Fordham CSSA - Chinese Students and Scholars Association

Have you heard about CSSA?

Last year a group of Chinese students came up with an idea to introduce CSSA to Fordham.

Today, I invited Public Relations Officer Tiantian (Tina) Wan and President Hao (Vincent ) Ye to talk aboutCSSA at Fordham.

(Introduction by Tiantian Wan)

Jiayi Xu: What is CSSA?

Vincent Ye: Fordham CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association) is a non-profit organization founded and organized by the Chinese students at Fordham University. Like most CSSAs throughout the world, the mission of our CSSA is to provide a platform for overseas Chinese students, scholars and other professionals to unite together, build network, and share Chinese culture. All people who are interested in China or Chinese culture are welcomed to join.

JX: Why Fordham need a CSSA?

VY: Fordham CSSA is dedicated to the goal of promoting social, intellectual, and cultural activities for Chinese students and scholars at Fordham University as well as others who are interested in Chinese cultures. We also promote mutual understandings of cultures and encourage communications inside and outside of the Fordham.

JX: What can CSSA do for students at Fordham?

VY: We help new Chinese students adapt to the US culture and lifestyle, provide platform of recreational activities for current students, and provide networking opportunities with successful Chinese in New York City. For example, we wrote a New Students Guide for Chinese freshmen. The guide covers housing, dining, transportation, shopping, banking, phone plans, academics, and so on. Moreover, we work to promote exchanges between Fordham CSSA and other CSSAs in greater New York area. We inform members of various events in New York, such as Chinese film festivals and forums. Besides,, we hold parties to celebrate traditional Chinese festivals, such as Chinese New Year Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

JX: What kinds of goals or plans does CSSA have for the future?

VY: We want to encourage Chinese students at Fordham to rate their professors from Chinese students' perspective. By creating a Chinese version rate-my-professor, Chinese students can share their experiences of difference classes and professors, and help each other to achieve academic excellence. Studying aboard is a big challenge, so CSSA wants to be a big resource and guidance to every Chinese student. For long term, we want to obtain official club status. Because of the growing size of Fordham Chinese students, we need Fordham to support us to arrange more events and diversify school activities. Also, we want to improve cooperation and promote communications with other clubs on campus. We will continue to try our best to help Chinese students to improve life at Fordham.

Fordham's Newest Club: International Community at Fordham (ICF)

Big news for International Students! As of Friday, October 15 Fordham University officially welcomed it's newest student club, the International Community at Fordham.

ICF members at the first meeting of the 2010-2011 school year

As a new member myself, I spoke with Social Chair Monica Stark to get to know the club, its members and its purpose.

Michelle FlorCruz: Who makes up ICF?

Monica Stark: ICF is open to any member of the Fordham community. We represent a wide range of students. We have members from China, India, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, American, and many more countries.

MF:Why was ICF formed?
MS: ICF was formed by senior Alex Slavtchev FCRH '11 and graduate Lee Su CBA '10 because there was no club at Fordham that represented the international community as a whole. They saw the importance of forming a strong relationship between international and non-international students at Fordham.

MF: What kinds of goals or plans does ICF have for the future? What are a few things the group has already done?

MS: ICF has three main goals. The first is to bring cultural awareness to the Fordham community. The second is to build a global network for students. The third is to have a mentor program for incoming international students. One of our most successful events was during International Business week last spring. We represented over 15 countries any had over 100 people attend the event. It was a great learning experience for many of the Globe Students.

MF: Why do you believe ICF is essential to Fordham?
MS: ICF is essential because the international community is the fastest growing sector of the Fordham population. Last year there were 300 international students throughout Fordham's campuses and now there is 1,000 international students. There is no other club that brings everyone from such diverse backgrounds together. ICF is also a support for international students who want to voice their issues with being a international student at Fordham.

ICF representing different countries at a networking event, International Business Week

For more information about the club, visit their Facebook page or email them directly at icfordham@gmail.com

Fordham: The Cultural Connection

On October 16th, Fordham hosted a friendly sports competition between Fordham’s FUPAC (Fordham University Philippines-American Club) and St. John’s PARE (Philippine Americans Reaching Everyone) at the Rose Hill Campus. There were five different events: soccer (or football), basketball, volleyball, dodgeball and a relay race. The Sports Fest has been a FUPAC and PARE tradition. By participating in this event, I not only played my favorite sports but also met new friends from other schools! In my experience, I also grew closer with fellow FUPAC members.

