Who Doesn't Love a Good Field Trip?!

Believe it or not, field trips do exist in college! And when you go to school in the best city in the world (although I admit I am biased), the field trips and experiences outside of the classroom can be amazing.

Being an English major, I've visited sites such as The Wall Street Journal, The NY Times offices, and I've attended numerous lectures hosted on Fordham's campus and in the city featuring famous authors and prominent people in the advertising and journalism fields.

The NY Times building! 

Art history class? Chances are your professor will take you guys to The Met. Sports marketing class? How does a Yankees game sound? Whatever subject or field you plan on going into, I promise that the city can and will be used for your benefit.

Today, my journalism workshop class got a private tour of The Wall Street Journal, which was AWESOME! We toured all of the offices and different departments and had an in depth talk with a Fordham grad who works as a writer for WSJ. He gave us tips and tricks for after graduation and told us if we ever needed help or advice to feel free to contact him. The alumni network at Fordham is so strong, and he was super helpful!

A cool shot I took at the WSJ today!

No matter what field you're going into, the city is a great resource that you'll learn to take advantage of. As Father McShane, Fordham University President exclaims, major in what you want to major in and minor in New York!

When Journalism and Theatre Collide

I am a very proud communications major (with a concentration in journalism) here at Fordham. I look forward to getting a job in the journalism field. In addition to my passion for news, I also have a passion for Broadway or anything theatre related at all. That’s why I was so quick to register for Fordham’s “Theatre Journalism” class this spring.

Theatre Journalism is by far my favorite class I have taken at Fordham so far. The class is at Lincoln Center and being a rose hill student, I do have to commute to class via ram van, but it is well worth it! The professor is Frank DiLella. He is the feature Theatre reporter for NY 1 in addition to hosting  the weekly television show On Stage Across America.  He is so knowledgeable because he is active in the communications field right now. He has structured the class in a very experiential way that helps us develop skills that we will be able to use in the future. Some of our assignments included writing TV news scripts and articles, creating publicity plans for Broadway shows, and writing Broadway reviews.   We have also had a ton of guest speakers including, Glenn Burger, co writer of Spiderman: Turn off the Dark and author of Song of Spiderman, and Paul Wontorek of Broadway.com.  But, I must admit my favorite class was when our professor took us to the NY1 studio and gave us a tour. We also had the privilege of talking to many people who also work at NY1 including, Roma Torre the midday anchor for the station

This is the Playbill for a show I saw for my theatre journalism class

What I love most about this class is that it has practical value. Instead of studying about the industry through textbooks, we are actually doing what we would be doing if we were Journalist. This hands on approach enables us to receive extremely valuable experience in an environment that fosters learning. I look forward to taking other communications courses in the future!

Fordham takes part in National Screening Day

One of my favorite things about Fordham academics is that learning takes place not only in the classroom, but outside of the classroom as well. At Fordham, there are so many opportunities to learn and explore at events in New York City and on Fordham's own campus! 

On February 3, 2015, colleges and universities across the country took part in a National Screening Day of the soon-to-be released film, The Man Who Saved the World, Fordham being one of them. The Theology Department at Fordham even arranged for one of the film’s producers to come to the viewing and answer questions afterwards.

The film tells the story of Soviet Lt. Colonel Stanislav Petrov’s actions that ultimately averted nuclear war in 1983. Petrov followed his own conscience over protocol. Since the film provides an  entry point to consider the scientific, ethical and moral challenges presented by nuclear weapons, my Research Ethics professor encouraged my class to attend the filming. 

My Professor asked us to e-mail her a "selfie" from the event!

The next day in class we were able to have an in-depth discussion of the movie. It was a great way to examin ethical issues using a real-world example. Attending events on campus as part of a class is one of the great ways in which professors make learning exciting at Fordham. 

Opening scene of the film. 

For some of my other classes I have attended on campus events as well as events in the city. For my Irish Literature Class, I went into the city to see a showing of the play Juno and the Paycock. Similarly, for my Jewish History Class, I attended events at the Museum of Jewish Heritage as well as guest lectures in Walsh Library right here on campus. Lastly, as a math major I am always attending math talks on campus and even travel into the city frequently to hear mathematicians speak at other universities! 

Top Ten Differences from being a Freshman to being an Upperclassman

 1.  You are able to choose you schedule

Coming in to Fordham as a freshman your schedule is handed to you. However, after that, you are able to choose your own schedule. This is a great way to take classes that interest you and plan a schedule that fits your daily routine. If you are a morning person, like me, you can choose to sign up for all of the 8:30s!

