Weekend Update

Amazing architecture

Megan McLaughlin

This weekend I headed to one of my favorite spots in NYC: the Cloisters. Located at the very top of Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park, the Cloisters is a medieval museum housed in five medieval French abbeys reassembled into a single building. It's like a tiny piece of Europe that’s accessible by the A train.

Who says you can't eat cheap in New York?

Madeline McDermott

On Friday, I used an Amazon local deal to get half-off brick oven pizza in Manhattan at a restaurant named L'asso. Afterward, I went to support my friend and fellow Ram Nicole do stand-up comedy at The Village Lantern in Soho.

Caroline McCue
This past weekend, I went to the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center!  My Grandma is a big fan of the Philharmonic and had two extra tickets.  I brought my best friend and roommate, Lauren.  We got all dressed up and went to dinner at PJ Clarke's, right across from the theatre.  The Philharmonic was an orchestra made up of mostly string instruments and it was truly beautiful, the music was so relaxing!  It was a great night filled with friends, food and music, and I would recommend going before you graduate!

Enjoying a beautiful performance

Caroline Lebranti

Loved catching up in Philly

One of the best parts about studying abroad is becoming friends with people from schools all over the country. This past weekend I took the bus down to Philadelphia with a couple of friends to have a study abroad reunion. Lucky for me, Fordham is so close to great transportation options that visiting them is almost too easy! We did all things touristy like visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and ran up the Rocky steps), went ice skating at Penn’s Landing, saw Independence Hall, and even went to a Kevin Devine (a Fordham alum!) concert at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. It was a great weekend and made me realize how easy it is to take weekend trips out of NYC. Places like Philly or New Haven and plenty of skiing or hiking trails in upstate New York are about two hours away, and Boston and Washington DC are about four hours away. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever find yourself sick of NYC, but it’s nice to know that the option to get away is always there!

College students love the snow too!

Claire McGonigle

After track practice on Saturday, my friends and I wanted to spend a little time together and relax so we decided to play in the snow! After a busy week of school work, it was fun to be together and do something silly. Another group of people were building a fort so we all decided to get a snowball fight going which was great!

Breakfast for Champions!

Veteran Jason Braase accepting SAAC donation

This morning, Fordham hosted its 12^th annual Breakfast for Champions in the McGinley Center Ballroom and Lounge. This event was created by the university to recognize the student-athletes that perform, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well.  This year, about 67% of Fordham’s student-athletes were honored for having a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

During the breakfast, Jason Braase was invited to speak on behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project.  His story of his deployment and recovery touched the hearts of everyone in the room.  One of the messages stressed at Fordham is the Jesuit tradition of, “Men and women for others.”  It is one of the things that every student will take away with them from Fordham, the idea that we must be available and willing to offer assistance to others.  The Fordham Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) fulfilled this message today by providing Mr. Braase with a generous donation to support the Wounded Warrior Project.  The event came to an end, following the closing remarks of President, Father McShane, with the singing of the Fordham Fight Song, “The Ram” by all in attendance.  

The honorees from my team!

At Fordham, there is tremendous support for the students.  We are pushed to be the best person we can in all ways whether it's through athletics or charity, but particularly in the classroom.  In addition to this, there is an overwhelming feeling of community among the students and this event is just one of the many times that it is shown.  It is always fun to get together with your teammates and fellow Rams, especially while taking the time to congratulate each other on our hard work and making a difference in the lives of others. 



Running Off Stress

With midterms finally over, there is a definite need among the student body to unwind and give their minds a break. Being on the track team here, it is nice to have an outlet for stress and a get away from the bustle of studying and busy life on campus. On Saturdays for practice we get the chance to go to Van Cortlandt Park, which is only about 2 miles from campus. Van Cortlandt is a great open space in the middle of the Bronx with different trails and a wooded area. The hilly trails provide a perfect practice space for the team, and it’s nice to be able to run in such a scenic park that is so close to campus. 

Practice at Van Cortland after a busy week!

My roommate, Shanna, is also on the team. This week, she started an internship at Jozii doing marketing and working on their social media to expand their brand. So, she was especially in need of unwinding at Van Cortlandt! We are not in the same running group, but we met up after practice and walked around the park a little before taking the bus back. Waking up for 8 am practice on Saturdays is not always the easiest thing to do, but a morning run is a fun way to wrap up a busy week. After practice, some of my teammates and I went to Pete’s Café on Fordham Road. It’s always nice to get a meal off campus and change up the normal routine of eating in the cafeteria or our other dining options. Pete’s is great because there’s plenty of space to accommodate our big group! Enjoying the leaves changing and the scenery in the park along with a relaxing breakfast was the perfect way to start of a calm Saturday after a busy week!

Blog by: Claire McGonigle