St. Patrick's Day Festivities at Fordham

Here at Fordham there are countless clubs available for all students to join, including several cultural organizations.  There is the Gaelic Society, Hellenic Society, and Insieme Italian Cultural Society just to name a few!  With St. Patrick’s Day this month, there have been a few different Irish events.  On Tuesday, March 10^th at 8pm, there was a Ceili Night held in O’Keefe Commons.  It was a night full of music, dancing, and of course some traditional Irish food!  All students are welcome to come learn a ceili dance or some reel steps, and no experience is necessary.  These events are sponsored by Sláinte: Fordham Irish Dance, and are held a few times throughout the year!

Shirts designed & sold by the Gaelic Society this year

This past week Fordham was on Spring Break, but campus is never quite empty.  Besides the several students that live nearby (myself included!), many others stay in the local area during breaks for jobs, internships, etc.  On Tuesday, the Gaelic Society was invited to march in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade with the Fordham Alumni Association.  Beforehand, students were welcome to attend the alumni brunch free of charge!  Brunch was held at PwC on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, and started at 10am.  There was delicious food and even some live musical entertainment.  After the brunch, the fun continued as everyone assembled to march in the parade!

Polish Cultural Exchange

At Fordham there are so many different clubs and organizations to join. When I came to Fordham I was surprised and excited to learn about the Polish Cultural Exchange.

At club meetings we spend time learning about the culture and language of Poland while eating Polish chocolates and other treats. However, we also do many other fun activities that may interest everyone, regardless of their nationality. Two of the Polish Cultural Exchange’s major events include hosting a “Pierogi Take-Out Dinner” and marching in the Pulaski Day Parade.

The “Pierogi Take-Out Dinner” takes place in McGinley Center during the Fall Semester. During the dinner, club members sell pierogies (Polish dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese and meat typically served with onions or sour cream) to students. Pierogies are delicious and they always sell quickly!

PCE Pierogi Take-Out Dinner 

The Pulaski Day Parade takes place in October in New York City. We dress in red and white (the colors of Poland) and march on 5^th Avenue from 30^th Street to 60^th Street alongside other schools like NYU and Pace. The parade is a great time to show Polish pride and it is a great opportunity to march in a parade in the city.

PCE Members Marching on 5th Avenue in the Pulaski Day Parade

So, if you are Polish, or even if you are not, the Polish Cultural Exchange hosts many activities that may interest you! 

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Last year, my family and I spent part of our Thanksgiving Weekend watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There were a ton of performers, dancers and floats. Certain roads in the city were closed, and New Yorkers would all come out together to watch. It was a great experience! The floats reminded me a lot of the television shows I used to watch not too long ago. My younger relatives would shout "hey look it's Spongebob." while I would daydream and recall the times when I was in their shoes.

If you haven't been to the parade, then it's time that you check it out! This year it will be held on the 28th of November starting from 77th Street and Central Park West, all the way to Macy's Herald Square. The parade is sure to be a blast! I tend to think of it as a grown-up Disneyland, but you're free to think of it as a concert, carnival, or whatever you wish! 

Only 30 days to go. I hope to see you there!