assume that a healthy economy can and needs to be sustained by buying more and more unnecessary goods. While this advertisement meant well, it wasn’t necessarily effective.

The advertisement didn’t have much success in stopping peo-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Patagonia is one of the rare clothing companies with a conscience.

ple from buying in excess. Yes, the advertisement is compelling and makes people think about the problems with Black Friday and the values of Patagonia.

This candid approach has aided in the company’s ability to have an honest dialogue with their customers about navigating American consumerism.

But it’s not like the company closed all of their storefronts on Black Friday; the company simply wanted to start a larger dialogue about our willingness to spend without blinking an eye, not take more impactful action. It was effective in its shock value, giving the company brownie points with its customers for calling out this superficial holiday, but their sales were still very successful, perhaps even more so with the help of that eye-catching advertisement. With the company’s past of focusing on ethical consumption and the recent restructuring of ownership, it prompts the question: How will this change in ownership impact other companies that claim to be just as transparent with customers?

It is no surprise that this type of business model was

created before any apparel or fashion sustainability legislation has been passed. Most fashion brands are not acutely interested in sustainability or fair labor practices, with company profits being the main priority. Although there are potential laws and regulations in the works, none are being established by self-made billionaires like Chouinard. Although it is notable that he and his family have taken an altruistic approach to their fortunes, I doubt that we will see other billionaires donate all of their earnings for the common good.

Although New York may have a Fashion Sustainability Act on the horizon, which would hold apparel companies accountable for combating climate change, there needs to be comprehensive legislation enacted within this industry. It is not enough to hope that every billionaire suddenly wants to be rid of their ties to fame and fortune and will prioritize people and planet over profit.

Michela Fahy, FCRH ’23, is an English and humanitarian studies major and Italian minor from Cedar Grove, N.J.

OPINION Martha’s Vineyard Residents: Better Leaders than Gov. DeSantis

Page 8

September 28, 2022

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Gov. DeSantis funded two flights to deliver migrants from San Antonio, Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

By EVAN MCMANUS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent action in Martha’s Vineyard was a ridiculous political stunt which did nothing to solve the migration crisis. The Florida governor paid for two flights to deliver migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard. Many of the migrants have told the media that they had been misled by a woman named Perla, who told them that they were going to be flown to Boston where they would receive help and work papers. Instead of ending up in a major city, they were flown to a small island during the off season. The expectations of work and housing that “Perla” promised were nowhere

to be seen. The migrants had been tricked just to serve as pawns in DeSantis’ antics.

It seems odd that the governor of a state that does not border Mexico is so interested in the southern border. There has been a large uptick in migrants traveling from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua who are allowed to stay in the country by claiming political asylum. DeSantis is interested in this migration because it represents a culture war, and it can be exploited in order to be viewed more favorably among right-wing Americans.

Right-wing pundits have constructed a narrative that American towns on the southern border are overflowing and stretched thin by migrants from Latin America.

They argue that large liberal cities are removed from this issue, which explains their more welcoming position, and that liberal cities should try receiving some share of the migrants. While this argument might make sense in some ways, the intentions behind this mindset are not good. This narrative’s purpose is not to help the migrants that have arrived in America, but instead further divide Americans on what should be done about the issue of immigration. This has happened here in New York, with many migrants being bussed to the city from Texas, an occurrence that has been focused on by right-wing media as a liberal hypocrisy.

Some may wonder why the governor would group Martha’s

Vineyard into the same category as New York City. However, it begins to make sense once you look into who lives and vacations there. In the 2020 election, 77% of the island’s residents voted for President Joe Biden. Many famous Democrats vacation there in the summertime, including former President Barack Obama, who owns a house on the island.

DeSantis saw this island as the perfect template for promoting his message of liberal elites being removed from the problems of the nation. He wanted the arrival of the migrants to throw the island into confusion so the stunt could be used as an example of liberals’ hypocrisy. However, the citizens of Martha’s Vineyard stepped up. Officials on the island had no heads up about the migrant’s arrival, but citizens came together and found 50 beds for migrants to sleep in and plenty of food for them to eat. Instead of the islanders coming off as the entitled rich liberals talked about on Fox News, they showed a generous community giving from the heart. In that moment, the citizens of Martha’s Vineyard displayed a crucial trait that DeSantis lacks: leadership. A good leader needs to care about the people under their watch. Once the migrants stepped onto the plane, they were DeSantis’ responsibility, and he immediately passed that responsibility to the residents of

Martha’s Vineyard.

When faced with a crisis, a good leader communicates and collaborates with other leaders.

One way of doing this could have been contacting the federal government and other state leaders to work together to find shelter for the migrants. Instead, Desantis did not even pick up the phone. He only thought of this situation on one simple level: a political stunt he could exploit for his reelection campaign and possible 2024 presidential run.

DeSantis is so absorbed in himself that he might not have even pondered what his own citizens would think about his antics. I’m sure many Floridians were pleased to learn that this whole affair cost them around $500,000. His mistreatment of the migrants may also strike a nerve with the many Cuban Americans voters who fled to Florida after the Cuban Revolution. Instead of being concerned about serving the citizens of Florida, Desantis seems more worried about trying to outdo former president Donald Trump in his outspoken anti-immigration stunts. It is a sad day in America when average American citizens in Martha’s Vineyard show more leadership than a sitting governor.

Evan McManus, FCRH ’25, is a political science major from Dover, Mass.

Outdated U.S. News & World Report Does Students a Disservice

By SARAH KENNY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The U.S. News & World Report college ranking system. You’ve probably heard of it. Your parents and tour guides may have referenced it while you dawdled around different colleges for visits — as long as it was a number worth bragging about.

Since 1983, the U.S. News & World Report has released a ranking of American colleges every year for students, families and college administrations to analyze. This system uses factors like graduation

and retention rates, social mobility, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty, student test scores, financial aid resources, average alumni giving rate and how much debt graduates have. The ranking caused more buzz than usual this year when the report dropped Columbia University to spot number 18 from its previous spot at number two. One of Columbia’s own math professors questioned the accuracy of the report based on the date the university submitted its data.

This brings up an important point: Colleges submit their own data. This fact raises

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

The ranking dropped Columbia University to spot number 18.

questions about the accuracy and helpfulness of the ranking system, two things which I argue are missing from the U.S. News & World Report.

I think a good place to start is the intended audience of the report. Obviously, it is intended for students and their families, but are students really the main audience? Or do their wants and needs get lost in the fray?

One reason that I believe the report is no longer helpful is because it has lost sight of its goal to help students. When the rankings come out, all the buzz goes toward which school is at the top of the list.

So much attention goes toward the schools at the top of the list, rather than simply celebrating the success of students being accepted into and attending college in general.

With student debt higher than ever, inconsistent job prospects within our current economic landscape and the increased cost of living, what college you attend should not matter as much as the fact that you have a degree.

By looking at any acceptance into college as a celebration, a ranking list starts to lose its relevance. In fact, a ranking system alone is not a very helpful way of determining if a college is a good fit. Visiting colleges, attending college promotional events hosted at your high school, speaking to

family members and friends about their college experiences and independent research are more personal and tailored approaches. Every student is different and has their own needs, so boiling down all of the colleges in America to a simple numbered list isn’t adequate.

This ranking system only shows that colleges feed into an elitist lens of higher education. By ranking Ivy League schools at the top, the U.S. News & World Report seems to favor elite schools over more accessible and affordable ones. This pushes a message of privilege, where some colleges are more valuable than others because of their prestige and high price tag.

That sort of message is no longer relevant in a world where college is a virtual necessity that comes at a steep price. How does this kind of ranking make students at community colleges feel? Some students may see their school’s rankings (or lack of a ranking) and feel bad. This is absolutely the wrong takeaway. Attending college, no matter at what school, and earning a degree is a major life accomplishment.

College is largely about developing a successful professional life. Part of that professional life is having access to a good network of people and attending a college with a positive reputation for your resume. An argument can be

made that a ranking list allows students to know exactly which schools will offer them the best network or reputation.

In reality, though, this ranking system does not necessarily provide an advantage in the professional world.

If anything, the ranking system most directly appeals to parents.

Parents may value a ranking system more than students because college used to have a more untouchable place in society.

Not everyone can attend college and graduating from college was seen as a jumpstart to a successful career. However, society has changed to a point where college is seen as more of a commonplace, given next step to a good paying job and stable adult life.

The U.S. News & World Report is a relic of a past American society where college rankings reflected the best of the best and provided for healthy competition among the nation’s brightest. The U.S. News & World Report must change to better reflect the needs of students applying to college.

This ranking system would do a disservice otherwise.

Sarah Kenny, FCRH ’24, is a political science major from Seattle, W.A.

OPINION

September 28, 2022

Page 9

You Shouldn’t Aspire To Be an Influencer

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

A study found that “54 percent of Americans ages 13 to 38 would become an influencer if given the chance.”

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

About a week ago, I started an inane Instagram account whose sole purpose is to make myself and my friends laugh. It has a humble following (though it is growing every day, thank you very much), and it brings me joy every time I see another follower join its ranks. I don’t want to say that I am an influencer (so please halt your eyerolls), but there is a unique kind of satisfaction to know that something I find funny is something other people find funny, too. In some small way, my content is welcoming other people with a sense of humor like me to share a slice of my worldview.

But no one should ever do this for a living.

I don’t mean to conflate my measly little account with social media influencers who have hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of devoted followers. But on the

micro level, let’s take a look at what influencing really is: It is a means of depersonalizing someone from an individual entity into a brand. On the macro level, it is the commodification and commercialization of the self.

Influencers can be defined in a variety of ways, but the general consensus is that they are individuals with a substantial social media following who use that presence to promote certain lifestyles or products. Right now, there are “between 3.2 million and 37.8 million influencers in the world [on] Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.” Influencing is capitalism at the most intimate level. Instead of relying on your art or a talent, like musicians and movie stars, to catapult you into fame your personality is the product being offered up for grabs. Influencers are a living, breathing brand — there is no separation between the person and the product. To garner fame, influencers are

selling their hair styling tips, workout routines, what they are making their kids for dinner or whatever else their niche may be, and they are de-privatizing their lives for profit. It merges the personal life and the work life, blurring a distinction that our society is craving, as evidenced by the trend of “quiet quitting.”

In an age where the government and tech companies are infringing upon our right to privacy or just straight up stealing our private information, influencers are openly forfeiting their right to privacy in exchange for fame and profit. On one hand, I think that it is unfathomable that somebody would be willing to commodify themselves like that, to turn themselves into a business, to boil down their identity and what they stand for into a promo code consumers can use to get 10% off plant-based supplements.

From a different perspective, though, isn’t influencing kind of like a small business? You

have to develop a product or find a niche audience you can connect with, grow that audience by partnering with other small businesses and maybe, once your store is big enough, you can cash out and sell to a huge retailer. (The influencer equivalent of this sort of success would be getting their own reality TV show, a way to have a steadier stream of income with a greater chance of catapulting themselves into household-name status.)

While influencing might have once been seen as an inconsequential passion project or side hustle, some influencers have reported earning a six-figure salary. According to Vox, “‘Influencer’ is now one of the most desired career paths for both children and adults.” The same article quotes a study that “found that 54 percent of Americans ages 13 to 38 would become an influencer if given the chance.” It’s easy to see why.

Influencers are similar to entrepreneurs in that they have ultimate freedom to produce whatever content they want.

They can create their own schedules and promote the causes and issues they care about.

But while influencing has undeniably increased in popularity and has clear incentives, it shouldn’t be a legitimate career path. Influencing is not a viable, sustainable way of life. Gen Z TikTok influencers have been saying that they feel burnt out by the demands that come with being a content creator, and that they are run down by the constant bullying they face in the comments section. In an interview for the New York Times, a young TikTok star said that “when creators do try to speak out on being bullied or burned out or not being treated as human, the comments all say, ‘You’re an influencer, get over it.’” Another lamented

the oversaturated influencer market on social media, saying “The over-saturation and this push for everyone to be a creator seems disingenuous … It seems like a cash grab.

It makes me feel very disposable, which maybe I am.”

A Harris Poll study asked 3,000 kids in the U.S. and U.K. what they would like to be when they grow up, having to choose between a profession as a teacher, a musician, a professional athlete, an astronaut and a YouTube influencer. Almost 30% of them chose to be an influencer.

