When we began the second half of the volume, we laid out a handful of important issues for the Fall semester. On the list was sexual assault, campus sustainability, free speech, college debt and Residential Life.
These particular topics were ones covered frequently in The Fordham Ram in the first half of the volume, and we expected them to continue to become widely-discussed topics.
For the most part, our expectations were not met. Most of the issues were a part of the campus conversation but did not receive extensive attention in the past few months.
We do not mean to say that positive things have not happened. The Sexual Misconduct Task Force released a lengthy report that found that Fordham University “more than sufficiently meets” its legal requirements. The report also found that the university “strives to create a culture where sexual assault cannot exist.” The report was discussed at the following Student Life Council meeting but did not receive much chatter afterward. There was also a Sexual Assault speak out in November.
In regard to sustainability, Fordham’s Sustainability Committee hosted a week of events in September, introducing a long list of interactive and revealing events.
It is not a surprise that some of these issues did not garner that much attention. After we returned to campus, there were a handful of bias and racial incidents captured the campus’s attention. There were subsequent protests and vigils, as well as countless op-eds and articles calling for university action. The incident was not an isolated one, given that there were a number of colleges that experienced similar protests on other campuses.
For the most part, the conversation around racial justice and diversity on campus was productive. There were thoughtful op-eds and the incidents received responses from administrators, including a couple of emails from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university.
The fact that these incidents received a great deal of our attention is not a bad thing by any degree.
However, it is hard not to notice that other important campus issues were affected. It is understandable that this campus can only have so many top priorities, but it is essential that we do not forget about some of the important issues facing students on a daily basis.
At Fordham, we have the brainpower and manpower for there to be more than one issue being discussed on campus. It is not surprising that we want to tackle issues that most recently upset us, but we cannot let them consume or overshadow other important campus-wide discussions.
The cycle of students is a challenge at college. We are, after all, only here for four years and, as a result, it can be a problem to follow through on our initiatives and make a valuable impact on campus life.
With half of this board being seniors (and this being our last editorial of the volume), we hope that the underclassmen assuming leadership roles take up some of these issues, as well as others that they see fit.
