Late-Night Chats

When I think back on this past year, one of the first things that comes to mind are my many late-night chats with Joe. Sometimes we talk about noble things: God, justice, the meaning of life. Other times, we just talk about shit.

Blurry, poorly lit and red-tinted as they are, I'm pretty happy that I got photos of one of our sessions. (How I'll miss these chats next year when he's no longer around to confide in and laugh with at all hours of the night!) Put simply, our talks have, in many ways, encapsulated the essence of college. Formal dorm programs and on-campus events are great for socializing and mingling, but 3 a.m. conversations with close friends are where the real magic of college life lies.

Gonna Get Married!

Joe (my housemate) and I escaped the rainy North this weekend to attend the wedding of our ex-housemate in...Mississippi! Unfortunately, I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked but, man, was MS gorgeous! Ninety degrees? Sunny weather? This is my kind of town!

The best part, of course, was getting to see our precious Clare and meeting all of her wonderful family. Our time with all of them was incredible, and we wish we were back chilling out with them on their deck right now!

A Bronx Day

c/o naica.com 
Nothing helps me love college more than visits from friends. This past Wednesday, my best friend from home visited and we had a "Bronx day." What might that entail, you ask? Well, start with mofongo for dinner (that's the fried plantain ball of deliciousness above) then follow it with a day at the New York Botanical Garden orchid show, and finish off with an afternoon of fresh meats, cheeses and bread from Arthur Ave.

photos by me

Yes, we're foodies. The Bronx loves us that way.

The Vagina Monologues

Image c/o http://www.mansibhatia.com/

It's better known at Fordham as the Dialogue About the Monologues. The Vagina Monologues, a play written by Eve Ensler that deals with women's sexuality, was performed at Fordham this past weekend under the support of our Women's Studies Department and but not Student Affairs. On the upside, the play is associated with V-DAY, a charity that raises awareness about and funds to prevent violence against women. On the raunchy side, it deals explicitly with sex, masturbation and, in one particularly startling moment, child molestation. And it makes no apologies for its content, which is exactly why this Catholic school is reluctant to promote it.

The controversy over the play has taken campus by storm, culminating in lots of conversation, multiple articles in the Ram, and even an on-campus debate. And it seems that people are talking well beyond Fordham with recent headlines like "Students succeed in getting “Vagina Monologues” on campus," "More than a Show," and "193 Campuses Reject Monologues."

No doubt, the controversy is valid for a school that feels it has a strict moral mandate to protect. However, the performances in the Monologues --all by current Fordham students-- are outstanding; for the sake of performance art alone, the show is, in my opinion, worth keeping.

High Bridge and Soul Food

Alas, I haven't had time to write precisely because I've been doing cool things. Like taking a twelve mile walk with my roommate through the Bronx and Harlem that culminated in super cheap Soul Food at Jacob's.

c/o googleimages

What's that? Not classy enough, you say? Well, when I have collard greens, roasted turkey, yams, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, bbq ribs, banana pudding and iced tea in front of me, I simply don't care about class.

I also didn't care about class as I moseyed home and took in awesome Bronx/Upper Manhattan sights. Such as the Croton Aqueduct, which distributed water in order to make the construction of New York City possible in the early 1800s. We also saw the super cool (but unfortunately closed) High Bridge and Highbridge tower. Our fingers are crossed that the tower and bridge will be open to pedestrians soon!

c/o googleimages

Yes, I am now in (intense) pain. But a weekend well-spent is always 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.