Volume 104 Orientation

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

TheFordhamRam.com

August 29, 2022

Fall 2022 Semester Run-Down: What to Expect

Tania Tetlow: Goals as New President

By SAM MINEAR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

President Tania Tetlow was officially sworn in as president of Fordham University on July 1.

Her presidency follows Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., after he announced he would leave the position in fall 2021. She was elected unanimously by the Board of Trustees to replace McShane starting in fall 2022.

Before coming to Fordham, Tetlow served as the president of Loyola University in New Orleans.

Prior to Loyola, Tetlow worked as a lawyer.

She is the first woman and layperson to serve as Fordham’s president. All previous presidents have been members of the Jesuit priesthood. Tetlow’s experience as Loyola’s president gives her a unique perspective in university administration before coming to Fordham.

Since July, Tetlow has been interacting with the community as president. In a note to the Fordham community on the day of her appointment, she stated that she was “nexcited,” which is a combination of nervous and excited. In that

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

President Tania Tetlow was officially sworn in as president of the university on July 1, 2022. same statement she wrote: “I cannot wait to meet you all, and only wish I could do it simultaneously. I want to know what you love most about Fordham, about your work and studies and research. And I want to hear the ways you constantly work to make Fordham better, and the ideas you have for the future.”

She was welcomed to Fordham on July 5 at a coffee reception at Rose Hill and a similar program on July 14 at the Lincoln Center campus. In August, she spoke with Fordham’s first-year law students about her time as a lawyer as well as giving them advice. Tetlow also worked to clarify the university’s hybrid/remote work policy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early August, she traveled with

a delegation from the university to the Vatican in Rome. There, discussions were had with Cardinal Versaldi about inclusivity, Catholic education and Fordham’s global position.

Tetlow has many goals lined up for her tenure as president.

In addition to being president of Loyola, Tetlow also served as Associate Professor and Director of Tulane’s Domestic Violence Clinic.

She said that one of her biggest goals is to make sure the Title IX protocols at Fordham are up to standard and to improve safety on campus.

In addition to Title IX, Tetlow stressed the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

According to a press conference during spring 2022, she said that another one of her biggest goals is to promote diversity and make sure that everyone feels welcome in the Fordham community.

In the same press conference, Tetlow said that she hopes to also work on improving retention rates.

Tetlow plans to spend her tenure listening to students and getting to know what they want for the university. She plans to listen to students and staff to help understand what they want to see happen at Fordham.

Looking forward, Tetlow will attend the CCEL’s first back to school festival on Sept. 2.

Spring 2022 Noteworthy Headline Recap

By ISABEL DANZIS NEWS EDITOR

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Fordham University adapted its COVID-19 policy to fit updated CDC guidelines and case numbers in New York.

An Update on Fordham’s COVID-19 Protocol and Policy

By EMMA KIM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Fordham University has updated several of its COVID-19 protocols for the fall semester.

According to Keith Eldredge, assistant vice president and dean of student services, there

are two significant changes this semester.

“One is that at this time we are not going to do any surveillance or return-to-campus testing,” said Eldredge. Last year, students were required to submit a negative test before returning to campus after breaks. Eldredge

stated that return-to-campus testing might be reinstated as time goes on, but for now, it will not be required.

Another change is VitalCheck, which is no longer required as a daily attestation, unlike in the SEE COVID, PAGE 3

From COVID-19 to new student centers to unions to student elections, the 2022 spring semester was filled with notable events.

To many students and Fordham community members, the most notable and important thing that happened to the university community last semester was President Tania Tetlow being announced as the successor to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president emeritus.

Tetlow’s appointment is significant as she is the first layperson and woman to ever be appointed to the position at Fordham. Before her time at Fordham, she served as university president of Loyola University in New Orleans. The community SEE SPRING, PAGE 3

Fall semester is arguably the most exciting on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. It kicks off with freshmen orientation, a multi-day event to introduce first-year students to university culture, academics and social life. It also familiarizes new students with Fordham’s academic and conduct policy.

Classes begin on Wednesday, Aug. 31, giving everyone the opportunity to experience a dose of their class schedule and prevent early burnout. That same day is the club fair, where clubs on the Rose Hill campus table and recruit members. Make sure to visit The Fordham Ram’s table to learn more about writing for the paper!

The add/drop period ends Sept. 8 and the first big event is the President’s Inaugural Ball on Sept. 16. Fordham’s equivalent of homecoming requires semiformal attire and students tend to go all out with the celebrations and outfits.

Family Weekend, held starting Sept. 30, includes a football pregame and tailgate, a NYCstyle brunch, a performance showcase and a communal mass. Family Weekend is a great way for first-year students to introduce their parents to everything Fordham has to offer and to experience the beginning of football season at Rose Hill.

Sept. 15 is the start of Latinx Heritage Month and the Office of Multicultural Affairs always hosts a multitude of events, including free giveaways and events celebrating a variety of cultural cuisines. The celebrations extend to mid-October, which is also the middle of LGBTQ+ History Month, so SEE FALL, PAGE 3

in this issue

Opinion

Page 4

Bathrooms are for Bonding

Culture

Page 9

Getting Around New York City

Sports

Page 10

A Guide to Intramural Sports

NEWS

Page 2

A Written Tour of the Fordham Rose Hill Campus

August 29, 2022

By MICHELA FAHY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By SEBASTIAN DIAZ FEATURES EDITOR

While 85 acres of university campus may not seem like much, a new student might have a difficult time learning how to navigate campus for the first two weeks or so. To make it easier, the Fordham Ram is providing a run-down of all the need-to-know spots a new student will need to thrive as they adjust to campus life.

Residence Halls If you’re a new student, chances are you’ve already been situated in one of seven freshman residence halls: Loschert, Alumni Court South, Martyrs’ Court, Queen’s Court, Tierney or Loyola/Faber.

But once you make it past that first year and choose to continue living on campus, you might end up in O’Hare Hall, the densest hall on campus (home to majority of sophomores), Finlay, Walsh, or, if you’re a junior or senior, Campbell or SaliceConley. While the first few days of living in your new dorm might feel uncomfortable, all it needs is some time to become lived-in and comfy.

Where To Eat Some of the hardest choices you’ll have to make while living on campus come down to where you go for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Quick warning: if you’re going to eat on campus during the first few weeks of classes, be prepared to wait in ridiculously long lines. Get there early.

Alternatively, you can use GrubHub to order your meals ahead, but be aware that many other students also use this method.

The first, and largest, dining location is the Marketplace (AKA the Caf) (1), located in the McShane Campus Center.

The Marketplace is divided into two distinct sections: the seating hall and the kitchen hall, the latter of which holds several kitchens that each pro-

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s Rose Hill campus has drastically changed in the 183 years since it was originally purchased by Reverend John J. Hughes as ‘Rose Hill Manor’ in 1839.

vide a distinct cuisine – from vegan options to rotating ethnic cuisines, pizzas, salads, desserts and burgers. The dining options at the Marketplace vary on a day-to-day basis, so check in and see whether that day’s meals appetize you.

The other two larger dining options are Cosí (2) and Urban Kitchen (3). Both situated on the ground floor of residence halls (Campbell and O’Hare, respectively), each offers entirely different menus that never change. Cosí offers a selection of salads, soups, sandwiches and pizzas. Urban Kitchen, on the other hand, has a much more eclectic selection of food. The Grill at Urban caters to a palate more akin to the Americana dining world of burgers, cheesesteaks, chicken tenders and fries. That being said, Urban Kitchen does offer healthier choices in its salad and smoothie bars.

Another popular dining spot, especially for freshmen, is Boar’s Head Deli and P.O.D. (4), or Provisions on Demand.

Both of these spots occupy the same space in the Queen’s Court Deli. Boar’s Head is where you go for those deli sandwiches.

While you’re there, use your Declining Cash Balance to buy snacks, fruits or frozen meals from P.O.D..

If you’re on the lookout for a bite to eat while you’re rushing to class, the off-campus building known as Faculty Memorial Hall (on Belmont and East Fordham Road) is home to Salt and Sesame (5), which offers pastries like ba-

gels and muffins in addition to paninis, sandwiches and wraps.

There is also a Starbucks (6) on the ground floor of Dealy Hall.

Student Services One of the better parts about campus living is the number of places dedicated to student services on campus. Let’s take a look at some of the most important ones.

Fordham’s Health Services (7), which is comprised of both physical health and counseling/psychological services, can be found in the lower basement level of O’Hare and is accessible from across from the main residence hall entrance.

There are a number of medical services at students’ disposal, from generalized health care to more specialized health care for male, female or LGBTQ+ students. Students are also free to make an appointment or walkin to the health services office for Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), which helps students receive necessary mental health care either through in-house specialists or outsourced experts.

On the other hand, the university’s Emergency Medical Services (FUEMS) (8) office can be found in the basement of Queen’s Court, next to the courtyard in front of Loschert Hall.

Another important office that students may look for is the Office of Financial Aid (9). While normally located in Thebaud Hall (down the street from Eddie’s towards the Bathgate entrance), the office is temporarily located in the Thebaud Modular Unit across from Duane library.

The Office of Financial Aid is

where students will have to go in order to gain further information about the different types of aid available, how to manage their current cost and fees to the university and find loan resources for financing their education.

Also in Thebaud is the office of Student Employment (10), which, as it sounds, helps students manage student employment during their time at Fordham. Students may go to the office of Student Employment to find an on-campus job.

With that being said, it may be difficult to find a job if you are not given priority through federal workstudy.