While this was a competition, school pride and good sportsmanship brought the clubs together fostering friendship. The relationships that were built on this day will certainly be useful at the FIND Inc. (Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogues) conference - which will be held at Fordham this year (I'll be sure to elaborate on this when the date comes)!

Fordham University's international cultural clubs not only allow international students to mingle with other Fordham students, but also fellow international students across the East Coast. In conjunction with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, cultural clubs within the Fordham community manage to make Fordham feel like a home away from home.

To learn more about these international cultural clubs and the Office of Multicultural affairs, check out:

FUPAC - http://fupacinfo.tumblr.com/

PARE - http://www.stjohns.edu/campus/queens/studentlife/activities/stu_orgs/stu

_orgcultural/pare.stj

OMA - http://www.fordham.edu/student_affairs/multicultural_affair/index.asp

Volleyball Competition

FUPAC's Snack Table

FUPAC and PARE Group Picture

Little Carts of Culture

New York has always been considered a mixing pot of many cultures, that's why I am always encouraged-- and encouraging others --to go out and actively experience everything that the city has to offer. Luckily, sometimes we don't have to go too far:

That's right, just a mere twenty meters away from the doors of Fordham's Lincoln Center campus, a food cart, "Wafles & Dinges" feeds Fordham's hungry.

I'm not Dutch or Belgian myself, but I do have a close connection to their culture and have tasted my fair share of authentic waffles. And these are pretty close to the real thing! They are inexpensive (1-7$), unique from the usual hot dog cart, and offer special discounts or freebies with an ID on certain days (Tuesdays, for sure). Whether you're looking to have a taste of something familiar like I was, or looking to try something totally different, this will definitely satisfy!

Fordham Students' Experience at Chinese Film Festival

On September 18th, the 1st New York Chinese Film Festival kicked off at Lincoln Center in New York City. Chinese International students from different schools, such as Fordham, NYU and Pace, volunteered to arrange this festival.

Before the opening ceremony, top entertainers including movie stars Cheung Pak Chi, Zhang Hanyu, Su Youpeng and Chinese "Super Girl" winner Zhang Liangying walked the red carpet, raising fans' cheer and screaming. Among these fans, there were some Fordham students. Some of these Chinese International students coming from Rose Hill campus who said that it was a big surprise and excitement for them to witness so many Chinese stars in the United States; especially because the venue was next to the Fordham Lincoln Center campus. They were glad of Fordham’s location – near the world’s leading performing arts center. Besides, they were pleased with the service of Ram Van (the intercampus transportation between two campuses Rose Hill and Lincoln Center). It is the most convenient and safe way to get out of Bronx and into the Manhattan.

In addition, one volunteer from Fordham expressed her pride in not only helping the Chinese Film Festival but also helping Chinese movies go abroad. She hoped more and more people in the U.S. could get to know and understand the culture and arts from China. Also, she was proud of herself to represent Fordham Chinese students in front of students of other schools. It is good to see that international students from Fordham are trying to build a good reputation for Fordham, when Fordham has a growing international student population.

International Student Forum

Hi International Students!

Fordham's International Forum took place in the Faculty Lounge on September 16th to solicit the opinions of international students on the adjustments they face coming to our university. USG (or, our United Student Government) wants to open a dialog up to international students so that improvements can be made based on their various needs . Although international students are given a brief overview of obstacles that they have to overcome in their International Students Orientation, those conflicts are not explained in-depth and may exclude certain situations faced.

As a rising academic institution in both rankings and popularity, Fordham is trying to not only better serve its domestic students, but its international students as well. Fordham has a growing international student population, and SiHien Goh, a Sophomore international student from Singapore who serves as the vice president of his class in the Gabelli Business School (formerly known as the College of Business Administration), highlighted this fact to USG senators during this conversation.

It is not an easy achievement for international students to adjust to life in a foreign country; therefore, USG pledged to continue helping international students raise these issues with the administration. USG is working withfaculty around Fordham University to maintain its reputation and satisfaction from its student population. As their population, and in turn needs grow, International students have become a popular topic seizing the attention of Fordham’s administrators.

Fordham continues to have a growing ratio of international students to staff in the office of international students. This can be attributed to U.S. News and World Report's new Fordham ranking, #56. (Moving from the 80s to the 50s in several years is a big leap!) While there is always room for Fordham to improve its international student services, there is no denying that it recognizes this and is trying its best to acquire suggestions on ways to better services for its international students directly from the mouths of the international students themselves.