This statistic makes me so sad and angry. Children should feel limitless. They should be dreaming about reaching the stars (literally) or teaching or studying something they are passionate about. They should be dreaming of a life bigger than their phone, of a career and livelihood where success is not measured by how many likes they get.

Young influencers have said that they feel “tied to a static, inauthentic identity.” The allure of influencer stardom is understandable, but nonetheless, it shouldn’t be something that children dream of.

While influencing has been somewhat legitimized in the past few years, it should never be thought of as a viable career path — because it’s not.

It commodifies your personality, shallows out your identity and leaves you with fans begging for more water even when your well has run dry.

And that is only if you’re so “lucky” to have a large following.

We’re waging a war on many fronts in the hopes of retaining our privacy and a space for authenticity. And influencers are forfeiting.

Nicole Braun, FCRH ’24, is an English major from Saddle River, N.J.

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September 28, 2022

Ukrainians Need Support with No-Strings-Attached

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship tries to support Ukrainians.

By SOFIKA LEVYTSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Providing Ukrainians in need with resources is important – but it needs to be done in a sensitive manner. The Lubetzky Family Foundation’s Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship is one new program that tries to support Ukrainians, giving 10 displaced college-aged Ukrainians $30,000 each to attend a university in the U.S. and participate as “democratic ambassadors.” According to the website, there are two phases: the first supports students already pursuing a degree for the 202223 school year, and the second will support students expected to study abroad in the U.S. in 2023.

Although this program is relatively new and little information is available on it, if its Ukrainian scholars are given a platform it will be extremely effective in educating Americans about Ukraine and benefiting the war-torn country.

This new program allows Americans to understand the many misconceptions about Ukraine

through Ukrainians’ perspectives. For instance, many argue that Ukraine is already practically Russian because of the large Russian-speaking population. This mindset ignores the history of bans on the Ukrainian language during periods of Russian colonial occupation. The fact that Ukrainian culture has been under attack for so long does not mean that those who were forced to adapt the Russian language for survival or relearn the art of pysanky making are any less Ukrainian.

In contrast, the continuation of Ukrainian culture despite Russification is proof of Ukrainians’ desire for self-determination. There are many more misconceptions about Ukraine, ranging from Ukraine being a political pawn of NATO to the common Russian propaganda that Ukraine is run by nazism. However, by giving Ukrainians a platform to truly speak about their survival as a country despite systematic erasure from foreign influences, these misconceptions can be combated.

Since the program has just begun, we cannot know what restrictions are placed on the 10 new “ambassadors of democratic values.” This scholarship program has the potential to do more harm than good if the scholars are forced to equate America’s fight for “democracy” to Ukraine’s war. When speaking about the program, founder José Andrés said, “[Scholars] represent the Frontline of Freedom and can remind American students who are their roommates and classmates, that democracy is worth fighting for.”

Democracy is worth fighting for, but Ukraine’s democracy is notably different from America’s. America is a very imperialistic country, and the “fight for democracy” mindset has led the U.S. government to carry out many acts of violence in other countries. American involvement in the Middle East, Vietnam and the Philippines are just a few examples of our sense of superiority in the international community and the imperialistic practices we as a country continue to perpetuate.

It is important that we, as Americans, do not attempt to turn Ukraine into another political pawn. Ukraine is its own country, with just as interesting and valid a culture as America’s and just as important a history. We need to recognize this distinction and not invest in Ukraine for the sake of expanding our influence in the East.

Ukrainians are not a pawn for Western political powers. Ukraine deserves self-determination from both Russia and America.

Hence, Western support should

not be treated as an expansion of Western imperialism. America forces other countries, such as Ukraine, under its influence financially. “With a monthly fiscal shortfall of $5 billion, Ukraine is heavily reliant on foreign financing from Western allies,” according to Reuters. Given Ukraine’s economic losses, Ukraine will not be capable of paying its large debt towards the West anytime soon.

Essentially, once Ukraine gains its independence, America will still have influence over Ukraine.

To provide Ukraine with the freedom that it deserves, America needs to provide support with a no-strings-attached mindset.

A no-strings-attached mindset is the only way to fully support and encourage Ukraine’s right to self-determination, and it is also one America agreed upon in the Budapest Memorandum, which states “the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine…if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression.” I would like to emphasize that it is still crucial that we send support and weapons to Ukraine. In exchange for Ukraine’s third largest supply of nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union collapsed, America agreed to support Ukraine’s right to selfdetermination. We need to follow through on our treaties and provide unconditional support to Ukraine.

So how likely is the scholarship program to respect Ukraine’s right to self-determination? Will it mere-

ly continue America’s imperialistic practices? One way the program could be improved upon would be to directly fund schools in Ukraine.

This direct focus on Ukrainian education would be more beneficial than having an indirect one, where Ukrainians are being educated in America. Overall, however, given the genuine effort the founders have put into Ukraine as well as the scholarship’s emphasis on returning the Ukrainian scholars back to Ukraine, this program will likely give the support, financial assistance and resources that citizens desperately need.

Right now, Ukrainians are facing horrors that many of us cannot comprehend. Ukrainians have been displaced, raped and murdered by the imperialistic mindset. Death, erasure and war are part of Ukrainians’ everyday life. Ukrainians are strong and capable, but they are still in need of our support. Programs such as the Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship provide the much needed financial and moral support that we, as Americans, owe to Ukraine, a country fighting for all of Europe’s stability right now.

We should continue to give to Ukraine without expecting any political influence or sway within the country in return and remember to let Ukrainians speak and act for themselves.

Slava Ukraini.

Sofika Levytsky, FCRH ’26, is undecided from Parsippany, N.J.

Celebrities and Their Get-Out-of-Jail Free Cards

By EDEN COTTONE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Asking “do celebrities receive lighter sentences for the crimes they commit?” is like asking if the sky is blue. Short answer: yes. Time and time again, our justice system has catered to the rich and famous — who else would be able to afford the insanely high bail posted?

On Sept. 15, rapper and Bronx native Cardi B was on trial for a variety of charges: third-degree assault, seconddegree reckless endangerment and 10 other charges that were dismissed.

The rapper originally faced up to four years in prison for the indictments against her. After taking the plea deal, Cardi B walked out with just 14 days of community service. 14 days of community service is drastically different from four years in prison.

The cherry on top was Cardi B’s post on Twitter after she received her sentence: this carousel post includes pictures of Cardi B and her lawyer in court, walking into court and even a selfie, captioned “Puuuurrrrrr.”

Cardi B is not the only example of a celebrity receiving a noticeably light sentence for a crime committed. How could

we forget the infamous college admissions scandal?

Felicity Huffman, a famous American actress, was one of the main celebrities involved in this criminal case after she paid $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT answers corrected. The actress faced up to four months in prison, but after taking the plea deal, Huffman walked out with a significantly lighter sentence: 14 days in prison, a fine of $30,000 and 250 hours of community service. A $30,000 fine would be devastating for many families, but for celebrities like Huffman, it is just a drop in the ocean. In fact, Huffman’s fine is only two times what she willingly paid for fraudulent SAT results.

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were also involved in the college admissions scandal. The couple paid $500,000 in bribes to ensure admission to the University of Southern California for their daughters, Olivia and Isabella.

Loughlin’s role in the scandal was probably the most publicized as a result of daughter Olivia Jade’s YouTube channel, where she vlogged her days at the university, complaining about having to attend college.

Loughlin ended up with a more intense sentence than

Huffman. Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison, a hefty fine of $150,000 and 100 hours of community service.

Giannulli also received a significant sentence. He faced five months in prison, a $250,000 fine and 250 hours of community service.

Though the sentence was heftier than what other celebrities involved in the same scandal faced, I am still not convinced that it was a just sentence. These couples committed crimes like money laundering and mail fraud, and still, it seems they were able to buy their way out.

I would be remiss not to mention the infamous scandal of celebrity Martha Stewart.

Stewart was charged with conspiracy, obstruction, security fraud (which was eventually dismissed) and two counts of lying to federal investigators in 2004. Stewart walked out with not just the minimal sentence — a $30,000 fine, five months in prison and five months of house arrest — but also a stronger fan base, starting the slogan “Save Martha” and seeing an increase in her company’s stock.

Somehow, this trial seemed to result in a positive outcome for Stewart’s million-dollar company. Stewart gained popularity and wealth from her trial. She

also seemed to maintain her aura of innocence throughout the entirety of the trial, despite all the evidence against her.

While reflecting on these celebrity cases, there is one aspect that sticks out to me the most: the money.

Each and every one of these criminal celebrities was not only able to pay the expensive fines they faced, but also had the opportunity to get the best lawyers. Cardi B was defended by Drew Findling, who is literally known as the “#BillionDollarLawyer.” There is clearly a trend of celebrities getting off easier, or even benefiting from the trial itself, as in Stewarts’s case.

Do celebrities think of certain crimes as acceptable to commit because they can buy their way out? The history of celebrity crime seems to point toward “yes.”

The crimes committed by celebrities often involve the pursuit of more money and prestige, and yet somehow they can always afford to buy their way out. Ironic.

Money might not be able to buy happiness, but how much longer are we going to allow celebrities to buy get-out-ofjail-free cards?

Eden Cottone, FCRH ’26, is a journalism major from Wilmington, Del.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

On Sept. 15, famous rapper and Bronx native Cardi B went on trial.

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September 28, 2022

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Who’s That Kid | Catherine Froehlich, FCRH ’23

Senior Pursues Environmental Research

By PIA FISCHETTI MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

Research can be a challenging yet rewarding part of any STEM student’s academic journey. This past spring, Catherine Froehlich, FCRH ’23, decided on a research topic that allows her to combine her areas of interest within the field of biology.

The objective of Froehlich’s research is to determine how pollution and urbanization impact soil microbial communities. The idea for this topic came to fruition with the help of her mentor.

“We were brainstorming different topics and I liked the idea of this one because I enjoy the ecology side of biology but also the molecular and genetics side, and so it’s kind of a combination of the two,” said Froehlich.

Regarding the fieldwork involved, Froehlich has chosen to investigate the soil microbes in three distinct categories of sites: urban, suburban and rural, or ex-urban. “We take soil samples from each of these types of locations and then we pull out the DNA, analyze it and send it off for sequencing,” Froehlich explained. Specifically, within each site she is collecting samples from riparian areas, which are located near a water source.

Froehlich described the purpose

of this fieldwork as two-fold.

“We’re trying to see if any pollution in the water has an effect on the soil microbes,” she said, “and also if it being an urban area affects the soil microbes.”

Though still in the early stages of her research, some of the field and lab work required for the project has already begun.

“Over the summer we went to the Botanical Gardens and we collected soil samples from the Thain Family Forest,” said Froehlich. “Then we went into the lab and performed DNA extraction to get the DNA out of the soil.” She hopes to complete the majority of the fieldwork this fall, which entails visiting six additional sites including Van Cortlandt Park, the Calder Center and Fahnestock State Park.

Froehlich has yet to gather findings as she is waiting until all of the samples have been collected before sending them off for sequencing. She is also waiting to hear back about the research grant she applied for earlier this semester, which would provide extra funding for her project. In the meantime, Froehlich is hard at work on other aspects of her research venture. “We’re trying to test out our fieldwork techniques and make sure everything is going smoothly for all of our other sites that we plan to visit,” she said.

Froehlich admitted that it can be difficult finding the time to focus on her research. On top of having to handle the demanding course load of a STEM student, she is also the president of University Choir and the vice president and co-founder of Dance Co-op, Fordham’s allinclusive dance group.

“I’m only taking three classes this semester, which has been a nice change from my 21-credit semesters in the past,” said Froehlich. “But I still feel like it’s a lot being a club leader of two different clubs because I’m not only in the club, but I also have to run it.”

Nonetheless, Froehlich remains optimistic in her endeavors.

“Luckily,” she said, “my mentor is very flexible and so I can basically conduct my research at whatever time works for me.” With that said, she is hoping to find the time to complete some more fieldwork in the near future.

If daunting coursework, frequent extracurriculars and a looming research project weren’t enough, Froehlich is also on track to graduate a semester early, forcing her to think about life after Fordham.

“I probably want to attend grad school and get another degree, but I don’t really know what I would want it to be in,”

said Froehlich when discussing her plans after graduation.

“So I’m kind of holding off and seeing if I can get a job in the field like a lab technician or just helping out with research in some way.”

In terms of which field she wants to specialize in, Froehlich is keeping her options open.

