Tea at The Plaza

While living on campus, students can take advantage of various programs offered in the residence halls.  From games to movie viewings, there is always something being run by a building's RAs (resident assistants).

Recently, I was able to take part in my favorite program to date!  A few RAs from Campbell and Salice-Conley Halls joined together to plan a program to tea at The Plaza.  Residents were able to request to attend the program a few weeks before it was held, and twenty students were able to partake.

My roommate & I enjoying our tea

We traveled to the Palm Court one Saturday afternoon to enjoy tea, scones, finger sandwiches, and pastries in the famous Plaza Hotel.  We each paid only $15 to attend the elegant affair, making what is typically an expensive NYC experience much more affordable!

Our special "Fordham University" tea menus!

It was such a unique and fun experience that allowed me to cross one more thing off my NYC bucket list!

Who Interns in a Pineapple Under the Sea?

This semester I am fortunate enough to be interning at Viacom, a mass media company that owns television and film networks like MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Spike, and Comedy Central, among others. I am specifically working with the Nickelodeon account at their Times Square office, which to me is the opportunity of a lifetime.

I landed this internship with the help from my senior peer advisor, Kyla, who was assigned to me when I was a freshman (every freshman at Fordham is assigned an advising group and a peer advisor depending on your major for the first semester of college). After forming a relationship with her through the advising program and RHS, we’ve kept in touch since she graduated in 2013. I was aware that after leaving Fordham she moved on to a position at Viacom, and after contacting her about internship opportunities, I quickly found myself filling out applications and going on interviews. A few weeks later I found out I got the position, and that Kyla would be one of my managers!

Since starting my internship with Nickelodeon I have been working on their consumer marketing team. No day at the office is the same since I get to work on such a variety of projects. In recent weeks I have been revamping the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Club, as well as developing content for Nick Jr.’s new “Beyond the Backpack” program, which is geared toward helping parents prepare their child for kindergarten. In my opinion, the office environment is a perfect combination of hard work and fun. While it’s important to meet deadlines and be productive, you’re working in an office with giant Lego Spongebob statues and Nicktoons jingles playing from computers at every other desk. In addition, it’s quite common that you’ll see Fordham pennons hanging in cubicles, since a good amount of Viacom employees are Fordham alumni!

It’s only been a month since I became a Viacom intern, but I couldn’t be happier with the job. Opportunities like these make me proud to be a Ram, because without the help of Fordham’s rich alumni network and fantastic career preparation-geared curriculum, I wouldn’t be nearly as successful as I am today.

In NYC, the Oscars Come to Us

Getting ready for the show!

This weekend, I braved the frigid temperatures to attend an only-in-New-York sort of event—and I loved it. With a group of my friends, I went downtown to the School of Visual Arts in Chelsea and watched all of this year’s Oscar-nominated shorts. Most people use the short film acceptance speeches as time to get up and stretch because so few people go to the film festivals where most of the movies play. The quick movies ran the gamut from animated to live action and from tragic to uproariously funny. In between, directors from some of the shorts spoke about their inspirational process, animation, casting, and the difficulties of filming.

Feast Poster

We listened to Patrick Osborne, the director of Disney’s entry Feast, explain that the animators had spent a full day doing “research” (actually watching coworkers dogs romping around the office) on how dogs moved before they began animating the canine protagonist of the short film. The French producer and Chinese director of Butter Lamp, a movie exploring the question of identity through Tibetan nomad families, detailed the immense difficulty of shooting film at 15,000 feet high with a reluctant Chinese government. The effort that goes into the films is incredible despite their short length--Israeli creators of Aya spent a full 6 months in post-production for a total of 3 years working on the film. 

A scene from Butter Lamp

This isn't an activity that I would normally do—I don't watch a ton of movies and knew absolutely nothing about short films. But when you go to Fordham, opportunities to do things like this literally come knocking. Last week, CAB (Campus Activities Board) raffled off tickets to watch every single Best Picture nominee, back-to-back. If my luck were better, I would be doing that, too. When Fordham makes it so easy to explore the city and learn new things, you just can't say no.

Senior Spotlight: Savannah Coe

Swimming and Diving Headshot

Name: Savannah Coe

Hometown: Auburn, WA

Major: Biology and Psychology

Graduation date: May 2015

Why did you choose Fordham? During my senior year of high school, I was recruited by Fordham to join the Fordham Women’s Swim and Dive team. I had never even been out to the East Coast before, so the idea of moving 3000 miles away from home was a little daunting. But when I came to visit Fordham the campus was so beautiful and the school was what I wanted both academically and athletically that I decided this was the right school for me.