2. You take classes at the Lincoln Center Campus

Whether its because a course is only offered down at Lincoln Center or because you just want to get into the city for classes and have an excuse to venture into the city, as an upperclassmen you may find yourself taking classes down at Lincoln Center. I am currently taking a graduate Geometry course at Lincoln Center on Wednesday nights and it’s a great change of pace and its, surprisingly, great being able to get into the city at least once a week.

3. Your dorm style changes, if you are living on campus.

For those who choose to live on campus, as a freshman you will live in a single room dorm in either a double or a triple. The bathroom, at least in most of the residence halls, will be communal. Not to worry, this is how you will, surprisingly enough, meet most of your friends freshman year! As a sophomore you will once again live in a double or triple with an added bonus of the bathroom being in your room. Finally, as a junior or senior you will have the opportunity to live in an apartment style dorm which includes a living area, a kitchen, bathroom and single or double rooms.

4. The number of classes that you are required to take decreases

Once you become a junior, you are only required to take four classes whereas underclassmen are required to take five. The reasoning behind this is that students, in their junior and senior years should be getting internships and volunteer opportunities to prepare them for life after Fordham. Since  I want to be  a teacher, I currently volunteer by tutoring girls at the Rosedale Center in the Bronx.

5. You begin to take more classes for your major

In my personal experience, as I advanced through Fordham I slowly began to take more classes per semester that applied to my major than to the standard core. I am a math major and last semester all four of my classes were math classes!

6. You take on leadership roles within clubs and organizations

The clubs and organizations that you choose to join freshman year will play a big role in shaping your Fordham experience. For this reason, while you may just be a general member during your freshman and even sophomore years, as you become a junior or senior you may take on E-board (Executive Board) positions and hold more responsibility. I am not the Club Liiason of the Polish Club which I have been involved with since my freshman year.

7. You realize that office hours are the best resource around, and they are actually very helpful

As an underclassman I always hesitated to go to my professors office hours. However, after being here for three years,  I now go to at least one office hour, practically every day.

8. You become more focused on the future

As graduation approaches, you begin to think more about your plans for the future. I am currently working on graduate school applications to get my masters in Secondary Education.

My friends and I as underclassmen. 

9. You know your way around Arthur Avenue, the Bronx, and NYC more.

Once you become an upperclassmen you begin to know the best pizza place, the best restaurant on Arthur Avenue, the cheapest place to get groceries and the best places to hangout with friends. Additionally, all of your trips into the city as a freshman make you a master at the subways and cool things to do in the city.

10. You know the ropes

As a freshman everything is new and exciting. You are exploring where your classes are, what your professors are like, who you will be friends with, what clubs and activities you will become involved in and what you will do on the weekends. As an upperclassman you have been able to get settled in and can now enjoy all that Fordham has to offer, and believe me, from experience, it has a lot to offer!

Still great friends as upperclassmen! 

With all of this said, not everything changes as you move from being an underclassman to an upperclassman. For me, while all of these changes were taking place the one thing that did not change was my group of friends. I am glad that I have been able to share all of my experiences with them! 

Back With a Bang: How Fordham Starts Off the New Semester Right

The first week of Spring Semester classes is officially over here at Fordham, and I’m so glad to be back in New York City with my friends and classmates. Beginning a new semester can be stressful at times, and at first I felt nervous about taking my Spring Semester courses at the Gabelli School of Business. However, as soon as I got to campus, I felt a lot better about beginning my new classes because of all of the fun, stress relieving activities that Fordham offered this past week.

Just as students jump back into their classes at the start of a new semester, they also have the opportunity to jump back into fun activities going on at the university. Starting during the very first week of this semester, students had the opportunity to attend promo dinners for fundraisers, club fairs, and Bingo! My personal favorite activity this week was the O’Hare Residence Hall Winter Carnival. Resident Assistants and Directors in O’Hare Hall organized a fun night of winter festivities, complete with hot chocolate, cookies, and even an ice skating rink! My friends and I had a great time at this event, and it was a fantastic way to welcome everyone back to Fordham.

The ice skating rink was right on the Rose Hill Campus for O'Hare's Winter Carnival! 