“Two years ago I worked for the New York State Department of Health as a contact tracer and that was a cool experience, so I

feel like public health could be in my future,” Froehlich said. “I also was considering something like genetic counseling,” she added, “which is when you help patients see their genetic risks for certain diseases.”

Whichever career path she chooses to pursue, Froehlich will surely approach it with the same determined attitude and strong work ethic that she applies to her research project and all other endeavors.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Froehlich conducts microbiological research on soil samples.

“Cobra Kai” Season 5 Packs Its Biggest Punch Yet

By HANNAH BORING ASST. COPY CHIEF

*Spoiler Warning* The season four finale of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” showed the culmination of the bet that set the stage for the future of karate in the California Valley. So, in the recently-released season five, it would be expected that all this dojo madness would be behind the senseis.

But, apparently the one thing men are better at than honoring bets is holding on to decadeslong rivalries.

Before I get into this season, I’ll give a slight spoiler warning.

I’ll try my best to not reveal too much of the newest season, but since season four came out in December 2021, that and everything before it is fair game.

To recap the intense season four finale, Daniel LaRusso’s (Ralph Macchio) Miyagi-Do and Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) Eagle Fang fought hard at the 51st All-Valley Karate Tournament to keep their dojos alive against the ferocious Cobra Kai, led by John Kreese (Martin Kove) and the newest of the returning senseis, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Miyagi-Do’s Eli Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand) defeated Cobra Kai’s Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), but Cobra Kai’s Tory Nichols (Peyton List) defeated Miyagi-Do’s Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser) in the finals, leading to an unfortunate Cobra Kai tournament win. Tory later

discovers that her and the team’s win was inevitable, as she finds Silver paying the referee after the tournament, so per the bet placed by the senseis, Myagi-Do and Eagle Fang had to shut down. Basically, it’s a mess.

And so, we carry this mess into season five: Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) in Mexico searching for his father, Johnny and Robby trying to be a family, Daniel and Sam unwilling to let go of Miyagi-Do, Tory battling with her guilt and all of them wondering, “What do we do now?”

The answer: grow. Season five intensely focuses on character growth and, to spotlight a few, Zabka, List and Maridueña gave their best performance to show their characters’ evolutions.

Johnny has spent the majority of the series trying to right the wrongs of his selfish past, and while his way may not be conventional, his effort is undeniable.

In season five, he works to mend his relationship with Robby while also finding a new family with the Diaz’s. Zabka performs excellently, showcasing a different, more nurturing side of a character that has often been viewed as the villain. But that doesn’t mean comedy went out the window — we can always count on Zabka to keep the laughs rolling during the most intense scenes, what would “Cobra Kai” be without Johnny making a sarcastic drunk comment while getting beat up by multiple karate masters?

On the other hand, everything

Tory has done has been for others — every accomplishment, every chore, every fight. When she won the All-Valley, it symbolized that she was the best at something, not because she needed to be but because she wanted to be. But unfortunately, the paid-off referee shattered the confidence she had in herself. With this, Tory learns from the mistakes she’s made and tries to fix them, hoping to

prove that she is no longer a selfish girl with a knack for getting into fights, but rather that she is a young woman who wants to do the right thing but just doesn’t know how. Tory’s actions are misunderstood by other characters, and she is a perfect example of how there is good and bad in all of us, but it is what you do with it that makes the difference. Where Johnny’s story treads more lightly,

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

“Cobra Kai” pushes its characters to new depths in its latest season.

Tory’s is dark and emotional, and I can only applaud List for her gutwrenching performance.

The more heartfelt scenes excel in the hands of Maridueña. He has always been a talent in this series, but this season truly demonstrates his improvement as an actor. This season brings back the Miguel we saw at the beginning of the series — the insecure new kid who just wants to prove himself.

When Miguel finally gets to break down, Maridueña shines, blending the Miguel we first knew with the young man he has grown into.

Real talk: I had never seen “Cobra Kai” prior to the Sept. 9 release of season five. So, as one does, I spent around two weeks binging the whole series. Watching that many episodes in a row produces an unfathomable amount of emotions, but the one I felt the most at the end of this season was confliction. I would love to see another season in the future, however if this is where the series ends, I would be content. I would feel relief knowing that these kids are done with this worthless fight that started well before they were born. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: They have grown. Every character in this show had a beautifully executed arc filled with trials, tribulations and redemptions.

So, if creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg decided to end it here, they end it with the knowledge that they gave these characters the best outcome they could have gotten, and that is all any fan could hope for.

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September 28, 2022

Classics Club Visits the Met Chroma Exhibit

By MELISSA NG

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham’s Classics club made a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday, Sept. 25. They went in order to see the new Met Chroma exhibit. The exhibit,

officially called “Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color,” includes recreations of classic Greek and Roman sculptures in color. Before the excursion, I had the opportunity to interview club president Samantha Armacost, FCRH ’24, and

vice president Madison Ryan, FCRH ’23, about the exhibit.

The first question I asked was why they chose to attend the Met’s Chroma exhibit. Both Armacost and Ryan agreed that, with it being the first club trip of the semester, it was the per-

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

The Met’s new exhibit uses technology and archaeology to reimagine classic, ancient statues in color.

fect opportunity to expose new members to something the classics club is all about: the appreciation of Greek and Roman culture.

Armacost said, “The idea of sculptures and paintings are interesting, something of common interest for the club’s demographic. It’s a classics focused exhibit and it would expose them to more than the blank marble statues they’re used to seeing.” It was clear both e-board members are passionate about their club and are dedicated to sharing their passions, using this experience to create intrigue and desire to learn more about the cultural aspect of the classics.

When asked how the exhibit shifts our perception of ancient Rome and Greece, both made it clear that it would create more of an appreciation for the artists at the time.

“People already admire the life-like sculpting, but when adding the color accuracy on top of that, it amplifies the skills of those artists, which is pretty cool,” said Ryan.

Armacost added, “We don’t truly see the talent of the artists until you’re physically in front of it. Although the white marble look is beautiful in itself, when the color is added it completely changes the vibe and gives a new perception on

ancient Greek and Roman art.

The statues without color have god-like appearances, but with the paint it humanizes them, shifting from an unrealistic physical standard to a more relatable one. That, I think, truly shows the skill level.”

The club presidents were absolutely correct when it came to what people would get out of this trip. After having gone to the Met and visiting the Greek and Roman exhibit countless times beforehand, the new Chroma exhibit was a breath of fresh air. I, along with other members and visitors, stood in awe at each new piece, just imagining the talent it takes to create something so detailed and lifelike at such an old time. The smallest details of the skin tones, the patterns on a vase or even drops of blood on a boxer, were unbelievable to witness in person standing besides the typical plain white marble. The Met did an amazing job with the replications, all thanks to the Aretê Foundation/Betsy and Ed Cohen.

If you have an interest in Greek and Roman culture or simply just like visiting museums, I highly recommend stopping by the Chroma exhibit. It’ll help you see ancient sculptures and their creators in a new light.

Studying Abroad| London, England

The Value of Unplanned Experiences Abroad

By JAMISON RODGERS COLUMNIST

When the Fordham London Centre announced that the liberal arts weekend trip would be to Lille, France, I did not know what to expect. The small city in northern France was unfamiliar to me, but my excitement grew with the anticipation of exploring a new place with a group of new friends. As we pulled into the train station of this French city, I knew that we were gearing up to have an incredible, fun-filled weekend in a gorgeous, Parisian-lookalike city.

Immersed in French culture, I was able to learn more about sustainability efforts in Europe, which is a more popular movement here than in the United States. I tried traditional dishes from northern France and Belgium such as carbonnade flamande, a beef and beer stew. I strolled the idyllic streets of Lille, window shopping and absorbing the picturesque views. However, by far, the best experience I had during the trip was paddle boarding one morning.

Let me set the scene for you.

Myself and a group of four other intrepid travelers bundled up to brave the cloudy, 55-degree morning dedicated to water sports. We steeled our nerves over the potential of falling

overboard into the chilly drink and climbed aboard. As we waded farther down the canal, our worries seemed to be for nothing. On shaky legs and with crossed fingers, we were all able to stand up and paddle down the tranquil waterway.

The quiet streets flowed past us as we took in the morning.

Then, when all seemed to be going swimmingly, the floodgates opened. In the span it took to cross underneath one side of a bridge to the other, it had started to pour. We all stood in the rainstorm, exchanging stunned looks about what to do and questioning our decision to not wear a rain jacket. We quickly made our way back to the bridge in a vain attempt to not get any more wet. As we crouched on our boards together, waiting out Mother Nature, the faint echoes of a song start to reverberate through the space.

I glanced behind me to find one of my friends, standing in the pouring rain, singing “It’s Raining Men” as if it was a sunny day on the beach.

At this point all I, and everyone else being serenaded by Bradley, could do was laugh.

Sometimes traveling does not always go as planned, but, in my experience, that makes for an even better story to tell when you get back. The cherry on top of the whole adventure

was successfully making it back to the dock without anyone taking a dive into the water.

As we made our way back to the hotel after this laughtersoaked adventure, I could not help but reflect on the saying of valuing experiences more than things. Through this experience and others that I have been privileged enough to have, I find that I agree with this colloquialism more and more. Here are some other experiences that have become treasured memories since the start of this semester: going out dancing with people who have become close friends, spectating a football match, seeing my first queer revisioning of Shakespeare’s works, trying my first traditional Sunday roast, touring the Harry Potter studios and watching the Queen’s funeral in Hyde Park.

Traveling requires a lot of flexibility which is not a quality that comes naturally for me (think more along the lines of making to-do lists for my to-do lists). However, sometimes things do not go as planned, no matter how many to-do lists you write. Weather happens, flights get canceled, you miss your exit on the train and watch as your destination whizzes past you. It’s easy to focus on all the things that went wrong, but I think it makes it more fun and memorable if

you find something to laugh at or at least smile about. I now have a great story to tell about the time I went paddle boarding in France in a downpour

and I hope, by the end of this experience, I have many more just like that one to tell. I just have to remember to pack an umbrella next time.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Keeping an open mind to new experiences can help create great memories.

September 28, 2022

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Bronx Business Highlight | Dragon Tea

Trying Off-Campus Boba at the New “Dragon Tea”

By CLAIRE KRIEGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Boba tea has become extremely popular in the U.S., with the tapioca-filled drink shops seeming to pop up on every street corner in New York. At this point, everyone has had or at least heard of the novelty beverage.

It is truly an acquired taste, and opinions range anywhere from distaste for the texture of the pearls to the group that absolutely loves it. There are only a few boba places near Fordham in the Bronx, and while we do have a boba spot on campus in the McShane Campus Center basement, I ventured out to try a new business that just opened over by 187th Street called Dragon Tea. Dragon Tea opened on Aug. 21 and is a part of a New Yorkbased chain. Their menu features Taiwanese milk tea, bubble tea, taro milk tea, coffee and a range of other tasteful creations.

Their five most popular drinks include strawberry honey lemonade, bubble milk tea, brown sugar boba with bubbles, taro fresh milk and passion fruit jasmine green tea.

The interior of the boba shop itself is open and modern, with slick silver walls, white countertops and grand opening flags still blowing outside to signify the new establishment. When we visited the shop, the patio doors were all open and it was a great spot to enjoy a drink while enjoying the nice weather, even

though you were inside.

You place your order on a remotely operated screen when you first walk in instead of putting it with a person. Instead of feeling impersonal or too robotic, it was immensely convenient to order on the computer. We were able to place orders quickly with no hassle, and you can even order boba from the store online so it is ready when you get there and can avoid the wait.

To keep it simple, I got the brown sugar boba with 50% sugar instead of the normal level as it is a pretty popular flavor (and my own personal favorite). I was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing the ratio of sweetness to milk there was in the drink. I am not a huge fan of overly sweet drinks, so the 50% sugar was the perfect level of sweetness. However, if you have a sweet tooth, I’d recommend going for the full 100%. It also contained the perfect amount of tapioca pearls, not too overwhelming but also not sparse. And the pearls themselves were just as chewy as I hoped they would be without having a starchy or sticky consistency.

Overall, the price came out to be about $6.50. However, I substituted out normal milk in my boba for oat milk, a modification I did not know you could do until I came here, so the price for an unmodified drink would be less.

Not only is that cheaper than our school’s boba, but I think Dragon Tea is better-quality boba than Dagger John’s. While conve-

nient, there is spectacular boba right outside campus gates. The high-tech ordering system also makes the purchase even more exciting. It is only a 10 minute walk from the Walsh turnstile, which might be a shorter commute than Dagger John’s, depending where on campus you are coming from. Next time you are craving boba, I definitely recommend venturing off campus and stopping

here for your tea fix.

