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.

Flashback Friday - Orientation Week

The week leading up to the first day of fall 2015 classes, I was running on sugar, smiles, and very little sleep. While that may sound concerning and probably unhealthy, it was one of the best weeks of my college career thus far. 

Vanessa was my orientation partner in crime that week,
we've been great friends ever since!.

Being selected as an orientation leader was what prompted this whirlwind of a week, so when the third week of August rolled around, I packed my bags and flew cross country for 3 days of training, 1 day to breathe, and 3 more days of welcoming the newest freshman class.

Between the team building activities and countless ice breakers we played during training, I realized why and how much I truly loved this school. 

Everyone in the 12th floor lounge was so driven and so passionate about Fordham that they, too, forwent sleep for a week. We all let our enthusiasm about this school be our collective source of energy that kept us going even on the last day. 

I beamed as I helped nervous parents unload they cars on move-in day. I frolicked as the club fair took place on the plaza, and I tried to espouse the same enthusiasm I had in the freshmen. I giggled as my orientation group cringed while playing ice breakers. 

Our orientation group was incredible and got along so well - can't you tell!!

I got to know so many wonderful people that week – other orientation leaders and captains, faculty, new freshmen – but I mostly got to know more about myself. I learned that I love helping people find what they're passionate and enthusiastic about. I learned that if I have an idea and want to see it through, others are there to support me. I learned all this because Fordham has fostered a beautiful environment for me to grow and figure out who I am and who I can be. 

What Fordham experience would be complete
without a selfie with Fordham President, Father McShane!

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!

Kickin' Off Spring Weekend 2015

Spring Weekend is one of the most anticipated events for students at Fordham. It is scheduled for the last weekend before the end of classes, as a final celebration before finals. The programming starts Monday and continues through Sunday. This year’s main events consist of:

Thursday:

Speaker

Brandon Stanton, founder of HONY

Each Thursday night of Spring Weekend, CAB (Campus Activities Board) brings in a speaker for students. This year, Campus Activities Board has gotten Brandon Stanton, founder of the famous social media project, Humans of New York.

Friday:

Rose Hill Rush

Peer Educators hosts a 5K run around campus. Students are invited to run 3 laps around campus to start off Spring Weekend.

Some friends and I after last year's Rose Hill Rush.

DJ

Solidisco

The fun continues Friday night with a selected DJ who performs in the large open parking lot on campus. This performance resembles a rave/club feel. This year's selected DJ is Solidisco.


Saturday:

Concert

Concert on Martyr's Lawn

Saturday afternoon, there is a big concert on Martyr's lawn. It starts with a student opener and then follows with a band Campus Activities Board hires. This year's band is 21 pilots. My freshman year, we had Grouplove and Andy Grammer and my sophomore year we had Cartel, Cold War Kids, and Melker Project.

RHA Under the Tent Dance

Last year's Under the Tent-Kentucky Derby

Saturday night is the annual RHA (Residence Halls Association) Under the Tent Dance. This year's theme is The Last Illusion; Magic & Mystery. The tradition of the dance is that students wait on line outside McGinley about a week before to purchase tickets for the event. The wait can sometimes be long, but the sun is usually shining, so it gets students excited for the weekend!


Sunday:

Comedian

Every Sunday night, Campus Activities Board brings in a comedian to finish off the weekend with some laughs! This year's comedian is Jamie Lee, famous from MTV's girl code.

Jamie Lee

Here's the full week's lineup of this year's events:

Fordham's Campus MovieFest!

With Spring Weekend only a few weeks away, students on campus are buzzing with excitement about who will perform on Martyr's lawn and what the "Under the Tent" theme will be. Other students have been preparing for spring weekend this week by brain storming script ideas, running around campus with cameras, and staying up late editing.

These students are (most likely) participants in this year’s Campus MovieFest. While not technically on the weekend (the event occurs the Wednesday night before Spring Weekend) Campus MovieFest is an annual event students anticipate and plan for all year. Though their excitement and planning may start months in advance, the real grunt work is limited to just one week. 

The film The Translator from last year's festival

Campus MovieFest challenges students to make a movie, with a run time of 5 minutes or less, in just one week. Films include a variety of genres from Comedy to Drama. Last year included a few high action Matrix-style thrillers as well as silent films. Students tap into all of their creative outlets sometimes composing their own scores or special effects.

