Volume 108 Issue 19

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 November 11, 2026

TheFordhamRam.com

Volume 108, Issue 19

Conference Unites Student and Professional Journalists

Albanian Student Association Showcases History

By MURIEL CORLEY

By GABRIEL CAPELLAN

STAFF WRITER

The New York Press Club (NYPC) held its 34th annual journalism conference at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus, featuring discussions and workshops led by pillars of the journalism and media industries. Club members, students from all walks of life in the tri-state area and other curious individuals gathered to enrich themselves. Fordham’s department of communication and media studies was the co-sponsor of the event, which took place on Nov. 7. Qun Wang, an associate professor in the department, explained that the conference usually attracts students from Fordham and other universities nationwide. “[The conference] is an opportunity for students to engage with journalism outside of the classroom across various aspects of journalism, from current affair topics to career advice and news tools used in newsrooms,” Wang said. The conference kicked off at 9:35 a.m. with a discussion about how the media performed during the most recent midterm election cycle. The discussion was moderated by Azi Paybarah, a senior politics reporter at Straight Arrow News and a member of The New York Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The panelists included Alec Hernandez, a national politics reporter at POLITICO, Kelly Mena, an Emmy Awardwinning multimedia journalist for Spectrum News NY1 and award-winning journalist and author Timothy L. O’Brien, who serves as the senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion, the global commentary arm of Bloomberg News. Regarding the media’s coverage of the midterm elections, Hernandez recognized a focus on the “wipeout” of Republican influence. Mena agreed with this point but also presented a

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Fordham University’s annual operating budget is approximately $800 million.

EMILY MCCALL/THE FORDHAM RAM

Rising Costs, Rising Tuition: Inside Fordham’s Annual Budget By CAYDENCE JONES FEATURES EDITOR

The Fordham University annual operating budget is approximately $800 million, according to Haim Mozes, a professor of accounting who has served as a non-voting faculty resource on Fordham’s Finance Committee for more than a decade. The budget funds everything from faculty salaries and financial aid to the maintenance of its two

New York City campuses. But as tuition continues to rise, students have limited access to the details behind how the university decides where that money goes. Mozes said that Fordham University relies heavily on tuition to cover its operating expenses. The endowment, a pool of money or property donated to the university, contributes approximately 5% of the operating budget.

“[At Fordham University], we’re very much tuitiondriven,” Mozes said. Mozes said Fordham looks at inflation and the tuition rates of comparable universities when determining annual increases. New York University and Boston College are among these comparable institutions, with Boston College serving as a comparison because of its Jesuit identity. SEE BUDGET, PAGE 3

Professor Lives the Ignatian Mission By GRACE KAWECKI ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Robert J. Parmach, Ph.D., is the senior director of Ignatian Mission and Education at Fordham University, which is a Jesuit philosophy that focuses on the university’s shared mission to focus on the person’s holistic development of body, mind and soul. “I really appreciated the Jesuit focus of being mindful of taking care of the whole person

… I found that as a very holistic, integrated, but also very honest approach,” Parmach said. Parmach completed what his friends refer to as “a Jesuit hat trick”: three degrees from three Jesuit universities. He graduated from Xavier High School, earned his B.A. from Fairfield University and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from Fordham University. Parmach has worked at Fordham for more than 25

years. He began his career in student affairs as a counselor and peer educator before moving to academic dean of first-year students for Fordham College at Rose Hill, where he worked as faculty director of the Manresa Scholars integrated learning community and coordinator of the West Wing Ignatian leadership program. In 2022, he was invited to take on his current position as senior SEE IGNATIAN PAGE 4

ROBERT J. PARMACH FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

SEE CONFERENCE, PAGE 4

Robert J. Parmach, Ph.D., shares how he helps unite the Fordham community in the head, heart and hands.

2 News USG 11/5

8 Opinion Women in History

USG Discusses Registration and Club Budget Proposals

Putting Her-Story Back in History

IN THIS ISSUE

R

10 Culture Daylight Saving Saving Morale During Daylight Saving

The Albanian Student Association (ASA) held a book talk about “The Jahalez of Dragobia” on Saturday, Nov. 7, to honor the Jahalez family, who escaped communist-ruled Albania in the late 1950s. The book talk was held in Rose Hill Commons. The people in attendance were not Fordham undergraduates, but rather descendants of the Jahalez family. There were around 70 attendees, many of whom brought their own children to participate in the event and read some of the memoir. Attendees were served fried byrek — a pastry made with thin, flaky dough and filled with foods like cheese, minced meat, spinach or potatoes — as they made their way to their seats. The memoir is about Mustafa Elezi, the noble Jahalez family and their life in Dragobia, a village in Northern Albania. At the time, Albania was under communist rule by dictator Enver Hoxha. The Jahalez family was stripped of their property then sent to internment camps and ultimately executed for their refusal to yield to communist rule. Readers of the memoir say it was a declaration of bravery from the family. The book was written in Albanian and was translated to English by Lekë Gjon Buçaj. He was present at the event and spoke about what purpose this book serves for Albanian history. “The embodiment of the Albanian plight, the Albanian struggle, you know, the Albanian suffering under communism. It’s all captured in this book, so perfectly,” Buçaj said. This project was personal to Buçaj; he wanted to tell the story of the Jahalez family in full accuracy. He said he would work on the project whenever he put his kids to sleep or had a moment to himself, often working in his home office. SEE ASA, PAGE 4

15 Sports Basketball

Fordham Women’s Basketball Off to a Perfect Start

NEWS USG on Registration and Club Budget

November 11, 2026

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Moglia Stadium Nov. 7 1:25 p.m.

On Saturday at 1:25 p.m., a visitor fell in front of the entrance to Moglia Stadium. The supervisor responded. The aided said she misjudged the curb, lost her balance and fell face-first onto the pavement causing bleeding and a missing front tooth. The supervisor called FUEMS to respond and transport the aided to Saint Barnabas Hospital.

Loschert Hall Nov. 7 3:47 p.m.

On Saturday at 3:47 p.m., a fire alarm went off in Loschert Hall. The supervisor and FDNY responded. The investigation revealed a student using a hair drier triggered the alarm. The supervisor ventilated the area and reset the alarm panel.

O’Hare Hall Nov. 7 4:30 p.m.

On Saturday at 4:30 p.m., there was a stuck occupied elevator in O’Hare Hall. The supervisor responded and notified FDNY to respond. The FDNY responded and freed the occupant. The supervisor prepared a work order to have the elevator inspected and inspected the elevator.

Finlay Hall Nov. 7 4:43 p.m.

On Saturday 4:43 p.m., a fire alarm went off in Finlay Hall. The supervisor and FDNY responded. The investigation determined a student smoking in the first-floor lounge triggered the alarm. The supervisor ventilated the area and reset the alarm panel.

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Wednesday Nov. 11

This week’s USG meeting included discussions on issues with class registration and club budget proposals.

By GABRIEL CAPELLAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR

On Nov. 5, The United Student Government (USG) held its 10th meeting of the academic year. They discussed new budget proposals for clubs regarding food, a new bylaw for club startups, upcoming tabling events and more. The meeting began with the Commuter Students Association’s (CSA) Vice President Analisa BrownBeebe, FCRH ’27, announcing two events that CSA will hold in the coming weeks. The first will be a tabling event in the McShane Campus Center lobby on Nov. 10, organized by the CSA’s sophomore board. The second one is CSA’s Thanks-giveaway event. Their Thanksgiving event will also be a fundraiser, with all proceeds going to Drew Gardens, a community garden in the Bronx. Following the report from CSA, the club of the month award went to the Philippine American Club (FUPAC). Members of the club attended the meeting and accepted the award. Soon after the award, Vice President of the Budget and Finance Siri Bhat, GSB ’27, presented new guidelines for clubs ordering food and refreshments. In previous years, clubs could request food and refreshments as often as they

wanted. The new guideline will limit orders to a maximum of four per semester. Bhat hopes that this change will make clubs more creative with their meetings, beyond the promise of free food. “This will kind of limit it, and also encourage clubs to collaborate with other clubs and have a nice collaboration where they can share the food and also do things that aren’t just free food,” Bhat said. According to Bhat, the majority of USG spending is going toward food. “This will provide us with so much more available funding because a lot of our expenses are food,” Bhat said. Vice President of Operations Berkeley Ayne-Dorsten, FCRH ’27, also explained why this proposal would be beneficial and how it would support clubs that need funding to hold large-scale events. “We want to see people go to clubs because they actually enjoy the club, not because they’re giving away free pizza,” Ayne-Dorsten said. “If we can limit the amount of pizzas we’re getting … it frees up money for other clubs to do other cool events and it also clears a backlog of clubs that are active for two semesters, maybe a year, maybe three years, and then it goes away because it was essentially just a group of friends hanging out.”

The proposal was passed unanimously and will be voted on the next time the Student Life Council (SLC) meets. If passed by SLC, it will go into effect next semester. Vice President of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) Grace Shin, FCRH ’27, led the next major topic discussed at the meeting: student registration. Registration for the spring 2027 semester started on Oct. 28. For students abroad, they were promised priority registration, allowing them to register for their required classes before their peers still on campus; however, this was not the case, according to Shin. “They were promised early registration during their departure meetings that they [students who went abroad] all had,” Shin said. “Then turn to find out that none of them got priority registration.” Shin mentioned that she would follow up with the study abroad office and other university officials to figure out what happened. Other USG members also spoke about how the class scheduling made it harder for upperclassmen to get into the classes they need to graduate. “There were classes that I needed to graduate that I couldn’t get into because everything else was at the same time,” Ayne-Dorsten said. “I

This Week at Fordham

Thursday Nov. 12

Friday Nov. 13

Saturday Nov. 14

GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

don’t think every single class should be offered at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and that’s the only option.” A Senator, Whitney Egbe, FCRH ’28, also agreed with Ayne-Dorsten. “My major has the same issue where all the other IPE [international political economy] professors want to teach in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday and Friday,” Egbe said. “There are only three classes I need to take to graduate. You can’t all teach it at 1:15.” The class of 2028 was unable to register at 8 a.m. because the registration portal froze whenever students tried to add classes or import their plan. Students were therefore unable to register until roughly 9 a.m. Later that day, students received an email from Elizabeth Rainey, vice provost for student success, and Anand Padmanabhan, chief information officer, apologizing for the incident. In the email, they wrote that they’ll sit down in real time with a representative from Ellucian, the registration system, when the class of 2030 registers on Nov. 9. They also mentioned that they are looking for alternative programs to improve the registration experience at Fordham. USG will meet again this week on Thursday, Nov. 12, in Bepler Commons.

Sunday Nov. 15

Common Grounds Conversations

Fordham Graduate School Fair

NYC Podcast Awards

Fordham vs. Georgetown

Mock Trial Tournament

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Ignatius Loyola Room 12 - 1:15 p.m.

Bateman Room 12 - 1 p.m.

McNally Amphitheater 3 - 8 p.m.

Moglia Stadium 12 - 3 p.m.

Dealy and Freeman Hall 3 - 5 p.m.

Campus Ministry will host a conversation exploring the relationship between food, sustainability and the environment.

Students will have the opportunity this Thursday to meet representatives from Fordham’s graduate schools and the Career Center to learn about graduate programs and potential career paths.

Fordham and the NYC Podcast Awards will host live music, panel discussions and networking focused on New York music history, audio storytelling, and careers in podcasting.

Fordham’s football team will host Georgetown University for its Senior Day matchup. The game will recogning senior student-athletes during the team’s final home game.

The annual mock trial tournament will continue for a second day in multiple buildings on campus, with student competitors participating in additional rounds of competition.

NEWS

November 11, 2026

Page 3

A Closer Look at Fordham’s $800 Million Budget FROM BUDGET PAGE 1

Ralf Hepp, a member of Fordham’s Budget Planning Committee, said that the increase of tuition is roughly equal to the rate of inflation are understandable given the rising cost of operating the university. However, he added that increases beyond this level deserve closer scrutiny. “Anything around the inflation rate seems reasonable because increases in the cost of living and operating expenses are not under our control,” Hepp said. “However, anything that goes beyond inflation requires harder questions about why the increase is necessary.” President Tania Tetlow said that the administration weighs rising operating costs against the possibility of reducing the services and resources available to students. At a press conference on Oct. 28 with The Ram and The Observer, Tetlow described the decision as a choice between raising tuition and cutting what the university provides. “We have a choice every year between raising tuition to cover those increased costs or cutting what we provide to you in order to keep tuition flat,” Tetlow said. Tetlow stated the university will be looking at a tuition increase in the next academic year, despite frugal efforts. She also said increases do not necessarily cover all of Fordham’s rising expenses. “Even with raising tuition, we’re often still left with a deficit that we know we’re going to have to keep tackling,” Tetlow said. Hepp said the Budget Planning Committee reviews previous budgets to identify spending patterns and to consider how the university can manage rising expenses without increasing tuition. The committee overviews where costs have grown and whether changes to the university’s spending priorities could reduce that pressure. “Hopefully, this can help the university move away from the continuous cycle of expenses increasing, tuition increasing and expenses increasing again,” Hepp said. Where The Money Goes Mozes noted three major areas of university spending. These areas are faculty and instruction, administration and facilities. Staff compensation accounts for a substantial portion of the budget, although faculty salaries make up only part of the university’s overall salary expenses. The remainder of the expenses are administrators, clerical employees, custodians and other staff. Mozes said faculty salaries account for less than half of the university’s total salary expenses, with administrative employees and other staff