Here at Fordham, there is always something interesting going on. Even at the start of the new semester, Fordham Rams know how to hit the ground running and come back with a bang! Coming back to campus to start a new semester really feels like coming home for me. Every semester, I realize more and more that there truly is no place like Fordham. I am so happy to be back on campus again, and I am really looking forward to Spring Semester’s future Fordham activities!

My roommate and I strapped on some skates and hit the ice after we went to the gym! 

Do We Go to the Met? You Bet!

One of the greatest parts about attending Fordham University is going on adventures to Manhattan. This weekend, my roommate and I decided to go to one of our favorite New York City hotspots: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. My roommate had to complete a scavenger hunt in the museum for one of her history classes, so we used this scavenger hunt as a way to explore the Met on a whole new level. 

One of the many rooms in the Met that had artwork
based on ancient Greek culture 

The museum is very large, so it was impossible to see the entire building in one day. However, my roommate knew exactly where to go for her scavenger hunt because of what she learned in her history class at Fordham. Because of her knowledge of ancient Greek history, we got to see all of the fascinating Greek statues and artwork that the Met had to offer. I cannot wait to visit the Met again, so that I can see another one of the many types of art that the museum houses.

The statues in this part of the Met were so majestic! 

Many of Fordham's history, philosophy, and theology classes have assignments that require students to visit a museum or a place in Manahattan for an assignment. Like my roommate's Greek history class, Fordham classes allow students to explore our wonderful campus: New York City. I am so glad that Fordham encourages students to adventure to different places in New York City. The city really is our campus, and we are able to learn and experience so much because we live right in the middle of it. 

This is a picture of me in the Met, ready to live by Fordham's
mantra and explore my New York City campus

A Day in the Life of a Math Major

As one would assume, the major a person decides to pursue says a lot about him/her. This is mainly because a student's major directs some if not many of the activities that he/she gets involved in. Now that the November 1st Early Action Deadline is approaching and you are trying to decide where to apply, something else that you are probably considering is what you will be majoring in at the school that you eventually end up attending. I have known from a young age that I want to be a teacher when I get older, and in high school, my math skills encouraged me to pursue a degree in mathematics through which I hope to become a high school math teacher. While I know math is generally not most students' favorite subject, for those of you interested in math or thinking about pursuing math, here is a little taste of what being a math major at Fordham consists of. 

John Mulcahy Hall, or JMH as it is commonly referred to by Fordham students, is home to the math department. Consequently, most if not all, math classes offered at Fordham will be located in this building. 

Central Room of the Math Department-Often students and professors are found working together on the blackboard to solve a difficult problem. 

Interestingly enough, I am currently in four math classes and every single one of them is even in the same classroom! So, Monday through Friday my friends know they can most commonly find me in JMH 406. 

JMH 406- This classroom has great technology and chairs that swirl around so that you can face any of the boards when needed. 

When I am not spending my time in JMH 406, I am also frequently attending office hours and spending time in the math help room. Attending office hours and going to the math help room are both extremely useful resources to help math majors with their homework and test preparation. All of the math professors have specific office hours, as do professors in all other departments. Every single one of my math professors makes him/herself available whenever possible. Sometimes I find myself stuck on a math problem late at night and e-mail my teacher only to get a response back within five minutes. However, when your specific professor may not be around to answer a question, the math help room is also a very useful resource. Each hour a different professor is assigned to the math help room to answer any questions that one may be struggling with. 

The Math Help Room- A schedule is posted on the door of when different professors will be in the Math Help Room 

Being a math major is not all homework and studying, however. The math department hosts speakers who give talks on a wide variety of topics that generally apply math to real world scenarios. Before these talks, a different professor each week will bring in cookies and tea for "tea-time." "Tea-time" is a great time to socialize with other math majors and professors and hear about problems that others within the department are working on. 

"Tea-time" Cookie Sign-Up Sheet in the Math Department

Posting of the latest talks happening within the Department 

Other opportunities for math majors, which I take advantage of, are being a member of the Math Club and working as a grader for math professors. I am currently the treasurer for the Math Club, and it is just another great way to get to know fellow math majors. Secondly, as a student grader, I get paid to correct homework assignments. It is a great way to get a bit of extra cash each week! 

There are so many cool things offered for math majors here at Fordham (as for other majors I am sure)! However, when deciding what to mark off on your application for Fordham, consider becoming a math major! 

The Greatest City In The World During The Summer: Fordham Style

An amazing perk of going to Fordham that I didn’t realize until well after I came here, is Fordham during the summer season. What’s better than NYC during the school year…NYC during the summer time of course!

