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.

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!

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!

A Walk Around Fordham, Part 1

Hi everybody! It's Madeleine again, here with something you will hopefully enjoy: a photographic walk around the Fordham College Rose Hill Campus. Similar to Courtney's housing update, this post will be the first of many as we strive to give you a look at the Fordham campus in these first few days of Spring.

If you poke around on the Fordham website, you can find a campus map and lots of pictures of campus, but those often fail to give you an accurate sense of where things are and how they look in relation to each other.

This is a copy of the map of Rose Hill from the Fordham website:



The admissions office has also posted a virtual tour map, which you might want to take a look at: http://www.fordham.edu/discover_fordham/virtual_tours__video/rose_hill_interactiv_48686.asp

This first part of our photographic tour starts at O'Hare Hall, where I've lived for the past two years. You can find it on the far right side of your map.


This is a picture of O'Hare Hall.


Ok, we've walked out the door of O'Hare and are heading down the path towards the Fordham entrance and the Football Field.


On the right, we have Keating Hall, and on the left, you can see the side of the football field.


Here's a look at Keating Hall, where many of the administration offices are located, as well as classrooms, art studios, dance studios, and music practice rooms. It's also home to Fordham professional radio station, WFUV.


We're now making our way on the path past Tierney Hall, Freeman Hall, and alongside Edward's Parade, known as "Eddie's" to students. It was still a bit chilly out when I took this, but on a nice day, the green will be filled with students taking advantage of the sunshine, throwing around a frisbee, or hanging out with friends. At the far end of this photo is the McGinley Center, the student center where many club offices and the cafeteria are located.


Here's another look at Eddie's and at Keating. Eddie's is where commencement takes place; for graduation, the green is filled with folding chairs and students receive their diplomas on the Keating steps. Last year, U2 visited Fordham and performed right on the steps in front of hundreds of Fordham students who filled the space!


Now, we're making out way past Finlay Hall, Thebaud Hall, and Dealy Hall.


We're walking behind Duane Library, where the admissions office is, and past one of the science buildings, Larkin Hall. Up ahead, you can see the Walsh Library.


If you turn around, you can see Eddie's in the distance. The building on the left is Dealy Hall, where many classes are held and where the English, Anthropology, Economics, Psychology, and History departments are located.


Now, we're walking towards the Walsh Library. Up ahead, you can see Campbell Hall, a complex of four residence halls which is in construction. The halls will open in Fall 2010, and will house many upperclassmen.


If you turn around, you can see Dealy again. The gothic-style building on the right is Duane Library, where the admissions office and the Theology Department are located.


We've now walked up to Walsh Library. Here's a look at the portico in the front.


If you turn around and look where we just walked from, you can see Martyr's Hall, a residence hall, and Collins Hall, Fordham's theatre and home to the Philosophy Department.

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This concludes Part 1 of the photographic walk around Fordham. Stay tuned for a look at the other side of campus, including the Freshmen residence halls, Church, and Student Center!

Freshman Housing: Part 1

Hi everyone!  My name is Courtney, and I'm so happy to write my inaugural post on Faces of Fordham, the Fordham blog for international students.  I love showing students around Fordham in person because I love Fordham, so I can't wait to show everyone around Fordham in a new, virtual way!

I thought I'd start off with one of the most popular things that incoming students want to know: what is freshman housing like??  This is a huge topic, so I'm going to split it into two (maybe more) parts.  So, without further adieu...

Freshman Housing: Part 1

What building will I live in?
At Fordham, there are currently four residence halls that freshmen can live in.  They are Alumni Court South, Loschert Hall, Tierney Hall Residential College, and Queen's Court Residential College.  For now, let's look at the pictures on Fordham's website:

Loschert Hall

Alumni Court South

Tierney Hall Residential College

 Queen's Court Residential College

Of course, it's much easier to see the buildings without the trees in front, and I will take more pictures when I get around campus.

Freshmen get to pick preferences on housing forms in late May/early June.  They're online now, which means that you're not at a disadvantage, even if you're far away!  You'll find out room info, roommate info, and P.O. Box address in early to mid August.

What will my room look like?

Most freshmen are housed in doubles, no matter what building they live in.  In Tierney, it is possible to live in quads (big rooms that have four people, rather than two - my current roommate lived in one!), and it is also possible to live in a forced triple (three people in a double room, with a discounted rate).  But, since we are building some new residence halls on campus (which I'm sure we will blog about soon!), Fordham hopes to keep the number of forced triples low in the coming years.

So, how big are the rooms?  What kind of things come in them?  Here's an example of my room in Tierney Hall freshman year:

This is one half of the room, post-move-in.

It has my bed and my desk - every roommate has their own, of course!

