Happy Spring Break!

Alligators in South Carolina (from a safe distance)

Hello from South Carolina! I am spending my very last spring break at Fordham down south with my roommates. So far, I've seen about 20 alligators (very scary), three gorgeous sunsets, and more palm trees than I could count. It's the ideal place for some rest and relaxation before out sprint to graduation.

Exploring Little Italy (the Manhattan version;
it's not as good as Arthur Avenue) my sophomore year.

Spring Break at Fordham always gives students a lot of opportunities. Freshman year, I flew home to celebrate my birthday with my extended family and catch my cousin's play. Some students stay at Fordham over break, and that's what I did my sophomore year. I took advantage of the extra time to explore while helping finish a volume of the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal. Although some residence halls close over break, students who stay can relocate to on-campus apartments. I lived in Salice-Conley and got a taste for the still-new apartments that seniors (and some juniors) get to enjoy.

I spent my junior year abroad in Granada (you might be able to find a few posts about my study abroad experience here or here), so spending spring break in Paris was a no-brainer. A lot of Fordham students jump at the chance to travel a little further during break. I know friends who have paired off to explore Europe (spending today in Ireland, of course), grouped up to head to a Caribbean resort. or signed up for GO! projects to devote their breaks to immersion and/or service. Some GO! projects this break include San Jose, California; the Adirondacks in upstate New York (which you may hear about later this week-- stay tuned!); and Les Cayes, Haiti.

There is no wrong way to do spring break, but I've found that the best way is to spend it with your Fordham family.

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's Christmas time in the City

It's that time of year again - Christmas at Fordham!  Here at our Rose Hill campus, there are so many different ways to get into the holiday spirit. Here's a list of how the Fordham community is celebrating the holidays and giving thanks for our #Ramily this season.

Peer Educators is an on-campus group
that provides festivities for health and good cheer!

1. Holiday Fair

Every year, Fordham's Campus Activities Board puts on a Holiday Fair where students can take pictures with Santa and his elves, share some free treats, and even do a little gift-shopping.  This year, I helped table for Fashion for Philanthropy selling Candy-Cane Grams and painting festive nails - all proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Students look forward to seeing the horse-drawn sleigh that rides throughout campus for several hours during class-time the day of the fair.  I remember the first time I saw the sleigh, I could not believe my eyes - it was a Christmas miracle!

Even the rain and gray skies can't stop the annual horse and carriage rides!

2. Volunteering

What better way to truly keep the joy in the Christmas season than to give back to the community?  Every year, Fordham sponsors toy/food/coat drives for those who are in most need during the chilly season.  I have already received so many emails about different different drives occurring on campus.  I think this not only retains the true value of the season, but also highlight's Fordham's Jesuit mission of men and women for others.  

My residence hall, Walsh, is having it's own Toy and Coat drive,
sponsored by the Residence Hall Association.

3. Arthur Avenue's "Little Italy"

Student's who are in need of a home-cooked hearty holiday meal will venture to Arthur Avenue, the "Little Italy" section of the Bronx.  Arthur Avenue is a tight-knit community with its own unique charm that is a mixture of the old and the new - it still has most of its original storefronts that have been passed down from generation to generation, while also attracting students, families, and tourists alike who want the best Italian food in NYC!  Also, every year, the Belmont community (where Arthur Ave is situated) has their own tree lighting and caroling that always is sure to put a smile on any passer-by's face!  I always look forward to having a Christmas dinner with friends to unwind during finals and prep for the next semester. 

Annual lights on Arthur Avenue to welcome all who visit!

4. NYC

Or if you want to experience some of the magic of Manhattan that occurs during this time, Fordham LC is just a quick 30 minute Ram Van ride away!  This will take students right to Columbus Circle where there are holiday lights that are like magic at each change of color.  This sophisticated yet quaint area of the NYC is sure to bring the Christmas spirit to full force with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts just a short distance away where holiday-enthusiasts can see the Nutcracker!

These are just a few ways to partake in the holiday cheer, which there is certainly an abundance of here at Fordham.  Happy holidays to all!

It’s Always A Good Day To Be A Ram- Even After You Graduate.

My best friend Jenn who graduated last year!
 She couldn't stay away!

One of the many aspects that Fordham University has to offer is tradition. These traditions are carried over from generation to generation of Fordham Rams, and the way in which these traditions are carried over is through Fordham’s very own tradition postal service, if you will: alumni. As I am in my second year at Fordham, I have experienced many of the events on campus that generate a huge alumni population, and one of our biggest ones was this weekend for Homecoming.

I was a 'foam finger enthusiast' 

Thank you to the ram- I hunted him down for a picture!

Days leading up to the big game students watched as the oh-so-grand Alumni Tent was pitched in the middle of Edward’s Parade. Students and Alumni alike literally hit the ground running during the third annual Homecoming 5K Run around campus. As I walked over to the game, I overheard two men talking about the run. After giving each other a high five, I overheard one say to the other “Wasn’t it great to run around campus again? It’s like it was yesterday.” This got me thinking. I passed through various alumni at the game, too. They were all laughing and cheering, and I couldn’t help but overhear all of their memories that they were discussing. I think I heard “it’s so good to be back!” over 100 times. The unity of Fordham is ever lasting, and alumni are one of most prideful aspects of Fordham. They want to know how Fordham is now; they want to be ever connected with their alma mater. This for me is a beautiful thing that Fordham has to offer, and I know that in three years, and more to come, I will be on Edward’s Parade, Jack Coffey Field, and Arthur Avenue screaming, “it’s good to be back!”

New York is My Campus, Belmont is My College Town

To an American young adult, the "college town" atmosphere is one of the most prevalent and familiar settings in pop-culture. This small close-knit community is about as far as you can get from the backdrop of the world's most cosmopolitan city, but at Fordham, our Rose Hill campus lets a few thousand students get the opportunity to combine the best of both worlds: a classic lush, collegiate campus tucked into the concrete jungle of the Bronx. For the Fordham Community, the Belmont neighborhood of The Bronx is the "town and gown" community associated with the Rose Hill campus. To the rest of the world, Belmont is the Little Italy of the Bronx (the real Little Italy of NYC), and world renowned for it's history, culture, and cuisine. 

FCRH sophomores Jackie McDonald & Lauren Keefe at Ferragosto

Every fall, tens of thousands flock to Arthur Avenue for Ferragosto, Belmont's tribute to the traditional holiday commemorating the end of the harvest season in Italy. The streets are lined with booths and tents extending out of restaurants to showcase the authentic cuisine and culture that makes the Belmont area so famous.

Ferragosto's timing couldn't be more perfect for new students at Fordham. As a freshman last year, going to the festival was a great way to discover all of the shops, restaurants, and cafes that are less than a 10 minute walk from my dorm room. Coming from Ohio, I knew little about what was around the Bronx, and a huge event like this was the perfect opportunity for me to acclimate myself to my new neighborhood.  While the festival is only once a year, Little Italy is a hot-spot for Fordham students year round. In fact, many local businesses in the Belmont neighborhood offer a discount to Fordham students who flash their student ID, including a personal favorite of mine, Palombo Bakery & Cafe.

Arthur Avenue filled with festival-goers at Ferragosto