The recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show regarding his comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the response of the White House are borderline authoritarian. American freedoms are being violated and pressure from the President and his administration is getting out of hand. It is the opinion of this editorial board that everyone must take direct action which makes it apparently clear that the rights to free speech and a free press are non-negotiable.

In an age where graphic videos of real violence, like the assassination of Charlie Kirk, spread rapidly online, we must question the ethics of consuming such imagery and the platforms that allow it. While some argue that witnessing brutality can raise awareness and inspire action, the traumatic impact on viewers and victims’ families cannot be dismissed. Ultimately, media must adopt stronger, more thoughtful content moderation policies to prevent harm while still acknowledging the public’s right to be informed.

Gun violence in this country has reached a point where mass shootings have become a reoccurring nightmare. Parent’s fear their children’s safety at school and places of worship aren’t even a sanctuary anymore. Decades of school shootings and “thoughts and prayers” from government officials won’t suffice, serious reform to gun laws in this country need to be made.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Greg Abbott is dedicated to getting Texas House Bill 4 (HB-4) passed and citizens should be as dedicated to stopping it. This Bill would just be the beginning of an undemocratic power play which would give way to other republican officials pushing an agenda that only benefits their political party. This bill specifically establishes a new outright gerrymandered congressional map that would give Republicans an electoral advantage in nearly all of the 38 congressional districts of Texas. This is a government matter that directly concerns every citizen of this country and action needs to be to taken.

No matter how many times you are forced to make the transition from school life back to the real world, there’s always a good chance that you find yourself repeatedly asking the question — “Well, what do I do now?” It even feels a little more needed this year, considering The Ram has spent the last four-ish months reporting on just how extremely bleak everything in the world seems to be; the least that we could do right now is to call for some fun and whimsy! Thus, in the name of both tradition and trying to actually bring something positive to the table when everyone needs it the most, The Ram would like to present its 2025 summer to-do list.

Just over three months ago, President Donald Trump introduced the nation to Executive Order 14169: “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” On the surface, it looked and read like any other government document. However, beyond this facade of banality, Executive Order 14169 is so fundamentally different from anything that had ever been enacted in American history — a document that may just be remembered as one of the most consequential and bleak pieces of legislation. 

President Tania Tetlow released a public statement last weekend announcing that one of Fordham’s own undergraduate students had become the most recent individual to see their visa suddenly revoked “without explanation and without notice.” Then on April 8, in a press conference with reporters from Fordham’s student newspapers, Tetlow revealed that a second unnamed student had their visa revoked. 

In the past few years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has swept across this nation’s university campuses like a plague, leaving nary a classroom or dorm room free from its influence. In fact, just sit in the back of a classroom and observe what happens for a few minutes. You’ll probably see students open up ChatGPT to complete an assignment, passing it off as their own work.

The term "student journalism" carries quite a bit of weight and meaning for all those who staff this nation’s numerous school newspapers. The term perfectly encapsulates all our blood, sweat and (sometimes happy) tears in a neat, self-explanatory phrase, conjuring up images of late nights spent writing, editing and producing articles that may only ever be read by parents and close friends. More importantly, however, “student journalism” also captures our belief in and commitment to practicing journalism in its purest form. A form predicated upon researching, writing and producing articles for no other reason than a deep love for the truth, even if this truth operates at the small-scale level of everyday life. 

Recent events have shown that the good fight — that is, the fight for universal equality and the maintenance of basic human dignity — must be fought again. Sadly, this good fight may soon lose one of its strongest soldiers and most vocal advocates: Pope Francis. It is the belief of the Editorial Board of The Fordham Ram that Pope Francis’ life, especially his commitment to upholding the Jesuit values of compassion and social justice, should be celebrated and made into an example — a guiding light for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.