Manresa Scholars Program: A Unique Freshman Experience

Manresa Scholars took a trip to the Hudson River for kayaking. 

For Fordham freshmen seeking a living-learning community, the Manresa Scholars Program offers incoming students the valuable opportunity to grow socially, spiritually, and academically. Manresa Scholars exhibit a sense of commitment to intellectual pursuit, community service, and the Fordham family.

The Manresa Scholars Program is housed in Loyola Hall, where students will experience an engaging academic and social environment. Within Loyola, students have access to live-in Manresa Tutors and Resident Assistants, a Study Commons, seminar rooms, and the St. Ignatius of Loyola Chapel, where Resident Housemaster Rev. Lito Salazar, S.J. holds weekly Mass. During the fall semester, every Manresa Scholar takes a Manresa Seminar, which is taught by a Manresa professor. Examples of course offerings include “Mind-Body Connection: Introduction to Behavior Health,” “Lost Interlocutor: Philosophy of Human Nature” and “Finch, Seed, and Storm: Adventures in Contemporary Evolution.” This professor also serves as the student’s academic advisor and mentor throughout the adjustment to college academics.

Students at a dinner colloquium
in the Loyola Study Commons.

One of the most popular features of Manresa are weekly “dinner-colloquium” programs, in which students gather over a simple meal to discuss a topic with a faculty member or guest speaker. This semester, Manresa philosophy professor, Dean Robert Parmach and Manresa theology professor, Dr. Harry Nasuti hosted a dinner colloquium entitled, “Social Media and the Search for the Self,” during which they examined the ways social media impact the intellectual, spiritual, and social lives of Manresa Scholars.

Additional program highlights include service-learning events such as Bronx park clean-ups and tutoring at a local Catholic elementary school, spiritual events such as Jesuit spirituality-inspired yoga in Our Lady’s Chapel, educational programs such as tutor-led midterm review sessions, and social excursions to Manhattan for kayaking or to explore Central Park.

For further information about the Manresa Scholars Program, please visit the Manresa website, http://www.fordham.edu/manresa, and the Program’s blog,: https://manresaprogram.wordpress.com.

Dean Parmach and Dean Totino welcome
students and their families on move-in day.

Manresa Scholars explore Central Park on a Friday afternoon.

Business School in the Big Apple

Since 2014, students have been given a choice between taking business courses at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. Fordham's bustling Lincoln Center campus is an excellent counter to Rose Hill's traditional college campus. As a member of the first ever graduating class here at Gabelli Lincoln Center, I boast of my home campus with pride to my Rose Hill peers. Our campus features a brand new law school building and residence hall and starting next fall, a newly renovated building devoted solely for undergraduates and business students. 

An artist's rendering of 140 West 62nd Street, 

the new home of Gabelli Lincoln Center, will be ready for use next Fall! 

 The freshman and sophomore year curricula, unchanged from those at Rose Hill, is challenging, rewarding and full of purpose. I currently take courses covering all facets of real life business applications, including Marketing, Accounting and Strategic Management. This culminates in our Integrated Project, where we analyze companies and see how they should improve. I will learn material in class one day, and apply those very skills in my internship that I attend on my days off from school. 

The first ever undergraduate business class at Lincoln Center!

Our program here is limited to approximately 80 students per year, making Gabelli Lincoln Center one large family. Everyone in the program knows one another, and are all here to help and support each other to make our time in Fordham the best it can be. Our dean, Father DeCola, provides excellent leadership and is extremely helpful and resourceful. Best of all, Lincoln Center campus is right on Manhattan’s doorstep, constantly inviting me to step out and explore the great city I find myself in. Internships of my choice, parades, shops, restaurants, opportunities and amazing experiences are a short walk away. For me, being so close to both everything that Manhattan has to offer and Fordham’s long standing Jesuit and academic traditions is truly the best of both worlds.

Fordham Abroad - London Centre

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to study abroad in London during my college career. So when my first semester of junior year was finishing up and I still hadn’t done this, I had a minor freak out; how can I study abroad before I graduate?

“Have no fear,” Fordham’s International & Study Abroad Programs (lovingly known as ISAP) website seemed to tell me last November as I scrambled to find out what I could do. And then I discovered I could study in London before my senior year at Fordham for four weeks in the summer. Perfect!

Big Ben in typical London weather

And it truly was perfect. I was required to take one liberal arts course, and I chose Writing for Magazines. For a few days a week, my class met at Heythrop College, where Fordham London Centre is located. We got to do so many incredible things for the class, including seeing a play called “McQueen” and interviewing the show’s stars afterwards. We also got to meet up with Fordham alumni who are now living and working in London, and they gave us tours of their neighborhoods. We got to see a whole new side of London that most tourists don’t get to see.

Of course, I also partook in the traditional touristy London and English activities; I rode the London Eye, visited Windsor Castle, stopped at Stonehenge, saw a couple West End shows, and ate lots of delicious pub fare. It was everything I wanted out of my study abroad experience and more.

Stonehenge rocks!

