The Fordham Ram Volume 106, Issue 17
Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 TheFordhamRam.com
October 9, 2024
Family Weekend Wraps Up
Fordham’s New Advising System Enters Third Year
By JACK MCDONALD
By NISHANTH ADUMA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
STAFF WRITER
Families from across the world flocked to Fordham University for Family Weekend and took part in several activities such as the Fordham Football game, Family Bingo and dinner in Little Italy. Fordham hosted its annual Family Weekend from Friday, Oct. 4, to Sunday, Oct. 6. The Campus Activities Board elected a Special Events subcommittee of co-chairs this year to take care of the logistics surrounding the weekend-long event. This subcommittee includes Aishna Gaikwad, GSB ’26, Zoe Skinner, GSB ’26, and Cameron Kelley, FCRH ’27. This panel of students was responsible for planning all of the events that occurred during Family Weekend, from the football game against Lafayette College to Family Bingo in Keating First Auditorium. “When I got this position as the special co-chair in Campus Activities Board, I didn’t realize how much organization and how much behind-the-scenes
COURTESY OF NORA MALONE/THE FORDHAM RAM
Students had signs and flags at the center table in the McShane Campus Center.
Students Host Study-In for Palestine in McShane Lounge By NORA MALONE NEWS EDITOR
Fordham University students engaged in a “study-in” in the Student Lounge on the first floor of the McShane Campus Center on Oct. 7, 2024. The event began at 11 a.m. with around nine students sitting around the table. Two Palestinian flags were placed on the table and students had signs taped to their laptops and water bottles.
“This is not a Palestinian Solidarity Network event, we are just doing this as members of the community because this is the one-year anniversary of what has been happening and we know there’s protests at Lincoln Center and so we wanted to create a space here at Rose Hill,” said Siri Unnam, GSB ’26, a student sitting at the table. Information regarding the studyin was posted on the Students
SEE FAMILY, PAGE 5
for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Instagram page on the morning of Oct. 7; a similar studyin was set to take place in Quinn Library at Fordham Lincoln Center. Around noon, Public Safety officers came to the lounge. “They [Public Safety] briefly walked by and took photographs and continued walking but they didn’t approach us,” said Claire, FCRH ’26, who SEE HOST, PAGE 4
Father McShane Returns for Lecture By CAITLIN THOMAS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
University, Southern Methodist University and the University of South Florida. “The university’s overarching strategy is to improve those ranking factors that are directly tied to student success and the student experience, regardless of their
Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president emeritus, returned to Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus to speak for the 20th annual Economos Orthodoxy in America lecture series on Oct. 1. McShane’s speech, titled “Building an Alliance of Grace: The Work of Ecumenism in an Age of Anxiety,” explored the history and contemporary applications of the relationship between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. This speech was especially significant for the Fordham community, home to the Orthodox Christian Studies Center. The center described its mission on the back of the program handed to
SEE DROPS, PAGE 4
SEE MCSHANE, PAGE 4
COURTESY OF CRISTINA STEFANIZZI/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham dropped two spots this year after dropping 17 spots last year.
Fordham Drops in U.S. News Ranking, Again By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI ASST. NEWS EDITOR
U.S. News released their 2025 rankings of colleges and universities across the country on Sept. 24, with Fordham University dropping two places this year to the spot of 91st, tied with six other institutions: American
University, Baylor University, Loyola Marymount University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Southern Methodist University and the University of South Florida. In the 2024 rankings, released last year, Fordham dropped 17 points from 72nd to 89th, sharing the 89th slot with Temple
In 2022, Fordham University College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) unveiled a new advising model that replaced the previous system. Initiated by Dean Maura Mast and Dean Laura Auricchio, the new system aimed to offer a holistic advising experience by assigning students to one academic advisor for their first two years and a different advisor for their junior and senior years. The previous version left students shuffled between a summer advisor, a core advisor and various class deans. Now, students have a dedicated advisor who offers personalized support during critical stages of their academic journey. Ashlee Burrs, the associate dean of Academic Advising, explained the importance of this transition. “Our students have very high satisfaction rates for their experiences with their advisors,” Burrs said. She further explained that the advising system is being expanded in phases, with plans to extend its reach to seniors in the upcoming year, stating, “We’ve made small changes internally each year to better support students, and next year, we plan to continue working with faculty to enhance the senior advising experience.” Jack Ronca, FCRH ’25, a political science major, offered insight into his experience with the system. He found his core advisor immensely helpful during his first two years and has developed a strong connection with his current advisor, who is also from the political science department. “My SEE SYSTEM, PAGE 5
in this issue
Opinion Page 10
The “Europecore” Takeover: American Escapism or SelfExpression?
Culture
Page 11
The Fordham Family Weekend Dad
Sports
Page 18
MLB Playoffs Preview