Fordham students are fortunate for the endless number of dining options we have right outside our campus gates. As members of the Bronx community, it is important to journey out and support the small businesses that surround us, especially after all the struggles that many restaurants faced with COVID-19 and following guidelines while still

trying to make business.

Next time you are looking for something other than campus food, I challenge you to go out and try a nearby restaurant you have not been to before. You’ll find that good food is no further than a couple of blocks away from your dorm. At the very least, be sure to give Dragon Tea a try for some great refreshments at reasonable prices.

COURTESY OF CLAIRE KRIEGER FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Dragon Tea on East 187th Street provides better quality boba for a more affordable price than Dagger John’s.

Met’s “Water Memories” Showcases Indigenous Cultures

By ISABELLA DEROSA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York City is home to many of the world’s most impressive artworks and creations developed throughout history. In June 2022, the Met opened a new exhibit titled “Water Memories.” This showcase highlights the significance of water and the role it plays in the Indigenious societies of America.

This exhibit shares pieces from Native American culture, historic, contemporary and modern art.

The exhibit itself has a cool and calm atmosphere. Upon entering the exhibit, viewers are greeted by paintings depicting beaches and shorelines as well as a display of ceramic whale teeth in the very center of the room serving as the focal point. The exhibit consists of two rooms branching off from each other. Both modern and historic art blends together throughout the display. The ceramics represent a key aspect of Indigenous culture in the northeast coast of North America: the whaling industry.

In the period these pieces represent, water was not just essential for food and water but for trade and commerce as well.

The Shinnecock tribe in Long

Island, like others, had built an industry on whaling, using the Atlantic Ocean to do so. This portion of the exhibit shows how water was utilized by indigenous peoples to create businesses and maintain a flourishing community.

Moving through the exhibit, several authentic pieces such as baskets, jugs and bowls from various indigenous tribes are on display, each decorated with intricate pictures that vary from each tribe. These pieces each held similar purposes relating to water and its use as a resource within these communities. In addition to these pieces, replicas of certain indigenous carvings were also on display. In fact, controversy was noted for two replica carvings of whales on display. Many argued that the replicas were appropriation of these cultures in the time of their making.

The part of this exhibit that piqued my personal interest was the miniature canoe models. Of course, water was useful for traveling just as much as it was for trade. These canoes were often made in Native American communities as toys for boys to play with. The canoes were structured slightly differently depending on the group from which they originated.

And lastly, arguably the most enchanting of the display, was the more modern “Water Memory” print by Cara Romero. This picture shows two Pueblo corn dancers both sinking and rising in the ocean. It represents the disasters that ensued both naturally and from man made dams, specifically the construction of the Parker Dam that caused flooding in many indigenous homes in southern California.

Both beautiful and eerie, this

picture sheds light on how the human manipulation of bodies of water can be both a blessing and a curse.

This exhibit shows an impressive array of art. The pieces I have mentioned are the center of the exhibit and easily portrayed the purpose of the display. I found it fascinating and brilliant how the traditional pieces were blended with modern art. It helped move this exhibit throughout time, and it

COURTESY OF ISABELLA DEROSA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The Met’s new exhibit explores Indigenous cultures influenced by water.

showed how these historical practices still have an impact in the modern world.

I also thought it was creative to center this exhibit on a specific element. Using water, a simple necessity, to guide viewers through the history of Native Americans was a unique aspect of this exhibit. When walking through the Met, each section is categorized based on time period, culture or artist. This was the only exhibit I had experienced that pulled from a specific element needed in the society to explain the rest of their culture. I thought that this had contributed greatly to the rest of the American Wing as well.

In total, I would give this exhibit a four-star rating. I found it incredibly unique and interesting. However, it is almost hidden inside the Museum. I can see viewers overlooking the display. There were other exhibits that were more impressive, but I am grateful I saw this one.

The art was not only beautiful, but it also taught me something new and the blend of artwork was fascinating. If you are going to the Met, I would recommend stopping by this exhibit, especially if you are someone who takes interest in American history. This exhibit provides an excellent perspective.

CULTURE

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September 28, 2022

On Wednesdays, We Go to the Botans

By AVA CARREIRO DIGITAL PRODUCER

You can’t say you attended Fordham University without visiting the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG). Commonly known by many students as “the botans,” this 250-acre garden is filled with vibrant plants, flowers and art exhibits. It is also home to popular seasonal events such as the winter holiday train show and Fall-O-Ween. The best part? It’s located directly across from the Rose Hill campus’ front gates, at 2900 Southern Boulevard. Also, all current Fordham students gain free entry to the gardens with a valid student ID. One of the Botanical Gardens’ most popular seasonal events is currently in full swing. Every Wednesday from June 1 to Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the NYBG farmers market is open and ready for visitors. This isn’t just any farmers market we’re talking about — the NYBG farmers market was voted one of the top 10 in NYC by TimeOut New York. It features some of the best produce vendors and specialty food purveyors in the area, and it isn’t something you want to miss.

Last week, I visited the NYBG farmers market for the very first

COURTESY OF AVA CARREIRO/THE FORDHAM RAM

The New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG) is a staple to Fordham students and New York residents alike.

time as part of an event with the Fordham Health and Wellness club.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since I hadn’t heard of it before. Still, I had no doubt that the Botanical Gardens would perform — and I certainly wasn’t let down.

I approached the line of stands both hungry and thirsty — the best state to enter a farmers market in.

There’s no need to grab breakfast before visiting the NYBG farmers market when you can choose from a variety of fresh, hot breakfast burritos once you’re there. I bought a bottle of fresh-squeezed lemonade with a splash of watermelon and found myself repeatedly visiting a bagel vendor.

Growing up in New Jersey has led me to become quite uncompromising when choosing a good

bagel, but even I was pleasantly surprised by what the farmers market had to offer.

A comprehensive list of the market’s vendors can be found on the NYBG website, but I’ll outline a few that caught my eye. Wave Hill Breads, based in Norwalk, Conn., specializes in a wide range of whole grain artisan breads and pastries.

You can’t fully enjoy bread without oil, so you can make your way over to Arlotta Food Studio, a New York based company that offers infused organic olive oils with either garlic, red pepper, lemon or blood orange.

Afterwards, you should make a visit to Anthi’s Greek Specialties, where you can choose from a variety of delicious, authentic Greek dishes such as tzatziki and moussaka. The farmers market also offers

cuisine from True Food of Nyack, which sells a wide variety of meals such as salads and burritos — all locally made, of course.

If you’re not particularly hungry while visiting the farmers market, that’s okay! There’s more than enough stands for you to visit that aren’t food-related. I recommend heading over to Myriad Mirage, which offers unique, handcrafted jewelry and artwork made by artist Ginamarie Engels. You can also visit Ash Hopper Soap, a family business based in Hudson Valley, N.Y. that sells handcrafted soap made with sustainably-sourced ingredients. Some weeks, there’s even a clothing stand offering unique, beautiful blouses and accessories to browse through.

Freshly Made Juices, a juice and

smoothie business, was founded by two women from the Bronx.

On the topic of the Bronx, Boogie Down Bronx Honey brings 100% pure, natural and raw honey straight to the NYBG farmers market. One of my favorite parts about the farmers market is how it can help benefit local businesses.

As a Fordham student, I find it crucial to use my four years here in a way that positively impacts the local community around me.

Although I feel like Fordham is my home, it’s necessary to acknowledge that in my four years on campus and in the Bronx, I am existing in someone else’s home. Respecting and giving back to the beautiful, vibrant Bronx community can be displayed in many different forms.

Although the NYBG farmers market shouldn’t be the only way to support local businesses in the surrounding Fordham community, it’s certainly a great place to start.

The NYBG farmers market is a great way to kick off the fall season while eating healthy and supporting local small businesses. Perhaps you’ll pass by on an early morning garden jog, or you’ll take a trip with your friends to explore the area. Whatever the reason may be, if you find yourself near the botans this fall, visiting the farmers market is a must.

“Rings of Power” Pales in Comparison to the Book

By JUSTIN CHARLES DIGITAL PRODUCER

On Sept. 1, 2022, Amazon dropped a new show “The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power.” To be honest, up until the release of the show, I had almost no idea what it was about. As a matter of fact, two episodes into the show, I still had no idea what the show was about. However, now I’m five episodes in and I kinda sorta know what it’s about, so I’m here to give you a quick rundown of the show so far.

Amazon stated that the show had the most viewers for a Prime Video premiere. This is significant seeing the scale and reach of other shows on the Prime roster such as “The Boys.” However, these ratings do not reflect the quality of the first two episodes.

This popularity can mostly be attributed to the massive fanbase that “Lord of the Rings” already has. That, combined with the fact that the last “Lord of the Rings” project was “The Hobbit” which was released in 2012, means that fans were left without any content for over 10 years.

Before we get any further with this I have something I would like to admit. Yes, I am a nerd. Yes, I read the books.

But no, I will not be letting my love for the books seep into my opinions of the show. For anyone wondering, there are so many changes from the books that I would have to write a whole article just on them, and, to be honest, most of the

changes the show makes are really significant and I frankly don’t like them. There are even changes made from the original movie series, which surprised me. At the end of the day, this is a show that was made in a different format. It should be expected from the jump that not everything will be able to transfer over and with that expectation, I believe you should expect a different experience to come with it.

Now onto the show itself.

Like I said before, the good ratings of the first two episodes are not a reflection of the episode’s quality at all. In my opinion, the first two episodes are terrible. Why you may ask?

They are terrible because it felt more like a task to get through them than something I actually wanted to do. The episodes are slow paced to start off with.

You spend a good amount of time just meeting characters and getting accustomed to the different areas that they inhabit.

In addition, you follow different story lines that seem to be happening at the same time, in a style reminiscent of “Game of Thrones.” There is not a single main character but actually around three to four.

The worst storyline of this bunch would have to be the hobbits. Hobbits are just little people who live in traveling communities for those that don’t know. Listen, I love my man Frodo Baggins as much as the next guy, but this story line consists of us

following hobbits as they live their lives, and it becomes pretty clear quickly that their lives are boring. They take care of each other, make food, play around and so on and so forth.

This is all nice but I turned the show on for some fantasy, not to watch people do the same thing I do everyday just in the woods and on the television screen. The storyline is so bad that I fell asleep every single time that they changed to it, and I wish I was lying. It is probably the sole reason that it took me two weeks to get through the first two episodes. In addition, I had to get to episode three before I got some payoff for all of my rewatching.

However, once I did get past the first two, I watched the next three episodes in three hours.

These last three episodes have really got me into the series as a whole and stopped me from dropping it completely. All of a sudden, the bleak storylines became interesting. There is one with an elf, Galadrial, that ends up stranded in the middle of the ocean by the end of episode one. Now I’m not going to spoil too much but let’s just say that by episode three she has finally made it to land and where she arrives is quite interesting.

The new power dynamics along with the potential implications that this storyline would have on the rest of the world made this quickly become my favorite storyline. It finally began to feel like the character’s actions meant something in the grand scheme of things.

Another interesting storyline that develops in episode three is between the elf, Elron and the dwarf, Durin. This storyline deals with themes of friendship, fatherhood, legacy and eventual loyalty with questions arising of who you should be loyal to and when you should be loyal to them. All scenes with these characters got me to think more about my relationships in my personal life. I’m not saying that the show has turned into Dr. Phil, but it brings up interesting arguments.

Furthermore, the visuals in this show are absolutely stunning. You can see why this is the most expensive Amazon Prime show just simply from the sets. This is not a CGIheavy show as you can see that many of the sets are actually fully built out, which helps with immersing the audience into the show. The detail put into little things as well, like

the character outfits, cities and even statues, are noticed and appreciated, especially by book readers who can spot the easter eggs hidden in plain sight.

In closing, it is becoming a good show. The reality of it is that the whole show does really pale in comparison to the book which it was allegedly based on. I say allegedly because the show drastically changes most of the plot lines to the point that they are almost unrecognizable compared to the book.

For the rest of my life I will wonder why they decided to change a great story like that when they could have just stuck to it and everyone would have loved it. But, for what it is, “The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power” is an enjoyable show once you get past the first two episodes, and I would recommend that you check it out.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

“Rings of Power” premiered on Amazon this past month.