making up the remainder. “It is not just faculty, there’s administration, there’s clerical,” Mozes said. “Faculty is a big chunk, but it’s not much more than half of the total salaries.” Mozes said Fordham has expanded its administrative operations in recent years, including employees focused on fundraising and student retention. The administration views some of these positions as investments that can generate additional revenue through donations and by keeping students enrolled. Retaining students who might otherwise transfer out allows the university to continue collecting their tuition, while successful fundraising can bring in donations that exceed the cost of the employees involved. He said the university is continously seeing these hires as investments that can pay for themselves in due-time. “If you get a single person who can get 10 people to stay, they’ve earned much more than his or herself,” Mozes said. “They’ve done a lot of hires where they justify it as the hire actually increasing revenue.” Hepp said faculty members have questioned whether the university is putting enough money toward academic staffing, referring to the expanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. Faculty members have argued that Fordham students should be given more opportunities to learn from full-time professors early in their college careers. “What often happens at Fordham and elsewhere in American higher education is that first-year and second-year students primarily encounter part-time faculty,” Hepp said. “These instructors may teach courses at several universities throughout the metropolitan area and typically do not have the same research responsibilities as full-time faculty members.” He also spoke about the growing intricacy of university bureaucracy and the administrative positions created to meet additional reporting and operational requirements. He said faculty and administrators naturally have different perspectives on which areas should receive priority. The debate over staffing also extends beyond faculty salary increases. Hepp said that, given the size of Fordham’s budget, increasing the faculty salary pool from 3% to 4% would cost approximately $750,000. “That is not going to break the back of the university,” Hepp said. “Faculty salary increases are a relatively small part of a much larger budget.” He said larger financial

considerations form decisions about hiring and which positions the university fills. While expanding academic programs requires more faculty, Hepp believes the university should also look at positions that are not directly related to teaching. “We should look at limiting hiring in what I would call the non-core business of the university: positions that are not directly related to teaching students,” Hepp said. Mozes noted that facilities are another major expense. Maintaining and modernizing buildings across Rose Hill and Lincoln Center requires continued investment. He pointed to rennovations in the McShane Campus Center in the Rose Hill campus (Previously McGinley), as well as the ongoing costs of technology, computers and campus connectivity. Enrollment, Revenue and Affordability Moreover, Fordham receives revenue from student housing, dining and parking. Mozes said the university uses enrollment projections to estimate how much these areas will generate, alongside tuition revenue. Changes in enrollment have also created additional financial pressures. Mozes said larger undergraduate classes helped in offseting the decrease in enrollment in graduate programs that attract international students. Tetlow also identified declining enrollment of international students in graduate business programs and changes to federal Graduate PLUS loan programs as challenges in the student press conference on Oct. 28. Hepp said the difficulty with attracting international students is part of a broader shift in higher education. Some students who previously considered studying in the

U.S. are increasingly looking at universities in Europe and Australia, while changes to federal graduate loan programs have made it harder for some graduate students to finance their education. He also highlighted the expected decrease of collegeaged students in the coming years, which could make competition for enrollment more difficult. Hepp said universities have responded by investing more heavily in marketing to attract prospective students. “That is one reason why universities are investing so heavily in marketing,” Hepp said. “If you move around New York City or listen to television and radio, you are likely to encounter advertisements for Fordham that you might not have seen as frequently a few years ago.” Marketing is one example of spending intended to generate future revenue, according to Hepp. Attracting a larger entering class can bring in additional tuition revenue, as well as revenue from housing and dining. However, Hepp added that attracting more students who can afford higher tuition raises concerns on the university’s ability to maintain affordability while protecting its academic mission. “There is also an inherent conflict with the university’s mission,” Hepp said. “We are trying to attract students who are more capable of paying higher tuition, but as a Jesuit university, that is not necessarily what we should be pursuing.” To manage rising costs, Tetlow said Fordham has reviewed unoccupied staff positions to see whether they need to be filled and the process has reduced its staff by approximately 5%. The university has also sought savings by reducing

President Tania Tetlow talks about Fordham’s budget with student journalists.

money spent on travel, food, paper, utilities and vendor contracts according to President Tetlow. Financial aid is another consideration. In the press conference, Tetlow said the university focuses much of its fundraising on financial aid and encourages students to submit appeals if they need additional assistance. Who Is In Charge of The Decisions? The preliminary budget proposals from the Office of Finance are reviewed by the Budget Planning Committee. The committee is compromised of around equal numbers of faculty members and university representatives, and examines major categories such as salary expenditures, tuition revenue and financial aid. Hepp said members can ask the Finance Office to explain the changes in spending and compare current proposals with previous budgets. However, the committee is advisory, meaning its members can make recommendations, but top university administrators ultimately decide where money is allocated. The university’s publicly available financial statements also provide only broad categories of revenue and expenses. They do not show whether changes in spending reflect additional faculty positions, higher administrative salaries or other individual expenses. Ultimately, the university’s budget reflects competing priorities. These priorities are attracting and retaining students, investing in academic programs, maintaining its campuses and ensuring the university is kept financially sustainable. With tuition remaining one of its primary sources of revenue, those decisions directly affect the students and families paying to attend Fordham.

HANNAH SULLIVAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

NEWS

Page 4

November 11, 2026

Conference Discusses State of Journalism FROM CONFERENCE PAGE 1

different perspective from her area of reporting. “Us Journalists really honed in on the issues this time around, not necessarily the Democrats fighting Republicans,” Mena said. “A lot of voters this year were focusing more on policy than position … We’re not here to project who’s going to win, but be objective about how the races look from our perspective.” O’Brien felt that the issue of corruption in politics became a “flashpoint” in this election, as well as affordability, which he said has for too long “flown beneath the radar” in American media coverage. The panelists shared their opinions about the lack of influencial political spending had on candidates’ media campaigns. Hernandez referred to the significant spending by the Republican party in this election compared to lower amounts of spending from Democrats and explained how that impacted the election results. “Most often, we think of money in politics being

determinative … but this time, the wave, the trends were just so strong … it didn’t work out this time,” Hernandez said. Mena also explained that the longtime narrative that only the wealthy can be in politics is changing. “For moderates and some more conservative voters, there definitely is this sentiment [about] … billionaires, who run politics and they are the ones that are deciding everything for the populace, and that type of dynamic is not working,” Mena said. O’Brien expanded on the reason he believes money didn’t help the Republicans in this election. “We’re only as good as the reality we reflect,” O’Brien said. “There was no amount of money that was going to fund the counter narrative that forced voters to simply deny their own experiences and what they were seeing with their own eyes.” Attendees were organized into three breakout sessions at 10:45 a.m., which included a discussion on journalists’ first steps in gaining experience, a

“Deadlines & Dictators” workshop on how to survive a toxic workplace and a master class on “How to Use the News to Find Your Next Big Story.” The second round of breakout sessions commenced at noon, with conversations on “Life After The Newsroom” and “Climate is Still Making News: Are Outlets Missing the Big Story?” There was another workshop called, “How to Use Your Voice Effectively to Engage Audiences,” hosted by George Bodarky, previously the News Director at WFUV, and now primarily works as a reporter and performance trainer with National Public Radio and occasionally as a journalism professor at Fordham. An anticipated portion of the conference was the final keynote session on “The President, Supremes and the Press,” featuring speakers Elie Mystal and Harold Holzer. Mystal serves as the justice correspondent for The Nation and is the author of New York Times Bestsellers “Allow Me To Retort — A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution” and

“Bad Law — Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America.” Holzer is also a historian, scholar of Abraham Lincoln and the author, co-author or editor of 55 books, including “Presidents vs. The Press” and the award-winning “Lincoln and the Power of the Press.” The speakers spoke about the historical and modern relationships between political power, specifically the president’s and the press. Holzer believes that dynamic between the two has remained the same throughout America’s history. “Journalists know it is their responsibility to probe

and provide a window onto the presidency for the American people,” Holzer said. “Sometimes the press overreaches, and sometimes the presidents try to prevent that window from opening.” Mystal noted President Donald Trump’s treatment of the press. “You can really see him pull different levers depending on the race and gender of a reporter in front of him,” Mystal said. “He uses the fact that, especially the women and Black reporters can’t come after him in the way that he deserves as he is denigrating them in front of everybody else.”

MURIEL CORLEY FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Speakers at the conference discussed topics pertaining to journalism today.

Professor Brings Ignation Mission to Life FROM IGNATIAN PAGE 1

director of Ignatian Mission and Education. Parmach offers talks, workshops and Ignatian programs that inspire the Fordham community to unite the head, heart and hands, which engages the three parts of the self, including intellect, values and physical actions. Parmach’s spirituality stems from his childhood, when he attended Jesuit-sponsored events, masses and services. But his focus on religion and education came as a result of his teachers and professors. One in particular was Fr. Marc Roselli, S.J., one of his high school teachers. “[Roselli] was kind, had saintly patience with loud teenagers and he really cared about his students as people,” Parmach said. Another professor who had an impact on Parmach was his philosophy professor

at Fairfield University, Rev. Thomas J. Regan, S.J., whom Parmach valued for his intelligence and his approach to teaching in an engaged learning environment, where learning took place not only in the classroom, but also out in the world to make change. “We met with folks outside of class and we really tried to immerse ourselves in ethical thinking, which I think ultimately led me to recognize its connections to spirituality: to how we act, how we treat one another and we recognize that we are not the be-all and endall of the universe,” Parmach said. When Parmach first began his career at Fordham, he knew the basics of the Jesuit faith, but this faith evolved as he was surrounded by people who took the time to care for others. He explained that he has grown as a mindful person

and a lifelong learner. “My understanding is that God wants me to be where I am, because that’s where I can see myself shining and where I’m learning the most too,” Parmach said. Parmach explained that his previous roles at Fordham prepared him for his current role as senior director by helping him understand a diversity of perspectives. Parmach is also involved in various aspects of Fordham life and interacts with many groups. He teaches philosophical ethics that has a community engaged learning (CEL) attribute that allows for classroom learning alongside going out into the community to make a difference. He also teaches sessions to senior citizens at Fordham’s College at 60. “It’s a nice variety of reaching out to different groups, all of

which it matters to educate about our Jesuit mission, and it gives me a lot of energy to keep me young and animated too,” Parmach said. Parmach spoke about his favorite Ignatian events “Storytime with Neighborhood Kids” and “Xavier Welcome Table Food Pantry Service Project.” At the first event, Parmach, along with students, read stories and spent time with kids of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Amsterdam Houses to foster friendships and give consistent mentorship. “Our students value the experience, that this one and a half hours of their day, which wasn’t a significant chunk of time, but it still made a memorable impact for both parties, the student, and the young child,” Parmach said. At the second event, Parmach brought students to serve

meals at a soup kitchen, Xavier Mission, to exercise their head, heart and hands. “I took a step back, and I just looked around, and I saw all of my students working hard, enjoying it, getting engaged in the conversation, and they were there in the right place,” he said. “So for me, it was almost like that quotation [by St. Ignatius of Loyola], ‘that which makes you feel the most alive in what you do is where God is,’ because whether the student believes in God or not, whether they are a faith believer or not, that’s their choice. But at the very end of it, I’m consoled by the fact that what they’re doing right now is really transforming their experience, and it’s not like any other college will do.” You can read the full story on thefordhamram.com.

ASA Book Talk Honors Albanian Family FROM ASA PAGE 1

“Even though physically it looked lonely working on this translation,” Buçaj said. “I didn’t feel lonely because I felt like I was there with Mustafa. I felt like I was there with his old family members. What a big heart [Mustafa] had! You know, this book is not a biography about Mustafa. He included everyone. He said my cousins, my brothers, my dad, my grandfather. He included everyone.” Buçaj says this memoir is a protest and a memory of what communism did to Albania. He said he hopes readers can internalize this theme when

they pick up the novel. “I want people to feel that they know a little something about the essence of the Albanian culture, because, you know, the Albanian culture, the identity, is about strength,” Buçaj said. “It’s about honor, it’s about patriotism, but it’s also about hospitality and helping each other and the love of humanity.” To conclude his speech, Buçaj told the audience that Nov. 7 is National Victim of Communism Remembrance Day, which further reinforces the damage that communism put Albania through. Co-President of the ASA, Leona Gjevukaj, FCRH ’27,

also spoke about why an event like this is important at Fordham University, noting the importance of sharing history. “I feel like especially at Fordham, we have a very tightknit Albanian community here,” Gjevukaj said. “I think that if we can all come together to work on something that helps us know a little bit more about each other, it helps all of us.” Her statement bore fruit when a student worker at the Office for Student Involvement came to the event to assist the ASA in setting up, noting that he’d never heard of the association but is Albanian himself. Gjevukaj also said that an

event like this highlights the obstacles Albanians overcame in order to arrive in America and improve their lives. “We hosted this event to remind people about all our history and what happened in Albania, and just to educate

the youth and to give them more of an idea about what our history is,” Gjevukaj said. “We want to really help educate them on what their parents and what their family has gone through in order to give them a better life.”

GABRIEL CAPELLAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Attendees listen to Lekë Gjon Buçaj speak about “The Jahalez of Dragobia.”

November 11, 2026

By HANNA DIETTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Before social media consumed most of people’s free time, hobbies were simple ways to enjoyably pass the time. Now, short attention spans, overconsumption and screen time have taken over these activities, leaving people questioning if they have any hobbies. One in four people consider scrolling through social media a hobby, while others include watching TV and movies as other creative pastimes. With attention being commanded by so many different apps, it has gotten harder to focus on the tangible, quieter pursuits. What was once a private way to take part in an activity has been transformed into a performative act to be posted. However, I think hobbies can serve as a way for people to not only reduce their daily screen time but also a way to give their brain a necessary break from the world and pursue something they find joy in. While many people often generalize hobbies into common categories, such as reading, playing a sport or creating some form of art, a hobby can fall outside of these categories. In reality, a hobby is a leisure activity, a pastime that brings you joy in any kind of way.

