Kickin' Off Spring Weekend 2015

Spring Weekend is one of the most anticipated events for students at Fordham. It is scheduled for the last weekend before the end of classes, as a final celebration before finals. The programming starts Monday and continues through Sunday. This year’s main events consist of:

Thursday:

Speaker

Brandon Stanton, founder of HONY

Each Thursday night of Spring Weekend, CAB (Campus Activities Board) brings in a speaker for students. This year, Campus Activities Board has gotten Brandon Stanton, founder of the famous social media project, Humans of New York.

Friday:

Rose Hill Rush

Peer Educators hosts a 5K run around campus. Students are invited to run 3 laps around campus to start off Spring Weekend.

Some friends and I after last year's Rose Hill Rush.

DJ

Solidisco

The fun continues Friday night with a selected DJ who performs in the large open parking lot on campus. This performance resembles a rave/club feel. This year's selected DJ is Solidisco.


Saturday:

Concert

Concert on Martyr's Lawn

Saturday afternoon, there is a big concert on Martyr's lawn. It starts with a student opener and then follows with a band Campus Activities Board hires. This year's band is 21 pilots. My freshman year, we had Grouplove and Andy Grammer and my sophomore year we had Cartel, Cold War Kids, and Melker Project.

RHA Under the Tent Dance

Last year's Under the Tent-Kentucky Derby

Saturday night is the annual RHA (Residence Halls Association) Under the Tent Dance. This year's theme is The Last Illusion; Magic & Mystery. The tradition of the dance is that students wait on line outside McGinley about a week before to purchase tickets for the event. The wait can sometimes be long, but the sun is usually shining, so it gets students excited for the weekend!


Sunday:

Comedian

Every Sunday night, Campus Activities Board brings in a comedian to finish off the weekend with some laughs! This year's comedian is Jamie Lee, famous from MTV's girl code.

Jamie Lee

Here's the full week's lineup of this year's events:

Weekend Update

It's never a bad idea to bring home cupcakes!

Danielle Smith

This weekend I took a trip back home to Long Island to visit my family. To get home I generally take the Ram Van into the Lincoln Center campus and then walk to Penn Station. On my walk to Penn Station, I passed a Baked by Melissa where I bought cupcakes to surprise my family (and have a few myself)! I loved spending time with my family and they were especially grateful that I brought home cupcakes.

Expressions Dance Alliance takes on the Botans

Gianna Rosamilia

This weekend Expressions Dance Alliance had their biannual photo shoot for their recital at the end of the fall semester. Some of the girls from the company got together and walked over to the Botanical Gardens to take pictures to promote the show, "Dreamers". The Gardens are absolutely beautiful this time of year. The weather was perfect, and it was an incredible day to spend outside with everyone. Not only did we take some awesome pictures for flyers and footage for our promo video, but we got to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of New York's Botanical Gardens, which is free to enter with a Fordham ID! EDA's show this semester takes place at 8 PM on November 21 and 22 in Collins Auditorium, and features student-choreographed lyrical, jazz, contemporary, and tap dances!

Great food, great sights, and great fun!

Emily Tanner

This past weekend I went to ‘Broadway Bites’ in Greeley Square Park! It features a bunch of different vendors of the yummiest food in NYC, from Italian to Mexican to Thai, even some baked goods! It’s called a ‘pop- up market’ and will be on Broadway until November 15th. I had a super fun time in Manhattan with my friends trying all of the different cuisines and just hanging out in the best city in the world.

We loved the laser show

Kirsten Simons

This Friday after work, some friends and I went to get dinner at City Bakery in Chelsea. We had incredibly delicious hot chocolate with our meal and then headed to Brooklyn for the New York Festival of Lights. The festival took place under the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was incredibly fun. The festival featured art from several different artists, all of which centered around lights of all kinds, everything from Christmas tree lights and lasers to fluorescent lights and projections on the side of the bridge.

A beautiful trail at the Botanical Gardens

Anna Romagnoli

This past weekend I took a study break in the Botanical Gardens right across the street from the Rose Hill campus.  It is free for Fordham students and a great place to go on a walk or run and enjoy the fall weather!

Club Spotlight! Sláinte: Fordham Irish Dance

Here at Fordham, there are over 100 clubs and extracurricular activities that students can participate in. From political groups, to choirs, to the Campus Activities Board, to a culinary council and more, whatever you’re interested in, Fordham most likely has it.

