The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 108, Issue 11
September 2, 2026
TheFordhamRam.com
Fordham Extends First-Year Orientation Program
YDSA Continues Efforts for Contraceptive Resources By SIENNA REINDERS
By MURIEL CORLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
New Fordham University students experienced some program firsts during orientation last week — specifically, it was the first year of Fordham’s extended orientation, which has historically only lasted two days. Members of the class of 2030 were greeted by the warm welcomes and helping hands of orientation staff as they moved onto campus on Saturday, Aug. 22, a day earlier than the usual move-in day of Sunday. Orientation kicked off that evening, sending first-years into a three-and-a-half-day schedule of small group meetings, information assemblies, the annual candlelighting ceremony and other engaging events. Sofia Parra, GSB ’27, and Ellis O’Brien, FCRH ’28, who served as orientation leaders this year, commented on the potential reasoning behind the changes. They both sense that the density of past orientation schedules may have been a factor. “My freshman year, our schedules were so much more packed during orientation that we hardly had any downtime, and then school would just start, so there wasn’t much time to adjust and just be on campus at first,” Parra said. O’Brien expressed a similar sentiment. “Last year and my year, [orientation] was very condensed,” he said. “It felt like it was non-stop all day. There were more presentations and fewer small groups.” Right after arriving on campus, first-year Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) students are assigned to one of nearly 200 small groups that congregate on Edwards Parade every day of orientation. The groups consist of around 15 first-years or transfer students and two orientation leaders (OLs) who guide the group through daily activities. O’Brien, OL for Group 11, appreciated
The Fordham Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), an unofficial club, distributed free condoms and Plan B outside the Walsh Hall campus gate on Aug. 28. The purpose of the event, according to Raine Rodriguez, FCRH ’28, YDSA social media manager and secretary, was to make sure students have access to these resources, which the university does not provide. “It’s more than just practicing sex without pregnancies. It’s a serious health risk if you don’t provide students condoms on campus,” Rodriguez said. “Students are going to have sex no matter what. You can’t stop students from having sex, whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual sex. They’re going to have sex. People have sex, and you have to be safe about it. You have to prevent STDs.” The current Fordham University official policy on contraceptives, which is rooted in Catholic doctrine, states that “while personal possession of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and/or birth control, in any form, is not prohibited, distribution is prohibited on Fordham University property, using University resources, and at Universitysponsored events,” though exceptions may be made in the case of existing medical conditions. Matthew Smith, FCRH ’28, co-chair of YDSA, said this policy creates a gap in the Fordham community that YDSA is trying to fill. “As socialists, we know that the liberation of all people, including bodily liberation, is intertwined with every other liberation struggle,” Smith said. “So we took it upon ourselves to fill that role and to start handing out free Plan B and condoms.”
CRISTINA STEFANIZZI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Madeleine Ando, FCRH ’27, and Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27, will serve as the executive president and executive vice president.
Who Are the USG Executive President and Vice President? By EMMA LEONARDI NEWS EDITOR
Elected this past spring, the new United Student Government (USG) Executive President for the 2026-27 school year will be Madeleine Ando, FCRH ’27, and the Executive Vice President will be Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27. The Ram sat down with both officers to learn who they are as students and student leaders. Ando is a psychology major at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) with a minor in
beginning of his sophomore year to Fordham. He was a commuter his first year at Fordham, but now lives on campus as a Resident Assistant in Alumni Court South. A fun fact about Johnson is that he won the New York City lacrosse championship in his junior year of high school. Growing up, Ando knew she wanted to be a leader of some sort. Now, she is thinking about going down the law track, an interest she has had since when she won best attorney in Washington while SEE USG, PAGE 4
BREAKING: Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catharine McGlade Leaves University By EMMA LEONARDI NEWS EDITOR
SEE ORIENTATION, PAGE 5
Former Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catharine McGlade has now parted ways with Fordham University, according to official confirmation that The Ram received from Associate Vice President for University Communications Jennifer Petra on Sept. 1. “I can confirm that Catharine McGlade has separated from the University and Juan Carlos
3 News NY Liberty Night
6 Opinion National Debt
NY Liberty and Fordham Collab for Fordham Day At Barclays
political science, though she originally entered Fordham as an engineering physics major. She hails from Seattle, Washington, where she lived all her life before coming to New York City (NYC) to attend Fordham. Johnson is a mathematics and economics double major with a double minor in theology and environmental studies. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Johnson originally started his college career at State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz before transferring at the
We Need To Be Honest About National Debt
Matos is stepping in to cover the position,” Petra said in her email statement to The Ram. Petra did not provide further details on the matter and stated that she and other members of the administration cannot offer commentary on “personal issues.” Speculation that regarded McGlade’s departure began early in the day of Sept. 1, following a new automated reply from McGlade’s Fordham email that reads:
“Dear Sender, Catharine McGlade is no longer at the University. Please contact Juan Carlos Matos at jmatos6@fordham. edu for assistance.” The Ram reached out to Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion, but has not yet heard back. This article will be updated on The Ram’s website with more information.
IN THIS ISSUE
Page 14 Culture Dolly Parton
R
We Will Always Love You, Dolly
SEE YDSA, PAGE 5
Page 20 Sports Fordham Football
Fordham Drops Their Season Opener to Colgate
NEWS
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PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
September 2, 2026
Fordham University’s Global Transition Program
2504 Hoffman Street Sept. 1 11:25 a.m.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 11:25 a.m., a student reported a smell of gas odor in their apartment at 2504 Hoffman Street. The supervisor responded and notified Facilities. They responded with a CO2 meter which indicated a safe reading.
2486 Arthur Avenue Sept. 1 10:10 a.m.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 10:10 a.m., while the supervisor was conducting an inspection of 2486 Arthur Avenue, an e-bike was observed inside the building. E-bikes and scooters are prohibited on all campus buildings. The supervisor removed the e-bike to the Public Safety Office.
2486 Arthur Avenue Sept. 1 6:30 a.m.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 a.m., there was a fire alarm at 2486 Arthur Avenue. The building’s supervisor and FDNY responded. All apartments were inspected, and there was no smoke or fire. The supervisor reset the alarm panel.
Faber Hall Aug. 25 7:48 a.m.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 7:48 a.m., there was a stuck occupied elevator in Faber Hall. The supervisor responded, and notified the elevator company. A technician responded and freed the occupants.
Follow The Fordham Ram on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X @TheFordhamRam
DANA MAXSON FOR THE FODHAM RAM
Global Transition Students and leaders enjoy time outside on campus.
By JACK WARD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fordham University held its annual Global Transition (GT) program for the 202627 school year from Aug. 18 through 21. The program serves as an orientation for students who are coming to campus from over 35 different countries around the world before the rest of the first-year students step on campus. The curriculum involves giving students from all over the world necessary information for going through college, the United States, and more specifically, Fordham itself. This year, GT covered a variety of important topics that a Fordham student might need when they are coming from the other side of the planet. One of the primary points covered was how the U.S. and the students’ home countries differ, and the struggles these students might face adjusting to living in such a different educational and cultural
environment while also going through the typical college struggles of schoolwork and social life. To help with this adjustment, everyone who participated in the program took a mandatory English placement test. Other presentations throughout the four day program covered information such as visa requirements, how to open a bank account and housing and campus resources. Despite being a separate four-day orientation from the first-year orientation that every Fordham student has to participate in, a lot of the knowledge that was shared during GT was repeated in the university-wide program. The program provided international students with an opportunity to make connections with people from around the world, who still had the shared experience of going to school in a new country, according to students who participated. About her
experience with GT, Prapthi Lingareddy, FCRH ’30, cited the connections made with other international students as a strength. “It did help to know a couple of people who moved in around the same time as me … and meet a lot of people who went through the same process as me,” she said. Despite the comradery created through GT, Emmet CooperFlynn, FCRH ’30, who participated in the program, still feels disconnected from his American peers, which he said stems from the differences between the U.S. and his home country of Australia. “For example, I’m always saying ‘where’s the toilet,’ but in America that’s not that common to say, it’s more like ‘where’s the bathroom?” he said. He went on to give more examples, such as replacing “bin” instead of “trash can” and saying “tap” instead of the usual “water fountain.”
DANA MAXSON FOR THE FODHAM RAM
Global Transition Students explore building after check-in.
This Week at Fordham
Wednesday Sept. 2
Thursday Sept. 3
Friday Sept. 4
Law School Lecture
CSA Info ession
VIVA Social
Hill Faculty Conference Room, 7-119 12:30-1:45 p.m.
Martyrs’ Court Goupil 1:30-2:30 p.m.
1st Tower Campbell Hall Multipurpose Room 3:30-6 p.m.
James Loeffler, legal historian, will present his new book titled “Exceptional Hatred: Antisemitism and the Fight Over Free Speech in Modern America.”
Fordham’s Commuting Students Association will host an information session for students interested in learning more about the upcoming CSA elections.
Fordham’s VIVA Club will kick off the semester with an outdoor picnic. With food and games while connecting the club and celebrating Mexican culture.
The Office of International Services (OIS) does continue to support international students post-GT, such as through a variety of resources that international students can use to make their American college experience run more smoothly, according to the office. For example, if a student were to go on the Fordham University website, they would find that while they attend they could acquire a driver’s license, health insurance and guidance towards employment. The OIS also has a monthly newsletter that keeps international students up to date with all the information they need to be successful at Fordham. International students, in the experience of the GT program and the extra offerings provided by OIS, have resources meant to allow them to integrate smoothly into Fordham University while meeting other students who are experiencing the same transition.
Monday Sept. 7
Tuesday Sept. 8
USG on Sexual USG Communications Misconduct and Marketing 1st
Tower Campbell Hall Multipurpose Room 7-8 p.m.
Join Rose Hill United Student Government for a discussion on sexual misconduct, harassment and resources for that are available for students.
McShane 118, 119 1-2 p.m.
Join Rose Hill United Student Government’s Communications and Marketing Committee to learn more about them and get involved within USG.
NEWS NY Liberty and Fordham Collab for Fordham Day
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September 2, 2026
By GABRIEL CAPELLAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The New York Liberty and Fordham University partnered together to host “Fordham Day” at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Aug. 29. This partnership was established to showcase the Fordham brand with a team whose roots match Fordham’s. There was a limited number of complimentary tickets for current students, which sold out within minutes of being announced on Instagram. The stadium was packed with Liberty’s sky-blue jerseys, but some fans wore shirts with the text “For Our Community That Lifts Us Higher” or “For the City That Keeps Striving.” Fans were given a shirt by Fordham University with the back reading “For What Matters” along with the Fordham logo. The shirts were designed by local artist Josh Zepeda. He took on this collaboration with the school because he believed in the school’s slogan, “For What Matters.” “Everybody has a story to tell, and so to see people connect with that story is powerful, man. It’s exciting. ‘For what matters,’” Zepeda said. “When I was told about that vision of ‘For what matters,’ it excited me because we all have
a statement, right?” Zepeda is from Flatbush, Brooklyn and creates art inspired by stories of personal identity. “Everybody has a story to tell, and so to see people connect with that story is powerful, man. It’s exciting. For what matters. I mean, when I when I was told about that vision of for what matters, it excited me” he added. Justin Bell, vice president of marketing and communications, said this collaboration was pursued because it presented beneficial opportunities for the Fordham community. “Our partnership with the NY Liberty allows us to deepen our roots across the city, introduce our students to incredible experiential learning opportunities, expand our brand presence across WNBA audiences and engage New Yorkers around a shared purpose,” he said in an email to The Ram. Bell also said the Liberty match the school’s mission. “Partnering with the New York Liberty, an organization that exemplifies courage, community and advocacy both on and off the court, offers a strong alignment with Fordham’s values. It’s this mission alignment that led Fordham to partner with the NY Liberty,” he said. This initative is a part of
Fordham’s commitment to ensuring every student can get an internship. “Fordham students have access to dedicated internship positions with the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, offering immersive, hands-on experience in business, operations, and sports management,” he said. The game itself fostered community and connection among current Fordham students and alumni who attended. Ramandeep Girn, GSB ’27, is a first-year mentor and understands the difficulties of finding people to connect with, but said that with events like these, those bridges become easier to cross. “I’m a community freshman mentor, so I understand,” he said. “I work with a lot of freshmen, and even with that, they’re trying to always build community. So this is a good sense of how to build community with each other.” Girn was one of the few lucky students who got a free ticket. “I saw it on Instagram,” he said. “I said I need that. I need that. So I got that ASAP as soon as I saw it,” he said. Franco Giacommara, a 2015 alumn, also attended the NY Liberty game and highlighted why events like this are
important to the community. “This event is really important because number one, it’s really fun, and it’s, you know, promoting good vibes, good spirits, which we like to do,” he said. “It’s illustrating a big link between the university and the broader community, which is, of course, part of our mission for the greater good.” During the second quarter of the game, a video played showing the Liberty’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant, and Fordham’s mascot, Ramses, going to WFUV, Rose Hill’s
radio station. They were exploring the campus as Ellie narrated, reminiscing on when she was a student. This video is only part one of four that will be released at a later date. Bell said that this partnership will continue through next year. “Our partnership with the Liberty will last through the 2027 WNBA season,” Bell said. “Which means multiple opportunities for interviews, annual community engagement events and plenty of opportunities to partner on thought leadership events,” he said.
GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham University partnered with the NY Liberty to host Fordham Day.
Photos From the Event
GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM Fans took photos in front of the Fordham backdrop after getting their shirts.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY Ramses was present to bring school spirit to the game.
GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM Complimentary shirts were given out at the event.
GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM The Liberty won 85-66 versus the Chicago Sky.
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NEWS Meet USG’s Madeleine Ando and Ayden Johnson
September 2, 2026
plans already in discussion that they want to implement while in their new roles this school year. One example is, as Ando put it, bringing USG to “more modern times.” This includes, but is not limited to, adding a calendar with USG events and meetings to their website, adding a legislation tracker so that students can view progress of proposals and see what their representatives are actively working on, and improving outreach to the student body (i.e. via social media) as well as finalizing senate documents. Ando and Johnson will also be working to support the new executive board members, as it is the first time many of them are in a leadership role like this for USG, guiding over thirty students under their respective committees. Additionally, the executive pair mentioned wanting to see more “umph” from class senators, and that in finalizing senate documents, they hope to give senate seats more guidance on what they can do so that they feel like they have a purpose and can work to make real change. Ando and Johnson would also like to work towards the
FROM USG PAGE 1
in high school. Johnson, on the other hand, always knew he wanted to be in education. Originally, he was going to apply to college under an education major, but decided to instead major and minor in the subjects he wants to teach. Both Ando and Johnson have backgrounds in USG already, with both joining in their sophomore years on respective committees. Ando began on the Diversity Action Coalition under the accessibility subcommittee, before running for and becoming the vice president of facilities and dining for her junior year. Johnson began on the sustainability committee before running for the vice president of sustainability due to advice from the previous vice president, which he was able to secure for his junior year. While they acted as vice presidents overseeing their respective USG committees, Ando and Johnson became close colleagues and friends who worked on proposals together. One such successful proposal was making changes to The Marketplace’s hours. Looking forward, Ando and Johnson have many
“One Fordham” initiative that the university is pushing by collaborating and aligning with the Lincoln Center (LC) USG on proposals, initiatives and events. At the moment, the two governments are working on a joint town hall and pushing forward with the USG contraceptive policy initiative from last year to hopefully get it passed on both campuses. “When we unite together, things actually get done,” Ando said, in a comment regarding past and future collaborations with the LC USG. When they ran, Ando and Johnson noted that they wanted to be true to themselves not only in their campaign, but also in their leadership by incorporating their perspectives and past experiences. Ando noted the outside noise that can come from being a female leader, in this case of USG. “At least me personally, sometimes I felt like the leadership roles I’ve had in the past … I would do the same thing as, like, a male counterpart and it would be seen as more aggressive or more disconnected,” Ando said. “[Johnson’s] been so
helpful in terms of, we talk about kind of our past experiences, with leaderships, and the positions we’ve been in, and just supporting each other with it.” Johnson also discussed the perspective of being a man of color in his position, as well as having a background as both a transfer and commuter. All transfers into Fordham have to complete the same orientation program as the first-year Fordham students when they arrive. Johnson noted the difficulties around being a transfer student: The stigma present amongst the Fordham population, as well as wishing that previous transfer students would lead the specific transfer orientation groups so that new transfers could get not only the firstyear information, but also perspective and advice from current transfer students who already have experience at Fordham. In this vein, Johnson shared his goals for helping transfer students: creating either a subcommittee or a brand new committee that will be focused specifically on transfer students to address these issues.
Johnson also talked about focusing on commuter students, with specific mention of potential collaboration between USG and the Commuter Student Association in the future. For more tentative future plans, Ando and Johnson noted getting more support from the administration for students. This includes but is not limited to life beyond the “first-year experience,” with the pair wanting to see more initiative taken towards upperclassmen and their journey in and after Fordham. An example of this is equalizing FCRH more with the Gabelli School of Business (GSB), as GSB has challenges for students in their second year, such as the Consulting Cup, to keep students engaged and supported even after their first year. Ando and Johnson may have just started their tenure as executive president and executive vice president, but the duo has a lot of plans for change, many of which are already underway. Fordham University students can meet with and talk to their representatives at the weekly USG meeting in Bepler Commons every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join and present ideas.
