Club Spotlight: Fordham Hot Notes

Have you ever seen Pitch Perfect? Hilarious, right? Have you ever wondered how it could possibly be based on an actual competition? What is this “ICCA”? Icka?! Well. It’s real.

          Just a few weeks ago, one of Fordham’s own a cappella groups, the Fordham Hot Notes, competed in one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s Quarterfinals for the ICCAs, the same competition that the movie Pitch Perfect is based on. We won second place, and are going to be singing at the Mid-Atlantic Semifinals on March 26^th at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Our musical director was even recognized with an individual award for his arrangements for our set. We couldn’t be more excited!

We performed four songs at the Quarterfinals at Stockton College on February 6th.   

The Hot Notes, Satin Dolls, and Ramblers all sang Silent Night
together at last year's Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

As a freshman, I knew off the bat that I wanted to join an a cappella group as soon as possible. For me, it was a no-brainer; 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 Hot Notes. At that point, I had no idea what was in store—that I had just become a member of the quirkiest, most talented, and most supportive family, and a participant in Fordham’s vibrant a cappella culture. The Hot Notes are one of five a cappella groups associated with the 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). Both the Ramblers and the F#’s are competing this weekend in a different round of ICCAs Quarterfinals at Hofstra University.

^After getting results of the Quarterfinals!

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

Making the Most Out of Fordham's 135 Clubs

Are you the kind of high school student who is an all-season varsity athlete, NHS scholar, after school volunteer at a local nursing home, school newspaper editor-in-chief, president of both French Club and Painting With Watercolors Club, and an active member of the Chess Club and Grecian Club even though you’re 100% Irish?

If you can relate, have no fear, most Fordham students were also stupidly over-committed in high school too.

Being involved in so much isn’t necessarily a bad thing- it usually means that you’re passionate about a lot of things and have a wide array of interests, which is an extremely respectable quality to have. It also helps you master the art of time management, and allows you to meet new people with similar interests as you.

However, being over-committed, especially in college, can also be a curse. If you take on too much, you not only overwhelm yourself, but also lose the opportunity to really immerse yourself in what you’re involved in. College can be a big adjustment for some people, so between classes, homework, internships, having fun with friends, exploring New York City, and getting enough sleep, it’s important to remember to only join things you think you will have time for.

That being said, I will now tell you that Fordham has 135 clubs and organizations for undergrads. That’s everything ranging from the Finance Society, to club sports teams, to Fordham Experimental Theatre Group to the Paranormal Society. You can pretty much find an organization geared toward anything you’re interested in; but if not, you can always submit a proposal to start something new!

At the beginning of every semester Fordham hosts a fair (in the fall around Eddies and in the spring in McGinley 2nd) to showcase all of the different clubs. It’s literally like a scene out of Pitch Perfect- the performance groups are singing and dancing at you, and every group in between is offering you candy and trying to get you to sign up for their organizations. 

Fall Club Fair Around Eddies

My advice to freshmen would be to get a feel for all of the clubs first. Talk to the people representing the club at the fair, take tons of brochures and flyers and free food, and do a little bit of research. Whatever you do, don’t sign up for a club right on the spot because if you end up not joining, you’ll still get tons of emails from them until you graduate anyway. After you’ve thought about it and figured out which clubs’ schedules fit into your schedule, join one to four of them. Join some that you know you’re passionate about, and maybe one that you’re curious about. You might learn something new, and meet different people. Also, be active in your clubs! Attend meetings, volunteer to work events, and maybe even run for an e-board position. Getting involved is such a great way to meet great people and truly feel like a part of the Fordham community. 

Expressions Dance Alliance at the Fall 2014 Club Fair

For a full list of the clubs and organizations offered on campus, click here!

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! 

Fordham Ski and Snowboarding Club

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to go snowboarding. I had never gotten the opportunity to go during my childhood, and I was always nervous that I wouldn’t be good at it.

But this past weekend, I got to go snowboarding for the very first time, thanks to Fordham’s Ski and Snowboarding Club. The club plans daily trips to popular mountains in the surrounding area for reasonable prices.

Skis and snowboards at Jack Frost

On this particular trip, we went to Jack Frost Big Boulder mountains, which are located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. The price for the trip included a lift ticket and a rental, and I paid a fairly cheap price for a whole day on the mountain.

We took a bus down to PA and were able to do whatever we wanted for the whole day. My friend helped me learn how to snowboard and I was able to make it down the hills in one piece! I had a lot of fun, and it made me realize that, even though Fordham is located in New York City, I still have the opportunity to snowboard at some of the best mountains in the country!

