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!

Conquering Midterms-the Fordham Way

Amidst the fun times that college brings comes the stress around the middle of the semester known as midterm exams. Although the stress can sometimes seem unbearable to most students, Fordham's academic departments offer resources that have given me relief during this hectic time of year. With Fordham already being a medium-sized school, it is not difficult to seek help from your professors personally in preparation for midterms, but I have also discovered many of the other ways Fordham has come first in preparing and assisting its students for exams. From various practical study locations on campus to specific programs that each academic department has to offer, Fordham always has something to offer to a student who is desiring to succeed in their academics.

As an Engineering Physics major, I oftentimes find myself struggling to balance the workload from my liberal arts core classes on top of my major science courses. Luckily, many of the departments located on campus provide peer tutoring and group study sessions--unconventional ways of studying for tough exams. For example, the Physics department offers a “Physics Club room” in which students and professors gather in one place to assist others in tests, homework, or whatever it is they need help on. I find this to be a comfortable place to study, if going one-on-one with your professors becomes a bit intimidating. Plus, it is a great environment to collaborate with your peers in studying for exams that you might have together. Other departments like the Mathematics and Chemistry departments offer similar tutoring style rooms open for peer tutoring in preparation for exams. Sometimes, being able to talk about your exams with your peers in this situation already helps in relieving the stress that midterms bring, so I am definitely grateful for discovering that part of Fordham and highly encourage others to take advantage of it as well!

The Physics "Club Room" in Freeman Hall where students can study together and receive tutoring.

Another helpful tool that many Fordham students use, especially around the impounding swarm of midterm papers, is the English department’s writing center. For a paper to get better, it sometimes requires another pair of eyes to look over, and the writing center allows students to bring in papers ranging from Theology to English Composition and lets another graduate student take a look at some problem areas in the paper and to spend one-on-one time discussing the areas where a paper can get stronger. It is also really easy to sign up for an appointment online, and you can even request tutors that you felt really helped you in the revision process if they did!

A flyer for the Writing Center showing its accessible hours and creative ways to get students to seek help!

These are just some of the resources that I have utilized during stressful times like midterms and finals. The most fulfilling aspect lies in the fact that no matter what your major may be, Fordham will always have a place that will cater to your academic needs. Best of luck to everyone taking their midterms!

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. 

Senior Spotlight: Michael McCarville

Fordham seniors are beginning to realize just how close graduation is. In fact, exactly 101 days remain (not that I'm counting or anything)...but many seniors already know where they will be working come May! I spoke to my good friend Michael McCarville, who has accepted a two-year position with Teach for America, about his post-graduation plans.

Major: English, with a minor in computer science

Hometown: beautiful Casa Grande, AZ

Clubs: Fordham Stand Up

Describe your TFA position.

I will be teaching high school English in a still-to-be-determined low-income high school in, or around, Phoenix, AZ. I will be attending the TFA institute over the summer, along with completing various other certifications required to teach in Arizona. 

Why did you decide to apply for TFA?

I am a product of a low-income high school, and I found my way to New York City via Fordham. I hope, if possible, my story could be some semblance of inspiration for students with similar backgrounds. 

What was the application process like?

Longer than I would have liked or expected. Somewhat of a three-part process: an online interview, a phone interview, and an in-person final interview, which also had a few parts. Overall, it's a process in every sense of the word. Hopefully one that picks the right people.

What excites you most about this opportunity?

Teaching English is exciting. Hopefully I will be able to teach all the texts that interested me in high school and toss the ones that did not.

Do you feel that Fordham has prepared you for TFA?

I would say I am more prepared for life than I once was, but I doubt I am any more prepared to teach high school. I think that's the point of TFA. Maybe I am less afraid of my lack of preparedness to teach because of my experiences at Fordham. Maybe I just know a lot about medieval lit. 

Do you see yourself teaching after your commitment with TFA ends?

Maybe, but maybe not. I have consistently been told "it's the hardest thing you'll ever do," so we'll see how I come out on the other end. After that, I will probably be back in New York City.

