Among Fordham’s many rich traditions, the ringing of the Victory Bell outside the Rose Hill Gym holds special significance. The bell tolls at the start of every commencement, and it signals hard-fought wins in Fordham sports venues. In May 2019, the University’s Office of Military and Veterans’ Services instituted a bell-ringing ceremony to honor veterans in the graduating class.

Here’s your chance to brush up on the roots of these historic traditions.

Original use: The bell was a fixture on the Japanese aircraft carrier Junyo during World War II.

How it came to Fordham: Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who had received an honorary degree from the University in 1944, presented the bell to Fordham in 1946 and dedicated it as a memorial to “Our Dear Young Dead of World War II.”

First campus bellringer: U.S. President Harry S. Truman, visiting Fordham on May 11, 1946, to mark the University’s centenary under a New York state charter, was the first person to ring the bell in its new home on campus. Fordham presented Truman with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, and in a speech, the president stressed the need to support higher education to “master the science of human relationships” and build peace throughout the world.

VIDEO: Watch this short 2016 piece on the history of the Fordham Victory Bell.

RELATED STORY: Celebrating 100 Years of Rose Hill Gym: A Thrilling Legacy

They’re coming off a 6-5 2023 season highlighted by a thrilling last-second victory against league-rival Lehigh at the annual Homecoming game. And although they dropped the Aug. 29 season opener against Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Bowling Green State University, they’re returning eight out of 11 starters on both offense and defense—and preseason polls indicate that the rising Rams are set to challenge defending-champion Lafayette for the Patriot League title.

The Rams’ first home game will be the Homecoming matchup against Stony Brook University on Saturday, September 14. 

Here are three things to watch this season. 

An Explosive, Dynamic Offense

Junior quarterback CJ Montes—a finalist for the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)—had an outstanding first season with the Rams last year after transferring from the University of New Mexico. He led the Patriot League in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

And he has racked up many preseason honors, including being named to the 2024 Walter Payton Award watch list.

Montes will be joined once again by senior running back Julius Loughridge, who was third in the Patriot League in touchdowns and fourth in rushing yards per game last year.

Veteran Presence on Defense

Last year’s team MVP, lineman Matt Jaworski, kicks off this season with multiple preseason recognitions, including being named the 2024 Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Jaworski said he and fellow returning starters, including senior linebacker James Conway and grad student defensive back Nahil Perkins, will help the Rams have a balanced attack. 

“That’s been a big emphasis for us all summer—putting all pieces together with offense and defense grooving more together, rather than just having a good defensive game or a good offensive game,” Jaworski said. 

The defense also added a familiar face to its coaching staff: Ryan Greenhagen, GABELLI ’22, ’23, is now an assistant coach, working with the outside linebackers. Greenhagen, who played linebacker for the Rams, graduated as the team’s all-time leading tackler and was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Award, nicknamed the “Academic Heisman.”

An Autumn Matchup Against the Defending Champs on Family Weekend

Last year’s Patriot League champion Lafayette is set to visit Rose Hill on Saturday, October 5, during Fordham’s annual Family Weekend celebration. The Leopards are heading into the season strong, ranked 17th and 18th in national polls for the FCS conference. Get your tickets now to see the Rams in action against one of the best teams in the league.

In his senior year, the Rams won the 1987 Liberty Conference title—an experience that helped him see the value of “finding a niche for yourself” on the team and contributing “in a meaningful manner” even if you aren’t the “star” player, he said.

He also found a mentor in Rich Marrin Sr., FCRH ’67, LAW ’70, a former Fordham football player who helped Curcio navigate Fordham Law School and his early career.

Today, Curcio is an equity partner at Quirk and Bakalor, a law firm in Garden City, New York. And he’s following in Marrin’s footsteps as president of the Gridiron Club, a booster club for Fordham football alumni and others who wish to support the team—with fundraising, yes, but also through one-on-one mentoring.

“We have these career nights for the kids on the team, where we give them the opportunity to ask us questions about different industries and how we can help them make connections in those fields,” Curcio said. “I’m trying to help out in every way I can.”

A lifelong New Yorker, Curcio was born in Parkchester, not too far from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. His family moved to the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens when he was just 2 years old, but they were back in the Bronx often—to visit his grandmother, for afternoon trips to the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo with his aunt and cousins, and for family parties on Arthur Avenue.

When it was time for college, Curcio was drawn to Fordham—and to the opportunity to continue playing football. “I had a friend from high school that was on the team who took an interest in bringing me up there, having me visit with the coach, that kind of thing—and I just fell in love with the campus,” he said.

Today, Curcio is not the only Ram in the family: He and his wife, Christine, are members of the Parent Ambassador Committee. And their son, Matthew, graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 2022.

Fordham Five

 What are you most passionate about?
I try to make it a rule to be passionate about whatever it is I’m doing at the time. More specifically, I am passionate about traveling, food, Fordham football, and the New York Rangers.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?Whatever you’re doing, do it. I know it’s a necessary skill in this day and age, but I find that if you’re multitasking, you’re often doing two things wrong at the same time.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
I love New York City—I have never had an address outside of New York City and have a chip on my shoulder about being from the greatest city in the world. There are so many places we love, but if I had to pick two, I’d say the 1964–’65 Panorama Map of New York City at the Queens Museum and Madison Square Garden. The former has fascinated me since I was a little kid, and the latter has been a mainstay in my life since my dad, who is no longer with us, started taking me to Ranger games when I was 6 or 7. I’ve shared season tickets with a buddy from high school for the past 30 years. When I look up at that iconic ceiling, I feel at home.