My roommate and I enjoyed ice cream on a warm day this spring in Manhattan!

 Six of my good friends are doing summer sessions here, four of them living at Rose Hill and two of them living in Manhattan at Lincoln Center. Fordham has AMAZING summer opportunities. While I have a job back home that I need to go home for, next summer I am DEFINITELY going to do a summer session, hopefully at Lincoln Center! My four friends that are living here at Rose Hill are working at our Call Center, which is a job here on campus that calls alumni and works on fundraising. They’re making money and living in the city that never sleeps, how awesome is that?! Two of these friends have internships in the city and the other two are taking classes. My two friends that decided to live at LC for the summer both have summer internships too! Last year another friend of ours lived at Fordham LC for the summer, and she balanced a class and an internship, while also having tons of city adventures all summer long! Living in NYC in such a beautiful neighborhood on the Upper West Side is such a privilege and a great opportunity; I really recommend that every Fordham student does this for at least one summer session while they are an undergrad.

 

Isn't Bryant Park so beautiful in the sun?!

Fordham has a great career services office; they can set you up with an awesome summer internship. If that’s not your cup of tea for the summer, how about taking a summer course at one of our two beautiful campuses?

My friends at Fordham doing summer sessions will be able to explore the city all summer long!

 Fordham is very accommodating with housing, and you can choose whether you want to live at LC or RH based on your own personal preferences. I cannot wait to visit my friends that are staying on campus this summer!! I’m so jealous!!

Major Spotlight: English

Before coming to Fordham I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, and the fact that I had to take a somewhat extensive core made me nervous. It is the core, though, that helped me realize what my passions are and what I’m good at. 

I always grappled with the idea, but my courses here in literature and composition reinforced my idea that English was the right major for me. The skills that an English major will give you in knowing how to read and write effectively and analytically are so valuable in today’s ever changing market and society. You can obtain all sorts of different and varying careers from being an English major, from business to teaching to journalism to law, etc. It’s such a strong department here at Fordham!

The classes you can take as an English major are super interesting and while I’m still finishing up my core I can’t wait to take them! Some courses that spoke to me that I can’t wait to take are Charles Dickens, Modernism & Cinema, Poetry Writing: The Poet’s Craft, and American Writers in Paris. As an English major here, you are required to take 5 elective classes, a couple classes in theory, and classes in historical distribution. 

The English department always hosts super interesting speakers, authors, and poets, which give great insight to what people are doing with their English degrees. On top of that, English majors here at Fordham have interned at places such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, MTV, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins. 

If you love reading, writing, or simply just learning how to think critically, you should consider majoring in English! Fordham has a great program here and I have had nothing short of amazing experiences with the English classes that I have taken here thus far. 

The Benefits of a Smaller Class

When I embarked on the long process of picking where I would want to spend my college years I really had no idea where I was going to end up.  I didn't really have a bunch of requirements about a school or have my heart set on anywhere.  However, one requirement that always stuck out to me was that the school I chose could not have huge class sizes.  I knew that I would not work well in these types of environments and definitely wanted and needed a smaller and more interactive classroom experience.  

When I came to visit Fordham I realized that they completely fulfilled this requirement!  The average class size at Fordham is 23 with a student to faculty ratio of about 14 to 1. These smaller classes have a variety of benefits that come along with them.  One is the fact that you will actually get to know your professor, there is no doubt that he or she will know your name and be able to talk with you not only in class, but in their office hours countless times throughout the semester. This becomes really important when you are struggling with something in class, if you feel that your professor knows you it will be much easier to go to them for the necessary help! 

Another great benefit is the ability to ask questions and discuss topics as a class.  With the smaller amount of students it is much easier to formulate discussions on topics that everyone may be confused about or simply topics of general interest having to do with the specific class.  However, in my opinion one of the greatest parts of these smaller classes is the fact that they are without a doubt much less intimidating and I can guarantee you will make tons of new friends in every class! Below are some pictures of the average classroom at Fordham, this particular classroom is in Keating Hall where you will certainly have many classes throughout your time at Fordham! 

Classes take place in many buildings here on campus, some of these buildings are Keating Hall, Dealy Hall, Faculty Memorial Hall, Freeman Hall, and John Mulcahy Hall to name a few! Click here To find out more about these buildings and discover new buildings through Fordham's Interactive Maps! 

