Class in the City

One of the many benefits of going to school in New York City is getting to take interesting classes that encourage you to take advantage of the Big Apple!

My favorite class I am taking this semester is Theater Journalism. We learn from actual professionals who work in the Broadway community about how to write and report on theater in a variety of ways. As part of the class, we are required to see three shows this semester, and since I am a HUGE fan of seeing shows, this only gave me an excuse to see some of the newest and best productions of the season.

Outside the Broadway Theatre on 53rd Street!

In fact, my professor got us free tickets to see the latest revival of the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Broadway Theatre. This production absolutely blew me away and brought me to tears. It is extremely difficult to get tickets to see the show and I’m so happy that I got to see this as part of my homework.

Sitting in the orchestra!

And, later this semester, a Broadway performer will be coming into class for an interview, which is something I cannot wait to do. I am so thrilled that I chose to take a class this semester that takes one of my biggest passions and makes it a fun and fascinating class that is both challenging and educational. I love taking classes that involve taking advantage of the city and will miss this the most about Fordham after I graduate in May.

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!

Good Morning Fordham!

It’s so easy to get involved on campus at any stage in your Fordham Career. As a second semester sophomore, I found myself fully immersed in the Fordham Community in a new way.  I’m talking about Fordham’s favorite morning show, Fordham Mornings.

My co-host and I on the Fordham Mornings couch!

 Fordham Mornings is one of the most fun things I have been involved with on campus. This semester, I was lucky enough to become one of the two co hosts of the show and I am having a blast. The show is an hour long and runs once a week from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Wednesday mornings. The show starts with a host chat where my co host and I banter about fun pop culture topics. In addition to the co host antics there is also a news segment, sports segment, fashion segment, DIY segment, and a YouTube video segment. 

The Fordham Mornings crew and set

            Fordham mornings is so much more then what it appears to be on the surface. The show is all student run and student produced so there is a crazy amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. Student producers write the script for the show and are virtually in charge of everything and everyone making sure the show runs smoothly. In addition we have people on tech who work with in the control room, who are in charge of all of the technical aspects, as well as people who are in charge of the cameras and teleprompter.

We are having a great time playing two truths and a lie at then end of the show

   Fordham Mornings is a great opportunity for anyone interested in journalism, broadcasting, or television production.  Even if you aren’t interested in that it is still an incredibly fun group of people to hang out with on Wednesday mornings!  

News Experience at Fordham

I am a member of many different clubs and organizations on campus, but Fordham Nightly News is definitely one of my favorites. Fordham Nightly News is Fordham University’s very own student run and student produced television program. The show airs at 5:30pm Monday through Friday. The studio is located in the basement of the library. It is fully equipped with cameras switchboards, teleprompters, soundboards and more!

This is the Fordham Nightly News desk!

There are so many different ways to get involved with Fordham Nightly News. There are opportunities to become involved in both the technical side of the news, and the on air aspect. Students who wish to learn the technical side attend a variety of tech workshops in the beginning of the year. They are then assigned to an experienced member of Fordham Nightly News and act as an apprentice. Once they are comfortable, they are assigned a night where they are responsible for certain aspects of the show. Students who want to be on air must first take a screen test to see how well they can read off a teleprompter. They then attend a variety of writing workshops and eventually earn a spot on the air.

This is the technical control room.

I am on air for Fordham nightly news on Monday nights. I act as an anchor, reporter, interviewer, or provide the editorial. These positions rotate on a weekly basis, giving students the ability to try a little bit of everything. A typical show lasts a half hour and consists of 10 anchor stories, 5 of which are breaking international news and 5 local or Fordham related stories. In addition to these short stories there are two student produced packages, two interviews, and finally the show is wrapped up with an editorial. Fordham Nightly News is more than just a club; it provides students with hands on experience that makes them more competitive when they apply for internships and jobs.

Branching Out!

Students modeling for MODE's photo op

On September 3^rd, I attended Fordham’s annual Club Fair on Edward’s Parade.  The usual campus hangout was encircled by tables, one for mostly every club here at Fordham.  The club fair allows students to see what is happening on campus and gives them an opportunity to get involved with something that they find interesting. At each table you can receive a brief overview of what the club is and give them your email to receive more information as well as meeting times.  As a sophomore, I wanted to broaden my horizons and get involved with something new and exciting.  I came across many clubs that caught my attention, but the one I was most interested in was MODE.

The Fall 2013 Cover

The Spring 2014 Cover

MODE is Fordham’s version of a fashion magazine.  A group of students work together to publish one edition every semester which gets distributed right before the start of finals.  The magazine covers a myriad of topics from fashion to romance to fitness.  What makes MODE special is its emphasis on the Fordham community in its articles.  The models and interview subjects in the articles are all current students or alumni.  Fashion on campus was a huge part of the most recent edition of the magazine.  It is very cool to see people you know in the magazine! Also, it makes it super easy for any Fordham student to relate to!

As a communications major, I was very interested in being a part of MODE.  Writing for a magazine can be a good way to improve on your writing skills while being a great resume booster as well.  Rumor has it, members of MODE have interned for big time magazines such as Teen Vogue!  Being a part of publishing a magazine is not only good for potential writers or journalists.  It is a great way for anyone interested in fashion, photography or graphic design to gain experience.  Although I am just starting to get involved, I cannot wait to begin writing for the magazine! 

Learning Outside the Classroom

What do you want to be when you grow up?

We’ve all been asked this question before, and along with all my fellow seniors, it’s what’s on my mind. What are my plans for my life after Fordham?

The education that Fordham has provided has prepared me to tackle challenges outside of my coursework and in the form of various internships.

Right now I’m interning with CNN’s newest show, Erin Burnett OutFront (shameless plug: tune in 7pm EST!). This past summer I began my experience at CNN’s New York bureau (conveniently located two blocks from our Lincoln Center campus) interning full-time before they extended an offer for me to continue through the Fall semester.

Aside from being co-workers with some world-renowned journalist (Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer to name a few), I have had the most real, hands-on experience of what it means to be in the industry. The unpredictable and very real nature of following the news is what keeps me going when balancing late shifts at the office, schoolwork and extra-curricular activities becomes difficult. My time during the day can be spent pursuing a contact, doing story research, sitting with editors or pulling videos. The work I do for the show is real, and it is hard, but I love it.

Lessons I learn from my professors in my Communications and Journalism classes can be directly applied to the work that I have to do for CNN. In any given week I can see my education in the classroom working in hand with my education outside of it. My writing started in the classrooms, and eventually made it to the front page of our school newspaper The Ram, thanks to the encouragement of a professor. I started writing regularly for The Ram, where I eventually became a Staff Writer, and now, I have an article on CNN.com and a package that aired four times on television.

Being in New York City puts all Fordham students at an advantage. We are in the epicenter of news, business, economics, art and so much more. The wide variety of internships that city has to offer covers even the most specific of interests.

My work at CNN will hopefully land me a job, but at the very least, I’ve gotten a few good memories out of it:

Field Access when CNN covered the Yankee's HOPE Week:

The first shoot I ever went on, an ostrich farm in New Jersey:

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon making a statement on Syria:

The CNN control room where I work now:

Internships: SELF Magazine

Fordham College Rose Hill: Internships // SELF Magazine: "Thursday, February 18, 2010 Yesterday, Career Services held a job and internship fair in our student center. As one of the top business, co..."