In the world, we’ve been fortunate to travel a good amount, and there are a ton of places that have left me with great memoires, especially along the Amalfi coast. But to pick one specifically, I’d probably have to say Notre Dame—the cathedral in Paris, not the school in South Bend. We were there when my son was 12, and we walked up to the top and took pictures with all the gargoyles. They’re absolutely some of my favorite photos of him. It really hit home to see it burning on television. We’ve made donations to the restoration effort.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Who Moved My Cheese. I wish I had a more profound response, but this simple book about change in your life has left a lasting influence. I’ve gone back to it a couple of times at different transition times over the years.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I’d have to start with my head football coach, Larry Glueck. The life lessons learned playing for him have served me well. Rich Marrin Sr., who was president of the Gridiron Club when I was a player, helped guide me when making the tough decision to go to law school. He also made me understand the importance of paying that mentoring role forward, and he gave me the advice listed above.

John Lumelleau, FCRH ’74; John Costantino, GABELLI ’67, LAW ’70; John Zizzo, FCRH ’69; Pete Signori, GABELLI ‘68—and all the other gentlemen who played football before me and remain involved with the program, including former teammate and law school classmate Judge Robert Holdman, FCRH ’86, LAW ’91, who reached out and brought me back to be a part of the Gridiron Club.

“The restoration of football changed the entire dynamic of the University,” energizing students and prompting many alumni to reengage with Fordham, said Costantino, a 1967 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business and 1970 graduate of Fordham Law School.

These days, he and his wife, Barbara Costantino, are continuing to invest in this school spirit by giving to Fordham athletics. They are among the University’s most generous benefactors, as signified by the naming of the Costantino Room at the law school and the Fordham Founder’s Award presented to them in 2018.

They’ve supported everything from the law school’s Neuroscience and Law Center to its Feerick Center for Social Justice and WFUV, Fordham’s public media station, as well as various undergraduate scholarship funds.

But athletics are especially resonant for them. They’ve given to a wide variety of sports programs—softball, soccer, sailing, others—and co-led the fundraising for a new suite of football offices at the Rose Hill campus.

Basketball at the Forefront

And they’ve invested in Fordham basketball, one of the programs that is firing up Fordham the most these days—in particular, the men’s program, with its performance that is prompting comparisons with the program’s glory days under head coach Richard “Digger” Phelps in 1971.

The Costantinos traveled with the women’s and men’s teams in February as the teams were amassing their respective regular season records of 18-11 and 24-7. “We have really wonderful student-athletes at Fordham. We’re very lucky,” John Costantino said, noting their courteous behavior as well as the strong academic records they maintain, despite packed schedules.

Athletics is a pillar of the University’s $350 million fundraising campaign, Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, because of its potential to engage students and alumni and raise the University’s national profile.

The men’s team seems to show this potential, John Costantino said. “The students are responding, there’s no question,” he said, citing the sellout crowds for recent games. He also lauded Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University, for her commitment to athletics as an important part of the University experience. “I think she’s terrific—she goes to the games, she cares, she’s a believer in athletics,” he said.

For the Costantinos, supporting athletics has provided a lifelong source of camaraderie and community. “We made so many lasting friendships,” said John, a former managing partner of NGN Capital and a Fordham trustee emeritus. “It’s been, for us, a real joy to be involved.”

What are the roots of your longstanding giving to Fordham athletics?
Barbara and I both had athletics in our families. I always loved sports—I was playing since early childhood in Brooklyn. I played football and intramural basketball and played baseball until I was almost 22. My father brought me to my first baseball game, a Brooklyn Dodgers game. When I was at Fordham, the restoration of football really brought out the school spirit because of the great history of the Seven Blocks of Granite [the famous Fordham football line that included Vince Lombardi, FCRH ’37]. I think Barbara and I went to every game before I graduated from Gabelli.

Athletics are a very important part of the university experience—for players, the other students, and also for alumni. Through athletics, we’ve met so many good people, and knowing a lot of these people helped my career. When you know people and they trust you and they’ve enjoyed being with you, they will reach out and help when they can. And that extends to giving—we have friends that are very involved in the sailing program, for instance, so we support that, and they’ve supported us on football and baseball and so forth, like a quid pro quo, as we say in the law.

What do you think is the most important ingredient in a sports team’s success?
I think principally it’s leadership. A coach who’s successful can be tough sometimes, and that results in raising the quality of play. But in the end, you have to show you care about those players. It’s a very fine line. The other thing is the sense of team. It isn’t a one-man show or one-woman show, it’s a team, and teams win games. One thing you learn playing athletics is how to work with diverse people, how to deal with a lot of things, because you don’t necessarily like everybody in that room, but you try. And when it does work, it’s quite magical, I think.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Barbara: Don’t forget where you come from. Keep your friends, try to be good to people, and maintain your ties.

John: I actually had two. My father told me, “Treat people like you want to be treated.”