CULTURE

September 28, 2022

Page 15

Corporate Cinema: Is There No Alternative?

By LANDIS HALL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Whatever happened to the movies? It’s a ridiculous question at first glance (they’re still making these things last I checked), but I ask it in all seriousness. Up until the onset of the pandemic, going to see a film was something akin to a religious ritual for many, and movie theaters punctuated

many a rainy day and offered a brief respite from the back to school advertisement induced dread. But the pandemic marked a rapid shift in moviegoing trends. Now, theaters feel emptier than a Baptist church on a Sunday afternoon during the NFL season. Sure, a light scattering of dedicated acolytes and poindexters still permeate the pews, but they’re a sorry sight compared to the

COURTESY OF TWITTER

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” proves original film is not yet extinct.

full congregation. And when the congregation does decide to show up, it’s only ever for familiar holiday services — CGI filled Marvel blockbusters, yet another “Jurassic World” sequel, “so bad it’s good” guilty pleasures and the like. Indeed, the highest grossing movies these days lack any sort of longevity, eternally doomed to become streaming service footnotes or bargain bin DVD rubbish.

So how did we get here?

Just ask the Department of Justice. In 2020, they declared the Paramount Decrees — a set of guidelines established by the 1948 Supreme Court decision U.S. v. Paramount Pictures, which found the vertical integration practices of old Hollywood studios to be monopolistic and in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act — were outdated and that those business practices could never be recreated in the age of digital streaming.

They were wrong, of course, and they severely underestimated how greedy large entertainment conglomerates can be. The Paramount Decrees were important because they separated the studios from the distribution of their films.

Theaters and distributors had a larger say in what movies they could play and how long they could play them for.

But, as of 2020, studios have regained control of distribution through streaming. Don’t

want to potentially lose money on a film? Just throw it on our exclusive streaming service that only plays our movies, now available at the low price of $29.99 a month!

Such is the logic of the Jordan Belfort worshipping Wharton School graduates who inexplicably decided to make a quick buck off of an industry they really couldn’t care less about.

The current state of American cinema is worse and even more monopolistic than it was in the early 20th century. At least back then people had the choice of seeing a Hawks or Hitchcock film. Today, audiences get all of the corporate greed and none of the timeless studio-produced pictures that defined that period of film history. And all this isn’t to say that there aren’t any quality films that are still being made today.

On the contrary, this year’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “Nope” prove that audacious and original blockbusters aren’t extinct, and new works from auteurs like Bong Joon-ho and Damien Chazelle are on their way too. But these types of films aren’t the ones that are being prioritized by studios. According to the list on IMDB, 8 of the 10 highest grossing films of the 2010s are Disney releases, with the other two being Universal films. Each of those films are sequels or reboots. By contrast,

the highest grossing films of previous decades showcase a greater degree of originality and a lesser amount of studio dominance. I’m not saying that the top 10 highest grossing movies should ideally consist of foreign or art house films.

But the current trends in moviegoing are worrying nonetheless, as the original, imaginative films that Hollywood became known for making in the first place are being shelved in favor of easy cash grabs. And the worst part?

We’re all complicit. After all, why pay $15 for a ticket to a movie you might not even like when you can watch the newest Spider-Man movie right from the comfort of your own home?

The great critic Pauline Kael, in her piece “Why Are Movies So Bad?” noticed the seeds of this corporate cinema being sown before her very eyes. “In all probability, it will get worse, not better,” she wrote in 1980. She would likely fall to her knees and weep if she could see just how right she was. But things aren’t entirely hopeless. After all, money talks.

So next time you’re thinking of going to the theater, buy a ticket to a movie you’ve never heard of before. The best films aren’t the ones you want to see; they’re the ones you didn’t even know you needed to see.

“Six of Crows” Fosters Strong Character Bonds

By PAOLA GALIANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who has become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.”

“Six of Crows,” is a spinoff duology of the “Shadow & Bone” trilogy, both set in the same fantasy world, the “Grishaverse.”

However, the duology can be perfectly understood on its own, following a different province in the world. At times, the places and regions of the world Leigh Bardugo introduced were a bit hard to follow at times, especially since they came with their own history and side-plots.

However, I thought that the author’s world-building was subtle and soundproof. I found that I could really picture each country, and the cities within, as their own entities.

For those who have read “Shadow & Bone,” the cameos from that trilogy only made my own reading experience that much better. Bardugo’s world is steeped in history, one that spans so many places and times that it was honestly insane to read about. The influences of

tsarist Russia on Ravka, modern China and Mongolia for Shu Han, as well as Scandinavian provinces to create Fjerda, all felt well-researched. And relating these fantastic places to places we know of today was a great way to immerse the reader in a brand-new world.

Immediately, I could tell that “Six of Crows” would be action-packed. There was hardly any grace time where the novel would slow down to where I became bored. However, it is important to note that the novel did not feel too fast-paced or drawn out either. When one conflict was resolved, another would immediately spring up, each issue arising part of some greater intricate plot that was only revealed at the end of book one.

Beyond the worldbuilding and plot of “Six of Crows,” I can undoubtedly say that my favorite part was the characters.

Following a band of six diverse characters, Bardugo immediately establishes backstories for each that seem completely unrelated. For example, it seems like Nina Zenik, one of the magical Grisha of this world, would never associate with Mattias Helvar, a Fjerdan witch-hunter that hates all Grisha. Nor would

Wylan Van Eck, a wealthy noble’s son, become friends with Jesper Fahey, a brash pickpocket; Inej Ghafa, known as the “Wraith,” feared by all; or Kaz Brekker, also known as “Dirtyhands.”

Brekker is the head of a street gang called the Dregs, hired to perform a heist. A Grisha named Bo Yul-Bayur is imprisoned in the notoriously guarded Fjerdan Ice Court for the creation of a drug that amplifies Grisha abilities. Kaz is aware of the frightening impossibility of the heist, choosing to get his group together to travel to Fjerda, break out Yul-Bayur, and collect his check.

This group was incredibly exciting to read about because of what they brought to the table. Bardugo made sure to differentiate them clearly, with separate personalities and backgrounds that made them all stand out. I can genuinely say that I loved all the characters she introduced. It just makes the stakes of the novel higher when you care about the characters — and trust me, the stakes were already high.

A sucker for the found family trope, I also loved the bonds Bardugo created between the characters. They weren’t only

romantic, and it was refreshing to see genuine friendships in a genre which does not always prioritize them. For one, Inej and Nina’s bond was so great to read, especially knowing that they were the only two women in their mostly male crew, in a male-dominated world. They stuck together in a way that spoke of mutual respect

and honesty, their friendship developing into something really sweet and wholesome.

All in all, I appreciated how Bardugo did not sacrifice her world-building for characters and vice versa in “Six of Crows,” remarkably delivering a fantastic blend that only served to make me immediately reach for book two.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” is a spinoff of the “Shadow & Bone” trilogy.

SPORTS The Paradox of the College Football Transfer Portal September 28, 2022

Page 16

Student Athlete Column: Anoesis: Zoning Out to Zone In

By NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS VISUAL DIRECTOR

Back in high school, I subscribed myself to dictionary.com’s “Word of the Day.” Call me a nerd, but I loved learning new ways to express my thoughts and the world around me.

I liked looking at the root of words and the genealogy of where they came from. I probably also had a little bit of a know-it-all mentality of “Hey, look at this new, fancy word I know.” Regardless, I looked forward to checking my email for this “Word of the Day.” One of those words I came across was anoesis. Anoesis is a state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content. By my definition, I would say anoesis is basically like zoning out — something I do a lot of, especially when I’m running. It may seem contradictory to the sport, especially when running a workout or race where strategic thinking seems essential to good performance. But I fell in love with running and got my best results through this state of anoesis.

It’s refreshing, almost euphoric, to have the freedom to put my mind on pause for a moment of time. On runs, I would abandon my thoughts to the crunching of leaves beneath my feet, how fresh the air felt on chillier mornings or how the trees diffused sun rays onto my face. Even during my most successful races, I wouldn’t necessarily be thinking, “I have to get to the finish line as

soon as I can,” although that was the goal. It’s actually hard to recount what was going through my head on those good days, mostly because I don’t think much was going on up there. I know what I wasn’t doing: overthinking. Instead of worrying if I started a race too fast, I remember enjoying the synchronized feeling between my legs and arms. Instead of being overwhelmed by the monstrous hill I was running up, I remember being satisfied with how my feet felt, pushing off the surface, bringing me closer to the top. Probably the best thing I wasn’t thinking about was breathing. When I get anxious, it doesn’t seem like there’s enough air to fill my lungs. And when I’m anxious while running, that feeling is multiplied by 100 and I begin to hyperventilate. But when I don’t fixate on any of that, I can forget the discomfort and quietly honor the rhythm of my breath.

I guess in a way, I have to zone out in order to zone in. But maybe I’m not approaching it correctly. Maybe if I put more effort into thinking, I’d be a better runner. But something that definitely doesn’t work is thinking too much. Running is a sport that triggers a fight-or-flight response. Cortisol and adrenaline levels, hormones responsible for stress, rise in the bloodstream.

Thinking about this stress is a recipe for disaster. It’s like trying to move in quicksand: the more you squirm, the deeper you sink. So, for now, I’ll continue to slip into anoesis.

NICOLETA PAPAVASILAKIS/THE FORDHAM RAM

Running is more than just a passion, it is a lifestyle.

Athletes of the Week The women’s soccer team has started to turn their season around. Last Sunday they drew against a tough George Washington University side and pulled out a win over George Mason University this past weekend. Freshman Natalie Velde scored the game-tying goal against the Colonials and the game winner against the Patriots this past weekend to push the Rams to 3-6-1 this year.

Natalie Velde

Freshman Women’s Soccer

Fotis Kokosioulis Senior Football

By JONAH RING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

College football has entered completely uncharted territory in recent years, entering a thick fog of uncertainty amidst a plethora of recent rule changes. Players now have a newfound ability to receive compensation under new NIL rules, the conference realignment and its lack of regard for geographic practicality now means that the University of Southern California (USC) and Ohio State are oddly going to be in the same conference and a completely new postseason format has arrived with the advent of the College Football Playoff.

However, despite all these radical changes, potentially the most impactful has been the emergence of the “transfer portal.” This portal is a new mechanism that has made it simpler and more advantageous for athletes to transfer between schools, as there are no longer eligibility restrictions that often dissuaded players from transferring in the past. While its long-term effects are largely shrouded in mystery, the transfer portal has inarguably had an immediate impact on college football due to the drastic uptick in the amount of players transferring between schools it has caused.

With this increase in players transferring, many want to focus on the “bluebloods” of the game getting significantly better by adding huge stars to their rosters through the portal. However, the transfer portal has significantly aided mid-major schools by creating an avenue through which they can acquire significant talent. Therein lies the paradox of the transfer portal: it has widened the gap between the top teams and the rest of the field, yet it has inversely created more parity within the sport by allowing smaller schools to get the players needed to compete with larger programs.

The first element of this paradoxical equation that requires examination is the portal’s widening of the gap between the high, mid and low majors. Typically, teams go through somewhat of a rebuild after losing some of their top players, suffering losses here and there as they look to develop

AWAY

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

found themselves more able to compete against college football’s elite, knocking off the University of Notre Dame with huge games from transfers in Henry Colombi (former Texas Tech University quarterback) and Khalan Laborn (former Florida State University running back).

These smaller programs were not only able to compete but actually beat top teams in the nation because they now had the talent to somewhat level the playing field.

More traditionally average programs have also benefited greatly from this new flow of talent, now being able to have phenomenal seasons at a more consistent rate.

A prime example of this assertion is none other than the University of Washington Huskies. The traditionally above-average Huskies are off to a wildly impressive 4-0 start, including a rout of a preseason top-15 team in Michigan State University due to the transfers they obtained in the portal. Their new star quarterback Micheal Penix Jr. came to them from Indiana University, while solid starters in Wayne Taulapapa and Cam Bright provided additional immediate contributions and consistency to the team despite donning colors other than the purple and gold the year prior. Even going back to last year, the Bearcats of the University of Cincinnati (a program that historically has been average) were able to make an unforgettable run to the College Football Playoff due to the transfers they acquired through the portal: their workhorse running back. Jerome Ford was an ex-Alabama back, while one of their more favored wideouts in Micheal Young Jr. was an ex-Notre Dame receiver. It is examples such as these that best illustrate that portal’s potential to elevate teams to the next level.