Staff Hopes for the Fall Semester and the 2026-27 School Year
EMMA LEONARDI
LORESA ZEQIRAJ
MAKENZIE SMITH
For one final time, I hope to make The Ram’s news section the best it can be and inform Fordham students on important news that occurs during my tenure. On a more personal note, I hope to enjoy every second of my senior year and really relish the experience of being in college before it ends.
This semester, as the opinion editor, I am looking forward to providing students with a platform to share their voices and inspiring conversation on campus. I am excited to curate an opinion section of interesting topics for each issue. My goal is to give the community thoughtprovoking articles that encourage dialogue between those who hold a variety of beliefs.
I hope to take in all things culture from my Fordham community and NYC. I have loved reading about everyone’s adventures and look forward to having even more of my own in the beloved room B-52 before my time as a Ram comes to a close. Everyone has such a heartfelt connection to our work at The Ram, and I just know I will continue to grow in their presence.
LARA EJZAK
JAMES NELSON
CULTURE EDITOR
SPORTS EDITOR
EXECUTIVE COPY EDITOR
For my last semester with The Ram, I’m planning on soaking in all the good vibes of McShane B-52. I’m excited to laugh as much as possible and connect with my fellow editors! I’ll be sending all my love from Granada in the spring!
I hope that this semester is full of laughs. I’m also excited to read the articles our amazing sports writers send in for the rest of this semester.
This fall, I’m looking forward to making more memories and taking new classes that interest me. I am starting on The Ram as an Executive Copy Editor and can’t wait to learn more about news production and to meet new people. There are many exciting things to look forward to, and I can’t wait for another fall at Fordham!
NEWS EDITOR
OPINION EDITOR
CULTURE EDITOR
MIA SMITH
NEWS First-Year Orientation Extended to Three and a Half Days
September 2, 2026
FROM ORIENTATION PAGE 1
that Fordham included more time this year for small group meetings. “A lot of the new students like having small groups,” O’Brien said. She noticed that her fellow first-years especially enjoyed their time together outside of administrative presentations. To O’Brien, orientation didn’t feel as long as it used to because of the small groups. “I support it,” she said. “I like being with my small group more, and they get to hang out with more people.” The class of 2030 experienced the second year of the “One Fordham” event, which unites first-year students at both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. Students residing at Rose Hill visited Lincoln Center on Monday, Aug. 24, and enjoyed a “Party on the Plaza” between McKeon Hall and the Leon Lowenstein Center. During this year’s orientation, for the first time in Fordham’s history, students at both campuses gathered at Rose Hill’s Moglia Stadium to capture a photo of the entire first-year class. O’Brien also mentioned that without this year’s extended orientation, it would have been harder to organize the class photo with Lincoln Center,
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citing that the extension gave more time to include it. Despite the perceived improvements in orientation, the opinions of first-years vary. Grace Moure, FCRH ’30, thought that there should have been more time set aside for students to relax and settle into their dorms, especially on the first day. “I feel like I still have so much to buy and prepare for in my room,” Moure said. “If they had given us one whole day to move in, then orientation would’ve been three days. So, that I would have been fine with, but four was just too much.” However, Moure also felt that all of the orientation activities were necessary and enjoyable. “Some of the activities were optional, but I went to them anyway, and I think they were good experiences, especially for brand-new students,” Moure said. “I feel like all of the activities should be mandatory because you really don’t know what to expect unless you go. I get how it’s draining, and it’s long, but it happens for a reason.” Parra and O’Brien shared some criticisms of this year’s orientation, more specifically regarding the limited amount of free time students had.
MURIEL CORLEY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
First-year Fordham University students in the class of 2030 had a three-and-a-half day orientation.
“I think it was an appropriate amount of time for sure — I do think there needs to be clarification to a lot of the [first-years] that we’re all just trying to help them adjust,” Parra said. “I also think that they could have used less presentations.” O’Brien shared a similar opinion. “I think having so many days, people need more free time,” O’Brien said. “People get tired.”
O’Brien also felt that this year, people “weasled their way out” of some assemblies because of the abundance of events on the schedule and the lack of clarity on which events were optional or not. But, like others, they shared positive feedback. Parra believes that Fordham’s first-year orientation has greatly improved from when she was a first-year in regard to the schedule. “[First-years] need more
time to adjust and just hangout amongst themselves and socialize before all the other grades get to campus,” Parra said. O’Brien agreed that this year’s program was beneficial for students. “In comparison to what is seen at other schools, I really think that Fordham does it best,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s fun and it’s definitely worth it for what it is as long as you show up.”
YDSA Hands Out Contraceptives Outside Walsh Gate FROM YDSA PAGE 1
Smith said they received the contraceptives from Planned Parenthood, free of charge. He said all they had to do was tell Planned Parenthood that they are a YDSA chapter and how many boxes of contraceptives they needed. They started the event with a couple hundred condoms, which ran out after 15 minutes, and about 85 boxes of Plan B, which were gone within 43 minutes. Nyla-Grace Davenport, FCRH ’28, who stopped by the table and grabbed a box of Plan B, said she thinks it’s important for students to have access to these kinds of resources. “I just think it’s really nice to have these free things on campus, especially since it can be really expensive for college students,” Davenport said. “I feel like it’s nice to just grab for a friend or anyone who needs it.” Regarding the Fordham official contraceptive policy, Davenport said she finds it weird that, as a college campus, Fordham does not provide students with contraceptives. “I understand that we do go to a Jesuit university, so they don’t want to promote these things, but you have to realize that we’re all adults,
so these things do happen,” Davenport said. Many other students stopped by the table to grab contraceptives for themselves and their friends, with several commenting that it was great that YDSA was holding the event, and one even asking, “What’s the catch?” when they heard the contraceptives were free. The Ram tried to speak with additional students, however, most were not comfortable being interviewed. This event was not the first time YDSA has passed out contraceptives to Fordham University students. Smith said they have held many distribution events in the past and they have a distribution form that students can fill out to request contraceptives. “Our thing here is not only to give it out in preparation, so somebody can keep it just in case it happens, and just in case they need it, and then also to spread the word that we are here and we are here to help you,” Smith said. Smith said that aside from providing students with the resources and information they need, YDSA is also trying to push for the university to change its policy. “The idea with a lot of social organizing that we
HANNAH SULLIVAN/ THE FORDHAM RAM
YDSA, an unofficial club, set up a table outside the Walsh gate to distribute contraceptives on Aug. 28.
talk about is the idea that you both run a campaign to grow and grow to run a campaign,” Smith said. “Meaning that we are doing this not only to grow the movement but also to grow and put pressure on the administration and on USG to do more about this.” Last spring, Fordham Rose Hill’s United Student Government (USG) passed a proposal to lobby the university administration to amend Fordham’s contraceptive policy. At a town hall in March advocating for the proposal, Smith and
Rodriguez both spoke in support. However, Smith said that he’s not very optimistic about the university changing its policy any time soon. “Currently, [USG doesn’t] have much power, so we’re not sure anything’s going to really come of that resolution passing,” Smith said. “So that’s why we’re still out here, even though that passed, we’re still out here spreading the word and giving out, you know, contraceptives.” Rodriguez also shared that they will keep pushing for
changes to the university’s policy, but until then, they will continue to distribute resources. “It should not have to be the students distributing it. It is the university’s duty to make sure that their students are having and practicing safe sex,” Rodriguez said. “So we’re gonna continue to give out free contraceptives off campus.” The Ram reached out to Associate Vice President for University Communications Jennifer Petra but she did not respond to a request for a comment.
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AD
September 2, 2026
OPINION
September 2, 2026
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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 Sienna Reinders Managing Editor Ian Nelson Production Editor Sarah Verrastro Editorial Director Molly O’Connor Multimedia Director Hannah Sullivan Business Director Nishanth Aduma News Editor Emma Leonardi Features Editor Caydence Jones Assistant News Editors Gabriel Capellan Grace Kawecki Opinion Editor Loresa Zeqiraj Assistant Opinion Editors Erynn Sweeney Elaina Gibson Culture Editors Lara Ejzak Makenzie Smith Assistant Culture Editor Kelly Buban Sports Editor James Nelson Assistant Sports Editors Molly Friedman Ethan Bess Copy Chief Indigo Towers Executive Copy Editors Emma Kelner Amelia Stricherz Hannah Michalowski Mia Smith Photo/Graphics Editor Emily McCall Wilson Speller Digital Producers Han Le Haniyyah Usmani Social Media Director Marisa House Advertising Directors Violet Wallace Juan-Pablo Valencia Rishika Lingamdinne Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial reflects the editorial board’s opinions or views. Opinion Policy The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Fordham Ram. Submission 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. Correction Policy The Fordham Ram is committed to fair and accurate reporting. If you are aware of an error, please contact us at fordhamramonline@gmail.com.
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From the Desk | James Nelson
The State of Male Friendship In my 20 years participating in society as a male, I have gained an understanding of how males socialize. I can detect a certain ebb and flow in the conversations I have with guys; an unspoken barrier or set of unwritten rules, if you will. It’s almost as if particular subjects are off limits from the moment two males begin talking. The behaviors I’m about to describe don’t apply to every man, but they are common; I am guilty of exhibiting several of these behaviors and have been on the receiving end of all of them. I have several male friendships that date back almost ten years and yet I could not tell you a single one of their birthdays, nor could they tell you mine. I’m sure my friends have middle names, pets and interests that they are very passionate about, but they have never come up in conversation. Over the summer, I hung out with a friend I met my first year of high school; when I mentioned that I had an older brother, it was the first he’d heard of it. Even the closest of male friends will not know basic information about one another. This is not intentional or because men don’t care about each other, but rather because they have a fundamentally flawed method of communicating. In severe cases, males do not even exist as people within their friendships. Instead of sharing even the simplest of details about themselves, some friendships will consist only of working
out, playing video games or watching sports. While none of these activities are inherently bad, they can be used by males to avoid anything beyond superficial conversations. A silent agreement is made between friends or amongst the group to focus solely on the activity and not the friendship. Hours can go by and by the end of the night, no one will have learned anything about the people they spent their evening with. Even when there is no activity and men are forced into a conversation, defense mechanisms are still deployed. Humor is used to defuse potentially heavy subjects and reel back the intimacy of the conversation. If a guy feels he has overshared, he may laugh or make a quick joke in an attempt to wash over his prior statements. Entire get-togethers may be blanketed by a sarcastic tone or a witty back-and-forth. Humor has its place in a friendship, but when it becomes the entire friendship, it can hurt more than it helps. It’s quite easy to look at these behaviors and find them to be downright silly. However, there is a clear correlation between these flawed friendships and the Men’s Mental Health Crisis. Aside from the quick and transactional “How are you?” and the response, “I’m good,” men rarely disclose how they are feeling, especially when they are feeling down. This total lack of vulnerability creates a fear of opening up. For some men, appearing to be emotional is thought of as a
weakness. For others, they worry that if they share something personal, they will be rejected or misunderstood. And so, men deprive themselves of a support system they desperately need. Much goes unsaid and men attempt to deal with their stress internally, which can be draining at best and crushing at worst. Without a sense of belonging in their friend groups, men begin to seek validation from unhealthy places. Hyper-masculine influencers and brands cater to men who feel lost and alone, a group that appears to be growing larger. Without friends to hold them accountable, men undergo personality changes influenced by the content they consume, which targets their insecurities and flaws. What is created in the process is a more aggressive and resentful version of themselves. One true friend can prevent this transformation from taking
place, but unfortunately, many males don’t have that friend. So, what can we all do going forward to change this? At the heart of this issue is communication. We, as males, need to drastically change how we approach conversations. When our instinct is to joke or be silent, we must push further and get more personal. When a friend or acquaintance opens up, we must listen with intention and encourage them to say more. Vulnerability and expression cannot be punished. A friendship should not feel as if you’re walking on a tight rope; it should be a safe space. The silver lining is that all of us are capable of being the difference. A small adjustment can mean the world when it comes to how we relate to each other. When we make these changes, our cherished friendships can grow into something beautiful.
Editorial | Bronx Citizenship
How to Be a Good Citizen of the Bronx
Students, new and returning, welcome, or welcome back, to the Bronx! Now I’m sure you have heard your fair share about the borough we call home, whether from movies, news stories or your Aunt Linda who’s never stepped foot on these streets, but The Ram executive board would like to take some time to clear up some misconceptions and guide you on how to be a good citizen of the Bronx. First things first, we know that you have heard the Bronx is dangerous. We’re sure people have told you to stay on campus or sent you news stories or social media posts depicting our borough in a negative light. Well friends, you live in a city now — therefore, you need to have street smarts. Yes, there are parts of the Bronx that are more dangerous, and yes, if you are not smart you can get into trouble. This does not mean you can’t or shouldn’t explore the community, it just means you should pay attention when you’re out and about like in any other city, and don’t go out alone at night. Simple as that! As an isolated campus within the Bronx, it’s important to acknowledge the damage we do in this community, as well as how
we can counteract it. The housing market in the Belmont neighborhood is thrown askew by the prevalence of middle to upper-class students. This migration leads landlords and real estate companies to increase prices as a whole, pushing out the locals who can no longer afford it. This is their neighborhood first, but they are forced to deal with the consequences of our existence. Additionally, having dozens of students wandering, yelling and sometimes making a mess outside of their homes at ungodly hours of the night on weekends is probably not ideal. This concept of studentification, “the economic, social, cultural and physical transformations that occur in University towns due to an increasing concentration of students,” is not unique to Fordham, but it is still important to be aware of its effects on our neighborhood. We cannot simply accept these impacts as fact without putting in the effort to make a difference in our community. Fordham’s Jesuit tradition of men and women for and with others shines through their opportunities and encouragement of student service. Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged
Learning (CCEL) seeks “to bridge Fordham University with our neighboring communities and global partners through experiential learning, research, and civic engagement.” Through engaged courses and other programs like Post Secondary Pathways (tutoring at local schools) and Urban Plunge, students have so many ways to get involved with the community around them. Campus Ministry is another fantastic resource for service opportunities, including Global Outreach trips and several smaller projects with the Pedro Arrupe Volunteers, like working with the Belmont Catholic Community Center, which is just a short walk from campus. All this is not to say that the Bronx is some charity case that Fordham students need to swoop in and save. This borough has lived long before us, and it will continue to thrive long after us. The Bronx has some of the richest cultural history in New York, from the origins of hip-hop music and dance to the popularization of modern street art as an act of resistance against the injustices it faced and the ignorance of the city government. The Bronx knows how to thrive in the face of adversity as
few places do. The diversity of cultures is represented through many ethnic enclaves, including our own Little Italy (or Little Albania, depending on who you ask), Little Africa, Little Yemen and Little Guyana. There is so much to explore in the Bronx, and it would be terrible to let false narratives and stereotypes prevent you from exploring everything it has to offer. To re-emphasize what has already been said, you do not need to be afraid of the Bronx. It’s part of a city, which means you need to be smart and aware of your surroundings, but it is also a place full of vibrant culture and diverse communities that are absolutely worth exploring. Most Fordham students will have a moment in their college career when they really feel like a member of their community for the first time, whether that’s getting on a firstname basis with the owner of your favorite local deli or finding yourself arguing for which restaurant on Arthur Avenue has the best vodka pasta. But you can’t have the moment if you never get out there! Take advantage of Fordham’s resources and take the initiative to get involved in our community while you’re living here. We love the Bronx!
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OPINION From Crime Scenes to Streaming Services
September 2, 2026
By JACQUI LYSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When anything crime-related occurs, I can always rely on the fact that sooner or later it will become a documentary on Netflix. After looking up “true crime” on the Netflix search bar, I was overwhelmed with the plethora of media that filled my screen. Featuring everything from high-profile murders and cold cases to scams, this platform truly has it all. Although it seems that Netflix created the true crime genre, it has actually been around for centuries, fascinating the masses, including myself. Early forms of true
crime were created to share details of notorious crimes with elements of entertainment and have evolved into the true crime media we see today. True crime is popular because it combines the enjoyment of a mystery with the knowledge that the events actually happened. Its value, however, depends on how responsibly the stories are told. I find true crime documentaries captivating, as I have always been intrigued by the process of solving a mystery and bringing people to justice. For instance, in “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” I was fascinated to learn how a 10 second Snapchat video unraveled Alex
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True crime docudramas have been very popular on streaming services.
