Weekend Update

Amazing architecture

Megan McLaughlin

This weekend I headed to one of my favorite spots in NYC: the Cloisters. Located at the very top of Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park, the Cloisters is a medieval museum housed in five medieval French abbeys reassembled into a single building. It's like a tiny piece of Europe that’s accessible by the A train.

Who says you can't eat cheap in New York?

Madeline McDermott

On Friday, I used an Amazon local deal to get half-off brick oven pizza in Manhattan at a restaurant named L'asso. Afterward, I went to support my friend and fellow Ram Nicole do stand-up comedy at The Village Lantern in Soho.

Caroline McCue
This past weekend, I went to the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center!  My Grandma is a big fan of the Philharmonic and had two extra tickets.  I brought my best friend and roommate, Lauren.  We got all dressed up and went to dinner at PJ Clarke's, right across from the theatre.  The Philharmonic was an orchestra made up of mostly string instruments and it was truly beautiful, the music was so relaxing!  It was a great night filled with friends, food and music, and I would recommend going before you graduate!

Enjoying a beautiful performance

Caroline Lebranti

Loved catching up in Philly

One of the best parts about studying abroad is becoming friends with people from schools all over the country. This past weekend I took the bus down to Philadelphia with a couple of friends to have a study abroad reunion. Lucky for me, Fordham is so close to great transportation options that visiting them is almost too easy! We did all things touristy like visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and ran up the Rocky steps), went ice skating at Penn’s Landing, saw Independence Hall, and even went to a Kevin Devine (a Fordham alum!) concert at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. It was a great weekend and made me realize how easy it is to take weekend trips out of NYC. Places like Philly or New Haven and plenty of skiing or hiking trails in upstate New York are about two hours away, and Boston and Washington DC are about four hours away. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever find yourself sick of NYC, but it’s nice to know that the option to get away is always there!

College students love the snow too!

Claire McGonigle

After track practice on Saturday, my friends and I wanted to spend a little time together and relax so we decided to play in the snow! After a busy week of school work, it was fun to be together and do something silly. Another group of people were building a fort so we all decided to get a snowball fight going which was great!

Senior Spotlight: Nick Lopresto

     Name: Nicholas Lopresto

     Hometown: Jericho, Long Island (Nassau County)

     Major: Psychology/Pre-Med

     Graduation date: May 2015

     Why did you choose Fordham? I was actually between Fordham and Northeastern as my last two schools. I had gotten into NYU with some scholarship, but I hated that there was no campus feeling there and everyone basically commuted to class. I was planning on seeing Fordham and Northeastern in the same weekend, but I came to tour Fordham first because it was closer to my house. The second I stepped onto campus, I knew that this was my new home. I didn’t even end up going to the Northeastern tour! Fordham’s campus is so beautiful, and it’s amazing because you get the best of both worlds. Not only do you get the amazing trees and grass on campus, but also Manhattan is a short subway ride away. Also, the student body here at Fordham is so giving and compassionate, and it showed a lot in the way the students interacted with each other when I was on my tour.

     What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience? (Please explain!)

I have been involved in a lot here at Fordham. I would say the two biggest time commitments I have been involved in were the Ramblers and Mimes and Mummers. The Ramblers is Fordham’s only all male acapella group. We competed in ICCAs, got to sing at prestigious events all around NYC, and were even on TV to sing for the Columbus Day parade. I quit Ramblers about a year ago so that I could focus on my studies and eventually landed an internship at Bellevue Hospital called PAVERS. One of the reasons I love Fordham is it’s close proximity to the city. I go to the hospital once a week from 8pm-12 am and I get to see so much in the emergency room at Bellevue. When I’m not volunteering at the hospital, I am usually doing research in the Neuroscience department under the supervision of Amy Roy. Finally, I was recently cast as “Angel” in the Mimes and Mummers’ production of RENT which will open February 26^th and run through March 1^st.  All the clubs I have been involved in at Fordham have been so unique and enriching. The people here are truly motivated and passionate about what they’re doing, and I don’t think that necessarily holds true for other colleges.