Do you have any advice for today’s graduates as they launch their careers?
I think the key is to work hard, just as hard as you “work” while you’re playing. And do the right thing, even though it’s painful, because in the end it’ll serve you much better.

To ask about contributing to Fordham athletics, contact Kara Field, director of athletic development and assistant athletic director, at 973-223-2157 or [email protected].

“I stand on the shoulders of hundreds of people who saw something in me and who gave me an opportunity to be successful,” he said. “It was up to me to continue to push forward, but there were hundreds of people who actually pried the door open or at least gave me a glimpse of what success looked like.”

As a member of the President’s Council—a group of successful alumni who are committed to mentoring Fordham’s future leaders, funding key initiatives, and raising the University’s profile—and a loyal supporter of both Fordham athletics and the Fordham Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, Caldwell said he is able to pay it forward to students who “need that one shot or opportunity. That’s all it took for me to get where I am today: just somebody opening the door and showing me what’s possible.”

Redefining Success

Caldwell and his siblings were raised by their mother, Dawn, in Baltimore. He didn’t have much ambition as a kid: His goals were to earn a high school diploma, secure a job in government, and have a baby—“that was what the legal route of success was,” he said. Though Caldwell is close to his mother and counts her as the most positive influence in his life, as a kid, the most financially successful people in his life were drug dealers.

“I vividly remember modeling myself behind my uncle, who was in that life and who sold drugs, and trying to be like him because he was the richest person I knew, thinking, ‘If I want to be rich … then I need to do what he does or act like him,’” he said.

Fortunately, Caldwell was a talented athlete who earned a basketball scholarship to attend St. Paul’s School for Boys, a college preparatory school outside of Baltimore. And when two of his brothers were murdered when he was in high school, prompting his mother to send him to live with one of his classmates, he got a glimpse at another kind of success: His classmates were thinking about colleges and careers, and they had both a “mom and a dad at home,” showing him “oh, this is what a family looks like.” Caldwell realized that not only did he now want the same things, but with a bit of focus and effort, he could persevere and earn them. When he earned a football scholarship to attend Fordham, he got his chance.

Leveraging an Injury for a Master’s Degree

At Fordham, Caldwell studied finance at the Gabelli School of Business. Though he had a new focus and determination, he said he couldn’t have succeeded without the support he received on campus: He, and countless other student-athletes, had a Catholic nun, Ann Walsh, R.H.S.M., behind them. As a sort of second mom, “she was the person that, if we were doing something we shouldn’t have been doing, would discipline us in her beautiful way. … You could tell it came with love,” he said.

She would “bring you to her office and walk you through an entire book; she’d read an entire book with you to make sure that you understood the coursework,” he said. “She went above and beyond what her job required to help us succeed. She will always be one of the catalysts of my success.”

During his first year on the football team, Caldwell was injured, giving him the option to come back for a fifth year to play. He agreed, but only if he could get into a master’s program. He did: He earned a B.S. in finance in 2010, an M.A. in humanities in 2011, and an M.B.A. in 2017.

Getting a Leg Up from the Fordham Network

Though he worked hard and made the most of the support and opportunities the University offered him, Caldwell is the first to point out that he owes many of his career breaks to the Fordham alumni network.

He learned about his first job after graduation, as an associate on the variable annuity sales desk at MetLife, from one of his teammates, whose father was an executive at the company. Since then, he’s worked at three other companies, and every job he’s gotten since he graduated has been through a Fordham alumnus.

Arguably the most important connection he forged at the University, though, was with Katheryn Pereyra-Caldwell, FCRH ’08, now his wife. Already parents to 2-year-old Chloe, the couple is expecting their second child, a boy, in November.

“I met my wife at Fordham,” he said. “The first three clients I brought on here at Goldman have been Fordham alumni. … Fordham has just been the anchor of my career, of my time and my life here in New York City, so I feel like it’s my duty to give back as much as I can.”

Holding Open the Door

Caldwell said he feels indebted to the University for “opening so many doors, creating so many opportunities when it comes to jobs, or advice, or mentors,” and that’s why he feels that it’s his duty to give back however he can—sharing his time, speaking at events, giving financially.

This past May, Caldwell attended a graduation reception at the Rose Hill campus for first-generation college students, getting to know the small group of attendees and encouraging them to stay in touch.

Through such events and serving on the President’s Council, Caldwell said he believes he’s in the best position to help pry open doors for Fordham students from backgrounds similar to his own, students who just need a chance to thrive. He also hopes that, with that support, those students feel empowered to take risks.

“I wish I would’ve taken more chances [growing up],” he said. “As a Black man in America, I felt like I didn’t have that many chances, so when I get this one opportunity, I got to take it and I got to make the most of it. Now how I look at life is it’s okay to fail. It’s okay to fall short or to start over. It’s not about how many times you get knocked down; what’s more important is how many times you get back up.”

Fordham Five (Plus One)

What are you most passionate about?
I’m most passionate about the next generation. Some would argue that I’m a success story, but what they fail to realize is that I could not get to where I am in life without the help of others. Because of this, I feel like it’s my duty to give back to the next generation. This is why I go out of my way to help as many people as I can.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?  
Don’t be afraid to take risk. Success in my mind is about how many times you get back up after being knocked down.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
This is a tough question. When I was younger, I would have said the end zone after scoring a touchdown on the football field at Fordham, but now I would say the whale room at the American Museum of Natural History, [where I go]with my 2-year-old daughter, Chloe.

