New York’s longest-running sports call-in show has hit another milestone.

On Sept. 29, 2014, WFUV celebrated the 40th anniversary of its successful One on One weekly sports broadcast, a Saturday afternoon show that has trained hundreds of Fordham students in hosting, producing, engineering, and writing for broadcast media.

The celebration also honored the show’s longtime executive producer Bob Ahrens, who, for nearly two decades, has overseen One on One’s listener growth and transition into the digital age.

Inside Fordham recently talked with him:

What One On One Is
“It’s a real talk show. We started sending the students to professional games as beat reporters, and immediately they became part of the New York media scene. They got to know the rest of the media, got to speak with players, and upped the opportunity for getting guests on the show. Periodically we will have the guests live on One on One. We’ve had the general managers of the teams live from Yankee Stadium and Citi Field; we’ve had several alumni now in broadcasting, and we’ve had players. The shows have been taken on the road too; we’re in Cooperstown on Hall of Fame weekend, and have access to all the hall-of-famers.”

On Last Year’s Season:
“There is no question that the good season last year, especially our football and women’s basketball, helped our show’s listenership; it also benefited our Twitter and Facebook accounts.”

On Training Students In Broadcasting
“We have a lot of applications; they don’t all get in. We have 35 students and most of them work on the air and behind the scenes in some form. When new students come in, we give them a full year of training before they can do anything. So when you listen on Saturday, you are usually listening to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

“Most of the students on staff have been sports fans growing up. If you are on the air you have to be able to talk about the sport; if you are a producer, you have to know enough about it to know whether a host is giving correct information; and if you are an engineer and you don’t understand media time-outs, you’re not ready to do your part of it. That said, you don’t have to know every sport; you can learn.”

Making It Personal
“I grew up in Brooklyn with the Dodgers, and saw them at Ebbets Field many times, and when they left they took my childhood with them. Here, at One on One, I help others make the transition from student to adulthood. It’s part of WFUV’s mission to train Fordham students. It’s great to see where they start, and where they wind up in four years. And once they graduate, it’s also great to see how far a lot of them go.

“We once sent a student for an internship at Inside the NFL. He walked in and had already covered the Yankees, Nets, and Jets while he was here. And he’d produced a three-hour program on the 100th anniversary of the Yankees.

“They didn’t believe him. But he had his media credentials with him, and, of course, he got the job. He’s now an associate producer with the MLB network.”

Who she is

Office Manager/Budget Officer for Development and University Relations (DAUR). A 15-year veteran of Fordham, Biddle works behind the scenes to manage the inner operations of the 100-member DAUR team.

What she does

“My job has three parts. I’m responsible for the operation of the office including, but not limited to, the provision of keys, office/cubicle nameplates, ordering supplies, coordinating the set-up and installation of computer equipment, and networking with facilities to repair any problems that could affect the office. I’m also responsible for overseeing the departmental budget; bill payment; filing and record keeping; and troubleshooting vendor problems. Finally, I am involved in the hiring process, including processing the paperwork necessary to post positions, maintenance of job descriptions, and advertising. It’s a very interesting job—no two days are the same!”

Before DAUR

“I started at Marymount College in 1999 and worked there through 2002, when Fordham and Marymount consolidated. Then, in 2005, I got my job here in DAUR.

“At Marymount, I worked in the development office—first in gift processing and then in alumni relations. I got to know a number of alumnae. I also loved to work on Marymount reunions. It’s an event that you work on for months and months, and at the very end you get to see it all fall into place.”

And before that…

“I started my career at the New York Telephone Company, which later became Verizon. I began there when I was in high school, working part time as an operator, and stayed after graduating from college. I worked for a number of years as a demand and revenue forecaster. My job involved developing an aggregate forecast for the business market using econometric and time series analysis. I would compare my forecast with my counterparts’ forecasts. Their forecast would be developed by looking at construction activity and the other factors that influence demand on a local basis. We would compare our results, reconcile on a number, and, finally, come up with a forecast for the corporation.”

Keeping it in the Family

“I’m married to a wonderful man, Jim, and I have two beautiful daughters and two absolutely gorgeous grandchildren—Lauren, who is 3, and Connor, who is 9 months.

My daughter Jamie is a 2008 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business, and my nephew, brother-in-law, and cousin are also graduates of Fordham. So I have strong ties to the school.”

The Rosemary Biddle Award

In September, DAUR established the “Rosemary Biddle Award for DAUR Core Values Distinction” and bestowed upon Biddle the inaugural award. Created to honor Biddle as an exemplary employee, the annual award will recognize a member of DAUR who demonstrates an “unstinting dedication, a strong commitment to excellence, and a high level of professionalism while fostering compassion and care for others through their work.”