Additionally, spending four weeks abroad turned out to be the perfect amount of time for me. A semester would have had me missing my family, friends, and Fordham, so four weeks gave me just the right amount of time away to get me acquainted with London without feeling so homesick.

Notting Hill's adorable houses

Even if you can't spare a semester to study abroad, Fordham's ISAP allow you to spend a short time in a foreign city that could fulfill all your study abroad dreams!

Roberto's Restaurant: The Best-Kept Secret of Little Italy in the Bronx

Outside Roberto's Restaurant on Crescent Ave.

For many New Yorkers, it’s no secret that the best Italian cuisine is located in the Belmont section of the Bronx.  A Piccola Italia in its own right, the neighborhood is an epicenter for Italian gastronomy.  Many of the best pizzerias, sit-down ristorantes, coffee shops, delis, bread bakeries, and meat markets are concentrated along one street, Arthur Avenue.  It is here that the Italian festival of Ferragosto occurred this past weekend, garnering hundreds of patrons to take part in festivities including music, dance, and of course food.

While the festival no doubt looked like fun, my family and I (they love to visit me on campus at Fordham whenever they get the chance) hoped to find a quieter venue to enjoy each other’s company.  After pushing through the crowds on Arthur, we wandered along Crescent Avenue and stumbled upon Roberto’s Restaurant.  Well off the beaten path, we had found the best-kept secret of the Bronx: a small eatery with an inviting, authentic atmosphere.  Best of all?  The wait time at Roberto’s was half as long, but the food and service were twice as good at Roberto’s than at any other restaurant I’ve visited in the Bronx.

The interior of the restaurant is classy with a brick wall, arches, and a colorful chandelier.

Every dish off the Southern Italian-style menu satisfied each of our appetites (and portions were big enough to provide us with tasty leftovers for the next day); however, there are some outstanding plates worth noting.  For pasta, the thick spaghetti strands smothered in a creamy zucchini sauce, called Bucatini a Modo Mio, was savory and just rich enough.  A standout chicken dish is the Pollo con Spinaci, which combines chicken breast, spinach, prosciutto, and mozzarella masterfully.  My brother highly enjoyed the Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia, a delicious grilled skirt steak.

Don't forget the Tartufo for dessert!

Finally, you can’t forget dessert at Roberto’s.  The rich Tartufo is the best choice for lovers of chocolate and ice cream, though the American-style Strawberry Cheesecake is another sweetly satisfying option.

Roberto’s Restaurant is located at 603 Crescent Ave. Bronx, NY 10458.  Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.

A Comprehensive Guide to New York City Airports

At the beginning of every semester, I anxiously await the final exams schedule’s release. I check flights for price drops rather religiously and think to myself whether or not I should take the plunge. Living cross-country from Fordham most definitely has its drawbacks, but I feel lucky to be able to call two very different places home. Additionally, with all of the flying I have done since I began here, I’ve become an expert of airlines, airports, flight preferences, and packing. So, for all of us who know the struggle of travel all too well, here’s a look at the experience of flying out of NYC’s three major airports.

Hello, JFK!

LaGuardia Airport (Queens, NY): 

Ideal Passenger: Local Traveller, Connecting Flight Traveller

Ah, LaGuardia: outdated architecture, and a beautiful pocket of time travel. The closest airport to Manhattan by distance, the airport is set to be completely overhauled over the course of the next few years. I lovingly refer to LaGuardia as “the maze.” While LaGuardia doesn’t bring the amenities, it does what it sets out to do with moderate efficiency. For all intents and purposes, LGA is a short-trip domestic airport, and probably your best bet if you’re not going too far, or taking a connecting fight within the US. From LC, LaGuardia is accessible by taking the Queens bound Q Train to Astoria Boulevard and transferring to the M60 Select Bus Service for free if you’ve swiped your MetroCard in the last two hours. (Note: This may not be fun if you have lots of luggage because there’s some pretty substantial stairs to climb down at this station) Cabs to LaGuardia from Manhattan run about $45 at a flat rate.

John F. Kennedy International Airport (Queens, NY): 

Ideal Passenger: Long Distance Traveller, Cost Effective Traveller

Aside from the construction occurring on the runways at (most) every given time, JFK proves to be a simple, reliable airport. JFK is probably the easiest to navigate and has lots of options for food and entertainment while you await your flight. Since I fly cross-country and prefer direct flights, JFK normally supplies the highest volume of flights at the cheapest cost. JFK is substantially busier than its smaller Queens cousin LaGuardia, so when flying out of here, it’s essential to account for travel time, check-in, and security to avoid a nervous breakdown in one of the nation’s most high traffic airports. Also note: in cases of bad weather, smaller airports will experience cancellations first, which is where and international airport like this one comes in particularly handy. From Manhattan, JFK is highly accessible via public transportation. But wait! Be careful! The A train connects to the AirTran at JFK, but it’s essential to choose a Howard Beach-JFK bound or Far Rockaway bound A train, and not a Lefferts Boulevard bound train. Do not board a Lefferts Boulevard bound train. You will not make it to the AirTran, and you will be sad. However, if you have made this error, a connection to the Q10 bus is possible! The A train to the AirTran takes about an hour and ten minutes from Columbus Circle to your specific gate, and the fare for the subway and the AirTran comes to a combined total of $7.75. A cab to JFK from Manhattan will cost you around $60, but traffic at most times will make for a longer trip.