What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience? During the last four years I have volunteered at Montefiore Children’s Hospital, St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Bronx AIDS Society. I also helped perform genetics research at the Botanical Gardens. However, my favorite experience has been as a member of Peer Health Exchange (PHE). PHE members are trained to teach workshops about various health topics to ninth graders in the local public high schools. I joined the club my sophomore year and have worked my way up to become one of the leaders this year. It is really rewarding to teach a class when the students are engaged and you can tell that they are really soaking in all of the information. Plus, it is a great way to travel around the Bronx and see different areas.

Spring weekend: music, friends, and food!

What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus? I think career services is one of the best resources available to students on campus.

What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham? One of the best weekends at Fordham every year is spring weekend. My sophomore year was especially good because we had great weather and on Saturday Andy Grammer and Grouplove had great performances. Who doesn’t love a weekend full of concerts and free food?!

Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC? It may be a cliché, but I love hanging out in Central Park when I have some free time to relax. Generally that only really happens in the summer, but it is a great place to workout, relax, or escape the noise of the city.

What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation? My plans are to attend medical school, but right now I am still waiting for acceptances so I’m keeping my fingers crossed! 

New York is full of the best surprises

One of my favorite things to do in New York is to walk around on sunny days and enjoy the incredible weather. This is especially enjoyable now, as the seasons begin to change and Fall starts to set in. It won't be long before these summery, lovely days are gone, and I like to make the most of them while they last. My favorite area of the city to wander is lower Manhattan. From the Village to SoHo to the Lower East Side, there is always something exciting waiting around every corner. These neighborhoods are perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll, and there are always new cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, galleries, and other surprises waiting to be discovered.

The beginnings of a beautiful day

Yesterday was one of those days where the city demanded to be explored. The weather was perfect, and I had very little work to do. My dad also came to New York for a surprise visit. We headed downtown, no particular destination in mind. It was a gorgeous day in the city, quite possibly one of the last true summer days this year. After a quick brunch near Bryant Park, we headed down to the Village, with the intention of going to a few art galleries. On our way there, we walked through Washington Square Park, where we stopped to watch some street performers dance. They were incredibly talented and interspersed their performance with jokes. While we were enjoying their performance, I was pulled in to help with a stunt!

Performers in Washington Square Park

The dancers announced to the crowd that they would be jumping over the heads of the people they pulled from the crowd. I was, understandably, quite nervous. However, my nerves were quite unnecessary, as the trick was over before I even realized it had started. This is what I love about New York. Your day will always be filled with surprises, and you never know what lies around the next corner. We did wind up at the art galleries we intended to visit, where the art dealers tried to convince me I needed an original Picasso for my dorm room. I very rarely make plans when I decide to have a "City day" exploring downtown, as experiences like the ones I had this weekend may not happen otherwise.

Right after I found out people would be jumping over my head

Walking through the Village

Tuesday Evening at the Highline

Yesterday, my friends and I decided to go to the Chelsea Highline!  After a long day of classes and lectures, we decided we deserved and relaxing evening.  One of the many benefits of attending Fordham University is its proximity to the city.  In just 25 minutes, you can go from being on a beautiful, secluded, green campus, to being in the heart of Manhattan.  Once we arrived in the city, we took the 1 train to Chelsea Highline.  The Highline is a gorgeous walking trail which features spectacular views of the city, modern architecture, and beautiful plants and streams.

Tested out the panorama setting on my phone... success!

After walking along the high line and chatting for a while, we decided to stop along the side to watch the sun set.  It was beautiful!  It made me reflect on how lucky I am to be a Fordham student.  In high school on a random Tuesday night, I would be at home, completing homework and watching Netflix under the covers.  Now, here I am in New York City, watching the sun set and enjoying the city with my best friends.  After watching the sun set, we decided to go out to dinner together!  We went to a delicious restaurant called The Meatball Shop.  They are only located in NYC, so if you are in the area, I highly recommend you check them out.  Here, I had a meatball sub on fresh focaccia bread with a garden salad... yum!  After, we all had one of their signature ice cream sandwiches which was a great ending to the day.


I would call this Tuesday a success!  Although not all of my Tuesday evenings are as fun and eventful as this one was, I am blessed to have the opportunity to go to amazing places with great people when I have free time!

America's Got Talent

One of my favorite memories this year at Fordham was seeing a live tapping of America's Got Talent, for free! My friends had heard that by going to the America's Got Talent website and filling out some information we could get free tickets to see the tapping of a results show. After filling out the information online, we secured the tickets and simply needed to go in a few hours before the show to pick them up. 

