The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 105, Issue 12
Fordham
Marketplace
Move-In for
Closure Leads
the 2023-24
to Destination
School Year
Dining
By GRACE GALBREATH
By EMMA KIM
Last weekend, new Fordham students were officially welcomed to campus. Residence halls opened for early movein on Aug. 16, first welcoming residence leaders, student-athletes, Urban Plunge leaders and participants and orientation leaders. Most students, however, arrived on Aug. 24 through 29, with first-year student move-in taking place on Sunday, Aug. 27. Associate Vice President for Communications and Special Adviser to the President at Fordham, Bob Howe, commented on changes to housing. Howe said, “There are no major changes planned for the housing program this year. The residence halls will open at full occupancy on Sunday, Aug. 27 with a fairly small number of first-year students assigned to converted triples where students receive a reduced room rate.” First-year students, who began
The McShane Campus Center Marketplace will officially stop operations on Friday, Oct. 6. During the weekend, there will be a transition upstairs into the McShane Campus Center Ballroom, and it will reopen on Tuesday, Oct. 10 as an “all you care to eat” location. Bepler Commons — the second “all you care to eat” location that is replacing the Marketplace — will open on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and it will be open during the transition of the McShane Campus Center dining location. To commemorate the last meal inDONOHUE the Marketplace Byserved SOFIA PRODUCER since DIGITAL 1960, there will be a closing celebration on Oct. 5, said Deming Yaun, the dining services contract liaison. Yaun explained that other options will be added during the construction of the Marketplace, including a food truck, two coffee carts and a snack cart. “The food truck is going to offer a wide variety of menus.
SEE MOVE-IN, PAGE 3
SEE DINING, PAGE 4
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
September 6, 2023
TheFordhamRam.com
NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Fordham welcomed the class of 2027 during the candle lighting ceremony on the last day of orientation.
Class of 2027: Fordham Introduces Most Diverse Class in History By SOFIA DONOHUE ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Last Sunday, Fordham welcomed the Class of 2027 to campus, which is the most diverse class in the university’s history. The class is 48% domestic students of color and 8% international students hailing from 57 different countries, the most popular being Vietnam, China, India, Russia, Canada, Italy,
the Philippines, Spain and Mexico. In comparison, the Class of 2026 was 46% domestic students of color and 7% international students while the Class of 2025 was more than 44% domestic students of color and 6.5% international students. This is the third year in a row in which Fordham has enrolled the most diverse class in the university’s history.
Domestic students in the Class of 2027 come from 45 states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The states which brought in the most students were New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut and Massachusetts; the next most popular states are Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Illinois. Additionally, more than 500 SEE 2027, PAGE 4
Fordham Reacts to Ruling on Affirmative Action By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF ALEX ANTONOV /THE FORDHAM RAM
The new McShane Campus Center arcade opened on Aug. 1 for the Fordham community.
Fordham Unveils McShane Campus Center Arcade By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR
The new McShane Campus Center arcade opened on Aug. 1 for the Fordham community. The arcade connects the McShane Campus Center with
the surrounding buildings and serves as an entrance into both. “The arcade unifies the campus center, the Lombardi Fieldhouse and the Rose Hill Gymnasium so that students can enter and then choose their path. So it unifies the whole area into one giant
location so that from the main entryway of the arcade you’re able to pick your destination,” said Stephen Clarke, associate director for campus center operations. Ed Kull, director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports, SEE ARCADE, PAGE 5
On June 29, the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, meaning race can no longer be a factor in college admissions decisions. On the same day as the decision, President Tania Tetlow emailed the Fordham community regarding the ruling. “I am both disappointed and determined to find a path forward,” President Tetlow said in the email. She also wrote that it is impossible to line students up in rank order of merit and that many people have advantages such as private tutoring —
which was why Fordham decided to become a test-optional institution in fall 2021. “Now, the Court gives us very mixed messages on whether we can consider one—and only one—obstacle, that of overcoming racism,” Tetlow wrote. President Tetlow ended her email by asking for everyone’s commitment to creating a community where “every single one of us knows, at our core, that we belong here.” Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admissions and associate vice president, explained that Fordham has been committed to achieving a diverse student body for years, SEE ACTION, PAGE 3
in this issue
News
Page 2
Opinion
Page 8
Urban Plunge Participants Engage in Community Service in New York City
Ray Rice & Fordham’s Lack of Transparency
Culture Page 12
Sports
“Barbenheimer,” Breathes New Life Into Cinema
Page 20
Football Tops Wagner in Home Opener