Volume 107 Issue 20

Rachel Annunziato Promoted to Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education

By JACK MCDONALD ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Rachel Annunziato, Ph.D., a faculty member in the psychology department, was promoted to vice dean for Undergraduate Education this past spring.

She began her tenure on July 1, 2025. Annunziato’s appointment comes as a result of the restructuring of Fordham University’s Department of Arts & Sciences.

A member of Fordham’s faculty since 2008, Annunziato previously served as a professor in the department of psychology, associate dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and senior associate dean at FCRH.

In an interview with the Fordham Ram, Annunziato reflected on her previous experience in the field of psychology, even before coming to Fordham.

“I am a licensed clinical psychologist, with a speciality in pediatric psychology, specifically transition[ing] to adulthood and improving health

SEE DEAN, PAGE 4

Students React to Mamdani Win

By NORA MALONE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The months-long race for New York City mayor has come to an end, and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is set to take his spot in City Hall in January as the youngest mayor in the city’s history.

This race received national attention, both on social media and from President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama. It also had the highest voter turnout in New

York City since 1969, with more than 2 million voters. Mamdani’s campaign in particular was historic; he entered the race as an unknown figure and ended up winning the fiveway Democratic primary with a resounding 12.8 point victory.

As of 10 p.m. Mamdani received 50.3% of the vote.

The Independent candidate, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, FCRH ’79, received 41.6%. The Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, came in third with 7.1% of the vote.

Food Pantry Opened by CCEL, Campus Ministry Amid SNAP Benefit Pause

By SIENNA REINDERS NEWS EDITOR

Fordham University students and alumni voted in this election, showing their support for each of the three candidates.

Emma Kelner, FCLC ’29, voted for Cuomo and shared her opinions on the election via Instagram.

“I agree with his platform … and I also fundamentally disagree with the other two candidates’ platforms,” she said.

“Zohran wants to kill the [Gifted and Talented] program, has not shown any sign that he will do

SEE ELECTION, PAGE 5

November 5, 2025

Hazing Prevention Training Shifting To Comply With Federal Law

By

Fordham University recently introduced a new hazing prevention training course for students and updated regulations, in order to comply with the federal amendment Stop Campus Hazing Act, which was signed into law in December 2024.

The Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), officially Public Law No. 118-173, adds new requirements that higher education institutions must comply with.

“These new requirements include publication of hazing findings related to student organizations and individuals, additional detail on how hazing is investigated and on research-based prevention programs like the one launched this week,” said Christopher Rodgers, associate vice president for Strategy and Operations, in an email.

The SCHA was one of the last amendments passed during former President Joe Biden’s term, and amends the Higher Education Act of 1965. The

SEE HAZING, PAGE 5

Campus Ministry Starts

As of Nov. 1, SNAP benefits, which help to feed nearly 42 million low-income individuals across the country, were paused due to the ongoing government

In response to the recent suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Fordham University’s Office of Campus Ministry has created a food pantry for students and staff members who are affected by the cuts.

shutdown. Days before the benefits were officially halted, food banks began gearing up for an increase in demand.

On Oct. 29, Fordham President Tania Tetlow told Campus Ministry staff that she wanted to develop a “quick response team” to help impacted Fordham community members, according to Rev. Philip Judge, S.J., Executive Director of Campus Ministry. Judge said what followed was a day of “frantic energy” with staff members brainstorming to figure out how they could effectively address the cuts.

“It was a lot of hands, and of course, anything like this, many hands make light work,” Judge said. “But it’s also no one person’s idea. It was really a team effort.”

SEE PANTRY PAGE 4

Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive

By JORDAN DONEGAN STAFF WRITER

Fordham University’s Office of Campus Ministry announced the commencement of their annual Thanksgiving food drive in a newsletter sent to the Fordham community on Monday, Oct. 20.

The Fordham tradition involves collecting food and money and donating it to six of Fordham’s partner organizations across New York City. Once the donations reach Fordham’s community partners, they are utilized to purchase nutritious and “culturally-appropriate” food items for their patrons.

According to Director of Campus Ministry Gil Severiano, the food drive typically collects roughly $6,000 in donations

between what they receive through the online portal and the donations made at the University Church. However, Severiano said that gathering money is not the sole goal of the food drive.

“Monetarily, we’re not collecting a tremendous amount of money,” Severiano said. “But I think it also tells [our community partners] that we are an active and supportive partner and that we want to make sure that they have what they need for their communities. We just want to help to feed as many people as we can.”

Severiano, who has been at Fordham for 24 years, said that there has always been some sort of food drive that takes place

SEE FOOD DRIVE, PAGE 5

New York City’s mayoral election saw historic voter turnout numbers for a non-presidential election.

NORA MALONE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Campus Ministry food pantry items are grouped in categories.

SIENNA REINDERS/THE FORDHAM RAM

SIDNEY BLASCO STAFF WRITER

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Fire Alarm

Nov. 3

5:29 p.m.

On Monday, there was a stuck occupied elevator in O’Hare Hall. The supervisor responded and notified the FDNY to respond. The FDNY responded and freed the occupants. The supervisor prepared a work order and placed the elevator out of service.

Fire Alarm Nov. 2

7:50 p.m.

On Sunday, there was a fire alarm in the McShane Center. The supervisor and FDNY responded. The investigation revealed staff cleaning the kitchen triggered the alarm. The supervisor ventilated the area and reset the alarm.

Petit Larceny

Nov. 2

7:50 p.m.

On Thursday, a student reported property missing from their car which was parked in front of 2452 Washington Avenue. The supervisor responded. The investigation revealed someone removed the battery from the car and broke the rear window and removed property. The supervisor contacted the NYPD to respond and prepare a report.

Fire

Oct. 29

1 p.m.

On Wednesday, there was a fire inside the fence of Fordham Road in front of Kohlmann Hall. The supervisor responded with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. FDNY arrived and confirmed the fire was out. The supervisor reviewed the video, and a passerby threw a cigarette inside the fence causing the fire.

Alumnus Tommy Silk Finds His Lighthouse

By NORA MALONE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s easy to miss, but in Fort Washington Park, right beneath the George Washington Bridge, sits The Little Red Lighthouse. For the founder of Landmarks of New York, Tommy Silk, FCRH ’12, it’s one of the best historical spots in the city.

“It’s just so archaic. But it’s so great … If I need a real way to clear my head, it’s hopping on my bike and heading up there,” he said.

Landmarks of New York is Silk’s ever-expanding passion project to photograph the more than 33,000 landmark status buildings in New York City.

“I was working for years in regular corporate America, and it was driving me insane,” he said. “I was basically like, I really need a hobby, now.”

After he stumbled upon former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt’s old house one day, Silk went online to find the NYC Landmark Preservation Commission map.

“I was like, how many of these buildings am I walking past on a daily basis not knowing this,” he said. “So I literally just borrowed a camera from my sister and just started walking around the neighborhood and finding these buildings.”

Silk’s project began on Instagram, where Silk would post a short blurb about the building alongside his photo of it. It wasn’t until 2020 that his platform really gained traction.

“2020 hits and there is obviously not lots to do, but you can walk around, and you can take pictures,” Silk said. “And that ended up being a perfect pandemic sanity activity.”

Eventually, Silk expanded to TikTok, where he now has 130.5k followers, alongside his 237k Instagram followers.

Swedish Consul General. For Silk, it was the moment he realized how much this project could grow.

“ We just literally toured and got to chat with a Swedish diplomat. Like what?” he said. “ So that was when I kind of realized that this was getting bigger than I thought it would. [And I thought] how many times would I get a chance to see inside one of these places?”

Silk also offers tours of various neighborhoods where he goes on a several-hour deep dive into the history of an area. He currently has five active tours, and the majority of his audience are people from the five boroughs.

“I joked early on when I was doing these tours. I’m like if you’re a native here, I’m gonna get you to say ‘I didn’t know that’ at least three times on this tour,” he said. “And so far so good. I’ve been able to do that.”

Follow The Fordham Ram on Instagram, Facebook and X @TheFordhamRam

Thursday Nov. 6

Día de los Muertos Mass

Rose Hill and Lincoln Center Various times.

Community members are invited to submit names or photos of loved ones who have passed away. The photos will be displayed on ofrendas throughout November at both University Churches.

“I was doing it for me, I was the target audience, and that just happened to resonate with people,” he said. “It’s just kinda blown up beyond anything I could possibly have imagined.”

Early in his Landmarks of New York journey, Silk was invited to tour a mansion on Park Avenue owned by the

This

Thursday Nov. 6

Silk moved to New York in 2008 to start his education at Fordham University, but he has roots in the city. His grandfather also attended Fordham and began his love for The Little Red Lighthouse by getting him the book “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge” written by Hildegarde H. Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward.

The lighthouse was slated for demolition in 1951, but after the book was published, children wrote letters to the Coast Guard, urging them not to destroy it. The campaign worked, and the lighthouse still stands, now under the ownership of the New York City Parks Department.

“ The story behind that is so pure… Like, it doesn’t matter how small you think you are, they made a difference,” Silk said.

He doesn’t know where the future of Landmarks of New York lies, but Silk doesn’t mind that.

“ I try not to put too many expectations on it because then it becomes work and then it becomes stressful,” he said. “And the whole point of this was basically a mental health exercise.”

Silk is still working full-time alongside his photography,

Week at Fordham

Saturday Nov. 8

Rams vs Bison

St. Paul the Apostle Church 6 p.m.

Sister Helen Prejean, the nation’s foremost death penalty opponent hosts discussion about capital punishment, social justice and the power of story. Free books will be available to all attendees.

Moglia Stadium 1 p.m.

Join the Fordham Rams as they take on the Bucknell Bisons for the season closer. Honor the contributions of the Rams’ seniors and graduate students with a special on-field ceremony.

Monday Nov. 10

Honoring Ali Velshi and Connie Chung Lowenstein Lounge 6 p.m.

Join the Communication and Media Studies Department to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Ann M. Sperber Book Prize, honoring exceptional works on journalism and media.

tour guiding and book writing. People have asked him if he would ever expand or hire other tour guides, but Silk thinks that defeats the purpose of Landmarks of New York.

“Not everything has to be an absolute moneymaking activity. Like sometimes a hobby can be a hobby,” he said. “ I want to keep it, I don’t want it to ever change from what I started it as. I don’t want it to sell out or get too crazy. I want this to continue to be me doing it because I love to do it.”

Tuesday Nov. 11

Rams vs Knights Rose Hill Gym 7:30 p.m.

Join the Fordham Rams men’s basketball team as they take on the Mount Saint Mary College Knights for their second game of the season. Game tickets are free online for students to claim.

Silk gives a presentation on famous New York Landmarks.

TOMMY SILK FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

In Fort Washington Park Bridge, The Little Red Lighthouse.

TOMMY SILK FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The Global Impacts of the 2025 New York Mayoral Election

By PAOLO LIACI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As election day rolled around in New York City, Fordham’s London Campus hosted their own round table discussion highlighting the potential global implications of the 2025 mayoral election.

On the evening of Nov. 3, Naomi Rea, FCRH ’27 and political science Professor Rebecca Farnum moderated a discussion on the role that mayors of major cities play in international relations.

Rea and Farnum invited panelists Laura Mosedale, the co-chair of Voter Registration at Democrats Abroad UK, the former New Zealand parliament member Darren Hughes (who now serves as chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society) and Rebeća Lewis, CEO of the Inside Out Clothing Project. Lewis was unable to attend; her seat was filled by Farnum, a former correspondent for the Obama administration.

The discussion began with Rea asking the panelists if they see mayors as “global leaders,” with influence beyond their own cities. Farnum responded, which highlighted differences between New York City and London — two major metropolitan cities — specifically regarding the history of the mayoral position in New York City and the differing sizes of their fiscal budgets. Farnum went on to ask the room to think about

what local control looks like at such a grand scale and cost.

In spite of these major differences, there were also throughlines to look back at, such as former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2002 Smoke Free Air Act, which was famously initiated by his predecessor Rudy Giuliani, as well as contributed to global climate conversations. Through his legislation, London was able to use New York as an exemplary city where smoking bans were working to highlight its own conversations on the topic.

Rea continued by asking what potential impacts the 2025 NYC mayoral election could have on the political discourse in London, the UK and across Europe. Hughes responded to the question.

“I suspect that, if a more traditional system had been used, a different result might have occurred, as opposed to rank-choice voting, which is now in place for the second time in New York's history,” Hughes said.

Although it was obvious that each panelist was eager to give their input, it was equally clear that each had different points to make.

“This is the first time we have seen a genuine threeparty race in a long time,” Farnum said.

Hughes then pointed out that Zohran Mamdani has three main policies, which represent a staunch contrast to Mamdani’s campaigning approach. Mamdani is focusing

on a short list of policies as opposed to the large, laundry list of numbers we have become accustomed to seeing from candidates. Farnum talked about other candidates as well.

“If New York goes red, this is a sign to Londoners and Europe, saying ‘Yeah, come on in Fascism!’ And you have Andrew Cuomo taking heat from all sides,” Farnum continued.

Farnum also pointed out that, as an Independent mayoral candidate, Cuomo has been receiving major backlash from both the left and right, with fears that his Independent status will pull voters away from both Mamdani and the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa.

Mosedale added, “The first time I heard Mamdani speak, it was on the topic of affordability. A topic that resonates not only

everywhere but especially in London. And for young people. It’s an issue that has been building since the 80s across the United States, and if, as a mayor, that problem can be addressed, who knows what the capability of a mayor could be?”

Fordham professor John Annette interjected.

“To what extent do you think a democratic socialist can win? Given that Mamdani has begun to downplay his use of this term, the closer we get to election [day],” Annette said.

Panelists then discussed Mamdani’s designation as a socialist.

“Mamdani is going to hold back from using this word when you have Cuomo, the safer option, at your disposal,” Farnum said.

She also said that if people see Mamdani doing well in early voting and are deterred by the word “socialist,” those same people may come in

and vote for Cuomo. She explained that early polls aren’t always representative of the actual results, citing a 2014 election in Scotland in which a referendum for independence from the UK was voted down, despite early polling showing the opposite result.

In a post-panel interview, Mosedale explained why there is so much coverage of this election.

“Anyone with the name Zohran Mamdani running for anything in the U.S. will be newsworthy. It is the continued legacy of 9/11,” Mosedale said.

Rea summed up the global implications of the election in a post-panel interview.

“The results of this election will show what the world wants right now,” Rea said. “People often say that what happens in the U.S. happens in Europe. So this must be even more true for New York,” Rea finished.

USG Plan “Day of Service” Amid SNAP Cuts

By ANNA GAYTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Oct. 30, to discuss a Day of Service event in order to help the Bronx community and voted on proposals regarding student registration websites and excusing absences for voting.

The USG Vice President of International Integration Jenny Hong, FCRH ’28, presented a budget request of $700 for her committee’s Culture Fest. The budget request was approved.

Vice President of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Hunter Gholson, GSB ’26, requested a new microphone to film talk videos. Gholson also shared about an organization, Youths for Excellence, that is raising money for relief efforts for schools affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

The USG Vice President of Sustainability Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27, submitted a budget request for housekeeping supplies for his committee. Johnson also shared on the

behalf of Vice President of Facilities and Dining Maddie Ando, FCRH ’27, who was absent from the meeting, that her committee submitted a budget request for tabling and prizes for events.

The USG proposal committee shared their final tweaks on their proposal for improving the registration website. Senator Henry Carstens, FCRH ’29, shared that they added more testimonies and changed the wording when discussing how to fix the restrictions part of the page. USG voted to pass the proposal.

They then voted on Senator Anna Brown’s, FCRH ’27, proposal to have the act of voting constitute an excused absence. The proposal was passed.

USG Senator Ava Cascella, FCRH ’26, announced that the proposal group for offering lower-level meal plans has put their plan on paper. They want a plan that better suits commuter students’ needs (which includes fewer commitments), options for 70 or 30 swipes and smaller packages of 10, 15 or 25 swipes,

all priced the same as the student swipe-in rate at the Rose Hill Marketplace.

Executive Vice President Andrew McDonald, FCRH ’26, suggested calling for a motion to table pending language of the proposal and potential changes to it. Cascella mentioned the need to discuss pricing adjustments, look over the proposed microplans, gain more survey data and ensure the plans are helpful for both commuter and offcampus students.

Executive President Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, called attention to the fact that millions of Americans will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the United States government shutdown. McDonald reminded everyone that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared this a state of emergency.

These benefits serve an average of 41.7 million people per month or 12.3% of U.S. residents during the 2024 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Department of

Agriculture. In New York City, there are reported to be 2.9 million recipients. There are over 40% of Bronx residents that rely on SNAP, which represents the highest percentage of all New York City boroughs, and one in three Bronx children are foodinsecure, according to CBS.