T

This is also part of my half - my mini-fridge, a set of drawers, and a wardrobe.

The mini-fridge doesn't come with the room, but it's really easy to order one online and get it shipped to your Fordham P.O. Box - you'll get the address in early August!

So, if you can take those pictures and imagine them doubled (for two people), you can picture a typical Fordham room!  Some differ - Loschert and South have closets, not wardrobes, for instance, and the layout changes depending on the room.  However, this is the typical size for any double room at Fordham, and it was more than enough room for me and my roommate!

Below, are some other pictures of rooms here at Fordham. The room in these pictures is in O'Hare Hall, one of the upperclassmen residence halls. O'Hare, located right next to Tierney Hall, is where many sophomores and juniors live.




Here's one side of a double room



And here's the other side--as you can see, everyone finds an arrangement that works for them. Here, the bookshelf is on the desk, to allow for extra space.

What if I don't know anyone?

One of the best things about freshman housing is that you are living with a bunch of other freshmen who are just as new to Fordham as you are!  In Tierney, I knew nearly everyone in my building, and we were all friendly with one another.  It helped that Tierney was a smaller building as well (Tierney and Queens house between 150-200 students; Loschert and South are between 250-300).  Here's a picture of a lot of the Tierney residents at the End-of-the-Year Barbeque:

Our Resident Director took this from the roof!

When I moved into Fordham, I didn't know a single person, even thought I'm from Connecticut.  But neither did my roommate, so we would go to lunch together for the first couple of weeks of school.  I'm not going to lie- the first week was hard.  The good thing was that I wasn't alone, and I found friends who felt just as nervous as I did.  And guess what... they're still my best friends today!  I even live with one of them!

Along with the other freshmen in your residence hall, you have Resident Assistants and a Resident Director.  The RA's throw lots of programs for residents (we got to see Broadway shows and play nighttime Capture the Flag!) and they genuinely want to get to know their residents.  I have three friends who are RA's, and they are all really nice and fun.

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That's all for this part of the Freshman Housing topic!  Stay tuned for part two and keep checking back in here for great posts from our other Fordham bloggers!

What else are you curious about for freshman housing?  Ask questions... and we will answer!

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!

Fordham Fact #2: What's Happening in the Bronx?

When you think about New York City, chances are you think about Times Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. New York, however, is so much more than that!

I've lived in New York for my entire life--I was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens--but I think that I've enjoyed living in the Bronx the best. I love the Bronx, and the area around the Fordham campus is one of the best places to be.

Below, I've made a list of some of my favorite places to go in the Bronx that are just a few blocks away from the Fordham gates.

1. The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in America, and is home to over 4,000 animals, including endangered or threatened species such as the Snow Leopard. Fordham actually used to own the land which became the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden, but sold it in order to create a natural buffer around the campus. The zoo first opened its doors November 8, 1899, and welcomes thousands of visitors each year. As a Fordham student, you get free admission to the Zoo on Wednesdays by showing your Student ID.





2. The New York Botanical Garden is another fantastic place to visit that is literally right across the street from the Fordham gate. The Park is not only a great place to walk or to jog, but also has an incredible array of exhibitions, classes, and special exhibits throughout the year. The Garden is a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and in landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site. The New York Botanical Garden is one of the premier botanical gardens in the United States, located in the Bronx in New York City, and is home to some of the world's leading plant laboratories. It offers major exhibitions and flower shows throughout the year, drawing over 800,000 visitors annually. And it's only a walk away!





Me at the annual Orchid Show at the Botanical Gardens.

3. Arthur Avenue

Arthur Avenue, located right off Fordham campus, is a favorite with students and locals alike. It's where you can get some of the best and freshest food in New York City, especially if you enjoy Italian specialties. It was once the heart of the Bronx's "Little Italy." Arthur Ave and the neighboring streets are lined with delis, bakeries, cafes, and various Italian merchants. On weekends, these streets are crowded with Italian-Americans, locals, and Fordham students shopping at the markets, or eating in the many restaurants. Fordham also sponsors off-campus housing right on Arthur Avenue.





4. The Edgar Allen Poe House

Edgar Allen Poe, the American writer, poet, editor and literary critic best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, briefly lived in the Bronx when it was still relatively rural in the 1840s. He and his wife lived on Valentine Avenue, which is a ten minute walk from Fordham. Fordham was formerly Saint John's Seminary, and Poe would visit and play cards with the seminarians in what is now the Freshman residence hall, Queen's Court. His most famous poem, "The Bells," is also said to have been inspired by the ringing of the Fordham University Church bells. Poe's house still stands and is now an historical landmark, open to the public.



As you can see, there are tons of exciting things to do right here in the Bronx. These are just some of my favorites, but there's much more to explore!