Murdaugh’s entire alibi and served as critical evidence in his double-murder trial. Through my vast experience with the true crime genre, including books, podcasts and documentaries, I have learned a lot about systemic flaws, human behavior and grief. While I find true crime media informational, other viewers may disagree. They instead may perceive this genre as synonymous with the horror genre, so let’s distinguish the two. True crime is non-fictional and portrays real-world investigations about real people and demonstrates the real effects of unfortunate events. It can be disturbing precisely because the threat is real and the victims were real people. Horror, on the other hand, aims to frighten, shock and build suspense. By using eerie music, actors and clever cinematography, horror elicits uneasiness and fear in its audience. Sometimes, however, true crime and horror get muddled when productions attempt to create true crime docudramas. A docudrama is a genre that features dramatized reenactments of actual events: a hybrid of a documentary and a drama. Widely popular docudramas on Netflix include the “Monster” series created by Ryan Murphy. These retellings include the stories of serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and
Ed Gein. This is not true crime that informs or gives victims a chance to tell their stories, but rather sensationalizes murderers and exploits the real people who were victims of these traumatic events. True crime productions are complex. By telling sensitive stories about real people, there are inherently a lot of aspects to consider. For true crime to be executed appropriately, consent must be given from the families of the victims of such events, be produced with respect and avoid exploitation. True crime media is not just informative for the audience, but gives victims a chance to have their stories told and spread awareness. The family members, friends and loved ones of a victim of a violent crime are given an outlet to discuss not only the death of the individual they knew, but their own lives as well. These accounts are important to share because it shifts focus from the killer to the human cost of the crime. The personal narratives preserve the victim’s legacy and offer survivors a platform where their pain is validated. These narratives simultaneously strip away the morbid fascination with the killer themselves or with crime in general. It is important to be aware of the kind true crime content we are consuming. True
crime media should serve a purpose, whether that be bringing awareness to an issue, shedding light on a cold case or exposing corruption in law enforcement or the legal system. The Netflix true crime documentary “Amy Bradley is Missing” is a good example of a responsibly made true crime production. For instance, the producers positively utilize Netflix’s international reach as an investigation tool to successfully promote new leads in this cold case. The producers of this documentary created close relationships with the Bradley family, ensuring that the series captured their reality of grief. They humanized Amy Bradley rather than treating her story as a sensationalized mystery. Uneasiness about consuming true crime is understandable. However, by watching content that humanizes victims, avoids glorifying perpetrators, respects family wishes and above all, is created with sensitivity, audiences can learn a great deal about society and make sense of the terrible events that occur every day.
Jacqui Lyson, FCRH ’29, is a journalism major from Orange County, California.
Locking In is Easier Said Than Done By MELISA BUJAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
University students spend countless hours glued to their screens, whether that be on their laptops, tackling their many assignments or on their phones, scrolling through social media as a respite from said assignments. Screen time trackers on our various devices incite shock and panic when they flash alarming numbers like six or eight hours. Studies have shown that university students pick up their phones roughly 113 times a day. Unfortunately, screen time has become a necessity in a college student’s life. This is not to promote the adverse effects of screen time, including its damage to dopamine receptors and melatonin production, which can make it harder to focus and fall asleep over time. However, being online has undoubtedly become an unspoken requirement of college life. Rather than immediately panicking upon seeing high hours of screen time, students should take a step back and try to understand the reasons for such high usage in the first place. In an iPhone’s
settings, “Screen Time” presents a daily average of hours spent online — but I would push students to go further and actually study “App and Website Activity,” which presents our most-used apps and how long we use them. Find these statistics across all your devices and once you understand what is taking up most of your time, then you can actually begin reducing those hours. For those of us who are mainly attached to our screens outside of academic purposes (my daily four hours of TikTok included), I suggest hiding the distracting apps from the home screen or requiring Face ID to unlock them, another built-in feature on iPhones. While this may not automatically erase hours of unnecessary scrolling, it does create another obstacle which forces you to consider whether or not to doomscroll. I cannot count the number of times I have shut my computer and turned off my phone in an attempt to focus on my readings for class the next day and then instantly remembering that all my readings were PDFs online. Blackboard, Gmail, Instagram and TikTok, unfortunately,
all live in the same place, one “new tab” away from the other, making it so easy to rack up more hours of screen time every day. How do we fight against prolonged screen time, procrastination and accidental doomscrolling when the majority of our academics are found on these all-encompassing screens? Here, students could use the help of their professors and the university just as much as they need the strength of their own resolve. Beginning simply, when professors implement a no-technology policy inside the classroom, this already limits one screentime temptation. Taking notes by hand or simply listening to lectures without the distraction of a device has even been shown to improve student understanding and recollection of class material. In a similar vein, when professors assign material from physical textbooks or prepare course packs featuring the readings of the semester, the need for our phones or computers is eliminated during homework time. An especially dedicated student can even take the initiative to print out their readings and minimize the need for a screen altogether.
The prickly reality of college in this innovative era of technology is that students will not be able to avoid screens entirely. That is why it is unwise to assume that a university student’s heightened screen time is an immediate red flag. Being a student nowadays essentially equates to being online, and the digital proximity of work and entertainment makes it hard to suggest a power-off to avoid the infamous blue light. To adequately reduce the time spent with screens, the ideal step is to separate the physical location of schoolwork from the possibility of entertainment, which again, is not always doable. So, when such an explicit separation is not possible, I recommend fine-tuning the devices we need. Firstly, I advise creating a “School Focus” on Apple devices that silences social media or text message notifications, automatically preventing the distraction of a familiar name appearing on the screen. Another feature of “Focus Modes” on Apple devices is that it allows you to hide certain apps presented on your home screen. Having an iPad at your disposal is also a built-in tool
for avoiding technological procrastination, by installing only the apps that hold your philosophy readings or chemistry practice problems. It’s also much less convenient to open up more than one tab on an iPad than on a laptop, which implicitly forces us to choose between a full-screen of YouTube or of Blackboard. Whether we are spending two hours drafting a semester term paper or five hours scrolling on Pinterest, our eyes and brains need a break from artificial light and never-ending content. The popular 20-20-20 rule is my favorite simple way to avoid eye strain and screen time headaches. For every 20 minutes you spend on a device, take a break to look at something at least 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds. Our world as university students may revolve around technology and digital spaces, but understanding that reality is all the more reason for consciously stepping away from the screens whenever we can, regardless of how they are being used.
Melisa Bujaj, FCRH ’28, is a political science major from Westchester, New York.
OPINION
September 2, 2026
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Lindsay Clancy Case Calls Attention to Women’s Health By HAILEY BAKER STAFF WRITER
Women deserve better than to be brushed off by the mental healthcare system, but we cannot blatantly discard moral wrongs. For the past few weeks, the Lindsay Clancy trial has been all over the news and social media, raising essential questions about maternal mental health and postpartum psychosis. In a devastating tragedy, Clancy confessed to killing her three children, Cora, Dawson and Callan. This trial is not about whether Clancy committed these killings or not — Clancy and her defense team admit that she did — but rather about whether or not she should be held criminally liable. Massachusetts state prosecutors argue that Clancy should be held criminally responsible because these killings showcased deliberate planning and control, whereas Clancy’s defense team is arguing that she is not guilty by reason of a lack of criminal responsibility due to postpartum psychosis and overmedication. Too often, our society gets caught up in the idea that compassion requires us not only to understand someone’s suffering, but to affirm their choices as valid, justified and good even when they are objective wrongs. In reality, compassion does not require moral blindness. We can
acknowledge the severe nature of one’s mental health, failures in our healthcare system and the importance of advocating for better mental health treatment without affirming moral wrongs like murder. While it may be tempting, we must not fall into this trap with Clancy’s case. It is essential to keep her three children at the center of this conversation. Cora (5), Dawson (3) and Callan (8 months) were healthy children full of spirit, their whole lives ahead of them. Their deaths permanently altered the lives of everyone who loved them. The question, then, is not ifpostpartum mental illness deserves sympathy and compassion, because I believe it is evident that it absolutely does. The real question becomes about if compassion and accountability can coexist, and what we as a society should have done to help Clancy or should do to help future mothers in similar situations, before a mental-health crisis becomes a tragedy. Respect for Life club secretary Grace Baur, FCRH ’29, offered commentary on the Clancy case from a pro-life perspective. “There is a misconception that the pro-life mission only cares about babies in the womb, then doesn’t care what happens to them after birth,” Baur said. “But the movement aims to
uphold the dignity of all lives, from conception to natural death, and that extends to newborns, infants, toddlers, adolescents and their mothers.” “I think understanding why someone acted a certain way and holding them responsible for the consequences are not necessarily contradictory,” biology major and president of Fordham’s chapter of Doctors Without Borders, Trisha Bhanot, FCRH ’27, said. “We can acknowledge devastating consequences while also recognizing that severe mental illness can significantly impair a person’s ability to make rational decisions. These situations require compassion, context and an understanding that personal responsibility is not always completely black and white.” I am a huge believer that mental illness can be an explaination as to why people have committed certain crimes, but it can never be an excuse. According to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, postpartum psychosis is rare, occurring in approximately one out of every 1,000 deliveries, or around 0.1% of births. Postpartum psychosis is associated with a 4% infanticide rate, meaning that even for mothers who experience postpartum psychosis, it is very rare for their psychosis to lead them to kill their children.
In the four months leading up to Clancy’s alleged psychosis, doctors prescribed her 32 total prescriptions across 13 different psychiatric medications. Clancy’s defense team, along with independent experts, argue that Clancy received highly fragmented care instead of her medical team collaborating on a unified, cohesive approach. She had no central medical team, instead bouncing between multiple providers, clinics and outpatient programs. Without a centralized team, it is much easier for providers to misdiagnose or altogether fail to diagnose a critical condition. Still, it is important to acknowledge the gaps in mental health care that are impacting new moms and women as a whole. “I think postpartum mental health has historically been under-prioritized because healthcare has often focused more heavily on the physical aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, while giving less attention to what happens psychologically afterward,” Bhanot explained. “There can be an expectation that emotional distress is simply a normal part of becoming a parent, which can make it harder to recognize when someone is experiencing something much more serious.” This common misconception has devestating consequences,
as if symptoms are not recognized early, mothers may go without treatment until their condition becomes significantly more severe, which can affect their own well-being, relationships and ability to care for their children. With Clancy’s case, we also see that even women who seek help are often misdiagnosed or failed in other ways by the medical system. Altogether, the Clancy case brings to light why we must take postpartum mental health seriously before a crisis becomes a tragedy. Many misconceptions surrounding Clancy’s case and postpartum mental health in general are present in current discourse, especially the false idea that severe emotional distress is simply a normal part of motherhood. These misconceptions can prevent women from receiving necessary care. At the same time, while we should recognize the gaps in mental healthcare research and in the healthcare system that failed Clancy, we must not forget the devastating consequences of her alleged actions and her three children who lost their lives. This case should serve as a call to action for women to have timely, adequate care, especially in cases of postpartum mental illness. Hailey Baker, FCRH ’27, is a political science major from Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Trump’s Porcupine Problem By NAVID SHEIKHZADEH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Trump administration publicly believes the U.S. is stronger than every other country, in isolation. President Donald Trump has made his “America First” attitude clear through discussions with other world leaders – making it clear no one could challenge his means of implementation. During his first month in office, Trump infamously told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he simply “[does] not have the cards.” Canada may not have the “cards” either, at least as Trump defines them, but this mentality overlooks some significant nuances. The latest United StatesCanada trade war appears to be a simple inequality. The United States has the larger economy and the deeper capacity to absorb losses. By applying enough pressure, the logic goes, Canada must fold. Nevertheless, though uniquely rich in land, energy and capital, the United States is not an island. Canadian crude supplies 25% of American refineries, and last year, the United States was also at least 50% import-reliant for 29 critical minerals. Trade exists because countries produce different products at different costs and specialization benefits both sides. However, trade wars may have beneficiaries but they never have clean winners.
U.S. Canada trade tensions have escalated since early 2025, as Washington, D.C., imposed and revised tariffs while Ottawa answered with countermeasures. In August, the two seemingly finalized a settlement before negotiations collapsed over what Canada described as last-minute American demands. On Aug. 22, D.C. imposed 50% tariffs on $27.6 billion of Canadian goods, including products previously protected by the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement. In the aftermath, Ottawa responded with matching counter-tariffs. The issues at the bargaining table are telling. Things like provincial liquor monopolies or French-language programming on streaming platforms do not seem like major chips owned by a single negotiator, and that is because they do, in fact, belong to different governments and constitutional jurisdictions. Displays of hard power in the form of economic coercion are only effective when the injured country is capable of surrendering on terms the coercer demands. The United States chooses to punish Canada as one economy. It has discovered, on the other hand, Canada’s most fascinating defense: The federation cannot concede as one government. Ottawa has authority over international trade, but provinces possess broad power over
commerce within their borders. Therefore, while Ottawa can sign an agreement, it cannot operate each provincial regulatory system. Consider alcohol, for example. When premiers (provincial leaders) removed American wine and spirits from government stores, U.S. alcohol exports to Canada tanked by 85%. Prime Minister Mark Carney can request a reversal, but his signature in D.C. cannot put Kentucky bourbon back on shelves in Ontario. This embodies the bargaining paradox attributed to Thomas Schelling, which explains how losing the freedom of movement can create leverage. In a game of chicken, the driver who throws away their steering wheel has not acted wisely, but the other driver is forced to turn or crash. Canadian federalism was not built for negotiations. Ottawa can credibly say that certain concessions would not survive provincial governments, regional politics or cultural institutions. Canada is like a porcupine. It cannot overpower the larger animal, but it does not need to. Its divided institutions act like quills, meaning its inability to win does not equate to a clean surrender. Notably, provincialism can create possibilities for exploitation when tariffs are unevenly distributed. Ontario and Quebec face serious risks through their
automobile, steel and aluminum industries, whereas energy-producing provinces handle lighter burdens. Provincial vetoes make coercion harder, but regional divisions may allow D.C. to isolate industries and tempt provinces to seek separate relief. Canada must preserve the first quality and correct the second. This is a much broader problem. The Trump administration’s strong-arming assumes that enough pressure applied to the center of a government will force the entire system to collapse. However, this continues to backfire. Iran is a prime example. Power overlaps among the Supreme Leader, the Supreme National Security Council, the Revolutionary Guard and clerical bodies. After American and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and other senior officials, authority has been distributed. The regime survived because it contains multiple centers of government. That is not praise for Iran. These redundancies can preserve repression as effectively as democracy. The broader point is that D.C. continues to search for a single choke point and uncovers a network of leadership it is unable to decapitate. Europe presents a democratic version of this constraint. American pressure encouraged 27 countries to pool their market power, prepare retaliatory
measures and preserve an AntiCoercion Instrument. Europe has not escaped dependence on America, but it is building frameworks to prevent that dependence from being coerced into obedience. Canada has begun its own adjustment. In 2025, the share of Canadian exports going to the United States fell from 75.9% to 71.7%, while exports elsewhere rose 17.2%. Geography will keep Canada tied to America, but D.C. is teaching its neighbor — and our watching allies — that depending on the United States makes you vulnerable. Across these cases, Trump has shown that sovereignty is both the material capacity to survive external pressure and the political capacity to keep distinct regions with unequal exposure under one state. America’s strength for decades has come from being the power others could safely depend on. However, Trump’s policies treat that dependence as an overdue debt to collect, giving countries reason to diversify allyship and coordinate amongst one another. Trump expected countries without cards. Instead, he is teaching porcupines to raise their quills. Others will build around the U.S. regardless — we must decide whether we want to be built around as a power or a threat. Navid Sheikhzadeh, FCLC ’30, is a finance major from New York City.
OPINION My Strange Addiction: Working in the Service Industry
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September 2, 2026
By ANTHONY KOROLOS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
From the time I was 14 years old and legally able to work in the service industry, I wanted to start earning money for myself. I started with the pinnacle of fast-food jobs: Chick-fil-A. From then on, I have worked five service-industry jobs, because as “hell-like” as it can be to deal with difficult customers and work in the demanding
conditions of the food service industry, it is almost an addiction. Service industry jobs allow teenagers especially to learn skills that are unlikely to be taught anywhere else. I was able to easily learn time management, conflict resolution, efficiency and even simple things like cleaning. There have recently been viral videos of people being “Karens” to service workers, and while these seem exaggerated, they
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Working in the service industry is a common first job for many people.
are actually extremely common and happen almost every shift, no matter what company you work at. For example, when I worked at CAVA, three women screamed at me until I was brought to tears over being given the wrong amount of change. The dynamics of this situation are interesting to observe because three women yelling at a 16-year-old over a bowl is unnecessary and doesn’t exactly make sense. However, as a service worker, you are expected to know how to deal with situations like this, and although I was brought to tears in this example, I eventually learned both a lesson — that nothing is too serious — and a skill: how to turn on my “customer service voice.” A customer service voice is a common example of code switching, meaning that when presented with customers who expect the best form of service, you can’t talk to them like any other person. You raise your voice a few octaves and start using corporate jargon. For example, when I worked at Panera Bread and someone threw a drink at me because
I put ice in it, I could respond with something like, “I am so sorry that you weren’t pleased; I would love to remake you a free drink and offer you a free pastry.” This isn’t a one-off example; this is something that is trained. It can be dehumanizing to get a drink thrown on you and to then have to turn around and offer them something for free, but it is how the service industry works. The customer is always right. Another popular topic of conversation is tipping culture and whether service workers should be tipped. This summer, I worked in a restaurant as a server where the hourly wage was $2.50 and tips made up most of our salary. Tipping culture doesn’t necessarily make sense to me because, although the tipping iPad screen has been added into almost every business in America, tipping servers remains a necessity when they provide a service for a long period of time for one table. To be a server is to be a performer; you lose your sense of personhood for an entire shift because you are simply there to please and provide for customers who sit in your
section. Whether that is making specific modifications, bringing 10 refills or singing “Happy Birthday” for a guest, they are provided a unique service to meet their needs. Although tipping culture has reached new levels and gone a little overboard, it is a necessity when there is an actual service provided. Working in food service has changed my perspective on this, as I feel that whenever I am provided a service, I should tip a minimum of 20%. This is because, as a server, when you are tipped too little but know you provided good service, it feels personal and can take a toll on you. The service industry can take a toll on you mentally and physically; however, there is a certain thrill. Ultimately, it changed how I treat service workers, giving them the benefit of the doubt and tipping them for their efforts, because at the end of the day, they are trying their best. Anthony Korolos, FCRH ’29, is a political science and international political economy double major from Charlotte, North Carolina.
