The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 105, Issue 14
Resident Assistants Union Faces Bargaining Obstacles By EMMA KIM
September 20, 2023
TheFordhamRam.com
Fordham Introduces Islamic Studies Minor By NORA MALONE
NEWS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Over the summer, negotiations stalled between the Fordham Resident Assistants Union (FRA) and Fordham University. This comes after the Resident Assistants (RAs) voted 47-19 to ratify FRA back in March of this year with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which forced the university to recognize the union after refusing to in February. “We started bargaining sessions in the middle of May since the University, by law, cannot ignore the election decisions. However, we had to stop after a bargaining session in June,” said Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24, one of the six members of the FRA bargaining committee. Chandra Sekharan explained that after their first bargaining session in May, Fordham refused to bargain hybridly, which would entail having the bargaining sessions online during the summer and in
A new Islamic Studies minor joins the ranks of Fordham’s 70-plus majors and minors after student petitioning. “[I was] approached by both Muslim and Catholic students,” said Sarah Eltantawi, Ph.D., associate professor of Modern Islam in the Department of Theology. “They were all saying, ‘we’ve been taking all these Islamic Studies classes, and there’s no way to formalize what we’re learning, no way to get any kind of degree.’” Fordham already offers many classes in the Islamic studies field, so creating the minor justDONOHUE a process of reBy was SOFIA finingDIGITAL which PRODUCER classes students should take. “We entertained a number of different models for what the minor might look like, surveyed students, met with interested faculty, wrote a number of drafts, refined those drafts, and then finalized a version we were happy with before the minor was in good enough shape
SEE FRA, PAGE 3
SEE MINOR, PAGE 4
COURTESY OF GRACE GALBREATH/THE FORDHAM RAM
The second annual Interfaith Picnic, hosted at Lincoln Center, featured performances from the Ailey School.
Campus Ministry Hosts Second Annual Interfaith Prayer Picnic with the President By GRACE GALBREATH ASST. NEWS EDITOR
On Thursday, Sept. 14, the Office of Campus Ministry hosted the second annual Interfaith Prayer and Picnic with the President. The theme of the prayer service was “A Season to Grow Together.” The event, which was held in the Lincoln Center Outdoor Plaza, included prayer, reflection and a luncheon
following the service. The prayer service included presentations from several student groups, including the University Choir and Empire Dance Club. The event also included readings and songs from several different faiths. It celebrated the four seasons, inviting attendees to reflect and share their thoughts with one another.
The prayer service opened with a dance performance by students in Fordham’s Ailey School. Meredith Brown, FCLC ’24, was one of four students who participated in the opening number. Brown said, “The piece in an essence is about leaning on one another and interconnected relationships. It is about how we all use each SEE PICNIC, PAGE 4
Fordham Ranks Average in Economic Diversity By SOFIA DONOHUE ASST. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Students of Dr. Ipsita Banerjee work in a labratory as a part of their research projects.
Fordham Introduces New Major in Biochemistry By SAMANTHA MINEAR FEATURES EDITOR
This past August, Fordham introduced a new major in biochemistry. After the minor in biochemistry was launched in 2020, faculty from the biology
and chemistry departments sought to establish a major in the program. “The biochemistry major opens new career opportunities for students as the scope of the subject is very broad,” said Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D, chair of the chemistry department. “It will prepare students
for a wide range of professional careers, particularly for those interested in pursuing medicine or allied health fields or those who envision working in biotechnology, cosmetics, forensics, pharmacology, bioengineering or a career in research.” SEE BIOCHEM, PAGE 5
On Sept. 7, The New York Times published the CollegeAccess Index, a list of 286 of the country’s most selective universities, public and private, ranked in order of economic diversity. Fordham is ranked 117, tied with 15 other universities including comparable institutions such as Marquette University and Trinity University. The economic diversity of each university was measured by analyzing the share of students receiving a Pell Grant, which generally go to students from the lower half of the in-
come distribution. The goal of the grant is to give lower-middleclass to low-class students the opportunity to attend college. According to Brian Ghanoo, associate vice president for the Office of Student Financial Services, approximately 2,200 students receive a Pell Grant at Fordham. According to 2015 data from Opportunity Insights, 5% of Fordham students came from families earning in the bottom 20% of family incomes while 49% came from families earning in the top 10%. Boston College, a Jesuit University of comparable-value, only had 2% of students from the bottom 20% while 63% of students came from families earning SEE ECON, PAGE 3
in this issue
News
Page 6
Opinion
Page 11
Meet the Candidates: 2027 Stop Telling Me to “Explore” Arthur Avenue Senate Election Begins
Culture Page 19
A Recap of the 2023 Video Music Awards
Sports
Page 24
Water Polo Enjoys First Taste of Conference Play