All Night Long

I've had a slew of recent city experiences that I could write about here: tasty lox at a Jewish deli on the Upper East Side, the off-Broadway play Channeling Kevin Spacey at St. Luke's, mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a hilarious improv show at the Upright Citizens Brigade, oh, and the Literary Death Match tomorrow night in which MY PROFESSOR is competing!!! And that's not even including the on-campus stuff like the production of Next to Normal, a relaxing retreat with my dorm, or that time I met David Gibson.

This sucker kept us entertained until the wee hours of the morning.
Photo c/o googleimages 

But instead I'm going to write about my all-nighter with a fine English man. He goes by the name John Milton. (Perhaps you've read his poetry? He has quite a way with words, that Milton.) Indeed, last Monday, my Milton class, including Professor Frank Boyle, stayed up until 3:30 am reading Paradise Lost from beginning to end. We started at 6 pm....... and only took ONE break as a group.

Pictured in the middle: the man who said, "Thou shalt read Milton!"
And we did, for a long time. But it's cool, because he gave us tons of free
sandwiches, coffee, and brownies, and now he's our favorite professor.
Photo by Michael Dames

The truth is, any average Joe can eat lox and see shows and do fun NYC stuff anytime. But how many college students read Paradise Lost straight through and are actually excited about it? Nine students plus twelve books of poetry in ten hours equals one awesome class.

We are determined. We are steadfast. We are literary moguls. We are Fordham.

The ZOO

Unbelievably, I haven't been to the Bronx zoo in... well, it's been so long that I don't remember the last time I went to the Bronx zoo. My parents discredited it when I was young (the exhibits were too big to actually see the animals) and I haven't been back since. To their credit, the zoo is illogically set up and absurdly expensive, both of which I learned during my visit there today (entry to many exhibits requires a "special ticket" aka extra fee, even when admission to the general zoo is free). But it wasn't all bad. Free admission Wednesdays might feature shorter hours and limited displays, but the faces of the tigers alone made the trip worthwhile.

Business of Giving

Along with the back-to-school craziness, there comes, of course, awesome events. This past week, Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes, visited Fordham and revealed how he molded TOMS shoes into a success. Like so many other "success" stories, TOMS came out of the blue. Mycoskie was working for an online driving school company when he had the idea in Argentina and, on impulse, he had an Argentine man named Jose produce a couple hundred shoes that he could sell back in America. By chance, the press got involved and, in Mycoskie's words, "made it seem like TOMS was a real company." The phenomenon basically took off from there.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS
image c/o sarahslaundry.com

Now TOMS has sold over a million shoes and has given over a million away to shoe-less people in Argentina and Africa alike. And, while Mycoskie is proud of his accomplishments, he has his sights set on greater success. He's started an eyewear company and written a book, the proceeds from which will go to start other philanthropy-based grassroots campaigns. According to Mycoskie, his success lies in TOMS' foundation of giving. If more companies put giving at the core of their mission rather than writing large, tax-exempt checks at the end of the year, he claims they would attract invested customers who become advertising agents through word of mouth. As TOMS has exemplified, Mycoskie's logic works.

image c/o toms.com

I should mention, too, that Mycoskie began TOMS in L.A. with the help of three interns who were willing to stick around and work out of his boat-apartment. Sometimes, unpaid, grassroots work really is worth it.

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

Yes, it’s meant to be provocative. In fact, during his recent visit to Fordham, James Martin, S.J., one-upped himself when he recalled a favorite prospective title for his upcoming book: “Jesus: That’s Funny.” He chose a different title for the book, but the moral of the story, that is, his passion for uniting joy and religion, still illuminated his visit.

“We’ve lost the element of joy in Catholicism,” he told us, noting that people often sit in church stone-faced. At first the message sounds overly obvious; yet, it could be radical for Catholics of our generation. What if we dared to combine humor and religion? What if we were surrounded by smiling statues instead of solemn ones?

Father Martin at Fordham

It feels strange and heretical just writing it. However, it might just be the key to a brighter future for Catholics, a vision to which Catholics of our generation are especially privy. Read on for more about Father Martin's visit, info on his new book, and videos of him.

Are the Kids Alright?

No, I'm not referencing the film. I'm referencing a great symposium at Fordham during which three of Fordham’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences faculty —one psychologist, one theologian and one sociologist- used their research to determine how "the kids" are really doing.

c/o Fordhamnotes.blogspot.com

Laura Sosinsky, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, (center) presented an ongoing longitudinal study on how a cohort of first-time Bronx mothers are choosing childcare before and after the birth of their child. Matthew Weinshenker, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, (left) presented his research on “Evening Dads, Couch Potatoes and Others,” a look at fatherhood in the United States and how different categories of fathers engage with their children. Charles Camosy, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology with an emphasis in Christian ethics, (right) presented research on neonatal ICUs and the financial and moral cost of saving young lives.

In conclusion, the kids are decent. But with more funding in the NICU, better and accessible childcare providers and fathers who are willing to spend time with their kin, the kids will be even better.

More info on the Fordham Notes blog.

It's That Time of Year Again

For the admissions office, this week is huge: it's the final push, the last days, decision time. If you are a prospective student still deciding on a school, the best advice I can offer is to be critical and honest with yourself about this decision. This is, indeed, your life, so do what feels right for YOU!

Having said that, the rest of this post will not be particularly persuasive. (If you're looking for hardcore decision-discussion, Adam does it eloquently and thoughtfully at http://fordhamadam.blogspot.com/.) After all, what about the high school juniors reading this post, simply curious about the wildly interesting life of a college student? What about my ex- high school English teacher who occasionally drops by; better yet, what about my mother? For them and seniors alike, I will blabber on about my life in the form of an almighty list, leaving you to decide if it's wildly interesting.

Cool Stuff That Has Happened Lately

1. The Birth of Big Air-- TriBeca Film Fest Drive-In at World Center Financial Plaza. Huge screen, Mat Hoffman, movie on the water at dusk with homemade snacks at twilight. My brother visited this weekend, and we had a blast at this event! Plus, it's totally free and had a BMX DEMO afterward (also free!). Mat Hoffman, I officially love you and don't know why I haven't been obsessed with you heretofore. 

2. Shabbat Dinner with Fordham's a Jewish Student Organization. Did you know Fordham has a JSO? Neither did I, until I attended their Shabbat dinner. It was great! Free, delicious food, prayer, and lots of learning. Who knew Judaism has over 600 mitzvot!? Who knew YOU could take part in one????

3. Hildegard of Bingen. A scholar gave a great presentation on Tuesday about Hildegard of Bingen, ranging from her music, to her philosophy, to her bizarre life. Coincidentally, Steve Forbes also visited on Tuesday; Hildegard wins not only because she wrote the first-ever opera, but also because she was the one of the earliest people in the church to investigate natural medicinal processes. She is an all-around phenomenal woman. 

4. Spring Weekend. Known to be the best weekend at Fordham. Free concerts, free food and, right here on our turf, DJ EARWORM!!! I absolutely love him. Mike Birbiglia, we love you and look forward to hearing -and laughing with- you, too. MGMT, well.... at least you're free.

You might have noticed that there is a recurring theme throughout this post. Perfect segue for our next How To Love College Tidbit:

Find free stuff. Love free stuff. Take advantage of free stuff- all the time.