During last week’s USG meeting, they voted on using discretionary funding for a Day of Service. Hjertberg shared that the day of service should be a food-related event to help give back to the Bronx community. Hjertberg had said they could possibly partner with Fordham Food Walks and a couple of Fordham’s service clubs.

Hjertberg also said they can spend the discretionary funding on different things, whether ingredients for sandwiches or canned goods. Hjertberg added that USG would like to speak to Fordham’s Office of External Affairs, the Fordham Center for Community and Engaged Learning and Fordham’s Office of Community Affairs to figure out the best way to disperse food and funding. A date for this event has not been determined.

The USG Vice President of Operations Tina Pathak, FCRH ’28, explained that she left the new club form open for two months this semester, rather than the traditional two to three weeks, and plans to do so next semester. Vice Chair of the Budget Committee Siri Bhat, GSB ’27, shared that, along with operations packets, budget packets were due on Nov. 1, although that deadline was then extended to Nov. 3. Johnson shared that the next Fordham flea event will hopefully be able to donate to Part of the Solution. He also shared that they would like to have a Halloween costume drive. Students who donate their costumes will receive a discount at the next flea. This would then lead to a Halloween costume sale for next year.

Ando’s report shared that the USG Wellness Day will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Hjertberg also had reminded everyone that President Tania Tetlow’s Chief of Staff Michael R. Trerotola, Ph.D., is attending the next meeting on Nov. 6.

Rebecca Farnum and Naomi Rea discuss the NYC election with a panel. PAOLO LIACI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Community Rallies to Help Those in Need

FROM PANTRY PAGE 1

The food pantry, a collaborative effort between Campus Ministry and the Center for Community and Engaged Learning (CCEL), officially opened on Monday, Nov. 3, with locations on Fordham’s Rose Hill (RH) and Lincoln Center (LC) campuses.

At LC, the pantry is located in the CCEL Conference Room, Lowenstein Building Room 140A. At RH, the pantry is located in a conference room in the Campus Ministry office, McShane Campus Center Suite 215. They will be open on both campuses weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gil Severiano, director of Campus Ministry Operations, Budget and Community

Engagement, said that people who use the pantry are asked to fill out an online form upon entry. She clarified that the form only asks for their Fordham affiliation (such as student or staff) and the campus where they are receiving food. Names, Fordham ID numbers or other personal details are not required, and the form is used solely to help Campus Ministry track demand for the pantry.

Before opening the pantry, last Thursday, Severiano began creating an Amazon wishlist for donation items. She said she referred to lists forwarded by community partner organizations to best determine what items to include.

“We kind of looked at the list of what people in the

community were asking for, and we put them on the list,” Severiano said. “And we did a basic order, knowing that the Fordham community would rally. I’ve been here since Sandy. Fordham rallies, and so we knew we’d start getting donations.”

On Friday, Severiano, along with several other members of Campus Ministry, went to Costco to ensure they had enough food to start the food pantry the following Monday. They had a $3,000 budget — Tetlow earmarked $1,000 on both Fordham campuses and Campus Ministry set aside an additional $1,000, according to Severiano — and used all of it to purchase necessary items like canned vegetables, soup,

chicken and more.

But while they weren’t sure how many donations they would initially get, Judge and Severiano both said they have received amazing support from the Fordham community.

“The generosity we’ve had just in three days has been extraordinary,” Judge said. “People dropped off tons of food today. People are taking full advantage of using the online ordering things from Amazon. So people are willing to help, and I suspect, as long as people are willing to help, we’re going to offer that help to people who need it.”

Aside from food, the pantry provides coffee and tea for people who come by. The office is also playing relaxing music throughout the day to create a welcoming atmosphere. Severiano said it is hard for students to show up and receive help via the food pantry, which is why they want to make sure it is a friendly environment.

“We really want people to understand that we are here to support and make sure that they have what they need,” Severiano said. “We’re trying to make it a pleasant atmosphere when they come in, we make sure that we welcome people and that they’re as much as possible put at ease.”

Severiano said the pantry will try to have allergen-friendly foods and various food groups. While they are getting lots of donations already, Severiano said they are still in need of items like fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, cooking oil and vinegar. She did add that Aramark, Fordham’s food provider, is contributing by providing foods they are lacking at a reduced price.

She also said that students can donate their guest meal swipes through a program that puts the swipes in a fund that never expires and provides them to students in need.

Additionally, people can help

by purchasing items through the Amazon wish lists — there are separate wish lists for the RH and LC campuses — donating to the student emergency fund, volunteering with the campus food pantry and volunteering with local food pantries.

In an email statement to The Fordham Ram, provided by university spokesperson Jennifer Petra, Tetlow highlighted the importance of the work Campus Ministry and CCEL are doing and explained how it is representative of Fordham’s designation as a Jesuit institution.

“There is no better expression of the Jesuit values that guide us than to support one another during times of uncertainty and hardship,” Tetlow said. “It is a core principle of our Catholic faith-and all of the world’s great religions-to feed those who are hungry. I implore anyone who needs support right now to lean on your Fordham community-it would be a privilege and a gift to be able to help.”

While the Trump administration announced Monday that it would restart partial funds to SNAP benefits, Severiano and Judge both stated these benefits would take some time to administer, and that they plan to continue aiding students through the campus food pantry until then.

“The initial hope is that while SNAP benefits are suspended, that we’ll be able to help for as long as that period lasts,” Judge said. “Even today, the announcement that there would be partial restoration of those benefits, that’s not going to happen soon or immediately. So this issue is going to go on for at least a couple of weeks until the government gets its act together.”

Since opening on Monday, Campus Ministry at RH has received an additional 30 cases of donated food, according to Severiano.

“We are fully stocked, and waiting for students and employees to come in,” Severiano said.

Psychology Professor Moves to Administrative Role

behavior and quality of life for children and adolescents with special health care needs,” Annunziato said in an email.

For much of her career, she has been based in New York City at Mount Sinai Hospital, where she continues to lead a clinical program for Fordham graduate and undergraduate students.

During her time as associate dean and senior associate dean, Annunziato reviewed student academic progress and donor relationships.

“These roles have included oversight of academic processes & policies, running special programs like undergraduate research, fundraising, managing dean’s office staff,” Annunziato said. “And best of all, working closely with our students on

events, programming and translating their wonderful ideas into practice.”

Annunziato also described her transition period into her current role as vice dean. She expressed her gratitude to work alongside new appointments in the department, including Dean of Arts & Sciences

Jessica Lang and senior associate deans of Arts & Sciences, Daniel Ott, Ph.D., and David Swinarski, Ph.D. She said she expanded her knowledge of both Fordham campuses upon her promotion.

“Over the summer months, I loved getting to know [Fordham College at Lincoln Center] more,” Annunziato said. “I feel like I get to experience the best of both worlds and that’s one of my goals for our students too.”

Part of the restructuring included several new appointments with whom Annunziato has worked closely during her tenure. Her responsibilities and tasks included structuring a new team of office staff in the dean’s office, as well as faculty members who assist in operative tasks at both FCRH and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). The office has also assisted in guiding faculty through the restructuring process.

“We also hit the ground running with bolstering faculty major advising and aligning academic processes and programming in the two colleges more so as well,” Annunziato said.

Even in her new position, Annunziato remains a professor at Fordham. She described

this position as close to her heart, and feels it is important to her character to continue teaching. More short-term, the department aspires to implement rigid academic advising for students.

“One of our short-term goals is to ensure that all students have robust advising from our advising center, faculty and also via our new assistant dean for pre-professional advising,” Annunziato said.

This culmination of academic expertise is projected to be a major benefit for Fordham Arts & Sciences students.

“We also are reviewing academic programming and experiential learning opportunities to better understand areas for alignment, improvements and potentially scaling up,” she said.

Annunziato also described the importance of surveying students, as she said they are an important part of the department’s overall research and success. Annunziato also looks forward to leading several other tasks in her new role.

“I look forward most to cherishing every special moment with our students and faculty while also doing everything I can to create more of these,” Annunziato said, citing her desire to make more special moments in the department.

She said the university remains an important part of her identity.

“Fordham has been my second home for the past 17 years and I am so eager to contribute to our culture of flourishing and joy,” Annunziato said.

When people come to the food pantry, they are invited to grab a bag to carry the items they take.

The Rose Hill food pantry is located in a conference room in the Campus Ministry office.

PHOTOS BY SIENNA REINDERS/THE FORDHAM RAM

Opinions on Mamdani Win Vary Across Fordham’s Campus

FROM ELECTION PAGE 1

his part to keep Jews in NYC safe from violent protestors and hate crimes, and he doesn’t actually have the authority to do most of the things he’s promising.”

Cuomo’s campaign focused on public safety, education and childcare. After losing the primary, he ran as an Independent candidate on the Fight and Deliver line.

Affordability was a key concern for many voters, and a large aspect of Mamdani’s campaign.

“I definitely think that people should be allowed to live here and people shouldn’t be forced out just because things are getting more expensive,” said Danny Barrón, FCRH ’26, who voted for Mamdani. “As someone who wants to move here, affordability is a thought for me, but also what matters more is the people that already live here get to stay here.”

Cuomo’s reported history of sexual harrassment was

also taken into consideration by voters like Lindsay Laubacher, GSE ’26, who said, “Especially with Cuomo’s history and sexual assault cases, and we’ve got someone in office as our president with similar cases, it breaks that sense of distrust and gives us a hope that things will actually change.”

Gonzalo Duran, PCS ’14, campaigned for New York City Public Advocate this election and said via Instagram that he is voting for Sliwa.

“Over the past nine months, I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with him—protesting, marching in parades, and witnessing firsthand the incredible energy he brings to every corner of this city. I’ve also seen how deeply he’s respected and admired across party lines and among every community New York City has to offer,” he said. “I’ve watched him work tirelessly to help fellow candidates get

on the ballot and keep their campaigns alive. That kind of dedication is rare in politics.”

Many Fordham students switched their registration to New York to vote in this election.

Ian Colton, GSB ’27, was one of those who switched their registration.

“Switching registration was super easy! It was a simple process where I filled out a form online, entered the Fordham address as my address (since New York students can register using their school address), and clicked a box to confirm I was switching my registration to a new state,” he wrote via Instagram.

Colton was able to vote via a hybrid, in-person and mailin process while abroad in London, England and said the campus provided numerous resources to make the process easier.

“Fordham London had an organization come in to help us send ballots to our local

elections,” he said. “They provided registration forms, envelopes, stamps, everything we needed to send our ballots back home. And there were volunteers there to walk us through the whole process. It was actually very nice, and well advertised to all of us abroad here.”

When Mamdani was declared the winner, members of The Fordham Ram spoke to students to hear their reactions.

“I think it’ll be really interesting to see if socialism, in the economic capital world, works within a system. Because Ronald Reagan said … that socialism works until you run out of money. And unfortunately for New York, it is the place where you do have the most amount of money in a small area,” said Eli Kaufman, FCRH ’28. “I think there [are] a lot of people that are against [Mamdani’s] policies, and we’ll kind of see how that turns out, if he can actually get things done that he says

he wants to get done [I think it’s] gonna have a big effect on American politics.”

The greater Fordham neighborhood voted predominantly for Mamdani, with him receiving more than 70% of the area’s vote.

Georges Mimassi, GSB ’29 has concerns about Mamdani’s economic policy.

“I’m an international student here, but obviously I’m a little bit worried about the rising of corporate tax and how that’s going to affect [Fordham’s] own recruiting for firms, if that’s going to mean that firms are going to relocate out of New York to other places,” he said. “Obviously, it’s important to help the people of New York and making New York cheaper. I think everyone agrees with that, but the repercussions — are they going to outweigh the benefits?”

Mamdani will be the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, as well as the first democratic socialist to hold the office.

Optional Hazing Training Implemented for Students

SCHA was created in response to the death of Gary DeVercelly, Jr., who lost his life at 18 years old due to fraternity hazing rituals. In 2014, seven years after his death, his parents, Gary and Julie DeVercelly, headed the national movement for hazing transparency and were advocates for the Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act. Their efforts in advocating for anti-hazing legislation led to the introduction of the REACH Act, which, combined with parts of the End All Hazing Act, created the SCHA.

According to public law, hazing is defined as any intentional, knowing or reckless acts committed against a person

in connection with joining or maintaining membership in a student organization that creates a risk of physical or psychological harm.

However, some cases that include students and student organizations may fall into a grey area, for which Fordham has specific procedures that are detailed in the Student Handbook.

“Trained, qualified investigators from DPS will investigate complaints impartially and objectively, perform fact-finding, and follow all relevant procedures,” the handbook states.

“The results of the investigation will then be provided to the Associate Vice President for student affairs, the Dean of students, or their designee for

referral to the student conduct system as appropriate or other action as necessary, including any action required with student organizations.”

Although hazing is typically associated with Greek life, which does not exist at Fordham, the university still holds faculty, student-athletes, clubs and coaches to high standards.

“All members of the Fordham community, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, coaches, team captains, student-athletes, student leaders, and clubs/organizations are expected to accept responsibility for our community and act with integrity and civility,” the student handbook says. “This includes not only refraining from engaging in activities

such as those described in this training and regulation, but also reporting any suspected hazing incidents.”

This updated hazing training will be hosted through Vector Solutions, the same online platform used by the university for AlcoholEdu and Sexual Assault Prevention training. An email announcement with instructions was sent out on Nov. 2 with details on the updated regulations.

Club leaders and other faculty members attended a summit at the beginning of the year that went over Title IX, leadership, career planning and hazing prevention training.

Nick Verone, FCRH ’26, the president of The Mimes and Mummers, attended this

summit. He thinks the training is important for students.

“As leaders of other generations that are going to become leaders, it’s important to make sure that you’re setting the right example,” he said. “We’re in college and we’re in a very academic college, and I think hazing has no place here.”

Along with the mandatory Alcohol and Sexual Assault training courses, hazing training will soon be mandatory for incoming students and upperclassmen.

“Every student has been invited to review the updated policy,” said Rodgers. “To learn more about how to prevent and report any occurrence of this national problem in our community.”

Thanksgiving Food Drive Collects Monetary Donations

this time of year, but that 10 to 12 years ago, Fordham shifted from collecting non-perishable foods to collecting donations because the previous method “wasn’t working.”

pick up its speed. Donations can be made through an online portal or at the University Church while they collect their weekly alms.

Fordham students who are unable to hold meal plans.

donation, but it’s also telling our community partners, we see you, we value you, we want to support your communities and this is something that we can do right now,” Severiano said. “It goes back to creating authentic relationships, but that means being there when people need you.” FROM FOOD DRIVE PAGE 1

“In the past, we would collect non-perishable foods, so my office would be filled with canned, boxed foods,” Severiano said. “I’d say it’s probably been over 10 years since we realized we were throwing out a lot of expired foods. By giving them actual monetary donations, they’re able to buy much more nutritious food. It’s culturally appropriate, it’s not expired and it seemed like the best way that we could really help our community and support our community.”

Severiano said the food drive is off to a “soft start,” but that her office is currently trying to

“We collect donations through the end of November, but we actually will start with whatever money we have,” Severiano said. “We’ll start donating to the community partners that we are partnering with. So there are six of them. There are three groups that we’re working with at Rose Hill, two at Lincoln Center, and one at the Carter Center. Because we’re hoping they’ll be able to buy the food for Thanksgiving, we start actually processing payments earlier than the end of the drive.”

In addition to helping provide food and meals to Campus Ministry’s community partners, the food drive helps promote donating guest meal swipes to

“At the same time, we’re also trying to promote donating guest meal swipes from our weekly and our unlimited meal plans,” Severiano said. “That’s a really great way that students can participate in actually helping food insecurity on campus because those meal swipes are donated to students on campus.”

Severiano described the food drive as an easy and “low lift” opportunity for the Fordham community to be able to have an impact on the communities around them.

“I think at Fordham, we talk a lot about being men and women for others,” Severiano said. “We don’t want to just talk about being men and women for others. We want to make sure you have actual opportunities to

participate in being a positive influence on our communities here, the communities that we are a part of.”

According to Severiano, the drive also acts as a catalyst towards creating authentic relationships with Fordham’s surrounding communities.

“We’re giving a monetary

The Thanksgiving Food Drive is an annual initiative by Campus Ministry.

CAMPUS MINISTRY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Haunting Notes Bring University Church to Life

By LALLEYAH CAMERA ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The gloriously eerie tones of an organ filled the Fordham University Church on Oct. 30, as Fordham’s Campus Ministry hosted their 11th annual All Hallows Eve Halloween Organ concert with guest organist Anthony Rispo.

Rispo currently serves as the organist and music director at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. He has a bachelors of applied science in psychology from Columbia University and cohosts a podcast called “The Discourse Lab”. Rispo’s organ career began in the early 2000s at The Juilliard School’s precollege program.

