Julian Ogawa, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, and Charles “Charlie” Phillips, FCRH ’24, have a thing or two to say about what it means to be a Ramfluencer: They show a slice of what Fordham life is like for prospective and current students. 

Fordham “Ramfluencers” is the title assigned to student volunteers who film short videos (called Ram Cams) of their Fordham experience, posted on the university’s YouTube channel and Instagram page. Ram Cams supply the particulars of what life at Fordham may look like and offer exposure to what students can do during their time at Fordham. 

“The purpose of making them (Ram Cams) was to inform prospective students who do not go to Fordham about information they may want to know before making the decision to apply or enroll here,” Phillips said. He added that the videos serve to distribute tips for current students, to which Ogawa agreed. 

“I really enjoy Fordham and wanted to share that with others … The combination of this passion (vlogging) with creating something for Fordham really appealed to me, so I made the decision to become a Ramfluencer.” Charles “Charlie” Phillips, FCRH ’24

“I like to send it (Ram Cams) out and share it with the world … and feed into the whole ‘I go to Fordham’ idea,” Ogawa said, hoping to add a different outlook of on-campus life for current students. 

Both of these Ramfluencers have a background in vlogging as a hobby, which partly led to their interest in becoming a Ramfluencer. 

Phillips decided to join the Ramfluencer team at the beginning of the spring semester because he wanted to be more involved within the Fordham community, and it is an extracurricular activity he now thoroughly enjoys doing.

Phillips and Owaga both felt that being Ramfluencers has earned them a feeling of pride while portraying Fordham life.

“I really enjoy Fordham and wanted to share that with others … The combination of this passion (vlogging) with creating something for Fordham really appealed to me, so I made the decision to become a Ramfluencer,” he said. 

Ogawa followed suit and began producing Ram Cams in February after encouragement from family and friends. Despite initially being skeptical of participating as a content creator and how much of an obligation it would be, Ogawa, too, has come to enjoy this newfound interest.

“I wasn’t sure if at first I wanted to become (a Ramfluencer) or how big of a commitment it was, but my friend and mom asked me to give it a try,” Ogawa said. Other bonuses, aside from being able to film for the benefit of Fordham students, include no strict deadlines and a $15 commission for each video they produce. Ogawa likes to create content in collaboration with his pastime of vlogging.

Both Ramfluencers have posted two Ram Cams each, focused on informing the audience what it is like to be a Fordham student and adding their own creative tastes of on-campus life.

Phillips’ first video featured his commute between the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses as a student based at the latter campus, unveiling the proximity of the FCRH campus to Manhattan and ways to take advantage of it. His second video highlighted different places to study at FCRH. 

Ogawa wanted to include his own original twist in the Ram Cam production from the typical “formal” approach usually taken — instead of simply rattling off information to the audience, Ogawa wanted to take a clever route. In his first video, Ogawa showed himself dancing in the rain at Rose Hill to get through a gloomy day in NYC. 

Both Ramfluencers encourage students to give being a Ramfluencers a go if they’re interested in both filming videos and informing the student body on Fordham.

“I just remember thinking of vlog (ideas) and felt it was becoming more repetitive, so I asked myself, ‘What can I do to make them more interesting?’” Ogawa said. “Instead of just talking to the camera, it’s better to show them what it’s all about,” he said. Thus, the Ram Cam aimed to reveal the concept of a joyous Fordham experience was posted for students to see. 

Phillips and Owaga both felt that being Ramfluencers has earned them a feeling of pride while portraying Fordham life. 

“I had pride in being a Fordham student long before I became a Ramfluencer, but being able to represent the school in a small way makes me all the more prideful,” Phillips said. 

There are plans in preparation for each Ramfluencer to create more videos in the near future. Ogawa is set to have a new Ram Cam posted soon, while Phillips is toying with the idea of making a Ram Cam centered around the charm of Fordham’s “Magic Society” club.

Both Ramfluencers encourage students to give being a Ramfluencers a go if they’re interested in both filming videos and informing the student body on Fordham.

Any students who wish to become a Ramfluencer must reach out to the Office of University Marketing and Communication to apply.