Weekend Update

Nicole Chiuchiolo

Finals week can be stressful, and sometimes you just need to get away from all the studying and do something fun. This weekend, I had the opportunity to do something both fun and productive! A few of my friends and I visited the Hayden Planetarium in New York City as an extra credit assignment for our astronomy class. It was an amazing experience, all of the exhibits were completely relevant to what we learned in class. The best part is that we were back to campus in time for dinner… and more studying. A visit to the planetarium was exactly what we needed to recharge!

My friend and me on our way into the awesome exhibit

Marisa Diaz

My weekend was filled with studying for finals, which start today. However, as a break from studying for finals, my roommates and I did Secret Santa to celebrate the holidays!

My roommates and me relaxing before finals

Nicole Cruz

On Sunday, I went to Madison Square Garden to watch the Men's basketball team take on St. John's. It was so much fun getting to see the Rams play at such a famous venue. We even got to see a few New York Knick players warming up after the game!

The Rams warming up before the game

Why Fordham?

Three years ago, I was in the midst of making the big college decision.  I never had my sights set on one dream school or an ideal program.  I had ideas about what I wanted from my college experience, but I had a lot of trouble deciding which school would actually transform those expectations into realities!

Initially in my college search, I had written off Fordham, because my sister had attended, and, being the headstrong youngest sibling, I didn't want to follow the same collegiate path she took .  Once I looked past my silly worries and allowed my mom to convince me to visit Fordham for a tour, I saw that it had all the things I was looking for in a college experience (and more!).  It was right under my nose the whole time once I was ready to see it!

When attending my sister's graduation from Fordham in 2010, I never expected that she'd be doing the same for me in a few years!

City Life AND Campus Life

One of the few things I was sure of in choosing a school was that I wanted to be in (or near) a city, but I still wanted that traditional campus feeling.  Fordham won me over, for I knew that in 20 minutes I could travel on MetroNorth from bustling midtown Manhattan to the shady respite of the Rose Hill campus.  I'm able to easily travel to the city for concerts, Broadway shows, shopping, meals, and simply to embrace The City That Never Sleeps while still knowing that on a nice, sunny day there's plenty of space on the Rose Hill campus to lay out and read or play frisbee.  Plus, there are tons of opportunities to experience some of the city's best offerings for free or for less through Fordham programs!

Recently took the D Train from Fordham Rd to 34th St. to see an Arctic Monkeys concert at Madison Square Garden

Take the 4 train from Fordham Rd to the Upper East Side & the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Or just stay on campus to enjoy the nice weather

Ability to take a wide range of classes

Since I was unsure of what I wanted to major in, I was always a fan of Fordham's core requirements.  I knew this would enable me to take classes in different disciplines without worrying about falling behind in major requirements by entering my studies without a declared major.  The core helped me realize that I wanted to major in Communication and Media Studies, and my enjoyment of my lower level, core English classes led me to pursue a minor in English.

Arthur Avenue

Last but not least: I wouldn't be telling the whole story if I didn't admit that Arthur Avenue played a large role in my decision to come to Fordham.  I would always look forward to a trip to Tino's with my family and knowing that I could have all that delicious Italian food so close all the time definitely pushed Fordham over the edge!

As cheesy as it sounds, you wind up where you're meant to be.  Best of luck to all making their difficult college decisions!

A Rainy Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rainy days at Fordham are the perfect time to travel into the city and take advantage of the wonderful museums. Today I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a group of my friends. 

Since the Metro North has weekend city passes for $4, the transportation was cheap. Additionally, the Met has a recommended admission rate. This means guests are allowed to donate as much as they are able to. For poor college students who are on a low budget and are looking for something fun to do, this is a great opportunity!  

We walked around the Met and explored different exhibits. Every time I go to the Met I always discover a different section of artwork that I had not previously seen. Today I spent a lot of time looking at American Art because the last time I was there I focused on the Egyptian Art. 

One of my favorite exhibits is the large house with the many different rooms. It is always cool to see rooms decorated so nicely with antiques. 

 I love the Met because it has so much to see! 

Taking Class Outside the Classroom

As a student at Fordham, you will commonly here the phrase – “Fordham is my school, New York is my campus.” What does this actually mean? To start, Fordham is located in the Bronx borough of New York City. The school’s close proximity to Manhattan makes travel super easy and accessible! On average, it takes about 35-45 minutes to get into Manhattan by Ram Van, which is my favorite way to travel into the City. The Ram Van is always reliable because it leaves on time and is an inexpensive, safe way to travel.

But what does “New York is my campus," really, mean?”  Yes, Fordham’s location facilitates City travel, but this phrase means so much more.  It is guaranteed that at least one professor per semester will encourage or require students to venture into the city.  This not only makes lessons more dynamic and interesting, but makes the lesson plan more applicable.  For example, last year, for my Fine Arts requirement, I took a class on Opera.  My Opera professor encouraged our class to go to the Metropolitan Opera after he received reduced price tickets for students.  This was a truly great experience as the class culminated in an actual visual of what we studied all semester.  Students met and traveled together for the Opera showing at Lincoln Center for a night of music and culture.

With my classmate and good friend, Nick Hardiman, at Lincoln Center for the Opera.   

This year, I ventured to the Museum of Natural History for Lab credit for my Astronomy class.  Again, this took a topic that seemed so obscure and made it accessible and interesting for students.  Receiving this lab credit was definitely my favorite part of the class as information presented at the museum reiterated and reinforced class lectures.

Ram Van and Museum Ticket

At Fordham, professors realize how busy students are, but they also recognize the importance of our access to the City.  It may seem burdensome to take out extra time to work on class projects or receive credit by travelling.  However, these out of the classroom lessons are what really makes the information come into fruition, which I have found is a common thread amongst all professors at Fordham.  This is what I have come to realize what it means for New York to be my campus.  

Visit the MoMa

While the Met may be closer to Fordham Rose Hill, the MoMa, located on 53rd St. between 5th and 6th Ave, is fairly close to Lincoln Center and is not to be missed!

Every Friday, Target sponsors free admission from 4-8 pm for all visitors. Last Friday, I made the trek out to see what all the buzz was about and I was definitely not disappointed! It was packed with other art enthusiasts and tourists admiring the masterpieces and incredible craftsmanship. At the same time, my friends and I enjoyed trying to determine the artistic value behind a few of the works. It is modern art after all; you certainly will not find any Renaissance paintings here. Compared to the Met, I have to say the MoMa was much more manageable in terms of looking at pieces. The MoMa is six floors, yet I was able to see everything in about two hours.

The permanent collection at the MoMa contains a variety of works done by famous artists. There classics by Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Pollock, and many others. Besides sculptures and paintings, there is a wide variety of contemporary photography as well as architectural models on display. In addition, there are always special installations and exhibitions by visiting artists. Interestingly enough, there was an installation with thousands of wrapped candies that could be taken and eaten in one of the traveling collections. My personal favorite was from the permanent collection: Claude Monet's Agapanthus.

Outside the MoMa, the stream of artistic wonders continues into the sculpture garden. The courtyard in between the museum buildings offers a relaxing refuge full of enchanting sculptures and water fixtures. It is easy to forget you are inside the busy streets of midtown Manhattan.

After exploring the exhibits, be sure to peruse the museum's book store. I had blast with my friends looking at all of the kids' arts and crafts toys as well as the uniquely designed household items. They also sell prints and postcards to remember your favorite pieces.

If you cannot make it on a Friday evening, students with IDs pay only $14 for admission. For more information on hours and current exhibits, please visit the MoMa site.