Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 105, Issue 16
Fordham Graduate Students Bargain for a Fair Contract
CPS Introduces Peer Counseling Program
By NORA MALONE
By SOFIA DONOHUE
Of the more than 450 classes Fordham offers, 30% are taught by graduate students. These students are expected to balance their lives and research along with the classes they teach. According to some graduate students, was minimal communication between departments in the graduate school until 2020, when the pandemic put international students’ visas at risk. “There was a big question of whether taking online classes qualified you to keep your visa,” said Alfredo Dueñas, a graduate student in the philosophy department. “Then, of course, once communication started between the departments, they realized the oneoff problems that they were finding were actually problems that were all around the graduate school.” The process took a few years, but in April 2022, the graduate students voted, and with 94% of the vote in favor of forming
Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) launched the Peer Counseling Program on Sept. 18. The program is available to support Fordham College and Gabelli undergraduate students with concerns such as the transition to college, stress management and loneliness. The Peer Counseling Program is composed of nine Fordham undergraduate students. Jeffrey Ng, director of CPS, said that the CPS office has been thinking about implementing a peer counseling program for about 2 ½ years. Ultimately, CPSBy decided launch the proSOFIAtoDONOHUE gram DIGITAL because PRODUCER research shows that peer counseling programs are highly effective at universities — students feel more comfortable seeking support and positive affirmations from a peer. “I think, most importantly, we would want the students to not feel alone with their struggles. That they have a space to go to
SEE FGSW, PAGE 3
SEE PEER, PAGE 4
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
October 4, 2023
TheFordhamRam.com
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF ALAN VENTURA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
El Grito de Lares kicked off Latine Heritage Month with an outdoor social featuring food and games.
El Grito and Office of Multicultural Affairs Celebrate Latine Heritage Month By EMMA KIM NEWS EDITOR
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, different organizations are celebrating Latine Heritage Month across campus, including the student-run club El Grito De Lares and the university's Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA). “We are doing everything to celebrate this month,” said Alan C. Ventura, FCRH ’24,
president of El Grito. El Grito kicked off Latine Heritage Month on Sept. 14 on the McShane front lawn with an outdoor social and planned five more events throughout the month — including a dance session with Candela Latina, a Diversity Panel, a Yankees game, a Latin Night Market excursion and Museo del Barrio excursion.
“I’m very big on visibility. Last year with President Tetlow coming in and like all the different changes, I’ve been trying to do my part to, you know, speak with administration to kind of push for just different things that I think Latines specifically need on campus,” said Ventura. “And El Grito really is a place where I think we can give that visibility to SEE LATINE, PAGE 4
Fordham Falls in 2024 College Ranking By MICHAEL DUKE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF ANNA NGUYEN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
On campus, students reported leaks and flooding in academic and residential buildings.
Fordham Faces Record-Breaking Rain Throughout Campus By CRISTINA STEFANIZZI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Six inches of record-breaking rain caused flooding across Fordham’s Rose Hill campus and the greater New York City area on Friday, leading city
officials to declare a state of emergency and suspend public transportation. The rain led to the shutdown of major parkways, including the Hutchinson River and Bronx River. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state
of emergency for New York City and surrounding counties Friday morning advising New Yorkers to avoid traveling until the flash flood warning was lifted. On campus, students reported leaks and flooding in academic and SEE FLOODING, PAGE 5
In a new release from U.S. News, Fordham University dropped to 89 in a 2024 ranking for colleges and universities. Fordham is tied with Temple University, Southern Methodist University and the University of South Florida. Fordham sees a 17-point drop in rankings from the previous spot it held as 72 on the list. Schools at the top of this list are predominantly Ivies and known for their status as having coveted resources such as top-tier research programs and
alumni networks like Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. U.S. News has revealed criteria they consider when crunching the numbers to produce the list of the best nations and universities in the country. Factors such as graduation rates, borrower debt, faculty salaries, number of full-time faculty and peer assessment are all factors that are incorporated into rankings. Despite the decline that has been occurring throughout the past few years, Fordham’s administration has particular views that reveal reasons for the sudden drop in a year’s worth of activities. SEE RANK, PAGE 3
in this issue
News
Page 2
Opinion
Page 8
Jesuit Priest Speaks to IPED Students on Cybersecurity and AI
Government Shutdowns: What Are They Good For?
Culture Page 14
Sports
Ice Spice's MUNCHKIN Drink Is Not A Munch
Page 24
Water Polo Extends Conferencing Winning Streak to 25 Games