We Need to Be Honest About National Debt By DOMENICK FEDELE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
If you’ve ever watched the news in America, chances are you’ve heard about the national debt. It is the amorphous grey cloud hanging over everything in politics — nobody knows exactly how much there is, we all know it’s bad in some vague sense and good luck doing anything about it. However, it is time to wake up to the painful reality that something must be done about the debt before it is too late. The first step in addressing the national debt is deceptively simple: determining how much debt the U.S. actually has. According to the Department of the Treasury, we are currently in $40.08 trillion of debt. A scarily huge number, but a very simple answer to that fundamental question. Unfortunately, this is far from the whole story. The Treasury counts only explicit obligations — money the government has borrowed from the public, other countries or even other government agencies — that it is legally required to repay (at least in theory). Some economists, including those at the University of Pennsylvania, however, argue that this is far from the full picture of U.S. government financial obligations. Wharton’s Complete Measures of U.S. National Debt calculates the true national debt at over $100 trillion by including the implicit obligations of the government. Social Security and Medicare, for example, are essentially
guaranteed expenses barring an unprecedented political and societal overhaul. Calculating projected shortfalls and the costs of these programs for all living Americans balloons the debt to more than 340% of GDP. The major problem with carrying all this debt is, of course, interest. In the fiscal year 2024, the United States paid a staggering $1.13 trillion in interest on its debt, which is the fastest-growing segment of government spending by a huge margin. Nearly 20% of all spending is interest and every year the government simply takes on more and more debt. Unsustainable is a severe understatement. The national debt has doubled in the past 10 years and the cycle seems increasingly impossible to break. The government is borrowing more to cover routine spending, rather than longterm projects often cited as more “responsible” uses of debt. In this reality where national debt is larger than the economy, and the debt ceiling (the “limit” set by Congress as to how much the Treasury can borrow) is more of a cruelly ironic joke than a real strategy; the idea that the government was ever close to paying off its debt seems absurd. Far from absurd, however, this almost happened during most Americans’ lifetimes. In October 1999, President Bill Clinton announced the largest budget surplus in U.S. history, the largest debt paydown in history and, incredibly, that
the U.S. would hold zero national debt by 2015 (the last, and only, time this had occurred was in 1835). As we all know, this did not happen. By 2015, the national debt had exploded to $18 trillion. There has not been a budget surplus since 2001, nor a deficit of less than $1 trillion since 2019. There are a number of fingers to point to explain how things went so disastrously wrong. Massive spending in the Middle East after 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 and large tax cuts. Since 2001, adding huge amounts to the national debt has become perhaps the only truly bipartisan issue in America, as both parties continue to spend, spend and spend as if nothing will ever happen. That is the most insidious piece of the national debt. It is incredibly easy to forget just how much of a problem it is. The numbers are so big it seems fake — who can possibly conceptualize 40 or 100 trillion? Politicians say it’s a huge problem and then turn around and vote to raise the debt ceiling and spend even more money. The debt keeps growing and nothing bad ever seems to happen. But bad things are already happening and nobody knows just how bad it could get. Interest rates on the U.S. national debt are already rising, partially due to inflation and other economic conditions, but also because investors are beginning to realize that the risk of default is not as distant
a possibility as it has always seemed. A default would be truly unprecedented, and the scope of consequences would be impossible to predict, but even the Treasury admits that it would cause “catastrophic repercussions in the United States and in markets across the globe.” We simply don’t know exactly what it would look like, but economists agree it would be devastating. The solution to our debt crisis is practically child’s play, politically near-impossible. Cut spending, raise taxes. Those are essentially the two levers the government has to deal with debt, and according to the Wharton analysis on the true scope of national debt, they need to be pulled hard and fast. Restoring long-term budget balance would require about a 15%
increase in federal taxes and an equal cut to spending. This does not pay off any of the debt; it merely stops the accumulation of new debt while allowing the government to meet both its explicit and implicit obligations. After that, actually paying the debt would require even further action. The longer we do nothing, or in reality, less than nothing, and keep adding to the vicious cycle of national debt, the further those levers need to be pulled and the more detrimental it will be for the entire country. The next generation of leaders must be serious about making tough but necessary choices before the national debt fully swallows our economy. Domenick Fedele, FCRH ’29, is a political science major from Yorktown, New York.
COURTESY OF DAILY SABAH
The national debt has grown to over $40 trillion and is projected to keep rising.
September 2, 2026
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MEET THE STAFF
September 2, 2026
SIENNA REINDERS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sienna Reinders is a junior from Northern California majoring in journalism and political science. On The Ram, she has risen through the ranks and is now serving as the Editor-in-Chief for Volume 108. Aside from The Ram, Sienna is also involved in Fordham University’s on-campus radio station, WFUV, where she serves as a general news reporter, podcast host, newscast anchor and hosts the podcast segment Cityscape. When she is not reporting, you can find her reading, crafting, running or exploring the city with her friends.
IAN NELSON | MANAGING EDITOR Ian Nelson is a junior from Hyde Park, New York, majoring in English. He joined The Ram as a contributing writer in the sports section for Volume 106 before becoming Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 107. Ian is honored to serve as Managing Editor for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, he enjoys golfing, watching movies and reading a good book.
SARAH VERRASTRO | PRODUCTION EDITOR Sarah Verrastro is a junior from Monroe, Connecticut, majoring in English with a creative writing concentration and minoring in new media and digital design. She joined The Ram as a copy editor for Volume 106 before becoming Copy Chief for Volume 107. Sarah is thrilled to be serving as Production Editor for Volume 108. When she’s not in B-52, you can find her with her head buried in a book or working as Editorin-Chief of the Ampersand literary magazine.
MOLLY O’CONNOR | EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Molly O’Connor is a junior from Weymouth, Massachusetts, majoring in English with a creative writing concentration and minoring in environmental studies. She joined The Ram as a contributing writer for the opinion section in Volume 106, then served as a Digital Producer for Volume 107. She is so excited to be serving in the role of Editorial Director for Volume 108! When she’s not writing for The Ram, you can find Molly rewatching one of her comfort shows, dancing with Flava or waiting in line for SNL.
HANNAH SULLIVAN | MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Hannah Sullivan is a junior from Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in English with a minor in marketing. She joined The Fordham Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 106 before working as a Digital Producer for Volume 107. She is honored to be serving as Multimedia Director for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, Hannah enjoys crocheting or knitting while binge watching sitcoms and trying new restaurants and stores in the city.
NISHANTH ADUMA | BUSINESS DIRECTOR Nishanth Aduma is a senior from Hyderabad, India, majoring in finance with a concentration in Fintech. He joined The Ram as a contributing writer in Fall 2024 and later became an Advertising Director for Volume 107. He is excited to continue being the Business Director for Volume 108 from Fall 2025. Outside of the Ram, you can find Nishanth watching a wide range of TV shows, playing the bass guitar and exploring restaurants in the city.
EMMA LEONARDI | NEWS EDITOR Emma Leonardi is a senior from Washington, D.C., who is double majoring in English and psychology with a journalism minor. Over the past two years, she has worked her way through the news ranks from USG columnist to Assistant News Editor and all the way up to her current role as News Editor. She is also a WFUV Sports staff member with a special interest in hockey reporting. Outside of Fordham, she enjoys watching her Washington Capitals and consuming copious amounts of ramen in NYC.
CAYDENCE JONES | FEATURES EDITOR Caydence Jones is a sophomore from Easton, Pennsylvania, majoring in journalism. She began at The Ram as a contributing writer for the culture and opinion sections and now serves as Features Editor for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, Caydie enjoys photography and painting.
GABRIEL CAPELLAN | ASST. NEWS EDITOR Gabriel Capellan is a junior from the Bronx, New York, majoring in journalism and minoring in sociology. He began writing for The Ram during Volume 107 as a staff writer for the opinion section. In Volume 108, he was originally an Assistant Opinion Editor and is now an Assistant News Editor. He’s excited to join the news team and tell stories that are important to the Fordham community. Outside The Ram, you can find him taking photos or at WFUV.
GRACE KAWECKI | ASST. NEWS EDITOR Grace Kawecki is a sophomore from Northern California majoring in journalism. She began as a contributing writer her first year and became an Assistant News Editor for Volume 108 her sophomore year. Outside of The Ram, Grace enjoys reading, trying new restaurants in the city and baking.
LORESA ZEQIRAJ | OPINION EDITOR Loresa Zeqiraj is a junior from Yorktown Heights, New York, majoring in international studies with a minor in peace and justice studies. She joined The Ram during Volume 106 as a contributing writer, became an Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 107 and is the proud Opinion Editor for Volume 108! Outside of The Ram, Loresa loves reading classic literature, perfecting new yoga poses and people watching with a cup of coffee in Central Park.
ERYNN SWEENEY | ASST. OPINION EDITOR Erynn Sweeney is a senior from Cypress, California, majoring in international political economy. She wrote for The Ram during her first year and has since been a part of the opinion and culture teams for Volumes 106 through 108. Outside of B-52, she loves to drink coffee and spend time with family and friends.
ELAINA GIBSON | ASST. OPINION EDITOR Elaina Gibson is a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri, majoring in political science and art history. She joined The Ram as a contributing writer for Volume 107 and is now serving as Assistant Opinion Editor for Volume 108. Elaina enjoys going to Broadway shows, trying different taco spots around the city and watching mafia movies.
LARA EJZAK | CULTURE EDITOR Lara Ejzak is a junior from Butler, Pennsylvania, majoring in journalism and minoring in Spanish. She began writing for The Ram during Volume 107 as a staff writer and became a Culture Editor for Volume 108. Outside The Ram, you can find Lara drinking overpriced coffees downtown, playing pickleball on the courts with friends and cheffing up dinners that are constantly challenging her monthly grocery budget.
MAKENZIE SMITH | CULTURE EDITOR Makenzie Smith is a senior from Marietta, Georgia, majoring in journalism with a minor in English. She first joined The Ram as a contributing writer and copy editor her sophomore year. She now adores her current role as Culture Editor for Volume 108! Beyond The Ram, Makenzie is involved in Fashion for Philanthropy and enjoys discovering hidden gems in the city with friends, reading and travelling.
KELLY BUBAN | ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Kelly Buban is a sophomore from Middlebury, Connecticut, majoring in journalism and urban studies. She joined The Ram during Volume 108 as a contributing writer and now serves as Assistant Culture Editor. Outside of The Ram, you can find Kelly reading, walking in the Botanical Gardens, roaming a museum in New York City she hasn’t been to or trying a new ice cream shop.
September 2, 2026
MEET THE STAFF
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JAMES NELSON | SPORTS EDITOR James Nelson is a junior from Millburn, New Jersey, majoring in political science. He first joined The Ram during Volume 106 as a contributing writer for sports and became an Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 107. He is thrilled to take on the role of Sports Editor for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, James enjoys training in martial arts and working with political campaigns.
MOLLY FRIEDMAN | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Molly Friedman is a junior from Park City, Utah, majoring in journalism and environmental studies. She joined The Ram her first year as a contributing sports and culture writer for Volume 107. She is now excited to continue the role of an Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 108. Outside The Ram, Molly is a member of Fordham Women’s Rowing and works as a Ram Van driver. She can often be found watching baseball, attending Broadway shows or engaging in any outdoor activity.
ETHAN BESS | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Ethan Bess is a senior from Roanoke, Texas, majoring in film and television. He first joined The Ram in the fall 2025 semester as a contributing writer and later became an Assistant Sports Editor for Volume 108. As he returns for his senior year, he is excited to continue the role of Assistant Sports Editor. Outside of The Ram, Ethan enjoys learning different languages, hanging out with his friends in the city and reading in his spare time.
INDIGO TOWERS | COPY CHIEF Indigo Towers is a junior from Frankfurt, Germany, majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and minors in theology and anthropology. She first joined the copy team as an Executive Copy Editor during Volume 107, but is now Volume 108’s Copy Chief! Indigo spends a lot of her time in the confines of McShane basement, both in The Ram’s B-52 and at the front desk of Ram Fit. Outside of work, Indigo enjoys creative writing, reading and long, meandering walks around the Bronx.
EMMA KELNER | EXEC. COPY EDITOR Emma Kelner is a sophomore from Staten Island, New York, majoring in economics and history. She joined The Ram as a contributing writer for the opinion section for Volume 107 and is excited to take on the role of Executive Copy Editor for Volume 108. When she isn’t reading or writing, you can find Emma playing the trumpet, listening to ABBA or running in Central Park.
AMELIA STRICHERZ | EXEC. COPY EDITOR Amelia Stricherz is a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minnesota, majoring in English. It is her first year at The Ram, and she is joining as an Executive Copy Editor! Outside of The Ram, she is a part of the Fordham Women’s Rugby team and works for Ram Van. She enjoys reading, attending as many concerts as she can afford and watching the WNBA.
HANNAH MICHALOWSKI | EXEC. COPY EDITOR Hannah Michalowski is a sophomore from Glastonbury, Connecticut, majoring in English and minoring in Spanish. Hannah joined The Ram as a copy editor at the start of Volume 108 and is excited to finish it out as an Executive Copy Editor! Outside of The Ram, Hannah loves to read, dance and explore new bookstores in the city.
MIA SMITH | EXEC. COPY EDITOR Mia Smith is a sophomore from North Caldwell, New Jersey, majoring in journalism and minoring in digital technology and emerging media. This is Mia’s first year on The Ram, and she is joining as an Executive Copy Editor. Mia loves all things Fordham and NYC, so you can probably find her exploring a new neighborhood, getting froyo or playing pickleball.
MARISA HOUSE | SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Marisa House is a junior from Mendham, New Jersey, majoring in marketing with a concentration in sports business. She joined The Ram during Volume 108 as a Digital Producer and continued on as the Social Media Director. Outside of The Ram, she loves going on runs with friends, playing the guitar, journaling and binge-watching TV shows.
HAN LE | DIGITAL PRODUCER Han Le is a junior from Hanoi, Vietnam, majoring in marketing with a concentration in marketing analytics. She joined The Ram as a Digital Producer for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, Han is the secretary of the Vietnamese Student Association, her friends’ barista and watches Formula 1 races.
HANIYYAH USMANI | DIGITAL PRODUCER Haniyyah Usmani is a senior from the Bronx, New York, majoring in psychology. She joined The Ram as a copy editor and opinion writer for Volume 105 before serving as Digital Producer for Volumes 106 and 107, and she will continue in that role for Volume 108! Outside of The Ram and her too-long list of extracurriculars, Haniyyah is an avid reader and loves trying new crochet projects.
EMILY MCCALL | PHOTO EDITOR Emily McCall is a sophomore from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, majoring in journalism. McCall joined The Ram as a contributing writer for the culture section and a staff copy editor for Volume 107, and for Volume 108 became the Photo and Graphics Editor. When not editing photos and designing graphics, she loves exploring the city with her friends and collecting old records.
WILSON SPELLER | PHOTO EDITOR Wilson Speller is a junior from Kingston, New York, majoring in visual arts and African and African American studies. Wilson joined The Ram as a Photo Editor for Volume 108. Outside of The Ram, Wilson is a Student Photographer at Fordham Athletics, and enjoys playing basketball, walking around campus and watching movies.
JP VALENCIA | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Juan-Pablo (JP) Valencia is a sophomore from Aurora, Illinois, majoring in history and minoring in political science on the pre-law track. He joined The Ram during Volume 108 and currently serves as an Advertising Director. When he is not working for The Ram, JP enjoys thrifting, exercising at the Ram Fit Center and building legos.
RISHIKA LINGAMDINNE|ADVERTISINGDIRECTOR Rishika Lingamdinne is a junior at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business majoring in finance with a concentration in alternative investments. She is passionate about markets, investing and the wider financial services industry. Rishika began at The Ram as a contributing writer and now serves as an Advertising Director, working with local partners to support the paper’s business operations. Outside of academics and The Ram, she enjoys watching Formula 1 races and exploring restaurants in New York.
VIOLET WALLACE | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Violet Wallace is a senior from Washington, D.C., majoring in economics. She joined The Ram during Volume 107 as part of the business team, where she will continue to work for Volume 108. She loves animals and going for walks at the New York Botanical Gardens!