The day before Halloween, only seconds after the 7 p.m. hourly bells rang through campus, Rispo began his set of Halloween-style musical compositions featured in a number of films, most notably, “The Phantom of the Opera.”

The deep hum of the organ ran through the church for a full hour as he passionately

performed in hopes of giving guests “a Halloween feeling,” as Rispo put it.

Rispo played a variety of pieces composed by legendary musicians. From pieces by Léon Boëllman to Johann Sebastian Bach, the spirits of Halloween were felt by attendees.

“‘ The Phantom of the Opera’ is my favorite musical, and when I first learned about [the concert] and went in, I was literally like, the phantom is here! It’s so amazing,” said Leia DeMarco LaBarbiera, FCRH ’28.

Attendees were given a list of the pieces Rispo would be playing, the original composers of each piece and a sound description. Rispo played one improvised piece on “Dies Irae” which was described on the paper given to attendees.

According to the paper, “[it’s] a spontaneous meditation on the medieval chant of judgment - its ancient tones murmuring of fate and final reckoning."

Students who attended were enamored by his ability to play the instrument gracefully while playing alone. Gabby

Chinnici, FCRH ’27, expressed being inspired by Rispo’s performance as a pianist herself.

“It humbles me because I play piano, and I think that's difficult. So, looking at him playing the organ, [which] has two sets of keys and the knobs and pedals. [I think] I just need to suck it up and go practice,” Chinnici said. “I’m glad the university would highlight this talent, especially coming from music … The humanities are sometimes a little bit more overshadowed on campus, so it’s nice that there’s a place we can highlight somebody for it.”

Campus Ministry decorated the university church in typical Halloween decor; ghost figurines were placed on pillars and skeletons dressed as ministers filled the pews. Students appreciated the event being hosted by the Campus Ministry.

“I am actually a tour guide here, so we do a stop in the church and I always talk

about how … [a] religious presence on campus doesn’t have to be religious,” DeMarco LaBarbiera said. “It can also be secular, and this is a great example of that.”

Rispo ended with the iconic “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565,” composed by Bach (1685-1750), which was featured in the 1962 film version of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

The paper described this piece as “the quintessential organ masterpiece; its fiery opening gesture unfurls into grandeur and terror, a final summoning

of Gothic splendor.”

Also composed by Bach, Rispo played “Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578,” which was featured in the 1973 film, “The Paper Chase. “[This piece is] compact yet thrilling, this fugue’s relentless motion evokes a restless energy- a ghostly pursuit through the corridors of sound,” said the paper description. Rispo has performed at Fordham’s organ recital in the past. Attendees appreciate his passion and expertise as he manufactures a bewitching otherworldly Halloween charm.

Journalism Conference Warns of Threats to Press Freedom

New York Press Club’s 2025 Conference on Journalism, hosted on Nov. 1 at Fordham University, brought in various prominent reporters, editors and educators to address the mounting challenges facing the profession, from political hostility to the disruptive rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

The annual event, held in partnership with Fordham’s Department of Communication and Media Studies, featured journalists from The New York Times, The City, WNYC and the New York Post.

Students from Columbia University, the New York University (NYU), the City University of New York (CUNY) and also Fordham University, which included members of The Fordham Ram and The Observer, filled Constantino Hall at Lincoln Center for a full day of panels, workshops and a keynote conversation.

Fordham’s presence was central throughout the day. Robin Shannon, WFUV’s director of News and Public Affairs, moderated a session on how to cover protests safely.

George Bodarky, a longtime WFUV news director now with National Public Radio’s (NPR) Training Team, led a discussion on AI’s role in journalism. Jason Frazer, an adjunct professor at Fordham, moderated a panel on climate coverage.

Each session were aimed to connect students with working

journalists and underscored Fordham’s reputation as a pipeline for public-interest media.

The keynote conversation paired Guardian U.S. columnist and former New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan with The Wrap media editor Michael Calderone. Both warned that political intimidation and corporate consolidation are threatening the independence of the American press.

Sullivan pointed to the Trump administration’s restrictions on Pentagon reporting, describing them as “part of a broader attempt to control the message.”

Calderone added that journalists have had access to the Pentagon since the 1940s, and also that limiting their presence replaces watchdogs with propagandists.

“What’s happened at the Pentagon is that the people who went along with this restrictive approach have essentially become propaganda outlets,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan criticized what she called “a climate of fear” among some major outlets, pointing to CBS News’ decision to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump rather than fight it.

“It sends the worst possible message, that access and profit come before truth,” she said.

Sullivan also had warned that the newsroom layoffs as well as the corporate mergers have been eroding editorial independence. Both speakers said the next generation of journalists will have to balance professional ethics with financial survival.

“Stay close to your mission,”

Sullivan told students. “Know

why you’re doing this work.”

In a morning plenary discussion, Jeff Jarvis, professor emeritus at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, led a discussion on press freedom and credibility with New York Times investigations editor David Enrich, media lawyer George Freeman and Montclair State professor Carrie Brown.

Freeman did warn that escalating threats of litigation and government retaliation are discouraging smaller outlets from going and pursuing investigative reporting.

“If small-town papers stop covering their councils out of fear of lawsuits, the value of the press is denuded,” he said.

He emphasized the urgency of rebuilding public trust, citing new Pew Research Center data showing Democrats’ confidence in the media at its lowest point ever recorded.

“Defending democracy means listening,” she said. “We have to meet people where they are, even if that’s not on our platforms.”

Enrich said journalists should respond to distrust through transparency rather than ideology.

“Our job isn’t to arrive with answers. It’s to ask better questions and show how we got to the truth,” he said.

Jarvis countered that the press must not fear moral clarity. “I argue that we need to stop being scared of labels like fascism and authoritarianism,” he said.

Another major discussion centered on the growing influence of AI in newsrooms.

In a panel moderated by Bodarky, New York Times

Associate Editorial Director of AI Initiatives Rubina Madan Fillion, CalMatters Chief Impact Officer Sisi Wei and Columbia University Professor Jonathan Soma outlined how technology is reshaping reporting practices.

Fillion said the New York Times permits AI to assist with data analysis, transcription or headline generation but not to write articles.

“If an AI tool gets something wrong, it’s our correction, not the machine’s,” she said.

Wei, who had helped negotiate one of the first newsroom union contracts with AI language, said her organization bans any use of generative AI that replaces a real human journalist.

Soma also warned that overreliance on AI risks homogenizing journalism.

“If everyone uses it to write,

we all end up sounding the same,” he said.

All speakers agreed that reporters will soon be expected to understand AI tools the way earlier generations learned digital editing or search.

For students, the sessions offered a roadmap. Speakers encouraged them to build curiosity, transparency and resilience in a media landscape marked by shrinking budgets and expanding technological power.

As the day concluded, Freeman reminded students that the work of journalism remains essential even when its influence is questioned.

“We can write all the truth we want,” he said. “But if people don’t believe us, we’re not getting very far.”

For the students filling Constantino Hall, the presented challenge of restoring public trust in facts was a call to action from the industry veterans they saw on the stage.

A skeleton decoration adorns the piano. LALLEYAH CAMERA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The conference was on Nov. 1. ANDREW MASSIE/THE FORDHAM RAM

By ANDREW MASSIE & JORDAN DONEGAN

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918

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

TheFordhamRam.com

Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor-in-Chief

Nora Malone

Managing Editor

Jacob Wolfer

Production Editor

Sophie Maselli

Editorial Director

Jonah Ring

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Nishanth Aduma

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Sienna Reinders

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Andrew Massie

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Lalleyah Camara

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Bella DeRosa

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Editorial Policy

The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views.

Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram.

Submissions Policy

The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject or edit any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

Editorial | White House Ballroom

The Belle of the Ball Has His Head in the Clouds

If one knows anything about being king, then one knows just how hard it is to placate their ravenous cravenings and demanding needs. After all, a king will require a steady diet of praise and adoration, as something is certainly going to be needed to fight off that creeping sense of self-doubt that will inevitably arise when the horrible and dishonest scribes criticize him en masse. And, of course, he will likewise need control over the arts, as not only should his refined aesthetic tastes be allowed to reign supreme, but any pesky “visionaries” should also obviously not be allowed to engender any sort of civil unrest or discontent with their abominable creations. Yet, perhaps most of all, he needs a lavish monument to himself — one made from the purest gold and finest marble — so that his greatness may forever be etched into the annals of history. Notably, it now seems that President Donald Trump may be very close to satisfying this last, all-important kingly need of his, as construction for his lavish, $300 million dollar White House ballroom has now begun. This is not necessarily news to anyone, however, as images of the project’s progress have gone viral and become ubiquitous. After all, it is flat out shocking to the American conscience to see the iconic East Wing of the White House reduced to rubble and dust. Yet, The Fordham Ram nevertheless feels that it must offer up its own opinions

on this already very public matter, as while the legality of Trump’s ballroom may not be a matter open to debate, the optics and underlying political realities of such a massive vanity project can neither be ignored nor passively accepted.

Take, for instance, the indisputable fact that attempting to build “90,000 total square feet of ornately designed” ballroom space is simply just not a good look when the nation is effectively on the brink of major socioeconomic collapse with the government shutdown. In other words, as 41.7 million Americans are staring down the barrel of hunger due to their SNAP benefits lapsing, as millions of federal employees are looking at going another week without a paycheck and as every American is being denied access to some of the vital services that are invaluable to their quality of life, the Trump administration is actively promoting the idea that building a gigantic, neoclassical event space full of gilt ornamentation and marble grandeur is a “much-needed” project at this point in time. This feels, to be blunt, like a massive middle finger to a suffering American populace.

Even if one were to make the logically dubious claim that the Trump administration bears no responsibility for what is currently happening and is not relishing this shutdown, there is still no way to justifiably argue for the construction of this totem of extravagant wealth at this point in history.

You simply cannot flaunt your riches and spoils in the face of a starving, desperate person — it is unbecoming of any leader who purports to seriously care about their people.

Consider also how this ballroom presents major concerns about the establishment of a pay-to-play scheme. To elaborate on this sentiment, while the ballroom is (thankfully) not being funded by taxpayer money, it is also simultaneously not being bankrolled purely by Trump’s own personal fortune. Instead, this vanity project has been privately funded through voluntary donations, with the vast majority of its capital coming from a patron list that includes 37 different companies and individual actors (e.g., defense contractor Lockheed Martin has offered up $10 million dollars in support of the project, while tech mogul Google has given just about $5 million dollars towards the construction efforts).

Obviously, these gifts pose major ethical concerns in a vacuum, as they ultimately represent a way in which corporations could effectively force a government to be beholden to their desires and wishes (i.e., by making them logistically dependent upon their financial support). However, these donations become all the more concerning when one considers the Trump administration’s profound tendency to hand out legal and judicial benefits to its biggest financial backers. Thus, it is hard to envision a world in which these companies are

footing the bill for reasons beyond their hope, or perhaps even expectation, that such “generosity” will eventually lead to more beneficial legislation and more substantial contracts being thrown their way. In fact, this concern has been articulated rather strongly by some of the leading political ethicists of our time, with figures like Richard W. Painter, a professor at Minnesota Law and former chief ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush, arguing that this seems to be nothing more than a pay-to-play scheme waiting to happen. In his own words, “‘[The] [b]ottom line is [the companies making donations for the ballroom construction] want something from the government and they are paying 1) for access to the President and other high ranking officials, and 2) Hoping it will buy them what they want.’” Thus, put all of this together (i.e., the optics and ethical concerns), and this ballroom now seems like a colossal sociopolitical timebomb just waiting to go off. It is simply everything that is wrong in contemporary modern American politics, representing the ruling elite’s fundamental disconnect from the lived realities of the vast majority of Americans, as well as the ease with which corporate interests can work their way into systems that are supposed to work for the people. In light of this, The Fordham Ram feels the need to speak out and condemn the construction of this monstrosity.

Is A Prescription to Get Outside Really Necessary?

By MARIAM AHMED CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Looking for a cure? What if I told you your solution might lie amongst the trees and sun. In a world of instant relief, pills and prescribed medication, we’ve neglected the natural ways we can improve our health. For instance, how often do you get outside and engage in physical activity these days? Given how easy it can be to get relief from taking pills and lying in bed on our phones, it might not be that often. It’s such a shame because we forget the ways we medicate ourselves and that the things we consume (including digital content) can easily influence the nourishment of our bodies and minds.

I believe we don’t spend nearly as much time outside as we should. It has become so common that doctors in various parts of the world have started writing prescriptions for “outdoor time” to their patients. Now, these prescriptions aren’t as strict or specific as most normal prescriptions are, but they can motivate patients to engage in better lifestyle habits, like getting outside more often, which naturally improves their health. Sometimes we need to be encouraged to

participate in activities that are good for us. No one needs a scientific study to know that moving our bodies and getting some sun are generally good ideas. Nevertheless, according to an article published by the National Library of Medicine, sun exposure in moderation boosts our body’s vitamin D supply, which is essential for our health.

Outdoor time is being prescribed because many don’t understand how vital it truly is. Doctors say a prescription encourages people to take their advice seriously, but it also reinforces the idea that we need doctors to tell us to take care of our most basic needs. Sure, there’s always a quick fix, but how long do those typically last? We forget that maintaining health is all about consistency and discipline.

Nowadays, everything feels like a chore, even maintaining our physical and mental health, all because we’ve forgotten the simplicity of it. The only real challenge lies in taking the first step to go outside. I firmly believe we need to detach ourselves from the medications that we’re used to and engage in activities that can have longer-lasting, positive effects. It’s noticeable that

since 2020, people have spent an hour less per day outside, becoming less connected to nature. For this reason, medical prescriptions could help people strengthen their connection with nature. This act of dedicating time to nature and physical activity can help people develop consistency and discipline, eventually transforming their time in nature into a habit and a non-negotiable part of daily life.

Sometimes we all need a little push in order to start healthy habits. I honestly believe it’s essential that we spend time in nature because being out in the sun positively affects our mood, especially our serotonin levels, a key mood-regulating neurotransmitter. Nature has a way of being a natural remedy for daily emotions we struggle with, such as sadness, overstimulation, anxiety and restlessness. According to Park Rx, an organization that provides doctors with guidance and resources to prescribe outdoor time, spending time outside has the potential to reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure and boost immunity. It makes sense that, as natural creatures, we are wired to bask in nature.

As someone who already

enjoys nature, a prescription to spend more time outside would only benefit me. I truly believe that reconnecting with nature also helps us reconnect with ourselves because it forces us to shift our mood and attention to the world around us instead of the thoughts in our head. Spending time indoors can feel restricting and suffocating. We truly neglect the beauty in observing seasonal changes and basking in the nature around us. Personally, I’ve noticed a huge change in my mood and overall mental health when I actively make time for walks, engage in physical activity and observe the world around me. As students, our attention is continuously consumed by academic responsibilities, so taking walks can be an especially refreshing and motivating way to step back from the pressures of academic demands and constant productivity. Taking care of our physical and mental health is just as important as anything else, reminding us that spending time outside is a vital form of rest and a good way to restore our energy.

Mariam Ahmed, FCRH ’26, is a psychology from Yonkers, New York.

OPINION

From the

Desk

| Sophie Maselli

Goodbye, Ram. Hello, Oxford Comma!

This calendar year, I will have read and edited more than 990 articles published by The Fordham Ram — at least twice. But I’ve smiled more. Laughs are loud here in the postered confines of B-52, minds are delirious. Eyes strain from scouring a screen or print page for hours on end. Thumbtacks pin countless inside jokes on the walls, and there’s constant sound from the buzzing fan that scans the room with a breeze, but there’s rarely a lull in conversation. And it would be impudent of me to not mention B-48. These two rooms are ten degrees warmer than the hallway between them, and the air smells like Pugsley Pizza.

It’s not easy nor stress-free, being Production Editor. I typically stay up until 3 a.m. after each Monday copy night, reviewing and making all final edits digitally, and I am up equally as late on Tuesdays, scanning all fifth-reads of the print pages until we’ve submitted them to the printer. Perhaps worst of all is my inability to eat the pizza that wafts in the air every Monday and Tuesday due to my lack of certain enzymes and proteins. While this role destroyed my sleep schedule, it made me appreciate the hard work and sincere dedication that goes into putting out a newspaper

By ABIGAIL SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The title of 2025 Banned Books Week speaks true to the apparent state of media suppression in the United States. This year, Banned Books Week is a play on George Orwell’s novel “1984,” titled “Censorship is so 1984. Read for Your Rights.” The week of Oct. 5 to Oct. 11 reminds us that despite our government’s efforts to censor literature, we all should and do have the right to read. Banned books mean less accessibility to the knowledge that shapes students’ lives, fosters the willingness to accept others’ differences and enables meaningful conversations. Our right to read lies in these truths, and a country that imposes on such a right is not a country that supports the future of education nor the individual freedoms of the people.