The International Forum pledged to inform administration and faculty about the needs of our growing international population so that it may continue to prosper in the Fordham Community.

Fordham Welcomes the Rose Hill Class of 2014!

Today, at Fordham's Rose Hill campus, just over 190 orientation leaders and captains greeted the incoming freshman class. From the blaring music and excited shouts I can hear from my window, it sounds as though the New Student Orientation has gotten off to a great start! Among the newest rams who arrived at Fordham today are international students from all around the world. Greeted by the smiles and shouts of orientation leaders calling their names, every one of them was sure to feel welcome in their new home after many hours of traveling. Teams of representatives were set up all over campus to help their newest peers get situated at Fordham.

At Alumni Court South, orientation leaders grab bags and boxes as new students move in.

In front of Jogues Hall, a few Resident Assistants help freshmen to check in.

Inside the McGinley Student Center, one of Fordham's Emergency Medical Technicians respresents FUEMS by offering first aid kits to new students.

A little further down, members of the Tiger Team at IT answer questions regarding internet access and technology on campus.

Without a doubt, very few schools can compare to Fordham when it comes to making students feel welcome on campus. I remember the day I moved in; there were so many people to greet me and make my transition easier. The air of openness at the university is the reason I chose to enroll at Fordham, and I haven't regretted it once.

Fordham reaches out on an unprecedented global scale!

The other day, I was looking at the Fordham website and noticed this interesting article. Fordham has established connections all over the world, through study abroad offices, international students, and Fordham campuses abroad. Fordham has firmly-established campuses in Rome, London, and Beijing and is working on partnerships in Pretoria, South Africa and Rio de Janeiro.

According to the article, "Hecker Ray, who was a professor of German at Fordham before creating this office, said pursuing connections and establishing the partnerships’ legal structures help her know not only where Fordham is headed, but where it already is firmly established.

"'Anyone who comes into the office and says, ‘You know, I’d like to set something up in Vietnam,’ or ‘I have colleagues in India,’ or ‘Let’s pursue this in China,’ I can go to our records and say, ‘Well, we already have contacts there; let’s expand upon them,’” she said.

There are roughly 100 institutional affiliations that can be accessed through a pull-down menu on the site. A second menu gives undergraduates access to a list of study-abroad countries and programs.

You can read the whole article below at :

http://www.fordham.edu/campus_resources/enewsroom/inside_fordham/may_3_2010/news/website_highlights_f_75205.asp

Take a look at the new, interactive map of Fordham in the world!

http://www.fordham.edu/academics/office_of_the_senior/office_of_internatio/fordham_in_the_world_73816.asp

Theatre and the Performing Arts on campus!

I thought that I would follow up Xavier's post on music at Fordham with some information on theatre and the performing arts on campus. Fordham has tons of performances going on all the time--from a cappella groups and choirs, to dance teams and musical showcases. There are several very unique and active theatre groups at the Rose Hill campus. I'll try to give a good description of each:

The Mimes and Mummers

The Mimes are the largest theatre group on campus, which puts on both straight plays and musicals. The group hires professional directors and choreographers to work with student performers. Past shows include Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, King Lear, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, and many more.


The cast of Into the Woods, from Spring 2010.

Fordham Experimental Theatre

Fordham Experimental Theatre, FET, is another big theatre group on campus. The difference between FET and the Mimes is that FET shows are entirely student-run: there are student actors, directors, choreographers, and musicians. FET is also, as the name suggests, more experimental. The group takes plays or even films, and adapts them to the stage with a twist. In addition, FET also sponsors a yearly Playwrights Festival, when they perform student-written plays. Recent shows include stage adaptations of The Breakfast Club, Moby Dick, Clue, and Pippin.


The cast of Clue in character, from Spring 2010.

The Theatrical Outreach Program

One club that I have been particularly involved in is the Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP). My friend Ryan and I actually founded this club in our Freshman year. We had both been involved in theatre all throughout high school, and wanted to get involved here at Fordham. In addition to being interested in acting, we also shared an interest in community service work. TOP takes classic or culturally relevant plays, and edits and modernizes them to be performed for kids in neighboring schools in the Bronx. Our group travels to the schools and performs right in the classroom, answering questions about theatre and conducting acting workshops afterwards. Past shows include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Macbeth.


The cast of Macbeth, from Spring 2010.