OPINION Finding Hope in Hobbies This can be something as simple as going to your favorite thrift store or coffee shop. The options are limitless. I think many people sometimes struggle to identify their hobbies because they assume a hobby needs to be something particularly impressive or require a certain level of skill. Hobbies don’t need to produce anything tangible to be worthwhile. Any activity that genuinely makes you happy and reduces your time on social media will be worthwhile in the long run. Finding a hobby that suits you as a person can provide a sense of fulfillment and purpose outside of the monotonous everyday routine that traps us in work, school and our phones. According to Healthline, finding a hobby can lead to fewer depressive symptoms, contributing to greater overall satisfaction. Beyond a person’s happiness, studies have proven that taking up a hobby in your leisure time can support the biological processes of your endocrine, immune and central nervous systems. These benefits highlight that hobbies are not simply ways to pass the time but can actually contribute to your overall well-being. Personally, I used to love reading all the time, but as school and life became busier,

it became less and less of a priority for me. It began to feel like a chore to read, rather than something I genuinely wanted to do. It was so much easier to scroll on my phone for 20 minutes before I went to bed than to read. However, I began to realize that I was losing an activity that had once brought me so much joy and fulfillment. Reading had become something that I associated with assignments and required reading rather than something I could simply turn to because I loved it. I think this is where the importance of finding a hobby for yourself becomes particularly clear. Having something to look forward to outside of school, work or other responsibilities gives people the opportunity to reconnect with themselves. Not everything you do has to contribute to a future goal. Within a productivity culture that pushes us to bring intention to every action, people have stopped doing things that lack a social or economic reward. But I think the whole point of having a hobby is to escape this very idea. We constantly feel the pressure to focus everything toward achieving our goals, careers or futures. But that kind of routine can only lead to burnout and a lack of fulfillment in everyday life.

Without hobbies or personal interests, it can be difficult to distinguish the parts of our identities that exist outside of our responsibilities. We become so accustomed to defining ourselves through school, work and future aspirations that we forget the importance of having interests that are entirely our own. While hobbies can be hard to find, it only becomes more difficult as people feel the need to document their hobbies online. What once was a private way to take part in an activity, regardless of whether or not you were good at it, has been transformed into a performative act to be posted. The pressure to create an aesthetic version of the hobbies that we take comfort in strips away the idea of doing something purely for ourselves. With so many people focused on the sheer vanity that comes with posting hobbies, people constantly feel like they have to meet those standards to enjoy a hobby. Furthermore, the monetization of hobbies has also changed how people approach them. People perceive opportunities to turn passion projects into profit, giving people a new sense of purpose. What once was simply a fun pastime, such as crafting bracelets, can be commodified

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into a small business. In a world consumed by social media and the constant pressure to show our private worlds to the public, I think the best thing you can do for yourself when it comes to hobbies is to enjoy them privately. The list is endless, from coloring, reading, crocheting, painting and pottery to enjoying the outdoors, whether that’s running, yoga or hiking. Picking up journaling to decompress at the end of the day or learning to play a new instrument. Listening to podcasts, audiobooks or doing puzzles. Cooking new recipes or baking sourdough bread, which has recently become more popular. I do think there is an opportunity for people to rediscover the importance of hobbies, particularly as more people become aware of how much of their free time is consumed by social media. However, bringing back that appreciation requires people to stop viewing every activity through the lens of productivity and allow themselves to enjoy things without the expectation of getting something out of them.

Hanna Diette, FCRH ’30, is a political science major from Redondo Beach, California.

A Blue Tsunami: What’s Next After the Swing? By ETHAN BESS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections have concluded and the Democratic Party has swept both chambers of Congress by wide margins. They picked up seven Senate seats and more than 41 House seats. In my 21, soon-to-be 22, years of life, I have never seen such anger from an electorate towards a president. For the past almost two years, President Donald Trump and his administration have been so deeply unpopular that members within his own party couldn’t speak his name and had to pretend to oppose his policies. One of the best examples of this is Byron Donalds. Because of the toxicity the second Trump administration has brought to Washington, one could view these Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate as a predictable consequence of their actions. The American people believed that when Trump was given a second term in 2024, it would ultimately mean a stronger economy and better standard of living. However, that is still not the case. According to Reuters, the Trump administration now sits at an approval rating of 32% among the general American public. Going into this midterm election, 75% of the public was angry or dissatisfied with the state of the nation. With

conditions like that, you would expect a landslide for the opposition, and although this wasn’t a typical landslide, the Democratic Party did sweep the midterms. Through such examinations, it’s reasonable to conclude that these midterm results were not an embrace of the Democratic Party, nor its platform, but rather a profound rejection of the Trump administration, its violent policies, both domestically and internationally and the Republican Party as a whole. The double-hater group in this case made up almost 21% of the electorate. For anyone who may be unfamiliar, the double-hater group is people who have an unfavorable view towards both the Democratic and the Republican Parties. In that same poll, 92% of respondents said that they thought the country was going in the wrong direction. As such, the Democratic Party got handed a massive number of seats because they were viewed as more sane and less evil than the Republican Party currently. Because of this contempt, the Democratic Party was able to pull off some historic wins in places like Texas, Kansas, Georgia and even Ohio. In Texas and Georgia, two women — Gina Hinojosa and Keisha Lance Bottoms — became the governors of their respective states. Such wins are

momentous achievements and 30 years ago, they would have been unthinkable. So, in many ways, the country has changed. However, it should also be remembered that gifts of change very rarely come from above; they always come from below through solidarity, struggle and liberation. Relatively, what’s next after these midterms will depend on you: the American people. Although I welcome these midterm election results as a way to rein in the criminality of this rogue administration, I’m not necessarily jumping up and down in celebratory fashion because of the way Washington, D.C., is set up and how constrained the boundaries of acceptable opinion and debate are in the United States. The U.S. is effectively a one-party state: the business party, and it has two branches, the Democrats and Republicans. The Republican Party is the more pro-business branch and has effectively become what Thomas Mann describes as a “Radical Insurgency” that has abandoned the procedure of normal parliamentary politics. While both parties are the same in terms of the corporate and dark money interests they serve, they aren’t the same in terms of the policies and the results that they produce. Such differences can have an enormous impact on the material lives

of everyday working people. Overall, this more than likely means that the Trump administration will have to play defense over the next two years if the Democratic Party decides to be bold in their actions and in their governance. Despite the massive excitement from the democratic base over this midterm election (rightly so), there must be consistent activism, grassroots organizing and an attempt to build some semblance of decentralized governance to hold leaders accountable when they step out of line or don’t represent their constituents. Believing that just voting for the other branch, despite the new progressive figures from the Democratic Party, will make a dent in established order is a grand illusion. If you vote every four years and just mark “X” on a ballot and then

go home expecting change to come from the top-down, don’t be surprised if it never comes or is slow to reach ordinary people. In fact, that’s the way the U.S. government is set up: to be slow. That process is sped up or at least is threatened with external pressure from everyday people demanding that they get what’s theirs. So, the conclusion is simple: Take the midterm results in and enjoy them if you want to, but don’t think that the job is over from here. This is just a step in a much longer journey to take down established institutions and create a decentralized society where power rests within the ordinary public’s hands. You did the duty on Nov. 3, and did the job to participate, and now it’s time to demonstrate. Ethan Bess, FCRH ’27, is a film and television major from Roanoke, Texas.

COURTESY OF SLATE MAGAZINE

The midterms resulted in Democrats taking control of the House and the Senate.

OPINION

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November 11, 2026

Reality Check | War in Iran

We Can’t Forget About the Iranian People By DOMENICK FEDELE COLUMNIST

Discerning observers will surely note that this week’s headline is almost identical to last week’s. This is not a mistake or lazy writing. I started writing this column in hopes that it would spark thoughtful discussion and consideration of political issues, and this past week a reader proved it can work. They pointed out that last week’s piece on why Americans can’t forget the Iran War heading into the midterms, said far too little about the Iranian people themselves. Overwhelmingly, Americans rejected the Iran War because of $4 gas and expensive groceries, not the pointless killing of civilians in an illegal (both domestically and internationally) war of aggression. According to figures compiled by the National Iranian American Council from the U.N., Iranian government and human rights monitors, the war in Iran killed as many as 2,362 civilians by the U.N.’s count and injured more than 26,000. Over 100,000 residential units have been damaged or destroyed in U.S. and Israeli attacks, and those figures only run through early April (updated figures are hard to come by as the war has waxed and waned). More than 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon

since the war spread there, and more than a million civilians have been displaced. As discussed last week, the Trump administration has failed to produce any coherent justification for the war, instead relying on a scattershot of reasons ranging from illogical to demonstrably false. Most insulting of all were the efforts in January to cast the impending military operations as assistance to the Iranian people then engaged in widespread anti-government demonstrations. Trump told the Iranian people that “help is on the way” and declared that the United States would Make Iran Great Again. On the first day of combat operations, the U.S. military killed at least 123 children at a girls’ school in Minab. Help had arrived in a manner that could only be delivered by the most powerful military in history, I guess. There is a long history of anti-regime protests in Iran dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In fact, women’s protests broke out in the weeks directly following the Revolution over the new mandatory hijab rules. In the decades that followed, a cycle of protests and repression became the norm. Amnesty International has documented widespread government violence and repression at a series of recent protests, including the mass economic protests in late 2025 and early 2026

that Trump was referencing and that led to potentially thousands of deaths. Despite the difficulty of conducting surveys, the preponderance of available evidence and the long history of protests strongly suggest that a majority of Iranians want regime change. When the United States and Israel launched the war, both cited regime change as one of their justifications among the aforementioned parade. Nobody was more committed to the sale than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who came to the Situation Room in February equipped with a video montage of potential new leaders who could replace the regime after the United States toppled it. Trump’s advisors immediately tore into Netanyahu’s claims. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe described his regime change vision as “farcical.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to dumb it down for the president: “In other words, it’s bullshit.” Other advisors, chief among them Vice President JD Vance, who has long been the administration’s leading Iran skeptic, expressed their doubts as well. General Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, summarized it perfectly: “They [Israel] oversell … They know they need us, and that’s why they’re hard-selling,” while also

raising concerns about U.S. military capabilities and weapons stockpiles. It was all to no avail. Before the war began, Trump’s own CIA director and secretary of state told him the promise of regime change was a farce. He went to war anyway, adding the fantasy of regime change to the long list of nonsensical justifications. The Iranian people’s decades-long fight for their own freedom had been reduced to a sales pitch, and even the White House knew it was a con. The United States has a long history of disastrous and illegal regime change efforts, from Guatemala and Chile to Iraq and Afghanistan. Few Americans remember Chile and Guatemala, where the U.S. expertly exported democracy by helping topple fairly-elected governments and installing “anti-communist” authoritarian leaders. The people of Chile and Guatemala are surely thankful for the decades of repression, violence and civil war delivered under the guise of liberty. Fewer still remember the most relevant example of all: Iran. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence engineered a coup against Mohammad Mossadegh, Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, after he nationalized the country’s oil industry. Washington restored the Shah, whose 26 years of autocratic rule and

brutal secret police helped produce the 1979 revolution and the theocracy Iranians have been protesting ever since. The Iranian people have already seen what American “help” looks like. At least we remember Iraq and Afghanistan, and have a general consensus that these forever wars were terrible ideas. For the most part, however, this consensus is based on the fact that trillions of dollars were blown on a pair of conflicts that destabilized the region more than ever before and, in Iraq’s case, were sold on complete lies (sorry, George W. Bush). Far less outrage is directed at the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed in wars the United States started and the multitude of war crimes committed. In our age of intense political apathy and domestic polarization, almost all of the focus lands on the issues that hit close to home. Expensive gas and inflation are real to voters; the atrocities committed by the U.S. military halfway around the world are tragically not. We all have a duty to change this reality, and it starts with how we tell the story: count the dead with the same urgency we count the price of gas.

Domenick Fedele, FCRH ’29, is a political science major from Yorktown, New York.

Dress to Impress Yourself

By MELISA BUJAJ STAFF WRITER

While the rest of New York City benefits from the waste services and transportation networks concentrated in the South Bronx, local residents pay the price in polluted air and heightened health risks. In Mott Haven and Port Morris, children face the worst of this environmental burden, experiencing disproportionately high asthma rates in their own communities. Now, a major warehouse developer is considering purchasing the former New York Post printing plant near the South Bronx waterfront, giving officials an opportunity to challenge the pattern of placing environmental burdens on local residents. The South Bronx waterfront represents a long-sought promise of cleaner energy and recreational space for local residents. But in the minds of profit-driven warehouse developers, acquiring the site offers a chance to expand distribution networks and secure valuable real estate. For the past decade, South Bronx residents have developed a proposal to transform the property into a clean energy hub with solar panels and recreational space. South Bronx Unite and other community organizations have advocated for a future that would reconnect residents with their waterfront. Meanwhile, Prologis,

a warehouse developer whose largest client is Amazon, has reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the property. Residents are requesting environmental impact studies and feasibility tests before officials make decisions about the site. While the outcome remains open and Prologis said it is not under immediate contract to purchase the property, government intervention is still an urgent necessity. With rallies and public protests erupting across the South Bronx, well-founded anger over the future of the site continues to grow. In the 1990s, the New York State Department of Transportation was accused of compromising the well-being of its citizens by leasing this South Bronx site of debate to a private developer. Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, companies like Amazon and FedEx have continuously expanded their destructive local presence, bringing increased noise pollution, heavy truck traffic and diesel fumes to their surrounding neighborhood. Part of the former printing plant and its entire parking lot sit on state-owned land. Public ownership should give officials an opportunity to consider what the property can contribute to the surrounding community. The question of ownership, however, extends beyond legal titles and deeds. While a corporation like Prologis may

hold the legal right to lease the property, the consequences of its decisions extend far beyond its borders. Industrial development limits community access to the waterfront, and diesel emissions risk polluting nearby residential areas. Since local residents face the lived consequences of land-use decisions, they deserve meaningful input into the governance of these spaces. Public officials must stand up for their constituents, especially on state-owned land. If the state lets a company build on public property, the project should clearly benefit the community. Sale or lease revenue cannot be the only measure of success. Officials must evaluate whether a project will worsen pollution and account for the needs of nearby families. Diesel trucks carrying shipments to and from warehouses create exhaust emissions that threaten public health. While company spokesperson Mattie Sorrentino claims that Prologis will “continue to grow relationships here and be a long-term partner,” the firm has spent more than $100,000 lobbying city of ficials against anti-pollution safeguards, including policies that would require operators of mega-warehouses to actively reduce truck emissions and track air quality control. With little to no interaction with residents, Prologis’ commitment to keeping the public

COURTESY OF VERYWELL MIND

Getting ready in the mornings can set one up to start the day on the right foot.

safe seems insincere. Officials must give residents influence in active discussions before an agreement determines the site’s future. Public meetings do not mean much if the people most affected can only voice their concerns after decisions have already been made. Residents should have access to information about these proposed developments and an opportunity to shape the criteria officials use to evaluate them. Environmental justice requires the power to participate in deciding the future of the neighborhood and ensuring its ability to thrive in ways that serve the community. By allowing commercial development to override the public interest, the New York City government risks repeating a historical precedent: treating the South Bronx as a place to generate private profit while

residents bear the environmental costs. The New York Post’s former printing plant will become a test of whether the government will challenge that arrangement or continue to accommodate it. The future of the site will reveal whether public officials are willing to change the way they approach development in the South Bronx. While a clean energy hub cannot undo the environmental injustice inflicted upon the community, prioritizing corporate profits over public health sends the message that the lives of South Bronx residents are negotiable. Public officials must draw a line and prove that community well-being outweighs corporate greed. Melisa Bujaj, FCRH ’28, is a political science major from Westchester, New York.