Newark Liberty Airport (Newark, NJ): 

Ideal Passenger: Long Distance Traveller

Newark Airport is located about 14 miles from Midtown Manhattan and claims the title as one of the oldest airports in the nation, and also the busiest in the NYC/NJ Metro Area. Be warned, this place is BIG, so make sure to leave enough time for yourself if you're ever trying to make a connecting flight elsewhere out of Newark, because if you have to change terminals, it will take some time. From Manhattan, Newark has easy access from the west side because of its proximity to New Jersey. However, when travelling back to Manhattan from Newark, be advised that New York City Yellow Cabs are not permitted to pick up, and therefore you will have to use a New Jersey cab as well as cover the charge of the toll to re-enter Manhattan. By public transit, the equation becomes pretty simple! From Penn Station, you can hop aboard a New Jersey Transit train for $12.50, which includes the cost of boarding the AirTran once you enter the airport’s radius. Be sure to ask at the window when the next departing train to Newark Airport is if you are not familiar with NJT’s system. Like JFK, Newark has a high volume of flights and extreme passenger traffic, so plan ahead.

All and all, you'll always be ready when you know what you're getting into! May your travels always be safe and stress free!

A Yankees Game Adventure

I’m a huge baseball fan and have spent most of my summers at the ballpark watching a game. So when CAB was offering $10 tickets to see the Yankees take on the Red Sox over at Yankee Stadium, I was absolutely thrilled.

Yankee Stadium

My friends and I were fortunate enough to win tickets to one of the two games CAB offered to see baseball’s most legendary rivalry. It was a cold, Friday night in early April. Since it was my first time at the new Yankee Stadium, we explored the ballpark and its upgraded amenities for a while before getting some food and taking our seats in the bleachers in the outfield. All Fordham students in attendance got FREE Yankees hats as well, which was a great treat.

The game was really exciting; in fact, there was a problem with the lights in the middle of the game, causing a fifteen-minute delay while the issue got resolved, and the game even went into extra innings – twenty innings in total compared to the typical nine. Unfortunately, my friends and I opted to leave around the thirteenth inning as the night was only getting later and colder, and, since it’s only about a fifteen-minute ride on the D train back to Fordham Road, it was easy getting back to campus. The Red Sox ended up winning, so it was probably better we didn’t stick around anyway.

Our view from the bleachers!

Though I am a big fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, it was a lot of fun getting to see two of baseball’s biggest team go head-to-head in a seemingly never-ending game. I have one more year left living in the Bronx, so I hope I get to attend more Yankees games in the future.

Enjoying the game!

A Motley of April Events

Although it was really great to have been able to spend a relaxing spring break at home, I was looking forward to the last event-filled weeks of the spring semester. One of the events that I participated in was being a part of the Holy Week liturgy. As a member of the Schola Cantorum choir, I spent a great deal of my Easter Break and Holy Week rehearsing for Triduum Masses: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. The rehearsals were tough and filled with challenging music to learn, but all the time that I spent singing with other choir members helped create a bond that got us through the long week. I also had the privilege to cantor for the morning prayers—my first time cantering ever. It truly was a blessed week for me to be a part of, and through the intense rehearsals, I began to realize the miracle of Easter and the importance of understanding the sacred meaning of what Holy Week means to me.

Even as an Outreach Ambassador, I got to help out with Spring Preview on April 12^th, 2015—Fordham’s largest open house event for Admitted Students. I cannot even put into words just how beautiful the day was for this event. With clear skies, Fordham students enjoying themselves on Eddie’s Parade (a beloved green spot for students to hang out), and enthusiastic admitted students on campus, it was the perfect ambiance to show off just how beautiful our Rose Hill campus really is and to talk about what makes our college so special. I remember two Spring Previews ago in which I was in this position of trying to make college decisions and I will never forget the student interactions that I had that persuaded me to want to come here and be a part of this community. That is what makes Spring Preview so special and so easy—ambassadors never have a difficult time bragging about how great their college experience is because everyone’s is unique and special to them in their own way!

Me with the Fordham Ram putting some "horn" hand signs during Spring Preview!

After my shift was done, I headed over to Eddie’s and had a mini picnic with friends. It was wondrous being able to get a tan in and see all the other students enjoy themselves outside of studying and class. Later, I got to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day by also attending the University Choir’s Annual Spring Concert to support my friends in it. It was a lovely afternoon filled with glorious music that filled the University Church that complimented the wonderful day.

The beautiful University Church with University Choir and the Bronx Arts Ensemble.

Although the semester is coming to a close end, it is also one of the most eventful times of the year, with admitted students coming to a decision about schools and extracurricular clubs having their annual spring showcases. It goes to show just how much of a variety of activities Fordham has to offer that truly makes it a community open to people with many interests and outlets to express themselves.