Before flying to London for a semester abroad this past spring, Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, had the idea to produce a Fordham University student-run economics newsletter.
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my time when I got back to Fordham after being abroad, but I didn’t want to just sit around idly,” explained Maltzman. “I wanted to do something that would leave an impact here at Fordham, something that I think students would really resonate with, and something that I could come back to in a few years down the line.”
This April, the Ram’s Economic Digest was created. Since September, the newsletter has produced four issues of economic news across four sections: consumer trends, global outlook, macroeconomics and technological innovation/economic growth. Editor-in-Chief Maltzman worked with Managing Editor Jasmine Aiello, GSB ’25, to develop these sections.
“We wanted them to be general enough that people could write about what they’re actually interested in within that section, but I think they differ enough from one another that articles aren’t necessarily overlapping,” Maltzman explained.
Each section has three editors responsible for weekly articles. Section editors proofread the articles and check for non-partisanship and guideline compliance. The Economic Digest is currently published every Friday morning and recaps the week for its readers. Maltzman estimates that over 80% of contributing editors are first-years and sophomores.
“I think that this club can grow to be something that’s really great, and if it sticks with the younger classmen, it’s something they can work to develop over their time here at Fordham if they’re passionate enough about it,” said Maltzman.
Caitlin Sigler, FCRH ’27, is a contributing editor for the consumer trends section and states she was drawn to the Digest because of her interests in international affairs. She recently wrote an article for the Digest about online retailer SHEIN.
“In the past I have written about SHEIN and how they have a large yet disloyal consumer base, meaning that any attempt to legitimize themselves as a more serious brand would fail because their customers only like them for their cheap and quickly accessible products,” said Sigler. “It was fun getting the chance to do research on something I am passionate about that is unrelated to my schoolwork, and I look forward to writing more!”
Maltzman stated that the Digest has gone from zero to close to 100 subscribers in six weeks and has received positive feedback on the newsletter.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from readers and members alike saying that they really love the format of the newsletter and how concise everything is,” he said. “It seems like we’re doing a very good job so far. I’m very proud of everyone.”
Currently, Maltzman notes that his top priority is to engage and expand the Ram’s Economic Digest’s subscriber base.
“I’m really focusing on growing this club out. Essentially, we’re working as a start-up. It’s not a huge club,” said Maltzman. “But I think it really has the potential to be really, really great. When I saw the first newsletter published, I was extremely proud. It’s really matching what my vision was for this club.”
The Ram’s Economic Digest meets weekly on Mondays from 5-6 p.m. in Dealy Hall, room 102. Previous issues can be found on their website, thered.beehiiv.com/.