OPINION

November 10, 2026

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published every Wednesday during the academic year to all campuses.

Website TheFordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Editor-in-Chief 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 Social Media Director Marisa House Digital Producers Han Le Haniyyah Usmani 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 reasion, 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 | Sarah Verrastro

To the Copy Table “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of the butterfly effect. The idea that something so small can set off a chain reaction, changing the trajectory of your life: That something completely unpredictable can determine your reality. No one really knows why this happens. There’s so much we don’t know about the world and ourselves, but one thing I know for sure is that the butterfly effect is real, regardless of its explanation, and it has shaped me in every possible way. The butterfly effect is a core principle what is known as chaos theory, a branch of mathematics that considers unpredictable phenomena and how small variations produce larger consequences later down the line. Evidently, it was originally used in STEM-focused areas of study, but today in popular culture it has taken on a new meaning of emphasizing the “significance of minute occurrences.” Have you ever once had an

encounter with someone that was so profound, so intriguing that you changed your intended career path or decided to join a club you were never interested in before? Something as simple as a conversation on the way to class can change everything within seconds. Almost two years ago, I wrote my first From the Desk about a teacher who inspired me to be the person I was. That holds true even now, two and a half years out of high school. The butterfly of his faith follows me, whispering in my ear when I applied for Production Editor, when I got it and every Monday and Tuesday when I thought I wasn’t going to make it through all the articles and all the pages. Faith is something that is important to me. I’m not particularly religious, but there’s something spiritual about the way I feel when I know someone believes in me. It makes me feel like I can do anything, be anything — even on the days when it’s hard. The Ram, for me, acts as a super-hub of faith. The e-board has faith in each other and in

the staff. The staff has faith in us. They have faith in each other. And we all have faith in what we’re doing, in the importance of student journalism and keeping the Fordham community informed. We have faith that we’re going to get through the long Tuesday nights in B-52, and then we do. Every week, without fail. The Ram, in our tiny little corner in the basement of McShane, has its own little butterfly effect that has lasted 108 years, and, I hope, will last for at least 108 more. So bear with me as I say a few very important thank yous to the people who have become my family away from home. Thank you to Sophie, for mentoring me and trusting me to take the torch. I hope I

made you proud. Thank you to my love and best friend Ian, for being my rock always. Thank you to Sienna, Molly, Hannah and Nishanth, for making up the rest of the best e-board a girl could ask for. I’m so proud of everything we have accomplished together, and I can’t wait to continue cheering you on. Thank you to the whole staff for your hard work and for making this volume a memorable one. Thank you to The Ram for showing me everything I’m capable of, and pushing me to problem solve and lead like never before. And thank you to myself, for listening to the flap of the butterfly wing that brought me here. Signed in dark green pen, SV

Editorial | Finishing Strong

Some Catch-Up For Your Dining Hall Fries? The fall semester is finally beginning to wind down, though the midterm exam schedule hardly reflects that, and students are looking at the looming assignments ahead of them, as well as those they might’ve missed earlier on. Catching up while not falling further behind is a delicate art that, for many college students, feels much too overwhelming to tackle. Fordham’s new excused absence policy is only adding to the stress of many students as the semester comes to a close. Students are now able to get their absences excused only when they are missing a required in-class activity, like an exam or presentation, as opposed to just any given class meeting. Unfortunately, a lot of the professors are not aware of this change and have not updated their own attendance policies to reflect it. Students’ attendance grades will be affected negatively by any absence, even if it is for a valid reason, because the university won’t excuse a regular class day. Harsh penalties imposed for every missed class are unreasonable for college students who should be trusted to maintain their own schedules and be accountable for their own actions. Fordham already goes against the college norm by having such a strict attendance policy across the entire university; the new excused absence policy is only making it more difficult for students to stay on track while also taking the

time they need to care for both their mental and physical health. If you find yourself looking at some glaring red bubbles on Blackboard or fearing you won’t be able to meet the seven deadlines you have this Friday alone, there are some things you can do to stay on track. Advocate for yourself with professors because if they don’t know you’re struggling, they can’t do anything to help you, and asking the night before your giant paper is due for an extension seldom goes over well. If you know ahead of time that you likely won’t be able to get everything done on time, it can’t hurt to reach out to professors to see if they can accommodate you. If you took a dip mid-semester and are facing a lot of closed assignments that you want to make up, ask if there’s any way they could be reopened and explain why you missed them. Most Fordham professors are very understanding and willing to work with students, but you need to do the work of reaching out. On your own, there’s plenty you can do to both catch up and stay ahead. To-do lists reign supreme for organization, especially at this point in the semester. Your lists, whether daily, weekly or semesterly, should answer the question: What do I need to do and how can I realistically get it done? Prioritizing is extremely important as the semester comes to a close. It might not be possible to

get through everything that you’ve missed and stay up to date on new assignments, so it’s helpful to take a step back and figure out what can realistically get done, and focus on assignments that are more highly weighted. Make realistic goals as you do this. Maybe you aren’t going to end the semester with a 4.0 and that’s okay, but what are you aiming to get in each class and how can you get there? To close out, each of The Ram executive board members have a bit of advice to offer to help you finish this semester strong (and believe us when we say we know what it’s like to get overwhelmed). Sienna: To-do lists, spreadsheets and Google Calendar are your best friends! When I get my syllabus at the beginning of the semester, I like to lay out all of my assignments for each class in my Google Calendar or in a spreadsheet, so that I don’t miss anything through the semester. Based on these lists, I create weekly todo lists on Sundays so I know what assignments and tasks I need to get done for the week, and daily to-do lists to add any small tasks that come up. Ian: The main cause of getting overwhelmed is thinking that you don’t have enough time to do things. I try to give myself reachable goals every day for assignments I need to get done so that things don’t pile up. I also try to limit how many things I’m involved in so that I can utilize that extra time for doing work or just taking some time to myself.

If you don’t waste the time you’re given, then getting everything done starts to seem more manageable. Sarah: I use Google Calendar and an assignment tracker created in Google Sheets. This allows me to lay out my entire schedule and all my assignments for the semester, so nothing gets lost in the chaos. Molly: Beating yourself up for falling behind or not meeting your personal standards of productivity will only make it harder to get anything done. Give yourself some grace, and set smaller goals within your larger tasks to get some more dopamine boosts as you push through your work. As the semester winds down, I like to make a master list of what I have left to function as a countdown to the finish line. Hannah: At this point, I know how I operate and like to do my assignments, so I build my schedule around that. I give myself assigned hours for doing homework, going to the gym and my other commitments. For straightforward assignments, I try to do those as soon as I can so they aren’t looming over me all week, but for reading assignments, I like to do those closer to when I head to bed to give me time to unwind. Nishanth: Know your goals. Don’t think twice about asking for help or advice from seniors, friends, professors or coworkers. Plan your days ahead and don’t panic when things go south. Retrace your steps and make it work!

OPINION Putting Her-Story Back in History

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By LEILA CARSON STAFF WRITER

Growing up, I was always taught about men’s accomplishments in history: the science, politics and — ironically — what they have done for women. Maybe this is a result of my attending a conservative, Christian school since I was five years old, or maybe it is a deeper reflection of the patriarchal society that we live in. Personally, I think that it’s both. Either way, I spent a lot of time wondering about the place that women held in society. It wasn’t until I started spending time on social media that I learned about the immense erasure and oppression that women across all time periods, countries, races and ages have experienced. A lot of the women that we did end up learning about were painted as domestic figures who dutifully served and supported

their husbands. For example, first ladies Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt were both taught to me as wives that attempted to be like their husbands, but ultimately failed. This narrative minimized their legacies, painting them as being cast in their husbands’ shadows. In my elementary education, their attempt to stand out and do something other than housework was seen as humiliating, and if they were lucky enough to be included on any of our quizzes or tests, the correct answer to who they were would always be something along the lines of “the wife of [a man].” This education surrounding women’s history and accomplishments reflects an inequality that is deeply woven into society. The lack of women’s history being taught in schools sends a message that women are not important, and the overemphasis on their domestic roles sends an extremely harmful

COURTESY OF MARIE CLAIRE

Women have shaped history but are often left out of textbooks and classrooms.

message. It tells young girls that their ambitions are secondary and unrealistic, and that leadership, innovation and impact are accomplishments that are exclusive to men. This lack of representation can encourage young girls to limit themselves while simultaneously telling young men that most roles in society are reserved for them, and that it is okay to treat women as if they are less capable. The systemic erasure and oppression of women extends far beyond the classroom. Many groundbreaking historical achievements that come from women have been reattributed to men, burying women under patriarchal norms and limiting their roles to daughters, sisters, mothers and wives. For example, in science and technology, women have often been the ones who laid the foundations for modern progress, only to later not even be mentioned in textbooks. Rosalind Franklin’s critical X-ray diffraction images of DNA were central to discovering the double-helix structure, yet historical acclaim and the Nobel Prize were awarded to Francis Crick and James Watson. Decades earlier, Ada Lovelace had established the foundation for modern computer programming by writing the world’s first machine algorithm, while brilliant mathematicians like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson performed the complex trajectory calculations that launched NASA astronauts into orbit. Similarly, Lise Meitner provided the theoretical explanation for

nuclear fission, only to watch her collaborator Otto Hahn receive the Nobel Prize in chemistry for her work. And, in the humanities, women like Mary Wollstonecraft laid the foundation for modern political theory and human rights, only to be dismissed by her male counterparts as too emotional, while authors like Mary Ann Evans had to publish under the male pseudonym of “George Eliot” just so people would read her work. Although things seem much better now with many women in pivotal roles and highlighted across different platforms for their work and influence, there is still a lot of work to be done. So many women are criticized for their platforms or hard work when they should really be celebrated. For example, both when Kamala Harris was vice president and when she was running for president in 2024, all male audiences could focus on was the fact that her laugh was odd and that she might start a war when she was on her period. These double-standard critiques reveal how society still finds ways to minimize women in power by focusing on appearance or biological tropes rather than their qualifications or achievements. Society’s use of microaggressions and double standards displays how women are still held to fundamentally different standards than their male peers. Being a woman in a public or professional space means having your humanity weaponized against you. During my senior year of high school, I dealt with a group of

November 11, 2026

boys that constantly wanted to “debate” me about if women belonged in politics or not. These boys weren’t trying to engage in a genuine discussion with me, they just wanted to test how much of my confidence and authority they could erode by throwing sexist phrases and Bible verses at me. It was exhausting to constantly defend mine and my peers’ right to exist in political spaces while my male peers just assumed that they belonged there by default. The bias that so many other women and I face is a predictable result of an education system and broader society that treats women’s contributions as footnotes rather than fundamental historical truths. When we fail to teach young people about the women who built, led and transformed our world, we allow the outdated patriarchal dynamics to persist in every place that women exist in. We need to rewrite this narrative in order to empower and show the next generation of girls that they are capable and that they belong wherever they wish to be. By demanding more representation and a comprehensive curriculum that honors women’s intellect, resilience and leadership, we are equipping every woman and girl to step into whatever role she wants with no apology. Women’s presence in spaces of power is not up for debate. Leila Carson, FCRH ’30, is a political science major from Waipahu, Hawaii.

