The Fordham Ram Volume 107, Issue 14
Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918
September 17, 2025
TheFordhamRam.com
GSAS Continues Discussions Regarding GSC Pay
Fordham Launches Student Volunteer Corps
By SIENNA REINDERS NEWS EDITOR
By ANDREW MASSIE & SIDNEY BLASCO
Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) is currently undergoing discussions with Fordham’s Graduate Student Workers Union (FGSW) regarding compensation for the Graduate Student Council (GSC) president and vice president positions, according to Justin Bell, vice president of Marketing and Communications at Fordham. The ongoing conversation has delayed GSC operations and created financial issues for the current GSC president, Anya Wang GSAS ’26. The discussion surrounds the question of whether the positions should be defined as work or service to the university. Bell provided The Fordham Ram with a fact sheet regarding “claims of the CWA or their members,” which was last updated on Sept. 12. The document defines “service” as a position that provides
The Student Volunteer Corps, a new program launching this fall, will aim to connect Fordham University students with the local Bronx community through long-term volunteer opportunities. Created by Fordham’s Office of External Affairs, the Corps aims to expand service opportunities for undergraduates beyond Urban Plunge — a three-day pre-orientation program where first-years volunteer in New York City neighborhoods. It will foster ongoing engagement in areas like food security, housing and environmental justice, while also maintaining relationships between the university and community partners. “The Fordham Volunteer Corps is a brand new program that's really designed to connect students with projects that are both guided by local means and our local community partners,”
SEE GSAS, PAGE 6
SEE CORPS, PAGE 5
ANDREW MASSIE/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham recently updated its light post banners to reflect the new Gothic “F.”
Fordham’s Evolved Brand is Divisive; Admin Remains Confident it’s the Right Decision By ANDREW MASSIE FEATURES EDITOR
On move-in weekend, first-years threaded through piles of duffel bags and minifridges toward the campus bookstore, where the newest Fordham University gear had just hit the shelves. “As our new incoming class arrived for orientation, they started to get new swag,” Justin Bell, the university’s vice
president for marketing and communications, said in an interview with The Fordham Ram. “We had it in the bookstore … when students are moving in and their families are shopping, they could actually find that new merchandise.” The logo on the new gear is no longer the block “F” that generations before have worn, but a new
Gothic “F.” This change is the visible edge of a university-wide strategy which prioritizes a clearer, more consistent identity that can narrow awareness gaps, increase prestige and steady the story Fordham tells about itself. Why the Change Matters Bell says the new visual SEE REBRAND, PAGE 4
Robot Delivery Service: The Technical Side By EMMA LEONARDI ASST. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
Provost Jacobs brought 31 years of experience in Catholic higher education when he was appointed.
University Provost Dennis Jacobs Retires
By JACK MCDONALD ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Fordham University’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis C. Jacobs, Ph.D., will be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. The news was shared with members of the
university on Sept. 3 via an email by President Tania Tetlow. Jacobs began his role at Fordham University in the summer of 2019. He previously served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit institution in California.
For his nearly 40-year career in Catholic education, Jacobs has been a professor of chemistry, in addition to his roles in academic administration. Tetlow expressed gratitude for Jacobs’ commitment to Fordham and his navigation of the SEE JACOBS, PAGE 5
This article serves as a continuation of The Fordham Ram’s previous story covering the new robot delivery service on the Fordham University Rose Hill campus. As previously mentioned, the delivery robots currently service five on-campus food establishments: Bronx Bagel Company, Così, Dagger John’s, The Grotto and Urban Kitchen. The robots function during the
hours of 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and deliver from each location during the hours that align with both the establishment’s normal hours of operation as well as the delivery hours. At the time of publishing, the robots only allow for payment through dining dollars or credit card and require a delivery fee of $3.49 regardless of the dining location or specific order. “[The robots] make deliveries to 32 locations on campus, including Walsh Library, all SEE ROBOTS, PAGE 5
IN THIS ISSUE
News
Page 7
USG Hosts a 9/11 Memorial Beautification Ceremony
Opinion Page 12 Fordham Reveals the Evolved Brand That No One Asked For
Culture Page 19
Sports
Thank You, Loschert Hall
Overtime: Boxing Is Unrecognizable
Page 24