Additionally, both the Office of Career Services and the Career Centers (11), found on the second floor of the McShane Student Center, can also be a helpful resource for students looking for support in starting careers outside of university academics. They will help pair you with a career counselor at the university, who will then help you work through all the aspects of job hunting, including writing resumes, asking for references and looking for the best and most suitable jobs. As you proceed further through job searches, the counselor will even help prepare you for interviews and guide you through resources in maintaining a successful academic career simulta-

neous to your financial career.

Walsh Library The Walsh Library is a building dedicated to providing academic resources. Outside of hosting the campus’s physical collection of academic texts and books (including an extensive collection of reference texts), there are also multiple other services offered to students within the building. Take, for example, the school’s Writing Center, where students can go to receive guidance on improving their writing skills or have their essays peer-reviewed.

The library also has technological resources for students who need to get their hands on clerical equipment. Computer labs and rooms dedicated to copying, scanning and printing documents can be found on the first floor of the library.

Additionally, check out the exhibit Museum of Greek, Etruscan, & Roman Art while you’re in there.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House Rodrigue’s is by far the most distinct locale at Rose Hill. Completely student-run, the shop serves coffee and tea at low (cash-only) prices for students looking for a place to study or relax. The alternative aesthetic of Rod’s interior helps inject a much-needed queer flavor to Rose Hill’s campus.

As much as I love Rod’s, beware the aux. As you walk into the coffee shop, you may find yourself amidst either some of the best or worst music you have ever heard.

It all depends on who’s taken control of the speakers.

If you end up getting lost trying to navigate across campus, there are, luckily, a number of maps and signs posted to help you find the buildings you’re looking for.

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions if you need them.

NEWS

August 29, 2022

Page 3

What to Look Forward to in Fall Semester 2022 FROM FALL, PAGE 1

the festivities only grow.

With mid-semester evaluations due on Oct. 26, midterms can be expected to be held in the week prior to give professors ample time for grading before Thanksgiving break. When certain midterms are depend on the student, but can be determined by the course’s syllabi.

Thanksgiving recess begins

Nov. 23 and classes resume on Nov. 28. December is an exciting event typically filled with Christmas-themed events; clubs will hold holiday parties and the Commuter Student Association has held events such as hot chocolate socials in the past to get students in the festive mood.

The last day of classes is on Dec. 9. Fordham’s reading days (meaning no classes, meant for

studying) are Dec 12 and 13, and exams for modern languages are held on the 13. Finals officially kick off on the 14 and end the 21, with the 21 being the last day to move out of housing. Holiday break this year will start the next day, on the 22, and students are expected to return by the time classes resume on Jan. 17.

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Fall semester gives oppertunities for students to get involved on campus.

Noteworthy Headlines from the Spring 2022 Semester FROM SPRING, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI

The McShane Campus Center was one of the biggest additions to Fordham.

said goodbye to McShane as Tetlow was officially sworn in as president over the summer.

Fordham University opened up its doors for spring semester 2022 in the midst of the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite the cases, students and faculty resumed a fully in-person semester. The university announced mandatory re-entry testing for students.

Additionally, the start of the spring semester was met with cancellations. Ramfit, Rose Hill’s Athletic Center was closed, audience members on indoor winter sports were controlled, off-campus visitors were limited and there were few events involving food.

In January, shortly before the return to campus, Tremont, a neighborhood next to Fordham, suffered a devastating apartment fire. The university community aided the Tremont community through a variety of initiatives. Student groups, like the a capella groups, The Satin Dolls and The Ramblers, raised money through a social media campaign. The universi-

ty encouraged people to donate to Catholic charities. Later on in the semester, Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) partnered with the New York Giants to help people suffering from the lasting effects of the fire.

In terms of on-campus changes, the shiny new student center opened for student use. Students began using the new hub for studying, recreation and events.

Campus Ministries, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, CCEL and Career Services were all able to move into their new offices. With the opening of the new student center, the old commuter lounge was closed and many commuting students started spending their time in the new space.

RamFit opened at the beginning of February and students were able to start using the renovated weight room. The gym’s new additions were one of the most highly anticipated aspects of the new student center renovation. After almost a semester of use, the new student center finally received a name at the end of April. The building was named after McShane in an official dedication ceremony outside

the building. The McShane campus Center is still undergoing renovations but remains open this semester.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs continued its programming and hosted events all throughout the semester to honor certain holidays and cultures. They celebrated Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, MLK week and Asian American and Pacific Islander history.

Fordham’s graduate student workers banded together to form the Fordham Graduate Student Workers (FGSW). Fordham introduced its first First Generation Network for students who are the first in their family to attend college. The pandemic restrictions eventually loosened up and the university was able to lift its mask mandate in May. Fordham Dance Marathon raised $116,564 for cancer research. In-person spring weekend and spring break returned for the first time since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. The United Student Government (USG) faced backlash over election transparency and the student body elected new officials for the 2022-23 school year.

Fordham University’s Updated COVID-19 GuideFROM COVID, PAGE 1

past two years. “We still have daily notifications in place. Really it is an opportunity [for students] if they are experiencing symptoms, or if they tested positive, as a way to notify the faculty,” said Eldredge.

VitalCheck will still be used to manage vaccine, testing and isolation requirements and it will remain integrated with the ID card system for access to campus. Following CDC guidelines, Eldredge said that students are still required to be fully up-to-date with vaccines.

At the moment, the second booster is only required for individuals who are 50 years or older.

The masking protocol will be the same as the end of the spring semester, said Eldredge.

Masks are not required indoors on campus, but they are still recommended.

However, there are two exceptions: masks are still required on the Ram Van and in any health center-related facility

or testing site. “Faculty members still have the discretion to make it [masks] required,” said Eldredge.

In an email to the Fordham community at the end of July, it was announced that the campus will open to non-Fordham visitors on Sept. 1.

According to the email, all visitors over six months of age are expected to be up-to-date on vaccinations. “They could come to campus last year, but only for specific events — like a football game or family weekend."

“The main change is that we will return to externally sponsored events on campus,” said Eldredge. “We allow facilities to be used by an external group.

[For example], in the summertime, a lot of local schools will hold their [graduation] ceremony on campus.” For the past two years, no external events have taken place on campus, only Fordham-sponsored events or events for students on campus. In an email to students living on campus on Aug. 23, Residential Life

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Off-campus visitors will now be allowed on campus, marking one of the biggest changes from last year’s policy. announced the return of guest pass privileges. Students will be allowed to apply for overnight guest passes and guest passes for external visitors.

Eldredge also noted that the gym no longer requires students to sign-up for time-slots, which went into effect Aug. 8.

Finally, Eldredge said there will be a change to the quaran-

tine and isolation requirements, in accordance with the new CDC recommendations.

While the CDC previously recommended that those not upto-date on vaccinations should quarantine if exposed, they will no longer be required to. Instead, it is recommended that they wear a high-quality mask and test on day five. This is the same policy that

was previously in place for those who are up-to-date with vaccinations.

The school still requires a fiveday isolation for a positive test.

However, instead of requiring a negative test on day five to end isolation, students will be able to leave on day six if they are symptom-free and fever-free without medication for 24 hours.

OPINION

Page 4

August 29, 2022

Bathrooms are for Bonding

By TAYLOR HERZLICH OPINION EDITOR

The year was 2019. I showed up to classes 20 minutes early.

I slept in a twin bed approximately three feet away from a girl I had met only days prior. I sent frequent and feverish texts to my high school friends in a carefully named group chat. I was a freshman, and I hated college. Even worse to admit, I hated Fordham.

For all the scared, lonely college freshmen, or sophomores, or juniors, for that matter, who are reading this article, I am here to tell you that you are not alone. I know how annoying that can be to hear. I remember my mom trying to assuage my fears during tear-filled phone calls, quoting other moms from the Fordham Facebook group who posted about their own childrens’ troubles. I did not want to hear it, because my dramatic 18-year-old self believed there was no one out there who understood what I was going through. (Before you ask, yes, I have a Pisces moon.)

Everyone else at Fordham had made lifelong friends. Everyone else had plans on the weekend. They had traditions, like meeting up with friends in the cafeteria for dinner, or go-

ing out to their favorite bar or sleeping over in each other’s dorm rooms. I had run out of time.

I despised Fordham. I resented its tall, stoic buildings; bleak gray stones and skies. Learning about school clubs only fueled my rage, filling me with envy over fun campus events that I had no one to go to with. I felt guilty for choosing Fordham for my future; I was wasting tuition money and the prime years of my life in my dorm room, watching "The Bachelor" on my laptop and eating fudge-covered Nutter Butters by the box.

I felt I had done enough to earn some newfound friends.

My lack of friends and other freshmen’s abundance was unjust! Though when I thought about it, I never went to any club meetings unless my roommate would come with me. And I never went out on the weekends. And I never really did anything unless my roommate was with me. I gained a wonderful friend in my roommate, but I was not truly putting myself out there. I was keeping myself in Martyrs’ room 402. However, I had a saving grace, the one thing that made freshman year worth it and turned around my social life: the Martyrs’ Court communal bathrooms.

Yes, the bathroom was less

than ideal in some ways. There was a touch of mold in the sinks and some of the girls chose to forego shower shoes. There was no air conditioning, which meant we were forced to keep the windows wide open without any screens. Our screenless life led to me getting attacked by a dragonfly in a vulnerable postshower state, but that is a story for another time.

Every night, I would pad into the Martyrs’ court bathroom with my plastic shower caddy to brush my teeth and wash my face before bed. Soon enough, my embarrassingly early bedtime schedule seemed to link up with a neighbor. She would come into the bathroom a few minutes after me and we would stand next to each other in silence, our electric toothbrushes whirring. This continued for a few nights, and each night, whoever was the first to leave the bathroom would say, “Goodnight.” That was all it took for us to recognize each other when we were placed in the same class and start texting and hanging out. Our meet-cute friendship boils down to saying goodnight to each other in the bathroom. I went from having one friend to two. That is how it begins to get better.