Fordham Spotlight: FLASH Magazine

At Fordham, if keywords like fashion, city culture, or even simply the arts catch your attention, then look no further than FLASH Magazine!

FLASH is a fashion, culture, and arts publication on campus that has had multiple issues and is something that I've been a part of since my sophomore year. I've modeled for the magazine, written articles, and am currently the marketing co-chair. Fashion, culture, and beauty are just a few sections that we feature. From articles on health, to discussing current trends, to reporting on Fashion Week, to articles about the best bucket lists for Manhattan, there's a little something for everyone in the magazine.

We're in the process of becoming an official club on campus, but we have a very good following so far! A lot of people are involved in the production of the magazine, from layout, to writers, to models, to photographers. It's a lot of fun, creative people that get together to create something beautiful.

A fun experience that I've had with FLASH is definitely being able to go to Fashion Week. I went to the BCBG fall 2015 runway show. I took pictures for the magazine and got to see the new collection! What I love about fashion is that it truly is an art form to me, it's so creative and each individual piece is literally a work of art. I'm so happy that because of FLASH, I have an outlet to express my appreciation and passion for this. It's a lot of really motivated people who are working together to design something awesome that's centered around the best city in the world (although I admit I am biased)! Check out FLASH magazine, you won't be disappointed, and when you come in the fall if fashion or art is something that you're impassioned about, you have plenty of channels to express that!

A picture I snagged from the show!

Top Ten Differences from being a Freshman to being an Upperclassman

 1.  You are able to choose you schedule

Coming in to Fordham as a freshman your schedule is handed to you. However, after that, you are able to choose your own schedule. This is a great way to take classes that interest you and plan a schedule that fits your daily routine. If you are a morning person, like me, you can choose to sign up for all of the 8:30s!

2. You take classes at the Lincoln Center Campus

Whether its because a course is only offered down at Lincoln Center or because you just want to get into the city for classes and have an excuse to venture into the city, as an upperclassmen you may find yourself taking classes down at Lincoln Center. I am currently taking a graduate Geometry course at Lincoln Center on Wednesday nights and it’s a great change of pace and its, surprisingly, great being able to get into the city at least once a week.

3. Your dorm style changes, if you are living on campus.

For those who choose to live on campus, as a freshman you will live in a single room dorm in either a double or a triple. The bathroom, at least in most of the residence halls, will be communal. Not to worry, this is how you will, surprisingly enough, meet most of your friends freshman year! As a sophomore you will once again live in a double or triple with an added bonus of the bathroom being in your room. Finally, as a junior or senior you will have the opportunity to live in an apartment style dorm which includes a living area, a kitchen, bathroom and single or double rooms.

4. The number of classes that you are required to take decreases

Once you become a junior, you are only required to take four classes whereas underclassmen are required to take five. The reasoning behind this is that students, in their junior and senior years should be getting internships and volunteer opportunities to prepare them for life after Fordham. Since  I want to be  a teacher, I currently volunteer by tutoring girls at the Rosedale Center in the Bronx.

5. You begin to take more classes for your major

In my personal experience, as I advanced through Fordham I slowly began to take more classes per semester that applied to my major than to the standard core. I am a math major and last semester all four of my classes were math classes!

6. You take on leadership roles within clubs and organizations

The clubs and organizations that you choose to join freshman year will play a big role in shaping your Fordham experience. For this reason, while you may just be a general member during your freshman and even sophomore years, as you become a junior or senior you may take on E-board (Executive Board) positions and hold more responsibility. I am not the Club Liiason of the Polish Club which I have been involved with since my freshman year.

7. You realize that office hours are the best resource around, and they are actually very helpful

As an underclassman I always hesitated to go to my professors office hours. However, after being here for three years,  I now go to at least one office hour, practically every day.

8. You become more focused on the future

As graduation approaches, you begin to think more about your plans for the future. I am currently working on graduate school applications to get my masters in Secondary Education.

My friends and I as underclassmen. 

9. You know your way around Arthur Avenue, the Bronx, and NYC more.

Once you become an upperclassmen you begin to know the best pizza place, the best restaurant on Arthur Avenue, the cheapest place to get groceries and the best places to hangout with friends. Additionally, all of your trips into the city as a freshman make you a master at the subways and cool things to do in the city.

10. You know the ropes

As a freshman everything is new and exciting. You are exploring where your classes are, what your professors are like, who you will be friends with, what clubs and activities you will become involved in and what you will do on the weekends. As an upperclassman you have been able to get settled in and can now enjoy all that Fordham has to offer, and believe me, from experience, it has a lot to offer!

Still great friends as upperclassmen! 