Improv and Musical Improv

Fordham also has several improv groups, one for straight scenes and another for musicals. At the beginning of each show, the group asks for a setting, a name, and a theme (or in the case of musical improv, a setting, a musical title, and a hit musical number) and then performs a show based on the audience's answers.

Those are just a few examples of performing arts groups here on campus. In addition to the groups listed above, we also have a Sketch Comedy troupe, a Cultural theatre group, and numerous shows hosted by various clubs and organizations.

Hello! Music at Fordham

Hello, everybody! My name is Xavier Montecel, and I am a sophomore student at Fordham's Rose Hill Campus. Although I am not an international student, as a native Texan, I know what it's like to go to college far away from home. I'm part of the international outreach committee because as a student of Hispanic descent, I am interested in promoting regional and cultural diversity on campus. In this post, I would like to tell everyone about the opportunities for musical performance and study here at Fordham. As you may know, Fordham offers a music major at both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. The major includes both the study of music history as a humanities discipline and the study of music theory. Our downtown campus is particularly valuable to students interested in musical performance as it is right near one of the greatest centers of music in the world: Lincoln Center.

For those of you interested in singing, there are many opportunities at Fordham for you. The largest and one of the busiest vocal ensembles at Fordham is the University Choir, a select group of about sixty voices from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. Membership is by audition, and auditions take place at the beginning of each semester. Our repertoire includes a great variety of sacred and secular music which we perform at several concerts throughout the year. We have also performed at the famous Carnegie Hall right here in New York City. The Choir is a very diverse group, composed of academic musicians and informal singers alike. This year I was the Vice President of the University Choir, and next year I will be President. Believe me that being in the choir has been one of the most valuable experiences I've had at Fordham. This year we've kept very busy with our regular concerts, our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at Christmastime, and with various other projects. I didn't go home over Easter break this year, so I was able to stay and sing at the daily services with the Liturgical Choir (I also had easter dinner with my roommate who made Julia Child's famous dish: boeuf bourguignon --- delicious!). In the past few weeks, the Concert Choir has completed our final concert of the year and recorded our Christmas CD which will go on sale next year! To get an idea of the type of music which the University Choir performs, check out this video:

In addition to the University Choir, Rose Hill students can be a part of the Womens' Choir, the Liturgical Choir, the Gospel Choir, or the Folk Choir. Each of these ensembles is unique, and the members really love what they do. If choir singing is not for you, you might consider auditioning for one or two of the three a'cappella groups we have at the Rose Hill campus: the Ramblers (all male), the Satin Dolls (all female), or the B-Sides. Needless to say, Fordham is a great place for those of us who wish to exercise and improve our musical skills!

My name is Helena, and I'm an International Student

Meet Helena, a Fordham College Sophomore with a double major in Visual Arts and Art History:


I've been traveling for as long as I can remember. I have lived in Australia, Chile, and Malaysia, and could not be happier with my current location in New York City! The vitality of this city is amazing, and I can fully attest that this is THE place to be as a college student.

Having spent three years of high school at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, I understand all the challenges that come along with being an international student. It's hard enough to go through the college application process, but trying to decide where to spend the next four years of your life from across the world is a whole different story. Since I grew up surrounded by so many varied cultures and viewpoints, having a multicultural college experience was very important to me. Fordham has certainly not disappointed! The Jesuit ethos of inclusion, coupled with the fantastic location in one of the most globalized cities in the world makes Fordham an ideal school for students seeking all kinds of cultural experiences.

Fordham's main selling point for me, aside from the stellar academics, was the wealth of opportunities that being a student here has afforded me. In addition to the learning that takes place within the classroom, students are encouraged to pursue a host of educational experiences through internships, extracurricular activities, and fun excursions to the city! There is no end to the growth one can experience here.

All the best with your college search and we hope to see you soon!

My name is Li, and I'm an International Student

Meet Li, a current sophomore at Fordham and a student from Shanghai, China.

Can you tell me a little bit about your school in China and how you first became interested in Fordham?

Well, I went to a key high school in Shanghai. Initially, I decided to go to a college in Shanghai. However, some of my friends were enthusiastic about applying to American universities and invited me to take the TOEFL and the SAT. I took the tests to get a taste for the prestigious ETS standardized tests. My parents thought that studying abroad experience would help me broaden my worldview and be beneficial to my personal growth. My father helped me choose some universities near New York where my aunt lives. My father’s friend who is very familiar with American universities recommended Fordham to me and this was the first time I heard about this school. After I did some research, Fordham’s famous business program attracted me. Further, its beautiful campus and great location in NYC impressed me a lot. Finally, I decided to apply.