My suitemate, Kayla Slattery, is the Co-President of Sláinte, the Irish Dance group here at Rose Hill. Apart from Irish dance, there are other dance groups on campus as well for students who may prefer other styles of dance. Check out an interview below that I conducted with Kayla!

Kayla and the team!

So what inspired you to start Sláinte?
Kayla: Dance had been such a big part of my life for so many years that when I came to Fordham that part of me was missing. I knew other girls here who felt the same way, so having this club is a great way to continue my love of dance and meet other people who have the same interests.
Was it easy to get the club up and running?
Kayla: It definitely was a process, but after we wrote our constitution and it was approved, Fordham helped us get our club under way and we’ve grown a lot since it started!
What are some activities that you guys do?
Kayla: We practice twice a week and we work on choreographies and exercises to prepare for upcoming events and performances. We’ll be competing at the intercollegiate Irish Dance Competition in the Spring of 2015! We also host Ceili Nights, which are social dances with food and friends, you don’t have to have any experience to go, and it’s a great way to meet new people and learn a fun dance! Our next one is on Tuesday the 18th.
Would you describe Fordham as an involved campus?
Kayla: Yes, I would definitely describe Fordham as involved. There are so many activities to participate in, and everyone is just looking to be a part of something, and make new friends, and participate in something they love. It’s been a great experience!

Senior Nights

It's hard to believe how quickly the past three years have flown by whenever I think about this being my last year at Fordham.

But not to fear! Being a Senior at Fordham has its perks!

About once a month, Fordham hosts a Senior Night on campus for all the students in that year's graduating class.  Each event has a specific theme, and students are encouraged to create costumes that showcase that theme.  It's a great opportunity to be creative, have some fun, and enjoy the company of your fellow classmates!

A lawyer, an electrician, a baker, a flamenco dancer, a flight attendant,
a scientist, and a teacher head to their first Senior Night!

In October, the first Senior Night for the class of 2015 was held, with the theme of "Childhood Dream Job."  People dressed up as doctors, ballerinas, chefs, teachers, athletes, police officers, and everything in between!

November's scheduled event is themed "90s," encouraging attendees to dress up as a character, celebrity, or anything related to the 1990s.  In past years, other themes have included "The Name Game (dress as something from the first letter of your name), Safari, and 100 Nights (celebrating 100 nights until Graduation).  Students anxiously await the announcement for the next event's theme, so they can start planning their next set of costumes!

Express Yourself

I began dancing at a very young age, and as I  grew up, dance has always remained a huge part of my life. When I was searching for colleges, my plan was to search for a college with dance team that I could audition for. I wanted to continue competitively dancing like I did in high school. When I visited Fordham, however, I absolutely fell in love with the school, with no mind to how I could continue to dance (because at the time I had no idea what Fordham offered in the dance department). In fact, I loved Fordham so much that I was willing to sacrifice a dance team just to go here, and so on April 29, 2012 I committed to Fordham University class of 2017.

The company from Spring 2014!!

Expressions at the Club Fair looking for incoming dancers!

The summer before I attended the university, I worked with a girl who not only went to Fordham but was a dancer as well. She told me about the dance club she had joined, Expressions Dance Alliance (EDA), and how on the company, she made some of her best friends and greatest memories at Fordham. So, on the day of the club fair my freshmen year, I sought out Expressions Dance Alliance for the audition date. I ended up making the company, and it has been one of the greatest things to happen to me at Fordham thus far. I love all of the girls in the company, and I  found a way to keep dance in my life when I had thought I had lost it.

Practicing on stage before our show!!

Expressions is student-run, and our dances are student-choreographed, so my second semester on the company, I got a chance to choreograph a dance for our recital. Any girl in the company can audition a dance to choreograph, and if it makes it past choreography auditions, dancers will vote to be in it, and it will be in the show. Each choreographer's dance practices for one hour a week, and every dancer must come for a three hour rehearsal on Sunday nights (one for class, and two for company dances). At the end of every semester, we have two shows, usually in Collins auditorium. Friends and family can finally see what we've spent hours working for the whole semester!

EDA has been such an awesome part of my Fordham experience, and a great outlet that takes me away from the stress of college; however, it is not the only other dance club/team that Fordham has. Flava is Fordham's incredible hip-hop club, and the Dance Team performs at sporting events and keeps the fans excited! 

So far this semester, Expressions has welcomed five fantastic new dancers, and we are currently rehearsing for our show in late November! We have our first company event tomorrow night, and are so excited to see where the rest of our Fall 2014 company goes. 

