Volume 104 Issue 20

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 104, Issue 20

November 9, 2022

TheFordhamRam.com

CPS Discusses Junior Studies Importance of Depiction of Community Women in Among BIPOC Students Cable News

By EMMA KIM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

During the fall semester, Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) collaborated to create a BIPOC student social hour. According to Kevin Foster, Ph.D., supervising psychologist and coordinator for diversity, inclusion and social justice initiatives at CPS, the mixer will no longer take place due to a lack of attendance. However, Foster said that OMA and CPS are looking to revamp the structure of these meetings in the spring semester.

Foster explained that some students of color may never meet each other since Fordham is a predominately white institution (PWI). “We are talking about a marginalized community. This is an opportunity to create some solidarity and a sense of belonging,” said Foster.

Some students can feel left out, isolated or disconnected.

Not only in terms of how things look and what friend groups SEE MIXER, PAGE 3

By NATALIE FEDDE STAFF WRITER

During the summer, Dana Kenneally, FCRH ’24, independently authored a research article titled “Gender, Politics, and Cable News: FOX News, MSNBC, and their Depiction of Women in Political Office Entering the 2022 Midterm Election.”

Kenneally spent three weeks watching 40 episodes of cable news about the 2022 midterm elections to gather data about sexism towards women in politics on cable news. 20 of the episodes were from FOX News, which leans conservative and 20 were from MSNBC which leans liberal.

From these episodes, Kenneally identified 68 different frames that were deemed sexist because they fell under specific categories that she created before watching the episodes. She only marked a comment as sexist if it fit within the categories of aesthetics, mannerisms, personality and lifestyle. “I wanted to make sure that the categories were broad enough so that I could draw a proper conclusion,” said Kenneally.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Students attend the "Paint a Tote Bag" event to celebrate Sustainability Week and sustainable practices.

USG’s Sustainability Committee Hosts Bi-annual Sustainability Week

By AVA CARREIRO DIGITAL PRODUCER

Monday, Nov. 7 marked the end of Sustainability Week at Fordham University.

This week-long event was held by the United Student Government (USG) Sustainability Committee and featured activities including

guest speakers, a flea market and a bake sale.

On Tuesday Nov. 1, guest speaker JD Lewis, Ph.D., discussed their research with climate change, urbanization and invasive pathogens.

The following day featured a “Plant a Seed” event and a sustainability-themed game

of Jeopardy. Thursday included a pop-up flea market, a movie screening and a guest speaker from the Hong Kong Shark Foundation. On Friday Nov. 4, programs consisted of a Louis Calder Center Project and Tour, a “Paint a Tote Bag” event and a bake sale fundraiser. Sustainability Week SEE USG, PAGE 3

SEE CPS, PAGE 5

Fordham Welcomes New Orchestra Director

By ABIGAIL MARTIN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Elizabeth Becker's documents the journey of three women as they report on the Vietnam War.

Fordham Awards Annual Sperber Prize

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

On Nov. 7, Fordham hosted the Sperber Prize Ceremony at the Lincoln Center campus. At the ceremony, the award was given to journalist Elizabeth Becker for her book “You Don’t

Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War.” The annual Sperber Prize honors journalistic biographies and memoirs. The prize was named after Ann M. Sperber, who wrote a biography about journalist Edward R. Murrow

called “Murrow: His Life and Times,” and was published by Fordham University Press. It received many awards and was considered as a finalist for the 1987 Pulitzer Prize.

“It’s wonderful,” said Becker.

SEE SPERBER, PAGE 4

Andy Bhasin, Ph.D., a violinist, is taking over as Fordham’s Orchestra Director. Bhasin has experience with instrumental music and has performed in solo and chamber music performances that have taken him around the globe to places such as the United States, Europe, Central and South America. Bhasin has worked with names such as Wolfram

Koessel, Rita Porfiris and members of the Emerson and Chiara String Quartets.

He has performed at prestigious events such as the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, the New World Symphony and under the batons of Carl St. Clair, David Robertson and John Williams.

Bhasin has also performed in venues such as the Gasteig in Munich, Germany, Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City SEE ORCHESTRA, PAGE 4

in this issue

News

Page 5

Culture

Page 13

KPMG Ideation Challenge Comes to Fordham

Reclaiming the Story of the Salem Witch Trials

Opinion

Page 10

The Dangers of Digital Tracking Apps Following the Overturn of Roe

Sports

Page 18

Fordham Water Polo Clinches MAWPC Regular Season Title

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Nov. 2 Hoffman Street 2:46 p.m.

There was a smoke alarm on Hoffman Street. Public Safety and FDNY responded. Investigation revealed that students were cooking and caused a smoke condition.

Nov. 4 Online 4:00 p.m.

Fordham Information Technology called Public Safety to report a spam email.

The email subject line was “Data Collection.” Once the email is opened the email requests personal identifying information. Fordham Information Technology is working on blocking the sender of the emails.

Nov. 5 Martyrs’ Court Goupil 11:00 a.m.

A student reported that their hair dryer blew up, and their room was full of smoke. The student stated that they left their hair dryer on while they went to the bathroom. The student then heard the smoke detector going off, returned to their room and observed the hair dryer spewing smoke.

There was no FDNY response as the smoke was contained in the room. The hair dryer showed no indication of being burned. The hairdryer was taken from the room with the student’s consent. A work order was submitted to have the outlet inspected.

Nov. 6 Arthur Ave 11:45 a.m.

A student reported the theft of their blue Trek ten-speed bike.

On Nov. 2, the student locked the bike to the fence in front of Arthur House # 1. On Nov. 6, the chain was cut, and the bike was gone.

The bike is valued at $500.

Follow us on Instagram! @thefordhamram If you have an event you’d like to be featured, email us: fordhamramnews@gmail.com

Nov. 9, 2022

Fordham’s Career Services Rebrands to Career Center

By MICHELA FAHY By ISABEL DANZIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER NEWS EDITOR

Over the past semester, Career Services rebranded to the Career Center. According to the Career Center, the change aims to help students with career-related goals and issues holistically.

“The Career Center is now, but always has been, committed to the idea of care and community, and care for the whole person, in terms of creating meaningful experiences and connections for all of Fordham’s students,” said Thomas Nolan, FCRH ’21, GSB MS ’22, who works as Assistant Director of Marketing & Digital Communications at the Career Center at Rose Hill.

Nolan said that the Career Center aims to foster a community. He said that the hope is that the new Career Center isn’t seen as a place to fill one specific need, but rather as a place where students can learn.

“I think as opposed from being a service where you come in and get one service then leave, we want it to be a center where we can help the student,” said Nolan.

The switch has involved creating events that address the needs of students. The Career Center often holds career fairs and events related to professional development, however, Nolan said they are trying to implement more events that cater to getting to know students better.

“We’ve been trying to incorporate some more casual events, like drop-in sessions.

We had a Halloween party where we were giving out quick facts about our office and had a little ‘trick-or-treating’ station ... we’re trying to make our office a hub for students to come in, chat with us, get to know us, I think through our events we’ve been trying to convey that message,” said Nolan.

According to Nolan, the switch has proved to be successful so far. He said that events seem to be more popular and student engagement is increasing.

“We have seen a lot of students attending our events.

We had a launch party earlier this semester and we had over 300 students attend, and we

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Over the past semester, Career Services rebranded the Career Center to better help students with their professional goals.

were really excited about that,” said Nolan.

The decision to switch to the Career Center was made in spring 2022, and while Nolan joined the staff after the decision was made, he said that the McShane Campus Center renovations influenced the decision.

“From what I’ve heard, we knew we were getting this new space and wanted to see how we could evolve our office with this new area, and I think from there we decided to take a more care of the whole person, curapersonalis focus. New space, new us and we wanted to hit the ground running with that,” said Nolan.

Nolan said that he wants students to understand that the Career Center is available to students, regardless of where they are in their college education. He said that the services that the center provides grows with students and matches where they are in their education.

“I think it’s important for students to know we are here for any step in their career process, whether you’re a freshman and you’re still trying to figure out what you want to get involved in,” said Nolan.

“Our job is really to help you fig-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Fordham’s Career Center aims to help studnets with career-related goals.

ure out what your career goals may be and help explore different avenues and as you go through the process our services evolve and change with that. Then we start doing interview prep, resume work, cover letter and then start to work on negotiations with salary or offers or stuff of that nature.”

Looking forward, the Career Center has multiple events coming up. During the spring

semester, they will hold various large and “micro” career fairs where students can meet with employers in their desired fields.

The Career Center gives undergraduate students a chance to plan for their goals and future while utilizing cura personalis. With its new rebrand, it will be able to provide a wider variety of assistance to all students, and it will give them a support system.

This Week at Fordham Wednesday Nov. 9

Wednesday Nov. 9

Thursday Nov. 10

Friday Nov. 11

Saturday Nov. 12

Conscious Dating Workshop

2022 Gannon Lecture

Exploring Christian Space Dialogue

Casa Blanca with CASA

Fordham vs.

Lafayette Football

Zoom 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Great Hall, JMCC 5;30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Zoom 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

McShane Ballroom 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

CPS is hosting a dating workshop to teach students “how to approach relationships from a place of awareness and acceptance.” For the link to the Zoom, go to their Instagram – @fordhamcps.

Marilyn Martone, Ph.D., will be presenting the annual Gannon Lecture in the Great Hall in McShane Campus Center. It will discuss how “trauma can end life as you know it.”

Dina Boero, Ph.D., and Mary K. Farag will discuss how “Christians [viewed] and [used] space in late antiquity,” versus the concept of space exploration in the context of modern Christianity. Register online.

Fordham’s CASA will be hosting a white and silver-themed ball, Casa Blanca, this Friday.

There will be food, music and plenty of dancing. To RSVP, check out @fordham_casa on Instagram.

Fordham faces Lafayette this Saturday with tailgates starting at 11 a.m. and the game at 1 p.m. Lafayette is 3rd in the Patriot League, below 2nd place Fordham, so the game will be competitive. Go Rams!

NEWS

November 9, 2022

Page 3

CPS Discusses Importance of Community for BIPOC Students FROM CPS, PAGE 1

they are in, but also just in terms of perspective, said Foster.

A college is considered a PWI when 50% or more of the overall student population is white.

Fordham’s class of 2026 is the most diverse in Fordham history. 46.4% of the class are domestic students of color. The class of 2026 has 45.3% white students, but the percentage of white students would be higher factoring in the other three classes at Fordham According to Data USA, in 2020, Fordham’s population was 50.1% white, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.57% Asian, 8.09% Black or African American, 3.34% two or more races, 0.116% American Indian or Alaska Native and 0.104% Native

Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders. Therefore, while Fordham is still a PWI, the numbers seem to be indicating that it is becoming more diverse with each new class.

Foster said that there is a constant discourse and brainstorming between him and OMA about what they can do to expand the emotional and physical space that students can feel comfortable in. “Whether they are conscious of it or not, they are holding their breath around their feelings of being different or how they can be subtly othered in different ways,” said Foster.

“We strive to create spaces where they can exhale. They are entitled to space at this school,”

said Foster. He explained that there is often a feeling of being lucky to even be at Fordham for some BIPOC students. “We are here to show there is more space for them.”

Overall, Foster said he wants the students to know that they have them in mind. “There are other students here that might be experiencing similar feelings,” said Foster. “If they put themselves out there and show up to these events, a lot of that feeling can subside or be addressed with other people.

Spending time with people and feeling safe to communicate [is one of the] healthiest ways to address these concerns.”

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Foster says that creating community among BIPOC students is important.

Fordham Clubs Join Together to Create Sustainability Week FROM USG, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Students participated in a "Paint a Tote Bag" event for sustainability week.

concluded with a “Paint a MiniPumpkin” event.

The week’s organizers encouraged all members of the Fordham community to attend.

Aside from undergraduate students, students, professors, deans, administrators and prospective students touring the campus participated in Sustainability Week.

Sustainability Week is a collaborative effort between the Sustainability Committee, the Climate Impact Initiative, Students for Environmental Action and Justice (SEAJ) and Lincoln Center Environmental.

Each club plans their own events independently and comes together to combine them for the week of programming.

The Vice President of the USG Sustainability Committee, Liz Shim, FCRH ’23, said that sustainability is incredibly important on a campus like Fordham.

“Fordham University is a member of two important categories within the higher academic world — a New York City university and a Jesuit

institution. Living in one of the leading cities of the world, we have to be role models for other universities,” said Shim.

She further said that Fordham’s location is in a city of innovation, where students have access to a multitude of services and resources to create a more sustainable campus. Shim points out that New York City offers lots of opportunities for funding sustainable projects and urban greening that Fordham students should take advantage of.

“There are more benefits to becoming a sustainable institution than remaining static in development,” said Shim.

Shim drew attention to the university's Jesuit mission, which aims to care for creation and provide for the health and growth of our neighbors and planet.

According to Shim, the USG Sustainability Committee tries to place value on a society that promotes the survival of humanity and the earth over capital gain.

The committee aims to advocate for marginalized communities, pointing out that many issues brought about by climate change disproportionately affect those neighborhoods, even

though they contribute least to the problem. The committee said it is their goal to look out and offer help towards the most vulnerable.

Shim’s favorite event in Sustainability Week is “Paint a Tote Bag.” “It allows everyone to have a personal experience with choosing a sustainable alternative,” said Shim. “As many people have said to me, the Sustainability Committee is the hippie mom of USG, which I eagerly take as a compliment, and I love that we can inspire people to express their individuality.”

In regards to the Fordham Flea pop-up, Shim said that “because I was the Fordham Flea subcommittee head in my sophomore year, I do have a bias towards our Fordham Flea pop-up thrift store event, and if I’m being honest, it would be my favorite event only if it wasn’t for the intense physical labor required to collect clothes and set up the event.”

To join the committee, students can find the application in the bio of the Sustainability Committee’s Instagram account, @usgsustainability.

USG Weekly Meeting Hosts CCEL to Discuss Community Engagement

By SOFIA SEMPER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thursday, Nov. 3, United Student Government (USG) met to discuss public concerns and executive reports.

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) presented their ideas for the rest of the year and their hopes to engage students as active citizens in the alleviation of poverty, promotion of justice, protection of human rights and the environment.

Some of their current projects include Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), Urban Plunge, Global Outreach and en-

gaged leaders fellowship opportunities.

The Executive Board presented their reports. Vice President of Operations Jillian Choy, GSB ’24, stated that she would be allowing late club submissions and that club leaders will get an email if they are sanctioned.

Adriana Wong, FCRH ’25, vice president of communications and marketing said that she is working on updating the USG Executive Board website. She is adding a new section where students can clearly learn about each USG position.

Vice President of Sustainability Liz Shim, FCRH ’23, stated that

they had a successful sustainability week. Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, stated that the Diversity Action Coalition (DAC) is working on planning a new student activism panel.

The FCRH Dean’s Council will be sending a survey to all STEM students to fill out.

The Dean’s Council is also looking into establishing a universal source for students to get their textbooks for free.

Executive President Santiago Vidal, FCRH ’24, stated that the Executive Board office hours will likely be on Monday’s from

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. where students will be able to express their concerns directly to the Executive Board. Anyone interested in running for USG next year that has questions for Vidal regarding the election process must ask him before Dec. 19.

Vidal will be on the election board and unable to talk to the candidates about the election next semester.

Lastly, Vidal said that the Senate will be allowed to nominate students for the Truman Scholarship which would be a $30,000 grant for graduate school.

Senator Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, brought up the public concern

with professors still being able to mandate masks in the classroom despite the mask mandate being lifted for the university.

Vidal, said that that exception was made to assure that professors felt comfortable while teaching and to accommodate professors who are more susceptible to getting COVID-19. Vidal recommended discussing the issues with the professor or the academic deans. Senator Dan Sponseller, FCRH ’25, also brought up the concern that if professors are forced to lift masks mandates in the classroom, they might feel it necessary to continue the class over Zoom.

NEWS

Page 4

November 9, 2022

Andy Bhasin Takes Over as Orchestra Director FROM ORCHESTRA, PAGE 1

and has debuted in Carnegie Hall as a prizewinner of the American Protege International Concerto Competition. He received a doctorate in musical arts as well as a master’s degree in musical education.

Bhasin is from New Jersey.

Bhasin’s brother was a trumpeter, and watching him perform originally inspired Bhasin to start playing string instruments, leading him to take professional lessons in fifth grade. Bhasin continued his young music education at a music camp the summer before eighth grade. According to Bhasin, that summer camp showed him the beauty of music.

By ninth grade, Bhasin had made up his mind to major in music.

Over time, Bhasin participated in experiences such as performing at the Music Academy at the West in California where he performed pieces such as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and met and worked under world renown John Williams.

“I’ll never forget that thrill,” Bhasin said. “The violins rotated,

even the best players played supporting parts in the piece and all you could feel was a wall of sound.”

He said he was amazed at the power music could hold as well as the emotion. Bhasin said he believes that music has more to it than the technical aspects of it, and that “the emotional experience [of music] is meaningful.”

According to Bhasin, this lesson learned is something that he takes with him every time he teaches or picks up an instrument.

Bhasin said he came to Fordham initially because he wanted to live in New York City. He said he loves the music scene in it and also enjoys the salsa dancing classes he takes in the city. However, Bhasin said that he also loves teaching college kids.

“College students have a curiosity and love for music that I admire,” he said. “I want to help students strive for a high standard of music while also inspiring students who are less experienced to find their potential.”

COURTESY OF RYAN J. BURKE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Orchestra director, Andy Bhasin, has been playing music since his childhood and has played all over the world.