To ban a book means to restrict public access to that book, which is the fundamental principle of successful book bans. It is true that even if schools and libraries ban a book, it can still be purchased from bookstores or online. However, these alternatives still present barriers, particularly financial ones. Schools and libraries themselves play crucial roles in the community, keeping literature accessible and affordable for all students. Not all students have access to affordable online or inperson bookstores, or live within walking or driving distance of

each week. During my first year at Fordham University, I never thought much about the newspaper. I occasionally admired a print copy of The Fordham Ram, and simply went on my way. What I was — perhaps blissfully — ignorant of, was the fact that nearly 30 students had poured hours of their weeks into each paper: conversing with writers, content editing, fact checking, copy editing, creating graphics, formatting, editing the formatting — I could go on.

Sure, running a newspaper comes with a lot of stress. But each Wednesday, as I pick up a copy of our paper, I remind myself that I’m making a difference. Whether that be putting a smile on a student’s face because they got published, or because I aided in the publication of an important article, it reminds me that I’m doing something with my time here at Fordham. And knowing I was able to do that, at least a little, as Production Editor of The Ram, makes it all worth it. The work of an editor typically receives no glory, simply a name in the acknowledgments, or listed on the masthead. But there would be no paper without our editors. Thank you Allison and Adithi, for running this paper in the spring semester, two-thirds of what I’d called “The Big

Three.” And to every section editor who dealt with the copy team’s countless suggestions on articles and inconceivable amount of brackets and circles on their print page: Thank you for putting in the work and taking the time to adhere to our perfections, whether it be this semester or this year. The work of the copy team, especially, is only visibly noticeable to The Ram’s section editors. To them, the copy team is a number of Google Doc suggestions and colorful pen markings on a print page. All of us with our own unique color that we’ve kept since Issue 1. So there are some people I’d like to thank.

To the previous holder of the red pen, Emma: I am grateful for your willful dedication to this paper. To the mustard pen, Indigo; the orange pen, Emily; the light green pen, Caroline; and the teal pen, Julia, for stepping up to the role of Executive Copy Editors for the fall semester.

To the purple pen. Jonah, the writer of my favorite weekly article and my fraternal appendixless twin. I’m sorry for every unwelcome edit I made on your self-proclaimed “academic prose” in the herculean editorial every week. I love reading your writing, and I must admit — though I don’t think you’ll believe me — I’m

going to miss it. We’ve come a long way from B-48!

To the green pen. Sarah, my trusty Copy Chief whom I’ve spent three days a week with for the past two semesters. I can’t wait to see all you do during your next couple of years at Fordham, especially at The Ram.

To the pink pen. Jacob, my right-hand man — literally. You never fail to make me laugh, whether it be from your common quips or uncanny impressions. From sitting next to me as my Copy Chief during the spring semester to joining me on e-board as Managing Editor this fall, I’m glad to call you my friend.

To the new red pen. Nora, who went from News Editor in the spring to Editor-inChief for the fall. I can’t necessarily say that I’m proud — because I would expect nothing less — but thank you for rising

Censorship is so 1984

their public libraries.

When access to books is restricted, it also limits students’ access to information that enhances their personal development. No longer can they find characters or stories that are representative of their personal experiences, particularly for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. Younger students will feel less inclined to share their struggles or identities out of fear of rejection, affecting a larger demographic of youths who are inevitably self-conscious as they enter adulthood. From a young age, censorship shapes their perception of the world, without them even realizing that things do not have to be this way. Identities, diversity and acceptance of mental health can and should be celebrated, but they can’t be without standing up to censorship.. Many banned books share similar reasons for being banned. The most disproportionately affected books are those that feature characters representative of people of color or LGBTQ+ identities. Banned books also often have themes such as race, sexual violence, gender identity, substance abuse and depression that are decried as problematic or too mature for younger audiences. These bans ignore the idea that books concerning these topics enable marginalized authors to engage in difficult and also very real conversations

with their audience.

A 2022 ALA poll found that 71% of Americans disagree with book bans, despite the nearly tenfold increase in such bans since 2020. This leaves the remaining supporters to suggest that the intention lies in defending the American youth from themes they may find offensive or upsetting, or even ideas or ideologies that do not reflect an ideal mainstream lifestyle. But does the so-called protection of the youth, as they learn to experience the world, set them up to successfully enter adulthood? Will they be unnecessarily wary of the free expression of diverse genders and sexualities and be less accepting of cultural and racial diversity? Such possibilities seem exaggerated, but are within reason, and may soon be realized should reading and access to books become even more restricted.

The concept of banning books seems like a prohibition of specific content from certain books for a reason, but the underlying issue lies with the imposition of such restrictions. The book-banning process imposes one person’s or a group’s standards, sensitivities or biases onto a larger audience, limiting the overall access to a controversial theme in other books. Restrictions on the diversity of books limits everybody, especially the youth, impinging on their ability to explore their own identities through relatable characters

to the immense task of the job. I am elated, and so grateful, that you got to be Editor-in-Chief before you study abroad next semester, and I look forward to seeing all the amazing work you do in the future.

While I don’t know if I’m going to miss staying up late Mondays and Tuesdays, my eyes, mind and body exhausted, I do know that I’m going to miss the community that came with The Ram. Spending between 15 and 21 hours each week in B-52, nearly every black rolling chair occupied by co-workersturned-friends, will always be looked back upon fondly. And I know for sure that I will not miss deleting Oxford Comma after Oxford Comma from articles. With my head full of AP style rules and my heart full of love and pride for this team, I sign off with my blue pen, SM

and themes. Access to books with heavier themes brings those with complex stories and struggles into the conversation and, consequently, creates the willingness to engage in important reallife discussions. Discussing books introduces sensitive subjects more easily, not just among youths, but also with parents and other adults. Looking back on the novels that were part of my high school English curriculum, many of them are now popular banned books. I distinctly remember Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” fascinating me with its exploration of racial injustice during the Jim Crow era, in this way being crucial to teaching empathy by showing the consequences of racism. Of course, George Orwell’s “1984,” the novel that gives the week its name, portrays a no-longer dystopian representation of what government control looks like, but our present reality. Reminiscent of the novel’s theme is the growing commonality of banning books,

but America does not have legislation enacted concerning the legality of removing books. Book-banning history is not well-developed and it’s why we must focus our attention on what’s happening now. PEN America recorded 3,752 titles being banned in 2024, all of which were processed without a legal consensus to determine when a book can and can’t be removed. If book banning continues without widespread awareness of its consequences, students will grow into a mindset that lacks the meaningful themes and relatability we associate with the books of our high school days. Books create space for the acceptance of complex subjects, and a country without the space to belong and relate to these ideas is not a country for the people. Banned Books Week returns each year as a reminder of the progression towards censorship that our government allows, and it feels more un-American than ever concerning free speech.

Abigail Smith, FCRH ’27, is an English major from Verona, New Jersey.

MEGHAN CATTANI/THE FORDHAM RAM Banned books limit young people’s access to diverse characters.

OPINION

A Wandering Humanity: A Catholic Response to Artificial Intelligence

By JACK O’BRIEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has urged people to question “Who am I?” Now, for a rare moment in history, people are asking this question without prompting from the Church. Instead, it is Artificial Intelligence (AI) that “has prompted many people to reflect on what it means to be human,” and ask themselves, “Who am I?” In the coming years, it seems inevitable that AI will imitate and replace countless human functions, forcing people to reflect on this question: “Who am I?” This is an opportunity for the Church to do something simple: Walk with and prepare a way for a wandering humankind by relying on her ancient wisdom. Rest assured, history has proven that the Church is well-equipped to accompany pilgrims along the journey of questioning one’s identity. Oftentimes, these metaphorical pilgrimages occur during times of great social disorder, such as periods of war and major disruptions to the economy and labor markets. Following numerous recent revolutions, the current dawn of the AI Revolution marks one of these transformative periods. The Catholic response to the Second Industrial

Revolution in the late 19th century was led by Pope Leo XIII (the namesake of the current pope). During the time of booming industrial capitalism and subsequent wealth disparity, many pilgrims wandered through the spiritual wilderness of the new industrial age as they questioned the value of work in monotonous, automated and profit-centered factories. In response, Pope Leo XIII and the Church issued the papal letter Rerum Novarum, which established guidance for modern Catholic social teaching and the proper relationship between capital and labor. Today, the world is in a similar position: Wealth gaps are the widest in generations, the economy is booming on the back of technology and people are searching for purpose. Just as Pope Leo XIII gave direction during the Second Industrial Revolution, it is now Pope Leo XIV who stands ready to give direction for human-tech relations during the Intelligence Revolution.

Last week, the AI at Fordham club gathered to ponder the wisdom the Church offers to individuals making the “Who am I?” reflection that AI continues to provoke in many wandering and trying hearts. Brother William Rehg S.J., Fordham’s St. Ignatius Loyola

Chair in the philosophy department and computer ethics professor, lent an expert voice to the conversation on A Catholic Response to AI. The first step when asking “Who am I?” said Rehg, is to reconsider the belief that every human, including oneself, bears an intrinsic dignity.

The Church teaches that every human has dignity because they are created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). God freely gave humans this dignity — A belief completely misaligned with the predominant worldview that values humans only through the economic value that their work produces. As AI draws more pilgrims into reflection, it is the Church’s moment to share what she has known for millennia: Dignity cannot be earned because it has been gifted.

This is a hopeful outlook: that AI will replace — or at the very least, imitate — many human functions, and that humanity will still bear its dignity as being made “in the image of God.” While hopeful, AI makes it increasingly challenging to notice human dignity in oneself and others. For example, in an absurd experiment, a Swiss Catholic Church installed an AI-Jesus in a private room for people to talk to. More than

1,000 people interacted with the avatar, and “feedback suggested two-thirds of them had found it to be a ‘spiritual experience.’” This feedback is indicative of a larger trend in society, seen on social media and in AI: People would rather spend time interacting with technology than interacting with other humans, or, in the case of the Swiss Church, interacting with God. If this trend continues in greater facets of human interaction with others and God, a dystopian future is likely where the dignity of the human person goes unnoticed in favor of “real connection” with technology. That is what a wandering humanity looks like. It is a humanity that will look a camera in the eye but not another person, talk to an AI-Jesus but not a priest, pray with an

AI chatbot but not God, avoid loneliness with artificial friends and avoid suffering with technology that will never suffer. In this world of wanderers, which we all are, Pope Leo XIV and the Church have an opportunity like never before to prepare the way, the truth and the life for pilgrims walking through artificial disruption. She reminds us that a wandering humanity is also one that, deep down, knows that we were made for real connection with real people and a real God. It is a humanity that knows it will continue to fall, but that purpose can be found in wandering while asking again and again: “Who am I?”

Jack O’Brien, GSB ’27, is a public accounting major from Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Trump’s New Ballroom Adds to the History of the People’s House

By MICHAEL DUKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Back in July, the Trump administration announced that the White House would undergo construction to make way for a new ballroom. While the construction has just recently begun, the White House has justified the plans to build the ballroom, by saying that “The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”

However, by all accounts, the fact that the construction has recently begun should not be a surprise to anyone, especially given the history behind how the White House has undergone changes over the years.

While it is fairly shocking to see the peoples’ house get torn down by all sorts of machines and construction workers, no one should be completely averse to the ideas that the construction presents. Ultimately, the all-too-familiar and recognizable White House of the last few decades hasn’t always looked the way that it does today. In fact, while it’s fairly ironic to mention it given the fact that we’re talking about recent actions by a Republican president, the construction that’s recently

begun is a signal to the nation that we’re in a progressive era.

A progressive era that is oddly reminiscent of another time of conservatism in America: the early 20th century.

To take a step back in time, former President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “a great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy.”

While Roosevelt was a progressive conservative, he is known for more than speaking softly and carrying a big stick. In fact, Roosevelt was much like President Donald Trump in his approach to the White House. In 1902, he authorized a complete refurbishment of the grounds. Roosevelt had deemed that the building at that point was in a sorry condition, with outdated plumbing and was just generally deteriorating.

After Roosevelt got the ball rolling, former President William Howard Taft greenlit construction of the Oval Office. A few decades later, former President Harry S. Truman also refurbished the White House. It’s because of the construction that happened under his presidency that the White House is more resemblant of what we’re all familiar with today. Truman’s Presidential Library goes as far as to detail that his plans to revamp the White House were a result of how “a structural survey revealed major problems caused by stress from

previous expansions,” and that “the whole building started to show alarming signs of collapsing.” First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis even had her own designs that updated the White House.

While mentioning just a handful of renovations and updates that the White House has undergone in the last century is unrelated to what’s happening today, it’s worthwhile to keep them in mind. After all, an argument certainly can be made that there is precedent for Trump to update the White House as he might see fit. But there are some problematic elements to this story.

One element can be found in how private donors are bankrolling the construction of the new ballroom. Donors that range from the tech field, like T-Mobile and Apple, to Caterpillar Inc., to somehow the Winklevoss twins. Yes, you read that correctly, the guys who were central to the 2010 movie about Facebook’s beginning, “The Social Network,” are helping to fund the new construction.

What’s even more problematic is that this story is as bizarre as it seems. From one point of view, Trump has opened his right flank by starting the demolition. A flank that has handed Lorne Michaels’ Saturday Night Live (SNL) fresh ammo on a silver platter to use against him.

Without being too much of a spoiler, it’s no surprise that SNL did actually end up using

this story against Trump. In a pre-recorded sketch, the show came after Trump in an HGTVesque take on the construction, making him out to be one of the picky guests that the show “Property Brothers” typically features in their episodes.

Pushing satire aside, there’s also another element that’s worthwhile to note. An element that speaks much for what some people in our nation are feeling while seeing photos of the East Wing come down.

Former President Bill Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea Clinton, wrote an opinion article in USA Today, where she recapped how the White House was once her home for a few years when her father was in office.

However, Clinton said something that is good to remember in a time when many Americans hold some distrust against the current administration: “[A] uthority is not the same as stewardship. Stewardship requires transparency, consultation and an accounting for history.”

While it doesn’t really matter if you support the construction and demolition, or if you’re

feeling nostalgic and want the East Wing back because it better resembles the Lego White House that’s sitting in the corner of your room, Clinton points out something that the Trump administration has fumbled: the messaging.

If the Trump administration had branded the renovations as something better, maybe even tying it into this year’s earlier message of the golden age of America, maybe people would be more receptive. But that’s not the reality. What is the reality is that the East Wing is gone, construction has started and the world keeps spinning. Nothing is going to bring the East Wing back.

However, what we can do is try to be excited about a new chapter, see what comes of it and then judge. Right now, we might be jumping the gun and pointing fingers. But we’re pointing fingers at a mound of dirt right now.

MEGHAN CATTANI/THE FORDHAM RAM Pope Leo XIV is leading the Catholic Church’s guidance on AI.

Michael Duke, GSB ’26, is a business administration major from Scottsdale, Arizona.

COURTESY OF @THEB1M President Trump’s plans follow a history of White House renovations.

OPINION

The Students Say: Why I’m Voting For Andrew Cuomo

By SOPHIA AROS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Andrew Cuomo’s reemergence into New York City politics as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination has drawn both skepticism and support. However, in an election defined by populist energy, anti-establishment sentiment and political propaganda, Cuomo represents something rare in modern politics: experience, pragmatism and a genuine understanding of how New York operates.

Cuomo’s opponents want to cast him as a relic of the past. In truth, he is the only candidate with experience running the state. His years as a public servant were not without controversy, but they were also marked by unparalleled achievements in infrastructure, education and public safety. Cuomo knows how to manage the machinery of government unlike his opponent, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.

Cuomo’s greatest strength is his experience on the job. As a lawyer, as former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and as Governor of New York (201121), Cuomo yielded tangible results by expanding access to affordable education, investing in significant infrastructure and backing efforts to keep New York safe. As mayor, Cuomo promises to address safety and affordability by adding more officers to subway stations, expanding transportation discounts for low-income New Yorkers and building affordable housing, among other initiatives.

Cuomo’s broader social-policy record also includes creating the New York State of Health, which expanded affordable coverage to nearly 7 million New Yorkers, lowered premiums through federal tax credits and strengthened protections

for those with pre-existing conditions. Simply put, Cuomo knows how to manage the machinery of government. On the other hand, his leading opponent, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, has little practical experience in governance.

While critics often point to the sexual-harassment allegations that led to his resignation in 2021, many voters do not see these allegations as disqualifying, given that the criminal investigation never resulted in a conviction after the judge dropped the charge in 2022.

Cuomo took responsibility and stepped down, demonstrating accountability in a political climate dominated by whataboutism, conspiracy and finger-pointing.