“When Roger Milici (vice president for DAUR) announced it, I was flabbergasted. Everyone has been so compassionate, especially helping me to care for my husband, who is a stroke and cancer survivor. I’ve been able to take Jim to doctors’ appointments and be with him during critical moments. I’ll be forever grateful to DAUR management for helping me balance what was going on in my life with my work, and to my peers, who have been very understanding.

“To be blessed with an award was just totally unexpected. I’ve been richly blessed by being part of the Fordham team.”

Who he is:
Manager of Grounds, Transportation, and Waste Management at the Rose Hill campus. He oversees a 17-person crew comprising a foreman, gardeners, grounds workers, drivers, and mechanics.

What he does:
“I’m responsible for everything that’s green, across 85 acres. It’s a constant cycle and there’s always something to do. In the fall you have cleanup from all the leaves; in the spring you’re pruning everything, watering, trying to make the grass come back to life. In the summer you’re increasing the watering of the grass and trees on especially hot days, and weeding and maintaining the beds around trees.

“Tree care is a big thing. The elms are the most delicate; they push out so much energy just to seed. You’ve got to give them another shot of fertilizer for them just to flower and another shot just to pull out their leaves, just because they’re that old. They get inoculated twice, in the spring and the fall, sometimes more, depending on the tree and how temperamental it is.

“Before Commencement and Jubilee we’re seeding, filling in soil in spots, mulching around the trees, doing plantings in the beds around campus. Every year is different; this year because of the harsh winter the workload was crunched into a shorter time frame. We do any needed repairs on the roadways, any painting of lines that’s needed, repair any broken sidewalks.

“My crew also handles snow removal, cleanup after storms and hurricanes, trash collection and separation of recyclables, and intercampus delivery of mail, office equipment and other items.”

Is there an area in which you’re more hands-on?
“Lawn care. I’m there saying, ‘I want diagonal cuts,’ or ‘I want circles, I want squares.’ We are always changing the patterns. You can’t cut the same way all the time because then the grass will lay down and always stay that way. Mowing is what we’re doing all day in the summer, pretty much—going from spot to spot. It’s constant.”

What do you like most about the job?
“I love the place here. You sit out on Eddie’s Parade and you’re mesmerized at what this crew does. There is a sense of family here; you get to work with great people. The staff really takes an interest in what they do, and if it wasn’t for them, the campus wouldn’t look the way it does. I have one gentleman right now cutting newly installed lawn, and it’s like it was his own child. He cares for it, cleans it up, and he says ‘Look at that, it’s beautiful.’ When it comes to grounds care and the look of it, they take great pride. They really do.

“There’s also a sense of pride in working for Fordham. I went to elementary school on Marion Avenue near the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, and we used to come to Fordham every summer for our retreat. We used to run on Jack Coffey Field. I was always aware of Fordham and what it is.”

Personal Background:
Born and raised in the Bronx, Rivera graduated from Adlai E. Stevenson High School and earned an associate degree in applied science from what is now Westchester Community College. Before coming to Fordham, he worked in building and lawn maintenance for the Atlantic City Housing Authority, and also worked with his father at his family’s real estate business. The next-to-youngest of four children, he is married with an 11-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter who has just been accepted to the University.

Hobbies and Pursuits:
Rivera is an avid motorcyclist. He loves film, along with manga and anime (Japanese comic art and animation). He is completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Fordham’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

WHO HE IS: Director of Sports Media Relations and today’s commencement announcer.

HOW LONG AT FORDHAM: 17 years.

WHAT HE DOES: On any normal workday, DiBari can be found filing sports copy in his office at the Lombardi Center or on the road with the Fordham athletics teams. He and his staff announce more than 150 athletics events per year and report on even more at www.fordhamsports.com. Vocal versatility comes in handy for announcing everything from football, volleyball, water polo, men’s and women’s soccer, basketball, swimming, indoor track, softball, and baseball.

HOW HE CAME TO ANNOUNCE COMMENCEMENT:“Somewhat like an understudy. One day Fordham’s public affairs office contacted me and said that the person who had been announcing for years had left, and they were in need of someone to do it. I was already announcing sports events, and before Fordham, I had worked in the minor leagues as a public relations director—in which I was the scoreboard operator, the official scorekeeper, the p.a. announcer, the music person, and if it started to rain I had to run down to the field and cover it with a tarp. I was ready to try commencement.”

HIS FIRST: “They say you always remember your first, but I can’t recall [Editor’s note: it was 2004 speaker Tim Russert.] All I remember is the public affairs people made me say the honorees’ names 100 times to make sure I got it right. Practicing was kind of odd at first, because to me sports announcing is more energetic. I was under the impression they’d want a monotone, but their directions to me were ‘inflect? Give special meaning. Do it like an athletic event. If a special name comes up, give energy to the name and the crowd.’”