Sperber Prize Awarded to Elizabeth Becker FROM SPERBER, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Becker won the 2022 Sperber Prize for her book about the Vietnam War.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Marvin Kalb won a certificate for career achievement for his work.

“It’s a singular award, and it’s specifically about the kind of book I wrote. To be chosen as the best of the year is a lifetime honor. There’s nothing else. The book means a lot to me, therefore the award is even more impressive.”

Earlier this year, Becker also won Harvard’s Goldsmith Book Prize.

Becker’s book follows the story of three female journalists who independently covered the Vietnam War: Australian reporter Kate Webb, French photographer Catherine Leroy and American journalist Frances FitzGerald.

According to Becker, these women did not know each other and worked separately, making it difficult to tell all their stories simultaneously. “[The three women] were not a group. They operated totally independently, yet they managed to break the ultimate glass ceiling. Nobody had told that story,” said Becker. “So it was a tough one. One, I had to prove they did the glass ceiling, and two, that it mattered.”

“You Don’t Belong Here” explains the work of these women within the context of the Vietnam War. According to Becker, that makes the work of these women especially trailblazing. They did not solely report on the war. “[They] didn’t just cover the war on the battlefield, they covered the country at war, and that means they looked at the people, the culture, the history of Vietnam and gave dimension to the

war. Quite frankly, from very early on, [they] showed why the United States had made a tragic, fatal mistake in fighting that war and why they would lose. This is the first and only war that the United States completely lost. That’s a big hard thing to do,” said Becker.

Becker covered the end of the Vietnam War, and she said that this personal connection to working as a reporter in that period as a woman, made writing the book much more impactful.

“I couldn’t have written it if it hadn’t been personal, because I lived what they lived. [It is] the ultimate leg up, I knew by living it there was a story here,” said Becker. “And of course, it made it more impactful because I was able to tell the story after all those years. Covering a war, no matter what it is, normally you’re 100% witness but to then pull the curtain back and see how you’re also a part of the history was daunting.”

In addition to Becker, the ceremony also honored Marvin Kalb, a former CBS reporter, educator and memoir author. He was given a certificate for career achievement.

“Assignment Russia: Becoming a Foreign Correspondent in the Crucible of the Cold War," Kalb’s second memoir, was a finalist for this year’s Sperber Prize, and his first memoir “The Year I Was Peter the Great” was a finalist in 2018.

Both books are about Kalb’s time reporting on Nikita Khruschez’s Russia.

Kalb said that he is honored to be recognized at the Sperber Prize and to be associated with Becker but also noted his personal connection to Murrow, who hired

Kalb at CBS as a reporter.

“Murrow was an internally important person in my professional life. I have read, I think, every book about Murrow, and there have been quite a few, but I think the Sperber Book is by far, in a way, the best. And I am grateful to the people at Sperber who would think enough of my work to offer this official recognition, and I thank them very much,” said Kalb.

The memoirs cover Kalb’s work in Russia from the mid1950s to the early-1960s. Kalb has written books about Russia, Vietnam, China and the Middle East, but “The Year I Was Peter the Great” was his first memoir.

According to Kalb, he was influenced by his family to write a memoir because the story of being a journalist in Khrushchev's Russia is compelling to many.

“And the story of Khrushchev’s Russia from the mid-1950s to the time I left in the early 1960s was a particularly compelling story, and I think the story itself said a great deal about what we were like during the Cold War when there was [a threat] of nuclear war and what was the responsibility of a reporter,” said Kalb.

Coming from a career as a journalist, Kalb said it was a difficult transition to memoir writing.

“It’s difficult because when you write about yourself and you are a journalist, how do you write objectively about yourself?” said Kalb. “I can tell you it’s difficult, but it is doable. If you think of yourself as simply a part of the story, in the same way other people are parts of a story, and you keep your emotions out of it, I think it’s doable.”

NEWS

November 9, 2022

Page 5

KPMG Ideation Challenge Comes to Fordham

By GRACE GALBREATH STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

The KPMG Ideation Challenge allows students to work with others to create technological solutions to issues.

COURTESY OF DANA MAXSON FOR FORDHAM NEWS

Fordham is one of 30 universities invited to participate in the 2022 Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) LLP Ideation Challenge. The challenge requires student groups to identify a way to achieve carbon neutrality.

Through collaboration with KPMG experts, students develop their solutions for the challenge and undergo mentorship to make improvements upon said solutions. Students are expected to research the topic and create a technological solution that can be easily achieved and globally implemented. Following the creation, students pitch their ideas to business investors.

The challenge was advertised through the Fordham Career Center, and the first round took place on Nov. 7.

The challenge itself takes place in increments throughout the year, with the finals set for April 7-8. The competing teams must be comprised of 4-6 members and include at least one female and one male student.

The students must also be either freshmen, sophomores or juniors.

Challenge winners are granted cash sums and the first place team is given the title

of “Team India.” Winners are also extended the opportunity to attend networking events in India, sponsored by KPMG, in which students are encouraged to interact and speak with CEOs of multiple start-ups.

The challenge creates a space for students to work closely with KPMG members in addition to STEM experts. It also allows for collaboration and networking between undergraduate students from many different countries. While students who participate in the challenge work to positively impact their community, they are also encouraged to learn about KPMG as a company, as well as are invited to consider KPMG India for a potential career option.

In addition to the 2022 KPMG LLP Ideation Challenge, Fordham’s Career Center is also offering other opportunities to students.

An upcoming offered event, a collaboration between the Career Center and the New York Giants, provides students the opportunity to get involved with a major sports organization.

Students are offered the opportunity to participate in a case study competition in which they work as a team. Interested students can apply until Dec. 1.

The Career Center initially advertised the challenge to the Fordham University student body.

Fordham Student Studies the Portrayal of Female Politicians FROM CABLE, PAGE 1

For example, a comment about a female political candidate’s clothing would fall under the aesthetics category, and a comment about her tone of voice or volume would fall under mannerisms. An overwhelming number of the comments that qualified under Kenneally’s criteria insulted womens’ leadership abilities.

“Comments about the way that one woman looks cannot be applied to all women because every single person looks different. Talking about the way that women are not effective at military tactics or international relations can be applied to all women. I argue in my paper that this is really dangerous, potentially more dangerous than being sexist in an aesthetical way.”

Kenneally delves deeper into this topic in the first of three sections in her article and comes to the conclusion that the stereotypes commonly attributed to female candidates focus on tactical leadership abilities. In the other two sections of her article, Kenneally explores the differences in sexism on FOX News and on MSNBC. For each network, Kenneally watched four episodes from each of the five highest rated hosts on the network. “What I found was

that out of those 20 episodes for MSNBC, there were nine episodes that women were never mentioned in politics. Whether they were running for political office or whether they were in political office, they were never mentioned in a positive or negative way.

They just didn’t exist. That was extremely shocking and really interesting,” said Kenneally.

FOX News produced opposite results. Across the 40 cable network episodes Kenneally watched, 32 misogynistic comments were made on MSNBC and 142 were made on FOX News.

One comment on FOX News that Kenneally looks at in her article is from Tucker Carlson speaking about Elizabeth Warren. “If we’re going to get lectured all the time, can we at least be lectured by someone with an IQ over 100 with some kind of track record of doing something useful over the course of her entire 70 years on the planet? Just for once, can we get an impressive person to shout at us? No, we can’t,” said Carlson.

“FOX mentioned women in every single episode, but their comments were a lot more severe,” said Kenneally. “In one section of my research I talk about how FOX News’ language is so much more damaging than MSNBC’s is. It’s very upfront and striking.”

According to Kenneally, the reason for the difference be-

tween the two networks is that “MSNBC really pays attention to the way that language is used. Fox News just allows their hosts to speak, and they end up saying pretty vile things.”

Kenneally said that she got the idea to start this research because of her “nana.” “I come from a family that has a very different political affiliation than myself. I also come from a family that watches a lot of news. Hearing the way my family responded to the news, I was really interested to understand if the way that my family talked about female candidates specifically was because of what they believed about the female candidates or if it was because of what they were told by cable news, which was their primary source of understanding political news.”

Kenneally sent her article to publishers. Her goal is to have it published by May 2023. While her research covers the 2022 midterm elections, she says that her article will still be relevant after the elections are over.

“I want my audience to understand that women are being actively and systematically dragged down in the cable news system, and it could potentially have major repercussions in the election cycles,” said Kenneally.

COURTESY OF DANA KENNEALLY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Kenneally’s article focuses on the way women are presented in cable news.

OPINION

Page 6

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor in Chief Ava Erickson Managing Editor Hanif Amanullah Editorial Director Sebastian Diaz Production Editor Michael Sluck Multimedia Director Pia Fischetti Business Director Matthew Colucci Copy Chief Amanda Yarolin Assistant Copy Chief Hannah Boring News Editor Isabel Danzis Assistant News Editors Emma Kim Samantha Minear Opinion Editors Nicole Braun Taylor Herzlich Assistant Opinion Editor Michela Fahy Culture Editors Kari White Ilaina Kim Assistant Culture Editor Elisabeth Murray Sports Editor Nick Guzman Assistant Sports Editors Thomas Aiello Maddie Bimonte Social Media Director Frances Schnepff Digital Producers Ava Carreiro Justin Charles Sofia Donohue Visual Director Nicoleta Papavasilakis Photo Editor Nick DeSilva Graphics/Illustrations Cory Bork Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

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

November 9, 2022

From the Desk | Pia Fischetti

A Snapshot of My Time with The Fordham Ram If someone had told me freshman year that I would be on the executive board of Fordham’s official school newspaper, I never would have believed them.

I got my start at The Fordham Ram as a graphic designer and photographer. Though experience was not required to join, I couldn’t help but feel slightly unqualified for the tasks at hand. Photography has always been a hobby of mine, but I had no notion of what it meant to be a photojournalist. I had even less experience with graphic design, but it was something that I was particularly interested in pursuing. If someone was willing to teach me even the most basic graphic design skills, then I was willing to learn. And so, with nothing more than an old camera, a one-week subscription to Adobe Illustrator and a strong determination, I joined the Ram. My first volume with the Ram consisted of a strange combination of fear and excitement. Almost every week I found myself taking photos at some campus or club event that a writer was going to be covering. The photos weren’t always great and I was never sure if they were going to end up in the paper, but I got to pursue my interest in photography while meeting several people and learning about some of the clubs on campus — a great experience for a college

freshman to have.

Even when my pictures did not make it to production, I would still be out the following week taking photos of another event. Soon enough, I found that the more comfortable I felt behind the camera, the more my photos improved.

I still remember one of the first times I worked up the nerve to approach a group of students for a picture. I had signed up to take photos of a raffle event that week and after collecting an unnecessary number of shots of the room and individual raffles, I finally mustered enough courage to go up to a group of friends and ask if I could get a photo of them with their raffle tickets. Thankfully they were nice enough to pose for a strange, anxious student with a camera and I got the picture I was looking for. That photo would end up making the front cover of the next issue. Upon seeing the printed newspaper, I experienced an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. The people that read the paper probably don’t even think to look at the image credits, but just knowing that my name was there was enough gratification for me.

I also remember when I got my first logo in the newspaper, which felt like an even bigger achievement since I was completely new to graphic design.

It took a few attempts to create

exactly what the staff was looking for, but when I finally got it right, I was overcome by that same sense of fulfillment.

When Volume 102 staff applications rolled around, I decided to apply for graphics and illustrations editor. It didn’t sound like the most demanding position, but as someone who had just recently began exploring her skills in graphic design, it still felt like a daunting endeavor. Nevertheless, I applied anyway and ended up joining the staff of The Fordham Ram. Three staff positions and countless photos and graphics later, I now find myself having to say goodbye to a club that played such a major role in my college experience. It has been a chaotic and challenging four years, but I am happy to say that the Ram remained one of the constants

throughout those years.

It’s hard to imagine what college would have been like if I had never gotten involved in the newspaper. This club not only allowed me to pursue my interests in photography and graphic design, but it also gave me the opportunity to work with amazing and talented people, and for that I will always be grateful.

My advice to anyone reading is don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when exploring your interests. I know it’s not groundbreaking wisdom, but it is something that I feel is worth repeating every now and again.

If you have a passion or interest you’re thinking about pursuing, this is your sign to stop doubting yourself and just go for it. You never know what kind of opportunities await in the unexpected.

Editorial | Bronx Transportation

Public Transit Neglects the Bronx’s Needs Every weekend until Monday, Dec. 19, the D-Train service will be suspended between 161st StreetYankee Stadium and Norwood205th Street for maintenance, meaning that the train will not be servicing the Fordham Road station, the station used by many Fordham community members.

Students who travel throughout the city with any frequency, especially on weekends, know that the disrupted service is a major inconvenience for anybody who wants to travel downtown or even uptown a few stops. In fact, pausing service between 161st Street and 205th Street knocks out service to over 40 blocks and a majority of the D-train’s Bronx-based line. With the D-Train being one of only two subway lines servicing West Bronx (the other being the 4 Train), this is a major disruption to commuters from the Bronx.

While the service pause only affects weekend outings (and not too catastrophically; advisory signs posted in the Fordham Road station encourage D-Train commuters to transfer to the D from the 4 at Yankee Stadium), it points to a severe flaw in public transportation accessibility for the boroughs outside of Manhattan and especially the Bronx.

The Bronx is a fairly large borough of 42.7 square miles. Why is it that the subway seems to avoid the central areas of the Bronx and only favors the west, south and east borders? The alternative is the Bx Bus system that operates where the subway doesn’t, but the buses

are not always reliable and are subjugated to the rules of the road; the rush hour and miscellaneous traffic problems can cause heavy inefficiencies in commutes.

The reliance on buses in neighborhoods where subways aren’t available points to one of the largest problems in the MTA infrastructure. Underserved neighborhoods in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn lack accessibility to subway lines that could beneficially connect them to areas with more significant economic opportunities.

There are already a number of plans suggested, including the Trans-Regional Express (T-REX), a regional commuter railway that would connect all boroughs except Staten Island.

As it stands, interborough public transit commutes are centered around Manhattan, meaning that it can take well over an hour to get between Queens and the Bronx via subway when the commute via car would take significantly less time.

A good example of this would be the commute between Fordham’s campus and the nearest major airport, LaGuardia.

Using public transport, getting to Laguardia would take about an hour and a half on the 4 Train and a Manhattan Select Bus Service. However, the same trip by car would take just 28 minutes (on a toll-required route). The bulk of this subway commute is spent traveling through Manhattan from the Bronx to get to a destination in Queens, whereas traveling via

car on a highway would lead the traveler directly from the Bronx to Queens.

The solution, it would seem, would be to develop a subway line that connects the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn (connecting with various lines that already exist in these three boroughs) without a reliance on subway lines in Manhattan.

In 1996, the Regional Plan Association (RPA) proposed what they called the Triboro RX line, a 24-mile long subway line connecting 17 subway lines between the four non-Manhattan boroughs. The Triboro would begin in the Bronx’s Co-op City and end its service in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge with a possible extension to the northern tip of Staten Island.

According to the RPA, “New York City’s subways were built radially from the core to connect people to Manhattan, limiting the system’s value for residents traveling to other boroughs. Indeed, the vast subway network, with 470 stations, isn’t within a reasonable walking distance for 43% of the city’s outer borough residents. Yet more than 50% of New York’s job growth in the last 15 years has occurred outside Manhattan.”

While funding the development of the Triboro subway may seem like an incredibly expensive venture, its reliance on

preexisting rails brings its cost down to cheaper than many other proposed subway lines aimed at connecting its three boroughs. The RPA estimates that the initial costs would range somewhere between $1 and $2 billion dollars. For a city that spends nearly $11 billion dollars a year on its police department, funding an MTA expansion directly linking three boroughs is a viable possibility.

Plus, it would boost subway ridership by a large amount; RPA analysis suggests that initial ridership estimates would be somewhere around 100,000 daily commuters.

The Triboro RX line is just one of many proposed plans to improve transit for New Yorkers that live outside of Manhattan, especially in underserved neighborhoods.

All of these proposals recognize a very systematic issue in subway development, one that favors Manhattan, the borough hub for New York’s many subway lines.

The MTA currently functions with a subway system that favors antiquated beliefs about NYC population growth. Current subway lines favor Manhattan as a central location for all New Yorkers, ignoring modern New Yorker residential and economic migration into the other boroughs. It’s time for the city to update its public transit systems to reflect this.

OPINION

November 9, 2022

Page 7

Fat-Shaming Attacks on Taylor Swift Are Hypocritical & Lack Nuance

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A scene in Swift’s music video for “Anti-Hero” sparked concerns of fatshaming.

By NORA LEACH STAFF WRITER

Women should be allowed to talk about their unique struggles with body image in order to critique the unrealistic expectations that society places on their appearances. So why are they still shamed for voicing these struggles?

Taylor Swift’s music video for her single “Anti-Hero” featured a scene of her standing on a scale that reads “fat,” causing her inner critic to shake her head disapprovingly.

One writer said that Swift has no right to claim she is fat because of her benefits from being “a thin white woman.” After many Twitter users claimed she was reinforcing a harmful idea that being fat is not something women should strive for, the scene was edited to remove the scale.

What upsets me the most about this controversy is not Swift’s alleged “fatphobia,” but how people immediately

reacted to the video without taking the time to understand her past struggles with body image. Swift’s career has been defined by her physical appearance, so much so that the singer developed an eating disorder, which she discussed in her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana:” “’Cause if you’re thin enough, then you don’t have that a** that everybody wants. But if you have enough weight on you to have an a**, then your stomach isn’t flat enough,” she said.