Food is Fuel … or is It? By YULIA UVAROVA STAFF WRITER

I’m sure many people indulged in their fair share of Halloween candy through the month of October and early November — I know I did. Upon indulging during this fall season, I doubt that many people were thinking about the candy’s ingredients. I am all for people enjoying life and eating whatever they want in moderation, while not heavily fixating on its components. However, the presence of additives like titanium dioxide, tertiary butyl hydroquinone, butylated hydroxytoluene and synthetic dyes, which are in many Halloween candies, does call for concern. What is scary is that the problem is greater than just Halloween candy, as the overall food regulations in the U.S. make it hard to avoid toxic foods. As residents of the U.S., we should take charge of our health and fight for stronger regulations on food products in this country. People should be able to eat freely without having to worry about the dangers that their food could pose to them. The government should be the

one taking a step forward and creating stricter food laws. European countries, in comparison to the U.S., have much better food regulations, which are set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This organization is separate from the governments of the European Union (EU) and is an agency that aids in policymaking by researching and evaluating food risks before approving them. A lot of what is banned in the EU, however, is sadly commonly found in food in the United States. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has seen people’s travel blogs on social media. They go to Europe and come back two months later having lost weight. This is usually unintentional; it simply happens due to the higher quality of food they eat there. This food aligns with their hunger cues, allowing them to feel full and satisfied when they have had what they needed. Even fast food, which still holds many ultra-processed components, is healthier in Europe. It contains fewer harmful additives and may even have lower salt and sugar contents. The U.S. has the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),

which is directly affiliated with the U.S. government and is not nearly as stringent in approving food substances. Liam Sacino, public health advocate and Nilou Yaar, policy associate, have stated that “the federal government incentivizes farmers to grow ingredients that become ultra-processed rather than growing natural produce.” For the sake of U.S. residents, it is alarming that this is the case. However, there is a clear reason for these circumstances, as shortcuts and mass production are valued. Large corporations want to keep being able to make as much money as realistically attainable. Producing genetically modified and ultraprocessed foods creates more product at a lower cost, yielding great results for these corporations but negative results for the health of the public. Many people ultimately have the resources to educate themselves on what foods are healthier to buy, but even then, they may not have the economic resources to do so consistently. It is a lot more expensive and difficult to find organic produce and food without toxic additives all of the time. Tatiana Uvarova, my mother, has made sure that my health

COURTESY OF MOFFITT CANCER CENTER

Many processed food options pose a risk to health due to their ingredients.

has always stayed in the back of my mind, especially after moving from Europe to the United States. She said, “It is the government’s responsibility to protect public health because corporations are often driven by the desire to maximize profits. One way they may achieve profit maximization is by reducing production costs, sometimes by using cheaper ingredients that could be harmful to consumers.” This is where the U.S. government needs to step in, as corporations clearly do not have incentives to make any changes for the sake of the consumer. Ultimately, we as consumers do have a say in what we buy. All we can do on an individual level is balance choosing the products that we think are the best for

our health with what is feasible. It is unfortunate that we have a government that does not put as much emphasis as it should on health and safety in food regulations. Uvarova stated that U.S. citizens could “consume less processed food and choose products with shorter expiration dates, as they often contain fewer preservatives.” While we should do what we can to look out for our health, the responsibility for this should not fall entirely on the consumer. People deserve a government that will take action to protect the health of its people.

Yulia Uvarova, FCRH ’28, is an economics major from New Canaan, Connecticut.

OPINION The Price of Preservation

November 11, 2026

By ULAP CALAMIONG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Why are the Pyramids of Giza still in Egypt?” It is a question that I often ask myself, but the answer is right under my nose: It’s simply because they were too heavy to carry to the British Museum. The sourcing of artifacts and artworks in museums has been a longstanding concern for academics, governments and museum-goers alike. Established institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, lovingly known as The Met, The British Museum and others have come under hot water regarding their methods of sourcing the artifacts and artworks they choose to display. This begs the question: Is there such a thing as an ethical museum? Museums come in all shapes and sizes, as shown by The Louvre and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (referred to as a “Giant Cinnamon Roll” in the 2014 adaptation of “Annie”). In urban areas like New York City, London and Paris there are endless options for museums and galleries residents and/or visitors can venture into. However, upon visiting these locations, most patrons don’t initially consider the ethical aspects of the pieces they have the privilege of viewing. According to The Met’s official website, the building houses

“1.5 million objects spanning more than 5,000 years of history across 17 curatorial departments” and The British Museum has approximately 80,000 objects on display out of the 8 million pieces they’re in possession of. The likelihood is that more than half of those artifacts are stolen from their original owner and/or cultural community. This staggering number means that the vast majority of these items sit in storage collecting dust, shielded from the very global communities that they were taken from, leaving a dark cloud of colonial plunder hanging over these expansive archives. A prominent, ongoing controversy is the return of the Rosetta Stone, currently housed in the British Museum despite the numerous calls to return the artifact back to its original home in Egypt. The so-called discovery of the stone occurred during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt. In 1799, some of his soldiers found a black slab of granodiorite engraved with what is now called hieroglyphics. Following their surrender and Napoleon’s defeat, the stone was acquired by the British under the Treaty of Alexandria. More than two centuries later, the Rosetta Stone remains on British soil despite the continued international criticism and the Egyptian

demands for its return. The American Alliance of Museums’ primary belief is that “[i]t is incumbent on museums to be resources for humankind and in all their activities to foster an informed appreciation of the rich and diverse world we have inherited” under their Code of Ethics. While this is a practice that is fulfilled in the educational missions of American Museums, this isn’t extended to international institutions. After all, can these places truly celebrate a culture while disregarding the wishes of communities responsible for preserving it? In my eyes, genuine appreciation for these artifacts begins with respecting the cultural communities and historical origins from which these artifacts emerge. Institutions like The Met have made their policies and practices regarding their collecting process public through their official website, even including a section on how the museum handles pieces that may have been received through unethical methods, such as Nazi Era appropriation. The Met has had a history of restitution, from Egyptian Sarcopha; and Khmer Statues to the Kingdom of Cambodia. This level of transparency is achieved through the consistent collaboration between the American Alliance of Museums by establishing professional and

ethical guidelines that encourage prioritizing stewardship, accountability and respect for cultural heritage. However, the question of what makes a museum ethical extends beyond the origins and ownership of its collections. While institutions such as the British Museum and The Met face scrutiny over the acquisition and repatriation of such historical objects, not every museum operates with the same historical and/or ethical framework. Some institutions are less concerned with the preservation of ancient objects and instead focus on artistic expression, technological advancement and education through different mediums. Their responsibilities raise an entirely different set of standards regarding representation, education and cultural experiences. Knowing Hollywood’s strained history with intersectionality, places like the Museum of the Moving Image still have concerns regarding the contents they choose to display. Matthew Muller from Medium explains the process by saying, “They must judge which items will fit into the story of the group they are trying to represent and which items will draw in the most visitors to a paying exhibit.” The question of ethical practices doesn’t fly out the

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window simply because the content of a museum has drastically shifted. Each art and artifact deserves to be revered and treated as an extension of us as humans. As a long-time resident of New York City, the ability to learn from different cultures comes at little to no expense. That sentiment is often shared in different urban settings internationally. However, this level of accessibility isn’t easily given, especially to citizens living in more rural areas. Museums have a responsibility to make cultural education accessible to all. A person’s education should not have to be limited to simple geography. Rather than limiting galleries and displays to urban centers internationally, museums should fulfill their purpose of educating all, not just those who can afford to visit them. There is no such thing as a truly “ethical” museum. But what we can do best for the time being is push for more museums to approach their sourcing and collecting practices with more care and consideration, not just for the institution’s sake but for the cultures and ethnicities being shared with the rest of the world.

Ulap Calamiong, FCRH ’30, is an international studies major from Queens, New York.

Political Corruption: Is It at Its Peak? By ELISE HOLLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Shady behavior and unjust dealings are not new to American politics. But with President Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024, a new era of prominent public corruption has emerged and seems to be reaching a frightening high. The Brennan Center for Justice points out that the 19th century was fraught with abuse of power and malfeasance; many officials used their public office or authority for personal gain. The 20th century contained institutional corruption and the introduction of the “Dark Money Web,” an untraceable network of shell companies and 501(c)(4) organizations used to obscure the true identities of political donors. Now, these two corrupt practices are prominent simultaneously, creating a dangerous reality where our leadership is not dependent on a person’s merit and qualifications, but rather on which companies back them and how much money each party has. Currently, systemic influence is peaking. Modern campaign spending has reached billions of dollars, and many campaign finance decisions have legalized large amounts of institutional fundraising that were previously restricted. This is mainly due to the 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC in which the United States Supreme Court

ruled that independent political expenditures cannot be limited under the First Amendment. This created Super Political Action Committees (PACs), which allowed corporations and mega donors to spend an unlimited amount on political races. Furthermore, these sources could do so without disclosing the source of the money, thus promoting anonymous political influence. This is dangerous and contributes to today’s corruption because voters cannot discern the credibility or the motives of said donor. Additionally, because the “dark money” permits corporations and affluent donors to pour funds into political campaigns without public disclosure, elected officials are under heavy pressure to prioritize the agendas of these secretive financiers over the interests of the public. This takes the voice away from the everyday American citizen and gives it to the wealthiest individuals, endangering the democratic principles this country was founded on. That being said, it is important to note that while corporations and mega donors have a significant impact on election results, they are not the be-all or end-all. The candidate who spends the most money does not always win, and many other factors — including economic conditions, public mood and opinion and the quality of the candidate — play a very important role.

In the midterm elections, Elon Musk spent about $445 million to help Republicans keep control of the government, only to see an overwhelming Democratic majority emerge. He spent $158 million on Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who lost to Democrat James Talarico. This gives some hope to many Americans who feel that elections are skewed and their votes do not carry any weight. Another primary concern, and a major piece of evidence that corruption is particularly poignant, is the surge of negative political ads. While attacking the opposing party in political ads is not uncommon, recently all focus seems to be on slandering the other party’s name. The midterm election ads this year showed a spike in the discussion of government ethics. In fact, 31% of ads mentioned either ethics or campaign finance, a record high since 2012. This weaponization of corruption was used by both parties, whose main goals seemed to be placing blame and discrediting the opposing party. This is done to heighten and exploit previously existing voter frustrations regarding institutional integrity and corporate influence. When this happens, there is less talk about the candidates’ actual policies and campaigns, and voters have trouble discerning who they are really voting for. This constant barrage of attack ads on both sides can lead voters to

feel that all politicians are corrupt, possibly reducing political participation and reinforcing the mistrust many of the American people have in the government. Public trust in the government has been declining for decades, and under this current administration it has reached a new low. According to a chart compiled by the Pew Research Center that tracks public trust in the government from 1958-2025, the 2025 reading is among the lowest in almost seven decades and is 22% lower than in 2024. This is a significant indicator of the extent of malpractice in our government. Trust remains so low for a number of reasons, many of which trace back to ongoing dishonesty and false promises from the White House, as well as practices involving secret donors and “dark money.” All these variables make the American political situation seem quite bleak and can make many Americans feel hopeless. However, there is always a way

out. Many experts are in conversation, working together to develop new policies that will fight corruption. One organization, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), focuses on practical, cross-party structural reforms to improve governance. The Open Government Partnership (OGP), offers a global perspective on anti-corruption strategies and political finance standards. They have proposed ideas such as matching small-dollar donations with public funds, overturning Citizens United to cap independent spending, passing bills to eliminate “dark money” and banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. While it may take some time for these things to come to fruition, the fact that many people are noticing and speaking out against the current wrongdoings in our government is the first step. Elise Holland, FCRH ’29, is an English and psychology major from San Diego, California.

COURTESY OF PUBLIC CITIZEN

Remembering the toll of war and conflict on life is a civic and human responsibility.

CULTURE

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November 11, 2026

Editor’s Pick | Book

The Importance of Making a Difference By KELLY BUBAN ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Growing up, I was the kid known for always reading, whether it was in the back of the car or on the pool deck at swim meets. Going to the library during elementary school was the highlight of my day, so you can only imagine my distress when I rarely would receive book recommendations from anyone, as it was shocking that I would rather read than play on my iPad mini. As a result, I distinctly remember the first book recommendation I ever received. It was July 4th, just over 10 years ago. After a day of swimming in the lake, jumping off the dock and running around, it was recommended to me by a girl a couple of years older than me that I should read the book she had just finished. It was titled “I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives.” My mom wrote down the title, and we went to the library the very next day to check it out. It has been my favorite book ever since. “I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives” by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda is a true story of an all-American girl, a boy from Zimbabwe and

a letter that changed both of their lives forever. This pen-pal friendship began in 1997 as a class assignment. Everyone in 12-year-old Caitlin’s class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. Martin was lucky enough to receive this letter as there were only ten letters for fifty kids in his class. However, as he was the top student, he got the first one. This letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed both of their lives. Caitlin came to learn that Martin’s family often could not afford food, clothing or even the school fees necessary for him to continue his education. Despite being one of the brightest students in his class, Martin faced the possibility of dropping out of school because of his family’s financial situation. Wanting to help, Caitlin began sending Martin small amounts of her babysitting money hidden in her letters, along with gifts such as shoes and clothing. Eventually, she shared Martin’s circumstances with her parents, who became involved in helping his family. With their financial support, Martin was able to remain in school and eventually received a scholarship to attend Villanova University. The two pen pals

finally met in person after years of writing to each other, bringing their extraordinary friendship full circle. “I Will Always Write Back” ultimately tells the story of how an ordinary assignment developed into a lifelong friendship that transformed Martin’s future while teaching Caitlin the importance of generosity, gratitude and understanding the lives of people beyond her own community. Reading this book for the first time as a 10-year-old changed my view of the world. Growing up in a small rural town in Connecticut, my friends and everyone I knew lived in a small bubble, where everyone had the same lifestyle. “I Will Always Write Back” was my first exposure to how big the world truly is. I suddenly found myself striving to be like Caitlin. While I did not have a pen pal from Zimbabwe, and was only going into fifth grade, I wanted to become as generous, grateful and understanding as she is. At that time, I thought being like Caitlin meant I had to do something extraordinary to make a change in someone else’s life. But as I have gotten older, I have come to learn that what made her friendship with Martin so special was simply their willingness to care

about someone whose life was so different from them. I have always loved meeting new people and hearing about their stories, experiences and how they view the world, whether it be one of the kids I teach swim lessons to or just a new person I am crossing paths with for the first time. In many ways, I think this curiosity is what eventually drew me to journalism, and now, being here at Fordham University and in New York City, I am constantly reminded of just how much there is to learn from the people around us. More than 10 years later, “I Will Always Write Back: How

One Letter Changed Two Lives” remains my favorite book. I have read hundreds of books since, but none have left quite the same impression on me. It feels only fitting to me that as it was the first ever book recommendation I received and that I continue to recommend it to everyone to this day, regardless of their age. I still think about that Fourth of July and how a simple recommendation ended up shaping the way I see the world. Much like Caitlin’s first letter to Martin, it reminds me that sometimes the smallest gestures can have the greatest impact.