My favorite place in the world is back home in Baltimore with my mom and siblings, enjoying a bushel of Maryland blue crabs.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
The Daily Stoic, a book written by Ryan Holiday that provides 366 meditations on peace, wisdom, and perseverance. Each day, you’re supposed to read an excerpt from the book, which gives you a full day of insight and reflection.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?  
The Fordham grad that I admire the most is my wife: one of the hardest workers I know. She has overcome a tremendous amount of adversity and is now a well-respected attorney.

What are you optimistic about?  
Although the political and social landscape has been rocky, I am encouraged when I see diversity in leadership at big institutions like Fordham University. I haven’t had a chance to meet Tania Tetlow yet, but I’m excited to see the first woman and first lay president to lead Fordham University since it was founded.

In their first home game of the season, the undefeated Rams did not disappoint, rallying for 21 fourth-quarter points to secure a thrilling 48-45 victory before an enthusiastic crowd on Jack Coffey Field.

“Each and every visit is better than the one before,” said Julie (D’Attilio) Gautam, who has been coming back to campus since she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Fordham in 1989. “I think it looks beautiful, and I’m really excited for the next phase—the new president and bringing all of this incredible investment to building together without losing the spirit and history.”

Gautam’s son, Brij, is now a junior in the Gabelli School of Business, and on Saturday, she arrived early with her husband, Manish, and their daughter, Jaya, to take part in a campus tour led by Patricia Peek, Ph.D., FCRH ’90, GSAS ’92, ’07, dean of undergraduate admission.

“I’m a senior in high school right now, but I’ve been coming to Homecoming my whole life, so I feel like I know the school, and I love the school, so I’m very excited to apply,” Jaya said after the tour, which was co-led by Ben Reilly, a Fordham College at Rose Hill senior.

Near the residence halls, Peek and Reilly joked that students might be sleeping in a bit after the semiformal President’s Ball, which kicked off at 9 p.m. on Friday and didn’t end until 1 in the morning. About 4,000 undergraduates from the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses—the most to date—enjoyed dancing and refreshments under the tents on Edwards Parade, many getting their first chance to meet Fordham’s new president.

Meanwhile, recent graduates kicked off Homecoming weekend downtown with the Young Alumni Yacht Cruise on Friday night. The annual event, open this year to graduates from the classes of 2012 through 2022, drew about 800 alumni and friends. Together, they cruised around lower Manhattan while enjoying cocktails, dancing, and a buffet dinner.

And They’re Off

By 9 a.m. on Saturday, a few dozen members of the Fordham community had taken their marks near the McShane Campus Center for the 11th annual 5K Ram Run. Runners completed three loops around campus before finishing by the Victory Bell in front of the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium.

Michael Parrinello, a junior studying finance, ran with his sister, Lauren, for the second year in a row, as their parents, Michael and Theresa, cheered them on from sidelines. “It’s a fun time,” Michael Sr. said. “They look forward to the race, and we’re looking forward to the football game.”

Shannon Baurkot, a senior studying applied mathematics, was fired up to join alumni in the race. After her first lap, she leaped into the air to high-five Ramses, the Fordham mascot, before continuing down Constitution Row toward the University Church.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “Honestly, it’s just such a great way to start Homecoming; I couldn’t have asked for a better way.”

Welcoming a New President

After the Ram Run and campus tour, alumni and guests gathered in the Great Hall of the McShane Campus Center, where President Tania Tetlow shared some words of welcome in a fireside-style chat with Sally Benner, FCRH ’84, chair of the Fordham University Alumni Association (FUAA) Advisory Board.

The discussion came a few days after Tetlow’s first State of the University address, where she emphasized the power of the University as a “force multiplier” and an “agent of change.”

“When you look at the trajectory of schools, the ones where alumni really invest—and by that I mean in all of the ways that you do—those are the ones that lean forward,” Tetlow told the Homecoming audience. “So, the fact that Fordham alumni are so engaged, that they want to pay forward the opportunity they received here, that they care so much about this place, that’s a big part of why we are where we are today.”

Field Full of Memories

After the session, Tetlow headed to Edwards Parade to greet alumni, students, families, and friends as they entered the Homecoming tents. More than 2,000 people enjoyed boxed lunches, drinks, games, music, and even some shopping for Fordham-themed jewelry and swag while catching up with each other and learning about upcoming alumni events and one of the University’s newest alumni affinity groups.

As he hung out in the loyal donor tent, Richard Calabrese, FCRH ’72, recalled his days playing quarterback on an intramural football team. “On this very field,” he said, “there are good memories. It was fun. Our fall afternoons were great.”

Homecoming fell on roughly the same date that Calabrese and his wife, Angela, a 1972 College of New Rochelle graduate, met at an on-campus party more than five decades ago. They come to Homecoming every few years from their Florida home. “Today is probably going to be the best experience we’ve ever had here—based on the people we’re with, and the weather,” he said.

He and Angela were visiting with their friends Jacqueline and Fred Schwanwede, both members of the Class of 1972 who were on the sailing team as students.