Putting yourself out into the world in the smallest of ways

can lead to huge changes in your life. In order to feel less lonely, I had to learn to feel comfortable doing things alone. I know this logic sounds contradictory, but embracing your independence can open you up to more opportunities to meet new people. I decided to go to my first school club meeting by myself — The Fordham Ram. Does this count as breaking the fourth wall?

I got to pitch my own article ideas and brainstorm with other student writers. I was writing again and seeing my name published in a real newspaper.

It was thrilling and rewarding and it made me excited about school. I respected my column editors, one of whom I would become co-editors and best friends with a year later. I got to work alongside one of my favorite people every week producing a paper we were both so proud of.

The end of freshman year creeped up. My roommate and I were basically attached at the hip, but she was transferring schools. Instead of waiting for a random roommate selection, I reached out to girls in my dorm building. One girl mentioned a friend who was also struggling to find a roommate. Without ever meeting this friend, I agreed to room with her.

Somehow, I got lucky enough

to share a room with a new best friend for the second year in a row. We managed to make our own fun during a time of Zoom classes and GrubHub. She asked to show one of her friends our room, and I said yes. The next day, I saw that same girl in one of my classes. We sat next to each other.

In these small, simple ways, the list of friends and the collection of good memories I had at Fordham grew. Now, I can not wait for my last year at Fordham. The weekends do not seem long enough. Now, I think of study sessions in the cafeteria and scenic late-night walks in the snow with friends to Urban. I take the time to really look around campus after classes, because I know one day soon I will miss the beauty I am surrounded with, the changing leaves and gothic buildings.

When I walk past Martyrs’ Court, I still remember those days of feeling alone. I remember those phone calls to my mom.

But mostly, I think about how Martyrs’ Court gave me some of the best people in my life.

You do not have to force yourself to go to every party or join every club. The smallest acts of bravery can have the most meaningful rewards. Sometimes, all it takes is saying goodnight in the bathroom.

Don’t Discount the Writing Center

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

I don’t want to write this article. I would be more than happy to gatekeep the many virtues of the Fordham Writing Center.

But as a Fordham student with a couple years' experience under her belt, I feel obligated to share some of the knowledge I’ve gleaned over the past two years with my fellow Rams.

Within the first few weeks of your Composition I or Composition II class, your professor may bring in one of the tutors from the Writing Center.

They’ll give you a sales pitch as to why you should book an appointment with them when you have an essay due that’s worth 30% of your grade. Even though your brain will feel bogged down by all the different “absolutely essential” things you must do in your freshman year, I urge you to pay attention to that sales pitch.

I was skeptical during the sales pitch in my own class. My prior experience with the writing center at my high school was less than helpful. The center was just a cramped room off of the library, and our “tutor” was an English teacher who hated me. I’m convinced that she purposely didn’t correct any of my grammar mistakes. So, I really

thought that Fordham’s would be just another waste of time.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. During my first halfhour appointment, a kind and patient tutor provided thoughtful feedback and critiqued my writing, and then I knew that this was a resource I couldn’t ignore.

Over the past two years, I have brought every single one of my essays to the Writing Center. Actually, “essays” is pushing it — sometimes I’ve brought scraps of ideas along with my prompt and a tutor helped me craft my muddled thoughts into a thesis and an outline. I truly cannot express how much I appreciate the people in the Writing Center (maybe I should have booked an appointment with them, they would have helped me find the words).

Booking an appointment with the Writing Center might seem like a complicated process, but I assure you that it’s not. Press “schedule an appointment” under the Writing Center’s website, log in to the portal with your Fordham ID and select a time with a tutor.

You can book a 30- to 90-minute long time slot, and the center is located on the first floor of Walsh Library. If you want to ensure an even more beneficial experience, research the different tutors. For example, if you

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Writing Center is located in Walsh Library on Fordham's Rose Hill Campus. have a philosophy essay due, book an appointment with one of the team members who has a background in philosophy because they might be able to provide you with more specific advice.

I also encourage you to book your appointments as far in advance as possible, especially during midterms and finals when most people will be need-

ing help with their essays. Similarly, to help me stay on schedule with all of my due dates, I schedule a Writing Center appointment the day before my essay due date. This helps to motivate me and ensure that I’m not word vomiting the night before it’s due, praying I hit the word count.

Every tutor I have worked with has been so thoughtful

and patient, and they have not only helped me improve my skills, but they have also helped me become a more confident writer. If you want to advance your writing to the college level and earn those good grades, then spending some time in the Writing Center is absolutely worth it. I promise you.

Maybe I’ll see you there this semester.

OPINION

August 29, 2022

Page 5

The Importance of Clubs at Fordham

By NICOLE BRAUN OPINION EDITOR

I can’t overstate the importance of joining clubs in your first year of college. There are as many reasons why you should join a club as there are clubs at Fordham, so, about 130 (give or take) just at Rose Hill alone. Joining a club will not only give you insight into choosing your major or help you pursue your interests, but becoming a member of an on-campus organization will also help you build relationships with other students and immerse yourself in the Fordham community.

These past few years have been defined by so much disconnection, so forming bonds with other students is more important than ever.

Outlined below are descriptions of just a few of Fordham’s many clubs. Whether you choose to join a popular and prominent club like United Student Government (USG), or a lesser-known and newer one like Fordham Magic Society, doing so will help you become more engaged with your new community, and, cheesy as it is, help you “find yourself.”

Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM) is one of the most popular clubs on campus — and for good reason. FDM is a multi-tiered and almost businesslike club whose objective is to raise money to fight and raise awareness about pediatric cancer and help those who have been impacted by it. This organization is a year-long

fundraising effort that culminates in (you guessed it) a dance marathon in the spring. In the past few years, FDM has raised over half a million dollars. There are many ways you can get involved with FDM: fundraising, marketing, publishing and social media. You can even work on planning fun events for children fighting pediatric cancer, who are known as the club’s “heroes.” Joining FDM is an opportunity to explore your own interests while working in service of a worthy cause.

Leading Women of Tomorrow and Smart Women Securities are two clubs with the purpose of getting women involved with traditionally male-dominated industries: politics and finance, respectively.

Through discussions, education and conversations with professionals in their fields, these two clubs are focused on developing a community of like-minded, passionate women. Creating such a community does not only improve one’s experience on campus, but it also gives students a network of peers and mentors once they graduate.

Fordham is certainly not lacking in clubs that publish students’ original writing, whether it be creative writing or research-based. One of these clubs is The Ampersand. Publishing a magazine in the fall and spring semester, The Ampersand is an outlet devoted to highlighting the creative work of the student body, such as poems and short stories. Weekly meetings, held in the

basement of Rodrigue’s Coffee House (a building that itself stands as a testament to the creativity and self-expression of Fordham students), often consist of workshopping and conscientiously critiquing existing work, as well as prompting new writing. The vibe at these meetings is both relaxed and engaging, and writers of all levels are welcome — as long as they are open to expanding their abilities.

I would be remiss (and perhaps fired?) if I didn’t mention The Fordham Ram, which is our university’s oldest journal of record. The staff of the Ram is a diverse and driven campus community that strives to deliver the very best for Fordham’s students and faculty, as well as the general public. Our weekly newspaper is the product of hours of peer editing and near-constant reviewing.

It is truly something we are proud of, and we hope to create something that will stand the test of time, or at least remain in the filing cabinets for future Fordham students to explore. If you are interested in a collaborative and determined community, the Ram would be glad to have you. You can write, copy edit, take photos or contribute to our social media or website pages. Just email theram@fordham.edu if you’re interested in joining.

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FDM fundraises for cancer research during the year through events.

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USG gives students opportunities to run for office or join committees.

Be Open to New College Experiences

By DANIELLA TERILLI

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

For many students, entering college is like a clean slate.

You’re ready to meet new people, live independently for the first time and go through the ever-so-alluring process of finding yourself. It’s the first day of the rest of your life; now what?

The biggest advice I’d give first-year students is to move through your time at Fordham with an open mind. While being receptive to new experiences will always be important, it’s absolutely critical to do so in your first few months at our beautiful Rose Hill campus. You should be saying yes to everything (within reason, of course).

When you first move into your freshman dorm, you’re on a level playing field with every other person who lives in your building.

No one knows anyone, and no one knows what they’re doing. You’ll likely have spoken to some other students before your arrival — through group chats and social media platforms — which provides a good buffer so that you don’t feel entirely lost during your first few days. You might even know

your roommate by this point.

However, the adage “your first college friends won’t necessarily be your forever friends” exists for a reason. It isn't impossible to maintain these early relationships, but it is common to grow apart and meet different people with whom you may find a better fit as time goes on. By saying yes, you increase your chances of finding potentially life-long friends.

Take it from me. During my freshman year, I lived in Loschert (shoutout room 304) and mostly spent time with my roommate and other girls who lived in the building at the beginning of the year. I became especially close with one friend in particular, Brennan, who lived directly across the hall from me. She hung out with a different pair of roommates on our floor who I’d only met a handful of times.

On Halloween, something went awry with my main friend group’s reservation to Clinton Hall (this was in 2020, as the pandemic left many spots closed or at limited capacity). Brennan then invited me to come along with her and her friends. I agreed to go and had one of the most fun and memorable nights of my

first year.

Additionally, I truly bonded and clicked with Brennan’s other friends; two years later, they all are like sisters to me, and I couldn’t be more thankful that I went with them that night.

This isn’t to discount the great times I had with my first friends at college; I still love those people and cherish the memories. But by saying yes to a random invitation, I met my family away from home in those girls.