Broccoli Always Down

A few weeks ago, February 28^th to be exact, my friends and I attended Fordham LC’s annual Winter Ball. Each year USG (United Student Government) and CAB (Campus Activities Board) come together to create a fun and one-of-a-kind event for the Fordham community. In the past, Winter Ball was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, The Roosevelt, Tavern on the Green, and many more.

This year's theme was masquerade

Dressed to the nines, Fordham students gathered to celebrate another year in the “ramily.” The masquerade themed shindig was held at Three Sixty in Tribeca. Talk about views! The place had floor to ceiling glass windows that displayed a million (or probably closer to 50 million) dollar scene of NYC. 

My roommate and I on the "red carpet"

So on top of having a space as sick as this, we also got treated to the incredible three course meal. Tip of the night: Apparently, there is a specific way in that the plate is supposed to be positioned on the table, which my waiter quite peculiarly pointed out to me by spinning turning my the dish and telling me, “Broccoli, always down.” Good to know?

Looks to good to eat...well...

In between the glorious helpings, the majority of the party could be found out on the dance floor, working off all of those delectable calories. From throwback jams (jump, jump, jump, jump), to ‘90s classics (I’m talking to you, Britney), to the electronic pop of today (unce, unce, unce), the nigh's music bumped through the speakers. The dance floor was packed with bodies getting down and it was a good time.

To dance or to eat?

Being a senior, it was a so nice to be able to get together with all of my Fordham friends, get dressed up, and just being with each other. To not have to worry about papers, or internships, and just be present in the moment with people that are closest to me was an incredible experience. It was a night of dancing, laughing, great food, amazing views and an all around grand time to be a ram! 

Table 16.

A Look at the Fordham Dance Team!

Fordham Dance Team (FDT) is the perfect club to join if you’re interested in dance and want to show off your school spirit! Although it is a club sport here at Fordham, the dance team is heavily involved with Fordham Athletics. FDT and the Fordham cheerleaders work together to provide the ultimate school spirit and support at athletic events. Fordham Dance performs during halftime and media timeouts at all home Fordham Football and men’s and women’s Basketball games. In addition, we do sidelines with Fordham Cheerleading at all basketball games. This year at both the Homecoming and Family Weekend football games, Dance and Cheer did a special halftime performance together! I tried out for the dance team the first semester of my freshman year, and I have loved being a part of the team ever since. It has been a great way to be involved with Fordham and to show my support for the athletic teams and my love for the school! 

FDT at Homecoming 2013!

In addition to game performances, the team values performing and fundraising for groups and organizations both on and off campus. Last year we participated in Fordham’s Relay for Life event. We raised $3,000, walked at the event, and performed. We also participated in the Light It Up Blue-Autism Awareness event. This year the team is very excited about adding the Making Strides Walk Against Breast Cancer to our events.

FDT being silly at Relay for Life.

Light It Up Blue-Autism Awareness Event

This past summer the team had the opportunity to attend Universal Dance Association (UDA) camp at Western Connecticut State College for a weekend. We got to work with trained dancers, and learned five routines to use for the upcoming year. The team also won a Superior trophy for performing our own Fordham Fight Song Cheer! Whether you’re into dance or not, I recommend joining at least one club at Fordham because the experience of being a part of a group and making some of your best friends is worth it!

UDA Camp at Western Connecticut State College 

"Name Game" Senior Night

Not to try and rush your college experience, but for those of you who are already thinking about the long haul, "Senior Nights" are a tradition at Fordham that us seniors, who have worked diligently for four long years, receive as a reward for all our hard work.
To be more specific, "Senior Nights" are once-a-month, extremely popular and highly anticipated events that Fordham's Senior Week Committee does a wonderful job of planning and executing each month.
Part of the allure of these special nights are the secret themes, which are announced shortly before the events themselves.
Last night's theme was "The Name Game," which involve students dressing up as a person, place or thing that started with the first letter of their first or last name.
The event was widely attended, and students who were of age enjoyed $3 drink tickets, good for beer and wine, as well as Sodexo catering and tunes by Fordham DJ Pat McCarren.
Below are a few pictures from the event itself, as you can see, us seniors got creative!

Myself, as "a bunny," my roommate Anchal as an aerobics instructor and my other roommate Randi as "reverse".

My neighbors Rose and Zach as a rose and a zebra.