FP Archives
Mr . Foley ' 63 signs a pillar in the new lobby . mr . Foley taught in Hughes Hall for several years before the " new " prep was built . He was here when the 4th floor was built and here for the start of the newest renovation : entrance and Commons . This coming academic year will be mr . Foley ’ s 50th as a teacher at Fordham prep .
Making an Entrance
Lou Digiorno ’ 88
By the time you read this article , mr . James pollard and the rest of the maintenance staff will have wrapped up a few last details on the pre-Dobransbicentennial grand Antechamber project — more prosaically known as the new lobby construction .
chair cushions in place : 3 fingerprints off the new glass sliding doors : 3 portrait of Fr . Shea hung : 3
[ incidentally , the portrait of Shea has been to the conservator ’ s for a cleaning and revarnishing . Father will be looking spiffier than ever to celebrate the prep ’ s 175th anniversary . { And in case you ’ re keeping score : 2016 is the 96th anniversary of Fr . Shea ’ s arrival at the prep . We ’ re going to have to mark that centennial in four years , too . perhaps with a long afternoon of walking jug ? ( Oh , and if you happen to have a spare bust of Knute rockne dating back to the 1930s , let me know before 2020 — i ’ m going to need one for the festivities . [ Long story .])}]
The construction of the new entranceway has given the prep a truly remarkable space , as well as a truly remarkable way to kick off the school ’ s jubilee . [ Fact : traditional scholarship ultimately derives the word jubilee from the Hebrew word yovél , “ a ram ,” since Old Testament jubilee periods were declared with the sounding of the ramshorn . How ’ s that for a Fordham connection ?] While the lobby ’ s openness , brightness , and clean , contemporary architecture belong to the
prep of today , the preservation of the preexisting terrazzo flooring and the hand-set stonework reference the institution ’ s venerability . And of course , the artistry of the reliefs of St . John the Baptist and St . ignatius of Loyola have about them an air of timelessness . Altogether , the new lobby is perfect for marking this important milestone in the prep ’ s present , past and future .
Besides a lounge and reception area [ note to self : pick up a small statue of St . Alphonsus rodriguez , SJ for mrs . Corinne Walsh ’ s desk . if she ’ s going to be at the front door , she can probably do with a little inspiration from the patron saint of porters { and portresses } of Jesuit institutions .], the lobby has also been designed as a gallery and museumette . Team trophies , student artwork and artifacts from the school ’ s past century-and-three-quarters are now on display for the prep community at large . The first exhibits included Fordham prep ’ s connection to the 19th century birth of Caribbean baseball , a look at the prep ’ s first computer lab [ We even dug up one of Fr . Sloun and Fr . Lombardi ’ s first generation Ataris from the ‘ 80s !], a desk from the early 1900s , and a retrospective on four decades of accumulated Star Wars memorabilia . Future planned exhibits include Fordham prep and the invention of the gummy bear [ no joke !], and a look back at a century ’ s worth of Fordham phones . [ Yes , we have the old Commons pay phone in storage . Actual comment from freshman Seamus Cooper , Class of 2019 : “ Oh , pay phones . i ’ ve heard of those . You needed quarters , right ?” { Obviously he was joking . We ’ re not that old , are we ?}]
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