Of course, saying yes can extend to more than just making friends. Now is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone. Accept an invitation to tag along with someone to Ram Fit; maybe you’ll discover that you love working out. Put your name down on contact sheets at the club fair when the person at the table encourages you to — maybe a meeting will pique your interest, and you’ll find a new hobby. When professors talk about office hours, take them up on it; maybe you’ll develop a networking connection that will help you in the future.

Don’t be afraid to take chances. Say yes to yourself,

as well as others. If you see an internship on LinkedIn that intrigues you, submit an application. If you know you have a talent, use it whenever possible. Join an intramural sport or start writing articles for the Ram. Whatever it may be, as long as it’s in the spirit of safety and common sense, do it.

You’re out on your own for the first time, and now you have a prime opportunity to push boundaries and go outside of your comfort zone. If

you decide something isn’t for you, that’s more than okay.

But at least you’ll know that you gave it a fair shot. You probably won’t regret taking risks in hindsight. But if you don’t branch out, there’s a good chance you will regret never trying. So go out and expand your horizons. Walk to Starbucks with someone on your floor, explore Arthur Avenue and take up an activity you’ve never done before.

Just say yes!

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Saying yes to new experiences is a unique opportunity that college offers.

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Aug. 29, 2022

Advice to Incoming Freshmen From The Fordham Ram Staff Ava Erickson: Many Fordham students discount the cafeteria, but it was such a central part of my freshman year. It is a hub of campus life — the perfect place to people-watch, work on homework or meet up with friends, all while snacking on a delicious bowl of cereal. Since moving off campus my sophomore year I have really missed receiving that “caf at 6?” text in the group chat. So don’t miss out, the caf has the power to become the heart of your social life and the site of your best memories.

Hanif Amanullah: There’s often a pressure on freshman to pack absolutely everything into their schedules — meetings, outings, dinners and classes.

Don’t forget that downtime is just as important for your wellbeing. For the average college student who is racing between boroughs and school buildings every week, a quiet night in is an essential mental health break.

Michael Sluck: Make sure you explore New York City!

No matter what you’re into, there’s something here for everyone. Parks, museums, stores, concerts, shows, movies — all just a subway ride away. Your college education takes place in all of New York, not just Fordham’s campus.

Sebastian Diaz: Don’t feel pressured to know what you want out of your post-college life when you’re still only entering this stage of life. As a

freshman, I found myself continuously trying to find the most efficient way to enter a career path only to end up changing my mind multiple times. The first couple years of college are designed to give you time to figure your own life out. While you might feel pressure from other students who have their passions predetermined, remember that it’s okay to take the time to work on yourself.

Pia Fischetti: Stay organized any way you can. College can be a startling transition as you realize that with more freedom comes more responsibility. It can be hard maintaining a healthy balance between academics and a social life. Whether it’s writing in a planner or setting daily reminders, organization can help with time management and productivity.

Amanda Yarolin: Don’t let your grades define you as a person. As important as a good GPA might be, it does not dictate the kind of person you are, nor your talents and abilities. Simply trying your best goes a long way; cherish this time for establishing the best parts of yourself and continuing to grow.

Hannah Boring: I’ve struggled with codependency my whole life, but over the course of my freshman year, I learned to enjoy being by myself. Go into the city, read on Eddie’s or sit at a coffee shop — there are so many options. Of course, make friends and cherish your time with them,

but don’t forget to treasure the lonely days too.

Isabel Danzis: When I was a freshman, I felt like everyone else had a better handle on things. I felt like everyone else had more friends, felt more at home, was getting better grades and had more of an idea about what they wanted to do with their lives, and that perception was utterly false. Everyone is at the same place. Some people are better at faking it or making it seem like they have everything better than others. So with that, be outgoing! Everyone wants new friends, everyone wants someone to walk to class with or go to the caf with. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

Sam Minear: Freshman year was a rough one for me. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and moving to a new state by myself, I felt incredibly isolated and lonely in contrast to my peers, who I perceived as much more socially and academically fulfilled. I performed poorly in my classes –– to my standards –– and made little friends. That being said, I wouldn’t change a thing because I learned so much about myself and others. My piece of advice would be to take risks and leave your comfort zone: you’ll only be 18 once, so make the most of it!

Emma Kim: There are so many new people and things freshman year. With all the change, it is important to go outside of your comfort zone and get involved.

It is a lot easier to meet new people if you reach out to them instead of waiting for them to reach out. Also, since there are so many things to do in the city, it is a great opportunity to invite people out to explore.

Taylor Herzlich: If you are ever going through a rough patch and feeling mad at the world, think of your middle school self.

Think of how proud that little version of you would be to see yourself all grown up at college, living on your own and pursuing something important, challenging or just something you love.

A little perspective can help you feel more grateful for “the college experience.”

Nicole Braun: Don’t take things too seriously. Yes, it’s important to try and succeed academically, but don’t lose perspective of who you are and what is important. If things start to feel too big and scary, take a breath. Find the little things, the little moments, that remind you of who you are.

Daniella Terilli: Remember that every other new student is experiencing the same feelings you are. It’s completely normal to stress about doing well in your new courses, worry about making friends you really connect with or even get lost finding a classroom. You’re not alone, and you all will feel settled before you know it.

Kari White: Take care of yourself. An underrated lesson I learned my freshman year was

to eat regularly, eat properly, drink plenty of water and exercise. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of classes, clubs and social outings, but you will not be your best self mentally if you do not take care of yourself physically.

Nick Guzman: It might sound obvious, but talk to people! Talk to the person sitting next to you in class or the person relaxing in the lounge. Every freshman is eager to make friends, even if they don’t outwardly show it. Speaking up and making the first move can lead to lasting friendships.

Maddie Bimonte: Don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to your professors during office hours. Especially if you don’t understand something in class, office hours are a great place to get clarification or extra help.

It can seem very intimidating to approach a professor in their office, but all of the professors at Fordham want to see every student succeed.

Ava Carreiro: Don’t be afraid to get involved. One of the best ways to put yourself out there and meet new people is by joining a club. I highly recommend attending Fordham’s club fair which is held every semester (this year it is on Aug. 31 at 2 p.m.). Plus, everyone leaves with free t-shirts, pop sockets, candy, etc. It’s a win-win! You can also join clubs via communities.fordham.edu/s/ if you happen to miss the club fair.

Aug. 29, 2022

ORIENTATION

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Summertime at Fordham

COURTESY OF HANIF AMANULLAH / THE FORDHAM RAM

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

COURTESY OF HANIF AMANULLAH / THE FORDHAM RAM

COURTESY OF HANIF AMANULLAH / THE FORDHAM RAM

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

COURTESY OF HANIF AMANULLAH / THE FORDHAM RAM

CULTURE

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The Best of the Bronx: Where to Eat around Arthur Avenue

By AVA CARREIRO DIGITAL PRODUCER

One of Fordham University’s best qualities is being located just steps outside of Arthur Avenue, known for the fine dining that makes up the original Little Italy. You simply can’t beat the incredible Italian food options right off campus. As a self-proclaimed Bronx foodie, I’d like to outline a comprehensive guide of the best places to eat while at Fordham.

The most popular restaurant in the Bronx is Enzo’s. A fan-favorite of the Fordham student body, this five-star Italian restaurant is always in high demand. If you’re looking to dine at Enzo’s for Family Weekend, make sure to book your reservation a month in advance.

I personally recommend their gnocchi pesto, it’s what brings everyone there.

If a Fordham student’s favorite Bronx restaurant isn’t Enzo’s, it’s probably MichaelAngelos. Its location can’t be beat, as it’s the closest restaurant to campus. In my opinion, it has the best fettuccine alfredo in the entirety of Bronx Little Italy.

MichaelAngelo’s is also where most (if not all) of the formals are held by student clubs at Fordham.

Although most Fordham students argue between Enzo’s and MichaelAngelo’s, my favorite Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue is Mario’s. The atmosphere at Mario’s is unmatched — the room is always filled with people laughing and singing along to the musician who regularly plays there. Some of my fond-

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI / THE FORDHAM RAM

The recently renovated Ram’s Deli & Pizza.

est memories have been made at Mario’s, singing “Vienna”

by Billy Joel with my family as we ate the most delicious penne vodka. As someone who judges the quality of an Italian restaurant by the taste of their bread, Mario’s gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.

If Italian food isn’t for you, don’t worry — just head over to Estrellita Poblana III. The Mexican restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dining as well as delivery. Commonly known by students as just “Estrellita’s,” The Daily News even named their taco as the best taco in New York City.

The Bronx has so much to offer outside of just its restaurants. Casa Della Mozzarella is right off of Arthur Avenue and has the best burrata I’ve ever tasted. The interior of this deli is always decorated beautifully for the holidays — my favorite decor of theirs is on Valentine’s Day. They serve incredible sandwiches with some interesting names. My favorite sandwich is the Bachacaloop, which is made of sopressata, speck, mozzarella, peppers and balsamic.

The best place to go for meat in the Bronx is Teitel Brothers, a third-generation family business with the tastiest prosciutto. The small store is filled to the ceiling with all kinds of oil, bread, pasta and meats. The atmosphere is always lively, with

staff and customers laughing and exchanging stories.

As you’ll soon find out, there’s a bit of a rivalry between two 24-hour delis on Fordham Road. In my experience, Fordham students have strong loyalties to either Best Deli or Ram’s Deli. Each store has unique menus and items to offer, so it really comes down to what you’re looking for.

Best has college essentials such as ramen, milk, mac and cheese and paper plates. Their sandwiches are to die for, and you haven’t truly lived until you’ve tried their Vanessa wrap.

It’s basically heaven inside a tortilla — it’s filled with hashbrowns, melted cheese, avocado, eggs and chipotle aioli.

