Many students may have noticed that the Lana Del Rey sign in Keating Hall has been taken down. According to Associate Vice President for Media and Public Relations Bob Howe, the sign dedicated to Del Rey, FCRH ’08, had been up for almost a year and was replaced on Sept. 16. The alumni signs in Keating are overseen by the Fordham College Alumni Association (FCAA), who rotate the display case on a regular basis. Changing the alumnus in Del Rey’s case was a part of the normal process.
The Fordham University community is proud of its impressive alumni list. From Alan Alda to Mary Higgins Clark, this school has produced very well-renowned actors, singers, politicians, authors and overall successful people. This specific display being replaced has struck a chord with the students at Fordham because Del Ray is a popular figure amongst college students.
Del Rey is a musician, but her real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. Del Ray attended Fordham from 2004-08, where she majored in philosophy and metaphysics. Her music is calm, melancholic and somehow nostalgic. People describe her voice and presentation as “ethereal,” and she is highly idolized by teenagers and young adults.
Del Rey is often credited with revolutionizing pop music and changing the music industry with her style of lyricism and sound. She relates to a lot of this younger audience because her lyrics typically revolve around romance and tragedy in a glamorous and captivating way. She is very fluid in her fashion, but she’s primarily associated with a 1950-60s Americana look. Her embodiment of pop-culture and the struggles and emotions of young adults is what draws them in. She uses lyrics to create complex storylines within her songs and young women especially are pulled deep into her lyricism, either because they can relate or because they want to. Through her songs it seems she lives a life that is both tragic on one hand, yet beautiful on the other. Moreover, she also represents a side of women that isn’t frequently portrayed in the media or is considered taboo. Nonetheless, her rise as a pop culture icon makes her one of Fordham’s most well known alumni amongst students.
“Realistically, I think it makes sense for it to be [Del Ray] because of how well known she is and how she fits in with the age group that goes to Fordham,” said Adelina Mujaj, FCRH ’28. “It’s nice to say you go to the same school as a global popstar, who you could also be a fan of, and find inspiration in her success.” Similar to this perception of why Grant’s display is so loved, Maria Giannopoulos, FCRH ’28, responded, “I would say that it removed a sense of familiarity with the alumni.”. For a lot of students, Del Rey is one of the only alumni they concern themselves with, so replacing her sign was definitely noticed.
Whether students are happy about it or not, the display has been replaced by one of another successful and inspirational alumna. Her spot is now filled by a dedication to Lucy A. Perrone, Ph.D., FCRH ’99. Perrone has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO), and she was one of the first scientists to examine properties of the newly reconstructed 1918 influenza virus. Along with working for WHO she also advised foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and United Nation agencies. To learn more about this highly accomplished Fordham alumni, you can visit Keating Hall and find her among the displays on the first floor.