DAY OF, BEHIND THE SCENES: “I get the script on Friday, look it over a few times, and practice it at home. On Saturday morning I work on pronunciations. The marketing and communications department does a really good job at spelling names out phonetically. It’s a 40–50 minute script, and I will announce each school as it processes. We announce the banner bearers and mace bearers, describe the different color hoods for graduates, and eventually identify the president’s party, Board of Trustees, and honorary recipients.”

DID YOU SAY “BANNAH?” “I was born and raised in Rhode Island and I still have a bit of a New England accent—like ‘idear’ for ‘idea’ or mispronouncing ‘banner.’ So I will go through the script, and any word that ends in an ‘r’ I’ll purposefully highlight. Luckily, over the years there haven’t been any names that are too difficult.”

REWARDS OF THE DAY: “I love being up there on the terrace, especially when it’s a beautiful day. It’s graduation day. In the sports information office, we have student workers who come through, and I love seeing them graduate. I enjoy doing it. And at least with this event—unlike a sports event—you know the outcome.”

THE LIST: Among others, DiBari has announced Fordham commencement ceremonies with keynote addresses by Vin Scully (FCRH ‘49), Bill Cosby, Ted Koppel, New York University President John Sexton (FCRH ’63), Chris Matthews, Willie Randolph, former president of Ireland Mary McAleese Robinson, and Tom Brokaw.

AND A SHOUTOUT: DiBari would like to give a shoutout to “the lovely and talented” Edith Kealey, who is receiving her doctorate today from the Graduate School of Social Service. Kealey is his wife (and mother of their sons Patrick and Nicholas, a Fordham College at Rose Hill sophomore.)

Who he is
Director of Technical Operations at WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org).

What he does
Evans basically keeps the radio station running, which includes servicing its transmitters, maintaining studio equipment, acquiring new technologies, and planning for those things that the station will need down the road as WFUV’s presence grows on the Internet and expands its audio and video offerings. He also occasionally fills in for DJs who are sick or unavailable and voices the station’s on-the-air underwriting announcements.

What he likes most about the job
“I love that every day there’s something different. One day I could be working out in the field at a transmitter and another day I could be working at a live venue for concerts, and other days I’m here at the Rose Hill campus. I also enjoy the challenge of putting things together to make them work, and make them work better.”

Background:
Raised in Hartsdale, N.Y., Evans worked at a radio station during his college years and taught radio production to fellow students. He attended Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, N.Y., and then Iona College, from which he graduated. He then worked at a few radio stations in Westchester County before coming to WFUV, where he has been for 16 years.

Hobbies/Personal:
His hobbies include music and computers—“a lot of geeky stuff”—but also one pursuit that allows him to leave it all behind: scuba diving. Since 2001 he has dived in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands. “One of the best things about scuba diving is that you get to go underwater and you don’t take any of this stuff (electronic devices). All you’re thinking about is all the beauty around you—and how much air you have left.” He also enjoys spending time with his partner of six years and her four children, ages 6 to 13. “It’s wonderful. I’ve raised three of them since they were almost babies.”

Why he has stayed at Fordham and WFUV:
“I really enjoy the music that we play and also the teaching value that we provide to students. To me, we’re a unique radio station because of what we do and how we do it. If you hung out here for a week, you’d be amazed at the live music that we record and also how much the students are involved with that. It’s a professionally run radio station and it’s as real as radio gets. And yet we have about 75 students who work right alongside with the professional staff. Big-name artists come in here and you might see a student there at the controls doing all the mixing.

“We have students who grow so much. I’ve always been involved in the education of students, and it’s just something that’s really nice to see—bright young people who are driven to do something that they’re interested in.

“Besides that, I’m really happy to work at Fordham. It’s a wonderful place because of the community and the people. I’ve been lucky; in this business it’s hard to stay in one geographic area.”

Who he is
Director of Fordham CSTEP (Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program) and STEP (Science & Technology Entry Program)

What he does
We administer the STEP program, which is the pre-college program at Rose Hill, and a new one at Lincoln Center that’s about three years old. We also administer the CSTEP program, which is the undergraduate program. The purpose of both is to address the preparation of minority students, and particularly blacks and Latinos, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), health, and licensed fields.

What he likes best about the job
Working with students, seeing them come in as wide-eyed freshmen and leave as accomplished young men and women. It’s quite a transformation, and it’s wonderful to see every four years.