Although I prefer to go to Best, Ram’s has a more convenient location (closer to Arthur Avenue)

and has a wider menu selection, including chicken wings, pizza and practically anything else you could think of.

Finally, if you’re looking for a slice of New York pizza, going to Pugsley’s Pizza is a no-brainer. Located just steps outside of Fordham’s campus (right across from Walsh Hall), there’s no excuse not to grab a slice. Their penne pizza is a fan-favorite, but their classics like plain and pepperoni are also guaranteed to taste amazing. The slices are huge, hot and dripping with cheese. Pugsley’s is often open until 3 a.m., and the line is out the door on a Saturday night.

Now that you’ve read this comprehensive guide on the best places to eat in the Bronx, what are you waiting for? Get out there and eat!

COURTESY OF PIA FISCHETTI / THE FORDHAM RAM

Best Deli is a Fordham Universtity classic.

The Different Ways Fordham Takes to the Stage

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

Little brings more life to Fordham’s campus than the ringing of student voices through Keating Hall, the spinning of dancers on Keating steps and the lines extending all the way past Collins Auditorium’s doors when the Mimes & Mummers premiere their new show. Whether it’s an a cappella concert, a dance recital or a musical, it seems like there’s always something going on at Rose Hill. With a multitude of different performance groups, there are plenty of opportunities for students to perform or attend an event where they can witness stunning talent.

Almost nothing is more quintessential college than collegiate a cappella, made famous by the movie, “Pitch Perfect”, and the group, Pentatonix. Rose Hill has four student-run a cappella groups, each with their own unique personality: the Ramblers, the Satin Dolls, the b-Sides and the Hot Notes. Each group rehearses at least once a week for hours. This hard work pays off, however, when they take to the stage to perform their own versions of beloved songs at school events, their concerts and even some off campus venues. Last year, the Satin Dolls, Fordham’s

all-female group, opened for the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Also last fall, both the Satin Dolls and the Ramblers released studio albums that they professionally recorded. Their talent is impressive, and their dedication evident.

If you’re interested in joining an a cappella group, they hold auditions at the beginning of the year.

Each group is on Instagram and posts updates about upcoming events. Even if you’re not interested in auditioning, the concerts are some of the most exciting, free events that we have on Rose Hill’s campus. Every semester, the four groups come together for a teaser concert before hosting their own at the end of the semester. Both the teasers and the full concerts are tremendous fun, full of silly skits and amazing music.

Fordham has two different theater groups, which show the range of what theater can be. The Mimes & Mummers, which have been Rose Hill’s Mainstage Theater Group since 1857, perform both musicals and plays on the main stage of Collins Auditorium. Each semester, the theater group will perform one musical and one play. This upcoming semester, they’ll be putting on Greg Kotis’ “Urinetown: The Musical” and Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” While most of the

creative team and all of the actors are Fordham students, the Mimes & Mummers often work with professional directors, adding an additional gloss of professionalism to their shows.

An added plus of the Mimes & Mummers is that their first performance of every show is completely free for students, so if you’re interested in expanding your theatrical knowledge, their free performances are a fantastic opportunity. You can find information for their upcoming auditions, interest meetings and performances on posters tacked to blackboards all around campus, with more specific information on their Instagram page.

Rather than performing well-established plays, Fordham Experimental Theater (FET) specializes in staging plays written and directed by students. Their home stage is in the Blackbox Theater, which is on the main level of Collins Auditorium. Every semester they hold a Playwright’s festival, where the FET chooses three to four short, student-written plays to run as part of their program. Along with the festival, they will show longer plays and hold various other events meant to provide space for Fordham’s creatives. In the spring semester of 2022, they performed Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline,” which

was adapted for the stage by a Fordham student, Katie Landoni. Landoni, working with Gil Roberts, also directed the play, proving FET’s strength of having students at every creative avenue for their shows.

Lastly, Rose Hill has a collection of dance teams that, like the a cappella groups, perform at school events and their own recitals. The first team is the Fordham University Dance Team, which performs alongside the cheerleaders at football and basketball games throughout their respective seasons. They work intimately alongside the athletics department, training during preseason and traveling with the basketball team when they go away for tournaments. During the 2022 season, they traveled with them to Washington D.C. for the A-10 championship.

Two other dance groups are markedly different, in that they do not work with the sports teams but do make appearances at many school events.

Fordham Flava is the only hiphop dance crew at Fordham.

Like the other performance groups, they have a showcase at the end of every semester.

Yet, they also hold regular cafeteria performances, where they tease their showcase dances in the oh-so-glamorous

setting of the cafeteria. Their performances are a lot of fun, and a definite must-see. They also perform at the Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM), donating their talent to help raise money for the B+ organization. Sláinte is the only Irish Dance Company at Fordham.

As well as bringing their talent to Fordham by performing at Irish Night and a collection of other events, including FDM, they compete in collegiate championships. In November of 2021, they won a series of high placements at the Villanova Collegiate Championships. In May, they also won first place for their CIDA Virtual Competition dance.

Fordham has a plethora of student organizations like the few listed here, where students can access their creative sides by joining or simply attending their performances. For those interested in any of these organizations, head over to Instagram to find out more information about interest meetings, auditions or performances.

And don’t miss the Club Fair on Edward’s Parade on Aug. 31 from 2-4 p.m., where all of these organizations — plus many more! — will be explaining who they are, what they do, and how you can join.

CULTURE

Aug. 29, 2022

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Make NYC Your Campus With This Back to School Bucket List

By ILAINA KIM ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Both freshman year and New York City are daunting, but there are ways to enjoy your first year at Fordham in affordable and accessible ways. With free admission to certain museums and galleries, outdoor concerts, annual events, public parks and libraries, make New York City your campus with these back-to-school bucket list activities.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts In celebration of its 50th anniversary, The South Wing Atrium Renovation project represents the past and looks forward to the future in envisioning a “21st century, community-based, globe-spanning museum.” Committing themselves to this ideal, admission to The Bronx Museum of the Arts is free — and only a short subway ride away.

The New York Botanical Garden When the bustle of the city begins to exhaust your senses, find refuge in the New York Botanical Garden. With free grounds admission for Fordham students and NYC residents, the Gardens offer beautiful seasonal foliage and engaging events such as Climate Week (Sept. 19-25) and Farmers Markets (Wednesdays July 1-Oct. 26). Stop and smell one of the 650 varieties of roses at the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, find serenity in the nestled oasis that is the Rock Garden and don’t forget to buy some plants for your dorm at the gift shop on your way out.

Frick Madison Museum Boasting masterpieces from the Renaissance and European fine and decorative arts, The Frick Collection is best known for intimate viewing experiences at its temporary location on Madison

Avenue. Admission is pay what you wish on Thursdays from 4-6 p.m., which allows for the perfect opportunity to visit the “Portraits at the Frick” exhibition!

Capital One City Parks Foundation Summer Stage Returning with a full-fledge schedule of shows from June to September, Summerstage celebrates culture and community at Central Park and 12 local community parks throughout the city.

The season showcases established and emerging artists, indie rock, reggae, jazz, Afrobeat, salsa, samba, hip-hop and soul genres. The majority of concerts are free, but a select few charge admission.

Distinctly New York and unabashedly vibrant, SummerStage is one of my favorite seasonal activities.

Seeing Patti Smith and Yo La Tengo are some of my personal highlights.

The New York Public Library When you need a change of pace from the Walsh Family Library, make your selection from the New York Public Library locations in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. The Stephen A. Schwarzman location in Midtown is renowned for its historical collections and grandiose reading room, while the Library for Performing Arts in Lincoln Center specializes in extensive research regarding theater, dance, film and reference materials. Sign up for a free library card, or simply bask in the peace and quiet.

Yankee Stadium If you want to feel like a real New Yorker, Yankee Stadium is a must-see spot for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. You can get tickets for under $15, and hop on a train to get there. The

best part of Yankee Stadium is not only the game itself, but the atmosphere. You can grab some snacks, sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and cross your fingers you might catch a foul ball. Regardless of whether or not you know anything about baseball, going to a Yankee’s game is an experience that true resident of New York should miss.

The first year of college is imbued with change and growth, and with New York City as the backdrop these challenges may feel even more overwhelming.

However, the seemingly insurmountable city is manageable when taken day by day, similar to the stresses of freshman year.

These are rudimentary boxes to tick off in your exploration of New York, and as the semester progresses you will develop your own list of activities to recommend.

A Helpful Guide to the Various Types of Transportation in New York City

By KARI WHITE CULTURE EDITOR

One of the perks of going to college at Fordham University is the proximity to all of the museums, markets and parks that each of NYC’s five boroughs have to offer. Yet, once you find out where you want to spend your first Saturday on campus, you have to figure out how to get there. Whether you are coming from a rural town, the suburbs or another city, the transportation systems of New York City can be extremely overwhelming. Just the subway alone has so many names, numbers and the terrifying “express” service, that it feels like one has to solve the Da Vinci Code in order to visit the Met. In all honesty, it took me a few years to try out most of the methods to get around the city. Hopefully, I can shorten that process for you with a few quick tips.

For the most convenient transportation, use the Ram Van services. These vans shuttle Fordham students back and forth from Rose Hill (the Bronx campus) to Lincoln Center (the Manhattan one). During the school year, the vans run every thirty minutes from 6:15 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Wednesday and from 6:15 a.m. to 3 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday. Check out their website, ramvan.web.fordham.edu/, for more specific information and to reserve your seat on a van. Ram Vans are perfect for traveling to classes, or visiting the city (what many New Yorkers and Fordham students call Manhattan) for fun. Single tickets cost $3.50, but you can purchase a

bundle of 12 for the discounted rate of $35. Fordham also provides students taking classes at Lincoln Center with enough passes to cover their transportation to and from class, free of charge. I’d highly recommend taking the Ram Van, as it is the easiest form of transportation from the Bronx to Manhattan.