COURTESY OF I WILL ALWAYS WRITE BACK

This novel highlights the unique experience of a pen-pal friendship.

Saving Morale During Daylight Saving By ANJEZA GASHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nov. 1 has come and gone, which means we have once again lost an hour of our day due to the clocks being set back. Although we may appreciate the extra hour of sleep, the earlier sunsets can be disappointing. After a long and tiring semester filled with classes, assignments, work and extracurricular activities, the earlier sunsets can feel like a weight has been placed on your shoulders. However, there are some things you can do to keep your spirits up. During this period of long, cold nights, several people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression that can temporarily make you feel tired, experience changes in sleep patterns and struggle to concentrate. However, not everyone who feels the winter blues suffers from SAD, and it’s important to recognize that there are ways to get past these low feelings. First, get some sunshine. Take a short walk outside during your breaks. It may be chilly outside, but take a quick walk, get a coffee, call a friend or just sit outside for a few minutes. If you’re unable to walk outside at lunchtime, try to sit by a window while you’re studying. It may not fix everything, but getting outside

can be a nice way to refresh. Try exercising; you don’t have to spend an intense hour at the gym. You could attend a fitness class on campus, play outdoor games with friends or even just do some stretches in your room. Doing a short workout will help get your mind off things, improve your energy levels and lift your mood. As the days get shorter and colder, we often feel like staying in our warm beds all day, however, getting your body moving will help you feel more awake. Do something that you actually enjoy so you can look forward to doing it again. Find a new hobby. With

the arrival of shorter days, it is the perfect opportunity to find something new and interesting or to continue doing the things that bring joy. Knitting, crocheting, painting, journaling, baking, playing an instrument — all of these are hobbies that can help take your mind off the stress of studying and give you an exciting activity to do. You do not need to be good at them, you just need to unwind, let the creativity flow and enjoy the leisure time. Who knows, maybe it will become your passion! It is important to try to keep the same routine. If you are staying up late and going to

classes early in the morning, you will feel exhausted. Try maintaining your sleeping schedule, eating healthy food regularly and taking breaks from using your phone or scrolling social media feeds. Create a mini-routine every evening, like making yourself a cup of tea, reading a chapter of a book or listening to some music. Always plan something. While it may be tempting to forget making plans because it is dark and cold outside, socializing with people can help you deal with the loneliness of this challenging period. Have dinner with friends, attend some events on campus or simply watch a

film. You do not need to spend any money or effort, and having something to look forward to will make the whole week better. Do not forget about relaxation. While feeling guilty about a lack of motivation when you have a lot of work is natural, you need to split the assignments or tasks into parts and congratulate yourself on completing them. No matter whether you have spent 20 minutes studying, cleaning your room or going to sleep earlier than usual, you have done something good for yourself. Despite the earlier sunset, sometimes it is enough to simply step out and enjoy the daylight.

COURTESY OF CITY OF ARLINGTON

Daylight Saving often takes a toll on mental health due to the increasingly darker days, but there are still ways to keep morale up.

CULTURE

November 11, 2026

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The Beloved Friendsgiving By BRYN MORRISON STAFF WRITER

Thanksgiving is an underrated holiday. It’s a nice break from school before a hectic finals week and a perfect way to bond with your family and practice gratitude. However, at our age, there is something that is just as important to us as our families: our friends. Thankfully, we have “Friendsgiving,” a

Thanksgiving-like event that you usually have before the actual holiday with your friends from school or back home. Personally, my friends at home and I are celebrating our fourth annual Friendsgiving. The event is usually much more casual than traditional Thanksgiving and the food is a little less homemade, but that’s not the point of Friendsgiving. The point is to bring everyone together to

COURTESY OF ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY LIMITED/ALAMY

Being in college is the perfect opportunity to host a Friendsgiving.

turn what can usually be a bit of a stressful holiday into a fun one. “My friends are also my family and it’s super fun to eat our favorite foods and talk about our favorite memories,” Veronica Streamer, FCRH ’30, said. Unfortunately, at this time of the year, college consumes you. Last-minute tests and impossible assignments are thrown at you at the same time all of your professors realize how fast the end of the semester is coming up. This doesn’t mean you should give up your Friendsgiving dreams. Friendsgiving is easy when all of your friends live in the close proximity that college offers, so don’t let that potential go to waste! So, here’s how to hold the perfect friendsgiving. Step 1: Send out the Evite. OK, this isn’t totally necessary (a screenshot of an invite made on Canva will do), but if you want the higher level of organization and commitment, I suggest you make an Evite. This will remind people to come, and it

gives the host an idea of who is attending. Making a group chat of the guestlist is important too. Make sure to send the address, the time and any other important details regarding the event. Step 2: A Google Sheet. Make sure everyone knows what they are bringing; a sign-up sheet can prevent repeat dishes and ensures a Friendsgiving full of diverse options. I learned this the hard way when five people (including myself ) brought brownies to a Friendsgiving. Step 3: Figure out the food. There are plenty of ways you can go about this, my favorite being the Charlie Brown way. What I mean by this is everyone brings a type of snack or small dish they like, no main course or any real food if you don’t want to, just like “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” If you want to improve your cooking skills, you can always pop by a grocery store (preferably Trader Joe’s for some seasonal items) and load up on precooked frozen meals. If you do this

right, it can be good. Microwave macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes? Better than you’d think. If you want to get brave, you could bring a rotisserie chicken, but depending on your resources this could be a difficult task to take on in a dorm or apartment kitchen. Friendsgiving is what you make of it; if you just want to search up “easy dishes to make for Friendsgiving,” then go for it. If you want to make cooking the main event, tackling these recipes together could be a fun bonding activity, as on Friendsgiving there are never too many cooks in the kitchen. However, you might want more recipes that are dorm kitchenfriendly. School can take over your schedule, but that shouldn’t mean we have to study nonstop until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We should spend time with the people that have gotten us through the semester in the first place, and what better way to do that than to have a Friendsgiving?

Motherhood, Trauma and Suspense in ‘Verity’ By MAGGIE GARZA STAFF WRITER

Recently, author Colleen Hoover has achieved mainstream success in the romance and adult genres through her books “It Ends With Us,” “Regretting You” and “Reminders of Him,” all of which have been adapted to screen in the past couple of years. While her works are not without controversy, as many critics argue that she romanticizes serious themes like sexual assault and toxic relationships, they have still managed to achieve widespread positive reception. Her latest book to be adapted to the film, “Verity,” which was originally published in 2018 and released in theaters on Oct. 2, is no exception. “Verity” takes a turn from Hoover’s other adapted works, leaning into the thriller and suspense genre, though it still touches on themes of domestic violence and abuse. Led by a standout cast including Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, the film focuses on Lowen Ashleigh (played by Johnson) who is asked to be a ghostwriter for bestselling author Verity Crawford’s (Hathaway) latest novel. Lowen comes to find out that this offer exists because Verity has been left incapacitated and unresponsive following a serious car crash. After she accepts the job offer, Lowen moves into the Crawford family home in Vermont, where she grows close to Verity’s husband, Jeremy (Hartnett) and their son Crew (Brady Wagner). However, as she spends more time with the Crawfords and works on the novel, Lowen learns that not everything is as it seems.

I will admit that I did not expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did, given my experience with watching “It Ends With Us” and my opinion of Hoover’s work as a whole. Still, “Verity” had me on the edge of my seat the entire time as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next. There were many shocking and eerie moments throughout the film that were fun to experience with other audience members in a movie theater. There is a serious danger of domestic violence becoming romanticized or overlooked in novels or films that deal with intimate relationships. Any film that chooses to address these issues must do so in a way that ultimately serves a purpose, and “Verity” does this effectively. In my view, the central idea in “Verity” is that women who experience postpartum depression (PPD), as Verity does, are often dismissed. Society instead enforces the notion that they should be happy and secure in their roles as mothers rather than receive aid for their struggles. When these ideas are enforced, especially by women’s husbands and families, it poses consequences for everyone involved. In Verity’s case, the dismissal of her PPD leads to devastating consequences, and causes her to seek out another outlet that puts her in danger with her husband. Still, it could also be argued that Verity has a responsibility to get help, and that leaning into her depression for the sake of her writing is a decision that puts her family and herself at risk. Additionally, because we are left with the question of whether her actions were intentional or a byproduct of

her condition, this complicates our understanding of her as a character. Still, regardless of any personal responsibility Verity might have assumed for the tragedy in her family, her husband has an obligation to seek help for his wife and to try to understand rather than deny her condition and physically harm her. PPD is an important issue that requires more visibility than what it currently receives, and while this movie operates in extremes, it nonetheless tackles this theme. It is also something

that is widely misunderstood and ignored, which is emphasized by Jeremy’s actions in the film. However, the way in which the movie toes the line towards the end in asking the viewer if they should believe Verity or not, does risk undermining the realities of Verity’s experience by potentially leading viewers to discredit or villainize her. In addition, I wish Lowen’s character had more of a moral arc throughout the film. While it is easy to understand how she could be fearful of Verity’s alleged actions, I found it hard

to believe that she would be unable to recognize Verity’s depressive state, and instead decide to turn against her, as Verity’s writing provides an intimate sense of her thoughts of emotions. Ultimately, “Verity” succeeds as a thriller, leaving the audience in suspense. It avoids some of the pitfalls of Hoover’s previous work in addressing domestic violence, mental health and motherhood, though it makes some questionable decisions when prompting the viewer to choose who they believe.

LILY CREAN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

“Verity,” starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, was released in theaters on Oct. 2, taking viewers by storm.

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November 11, 2026

Who’s That Kid | Khoi Dinh, GSB ’28

Everything, Everywhere, All at Fordham University By HAN LE DIGITAL PRODUCER

Usually, we find ourselves waiting for Friday to end as a signal that it’s time to take a break from classes, work and extracurricular activities. However, Khoi Dinh, GSB ’28, or “Coffee,” a nickname he goes by, often finds himself traveling for debate tournaments for the Fordham Debate Society, among other commitments. Dinh is a junior at the Gabelli School of Business majoring in finance with a concentration in financial technology and a minor in philosophy. He is currently on the executive boards of several clubs

ranging from finance-focused to culture and academic organizations. At Fordham’s Career Center, Dinh can also be seen helping students with career-related questions, creating promotional content for the marketing department or taking photos of attendees during career fairs. “When I first came to Fordham, the Career Center had helped me understand what opportunities were available and how to prepare for them, such as coffee chats, company pipelines and mock interviews. Now, as a Marketing Associate, I also want to help other students make the most of those same incredible resources,” Dinh said.

Furthermore, one of the clubs that Dinh is most invested in and proud of is the Vietnamese Students Association (VSA), as he has been an important part of the club since his first year and now serves as the president. Under his guidance, the cultural club has organized multiple informative and engaging events to introduce Vietnamese culture to the wider Fordham community. Every Friday, he and the VSA team hustle after classes to prepare food, coordinate members and set up events on time. Since Dinh is also an international student, he considers VSA to be his second family, as he is more than

KHOI DINH FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Khoi “Coffee” Dinh, GSB ’28, is a finance major with a minor in philosophy.

8,000 miles away from home. “Since I am so far away from home, VSA has always been a place where I feel connected to my community. It’s important to remember where you come from, but it’s also rewarding to share that part of yourself with others,” Dinh said. Aside from his contributions on campus, being a debater is what has given Dinh some of the greatest opportunities to explore new places across the country. He usually takes a two-day trip to universities across the United States to participate in different debate tournaments, either as a debater or a judge. In between rounds, he and his team find time to head out and explore the cities. Dinh shared that he is preparing for his first international tournament at the World Universities Debating Championship, taking place in Ottawa, Canada! “Being a part of Fordham Debate Society has given me opportunities that I never expected before joining. Other than practicing to refine my debating skills, I’ve been able to travel to new states, meet people from different backgrounds and still keep in touch with them today!” Dinh said. Despite having so many exciting experiences, many might wonder why Dinh has said yes to almost … everything? Dinh wants to contribute as much as he can to the community during his four years at

Fordham. Furthermore, these opportunities have allowed him to meet incredible people who have helped him, whether personally or professionally, especially as he pursues a career in finance. He shared that, to break into that industry, he generally had to learn everything on his own. However, there are some instances where “we could meet someone who could change how we see the world,” Dinh said. For Dinh, this person is John Colucci, a Fordham alum. They met through a cold call about a Fordham donation, but then Colucci offered him a job. Ever since then, Colucci has been a mentor to him, and he hopes everyone will find someone like that, too! “I don’t want to look back at my four years and feel like I missed out because I haven’t done this or that because I was hesitant. Although it’s hard sometimes to balance everything out, I don’t regret trying all these opportunities available to me. Every experience has taught me something, and the best part is getting to know all the incredible people at Fordham and other places,” Dinh said. If he could go back in time to his first year, Dinh said he wouldn’t change a thing. He would still say yes to all the opportunities, the people and the community that have made his time at Fordham a very meaningful journey.