With all of this said, not everything changes as you move from being an underclassman to an upperclassman. For me, while all of these changes were taking place the one thing that did not change was my group of friends. I am glad that I have been able to share all of my experiences with them! 

Women in STEM Club

Fordham has over 90 different clubs and organizations at Rose Hill that students can participate in, including cultural clubs, performing arts clubs, and academic clubs just to name a few (check out the complete list here) 

One of the great things about Fordham is that if there isn’t a club that caters to a particular interest, students are encouraged to start a new club.  I am currently in the process of starting a new club on campus with a few of my friends.  My friends and I are all majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, and we decided that we wanted to create a club that fosters community among females in these areas where we are usually in the minority. 

In order to become a club recognized by Fordham, we needed to complete an application packet.  The application involved finding a faculty member to act as our advisor, writing a club constitution, and gathering student signatures to show that there is a desire for this club on campus.  My academic adviser Christine Papadakis, who teaches in the computer science department, has been encouraging us to start this club, so she was the perfect person to ask to be our club adviser.  We submitted all of the necessary paper work to United Student Government, who is in charge of reviewing new club applications, at the end of last semester.  We received feedback on our constitution and submitted a revised edition, so now we are just waiting to hear back.

Although we are still in the process of becoming a Fordham club, my friends and I are looking forward to our first official event.  As the founding members, we are serving as the inaugural Executive Board (E-board), which means that one of our responsibilities is planning the events our club will host.  We have already had brainstorming sessions with our adviser to decide how we can make this club a resource for all students. 

A Twitter post about the IBM event we attended to
get ideas for our Women in STEM club.

To help get ideas for our club, my fellow E-board members and I attended an event in Manhattan hosted by IBM. We attended the event called “Girls Night Out” because the theme of the night, empowering women in technology, aligned with our goal for our own club.  When we got to IBM, we were able to network with influential members of the IBM community, including IBM General Manager Sandy Carter, who were excited to hear about our club.  She even tweeted pictures of us at the event! We then listened to a panel of women talking about their experiences working in the technology field and watched a demo of IBM’s new Bluemix platform.  Be able to attend sophisticated events such as this one is just another perk of going to school in New York City.  My friends and I are looking forward to implementing our ideas and building a stronger community of women in STEM on Fordham’s campus with our club.

  

IBM General Manager Sandy Carter was excited to hear
about our new club and gave us a shout-out on Twitter!

Fun Activities for the New Semester

Imagine you've just come back to campus after winter break.  You are just starting your new classes and seeing your friends again after a few weeks away.  To help you get back in the swing of things, Fordham hosts a number of events that help returning students get ready for their new semester.

For students looking to become more involved with on-campus clubs or groups, there is a spring club fair that takes place during the first week of the new semester.  Various student groups gather in the McGinley Center, inviting other students to see what interests them and to join related clubs.  Additionally during the first few weeks, there are a number of auditions taking place for upcoming on-campus theatrical productions.

We weren't lucky enough to win Fordham blankets or a $200 Best Buy gift card this time,
but there's always next time!

If you're simply looking to spend a little time relaxing or unwinding during the beginning of the new semester, there are plenty of activities for that too!  From bingo to Cinevents movie showings (this week is Big Hero 6),  students can always find a way to enjoy their free time on campus.

Even though it's only the beginning of the semester, there's no shortage of ways to get involved or enjoy Fordham!

Speakers and Celebs on Campus!!

In high school, if I heard the words "speaker" or "lecturer" I would've cringed, like most other kids my age. I associated these words with boredom and was so excited to go to college to have these lectures be optional. Since coming to Fordham, my opinion has changed completely. 

Some other club members and I before a speaking event on campus!

Fordham has brought some super cool speakers to campus, whether they're politicians, famous business people, musicians, you name it. I go to events around campus not because I have to, but because I want to. For example, I'm a part of the College Democrats. Every year we bring two speakers to campus and we've had some really big names! We just had Ezra Klein, political news journalist; we've had former Senator Dennis Kucinich, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and David Axelrod just to name a few! In college, especially at Fordham, it's important to take advantage of all the events that are offered to you, or you really are missing out! 

The exec board of the College Dems with Ezra Klein!

Another fun example is Jerry from Ben & Jerry's ice cream, who came to Fordham's Spring Weekend 2 years ago and brought free ice cream for everyone! It was super interesting to meet such a famous person and hear his success story. These are awesome opportunities that you won't find just anywhere! While my classes at Fordham have been great, it's amazing to be able to see world-class speakers and presenters, for free! When you come to Fordham and finally officially become a Ram, make sure to check out all of the events that Fordham has to offer!