What distinguishes Cuomo from Mamdani is not just policy but perspective. Mamdani’s self-proclaimed “democratic socialism” calls for defunding the police, abolishing private property and replacing capitalism altogether; ideas that may sound appealing to activists but are disastrous for workingclass New Yorkers.

The contradictions extend to Mamdani’s political proposals. Mamdani’s campaign promise to raise taxes on corporations and the richest New Yorkers was questioned even by Governor Kathy Hochul, who voiced concern about the top 1.5% of earners leaving the city due to tax increases. “I cannot make up for that with middle class tax increases. I cannot do that to the middle class and the struggling New Yorkers,” she said on the “Raging Moderates” podcast.

A recent poll by J.L Partners for the Daily Mail, found that over 25% of New Yorkers would consider leaving the city if Mamdani were elected mayor, citing concerns about higher taxes, crime and collapsing infrastructure.

Yet he and his family have enjoyed every privilege of the capitalist system he despises. The New York Post reported that his parents own a luxury estate in Uganda — rented on Airbnb with lake views and exotic wildlife — while he denounces luxury property owners in New York. Mamdani also holds dual Ugandan-American citizenship which I believe raises questions about whether he can claim to accurately represent American constituents.

This detachment from the realities of governance extends to his economic agenda. Mamdani has proposed making buses free city-wide and opening government-run grocery stores, ignoring the obvious question: Who pays for this? As the Cato Institute noted, “Mamdani’s budget plan is just detailed enough to show that the math here doesn’t work, even if he did manage to get the state’s blessing for his proposals.” Furthermore, Mamdani lives in a rent-stabilized apartment despite earning a six-figure salary, which some argue contributes to gentrification.

His legislative record is equally troubling. He cosponsored a bill to decriminalize sex work in New York. Cuomo argues this policy position shows that, as mayor, Mamdani “would bring New York City back to the bad old days of rampant crime, decreased public safety and deteriorating quality of life.”

To call Mamdani’s policies “progressive” is to ignore a generation of victims of sex trafficking.

While Cuomo was accused of Islamophobia for appearing to agree that Mamdani would “cheer on” another attack like 9/11, Mamdani has supported radical groups and positions that some see as antisemetic.

In a 2017 song titled “Salaam,” Mamdani openly made homage to the Holy Land Five, a group convicted of funding Hamas. He has also criticized the United States’ support of the Israeli military and accused Israel of “genocide.” Regardless of accusations levied at Cuomo, pointing out Mamdani’s radical positions is not bigotry; it is moral clarity that contrasts Cuomo from his opponent. More than 1,000 rabbis signed a letter calling for voters to stand up against Mamdani, after a video by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove calling him “a danger to the security of the New York Jewish community” received attention. A recent report by antisemitism watchdog, The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, highlighted these concerns about Mamdani, raising serious questions about his capacity to safeguard New York’s diverse communities.

While Mamdani publicly criticized Cuomo for not visiting a mosque during his campaign until after he had lost the Democratic primary. But, at the time Mamdani made those comments, Cuomo had, in fact, already visited the Futa Islamic Center in the Bronx. Even so, faith is personal. The idea that a candidate must visit every house of worship to prove tolerance can come across as performative rather than genuine. As the Catholic League noted, Mamdani’s accusations reveal “inauthenticity,” a tendency to weaponize religion and identity for political gain rather than focusing on solutions.

Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly early missteps around nursing homes, damaged his credibility. However, nearly every world leader made mistakes during that unprecedented crisis. What matters is what he

learned from it: transparency, preparation and decisive management.

Unlike Mamdani, who has never held a private-sector job and whose record remains mostly symbolic, Cuomo’s experience extends beyond rhetoric. He knows how to negotiate budgets, direct emergency responses and balance competing priorities. He is not guessing how the systwem works; he built much of it. Additionally, as an independent candidate, Cuomo endeavors to stand apart from partisan extremism.

Cuomo’s campaign message is clear: rebuilding New York for the people who live here, not reshaping it for political experiments. His focus on affordability, safety and education centers core issues that determine quality of life. His new affordable-housing plan aims to build 500,000 new homes over the next decade — two-thirds for working families — by cutting red tape, partnering with faithbased groups and investing $5 billion to make homes truly affordable.

New York needs leadership grounded in experience, not activism. Cuomo’s record proves that he knows how to govern, how to fix what remains broken and how to deliver for everyday New Yorkers. Voters do not need another hyper-polarized politician with a microphone looking to divide the electorate. New York needs a leader who can balance budgets, build infrastructure and keep our streets safe. Cuomo has done it before. He can do it again.

Sophia Aros, FCLC ’26, is a political science major from Marshall, Virginia

Cuomo switched to running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary, running on a platform that emphasizes his experience and promoting public safety. SOPHIE MASELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM

OPINION

The Students Say: Why I’m Voting For Zohran Mamdani

By MCKENNA COVENY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As the 2025 New York City mayoral election comes to a close, many New Yorkers who have not yet voted plan to visit their local voting booths on Tuesday. Consequently, discussions are being had on who to vote for (and perhaps who not to vote for). Leading by a sizable margin in virtually every poll conducted in the month of October, the Democratic nominee and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Zohran Mamdani, is at the forefront of the race, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, FCRH ’79, an independent candidate, closely behind him. Trailing further back is the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, who, despite the nearimpossibility of victory, has maintained he will remain in the race.

With such a short time left to vote, the question has been raised: Who will New Yorkers elect? While I am not able to give a definitive answer to that question, I can undoubtedly and pridefully say who I will be voting for. My vote will be cast for Mamdani, as he is fighting

for a more livable, affordable New York City that focuses on the safety and comfort of all citizens.

Born in Uganda and having become a United States citizen in 2018, Mamdani would not only be the first Muslim mayor of New York City, but he would also be the youngest in over a century. Some have raised concerns about his lack of experience, especially compared to the other candidates. While it is true that Mamdani is younger and has less experience in the realm of politics, I think many fail to recognize that a large number of our politicians (both liked and disliked) do not have the “proper” amount of experience. I would also add that our current president had little political experience before taking office and has succeeded primarily in only two things: dividing our nation and curtailing Americans’ civil and human rights, which has landed the United States of America on the Global Human Rights Watchlist.

Despite the critics, there are understandable reasons that explain why Mamdami is far ahead of his competitors. He is running on plans to make

NYC as affordable as possible, and will work to make the simple act of living achievable for everyone. To do this, he has pledged to freeze rent for all stabilized tenants, to build 200,000 new affordable housing units and to hold negligent landlords accountable. Another goal is to provide more support to the homeowners in the city, particularly those in lower-income communities, by creating a new Office of Deed Theft Prevention. This would help ensure these community members are able to not only avoid being scammed, but are also not drowning in property taxes. In other words, all New Yorkers, including the wealthy, would pay their fair share to live in this city.

Another notable objective of Mamdani’s campaign is to create a Department of Community Safety, whose purpose is to make the NYPD’s job less burdensome. In order to do this, the new department would focus on strengthening and expanding violence interrupter programs and creating mental health teams that are able to respond to 911 calls where police officers are not needed, giving New York police officers

an easier time responding to serious, violent crime. Admittedly, some are a bit skeptical of this proposal and identify Mamdani’s calls to “defund the police” and criticism of the NYPD in 2020, as a weakness to his candidacy. This is made especially true by the fact that many Democratic nominees before Mamdani have taken a more politically moderate approach to addressing crime in the city, a popular strategy to appease Republican voters. Nonetheless, I believe Mamdani’s new plan for the police force is something we need, as it will solve problems that simply hiring a few thousand more police officers will not, and provide a solid social safety net that we have previously been deprived of. Furthermore, I believe that Mamdani is the obvious choice for mayor because he is not only fighting for the average New Yorker’s quality of living, but he is also creating longterm solutions to our city’s problems that work from the ground up. Instead of covering bullet wounds with band-aids, Mamdani is endeavoring to actually fix the real issues.

While my basis for voting

for Mamdani has been made abundantly clear, what are other Fordham students’ reasons?

Matthew Doron, FCLC ’27, said, “I’m voting for him because his policies seem to actually be focused on what the people and the city need, especially with all the services the federal government is ending. He sounds focused on the city’s specific needs, not like he is trying to play a bigger political game and gain a bigger office down the line.” Expanding on the policy most important to him as a commuter, he said, “I particularly like his proposal to make bus fares free.”

I think the answer to our question is pretty clear: The Fordham students I spoke with are voting for Mamdani because he is a candidate who will enact change — and one who is not unwilling to stand up for what they believe in — even amidst the threats towards New York City launched by President Donald Trump and his administration.

McKenna Coveny, FCRH ’27, is a comparative literature major from Houston, Texas.

Mamdani’s

CULTURE

’Tis the Season: Bryant Park Winter Village is Now Open

By BRIDGETTE LEAHY STAFF WRITER

It’s finally around the best time to be a New Yorker! Starting Oct. 24, Bryant Park reopened their annual Winter Village. The Winter Village, for those who are unfamiliar, is a seasonal village offering endless international food courts, holiday shops and ice skating, all perfect for capturing the holiday spirit. You don’t want to miss this.

Even though we have a little more time until the holidays, it’s never too early to celebrate the holiday spirit. In addition to this year, I visited around the same time last November, so I can accurately list the ideal spots you won’t want to miss.

It is important to start with a fresh, warm beverage at The Lodge: A warm, melted Belgian hot chocolate, hot crisp cider or even a fruity cocktail or beer if you’re over 21 years old, of course. At The Lodge, you can experience an open-air après skate escape in the middle of New York City, where visitors can mingle, munch and drink while watching skaters on the rinkside. The Lodge offers two full-service bars, serving a variety of food options to satisfy your New York City palate. Looking for an excellent viewing experience

for game-day? The Lodge also features a large screen for watching television. The Lodge bar and food hall is located in the northeast corner of the rink deck and is open daily until 10 p.m. on weekends and 8 p.m. on weekdays.

My top favorite bites are going to have to be Stout NYC, Gunther’s, Sweet Tooth NYC and Strawberro. Stout, offers freshly grilled artisan sausage with wagyu, chicken or cheddarwurst paired with crispy steak frites styled or a Bavarian pretzel to walk around with. Additionally, there is a new iconic cozy food option now available at the market: mini grilled cheese bites dipped and drenched with homemade tomato soup. If you’re looking for authentic Asian cuisine, stop by Biang Biang Noodles. It’s exactly what it sounds like — the big hand pulled noodles with spicy, tangy, delicious beef straight from Chinatown. These noodles melt in your mouth with a tremendous savory flavor. Not to mention, it warms you up too! A perfect comfort food once the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

You can’t possibly go to the market without getting a sweet treat. Oh, you thought you could, but sorry! The holidays aren’t about getting in shape; they are about

enjoying good times and making memories. So, lean into your sweet tooth. At Sweet Tooth NYC, their specialty is soft serve sundae cones topped with your choice of nostalgic sweet toppings. Salted caramel, s’mores or cookies and cream — you name it! A staple sweet treat spot is Strawberro. It’s home to the famous Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries from last winter, when Dubai Chocolate was the new Labubu. Something new this year is that they’re offering a small and a large style cup. Not to discourage you, but it is pricey regardless of their sizes; however, nothing beats their chocolate quality. If you’re looking for something new this year, try their honey and parmesan strawberries! I was skeptical at first, but it is truly a brilliant combination. It tastes like melted brie or goat cheese with some honey swirled on top. Decadent. Beyond just munching around, I highly recommend skating and exploring their shops. I’m not a skater myself, but don’t worry, most people on the rink are there for fun. Bryant Park also offers skating lessons. Group or private lessons start at around $37.89 per person. Take lots of pictures and videos to capture your winter memories and share on social media to let other

New Yorkers know about the Winter Market!

The Christmas tree, especially at night, is a slightly different version of the one at Rockefeller Center. Not as big, of course, but still a beautiful must-see. It will get you into the “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” feeling, I can assure you.

If you’re looking for a

beautiful gift for a family member, friend or significant other, consider visiting their various shops. They have some cute, comfy wear, such as Mure + Gran, cute, cuddly sweaters and handbags. There are also some iconic ornaments and furry alpacas. The market is open until Jan. 2, so be sure to visit while you can and enjoy the holiday season!

‘Death Becomes Her’ Comes Alive

By JACQUI LYSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Death Becomes Her” is a true laugh-out-loud musical comedy on Broadway. I was fortunate enough to see this play at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre recently and it did not disappoint. This production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli. Based on the original 1992 film “Death Becomes Her,” starring actresses Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, many aspects of the Broadway adaptation live up to the iconic original including its humorous tone and immaculate levels of performance.

“Death Becomes Her” is a story about a lifelong rivalry between two women, Helen Sharp (Jennifer Simard) and Madeline Ashton (Megan Hilty), that takes a chaotic turn when they each take a mysterious potion that provides them with eternal youth.

As soon as I arrived at the theater, I was immediately enchanted by the spellbinding atmosphere fashioned from purple and pink lighting, which mirrored the mystical ambiance of the show perfectly. The impressive visuals of this show continued with its set designs. The set design’s attention to detail was both

captivating and brilliantly conveyed the journey of the characters throughout the story. As they moved throughout numerous locations, I found these transitions from place to place clearly depicted and easy to follow. The beautiful set and backdrops added dimension to the story and tremendously enhanced the mood and storytelling. I also enjoyed the addition of special effects sprinkled throughout the duration of the production.

The immaculate costumes in “Death Becomes Her” were mesmerizing. The development and personality of the characters, especially Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, are clear through their costume design. Madeline’s consistent extravagance and love of the spotlight is portrayed through her bold and equally extravagant costumes. We also see Helen’s confidence develop through her wardrobe which becomes even more spectacular as the story progresses. There were numerous costumes in this musical that particularly took my breath away and made the story all the more entertaining. Not only were the visuals of this show impressive, but so was the performance itself. The acting in “Death Becomes Her” was perfectly

witty and energetic. The characters came to life through the high levels of talent in the cast. The performance of Hilty was one of my favorites, due to her impeccable timing and stage presence. Sometimes when adaptations of certain stories are produced, the reimagined version falls flat due to the high caliber the original has, but that was not the case here. Although the overall levels of chaos and the unhinged nature of the original film lacked in the Broadway show, I believe this adaptation, and its actors, met the high quality performance of the classic film.

I found the musical addition to this performance especially compelling. Stories can be effectively told through dialogue, but songs add much to it as well. They nicely balance the humorous absurdity and touching moments of the story. I found that the pacing of the musical story was inconsistent as the show was more or less slow in Act I, and then later, in Act II, was filled with high levels of energy and entertainment. Even with some slight inconsistencies, I could always count on the musicality of “Death Becomes Her” to engage me once again into the story.

The performance level extended far beyond the main

cast as the ensemble of the show was also filled with profound talent. The story was complimented by each individual’s strong stage presence and choreography. The big production numbers were exciting and contained high levels of imagination that were very visually pleasing. All the different aspects of this show come together to tell this inherently chaotic story in a very orderly manner.

Having seen the original film beforehand or not, audience members can find the Broadway production highly

Broadway’s “Death Becomes Her” is based on a 1992 film starring Meryl Streep. entertaining. I had seen the film of “Death Becomes Her” before attending the Broadway show, and such knowledge did not deflate this newly adapted version. I highly recommend this musical-comedy production because of its high level of humor, stunning visuals and its entertaining performance level. Additionally, Hilty’s final performance as Madeline is set to be sometime in the beginning of January. I would greatly advocate to see Hilty’s impeccable performance in “Death Becomes Her” before she departs from the show.

Bryant Park’s Winter Village is open from Oct. 24 to Jan. 2.

BRIDGETTE LEAHY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

JACQUI LYSON FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

November 5, 2025

CULTURE

‘Hi, My name’s Forrest, Forrest Gump’

By JACOB WOLFER MANAGING EDITOR

Growing up, my mother always used to quote the 1994 film “Forrest Gump” to me, saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates … you never know what you’re gonna get.” Even though I had watched the film several times, I never fully understood what it meant until life started throwing a few punches my way. Tom Hanks and his role as Forrest Gump have come to have a profound impact on me and many others in the United States. So let’s dive into the origins of the movie and the pop culture that has come from it.

The movie is based on the book, “Forrest Gump,” written by Winston Groom and published in 1986. The book follows Gump as he navigates through life as someone with below-average intelligence but an extremely big heart.

The 1994 film, starring Hanks, seeks to bring Gump to life while adding its own twist as Gump achieves several extraordinary accolades that one could only dream of attaining. He becomes a member of the All-American Football Team after earning a spot on the University of Alabama’s roster. He then goes on to join the Army and receives the Congressional Medal of Honor after his

heroic and selfless actions that saved the lives of several American soldiers during the Vietnam War. In addition, he goes on to found his own shrimping company, which he names “Bubba Gump,” in order to fulfill his promise to his late friend, Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue, who died in his arms in Vietnam.