Regardless of how these Twitter users might view Swift’s physical appearance, her body image was constantly at the top of her mind. Other people’s approval mattered the most to her. Her music video reflects this internal struggle: no matter how much weight she lost, if the paparazzi took photos of her stomach and said she looked pregnant, she would still see herself as fat even if she was thin. The media simultaneously praised and

vilified Swift’s appearance for being too skinny and too fat.

Swift should be allowed to talk about her experiences without feeling obliged to censor or alter the way in which she discusses them. By deleting that scene in the video, she shut down an important and nuanced conversation that women should be having about body image.

I am not saying that people do not have the right to be upset about her video. I will also not deny that the word “fat” is often still discussed with negative connotations. I have been in a similar position as Swift, as I’m sure many other women have. I have stood on a scale and seen a number that I could only perceive as “fat.” I have looked at myself in the mirror and hated the way my stomach bloated or how my arms didn’t look toned enough. No matter what number we see on the scale or how our arms look, society makes us believe that we will never meet the standards of an imaginary, beautiful woman.

We should dismantle the notion that losing weight to become “thinner” will somehow make us more “beautiful.” We should not dictate how and when women should be speaking out about their struggles and victories regarding weight. If Swift wants to discuss her negative experiences with body image, then she should be allowed to do so without constant fear of voicing her struggles in an unintentionally offensive way.

People may find her portrayal of these unrealistic expectations uncomfortable or relatable, but that is exactly the point. She has never claimed to

be an activist for this subject, and has even expressed her desire for others to not look up to her as a role model for body positivity and acceptance: “I’m not as articulate as I should be about this topic because there are so many people who could talk about it in a better way.

But all I know is my own experience.” All she wanted to do was explore her experience of how other people perceive her, and an integral part of that experience is the stigma surrounding the word “fat.”

But this issue goes beyond Swift. Apparently, women cannot say anything, even something positive, about their weight without upsetting someone. When British singer Adele discussed her weight loss in an interview with Vogue from November 2021, she mentioned her surprise that much of the criticism toward her weight loss came from women who claimed that she was no longer relatable to them because of the change in her physical appearance. She said that “the most brutal conversations were being had by other women about my body. I was very f****** disappointed with that. That hurt my feelings.”

When Adele was “overweight,” she was simultaneously seen as both unhealthy and a role model. Now that she is thinner, she is seen as healthier and unrelatable. She is finally happy with her mental and physical health, and yet somehow that’s a problem.

Given her inability to conform to the standards of comments from both the ever-observant media and women who claim to be body positive, I would not blame Swift, Adele or other

female celebrities if they were hesitant to advocate for other women’s struggles again.

Despite Adele’s experience being different from Swift’s, their relationships with their weight get at the same idea: women cannot reflect on their past and present perceptions of their bodies without angering others, and it’s becoming frustrating. Some celebrities want to share their own unique experiences without the pressure of being labeled an activist for all, and that is okay. When we become overly critical of women who want to showcase their struggles and victories regarding bodily acceptance and health, whether that is through a music video or an Instagram post, then we are no better than the society who placed these expectations on them in the first place.

What we can do is appreciate women who discuss their individual experiences, like Swift and Adele, and those who actively speak out against hypocritical and unnecessary beauty standards, such as Lizzo. It is only by uplifting those who want to be empathetic activists that we can truly combat society’s ever-present obsession with thinness.

As long as they are not directly shaming others for their physical appearances, women have the right to talk about their struggles without feeling worried that they are putting others down. Swift did just that but, unfortunately, many people didn’t listen.

Nora Leach, FCRH ’24, is an English and American studies major from Groton, Mass.

It’s Not Democratic Policies That Are Lacking; It’s Their Narrative

By EVAN McMANUS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Members of Gen Z are dissatisfied with today’s politicians.

It is not because the youth are ambivalent about the country’s current state of affairs. Rather, it is quite the opposite. Around 68% of Gen Z adults consume news from social media weekly.

This dissatisfaction with politicians isn’t caused by a lack of concern for politics, as members of Gen Z have participated in and helped lead many political movements, such as the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, March for Our Lives movement in 2018 and numerous climate change protests.

Gen Z voted at historic levels during the 2018 midterms and 2020 presidential election. According to the Harvard Youth, around 40% of Gen Z voters are expected to vote in this week’s midterms, and a majority want to retain a democratic congress.

Yet Gen Z voters gave President Biden a 39% approval rating.

So, if Gen Z is more liberal, why are they dissatisfied with

a Democratic government?

The answer lies in how we perceive the world’s current state. When watching the news or scrolling through social media, the state of the nation appears broken. Roe v. Wade was overturned, which reversed the rights of millions of young women throughout the country. The cost of living has dramatically risen throughout the country, making everything more difficult for the lives of millions. The war in Ukraine has further exacerbated global instability. COVID-19 still lurks in everyone’s subconscious. “Trumpism” seems to be as popular as ever and has now morphed into an electiondenying form. Don’t forget the climate crisis, mass shootings and a seemingly unending list of problems.

These issues have been talked about endlessly by members of Gen Z, yet many feel that nothing has been done to change them. I witness this sentiment whenever I speak to my friends about President Joe Biden. I don’t think I have

ever heard him receive more than faint-hearted praise during these conversations. Peers will say he’s too old and doesn’t do enough on issues currently affecting the country. Although this is an anecdotal story, I believe it speaks to something much deeper.

One of the most powerful tools in politics is narrative. The narratives that politicians, media sources and even ourselves create about elections affect how we vote. When Biden was running for president in 2020, he called it “a battle for the soul of the nation.” He made the narrative of voting for him equal to a vote against former president Donald Trump.

Yet, simultaneously, Biden robbed himself of the opportunity to express to Gen Z why his platform was worth voting for. Gen Z did exactly what Biden suggested: voted for him and justified it as a vote against Trump. It is a shame that Biden did not do more to promote his platform to youth, since it was described at the time by prominent Justice Democrat Waleed

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The narratives that politicians craft affect how their constituents vote.

Shahid as “the most progressive platform of any Democratic nominee in the modern history of the party.”

Since Biden was elected, the Democrats have passed laws such as the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Gun Reform Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. Hidden beneath these bland names are policies that dramatically reduced child hunger, ended the boyfriend loophole and will reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 41% by 2030. Though all these plans have been enacted, the narrative that Gen Z still believes is that Biden is old and ineffective. As a result, most members of Gen Z remain dissatisfied with the Democrats.

When members of Gen Z are made aware of the laws

that democrats have passed, it is likely that they overwhelmingly support them. Gen Z is excited by the big ideas that politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represent. The problem isn’t that Democrats like Biden don’t have big ideas. It’s that they are bad at communicating these ideas to Gen Z. Democrats need to make a more aggressive attempt to control the narrative and get rid of the “sleepy Joe” story. If Democrats want to do well in future elections, they will have to try to reach out to Gen Z properly and give them an exciting narrative to vote for.

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

OPINION

Page 8

November 9, 2022

Halloweekend Is Unnecessary and Overhyped

By LUIS ROLDAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As a freshman, I don’t think I’m exactly the most qualified person to be writing about Halloween celebrations in college, yet here I am. In a world where Halloween has become a glorified and highly anticipated holiday, especially at colleges across the country, outwardly admitting that I don’t really enjoy it seems close to a crime. I mean, what’s not to like? It gives us a reason to put on ridiculous costumes and party with our friends without being judged for it, which sounds like a dream for stressed students who are constantly searching for a break from their midterm exams and busy schedules. However, I think we’ve reached a point where Halloween has fallen victim to becoming another overhyped celebration in college culture.

At Fordham, there is no shortage of nightlife on and around campus throughout the academic year. Maybe this nightlife is not as prominent compared to larger schools’ campus life, but it’s definitely there for those who are looking for a night out. From the staple bars on Arthur Avenue

like Barnyard and Mugz to the off-campus athletic houses, there always seems to be some event or party happening on any given weekend.

This nightlife presence makes me wonder: If we already go out and party every normal weekend, what really makes “Halloweekend” different? I believe a large part of the hype around this coveted time of year is the anticipation factor. A prime example of this is the friend groups who start planning their individual costumes or group themes during the first week of classes — no, that’s not an exaggeration. In my opinion, more often than not students spend too much time and money getting ready for those “special” one or two nights.

Oddly enough, Halloween at Fordham is an almost weeklong commitment for some students. A noticeable number of students started going out as early as Wednesday and wrapped up their celebrations on Monday. I honestly admire them for their dedication because I, for one, could not last that many nights out in a row.

Still, spending upwards of $50 on a costume or outfit that you’ll wear for no more than two or three hours and

never wear again is frankly a bit pointless and even wasteful. But I don’t think these students submit to these party traditions for themselves; they may be doing it for their social media accounts instead.

Lately, more than anything, Halloween has turned into a competition for who has the best costume, which leads to the best Instagram post in an effort to prove who is having the best time. Or rather, who seems to be having the best time.

One thing I’ve noticed during my short time here is that people like to appear as if they’re having the time of their lives, even when they’re not. I have seen people spend more time attempting to get the perfect pictures for their feed or glued to their phone than actually living in the moment, as predictable as it sounds.

To some extent, it feels like they’re prioritizing the opportunity to impress their followers or friends more than the chance to actually enjoy themselves.

I admit that I’m guilty of having done this myself in several situations. In today’s world, where everyone has instant access to each other’s personal lives, it is easy to

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You don’t need to go out every weekend to have a valid college experience.

believe that everyone is taking full advantage of the “best four years of our lives” — and it is also easy to want validation that we are doing the same.

This standard is a lot to live up to and can create FOMO (fear of missing out) for many of us.

During the first few months of college, I felt an obligation to go out and party because I didn’t want to miss out on the “real” college experience.

I am slowly beginning to realize that I don’t have to go out every weekend in order to validate my own college experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I like

being able to put the stresses of my academics aside, spend time with friends and meet new people. Typical Halloween celebrations in college, however, perpetuate the belief that we constantly need to be filling our time with what others define as the most “fun” activity.

Let’s start prioritizing a balance for ourselves and our unique interests instead of blindly heading down the most popular route.

Luis Roldan, GSB ’26, is undeclared from Winter Park, Fl.

Witchcraft Can Ground Us in Dire Political Times

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

I was in the store “LightClub Curiosity Shoppe” with my mom a few weeks ago, where several containers of crystals and gemstones sat upon a display table straight out of a haunted house. I pointed out the tiger’s eye stone to my mom. A woman seemed to appear out of thin air. She approached us and said, “That’s a good sign, you know. That you felt moved to bring attention to the tiger’s eye for whatever reason. Confidence and success are in your future.”

I pointed out the gem because it was a reference to “Practical Magic,” our favorite movie. But okay, I guess.

I’m not picky. I’ll take a good omen wherever I can find it.

Witchcraft has undeniably soared in popularity in the United States in the past few years. Though witches are hesitant to announce themselves as such, we can see this increase in popularity in how certain aspects of witchcraft, like astrology and tarot cards, have become mainstream. To see the grip that witchcraft has on modern society, one need not look any further than the WitchTok hashtag on TikTok, which currently links to videos with more than 33 billion views.

At its core, our current understanding of witchcraft is

as a countercultural movement. It is a rebellion against what feels like an overwhelmingly Christian society. In fact, Wicca, a modern pagan religion that exists in the same vein as witchcraft, was an “underground movement” that took root in the United States at the height of American counterculture in the 1960s among “feminists, environmentalists and those seeking a nonstructured spirituality.”

We are currently witnessing a rise in witchcraft for that same reason: people are looking for less organized forms of religion. This increase in covens has been on the rise in the United States for quite a while. A 2014 Pew Research Study found that the number of those practicing “other religions” outside of your standard Christianity, Judaism and Islam in 2010 would triple by 2050. This study predicts that 6.6 million people, 1.5% of the U.S. population, would be members of those “other religions” in the next 28 years.

I do not think that witchcraft or paganism will overtake organized religion in terms of popularity, but I do think that these two sects are emblematic of the spirituality movement.

They also reflect our modern concerns for women’s rights and climate change.

Witchcraft has long been associated with women on the outside looking in on society,

who decide not to be defined by societal expectations and instead live life on their own terms. There is something innately feminine about witchcraft, which has helped lead to a resurgence in the craft.

In an age where women are simultaneously empowered and disempowered by traditional institutions, it makes sense that we are looking for a movement that does not grant us any empowerment or agency through laws, but rather through the power of nature.

Practicing witchcraft today ties us back to generations passed who were met with deadly persecution for their proclivities. Given everything that has been going on for women in the past few years, like the attacks on bodily autonomy, I do not judge those who have looked to the practices and beliefs of our foremothers for solace.

Yet witches of yore were not met with the harmless curiosity that we have for modern magical beings. These women were persecuted and murdered in the Salem Witch Trials and made to seem dangerous for their involvement in medical practices and midwifery. A witch was a woman on the brink of society, someone who did not meet the ideals of femininity.

In her poem “Her Kind,” the poet Anne Sexton writes that “I have gone out, a possessed

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Witchcraft is a countercultural movement sparked by modern political issues.

witch, / haunting the black air, braver at night; … A woman like that is not a woman, quite. / I have been her kind.” Sexton suggests that any woman who has felt society’s cold shoulder is a little bit like a witch.

It also makes sense that we as a society would want to return to practicing a form of worship that respects the natural world when our planet is currently dying. The first week of November in New York averaged around 70 degrees — it’s clear that Mother Earth is not alright. To return to witchcraft and paganism is to return to the earth. It is to return to practices that may have existed or have been inspired by a time when the world still retained its natural splendor.

I am glad that our modern perception of what it means, and meant, to be a witch is changing. Nevertheless, I think the rise of witchcraft is a passing phenomenon. It

is a movement we return to when we crave a more extreme form of spirituality to ground us and connect our bodies back to the Earth, as we did in the turbulent 1960s.

I believe in magic. I am not self-centered enough to believe that the only forces acting in the world are the ones that we can see. I believe in the strength of centuries-old communities that witches have built on the margins of society. For me, though, I think the magical, lucky moments happen when we’re not looking. I don’t think these special moments can be summoned through witchcraft.

Regardless, it is nice to believe that just pointing out that tiger’s eye stone sprinkled a little luck on my path.

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

OPINION

November 9, 2022

Page 9

Halloweek: Harmless or Wreaking Havoc?

COURTESY OF PEXELS

Partying and going out started as early as Thursday for some students.

By SOFIKA LEVYTSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As a lover of everything grim and gory, Halloween has always held a special place in my heart. From the fun costumes to the candy to the scary movie watch parties with friends, Halloween is unlike any other holiday. But has this lighthearted mischievous celebration turned into something more sinister?

Now that we are older and more responsible, are us college students abusing this holiday as a way to wreak havoc and ignore our work?

Simply put: no. Halloween and the way it is celebrated is not

only fun, but a crucial break from our day to day lives. Halloween only comes around once a year, and we need celebratory events in our world. “Halloweekend” is a harmless college tradition.

This year, partying and going out started as early as Thursday and lingered on until Halloween’s actual date. People dressed up in revealing costumes and went out to clubs in Manhattan or nearby bars in the Bronx.

In all probability, there was likely excessive drinking and partying. Does excessive drinking on “Halloweekend” make the holiday a glorification of binge drinking? In all honesty,

yes. To some extent, the holiday glorifies binge drinking. How could a holiday centered on friends going out dressed up in costumes not cause at least some sort of excessive drinking in an age group that already parties a disturbing amount on a normal weekend?

While Halloween celebrations include a large group of partiers, that does not mean that the holiday itself is the sole cause of binge drinking in America, and as such, it should not be what’s targeted in fixing America’s alcohol related issues. In fact, binge drinking in college life is not the result of one weekend of fun, but rather the result of a toxic drinking culture in America stemming from strictness over alcohol in general.

The National Youth Rights Association states that “Many other countries with stricter alcohol prohibition than the U.S. have worse long-term alcohol problems. Many other countries with easier access to alcohol than the U.S. have fewer longterm alcohol problems.” If we want to fix the issue of binge drinking, instead of focusing on Halloween weekend’s parties, we should spur large-scale change that will cause a cultural

shift on how our society views alcohol.

Instead of treating alcohol as a taboo and hence increasing its “coolness” and unattainability, we should discuss alcohol’s effects without condemning those who seek them. Alcohol should be treated as something that the vast majority of our youth will encounter. Discussing its health risks without using overexaggerated fear tactics is very important to combating the extreme misuse of alcohol. We should improve our society’s work culture and work-life balance instead of teaching our children that they should have all their fun before they are 30 years old and chained to a soulless corporate world.

Shifting cultural norms such as these will be much more effective in dealing with the issues of binge drinking than condemning Halloween celebrations.

It is also important to note that Halloween this year was likely more extreme because of the pandemic and our inability to go out at all in recent past years.

Now that three-quarters of adults are vaccinated, our response to COVID-19 does not include complete isolation and abstinence from social gatherings.

I would like to clarify that the

virus is still very prevalent and harmful, but CDC recommendations involving mass quarantine are not currently necessary. As such, it makes sense that the social gatherings are slightly more intense as a reaction to having been denied them for so long.

However, that does not mean they will continue to grow in intensity. “Halloweek” is not a new trend that needs to be addressed or a growing problem that will get out of control. It is a completely logical reaction to current events and it is also relatively harmless, considering it occurs only once a year.

Halloween is fun. In a world where suffering is a constant, moments of harmless happiness should be allowed. Halloween is only once a year, it’s relatively inoffensive and it creates a community where people can meet new people, have fun with their friends and create memories of a lifetime. So why should we get rid of it? Let people have their fun! And at least this way, when we are all old and decrepit, we can have a fond memory to look back on.