Bryant Park Winter Village Opens By RAIDEN DEA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For many New Yorkers it is never too early to start celebrating the holiday season. On Oct. 28, the famous Winter Village at Bryant Park opened to the public for its 25th anniversary season. Whether you are looking for a fun gift or craving a delicacy that will warm you up as the weather gets chilly, Bryant Park’s Winter Village has everything you need to get into the early winter spirit! The Winter Village always has an exciting variety of vendors each year. When I visited for the first time this season, in early November with some friends, the entire village was already bustling with people wrapped in coats and scarves. A crowd gathered around a booth which turned out to be a puppet store, where the vendor was giving a show to passersby. With a puppet attached to the vendor’s hand doing most of the talking, the audience was encouraged to say “hello,” and ask the puppet questions. Quite quickly though, I was pushed along with the rest

of the crowd and found myself right in the middle of what felt like a winter wonderland. There are candy canes, snowglobes and garlands wrapped around every shelf. In fact, I was in a store with what looked like hundreds of different ornaments you could customize as a special gift to someone. I considered buying one with four smiling faces and a silly dog wearing a Santa hat to add to my family’s tree back home, but decided I would wait to bring my family to the vendor so we could all choose the perfect one together. The village especially feels like a winter wonderland around the ice skating rink, which is the busiest part of the park. There are snowflake decorations, hanging lights on every lamppost and when I attended the Empire State Building was even glowing a bright wintery blue. Holiday music plays in the background but can barely be heard over the excited chatter of families putting on their skates or showing off the food they got from different vendors in the park. Speaking of food, shopping

around and trying to see everything the park has to offer made me especially hungry and wanting a snack; luckily, the village has no shortage of options. “I love the birria grilled cheese. It’s so good,” said Cecilia Vanadio, FCRH ’29. “When I got it, random people stopped me and asked me where it was from — it looked that good.” The line was not as bad as it was when she went last year closer to Christmas, as it can stretch around the entire block when it gets nearer to the holidays. To finish off a night of eating and shopping, Bryant Park is decked out with vendors selling sweet treats and holiday-themed beverages. If you are a hot chocolate lover, there were at least four or five different places I passed by selling everything from peppermint cocoa to s’mores hot chocolate. Additionally, a new vendor at Bryant Park this year is a pop-up version of “Ian’s Cookie Jar,” which is popular for selling buckets of up to 40 cookies. You can also add on milk or eggnog to really complete your dessert. Shopping, skating and sweet treats — there is still so much

time to head to the Winter Village to explore all these fun activities, but now is an especially perfect time to check out the many vendors before the lines get too long or the weather gets too chilly. The

park’s Christmas tree lighting is in less than a month on Dec. 1, and will certainly bring a fresh wave of crowds hoping to celebrate the festivities. It might still be fall, but it’s never too early to fall into winter!

RAIDEN DEA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will be open until Feb. 28.

November 11, 2026

By MICHAEL RUDAKOV CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The East Village is one of Manhattan’s most iconic, culturally and historically-dense neighborhoods: Its narrow, fire escape-lined and graffiti-filled streets have been portrayed in film, music and literature, often as a prominent character in themselves, for decades. The neighborhood’s particular call to fame has been its countercultural influences. From the beat generation literary writers like William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac to the early punk acts such as The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads and Patti Smith to the ’80s “downtown” art scene, few locations in the world have had as wide and lasting of an artistic impact as the 0.68 square miles of crumbling tenements squashed in between the Bowery and the East River. To get to this mecca from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus, take the MetroNorth to Grand Central and transfer to the 4 or 6 subway line to get off at Astor Place. Alternatively, you can walk up Fordham Road and take the 4 train directly to Astor Place. You will step out into the East Village’s central artery: the legendary St. Mark’s Place leading straight into the heart of Tompkins Square Park. St. Mark’s Place, by itself, can be considered a drawing factor to the neighborhood. This three-block stretch of 8th Street contains the former residence of the Hamiltons, Led Zeppelin’s iconic “Physical Graffiti” buildings, the GermanAmerican shooting gallery, multiple punk fashion and

CULTURE A Guide to the East Village leather stores, as well as a set of downfacing stairs below a distinctive yellow sign marking the entrance to East Village Books. Within the narrow, woodenfloored basement that this historic bookshop occupies are countless artifacts that reflect the neighborhood’s culture and storied past. Its unique selections feature entire sections dedicated to mysticism, astrology, antiestablishment, occult and spirituality, as well as stacks of old magazines, postcards, prints and used CDs. Looking through the old photo albums, paperbacks and underground “comix,” it is easy to envision the diaspora that St. Mark’s attracted prior to the increasing pressures of gentrification which have redefined Downtown Manhattan’s character over the past three decades. East Village Books, despite its compactness, offers perhaps the most unique selection of any Manhattan bookstore, with out-of-print books that are widely considered a remembrance of a lost time and culture. St. Mark’s concludes with the entrance to Tompkins Square Park, a historic green space reminiscent of the nearby Washington Square with a little more of the grit that the East Village has been long associated with. Like St. Mark’s, the park has a long history of countercultural movements, such as Vietnam War-era protests, and is a lasting drawing point for gutter punks, skaters, hippies and artists. To this day, in attending the park you are likely to encounter artistic performances, dyed

mohawks, street salesmen of all kinds and a large number of urban rodents. The park’s entrance marks the beginning of a subsection of the East Village, known as Alphabet City, beginning with Avenue A on Tompkins’ west side and stretching to the projects lining the East River waterfront. Each avenue is distinctive, and the further east you go, the more you feel the neighborhood’s true nature, as the symptoms of rapid gentrification become less and less obvious. Amongst Alphabet City’s distinctive features are the small neighborhood gardens which randomly dot the sidestreets. They stand in place of burnt down tenements and former needle parks, a solemn reminder of the violence and extreme poverty that plagued the area for the latter half of the 20th century. These gardens are almost entirely community organized and are run by residents of their respective streets, who can be found playing dominoes, listening to music or simply observing nature in these small oases. Some are closed to the public, but most are free

Page 13

and easy to enter. La Plaza Cultural, located on Avenue C (also known as Loisaida Ave), is among the best. Despite covering less than a quarter of a block, the garden is extremely lush and fairly quiet, with a small, fishfilled pond, tiny, tree-covered trails, a wooden pavilion and a stone-laid amphitheater. Just to illustrate the prominence of this phenomenon in the neighborhood, the very same block contains two more (although much smaller) community gardens. About a one-minute walk to the north of La Plaza Cultural in a classic five-story walk-up is a small, very “East Village”coded destination: Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space. The entirely volunteer-run museum focuses on educating the public on Alphabet City’s history and characteristics: the community gardens, former squats, the countercultural and political history. The museum is actively engaged with the community, offering guided tours and dedicating efforts to preservation and environmental activism. A short walk down Avenue C brings you to El Rinconcito,

a classic Dominican cafeteria, offering a wide selection of Latin soups, sandwiches, seafood and meat platters. The interior is simple, a reflection of the largely working-class community that frequents this inexpensive sit-down. It is the type of place that does not stand out for any particular reason, which is what makes it attractive to visit. Like so many quiet corners of the East Village and Alphabet City, it contains a subdued beauty that can only be noticed if you are paying attention. The East Village, despite its growing popularity and cost, remains one of the most interesting, dynamic, culture-filled and underexplored neighborhoods in Manhattan. There are a myriad of interesting places that are deserted for most of the day. Murals, parks, gardens, unique stores and beautiful buildings sit in silence only moments away from the crowds of the city’s bustling avenues. It is a place full of contrasts, one with many ongoing struggles, but a place that radiates life even in its emptiest corners.

MICHAEL RUDAKOV FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The East Village is known for its vibrant arts scene as well as being the birthplace of American punk rock.

The Fordham Ram Crossword - U.S. Presidents Edition 1 2 3 4

5 6

7

8

9

10

11

Across 2. Glee high school thank god. 4. Bathtub president. 5. My dad is from his namesake birthplace, Quincy, Massachusetts. 7. He did nothing wrong in office (he only lasted 30 days). 9. We did it Joe! 10. Me when I cross the Delaware. 11. Dam, Herbert!

Down 1. Thomas, that was a real nice declaration. 3. Oh James don't be a BoR! 6. Aw what a teddy bear! 8. Let him not forget his big hat!

SPORTS

Page 14

November 11, 2026

Formula 1: Stormy Skies and Stellar Drives By CAROLINE KORBA STAFF WRITER

Bom dia, Brazil! For the weekend of Nov. 6-8, Formula 1 (F1) set up shop in the South American country for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix (GP). Riding high off driver Kimi Antonelli’s recent victory in this year’s World Drivers’ Championship (WDC), Mercedes as a team had their eyes on the World Constructors’ Championship (WCC) trophy, mere points away as the grid entered for the 20th round of the season. Track conditions throughout the weekend were complicated by stormy weather, felt across the Western Hemisphere and even here at Fordham University. Let’s see how it all panned out in São Paulo … The Autódromo José Carlos Pace — a track widely known as Interlagos, due to its positioning between two lakes — hosted its inaugural GP in 1973. With a circuit length of 4.309 kilometers and 71 laps for a total race distance of 305.879 kilometers, Interlagos is a fan favorite, due to its banked corners, twisty sectors and carnival atmosphere. The circuit is special for certain drivers on the grid, too. This year, it marked the 400th race start of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and the F1 debut of Haas’ Rafael Câmara in his motherland. It is also the home race of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto. And, touchingly, it is where Antonelli paid tribute to his idol, Ayrton Senna — the late Brazilian three-time World Champion whose life was tragically lost after an accident during the 1994 San Marino GP. His love for the race was maintained by the “one long overtaking montage” that, per commentators, was this weekend’s São Paulo GP.

Lando Norris placed first in the São Paulo Grand Prix.

In preparation for the race, drivers took to the track for the standard trio of Free Practice (FP) sessions. After an FP1 featuring lots of lockups, Lando Norris of McLaren, Antonelli and Max Verstappen of Red Bull put up the best times. Despite some drizzle, FP2 saw strong performances from the three again, in the order of Antonelli, Norris and then Verstappen. With Hamilton’s smoky cockpit causing an early departure, Verstappen, Antonelli and Norris topped FP3. The wet weekend reached an entirely different level once Qualifying (Q) commenced. Caused by an accumulation of water on-track, Q1 was stopped with a red flag. Vehicles and drivers alike were soaked, but once the rain slowed, the session continued. Verstappen bailed out before beginning Q2, clearly keeping safety and his impending power unit upgrade penalty in mind. Câmara just missed the barrier as he spun out for the first time, but was not so lucky when he slid off again. His Haas smashed into the wall, warranting another red flag. In a weather-shaken field, the Williams of Alex Albon and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso made it into Q3. Several drivers set provisional pole laps before Norris officially clinched it. To start behind him on

COURTESY OF MCLAREN

Sunday’s GP were Antonelli and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls. Finally, the lineup was set — that is, after accounting for the five-place grid penalty for Mercedes’ George Russell, the 10-place knockbacks for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Bortoleto and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad along with the back-of-the-grid starts for Verstappen, Hamilton and Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez. As the field completed a formation lap on the afternoon of Nov. 8, the cars’ intermediate tires and the crowd alike were fired up for the race ahead. It was a cold and slippery start, but with a great launch off the line, Antonelli took the lead, negating Norris’ pole immediately. The “Papaya Man” also lost place to Lawson as Alonso and Haas’ Oliver Bearman went off. Impressively, by Lap 4, Verstappen and Hamilton were already up to P9 and P10, respectively. The latter complained of no rear grip, an issue which would cost him precious time in his first stint. With Hamilton falling behind already, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Verstappen began battling it out for P7. Though Albon appeared to be in the way, Verstappen had the pace and masterfully maneuvered past them both. Norris fought Lawson for P2 and emerged victorious by Lap 6, while, further back, Hamilton was

Senior running back Jamell James was a dominant force in Fordham University’s 38-13 win over Bucknell University on Saturday. James scored two touchdowns, running for 157 yards including a 61-yard carry into the end zone.

Jamell James Senior Football

HOME AWAY

Friday Nov. 13

Football

Saturday Nov. 14

Sunday Nov. 15

Monday Nov. 16

Tuesday Nov. 17

GEORGETOWN

12 p.m.

Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer DAVIDSON

7 p.m.

DAVIDSON

1 p.m.

Water Polo LIU 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Ugne Sirtautaite Senior Basketball

Wednesday Thursday Nov. 11 Nov. 12

Volleyball Senior power forward Ugne Sirtautaite played a key role in Fordham’s 70-62 win over St. Thomas Aquinas University this past Thursday. Sirtautaite scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had two steals.

Pierre Gasly: In a defensive off-the-track move from Albon, Alonso gained position. Albon’s rejoining ahead of Gasly was deemed unsafe and resulted in a five-second penalty. The two swapped back and forth, but by Lap 37, they were still far behind frontrunners Norris, Hadjar, Verstappen and Antonelli. With more pace than his teammate, Verstappen was told to swap with Hadjar for P2. Through a tough race, Hamilton and Leclerc broke their way into the top 10. Then the rain came pouring down … Strategic pit stops were completed by many to account for precipitation. With increasing rainfall, Hamilton spun out before regaining control and pitting once more. By Lap 64, everyone had switched to intermediates. In the pit lane, Antonelli received a five-second post-race penalty for an unsafe release. On Lap 69, Leclerc smashed into Lawson, causing damage for which the Ferrari driver incurred a five-second post-race penalty. This bumped him to P8 as Lawson advanced to P7. But all this drama could not touch the winners at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. Red Bull secured a double podium, with the duo of Hadjar (P3) and Verstappen (P2), having started P21, rising to the occasion. Norris had an essentially flawless drive, finishing P1 to secure back-to-back wins in Brazil. With Russell coming in P4 and Antonelli in P5, it was confirmed: Mercedes were the World Constructors’ Champions of 2026. For the ninth time in history — even though they did not race the best this particular weekend — the team was happy with such an amazing feat. There were smiles all around for these men at Interlagos, deservedly celebrating after a day of masterful driving.

