New York is full of the best surprises

One of my favorite things to do in New York is to walk around on sunny days and enjoy the incredible weather. This is especially enjoyable now, as the seasons begin to change and Fall starts to set in. It won't be long before these summery, lovely days are gone, and I like to make the most of them while they last. My favorite area of the city to wander is lower Manhattan. From the Village to SoHo to the Lower East Side, there is always something exciting waiting around every corner. These neighborhoods are perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll, and there are always new cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, galleries, and other surprises waiting to be discovered.

The beginnings of a beautiful day

Yesterday was one of those days where the city demanded to be explored. The weather was perfect, and I had very little work to do. My dad also came to New York for a surprise visit. We headed downtown, no particular destination in mind. It was a gorgeous day in the city, quite possibly one of the last true summer days this year. After a quick brunch near Bryant Park, we headed down to the Village, with the intention of going to a few art galleries. On our way there, we walked through Washington Square Park, where we stopped to watch some street performers dance. They were incredibly talented and interspersed their performance with jokes. While we were enjoying their performance, I was pulled in to help with a stunt!

Performers in Washington Square Park

The dancers announced to the crowd that they would be jumping over the heads of the people they pulled from the crowd. I was, understandably, quite nervous. However, my nerves were quite unnecessary, as the trick was over before I even realized it had started. This is what I love about New York. Your day will always be filled with surprises, and you never know what lies around the next corner. We did wind up at the art galleries we intended to visit, where the art dealers tried to convince me I needed an original Picasso for my dorm room. I very rarely make plans when I decide to have a "City day" exploring downtown, as experiences like the ones I had this weekend may not happen otherwise.

Right after I found out people would be jumping over my head

Walking through the Village

Fordham A Cappella: The Hot Notes

Today I present an easy, almost fool-proof way to make new friends at college: join a club.

There are a few ways to approach your first semester at college. You can dabble in one or two clubs while focusing on your schoolwork. Others might avoid the club scene altogether until they've established good grades. I, for one, cannonballed straight into Fordham student life. During my first semester I performed in back-to-back productions with Rose Hill's main-stage theater group, The Mimes and Mummers, in addition to joining an a cappella group. 

Performance groups are highly time-consuming, and I may have slightly burnt out, but I don't regret my crazy schedule from that fall. Why? Because it led me to my first family at Fordham: The Hot Notes.

The Hot Notes, Spring 2013. That's me in the first row, second from the left.
We're pretty good-looking. Hence Hot Notes. Ha ha. Ha.

I've always identified more as an actor than a singer. I expected to devote most of my extracurricular life at Fordham to theater, just like I did in high school. Don't misunderstand me; I loved my experience with the Mimes, and I still regularly perform in productions with Fordham's various theater groups. But I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with a cappella in the way that I did.

A quick overview of Fordham a cappella: We have a five a cappella groups between the two campuses, four of which are at Rose Hill. The Ramblers (who I will never not call our resident boy band) are all men, the Satin Dolls are Fordham's all-female group, and the B-sides, like the Hot Notes, are co-ed. A third co-ed a cappella group, the F#s, are based at Lincoln Center.

The Hot Notes are the newest group at Rose Hill, founded in 2012. We're babies, really. But in the short time since we began, we've become known for our unmistakable blend, our complex arrangements, and our jazzy sound. 

Although we're a jazz-based group, we also play around with contemporary songs, whether that means singing them as is or giving them a retro spin. For example, we performed "Thrift Shop" this past spring, true to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's sound, but next month we'll be singing a vintage version of "Don't You Worry Child."

We push ourselves even farther each semester. This fall, we auditioned for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (the competition made famous by the movie Pitch Perfect) for the first time. A week ago today, we discovered we'd been accepted. On top of that, we're scheduled to attend and perform at the New York City Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center in April. 

What struck me about the Hot Notes was the balance between fun and commitment. I met the silliest, funniest kids in Hot Notes, but everyone was also dedicated to becoming a better a cappella group and, to my pleasant surprise, better individual musicians. They had fun, but they knew how to get work done. When Executive Board elections came around, I knew I wanted to help this group develop and sharpen its vision. The Hot Notes are ever growing as a club. I'm constantly proud of everything we do. It's exhilarating to be part of a group that has come so far, and yet continues to leap forward. 