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

No One Owes You Their Sexuality

By HANNAH BORING ASST. COPY CHIEF

On Halloween, I received a text from my friend with a screenshot of a tweet by “Heartstopper” star Kit Connor. The tweet stated: “back for a minute. i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. bye” I said some profanities, I made some rants and I held my shattered heart in my hands.

Since the release of “Heartstopper” and production began for

Connor’s new movie with Maia Reficco, “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow,” Connor has been subjected to harassment over his personal life, from being accused of “queerbaiting” for playing a bisexual character while not being out, to speculation around a rumored relationship with his new co-star. What’s worse? This harassment is coming from his socalled fans.

Queerbaiting, as defined by dictionary.com, is “the practice of implying non-heterosexual relationships or attraction (in a TV

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Actor Kit Connor was forced to come out following queerbaiting accusations.

show, for example) to engage or attract an LGBTQ audience or otherwise generate interest without ever actually depicting such relationships or sexual interactions.”

Real people cannot queerbait.

Queerbaiting is a term used in media literacy to describe the way corporations and companies insinuate queer themes in a product to attract queer audiences while not giving them the proper representation. When Connor was portraying Nick Nelson in “Heartstopper,” he wasn’t trying to attract queer audiences to make a profit; he was portraying a bisexual character and he gave one of the best, most beautiful representations the queer community could’ve asked for.

This is not a case of queerbaiting because Connor is simply doing his job, and he did it with respect for the community. Again, when an actor, such as Connor, is playing a character, that is their job. What he does with his life outside of this role has nothing to do with his portrayal of Nick Nelson. He is a real person, not a fictional character.

How could he possibly be trying to bait queer audiences when he, quite frankly, does not want to share his private life with the world?

As much as fans like to speculate, celebrities are real people with real lives and relationships that have nothing to do with their relation to the public or their fanbase. Just because they don’t want to share their sexuality with millions of people does not mean they are trying to bait queer people for money.

On the other hand, there has been a long-standing debate among the queer community about the ethics behind non-queer actors playing

queer characters — a critique that Connor has also faced.

It is disrespectful to declare that non-queer people cannot play queer characters and to insinuate that all actors who play queer characters are queer themselves. This is incredibly harmful to closeted actors who, like Connor, now feel as though they have to come forward with their sexuality to retain their credibility. This idea that nonqueer people cannot play queer characters also perpetuates a false idea of what good queer representation looks like.

Personally, if it’s good representation, I couldn’t care less who the actor is. For example, Naya Rivera played Santana Lopez, a lesbian character in “Glee,” despite not being a lesbian herself. While she herself was not queer, she continuously advocated for the community and did so with respect. When her character was outed as a lesbian in season three, Rivera listened to her queer friends’ stories to help guide Santana in a way that was accurate and non-stereotypical.

There were very few portrayals of queer people on television when “Glee” first came out, making Santana’s story a significant part of many young queer girls’ journeys.

To make the claim that her character didn’t do justice to the queer community simply because the actress wasn’t queer is disrespectful and incredibly invalidating.

“Heartstopper” is a rare form of beautiful, joyful queer representation that examines all aspects of the community. Most importantly, it prioritizes the need for patience and kindness, for taking the time to come to terms with your sexuality and to come out

when you’re ready.

Connor’s portrayal of Nick Nelson and his story is important to young queer kids everywhere; Nick came out when he was accepting of himself, when he was happy and proud of who he was, but more importantly, when he felt he was ready. To strip the actor that plays this character of his right to do the same is disgusting, and every fan of the show that participated in this should feel ashamed.

As Connor said, the message of the show somehow got lost among its biggest fans.

Sexuality is incredibly personal.

Even those who are fully out can still be anxious or confused about their sexuality. When someone does not want to come out of the closet, it is no one’s right to force them.

It is absolutely disgusting, saddening and incredibly heartbreaking that these so-called fans forced Connor, an 18-year-old kid, to come out before he wanted to.

So what if they’re a celebrity?

So what if their character helped you come to terms with your own sexuality? That does not give you the right to demand information about their lives. They are not your friends; they are people you see on screen. They do not owe you anything, least of all an answer on their sexuality.

Kit Connor should have gotten to write his own story without hordes of fans forcing his hand. He should have had his time. And I am absolutely gutted that he didn’t get that grace.

Hannah Boring, FCRH ’25, is an English major from Annapolis, M.D.

OPINION

Page 10

November 9, 2022

Easing STEM Students’ Education Harms Future Doctors and Patients

COURTESY OF FLICKR

An NYU professor was fired for consistent low test scores in his classes, prompting questions over STEM classes.

By OWEN SIBAL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the past four years the world of secondary education has undergone dramatic changes. Standardized testing to get into colleges has nearly gone out the window, lecture halls are no longer necessary to conduct class and many are questioning whether or not they even need to attend college to have a financially successful future.

Another change some students are calling for is making undergraduate STEM classes more accessible. Many first year classes in biology, chemistry, physics and engineering are notorious for their difficulty. These difficult classes are

attempts to weed out less academically apt students through subjects like organic chemistry, a common prerequisite for medical school. Recently, an NYU professor was fired on account of consistent low test scores in his classes. I believe this push to make STEM classes more accessible is a radical step in the wrong direction.

It’s no secret, even at a school like Fordham which has a greater focus on the humanities and business, that STEM majors tend to have a tougher time than the rest of us in academics.

As a political science major, I probably have less homework than a first-year integrative neuroscience major on the prehealth professional track. Yet, in four years time, the two of us

will be walking down the same Keating steps as members of the 2026 undergraduate class of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

Frankly, this academic leveling is not entirely fair. However, when considering graduate schools, those “weed-out” classes become vital in the application process. The median MCAT point difference between the lowest rated medical school and Johns Hopkins Medical School is only 20 points, with a perfect score of 528. Compare that 3% difference to the median test scores for undergraduates accepted into Johns Hopkins University and the University of Alabama, with Hopkins having a median composite of SAT of 1520, while Alabama has a median of 1200, a 20% difference.

If everybody had high grades in traditional weed-out classes, medical schools would have a harder time differentiating candidates, and thus applicants would have to work harder in other areas to differentiate their resume. Considering how hard it already is to be accepted into medical school, first years may end up sleeping in their labs, interning year-round at a hospital and experiencing pressure to have even higher MCAT scores just to stand out. By making the weed-out classes easier, the rest of the pre-med work will become more difficult.

And then what happens when they get to medical school? The amount of studying required to survive medical school, let alone be at the top, is incomparable to most challenges under-22 year olds in America are faced with.

Having grown up with a doctor for a mother, I have been told every day that I do not have the fortitude to handle medical school. I was regaled with stories of 48 hour study sessions, five exams in a day and thousands of memorized textbook pages. If one cannot handle the one or two weed-out classes they take as part of their undergraduate education, how can they expect to handle the full course load of human biology and chemistry?

And once in medical school, their post-graduation paths also have to be considered. Will they subspecialize? Become a

surgeon? All of these options require further work to be at the top of their field. When one finally is able to practice medicine, the work doesn’t get any easier. Long hours, being on call 24/7 depending on your specialty and rarely seeing your family are all challenges that come with the job. Nowhere on the path to becoming a practicing physician is it easy, nor should it be, and it is a disservice to the prospective doctors of the world to pretend that it is.

There’s another issue that comes with getting rid of weedout classes. Patient confidence is an important part of providing high quality health care.

How much would you trust a bridge if the engineer that designed it failed introductory physics? If you can’t be certain that your doctor satisfactorily understands the biology and chemistry of your body, how much would you trust their diagnosis?

It is understandable to want to ameliorate the suffering of those in STEM majors. I salute them for pursuing such a difficult undertaking. But when it comes to making decisions that directly affect the health of people, I would want to leave those decisions to the experts: the ones who went through rigorous schooling at every level.

Owen Sibal, FCRH ’26, is a political science major from Richmond, V.A.

The Overturn of Roe v. Wade Puts Women’s Health Data At Risk

By AVA PASTORE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade and its presence on the upcoming ballot, the security of women’s health data is a rising issue. The only entity that should have access to women’s health data is the woman to whom the data belongs, and anyone else she wishes to grant access to (i.e. a doctor, family member, etc.).

The fear of using period tracking apps stemmed from the reversal of Roe v. Wade, a court case which set the precedent to legalize abortions in the United States and had been in effect for nearly 50 years. Women began deleting their period tracking apps in fear that their data could be used against them to show missed periods that can indicate pregnancy or abortions, especially in states where abortion has become illegal.

Sara Spector, a criminal defense attorney and ex-prosecutor from Texas, notes, “if they are trying to prosecute a woman for getting an illegal abortion, they can subpoena any app on their device, including period trackers.” With an increase in states that are choosing to repeal abortion rights, women are becoming more fearful that the security of their menstrual

data is compromised, initiating the personal removal of periodtracking apps by many.

There has also been recent backlash against pre-sports participation exam forms being used in some states that include information on students’ menstrual cycles. Some are fearful of the consequences of young girls’ menstrual data being shared with school districts and state officials.

Gym teachers, or any member of an educational staff, should have no right to share personal information about any of their students with the district nor any state officials. While it is acceptable for a physician to discuss health-related issues with a patient in private, it crosses a line when this data is shared with third parties without the explicit consent of the student.

The ability of schools to have access to this information puts students in danger, as the recent changes in the country’s reproductive laws have extreme consequences. CNN contributor and deputy dean at the School of Public Health at Brown University Megan Ranney believes that if coaches are instructed to follow an athlete’s menstrual cycle, “some youth would be reported up the chain (accurately or inaccurately) for missed periods” which could re-

sult in unwarranted gynecologic exams and criminal charges.

Obviously, this chain of information puts young female students at risk, while also putting schools in a potentially liable situation. In no case should a school official or coach be able to act in a position of authority over the knowledge of an athlete’s missed period. It is scary that this scenario could occur in the near future.

There is a major cause for concern when it comes to fears of women’s menstrual cycle data being abused, not only because of the possible incrimination of young women due to the ability of schools to have access to students’ menstrual data, but also because of infringements on private information and breaches of security. As someone who utilizes period tracking apps and has a multitude of friends who do the same, this is an extremely frightening concept. I myself have been conflicted about whether or not to delete my own app.

No woman should have to be afraid to use period applications that help them keep track of an already agitating experience. It is both disheartening and unacceptable that this fear is already instilled in women who have previously chosen to digitally track their period.

If I were in the position of a

student being forced to submit a pre-sports participation exam form, I would feel extremely uncomfortable giving my school district and gym teachers access to my menstrual data, as this is a breach of personal security and one should be in control of whom this data is being viewed by.

Overall, with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, there has most definitely been a difference in how women handle tracking their periods. As a woman who chooses to track her period on a digital app and knows many others who do the same, it is disappointing that it has become something that causes worry instead of re-

lief. Ranney makes a good point in that, as we make the decision to share our menstrual data with digital applications, there is also a good chance of this data being accessed by those with harmful intentions. The only person who should be able to collect and access this data is the woman tracking it, and I hope to see this situation improve with both the election of new officials and increasing societal awareness of this issue.

Ava Pastore, FCRH ’26, is a journalism major from Broomall, Penn.

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

The security of women’s health data is a rising issue in a post-Roe world.

CULTURE

November 9, 2022

Page 11

Editor’s Pick | Video Game

“Silent Hill 2” is a Dark Window into the Human Condition

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

When we find ourselves at a low point in our lives, the most human response is to combat our anxieties with something that makes us happy. Everybody has some happy place, whether it’s comforting media, an actual location or people that can make us forget our worries. What does our happy place become when its familiarities — in all its comfort and solace — rot, rust, mold and melt into a loathsome sight? The specter of depression roams the streets. The lights have turned off. The usual smells are subsumed in pure, acidic sulfur.

But where do we go from there — when the voids at the recesses of our unconscious become carnivorous, consuming even our most optimistic desires? What do we do when we lose the drive to pursue happiness — when it’s no longer enough to want to be happy, but that any semblance of emotional release relies on penance? At some point, the need to punish ourselves takes hold of our psychic apparatus. The guilt of our past weighs heavy on the conscience, and pleasure comes from rewarding ourselves with pain.

In 2001, Japanese video game developers, Team Silent, released “Silent Hill 2,” a video game that has, since release, garnered nearuniversal acclaim for its complex portrayals of grief and depression, its heavy use of symbolism, its layered metaphors and masterfully crafted atmospheric tone. Its beautiful soundtrack, composed

by Akira Yamaoka, is just as much classical piano as it is

alt-rock, industrial and ambient.

Famously, many of its artistic influences come not from ancestral video games, but from classic Russian literature (namely Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”), expressionist painters like Francis Bacon and surrealist filmmakers like David Lynch. The roots of the game’s character psychology can also be found within the recesses of the works of Freud or Lacan. Needless to say, the development of “Silent Hill 2’s” narrative is an encompassing, dense enrichment that outperforms even the large majority of modern-day video games. Though the video game industry post — “Silent Hill 2” saw an uptick in similarly dense narratives, or at least many attempts to recreate what made SH2 special, the 2001 classic remains iconic.

The game is almost guaranteed to be mentioned in any discourse around “the greatest video games of all time” or whether or not the medium should be considered in art criticism. There isn’t much to say about “Silent Hill 2” that hasn’t already been said.

At its core, the game is based on a very simple premise. Protagonist James Sutherland receives a letter from his thought-to-be-deceased wife, Mary, who asks James to find her in the town of Silent Hill, a place where the couple once happily vacationed — their happy place. When he arrives, James finds the town to be shrouded in thick fog and nearly abandoned, save for a few other humans who are suffering from their own delusions and disgusting fleshy creatures that roam the streets. James takes it upon himself to find Mary somewhere in the town and must

face an enduring cycle of trials and tribulations.

As players march forward, it’s revealed, first, that Mary died while hospitalized for an unspecific lifethreatening illness and, second, that it wasn’t the illness itself that took Mary’s life, but James, who smothered her with a pillow, believing this to be a better alternative to letting Mary suffer through a fatal illness. It is at this moment that much of the game’s horror is synthesized, forcing the player to respond to the fact that the protagonist they’ve been playing as and identifying with is actually his own wife’s killer. Suddenly, his behavior (and the town’s reaction against it) becomes clear. What we’ve been experiencing alongside James is a torturous, physical manifestation of the protagonist’s guilt and fervor for punishment.

Nearly every aspect of the video game has been picked apart, analyzed and made to fit in with the overarching themes of James’ guilt around ending Mary’s life prematurely. There are small symbols, like the overly sexualized design of hospital nurse inspired monsters that reflect James’ shame for his conscious libidinal desires of the nurses in Mary’s hospital, or the constant stalking of the “Red Pyramid Thing,” a ghastly apparition of an ancient executioner that symbolizes James unconscious desire to be killed for his sins.

The game’s soundtrack is exclusively instrumental except for a single song that contains lyrics, which must be played in reverse to decode. In the song “The Reverse Will,” lyrics capture James’ own willingness to end his life through a recitation

of an old prayer, “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”

The most significant of the symbols arises in the form of one of the video game’s main characters, Maria, an inhabitant of Silent Hill and a doppelganger of James’s dead wife dressed in more revealing clothing (again a reference to the protagonist’s repressed sexual urges during his wife’s illness).

Throughout the course of the game, Maria is killed and resurrected. Each time, she becomes increasingly aggressive in blaming James for her deaths.

What makes “Silent Hill 2” a mesmerizing experience extends beyond its complex narrative structure. Just as essential is its long-lasting and universal explorations of the deepest, most punishing grief that defines the human experience. Beyond metaphors and symbols, the game’s endings are the strongest statement pieces.

“Silent Hill 2” rewards player behavior with multiple possible endings, each programmed to activate depending on how players control James over the course of the story, supposedly reflecting James’ psychology throughout the story. No matter what ending the player receives, the game approaches the narrative with cynicism.

The happiest possible ending is also the most unsatisfying: James comes to terms with his actions and tries to move on. He finds a hauntingly beautiful letter from Mary, intended to reach him after her death. In the letter, she ultimately forgives him and asks him to move on. He gets back in his car, alone, and drives away from Silent Hill. Seemingly,

the best we can do is continue to live with our guilt. Alternatively, the narrative also suggests that simply ignoring our problems will only doom us to face the same problems, even if in a different shape. This common moral is represented through James leaving Silent Hill, only this time taking Maria with him. Before the two leave, Maria coughs, suggesting that she’s fallen ill with the same sickness as her doppelganger. Or, depending on how players play the game, the game closes with James driving his car into a lake and drowning himself. He can no longer bear the weight of his sins. If we can’t learn to come to terms with our past and refuse to acknowledge it, it may drive us to insanity and, in extreme circumstances, suicide.

“Silent Hill 2” is a horror game that relies less on jumpscares than it does on pure atmosphere. It invites the player to directly participate in the horror. The longer you play it, the more unsettling it becomes. It forces the player to become active in its horror. Players are only scared by the monsters lurking in the abandoned buildings they choose to enter, only interact with the environment through buttons they press and only learn about James’s crimes after assuming his body for hours.

The video game forces us to assume some of the worst emotional cycles that humanity has to offer, giving us windows into the human condition that we hopefully never have to confront.

The longer the television set stays on, the more the player creates their own horror.

A Cry for Butterflies: A Closer Look into Endangered Insects

By LAUREN LARSEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While small to the eye and often overlooked, insects play a vital role in Earth’s ecological balance. However, many insect populations are rapidly declining and some are already extinct.

British photographer Levon Biss wished to photographically capture the intricate details of seveal near-extinct insect species to shed light on the importance of bettering their conservation status. He teamed up with the American Museum of Natural History to bring his unique and intriguing images to the public.

