There’s something about a university’s mascot – it’s a symbol of school pride and part of a campus’s identity. But have you ever wondered who our mascot is? At Fordham, we’re proud to be Rams, but that holds especially true for Kathy Toth, the girl who dons the suit at our sporting events. And just like Fordham is more than the Rams, Kathy is more than the mascot – this collegiette is super smart, hard-working, and motivated.
Where are you from? Akron, OH.
What year are you? FCRH Junior.
What is your major? I’m a double major in mathematics and visual arts.
What activities are you involved in? Besides being the Ram, I’m part of RHS (Rose Hill Society), NSO (New Student Orientation), SCC (Student Culinary Council), and SoVA (Society of Visual Arts).
Favorite movie: From approximately September through whenever the snow melts, Jim Carrey’s The Grinch. Otherwise it’s Step Brothers.
Favorite musician: Ingrid Michaelson
Favorite book: Calvin and Hobbes…comic books count, right?
Favorite TV show: It’s a tie between Lie to Me and Psych.
Why did you decide to attend Fordham? I applied to 17 different schools nationwide (I don’t recommend this to anyone…) It was so stressful, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go at all. I visited all of them, Fordham being the last one I visited. I was so sick of college campuses that I didn’t even want to go, but my mom semi-forced me, since she wanted to go to NYC for her birthday weekend. As soon as I stepped on the campus I knew this was where I wanted to go. It was one of those sort of “Ah hah!” moments, and I could just see myself studying and living on this campus. I haven’t regretted my decision one bit.
How did you get so involved on campus? I started out as a runner on the track team, so I got to know people from there. My friends on track were involved in a lot of different things, so they would tell me about them and how I could become a part of them as well. The club fair also made it really easy.
What’s it like being the Ram? Being the Ram is very…hot. It’s fun, and I love interacting with little kids in the suit. They always say the funniest things…that’s probably my favorite part!
Do you have tips for collegiettes balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, and other obligations like internships?It’s really tempting to want to be a member of a ton of clubs, but it’s really important to choose a few and become really involved in them. Other than that, as a double major with two on campus jobs, I have (somewhat) mastered multitasking. For me, the busier I am the more productive and on task I am, because I tend to just procrastinate in my free time.
What’s your favorite thing about NY? The availability of everything. You can literally do anything you want on a given weekend, which is amazing coming from a town where dinner and a movie was pretty much as exciting as it got.
What’s your least favorite thing about NY? The uncleanliness of the air. After spending all day in the city I just feel kind of…grimy. It’s nice to get back and relax in my room afterwards.
Do you have a favorite Fordham memory? Seeing Wicked freshman year with people from my dorm for $15. It was…well, wicked!!
Do you have a favorite NYC memory? I was walking in the city with my boyfriend around Christmastime, and we were headed to see the tree in Rockefeller Center. Right when we turned the corner to see the tree, it started to snow, the kind with big fluffy flakes. It was so magical, I felt like there should have been a soundtrack playing in the background or something!
What’s your favorite class you’ve taken at Fordham? I really enjoyed Computer Science I, mostly because the homeworks didn’t really feel like homework to me. I enjoyed programming the different assignments, and it was kind of a break for me from my other classes.
What’s your least favorite class here? Scientific Communication. Teaching myself projective geometry and then writing a 23 page paper about it is not exactly my idea of a fun class.
Where’s your favorite spot on campus? I love the Blue Chapel on the 3rd floor of Keating. I feel like it’s a little known spot, but it is absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful inside. It’s the best place to sit if you just need a calm place to relax and think.
If you could give one piece of advice to a Fordham collegiette, what would it be? Enjoy college while you’re in college, because it honestly goes by so so fast. Especially since you’re going to school in New York City,
What’s your dream job? Becoming an animator or production manager at Pixar.?
What’s on your NYC bucket list? I am determined to run the NYC marathon.
What do you think is the best part of a Jesuit education? Experiential learning.
Who is your favorite professor at Fordham? Professor Papadakis in the computer science department is awesome; I’m so glad I had her as my professor for Comp Sci I. Dr. Poor and Dr. Shemmer are also fantastic professors in the math department that I’m lucky enough to have learned from.
What’s one thing everyone would be surprised to learn about you? I designed tire treads for Goodyear for the past two summers.
Pick one!
Bronx Zoo or Botanical Gardens? Bronx Zoo: I love the tigers and the sea lions!!
Arthur Ave. or Fordham Rd.? Arthur Ave.
Cafeteria or Grille? This depends on so many factors. Whether it’s raining or not, if it’s Sunday night, if the caf has Apple Jacks or Captain Crunch… I guess the majority of the time I’d say the caf. They have more variety than the Grille.
Conway or Dr. Jay’s? I’ve never been to either.
RamVan or Subway? RamVan all the way.
Duane Reade or WalGreen’s? Duane Reade. CVS if there was one nearby. I absolutely hate the WalGreen’s pharmacy, but other than that I guess it’s not that bad.
Met or MoMA? MET. It’s free all the time!
Hot Dog or Bagel? Can’t I have one for breakfast and one for lunch? I can’t pick between the two.
Broadway or Off-Broadway? Broadway.
Radio City or Madison Square Garden? Radio City, just because of Rockefeller Center.
Central Park or Brooklyn Bridge? Central Park for SURE.