So if the transfer portal both widens and closes the talent gap at the same time, what do we as college football fans have on our hands?

The answer is this: a confusing paradox sure to continue to shape the landscape of college football for years to come.

Varsity Calendar HOME

Despite the Rams dropping the ball in the closing moments, graduate student Fotis Kokosioulis had an other-worldly game: 13 catches for 320 total yards and four touchdowns in the 59-52 loss. The four touchdowns ties a school record that was set by set by Javarus Dudley in 2003 and matched two other times before Sunday. The 320 yards receiving broke both the Fordham and Patriot League single game receiving record.

Kokosioulis broke the Patriot League record which has stood since 1991.

unpolished youngsters. The transfer portal has essentially eliminated this rebuilding process. After losing their 2021 starting running back in Brian Robinson Jr. to the NFL, the University of Alabama was able to immediately restock their then depleted running back core with highly productive, touted and experienced transfer Jahmyr Gibbs.

After losing phenomenal wide receiver Drake London to the first round of the NFL Draft, USC was able to replace him with Jordan Addison: the winner of college football’s best receiver award the previous year.

When the University of Mississippi lost their team leader in Matt Corral, they patched that hole immediately with two former top 100 recruits in Jaxson Dart and Zach Evans. These top teams are able to take their already loaded rosters and simply fill in any potential holes with other teams’ superstars that they acquired through the transfer portal.

This constant ability to continue adding highly talented, game-ready players to already strong rosters ensures that the leading teams in the country not only stay above the competition, but in actuality, deepen the talent gap.

However, while that gap widens, others close due to the transfer portal. Oftentimes, highly talented recruits who simply did not pan out at larger schools look to transfer into smaller programs where they could essentially be a “big fish in a little pond” or salvage their careers via a fresh start. The conception of the transfer portal has made this move exponentially easier, leading to a significant uptick in the amount of highly talented yet underutilized players heading to smaller programs. Thus, smaller schools are now more readily able to compete with more traditional powers.

Appalachian State University was able to win in one of the most hostile environments in college football, knocking off the Texas A&M University Aggies on the road due to the performance of former Clemson University quarterback Chase Brice who transferred into the Mountaineer’s program after struggling to find playing time with the Tigers. Marshall similarly

Wednesday Thursday Sept. 28 Sept. 29

Softball

7 p.m.

Massachusetts 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Football

Sunday Oct. 2

Loyola Chicago

Volleyball

Water Polo

Saturday Oct. 1

ITA Regional ITA Regional Championships Championships TBA TBA Army & Rider 10 a.m./12:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Women’s Soccer

Friday Sept. 30

St. Joseph’s 7 p.m.

Rhode Island 1 p.m.

Wagner 7:30 p.m.

Georgetown 1 p.m.

Monday Oct. 3

Tuesday Oct. 4

September 28, 2022

So Long Big Z

SPORTS

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER COURTESY OF TWITTER

There’s something to be said about the act of “letting go.” Human beings typically struggle with ending an era that has been fruitful.

It’s hard to do, especially when the future is uncertain. Boston hockey faced this experience last week when ex-captain Zdeno Chara signed a one-day contract with the club and officially retired a Bruin.

Chara’s farewell symbolizes the end of an era that won’t be forgotten, and serves as a prelude to more inevitable goodbyes.

Chara became a member of the Boston Bruins in 2006. The defenseman signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract and became the captain that same season. ”Big Z” was a critical part of the Bruins’ rise towards contention. Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tim Thomas and others formed the nucleus of the 2011 club that went on to win the Stanley Cup. Chara collected 44 points during the season and led the squad in plus-minus. His presence

After a long career, Zdeno Chara is officially walking away from the NHL. as a physical two-way player served the Bruins well and opened the ice for others like Bergeron to skate freely and score. That famed group of Bruins went on to reach the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2019, but were never able to replicate the success of ’11.

Regardless of the number of championship banners Chara and co. were able to collect, the team’s prime years are held in high esteem by fans. Chara left the Bruins in 2020 to pursue an opportunity with the Washington Capitals, and played one final season on Long Island with the Islanders last year. However, he will always be remembered as a Bruin. In many ways, Chara changed Boston’s culture and allowed for them to become contenders.

By the time he reached Boston, the Czech product was already an established NHL force. Having

someone of Chara’s capabilities on the roster helped turn a struggling bunch into a confident unit. In a recent Boston Globe article, former Bruin Tom Fitzgerald stated, “That organization flipped the day it signed him. It literally flipped.”

Chara’s exit signals the end is near for the Bruins’ current leaders. Bergeron flirted with retirement last season. Tuuka Rask called it a day in the middle of last year’s campaign. David Krejci may only be back for the final year after his brief hiatus. The future is uncertain, and while Bruins fans may be scared to let go of “what was,” there’s truly no harm in celebrating what was an incredible chapter of the club’s history.

So long, Big Z. Thank you for always leaving everything on the ice. Your grit, tenacity, toughness and loyalty embodied the very best of Bruins hockey.

Has the Giants’ Culture Been Restored?

By WILLIAM F. GRANT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The last two weeks for New York Giants fans have been nothing short of exciting after completing back-to-back second half comeback wins in weeks one and two.

Their recent success marks the first time the G-Men have exceeded an above .500 record in the regular season since 2016. Still, one element of their identity which plays a vital role in their amelioration has yet to be revealed: whether or not they possess culture.

Culture is best defined as the shared beliefs, behaviors or social environment connected with a particular aspect of society. Within the realm of sports, each fan base delivers enthusiasm to their beloved cast of characters dependent on the effort their team exerts, and vice versa. When both parties are mutually satisfied in this facet, trust is earned and culture is present.

After New York’s 21-20 win over the Tennessee Titans on opening day, Giants fans came out from their caves of misery to celebrate the highly anticipated kickoff of the Brian Daboll era. The former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator turned Giants head coach has embraced his role in the locker room as a cheerleader, considering the emphatic celebration dance with his new squad after the win. Reflecting on former Giants head coach

Joe Judge’s tame demeanor in the locker room throughout the 202122 season left players and fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. However, last Sunday’s thrilling victory over the Carolina Panthers coupled with Daboll’s joviality displayed in week one has assured that the coaching staff and the players share a common goal: winning.

For the players on the Giants to maintain this impactful relationship with Daboll, they must deliver over the course of the ensuing weeks. For starting running back Saquon Barkley, this task will be a tough one considering the impressive 317 rushing yards he’s recorded on the season thus far. Through his first three starts, Barkley has totaled over half as many rushing yards then he did throughout 13 games played a season prior.

Questions were raised about how Barkely would fare in week three against a stout Dallas Cowboys defense ranked sixth in yards allowed per-game, but he answered the call with 81 yards rushing and a touchdown. Although the Giants came up short on Monday night against Dallas to fall to 2-1, New York was in the game until the very end.

Barkley and Daboll’s remarkable efforts have galvanized a community branded as losers to appear confident in securing a playoff spot.

Any time a sudden strike of electricity proves beneficial for a football club,

fans romanticize about the success they once experienced when times were different. Prior to last year’s Super Bowl run, the Cincinnati Bengals had failed to win a playoff game since the 1990 postseason.

After winning their division and clinching a playoff berth before the conclusion of last year’s season, Cincinnati fans likened the success of Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase to the glory of Boomer Esiason and Mike Barber during their respective dominance. Some 30 years later, superstars returned to Cincinnati and more importantly their sense of identity and culture.

Each and every tormented Bengal fanatic came out to let their team know that culture had been restored. Flashes of Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin in 2007 and 2011’s postseason run in the last two weeks provide a similar glimpse of hope for the Giants. The last six seasons left Big Blue adherents open to the idea of hopping on the Bill’s Mafia bandwagon, but their rallied passion for the Daboll era along with Barkley’s new look have diminished such impulsions. If blue bleeders on the field and in the crowd operate as a hive mind, then nothing can prevent this community from becoming rich in culture.

Culture in sports is what forces a fan to leave their 12:00 Mass early just to take part in supporting their beloved team unconditionally.

Page 17

Varsity Scores & Stats Football Fordham Ohio

52 59

Golf MacDonald Cup Day 1

10th/11 teams Day 2

11th/11 teams Men’s Soccer Fordham St. Bonaventure

3 0

Fordham Rutgers

1 1

Volleyball Fordham Dayton

0 3

Fordham Dayton

1 3

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

Women’s Tennis West Point Invitational

Fordham

NTS

Women’s Soccer Fordham George Mason

2 1

Softball Fordham Bridgeport

0 0

Fordham Fairfield

0 2

Water Polo Fordham USC

8 17

Fordham UC Irvine

12 13

Fordham RV Santa Clara

5 10

Fordham Pomona-Pitzer

18 11

News & Notes Fordham Football’s New Broadcast Partner For three games this year, Fordham Football will be broadcasted live via SNY at Jack Coffey Field. So far, SNY has broadcasted one of those games, which was against the University of Albany during Homecoming weekend. The next two games will be Oct. 15 versus Stony Brook University and Nov. 12 against Lafayette.

Fordham Women’s Basketball Unveils 2022-23 Regular Season Schedule After recently dropping their non-conference schedule, Fordham Women’s Basketball released their regular season schedule, which kicks off on New Year’s Day against Davidson. Fordham will then face Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Jan. 4, the University of Dayton on Jan. 8 and George Washington University on Jan. 11.

Other matchups include games against Duquesne University and the University of Massachusetts (UMass) on the 14th and 18th, respectively. January rounds out with two more matchups with St. Joseph’s University on the 22nd and St. Louis University on the 28th. After starting off February against St. Bonaventure University on the 1st, the Rams will square off against Loyola University Chicago, UMass and La Salle University on the 4th, 8th and 16th. The season ends with the final three games against George Mason University on the 19th, Senior Day versus the University of Rhode Island on the 22nd and a final away game against Davidson.

Fordham Golf Takes Part in MacDonald Cup

By WILL TALLANT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Another weekend of Fordham Golf has come and gone. The Rams made the trip to New Haven, Conn. to compete in the MacDonald Cup hosted by Yale University. It wasn’t an ideal finish for the Rams, who placed 11th out of 11 programs, but there were still some positive takeaways to come out of Fordham’s third outing of the fall season.

Day one at the Course at Yale saw senior John Kryscio shoot a season low even-par 70 in the first round of the 36 hole contest.

Kryscio would later shoot a 76 in his second round of day one. The senior led the charge for the Rams at the completion of day one with five birdies, sitting in a tie for 31st place heading into day two.

Fordham also had two more golfers finish their first 36 holes with five birdies. Sophomore Jake Mrva and senior Andreas Aivazoglou both birdied four holes in round one and an additional hole in their second round of play.

To conclude Saturday’s competition, senior Nicholas Manning wrapped up his first two rounds in

40th place shooting four-over in both rounds on Saturday while etching four birdies to his scorecard.

Despite a lower finish as a team on Sunday, Manning and Kryscio had big career weekends in New Haven. Manning matched his season-low even-par score of 70 in the first round on Sunday, birdieing three consecutive holes and finishing t-30 for the weekend which was the highest placement by any Fordham golfer in the competition.

Manning finished play shooting a career-best 218 in three-round play, which is six strokes better

than his previous 224 score in the 2019 MacDonald Cup. Kryscio also set a new career-best in threeround play as the senior shot a 222 erasing his former career-low score of 223 at the UConn Invitational back in 2019. The Fordham senior finished the weekend in a tie for 45th place.

Fordham will have extensive time off from tournament play to hopefully reset. The Rams are set to return to the links on Oct. 21 as they make the trip to Bethlehem, Pa. to compete in the two day event, the Lehigh Invitational.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams fell at the MacDonald Cup.

SPORTS

Page 18

Fordham Volleyball Opens Atlantic 10 Play

By MILES GROSSMAN STAFF WRITER

It’s been nearly three weeks since Fordham Volleyball has picked up a win. After starting the year on a promising 6-2 run, the Rams have run into some tough competition. Two weekends ago, the Rams traveled to New Haven, Conn. for the Yale Invitational where they were swept by Sacred Heart University before falling to two elite programs in Yale University and Villanova University.

Dropping three straight on the road while only grabbing two sets throughout the tournament forced the Rams to more or less hit the reset button as they began conference play back at the Rose Hill Gymnasium this past weekend. Standing in their way were the four-time running Atlantic 10 champions, the University of Dayton Flyers.

On Friday, the Rams were swept in decisive fashion while posting some of their worst offensive numbers of the year.