With great aristry, “Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril” exhibits photographs depicting the extraordinary microscopic elements of butterflies, moths, bees, flies and beetles impossible to see with the naked eye. Insects from all over the world are photographed: the Christmas beetle from Australia, the stygian shadowdragon from Canada and shining amazon ant from New York.

Most notable is the Monarch butterfly found in North, Central and South America, Western Europe

and the Pacific Islands, which too is severely endangered. The

photos are incredible because of their intricacy and clarity. 10,000

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

This AMNH exhibit features photos of 40 imperiled insect specimens.

individual shots are necessary in order to make one whole image, so Biss uses a bespoke camera system. The finest details of the insects’ colors, wings, eyes, legs and bodies are so clear because of the advanced technology used. I was especially impressed with the picture of the Hawaiian hammer-headed fruit fly because of the amazing teal and pink coloring of the wings and exceptionally clear texture of the body. The Hawaiian islands are recorded to have the highest number of extinctions of anywhere in the world, so it is critical to bring awareness to this problem in photos like these.

The exhibit also displays causes for these species’ declines in addition to the photographs and informatory signs. The three primary reasons insects are being harmed is because of habitat loss, climate change and pesticide and fertilizer use — all of which are caused by humans.

Humans use approximately 40% of land surface for agriculture and livestock, but farming practices like deforestation and monoculture cause severe loss of habitat. Urbanization has

the same result as paved roads and sprawling buildings destroy natural ecosystems. Rising temperatures and uncertain precipitation patterns due to climate change compromise the equilibrium between plants and insect interactions, thus reducing pollination for them. Lastly, the millions of tons of pesticides and herbicides used for crops and lawns put insects at risk too as these harmful chemicals pollute their environments.

Ultimately, AMNH’s “Extinct and Endangered” exhibit is effective in bringing to the public’s attention the ways in which humans are causing these creatures to go extinct. Even so, part of the exhibit features ways in which people can help tackle this issue.

Whether it be voting for insect conservation, supporting organizations that protect them, creating an insect-friendly space at home or simply turning down the lights, there is something everyone can do. These creatures are valuable. Biss’ photos perfectly illustrate the beauty of these bugs and will hopefully inspire future generations to protect these species — even if they are difficult to see.

CULTURE

Page 12

Studying Abroad | Paris, France

November 9, 2022

Finding Your Comfort Zone While Traveling

By EMMA LIPKIND COLUMNIST

It’s much warmer in Paris than Amsterdam right now. It’s warmer than Berlin and Vienna, as well, but colder than Annecy, France.

How do I know? Well, like I mentioned in my last article, I just came back from a 10-day tour around these cities for my fall break.

I would recap the trip in chronological order for simplicity’s sake, but that would mean the most chaotic moments would be sandwiched somewhere in the middle of the article, when they actually need to be highlighted; bolded, even.

We arrived in Berlin on an overnight train from Vienna. After nine hours in a crowded train without beds and the brightest fluorescent light I’ve ever had the displeasure to witness, with about four hours of disjointed sleep under our belts, we set off to find our hostel around 7 a.m.

We went to the wrong place.

But it could’ve been worse, right?

Finally, we see “The Wombat” sprawled across a building in giant letters. Success at last. Checkin begins; this time, my friend handled the booking. As she reaches for her tote bag holding all her valuable belongings, she realizes it’s no longer with her. In fact, it was in the overhead compartment of the crowded train we got off about an hour ago.

And thus began some of the worst three days of my friend’s life (her words, but I can confirm

that this has to be true). Here’s a glimpse: not many people we encountered in Germany spoke English; we visited the Deutsche-Bahn lost-and-found office in the most random part of Berlin about 4 times; her bag was never found, in fact, they said it was likely stolen; the U.S. embassy workers in Berlin were very friendly, same with the German police.

There wasn’t much time for sight-seeing, but we did explore a large portion of Berlin. It’s okay (not really), because someday we’re going to come back. What we did get to see, though, in between moments of denial and in an attempt to cheer up my friend, was incredible. We all marveled at how “normal” the city felt — simultaneously vibrant yet humble, modern yet obviously brimming with history, welcoming yet full of hidden gems reserved for those who care to find them. If you ever visit, make sure to eat at as many different places as possible and allot at least two hours for the Jewish Museum of Berlin.

Now we travel back in time to Vienna: the city of the Habsburg empire, schnitzel and Mozart. At least, that was our impression after just 3 days there. Despite the hefty price tag on basically everything, such as the $105 fine you can get for not having a U-Bahn ticket (guess how we know that), it was fun to visit this bucket-list city. I would happily return during the holiday season to watch the city sparkle from Christmas lights and eat more Frankfurters.

Annecy was a bit of a last minute curve-ball for us. The original plan was Geneva or Zurich, but we wanted to kick off our trip with something a bit more relaxing and, well, closer to Paris considering the multiple longdistance trains ahead of us.

Immediately, we fell in love with this city nestled in the French alps. It became evident pretty quickly why people call it “the Venice of France.” With crystal clear water and snow-capped mountains serving as a backdrop for the narrow streets and canals, Annecy had us wrapped around her finger. We ate delicious food authentic to the region, such as Raclette, a melty cheese that belongs on basically anything you dare add it to. We even did some light damage shopping between long lunches and even longer coffee breaks. It was two days done incredibly right, not to mention the fact that it was our only hotel-stay, and after living in hostels for the remainder of the trip, I am looking back at that very, very fondly.

From Annecy, the first leg of the journey, we jump to Amsterdam, the last one. After the disaster in Berlin, we weren’t exactly optimistic. But perhaps the universe sensed a need for some relief, especially for my friend, and allowed us to fall absolutely in love with this Dutch city. From the Rijksmuseum, where I discovered a love for Dutch landscape painting, to the stroopwafels, to the clog and tulip motifs on every souvenir, it was unbelievably charming. It’s true what they say

though, the bikers will not stop if you dare get in their way. Of all the places we visited, of all the experiences we shared, Amsterdam takes the cake by a mile. Maybe it was the relief to leave the chaos of Berlin behind — my friend with a new passport in hand — or maybe we were just meant to finish on this happy note. Regardless of the details, we are already planning our return to the Netherlands.

It was 60 degrees on my walk from the bus back to my homestay apartment, and it frankly felt like the warmest welcome home I could have imagined. I missed Paris, I discovered. Hearing French on public transit instead of Dutch or German felt almost homey. To be able to understand

and communicate with your surroundings is something I will hardly ever take for granted again.

After these 10 days, which felt like eternity, I am overjoyed to spend this next week in Paris. I will go to class, return to my beloved Prêt-à-manger, eat dinner with my host mom, visit some museums and awe at the architecture with a boulangerie sandwich in hand.

When the dust settles, it feels good to return to comfort and safety. I never thought Paris would be that for me, and I’m not sure if it’s because I was forced to make this city home or because I truly am meant to be here, but it doesn’t matter. I just want to sleep in my bed, and that is exactly the first thing I’m going to do.

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Emma Lipkind rediscovers her comfort zone while traveling in Europe.

SZA’s “Shirt” Ushers Us Into a New Era of Relatability

By ALYSSA CAMPBELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week, SZA emerged from an extended two-year hiatus with a new single entitled “Shirt.” While taking this break

on her solo career, the artist has released some songs as a feature. Some of her prominent features in the last year are “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat and “No Love” by Summer Walker, in which her verses have produced

some iconic music.

“Shirt” already feels familiar because the fans were given a snippet of the song back in October 2020. Later in 2021, the snippet went viral on TikTok, with part of the song already being

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

SZA’s newest single, “Shirt,” captures her earlier magic while increasing the relatability of the lyrics.

played more than 100,000 times even before the official release.

The artist teased “Shirt” at the end of her last music video for the song “Good Day” in 2021.

The song can hardly be considered new, but this release is still exciting and worth the wait.

This track displays SZA’s vocals that shine and pop over the heaviness of the bass. When played on a speaker, the listener can physically feel the intensity of this song, something which has not been seen before on her previous two albums. The vocals on this song also feel harsher when combined with the intense bass.

The listener can feel the emotions she is portraying through the tone of her voice. In contrast to tracks like “Supermodel” and “Broken Clocks,” “Shirt” emphasizes a new tone of voice while maintaining the feel that is familiar to the fans.

The lyrics in this new song give SZA the power of relatability. SZA is a perfect artist for an audience of women going through a breakup. Her lyrics are undeniably relatable to whoever is or has had their heart thrown around by someone. In her last studio album entitled “CTRL,” her lyrics shape the story of a woman who doesn’t understand why she isn’t good enough and wants to get through heartbreak.

In her new song, the story develops. “Shirt” reveals that she is becoming more comfortable with her insecurities and shortcomings. A lyric from the prechorus reads: “In the dark right now / Feeling lost, but I like it.”

SZA is open and vulnerable with her audience, which makes this song so refreshing to listen to.

At points in the song, she does, however, double back into her old way of thinking. She talks about how she is “stressing perfection.” To a long-time listener, this song makes me feel like I am growing with her. Her ideas and perceptions are evolving, but she remains authentic, vulnerable and susceptible to falling back into her old ways.

Regardless of the lyrics, SZA stays relatable and honest with her fans on social media.

In the year and a half that this song was being teased, her fans called it “Shirt” as the song did not yet have an official title. On Twitter, she announced that she would officially title her new song “Shirt” because her fans were doing it. She has been known to connect with her fans first to get their opinions on her latest releases.

Essentially, SZA’s new song “Shirt” encapsulates what it means to be relatable in lyrics and musical production.

CULTURE

November 9, 2022

Page 13

Rams Review Film | Landis Hall

The Conflict Between Content and Cinema

By LANDIS HALL COLUMNIST

In a recent interview with Variety, filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo, whose portfolio includes “Avengers: Endgame” and this year’s “The Gray Man” among a myriad of other film and television credits, expressed their views on the future of cinema. Joe, the younger, argues that “filmmaking is going to transform into some other medium” before going on to describe a bizarre, nightmarish scenario involving AI versions of famous

actors breaking the fourth wall to address the audience’s questions about how a particular scene or moment was created.

The future of film as an art form, in the Russos’ eyes, is convenience. The peskiness of engaging and working through a challenging piece of media will thankfully be eliminated, and audiences can instead satisfy themselves with surface level answers so that they can conveniently move on to the next piece of content, creating an endless cycle of consuming and discarding. I’m being sarcastic of course; what

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Joe and Anthony Russo discuss the future of film and death of cinema.

is a utopian prophecy to the Russos is a personal hell to a film lover like myself.

This anecdote can easily be dismissed as trivial fatuity from a pair of filmmakers who couldn’t direct a meaningful picture to save their lives, but I think it speaks to a growing level of callous anti-intellectualism in modern film discourse on the part of both the creator and the consumer.

Media is in a strange place right now. With the advent of the digital age, the metaphorical walls that separate and define different forms of media (the film, the novel, the television show, etc.) began to disintegrate. In particular, the distinctions between what is television and what is cinema are more nebulous than they’ve ever been. “Prestige” TV programs like “Breaking Bad” and “Atlanta” prove that television can be just as cinematic as movies, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has much more in common with a serialized show than a blockbuster movie franchise.

Social media further confounds the divides between media, as apps like TikTok allow one to consume news and entertainment in just a single video.

Essentially, all these vastly different forms have coagulated into a sizable pile of mush lovingly dubbed “content.” One can access this “Frankenstein’s monster” of dopamine providers right at the tip of their

fingertips; it is just as easy to watch a movie on Netflix as it is to scroll through Twitter.

But this conglomeration of forms puts films in a bad spot.

“Content” doesn’t interrogate those who consume it. Rather, it only begets more and more consumption. It doesn’t stick with you by design; it exists only to be disposed of.

Cinema, tragically, finds itself under the umbrella of “content.” What we have now is a culture of mediocrity, cinematic junk food and instant gratification. Martin Scorsese, that maverick of American filmmaking, espoused similar views in his critique of Marvel movies, likening them to theme park rides.

His comments, grossly decontextualized and sensationalized in headlines, struck a nerve with fans of superhero movies, who insisted that these types of movies contain genuine artistic merit. To be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with superhero movies or enjoying them. But when theatergoing audiences react to cameos and easter eggs in the same way one would react to a thrilling loop on a rollercoaster, I can’t help but feel as if Scorsese’s comments might have a hint of truth to them.

Cinema at its best can be absolutely thrilling and exciting, and seeing something truly wonderful and downright magical

onscreen is among life’s greatest pleasures. But cinema, at its core, is the art of making things seen. Some of the things that can be made seen are poetically mundane, while others are more thrilling and fantastical. The most unique aspect of cinema, however, is its ability to make things that can’t normally be seen visible to the human eye.

Feelings, especially strong ones, are often impossible to put into words, but the camera allows for these indescribable states of mind to take on a material existence of their own.

In “Psycho,” for example, the viewer (hopefully) never explicitly identifies with Norman Bates, but they still feel his pain and insecurity thanks to Hitchcock’s humanizing camera. Similarly, when viewing “In The Mood For Love,” one understands Chow and Su’s passionate but unspoken love for each other because of Wong Kar-wai’s visual emphasis on the subtleties of their interactions. Both of these examples ultimately come down to how one makes sense of what is being shown to them, not what they literally see. So when filmmakers of the Russos’ stature come out and openly disregard the very aspects that separates cinema from other art forms, it saddens me. Life never offers easy answers, and neither should the movies.

Reclaiming The Story of The Salem Witch Trials

By AVA ERICKSON EDITOR IN CHIEF

In 1692 and 1693, 25 people — mostly women — were unjustly executed in Salem, Mass.

Members of the extremely religious town accused over 170 residents, especially those on the fringes of society, of witchcraft and serving the devil — leading to one of the most prominent examples of mass hysteria and injustice in history. On Oct. 7, The New York Historical Society (NYHS) opened the exhibit, “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming,” which aims to tell these stories and ask the question: “In moments of injustice, what role do we play?”

The exhibit was organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem and co-curated by Dan Lipcan, Paula Richter and Lydia Gordon, and coordinated by Anna Danziger Halperin, associate director of the Center for Women’s History at the NYHS. The exhibit is on the fourth floor of the museum in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, which, according to the plaque outside the gallery, was no coincidence, as the Salem Witch Trials were largely the result of a deeply patriarchal society. At the time, these trials and accusations were used to both control women and push them out of society, the exhibit aims to

embolden their voices and honor them 300 years after their deaths.

The first room of the exhibition tells the history of the Salem Witch Trials, a story which is often lost in the legends and lore.

In fact, nearly 700,000 people visit Salem every Halloween, despite the fact that these women were not witches, but rather victims of a violently sexist system. Through documents and plaques, this room describes 17th century Salem, its history and its values in stunning detail, laying the groundwork to understand what led to this great injustice. In telling the history of the trials, the first room focuses on Tituba, one of the first women accused of witchcraft. Tituba was an enslaved person brought to Salem (by her accuser) from Barbados — highlighting the prejudice and racist elements of this event as well.

The second room, Material Manifestations, highlights individual people, through artifacts, to tell the story. Additionally, court documents and letters defending the accused are displayed, which you can also read on the Peabody Essex Museum website. Seeing the accused’s belongings (which range from chests to looms to a beautiful glass window) humanizes their stories and reveals a deeply personal and sad side of this time period, which is often portrayed

as “spooky” or fascinating in books and movies. The exhibit has low light, dark walls and simple cricket audio, which encourages visitors to reflect and grieve for these women.

The third room is dedicated to a collection by fashion designer Alexander McQueen. In 2006, McQueen learned that one of his ancestors, Elizabeth How, was executed during the Salem Witch Trials. In her honor, he designed the ready-to-wear collection: “In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1692.” The NYHS exhibit displays one of the pieces, a navy evening gown, above a red pentagram drawn on the floor. According to the plaque, “McQueen explores the injustice of her execution through symbols and imagery associated with witchcraft and the occult,” focusing on memory and reclamation.

The fourth room, Frances F. Denny’s “Major Arcana,” draws on the idea of reclamation by focusing on modern day witches.

Denny is the descendant of Salem Trial Judge Samual Sewall, one of the nine judges involved in the trial. Over three years, she photographed and interviewed 75 modern witches and the portraits are displayed in this room, along with audio from the interviews playing over speakers.

None of the accused in Salem called themselves witches, however there has recently been a

reclamation of the identity by many shamans, healers, occultists, etc. These modern witches hone in on spiritualism, femininity and activism when defining what it means to be a witch.

The final room, Reflections, encourages visitors to reflect on how their perceptions changed.

A TV plays clips from movies and TV shows with themes about witchcraft and Salem, and next to it a plaque reads, “Over the past 330 years, the events have inspired countless artistic and pop culture responses, reflecting the hold that Salem has on our collective consciousness. Some reclaim the dignity

of those accused, while others vilify witchcraft. Generations of women’s rights advocates have pointed to witch hunts as tools to oppress women who dare to challenge gender roles. Each version tells the story anew for its own moment, with the interpretation reflecting the creators’ — and society’s — perceptions of women’s knowledge and power.” The plaque then asks, “Which story will you tell?”

The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming is on display at the New York Historical Society until Jan. 22, 2023, and students’ admission to the museum costs only $13.

COURTESY OF AVA ERICKSON / THE FORDHAM RAM

The NYHS exhibit explores the history of witchcraft in Salem, Mass.

