Name: Rita Padden
School: FCRH
Major: Anthropology Minors: Peace and Justice Studies, Philosophy
Campus Involvement: President of Fordham Experimental Theatre (FET), Assistant Music Director of Fordham Hot Notes
Favorite Hobby: I would say this is more of a stress relief techique than a hobby, but I love to cook and bake. Although, I do seem to be continuously stressed these days so it might as well be a hobby. I’m without a doubt not great at cooking, but will still try new techniques on my patient and hungry friends.
What’s your most embarrassingly cute childhood moment? This memory makes me cringe to this day. In 5th grade I entered the school talent show, and performed a solo, unaccompanied rendition of “Because you love me”. I had never performed on my own before, and this was way before I took voice lessons. I got up there in front of the whole school, and in my nervousness, started on way too high of a note. By the end of the song, I was attempting high notes that are comparable to a dog whistle. Even all these years later, I can’t even come close to hitting those notes. God knows I really didn’t hit them back then.
Favorite Part of FET: My favorite part of FET is literally written all over the walls. If you have ever been in our humble little Blackbox theatre, you have seen the back wall. The names of FET members past are painted upon their graduation to adorn our little “BBox” forever. It is comforting to know that once my time at Fordham ends, my name will be up there on that wall with all the greats that inspired me.
What ice cream flavor would you be and why? If I were an ice cream flavor, I would be Pistachio! People sometimes overlook Pistachio, but I really love it. It has such a unique and interesting flavor, and no matter how/where it is made, you always taste the sweet and the salty. I am constantly striving to be the ideal combination of sweet and salty, and I’m pretty nutty, so Pistachio just makes sense.
Favorite Hot Notes Memory: While I will always love performing with my Hotties, both at Fordham and competitively at ICCAs, my all time favorite memory was this past spring directly after our ICCA quarterfinal performance. As soon as we were fully off stage, we were so full of energy that we couldn’t help but jump around hugging each other. The happiness of that moment we shared post- performance can best be described as pure joy.
Go To Karaoke Song: I don’t sing Karaoke frequently, but recently I stumbled into a Karaoke bar with some friends, and we brought the house down with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. We changed some lives that night.
What is the best thing about being a senior (so far?) It really is a bizarre feeling, and I don’t think I will ever wrap my head around everything I’m feeling in this transition year. I think the best thing about being a senior so far is that my attitude has shifted now that my time at Fordham will soon come to a close. It feels so great to enjoy time with my friends and do things that make me happy. To be around my classmates and know we are all savoring every single moment together is simply the best!
What does it mean to you to be a female in a leadership role? It is an honor to be a woman in student leadership roles on campus. I think that as a leader it is important to be unafraid of asserting oneself; something I still struggle with, as female assertiveness tends to be negatively portrayed. I combat this by doing my best to listen to everyone’s voices and opinions, as I know what if feels like to have my own voice be quieted. I frequently have to remind myself that being assertive and responsible does not make me a bitch, but a badass.
In a perfect world, what would you be doing after graduation? In a perfect world, next fall I would be enrolled in a Graduate program to pursue a career in Archaeology. I went on a dig in New Mexico this past summer and fell in love with the discoveries and surprisingly, the dirt. My sisters already call me “Indi-Rita Jones”, so I guess there’s no turning back now.