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By ALANA JONES CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This week, music legend Dolly Parton passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Parton’s career spanned seven decades, beginning in 1964, when she moved to Nashville after graduating from high school. The singer’s honest and heartfelt songwriting connected with millions, catapulting her into superstardom. Hits like “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5” have remained iconic hits, connecting with
CULTURE We Will Always Love You, Dolly fans of all ages. Dolly Parton was born in a one-room cabin in rural Tennessee. She pays homage to her childhood home in her song “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” describing the tranquility and beauty of her childhood. Parton describes her family’s love in the face of poverty in her hit “Coat of Many Colors,” telling of a coat her mother sewed for her as a child while telling her the story of Joseph and his multicolored coat from Genesis. The heartfelt lyrics
COURTESY OF NPR
Dolly Parton on stage at The Roxy in 1977.
resonated with audiences upon the song’s release in 1971 and continues to connect with listeners to this day. An appearance on “The Johnny Carson Show” in 1977 supercharged Parton’s career. When she returned for a second appearance, she wrote Carson a lighthearted thank-you song, playing guitar effortlessly in her iconic long acrylic nails. In 1980, she made her on-screen debut in the film “9 to 5” alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. An iconic feminist film, it chronicles three women’s struggles in the workplace (and the accidental kidnapping of their misogynist boss that follows). Parton also starred in “Steel Magnolias,” alongside Sally Field and Julia Roberts. Emme Loia, GSB ’27, described the impact Dolly Parton had on her childhood by saying, “Growing up in the South, Dolly always had a huge impact on my life. From blasting ‘9 to 5’ with the windows down on the way to my first high school job with my mom, to listening to Dolly, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris’ cover of ‘Bury Me Beneath the Willow’ on repeat, Dolly always encapsulated what it means to be a woman to me. I always admired her vibrant personality, distinct
style and velvety voice, and looked up to her throughout my life. Dolly Parton served as an extremely important role model for young girls around the world, and her presence will be greatly missed.” Dolly Parton is remembered for her many talents, from the recording studio to the silver screen, but perhaps her most long-lasting legacy is her philanthropy. Parton never lost touch with her upbringing, donating time and money to causes close to her heart. The Dollywood Buddy Contract was an initiative launched by Parton to reduce dropout rates at her high school alma mater, offering students $1,000 if they and a buddy graduated. One student described Parton as the “patron saint of Appalachia,” as with her help, the dropout rate was lowered from 35% to 6%. The Buddy Program transitioned to other forms of support for students of her home county to maintain the lowered dropout rates, offering $15,000 scholarships to a senior from each of the county’s five high schools. Parton’s father was illiterate, and she honored him by starting the Imagination Library, which has mailed over
September 2, 2026
330 million books to children worldwide. In her founding message, Parton said, “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.” Parton took a personal interest in helping children achieve their dreams, no matter where they came from. Employees of her theme park, Dollywood, would have tuition fees and associated costs covered if they decided to pursue college. “Dolly was a light in the darkness. Her kindness and generosity will always be remembered,” said Camille Morvant, FCRH ’27. Dolly Parton will leave a lasting legacy with her iconic style, long nails, big hair and even bigger heart. She paved the way for women in the music industry and served as a role model for all young women. Parton wrote iconic songs loved by millions, but continued to give back to the community she loved, using her status for public good. We had the privilege of knowing her heart and soul, and her legacy of poetry and charity will live on for years to come.
The Fever Dream of Orientation By PEYTON ROEMER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I drove onto campus in a minivan stuffed with my entire life, nerve-wracked and thrilled to be starting college. As the initial excitement of unloading the car settled, the whirlwind of the upcoming days began to take shape. From Aug. 22-25, the class of 2030 was thrown into the constant socialization, lectures and group activities that made up this year’s orientation. We were taught details about campus life and brought into the city, all while our Instagram following continued to grow. However, navigating such a fast-paced, highly social environment came with its own set of unique challenges. Being constantly surrounded by people can be both exhilarating and exhausting. The opportunity to meet a multitude of new and different people was amazing, but the constant socialization takes a toll. Ashika Redey, GSB ’30, said, “It was definitely draining because I never really had a moment to reset, but I think it was also because all the questions that everyone’s asking are so redundant, you know? Like major, where are you from, what’s your name? And then it’s like this conversation cuts off and it’s just over and over again.”
While the nature of constantly meeting new people was repetitive, having a small group created connections beyond these basic exchanges. Sophia Lehmann, GSB ’30, said, “I think it was nice to have a small group because it was just like, a group of people that I was getting to know, so it wasn’t like everyone was new all the time, so you just had something to come back to.” Having a home base to circle back to helped make the constant introductions feel more manageable and allowed first-years to start making friends, not just acquaintances. A personal favorite activity for me was the final small group session, where group members could ask their Orientation Leaders (OLs) questions about any aspect of campus life and receive an honest answer. A favorite activity for both Redey and Lehmann was the visit to the Lincoln Center campus for “Party on the Plaza.” Students were guided by their OLs, as well as Fordham staff members, to the Metro-North train station, which brought them to the famed Grand Central Station. From there, OLs and students navigated the subway system to get to Lincoln Center in the heart of Manhattan. Redey and Lehmann enjoyed not only getting to visit LC, but also the opportunity to explore
the city afterward. Orientation would not have been complete without the classic candle-lighting ceremony in front of Keating Hall. The picturesque lighting, paired with the coming together of both campuses, was a true initiation to college. Getting to live out the pictures that I’d seen in so many pamphlets and emails was something I could only picture myself doing when applying here. But beyond the scenic moments of initiation, the reality of the four-day whirlwind was more challenging.
The four days were both emotionally and physically taxing on many students. The heat, paired with almost no down time and near constant socialization made it difficult to simply take a breath and comprehend what was going on. Keira MacRae, GSB ’30, and Allison Forney, GSB ’30, said that being constantly busy prevented them from being upset about missing home, but didn’t allow them to process what was going on. Despite this, orientation allowed students to connect with each other — even if it was trauma bonding over
sweating in the bleachers for an hour and a half. Sure, you might not end up becoming best friends with the people that you met at orientation, and you possibly might never see them again, but my advice is to continue to channel the energy of orientation. Put yourself outside your comfort zone, go up to strangers and introduce yourself and continue to look for social connections. While the “fever dream” feeling of orientation may fade, the skills you’ll gain from putting yourself out there will last far longer.
ALLISON FORNEY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
First-years gather in their small groups to kick off and check-in during orientation.
September 2, 2026
By LEIA DEMARCO LABARBIERA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I was indifferent to the allure of “The Bear” at first. I remember practically enduring the first 28-minute episode as though comprehending its thematic substance was equivalent to the futile task of watching paint dry. To me, it was a fictionalized Food Network show with enough existentialism to fulfill one of my theology requirements, and all I was really interested in was watching Gordon Ramsay punch a “RAW!” piece of fish to bits. Needless to say, I abandoned my endeavor to consume sophisticated entertainment for the time being until my insatiable desire for cheesy rom-coms and reality television died down. However, when I did decide to revisit “The Bear,” I was hyperaware of my prior lack of appreciation for it. Sure, it didn’t feature
CULTURE ‘The Bear:’ A Last Supper a hysterically crazed Ramsay throwing tantrums about under/overcooked food, but it did have Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) throwing tantrums about basically everything else, so there was that. It was also surprisingly thoughtful. I was captivated by episodes like “Fishes” (season two, episode six), “Ice Chips” (season three, episode eight) and “Bears” (season four, episode seven) that depict realistic and complex familial relationships by focusing on the tumultuous interactions and flawed character dynamics. Others like “Forks” (season two, episode seven), “Tomorrow” (season three, episode one) and “Napkins” (season three, episode six) dissect characters’ personal journeys, somehow universalizing deeply isolating emotional experiences. This intensity, however, is offset by a number of particularly heartfelt Berzatto
COURTESY OF THE LA TIMES
Ayo Edebiri as Sydney and Jeremy Allen White as Carmy.
moments, my favorite being in “Bears,” as a quarter of the episode is spent under a table at a wedding reception while a rotating assortment of partygoers try to comfort Richie’s distressed daughter, Evie (Annabelle Toomey), and implore her to join the festivities. This scene, like so many others throughout the series, perfectly complements the emotional weight of the episode, and caused me to cry ugly tears the first time I watched it. These moments act as the backbone of the show, tempering depictions of all-consuming anxiety and depression that pervade many of the characters’ lives. There’s no denying that watching “The Bear” is emotionally taxing. Let’s be honest, that was the main reason I decided not to watch the show at first. It can be anxiety-inducing. It can be depressing. It can be a lot — but such is life. And that’s what the final season teaches us. The fifth season is billed as The Bear’s final service and the last supper, one might say, before the doors close for good. It is structured in fastpaced real-time, with seven of its eight episodes taking place during this full-day shift, in a style similar to “The Pitt.” I recommend watching all seven episodes in one sitting, like I did (but not the part where I stayed up until 2 a.m. to do so), to follow the
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plot’s momentum, and then saving the finale for the next morning. It is also helpful to watch the standalone episode, “Gary,” that was released about a month before the actual season came out. This episode provides insight into the devolution of the intense friendship between Mikey Berzatto (Jon Bernthal) and Richie, serving as a catalyst for Richie’s storyline. By watching this way, you are prepared to experience everything alongside the characters, not just vicariously through them, which makes for a more satisfying conclusion to the series. And, believe me, there is definitely a lot to experience. This creative team takes on the insanely ambitious task of offering almost every character ever introduced in the series some sort of closure to their story. Characters are given chances at redemption, success, love, recognition — or simply a second chance at all of it — all while relying on each other with quiet composure among the chaos. In this way, the entire season feels like an epic family reunion. Everyone’s back in this season! As per usual, the Faks are just the best; they may not be haunting each other anymore but they do seem to be cursed by Paul Rudd (if you know you know) into battling chronic building maintenance issues. Both Ebra (Edwin Lee Gibson)
and Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) really come into their own this season, developing the respective confidence they so rightfully deserve. Luca (Will Poulter) and Marcus’ (Lionel Boyce) friendship is such a wholesome addition while feeling simultaneously devastating (especially when they’re bickering like an old married couple). Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Sydney’s (Ayo Edibiri) stories parallel each other quite a lot in this last season as they both accept life’s uncertainty, learning to appreciate what they have. And — no, I did not forget — Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is not only obsessing over everything while wearing an apron, he’s also doing it wearing a suit as well this season! Yum! (Seriously, to fully understand his character arc and why he finds himself in a suit at the end of it, it’s important to rewatch season four, episode five). Even if we don’t hear from them directly, other favorites make brief background cameos which are fun Easter eggs to spot. All of this and more without it ever feeling overwhelming for the audience to watch because the show’s underlying message keeps the story grounded. It is not just relatable, it’s real. And so in all the commotion, you don’t even realize the ending has arrived. But it has, in a beautiful whirlwind. And such is life.
‘The Odyssey’ is a Behemoth of a Masterpiece By OWEN THEBERGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“The Odyssey,” with a cast so impeccable, adapting a beloved and revered classic and directed by one of the most notable directors of our times, had everything going for it. The film piqued the interest of cinema buffs, fan girls and literature lovers, as it had millions of eyes watching every stage of its production up until the day of its release. Over the summer, it finally released — did it live up to the expectations? “The Odyssey” is more than just a movie; it is an event. Not only because of its hyper-exclusive IMAX 70mm release, but also due to its grandiosity and sheer excellence. Watching it feels like you are witnessing something you’ve never seen before. The film follows dueling storylines: Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) return to Ithaca after the Trojan War, and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) defending Ithaca against the suitors who want to court Penelope and share her power. The movie weaves between the two storylines
until they eventually collide for the film’s epic climax, which was incredibly satisfying to watch, and heartwrenching at the same time. Both storylines are given just the right amount of time and there’s never an instance where one feels like it’s run its course or is weighing down the other one. This is due to director Christopher Nolan’s expert direction and, of course, the impeccable acting of the starstudded cast. Hathaway gives a stellar performance here, and it is evident to the audience that she approached this role with much respect and care. Hathaway has an extensive career already and had no reason to prove herself, yet here she is, proving to the naysayers why she is the legend we know her as. Damon and Holland are great here as well, especially Damon, who gives so much tragedy to the role of Odysseus, a decision that expertly helps craft the world we see him inhabit. To give more credit to Nolan, the practical effects, staging of the choreography and the pace are a masterclass of film. Every single scene is eye candy, and much like the sirens that tempt Odysseus and his men, hard to
look away from. There truly is not much to critique about this movie, as there’s nothing I can name that
I wasn’t absolutely blown away by. If you have not thought about watching this beast of a film, I highly urge you to. You’ll
laugh, cry, sit on the edge of your seat and wonder: How the hell does Matt Damon look that good at 55?
COURTESY OF THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION
Matt Damon took over theaters this summer by playing Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
CULTURE How ‘Off Campus’ Became Summer’s Biggest Surprise
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By VALERY BRADY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
There was a point in the summer when it was nearly impossible to open any social media without hearing Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself” or Jennifer Lopez’s “On The Floor.” There were edits of Garrett Graham flooding TikTok, Instagram accounts dedicated to finding the pieces from the show’s wardrobe, clips from cast interviews and endless discussions about season two. For a series adapted from Elle Kennedy’s decade-old college romance novels, “Off Campus” arrived with surprising force. What began as a highly anticipated adaptation quickly evolved into something all its own. Halloween costumes were being planned in May, the soundtrack was played all summer long and everybody wanted to be a “puck bunny.” As someone who initially read the books four years ago and reread the first two installments shortly before the show’s premiere, I expected
September 2, 2026
“Off Campus” to be a revisit to characters I already loved. I was excited, albeit nervous, to see if the show would ruin the books, as most adaptations do for me. In a way, it did, but not for the reasons I expected. It took a series I already loved and revealed potential that the books only hinted at. “Off Campus” was one of the first book series I fell in love with as a reader, making the prospect of an adaptation both exciting and worrisome. I knew that, with the source material being more than a decade old, changes were inevitable. Apparently, so did everyone else. Long before the premiere, readers were already debating everything from casting to plot changes. Some concerns were understandable. One of the earliest and loudest debates centered around the casting of Allie Hayes. In the books, Allie is a preppy blonde bombshell. When it was announced that Mika Abdalla would be playing this character,
readers immediately fixated on her brunette shag haircut, which differed dramatically from many fans’ vision of the character. Once the show premiered, most of the conversation shifted from whether Abdalla looked like Allie to whether anyone else could have played her. The criticism disappeared almost overnight, replaced by praise for Abdalla’s performance and excitement for Allie and Dean’s future storyline. Similar reactions followed much of the cast. Fans embraced Belmont Cameli as Garrett almost immediately, and Ella Bright’s portrayal of Hannah, though a bit more bubbly than that of the books, was wellliked. Stephen Kayln’s casting as Dean became an instant fan-favorite, many saying Kayln looked like he fell right out of the book. After the adaptation was announced, readers debated which moments from the books absolutely had to survive the transition to television. Not all of them did. And, surprisingly,
that was often for the better. What makes “Off Campus” such a successful adaptation is its understanding of the difference between recreating a book and translating it. Rather than treating the novels as untouchable source material, writer and creator Louisa Levy used them as a foundation, expanding character dynamics and modernizing aspects of the story just enough to appeal to a new audience while keeping the original fanbase satisfied. The strongest example of this is the campus-wide hands-off rule. One of the book’s most beloved moments, Garrett’s declaration that Hannah was off-limits to the entire school, felt confident and romantic when “The Deal” was published in 2015. In 2026, however, Levy feared new viewers would see the gesture as controlling. The decision to change it was controversial among longtime readers but ultimately reflects the show’s willingness to modernize the source material. Most importantly, the series never loses sight of its emotional
COURTESY OF THE ROLLING STONE
“Off Campus” received off the charts responses on social media this summer.
core. Beyond the hockey games, parties and romance, the show gives its characters room to be vulnerable. Hannah’s struggles with trauma and Garrett’s complicated relationship with his dad give the series an emotional weight outside a typical romance. The emotional investment is what transformed “Off Campus” from a successful adaptation into a cultural phenomenon. The show’s soundtrack became inseparable from the summer itself, with songs like “Cherry Pie,” “The Bitch is Back” and “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” finding new life through edits, collaborations with Bright and “Off Campus” related posts across social media. Even people who had never picked up one of Kennedy’s books seemed to know about Garrett Graham and his obsession with classic rock. Months after its release, the excitement has shown no signs of slowing down. Fans continue to track filming updates from Vancouver, speculate about future casting announcements and rewatch the season. The actors themselves have become stars in their own right, landing major brand campaigns and attracting devoted fanbases. Few adaptations manage to capture the attention of existing readers and even fewer bring entirely new audiences into the fandom. “Off Campus” somehow accomplished both. Four years after staying up all night to finish “The Deal,” I thought watching “Off Campus” would bring back the nostalgia I felt when I first discovered the books. What I didn’t expect was for it to completely reshape the way I saw them. Not every adaptation choice worked, and some longtime readers will always prefer certain elements of the novels. But the show’s greatest achievement is that it wasn’t afraid to evolve. Rather than simply recreating Kennedy’s world, it expanded it, proving that sometimes the best adaptations aren’t the most faithful; they’re the ones willing to become something even bigger.