Hans Lueders's crew produced a sci-fi thriller for last year's CMF

The competition attracts 500,000 global college student participants. The Campus MovieFest complies a judge panel comprised of students, faculty and partners unique to each school. The winners are not disclosed until they appear on the screen at the event itself. 16 films premiere and the top 4 films are sent to Hollywood for CMF national competition.

The crowd favorite duo known as "The Part Time Hooligans"

Come out to Fordham’s Campus MovieFest at 7pm on Wednesday, April 22 in Keating first floor auditorium!

Also Check out all of last year's films here! 

ILCGB - Living in and Connecting with the Global Network

If you're enrolled in business school, applying to business school, or have any interest in the business world whatsoever; two things have been engraved into your mind -- networking and the global perspective. While the Gabelli School pushes students to study business with a global perspective, Fordham students have unlimited reign when it comes to expanding their studies, whether it be through a club or class like FairTrade or studying abroad for a semester. One option for sophomores wishing to take their professional network to the next level is the Integrated Learning Community for Global Business, or ILC-GB.

Signing in at the European Conference

Located in O'Hare Hall Residential College, ILC-GB combines living with learning as do nearly a dozen other Integrated Learning Communities on the Rose Hill campus. As the name states, ILC-GB focuses on global business, and is open to all sophomore residents on the Rose Hill (even FCRH students may apply!). Like most ILC's, everyone on our wing of O'Hare has one class we all take together in a classroom inside our residence hall. While it technically is a class, ILC-GB is very personalized and focuses on preparing students for networking and attaining great careers and internships as a result. A typical "class" isn't even really a class, and typically consists of guest speakers. These guests are typically Fordham Alumni and have ranged from managing directors of hedge funds to the CEO of Lacoste.


ILC-GB also offers students opportunities to get outside the classroom and expand their network by taking students on trips to special events, like the European Conference at Harvard University. Fordham took care of transportation, registration, and even our lodging expenses at the Revere Hotel. The conference was an incredible experience and a great way to broaden your perspective on how business and politics interact across the Atlantic, and also enabled us to be able to network and converse with MEP's (members of European Parliament) and other professionals involved with the policy of the EU.

A group of ILC-GB residents leaving Harvard

While ILC-GB is a superb experience for sophomores that I would recommend to everyone in Gabelli, Fordham offers three excellent ILC's for freshmen that you can apply for when you apply for housing in the early summer, and more info on those can be found on Fordham's website. 

Club Spotlight: The Fordham Hot Notes

           What is the simplest, but most important piece of advice I can give to an incoming college freshman? Three words that freshman will hopefully hear dozens of times during their first few weeks at school? Join a club! The easiest way to make connections within your campus community and to make lasting friendships is to get involved with something you care about, and Fordham has TONS of opportunities to do this!

            For me, the choice was very easy; having always loved to sing, I knew that I wanted to continue doing this in college, especially in an a cappella group, so I auditioned for the Fordham Hot Notes, Fordham’s coed jazz a cappella group. The Hot Notes are one of five a cappella groups associated with Fordham University. There is also an all-male group, the Ramblers, an all-female group, the Satin Dolls, and two other co-ed groups, the B-sides (based at the Rose Hill Campus) and the F#’s (based at Lincoln Center).

            

This is a group shot of all of us from our Winter Concert last semester!
(*we aren't the "Hot" Notes for nothing, of course!)

While the Hot Notes are the newest to the a cappella scene, only official recognized as a club last year, we have established ourselves as the fiercest and smoothest group on campus (…okay, maybe I’m a little biased). As a jazz ensemble, we perform mostly jazz arrangements, but also work in contemporary repertoire in addition to classic jazz standards.  Last semester, we even did a jazz salute to Queen Bey with our version of “Drunk in Love”! We’ve also had some awesome opportunities to perform in different places over the past few semesters, including the International Championship of College A Cappella (otherwise known as the ICCAs—think Pitch Perfect!), and the New York City Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center.

This is from the reception after the New York City Jazz Festival Concert!

Here is another group shot of us, also from Jazz at Lincoln Center, with our clinician, Duane Davis!

                       

Although I didn’t join the Hot Notes until the second semester of my freshman year, I immediately realized that not only was I going to be able to keep singing in college, but that I had just gained a membership to the quirkiest, most talented, and most loving family; even as a timid freshman, the group made me feel like one of their own from the very beginning! Now, as a junior and a member of the group’s Executive Board, I know I am privileged to work with such a group of musicians, and proud to call them some of my closest friends!

For more information about the Hot Notes, and upcoming events and performances, check out our Facebook page or look us up on YouTube!