The poor stats can partially be attributed to an abysmal third set, in which the Rams were only able to manufacture 10 points, but it was nevertheless an alarming start to conference play. Fordham played very well in sets one and two, but some timely runs for the Flyers capped off demoralizing sets for the Rams. In Saturday’s game two of the two contests against the Flyers from Rose Hill, the Rams showed some real heart and grabbed the second set. This would prove to be the sole set win of the weekend for Fordham.

Despite all the comforts of

September 28, 2022

Women’s Tennis Begins Season at Army West Point

By BRETT TULIP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Senior Aria De La Rosa times up the kill versus Dayton on Saturday. home, A-10 competition could not have begun on a more challenging note. The Dayton Flyers have posted a 169-14 record in A-10 play over the last 13 seasons, and this undeniably talented current team is poised for another outstanding year.

The Flyer starting frontline boasts both Amelia Moore at 6’5” and Alayna Yates at 6’6”.

For context, Moore and Yates are the only two players in all of A-10 volleyball who are listed above 6’4”. Yet, according to Fordham’s head coach Ian Choi, their height is not the only thing the Flyers have going for them, “They [Dayton] are relentlessly aggressive,” said Choi ahead of Saturday’s loss. Choi also touched on the Flyers ability to bounce back from “momentum-losing” plays such as service errors and tickytack violations.

There is a long road ahead of the Rams with plenty of opportunities to right the ship in A-10 play, but it will not be an easy couple of months. The A-10 is loaded with talent in-

cluding the premier programs of Dayton, Virginia Commonwealth University and Saint Louis University. In the midst of this losing streak, Choi has reminded his group that this year will be an “emotional rollercoaster” but it’s about how you finish, not how you start. As evidence, Choi cited last year’s campaign when the Rams barely eked their way in the A-10 tournament before fighting their way to the title match.

From here on out, the Rams will only face in-conference opponents barring any sort of NCAA tournament run. None of these matches will be guaranteed wins or anything close to such but the Rams surely possess the explosiveness and experience to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the A-10. Fordham’s journey will continue this weekend in Chicago where they will face off against the newest member of the A-10, Loyola University Chicago. It’ll be two matches from Gentile Arena, Friday at 8 p.m. eastern and Saturday at 1 p.m. eastern.

Over the weekend, Fordham’s women’s tennis team began play at the Army West Point Invitational. This is the first match since the Rams lost in the Atlantic 10 championship in the 2021-22 season and the first time they competed in this event since 2018. As the new season commenced, the experienced graduate students shined and performed the strongest.

The team is comprised of eight women, allowing each to have the opportunity in this tournament to compete against athletes from other colleges across New York and beyond.

The format of this invitational included five different flights, with singles matches taking place in a winner moves on, double elimination, bracket-style process. Fordham had players participating in A-D Flights in the singles matches.

Fordham had multiple different wins in this tournament, notable ones including graduate student Lindsay Hung winning in the consolation finals match in A Flight 8-6 against a Lize-Alet Morkel of Fairfield University. This was a big victory and is a promising sign for continued wins, with Hung being a key player as the season begins to unfold. Unfortunately, the other players in A Flight did not find as much success today, as junior Avery Aude and senior Valeriya Deminova lost their first two matches in tough competitions.

The other graduate student on the team, Carlota Casasampere Escoda, also performed well in B

Flight with victories against opponents from Syracuse University, Sacred Heart University and the University of Massachusetts. She reached the semifinals, making her one of the highest performing players on the team. This fell just short of the highest performing player in 2018’s West Point Invitational when former Ram Arina Taluyenko advanced to the finals.

Another strong performance came from sophomore Eleni Fasoula, who had three wins in the B Flight consolation bracket.

Freshman Sofie Siem and sophomore Lorraine Bergmann saw action when they competed in C Flight against Cornell University and Fairfield University opponents. Siem was eliminated in the first round, while Bergmann defeated her first opponent before losing in the round of 16 to Julia Kelly of Army.

Lastly, D Flight consisted of junior Rachelle Yang, who was injured in her second match. The severity of the injury and her status for next week’s matches is unknown..

Overall, Fordham finished with some solid victories but struggled in the first round, with players going 2-6 overall in their respective first-round matches.

This led to much of the tournament for Fordham being played in the consolation bracket. However, a stronger start could benefit the Rams greatly as they look to get over the first hump.

This coming weekend, they will have another chance to show their skills at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships in Princeton, N.J.

Roger Federer Announces Retirement From Tennis After Storied Career

By JOE MASTERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the serve return flew into the net and dropped to the grass, a young Swiss man did the same. Roger Federer had just done the improbable, winning Wimbledon at age 21, the first major title of his young career. That victory sparked a nearly two-decade long run of dominance for Federer that resulted in 20 Grand Slam titles. Made famous by his striking one-handed backhand and elegant playstyle and described by tennis legend John McEnroe as the “most beautiful player” he had ever seen, Federer dominated the competition while maintaining humility and class.

So when Federer announced last Thursday that he would be retiring from professional tennis, the sport undoubtedly lost one of its greatest, on and off the court.

“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamed, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career,” Federer said in a social media post. At 41 years old, the Swiss great has undergone multiple knee procedures in recent years and has accumulated 24

COURTESY OF TWITTER

After 20 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer retires as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. years of wear and tear on the court.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries.

I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear,” Federer said.

Understandably, the news of Federer’s retirement did not come as a shock. However, that did not stop the plethora of praise from some of his greatest rivals, including Novak Djokovic.

“Your career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead

with integrity and poise. It’s an honor to know you on and off the court, and for many more years to come,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.

There was perhaps no one who knew Federer better on and off the court, however, than his greatest rival and best friend Rafael Nadal. The two treated the tennis world to decades of intense, top of the line matches going headto-head on the biggest stages.

Battles such as the 2008 Wimbledon final, which saw Nadal outlast Federer in a five-set classic at the height of the Swiss’ career, will undoubtedly go down in history. Although they were always pitted as bitter rivals, in recent years,

their admiration and respect for each other has become clear. “Dear Roger, my friend and rival, I wish this day would never have come,” Nadal put simply on Instagram. “It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports people around the world.”

The era of “The Big Three” (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) has entertained tennis fans for decades. Although two out of the three are still actively playing, Federer’s retirement serves as a reminder that it can’t last forever. In the last season, tennis fans have already seen the emergence of exciting new players such as Americans Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz as well as Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and

Russian Daniil Medvedev. This comes at the same time as Nadal has shown signs of his age, as he was forced to withdraw from his semi-finals match this year at Wimbledon. While Djokovic has remained dominant, questions still loom over his vaccination status that may continue to hamper his ability to compete in major tournaments.

Amidst all the emotion, tennis fans were treated to seeing Federer take the court one final time. Federer announced within his retirement that his last match would be at the Laver Cup, one which saw him pair with Nadal against Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.

Predictably, Federer and Nadal put up a tremendous fight, falling just short 6-4, 6-7 (2), 9-11. The score and outcome of the match meant nothing, however, as immediately after the last point the two tennis icons embraced. What ensued was a celebration. Surrounded by a packed London crowd, and among the company of friends, family and formal rivals, Federer grabbed the mic and bid farewell to the tennis world. “It’s been a perfect journey,” he said. “I would do it all over again.”

September 28, 2022

By NICK GUZMAN

SPORTS

Page 19

Overtime: In Defense of Aaron Long

SPORTS EDITOR

There may not be a more villainized figure in all of American soccer right now than New York Red Bulls and United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) center back Aaron Long.

Long, who started in the team’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Japan on Thursday, consistently finds himself as the target of criticism and negativity by American fans online.

While his play in a United States jersey hasn’t been great recently, Long has been turned into somewhat of a scapegoat by the fans.

When the entire USMNT squad is playing poorly, it is interesting to examine why Long is public enemy number one.

For USMNT supporters, Long is the perfect target. He is a 29-yearold lifetime MLS player whose prospects of playing in Europe have slowly faded away.

A player once targeted by West Ham United in the Premier League, Long tore his Achilles in May 2021, forcing him to miss almost an entire year of action. Before the injury, Long was a locked-in starter for the USMNT. He appeared 14 times for the US in 2019 and started in the Gold Cup final that same year against Mexico.

The injury caused him to fade off of many fans’ radars, especially

when young prospects in Europe like Chris Richards, Erik PalmerBrown and Mark McKenzie began to see consistent playing time overseas.

So when Long returned to the USMNT fold immediately following his recovery in March of this year, many fans assumed he would be a depth piece to compliment the team’s rising stars.

That’s what he was at first, coming on as a late substitute against Panama and Mexico in that March window.

But when regular center back Miles Robinson went down with a similar Achilles tear in May, a starting position opened up for the foreseeable future. As of now, it seems like Long is head coach Gregg Berhalter’s choice to fill that void.

To many USMNT fans, this decision is blasphemous. How can

Long, who applies his trade in MLS, keep players like Richards, Palmer-Brown and McKenzie on the bench?

For one, the USMNT center back pool is not as deep as people think it is, especially when players like John Brooks seem to be permanently exiled from the program.

Palmer-Brown hasn’t impressed when he’s appeared in a USMNT shirt, nor has McKenzie.

As for Richards, he probably deserves a chance to start alongside Zimmerman, but he missed this current window due to injury.

The same can be said of Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers, who also had to pull out of the squad at the last minute. The best quality is availability, and Long is one of a few capable center backs that are available right now.

Even with that being said, Long’s play for the USMNT admittedly

has not been great as of late. But neither has the entire team.

It’s not like Long was the only one playing poorly against Japan on Thursday. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie made numerous mistakes in the midfield.

Gio Reyna struggled to find his way into the game. Sam Vines looked out of place at left back. To single out Long after as poor of a performance we saw Thursday from the entire squad is irresponsible. In addition, the system that Berhalter currently employs does not play to the strengths of his team, and that applies to Long as well.

Berhalter wants him to be the “speed” next to the slower but stronger Zimmerman. That’s fine, but it’s what the USMNT tries to do in possession of the ball that becomes problematic.

Long is not a ball playing center

back, yet he has to be in Berhalter’s style of play.

With the midfield as absent as they were on Thursday, both Long and Zimmerman were forced to make uncomfortable passes in tight windows, leading to numerous giveaways from both.

If Long and Zimmerman are to be the starting center back duo, the midfield has to be more active than they were against Japan or the entire USMNT tactical system will fail.

There isn’t a single fan that is clamoring for Long to start at the World Cup in Qatar. Even his biggest supporters recognize his shortcomings.

But to USMNT fans, Long represents someone who is “holding the program back.” He is an older player who is theoretically blocking younger, more exciting talent from shining on the national stage. He represents the perceived favoritism that Gregg Berhalter shows MLS players like Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris.

While these things aren’t necessarily true, Long has become a symbol for the anti-MLS portion of the USMNT fanbase.

Unless he contributes a signature moment at the World Cup, expect Aaron Long to remain the current scapegoat of American soccer for the foreseeable future.

Men’s Soccer Beats Bonnies, Ties Rutgers Women’s Soccer Victorious Over George Mason

By MADDIE BIMONTE

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Men’s Soccer had a successful week, tallying a win against St. Bonaventure University followed by drawing with Rutgers University.

After going on a three-game streak of tying opponents, the Rams needed a shakeup to hopefully get back to winning ways.

In the first half against the Bonnies, the Rams led in shots 9-3. However, they couldn’t find the back of the net. Even with their five corners, the Rams did not score off a set piece in this matchup like they have so often this season.

What started off as a scoreless first half turned into an all-out attack from the Rams to take the lead.

In the 50th minute, senior midfielder ​​Savvas Christoforou threaded a pass to senior Adrian Valentine who then found graduate student Ben Shepherd at the center of the box. The midfielder promptly took a shot in the bottom left corner, scoring the Rams’ first goal of the night.

The second goal, in the 76th minute, came as a result of a penalty kick issued on a breakaway run from junior Florian Deletioglu, who was tripped in the box by St. Bonaventure goalkeeper Nicolas Pucci. Graduate student Jack Sluys stepped up to the challenge, netting his first goal of the season.

Just one minute later, the Rams tallied their third goal of the night, as a result of another Deletioglu breakaway.

Deletioglu found the foot of sophomore Jed Dixon who squeaked the ball just under the

team was able to find the breakthrough goal. However, in the ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS 62nd minute, Fordham grabbed the lead courtesy of freshman Over the past week, the Fordham forward Natalie Velde. women’s soccer team continued The goal started with sophotheir Atlantic 10 conference play more midfielder Ryann Lucas as they went on the road to face who played a cross to senior George Mason University. forward Kristen Cocozza.

