Views: The Empire State Building

View of the ESB from the Flatiron Building.

There is no better symbol to represent New York City than one of the tallest buildings making up the skyline itself: the Empire State Building. People come from all over to both see the Empire State Building from below and climb it to see the view of Manhattan from 102 stories. When you're a Fordham student, there's no shortage on amount of times you'll get to see the Empire State Building, but it heeds the same amazing feeling each time - and from each place!

View of the ESB from MSG - unreal.

The Flatiron District, located surrounding 23rd Street, is home to Shake Shack, Argo Tea, and the Flatiron Building itself.  But, it also provides a stellar view of the Empire State Building.  Eating your Shake Shack while gazing up at one of the most famous buildings in the world is an experience that never gets old.

One of New York's other major selling points is Madison Square Garden, home to so many performances over the years by Billy Joel, Radiohead, Justin Bieber... pretty much anyone you can name! Going to a concert or a Ranger game at Madison Square Garden is somewhat of a right of passage for living in New York, and the view that hits you as soon as you exit a Madison Square Garden event is unparalleled.

There are so many other great places to see the Empire State Building, whether up close or far away, but my personal favorite view will always be from right here in O'Hare Hall on the Rose Hill Campus.  I always have to take a moment when I walk by the 5th Floor Lounge to appreciate how lucky I am to go to Fordham, so close to so much opportunity.

NYC view from O'Hare Hall at Fordham Rose Hill.

Weekend Update

Brendan Batcheller, GSB '18

"My weekend began with a trip to the Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Center, as the leader of a FlipSide program. We brought twenty students down to take in the beautiful scenes of New York City at night. On Saturday, I went down to Yankee Stadium to watch the Ram-Crusader Cup. The weather was a bit chilly but it was overall a great game and a fantastic atmosphere. Sunday was spent laboring over the sophomore Gabelli Consulting Cup challenge with my five teammates, as we prepare for our final presentation."

Sammuel Kim, GSB '19

"During my weekend, I went to the wonderful, under-looked borough of Queens. Queens is one of the most diverse areas in the whole United States of America, and houses some of the best food. I went to a great Korean BBQ place called, "Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong." For dessert, I went to 10Below to get some Thai Ice Cream. Queens has some great food, and I would highly recommend that everyone visits at least once!"

Liesel Judas, GSB '19

"Climbing the stairs of the shuttle bus packed with Fordham students, I felt the electric energy in the air as we drove towards Yankee Stadium for the Ram-Crusader Cup. My friends and I joined the sea of Rams in the bleachers to cheer our football team on to a stunning 54-14 victory! Once again, Fordham proved triumphant in the Bronx, retaining the Ram-Crusader trophy! #gorams"

Laura Lynch, FCRH '18

"This past weekend, Fordham hosted the "Ram-Crusader Cup," a matchup between two Jesuit powerhouses, Holy Cross and Fordham University.  The game, which was free for students, took place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.  Fordham topped Holy Cross 54-14, but the game was nonetheless an enjoyable day for fans of both teams, as Fordham and Holy Cross students and their family members congregated at the stadium.  I attended the game, and to my excitement, many of my own family members- Holy Cross Alumni and present students, as well as others who wanted to join in on the festivities- came for a visit.  In the student section, Fordham pride was shining across the bleachers on T- shirts, flags, and with the Fordham band.  Overall, the crusader cup was an energetic, buzzing event.  Hopefully, Fordham can continue the tradition throughout years to come."

Fordham FlipSide

Blog by Brendan Batcheller

Fordham Flipside!

Many students arrive at Fordham and immediately want to get involved on campus. Being in New York City, there are endless opportunities to explore and have fun outside of Fordham’s gates as well. The goal of FlipSide is to provide fun opportunities for students to get off campus and experience different events around New York City. 

FlipSide is a programming group that developed to fill a need on campus; many students wanted to attend “classic” New York events such as going to the top of the Empire State Building or going to a Broadway show, but found that these often cost a little too much for a typical college student budget. In order to provide students with opportunities to attend these events, FlipSide needed to form a mission as to how attending these events could benefit students. What we developed was for FlipSide to provide alcohol-alternative programming. 

A typical view from the top of the Empire State Building.

As the current treasurer for FlipSide, my goal is to coordinate with our executive board to plan and organize trips for Friday nights that go into NYC. These events serve as alternatives to attending a party while also making it affordable and easy to plan around going into the city. Some of our upcoming trips for the Spring semester include Knicks and Yankees games, Broadway shows including the Lion King, Aladdin, and Wicked, and our touristy trips including Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building, and a Circle Line river cruise of famous NYC landmarks.  

This past Friday, we brought thirty students to the Empire State Building!