CULTURE

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November 9, 2022

Celebrating Fall with Apple Picking Outside of the Big Apple

By TONY CUELLAR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

9:45 rolls around on a brisk Sunday morning, and my blankets don’t want me to move. I would have gladly listened, but I am supposed to be at the Ram Van office in 15 minutes to go on the annual apple picking excursion. Apple picking is one of the quintessential fall activities in the Northeast, and for Fordham students, that means leaving the city and heading north. This year Ram Van’s Maintenance Coordinator team selected an orchard in North Salem, N.Y. called Outhouse Orchards. “Don’t be fooled by the name,” the invitation read, “[Outhouse Orchards] is a beautiful place.”

I rip the covers off and try to put together a fall ’fit, do my hair and fix my face before running out the door. When I arrive at the office, I am greeted by a sea of colorful flannels and brown boots. Everyone is fully embodying the autumn aesthetic. In my frenzied rush, I somehow managed to look the part with a purple and brown shacket (a shirt and jacket hybrid), black jeans and black boots.

Orange, red and yellow lined the horizon as our van drove deeper into the rural regions of New York. After about 45 minutes of scenic views and windy roads, we passed the red apple-shaped sign that read, “Outhouse Orchards,” in cheerful white lettering. We jolted around as the van pulled into the bumpy, uneven grass parking space. We had arrived. When we

climbed out of the van, we saw a vivid scene of a series of picnic tables next to a large barn-looking building with several vendors on the perimeter. Past the tables to the right were rows of perfectly round pumpkins and other colorful gourds. The picnic tables were brimming with families and couples enjoying the sweater weather over a cup of hot cider. Our group found a table in the middle to put our things down and discuss what to do. The orchard itself is free admission (excluding the parking fee), but everything inside costs money. A hay ride is a flat $10 while the pumpkin picking price depends on how many pumpkins you pick and how much they weigh. Although both of these classic activities looked enjoyable, we decided we were here for one thing — apples.

The apple orchards themselves are neatly tucked away on a side

hill past the tables, tents and pumpkins. Before you enter, you have to purchase a bag, which is $35. That sounds expensive, but the bags fit a ton of apples, and many visitors choose to split a bag with someone else. I decided not to purchase a bag because I was sure I could snag one or two from someone. All 16 of us walked together up the hill like a giant family, and suddenly we were met by a fork in the road. Half the group went left and those with me went right. Barren apple trees lined the side of the dirt road as we walked.

Though the views were exquisite, we were starting to lose hope that there would be apples left.

“Maybe we should have gone the other way,” one person suggested in hindsight. But as we trudged onward, we saw some apples sprinkled in several trees.

Delighted, we rushed over to the first tree. One group member, Sam

Murphey, FCRH ’24, grabbed the apple picker we had borrowed and reached up high to ruffle the apples dangling at the top. At first, he could not seem to trap the apples in the picker, but after a few tries, he successfully brought two apples down. Excited, other group members tried and laughed as they struggled with the picker.

Apples were falling down so fast that there were consistent thuds every few seconds. Lua Jawdat, FCRH ’24, grabbed a few that fell on the ground and told us to look. We watched in awe as she effortlessly juggled three apples.

We lingered at our secluded spot before deciding to find the other half of the group. Retracing our steps and navigating our way up the grass, we eventually found the fork in the road. Walking left this time, we collided with the rest of the group when we turned a corner. Like a miracle,

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Outhouse Orchards offers a wide variety of fall activites including apple picking, a pumpkin patch and hay rides.

we saw rows and rows of trees chock full of apples with several happy families and children running around underneath. We gallivanted towards the commotion and went crazy, picking till our hearts’ desire and making a mess on the ground with all the apples that fell. Bags were bursting at the seams, and the conversations began about what people wanted to bake with their share. I did not have a bag myself, but I enjoyed a few bites of some spare fruit and stuffed some in my pockets to enjoy later. I understood then why the bag price was so steep. Less than half the apples we picked actually made it in the bag.

After we had overfilled our bags, the whole group meandered back to where the picnic benches were. Some felt tired and wanted to leave, but the rest wanted to keep exploring. Four friends and I ventured to the store inside the barn-shaped building where they sell all things apple.

Jawdat bought apple-scented soap, and I bought a very large apple pie. We gorged ourselves on our apples and apple products and enjoyed talking over apple cider. At one point, we were chased by curious honey bees trying to take a bite of our fruit. Regardless of whether we were picking apples off trees that were chock full of apples or trees that only had apple remnants, the pleasure of partaking in apple picking never dissipated. Outhouse Orchards was a splendid venue for all — families, groups, couples and even pets. During these last few weeks of fall, do yourself a favor and pick apples.

Who’s That Kid? | Claire Bickel ’24

Junior Shares Her Passion for Political Engagement

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

When I interviewed Claire Bickel, FCRH ’24, she was standing at the old, comically small stove in her Walsh apartment, stirring a pot of avgolemono soup with orzo. Throughout the past semester, she has dedicated almost every Sunday evening to the creation of a time-consuming, home-cooked meal. The kind of meal that’s rare for her throughout the week, when she, like most college students, whips up something canned or packaged, but fast. This week, however, she took extra care making a recipe beloved by her family as she prepared for the stresses of midterm week.

Bickel studies both political science and international political economy at Rose Hill, gearing her towards a career immersed in local, federal and international politics. She currently has an internship for Berger Hirschberg Strategies, a democratic strategies firm, where she helps to organize fundraising for candidates at the local and state level. This isn’t her first time working in the political sphere, however, as she also worked on her governor’s, Ned

Lamont of Connecticut, reelection campaign.

“Fundraising focuses a lot more on money, but organizing is really, really about getting the vote out.

It’s about going to events, calling people and doing canvases,” said Bickel. “Getting the issues heard and really having visibility with the candidates [is important].

Obviously, midterms don’t really get that many people out to vote, so it’s really important to do this work.”

While she has spent the past few months knee-deep in midterms, she realizes that’s not the experience many others have. “I care a lot about politics. For most of my life, it has been an incredibly important part of my family and the conversations that we have. But that is not the case for most people. It bursts your bubble in a way, when you realize that it is incredibly important for you but not to the same extent for everyone else,” said Bickel.

Her experience, however, has not been all doom and gloom, “There’s a lot more hope in politics than is seen in just the media, because obviously we get a lot of focus — if you’re not within politics, then you’re getting most of your views from the news and I think

that, rightfully so, there’s a lot of bleak and terrifying prospects. But when you’re doing a campaign, you talk to people specifically, you talk to real people who are actually voting and it’s just not so stark the difference between the two [parties].”

Continuing on this thread, she described the story of one candidate that had inspired hope within her. While they had already won their primary, which, as Bickel explained, practically guaranteed their success, they continued investing all their energy into the race. “This person, despite the fact

that someone from the outside is saying, ‘You’re good, you’ve won,’ is still really fighting for this spot and cares deeply about what they can do in the role,” said Bickel.

Bickel’s passion does not merely stem from the inclusion of politics within the home, but also from her struggle with Type I diabetes. While it has not deepened her love for politics — and actually made her consider pursuing a medical career — it has provided her a much deeper understanding of what’s truly at stake on the current political battleground.

COURTESY OF CLAIRE BICKEL/THE FORDHAM RAM

Bickel’s passion for politics stem from personal and academic sources.

“Especially if you are going to go into politics, it is important to have a stake in what you’re doing and fully understand the impacts that things have,” said Bickel.

“The healthcare industry has obscene profits, and there are people who die every day because they’re trying to ration insulin. Even if you don’t eat all day, you still need a certain amount of insulin, which is going to wind up being more than they’re going to need to ration for. And insulin is obscenely expensive, even with insurance.”

Bickel then moved from the kitchen, grabbing a bowl full of the soup she had made and dropping onto the hard, blue couches that ornament her living room.

She unclipped her monitor, which tracks the insulin levels within her bloodstream, pushed a few buttons and placed it onto the cushion beside her. Nearing the end of an interview that had focused so heavily on political engagement and the midterms, I kept thinking about the same question I had heard regurgitated in articles, news clips and all over social media: Do young people care about politics? Bickel is evidence that they do. And, as someone invested in politics, she believes that “people should always pay more attention.”

CULTURE

November 9, 2022

Page 15

“My Policeman” Treads Line of Poignant and Predictable

By ISABELLA LIPAYON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“All love stories are tragic aren’t they?” is one of numerous lines in the newly released, “My Policeman,” that comes across somewhat too saccharine to be believable. The film has been the subject of much anticipation since pop singer Harry Styles was cast as the titular policeman, Tom Burgess, in 2020. However, even the biggest of names can do little to save lackluster storytelling.

Based on the book by Bethan Roberts, the film follows the

overlapping relationships between Marion (Emma Corrin), Patrick (David Dawson) and Tom. The movie shifts between one timeline that recounts their ménage à trois in the 1950s and another that views it in hindsight from the modern day. Marion and Tom’s love blossoms like an idyllic romance one might hear from a grandparent: two old friends meet on a sunny Brighton beach, he teaches her to swim, she teaches him about art, the two fall in love — or so it seems.

Cutting back to the present, it is clear from their strained mar-

riage that there is more to this story than its sweet beginnings.

Enter Patrick, an art curator who Tom introduces to Marion on a trip to a museum. The duo quickly turns into a trio of friends and lines go blurry when it seems as though Patrick and Marion, the more similar of the three, would make a better-suited couple. This is, until Tom and Patrick are revealed to have been caught up in a sexual affair of their own, long before anything involving Marion had ever began. Decades later, the retired couple takes Patrick into their home

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Michael Grandage’s “My Policeman” fails to capture the novel’s intensity with its lackluster writing.

after a stroke leaves him physically and verbally impaired, though Tom refuses to have anything to do with the matter, for reasons which we are not told. Marion then comes upon a number of Patrick’s old diaries and begins to finally piece together what transpired 30 years before, taking us, the audience, with her in the process.

The film is elegantly shot. The present day narrative, shown in bleak hues in an isolated town, coupled with flashback scenes, which are abundantly peopled and have Ella Fitzgerald playing in the background, make for a visually satisfying juxtaposition. Director Michael Grandage does not shy away from explicitness either, neither homoerotic sex scenes nor the brutal assault of those accused of queerness are censored. Yet, for a story with such complexity and potential in its layeredness, “My Policeman” is less than memorable.

Where Grandage emphasizes physical closeness, he fails to give the same attention to developing emotional connection. The resulting effect is one of flawed characterization and pacing, of theatrics without sincerity or believability.

The narrative almost never veers away from either couple and by the end, there is little we get to know about them be-

yond their identities as school teacher, curator and policeman. Moreover, the scarcity of screen time in which any of the characters develop on their own or together on a personal level gives the audience little reason to identify with any one of the three outside their relations to one another; we know that they care for each other, yet we are left in the dark as to why.

With regards to performance, neither Styles, Corrin nor Dawson delivers a very organic portrayal of internal agony that each of the protagonists grapple with. The film’s rushed ending and ill-placed attempt at a plot twist doesn’t help this either, making it altogether anticlimactic.

Ultimately, “My Policeman” is yet another take on the trope of the closeted character caught between forbidden passions and comfort in conformity that falls short. While the number of stories featuring queer relationships is increasing, more representation does not necessarily mean better representation. That said, among the details with potential that go undeveloped, a number of them still manage to rise above the flawed storytelling and move something within the viewer, and this makes the film one worth watching.

Bronx Business Highlight | Casa Della Mozzarella

Bringing the Art of Italian Fare to the Bronx

By RORY DONAHUE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When searching for an authentic Italian sandwich near Fordham’s campus, there is no better place than Casa Della Mozzarella. From the authentic experience of entering the store to the quality of the products they sell, it is an amazing way to experience a taste of Italy in the Bronx. In the store you will find the so-called “King of Mozzarella” along with his family making the famed mozzarella and slicing up meats for sandwiches. Casa Della Mozzarella is a great representation of a family-owned business that has popularity beyond the local community, and their products have a beautiful story behind them.

Dating back to 1987 in Sicily, owner Orazio Carciotto came to the United States knowing no English and began working odd jobs in order to pursue his passion of making mozzarella.

With much determination and sacrifice he was able to reach that goal. The original owner of the Bronx store ended up retiring, so in 1993 Orazio bought the business and began pursuing his dream.

He started making everything himself, and now that his son, Carlo, has joined him, they run the business together.

They became successful over the years since they opened,

and now produce 3,000 pounds of mozzarella every week.

In addition to mozzarella, they make a plethora of other items such as burrata and scamorza, along with imported chocolates and drinks from Italy. The store uses the motto, “It’s just different,” which embodies the experience one will have when visiting the store and enjoying their food. In recent years, they have grown an immense presence on social media following videos posted of Carlo making the mozzarella, which has boosted their popularity.

They now have over 35k followers on their Instagram page (@casadellamozzarella).

When approaching the store on Arthur Avenue, you may observe a long line of people eagerly awaiting to go inside the store. Once you enter the store, you are immersed in an Italian haven. The walls are lined with Italian snacks and drinks that are all enticing in their own way. Although they are most famous for what is behind the counter: the mozzarella. After reading the menu and browsing the shop’s products, you may order whatever you want. Some of their most popular sandwiches include the “Casa” and “II Classico” paninis that include their famous mozzarella and traditional Italian ingredients. You can also order any of their sliced

meats, cheeses and the great selection of olives they have.

While waiting for your order, I recommend looking at the Italian cookies and candies they have lined along the walls which can give you that sweet treat for after your Italian sandwich. When your order is ready, you receive it in a branded reusable bag, which reminds you of the experience you had in the shop. There is no way to encapsulate the aura of the store, so you must stop in when you are on Arthur Avenue.

While there are many Italian shops and restaurants in the Bronx community near Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, the experience of being in Casa Della Mozzarella is one like no other.

The sheer friendliness and knowledge of those that work there is only one of admiration.

Beyond the store itself, Carciotto represents how those immigrated to the United States come here with a desire to share their passion, and it is important for us to help them accomplish that dream. In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic has only made this more difficult, and it is important as a Fordham student to support our local shops as these business owners dedicate their lives to serve our community. I encourage all of you to stop by the store when you can, as you may taste the best mozzarella you have ever had in your life.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Casa Della Mozzarella brings the authentic flavors of Italy to the Bronx.

Page 16

Swimming and Diving Faces Off Against Georgetown

By NICHOLAS RAPTIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham Swimming and Diving team faced off at home this weekend against Georgetown University, finishing with a split meet. The women’s team continues to cruise past their opponents, winning by a massive margin of 196104. After four meets, the women’s team remains undefeated and hopes to keep their momentum going heading into the Bucknell Invitational in two weeks. Unfortunately, the men’s team had different results. With a close loss of 159-131, the men have lost their first meet of the season, falling to 3-1 overall.

The domination on the women’s side was evident throughout the whole meet. While securing the blow-out win, seven different members of the team won multiple events. The team also won an impressive 13 different events throughout the meet. This is reminiscent of the previous meets this season, as no opponent as of yet has been able to make it competitive enough for this Fordham women’s team.

Sophomores Leire Martin and Jessica Zebrowski had standout performances overall for the day.

Martin contributed to three winning events while Zebrowski was a part of an astounding four different winning events. Martin brought home first in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events, with times of 57.33 and 2:03.17, respectively.

Zebrowski won both butterfly events, finishing with a time of 56.27 in the 100 and 2:04.59 in the 200. Martin and Zebrowski were joined by fellow sophomores Emma Shaughnessy and Zoei Howard in the winning 200 medley team, which clocked in a time of 1:44.58.

Zebrowski then took her talents to the 400 freestyle relay. Along with Howard, senior Alison Lin and graduate student Megan Morris, the women’s team captured a win in the relay with a time of 3:32.28.

Shaughnessy took the top spot in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.50. In the 100 freestyle,

Howard won with a time of 53.19.

Additionally, Lin was able to take her second win of the day in the 200 freestyle event with a time of 1:54.31.

The final multi-event athletes for the day were sophomore Ainhoa Martin and graduate student Millie Haffety. Haffety took first place in both diving events, scoring 273.68 in the one-meter and 311.25 in the three-meter. In adition, Martin won both the 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley with times of 2:16.17 and 2:06.60.

Despite strong performances by several swimmers, the men’s team was not able to duplicate the women’s success and came up just short against Georgetown. Overall, the team was able to take first place in seven different events. Freshman Christian Taylor was the star of the day, helping the team secure victory in four events.

Individually, Taylor won both the 100 and 200 backstroke events with respective times of 49.32 and 1:51.55. Taylor was also on both the winning 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Accompanied by graduate student Paris Raptis, sophomore Vitalis Onu and sophomore Alexander Shah, the team won the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:31.21. Shah and Onu also joined Taylor in the winning 400 freestyle relay with junior Noah Altoff. The winning time was 3:03.97.

Raptis continued his terrific season with individual wins in two other events. For the 100 and 200 butterfly events, he finished first with times of 48.97 and 1:49.67, respectively.

Alex Wilhelm also recorded a win for the Rams, finishing with a time of 46.95 seconds in the 100 freestyle.

Fordham will compete next in the Bucknell Invitational on Nov. 18-20.

After Bucknell, the Rams break until January, when they will have four more meets before finishing the season at the Atlantic 10 Championship.

While the women will look to continue their hot streak at Bucknell, the men will look to bounce back and shake off this loss.

Athletes of the Week DeWolfe scored a team-high 22 points in Fordham’s 80-67 win over Yale University to open the regular season on 8-19 shooting and 4-8 from three-point range.

She also contributed five rebounds and three assists in the win that saw the Rams begin their season on a strong note.

November 9, 2022

Overtime: Is the Houston Astros’ Legacy Reparable?