Asked about his best Fordham memory, Fred pointed to Jacqueline and said just two words: “meeting her.”

Across the grass, in the family tent, Michelle Acosta, FCRH ’98, and her husband, Mark, sat with their 6-year-old daughter, Valentina, who’d availed herself of the face painting station. The couple got married at the University Church in 2010, and Michelle, a philosophy major who has since gone on to practice law on Long Island, had made it a point to come to just about every Homecoming. After a three-year hiatus, she said it was great to be back.

“It truly feels like coming home. There’s the familiar sights, the familiar energy, and there are also new things I haven’t had a chance to check out since the last timeI was here,” she said.

“Valentina has seen all the pictures of our wedding and we like to take her back there, too, to see the church where we got married. I think she definitely can participate more and she’ll have more of a memory. The last time we went to the football game, she was so little, and she was afraid of the Ram. I don’t think that’ll happen this year,” she said laughing.

Harnessing the Spirit of Homecoming to Spread Awareness

Elsewhere, in the main tent, J. Iris Kim, GABELLI ’07, and Mark Son, LAW ’10, helmed a table where they spoke with alumni and students about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) alumni chapter, established in 2020 by Christopher P. Lee, FCRH ’71, LAW ’79, amid rising incidents of anti-Asian aggression across New York City and the country.

It’s been a little challenging for them to connect with alumni in person during the pandemic, which is why Kim and Son, two of the group’s co-leaders, decided to set up a table at this year’s Homecoming.

“We want to promote AAPI issues and just awareness of our presence on campus,” Kim said. “We’re relatively new, so we’re just really trying to get our name out there. We’re also hoping to connect with some of the student groups on campus, so we can have that connection with the students who will become alums.”

Son said that they’ve been advocating and supporting work taking place at the University toward creating an Asian American studies program. With support from two University grants—an Arts & Sciences Deans’ Challenge Grant and a Teaching Race Across the Curriculum Grant from the chief diversity officer—a group of Fordham professors is currently developing a curriculum for a minor in the subject.

“May is AAPI Heritage Month, so we’ve been celebrating every year,” said Son, who noted that the group is also working to add programming and partnerships, including with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Fordham Law School’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law. The goal of all this work, he said, is to build Fordham pride and “get more people to come out and support these issues.”

Alumni Bookworms Are Back for Round Two

Other attendees stopped by a table piled high with copies of The Complicities, the new novel from Stacey D’Erasmo, associate professor of English at Fordham University. Chosen for the latest Forever Fordham Alumni Book Club, The Complicities tells the story of Suzanne Flaherty, a woman attempting to rebuild her life after her now ex-husband is found guilty of financial crimes and sentenced to prison.

Maureen Corrigan-Connell, GRE ’94, ’95, a Yonkers-based Montessori teacher, said she’s looking forward to reading D’Erasmo’s other books after she finishes The Complicities. She decided to read the novel, and join the alumni book club, in memory of her husband, John, a 1974 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill who was an avid reader.

She’s also enjoying the break from education books.

“When the school year is in, it’s education books and all things Montessori, so I must say that when I do pick up a book I like a certain amount of romance, fiction, and history that dates to a place that I haven’t been.”

Tales from the Tailgate

In the parking lot, Blaine and Missy Lavergne were enjoying their first time tailgating on the Rose Hill campus. The couple, natives of Lafayette, Louisiana, were there to support their daughter Maggie, a first-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student and a member of the cheerleading squad.

The Lavergnes are big Louisiana State University fans, but for the occasion, they were dressed to the hilt in maroon. Both sported custom-made sneakers with the Fordham logo that one of their other daughters had made for the occasion, and Blaine had fashioned a Fordham flag into a cape. Their spread was merely a test run for Family Weekend on October 1, when they plan to return with the whole family to cheer on Fordham football against Georgetown.

“Maggie interviewed at all of these out-of-state schools, and she just fell in love with Fordham,” Blaine said. “As a Catholic dad, it just fired me up that she would choose a Catholic university. She’s in the best of both worlds: She’s here at a traditional campus, and she gets the beauty of New York and Broadway in Manhattan. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

A few spots away, Lea O’Rourke, a senior at the Gabelli School of Business, was playing cornhole and enjoying coffee and bagels with friends and her parents, Barbara and Kevin. Barbara’s father, Marc Angelillo Jr., FCLC ‘50, played football when he was an undergraduate, and she has fond memories of visiting Rose Hill as a child.

“We grew up coming to the alumni weekends, where he would reconnect with all of his friends,” she said. “My father would drag all six children here and we would enjoy the day.”

For Leah, this year’s Homecoming felt like a long time coming. She attended her first in 2019, but she didn’t know many people at the time, and for the past two years, the pandemic made it challenging to really enjoy the day.

“I am ready for the first of the last tailgates. They are so well put together by my mom, and I’m just so excited. It’s crazy that that was my freshman year,” she said remembering 2019, “and now we’re here.”

Rams Remain Undefeated

At 1 p.m., fans made their way to Jack Coffey Field to watch the then 2-0 Rams take on the University at Albany Great Danes. The Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but they soon fell behind in what became a back-and-forth contest.