That's a pretty drastic change--wanting to go to school in Shanghai and then coming to Fordham. Were you worried at all?

Honestly, I do not know what my biggest worry was, because I had too many confusions and I was not sure whether I would be able to adapt to another culture and the new life before I came here. I had never been to the US before I started college. Therefore, I had limited knowledge about everything in the US, including going to school there. It was the riskiest thing I did in my life to come all the way to America alone without knowing anything.

Without any preparation, I came here with thousands of questions about everything. What housing should I choose? How can I pay for the tuition? What classes should I register for? Where can I get cheap textbooks? Even more importantly, what is a meal plan? However, fortunately, there are always students or people here to guide you and help you. After several months, everything became smooth to me.

What was your biggest challenge?

Since American classes are very different from Chinese classes, I spent a period of time adapting to the classes here. It is easy to understand the lectures in English. However, classes like history and philosophy focus on participation and sharing your own opinions. American students are very active and are encouraged to question and engage in discussion with their professors. In addition, I lacked in backgrounds and vocabulary in some subjects like theology and western history, I had difficulty joining the participation. Thus, I studied hard after class, and I turned to professors for extra help. My professors were very accessible and friendly, and really helped me out. Now, not only can I participate in class discussions, but I also feel free to share my knowledge of Chinese culture and history with students and professors in class.

What are some things that you have been involved in at Fordham?

One of the most rewarding experiences I have had at Fordham was a Global Outreach trip to San Diego. Global Outreach is a student-led program at Fordham, facilitating service and learning immersion experiences for students. After a competitive application process, I was selected as a member of San Diego team. Initially, I was seeking a relaxed trip to California for spring break. However, everything changed afterwards. Six months before the trip, our team started to hold all kinds of fundraising events. To prepare for the trip, we joined a midnight-run in Manhattan, reaching out to New York's homeless population. Faced with such social injustices, I suddenly felt the responsibility on my shoulder to contribute much as I can for social equality. Eventually, we were in San Diego working with and helping homeless kids. Those kids were in a great need for love, and their stories inspired me to continue my volunteering journey. I am now continuing community service at LIFT (a NGO for individual client meetings for find jobs and applying public benefits) in the Bronx.
The Global Outreach trip not only helped me get to know more about the social environment of American society, but also allowed me to help others within my own abilities.

Thanks, Li!

My name is Michelle, and I'm an International Student

Where were you born?

I was born in Manila, Philippines and am a Filipino citizen; however, a month after I was born, my family moved to Beijing, China. I spent most of my life being raised there, and is where my home still is.

How do you first hear about Fordham, and what interested you?

I attended the International School of Beijing, which has long standing relations with European, Australian, and American colleges and universities. Because of this, my junior and senior years I was able to attend college fairs and college visits through our counseling department. Fordham's international visit from the International student recruiter, Monica, was what initially exposed me to the school and was what made me gain interest in attending. My initial interest in applying to Fordham was almost based solely on the appeal of attending a school in New York City that still maintained a strong campus life.

What would you say your biggest challenge was in coming to study in the US?

Growing up I had no doubt in my mind that I would attend school in the US. But my biggest fear coming into Fordham was not being understood as an specific kind of "international" student. Mainly because even in my 'home' of Beijing I was still considered "international", I just assumed that where I was coming from would be a point of confusion. I was also very cautious about applying to a suitcase school (a school where all the students are from nearby and go home every weekend) and made sure that I applied to places that had very prominent on campus student life. Fordham does have a lot of students from the Northeastern US, but there are tons of students from all over the US. The campus life at Fordham really appealed to me.

My biggest challenge did not involve getting used to the curriculum or learning about American social norms, but really was more of getting used to independence and how to balance responsibilities as an independant person, away from home and family.

Now that you've been at Fordham for a few years, what would you say has been your most rewarding experience?

One of the most rewarding experiences that I have felt makes my time here worthwhile is my involvement with school activies. When I get involved and take on responsibilities there is a sense of fufillment and purpose in what I am doing whether it be for my own enjoyment or for class or extra credit. Fordham has many clubs and cultural organizations, and I've really enjoyed the things I have been involved in and the people I have met.

Spring has come to Fordham!

Well, kids. This is it: Spring has finally come to Fordham, bringing beautiful flowers, green grass, long days, and bright sunshine with it. After getting out of class yesterday, I walked around campus with my camera. Here are some photos I took:


This is the sign right outside the student center. There's a beautiful magnolia tree there that's in full bloom.


