My Classroom Experience...on Broadway!

During the first few weeks of my Early Modern Literature course, our class (taught by Dr. Greenfield of the English department) discussed none other than the most famous early modern author: William Shakespeare. Specifically, we studied The Merchant of Venice. And as fate would have it Merchant has been on Broadway all semester! Of course our class had to take advantage of this amazing opportunity (might I mention that Al Pacino was playing the role of Shylock!). So this past Wednesday I went on my first Broadway experience at Fordham!

The performance was extremely well done. Pacino did a great job as Shylock, not as if that comes as much of a surprise. Portia, who was played by Lily Rabe, was perhaps my favorite character; she was portrayed exactly how I imagined her to be while reading the play. Also, seeing as this play is one of Shakespeare's comedies, I laughed a lot! I've always felt that the comedies are more enjoyable when seen rather than read because the humor is much easier to pick up on. After the show, a few of my classmates and I went to a Pinkberry (because what's better than New York's best frozen yogurt after Broadway)!

What really made the experience unforgettable though was when Dr.
Greenfield volunteered to set aside time a few days later for us to talk about what we liked, didn't like, or differences we saw in the play. She opened up the conversation to everyone and people tricked in as time went by, and we just had a really provocative discussion about how the director chose to interpret the play, and how those differences from the text enhanced (or not) the experience. This trip was definitely one of my favorite classroom experiences!

I must extend a sincere thank you to Dr. Greenfield for making the reservations for us and to the Dean's Office, who so graciously subsidized a portion of the cost of the tickets. I 'd also like to say that this trip to Broadway is not an isolated experience; CAB (the Campus Activity Board) and some of the residence halls hold raffles in which students can win a pair of tickets to take advantage of New York City's unparalleled cultural life.

Discovering the West Side, Politically Speaking

An urban economic development tour stops along Manhattan's west side highway

For the past month, my Political Science professor Bruce Berg has been detailing the ins and outs of urban economic development and state-city relations in his class: New York City Politics. Whether a Political Science enthusiast or not, one can appreciate the complex and distinct ways in which this city operates and serves its residents. Yet, only so much can be demonstrated in a conventional classroom. I say conventional because, last Saturday, New York City became our classroom for the afternoon.

Taking advantage of the bright and temperate weather, my class ventured into Manhattan for an informal tour. The description was as follows: meet in front of Lowenstein (Lincoln Center's main building) at 11am, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a MetroCard. As we walked and talked, the past lectures about landmark regulations, zoning shifts, air rights, gentrification, various court cases and many other events and concepts were brought into perspective. Robert Moses and the creation of Lincoln Center, the rejuvenation of the West Side and the "Trump Village," (see picture) the transformation of Riverside Park, and many other sites, turned theory into reality. All Fordham students know that New York City is a cultural and entertainment mecca. However, personally, to see the city through a very systematic and political lens made me appreciate it so much more.

Most, if not all, of my close friends have experienced academic excursions similar to this one. Whether to the major Manhattan museums (Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, etc.), Ellis Island, or the Metropolitan Opera, New York City offers an infinite amount of educational opportunities that Fordham professors enthusiastically take advantage of. As they always say: location, location, location.