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!

Weekend Update!

The dining area in my dorm in Walsh!

Jessica Timko

This weekend was the first weekend that everyone was back on campus, and this is also the first year that my roommates and I are living in Walsh, an apartment style residence hall.  My roommates and I love to cook, so this Saturday we hosted a "Ramily" dinner for our friends who live down the hall from us.  We made a pasta dinner and enjoyed a fun night filled with good friends and good food.

The NYC skyline from the Hudson River!

Yuliana Veyberman

Even though I grew up in the city, it's still lots of fun to act like a tourist once in a while. My friends and I took advantage of the beautiful weather on Friday to take an evening cruise around the Hudson - we got the prettiest photos of the NYC skyline (and yes, we Instagrammed them all).

Collage of my Sunday activities!

Teresa Swindal

On Sunday, my friends and I took the ram van into Lincoln Center to get Sunday brunch. We ate at Le Pain Quotidien, a restaurant and bakery right by Columbus Circle. It was pretty affordable and the food was great! After that, we walked over to New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. Although we did not go to a show, we were able to see all the crazy and unique outfits of people walking around, which was awesome!

The quaint inside of Freemans.

Emily Tanner

This weekend I went into the city to do some exploring, and of course get some yummy food! I explored SoHo and the surrounding areas and was SO happy to be back in the city. I went to this amazing restaurant hidden at the end of an alley called Freemans. It was delicious, I got the 5 cheese macaroni! There's nothing like a Saturday spent in the city with the people you love, finding new and interesting places in areas you'd never expect!