Fordham’s Campus Activities Board at Rose Hill (CAB) hosted free programs throughout the week of April 24 through May 1 to continue the 42-year-old school tradition of Spring Weekend.

Every event was free and open to undergraduate students from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. This past Spring Weekend was the first full scale, in-person Spring Weekend since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only this year’s graduating seniors remembered a time when the tradition existed before the coronavirus.

“We focused on bringing back a really special campus tradition that the majority of the student body had yet to experience. It was so rewarding to see it all come to life,” Katie Milinic, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22 and CAB president, said.

While the Spring Concert on Saturday is the most highly anticipated event every year, the fun kicked off the Sunday before with Field Day on Edward’s Parade. An inflatable obstacle course and jousting ring filled the lawn, and students played classic games such as tug-of-war and a water balloon toss. 

The fun continued on Monday night with a huge Bingo game. The line of students stretched from the Fordham Prep Theatre and wrapped around the University Church. They filled the theater as they competed for prizes like a karaoke machine, an Apple Watch, a Nintendo Switch, an iPad and an Oculus VR headset.

On Tuesday, students filled Rodrigue’s Coffee House for the semester’s final Rodrigue’s concert. They listened to the music of Spud Cannon, Birthday Girl and Battle of the Bands runner-up The Wave. 

“I was honored to perform alongside so many talented comics and Matt Ruane.” Brigid Lynett, FCRH ’22

On Wednesday, nine students competed in the Last Comic Standing event. Audience members ultimately voted Brigid Lynett, FCRH ’22, to be the winner. 

“I competed because I have always wanted a $500 Ticketmaster gift card and I love attention. This was an opportunity to get both,” she joked about her victory. “I was honored to perform alongside so many talented comics and Matt Ruane. Winning was the thrill of my life.”

The week’s events ramped up on Thursday as Fordham hosted its first guest performer for the weekend, Kelsey Kreppel. 

Fordham’s own student band, Faculty, opened for the concert and played a mix of covers and their own original songs released at the end of last year on their first EP.

Over 600 people filled the Fordham Prep Theatre to see Milinic interview Kreppel about her career as both a preschool teacher and a comedic influencer/vlogger on Youtube. She gave the audience valuable advice on figuring out post-grad life and being unafraid to pursue one’s passion.      

“It was really fun to hear about her experiences in college but also hear about where she is now and what she’s up to these days,” Alessandra Carino, FCRH ’23 and an attendee of the event, said. “It was really cool to see Fordham host someone like Kelsey. It was a really exciting way for me to experience the Fordham tradition for the first time, even as a junior.”                                       

The weekend events started off strong with a carnival Friday night. Students waited an average of 45 minutes in line to slide down the Fun Slide or spin in the Gravitron. In addition to the rides, people played classic carnival games like balloon darts, enjoyed common carnival snacks such as funnel cakes and entered the raffle for the chance to win one of 10 three-day tickets to the Governor’s Ball Music Festival.

Saturday marked Fordham’s annual Spring Weekend concert, the pinnacle of the weekend’s festivities. With the sun making a rare appearance, students flocked to Martyrs’ Lawn early in the afternoon, despite the fully booked Ram Vans and lack of D Train service that day. They enjoyed complimentary barbecue food as well as food from the House of Cupcakes or Stuf’d food trucks. 

Fordham’s own student band, Faculty, opened for the concert and played a mix of covers and their own original songs released at the end of last year on their first EP. 

Christian French followed, playing fan favorite songs like “avalanche,” “i think too much” and “hungover sunday.” When the alt-pop singer performed his song “OH WELL,” the crowd sang the chorus’ signature call-and-response with him while waving their arms back and forth.

People crowd surfed, started mosh pits and climbed on the shoulders of friends in the hopes of getting a glimpse of O’Brien.

The crowd steadily grew throughout the day until a sea of students filled the lawn from the stage to the sound engineers tent by the time the weekend’s headliner, Olivia O’Brien, walked onstage. 

According to concert co-chair Gibson Borelli, FCRH ’24, about 3,000 students watched Fordham’s first-ever female headliner perform her hit songs like “Josslyn” and “hate u love u.” That estimate does not include the countless students that live in the Martyrs’ Court dormitories who opened their windows to sing along from the comforts of their own rooms.

The pop singer’s performance electrified the crowd, suddenly transforming the spring concert into a tamer version of Coachella. People crowd surfed, started mosh pits and climbed on the shoulders of friends in the hopes of getting a glimpse of O’Brien, especially after she surprised everyone with a cover of Ke$ha’s “Your Love is My Drug.” 

Although she adhered to rules prohibiting swear words, she walked down to the guardrails at one point between songs to drink a shot offered from the crowd.

Leading up to the concert, many students questioned how O’Brien would be able to perform her newest song, “Bitches These Days,” while still following Fordham’s rule that all music performed must adhere to Jesuit values. 

As she prepared to sing it, O’Brien apologized for the censorship while showing everyone a sign she had been given that said, “Don’t say bad words.” 

Seemingly in response to this, she received a sign at her concert the next day at Western New England University that said, “Say bad words.” 

Although she adhered to rules prohibiting swear words, she walked down to the guardrails at one point between songs to drink a shot offered from the crowd. In response, dozens of other students raised their contraband alcohol proudly in the air and cheered — despite Fordham’s strict policy against it. O’Brien pleased the crowd one last time at the very end of her set as she put on a Fordham shirt thrown onstage before giving a thumbs up and exiting the stage.

After such an eventful Saturday, Spring Weekend winded down on Sunday with a campus movie festival on Edward’s Parade. The event featured student-produced films and food from the same food trucks as the previous day. 

“It exceeded all of my expectations, and we had record breaking attendance at so many of our events,”  Milinic said about Spring Weekend overall. “I’m really grateful that we were able to provide these experiences and allow students to make memories on campus that they can look back on after they leave Fordham.”

Bonnie Carroll, FCRH ’25, summed up most students’ feelings best though in an Instagram caption she paired with her Spring Weekend photo dump: “Spring Weekend was fun, but now it’s time to die during finals.”