From upstate New York to uptown New York City, Kelly O’Brien is one of those girls that does everything — including writing two theses and winning a Fulbright. But there’s more to this Ram than brains. Her Campus Celeb profile is basically a collegiette’s guide to do the Bronx and New York City right.
Name: Kelly O’Brien
Where are you from? Niagara Falls, NY
What year are you? Senior
What is your major? American Studies aka the best major ever, just ask me.
What activities are you involved in? All sorts of theater on campus, Quiz Bowl, and CSJ most notably.
Favorite movie: The Princess Bride. No contest.
Favorite band/musician: Contest. The xx is my absolute favorite band and has been for most of college, but I’m going to see James Blake in a couple weeks and I have. Not. Stopped. Listening to his new album.
Favorite book: Another hard one but House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski changed the way I thought about books forever.
Favorite TV show: What’s TV?
How did you decide to come to Fordham? I originally applied to LC, toured it and hated it (sorry!). On a whim, my mom and I got off the 4 train at Fordham Road, got insanely lost on West Fordham Road, and finally made it to campus an hour and a half later. I stepped foot onto campus and, after passing the construction that was CSC at the time, the view opened up to Martyr’s Lawn and my decision was made.
How did you become involved with theater? The very first thing I did at Fordham was FET’s first slot show in fall 2009, Offending the Audience. From there, I learned how to direct with TOP, started interning downtown with a theater producer who really fostered my playwrighting, and boom, and I was hooked.
Do you have any tips for collegiettes who are trying to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and other obligations like internships? You can sleep when you’re dead. Sometimes a few missed hours of sleep are worth getting your homework done AND still heading downtown.
What’s your favorite thing about NY? I haven’t been bored since 2009.
Do you have a favorite NYC memory? The summer after freshman year, I had two internships and was living at Lincoln Center. I had an unlimited MetroCard (back when it was $89/month!) and I USED IT. That summer is the reason I have the subway system in Manhattan and The Bronx memorized.
What’s on your NYC bucket list? I still need to visit the Museum of the Moving Image (I have a Groupon!) and MoMA PS1. I haven’t spent nearly as much time at 5 Pointz as I’d like, and it’s on its way out thanks to gentrification. I also need to figure out a better way to find a good restaurant other than using Yelp!
Do you have a favorite Fordham memory? I think my apartment this year in its entirety will be my favorite Fordham memory. My roommates and I have really made it our own, and I’m going to miss it a lot when we move out. Home is such a temporal thing when you’re in college.
What’s your favorite class you’ve taken at Fordham? Ancient Literature with Dr. Larry Welborn. He changed my life.
Where’s your favorite spot on campus? Keating steps.
What are your post-grad plans? I will be moving to Montreal at the end of August to pursue research on the ethics of graffiti and advertising under a Fulbright grant.
What’s your dream job? A week ago I would have answered that immediately: to be a college professor. I’ve started thinking very hard about that, however, and I’m pretty sure my dream job is something I haven’t even thought of yet.
What do you think the best part of a Jesuit education is? My faith journey didn’t even start until I got here; now I know that it may never end.
Pick one!
Live on or off campus? OFF CAMPUS. Get your butts outside the gates and join the community.
Bronx Zoo or Botanical Gardens? I honestly haven’t been to the Bronx Zoo since before I came to college (maybe I should have added that to my bucket list…), so the Botans all the way.
Arthur Ave/Fordham Road? Both. I absolutely love the way the two environments collide.
Cafeteria or Grille? …Didn’t I mention I moved off campus? But seriously, if you ask really nicely, they’ll give you fries with the hot sauce, ranch, and cheese from the Buf Chick wrap at the Grille. It’s bomb.
RamVan or Subway? Subway. It takes the same amount of time virtually every time, and you can get anywhere, not just to the other side of the Fordham bubble.
Met or MoMA? MoMA. Modern/contemporary art is my jam, and it shares a block with the Halal Guys (53rd and 6th!). I did love The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living at the Met though.
Hot Dog or Bagel? Bagel. Hot dogs tend to take on a very strange color on the streets of New York.
Broadway or Off-Broadway? Off-Broadway. Anything at the Brooklyn Academy of Music is bound to be cheaper and better than the biggest Broadway shows. Also, I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that I hate musicals.
Radio City or Madison Square Garden? Radio City. It’s got so much more history embedded in it.
Central Park or Brooklyn Bridge? Central Park after Lincoln Center classes on a beautiful day with a wonderful friend.
Times Square or Union Square? Union Square. No New Yorker voluntarily subjects herself to T Square.