The Gabelli School at Lincoln Center is the perfect place for students to get an excellent education both in the classroom and outside, when they step out into one of the countless F500 firms in Midtown Manhattan. There are numerous internship opportunities, on campus competitions, and events to which Fordham students have access. Here, every interaction is a chance to learn something new, meet someone who has valuable insight and experience, or to explore new career paths. As a junior in the finance major at Gabelli Lincoln Center, I can personally attest to the network it provides.

The biggest advantage of studying finance in New York City is the opportunities that await you right off our campus grounds. Hiring manager look for Fordham students because of their drive, commitment and sensible business background. In tandem with the Fordham Alumni network, the possibilities are endless. Personally, the Fordham network has taken me to J.P. Morgan, where I intern with the Equity Derivatives Billing Group here in New York City. I have been given the privilege of seeing the trading happen live, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and I've even gotten to sit in meetings across from senior leadership and clients on a regular basis. The internship has truly opened my eyes to the scale and scope of a large bank that I really had to see to believe. I was offered the opportunity to return for the coming semester and continue exploring further! Fordham first gave me the coursework to prepare for the internship, and then it gave me the alumni connections and resources to push myself into having the opportunity to learn within such a prestigious firm and outlook.

 

Behind the Scenes of New Student Orientation: Preparing to Welcome Our New Baby Rams

Blog by Kaitlyn Powers

Me and my Orientation partner Jake ready to give out some hugs!

As I walk through campus for the first time on a scorching late August afternoon, I take in the view and sounds that I haven’t seen for three whole months: a green, lush Eddie’s, waiting to be sprawled on by its students, a magnificent Keating standing tall and proud just like in all the brochures, and the sound of pre-season football training coming from Coffey field. I smile and, for the millionth time that day, I’m reminded of how excited I am to be back to Fordham for the year. In the back of my mind is the reason for my early arrival: to get ready to welcome the incoming students to their new home.

Since my sophomore year, I have been a leader for New Student Orientation, Fordham’s official welcoming process for acclimating freshmen to campus and all things college. During the week before Orientation officially begins, I, along with almost 200 of my fellow students, prepare to welcome the incoming freshmen class, going through various training and community activities that bond us as a team and prepare us to be the best possible resources for new students. By listening to and engaging in presentations about topics like the Fordham Core curriculum, public safety, extracurricular and academic involvement opportunities, multicultural issues, mental health awareness, and career services offerings, we as Orientation leaders are able to refresh our knowledge about Fordham to ensure that we are capable and informative guides, mentors, and friends for our new fellow Rams.

My wonderful Orientation training team at our annual Olympics! Go Gray Team

The part of Orientation training that excites me most, however, is the new family I create with each new year I take part in the program; the team of 200 is separated into training teams of about ten people each and, over the course of the week, this team becomes a new family. We not only prepare to welcome the freshmen as a team, but also build each other up to be the best leaders we can be. We compete in trivia nights, dress up for formal, have dance competitions with other training teams, and participate in an Olympic tournament at the end of the week to show our pride for Fordham and our mounting excitement for the freshmen to arrive. It is one of the best events I have taken part in while attending Fordham, and something that has introduced me to some of the most compassionate, intelligent, and selfless people at this school that I never would have met otherwise.

Me and my Orientation training team on Move-In Day, ready to move in the new Rams!!! 

Flash forward to Move-In Day: it’s 5:15 in the morning. My roommate and I have snoozed our alarms 3 times so far. We roll out of bed, groggy and confused as to why it’s still dark out. One minute later, we remember why we are awake at this ungodly hour: to move in our new freshmen. We throw on our Orientation shirts, walk out of our apartment, and walk towards the rest of our 200-person family, half awake and ready to carry box after box up flights of stairs for the class of 2020. One large cup of coffee and a donut later, I am ready. At 7am, my Orientation training team walks to the building we are moving in that day and waits for the first car to pull up, dancing to the music blasting from the speakers around campus. At 7:12am, our newest Ram and her family arrive. We give her our loudest welcome, open her car, and I pick up my first box of the day. I smile, and remember how happy I am to be home.

Art and Music in New York City

         

Blog by Katie Porter 

When I first arrived at Fordham, I was prepared to make the most of my time at college, and take advantage of everything possible in New York City. In high school, when I thought about art and music in New York, I pictured places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Madison Square Garden.  After starting my freshman year however, I realized that the city has so much more to offer.  Since coming to Fordham, I’ve taken a tour of street art in Soho, attended a Marina and the Diamonds concert at the Bowery Ballroom, and explored a sketchbook library in Brooklyn.  

    

My best experience as a Fordham student came when I met a singer at a book signing in Tribeca, and he asked me to design a car wrap for his Range Rover.  I had met him in NYC previously, and given him some of my art.  During the winter of my freshman year of college, I hand drew the designs that would cover his car, and he even flew me down to Florida to spend the day and see the unveiling of my design.  There are so many opportunities for self-discovery, adventure, and education in New York City, and Fordham gives students the opportunity and the skills to thrive inside and outside of the classroom. As Fordham students, New York truly is our campus.