The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 105, Issue 2
TheFordhamRam.com
February 1, 2023
Gabelli School of Business Appoints New Dean
USG Discusses Special Elections and Club Proposals By SOFIA SEMPER
By CEARA PERRY
STAFF WRITER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As of Jan. 1, Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., was appointed as the dean of the Gabelli School of Business. The decision was announced via an email to the Fordham community on Dec. 19. Serving as the interim dean since July 1, 2022, Aksoy is looking forward to continuously elevating the Gabelli School of Business. Starting her academic career as a professor at Koç University, Aksoy has been at Fordham since 2008, when she joined the marketing faculty. She is the managing director of the Responsible Business Coalition and the former associate dean for undergraduate studies and strategic initiatives. Aksoy is a recipient of the American Marketing Association’s Christopher Lovelock Career Contributions to the Services Discipline Award, a New York Times bestselling author and has published over 70 journal articles. Aksoy currently sits on the Academic Council of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and will serve as president of the Academic
COURTESY OF JOANNA LI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Asian Cultural Exchange and Ascend Business Club worked together to host a Lunar New Year event.
Fordham's ACE and Ascend Host Lunar New Year Celebration By ALEXANDER HOM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Resplendent in lucky colors of red and gold, the students of Fordham’s Asian Cultural Exchange (ACE) and Ascend Business Club (Ascend) rang in the Lunar New Year at a festively-adorned Bepler Commons on Jan. 27. Both student-led organizations celebrated 2023 being the Year
SEE GABELLI, PAGE 4
of the Rabbit on the Chinese zodiac, which follows a duodecennial cycle. Lunar New Year’s Day (LNY) is celebrated by over 1.5 billion people primarily in Asian countries across the world — China, Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea to name a few. In these cultures, LNY is the sacred flagship of Asian holidays, an auspicious and superstitious date predicted to be one of optimism and peace. The holiday
season is usually met with family gatherings, bountiful banquets and traditions that carefully wish for fortuitous health and prosperity for the coming year. LNY kicks off the start of the lunar and lunisolar calendars, which are governed by the pattern of the Earth’s moon phases. Lunisolar calendars feature anywhere from 353 to 385 days in a year, meaning that on the SEE LUNAR, PAGE 4
Fordham Sophomore Researches Transgender History By EMMA KARN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF UNSPLASH
Ian Johnson talked about many topics during his lecture, including the persecution of the Uyghur people.
Pulitzer-Prize Winner Ian Johnson Lectures on China, Religion and Authoritarianism By ANTONI ZLATANOVSKI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Jan. 25, a panel was held at Fordham University’s campus at Lincoln Center about religious life in an authoritarian China and if citizens can freely practice their faiths under an authoritarian
regime. The panel was held by Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author who has lived in China for over two decades and focuses on the topics of civil religion and civil society. He has covered subjects regarding China for over 37 years and has been awarded various prizes from Stanford University and
Harvard University, as well as a multitude of grants to fund his research. The main focus of the lecture has to do with how religious faiths are being treated within China’s current political system of government. According to Johnson, the Chinese Communist SEE PULITZER, PAGE 4
Alexei Gannon, FCRH ’25, is a biology and history double major honors student. He has a passion and a penchant for melding the two disciplines together in his research. In the summer of 2022, he worked with his advisor, Amanda Armstrong-Price, Ph.D., to study the transgender history of the French revolt of May 1968. He was inspired to conduct this research within the context of the anti-trans legislation appearing in the United States today. “It felt especially important to emphasize the role that trans people — and especially trans women — have played in feminist movements,” said Gannon. SEE HISTORY, PAGE 3
On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Rose Hill Student Government (USG) met to discuss club proposals and special elections on campus. The start of the meeting consisted of special election campaigns which began with Maria Narvaez, GSB ’24. Narvaez stated that she wants to be a part of change in the Fordham community and campus life. She hopes to include more foreign language-inclusive campus tours. Narvaez explained that many international students’ parents do not speak English and are unable to understand the tour guides. With this initiative, Narvaez hopes to create a more inclusive environment for international students and their families. She also stated that she hopes to expand the commuter students’ locker spaces and include more diverse companies in Gabelli Ground Floor meetings. Vice President of Operations Lauren Walcyzk, FCRH ’25, asked if she would be open to working with international integration for her initiative, and Narvaez said that she was planning on contacting them for this project. Nicholas Chipelo, GSB ’26, presented his campaign for the special elections position as GSB senator of the class of 2026. Chipelo began his campaign by stating that he has loved being a part of the Fordham community and would now like to give back to them. He stated that he wants to improve the learning environment and to give students better access to nutritional information at on-campus dining areas. Senator Reese Dains, FCRH ’26, asked how he plans on bridging the gap between Fordham College Rose Hill students and Gabelli students. Chipelo answered that he has not noticed a huge gap between FCRH and GSB students. However, he also stated that, if SEE SPECIAL, PAGE 4
in this issue
Opinion
Page 6
Culture
Page 11
American Conservatism Crosses Border Into Canada
Winterfest Presents: Peach Tree Rascals
Sports
Page 16
Men's Basketball Wins Five Straight Games in A-10 Play