What will you miss most about Fordham?

I have never had a bad professor at Fordham. I will miss listening to smart people talk about things they're smart about... and, of course, friends.

Check back in next month for another Senior Spotlight!

Captives, Cannibals, and Rebels

During the Spring 2013 semester I took a class entitled “Captives, Cannibals, and Rebels,” which was offered through the English Department.  The exciting course name had attracted me while I was choosing classes at registration time, and I was eager to start the semester to see what the course would be like!

Throughout the semester, our class read many works, from short works from captives to long-form readings, including William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. My professor divided the course into three sections, each focusing on one of the topics – captives, cannibals, or rebels.

The Tempest, one of the works we read for the class.

We discussed the relation between Europeans and the natives they encountered during periods of great exploration, as well as the possibility of a transfer of cultural beliefs from one group to another as a result of these interactions.  Through class discussions and two in-class debates, I was able to learn a great deal about this particular period in history as well as to sharpen my writing and speaking skills!

The thrilling content and enlightening nature of “Captives, Cannibals, and Rebels” made it one of my favorite classes at Fordham thus far!

Moodswing360

Having already had the fortune of functioning in three very different internships, I was ecstatic to finally land a position in the field I am interested in pursuing - the music and entertainment industry.
Moodswing360, a music booking and strategic marketing agency, is the company I currently intern with, and I am thoroughly enjoying my experience with this relatively small agency, located in Chelsea.
LMFAO, Dev, Hyper Crush, Das Racist, and Travie McCoy are some of the artists they represent, just to name a few, and as an intern I am responsible for managing these artists calendars, as well as those of our other talent.
As an intern I am also responsible for conducting market research, and creating artist "one sheets" for high many of our profile clients, a unique skill I know will benefit me when applying to other job opportunities in this field.
This month has been particularly busy at Moodswing, as many of our artists are performing at March music festivals such as Winter Music Conference and Ultra in Miami, as well as South by Southwest in Austin.
The internship has also had its perks, as I have had the privilege to attend many of our artist's concerts and various events in the NYC area.
I would highly recommend this company to any Fordham student interested in a career in music or entertainment, and as Communications major and English minor, I think it has broadened my horizons and really helped me realize what it is I would like to do after graduation, which for me is merely months away!

All Night Long

I've had a slew of recent city experiences that I could write about here: tasty lox at a Jewish deli on the Upper East Side, the off-Broadway play Channeling Kevin Spacey at St. Luke's, mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a hilarious improv show at the Upright Citizens Brigade, oh, and the Literary Death Match tomorrow night in which MY PROFESSOR is competing!!!

This sucker kept us entertained until the wee hours of the morning.
Photo c/o googleimages 

But instead I'm going to write about my all-nighter with a fine English man. He goes by the name John Milton. (Perhaps you've read his poetry? He has quite a way with words, that Milton.) Indeed, last Monday, my Milton class, including Professor Frank Boyle, stayed up until 3:30 am reading Paradise Lost from beginning to end. We started at 6 pm....... and only took ONE break as a group.

Pictured in the middle: the man who said, "Thou shalt read Milton!"
And we did, for a long time. But it's cool, because he gave us tons of free
sandwiches, coffee, and brownies, and now he's our favorite professor.
Photo by Michael Dames

The truth is, any average Joe can eat lox and see shows and do fun NYC stuff anytime. But how many college students read Paradise Lost straight through and are actually excited about it? Nine students plus twelve books of poetry in ten hours equals one awesome class.

We are determined. We are steadfast. We are literary moguls. We are Fordham.

My Classroom Experience...on Broadway!

Learning outside the classroom: Political Science and Theology double major Andy Steffan shares his unique experience in Dr. Greenfield's Early Modern Literature class.

Fordham College Rose Hill: My Classroom Experience...on Broadway!: "During the first few weeks of my Early Modern Literature course, our class (taught by Dr. Greenfield of the English department) discussed no..."