I was amazed when I got to the theater. I had never been to a live tapping of a show before and  I was surprised by all of the effort that went into making a production successful. The producers gave us (the audience) directions on how to act when they were filming. It was so amazing that I was able to take part in a live production.

On top of that, Fall Out Boy preformed. This was an added bonus because I did not expect outside bands to be preforming. I was able to see a live tapping and a concert all in one! 

At what other school could you hop on a train and see a tapping of a live show on a school night?

An Event So Big It Took Two States To Host: Super Bowl XLVIII

As you all (hopefully) know, Super Bowl XLVIII was this past week, and both New York and New Jersey helped to host the event.  As a Fordham student, I had the lucky opportunity to volunteer for the Super Bowl!! The volunteering process was a long one that started back in early September at the Fordham club fair.  The next step was to make an account where I claimed to be a MetLife Stadium expert in hopes of working the actual game! However, I was not so lucky.  Probably for the best though, as I can’t tell you where the bathroom is from the exit. 

My ID with "MetLife Stadium Expertise" highlighted

Fast Forward through International Speak Like A Pirate Day, Leif Erikson Day, and the rest of a semester to Tuesday Jan 28^th, the start of Super Bowl Week and the day before my first shift on Super Bowl Boulevard!  To get mentally prepared for my first day on the job, I made a flipagram of me putting on every single article of clothing (since a major bonus of volunteering was the large quantity of free clothing!!) View it here and make sure to turn the volume up!

I was volunteering with my friend, Andrew Esoldi, and before our shift, we had a team meeting in Bryant Park to go over the guidelines and our exact locations. This was the moment I had been waiting for since my stadium expertise trick failed.  I may not have been at the stadium, but I definitely had the second best location: 41st and Broadway! Right in between the Toboggan Run and the NFL Network stage!!     

Our team meeting in Bryant Park   

The Toboggan Run at night

Backside of the Toboggan Run

Volunteering on the Boulevard was very exciting! We were able to see all of the dedicated fans from different teams.  There were all types of ways they showed their commitment to their favorite gridiron team.  I learned that a simple jersey was fools' play to these aficionados, so to pay a tribute I made a mental list of my top three favorite fans:

#1) Seahawks super fan with one blue eyebrow, one green eyebrow, and blue and green hair spiked higher than one would imagine possible. He's probably the original “12^th man.”

#2) Broncos devotee with a thick orange beard.  He was decked out in Denver apparel and continuously yelled “Omaha, Omaha!!” Occasionally “Hurry, Hurry,” but I wasn't sure if he was showing Peyton some support or just yelling at the slow crowds in front of him.

#3) Annoyed Jets fan who was (probably) angry that he bought a Sanchez jersey. To solve this conundrum, he simply used tape to cross out Sanchez.  It’s like a whole new jersey now!

Favorite Fan #3

Along with enjoying all of the fans and the atmosphere, I also think we did a pretty good job of volunteering (if I do say so myself!) Probably around 99.9% of the questions were about these badges to get into certain events and where to get the Toboggan Run tickets, but we totally aced them! Although, we may have sent one or two fans in the wrong direction at first.  Third time's a charm though, right?

With my sister after my first shift

Super Bowl Boulevard street sign

The Super Bowl Roman Numerals

With my roommate, Pat, and neighbor, Gianna

Even though the game may not have been memorable, in the end this will definitely be our most memorable Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLVIII: the first cold weather Super Bowl, an event so big it took two states to host!

Polish Cultural Exchange

At Fordham there are so many different clubs and organizations to join. When I came to Fordham I was surprised and excited to learn about the Polish Cultural Exchange.

At club meetings we spend time learning about the culture and language of Poland while eating Polish chocolates and other treats. However, we also do many other fun activities that may interest everyone, regardless of their nationality. Two of the Polish Cultural Exchange’s major events include hosting a “Pierogi Take-Out Dinner” and marching in the Pulaski Day Parade.

The “Pierogi Take-Out Dinner” takes place in McGinley Center during the Fall Semester. During the dinner, club members sell pierogies (Polish dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese and meat typically served with onions or sour cream) to students. Pierogies are delicious and they always sell quickly!

PCE Pierogi Take-Out Dinner 

The Pulaski Day Parade takes place in October in New York City. We dress in red and white (the colors of Poland) and march on 5^th Avenue from 30^th Street to 60^th Street alongside other schools like NYU and Pace. The parade is a great time to show Polish pride and it is a great opportunity to march in a parade in the city.

PCE Members Marching on 5th Avenue in the Pulaski Day Parade

So, if you are Polish, or even if you are not, the Polish Cultural Exchange hosts many activities that may interest you!