The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 108, Issue 11
September 2, 2026
TheFordhamRam.com
Fordham Extends First-Year Orientation Program
YDSA Continues Efforts for Contraceptive Resources By SIENNA REINDERS
By MURIEL CORLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
New Fordham University students experienced some program firsts during orientation last week — specifically, it was the first year of Fordham’s extended orientation, which has historically only lasted two days. Members of the class of 2030 were greeted by the warm welcomes and helping hands of orientation staff as they moved onto campus on Saturday, Aug. 22, a day earlier than the usual move-in day of Sunday. Orientation kicked off that evening, sending first-years into a three-and-a-half-day schedule of small group meetings, information assemblies, the annual candlelighting ceremony and other engaging events. Sofia Parra, GSB ’27, and Ellis O’Brien, FCRH ’28, who served as orientation leaders this year, commented on the potential reasoning behind the changes. They both sense that the density of past orientation schedules may have been a factor. “My freshman year, our schedules were so much more packed during orientation that we hardly had any downtime, and then school would just start, so there wasn’t much time to adjust and just be on campus at first,” Parra said. O’Brien expressed a similar sentiment. “Last year and my year, [orientation] was very condensed,” he said. “It felt like it was non-stop all day. There were more presentations and fewer small groups.” Right after arriving on campus, first-year Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) students are assigned to one of nearly 200 small groups that congregate on Edwards Parade every day of orientation. The groups consist of around 15 first-years or transfer students and two orientation leaders (OLs) who guide the group through daily activities. O’Brien, OL for Group 11, appreciated
The Fordham Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), an unofficial club, distributed free condoms and Plan B outside the Walsh Hall campus gate on Aug. 28. The purpose of the event, according to Raine Rodriguez, FCRH ’28, YDSA social media manager and secretary, was to make sure students have access to these resources, which the university does not provide. “It’s more than just practicing sex without pregnancies. It’s a serious health risk if you don’t provide students condoms on campus,” Rodriguez said. “Students are going to have sex no matter what. You can’t stop students from having sex, whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual sex. They’re going to have sex. People have sex, and you have to be safe about it. You have to prevent STDs.” The current Fordham University official policy on contraceptives, which is rooted in Catholic doctrine, states that “while personal possession of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and/or birth control, in any form, is not prohibited, distribution is prohibited on Fordham University property, using University resources, and at Universitysponsored events,” though exceptions may be made in the case of existing medical conditions. Matthew Smith, FCRH ’28, co-chair of YDSA, said this policy creates a gap in the Fordham community that YDSA is trying to fill. “As socialists, we know that the liberation of all people, including bodily liberation, is intertwined with every other liberation struggle,” Smith said. “So we took it upon ourselves to fill that role and to start handing out free Plan B and condoms.”
CRISTINA STEFANIZZI FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Madeleine Ando, FCRH ’27, and Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27, will serve as the executive president and executive vice president.
Who Are the USG Executive President and Vice President? By EMMA LEONARDI NEWS EDITOR
Elected this past spring, the new United Student Government (USG) Executive President for the 2026-27 school year will be Madeleine Ando, FCRH ’27, and the Executive Vice President will be Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27. The Ram sat down with both officers to learn who they are as students and student leaders. Ando is a psychology major at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) with a minor in
beginning of his sophomore year to Fordham. He was a commuter his first year at Fordham, but now lives on campus as a Resident Assistant in Alumni Court South. A fun fact about Johnson is that he won the New York City lacrosse championship in his junior year of high school. Growing up, Ando knew she wanted to be a leader of some sort. Now, she is thinking about going down the law track, an interest she has had since when she won best attorney in Washington while SEE USG, PAGE 4
BREAKING: Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catharine McGlade Leaves University By EMMA LEONARDI NEWS EDITOR
SEE ORIENTATION, PAGE 5
Former Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catharine McGlade has now parted ways with Fordham University, according to official confirmation that The Ram received from Associate Vice President for University Communications Jennifer Petra on Sept. 1. “I can confirm that Catharine McGlade has separated from the University and Juan Carlos
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political science, though she originally entered Fordham as an engineering physics major. She hails from Seattle, Washington, where she lived all her life before coming to New York City (NYC) to attend Fordham. Johnson is a mathematics and economics double major with a double minor in theology and environmental studies. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Johnson originally started his college career at State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz before transferring at the
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Matos is stepping in to cover the position,” Petra said in her email statement to The Ram. Petra did not provide further details on the matter and stated that she and other members of the administration cannot offer commentary on “personal issues.” Speculation that regarded McGlade’s departure began early in the day of Sept. 1, following a new automated reply from McGlade’s Fordham email that reads:
“Dear Sender, Catharine McGlade is no longer at the University. Please contact Juan Carlos Matos at jmatos6@fordham. edu for assistance.” The Ram reached out to Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion, but has not yet heard back. This article will be updated on The Ram’s website with more information.
IN THIS ISSUE
Page 14 Culture Dolly Parton
R
We Will Always Love You, Dolly
SEE YDSA, PAGE 5
Page 20 Sports Fordham Football
Fordham Drops Their Season Opener to Colgate