The restaurant “Bubba Gump Shrimp Company” became a real establishment when it opened its first location in 1996, in an effort to capitalize on the movie’s popularity. The restaurant boasts its own selection of “Forrest Gump” inspired apparel. This includes hats, shirts and several other trinkets that have quotes from the movie. Some of these notable quotes include: “Stupid is as stupid does,” “I just felt like running,” and “Run Forrest run.” These phrases have become an integral part of many people’s vocabularies and are commonly used as motivators when life gets tough.

“Run Jacob run,” is what my mother says to me when I have a hard week or a pile of work I need to finish. It reminds me to just keep going when I get stressed, and it never fails to make me laugh as I remember Gump’s nonchalant attitude and ability to block out drama and

outside noise to focus on the task at hand. “Stupid is as stupid does” is what I say to myself when I’m upset about a silly mistake I might have made on a paper or a test, and it reminds me that nobody’s perfect and that we are all human and make mistakes. “I just felt like running” is what plays in my head when I get an impulse

to go explore or get a late workout in.

These phrases may seem insignificant to people unfamiliar with the film, but for me and many others, they have become a way to embrace the struggles life throws at us and remind us that life can be simple and beautiful if we let it be. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we

could all go through life like Forrest, if we could love like him, care for others like he did and take life in strides as it comes at us. Nevertheless, the cultural impacts and famous phrases that Hanks delivered in this film have endured for a generation and will hopefully stay with us for many more to come.

Midway to the Mirrorball: A ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Review

By LEAH RENSHAW CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From Whitney Leavitt’s flawless quickstep earning the first 10s of the season to Robert Irwin’s jive being hailed as “the best first dance of the season,” “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) is delivering a record-breaking 34th season. With over 100 million votes cast on “Wicked” Night alone, audiences are more engaged than ever, watching celebrities discover new sides of themselves on the ballroom floor. I have never before been this emotionally invested in a season of “DWTS,” and I can’t wait to see what the coming weeks bring.

The moment I witnessed Irwin hit the floor, I knew exactly who my winner was going to be. His natural charisma and enthusiasm make every dance entertaining to watch, but what sets him apart is his genuine improvement from week to week.

There’s an undeniable joy in his movement that reminds viewers why “DWTS” continues to resonate after so many seasons. It’s about growth, vulnerability and the courage to step out of one’s comfort zone. Seeing Irwin transition from awkward steps in his first rehearsal to confidently

commanding the ballroom is inspiring. Also, his connection with his pro partner, Whitney Carson, is palpable and radiates through the screen. It’s performances like his that make this season feel particularly special and emotionally charged.

My favorite dances thus far have been Elaine Hendrix’s “Defying Gravity” performance during “Wicked” Night and Alix Earle’s Dedication Night performance. As a dancer myself who has trained in almost every style, I feel as though I can recognize a technically excellent performance. While these two dancers were not 100% perfect, they had an element of performance and stage presence that simply cannot be taught. If we are talking technique, Leavitt takes the cake. Her quickstep on “Wicked” Night looked to be at a professional level. I do believe that Leavitt is at a similar level to Julianne Hough, which makes the competition slightly unfair to other contestants. While dance experience on the show is encouraged, that level of performance is unlike any I’ve seen from a celebrity on the show before — Charli D’Amelio being a close second.

Contrary to popular belief, I think it was appropriate for

Scott Hoying and his pro Rylee Arnold to be eliminated after “Wicked” night. Hoying’s performance has consistently been flat from week one, and unfortunately, Arnold is excellent at choreographing for herself, but not so much for a partner with Hoying’s skill level. I’m hoping that next season we will be able to see Arnold really choreograph to the assets of her partner and advance further in the competition.

Although I believe Andy Richter’s time is coming, I must say his personality and work ethic are what this show is all about. Watching him go from having no experience to understanding the fundamentals of salsa on the dedication night was a reminder of what “DWTS” is all about. His connection to his partner, Emma Slater, is incredibly strong, and they work together exceptionally well. He is a crowd favorite this season, and I do believe it is for all of the right reasons.

For the rest of the season, I hope to see the celebrities gain more confidence on the ballroom floor and focus more on the performance aspect. For example, Jordan Chiles had an excellent technical performance last week, but it was lacking

emotion, and, in my opinion, did not deserve a 10. I am hoping to see more relaxed upper bodies from the celebrities and correct head placement. Often, the newer dancers appear stiff in the shoulders and tilt their heads towards their partner. This is less natural, and while most viewers who aren’t dancers may not notice, it really affects the quality of a performance for me. I’m also hoping for stronger arms with energy stretching all the way through the fingertips. The smallest details can turn a dancer from appearing amateur to professional.

COURTESY OF @DANCINGWITHTHESTARS Tune into ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. eastern. and the stakes grow higher, this season of “DWTS” feels like one for the books. With a mix of technical excellence, emotional storytelling and pure entertainment, the show has reminded audiences why it remains a staple of reality television. Whether it is Leavitt’s professional-level quickstep, Irwin’s infectious energy or Richter’s heartfelt journey, every contestant brings something uniquely compelling to the floor. I’ll be watching closely as the remaining weeks unfold, cheering for my favorites and hoping to see performances that blend precision with passion because that, to me, is what true dancing is all about.

As the competition tightens

COURTESY OF @EVERYOSCAREVER

The 1994 film “Forrest Gump” is a classic story that has remained popular throughout generations

CULTURE

The Many Climates of Fordham Dorms

By EMILY MCCALL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Some might claim that the Great Plains of North America or the Monsoon Coasts of Asia are home to the most unpredictable and varying weather, but Fordham University students know that the place with the strangest climate is within our very own dorm buildings. From the scalding desert to the arctic tundra, Fordham has it all. With the temperature outdoors ranging from lower 40s to upper 50s Fahrenheit, the go-to outfit of all students should include at least a light coat. Even still, many students have been overheating just standing in their dorm rooms.

In my experience dorming in Queen’s Court, each night has become a struggle and, on many occasions, I have considered risking the $15 fee of staying at a friend’s dorm. Each night at around 4 a.m., the heat turns on. I know it is at this time because every time it turns on, the pipes (located beneath my roommate’s bed) start making a banging noise. It has definitely become a bonding experience to both be woken up at these early hours, but certainly not one that I would recommend. By the time our morning alarms go off three hours later, our room is already a sauna and I end up walking

to class without a coat in 40 degree weather just to cool off from it. It is shocking to me that I went through the hotter months with no fan, but even though it is cold out, I now need one.

For the students dorming in Alumni Court South and Loschert Hall, this drop in temperature has come as a blessing. After spending two months living in the never-ending heat of this extra long summer, finally they are at an equal playing field with the other dorms at Rose Hill. Who needs air conditioning when you can just open a window to the fall winds? They must deal with lack of control over the temperature, but nothing can be worse than those first few weeks of pure heat filling their rooms. Finally, these students can enjoy wearing sweatshirts and sweaters without risking heat exhaustion.

In Walsh Hall, despite it being the tallest building at the Rose Hill campus, each room is set to the same temperature during these cold months. Students residing here are unable to control the temperature of their rooms once the heat turns on and the air conditioning can no longer keep up. Caroline Lindsay, GSB ’28, noted that at times it can become frustrating. “We can control the air conditioning, but not the heat so

sometimes it gets too hot.” With the cold, brisk weather outside and the steamy, warm weather inside, students are left lost on what the proper attire should be. Do they plan for their walks around campus in a coat or do they plan for going into their dorm in a t-shirt? It is a difficult choice for residents to make each morning when crafting their various fall outfits.

At Lincoln Center, the students are living in luxury comparatively. Victoria Adeyeri, GSB ’29, is a resident of McKeon Hall and shared that students living there have the option to turn the heat off if they so choose — something completely foreign to the Rose Hill students. “Personally my roommate and I don’t have the heat on and keep the windows open so our dorm room stays cool,” Adeyeri said. Students living here are not forced to base their outfits around the temperature of their dorm, but base the temperature of their dorm around their outfits. The difference may seem small, but it creates a large change in their routines and clothes. Even with the option to turn it off and on, however, they are still unable to adjust the temperature within this. The choice is all or nothing.

In my opinion, it is time that all other residence halls follow

suit with Lincoln Center and allow for residents to independently control the temperature of their own room. If not for the comfort of students, then at least for the overall fashion of the student

population. This is certainly something that I would enjoy having access to and will simultaneously improve my fall wardrobe since I am getting tired of dressing as if it is still summer in November.

Don’t Fall Right into Christmas, be Thankful

By EMMA LEONARDI ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday. It comes right in between Halloween and Christmas, giving us an extra event to look forward to in between both of these highly marketed holidays. Instead of seeing it as a filler, Thanksgiving should be a cherished holiday on its own.

Ever since I was old enough to understand the concept of holidays, my maternal grandmother instilled in me the importance of Thanksgiving. It was so sacred to her that no matter what, every November we would travel to Illinois and spend the better part of a week with my mother’s family. And every year, I would feel most connected to my family and my roots when at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

During this time, my mother’s cousins always claimed me as their honorary little sister. As someone who grew up an only child surrounded by adults more than three decades older than me, time spent with relatives closer to my age was cherished.

That’s not to say I didn’t

love the time spent around my older relatives, too. My maternal grandparents and I are extremely close as well, and being able to look forward to dedicated time spent with them made any challenges I faced over the course of the calendar year worth it. I could always rely on having a great time come the end of November.

However, the traditions didn’t stop at just the yearly visit. No, we have dedicated food and activities for Thanksgiving just like many other families.

My favorite dish in the world is the corn casserole that we make each Thanksgiving. Is it a family recipe? No, but what makes it special is not only how good it is, but the fact that I only ever get to have this dish at Thanksgiving. It makes the pan placed on the table that much more special knowing that it comes with all of this love and gratitude for my family.

After every Thanksgiving dinner, we gather together to play bingo as a family. There are prizes wrapped up in paper so that you can’t tell what any of the items are. We play rounds of bingo until everyone has won a prize, and then we

all open them together to find out what silly knick-knack we received this year.

Following bingo, we all have dessert and sit around chatting about the most recent updates in our lives while watching whatever game happens to be on television. We all have busy lives, so having this holiday set aside where your family can come together, share good food and catch up is priceless. Thanksgiving is a time when we can all reflect on our year

and figure out how we want to spend the last month of it before we ring in a new year. As a country, we are forced to think about our past and how we could have and should have acted, while still having time in the future to change for the better.

On a personal level, though, we are encouraged to reflect on something that many forget on a daily basis: what we can be grateful for. The world is an increasingly negative

place, and people tend to think more about what could be better than what is already good in their lives.

On Thanksgiving, we do exactly what the title of the holiday tells us to do: We give thanks for all we do have while spending time with the people we love.

Every year, I am thankful to hold my Christmas celebrations because it means I get to feast on the energy of my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving.

EMMA LEONARDI/THE FORDHAM RAM

EMILY MCCALL FOR THE FORDHAM RAM Many students choose to combat the dorm room heat with AC units.

The Thanksgiving holiday gives us the perfect opportunity to spend time with loved ones.

CULTURE

‘Sincerely; P.S.’ A Love Letter from Kali Uchis

By DOVE AJMANI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kali Uchis is a siren.

“Don’t play with my heart,” pleads Uchis in her fifth track, “For: You,” but the truth is she’s the one tugging at heartstrings on her newest record. Earlier this year, Uchis dropped her fifth studio album, and last month she gifted listeners the deluxe version, “Sincerely: P.S.,” adding five more tracks to her discography.

The Colombian-American singer-songwriter is definetly not a stranger to vulnerability — in fact, she dives deeper and explores the complexity of an intimate love. “Sugar! Honey! Love!” tells a story that we’re already familiar with: Giving your all in a relationship only for it to end in betrayal. Until a love, in the truest form, allows for Uchi’s faith to be restored. “Lose My Cool,” captures the beauty of surrender into two parts: the storm of losing that control and the calm after letting go. The rhythm is almost like a breath of fresh air, but

also the feeling of floating. A whispery love, the second part is where one can feel Uchis’ siren call, the listener can’t help but get hypnotized and sway along with the beat.

Through seamless production, Uchis, 31 years old and a new mother, melts into “It’s Just Us,” in which she contemplates the brevity of time and how chasing worldly desires ultimately leads nowhere. The song serves as a reminder that while life itself is fleeting, the sincerity of love can transcend time. Through it, Uchis opens a window into her personal struggles, yet she never lets those hardships hinder her ability to transform emotion into art.

The album moves into a sensual exploration of the complexity of intimacy. In “For: You,” the desire to do everything humanly possible for a loved one is impossible not to relate to, painting a different level of intimacy of self-sacrifice for the hopes of another. The mood is softened in “Silk Lingerie,” which captures the safety

and luxury of vulnerability when trusting a loved one. We are all our own worst critics, but Uchis invites selfacceptance, reminding us that we can be loved, not in spite of, but because of our flaws.

While some of the deluxe tracks offer themes of a jukeboxesque and glitter pen vibe, the production intertwines this fun flavor without disrupting Uchi’s storytelling. Concluding with “All of the Good,” Uchis reflects fondly on her relationship despite its ending. In a world where hookup culture clouds hearts and leaves us yearning for emotionality, this album reminds us that experiencing the true and genuineness of love is better than letting its memory fade away.

This album offers a tender story of love, acceptance and self-reflection, with each of the lyrics offering a vulnerable, fragile and gleaming honesty. Uchis creates a space for listeners to be immersed in the storytelling, sometimes gently, others painfully. The production between tracks seems

almost effortless, each song melts together like honey. This album is truly a gift wrapped by God.

What Makes Fordham’s Heart Beat?

By BRIDGETTE LEAHY STAFF WRITER

As an upperclassman at Fordham University, I am blessed with the endless traditions our university offers. There is something about walking through the Keating Hall arches as the bells echo across Edwards Parade. At a campus where ivy creeps up the stone and stories linger in every dorm and building, Fordham’s traditions are what make the campus beat with light and spirit. They’re not just events or photos, but threads that tie together generations; alums of Rams who have studied hard, played hard and sprinted to class before us on the same ground, shaping our very history.

Before I even set foot on campus at Fordham, I had seen and heard about the Ram statue. Proudly situated next to Hughes Hall it’s more than a piece of art. It’s a landmark of Fordham identity. The “riding the ram” tradition is one of the first initiatives many students experience, whether it’s movein week or just a random late night walk back from Eddies. There’s something profoundly comforting and sacred about it. Climbing onto the Ram — usually with a friend snapping a photo — is saying, “I’m really a Fordham Ram.” I remember doing it in my first week on campus, nervous but excited for the unknown journey I was about to experience with my

closest friends during movein week. And I can proudly add that we are still friends to this day. It’s that kind of moment that doesn’t show up on the books, resumés or tour guide but defines the Fordham experience.

If you haven’t stood in line at the Marketplace at 11:45 p.m. during finals week yet, surrounded by bleary-eyed students balancing cups of coffee and flashcards, well, enjoy your first Midnight Breakfast. It’s the one night out of the school year when the cafeteria goes out of its way to provide you comfort for the stressful, sleepless nights. Why panic without some pancakes on the side?

There’s something deeply comforting about watching professors serve scrambled eggs while “All I Want for Christmas Is You” blasts through the speakers. It’s chaotic and precisely what you need at that moment. I’ve always loved seeing everyone — students, staff and professors — sharing the same space and energy. It reminds you that Fordham, for all its deadlines and stress, is ultimately a community that cares about you.

Then there’s the infamous Group Scream — the moment when Fordham students collectively let go of all their finals-week frustrations in one cathartic yell across Edwards Parade. The first time I participated, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We all gathered at midnight, bundled up with

our hats and down jackets, our breath fogging in the cold air. Someone started a countdown, and suddenly hundreds of us were shouting into the night sky. It lasted 10 seconds, but it felt oddly freeing. There’s something powerful about knowing you’re not the only one stressed, that your voice — along with everyone else’s — is echoing through the Bronx. It’s noisy, chaotic and over almost instantly, but that scream captures what it means to be part of a campus that never sleeps, where the stress of finals is met with solidarity and laughter.

Fordham’s long-standing customs hold firm, but I sometimes wish there were a few newer ones — rituals that speak to the modern campus culture we’re shaping. Imagine a yearly “Fordham Film on the Lawn” night, where the entire student body gathers on Eddies for an outdoor screening under the stars, similar to Orientation. I also really miss the light ceremony where we all set the candles together in our first weeks together. That was such a highlight of entering Fordham and a core memory for me. Maybe we can incorporate doing that each year, at the end, regardless of the grade to represent the passage to a new year. Or a “Ram Run” 5K that winds through the Bronx, celebrating our connection to the neighborhood beyond the gates.

