The Fordham Ram Volume 108, Issue 6
Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 TheFordhamRam.com
March 18, 2026
FCRH Honors Program Celebrates 75 Years By EMMA LEONARDI NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF KARAM YOUSSEF
USG posted an advertisement on Instagram for their upcoming event where they will discuss this policy.
USG Pushes for Contraceptive Policy Amendment The Fordham University United Student Government (USG) is in the midst of lobbying the university administration for an amendment of the current contraceptive distribution policy to allow community members to distribute contraceptive materials on campus property. This has been a subject of discourse on campus for at least 60 years. Fordham’s current policy on contraceptives allows for their possession on campus but prohibits their distribution on university property, at university events or with the use of university resources. The policy makes exceptions for medical conditions such as menstrual cycle irregularities and polycystic ovary syndrome, which can be treated with the use of hormonal contraceptives. USG wants an amended policy that allows for the distribution of contraceptives on university property, while maintaining the provision prohibiting distribution at university events or with the use of university resources. Senator Henry Carstens, GSB ’29, said the policy is not intended to elicit university endorsement of contraception, but rather to give autonomy back to its students and allow students to freely distribute contraceptives. “One of the big mischaracterizations of what we’re trying to do here is we’re not trying to
seek funding,” Carstens said. “We’re not seeking even outright support for this, or allowing us to be at, like, big university-sponsored events. All we’re saying is, if I, right now, wanted to give you a condom, that’s not illegal [according] to the student handbook.” In being a Jesuit institution, Fordham’s current policy is rooted in Catholic doctrine. The Vatican first released language on contraception in Pope Pius XI’s 1930 encyclical Casti Connubii, which stated that “any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.” Executive Director of Campus Ministry Phillip Judge, S.J., explained that, as a Jesuit university, Fordham follows Catholic social tradition and teaching and promotes Catholic values. The university aims to uphold Catholic morality, which includes values like promoting free speech and the unionization of workers on campus, as well as opposing artificial contraception, according to Judge. “A Catholic university tries to follow Catholic tradition in terms of the scholarship it encourages and provides,” Judge said. “If something is not allowed, then the university is a Catholic institution and shouldn’t allow it.”
The Catholic Church is also against any promotion of the use of contraceptives, which is reflected in Fordham’s policy. In upholding this doctrine, the University Health Center (UHC) does not provide any form of contraception except for any documented medical reasons, but they do provide testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The student handbook states that the university’s primary method in addressing concerns about and preventing STIs and HIV/AIDS is educational. “Fordham University endorses the understanding of human sexuality that is consonant with Catholic tradition. This approach finds its central principles in a view that is inherently linked to mutual fidelity in family living,” the handbook states. “Although this perspective informs our programs at Fordham, it is not inconsistent with this outlook to also ensure that comprehensive information on human sexuality be made available to the University community. Fordham recognizes that responsible sexual behavior involves both a grasp of ethical and moral principles and a fully informed view of human sexuality.” Judge added that educating students on contraception does not violate Catholic doctrine. “It [doesn’t] mean that just because something is immoral, that people shouldn’t know about it,” Judge said. “Even education
2 News Peace Corps
6 Opinion U.S. Imperialism
IN THIS ISSUE
By SIENNA REINDERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Tell Their Stories
Echoes of Empire: America’s Familiar Path of War
SEE POLICY, PAGE 4
R
The Fordham University College at Rose Hill (FCRH) Honors Program celebrated 75 years since its establishment in 1951 with an exhibit highlighting the important work done by its students and a panel discussion with faculty members involved with the program on March 2. Olena Nikolayenko, professor of political science and Director of the FCRH Honors program, who moderated the panel discussion, had explained the purpose of the exhibit in an email to The Ram. “The exhibit demonstrates how the Honors Program has remained the same at its core, but it has also changed with the times,” Nikolayenko said. “Since its inception, the Honors Program has placed great emphasis on academic rigor, study abroad experiences, and a
sense of community.” She also commented on the program’s evolution over the course of its 75 years of existence and how that history was embedded in the exhibit. “The exhibit demonstrates how the Honors Program’s student body evolved from a select group of male students in the 1950s to a diverse group of students from across the United States and around the world in the 2020s,” Nikolayenko said. She detailed the items on display that students could observe if they visit the exhibit. “This exhibit draws upon items from the University’s Archives and Special Collection,” Nikolayenko said. “Exhibition items range from Fordham University yearbooks and Fordham Ram newspaper articles to Honors Program print material and photographs, SEE HONORS, PAGE 5
Fordham Hosts 2026 Convocation By EMILY TONNA EXEC. COPY EDITOR EMERITUS
Fordham University hosted its 95th annual University Convocation on March 4, where university leadership celebrated 68 of its faculty’s milestones and honored their service to Fordham. President Tania Tetlow was one of the many university leaders in attendance and commended the faculty for their decades of contributions. “This is a moment that matters more than ever, and [with] the chaos and uncertainty of the world, we
remember the sacredness of our work, of how precious it is — not just to us — but to every student whose lives we transform with opportunity,” Tetlow said. “We could not do it without each and every one of these people.” The Bene Merenti Medal, the Archbishop John Hughes Medal and the 1842 medal were presented to the faculty based on their time at Fordham and the work they do for the university. Diane Howitt, the executive director of the New York City SEE EVENT, PAGE 5
EMILY TONNA FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham University President Tania Tetlow attended the event.
12 Culture College Friendship Fordham Frienships Last A Lifetime
15 Sports Men’s Basketball Rams Eliminated in A-10 Tournament