By Annemarie Marconi
Only the Ramblers could pack a school auditorium with students on the first warm and crisp Friday night of the school year — and on April 10, that’s exactly what they did. The Fordham-famous all-male a capella group capped off Fordham’s first annual Mental Health Awareness week with a concert. The performance, which featured several other Fordham students, was the final event of a week of programming organized by Counseling and Psychological Services.
Several opening acts prefaced the Ramblers, many of which were found through the recent university talent show, Ram’s Got Talent. Among these stellar performers were two rappers, a beat boxer and a folky guitar duo called Ten Dads and No Kids. Quirky and unexpected, these supplementary acts added a refreshing quality to the showcase.
Many of them directly addressed the importance of the concert, such as a beat boxer, who acknowledged that his art is the medium through which he relieves his stress. Perhaps he relieved the stress of the audience as well, as there was not a single person who was not smiling broadly while listening to him perform.
Although several stars studded the performance, none shone more brightly than the Ramblers themselves. The men especially displayed their astounding versatility on Friday night by singing barber-shop quartet classics like Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and Ginuwine’s sexy ’90s hit “Pony” with equal skill and vigor.
The undeniable talent, charisma and passion of these men is apparent every time they sing. Their laid-back movements, easy smiles and bright energy make the performance seem effortless. However, Habin Lee, FCRH ’17, claims that even performing at a smaller event like Friday’s concert is anything but easy. “The hardest part about performing in these events is its setting. These small concerts tend to be, well, small, and that makes the performance much more intimate,” Lee says. “It is quite nerve racking because we know every small mistakes we make will be caught by the audience as we strive for the best.”
For the Ramblers, though, the singing was really only part of the concert. The men were well aware of the importance of Mental Health Awareness week, and participated deliberately tried to attract people to the event. Lee told The Fordham Ram, “The Ramblers are aware of what we can do and can’t do. And if there is something that we can do for Fordham Community, we really try to help out. Promoting mental health awareness is something we are excited to be part of.”
Several students appreciated the Ramblers’ contribution to Mental Heath Awareness week. Margaret Desmond, FCRH ’16, was a student coordinator for the week of programming. She said of the concert, “The Ramblers concert just happened really organically. One of our members had a contact and they agreed to do the concert, which was very exciting because we know students love the Ramblers, and we wanted to draw a good number of students for the event.”
Desmond was very pleased with the outcome, adding, “I would absolutely say the concert was a success because all of the performances, not just the Ramblers, were incredible. We had a good student turn out and it was a nice to end the week.”
And so, everyone came away happy last Friday night. The Ramblers wrapped up another great performance, several talented smaller musical acts gained some recognition and, perhaps most importantly, the purpose of the event was not lost.
“This was the first mental health awareness week at Fordham and it was hard to get everything started, but every little bit to get the word out helps, and I can’t wait for next year,” notes Desmond.
Also looking forward to next year is self-proclaimed Ramblers groupie Rocelyn Dacre, FCRH ’17, who said of her favorite men on campus, “The Ramblers are the most charming and lovely group of human men on campus and will capture your heart with just one song.” Well, on Friday, April 10, the Ramblers captured the attention of Fordham students, and directed it toward Mental Health Awareness — that is truly ending on a high note.