These wouldn’t replace our existing traditions but expand

them — ways to bring together students across majors, years and clubs in moments that feel both communal and fresh. Fordham thrives on connection, and adding new rituals could help strengthen that sense of belonging for future Rams.

At their core, Fordham traditions remind us that college is about more than classes and credits. They’re pauses in our busy schedules — moments to laugh, to yell, to eat pancakes at midnight — that make us feel like part of something larger.

In a city as vast and restless as New York, it’s easy to feel small or anonymous. But when you’re standing on Eddies, surrounded by friends and strangers alike, shouting your stress into the night or catching a pancake tossed from the kitchen, you realize you belong to a living,

breathing community. These rituals ground us. They link us to alumni who came decades before and to students who will take our places years from now. They’re how we measure time at Fordham — not by semesters or syllabi, but by the memories we build together.

So whether it’s riding the Ram for the 100th photo, piling into the Marketplace for breakfast at midnight or screaming into the Bronx sky before an exam, these traditions remind us what it means to be a Ram: to live with spirit, to celebrate resilience and to find joy even in the busiest moments. You can never be too busy to have fun and appreciate life. And long after graduation, when we hear a bell ring or pass a statue that looks a little like home, we’ll remember these nights — and the campus that made us who we are.

BRIDGETTE LEAHY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM Riding the ram is a must for every Fordham student.

COURTESY OF @KALIUCHIS

Kali Uchis’ album “Sincerely; P.S.” features 19 different tracks.

Senior’s Switch: From Paris to New York

By ISABELLA DEROSA CULTURE EDITOR

When Tessa Bosnic, GSB ’26, left France for New York at 17, she didn’t just change locations; she made the decision to change her future.

“I didn’t know anyone in New York,” she said, “It was the scariest experience of my life.”

Despite the fear, Bosnic looks back on that decision as the best choice she has made. Not just learning to live and adapt to a brand new environment, but learning more about a career that suited her best. Bosnic reflects on her transition and her time at Fordham as a period of growth that set her up for success.

Prior to being at Fordham, Bosnic had always imagined a traditional French path. Growing up in France, high school was more specialized than that in the United States. Bosnic chose economics and law as her areas of study, with plans to move to Paris and practice law there. “Most of my friends followed that route,” she said. “You move to Paris, study law, and stay in France.” However, even as she seemed set on this path, Bosnic had been cultivating a love for New York City.

“Every summer I’d beg my mom to go back,” she recalled from her visits to family in the U.S. “I didn’t want to visit once a year, but like every day.”

It was this pull that ultimately led her to Fordham, which appealed to her for its

Jesuit values and for the traditional American campus.

“We don’t have campuses in France,” she explained. “When I visited, it felt like the movies. I walked through Keating Hall and Gabelli [School of Business (GSB)] and thought, ‘This is it.’”

And while Fordham is now Bosnic’s home away from home, it took time for this transition to feel comfortable. Bosnic explained how the French education system differed significantly from Fordham’s curriculum, which is based on American educational customs. The U.S. favors exams and an unspecialized pre-college curriculum, which is much different than the highly specialized and writing-intensive work that Bosnic was used to.

“In high school, I wrote 12 page dissertations every Saturday morning for philosophy class,” she said. “We couldn’t use laptops or phones. You’d stand when the professor walked in and sit when told. It was very formal.” Fordham’s classrooms, by contrast, were filled with laptops and online quizzes; concepts completely new to her. “I was not used to multiple-choice quizzes,” she said. “It took me a long time to get the hang of that.”

Academically, math proved to be her biggest hurdle. “In France, you specialize early, so I hadn’t taken math in years,” Bosnic said. “When I came to Fordham, I had to start over—pre-calc, calculus, statistics. Most of my freshman classes were math because I

needed to catch up.”

And it wasn’t just academics that challenged her. “I was 17, and everyone felt older,” she said. Like most students going through this adjustment, Bosnic was no stranger to imposter syndrome. But she did not let that stop her from achieving her goals and eventually grew into the new life she made for herself.

“Sophomore year, I gained confidence. I realized I belonged here,” Bosnic said.

It was this confidence that also sparked a new shift in her career path. Though Bosnic initially planned to study law, while at Fordham, she found herself increasingly drawn to business and economics.

“Law made sense for me because I’m detail-oriented and analytical,” she said. “But economics made me think about how the world actually connects … foreign exchange, inflation, geopolitics. It’s like a puzzle, and I like understanding how the pieces fit together.”

That curiosity led her to sales and trading, a fast-paced field she explored during her internship at BNP Paribas, a French global bank. “I was a summer analyst in their global markets division,” she explained. “I rotated between foreign exchange and equity derivatives, learning how to price options and understand client strategies.” The workdays were long, often from 6 a.m. to midnight. “It was intense,” she said. “But once I got into the rhythm, I started loving it. I could see myself wanting to do this every day.”

Bosnic said that the experience confirmed that she had found her career path. “[Sales and trading] combines everything I’m interested in,” she said. “It’s about understanding how the world works, how markets respond to policy, how economies connect. It’s very global, and that’s what I love.”

Now as a senior in GSB, she uses her passion in her leadership roles at Fordham. She serves as a portfolio manager for Smart Woman Securities (SWS), a student-run investment fund and sits on the executive board of the Global Markets Society.

“I help students with resumes, coffee chats and understanding how the desks work,” she said. “It’s rewarding to help them navigate what can feel like an overwhelming field.”

Looking ahead, Bosnic plans to stay in New York after graduation while still maintaining close ties to France. “New York is where I want to build my career,” she said. “But I’d

love to have an apartment in Paris one day … somewhere I can travel for work and see family. I want to keep both parts of my identity.”

Bosnic is one of many students planning on taking their education international. When asked what advice she’d give to those who are debating making this decision, she said, “If you’re unsure whether to take the leap, do it. It’s scary, and you’ll doubt yourself. But looking back, it’s the best decision I ever made. You’ll grow more than you expect.”

Bosnic mentioned how her friends and advisors helped her settle into her new life and made her the person she is today. She emphasized how Fordham’s Gabelli advisors, especially Cynthia Bush, was a guiding hand towards her bright future. “There were times I missed home, but Fordham became home,” she said. “Once you find your people and your purpose, everything clicks. You realize you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

The Fordham Ram Crossword

TESSA BOSNIC FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Bosnic, GSB ’26, reflects on her journey to NYC and a career in global finance.

Women’s Soccer Earns Spot in A-10 Semifinals

By GIANNA TETRO STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Rams are peaking at precisely the right time. After a season marked by growth, adaptation and relentless effort, the women’s soccer team’s upward climb reached new heights on Saturday afternoon as they battled Duquesne University, earning a 6–5 shootout victory to advance to the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals for the first time since 2015. Their steady improvement throughout the season has built a foundation strong enough to withstand the pressures of postseason play. What began as a period of adjustment and experimentation has evolved into a team defined by confidence, chemistry and composure: qualities that were on full display at Rooney Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Even before kickoff, the Rams carried a sense of quiet confidence rooted in their transformation over the past few months. Senior goalkeeper Kyla King, who has been a pillar of

consistency in net, shared her pre-game mindset, a blend of mindfulness and focus that has helped anchor the team all season.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure or the bigger picture, but I try to stay in the moment … watch the ball all the way in, trust myself, and be where my feet are. That’s our standard: to give our effort all the time,” King said.

Sophomore forward Allison Gardner echoed that sentiment, noting how the Ram’s approach has evolved because “at the beginning of the season, we were kind of doing the same thing … now we’re switching things up, being more spontaneous, and that’s really given us an edge … ” Adding to that reflection, junior midfielder Lena Johnsen highlighted how the Rams “[are] kind of peaking” and they’ve “shown great improvement compared to the beginning of the season.” Those adjustments and heightened awareness have paid off. They entered Saturday’s quarterfinals not just as contenders, but as a team playing their best soccer when it mattered most.

Fordham came out aggressively and confidently from the opening whistle. In just the sixth minute, junior forward Riley Carroll ignited the Rams’ attack with a leftfooted strike that ricocheted off the post and into the net, giving Fordham an early 1-0 lead. The goal marked Carroll’s career-high fifth of the season and set the tone for the game.

Duquesne clawed back late in the first half, when Libby Majka slipped a pinpoint pass to Paige Kuisis, who buried the equalizer in the 41st minute. From that moment on, the match became a defensive masterclass, highlighted by a goaltending duel between King and Duquesne’s Ali Hughes. King was spectacular, making reflex saves, reading through traffic and commanding her box with confidence. By the end of regulation and two overtime periods, she had racked up 14 saves, the most ever by a Fordham goalkeeper in an A-10 Championship match. With 110 minutes unable to separate the two sides, the game came down to penalty kicks: a stage where

Fordham’s history and composure would again shine through.

The Rams’ lineup exuded calm under pressure.

Sophomore forward Liina Tervo opened the shootout for Fordham, setting the tone with a perfectly placed shot that rippled the net and ignited the Rams’ sideline. For Tervo, the moment was one she’ll never forget.

“It’s every player’s dream to be a part of such special moments,” Tervo said aft-erward. “Starting off the shootout was actually something I really liked, I felt like I had a chance to show the team calmness and make us confident in the win.”

Her composed strike paved the way for junior Salma Simonin, junior Ava Giudice, freshman Sarah Quinn and freshman Lucy Rios, who each buried their attempts to keep Fordham level with the Dukes through five rounds.

Then came sophomore Julia Acosta, who confidently slotted her shot into the bottom right corner to put Fordham ahead, 6–5.

On the final attempt, Duquesne’s Kaitlyn Killinger stepped up needing to score to extend the shootout. King

read the shot perfectly, diving low and pushing the ball wide of the post. King was mobbed by her teammates as the Rams secured their first semifinal berth since 2015.

However, Saturday’s win was more than just advancement; it was validation for a program that has spent the season climbing back into championship form. The Rams also improved to 3–0 all-time in A-10 Championship shootouts, adding this win to their victories in 2007 (vs. Dayton) and 2015 (vs. George Mason).

Fordham’s offensive depth has been equally impressive. For the first time in program history, six players, Carroll, Tervo, Johnsen, Giudice, Acosta and freshman Renata Mercedes, have reached double-digit points this season, reflecting the team’s balance and adaptability.

The Rams now advance to the A-10 semifinals, where they will face the University of Dayton Flyers on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Baujan Field in Ohio. With momentum on their side and belief coursing through the locker room, Fordham’s confidence is reaching new heights.

Baseball on the Brink: A Potential MLB Lockout

By MOLLY FRIEDMAN STAFF WRITER

In the wake of the 2025 MLB World Series, tensions began to escalate between MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA). The Los Angeles Dodgers conquered their second straight World Series title as the second-highest-salaried MLB team. The urge for a salary cap increases drastically in the aftermath of the event. The MLB could be facing an offseason lockout following the 2026 season, potentially putting professional baseball on hold.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the MLB and the MLBPA expires on Dec. 1, 2026. A lockout could stem from disagreements around the correlation between high market teams and win percentage. The MLB believes that teams are buying their way to success. MLB owners want to establish a salary cap to control the amount of revenue allocated to players.

The MLBPA, on the other hand, argues that there is no direct correlation between salary and winning. An example is the New York Mets, who had the highest payroll in the 2025 season but failed to make the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners, with one of the lower MLB payrolls, made it all the

way to the American League Championship Series. “It’s simply not true that money buys championships,” wrote J.P. Hoornstra from Sports Illustrated.

Disparities in salaries across MLB teams have become so drastic that MLB owners feel a restructure is necessary. Revenue has also dropped in specific components of the game, such as regional sports networks, and owners believe resetting the economic model could benefit earnings. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has explained the leverage the MLB will gain from inducing this lockout in the offseason rather than mid-season.

While revenue inequality is alarming, small-market teams

produce decent profits simply by existing in the league, according to CBS Sports writer Dayn Perry. The local revenues of all MLB teams are divided equally among all the teams, so small-market teams benefit from this shared profit. These teams make enough money from broadcasting deals and such, there is not much incentive to build on their roster and create a winning team. This is where the necessity for a salary floor comes from, essentially forcing owners to invest in the success of their team. The MLBPA has expressed its willingness to support the introduction of a salary floor.

The MLBPA and the players have reiterated that the salary

cap is a complete non-starter. They believe it will restrict players’ earnings and autonomy around the game. The MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has been adamant that they will not conform to a salary cap, according to Timothy Rapp from Bleacher Report. The Players Association has also stated that this proposed reform will not address the significant economic issues in MLB; it would merely restrict player pay. The MLBPA has proposed alternative methods to address the imbalance, including revenue sharing and/or changes to the draft. This is not the first looming labor dispute that the MLB has faced. The 1972 season was halted as players went on strike to protest pension disputes.

In 1994, the World Series was famously canceled due to a strike by the MLBPA. Ever since these detrimental events, MLB and the Players Association have tread lightly around labor disputes and the CBA to avoid a shutdown. Neither side wants to hurt the sport’s reputation or playing time.

The result of the CBA affects the players, managers and teams. The fans will feel the wake of the decision as well. A potential lockout could delay spring training and, therefore, Opening Day of the 2027 season. Opening Day is a significant part of the baseball experience where fans celebrate the start of the long and grueling season. Attendance and ticket sales will also falter with a delay to the beginning of the season. As a result, the local economy could suffer from the absence of professional baseball, which attracts fans and viewers. The effects could be long-lasting and detrimental to the sport as a whole.

While this impending decision seems light-years away, the consequences will soon be upon us. Major League Baseball will be forever changed regardless of the outcome of the CBA. As fans, we must hope that the petty bickering does not interfere with the game itself.

MEGHAN CATTANI/THE FORDHAM RAM

A potential lockout to begin the 2026 MLB season could delay Opening Day.

Aces Are Wild: A Basketball Scandal

By KURT SIPPEL STAFF WRITER

Sports gambling scandals are as old as time. The 1919 Chicago “Black Sox” World Series fix is one of the most famous. Others include the 1951 City College of New York point shaving scandal where games were fixed and the racket was organized by the New York City mob which might lead you to think such scandals are a thing of the past. However, this still continues to be an issue even while gambling legalization is ongoing.

Just days into the 2025-26 NBA season, the league was overtaken by the news that Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones were all arrested by the FBI and are pending charges surrounding involvement with an illegal gambling ring.

Over 28 people were involved in the FBI probe that uncovered the gambling ring and arrested all participants.

Rozier and Jones were allegedly involved in tipping off the organized crime groups with confidential information, and in exchange, they would get a share of the illegal gambling profits.

Allegedly, during a March 2023 game, Rozier tipped off mob groups that he was going to be coming off the floor early with a foot injury. There was $200,000 on the line, and he checked out after playing just nine minutes.

This is a similar charge to the one brought against Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptor, who tipped off gamblers about his health ahead of a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings. There was $80,000 placed on his under for that game, and he checked out after only three minutes. Porter claimed he checked out with an illness.

Porter has not been sentenced, but is pleading guilty. He has received a lifetime ban from the NBA.

Billups is being accused of involvement in a poker-ring scheme which featured advanced cheating techniques like X-ray tables to see what cards were in people’s hands. There were supposedly fixed shuffling machines that alerted a member at the table who had the best hands and also marked cards that were see through, only if you were wearing the right glasses.

Billups was used as a “face card” to lure different people into the games and they would go on to cheat players out of over $7 million. The head coach released a statement making it clear he will fight the FBI’s charges, unlike Porter.

Both Rozier and Billups are being brought up on wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy charges. Jones, who took part in both of these rackets, will face two counts of each. Rozier and Billups are now being placed on leave until the case is settled.

While on leave, they will not be paid. Rozier was set to be paid some of his annual $24.92 million salary from his contract that he signed with the Charlotte Hornets in 2021. Billups is still under contract with the Trail Blazers until the 2026-27 season, making an annual $2.5 million.

According to the Athletic, this was not the first time that Rozier has been investigated by the NBA. After the game two years ago when the dubious wagers were placed on Rozier, the alarms were set off by the sports books who alerted the NBA to investigate. The league sat down with Rozier for an interview and seized his cell phone for evidence.

Still, after these investigations, he was allowed to play over two full seasons worth of basketball games.

While these leagues have methods in place, and an investigation team that is meant to look at these types of cases, it lacks the same amount of power that the government-led organizations have to levy cases against players.

“The NBA does not have the same authority or investigatory

resources as the federal government, including subpoena power to obtain information from anyone, law enforcement surveillance, wiretapping and search warrants,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told the Athletic.

The NBA had this case on their radar even before Rozier was arrested by the FBI. These cases continue to come up a lot more as legal gambling starts to become even more prominent.

