During my freshman year, traveling to both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center left me feeling like an outsider. I understood that taking classes at both campuses would make my weekly commute easier throughout the next four years of college. I also realized that since I was going to spend a limited amount of time on each campus, there would be one question looming in the back of my mind: Would I ever truly fit in with everyone else?

Even though I desperately wanted an opportunity to become a sports writer, I didn’t give much thought about joining The Fordham Ram initially. Professor Monique Fortune,  a professor I had during my first semester, implored me to get involved with clubs on campus if I was serious about pursuing a career in sports media. I remember her distinctly telling me, “There is a place for you to do great things here if you are willing to make sacrifices and take on responsibilities.”

Needless to say, I had no clue where to start in terms of joining the Ram. So I did what any self-respecting college student would do to attain more information: I went on social media and searched for the Ram there. When I got to the Ram’s Twitter page, I immediately scrolled down to the “who to follow” section. As destiny would have it, one of the three profiles belonged to Jack McCloone, the sports editor for Volume 99. 

Having no other contact information to work with, I made the decision to slide into Jack’s direct messages to introduce myself and express interest in writing for the sport section. It isn’t the conventional way to join the Ram, but Jack was happy to welcome in new writers and immediately brought me in as a blog writer.

Heading into Volume 100, I filled out the application to be an assistant sports editor only to never officially submit it when the time came. I tried to convince myself that I was happy solely being a writer and that perhaps a commuter student was not an ideal choice for Ram staff anyway. Volume 100 saw me become a staff writer while also getting the assignment of beat writer for both Fordham Men’s Basketball and Soccer. I was exactly where I wanted to be, right? Not quite.

I spent the entirety of 2018 filled with regret. Being a sports writer was no longer sufficient. Even though things were trending in the right direction, I felt capable of contributing more to the Ram than just sending weekly articles. I submitted my Volume 101 application for the assistant sports editor position, making an agreement with myself that I would no longer allow my commute to dictate how I spent my time at Fordham.

Accepting the position of assistant sports editor for Volume 101 was the best decision I could have made. For starters, it instantly made me regret not applying for Volume 100. After just one production night, I had finally found my home away from home. Getting home at two or three in the morning did not phase me in the slightest, because I had found my happy place. I found myself among a group of people who all bring something different to the table with their respective personalities but share a common bond in our love for journalism.

Volume 101 produced great banter, endless laughs and long-standing camaraderie for those of us who were sticking around for Volume 102. Working alongside sports editor Jimmy Sullivan and fellow assistant sports editor Dylan Balsamo felt like paradise. Without a doubt, I was all in on staying with the sports section for my final volume.

But again, as destiny would have it, my journey with the Ram changed after a meeting with the Volume 101 executive board. When they asked me about my interest in taking on the role of managing editor for Volume 102, I was genuinely astonished to even be considered for that position in the first place. I proceeded to respond by asking, “Who? Me?” to all five executive board members with a perplexed look on my face. It took me a couple of minutes to comprehend what was happening, but one thing was abundantly clear: If the executive board had confidence in me to take on a bigger role with the Ram, there was no way I was turning the opportunity down. I’ll never forget the commute back home that late Sunday afternoon. It took me almost an hour and a half because I was heading back to my parents’ house on Long Island. I think I cried on all three trains from the Metro-North, the 7 train and the Long Island Rail Road.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my direct message to Jack on Twitter would ever lead me to where I am today with the Ram. But the truth is, all the success I have experienced in the last three years I owe to those who believed in me.

To Jack, thanks for keeping your direct messages open and giving me a chance to start with the Ram. To Theresa, thank you for choosing me as part of the editorial staff for Volume 101 so I could realize what exactly I was missing out on by not applying to Volume 100. 

To the Volume 101 executive board — Aislinn, Hannah, Brianna, Lindsay and Colette — thank you for not only giving me the opportunity, but also the confidence to become managing editor when I thought my ceiling was just being an assistant sports editor. To Helen, our fearless editor-in-chief for Volume 102, thank you for navigating the Ram in a year that saw so much adversity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though in-person production nights ended in March and print copies were no longer an option, your dedication to ensuring our online content meets the Ram’s standard only confirms that the Volume 101 executive board made the right decision by naming you editor-in-chief this year.

To the copy teams of Volume 101 and Volume 102, please know that you are incredibly appreciated for being the straw that stirs the Ram’s drink. Your constant meticulous attention to detail each and every week in making sure every article is grammatically correct will never go unnoticed. I am a better writer because of the work you do. A special thanks goes out to the copy chiefs of Volume 101, Maggie and Vanessa, for being the first two people to support me giving everyone a complimentary fist bump when saying hello and goodbye every production night. All I wanted to do was ingratiate myself with the staff, and your acceptance to my friendliness helped make my time at the Ram so much easier in making friends.

Lastly, to the sports section, you will always have my heart. I wouldn’t have fallen in love with the Ram if I didn’t get a chance to work in sports. Jimmy, I consider you one of my closest friends at Fordham. We instantly connected as fellow commuter students, and I’d like to think we turned into quite the dynamic duo. Dylan, your personality is infectious, and if you don’t already know, you will always be my spirit animal. I have the utmost confidence that you and Alex will continue taking the sports section to higher heights. Make sure you take good care of Beyond the Scoreboard!
Without the Ram, Andrew Posadas is just a commuter student who probably never feels like he fits in during his time at Fordham. The Ram gave me a home. It gave me another comfort zone to step into. It gave me a reason to enjoy the “college experience” when I thought I didn’t deserve that luxury.