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The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
September 9, 2026 VOLUME XLVII, ISSUE 1
In Memory In a Fordham Summer, How Much Has Changed? of Erin Piacenti By MACKENZIE COOPER News Editor
With the end of summer and the start of a new semester, Fordham University has welcomed various structural changes, both on its campus and in its administration. Across the university, Fordham is entering a year of transition. The 2026-27 school year brings new leadership, a new class of first-year students that have begun to fill the university’s classrooms and residence halls, and an updated core curriculum that will bring a change for the next generation of undergraduates at Fordham.
By MACKENZIE COOPER News Editor
Erin Guiltinan Piacenti, Fordham School of Law ’21, died suddenly on Aug. 31 after being fatally stabbed in Times Square. Piacenti was 32. Born on May 8, 1994, in New York City, Piacenti was raised in Chester, New Jersey. She attended St. Joseph School in Mendham and Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown before earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from Penn, Piacenti began her professional career as a buyer at Bloomingdale’s. But she had long known that she wanted to become an attorney. She went on to attend Fordham University School of Law in 2018. see PIACENTI page 4
LUCIEN FISCHER/THE OBSERVER
After years of deliberation, Fordham’s new core curriculum reducing the number of required classes from 17 to 12 was approved this summer.
The Removal of Scaffolding Around Campus One prominent change was the removal of the scaffolding from the Outdoor Plaza and the Leon Lowenstein building that has adorned the Lincoln Center campus since fall of 2024. see FORDHAM UPDATES page 3
My City Sweating, My DSA Winning, Knicks in Five, Here’s the Summer Vibe By MICHELLE WILSON News Editor
From sizzling temperatures to a historic Knicks win, to shocking victories at the New York primaries and lettuce fears over a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, New York City saw some big highs and lows this summer. Here’s a recap of the local news items Fordham University students may have missed while gone for the break. Perhaps the most high-profile
news that came out of the city was the New York Knicks taking home the NBA championship title for the first time since 1973. The team last made it to the finals in 1999. New Yorkers across the five boroughs took to the streets in elation. Five days following their championship victory, the city celebrated the Knicks again with a parade through Lower Manhattan and to City Hall, where the players were presented with keys to the city. Cannons
showered parade-goers with blue, white and orange confetti amid cheers and music as the event came to a close. The United States, Canada and Mexico hosted the World Cup this summer. Mamdani offered New Yorkers 1,000 discounted tickets to seven matches in New Jersey in June. The tickets were $50 a piece, distributed via a lottery system and included round-trip bus transportation to the stadium. see NYC UPDATES page 5
Fordham Students Start the Year in Style By INDIRA BUSH Arts & Culture Editor
The days of light-up sneakers and “Star Wars” graphic T-shirts may be long gone, but for the students of Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), the magic of a great firstday-of-school outfit has not been lost. On Aug. 26, between reading syllabuses and cramming into Leon Lowenstein elevators, students showed off their style on the sun-drenched Outdoor Plaza. While some trends are undeniable — ballet flats, flared jeans and statement jewelry, to name a few — every student had their own style inspiration that led to the final outfit decision. Saying goodbye to summer on the first day of classes is plenty of change in itself, but to be college-aged, especially in a place like New York City, means inevitably being in a constant in-between. College students are part teenager, part adult, part student and part entry-level employee. They are living and working
with their closest friends, while simultaneously being more alone than ever before. On the Outdoor Plaza, style inspiration seemed to come from every side of the college experience, with a healthy dose of social media and TV influence. Alexa Robins, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center
(GSBLC) ’27, rocked a casual, semi-preppy look: wide-leg cuffed jeans, a white T-shirt with a sweater tied loosely around her shoulders, ballet flats and bracelet stacks. She noted her budding career as a primary influence.
NEWS PAGE 2
SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 7
CENTERFOLD PAGES 8-9
TPS Revocations
Haitian immigrants’ status targeted by executive cuts
INDIRA BUSH/THE OBSERVER
Fordham students pose in their first day of class outfits on the Outdoor Plaza.
Cheering as One
Summer sports victories bring New Yorkers together
see FIT CHECKS page 15
When in Rome
Fordham’s summer visual arts class captures Italy
CRISTINA STEFANIZZI/FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Fordham University mascot outside Barclays center for Fordham Day.
New University Partnerships
By OLIVIA VASQUEZ Contributing Writer
Until now, the only time you could ever see a ram and an elephant together is at the zoo. Since Fordham University and the New York Liberty joined forces, however, now things have changed. Fordham and New York City’s WNBA team have announced a partnership that is bringing together two institutions that are committed to uplifting communities of students across the city., According to Fordham’s website, “the partnership highlights Fordham’'s visual identity and brings Fordham’s Jesuit mission to life while celebrating our commitment to shaping future Rams who care for others and drive positive change.” On Aug. 29, Fordham Day, on Aug. 29th, at the Barclays Center kicked off their brand-new partnership. Gameday was filled with excitement, allowing students, staff and faculty a chance to attend the New York Liberty versus Chicago Sky game for free. Live music was performed OPINIONS PAGE 11
Good Grief
How control causes more pain than it alleviates
by Jamaican singer and DJ Sister Nancy, with Caribbean-inspired dance breaks from the Lil Torches in honor of West Indies Day. Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant had her own moment on the dance floor, in addition to playing miniature games with the crowd between quarters. “I’ve never been to one of the Liberty Games, so being able to see a new side of New York is really exciting. Especially seeing all the great spirit and having this collaboration is really cool to build a community, I think within Fordham too,” Emily Owens, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’28 said. The excitement surrounding the event was amplified when the Liberty secured a 85-66 bounceback win against the Sky after their previous loss to the Golden State Valkyries two days prior. For the Liberty, center Han Xu scored a career-high of 19 points, while Jonquel Jones put up 11 points in only 19 minutes, playing crucial parts to the Liberty’s win. see FORDHAM DAY page 6
ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 14
Summer Blockbusters Reviewing the season’s biggest cinema “Obsession”s