Staring at an 11-point deficit with 15 minutes to go, senior quarterback Tim DeMorat was unfazed. He led his team to a 21-point fourth quarter and a thrilling 48-45 victory. The win brought the Rams to 3-0 on the season—the team’s best start since 2013, when Fordham advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs and finished the year ranked No. 10 in the country.

John J. Pettenati, FCRH ’81, took in the action on the field from the roof of one of the trailers reserved for members of the Maroon Club. A history major who would go on to work in the banking industry, he’s been a season ticket holder since his days as an undergraduate.

“We are a football school,” he said. “And it’s great, bringing alumni and students together in the fall. To me, this is the easiest thing to do. I mean, it’s not terribly expensive, it’s entertaining, I’m supporting my college, and I’m outside. Those are all wonderful things.”

Zakelj, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the Gabelli School of Business in 2021, learned in October of his senior year that, due to the COVID-shortened football season, the NCAA would grant him and all other student-athletes an extra year of eligibility. This meant that Zakejl had the chance to play five seasons, instead of four—something that wasn’t initially part of his plan.

“I’ll be able to play for another year—while pursuing a master’s degree in the business school after graduating in May,” he told Fordham Magazine in fall 2020. “That’s something that I wouldn’t have been able to do, so I try to take it as a blessing in disguise, really. And my goal of getting drafted into the NFL is the same; it’s just pushed back.”

In addition to achieving his big postgrad goal, Zakelj will earn a master’s degree in business analytics from the Gabelli School this month. A four-year starter for the football team, he served as a 2021 team captain and helped the Fordham Rams’ passing offense finish 11th in the NCAA FCS division last season. He also became one of only 24 players in Patriot League history to earn All-League honors for all four years.

Joe Conlin, Fordham’s head football coach, told The Athletic that Zakelj’s football intelligence and approach to the game reminded him of current 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

“[Zakelj’s] one of the smartest football players I’ve ever been around,” Conlin said. “Nick and Kyle are very similar in how they approach practice and how they think about the game. Those guys just absorb it. It’s very important to them. He’ll take care of his body. He’ll be a great asset.”

Zakelj played offensive tackle in college, but NFL scouts have said he could move inside to play guard. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted in his draft analysis of Zakelj that he “plays with athletic hands and feet in pass protection,” and is “agile and fluid in redirecting his weight and mirroring rushers.”

He joins former Fordham running back Chase Edmonds, FCRH ’18, in the NFL. Edmonds was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2018 draft and, after four seasons with the Cardinals, signed with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

So when Glenn Lesko, chief growth officer at DASH Financial Technologies, an agency-only brokerage and technology provider, approached the team about putting together an internship program for Fordham football players, Conlin said it was a natural fit.

“It’s our job to develop them as football players, but it’s also our job to help them as best we can achieve future success,” Conlin said. “In the recruiting process, when I sit down in a living room with parents or guardians of student-athletes, I make a promise to them that I’m going to work as hard as I can to create those opportunities for them.”

Conlin said the partnership with DASH, which provides participating Fordham football players with a paid internship, is an example of that. And DASH is just one of more than 3,500 organizations in Fordham’s internship network, according to the Office of Career Services.

A Fordham Connection

For Lesko, the partnership with Fordham is a way to recruit talented interns while honoring his late father, William S. Lesko, M.D., a 1958 Fordham College at Rose Hill graduate.

“He went [to Fordham]to play football, but they canceled the program [in 1954, his first year],” Lesko said. “But my dad also had varied interests. He wanted to go to medical school; he was a naturalist and loved the [New York] Botanical Garden and bird-watching and all these other things. And so he went to Fordham [even though]he didn’t get the opportunity to play football.”

After graduating from Fordham, William Lesko earned a medical degree from Seton Hall University and in 1968, he founded North Jersey Eye Associates in Clifton, N.J., where he practiced ophthalmology for nearly 50 years. He died in early 2019, and shortly after, Glenn Lesko learned from one of his father’s former colleagues that a few Fordham football student-athletes were looking for internships. Lesko said he reviewed their resumes and had a thought: “Some of our best guys went to Fordham. We have three really strong performers at DASH that are Fordham alums.”

Then the idea came together—honor his father’s love for his alma mater by providing Fordham student-athletes with opportunities through the Dr. William S. Lesko Internship program.

“[My dad] always thought about the ideal student-athlete as being very positive and productive, people who can handle a high academic workload and also go out there and do all the work that’s required on the fields and also maintain other interests,” Lesko said. “People like that really have a great chance for success.”

The partnership, which offers paid internships, is available to high-achieving players who meet certain criteria, including “class performance, athletic commitment, and well roundedness.”

Conlin said that Fordham football players develop a range of skills, on and off the field, that serve them well in internships and careers.

“Our guys have to [learn]time management, they handle adverse situations [and]… obviously they work in a team every day,” he said. “The 11 guys in football have to function together in order to have success, and it’s a cliché, but it’s true that if one or two guys aren’t doing what they need to do, something very, very bad can happen. And that’s obviously a microcosm of the real world.”

Lesko noted that teamwork and discipline are two keys for success that many student-athletes already have.

“I found that student-athletes are really great in teamwork, goal-driven environments—they understand team goals, they understand how you can collaborate, and also be super focused on the goal,” he said. “And, obviously, discipline—you’re not going to get through a great school like Fordham and also put all the hours that are required into your sport without being a disciplined, hard worker.”