Fordham didn’t get off to a Cocozza then passed it to great start and conceded a goal Velde, who put the ball into the within five minutes, giving the back of the net to give the Rams hosts the lead. the lead and score her teamGeorge Mason had a corner leading third goal of the season. with Milan Pierre-Jerome whipFordham then defended for ping the ball into the box, findthe following 28 minutes to ing the head of Zoe Vidaurre hold onto the lead for a 2-1 win who put the ball into the back on the road. Junior goalkeeper of the net to give the Patriots a Maria O’Sullivan had two saves 1-0 lead. for the Rams to secure the win.

Fordham found an equalizer With this result, Fordham’s in the 31st minute courtesy of overall record is 3-6-1 while imjunior defender Marissa Krenn. proving their A-10 conference Krenn went on a long run from record to 2-0-1. her position and took a shot The Rams will play two A-10 from 20 yards that went into conference games this week. the top left corner of the George The first one has them traveling Mason goal. on the road to visit St. Joseph’s This not only leveled the score University in Philadelphia this at 1-1, but it was also Krenn’s Thursday night at 7 p.m.. first goal of her career. The Then, the Rams return home teams then went into the halfon Sunday for Alumni Day time break tied at one with still as they host the University of a lot to play for.

Rhode Island Rams at 1 p.m..

As the second half started, the Both of these matches can be score remained level as neither viewed on ESPN+.

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Men’s Soccer has continued to put up solid outings. crossbar to net his first career goal as a Ram. The Rams managed to pick up their first win since Sept. 6 against Manhattan College, with the final score being 3-0.

After that big win, the Rams traveled to Piscataway, N.J. for a non-conference game against Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights were unbeaten through their previous six games, and the Rams had quite the match ahead of them.

While no goals were scored in the first half, Rutgers kept Fordham on their toes. Outshooting the Rams 7-2, senior goalkeeper Callum James had his work cut out for him.

He recorded two saves in the first half, which was critical in keeping the score 0-0. This game also marked James’ first start in net for the season, taking over for the usual starter, graduate student Demetri Skoumbakis.

In the second half, there was an immediate change of pace. Rutgers scored their first goal in the 49th minute when Jackson Temple

broke down the left sideline and fed the ball through to Pablo Avila who was sitting in the perfect position on the back post. It was Avila’s second goal of the season.

While Fordham was outshot again in the second half, one of their shots found the back of the net courtesy of graduate student Daniel Espeleta.

He slotted a shot it into the upper right corner, equalizing the score and getting his first of the season.

Neither team was able to break the equalizer as James shut down the last attempt from the Scarlet Knights and recorded six saves in the contest.

The Rams struggled offensively against the Big 10 team, with only one shot on goal in the match from Espeleta.

Looking to improve their record, the Rams now will take on the University of Massachusetts on Saturday at 7 p.m. for another Atlantic 10 matchup.

The game will be played at Jack Coffey Field with the Rams celebrating Alumni Day, and can be streamed on ESPN+.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women’s Soccer has slowly improved as conference play heats up.

SPORTS

Page 20

September 28, 2022

Water Polo Struggles at MPSF Invitational

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

Fordham Water Polo suffered a setback in their inaugural appearance at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational, dropping three out of four and losing both of their matches against teams ranked in the national top 20 poll.

Head coach Brian Bacharach circled the MPSF invite as the biggest test for Fordham this season, featuring all of the top 10 teams nationally and 14 of the top 20 teams per the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s national poll. #16 Fordham, bumped up one spot from their #17 preseason ranking, was the lowest nationally ranked team at the tournament and the only East Coast team to appear.

Action kicked off on Friday with Fordham’s toughest matchup of the entire weekend, facing #5 University of Southern California (USC). USC won decisively, defeating Fordham 17-8.

Sophomore Luca Silvestri had a hat trick, but Fordham was unable to keep up with USC’s offense.

Fordham would play two more

games on Saturday, getting the day started against #13 University of California-Irvine.

Fordham held a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter but surrendered it by halftime, trailing 5-4.

Fordham took a 12-8 lead in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to a six-goal third quarter, but allowed five unanswered goals in the final minutes as UC Irvine snuck away with the 13-12 win.

Silvestri notched his second straight hat trick while freshman Balazs Berenyi tallied three goals of his own. With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-5 against nationally ranked opponents.

Things didn’t get much better in

the second game of the day, with the Rams falling to Santa Clara University in a low scoring 10-5 affair.

Fordham took a 4-2 lead into half, but surrendered eight straight goals in the second half while mustering only one of their own.

Silvestri led the Rams in scoring, once again, with two goals as the Rams dropped their third straight.

Fordham salvaged an 18-11 win over Pomona-Pitzer, but not before a power outage at Stanford University delayed the game for two hours. Once the power returned, Fordham’s offense did as well, jumping out to an 11-1 lead and cruising to victory.

Berenyi and junior Christos Loupakis netted hat tricks while Silvestri closed out an impressive 10 goal weekend with another multi-goal performance.

The weekend was a disappointing one for a Fordham team that prides itself on being able to compete against the league’s best. They looked outmatched against the #5 USC Trojans.

On the contrast, they played very well for three quarters or so against #13 UC Irvine, but their fourth quarter collapse in an extremely winnable game makes it a painful one.

Their loss to a Santa Clara team that received votes but is currently

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Water Polo struggled to keep up with some of the best teams in the nation last week.

unranked was eye-opening as well, as the normally explosive Fordham offense managed just five goals, their lowest tally since September of last year when they suffered a 6-5 loss to the very same Santa Clara.

Finishing games has been a problem for the Rams. If you take a look at their losses against University of Pacific, Princeton and UC Irvine, three top 20 teams, Fordham was either ahead or in striking distance heading into the fourth quarter.

Fordham entered the tournament as the third lowest ranked team in the pool, but 1-3 still feels like a major let down.

Between the collapse of the UC Irvine game and the fact that Fordham played the only two teams that were unranked at the tournament, the Rams should return home with a sour taste in their mouths. Before the invitational began, Bacharach said, “If we can win a few games out there, then we should be in that [top 10-15] conversation. If not, then we’ve got work to do.”

As October lingers, it appears Fordham may indeed have some work to do.

Football Falls to Ohio in Thriller For First Loss

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Heading into their Saturday matchup against Ohio University, Fordham was 2-10 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents, with their most recent win coming in 2015 against Army.

For Fordham, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school, Saturday’s trip to Athens, Ohio represented a chance to add another win to this list.

The Rams were outclassed last season in their two matchups against FBS teams (the University of Nebraska and Florida Atlantic University), so a positive showing would display real progress from a year ago.

Progress is an understatement, as Fordham took Ohio all the way down to the wire, eventually falling to the Bobcats 59-52. Behind another superb outing from senior quarterback Tim DeMorat and an unreal game from senior receiver Fotis Kokosioulis, the offense showed they could deliver against an FBS opponent. While the defense once again struggled and the final score ultimately didn’t go their way, the Rams made a statement about their intentions this season as Patriot League play begins next week.

While DeMorat delivered once again, Kokosioulis was the story of this game for Fordham. He caught 13 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns, an insane performance from the Park Ridge, Ill., native. His 320 yards broke a Patriot League record, and his four touchdowns tied a Fordham school record. For his efforts, Kokosioulis was named FedEx Ground FCS and Patriot League Offensive Player of Week.

Fordham started off slowly in Athens, falling behind 14-0 after a quarter of play. The offense

barely saw the ball in the first quarter, with an eight minute scoring drive from Ohio taking up most of the period. That opening drive from the Bobcats would be the longest of the day, as the runand-gun offenses of both teams soon took over.

The Rams got on the board early in the second quarter thanks to a 33-yard touchdown from DeMorat to Kokosioulis. Ohio responded with a field goal, but Fordham answered right back with another scoring bomb from the aforementioned duo, this one for 74 yards.

After a nine-yard touchdown to senior receiver Dequece Carter got the Rams within three with under two minutes to go in the half, Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke led a perfect two-minute drill down the field. With six seconds to go, Rourke hit receiver Jacoby Jones in the endzone to make it a 31-21 game in favor of Ohio heading into halftime.

Down against a very tough opponent, Fordham’s offense came out on fire in the second half. On the Rams opening possession of the half, DeMorat once again found Kokosioulis for another long touchdown to get Fordham within three. The Rams special teams unit faltered on the ensuing kickoff though, allowing Ohio’s Keegan Wilburn to take it 98 yards to the house. Back down 10, the Fordham offense kept things rolling immediately, with DeMorat finding MJ Wright for a 25-yard score to once again cut the lead back down to three.

The Fordham defense was finally able to get a stop, forcing a turnover-on-downs from Ohio in Rams territory. Sophomore running back Julius Loughridge then gave the Rams their first lead of the day with a two-yard score to make it 42-38. Another stop from

Fordham gave the Rams the ball right back, allowing DeMorat to find Kokosioulis for a huge 84yard touchdown. With a 49-38 lead, Fordham’s offense scored a touchdown on four consecutive possessions in the third quarter.

The Rams outscored Ohio 28-7 in the third quarter, but things began to falter for Fordham down the stretch. A Rourke touchdown to Tyler Foster got Ohio within three early in the fourth.

Fordham responded with a field goal from junior Brandon Peskin to go back up six. On the ensuing Ohio possession, the Bobcats drove all the way down to the Fordham 11-yard-line. On fourth-and-two, sophomore Matt Jaworski forced a fumble to keep Ohio from taking the lead with six minutes and 24 seconds to go.

But after their explosive third quarter, Fordham’s offense stagnated late in the fourth in large part due to penalties. A false start backed the Rams up on their next drive, and they were forced to punt the ball back to Ohio. With the ball and looking for the gamewinning score, Ohio fell victim to another fumble. This time, freshman Peter Chaloub came up big for the Fordham defense, stripping the ball away from Rourke to give the Rams the ball back in Ohio territory.

Up 52-46 with just three minutes and 19 seconds to go at the Ohio 36-yard-line, just a few more yards for Fordham would put them in field goal range. That would have put the Rams up nine and iced the game. Instead, Fordham went backwards, with a holding penalty and a personal foul knocking them all the way back to their own 49. The Rams were forced to punt, giving Ohio another chance to take the lead.

This time, the Bobcats did not falter, driving 67 yards down the

field to take a 53-52 lead thanks to a Jones touchdown catch from Rourke. Fordham got the ball back with 52 seconds to go, but two more penalties forced them back deep into their own territory.

On the last play of the game from their own 40-yard-line, Fordham fumbled a lateral attempt, allowing the Bobcats to scoop-andscore with no time remaining, cementing their 59-52 victory.

It’s hard to blame the offense after they put up 52 points, but undisciplined play down the stretch cost the Rams. The defense came up with two huge turnovers in the fourth quarter, but the offense could not capitalize. DeMorat finished the day with 503 yards passing and six touchdowns, another outstanding day from the senior who continues to lead the entire FCS in yardage and touchdowns.

Last year, we saw DeMorat falter against higher quality opponents Florida Atlantic University and College of the Holy Cross, but he proved today that he can hang with top opposition.

It was also a historic day for Rourke, who set an Ohio school record with 527 yards passing to go along with four touchdowns.

The Bobcats’ offense as a whole set a school record with 692 total yards gained on the day.

Big plays were the name of the game for the Rams. Fordham had four touchdown drives of two minutes or less and did not have a touchdown drive that exceeded four minutes. But all their production came in the middle two quarters, with Fordham struggling to start and end the game.

After the tough loss, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin shared his thoughts on the outcome. “Obviously a heartbreaking game, we didn’t execute well enough down the stretch,” he said. “Too many penalties were called by the MAAC officiating crew. Credit to Ohio, they were able to put plays together at the end to score one more than we had.”

This loss will certainly be a tough pill for Fordham to swallow. Yes, they put up a great fight against an FBS team, but Saturday’s game was winnable.

Sloppy play offensively in the fourth quarter and lackluster defense throughout most of the game ensured Fordham fell just short of the finish line.

The Rams will look to rebound on Family Weekend this Saturday against Georgetown University to open Patriot League play.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and can be streamed live on ESPN+ or listened to on WFUV 90.7.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fotis Kokosioulis had a record-breaking game.