The Fordham community gathered at Lincoln Center on Thursday, June 9, to mark the annual Block Party celebration. The night included food, live music and an opportunity for alumni to interact with students and faculty.

For the first time since 2019, the Block Party was held in person. Last year, the 2021 Block Party was scheduled virtually over the course of two days and included panels discussing Juneteenth, Broadway’s return and more. 

One of the event’s highlights was Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)’s first Golden Rams’ induction, in which members of FCLC’s Class of 1972 celebrated the 50th anniversary of their college graduation. Among the Golden Rams was Pat Friel, who attended the Block Party and spoke about her return to the Lincoln Center campus. 

“It’s amazing to come back and see all the new renovations and even just floor by floor (in the Lowenstein Center), it’s just amazing,” Friel told Fordham News. “It really is beautiful.”

Lindsey Fritz and Shannon Rao, both FCLC ’22, were invited to present the Golden Rams with their medals, according to Desirae Colvin, director of administration, communication and strategic initiatives. 

For recent graduates of Fordham, this year’s Block Party was the first alumni event they attended. It was also the first time alumni returned to the Lincoln Center campus after in-person classes were canceled in March 2020.  

“After graduating in a pandemic with a virtual ceremony, seeing friends and faculty in person instead of on a computer screen for the first time in over two years was really special,” Courtney Brogle, FCLC ’20, former managing editor of The Observer

The five schools at Fordham Lincoln Center each held their own celebrations across the campus. Following the separate celebrations, all schools were invited onto the Plaza to celebrate with other alumni while listening to live music.

The Observer also held its own alumni celebration and celebrated its 40th anniversary in person, with former members of the editorial board attending the newspaper’s reunion in Platt Court.

“After graduating in a pandemic with a virtual ceremony, seeing friends and faculty in person instead of on a computer screen for the first time in over two years was really special,” Courtney Brogle, FCLC ’20, former managing editor of The Observer and current board member of the Observer Alumni Affinity Chapter (OAAC), said.

Similarly, Owen Roche, FCLC ’21, former editor-in-chief of The Observer and current board member of OAAC, described his return to campus as “expectedly cathartic, but also a little strange.” 

“I could see the window of my McMahon dorm where, at noon on March 9, 2020, I read that classes were suspended for a couple of days,” he said. “Now I have a 9-to-5 job and a tinier apartment than McMahon 15G-1. What the hell happened?”

“As someone still relatively new to the workforce, I really appreciated the time spent with other alumni who have also pursued professional careers in journalism and learning about how they landed in their current roles,” she said.

Colin Sheeley, FCLC ’19, former editor-in-chief of The Observer and current board member of OAAC, said that celebrating the paper’s 40th anniversary at the Block Party shows that The Observer is at the heart of the Fordham community.

Colin Sheeley, FCLC ’19, former editor-in-chief of The Observer and current board member of OAAC, said that celebrating the paper’s 40th anniversary at the Block Party shows that The Observer is at the heart of the Fordham community. 

“To work for The Observer, to write and photograph and put a record down of the college experience year after year. That is involvement. That gives you a reason to come back,” he said.

Roche similarly expressed how he recognized The Observer’s legacy and the role he played in it.

“Seeing who turned up for the Observer celebration on block party night did what little else could to fit the rest of the pieces into place — it hit home how much of a legacy The Observer already has, and I got a glimpse of how I fit into that,” he said.

To help further this community, former adviser of The Observer Elizabeth Stone also announced the creation of the Many Voices Prize.

To help further this community, former adviser to The Observer Elizabeth Stone also announced the creation of the Many Voices Prize. Stone said that her goal with the new prize is to help increase diversity and boost historically underrepresented groups on The Observer’s staff. 

According to Fordham News, nearly 500 attendees were at the Block Party. Overall, alumni expressed that the Block Party was a success, and some were amazed by the changes made to the Lincoln Center campus.

“This was the very first Fordham event since graduation I’ve been to,” Sheeley said. “To see how much has changed but also how much still reminds me of my time at Fordham was a truly special experience.”