Finding Cleveland in NYC

One of the main reasons I decided to attend Fordham was because of its prime location.  Living in NYC for the past three years has been an incredible experience, and I would not trade it for anything, but that doesn't mean I don't get homesick from time to time.  Because I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, I only get the chance to go home during longer school breaks, so I've found some in things in New York that remind me of back home.  

Luckily, Fordham has a way of bringing a bit of Cleveland to me here.  Last month I attended the Cultural Affairs Raffle.  These raffles happen each month, and students have the chance to purchase discounted tickets to events around the city, usually Broadway shows or sporting events.  When I went, I had the option of getting tickets to Finding Neverland, an opera, or a Brooklyn Nets game.  I chose the basketball game because the opponent for the night of the game was the Cleveland Cavaliers! I was so excited that I would get to cheer on my team even though I was 500 miles away from the Cavaliers' home court.  

Barclays Center where the Nets play 

Great seats for only $20

I was able to bring my friend to the game, and even though the Cavs couldn't manage a win that night, we still had a great time.  Getting to the Barclays Center was a simple as walking up Fordham Road and taking the 4 Train, and on the way back we took the D train and road back to campus from the subway station in the Fordham security shuttle that waits at the station for students every night. 

Trying to enjoy being a college student in NYC while maintaining a budget may seem like a daunting task, but Fordham works to give all students the opportunities to experience the best of what the city has to offer.  Each of the tickets I got for the game had a face value of $115 (yikes!) but I only had to pay $20 for each (score!).  As a Fordham student, I am able to take full advantage of living in NYC, and even though I miss Ohio at times, I can always find ways to bring a little bit of home here. 

The Cavs warming up

Time for tip-off

LeBron James shooting free throws  

Fordham Basketball Games!

This past Wednesday, my friends and I attended the Fordham men’s basketball game against the University of Rhode Island. Going to basketball games is always fun, but this season is especially exciting because 2015 marks the ninetieth anniversary of the legendary Rose Hill Gym.

Sitting in the student section at the Rose Hill Gym!

Though it isn’t quite the size of other Division 1 schools’ gyms, the Rose Hill Gym is one of the oldest in the country and is chock full of history. Because of its old hardwood floors and the close proximity of the crowd to the players, playing at the gym can be extremely intimidating. Shooting free throws is almost impossible for the opposing teams when the entire student section is essentially right on top of the court, distracting the players.

With my friends at the game (I'm wearing glasses)!

Wednesday’s game was extremely exciting. The teams were tied for the end of the second half, but, unfortunately, URI scored at the buzzer and won by a single point. Still, the Fordham Rams played very well, and everyone had a blast cheering them on. Going to basketball games and other sporting events is one of my favorite things to do as a Fordham student!

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!

Weekend Update

Hello Everyone! It was another busy weekend at Fordham. Look at what a few of our ambassadors were up to!

Drew DiPane
This past weekend I went to the women's Basketball game. The #4 Fordham Rams beat the #5 George Washington Colonials and sported all pink jerseys in support of Breast Cancer Awareness!! We are now #3 in the A10!

Emma Eccleston
I went in to the city and met my whole family for dinner at a yummy Italian restaurant in the Theatre District! After dinner we went to see Matilda on Broadway; it was amazing! Here is a picture of the stage before the show started! 

Taylor Engdahl

I spent the weekend at Fordham's beautiful retreat house in Goshen, New York. It was such a great experience to step away from the stress of school work and the hustle and bustle of the Bronx. I met some incredible new people and spent a lot of peaceful time reflecting and journaling! Here is a picture of the woods surrounding the house. 

Shannon McKenna
On Sunday, Breakfast for Champions was held for varsity athletes. 329 student athletes were recognized at the 11th Annual Breakfast for Champions for having above a 3.0 GPA for the fall semester. 67% of the total student athlete population was honored and alumni Nicholas Romano, GSB '89 was the keynote speaker who spoke about his own experiences as a swimmer/water polo player for the Rams and how they have helped him succeed in his career. Father McShane was also in attendance to honor the athletes and even led a performance of the infamous Fordham fight song. Of the honorees 41 were seniors who have been recognized during each of the past four years. 

Seniors from Women's Cross Country/Track and Field 

December Preview

December at Fordham can be short and quick – with just a week left of classes, two reading days, and then finals.  But that doesn’t mean that Fordham shuts down for the month.  Not only is the campus beautifully decorated for the season, but also in between studying, writing papers, and packing for the long winter break, students still take time to enjoy themselves with fun campus activities. Every year, the Campus Activity Board (CAB), the club responsible for planning fun events for students on campus, has a Holiday Week. Every day of the week there is another CAB-sponsored activity to get everyone into the holiday spirit.  Some events include a Cultural Affairs Christmas Ticket Raffle, in which students can win $20 tickets for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular or for The Nutcracker, a Holiday Fair, a viewing of the holiday-classic Elf, gingerbread house making, and a trip to go ice skating at Bryant Park.

Another annual tradition is the Peer Educators’ Holiday Scavenger Hunt.  This is a fun event where you and a team of friends are given a list of tasks and clues (related to the holidays) that you must complete or find in the Lincoln Center area.  Prizes are awarded and hot chocolate is given out! A Senior Night is also scheduled for this month.  Senior Nights are themed dance parties, only open to seniors at the Rose Hill campus.  This month, the theme is Santa’s Workshop (I’ll be dressing as an elf!)

This month is also an exciting month for sports at Fordham.  After winning our first ever NCAA FCS home playoff game versus Sacred Heart University 37-27, Fordham’s record-breaking football team travels to Towson University in Maryland next Saturday for the next round of the playoffs.  On the same day, our men’s basketball team plays St. John’s University during the 2013 MSG Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.

Of course, many more activities will be going on at Fordham this month, but these are a few of the things I’m looking forward to this December!

Ram Town!

The Fordham Football team is undefeated with a record of 8-0, so students are especially proud to be Rams this semester! As winter draws closer, students are also getting excited for basketball season. This past Friday night was “Ram Town,” a pep rally for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams located in the Rose Hill Gymnasium. Students filled the gym for the event, which included food from Arthur Avenue (the little Italy of the Bronx located near the Rose Hill campus), free T-shirts, a DJ, and awesome prizes! This year, students won iPads, TVs, and one student even won an all-inclusive trip to Cancun.

As a member of the club Right To Play (a non-profit organization that brings sports equipment to children in impoverished areas around the world) on campus, I had the opportunity to help serve food at the event. I helped hand out food from Michelangelo’s, an Italian restaurant located on Arthur Avenue. Afterwards, I was able to join in the fun and cheer on the basketball team with my friends. I will definitely be going back next year and can’t wait for the season to start! Let’s go Rams!

 A picture of the Rose Hill Gymnasium during Ram Town!!

Fordham Basketball's "Ram Town"!

Last Friday Fordham Men's & Women's Basketball kicked off their seasons at our first ever midnight madness open practice! Junior Theology and Social Work major Kristin Guerin shares her experience:

Campus Life: Fordham Basketball's "Ram Town"!: "Friday's 'Ram Town' was awesome! Fordham's atheletics department threw a huge celebration to kick off the basketball season.Thousands of st..."