Fordham Rose Hill also has a few shuttle services that run at night, escorting students from the nearby subway stations to campus and from campus to their off-campus apartments.

These shuttles are completely free, so keep an eye out for them if you ever find yourself traveling late at night.

Learn the subway’s lingo. The subway is the circulatory system of the city, pumping people from place to place as the heart pumps blood through the body.

Understanding how to navigate it is an essential step in order to travel, but it can be really confusing for those not used to it.

At all subway stations, too, the signs will say in what direction the trains are running by naming the start and end of the train’s route. If you familiarize yourself with the major areas of the city, you’ll have no trouble.

At Fordham, the nearest subway stations are the D train and the 4 train. Both run north to south (referred to as uptown and downtown on subway maps and signs), but they go down different sides of Manhattan. The D runs down the west side, while the 4 runs parallel on the east side. To get to these stations, you can walk or take the Bx12 bus to the stations a few blocks up Fordham Road. At night, a Fordham shuttle will be at either station to escort students safely back to campus.

The subway is the cheapest and often fastest way to get around the city, so learning your local stations, and which trains will take you where, is really important. Not to mention, you’ll feel like a real New Yorker the first time someone asks you which train they should take. (Even if you have no idea.)

Ride the MetroNorth, a commuter rail. The MetroNorth is an easy and fast way to travel to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown or north for a break from the city, especially with the Fordham station located directly outside of campus. During peak hours, tickets between Fordham and Grand Central Terminal can be a bit pricey, but during offpeak hours you can purchase a city ticket –– which only applies to rides within city limits––for $5. Traveling north into Westchester costs only $3. For Saturday thrifting, Sunday brunch or whatever else you might have planned for the weekend, this can often be a really good deal.

Do not discount the bus. The bus is a great option for traveling to either the 4 or D Train subway stops, as well as north Manhattan. It takes about twenty minutes to reach Inwood, the northernmost Manhattan neighborhood. There you can visit Inwood Hill Park, the Met Cloisters and eat at a lot of great restaurants. Riding the bus can also take you to some of the nearby parks, including Van Cortlandt Park and Pelham Bay Park. The latter has a beach, which, during the remaining days of the summer, is definitely nice to have nearby.

In the Bronx, the subway system is not as dense as it is in Manhattan. The buses cover a lot of ground that the

subways simply do not reach, allowing those who take them to explore much more of the borough we are lucky enough to call home.

Learning how to use the different modes of transportation is essential for exploring

New York City in a safe and cost-effective way. Do not be afraid to branch out and visit somewhere new. We are lucky to find our campus in one of the most interesting cities in the world, it would be a shame to waste it.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

The New York Subway system is far reaching and easy to use –– once you learn how to navigate it.

SPORTS

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Fordham Golf Looks to Improve on 2021-22 Campaign

By WILL TALLANT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After a ninth place finish out of 11 schools in the Atlantic 10 Championship this past spring, the Fordham golf team is looking to take a step forward in conference play. Despite an underwhelming finish to last season, there were many positives that will carry over into 2022-23. First, the youth and performance of this team last year is an encouraging sign of a step in the right direction. Fordham Golf had only one senior, Ryan Davis, on their roster last season with four of six returning golfers being juniors Andres Aivazoglou, John Kryscio, Nicholas Manning and P.J. O’Rourke. Three of these four current seniors had a best round of par or better during some point last season with the exception of Manning whose best round was a 73 in the MacDonald Cup. Kryscio’s best round was an even 72, which he did twice at the Ryan Lee Memorial. Aivazoglou shot a 70 in his first round of the MacDonald Cup the weekend of Sept. 25-26. Possibly the best golfer on the team, O’Rourke was the only Fordham golfer to break 70 when he shot a 68 at the Bull’s Bridge Golf Club in the Hartford Invite. O’Rourke also led the Fordham Golf roster in par or better finishes with four rounds in which he shot 72 or lower. O’Rourke is the clear leader of this team as he led Fordham Golf in strokes per round average with a 74.5, but the now senior has a solid supporting cast of returning sophomores and

SPORTS EDITOR

Intramural sports at Fordham are a great way to get involved in the campus community. They are organized, low-commitment athletic activities that allow students to participate in sporting competition regardless of their ability.

Intramurals are sports organized and competed only within the student body, meaning they provide students with an opportunity to play their favorite sports without anywhere near the same commitment as a club sport or a varsity sport, which often requires travel and extensive practices.

Fordham offers a total of five different intramural sports: Flag football, outdoor soccer, kickball, basketball and volleyball. At this time, registration is open for every sport. Registration for flag football and outdoor soccer closes on Sept.

19, while registration for kickball

Fordham Volleyball Looks to “Finish What They Started”

By MILES GROSSMAN STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

O’Rourke will look to lead the Rams to a successful 2022-23 campaign. juniors going into the 2022-23 season.

This supporting cast includes two sophomores, Jake Mrva and Garrett Brown, who appeared in two outings respectively during the 2021-22 season. Mrva, a Massachusetts native, first played in the Lehigh Invitational where he shot his season best 77 in the second round of the outing.

The sophomore also appeared in the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship in early November at Montclair Golf Club. The other returning sophomore is Garrett Brown out of West Hartford, Connecticut. Brown competed in the Hartford Invite and the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship during his freshman campaign. Brown’s best round was the very first collegiate round he teed off in during the

Hartford Invite where he shot a 78. Both Mrva and Brown had less than 300 strokes in their freshman season, but you expect those numbers to increase this campaign. With more strokes comes more room for improvement.

The keys for Fordham Golf this upcoming season will be getting sophomores Mrva and Brown more strokes and overall consistency from the four returning seniors Aivazoglou, Kryscio, Manning and O’Rourke. With Mrva and Brown taking a step forward on this team and the seniors posting similar or even better rounds as last year, Fordham Golf will see great progression from the 2021-22 season. The 2022-23 schedule has not been released as of right now but should be on the way in the coming days.

A Guide to Intramural Sports at Fordham

By NICK GUZMAN

August 29, 2022

closes on Sept. 26. Later in the fall, registration for basketball and volleyball wraps up on Oct. 11. There is no limit on how many sports you can participate in.

Registration for Fordham intramurals is done through the website IMLeagues. Use your Fordham email to create an account. Once you register, you can join your desired sport in a few different ways. If you already have a group of friends that you want to make a team with, you can create your own team and use the “invite members” link on your team’s home page to invite them. If you don’t have a team but still want to play, don’t worry. You can list yourself as a free agent, making yourself available to team captains who are looking to pick up players.

Intramural sports can be as serious as you want them to be. For all sports except kickball, Fordham offers both recreational and

competitive leagues. Recreational leagues are great for students looking for a fun experience without a ton of emphasis placed on results, while competitive leagues provide a bit more of a challenging atmosphere.

With Fordham intramurals, teams can set their preferred game times in IMLeagues.

Schedules are published weekly on Fridays for the upcoming week. Games are played on the Rose Hill campus. Flag football is held on Jack Coffey Field, basketball and volleyball take place in the Lombardi Field House and outdoor soccer happens on Murphy Field.

Regardless of how good you are at sports, there is a place for everyone in Fordham intramurals. They serve as an excellent opportunity to stretch out the competitive part of your brain and to meet new people.

Senior Mallory Lipski and the Fordham volleyball team are in the same boat as many Division I mid-major athletic programs: win the conference tournament and secure the all-important guaranteed NCAA tournament bid or fall short of the annual dream.

The Rams have been steadily improving over recent years, enough to earn head coach Ian Choi an offseason contract extension that will keep him at the program’s helm through the 2025-26 season.

Three years ago, Fordham Volleyball missed the Atlantic 10 tournament entirely, two years ago they qualified for the conference tournament but lost in the first round to Dayton and last year after battling to secure a spot in the tournament, Fordham fought all the way to the conference title match, playing for an NCAA tournament bid. After quite a successful year, Lipski sees this season’s goal as continuing that consistent improvement. “That’s certainly the expectation for this year, to obviously finish what we started at the A-10 championship so we get an automatic bid.”

Last year’s group was an explosive, athletic and passionate bunch.

According to Lipski, the product Fordham put out on the court last fall was far from their ceiling.“I just think it keeps going up, the talent, you know, the attitude … I think we’re setting the standard in the gym and, you know, each year that I’ve been here has just been a higher climb.”

According to Lipski, the crystal clear focus of this formidable Ram squad stems directly from the influence of coach Choi. “He’s very analytical, you can always tell that the wheels are turning and he doesn’t show too much emotion, but I really take to heart what he says and what he tells me and we have developed a big [sense of]

trust so I really believe in what he’s trying to preach to us, and I try to take it out with me on the court,” said Liskpi.

One cannot emphasize enough just how much the Rams’ continued improvement has been engineered

by Choi, the cerebral mastermind behind the complete 180 of the volleyball program. Choi played college ball at the University of Texas before launching his collegiate coaching career as a Longhorn as well. After assisting head coach Jerrit Elliot en route to a Big 12 title and national runner-up finish, Choi departed Texas, but opted to stay in the Big 12 at the rival University of Kansas.

Still in an assistant role, he helped lead Kansas to an NCAA tournament bid before heading west.

Following these two subordinate stints in the Big 12, Choi opted to continue his education at San Jose State University while taking on an assistant coaching role for the volleyball team and overseeing their recruiting operation. Two years later, with a Master’s degree in hand, Choi was searching for a new challenge in collegiate volleyball. His journey brought him to the Bronx, and the rest is history. There is truly nothing like job security in Division I athletics, and after years of grinding across the country in transitional assistant roles, Choi has certainly earned his spot in the head coaches’ fraternity. Now that Choi is entering his fifth year with the Rams, every player on the roster is someone he personally recruited.