Putting Liberal Arts Skills into Practice

One Fordham football player, Jack Gildea, GABELLI ’21, has participated in the internship program, which began in 2020, and current DASH employees and Fordham alumni said that they are excited for the program to expand.

Hunter McCarthy, FCRH ’16, a director at DASH, said that Fordham’s core curriculum and its emphasis on the tools a liberal arts education can provide helped him develop critical thinking skills that have served him well in the fast-paced financial technology industry.

“I think just sort of the breadth of the education—all the different subjects that you learn about, you become a jack of all trades,” said McCarthy, who majored in international political economy. “Just being able to learn a lot of different fields is something that has been useful for me at DASH. When you work at a smaller company, you’re put into different roles, and it’s up to you to wear a lot of different hats.”

McCarthy said that he’s noticed some common traits among Fordham students and alumni he has worked with at DASH.

“They’re more than willing to help—you get put in a lot of different group projects, but you’re also asked to work independently. So you have to have different skill sets for different times,” he said. “And I think they’ve more than demonstrated that they have those skill sets. Whatever scenario might come up, whatever we might need—you’re not going to get anything but their best effort.”

Eugene Kearns, FCRH ’99, a managing director at DASH, said that blend of adaptability and a strong work ethic is especially important during this time when many people are working remotely.

“I think in a virtual experience, you’re going to need to be self-motivated, you’re going to have to be able to be a problem solver, and those skill sets are going to be so important,” he said. “I think Fordham being a city university, it becomes more natural.”

In addition to fostering partnerships with companies, like the one with DASH, Fordham’s Office of Career Services has been working with the alumni relations office to connect students and recent graduates with internship and career opportunities through the Rams Helping Rams program and other initiatives. To learn more, visit the career services section of the Fordham website.

“I want to give back to places that helped shape who I am,” says Dawson, who majored in economics at Fordham, was an All-Patriot League linebacker for the Rams, and earned a spot on the league’s academic honor roll. “I’ve been giving my time and input to drive things toward what’ll be beneficial for more people. I think that’s something that’s really valuable.”

Returning to His High School, in Several Roles

After graduating from Fordham College at Rose Hill, Dawson returned to Hayes (as the school is known) to serve as the football team’s linebackers coach. He later took on an expanded role as defensive coordinator.

In January 2020, he joined the school’s administrative team as assistant director of alumni engagement, and by November he was promoted to director. In this role, Dawson organizes events for alumni, solicits donations for student scholarships and financial aid, and communicates with young alumni to keep them engaged and up to date on what’s happening at the school.

Dawson’s days are long, he says, but he relishes the opportunity to help students get in the door and thrive at Hayes, noting that his recruitment work for the football program provides a clear example of the benefits derived from alumni donations.

“We have to find a way to fund people and come up with financial assistance for kids who can’t afford to pay full tuition,” Dawson says. “So that ties right back into my job in the alumni office of soliciting donations to go toward tuition assistance.”

Showing Up and Being a Presence

Dawson’s affinity for both Fordham and Hayes is made even stronger by the links between the two Bronx schools.

In 2015, Fordham developed a partnership with Hayes—home to many African American and Hispanic students who would potentially be the first in their families to attend college. That partnership began with a mentoring program that pairs Fordham undergraduates with Hayes students, and it has grown to include ongoing collaborations with WFUV, Fordham’s public media station; the Gabelli School of Business; and the Graduate School of Education, among other areas of the University.

Recently, Dawson worked on a project in which leaders at Hayes tapped Gabelli marketing students to compete to create a new slogan and banner for the school’s capital campaign, with the winning designs to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

At Fordham, Dawson and several other former Fordham football players have started what he calls “a mentorship group for Black and brown student-athletes.” While they have only worked with football players so far, they hope to expand their mentorship roles across other sports, as well.

One of the things that drew Dawson to join the FUAA Advisory Board, he says, was the opportunity to let fellow graduates know that, while alumni giving can make a big difference in students’ lives, there are other ways to give back to Fordham.

“I know a lot of times, alumni feel like being part of the school is only an option if you can donate,” Dawson says. “And I’m trying to tell them, ‘Listen, you can show up to events and be a presence. And that’s giving back to the school in a big way.’”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
I think I’m most passionate about helping people. Being able to give back, whether it’s advice or shared experiences, I think that’s what I’m most passionate about.

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received?
I got a quote from one of my teachers in high school. They said, “You’ve got to do what you have to do, so that you can do what you want to do.” And that kind of sat with me. It resonated with me, just because that’s how life is. You’ve got to put in the work in order to have fun. And if you try to have fun before you put the work in, that’s when things don’t usually work out for you.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? What’s your favorite place in the world?
Favorite place in New York City has to be my hometown, Soundview, in the Bronx. I love that place more than anything. And then in the world? I haven’t really traveled much. But I took a trip to Toronto two years ago and that was amazing. I loved it. It was awesome. We went in the winter, so it was pretty cold out there. But if I could do it again, I’d definitely go back to Toronto at least three or four more times.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America by John Lewis. I read it the year right after I graduated. It was very powerful. It’s pretty much an autobiography, with him just talking about his experiences and the civil rights movement through his eyes. [There are] a lot of gems that last with you for a while, in terms of inspirational stuff and motivational stuff, and stuff to make you want to effect change. It was really powerful.

