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.

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!

Cultural Clubs and Organizations at Fordham

Even though Fordham is a Jesuit University in New York City, its appeal reaches far beyond the shores of the Unites States. While Fordham is proud to have students from all 50 of the states in the USA, we also welcome International Students from over 89 foreign countries. Students come from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and share rich traditions, which we celebrate with dozens of Cultural Clubs and Organizations.

Our many Cultural Clubs include, an Hellenic Society, a Filipino Society, a German Club, a Polish Students Organization, various Hispanic Clubs, and a Gaelic Society. Religious Organizations include Liturgical Ministry, the Jewish Students Organization, the Muslim Students Association, and the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. There are literally tons of other Cultural Clubs and Organizations as well!


Below, I've written up brief descriptions of some of our Cultural Clubs.

FUPAC, The Fordham University Philippine-American Club:

The purpose of the Philippine-American Club is to promote Filipino culture among students of the Fordham community by sponsoring cultural, service, and social activities.



You can follow updates from FUPAC at
http://fupacinfo.tumblr.com/ and
http://twitter.com/fupacinfo

PCE, The Polish Cultural Exchange:

P.C.E is an organization that was established in 2005 by several Polish students. These students found a need for an organization that would not only educate people about the Polish culture, but also celebrate their Polish heritage. Moreover, they wanted to make the campus aware that Fordham is home to a fairly large Polish community. Ever since 2005 the club has worked hard to become known and involved on campus.



JSO, The Jewish Students Organization:

A club devoted to providing Jewish Students with a network of friends, sponsoring Jewish Cultural events and outings, and celebrating Jewish traditions.



OCF, The Orthodox Christian Fellowship:

In 2004, Fordham formed a chapter of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. The Orthodox Christian Fellowship is a pan-Orthodox organization of college students who meet for fellowship, worship, and support at colleges and universities across the country. In addition to worship services, the group hosts speakers and performs charitable outreach. In 2009, Fordham University was honored to confer an honorary degree upon His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, on Oct. 27 at the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. Before the ceremony, His Holiness met with the OCF, who honored him with the gift of a rose.




Desi C.H.A.I., Fordham's Indian Students Association:

A club dedicated to spreading cultural awareness about the Indian subcontinent, via dinner excursions, dances, fashion shows, holiday celebrations and more!



ACE, Asian Cultural Exchange:

Since its foundation in 1999, the Asian Cultural Exchange (ACE) has been committed to spreading the awareness of Asian culture and heritage at Fordham University. We are dedicated to unifying the diverse Asian, Pacific Islander, and Asian American students of Fordham at the Rose Hill campus as well as in its surrounding communities.

ACE strives to provide opportunities for others to learn about the social, cultural, historical, and intellectual pursuits of the Asian community. Through our efforts, we work towards an improved understanding of the wide variety of political, social, academic, cultural, and artistic interests of the various Asian cultures.



Le Cercle Francais, The French Club:

Le Cercle Français looks to share great bilingual conversations, fabulous French food, cultural activities and fun. Come practice your French with and help plan fantastic Francophone events.



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This is just a taste of the Cultural events and groups here on campus. Make sure to check the Fordham Cultural Activities website for more information!

The First Days of Spring in New York!

After a long winter with record amounts of snow for the New York area, spring has finally sprung. Everything is getting green again, the first flowers are poking their heads out of the ground to meet rays of warm sunlight, and Fordham looks as beautiful as ever.

The other day, I had the chance to take a walk around Central Park in Manhattan, which was filled with people enjoying the beautiful weather. I took the Ram Van, the shuttle that runs between Fordham's Bronx and Manhattan campuses, and walked over to the park. Luckily, I had my camera and was able to take some photos of the first few days of my favorite season.











A photo of my roommate blowing bubbles by the boating pond in Central Park.

Central Park is one of my favorite places in all of New York City, and it is at its most beautiful in the Spring. One of the cool things about the Park is that it was designed to represent all of the different landscapes of the United States. There are huge lawns and sports fields, ponds and reservoirs, a woodland walk called "The Ramble," and lots of hidden nooks and crannies. There's even a castle--yes, a castle--near the West Side of the Park.



The Castle has an observatory, which is one of the most popular places for birdwatching in New York. It also gives you a fantastic view of the City. I'll have to make sure to walk over there in the upcoming weeks!