Between the secure leadership atop the program and a loaded senior class, Fordham is primed to make a dent in the A-10 in a way they never have before.

Their season got underway on Aug. 27 with a 3-2 victory over the Bobcats of Quinnipiac. On Aug. 28, the Rams lost 3-2 against Stony Brook. The Rams will play again on Aug. 31 against St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Lipski prepares to return the opposition’s serve during last year’s Rose Hill Classic.

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports COURTESY OF AMANDA YAROLIN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Several members of the Ram staff created an intramural volleyball team last year.

SPORTS

August 29, 2022

Women’s Soccer Preview

Women’s Tennis Seeks Continued Success in 2022

By BRETT TULIP

By MICHAEL HERNANDEZ SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

With a new school year beginning, the season is already in full swing for the Fordham’s women’s soccer team. After a poor season last year which saw them go 4-12-2 overall and miss out on the Atlantic 10 tournament with a conference record of 2-7-1, they have changed their head coach, bringing in Magnus Nilerud to become the fourth in the program’s history. Nilerud is coming off a successful 23-year spell at the University of Bridgeport with an overall record of 295-126-27 record. In addition to that, he led the team to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning three NCAA regionals and winning the NCAA Division II National Championship back in 2018.

When asked about what the expectations are for this season, Nilerud said that “the goals started back in the spring [of 2022] with trying to change the culture in the camp and the program as a whole.” Nilerud also said that one goal for the season “is to qualify for the A-10 playoffs and once we’re in the playoffs we will take each game at a time.”

When asked how he could bring his previous successes to Fordham, Nilerud noted, “it wasn’t done overnight. It was a lot of hard work going through small changes year after year until eventually, the culture of the program was so hard to break that it became natural to anyone

that walked through the doors.

You had no choice as a studentathlete to be a winner on and off the field, it was just how the DNA ran through the program.”

Nilerud acknowledged that it will take time to shape the Rams but has praised his team stating that “the new incoming studentathletes have responded tremendously to what we have been doing in preseason and at the start of the season.”

In order to change the mentality of the program, you also need to have leaders on the pitch as well. The two team captains are senior Kristen Cocozza and junior Cambrie Arboreen. Nilerud praised Cocozza for her experience both on and off the field and called her “a natural choice to lead the program into its new chapter.”

He also praised Arboreen, stating that she “is a natural leader and everything you want as an ambassador of the program.”

With three games already played, the Rams have won one and lost two. Despite the slow start, Nilerud said that there were positives to be taken away.

He praised his team, stating that the team “is a fantastic group of women far beyond the soccer field.” He also praised their work ethic, willingness to train and, most importantly, their core values.

The Rams’ next game is next Thursday at home against Hofstra University at Jack Coffey Field. The game will be at 7 p.m. and can also be viewed on ESPN+.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Women’s Tennis looks to maintain their success and build on their strong finish to the 2021-22 campaign, as play will begin soon for the 2022-23 season. Following an appearance in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship, head coach Mike Sowter is entering his second year in charge and certainly has high expectations for a very talented group of young women. Last year was a massive accomplishment for the program, as they finished with a 14-5 record while having a dominant 5-1 home record. They also kept momentum throughout the year, stacking their wins with twowin streaks of five and six games.

Although items including schedule and roster are not yet finalized, Fordham is expected to have many returning players, including senior Avery Aude, sophomore Lorraine Bergmann and junior All A-10 Second Team recipient Eleni Fasoula. It

STAFF WRITER

Fordham Water Polo enters 2022 coming off a historic 2021 season. Finishing the year 26-7, the Rams won the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-East (MAWPC) Championship and earned a bid in the NCAA tournament as a 16 seed.

With the majority of their young core still intact, and a couple key additions, Fordham Water Polo is primed for another successful season.

Returning for their sophomore seasons is the dynamic trio of George Papanikolaou, Jacopo Parrella and Lucas Nieto Jasny. The three burst onto the scene last year, making an immediate impact as they shouldered Fordham’s offense.

Papanikolauo led the team with 74 goals and ranked eighth for goals of any Ram in a single season. Nieto Jasny was close behind with 69 goals while Parrella’s 57 goals and a team high 67 assists gave him the team lead in total points with 124.

With all three possessing lethal shots and dynamic playmaking ability, they were the only Fordham players to score over 100 points last year.

The Rams lost three former All-Americans players as Bailey O’Mara, Hans Zdolsek and Dimitris Koukias graduated. O’Mara had been the starting goaltender in some capacity since 2018 and was named First Team MAWPC-East twice. His 351 saves in 2019 are the most by any Fordham goaltender in a single season. Zdolsek was one of the bigger offensive contributors last season, scoring 47 goals and 38 assists. He was named the

MVP of the Mid-Atlantic tournament for his performance in the playoffs. Koukias was a standout in 2019 by scoring 70 goals and played a big role in Fordham’s offense.

Head coach Brian Bacharach believes there are players on the current roster that can fill the roles left by O’Mara, Zdolsek and Koukias, but noted that their impact went beyond their statistical production: “The thing we’re gonna miss the most is that leadership group.” O’Mara and Zdolsek served as the team captains in 2021, and all three were veteran leaders for a very young roster. “I’ve been very up front with our guys that there’s a leadership void that we’re going to have to figure out how to fill.”

This team should certainly have the talent to replace their graduating seniors, thanks in large part to the addition of some exciting transfer students. Two time All-American graduate student Nir Gross joins the squad as a highly touted player from UC Davis. Gross was named the Player of the Year in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Conference and is a gold medalist on the Israeli National Team. Gross plays center forward, and could slot in as Koukias’ replacement.

Sophomore Luca Silvestri also joins the Rams after an impressive freshman season at Westcliff University where he notched 102 goals in just 27 games. “Luca is a very similar type player to Hans,” noted Bacharach, who added that Silvestri’s talent as both a shooter and defender makes him a dual threat.

After welcoming eight freshmen to the roster last year, Fordham adds just two freshmen for the 2022 season in

remains unclear if some of the veterans are returning for this upcoming season, but the loss of last year’s senior Nicole Li could impact how the team plays, as she was a key contributor. Nonetheless, an abundance of talented youth is never bad for a program. Fordham should be poised to make another run in the postseason and build on their school-best #3 seed ranking in the A-10 tournament. Things are trending up for the women’s team, and regardless of an A-10 tournament championship loss, it is certain that they will look to try to replicate performances like they had last year. Notable matches include three that ended in 7-0 routs against St. Francis College, Siena College and New Jersey City University.

Even with an unknown schedule, Fordham will look to show out against multiple A-10 conference competitors. With wins last year in the tournament against George Washington University and Saint Louis University and regular sea-

son wins against Davidson College and the University of Rhode Island, Fordham has proven that they can beat high-level A-10 programs.

However, powerhouse Virginia Commonwealth University has given the Rams trouble this past season and in previous years, as Fordham hasn’t won in over 10 seasons against them.

Coach Sowter has already made his mark on the women’s program as head coach after working at Fordham with the men’s team for several years. He even instituted a new annual awards event for the team, where he honored players by giving out a Spirit Award, a Most Improved Player Award and a Player of the Year Award. These are great ways to acknowledge achievements and motivate teammates to strive for greater future success.

Women’s tennis came a long way last season, and all signs indicate positivity and impressive things to come regarding the program’s future.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Women’s Tennis is ready to begin a new campaign after a successful 2021 season.

Water Polo Primed for Another Strong Season

By LOU ORLANDO

Page 11

Balazs Berenyi and Brendan Cassidy.

Bacharach hailed Berenyi as “the ultimate utility player,” possessing the ability to play any position in the pool.

Cassidy is a strong armed lefty who joins the Rams after scoring 120 goals in just 20 games as a high school senior.

Along with graduate student transfer and fellow lefty Paul Pittion, he will look to improve Fordham’s offensive attack from the left side of the pool.

The presumptive starter at goaltender is sophomore Thomas Lercari. Lercari got valuable playing time last year filling in for O’Mara, who went down with a lower body injury towards the end of the season. He ended up starting in the Mid-Atlantic tournament as well as Fordham’s lone NCAA tournament game. Lercari shined on the big stage, making a game-winning save in overtime to send Fordham to the championship and earning Rookie of the Tournament honors. “You could see him growing into that confidence and into the position,” said Bacharach, who praised Lercari for the way he stepped into the role as a freshman.

Fordham opens its 2022 schedule with the Harvard Invitational on Sept.

3 and the Princeton Invitational on Sept. 10, featuring a rematch against a Princeton team that eliminated them from the NCAA tournament last year.

After such a strong season, all eyes are on Fordham to see if they can replicate it. Coach Bacharach, however, is quick to quell that talk.

“Trying to replicate what we did last year is a bit of a fool’s errand.” Instead, Fordham will look to learn from last year’s success as they aim for another successful season and another potential run at the NCAA tournament.

Fordham Men’s Tennis Preview

By THOMAS AIELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Amidst all the craziness of the fall at Fordham, there is an oasis to watch a sport that is both therapeutic and calm. Fordham Men’s Tennis returns for the 2022-23 season following a losing campaign that culminated with a 6-10 record. The Rams will look to rebound and improve with an older, more experienced team to contend for the Atlantic 10 title.

David Slater will take the reins as the head coach of the men’s tennis team and look to improve upon last season.

