Class in the City

One of the many benefits of going to school in New York City is getting to take interesting classes that encourage you to take advantage of the Big Apple!

My favorite class I am taking this semester is Theater Journalism. We learn from actual professionals who work in the Broadway community about how to write and report on theater in a variety of ways. As part of the class, we are required to see three shows this semester, and since I am a HUGE fan of seeing shows, this only gave me an excuse to see some of the newest and best productions of the season.

Outside the Broadway Theatre on 53rd Street!

In fact, my professor got us free tickets to see the latest revival of the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Broadway Theatre. This production absolutely blew me away and brought me to tears. It is extremely difficult to get tickets to see the show and I’m so happy that I got to see this as part of my homework.

Sitting in the orchestra!

And, later this semester, a Broadway performer will be coming into class for an interview, which is something I cannot wait to do. I am so thrilled that I chose to take a class this semester that takes one of my biggest passions and makes it a fun and fascinating class that is both challenging and educational. I love taking classes that involve taking advantage of the city and will miss this the most about Fordham after I graduate in May.

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.

Rose Hill or Lincoln Center: Why Not Both?

One of the major decisions all Fordham applicants must choose from is which campus they want to go to: the beautiful and iconic Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, or the happening, city campus smack in the middle of Manhattan. Now let's admit it- that's a really hard decision. That one check mark on Fordham’s application is bound to determine your college experience for the next four years…or will it?

City Life Lincoln Center Campus

Iconic Rose Hill Campus

While students do have to chose between which campus they want to live and primarily take classes, there are a multitude of resources and opportunities on both campuses that can be pursued by all students. I believe that this is one of the most overlooked perks of Fordham University. Not only can students from each campus take classes at the other campus, but the dining halls, facilities, libraries, and study spaces are available for everyone. Essentially everything on both campuses is at most only a Ram Van ride from students’ fingertips.

Perhaps the biggest of these perks is the ability for Fordham students to dorm on any Fordham campus during the summertime, given they take an academic Fordham summer course or have an internship. This gives students the flexibility (and affordability) to take classes or work in Manhattan during the summertime. Additionally, it gives students the opportunity for a change of scenery from their normal campus and dorms.

Just a normal summer day in Manhattan

I am a Rose Hill student but this past summer I took full advantage of this opportunity and lived in McMahon Hall at the Lincoln Center campus while I interned at an advertising agency downtown five days a week. Not only did Fordham housing alleviate a long, long commute from my house in Connecticut, but it also allowed me to explore New York City even more than I already do as a Rose Hill Student. I ran in Central Park almost every day, went to so many new restaurants, attended summer concerts, and made new friends with other students living in McMahon for the summer.

Dinner and a view from my LC apartment 

It is possible to get the best of both worlds from the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses; students just have to utilize all the resources and opportunities that they are given.  As for me, I love living in the Bronx during the year but plan to switch over to Lincoln Center again for the summer months (despite the sweaty subway rides).



For more information on summer housing with Fordham University, click here. 

Weekend Update

Emma Eccleston

Some delicious pizza!

This weekend I got to partake in one of my favorite parts about being a Fordham student: dinner on Arthur Avenue! Arthur Avenue, located in the Bronx, is known as the real Little Italy because it is a street lined with countless authentic Italian restaurants.  The best part is that this delicious secret is located within walking distance of campus, only taking about five minutes to get to! On Saturday night I was lucky enough to enjoy a delicious dinner with friends at one of my favorite restaurants, Zero Otto Nove.  It was great to catch up with my friends after all being on break while also enjoying some delicious pizza!

Our view from Central Park

Teresa Swindal

This weekend, my friends and I tried to take advantage of the long break and spend some quality time in the city! We got brunch at Le Pain Quotiden and explored the city for a while. Then, on Sunday, we had dinner at our very own Michaelanglo's on Arthur Ave (the Bronx's Little Italy!). New York has some of the best food and sightseeing in the world, which is one of my favorite parts of living here!

The city is always bustling!

Emily Tanner

This weekend, current members of the College Democrats and former members who have graduated met for dinner in the city at a diner called Good Enough to Eat. Featuring yummy comfort food, it was DELICIOUS and located on Columbus Avenue, on the Upper West Side, my favorite neighborhood. Afterwards, we took a cab to Lincoln Center to walk around for a bit. I love this area – it's absolutely beautiful!

Mockingjay

One of the many student oriented clubs on campus, CAB, had tickets available for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay the Friday before it was released in theaters. Being the crazed fans my friends and I are, we posted up in McGinley and waited in line for our chance to claim some of the limited free tickets. This seems like a pretty basic process, but in reality, it is quite the event. The line filled up quickly and there was a flood of people wrapped around two flights of stairs. I sat there with my friends and fellow line dwellers used that time to catch up and hang out. As a senior, I realize how important these experiences are and how having them available to me is something that I will truly miss about Fordham. Although we sat online for a long time, it was a time when the community came together to enjoy the presence of one another.

The Mockingjay

On Thursday evening, we hopped on the Ram Van where the theater was a short two blocks from Lincoln Center. Attending the opening night of a major blockbuster film is something that is always exciting and somewhat overwhelming. We arrived an hour in advanced to join an impressively large group of our peers all eagerly awaiting the opening doors. The whole theater was buzzing with anticipation. Besides being incredibly convenient, the whole night was an excellent representation of the work/play balance that Fordham offers.

After a full day of interning and night class, it is easy to get caught up in momentum of the busy week and forget all the ways one can de-stress. Having the city at our disposal and all the awesome programs Fordham offers (many times for free) is one of the many reasons why I am proud to be a Ram.

Blog By: Kristen Hefferan-Horner