The Devil Wears Nada 2 By LEIA DEMARCO LABARBIERA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I genuinely could not tell you why they decided to make this movie. No, seriously. I just stared at the TV for two hours watching this and I honestly could not describe one meaningful detail to you other than the obvious exposition. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is laid off from her prestigious job as a journalist and (not so miraculously) lands a position back at Runway magazine, where she must do a lot of personal and professional damage control, while once again trying to appease her boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). And then, about 100
subplots follow, which I clearly had no interest in remembering. That’s about all I got. If I’m taking a wild guess, the goal of this movie may have been to update the original, but if that really is the case, then it fails spectacularly. Even with a star-studded cast and cameo list, nothing about this movie feels remotely productive. Go figure! They decide to introduce some new characters to the story, conveniently forgetting to inform the audience, so the whole time I tried to figure out if Kenneth Branagh’s character is Miranda’s boyfriend or just her chauffeur. Andy’s best friend — a woman who seemingly
exists as nothing more than her own personal matchmaker — completely disappears from the movie once she gets a boyfriend, reappears when she breaks up with him, and then disappears again when they inevitably reconcile. Speaking of a completely useless addition to this hodgepodge cast of characters, Andy bags a new man (squeal!) and they have absolutely nothing in common, yet I’m expected to care about the approximately 10 minutes of screen time given to this relationship (at least the brevity is a bright side). Overall, these illexplained cast additions simply reinforce tropes that position the existence of other characters
in the story as a mere service to the protagonists on their quest. And what is this quest? I couldn’t tell you. They have diluted these beloved characters so completely that I don’t even care anymore. As a sequel, this movie should at least be nostalgic, but it instead seems to depend on the audience caring deeply about the characters just sort of milling around aimlessly on screen to achieve this socalled “nostalgia.” Nigel (Stanley Tucci) is uncharacteristically quiet, Emily is practically nonexistent, Miranda’s snide remarks fall flat and Andy’s just sort of all over the place. Everyone feels lost — most of
all me. More than once I found myself trying to figure out what exactly was happening, as nothing was ever explained. All I knew was that it must be important because a song from the original soundtrack was playing in the background. All in all, I wouldn’t have minded this movie if it were at least fun to watch. But I fear sitting through it in its entirety with the alertness of a guard dog has roughly the same effect as sleeping through half of it. Overall, it was a nothing burger and these people don’t even eat carbs (except for when they make Hathaway and Emily Blunt eat a single french fry on screen). That’s all.
September 2, 2026
CULTURE Dressing to Impress: First-Day Fashion
By EMILY MCCALL PHOTO EDITOR
Fashion in New York City is determined by New York Fashion Week (NYFW), the Met Gala and the numerous red carpet events that pass through. However, for Fordham students, the big event that really sets the tone is not one with paparazzi or awards; it’s the first day of class (“FDOC,” if you will). With no assignments looming over you, no late nights studying in the library and no “function over fashion” ideologies being followed, the first day is one of the only days that people have the time and motivation to dress up for their classes instead of throwing on the first sweats they find. This is the time to show off your personal style, impress your professors and meet some future friends. With the lingering heat from the past few months, this year’s first day fashion was focused on keeping the summer break style going. Many students are still wearing tank tops and flip-flops across campus. At times, August in New York can feel like a tropical vacation. Behind closed doors, though, hoodies and sweaters are being pulled out to combat the intense
classroom air conditioning. I even had to store a cardigan inside my purse just in case there was an especially bad draft. The colors of the summer were bright and eye-catching, with a mixture of teals, corals and pinks. As we transition into the more muted tones of fall, you can see how these styles are intertwining. A teal long sleeve shirt with brown slacks or white shorts with black boots. But will these trends last the next few months? Although the summer colors are adored by all, they just won’t quite fit a backdrop of changing leaves and pumpkin chai. Instead, potentially a new trend focused on texture and patterns will emerge with more autumnal color palettes. This will still emphasize the expressiveness and “throwback” styles of 2016 teal, but in a different way. According to Vogue, a leading hub for fashion, contrast is in for fall 2026 — mixing both fun and functional through style. Moving into patterns, cheetah print is still maintaining its hold over Fordham students in the form of ballet flats, belts and t-shirts. The neutral colors of the print fit into fall fashion while still calling back to the fun, unique aspects of summer
styles. Speaking of ballet flats, those seem to be the shoe of the season. Plain black pairs, colorful ones and Mary Janes were all over campus as students rushed from building to building. These are a more professional alternative to sneakers while still remaining comfortable throughout the day, and it seems like Fordham students agree. In my own outfit, I tried to bring all of these together. My brown button-down reflected professionalism and fall color schemes. Trendy, but still practical. I chose my white skirt that dominated my summer wardrobe because I know I cannot wear it for much longer. The tall brown, buckled boots I carefully selected were meant to make a good impression on my future classmates so they see I have style. My hot pink nails, leftover from the summer, remind me of all of the fun memories I made during this long break. Each part of the outfit, from my statement boots to my earrings hidden beneath my hair, was chosen for a reason, showing just how essential a good first day of classes outfit is. While the first day of class fashion may not be on the same level as NYFW or the
Met Gala in terms of reach and coverage, the social media posts captioned “FDOC” set the stage for the fashion of the upcoming semester. It is a way to draw inspiration from others and showcase one’s own personal style to their future peers. Whether someone goes
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all out with their clothes or just chooses to keep to the simple stuff and dress casually, each person chooses this for a reason, starting their semester off the way they want to. During this limbo between chilly fall winds and the hot summer sun, fashion, in my opinion, is at its peak.
EMILY MCCALL/THE FORDHAM RAM
A new school year means new fashion trends on campus.
Editor’s Pick | Literature
‘The Silent Patient’ by Alex Michaelides is a Fall Must Read By MARISA HOUSE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
To know me is to know that I am an unwavering enthusiast of thriller novels and have been for as long as I can remember. This summer, I came across “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides when my friends and I visited a cozy bookstore in Hampstead, a neighborhood in London. I spent only a few minutes flipping through the prologue when the girl standing next to me shared her raving review of the novel. Easily convinced and having complete faith in her recommendation, I used the last of the pounds in my purse on what I didn’t yet know would become one of my favorite novels. It took me a mere 24 hours to finish the book. Needless to say, about 10 pages in, I was hooked … just as she had predicted. Though I was unaware of it before purchasing, the novel is set in London, where I coincidentally studied abroad this past summer. Associating places in the novel with ones I had recently been immersed in gave me a deeper understanding of the story. The gloomy London weather seemed perfectly suited to the novel’s haunting and unpredictable storyline. Michaelides tells the story of Alicia Berenson, a successful painter who is charged with the murder of her husband and inexplicably never speaks again following his death. Psychotherapist Theo Faber
becomes utterly obsessed with Alicia’s case and eagerly takes on the role of treating her at The Grove, a psychiatric facility. Given Alicia’s background in painting, Theo attempts to decode her silence through her behavior and artwork. However, as he begins speaking with important figures from Alicia’s life, he starts to question everything he thought he knew about her past. As Theo pieces together parts of her story, he realizes that something is not adding up, eventually uncovering a twisted secret that makes Alicia’s case even more peculiar. To say that I was shocked by the ending of the novel would be an understatement. Michaelides’ ability to deceive the reader through seemingly insignificant details, characters and events creates an ending that completely changed my perspective of the novel within just a few pages. Looking back, I was impressed by how many clues had been placed directly in front of me without my realizing their importance. What made the ending so satisfying was the realization that the answer had been there all along. I have read countless books in this genre, and I often find it frustratingly easy to predict the ending. I enjoy trying to piece together clues as I read, but I usually find myself figuring out the twist long before the author reveals it. With “The Silent Patient,” however, I was genuinely puzzled. Michaelides
carefully revealed information without giving away enough for me to fully understand how the pieces fit together. Every time I thought I had figured out the mystery, another detail left me questioning what I initially thought. With fall approaching, let me be the first to say that this chilling story should be at the top of your list. This book satisfied the excitement
I look for when getting lost in a story, while also being memorable due to when and where I read it. I could spend my days exploring London’s streets with my roommates and return to the novel each night. More than anything, “The Silent Patient” reminded me of why I have always loved thrillers. Michaelides managed to keep me invested from start to finish,
constantly challenging me to reconsider my assumptions. He reiterated my belief that the best books are not necessarily the ones with the most extravagant endings, but the ones that make you question everything you thought you knew along the way. So take it from me: If a stranger in a bookstore recommends you a novel, chances are it’s a good one.
MARISA HOUSE/THE FORDHAM RAM
“The Silent Patient” is the perfect chilling novel for fall.
CULTURE A Backpack and a Dream
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By MARISA HOUSE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Like any ambitious teenage girl, I packed my obnoxiously large suitcase before leaving for London. Hearing my older sister describe her semester at Fordham London as though it were one long vacation actually steered me away from studying abroad — not because I didn’t want to go, but because I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of being right, which, I must confess, she was. As a student-athlete, studying abroad had pretty much always been off the table. That was until I spoke with an older teammate: “Marisa, it was the best time
of my life. You need to go.” Need is a strong word, but in this case, it was the right one. As someone who’s easily convinced, it took me all of a few minutes before I was crafting my Eurosummer itinerary. And funding? Well, I figured I would deal with that when the time came. I honestly don’t remember having a free day during the second semester of my sophomore year. I picked up every shift I could at work, even if it meant running from practice or class just to catch the train. Fortunately, every second I spent in London made up for the hours I spent earning the money to get there. Upon arrival, my roommates and I were utterly exhausted from an eight-hour, red-eye
flight and dragging our suitcases up three flights of stairs in the sweltering summer heat. Despite how delirious we were, we immediately set off in search of anything nearby to satisfy our post-stair-workout hunger. We stumbled upon a small café at the end of Exmouth Market, and from that day on, it became one of my favorite places in London. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit the city, make sure Exmouth Market is on your list. During the month I spent abroad, I found myself there almost every day. One thing I quickly learned is that London never runs out of things to do. I loved wandering through Soho, popping into clothing stores I’d never
MARISA HOUSE/THE FORDHAM RAM
A view captured while abroad in Europe.
September 2 , 2026
heard of and trying coffee joints that I knew we didn’t have back home. I can’t remember spending more than an hour at our apartment during the day. We were constantly on our feet, and if you’re someone who enjoys getting your steps in, let me be the first to tell you that London is the place for you. On our first free weekend, we flew to Corfu, Greece. After wandering around with our luggage and briefly convincing ourselves that the Airbnb we booked didn’t actually exist, we finally found it. The first gyro I ate after our arrival remains one of the best meals I’ve ever had. On our last full day, we took a boat tour to the nearby islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. During the daylong ride, the boat took us through sea caves before docking for an hour so we could swim in what many people affectionately call “Gatorade water.” The following weekend, we traded Greece for Gran Canaria, Spain. Since I was the only one in our group who had taken Spanish in high school, everyone nominated me to talk to the Uber driver. At my request, she blasted Karol G the entire way
there, and by some miracle, we ended up where we were supposed to be. The following morning, we ran across the island to the breathtaking Maspalomas Dunes before spending the rest of the day alternating between the pool and the beach. Though travelling left us tired and in need of extra large coffees to survive our 9 a.m. class, our weekend trips were worth it. Since my roommates and I were all in the same class, we came to the consensus that the class we signed up for was the perfect choice. Learning the history of Europe while getting to explore and travel firsthand was invaluable. I don’t think anything could have ever prepared me for the plane ride home. I can officially confirm that post-study abroad blues are very real — no matter how long you’re away. Though it was hard to say goodbye, I can’t help but feel a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the place I spent the first half of my summer. It was a month packed with memories and places that I will never forget with the bestest of friends. So, if you have a backpack and a dream, this one’s for you.
Spider-Man Swings into a Brand New Day By ADISA BALIC CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On July 31, Marvel Studios finally released its highly anticipated fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. To understand where this film takes us, we have to look back at the climax of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” After Peter Parker’s identity was revealed to the world, he sought the help of Doctor Strange to cast a spell that would make everyone forget his secret. However, Peter’s tampering mid-cast fractured the spell, accidentally tearing open the multiverse and unleashing iconic villains alongside past Spider-Man variants. Tragically, that chaos cost Peter his Aunt May’s life. In a final, noble act to keep the multiverse from collapsing, Peter made the ultimate sacrifice: He had Doctor Strange cast a total mind-wiping spell, forcing the entire universe to forget who Peter Parker was completely. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” picks up four years after those devastating events, finally forcing Peter to confront the grim aftermath of being forgotten. With the two people closest to him, MJ and Ned, moving on to college at MIT without any memory of his existence, Peter is left to process his profound trauma completely alone. The film plunges
us directly into his isolation. He lives in a cramped apartment, dedicated to fighting street-level crime in a gritty New York City. Amidst this loneliness and angst, Peter begins to experience a strange physiological evolution. This mutation forces him to battle threats both internally and externally. Making matters worse, a mysterious antagonist emerges: Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink, who uses telepathic powers to manipulate civilians into launching violent attacks against the government organization, Damage Control. In a cruel twist, Jean eventually possesses MJ to terrorize Peter into submission. Desperate, Peter is forced to seek an alliance with the famous Frank Castle (the Punisher) and to confront Bruce Banner about how he controls the Hulk. Armed with Banner’s scientific advice, Peter works alongside an oblivious MJ to successfully manufacture a universal inhibitor chip. During a chaotic three-way clash involving the Hulk, Jean Grey and the Punisher, Spider-Man successfully attaches the chip to Jean, handing her over to Damage Control. However, upon discovering deep corruption within the government agency, Peter pivots to rescue Jean from
their facility. This leads to one final, brutal showdown that leaves Peter shot and in the hospital. In a touching scene, we see citizens all across New York praying for the recovery of their neighborhood hero. Another memorable scene is when Frank wears the Spider-Man mask so Peter can get away undetected and convince the city that he is alive and well. Ultimately, the film concludes on a bittersweet note of hope, showing Peter and Ned sharing their iconic secret handshake, a small step Peter takes toward reconnecting with his past life. In the film, Holland portrays Peter’s grief and determination with a heartbreaking authenticity that deeply connects the character to his audience. Beyond this performance, the supporting cast elevates this film into something truly special. Sink turns in a phenomenal performance as Jean Grey, bringing a haunting, unpredictable energy that makes her a terrifying psychological threat. What makes this even better is how seamlessly Marvel uses her to introduce the X-Men into the Marvel universe, effectively building more anticipation for the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday.” Furthermore, pairing SpiderMan with Frank Castle’s brutal
Punisher creates a striking cinematic contrast, forcing Peter to define his own moral boundaries as he navigates the corrupt underbelly of Damage Control. We see this when the movie first introduces Frank’s character and how the two characters interact with each other. Visually, the movie took a different approach for the Spiderman franchise. The shift to a darker, more street-level aesthetic is a welcome departure from the glossy, cosmic scale of previous Marvel Cinematic Universe entries. The action feels violent and heavy, making Peter’s physical vulnerabilities feel terrifyingly real to the audience. However, the film leaves
us with a small emotional resolution. The closing scene of Ned executing the secret handshake is an absolute win for Peter Parker’s character. Revealing that Ned’s subconscious actually remembered their bond gives the audience a massive wave of relief after two hours of crushing isolation. It strikes the perfect balance between heartbreak and hope, proving that Peter’s sacrifices weren’t entirely in vain, and gives the audience hope for SpiderMan’s next appearance. Ultimately, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a phenomenal triumph and a bold new direction for the character. I give it a well-deserved five stars.
COURTESY OF THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Spider-Man pictured saving the day.
CULTURE Horror Films New Creepy ‘Obsession’
September 2, 2026
By GABRIELA URIBE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Obsession” is a movie that had the entire world enthralled. With a worldwide grossing of over $501.5 million, made on a $750,000 budget, there is no doubt that this movie is frightening in its story and raw in the way it tells it. I think that the reason this movie did so well has to do with its director, Curry Barker. The filmmaker started out making sketch comedy videos on Youtube, a background that helped incorporate moments where the audience may experience mixed reactions, finding many situations both disturbing and a little humorous. Some examples could be the extremity of Nikki’s dialogue, the awkwardness Bear has when he talks to Nikki and Ian wishing for a billion dollars. This makes the film more versatile for audiences and more likely for viewers to rewatch. This is important because honestly, if a movie is way too frightening, chances are audiences may not want to watch it again. But I think “Obsession” does a great job of almost confusing the audience with its writing, giving the film more layers and
depth, making it feel more real. The most important part of this film is that you cannot stop thinking about it, especially the way Nikki is affected in this story. It does a phenomenal job at not defending the male protagonist, Bear, which is uncommon in many films. Time and time again, we see his friends criticizing him, telling him that he’s taking advantage of Nikki and telling him to leave her alone. Even when he calls the One Wish Willow, the customer service worker tells him that he was the one who wished for this, and that everything that was occurring was his fault completely. This reinforcement helps the audience clearly understand that Bear is responsible for this wrongdoing, and we even hear it firsthand from Nikki. During the few times that Nikki snaps out of her trance, she clearly states that this is not what she wants. Some examples include when she kissed Bear for the first time, the party scene where she tried to harm herself or the scene which I find most important, when she is “asleep” and she tells Bear to end her life. This scene in particular is crucial because when Bear hears what she said, all he
says is, “What is so bad about being with me?” This shows that he is still prioritizing his own selfish desires while knowing that she has no autonomy. There are many more examples of this throughout the film, but I think that this entire subject contributed to its success, because of how rare it is for films to talk about something so dark but in a creative way for audiences to appreciate. The relationship between Nikki and Bear before he wished for her love is also
interesting to analyze because they had a great friendship. Curry said in an interview with CinemaBlend, that every shot where Nikki interacted with Bear was shot twice, one with Nikki appearing interested in him and one without, before merging the takes. This effectively creates an unclear answer about whether Nikki would’ve liked to actually be with Bear without the wish. It reminds us that you never really know how someone feels about you, and it is always best to be
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vulnerable and honest with someone, rather than try to control or manipulate them into feeling whatever you think is right. To sum it up, I think “Obsession” was a creatively shot movie that used a unique way of blending genres together while using both ambiguous and clear messages. Its use of horror to show the dangers of taking advantage of people you desire gives the audience a frightening experience and reminds us that love cannot be forced.