Slater comes with a successful track record as a player, helping Marist College win backto-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships in 2002 and 2003. Following his playing days, Slater led a successful career as a tennis professional at multiple clubs in the Metropolitan area.

Slater inherits a group of five returning players: Seniors Toi Kobayashi and Giorgio Soemarno, juniors Rhett Bailey and Nicholas Kanazirev and sophomore Aaron Ventura have elected to stay at Fordham.

Kobayashi was the most successful Ram last year based on singles records going 9-4 overall, 7-4 in duals and 2-0 in tours.

Entering his senior season at

Rose Hill, Kobayashi will look to lead the Rams in their first season under Slater’s guidance.

Bailey will look to improve for the Rams in his junior season. Last year, he went 4-1 in singles play with his opponents winning no more than three games in three of his four wins.

He allowed opponents to win over three games once, in a 7-5 second set slugfest against Wagner.

Kanazirev and Soemarno won four games a piece last year in singles, both under .500, and will look to rebound on their records and improve Fordham’s win total. Also keep an eye out for Aaron Ventura to improve following his 1-4 singles record in his freshman season.

Last year, the Rams season got off to a fast 2-0 start in team to team matches, defeating Wagner 7-0 and Adelphi 5-2. In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regionals, the Rams had one doubles duo, Kobayashi and then-senior Jofre Segarra defeat a duo from St. Francis Brooklyn 8-7.

Fordham tail-spinned once the calendar turned to 2022, going 2-9 from January into early April. Fordham won its final two matches against Lafayette College and College of the Holy Cross before getting shut out against Duquesne University in the A-10 tournament.

Page 12

Men’s Soccer Seeks Improvement in 2022

By MADDIE BIMONTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After finishing 7-9-3 last year, the Fordham men’s soccer team looks to improve their record and reclaim their title of Atlantic 10 Champions. While the Rams went 4-3-1 in the conference, they were eliminated in the second round of A-10s by St. Louis University on penalty kicks.

This season, head coach Carlo Acquista has already made changes to help bolster the coaching staff.

New additions include Matt Sloan as a volunteer assistant coach and Fabio Reato as volunteer director of operations. Sloan comes from a strong Fordham background, serving as team captain previously. He was also a critical part of the 202021 A-10 Championship team, which competed in the NCAA Men’s Tournament for only the fifth time in school history.

In the preseason coaches poll, the Rams placed fourth in the A-10 with 141 points, trailing St. Louis University, Rhode Island University and Virginia Commonwealth University. This is an improvement from their 2021 season, in which the Rams were seeded fifth in the preseason poll.

Fordham’s preseason games emphasized the progress within the program, taking all three of their matches. The Rams’ offense came out strong in their opening match against Fairfield University on Aug. 13. Scoring four, the Rams’ offense saw goals from freshman forward Nathan Simes, junior defender Galen Flynn, graduate student midfielder Daniel Espeleta and freshman midfielder Daniel D’Ippolito.

The defense held the Stags at three to take their first game by a final score of 4-3.

The Rams faced another close game against Sacred Heart University in their second match. Fordham’s offense again proved dominant, scoring three goals, courtesy of senior forward Adrian Valentine, graduate student defenseman Timo

Hummrich and D’Ippolito, winning 3-2.

The Rams’ final preseason game came against Marist College, which secured their number one spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) last season.

Coming off a MAAC Championship title, the Rams put up an offensively dominant game against the Red Foxes. With a final score of 5-2, Fordham securely put an end to the preseason exhibition games.

Fordham lost eight players heading into this season but added a strong group of transfers and freshmen. The incoming transfers, all graduate students, include forward Jakob Gesien, midfielders Ben Shepherd and Espeleta, and defenseman Hummrich. While freshmen such as D’Ippolito have gotten off to a strong start, he is joined by fellow freshmen midfielder Aidan Pericic and forwards Bennett Leitner, Andre Insalaco and Simes.

The Rams’ first regular season game against Hofstra University on Aug. 25 highlighted some of their successes during preseason; however, they just fell short. While Fordham managed to outshoot the Pride in the first half, the Rams couldn’t get any shots off them in the second half, being outshot 5-15. Hofstra managed to fluster the Fordham defense in the last minute of the game, taking the win 2-1.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the Rams non-conference schedule continues with Providence University, Long Island University, Manhattan College, the University of Maryland — Baltimore County, Rutgers University and Princeton University.

The Rams will kick off their A-10 matches against Rhode Island University on Sept. 17 at Jack Coffey Field before heading up to St. Bonaventure University on Sept.

24. Looking to make another strong run in the A-10 Championship, the team will mark their calendars for Nov. 5 as the start of hopefully another title win.

SPORTS

August 29, 2022

Cross Country Looks to Build on Promising 2021

By COLIN LOUGHRAN STAFF WRITER

As the leaves begin to change and fall approaches, Fordham Cross Country prepares for another campaign in hopes of finishing at the top of the Atlantic 10 circuit.

The crew will begin the season on Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Stony Brook Invitational. Head coach Brian Horowitz is back for his fourth year in the position and will have a wealth of upperclassmen on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Seniors Colin Flood, John Arvantides, Nolan Chiles, Ryan Fahey, Jack Reilly and Samuel Wilcox will lead the men’s unit and attempt to post impressive fourth-year campaigns. The men’s group was effective last year and was only one place short of taking home the Metropolitan Championship.

It is fair to predict that the team’s seniors will build on their success from the prior season. Specifically, Flood recorded the fifth-best 8K time at the Princeton Invite.

Sophomore Rodolfo Sanchez and junior Steven Zucca should also be major components of the team’s success. While cross country competitions are often aided by individual performances, holistic team prosperity is strengthened by a group’s overall makeup and ability to outrun the competition. The freshmen, sophomores and juniors must pull their weight

here just as they’d have to in any team sport. Luckily, these Rams are a talented bunch, filled with individuals that work hard at their craft. Last year, Zucca secured the men’s best time at the Jasper XC Fall invite and second best men’s time on the season, clocking in at 25:19.4. Sanchez also made his mark. He punched in the men’s third fastest time last season at the Princeton Invitational. Both athletes will return with the aforementioned seniors and help form a diversely cohesive men’s unit.

Last season was a truly successful one for the women’s side of cross country. They won the Metropolitan Championship and were led by a few experienced seniors as well as a wealth of young and hungry sophomores and juniors. This season’s team features a senior class that includes Alexandra Thomas, Taylor Mascetta, Nicoleta Papavasilakis, Emmy

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Cross Country is ready to begin competition this fall.

Fordham Football Seeks to Continue Upward Trajectory

By NICK GUZMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The 2021 season was a strange one for Fordham Football. Three losses to begin the season (two of which were against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents in the University of Nebraska and Florida Atlantic University) were followed by six consecutive wins and a perfect 4-0 start in Patriot League play. However, losses against the conference’s top two finishers in College of the Holy Cross and Colgate University to finish the season placed the Rams at 6-5 overall and 4-2 in conference, a comfortable step behind the two aforementioned schools.

Heading into 2022, the Rams have a plethora of experience at key positions, giving fans reason to believe the team can take another step up in the Patriot League and

compete for a conference title.

Starting with the most important position on the field, Fordham’s offense is led by senior quarterback Tim DeMorat. Last season, DeMorat threw for 3,214 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading the Patriot League in both categories. He was named First Team All-Patriot League and was the 2021 Patriot League offensive player of the year.

DeMorat, who is quickly climbing up the Fordham’s all-time passing leaderboards, will look to build on one of the great offensive seasons in Fordham history.

Anchored by arguably the best quarterback in the Patriot League, the Fordham offensive unit also features elite talent in the running and receiving game. At running back, graduate student Trey Sneed will handle the bulk of the carries. Sneed rushed for 354 yards

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Fordham men’s soccer team finished 7-9-3 last year.

Longmore and Nathania Tan. Each of these seasoned athletes earned personal victories over the course of their junior seasons. Tan finished first in the coaches race at the Jasper XC Invite. Thomas finished fifth at the Metropolitan Championship. Mascetta clocked in the second-best 5K time on the women’s team last season.

Papavasilakis finished fifth at the Fordham Fiasco and Longmore placed third at the mentioned Jasper function. Overall, the women’s end of cross country fought hard all season and are certainly poised for another tremendous year of action.

The men and women of cross country have already started their training. The A-10 championship is slated for Oct. 28, and the NCAA Northeast Regional is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11.

With so much promise, they will undoubtedly be a fun bunch to see compete this fall.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Football is poised for a big 2022 season.

and four touchdowns in just three games in 2021, as his season was derailed by injury. Experience is the name of the game at receiver as well, with seniors Fotis Kokosioulis, Dequece Carter and MJ Wright all returning after big years in 2021. Add that to an offensive line that retained four out of five starters from a year ago, the Fordham offense is poised to put up huge numbers this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the story is no different.

Graduate Student linebacker Ryan Greenhagen was in the midst of an outstanding 2021 season before an ACL tear cut his year short.

Greenhagen, who set an NCAA Division I record last season with 31 tackles against Nebraska, is back healthy and ready to lead the Rams defensive unit. In his absence a year ago, sophomore linebacker James Conway emerged as a key defensive piece, leading both Fordham and the Patriot League in total tackles. In addition to a healthy Greenhagen and Conway, senior Jonathan Coste, a preseason All-Patriot League selection, returns to the defensive line after an injury riddled 2021. Experience reigns large in the secondary as well, where Fordham is led by graduate student safety Natani Drati and seniors Nasir McNair and Stephen Williams II. With an upperclassmenheavy team and high expectations, the Rams open their season against Wagner College away from home on Thursday, Sept. 1. Their home opener is Saturday, Sept. 17 against the University at Albany, and Patriot League play begins Oct. 1 at home against Georgetown.