Alpha Dogs: Finding Community and Inspiration in the FCRH Honors Program

Something weird happened during my senior year of high school. Due to bizarre scheduling, there were only ten students in my AP Lit class. It was odd, especially after four years of classes with 20 to 30 students each. My teacher also expected us to participate in a "roundtable discussion" format whereas past teachers had mostly lectured at us. Thanks to that class, I learned something important about what I wanted in college: small class sizes and discussion-based learning. And that's exactly what drew me to the Rose Hill Honors Program at Fordham. 

The honors program accepts about 35 students from each entering class. Though students don't have to complete a separate application for admittance to the program (they receive an invitation shortly after being admitted to Fordham), I sent a letter to the Honors Program director asking to be admitted. 

(Click through for larger image)
Most of Alpha 2016 at our last Secret Santa exchange; I'm in the bottom row, second from the right!
These kids are smart. Easy on the eyes, too. ;)

The honors core curriculum differs completely from the regular Rose Hill core. You can view the course layout here. Each semester consists of mainly literature, history, and philosophy courses that focus on a specific era of the world. 

Off the top of my head, here are a few immediate benefits of being in the honors program:  

• Class sizes of about 10-14 students, sometimes even less
• Fabulous professors--and the opportunity to develop close working relationships with them
• Alpha House 

Maybe the biggest tangible benefit of being an honors student is getting a key to Alpha House: a small cottage-turned-building dedicated to honors classes, complete with couches and free printing in the basement. It functions as a 24-hour space for both studying and bonding. Just two weekends ago, we held a Lord of the Rings (Extended Edition) marathon in Alpha. We've held our "Secret Santa" exchange party there for the past two Christmases. Even if we're there just to cram in a paper due the next morning, we get to help each other unwind and stay sane.

With all of its required philosophy and literature classes, the program forces us to consider how humanity has reached this point in history, and how we should prioritize our own lives as a result. I've taken classes I wouldn't normally have chosen on my own. As much as I struggle with philosophy, my philosophy classes have been surprisingly pivotal in helping me understand the world and figure out what I believe to be true. 

I've also had some of my favorite professors at Fordham through the honors classes, and small class sizes allow us to have actual relationships with them. For example, my philosophy teacher from last semester, an honors alum herself, has a tradition of taking her classes apple picking upstate. That day trip is easily one of my most favorite honors memories so far.

Apple picking with Dr. Jude Jones back in October. We climbed trees (technically against the rules), ate pumpkin cheesecake, and danced to a live folk band.

Honors rounds out not only the academic aspects of my life, but also the social ones. I can't speak for every entering class, but the program gave me an instant community of genuinely nice kids who genuinely enjoy learning about the world. I'm honored (haha get it? "honored"?) to be in such great company. My classmates make me want to work harder--they're smart, funny, interesting, articulate. Sometimes I even feel a bit out of my league during class, but that just means I'm actually being challenged. I know I've become a better reader, writer, and thinker for it. Best of all, everyone supports each other. Our Facebook group is always alive with jokes and collective study guides, commiseration and plans to hang out. My Fordham experience wouldn't be the same without these kids.

If you have any questions about the honors program, don't hesitate to e-mail me at vagovida@fordham.edu! 

The McGinley Fitness Center

One of my favorite places to be on campus is in Fordham's new state-of-the-art McGinley Fitness Center.  The gym opened just last October and contains over 1,800 square feet of cardio space equipped with elliptical machines, stationary bikes, and treadmills. Each machine even has its own television which I like to watch the news in the morning on my morning treadmill run or elliptical stride. Additionally, there are strength machines along the perimeter of the gym and a separate heavier weight room to really pump some iron. The facility also houses two group exercise studios: a 1,100 square foot main studio and a spin studio for weekly group exercise classes.

View from the Corner Elliptical Machine at 7:30am on a Weekday 

Mastering Yoga Poses 

The Spin Room (Minus the Spinners)

Exercise classes are a great way to de-stress and take an hour break from schoolwork. And the best part is that all classes are free for all full time Fordham students! A schedule is made up each semester consisting of a variety of Zumba, yoga, spin, and strength classes offered Monday through Friday. No signups are necessary and students can pop in to any class convenient for them. My favorite classes are the spinning classes, which consist of an hour of biking and encouragement from the instructor while jamming out to an upbeat playlist. Some instructors are certified students, and others are certified trainers. With finals coming up shortly, I will definitely be attending a least a couple of spin and yoga classes to get my mind and body focused for the hours of studying to come!