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

There’s no denying the dominance of the Houston Astros over the past few years. Year in and year out, the Astros have been a powerful force, with three World Series and five straight American League Championship Series appearances.

However, their legacy was tainted in 2020, when allegations of sign stealing during the 2017 and 2018 seasons became known. The sign stealing was believed to be used throughout the ALDS and ALCS, helping the Astros attain the World Series for the first time in 2017.

The scandal devastated the integrity and morale of the team, leading to multiple staff members being fired and players’ reputations being spoiled. Members of the team, such as Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, were criticized for their statements made after the event and remained among the some of the more disliked figures across Major League Baseball.

Crazily enough, the scandal broke within the Astros organization first.

Whistleblower Mike Fiers initially reported to The Athletic how detailed the sign-stealing operation was and the levels at which they continuously did it. Furthermore, the scandal involved players and staff as reports broke, saying many individuals within the organization played a part in the scandal.

Yet, with all the commotion, the Astros managed to secure a playoff run in 2019, 2021 and now 2022.

While cheating has not been present on the team since the 2017-18 fiasco, Houston continues to make waves in the sport, however, now in a more positive way.

New additions to the roster, such as Jeremy Peña, have developed the depth that the Astros have possessed consistently for a time.

Peña was named World Series MVP this year after contributing heavily to the team, slashing .400/.423/1.023 with one home run and three RBIs. Fans love young talent that leads a team, something the Astros needed after damage to their reputation.

But is it possible to repair the

COURTESY OF TWITTER

After cheating allegations, the Astros have reshaped their image. damage caused by the cheating scandal? One of the most crucial aspects of the cheating boils back to the fact that the Astros never needed to cheat. They have been an absolutely dominant franchise these past few years, both with and without the cheating.

While the team warrants positive feedback for their on-field efforts, fans across America are still not convinced. Before the World Series, an Economist/YouGov poll found that 59% of Americans wanted the Philadelphia Phillies to win the Championship, even though over 50% believed the Astros would win.

In truth, the losses from the scandal — losing their general manager and manager, two firstround draft picks and a fine — had little to no impact on the team.

While losing a person like your general manager can be scary, the Astros already had their critical talent in peak form.

Hiring new manager Dusty Baker also seemed to help bolster their public appearance. This year marked Baker winning his first World Series in 25 seasons and being the oldest manager in World Series history. Baker is a generally well-liked and respected manager, making him a great candidate to lead an already struggling Astros team image-wise.

Honestly, I don’t believe the

Senior Women’s Basketball

HOME AWAY

Wednesday Thursday Nov. 9 Nov. 10

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

Saturday Nov. 12

Sunday Nov. 13

Monday Nov. 14

Tuesday Nov. 15

George Mason George Mason 2 p.m.

6 p.m.

New Hampshire 7 p.m.

Arkansas 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball

Friday Nov. 11 NCAA Northeast Regional 11 a.m NCAA Northeast Regional 11 a.m

Volleyball Kemper had two huge interceptions for the Fordham defense against Bucknell University including a 22-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter. These were the first interceptions of Kemper’s collegiate career as the Rams picked up a huge bounce back win over the Bisons 59-17.

Astros will ever escape this cheating scandal. While Houston has done everything they can to move on, the general public will always choose to pick on them because they cheated. In addition, many fans that were snubbed by the Astros, namely the New York Yankees, feel this is their way of giving the Astros the punishment they deserve. The Astros snubbed one of the largest fan bases in baseball, a feat that most teams would not dare to do. It also doesn’t help that the Astros used trash cans to steal signs. That part is pretty hard to forget.

But while all of the negativity and hatred powers on, the loyal Astros fan base still is ready to support them no matter what.

Even after the embarrassment of being a Houston fan in 2017-18 occurred, they now have a second World Series to back them up, and this time, they didn’t have to cheat.

I suppose that is all the Astros could hope for — a fanbase that supports them even after they do something against the rules. While it might be a hard pill for Phillies fans to swallow, they were beaten fair and square this year.

Houston will be branded winners at home, however, to the rest of Major League Baseball, the Astros will have to settle in and live with the title of “cheaters”.

Varsity Calendar Men’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country

Anna DeWolfe

Alex Kemper Freshman Football

SPORTS

Maryland 1 p.m.

St. Peter’s 7 p.m.

Rowing

Fall Metropolitan Championship 11 a.m

Football

Lafayette 1 p.m.

Water Polo

St. Francis 7:30 p.m.

Squash

Navy 7 p.m.

Bucknell/Boston

9 a.m./5 p.m.

Denison 10 a.m.

SPORTS

November 9, 2022

Artemi Panarin: Early Hart Trophy Contender

By ALLIE COPPOLA

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Artemi Panarin has led the Rangers with determination and heart. signed a seven year contract that would earn him over $81.5 million.

Panarin lived up to his contract immediately, scoring a then-careerhigh 95 points in only 69 games in his first season with the team. His performance that season landed him in third place for the Hart Trophy, the league’s most valuable player accolade. He beat his career high by one point last season, leading the Rangers to their first non-expanded playoff berth since 2017. In each of his first three seasons with the team, he finished top 10 in the assist leaderboard, proving his value to the team as one of the most proficient and consistent offensive players in the NHL. After losing his long-time linemate Ryan Strome this past offseason, the Rangers immediately found Panarin a replacement center. Vincent Trocheck joined him on the second line and has made his presence known early and often. In addition to the second line, Trocheck accompanies Panarin on the powerplay in the center/right

wing role that Strome played last season. Through 12 games, Trocheck is on a 0.75 point-per-game pace, a faster start than his 0.63 point per game last season, and it’s safe to say that Panarin is a big factor in his overall improvement.

His linemate, Alexis Lafrenière, has seen drastic improvement in his game. Though he has only logged five points through 12 games, the amount of offensive chances he’s had has skyrocketed to begin the season.

Panarin’s playmaking ability seems to lift up the rest of the team, and his presence on the ice is felt even when he’s not scoring points.

Panarin leads the team in points, but not the league. He’s cooled down after his 12 points in the first six games but continues to put up multi-point performances.

Affectionately known as “breadman” by Rangers fans, Panarin continues to selflessly create chances for himself and his teammates and is well on his way to having a Hart Trophy-caliber season for the first time in his career.

Tom Brady’s Revoked Retirement Announcement Stains his Legacy

Football Fordham Bucknell

59 17

Fordham Yale Men’s Basketball Fordham Dartmouth

80 67

88 77

Men’s Swim and Dive Fordham 131 Georgetown 159

Fordham Georgetown

2 7

Volleyball Fordham Rhode Island

3 0

Fordham St. Louis

1 3

Fordham St. Louis

0 3

Water Polo Fordham Iona

20 11

Fordham George Washington

14 13

Squash Fordham Cornell

6 3

Fordham Navy

11 5

Fordham Bard

8 1

Fordham Johns Hopkins

19 11

Fordham Vassar

5 4

Fordham Harvard

6 3

Women’s Swim and Dive Fordham 196 Georgetown 104

Fordham Boston University

7 2

–Compiled by Maddie Bimonte

News & Notes Fordham Coaches Receiving Promotions and Extensions

By CALEB STINE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tom Brady is the greatest football player of all time. It feels good to confidently say that statement, and even better to write it in an article I know will go to print. Like many current college students, I grew up in an era where there was a genuine debate over who the NFL’s king was. However, as soon as Peyton Manning left the gridiron and started acting in Nationwide Insurance commercials while Brady was still winning Super Bowls, the haze settled and the title of G.O.A.T. became crystal clear.

While Brady has solidified his spot as football’s top dog, he has done irreparable damage to his career by failing to retire when he announced he was last winter. Irresponsible and overeager journalism by Adam Schefter aside, Brady significantly tainted his legacy by deciding to come back for season 23 just a few weeks after his official retirement announcement post.

Brady’s “just kidding” approach to something so serious for fans of the Patriots, Buccaneers or sports fans in general is bad enough. Taking back such an important announcement felt like a promise broken. As a Patriots fan myself, I was excited for the day Brady was going to announce his retirement, when he was going to be honored for the historic dominance he gave to the sport of football, be celebrated by New England for his dominant transformation of their football team and for playing a massive

Varsity Scores & Stats Women’s Basketball Fordham 79 Kutztown 48

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Starting the season off on a high note, Artemi Panarin has essentially been the quarterback of the New York Rangers’ offense through the first 12 games of the season.

He leads the team in points, with 16 (consisting of five goals and 11 assists). Panarin headlines the powerplay and is among the league leaders in “goals created,” an advanced statistic used to measure a player’s skill in creating offensive opportunities for his team. His fast and impressive start is nothing new, as he’s been producing at an above point-per-game average for the past five years. He is one of a handful of truly elite players in the league and a major factor in the Rangers’ push for their first Stanley Cup in 29 years.

After going undrafted, Panarin signed an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 at 24 years old. In his rookie year, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the league’s rookie of the year, after scoring an astounding 77 points in 80 games. After just two years in Chicago, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets where he continued to improve. In his two seasons there, he scored 169 points in just 160 games.

In the 2019 offseason, Panarin

Page 17

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Tom Brady provided enjoyment to thousands of New England fans. part in making my generation of Boston sports fans spoiled with championship parades and frankly unsustainable expectations of our beloved sports teams.

The frustrating thing is that Brady got his retirement party. Tributes from superstars across the sports world, bitter tweets from Pats fans frustrated with his Buccaneers-centric retirement announcement and gratitude from New Englanders all happened. Brady got what seemed like a proper send-off.

Fast-forward eight months and the Brady that was so honored in early 2022 is struggling with a 4-5 record, a frustrated team and tension in the Buccaneers locker room that was once motivated and fueled by a sharp leader in Brady. Brady’s current personal issues are not meant to be focused on here, but it is simultaneously necessary to acknowledge the elephant in the room involving Brady’s divorce proceedings with Gisele Bündchen.

My criticism of Brady’s retirement situation is not that he is still playing. If it was November 2022, and Brady had never made a retirement announcement, was currently leading a winless team and swimming in an even more tense environment with his current teammates, that would be better for

his legacy than what will transpire when he eventually retires.

My prediction is Brady will leave the sport for good after two more seasons. Whether it’s two more, three more or no more after the current season is beside the point.

What I know for sure is that Brady will get similar testimonials and messages looking back on his career, as was the case this past winter from others in the industry.

But because these messages and tributes were already dispensed, and already used to honor Brady, what was thought to be his 22-year career nearly eight months ago, his legacy won’t be properly recognized.

These second rounds of honors will be inevitably watered down and colored by the idea that this was only meant to happen once.

Even if Brady is able to collect three more Super Bowls or wins another MVP award, a clean break would have been best.

Best for Patriots fans who witnessed six Super Bowls in 17 years after 36 years without a whisper of a single trophy.

Best for football fans who have been frustrated with or in awe of Brady’s physical longevity.

But importantly, it would have been best for Brady, who will never drop his title of the G.O.A.T.

Multiple Fordham coaches have received promotions or extensions to their contracts. The following coaches have been extended or reappointed: Ian Choi, volleyball head coach; Brian Horowitz, Track & Field/Cross Country head coach; Melissa Inouye, softball head coach; Kevin Leighton, baseball head coach; and Michael Sowter, director of tennis and Women’s Tennis head coach. Two assistant coaches received promotions as well this week: Phil Bannister was promoted from assistant head coach to associate head coach for Men’s Soccer and Alyssa Kaufman was promoted from assistant head coach to associate head coach for volleyball.

Fordham Water Polo Sweeps MAWPC Awards Fordham Water Polo had a big week in the Mid-Atlantic ​​ Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Awards, with sophomore Luca Silvestri claiming the Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week award, while his teammate, sophomore Thomas Lercari, secured the award for Defensive Player of the Week. This marks the first Player of the Week award for Silvestri and Lecari’s second Defensive Player of the Week award.

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@theram_sports

SPORTS

Page 18

November 9, 2022

Fordham Water Polo Clinches MAWPC Regular Season Title

By LOU ORLANDO STAFF WRITER

Fordham Water Polo, ranked #18, has clinched the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) title for the second straight season, winning four more games in the process. With their win streak up to 15 games, the most in program history, the Rams are rolling with just one game left before the MAWPC tournament.

Action began on Wednesday with the 10th annual Judge Cup game as the Fordham Rams took on their rival, the Iona Gaels. It’s been a lopsided rivalry as of late and Fordham flexed their muscles once again, defeating the Gaels 20-11 and improving their Judge Cup record to 7-3 since its inaugural game in 2012. Sophomore Lucas Nieto Jasny led the way with five goals while sophomore Luca Silvestri contributed four of his own as the two continue to score at a ridiculous rate over the past few weeks. Sophomore George Papanikolaou dished out a game high six assists, surpassing the 100 point marker for the second straight season.

That was far from all for the Rams, who hit the road for one last time in the regular season with three games over the weekend. First up was a noon Saturday matchup against George Washington University (GW), posing the greatest threat to Fordham’s bid at a second straight MAWPC title.

Heading into this one, the 21-5

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Thomas Lercari and Fordham have won 15 games in a row and finish MAWPC play undefeated.

Colonials were ranked #19 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) national polls and #2 in the MAWPC polls, directly behind Fordham. Despite falling to the Rams earlier in the season in their only conference loss of the season, a win could even the season series and catapult GW back into MAWPC title conversation.

Fordham scored the first three goals of the contest on markers from junior Christos Loupakis, Silvestri and Papanikolaou. Loupakis and Papanikolaou both scored once more while Nieto Jasny and freshman Balazs Berenyi each added one of their own as the Rams took a 7-3 lead into halftime. The Colonials narrowed the gap in the second half, keeping within one to two goals for most of the second half. GW cut the lead down to one in the fourth quarter, but the Rams held on in the final minute of play to secure the 14-13 win.

Sophomore goalkeeper Thomas Lercari shined in one of his best performances yet, recording a

career-high 21 saves to stifle the dangerous GW offense. On the offensive side, Loupakis posted five goals while Silvestri, Papanikolaou and graduate student Nir Gross each had a pair of markers. The win officially clinched the MAWPC title for Fordham, who swept GW in the season series.

The Rams departed Washington, D.C., and headed for Annapolis, Md. to take on Navy in the Saturday nightcap. Fordham got off to a slow start but stayed strong defensively.

With the score tied at four halfway through the third quarter, Fordham went on a 7-1 run to finish out the game, coming away with the 11-5 victory. Lercari was excellent once again, recording 13 saves and holding Navy’s offense to their lowest scoring output of the season. Sophomore Jacopo Parrella added to his team lead in goals with a hat trick while Papanikolaou added two tallies of his own.

For their final conference game of the season, Fordham stayed in Maryland, venturing

to Baltimore to take on Johns Hopkins University. In fitting fashion of a team that remained undefeated in conference play, Fordham won their final conference game with dominance as 11 different Rams found the back of the net. Holding a 10-6 lead at halftime, Fordham pulled away with a seven goal third quarter en route to a 19-11 victory. Gross and Parrella had hat tricks while Silvestri, Loupakis, Papanikolaou and Nieto Jasny each notched a pair of goals.

With just one non-conference game remaining in the regular season, Fordham will take an undefeated 16-0 record in conference play into the MAWPC tournament. If that wasn’t enough, the weekend sweep raises Fordham’s win streak to a historic 15 games.

It’s been an unbelievable run for a Fordham Water Polo team that hasn’t lost a game since Sept. 24 and now boasts a season record of 23-6. With the close victory over GW, Fordham clinches the

conference title in back-to-back seasons, ensuring the #1 seed for the reigning MAWPC conference champions. It’s a wonderful accomplishment for a program that has established itself as one of the very best on the east coast.

The weekend included some very special milestones as well.

Lercari’s aforementioned saves record is only a small indicator of how fantastic he’s been in net this season. Stepping up for Fordham’s all-time saves leader Bailey O’Mara, the sophomore hasn’t skipped a beat as his fantastic performances in net have helped Fordham extend this dominant run. Since the winning streak began, Lercari is allowing just 8.7 goals per game. On the offensive side, Parrella has reached the 100 point mark for a second straight season while Papanikolaou has surpassed the 100 point mark and then some.

Flying by his 110 point total from freshman year, Papanikolaou sits at 125 with one more regular season game and playoffs still upcoming. Nieto Jasny, who recorded 117 points in his freshman season last year, is just three points shy of the 100 point mark as well.

The Rams will have one last home game this Friday against St. Francis Brooklyn College. While St. Francis defeated Fordham last year, the Rams head into this one about as hot as any team can be. With their offense firing on all cylinders and a defense that has smothered opponents, Fordham will look to keep the good times rolling.

Football Bounces Back With Win Over Bucknell

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Following a heartbreaking 53-52 overtime loss to the College of the Holy Cross on Oct. 29, Fordham Football was in need of a bounceback. While their hopes of a Patriot League title likely faded away after that narrow one-point defeat, Fordham still had lots to play for heading into a showdown with Bucknell University this past Saturday in Pennsylvania.

If the Rams win their remaining regular season games, they will likely be in line for an atlarge Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff bid.

That’s a big if, but the Rams took a step in the right direction on Saturday with a convincing 59-17 win over Bucknell.

Led by spectacular performances on both sides of the football, Fordham improved to 7-2 on the season and 3-1 in Patriot League. Offensively, senior quarterback Tim DeMorat made headlines once again, despite throwing two interceptions, as he tossed five touchdowns on 346 yards passing.

Senior Fotis Kokosioulis had the biggest day out of Fordham’s talented receiving core, hauling in 12 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

But Fordham’s defensive unit, which has struggled at times this season, was also up to the task on Saturday. As a whole, the defense held the Bison to

just 17 points while forcing two interceptions, with both plays made by freshman Alex Kemper. It was also a historic day for graduate student linebacker Ryan Greenhagen, who set the all-time school record for career solo tackles with 235 and tackles-for-losses with 48.