Most importantly, though, the Hot Notes made me feel comfortable--a rare feeling during my first semester at college As an introvert, I'm thankful whenever I meet someone who instantly makes me feel welcome. It take me longer than most to feel comfortable enough to be myself around others. It's fitting that Thanksgiving is next week because the Hot Notes are one of the things I'm most thankful for at Fordham. They gave me, a shy and unsure freshman, somewhere to belong. 

For more information about us, check out our Facebook or official website. Performances from our most recent concert, #HotNotes, are also available on our Youtube channel. Here are just two of my favorite numbers. (Make sure to watch in HD!)

 We wanted to collaborate with our friends at the Fordham Jazz Collective,  and so 
this number was born.  The Jazz Collective are the fellows accompanying us in 
this video. I know, I know, it's not a cappella. But it was one of the most fun 
(and in some ways, funny--see 3:58) songs to perform at our show!

The Holidays In New York City

This is my favorite time of the year.  Everyone starts decorating for the holidays, lighting up trees and playing festive music. As soon as Thanksgiving was over, I started playing Christmas music non-stop in my dorm.  What’s even better is that there is so much to see in New York City during this holiday season.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Photo courtesy of Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

One of the biggest celebrations is the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center, which took place on November 30^th.  People from all over went to Rockefeller Center to see performances by Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, and Cee Lo Green just to name a few.  It’s such a great experience to be able to go because you get to see performances from a bunch of great artists (for free!) and just be surrounded by people who are also there enjoying the holiday season.  Although I was not able to make it to the ceremony this year, I am definitely planning a trip to go see the tree.  It’s so beautiful and wonderful to see the 74-foot tall tree lit in the center of such an amazing area.  Not too far from the tree is the ice skating rink, where one can go and watch the people, from beginners to professionals, ice skate.  Also, throughout the season, all of the department stores decorate their windows to depict stories.  Anyone in the New York City area must go and see them! The windows at Macy’s Department Store in Herald Square are my absolute favorite because they are always so elaborate and well done. 

Macy's Herald Square Christmas windows

Photo courtesy by Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images

Even though the semester is about to end and crazy finals week is coming soon, I cannot help but be happy.  Rose Hill is just as beautiful with lights and wreaths decorating the buildings.  It also makes me happy to see all the decorations people put on their doors in the dorms and just getting into the holiday spirit.  It truly is “the most wonderful time of the year”.  

El Grito de Lares

El Grito de Lares E-Board with poet Tato Laviera

Fordham University offers many clubs for their students to join ranging from academic clubs to culture clubs. One of the culture clubs available at Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus is El Grito de Lares,which means “the cry of Lares” in Spanish. It stands for the first revolution against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. This is a Hispanic club that “serves to increase the awareness of the heritage of Latinos through social and cultural programming”. Although it is a Hispanic culture club, students of all races can join!

This club holds meetings every other Thursday during activity hour, that way anyone can participate. Anything and everything is discussed during these meetings, where members can enjoy the discussions and eat great food! Grito de Lares also holds many events during the school year to spread the awareness of the Latino heritage. It recently hosted poet Tato Laviera, a Nuyorican poet, whose famous Spanglish poems address language, culture, identity and race. It also holds many fun events where students can just take a break from school and relax. They are currently giving salsa lessons to any student willing to learn. They hold an annual Latin Gala where a popular Latino artist comes to Rose Hill and performs. I attended last year’s Latin Gala and had the time of my life! There was great food and great music. Not to mention the wonderful performances by the reggaeton artist Fuego and bachata artist Luis Vargas!

El Grito de Lares is only one of many great clubs to join at the Rose Hill campus. If you’re ever around, please come and check out any events that the club is holding!

Irish to Filipino: Fordham's Cultural Clubs Shine

Fordham's multicultural clubs bring diversity, excitement and life to Fordham's campuses. These clubs recieve an annual budget from the United Student Government and the student executive boards for each club put that money to good use hosting workshops, performances, leactures and more. They bring influential personalities, speakers, activists and artists to campus to add to the dialouge.

Our bloggers recap some of their favorite events our cultural clubs have hosted:

Harry Kim on the recent Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (F.I.N.D.)

Sarah Sullivan on the festivities of the Gaelic Society's Oíche Mhór Ceol (Big Music Night)