COURTSEY OF THE TIMES
A scene from the riveting movie, “Obsession.”
The Fordham Ram Crossword - Space Edition 1 4
2 5
3
6
7 8
9 10
Across 6. Mysterious dark mass that we don't really understand. 7. I hope you got your special glasses! 8. Most people can find this constellation. 9. The highest chance of alien life is here. 10. Devastating when it lost its status, but we're so back.
Down 1. "Santa? Oh wait, GET DOWN!!" -The dinosaurs, probably. 2. Blinking manmade orbiter, often confused for an airplane. 3. Earth's hot sister. 4. Boys go here to get more stupider. 5. Overrated candy, but cool when we can see it. 9. We only have one of these, but other planets have many orbiting them.
SPORTS
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Varsity Scores & Stats Water Polo Fordham Pacific Fordham Gannon Fordham UC Davis Fordham Iona Men’s Soccer Fordham Bucknell Women’s Soccer Fordham Hofstra Volleyball Fordham Temple Manhattan Fordham Rider Fordham
September 2, 2026
Fordham Drops their Season Opener to Colgate By ANTHONY SMITH STAFF WRITER
On Friday night at Moglia Stadium, the Rams began their 2026 campaign with a heartbreaking loss to a Patriot 15 League foe. Colgate University 14 held off a late stampede from Fordham, winning by a score 26 of 24-14. Fordham started off with 5 a missed field goal on their opening drive, after which 13 Colgate marched down the 10 field and scored the first points of the game. It came in the form of a one-yard rushing 23 touchdown by Raiders’ junior 7 Danny Shaban. Colgate doubled their lead late in the second quarter after 2 a 16-play drive. It was another 0 rushing touchdown, this time by senior quarterback Jake Stearney. The Raiders almost went into halftime up by 17, 1 but Fordham blocked a field 0 goal, which held it at 14-0. Perhaps the blocked kick was a boost for the Rams, because they scored on their opening 3 drive in the second half. It was 1 a captain-to-captain connection between senior quarterback 3 Gunnar Smith and his senior receiver Ricky Gonzalez II, 2 putting Fordham on the board. Later in the third quarter, 3 senior position Justin Johnson 2 tied the game with a 23-yard pick-six, which brought the
Fordham Football fails to win their opening game against Colgate.
home crowd back in the game. The Raiders broke the tie with a field goal halfway through the fourth quarter and then iced it with Shaban’s second rushing touchdown of the night. That last score came with under two minutes remaining as Colgate sealed a 24-14 victory on the road. It was a promising first game for Fordham, as they nearly clawed their way to a tie, but the comeback fell just short. There were a lot of positives to come out of this loss as the Rams forced three turnovers, did not allow a sack and gave up only one tackle for loss. Smith finished his night with 116 yards in the air on 13 completions and the one touchdown to Gonzalez. Fordham’s
leading rusher was sophomore running back Yohan-Li Louis with 37 yards. Gonzalez was the leading receiver despite having one catch other than the touchdown. Senior captain linebacker Andrew Osmun had himself a night with 10 tackles and an interception. Junior linebacker Jaylen Dawson also had 10 tackles for himself. The Rams will now prepare themselves this week for the longest road trip in their history as they fly out to Fargo, North Dakota. They have a date with the North Dakota State Bison on Saturday, Sept. 5, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. EST. This will be the first time that Fordham and North Dakota
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
State meet. The Bison are members of the Mountain West Conference after their transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level in 2024. It’s the beginning of a threegame road stand for the Rams as they play another FBS team, Coastal Carolina, before returning to Patriot League play against William & Mary University. It’s going to be quite a while before Fordham returns to Moglia Stadium, but when they do come back, they’ve got a homecoming game against Stony Brook University on Sept. 26. But for now, the Rams will focus on trying to even out their record to .500, all while over 1,000 miles away from home.
Uncertainty Around Stanton’s Return to the Yankees By DEREK BEAULIEU CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Opening the 2026 season with five multihit games, including a long home run in San Francisco in the second game of the season, Giancarlo Stanton gave Yankee fans flashbacks to his electric 2024 playoff performance, which earned him his first American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award. However, before April could end, the former National League MVP would go down with another leg injury, this time to his right calf. While the slugger would be out for a majority of the season, the Bronx Bombers were still looking forward to a playoff run that included Big G, and rehab looked promising going into August. Running the bases in the final step on his progression to getting back into the batter’s box, Stanton fell and injured his calf again, this time his left, an injury that will most likely keep him away from the field for the rest of the season. With injuries piling up and the state of the 36-year-old’s body at this stage of his career, we may have already seen the final Stantonian blast in a career with 456 of them. Looking beyond when or if Stanton will return, the current state of the New York Yankees desperately needs a bat that can hit with consistency from the right side. A lineup that almost always has more left-handed
COURTESY OF THE BOSTON GLOBE
It is being questioned whether Yankees All-Star Giancarlo Stanton will return to professional baseball.
hitters than right, someone who can plant themselves firmly onto the other side of the plate and destroy left-handed pitching would make a Yankees offense that has been very one-dimensional for nearly the entire season look like an origami swan. While three-time American League MVP and one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time, Aaron Judge, will return, there are many questions still looming. In what capacity will Judge return and how consistent will his playing time be when he finally rejoins the team? Will he be able to hit his stride immediately to help the Yankees potentially push the Tampa Bay Rays out of first place, or, at the very least, hold on to the top AL Wild Card spot? There may be a few doubts about how Judge will perform when he finally does return from his rib stress fracture, but there are zero doubts that
having Judge and Stanton in the same lineup makes the Yankees as a whole more dangerous. Judge and Stanton as individuals become increasingly terrifying when one is batting and the other is lurking close by. Unfortunately for the Yankees, the world we live in does not seem to allow the stars to align for another Stanton playoff masterclass this season, leaving the future of the Yankees up to a lot of young players getting their moments. This may lead the Yankees into a new age that is similar to a rebuild, but in the Yankees’ own way. The Bombers refuse to lose more than 81 games in a season, not having a winning percentage below .500 since 1992, so the Bronx natives will still be in the background of the playoff picture at the very least. However, the transition from the veterans like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole,
Paul Goldschmidt and more may have been forced onto the front office sooner than they would have liked. While Judge hasn’t shown signs of slowing down and Cole seems to have reinvented himself as a true four-pitch hurler, it seems the Yankees need to start relying and trusting their young talent. New York can’t fill the gaps in their team with money like they used to, so upcoming players like George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodriguez and even guys who already have roster spots like Austin Wells and Cam Schlittler are likely going to become the focus of this new era of Yankees baseball, whether the ownership likes it or not. These prospects have shown (in small samples) that they are ready and can be big leaguers. The only question now is whether or not the Yankees’ front office will allow the transition to happen
or if they will try to delay the inevitable and the uncertain. The focus may no longer be on Stanton’s role in the Boogie Down Bronx, so the only reasonable transition is whether or not his hitting has pushed him far enough to secure a career worthy of the Hall of Fame. With a 2017 NL MVP with the Marlins, 2024 ALCS MVP with the Yankees, 456 home runs, over 1,000 runs batted in and a career on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .871, the slugger has been a force to be reckoned with over his 17-year career. The question is not if Stanton has been a good enough hitter to make it into the hall, but rather, has his hitting been good enough to overcome the fact that it has been the only part of his game for a long stint of his career. Of course, with the universal designated hitter (DH) not coming into effect in the NL until 2022, after Stanton’s Marlins tenure had already ended in 2017, Miami had the righty in the outfield. However, since joining the Yankees in the AL, Stanton’s stints in the outfield have mostly come out of necessity when other players are injured, rather than relying on defense. Given this, Stanton’s case for a complete Hall of Fame career mostly relies on his offense, and given his periods of utter dominance over his entire career, he may be elected. He may not get in on the first ballot, but eventually, he’ll have to decide which hat to wear in the Hall.
SPORTS
September 2, 2026
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MLB Updates: Deadline Implications on October By DOMENICK FIDELE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The MLB trade deadline has passed. The dog days of August are over. There are fewer than 30 games left this season, and it’s a dead sprint to the finish line in the quest for World Series glory. As the season comes to an end, it’s time to review the trade deadline’s biggest moves and preview some October baseball. The rich got richer this trade deadline, headlined by the acquisition of back-toback Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a move that only further cemented the near-certainty of a lockout this offseason. A lockout is a story for another article, however, and Skubal picked up right where he left off with the Detroit Tigers, pitching to a 3.00 earned run average (ERA) in his first five starts in Dodger blue. The Tigers received a handful of prospects in return, headlined by outfielder Zyhir Hope, but it is clear Detroit has essentially given up on this season and sits 9.5 games out of the division and 5.5 out of a wildcard spot at the time of writing. Despite some recent struggles, Los Angeles remain heavy favorites to win the World Series, largely thanks to their overwhelming rotation that now includes Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and more. On the other coast, the Bronx’s own New York Yankees retain the second-best World Series odds (albeit a faraway second from the Dodgers) despite a quieter deadline. Luis Garcia Jr. of the
Washington Nationals was the biggest piece and has overcome early struggles to establish himself as a highly productive player, posting a .309 batting average and .895 on-base plus slugging (OPS) with the team. Heliot Ramos, the Yankees’ other acquisition, has struggled mightily since joining the team. Fans are impatiently waiting for the return of Aaron Judge and hope for redemption for 2024 against the Dodgers. New York’s other team, the Mets, have struggled mightily the entire season, resulting in a deadline fire sale that saw eight players traded, including Freddy Peralta, Luke Weaver and AJ Minter. The team has actually played quite well since the deadline, but it is too little too late as they look for better results in 2027 with a new-look team. The perpetual cellar-dwelling Los Angeles Angels also executed a major deadline sale, which they had refused to commit to in recent seasons (most infamously with Shohei Ohtani several years ago), sparking hope that change could be on the horizon. The Milwaukee Brewers own the third-best odds to win the World Series and may be the only team that has a chance of stopping the Dodgers in the National League. The Brewers’ deadline was less impactful than many were hoping, as they brought in pitchers Dustin May and Jojo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals and Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies. May has pitched quite poorly in Milwaukee, Romero has yet to pitch due to injury and Senzeltza owns a 4.22 ERA over 10 innings of relief. On paper, the Brewers have a
promising outlook, but many seasons of playoff disappointment hang over them, and the lack of major improvements at the deadline is a red flag. Returning to the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays have the fourth-best World Series odds and currently lead the AL East over the Yankees, a battle that will likely go down to the wire. The Rays made a splash this deadline, a break from recent years, acquiring Freddy Peralta and Liam Hicks. Peralta, who struggled with the Mets, has only worsened since joining the Rays, posting a 5.60 ERA. Hicks has continued his great season in Tampa, with a .311 batting average and .944 OPS. The Rays boast a largely complete team and are looking to right the ship after consecutive seasons missing the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are both hot of late and sit closely together at the top of the NL East, another division that will likely be decided in the final week of the season. The Braves, like the Brewers, opted against making a major move for starting pitching, frustrating many fans and leaving question marks in their rotation, which could prove to be a major factor in the playoffs. The Phillies, on the other hand, made semi-major moves and brought in contact hitter extraordinaire Luis Arraez and dependable reliever Brooks Raley. They currently hold the second NL Wild Card, while the Braves maintain their division lead. Moving back to the NL Central, could it finally be the Chicago Cubs’ year again? They made a flurry of moves at the
Junior forward Julia Acosta was the deciding factor in the Rams’ victory over Hofstra University on Thursday. Acosta’s first goal of the season was the only offense in Fordham’s razor close 1-0 win.
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Tarik Skubal’s addition to the Dodgers boosts their starting pitching.
HOME AWAY
Wednesday Thursday Sept. 2 Sept. 3
Friday Sept. 4
Saturday Sept. 5
Football
NORTH GEORGE DAKOTA MASON p.m. 11p.m.
Men’s Soccer
LAFAYETTE 4 p.m.
Volleyball Sophomore attacker Charlie Martin had a dominant presence in Fordham’s 23-7 defeat of Iona University on Sunday. Martin set a new career-high scoring four goals while racking up an assist and two steals.
Charlie Martin Sophomore Water Polo
NEW HAVEN 1 p.m.
Monday Sept. 7
Tuesday Sept. 8
ST. JOHNS 7 p.m.
Water Polo MXC
STONY BROOK
WXC
STONY BROOK
Men’s Tennis
Sunday Sept. 6
STONEHILL 1 p.m.
Women’s Soccer Julia Acosta Junior Soccer
of MVP-runner-up Cal Raleigh. The Boston Red Sox turned their season around and overcome a horrid start, going from 14 games under .500 to 14 over in just 62 days, headlined by a masterful season by veteran Sonny Gray. They currently hold the second AL Wild Card, behind the Yankees. The Cleveland Guardians, in the midst of a disappointing season, barely hold the final Wild Card, with several teams closely trailing. The AL playoff picture will certainly not be clear until the very end of the season. The Arizona Diamondbacks hold the last NL Wildcard and finish up the playoff picture as it currently stands, although the San Diego Padres are only half a game back. Both teams have shocked the Dodgers in the past and are hoping to replicate that success, as much of a long shot as it may seem. The last month of the MLB season is shaping up to be exciting and highly consequential, as numerous teams fight for a playoff spot and a chance to stop the Dodgers from achieving the first threepeat this century. Stay tuned, there is plenty of action left.
Varsity Calendar
Athletes of the Week Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports section honors two athletes for their on-field performances as “Athletes of the Week.”
deadline, bringing in Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and Braxton Garrett to shore up the pitching staff. With an offense led by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout season, the Cubs have legitimate aspirations of a deep run but have been relegated to the Wild Card thanks to the Brewers. Across town, the White Sox have shocked the baseball world and sit relatively comfortably atop the AL Central after a series of catastrophic losing seasons, including setting the modern-day record for losses in 2024. Their deadline included adding Luis Castillo and Huascar Brazoban to their pitching staff as they look to October for the first time since 2021. The AL West is nothing short of a mess and is currently on pace to be the worst division by combined winning percentage in history. The Houston Astros are the only team with a winning record, holding it by a grand total of one game, and they narrowly cling to the division lead. It has been an especially brutal season for the Seattle Mariners, who entered the season as top World Series contenders but have entered freefall behind the historic struggles
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SPORTS
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September 2, 2026
Breaking Down the PWHL Expansion By EMA GJENASHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In the midst of a growing demand and momentum for women’s sports across the country, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced its second expansion this past May, which includes four new teams in San Jose, California; Las Vegas; Detroit; and Hamilton, Ontario. These new teams bring the total number in the league to 12, doubling its size after only three seasons. The announcement of this expansion comes on the heels of the PWHL’s most successful season yet. Here, attendance saw a 35% increase compared to the 2025-26 season. This staggering improvement has been attributed to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, in which many current PWHL players competed. In particular, the popular success of the gold-medal-winning United States team brought new levels of exposure never before seen, allowing the PWHL to capitalize with its second and largest league
expansion to date. The announcement of teams in the western and midwestern United States comes as no surprise; five of the original six teams in the league (New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa) are concentrated in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada, with the exception of Minnesota in the Midwest. The PWHL’s first expansion last year, including new teams in Seattle and Vancouver, began bringing more exposure to previously uncharted territory in the west. With new teams in San Jose, Las Vegas and Detroit, cities already containing highly popular NHL franchises, the hope is to make women’s hockey a mainstay in all regions of the U.S. and Canada. The inclusion of the fourth team, Hamilton, however, does not fit this trend, as it is situated only around 40 miles from Toronto, which has had a team since the league’s inception. PWHL Hamilton came to fruition through the PWHL Takeover Tour, which is the title given to numerous regular-season games played
The PWHL added several new teams.
COURTESY OF CHICAGO TRIBUNE
at neutral sites. These games serve not only as efforts to expand the new league’s fanbase but also to test expansion markets. In early 2025, games were played in Seattle and Vancouver, where over 30,000 combined fans turned out and then were rewarded with permanent franchises. On Jan. 3, the Takeover Tour took to Hamilton, where it drew 16,012 fans, outperforming the likes of Denver; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Edmonton, Alberta; and Dallas, cities that have established NHL franchises. Upon this success, Hamilton was announced alongside Las Vegas on May 13.