According to the American Gaming Association, the NBA is projected to make around $160 million per year in revenue from gambling companies in sponsorship deals and television advertising alone. It’s no secret that this has become a big part of their business; in 2024 alone it brought the NBA $11.6 million in revenue.

The league cannot afford the bad press around matches potentially being fixed by players in an attempt to make a quick buck. Emmanuel Clase, star closer for the Cleveland Guardians, and his teammate Luis L. Ortiz, have both been put on leave and haven’t pitched since July due to unusual betting patterns on individual pitches thrown by each.

The motive to make a quick buck seems to be too great even while pro athletes have been making record contracts and salaries have risen. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the NBA’s highest earner, making an average of over $59 million per season. It still seems appealing for some to make quick money on what appears to be harmless information that they are giving the groups gambling on them.

These scandals will break the trust that fans have with the leagues that matches are not fixed and games aren’t already decided before the ball tips. The NBA can’t gamble with its credibility. If the integrity of the game is ever in question, no amount of sponsorship or television deals will ever be able to buy that back.

Varsity Scores & Stats

Football Fordham 14

Richmond 17

Water Polo Fordham 25

George Washington 14

Women’s Rowing

Princeton Chase (No Individual Scoring)

Exploring the NHL’s Youth Movement

By MARISA HOUSE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When thinking of the NHL, who comes to mind first?

Wayne Gretzky?

Gordie Howe? Bobby Orr?

Legendary players who championed their teams throughout their careers and delivered during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals. These Hall of Famers worked their way to the top by mastering speed, agility and shooting, all skills that are crucial in becoming a star on the ice. But in recent years, we’ve seen those same skills come from the league’s youngest players. Many of today’s biggest stars are breaking records and impressing fans while still being in

the early stages of their NHL careers. Despite their rookie status, young players are showcasing raw talent and achieving success much faster than in previous years. So, how has the league shifted from being veterandominated to being driven by junior talent?

The opening of the NHL to younger players dates back to 1967, marking a huge turning point for the league, known as the Expansion Era. During this period, the NHL grew from six to 12 teams and was divided into two separate divisions: the East and the West. 345 players who were drafted following the start of the league’s expansion made their debut at just 18 years old or younger, with some

as young as 16. Since then, the league has continued to grow, with an increasing emphasis on youth talent. Today, young stars have made their mark early into their NHL career. At just 18, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes entered the league and has become one of its most dynamic players. Hughes was recently named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week following the Devils’ thrilling win over the Colorado Avalanche last Sunday and many other clutch-performances throughout the season. Before entering the NHL, Hughes was part of the United States National Team Development Program where he set the record for all time points scored. When asked about how ready he felt for playing

in the NHL, Hughes said, “I know in my head and in my heart that I’m an NHL player and I think that after my experience at the World Championship, it solidified in my mind that I’m ready to go for it next year. I want to be an impact player and come out of the gates fast.”

With his confidence and skill, Hughes has pushed the Devils to the top of the 2025-26 standings.

So what do young NHL players today have in common? Their experience before entering the league has not only helped them reach pro status but also enabled these players to excel in their debut seasons. Modern hockey training facilities and youth development programs have

given aspiring players access to specialized coaching and conditioning long before they reach professional ice. The New York Rangers offer training programs like Junior Rangers Elite Hockey Camp, held at Madison Square Garden’s Training Center, which allows young players to work directly with instructors and Rangers alumni to refine their skating and learn the basics of professional hockey. By working with expert players and trainers, juniors are getting more hands-on experience than ever before, improving player skill and precision. At large, training programs are the foundation for the next generation of NHL stars and assisting players in turning their dreams into a reality.

Compiled by Ian Nelson, Asst. Sports Editor

MEGHAN CATTANI/THE FORDHAM RAM Former and current NBA players have recently been arrested by the FBI.

Volleyball Grabs Win on Emotional Senior Day

By JOE HENRY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS

Senior Days are always bittersweet. This one was sweeter than most.

Fordham University Rams Volleyball played its best nine sets of the season last weekend, earning two upset victories over Davidson College to derail the Wildcats’ playoff hopes. The 3-11 Rams were officially eliminated from the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Tournament on Saturday, but it didn’t stop them from celebrating their last home matches of the year in triumphant fashion.

Fordham took a 3-1 win Saturday, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22, behind its third-best blocking output in program history. The Rams totaled 19 rejections, led by freshman Sophia Oliveira and junior Tatum Holderied, who returned last week from a costly three-week absence due to shin splints.

The encore on Sunday was drama-filled, emotional and climactic: everything you’d ask for from a Sunday matinee, just in a gym rather than a theater.

Fordham’s three seniors were the starring cast and took center stage pregame for the team’s annual Senior Day ceremony. Audrey Brown was highlighted first, joined by her parents; Mackenzie Colvin walked alongside her parents and grandpa; Zoe

Talabong was accompanied by her parents and siblings. In a classy gesture, Fordham Head Coach Ian Choi gave flowers to both Fordham’s and Davidson’s seniors.

Like any good play, a musical number kicked the performance off: Talabong’s aunt, Broadway performer Audri Dalio, took to the hardwood to give a flawless rendition of the national anthem, bringing the crowd to a collective gasp at its high-pitched finish. When she hit her last note, her eyes connected with her niece. The pair shared a laugh, with the latter forming a heart-hands symbol in appreciation.

Brown began her final home match by erupting for four errorless kills and two blocks, willing Fordham from a 14-7 deficit to a 22-23 score in set one, before Davidson pulled away for a 25-22 win.

Fordham started on the wrong foot again in set two, before Colvin found the hardwood on a dump set, shocking everyone in attendance with her first kill in 15 months. With some momentum in hand, the Rams relied on frontlines to build a lead. Brown and Holderied stonewalled the Wildcats three times in a span of four points, giving Fordham a 1512 lead and giving Brown her 271st career block, good for eighth in program history.

After the Wildcats roared

Athletes of the Week

A solid performance from senior midfielder Daniel D’Ippolito helped lead the Fordham Rams to a 5-0 win in their regular-season finale to clinch the second seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship. D’Ippolito led Fordham’s offense with one goal and two assists. D’Ippolito and his Rams will go on to host Saint Joseph’s University in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 8.

back to tie it at 21, Fordham punched back. With a 2422 lead, Brown rose up to pummel the match-evening kill, confirmed via coach’s challenge, earning the maroon a long-awaited exhale.

Set three was a back-andforth affair featuring 12 ties, clutch kills from junior Erynn Sweeney and sophomore Bridget Woodruff, and ultimately, a 28-26 Davidson win.

The pressure was on. The Rams, suddenly, were playing not just to win, but to earn their seniors a chance to win in one last set on their home floor.

The resulting act four had a seven-point comeback, some conflict between Davidson players and the officials and a late-set Sweeney soliloquy to earn Fordham its best set-win of the season.

The Rams’ resurgence began down 9-16, with Brown earning career kill number 1,100 amid a 6-2 rally to bring the team within three. With the Rams trailing 20-22, it was junior libero Lola Fernandez who laid her body on the line in a sprawling effort to save the game’s most crucial point — sophomore rising star Mila Micunovic finished it off with a ferocious kill. The crowd yelled “BOOM!” as she attacked, beginning a call-and-response ended by the ball’s thud against the hardwood.

As the drama reached its peak, Sweeney entered stage right and stole the show. Down 23-24, in what could’ve been the Rams’ last home point,

Sweeney fired a shot off a defender for a game-saving kill. At 25-all, Sweeney went to the exact same spot on the floor for another. At 26-all, she struck once more. Finally rotating to serve, Sweeney started the point that closed the curtain on the Wildcats, securing set five.

Playing with their Rose Hill careers on the line, the seniors banded together to help the Rams to an enthralling 15-10 win. Junior Whitney Woodrow served on a 4-0 run to give Fordham an early lead, and Micunovic knocked in four kills to bring the match from its falling action to its resolution.

When the set was at its closest, Colvin dished out a pair of assists to keep the maroon ahead. Brown hammered a kill and two blocks in her final set, while Talabong finished the day with eight digs. Colvin closed out her home career with a season-high 19 assists.

The crowd gave the Rams a standing ovation before they ran outside to sound the victory bell. Brown, Colvin and Talabong were raised by

their teammates to give the bell one last ring together. Fernandez finished with a career-best 30 digs – the highest total amassed by a Ram since 2023 – her final one being a desperate onearmed swing to keep the second-to-last point alive.

It’s no surprise that in each of the team’s most intense games of the past two years, Fernandez has been its best player. In last year’s five-set thriller over George Mason University (GMU), Fernandez tallied a then-career-high 16 digs to will the team to victory. The junior’s high-energy clutch plays have reinvigorated a team rightfully frustrated by another season ruined by injuries.

On the topic of GMU, Fordham will hope to keep their momentum going on the road against the 8-6 Patriots, with matches on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. Following a successful Senior Day, the Rams will look to finish off strong in their final four matches of their up-anddown 2025 campaign.

Senior goalkeeper Kyla King had a career performance against Duquesne University to help the Fordham Rams advance to the A-10 semifinals. King made 14 saves — a career-high — for Fordham on Saturday in a match that ended up being a show for the goalies in a shootout. King’s Rams advanced on penalty kicks and will face the top-seeded University of Dayton on Nov. 5. King’s 14 saves in the match marked the most by a Ram in an A-10 Championship game, breaking Elisabeth Roald’s previous record of 13 in the 2006 final.

Daniel D’Ippolito Senior Soccer

Kyla King Senior Soccer

Volleyball honors their seniors on Senior Day.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Greatest World Series of All Time?

By ANTHONY SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Absolute cinema: the only way to describe the 2025 Fall Classic. The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first repeat champions since 2000, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games. These two teams did not disappoint in delivering electric October baseball. Let’s take you through the biggest players and moments throughout the series.

Let’s start off with the World Series Most Valuable Player, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The ace pitcher threw his second complete game of the postseason in Game 2, giving the Dodgers to their first win of the series. He then pitched another gem in Game 6 to send it to a deciding Game 7. He wasn’t done there as he pitched a couple innings in the elimination game the day after his 96-pitch performance. Yamamoto worked his team out of a ninth inning jam and recorded the final out in the 11th inning. He was the winning pitcher in three out of the four games for Los Angeles and showed postseason dominance.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith had a big role in the Fall Classic, hitting the go-ahead homer in Game 7. In the top of the 11th inning, Smith hit a solo shot off Shane Bieber that gave the Dodgers the lead. Not only did he deliver

in Game 7, but he also hit the go-ahead home run in Game 2 that helped give the Dodgers the win. There was uncertainty surrounding Smith’s health at the beginning of the playoffs after he suffered a hairline fracture in his hand, but now he leaves the postseason as a Dodger legend.

Sometimes, it’s the guys you least expect to make a difference. For Miguel Rojas, that was certainly the case. Rojas didn’t even get to start in the series until Game 6. He immediately made an impact, making a big scoop to complete a game-ending double play. His heroics didn’t stop there, as he hit the game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 7. Rojas flashed his defense again in the bottom of the ninth, gunning down the winning run at home plate. Rojas had one of the greatest ninth innings ever and came in clutch when Los Angeles

needed him most.

Although Toronto fell short, some players stepped into the spotlight. Ernie Clement set a new MLB postseason record with 30 hits. Recording a hit in each game of the World Series, Clement became a key piece of the Blue Jays lineup. The Blue Jays’ 22-year-old pitcher, Trey Yesavage, also had a spectacular performance with a dominant Game 5 start. Yesavage posted seven innings of one run ball while striking out 12 batters. He didn’t even start the season in the big leagues, but proved he could show up in the big moment.

Shortstop Bo Bichette had a solid World Series in his return to the roster. Bichette made his first appearance since early September and batted .348 in the series highlighted by a three run home run in Game 7 that gave the Blue Jays the early lead. Guerrero Jr. continued his amazing postseason run, batting .333

in the Fall Classic, smashing two home runs while playing some stellar defense.

Now a look at some of the biggest moments in the series.

In Game 1, the Blue Jays put up nine runs in the sixth inning to help them get a statement win. It was Addison Barger who blew the game open with the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. He was followed up by a two-run homer from Alejandro Kirk.

Moving on to Game 3: it was a flashback in Los Angeles. An 18-inning battle came to a finish when Freeman came through with another walk-off in a World Series. They tied the longest World Series game of 18 innings, previously set in 2018 by the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. Freeman’s solo shot off Brendan Little gave the Dodgers a one game lead.

In the blink of an eye, the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead after Davis Schneider and Guerrero

Jr. hit consecutive home runs Schneider struck on the first pitch of the game off Blake Snell and two pitches later it was Guerrero Jr. following it up. An ideal start gave Toronto the road victory and one win away from their first championship since 1993. Fast forward to Game 7 with one of the craziest endings to a game. In the bottom of the ninth, Guerrero Jr. just missed a walk-off home run to win the World Series, but Toronto was still threatening. With the bases loaded and two outs, Clement nearly ended it on a fly ball, but it was caught by Andy Pages after he crashed into the wall and practically ran over his teammate, Enrique Hernández. Los Angeles also stranded the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, unable to put a run across the board. In the bottom of the 11th, the Blue Jays had a chance to tie the game with runners on the corners and one gone. Kirk came up to the plate and hit a series ending double play that started the celebration.

The Dodgers reclaimed their title after a tough battle against the Blue Jays. Los Angeles went into the Rogers Centre and won two straight games on the road to bring home the trophy. It was arguably one of the greatest World Series of all time. The 2025 season is now over as the Blue Jays will wait for another shot as the Dodgers aim for the three-peat next year.

Overtime: The Intentional Walk Is Hurting Baseball

By JAMES NELSON ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

World Series Game 3 between The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers lasted six hours and 39 minutes, ending in the 18th inning with a walk-off home run hit by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. The duration of this game was significantly extended and the entertainment value harmed by the Blue Jays repeated intentional walking of Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani. This has resulted in a debate in the baseball community on whether intentional walks should be limited or banned.

In Game 3, Ohtani collected four hits in his first four at bats, including two home runs. After Ohtani’s second home run in the eighth inning, he did not see another pitch for the rest of the game. The Blue Jays intentionally walked Ohtani four times to avoid risking giving the hot hitter an opportunity to do further damage. The Dodgers participated as well, using the intentional walk multiple times in the series to avoid pitching to Toronto’s hottest hitter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Intentional walks have been a part of baseball for over a century, however, the process of the intentional walk has changed. For most of baseball

history, when a team decided to intentionally walk a batter, the catcher would stand up and move away from home plate to catch four pitches that were out of the hitter’s reach. In 2017, a rule change gave teams the ability to automatically walk batters without having to throw any pitches.

Intentional walks commonly occur when one or more baserunners are in scoring position. For instance, if there are baserunners on second base and third base with one out, a team will intentionally walk the batter to load the bases, giving them a greater chance at setting up a double play.

While the intentional walk is an effective strategy to minimize scoring, it is extremely harmful to the entertainment value of baseball. The higher leverage the situation and the

better the hitter, the more likely a team is to opt to use an intentional walk. This is counterintuitive to the MLB’s primary goal: to create a captivating and memorable product.

In recent years, several changes have been made in an attempt to make baseball faster-paced and entertaining. The pitch clock requires that a pitcher take no more than 15 seconds after the previous pitch to enter his windup and throw the next. In the three seasons that the pitch clock has been present, games have been considerably shorter and more rapidly paced. Since 2020, a baserunner has automatically been placed on second base to prevent games from dragging on for several hours. However, in postseason games, automatic baserunners are not

given during extra innings, resulting in the 18-inning slugfest that was Game 3. The intentional walk takes the game out of the player’s hands and prevents iconic moments from happening. Rather than Ohtani getting a chance to hit his third home run of the night to win the game, he was bypassed entirely. There are several actions the MLB can take if they choose to alter the intentional walk rules. If they view the intentional walk as a dire problem, they may seek to ban it entirely. While it is impossible to prevent a pitcher from pitching around a hitter, requiring that the catcher remain in a squatting position directly behind home plate would forcibly reduce the amount of intentional walks. If the MLB won’t go so far as a complete

ban, they may reverse the 2017 rule change and outlaw the automatic walk. However, it is far more likely that MLB will not take action due to the long-standing history of the intentional walk. A more moderate solution would be to limit teams to a set amount of automatic walks. For instance, a team would have two automatic walks they can use at any point in the game. This way, teams cannot repeatedly avoid certain hitters, especially if the game reaches extra innings. If the MLB wants to attract new viewers, elite players need to have opportunities to shine rather than have the spotlight taken away from them. To the average person, baseball is a boring sport; not allowing hitters to have their moment merely reinforces that notion.

The Dodgers won the World Series after a thrilling Game 7.

INSTAGRAM @MLB

The intentional walk is used by pitchers to avoid facing certain hitters.

MEGHAN CATTANI/THE FORDHAM RAM