Who’s the Fordham grad or professor that you admire the most?
I would say Judge Robert Holdman [FCRH ’86, LAW ’91] . He’s part of the Gridiron Club [support group for Fordham football], and he’s always been there for me. He’s been a mentor and a resource for me since I started at Fordham. And then I’ll throw in a bonus one: my boy, my [former Fordham]teammate Chase Edmonds. I was with him the day of the [2018 NFL] draft, and we’ve been really close since he got to Fordham. I’m a year older than he is. So seeing him get to the NFL and then continue to do the things that he did in college is pretty cool.

Students responded by forming Fordham Connect, a group that aims to support all student-athletes, with a focus on mental health and issues of social justice and racial equality. And as practices resumed this fall, with safety guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the disease on campus, student-athletes said they have regained a sense of camaraderie—and a deeper appreciation of what their sports mean to them.

Jade Dyer-Kennedy

Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2022

Majors: Journalism and Spanish Studies

Track and Field: Triple Jump and Long Jump

“Training without knowing what we’re training for is weird. Am I training just to stay in shape? Am I training for my coach? Or am I training to see how well I can do? If you’re doing any sport in college, it takes up a lot of time on top of schoolwork and ‘work work’ and internships. So being around everyone who has love for it and wakes up at six o’clock every morning to come run—it motivates you.”

Nick Zakelj

Gabelli School of Business, Class of 2021

Major: Finance

Football: Offensive Lineman

“COVID has affected eligibility in ways that I’ll be able to play for another year—while pursuing a master’s degree in the business school after graduating in May. That’s something that I wouldn’t have been able to do, so I try to take it as a blessing in disguise, really. And my goal of getting drafted into the NFL is the same; it’s just pushed back. I can’t wait to put on the jersey, whether that’s in the spring or next fall.”

Jenna Devine

Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2022

Major: International Political Economy

Soccer: Midfielder

“I think quarantining for COVID opened our eyes to how much we really appreciate soccer and how much we really love being together. And it gave us a better perspective on how we need to take every moment and just grow and learn and be present with each other. They’re more than just my teammates, they’re my family. It’s just a different energy out on the field now because we never know when it’s going to be taken away again.”

Jaden Vazquez

Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2022

Major: Urban Studies

Football: Linebacker

“Fordham Connect really became a thing because so many athletes are feeling an out-of-body experience—they’ve been playing their entire lives. Some people had an identity crisis. And because I came out as LGBTQ last year, I know how horrible it feels when things are weighing on you. And also through the Black Lives Matter movement, we realized we should put something in place. When we talk about these issues and allow people to express themselves, we can be better athletes, because we won’t have that weighing on ourselves.”

Jesse Bramble

Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2021

Majors: History and Sociology

Football: Corner/Safety

“I was supposed to graduate last December, but I hurt my shoulder, so I had to come back, and then my senior year got cut off. It was like a dagger to the motivation. I didn’t realize how much I depended on my teammates. Sometimes you don’t feel like you can go anymore—your teammates are like, ‘Come on, we can do this,’ and it allows you to push yourself farther than you would by yourself.”

Programming includes campus-specific events for Lincoln Center and Rose Hill, a trivia night, the ninth annual (and first-ever virtual) 5K Ram Run, and a virtual tailgate celebration.

To help attendees get in the Fordham spirit, the alumni relations team is providing a Homecoming toolkit that includes printable pennants, cutouts, and games, as well as graphics for social media, Instagram story templates, Zoom and desktop backgrounds, Ram Run bibs, and coloring pages for kids of all ages.

The events kick off Thursday evening with a Fordham College at Lincoln Center forum led by Dean Laura Auricchio, Ph.D., and Friday night offers both a Road to Reunion Gathering, where alumni can learn more about plans for Jubilee 2021 and how to get involved as a reunion committee volunteer, and a virtual Fordham pub trivia competition hosted by Tim Tubridy, FCRH ’99, and his brother James Tubridy, co-owners of the entertainment company DJs @ Work.

On Saturday morning, alumni, friends, and family are encouraged to take part in a virtual 5K Ram Run by running, jogging, or walking wherever they are and sharing photos of themselves wearing their Fordham gear. Those who wish to be considered for prizes can track their times via running apps and share them, as well.

Later that day, alumni can attend an athletics sideline chat featuring Fordham football head coach Joe Conlin and Ed Kull, interim director of athletics; “Pop Romeo & Juliet,” a talk about Shakespeare’s famous lovers—in music, ads, and film—by Mary Bly, Ph.D., chair of the English department; and, from 4:30 to 6, a virtual tailgate and celebration emceed by DJs @ Work.

Homecoming weekend concludes on Sunday with a morning Ignatian yoga session led by Fordham campus minister and Ignatian yoga teacher Carol Gibney, followed by a Mass livestreamed from the Univeristy Church and concelebrated by Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, and Damian O’Connell, S.J., the University’s alumni chaplain.

To see a full weekend schedule, register for events, access toolkit materials, view photos from Homecoming 2019, or to make a donation, visit the Virtual Homecoming 2020 page on Forever Fordham.