This expansion is also very significant in terms of the league’s success. The founding of the PWHL was precipitated by the folding of numerous past leagues; in 2019, the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association was formed in response to these chronic failures and wanted to create a league that not only was financially viable but profitable as well. This led to the PWHL, which in only three seasons has managed to double its number of franchises, provide a collective bargaining agreement to players and establish a full league office to handle operations. The PWHL is entirely owned
and operated by the Mark Walter Group, headed by Mark Walter, whose portfolio also includes the Los Angeles Dodgers of the MLB and the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. All of the league’s teams, both established and new, are under the same ownership. However, news of the recent expansion has attracted the league’s first outside investors. In June, it was announced that Kilmer Sports Ventures, which was responsible for bringing the new WNBA expansion to Toronto, and Illich Companies, which owns the arena PWHL Detroit will call home, invested $100 million in the PWHL. However, no plans have been made to depart from the current ownership model and attempt to sell franchises to individual owners. The growth of the PWHL thus far has already been unprecedented. It has not only brought teams to new cities but has grown support and fandom for women’s hockey, which had previously gone unappreciated. However, with new investors and teams on the horizon for the league, it seems the only way to go is up.
Conquests and Calamity at the 2026 Tour de France By MOLLY FRIEDMAN ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Over the course of three weeks, 3,245 kilometers and approximately 54,450 meters of climbing, the world’s best professional male cyclists conquered the French Alps and valleys to crown a winner in the 2026 Tour de France. Through his unbeatable climbing and tactical sprinting abilities, Slovenian cyclist and five-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar reigned supreme on the legendary course. Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel came in second, and young phenom Isaac Del Toro, Pogačar’s teammate, rounded out the podium. While professional cycling is often depicted as an individual competition, the riders rely heavily on their teammates to get them through the grueling duration of the tour. This tour consisted of 23 teams, each with eight riders. Most cycling teams divide roles based on terrain. Sprinters target victories on flat stages, while climbers focus on the mountain stages. Supporting them are domestiques, whose sole job is to shield and guide their leaders to the finish, giving them the best possible chance to win. Stage durations typically range from 150 to 200 kilometers, taking riders roughly three to five hours to complete. Stages are then categorized as flat, hilly or mountainous depending
COURTESY OF UAE TEAM EMIRATES
The Tour de France featured a fair bit of drama.
on the expected elevation gain for the ride. This allows riders to play to their strengths and know when to go for gold. Over the course of 21 stages, the cyclists compete for a variety of awards and honors, known as jerseys. Each jersey color signifies a different leading category. The yellow, or “maillot jaune,” is the overall leader or the general classification, the highest honor of the famed race. Next is the green jersey, worn by the cyclist leading the sprinter category, determined by a point system awarded throughout the tour. Then there is the polka dot jersey, awarded to the best climber, similar to the green jersey, which is also determined by a point system based on the difficulty of climbs across stages. Last is the white jersey awarded to the best young rider, defined as the rider with the fastest time under 26-years-old. This year, the tour kicked off in Barcelona with the new
addition of the team time trial. Each team raced the 20 kilometer-course together, but was ranked by how quickly the first rider crossed the finish line. Danish superstar Jonas Vingegaard and front man of team Visma Lease a Bike took the victory on the opening stage. After the initial time trial, the stages became the long, demanding days the riders are used to. It quickly became apparent that this tour was bound to be a head-to-head matchup between Vingegaard and Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates, as it has been for the last handful of years. While Vingegaard started ahead in the general classification, by stage six, Pogačar had an almost three-minute advantage over the Dane and had attained two stage victories. The gap between Pogačar and Vingegaard, followed by the rest of the pack, only grew as time went on; he remained untouchable. While the battle of superstars
was taking place, Mads Pedersen of team Lidl-Trek was assuming his position atop the sprinters’ leaderboard by gaining a 50-point lead over the next closest competitor by stage 10, and his lead only grew from there. Ecuadorian veteran Richard Carapaz dominated the climbers category, taking two stage wins over the course of the tour and challenging the seemingly unstoppable Pogačar in the Alps. Lastly, with guidance from his superstar teammate and friend, Isaac Del Toro was making a name for himself on the big stage. He got his first Tour de France victory and became just the second Mexican cyclist to win a Tour de France stage. Tragedy struck on stage 15 of the tour of the Dane, as Vingegaard came around the corner in the final minutes of the stage and got pushed into a curb and crashed hard. He displayed immediate anguish and was quickly carted off in a medical vehicle, abandoning the tour. The fans and the media were in shock; the great rivalry would not have a satisfying conclusion. Visma later announced that he broke his collarbone and the injury would require surgery, forcing him to step back from cycling for a substantial time. After the incident, Pogačar gave his thoughts on Jonas abandoning the tour. He told Eurosport, “It’s really sad to
see that Jonas is out, since 2021, we were always battling out for the Tour, maybe at the beginning we didn’t have the best relationship, but then we became good rivals, respected rivals.” The sport is full of unpredictability, and that lesson was learned on stage 15 of the Tour de France. Regardless of the upset and calamity, the show must go on. Pogačar finished out the rest of the tour with an absolutely dominant performance to claim his remarkable fifth Tour de France title in the last seven years, rolling into the streets of Paris as a champion. Mads Pedersen maintained his lead in the sprinters’ category to secure the green jersey, and the Ecuadorian Carapaz put on a masterclass in climbing to win the polka dot jersey for team EF Education - EasyPost. Del Toro capped off a successful tour for UAE Team Emirates by winning the white jersey. The 2026 Tour de France brought equal parts grief and glamour, serving up a thrilling spectacle through every unexpected twist, leaving nothing to be desired for the spectators. The French Alps never fail to provide an exemplary setting for the drama that is the Tour de France. As the sun sets over the streets of Paris and the winners hoist their well-deserved trophies into the air to endless applause, we can only wait expectantly to see what the future holds for professional cycling.
SPORTS World Cup 2026: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
September 2, 2026
By AARYAN SAMA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Every four summers (or winters in the case of the unorthodox edition of the tournament hosted by Qatar in 2022), the world stops whatever it is doing and tunes into one of the biggest sporting tournaments in the world: the FIFA Men’s World Cup. For the first time in history, there were not one but three hosting nations for the tournament, with North American countries Mexico, Canada and the United States sharing the privilege of hosting after winning their collective bid in 2018. Like any other World Cup, this one delivered many interesting storylines, from unexpectedly early exits by tournament favorites to underdogs shocking the world and winning the hearts of fans everywhere. While the current European champions, Spain, went on to win the tournament after a convincing performance against the Lionel Messi-led Argentina in the final, there were many plot twists along the way. First of all, many teams exceeded expectations in this tournament. Given FIFA’s decision to increase the size of the tournament from 32 teams to 48, many more teams were given a chance to shine. Cabo Verde, a country with a
population of 530,000, is the obvious shout, after convincing performances against the likes of Spain, Uruguay and Argentina. The player who received the most praise was the 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, better known as Vozinha. After the opening match against Spain in which he shut out stars such as Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal in a goalless draw, he caught the world’s eyes, now boasting over 29 million Instagram followers and securing a move to Chilean club Colo-Colo. Additionally, with many A-list Premier League players such as Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, Norway went unexpectedly far after missing out on the last World Cup, only being eliminated in the quarter-finals by England in extra time. Egypt also caught attention after winning their first game in World Cup history, and almost defeating Argentina in the Round of 16, ultimately faltering after giving up a twogoal lead. On the other hand, there were many disappointments in this tournament. With stars such as Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane on the German roster, many were surprised to see them defeated by Paraguay after a thrilling penalty shootout in the Round of 32. Paraguay
went on to face France in the next round and only lost 1-0, but their performance angered many due to their overly aggressive tactics. Germany was joined by the Netherlands on the flight home after a penalty loss to Morocco in the Round of 32. Moreover, for a player many consider the best player in the history of the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo’s mediocre World Cup performance continued in what was his final tournament. While he finally scored his first knockout goal in a controversial win against Croatia, the Portuguese team exited early at the hands of the tournament victors, Spain. Brazil also exited the tournament in the Round of 16 after losing to Norway in what was Neymar Jr.’s last World Cup, even though he scored a consolation penalty late in the game. Finally, this World Cup attracted considerable controversy due to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s actions before and during the tournament, which wasn’t helped by the outcomes of many games. First of all, many believed there was an unfair bias in favor of Argentina due to controversial refereeing decisions and the fact that they did not face many competitive clubs on their side of the bracket. That said, many were more than content when Argentina fell short
in the final after a very disappointing performance, which was followed by unsportsmanlike conduct after the game. Another team that drew a lot of controversy was one of the host nations, none other than the United States. The United States started off strongly, after topping the group with former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun shining. While the US cruised past Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, Balogun was suspended for a flagrant foul that many believed was not warranted, sparking massive debate. This snowballed when FIFA delayed the suspension, and it was revealed that Infantino had received a call from President Donald Trump. It was widely agreed that this crossed the line on how involved politics should be in sports, and what followed was an unconvincing performance against Belgium in the Round of 32 that even Balogun could not save. The political aspect of this
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tournament was always under scrutiny. One of the biggest stories that broke before the tournament was when Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States due to strict immigration laws. This, once again, led to massive backlash, and Artan was backed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), who appointed him as the first non-European to referee a UEFA Super Cup Final in August in Paris where SaintGermain defeated Aston Villa weeks after the World Cup. In summary, this World Cup was definitely one to remember for many reasons. Given the new format of the tournament, more games were played than in any previous edition, leading to even more entertainment for fans. With club football resuming, fans eagerly anticipate the 202627 season, though no sporting competition can match the magic of a World Cup.
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Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup Final.
SPORTS Burning Buses, Bright Lights and 53 Years of Waiting
Page 24
By ROBERT SPENCER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It took 53 years for one of the most marketable, influential and recognizable NBA teams with the biggest sports market housed in New York City to finally find a cohesive and efficient team that could win 16 playoff games. Some of the lowest lows were seen in the early 2000s and 2010s, with a team that should have easily garnered high freeagent interest seemingly giving bad players horrendous contracts on a consistent basis. To make matters worse, the days of Patrick Ewing could never be replicated after the NBA draft of 1985, as the Knicks chose disappointing rookies year after
September 2, 2026
year. But how did we get from 1973 to 2026, lifting the same trophy alongside a much different crowd, finally holding a ticker-tape parade for the team and concluding a chapter of the team’s history that held the patience of so many fans? Starting in the 1973-74 season, the defending New York Knicks had a similar roster to their previous winning season: the same star players, Willis Reed and Dave Debuschere, as well as key rotational pieces like Phil Jackson. They were an excellent team but no longer a championship contender, and Dave Cowens, alongside the Boston Celtics, beat them in five games during the Eastern Conference Finals. The rest of the 70s were the continuation of
GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM
After decades of waiting, the Knicks captured the NBA title.
a downfall; key players retired or left, the team’s record kept dropping and they missed the playoffs in three of the next five years. As the start of the Patrick Ewing era, the 1980s were all about building. Every other year, they reached the playoffs but couldn’t get over the hump. Early experiments with Michael Ray Richardson showed some promise, but he was quickly replaced by Ewing. The 1990s became the defining decade of the Ewing era, as the Knicks established themselves as one of the NBA’s most consistent Eastern Conference contenders. They repeatedly battled Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Reggie Miller’s Pacers and the Miami Heat, eventually reaching the NBA Finals in 1994 and again in 1999. Despite their sustained success, the Knicks never won another championship, leaving the decade remembered as one of the greatest periods in franchise history without a title. The Knicks entered the 2000s as a playoff team but their chances declined rapidly after Ewing’s departure, beginning a search for the next superstar. Poor roster decisions, expensive contracts, coaching changes and front-office instability turned New York into one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional franchises, including back-to-back 23-win
seasons in 2006 and 2008. By the end of the decade, the Knicks had missed the majority of the playoffs but positioned themselves for a potential turnaround through salary-cap space and the 2010 free-agent class. The Knicks entered the 2010s with renewed optimism, signing Amar’e Stoudemire and acquiring Carmelo Anthony to form a new star duo in New York. Jeremy Lin brought electric energy to the team during his “Linsanity” run, where he averaged 25 points per game, hit a game-winner and beat Kobe Bryant in Staples Center. Their high point came in the 201213 season, when they won 54 games and their first playoff series in more than a decade. However, the team quickly declined and eventually reached a franchise-worst 17-65 record in the 2014-15 season. Despite brief hope surrounding Kristaps Porzingis, another rebuild followed, leaving the Knicks at the bottom of the NBA by the end of the decade. The start of the 2020s marked the rebuilding that would end in a championship. Julius Randle’s signing in 2019 ignited the process, adding new attention and talent to the team. Drafting RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley also gave the team a younger core and a brighter future. After making the playoffs in 2021,
they fell short in 2022, just months before the arrival of the next captain. The process of acquiring the necessary players followed several different paths. Jose Alvarado was obtained through a trade involving Guerschon Yabusele, and Mikal Bridges was brought in through a trade in exchange for draft picks. OG Anunoby joined the team through a trade involving Barrett and Quickley, and Karl-Anthony Towns was acquired in a trade involving Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Josh Hart was brought in through a trade for Cam Reddish and a draft pick. They also drafted role players like Deuce McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti. And they rounded out the roster by signing Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet in free agency. This team was built in the modern era through ethical rebuilding, drafting and signing in a locker room of role models, community leaders and exceptional basketball players. This is, and will always be, my favorite team that I have ever watched in my life. I am truly grateful for what they not only brought to me but to the city as a whole. Forever and always, Knicks in five.
Overtime: The $20 Million Man By ETHAN BESS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
On Aug. 28, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension with the Avalanche. The average annual value for his contract is $20.4 million per year. As of now, this deal makes Makar the highest-paid player in NHL history. It surpasses Kirill Kaprizov’s eightyear, $136 million deal with the Minnesota Wild, signed in 2025. This deal is set to begin in the 2027-28 NHL season. Within the salary cap era, a contract like this is unheard of for many NHL fans. While the Avalanche have given Makar $163.2 million over eight years, they also have Nathan MacKinnon under contract for eight years, $100 million from a deal he signed back in 2022. While it seems on paper that the Avalanche have no cap space, their exact payroll has not been confirmed yet. With that being said, it’s important to look at Makar’s career so far. Makar is currently 27 years old and is widely considered to be the standard for defensemen within the sport of hockey. His resume consists of a Stanley Cup win, a Conn Smythe trophy win, two James Norris trophy wins in 2022 and 2025 and the Calder trophy in 2020. Being an
Cale Makar’s stellar play earned him a massive contract.
amazing talent while still being so young is a great prerequisite for obtaining such a high-paying contract. It should also be kept in mind that Makar was widely praised for slowing down Connor McDavid in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference Final, in which the Avalanche swept the Edmonton Oilers 4-0. Within that same postseason, Makar also had 29 points with eight goals and 21 assists, en route to the Conn Smythe trophy and the Stanley Cup. Much like his close companion MacKinnon, Makar is considered one of the best hockey players on the planet. However, Makar’s contract will undoubtedly cost the Avalanche front office a lot.
The Avalanche gave Makar a six-year, $54 million deal back in 2021 and when they did, they were preparing for what was coming next. It seems like they knew exactly what they were doing when they broke the bank for Makar. While the contract is a monumental achievement for Makar and the Avalanche faithful, the long-term effects and the cap space need tobe studied. As noted earlier in the article, this deal is locked in for eight years and extends to the 203435 NHL season. This raises questions for the potential future and salary cap of the Avalanche. With Makar and MacKinnon locked in for longterm deals, it will hinder the ability of the Avalanche to sign
COURTESY OF MILE HIGH HOCKEY
top-tier talent in the future. Nonetheless, the Avalanche aren’t going to have much to worry about as they have just come off a 55-16-11 season with a trip to the Western Conference Final, in which they ultimately came up short against the Vegas Golden Knights. The loss against the Golden Knights will serve as motivation to possibly get to the Stanley Cup Final in 2027. However, the road will be tougher and a lot more physical than it was in 2026. The Golden Knights will be looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in 10 years next year, along with the Edmonton Oilers looking to bring the cup north of the border to Canada for
the first time since 1993. Such adversity is present, but the Avalanche will have to find a way to push through it all. The Avalanche may get accused of being wild for investing their future into one player, but it’s important to note that they have two of the best players in the world. The Avalanche know what it takes to win the entire thing, as they last won the Stanley Cup in 2022. The concern doesn’t rest with whether Makar will be a great player but rather how his teammates will play around him and whether the Avalanche will be able to build around him. The trade-off, however, is that Makar’s contract will make it harder for the Avalanche to pursue talent and bring people in to help Makar out. But within the NHL, there is no such thing as a balanced roster when you have a player who’s capable of changing the entire game once he steps on the ice. As the contract plays out, the interesting part will be how good the Avalanche will be over the course of those eight years that Makar was extended. One can speculate how many cups the Avalanche will win, but it will be interesting for hockey fans to watch. My speculation is that, since the Stanley Cup is arguably the hardest cup to win in sports, the Avalanche will win two cups.