     What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus

      I think the library here is fantastic. First of all, it is so beautiful and whenever I am in it I never feel like studying is that much of a chore. The librarians are very helpful and I often frequent the library to print papers, take out books, and make copies.

     What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham?

I think my favorite Fordham memory is probably when 3LAU came for Spring Weekend two years ago. I just remember feeling so amazing when everyone was together dancing in the parking lot, and it was right after my Ramblers concert so there were good vibes going all around. I think Spring Weekends in general are my favorite Fordham memories.

     Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC? (Keep appropriate).

As I said before, Fordham has so much to offer. Not only do you have all of the Bronx to conquer, but you are so close to NYC that there are endless options. In the Bronx, I love to go to Arthur Avenue with my friends for dinner and go to the countless bakeries for their amazing coffee and Italian pastries. In the city, I love to see Broadway shows or I usually like to go shopping in SOHO.

     What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation?

     After graduation, I intend on taking a gap year before applying to medical school. I have already completed my MCAT and my Fordham Committee application, so now it’s just a matter of applying to medical schools and waiting to hear back! Fordham has been so helpful with my application and I really feel like I am ready to conquer medical school and succeed as a future physician.

Weekend Update

Linda Mule

This weekend, I had the ultimate lazy Saturday! Upon waking up to a still snowy campus, I took a 2 PM Metro North (Saturday and Sunday CityTicket is only $4!!!!) to Grand Central with my friends to check out to the most popular brunch spot in all of SoHo: Jack's Wife Freda. After only a few stops via the 6 Subway, we arrived at the cutest little cafe. We were seated among the hustle and bustle, and knew what we wanted immediately. I ordered the spicy shakshuka, an Israeli breakfast dish of baked eggs in a spicy sauce, and delicious lattes. We were served promptly and ate rapidly. After our late lunch, my friends and I made our way back on the Metro North for the quick trip back to Fordham where we watched movies and enjoyed the heat of the Residence Halls (who were busy preparing for the Super Bowl festivities for Sunday- wings anyone?).

My delicious shakshuka and latte

Nicole Pieri
It's been extremely cold in New York for the past few days so I spent this weekend mostly trying to stay warm in my dorm. On Friday and Saturday, my roommates and I had movie nights. On Sunday, I spent a lot of the day in the library reading and writing for some of my classes. There's a possibility of a snow day coming this week, but this weekend gave me the opportunity to stay ahead on my work.

Not a bad view

Kaitlyn McWha

This weekend, my friends and I got together and watched the Super Bowl in one of my friend's dorm rooms. We had tons of snacks, and we also ended up ordering a pizza! Fordham always has a lot going on, but sometimes it's fun to stay inside on a cold night with some good friends. I had a great time watching the Super Bowl with my friends on Sunday, and I already cannot wait for next year's game!

Our little watch party

Weekend Update

The beautiful Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge Park

Amy Caffrey

After a long week of midterms, some friends and I decided to relax by heading downtown and taking a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, one of our favorite things to do! We hung out in the Brooklyn Bridge Park on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, and stayed long enough to see the beautiful view of the city skyline at night across the water.

Foster the People at the United Palace Theatre

Matthew Calhoun

Kicked off the weekend Friday night by going to see Foster The People preform at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights, one of the most beautiful venues I've ever been to. The next day was spent with friends shopping and dining in Chelsea and SoHo, two of the coolest neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. Sunday was dedicated to wrapping up schoolwork and studying of course, but not too bad for a weekend that flew by!

One of the Botanical Gardens' picturesque trails

Victoria Cappucci

With fall in full bloom here at Fordham, I decided to unwind this Sunday for a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The gardens are always a great way to de-stress before and after midterms, which we could all use during this time of year! And the best part is that it's free for Fordham students. Go rams!

The choir gathers for one last rehearsal

Kate Callahan

This Sunday, the Fordham University and Women’s Choirs presented their annual fall concert. These groups, which are made up of students from both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, come together a few times a year to perform for the Fordham community. Both choirs put on impressive shows and are looking forward to the Festival of Lessons and Carols, one of Fordham’s most exciting holiday traditions!

