By BOBBY THOMPSON
STAFF WRITER
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXN_DW_KDUE]
Brody Nieporte is a senior in the Gabelli School of Business majoring in finance and has been a four-year starter for the Rams golf team. Nieporte is co-captain this year with fellow senior Jason Del Rosso. Nieporte has competed in over 35 tournaments for Fordham in his four year tenure on the team.
The Fordham Ram: How does it feel to be a senior, and how would you describe your three-and-a-half years so far at Fordham?
Brody Nieporte: I mean, honestly, it feels kind of weird; I’m not really looking forward to graduating, but honestly the three-and-a-half years have been awesome. I have loved Fordham, and I have loved every minute of it between living in Hughes freshman year to living off campus now. Fordham has been great with golf and meeting great people. I am definitely a little sad I am graduating.
TFR: What are your plans for after Fordham?
BN: I am currently doing an internship at Morgan Stanley for wealth management, so I’m trying to find a job in finance. I don’t have a job locked up yet, but I am in the middle of the interview process. I am trying to stay in New York City and hopefully work on Wall Street one day.
TFR: What has been your favorite part about Fordham or being a Fordham student?
BN: I think that one of the best parts about being a Fordham student is the people you get to meet throughout your experiences. I live with four great friends that I will have for a long time, Charlie, Dan, Rory and Lobiak. I also have all the great people that I have met while playing on the golf team. One great thing about Fordham is that it is a small school right near New York City, but I would definitely say that the best part is the friendships you make.
TFR: What is the one thing you are going to miss about Fordham?
BN: The one thing I am going to miss about Fordham is being able to be a college kid. It’s awesome being able to go out with all the great people here. I love being able to attend all the sporting events here, and of course being able to play golf here. I love being able to go out in to New York City too. Just the simple things like being able to hang out and watch basketball with your friends on a random Tuesday.
TFR: For the freshmen and sophmores reading this, do you have any senior advice for them?
BN: Honestly, just enjoy every second of it. It goes way too fast. I remember being a freshman and thinking I had four Atlantic 10 championships to compete in and 4 spring break trips with the golf team, and now it’s crazy to think that most of that has passed. Don’t take anything for granted, because it will fly by.
TFR: How did you choose Fordham, and was golf a deciding factor?
BN: Golf wasn’t one of the main factors. Honestly, Fordham kind of came up out of nowhere. I have caddied in Long Island for the last nine summers even though I am from Atlanta. Over those summers I would live with my grandparents, and one of my mom’s family’s friends mentioned Fordham and its D1 golf team, its great academics and its close proximity to New York City. It was one of the last schools I looked at. I looked up the school, visited it and enjoyed it. My grandfather was also friends with the golf coach, so it all worked out at once to play golf and go to school. Fordham showed up kind of blindly, and I chose it, and I’m definitely happy with my decision.
TFR: How does it feel to be a captain this year for the golf team?
BN: Not really, there is a little more responsibility. It’s still kind of similar. Everyone on the team are good friends and we all like hanging out with each other and having a good time and even giving each other a hard time on occasion. Maybe sometimes it’s a little different when dealing with coach or the administration, but other than that it is the same.
TFR: How do you think the team will do this spring?
BN: I am looking forward to the spring. I mean, we just came back from South Florida on our annual spring break trip. Everyone was able to get a little bit of the winter rust off. We definitely are going to miss Devon O’Rourke, our captain last year and one of our best players. I think the seniors this year will all do very well in their last semester playing golf.
TFR: What has been your favorite golf memory or favorite golf tournament you have competed in over the years?
BN: My favorite golf memories have been the spring breaks every year. Last year, we were lucky enough that we got to go to Ireland. We were in Ireland for 10 days and we got to spend St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, which was a once in a lifetime experience. This year we got to go to West Palm Beach, Florida, which was awesome too. It’s great to be able to go on these trips with 10 guys for a week or 10 days and be able to play golf in the morning and be able to take it easy and do whatever we want in the afternoons. Those memories will stick out the most. As far as my favorite tournament, it would probably either be the Yale Invitational or the Atlantic 10s. The A-10s are great because they are in South Florida, and Yale is awesome because they always have a great food spread for us, and the course is always in great condition. The whole tournament is run perfectly.
TFR: Who is your favorite golfer, and what is your favorite of the four majors?
BN: My favorite golfer is Phil Mickelson; I have always liked watching him. I got to meet him a couple times, and he is an awesome guy. My favorite major by far is the Masters, which is coming up in about a month or so.