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.”

noted for leaving the track to gain an advantage and was ultimately told to return the position to Bearman. Just like Hamilton, Lawson’s tires were shot, and the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar had enough grip to move ahead of him. Meanwhile, the two Ferraris were duking it out with Alonso for point places. After begging to switch to soft tires, Hamilton pitted and emerged P20 on Lap 16 to start warming up those tires as best as he could. Everyone was watching him, and soon enough, the seven-time WDC started dropping time and demonstrating correct strategy. By Lap 18, the whole grid had swapped for softs. Whilst attempting to exit the pitlane, Russell drove through a puddle and lost control of the car. Other drivers swerved to avoid Russell’s backward car as he was forced to make a three-point turn and reconcile with his loss of track position. Through the madness, his teammate Antonelli came out P1 on a fresh, cold set of tires that needed to be warmed up. On Lap 20, shortly after citing suspension and concerns about steering via radio message, the Italian spun out dramatically, rejoining quickly with Hadjar on his tail. Such mechanical issues allowed the Red Bull driver to pass on Lap 21, and once Antonelli went off the road again on Lap 24, Verstappen also pushed through. On Lap 25, Lindblad overtook Albon; five laps later, Russell passed Hulkenberg. At this point, the race had not seen any retirements, save for Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas’ failure to start. However, on Lap 32, Lance Stroll retired his Aston Martin for the 14th time this year, nearing the F1 record of 16. Lap 35 saw scuffles among Albon, Alonso and Alpine’s

Men’s Tennis

BUCKNELL 6 p.m.

MANHATTAN 7 p.m.

MANHATTAN 2 p.m.

CAMPBELL 6 p.m.

SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Falls to VCU at Home Page 15

November 11, 2026

Varsity Scores & Stats

By DEREK BEAULIEU STAFF WRITER

Football Fordham Bucknell

38 13

Men’s Basketball Stonehill Fordham

63 83

Women’s Basketball Monroe 46 Fordham 83 St. Thomas Aquinas Fordham

46 83

Water Polo Fordham Stanford

11 15

Fordham Berkeley

19 20

Men’s Soccer Fordham Duquesne

5 2

Fordham George Mason

1 0

Women’s Soccer Fordham St. Louis

5 0

During the final home weekend for Fordham University this volleyball season, the women’s volleyball team fell in both games to their fellow Rams from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the first in five sets and the second on Senior Day in four. Fordham came out quickly in game one, winning the first two sets and setting themselves up for a quick win in the Bronx. Junior Mila Micunovic, freshman Johanna Franzen and junior Bridget Woodruff all ended the game with double-digit kills, but VCU fought on in the next three sets and eventually, in a reverse sweep, took the game in five. Junior Lara Del Core started the game hot for VCU, with most of the offensive attack going her way, but the best middle blocker duo in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) conference, junior Letizia Galli and senior Nina Boledovicova, found their offense and defense simultaneously, ending with a combined 27 kills and six blocks. The first game of the series snapped a five-game losing streak for VCU off the back of

Fordham Women’s Volleyball celebrating after winning a point in a home game.

a five-game winning streak, and they looked for more in game two on Saturday. Fordham once again started hot, taking set one in dominant fashion just like game one. However, Fordham did not win another set, as VCU won the next three sets in a row to secure back-toback wins in the Rose Hill Gym, winning their seventh straight against Fordham. Micunovic was a highlight, recording a game-high 16 kills. Meanwhile, for the black and yellow, the senior Gabby LaPata recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 21 digs, along with two service aces. Fordham honored their four seniors with flowers and a ceremony before Saturday’s

action. Lola Fernandez, Erynn Sweeney, Tatum Holderied and Whitney Woodrow were all given plaques surrounded by family and a big Fordham crowd. Fernandez recorded a service ace in game two, as did Woodrow in a key moment paired alongside an impressive one-armed dig from Fernandez to secure late Fordham points in a hardfought fourth set. Sweeney also made appearances in both games, once at the service line, and Holderied held down the middle blocker position, with 15 kills and 10 blocks between the series. The four VCU senior players, Gabby LaPata, Nina Boledovicova, Akire Jones and Julieta Portillo, also received flowers ahead of their

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

own senior day at home against first-place Dayton University to end the season. The season finale for Fordham will be against Davidson College on their home court in North Carolina, with Fordham looking to play spoiler after being officially eliminated from the A-10 tournament, unable to finish in the top six. Davidson still has a chance, currently one spot above Fordham in the standings, but they must secure key wins and hope for losses from fellow A-10 teams George Washington University and George Mason University. Game times in Davidson are Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., and the following Saturday Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

Fordham Women’s Basketball Off to a Perfect Start By ANTHONY SMITH STAFF WRITER

It’s a new era of Fordham Women’s Basketball with a new Head Coach, Neil Harrow, and he couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to his campaign. After Sunday’s win at home against the Monroe University Mustangs, the Rams start the 2026 season 3-0 for the first time since 2012. Fordham began the 2026 slate with three straight games at home in the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium. The Rams came out firing to begin the year in the first showdown in the Bronx. Niagara University was the first team on the schedule and Fordham took care of business with a 30-point victory, despite only utilizing nine players. The Rams entered their season opener with many missing players, including junior transfer student from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Olivia Kulyk and their star player from last season, senior guard Alexis Black. This was no problem for the Rams, as they had three players in double figures starting with senior guard Lakresha Edwards, who recorded a team-high 17 points. She was followed by senior forward Ugne Sirtautaite with 14 and sophomore guard Carryn

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Guard Carryn Easley drives to the basket against a Monroe defender

Easley with 11. Coach Harrow spoke postgame about playing the first game of the season with a lack of players. “Even though we were short-handed, we still had good experience,” he said, speaking about the players on the court and how all of them have played a lot of basketball. “I’m proud that the vision is looking like it’s in the right direction on day one,” Harrow said, referencing the variety of scoring from his team with multiple players getting into the mix. “That’s

how we are going to have to be to be successful.” Heading into game number two of the season against a Division II-level school, Fordham had a bit more of a scare. Easley was a last-minute scratch, but freshman guard Joy Osigwe made her Fordham debut. The mighty Rams were still short-handed going into their home game versus St. Thomas Aquinas College and very nearly got upset. The Spartans knocked down 12 threes and led at halftime over the Rams 39-35.

The Rams did not go down easy as they took the lead in the third quarter and never looked back. This time it was Sirtautaite who led the way in scoring a career-high 24 points and an elusive double-double. Edwards notched another 17 points with junior guard Anastasija Veljovic also dropping 15 en route to a 70-62 win for the Rams. In the back end of the three-game home stand, Fordham had no trouble with Monroe, winning 83-46 in the Rose Hill Gym.

Easley was back in the Rams lineup, leading all other scorers with 21 points. Sirtautaite had another great game with 15, starting off her season with three games over double digits, as did Edwards, registering 10 on the day. It was another double-double performance for Sirtautaite, as she pulled down 13 rebounds. Kulyk made her Fordham debut with 12 points and sophomore guard Ella Averill had her best game of the year so far with 11. Coach Harrow’s squad is off to a great start and has proven that their style is that there is no No. 1 scorer, but rather a team effort. The team is set for their first road stand of the season against Bucknell University on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. They then play in the Battle of the Bronx on Sunday, Nov. 15, against Manhattan University before taking a week long trip to Carolina. They will play Campbell University before taking on No. 5 ranked Duke University for one of the most anticipated games of the season for Fordham Women’s Basketball. Until then, the Fordham Rams look to keep the winning streak alive under new Head Coach Neil Harrow and impress the wide world of A-10 basketball.

SPORTS Racing’s Future Could Come at the Cost of Its Crown Jewel

Page 16

November 11, 2026

By KURT SIPPEL STAFF WRITER

The Triple Crown is the most sought-after achievement in all of racing and one of the biggest achievements in all of sports. Horses only get one shot in their lives at collecting all three jewels that make them one of the most revered figures in sports. But all the prestige and history that follows those three big races is threatened by the establishment of the Thoroughbred Championship Series that was put together by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and Churchill Downs. The formation of the series is an effort to revitalize the struggling sport and keep fans’ attention beyond their yearly viewing of the Kentucky Derby. There will be six races in the series. Three of the races will be held at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky, including the Kentucky Derby. Belmont Park in New York will host the Belmont Stakes and the historic Saratoga Race Course will hold the other two. Bill Carstanjen, chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated commented “The Thoroughbred Championship Series will extend the excitement of the sport across a five-month season,” Carstanjen continued “The Kentucky Derby introduces millions of fans to a new generation of Thoroughbred

COURTESY OF CONNECTICUT PUBLIC

Victor Espinoza celebrates first Triple Crown win since 1978.

stars each year, and this series gives those fans a reason to stay engaged with the sport’s biggest stars throughout the season. By connecting these premier events through one championship, we’re creating a season-long storyline that benefits the future of Thoroughbred racing.” Now, however, the Triple Crown is in question because of the exclusion of the Preakness Stakes from the series. The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown; it is traditionally held at Pimlico Race Course; this year it was held at Laurel Park due to renovations at Pimlico. In recent years, it has been very difficult to get horses that win the Kentucky Derby to also run the Preakness. This is because it is traditionally held just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, making it hard for many of the top horses to make the quick turnaround

and race in both. For example, for this year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo, trainer Cherie DeVaux opted to skip the second jewel to prepare for the Belmont Stakes. In response to the difficulty in getting horses to run in both of the races, the Maryland Jockey Club decided to move the Preakness. It went from its traditional running on the third Saturday in May to Sunday, May 23 — eight more days to allow more time to prepare for the races. In April, news broke that Churchill Downs was attempting to buy the intellectual property of the Preakness for $85 million. Ultimately, that deal fell through because the state of Maryland had the first right of refusal to the sale and Governor Wes Moore decided to buy it. “The Preakness Stakes is a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture, and economy

— so our administration is dedicated to preserving our state as a key power player in the Triple Crown for generations to come,” said Gov. Moore. “The Triple Crown shows us every year how powerfully these events capture the public’s imagination. Our aim is to carry that energy across the full season,” said NYRA CEO David O’Rourke, attempting to stress that this series doesn’t replace the Triple Crown. But it does feel like this was a way for Churchill Downs to get back at the state of Maryland for buying the Preakness out from under them. The question becomes what incentive, other than history and prestige, owners and trainers have to run the Preakness instead of focusing on the Thoroughbred Championship. The winner will be decided by a yet-to-be-determined points system in addition to the purses from each of the six races. The horse that is crowned the champion will also get $5 million in an additional purse reward based on the final standings. O’Rourke left the door open to potentially adding other races to the series. “This is the conversation starter,” O’Rourke said. “Now, it’s open where we can have these discussions and we have a foundation that we can actually now layer things on top of. I think we’re open to conversation.”

While racing fans fear the beloved Triple Crown might be in question, hall of fame trainer of the last two Triple Crown champions Bob Baffert wrote on X: “I welcome The Thoroughbred Series introduced by Churchill and the NYRA and I look forward to competing in the new series. But the greatest achievement in racing will always be winning the Triple Crown.” He added, “The Preakness is integral to racing’s history, present, and future, and I hope nothing detracts from its significance. If I have the right horse, I’ll continue to run in Baltimore every May, as well as in The Thoroughbred Series.” Racing’s popularity has been in decline for the last 30 years, and the influx of fans they get from the Triple Crown is integral to how the sport continues to operate. The Triple Crown will always be one of the rarest achievements in sports, as long as trainers, owners and fans who support racing respect it. There shouldn’t be any way the Thoroughbred Championship Series takes away from that; rather, it should add to it and give fans even more racing to follow throughout the year after the five weeks of the Triple Crown are done and help the future of Thoroughbred racing for years to come.

Overtime: Do You Really Like Sports? By JAMES NELSON SPORTS EDITOR

Sports were a huge part of my childhood, as they are for many kids. The social benefits of putting kids in sports have been detailed to exhaustion. Learning how to deal with failure, work as a team and think critically are a few of the reasons parents are quick to sign their kids up for sports at a young age. However, when we play sports as kids, we aren’t concentrated on the lessons we’re meant to be learning or the thinking patterns we’re developing; we simply love to play whatever we’re playing. When you ask a class full of kids what they want to be when they grow up, a significant number of them are bound to vow they will become professional athletes. If you ask them who their heroes are, they will rattle off the names of their favorite players. Friend groups will sound like an ESPN roundtable with kids arguing over sports opinions. As children, we are happy to pour our energy and emotions into sports. As we grow older, the role sports play in our lives naturally changes. At a certain point, most of us realize we’re not good

Is sports gambling diminishing our ‘love of the game’?

enough to go pro, so we discover new interests and move in a different direction. We continue to watch the pros, no longer hoping to become them but in search of entertainment and an escape from our day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, many people develop an unhealthy habit

while watching sports. A Siena University survey found that over 27% of Americans and more than half of males ages 18-49 have an active sports betting account. The survey also reports that a third of Americans have opened an account at least once. I’m not advocating for people to stop

COURTESY OF COACHUP

sports betting, but I have noticed a fundamental shift in people’s relationship with sports when they gamble on them. When you talk to someone about sports, there’s a good chance that rather than engaging in a conversation about the game, they will instead

detail the parlays they placed last weekend and the next bet they plan on making. When you watch sports with these people, they aren’t watching the score but are fixated on how many yards the running back gets or how many pitches the starter has thrown. Instead of despising teams or players for being from rival cities, the gambling fan will channel their animosity towards whoever they placed their bet on. Their intensity and passion for sports may appear to be genuine, but they are entirely misdirected. A common saying among sports fans is “for the love of the game.” While the phrase has transcended sports and is used in various contexts, its original meaning was to interact with sports out of love for them. If you can’t remember the last time you watched a sporting event you didn’t have money on, are you sure you are a sports fan? When you grew up playing and watching sports, there was a thrill and joy that came along with it. Can you still find that feeling in sports without wagering a portion of your paycheck? If the answer is no, then consider reconnecting with sports with your younger self in mind.