The New Jersey native chipped in 12 total tackles on the day to lead all Fordham defenders.

Fordham got off to a slow start offensively in Bethlehem, failing to score in the game’s opening quarter. DeMorat was picked off midway through the first by Bucknell safety Brent Jackson, highlighting the Rams’ inability to move the football early on Saturday.

Fordham’s defense was strong though, surrendering just a field goal in the first quarter to send the Rams into the second down by just three.

And on their opening drive of the second quarter, the Fordham offense finally got things moving. A 14-play drive was capped off by a 24-yard field goal from junior Brandon Peskin to tie the game at three.

From there, Fordham didn’t look back.

The Rams scored a resounding three touchdowns in a row in the second to enter halftime with a 24-3 lead on 24 unanswered points. All three touchdowns came from DeMorat to three different receivers: a 12-yard strike to sophomore

Jaden Allen, a 37-yard dart to senior MJ Wright and an 8-yard score to Kokosioulis.

Bucknell grabbed a touchdown back early in the third quarter off a Rushawn Baker 12-yard run to cut Fordham’s lead to 24-10. But the Rams had an effective answer on their next offensive possession. On a drive spearheaded by solid runs from sophomore Julius Loughridge and graduate student Trey Sneed, DeMorat delivered his fourth touchdown of the day with a 23-yard connection to junior Mekai Felton.

Neither offense could get anything going until the fourth quarter, when Bucknell got within 14 again at 31-17, thanks to a one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Damian Harris.

From that point on, Fordham stepped on the gas to score 28 unanswered points to secure the win.

First, DeMorat threaded the needle to Kokosioulis in the endzone for his second touchdown of the day, this one for 31 yards.

Kemper then made the play of the day for the Fordham defense.

On a third down, Kemper picked off Bucknell quarterback Alex Brown and returned it 22 yards for the Fordham touchdown, putting the Rams on top 45-17.

Fordham’s special teams unit, which was solid all day, made a huge play on the ensuing kickoff to get the ball right back to

DeMorat and company. A short, high kickoff from senior Michael Bernard landed at the Bucknell 20-yard line, causing miscommunication for the Bison on who should field it. The ball wasn’t fielded in the air by the Bucknell and bounced off the turf, allowing senior B.J. Ferguson to recover the unconventional onside kick.

With their backups now in the blowout game, Fordham struck right away after the big special teams play. Junior backup quarterback Grant Wilson found freshman Jack Kaiser for a six-yard score. The Rams tacked on another score in the closing moments thanks to a touchdown from junior running back Taj Barnes, making the final score 59-17 Fordham.

While the Rams didn’t play great in the first and third quarters, a run of 24 straight points

in the second quarter and 28 straight in the fourth quarter were enough to push Fordham over the line.

After the game, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin spoke about the nature of his team’s victory. “I thought we were sloppy at times, didn’t execute on either side of the ball for a stretch there. But, we kinda came together at the end. Special teams were fantastic and we found a way to get the job done.”

With the win, Fordham remains on pace for an at-large FCS playoff bid. They will continue their quest for a postseason berth this Saturday at home against Lafayette College in the Rams’ penultimate regular season game. That will kickoff at 1 p.m. and can be watched live both on SNY and ESPN+, or listened to on WFUV 90.7.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Ryan Greenhagen set two school records in Saturday’s win at Bucknell.

SPORTS

November 9, 2022

Page 19

Student Athlete Column: When The Door Closes

By MARY KATHRYN UNDERWOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

One of the most daunting characteristics of senior year is how definite the closures seem. It’s not like high school, where closures are really just the opening of new doors.

You may have had your last lunch with your friends, gone to one final football game or had one last class with that teacher you’ve known since you were young, but there’s more of this in a new, exciting way in college. This especially holds true for student-athletes who continue their athletic careers in college. Although that last high school race or game may feel bittersweet, there’s a sense of excitement knowing that you are opening a new door for the future ahead.

But what happens when that final door closes? Well, I don’t know yet. Next Friday, I will be running my last ever cross country race, leaving me with a strange feeling that I don’t particularly know how to describe. I started running cross country in seventh grade to spend more time with my older sister who was running it as a freshman

in high school. I hated it initially, a feeling that had everything to do with the fact that I am a natural sprinter and not a distance runner. It didn’t feel natural to me for many years. Still, its difficulty felt like a challenge that I knew I could overcome, and there was no way I would quit.

Although I was a sprinter and jumper during indoor and outdoor track, I kept running cross country because I felt I had some potential even though it didn’t come naturally. Slowly but surely, I progressed at it throughout high school, going from 10th on our team freshman year to second in the state by my senior year. By then, I had grown to love the sport and its ability to push and challenge one’s mental and physical boundaries, along with the team camaraderie that came with it.

The convoluted nature of my collegiate cross country career has left me with complex feelings surrounding its closure. Besides a few awkward-feeling races my freshman year, cross country was put to the side for me throughout all of college. I was partially okay with

this because something just didn’t feel right all of the times that I attempted it collegiately; it had felt as unnatural as it did in seventh grade. This is the first year since my senior year of high school that I have been fully immersed in cross country, something that I wasn’t sure how I felt about at first, but now I am glad I did it. I remembered all of the things I love about distance running and how strong

STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball was officially eliminated from Atlantic 10 tournament contention over the weekend after dropping a pair of matches to Saint Louis University on their Rose Hill home floor.

While the Rams’ chances of qualifying for the conference tournament in 2022 officially fell by the wayside, this past weekend wasn’t all bad news.

Senior libero and vocal leader of the Rams, Mallory Lipski, announced she will return to Rose Hill in the fall for her fifth and final year of eligibility.

Lipski is one of many NCAA athletes who have been granted an additional year of eligibility due to the pandemic. According to Lipski, the decision to return was one that had been in the works for quite a while.

“Hey coach Ian, I might be in-

terested in staying,” Lipski said at one COVID-19-era practice.

And a huge part of why Lipski felt compelled to return for her graduate year was in fact head coach Ian Choi himself.

“I’ve always been very flattered. I feel like he’s always believed in me, he’s always seen something in me,” Lipski said ahead of Friday’s match versus Saint Louis.

Outside of an inspirational coach, the main reason Lipski wanted to return for 2023 is the talented young core of this team.

This season’s freshman class made an immediate impact, with Audrey Brown and Zoe Talabog proving to be not only explosive but consistently productive.

With Brown and Talabong maturing and moving into their second year in the Bronx, and junior star Whitley Moody returning for her senior year, the Rams have more potential than ever before.

When asked about the talented

Regardless of how my last cross country race goes, I will always look back on the sport and think of all it has taught me and how much I’ve grown from it. I will think of all the challenges I overcame and how wrong the people who told me I would never be able to do it were.

And most of all, I will remember how it taught me to believe in myself no matter how tough the obstacle, no matter how long the road.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

In her last year running Cross Country, Mary Kathryn Underwood reflects on her journey.

Volleyball Misses Postseason; Lipski to Stay for Year Five

By MILES GROSSMAN

its challenging moments can make you feel. I will honestly say that, despite how great I have felt training this season, I think that I have yet to compete to my fullest potential. However, I have always been tough on myself, making it difficult for me to ever be satisfied with my performance. Nevertheless, the conclusion of this season will give me the proper closure I would have lacked had I not done it.

team returning under Choi, Lipski laughed and said, “That’s something I want to be a part of.”

While the Rams undeniably fell short of their annual goal of reaching the A-10 tournament, the 2023 Rams are surely poised to make a run. The team will feature Lipski in her graduate year, Moody providing game-changing athleticism and senior leadership and two very talented young faces in Brown and Talabong, in addition to the talented freshmen recruits Choi will have coming in July.

This weekend, Fordham will wrap up their 2022 campaign with two matches at home versus.

George Mason University.

While the Rams have no shot at playing beyond this weekend, Friday and Saturday will provide opportunities for the Rams to prove whoatthey can become next fall.

The first match starts on Friday at 6 p.m., with the season finale beins on Saturday at 2 p.m.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Lipski’s return will be an uplifting obe for the Rams come the beginning of the 2023-24 season.

Squash Begins 2022-23 Season

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Squash kicked off their 2022-23 season this past weekend, playing against six different opponents.

The Rams won their opening five matches before falling to Georgetown University on Sunday afternoon to make their record 5-1 after one weekend of action.

On Friday, Fordham played in their first match since last winter hosting Cornell University club team at the Lombardi Squash Courts. Fordham came out on top 6-3, getting big wins from key contributors along the way. Freshman Adham Nassar got the win in first position, while fellow freshman Nicholas Gilman was victorious in second position.

Fordham began Saturday upstate in Poughkeepsie against Bard College and Vassar College before traveling back to the Bronx for a home match against the Harvard University club team in the evening.

The Rams rolled over Bard by a score of 8-1 before securing a much closer 5-4 win against Vassar. In the Bard match, Fordham’s only defeat was in first position, when Gilman fell to the Raptors’ Artemy Mukhin.

Sophomore Aarav Jhunjhunwala and freshman Jack Stanley were among the winners for the Rams, defeating Bard’s Jacob Nathan and Asa Kaplan, respectively.

The Vassar contest immediately followed, with Fordham getting little time to rest in between matches. The Raptors proved to be a tough test for the Rams, but Fordham narrowly escaped Poughkeepsie with a 5-4 win.

Junior Henry Frawley picked

up key victories in that one in second and third positions.

Later that afternoon, the Rams concluded their tripleheader with another win, this time by a score of 6-3 against the Harvard club team.

The lower positions for the Rams secured the victory in that one, as Fordham had winners in seventh position, sophomore Sofia Arseniev, eighth position, sophomore Robert Cruikshank and ninth position, junior Nicholas Choo.

To wrap up the weekend, Fordham competed in two matches on Sunday against Boston University (BU) and Georgetown. The Rams dominated against BU, winning by a score of 7-2.

Nassar and Gilman once again picked up wins in first and second position, with Nassar topping Pablo Rodriguez in five games and Gilman getting the better of Milan Tahliani in four games.

But Fordham couldn’t quite finish off a perfect opening weekend on Sunday afternoon against Georgetown. The Hoyas came out ready to play, defeating the Rams by the comfortable margin of 7-2.

Gilman was victorious once again in second position, defeating Alex Bernhard in five games. Fordham’s only other win in this one came courtesy of Cruikshank, who beat Teddy Donohue in four.

Despite not pulling off the sweep, it was a successful opening weekend for the Rams. The new freshmen Nassar and Gilman shined brightly at the top of the Fordham lineup in their first collegiate action. Look for them to continue to lead the way for the Rams.

Next up for the Fordham squash team is the Navy Round Robin this coming weekend, where the Rams will travel south to Annapolis to compete against five different opponents.

SPORTS

Page 20

November 9, 2022

Men’s Basketball Rolls Past Dartmouth to Start Keith Urgo Chapter

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISANT SPORTS EDITOR

The concerns surrounding the Fordham Rams have clouded them all offseason: Kyle Neptune’s departure, the impacts freshman could make, and if Keith Urgo was ready to be a head coach.

On Nov. 7, for at least one night, those questions were answered as Fordham dominated Dartmouth College in a hellacious second half to tally a final score of 88-74 for a 1-0 start to the year.

The Rams didn’t make it easy by any means going down 10-0 in the opening minutes against the Big Green.

The calming presence of junior Antrell Charlton began things for the Rams with a layup after two and a half minutes of no scoring.

The proverbial “lid on the basket” had been removed, and Fordham started pounding the rock.

Graduate student transfer Khalid Moore had the debut of his life, notching a near-career best 18 points to go along with seven rebounds on the night.

He showcased his athleticism with a block that pinned the ball to the backboard, and had a dunk driving through the lane to inject life into Fordham’s zombie offense.

Fellow graduate student Darius Quisenberry got off to a slow start, but found success in the second half. His 7-18 shooting is not ideal after a 3-10 first half, but Fordham will take his 20 points any time.

His damage came mostly from driving the paint for layups, thus resulting in him getting knocked down and going to the free throw line. He did come up hobbling a few times, but pushed through for 36 minutes.

Charlton was also all over the place on Tuesday, dumping 16 points on 7-9 shooting and splitting two of his four threes. He also

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Graduate Student Khalid Moore goes for 2 of his 18 points in a stellar debut for Fordham. added three rebounds and assists with a steal plus a rejection. This was the sort of production that the Rams have come to expect from him, plugging holes in areas that are vital to the team’s success.

Fourth year junior Kyle Rose had one of his most efficient games as a Ram with 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the field overall. He included two steals but was limited due to foul issues, regardless, playing his role exceptionally well on Tuesday.

Junior Abdou Tsimbila also started the evening off on the wrong foot but played a much better second half.

Defensively, he had six rebounds and two blocks in key spots for Fordham while showing the important offensive steps he must make

to have a real impact.

Senior Rostik Noyvitskyi was another anchor in the middle for Fordham, adding three blocks and four points on the night.

The freshmen were also a question for the team this year in terms of their productivity right out of the gate, but tonight they provided a spark for the team.

The first to enter was Romad Dean, who snatched screws from the ceiling to sky for a rebound and drew a foul in his first college sequence. His second half also included a late tip-in and a dunk to help seal the deal for the Rams.

Freshman Elijah Gray saw limited action, but scored his first college point at the free throw line.

Will Richardson’s first three went in, and he added three rebounds

while taking good care of the ball in his 17 minutes of burn.

There were some lapses on defense for Fordham, especially early at the defensive end. Dartmouth came into the game with a reputation of being very efficient from three, which the Big Green made known very quickly as they shot an impressive 45.6% from beyond the arc on the night.

Dusan Neskovic went 5-6 from range for Dartmouth with five others hitting at least one three.

Fordham’s three-point defense in the first half was porous, and some flubbed rotations left players wide open. The general concept for Fordham is they want to be extremely physical, which they are capable of doing inside the arch. Urgo and the staff have

designed the defense to not allow easy scores at the rim and play off of what they see as “incapable” shooters, which has succeeded in the past.

Dartmouth, as assistant coach Dave Paulsen said post game, is an “extreme example” of what Fordham would see from three point happy teams.

Dartmouth’s early shot making from distance and crisp ball movement was giving Urgo’s team nightmares.

But thanks in part to a 17-5 run, they climbed back into the game to reclaim the lead with 4:21 left in the first half.

They would end the first half with a five-point cushion, then enter the second half and roll forward for Urgo’s first win as a college head coach.

A win that directly followed Candice Green, the first year head coach for the women’s team, earning her first win as a first time college head coach.

The Rams made sloppy mistakes and the freshman looked like freshman at times, but most of these were butterflies in their stomachs for the first real game.

Tuesday’s environment included a capacity crowd compared to the two closed scrimmages the team played, which may have played a bit into the mistakes, but nonetheless are “oopsies” that are very much correctable.

The Rams are back in action Friday against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who are garnering national attention in the Southeastern Conference as a potential national championship contender, in Fayetteville against a hostile crowd.

It will serve as a stern test for the young Rams and the team as a whole in a power-five environment, but it should have positive long-term effects.

Women’s Hoops Begins Season With Strong Showings

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

There is certainly truth to the adage, “it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.” However, Fordham Women’s Basketball will most assuredly embrace the strong start to the season they’ve enjoyed.

The team defeated Kutztown University by a mark of 79-48 in an exhibition affair and handling Yale University in their regular season 80-67. Both contests took place at the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium and served as an on-court preview of what this year could have in store.

Every active Ram saw the court against the Kutztown Golden Bears. Fordham led for roughly 34 minutes and only trailed in the initial 70 seconds of the game. It was a complete team assault led by graduate student guard Asiah Dingle.

The Boston product dropped a game high 22 points on a 7-11 shooting performance from the field and three made shots from behind the arc. Dingle was a part of a massive second quarter.

The Rams outscored Kutztown by a tally of 32-8 in the period. It was the turning point of the affair as by the time the quarter ended, Fordham had a 46-20 lead.

Senior Anna DeWolfe and graduate students Megan Jonassen and Kaitlyn Downey were each exceptional in their own way. DeWolfe

poured in 17 points, Jonassen grabbed a game high 11 rebounds, and Downey was not far behind with 10 boards of her own.

Freshman Ashley O’Connor also contributed 5 points in some meaningful minutes off the bench. All told, Fordham outshot Kutztown by more than

10% from the field and grabbed 18 more total rebounds.

Monday night’s true season opener against the Yale Bulldogs saw a closer contest. Elles van der Maas and Mackenzie Egger combined for 30 Bulldog points as well as 14 rebounds. Fordham’s defense did not display the same

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women’s Basketball displayed offensive dominance for Candice Green’s first win as a collegiate head coach.

dominance as they did against Kutztown, but their scoring remained constant.

DeWolfe led all scorers against Yale University with 22 points and four made threes. Dingle was not far behind. She collected 17 points. However, the surprise of the night was most definitely Sarah Karpell. The New Jersey senior stepped up in a big way.

Along with solid defense, she provided 15 key points and three assists. Entering this year, many felt Karpell was a player that needed to take a leap forward in terms of productivity if the Rams were going to compete.

She answered the bell against Yale, and Fordham will need this to be a habit as the year moves along. Overall, the Rams finished shooting 45.5% from the field and got the job done.

It is never wise to overreact from initial results, but if these first two games have shown anything, it is that the Fordham Women’s hoops has a high floor and an even higher ceiling.

The Rams are back in action this Thursday with a home tilt, against St. Peter’s University.