Weekend Update

Marisa Diaz

This past weekend, I went pumpkin and apple picking at Wilken’s Fruit and Fir Farm in Yorktown Heights, NY. After finding the perfect pumpkin and picking a peck of apples, my family and I waited on line for an hour just to get a dozen of the delicious fresh baked cider donuts. It definitely got me ready for the fall season!

A beautiful day for pumpkin picking

Abby Collins

Visiting the Central Perk replica in SoHo

This weekend I traveled down to SoHo with a couple of my friends from Fordham. Getting to downtown Manhattan from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus is incredibly easy! We took the Metro North down to Grand Central and then took the subway the rest of the way. We went to go see the replica of Central Perk that sprung up recently in honor of the 20th anniversary of the first episode of “Friends”! The line was about two hours long but it was worth it in the end to see the iconic yellow couch that was in almost every episode of the show! After wrapping up in Central Perk, we strolled around the streets of SoHo until we came across a large Italian festival that was going on, in honor of San Gennaro. The festival went on for about fifteen blocks, all of which were full of celebration. There was enough food, music, and liveliness to brighten my whole weekend!

Nicole Cruz

On Sunday, Fordham hosted its annual Senior Open House.  Thousands of prospective students and their families attended various events throughout the day to learn more about Fordham.  As part of the Rose Hill Society, I helped in getting the families where they needed to be and showing them around campus.  We had a lot of fun!

Future Fordham Rams

Go Rams!

Nicole Chiuchiolo

Fordham was bustling with activity this weekend! There was so much going on. On Friday night my friends and I had a blast at Ram Town. Ram Town is the kickoff to the basketball season where they introduce players and give out free food and prizes! On Saturday I attended the Theatrical Outreach Program’s production of “Our Town” in Collins Auditorium. Not only was it an amazing student produced and student directed show, it was also free! On Sunday I had a blast at Senior Open House! I was able to give tours, interact with prospective students, and hang out with the Fordham Ram!

A Photographer's View of New York City

I love photography and taking pictures of the interesting sights around me. However, when my friends and I are rushing to get where we need to go in the city, sometimes I forget to slow down and photograph the beautiful city around me. This past weekend, my friend Maddie and I decided to take a long walk with no destination or plan and our cameras by our sides. We had no particular location in mind, just hopped on the D train and picked our stop at random.

The view from SoHo looking uptown...where we started our adventure! 

In transit, we decided to get off the subway at Canal Street, to explore the lower part of Manhattan, as we have become very familiar with the area around Fordham's Lincoln Center campus. We walked through the SoHo, just following any interesting streets we came across. Eventually, we wound up in Washington Square Park, and sat down to relax for a bit and enjoy the sunny day.

Washington Square Park on a beautiful fall day, complete with a rainbow. 

Then, we continued meandering through the streets, until we came across the Williamsburg Bridge. We thought, "Why not?" and journeyed across to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The bridge itself was a destination to see, as it has incredibly cool graffiti and gorgeous views of the Midtown skyline. Once we were in Williamsburg, we decided to find somewhere on the shore of the Hudson to take some classic and timeless pictures of the skyline, without anything in the way of the view.

En route to Brooklyn on the Williamsburg Bridge 

We stumbled across this tiny park, with some of the most incredible views of Manhattan I have ever seen. Our adventure came to a close soon after that, as it was time to head back to the Bronx. I loved street photography before our adventure, but after ending our 5-hour walk with 300 great shots, it's safe to say I'm an even bigger fan now. My goal for the next trip is to have the courage to take some Humans of New York-esque shots of the awesome people you encounter while exploring the city. On the train ride back to our home in the Bronx, I was reminded of an Ed Koch quote about New York that completely explains how I feel after living at Fordham for a year now: "You don't have to be born in New York City to be a New Yorker. You have to live here six months. And if at the end of those six months you walk faster, talk faster, and think faster, then you are a New Yorker." I am proud to say that by this definition, I have truly become a New Yorker. 

New York becomes my campus more and more every day. Can't get enough of this view!! 

The ever-present New York taxis.

Old apartment buildings are always so pretty!