A patch of daffodils on the path between Spellman and O'Hare Halls.










All the pictures above were taken near and on Eddie's Parade. If you saw my pictures from the "Walk Around Fordham" section, you can see that everything has definitely gotten much greener! Everyone came out for the nice day!

"New York is my Campus, Fordham is my School"

So if you've been studying up on past blog entries (as I hope you have!) you know that Fordham's Rose Hill campus is in the Bronx borough of New York City.  The culture of the Bronx is vibrant and unique, but I'll bet you're all wondering how to get to the "traditional" NYC: Manhattan!  Well, I'm here to tell you, then.

I had a girl from Ohio come for a tour at Fordham that was wondering "whether there was anything to do" here at school.  She wanted to make sure she wouldn't be "bored."  Well, let me tell you, Fordham is one place that you will NEVER be bored.  We have tons of activities going on around campus, things to do in the Bronx, and of course, Manhattan is right next door.

Maybe you want to catch a game...

The new Yankee Stadium

...or see some art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

(It's donation only - you can pay only 25 cents, if you like!

And one time, I went to a masquerade ball... for free!)

You could catch a Broadway show...

Times Square... home of Broadway!

(You can get discounted tickets every month through Fordham: only $10 or $15!)

...or see your favorite band in concert

Madison Square Garden

Splurge on some shopping...

Saks Fifth Avenue

...or save on a walk through the park.

Central Park

(There's an entrance to the park right near the Lincoln Center Campus... it's super convenient)

You can explore downtown...

SoHo section of Manhattan

...or head on uptown.

 Upper East Side (I think)

(The Upper East/West Sides can be super expensive to live in, but there are some great, affordable restaurants!)

Or maybe you just want to go right on ahead and check out another borough as well

O

Brooklyn Bridge

(These are my friends and me!  I'm the one in the Fordham hat.  This is a great, FREE way to spend a nice day in the city).

---------------

Whatever suits you, there's an outlet for it.  But I still haven't touched upon the modes of GETTING to the city.  There are three main ways to get to Manhattan and back, and I like to classify them like this...

FASTEST     -       SAFEST      -     CHEAPEST

FASTEST: THE METRO-NORTH RAILROAD

Metro-North Train

The Metro-North train leaves from right outside the southwest gate of Fordham's campus - it's literally 20 feet away!  You can look up the schedule online at http://www.mta.info/, and it will take you to Grand Central Station (located in midtown) in about 20 minutes.  It can cost upwards of $4.00, which is why it isn't as popular, but when you need to get to midtown quickly, it's the way to go.  It's also a great way to get back at night because it is so close to campus.

SAFEST: THE FORDHAM RAM VAN

F

One of Fordham's Ram Vans

The Ram Van is considered the safest mode of transportation because it leaves from the Rose Hill student center (McGinley) and goes straight to the Lincoln Center campus.  Therefore, it is completely run by Fordham and takes you from one campus to the other.  Ram Vans leave every half-hour, and it costs $3.00 per trip.  Depending on traffic, vans can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour, so watch out during rush hour!  However, it is so convenient, and it gets really popular when it's cold out, especially!

CHEAPEST: NYC SUBWAY (THE D TRAIN)

 Inside a typical D train... located 6 blocks from Fordham's campus

The final mode of transportation is the NYC subway, which tends to be the most popular among Fordham students.  The D train runs down the West side of Manhattan, and it is located six blocks up Fordham Road.  The 4 train is located a little bit further, and it runs down the East side.  Luckily, there are buses that stop right outside Fordham's gates that will take you directly to the subways - they even give you a free transfer, so you pay once!  Subway rides cost $2.25, making them the most cost-effective, and it usually takes 30 - 45 minutes to get downtown (depending on where you want to go).  However, you can get anywhere you want on one subway ticket by transferring, making it easiest to get to downtown destinations.  I take the D or the 4 train to my internship twice a week, and it is so easy once you do it a couple times!

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So there you have it... all you need to know about transportation to Manhattan.  Of course, there are endless things to do downtown, so it's great to know how easy it is to get there!

And if you are the girl I gave the tour to from Ohio... needless to say, you will NEVER be bored if you are a student at Fordham.

What kinds of things do you want to know about in Manhattan?  Comment here or email Courtney anytime at schiessl@fordham.edu... she loves questions!