What it means to be awarded the Sursum Corda award at the March 3 Convocation. (See story Fordham’s Most Loyal Celebrated at Convocation)
I view it as recognition for the work we do. I have a great staff of eight people who are absolutely phenomenal. They keep me young; they’re really smart, and they’re great with the students. I do appreciate the recognition; it’s very flattering. And the fact that Father McShane was there—he’s someone I really have a lot of regard for and he really shares our vision.

His background
I’m a born-and-bred Puerto Rican New Yorker. I grew up in the Jefferson projects in East Harlem and was the first person in my family to go to college, so I’ve had a blessed life. I’ve lived in New Providence, N. J., for the last 16 years. After living in New York all my life, it’s an interesting change. Suburban living is great—except for the commuting.

What he does for fun
I’m a Tito Puente fanatic. I like all the new jazz musicians too; I just heard Russell Malone at Shanghai Jazz in Madison, N.J., and got to meet him and have a picture taken with him. I love going to Jazz at Lincoln Center; I’ve seen Eddie Palmieri, Joey DeFrancesco. I don’t play though; I’m a frustrated musician. I just bang drums on the counter when I get really excited.

His family
I have a great family that allows me be here late many nights and go to conferences and events that take time away from them. I’ve been married to my wife, Ada, who’s chief clerk of the criminal court in Staten Island, for 30 years, and I have two daughters: Laura, FCRH ’08, and Sandy.

Why he has stayed at Fordham for 27 years
I grew up during the civil rights movement and saw history taking place. I was a young man in high school and college when Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and all these others who brought about change were alive and actively involved in the struggle to make the United States the place it is today. I guess, being a child of that period, this kind of work is consistent with who I am and what my values are.

Who they are: Messaging Team Leader and Google Apps Consultant in the Department of Information Technology

What they do: Gomez and Thaokar are responsible for helping the University community make the jump from programs such as Lotus Notes to the suite of Google Apps, such as Gmail, Drive, and Calendar.

How they came to Fordham:

Kanchan: I worked on Lotus for the past 10 years, and I came to Fordham a year and a half ago so I could move to Google. I used to work with Prudential, and before that Ernst and Young.

Diego: I came here two and a half years ago from a bank called Brown Brothers Harriman in Jersey City. It was bigger group with more servers, extra work. A friend asked me to come to the University to see if I wanted to work here. I just figured I’d just talk to him, but I walked around campus a couple of times, and I said, “This is where I want to be.”

How is technology changing today?

Diego: A lot of systems are going to a cloud, which means people who were systems administrators who spent a lot of time doing the back-end work now have to concentrate more on customer-oriented work. We have to make sure we understand what the people who we serve need, and translate that into better systems. We have to talk to users, like we do in the “Learn It IT” sessions on campus.

Kanchan: Google Apps has been around for 15 years and it works with pretty much every system in the world. When I came here, I didn’t know anything about Gmail—other than my personal account—so this has been a learning experience for me. We’re planning to introduce YouTube, Hangouts, Picasa, and blogs, hopefully in early 2014. Everybody wants them, so we just want to let the community know they’re coming soon.

What’s one thing that people are surprised they can do with Google Apps?

Diego: It makes it easier for persons to collaborate and work together in a different way. There are basic things, like looking at people’s calendars. You can edit a document and work on it together as one unit, instead of individually.

Kanchan: One thing that surprises people is they can open their Excel and Word documents in Gmail and edit them, too. You don’t have to download it. You can edit in Google.

What they love best about the job:

Kachan: I love the more-relaxed campus. Before I worked in a corporate environment where it was often stressful. Now I can get home at a reasonable hour and the job gives me room to acquire more skills.

Diego: I used to manage a group that was spread over five cities on four continents. One of the things my boss told me when I interviewed here was that, when you’re working at a university, you’re helping the next leaders of the world to be educated. I used to think, ‘I work seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and I’m helping other people get rich.’ Now I come to a University and help people get educated. And the Rose Hill campus is beautiful; so I love coming to work every day.

What they do for fun:

Kachan: I have two kids, Maya and Mira. They’re 5 and 2 1/2. So my time outside of the office goes to them.

Diego: I did two half-marathons last year and am getting ready for my first full marathon next year. My plan is to run three half marathons: Brooklyn, Staten Island and the New York City half, and then try the full New York City marathon. I can’t wait.

Michael Wares, FCRH ’69

Who He Is
Assistant Director of Technical Services in Fordham University Libraries, New York State’s fifth-largest library with more than 2 million books.

What He Does
He is responsible for acquisitions (every item, be it book, serial, electronic item purchased for the library), cataloging (those items entered into the online system for access to all), electronic resources (all electronic databases and serials), and all library systems. 

Where He’s From
“I was born not quite in the shadow of Keating Hall—but almost.”

Schooling
Fordham Prep, Fordham College at Rose Hill, New York University, The School of Library Service at Columbia University founded by Melvil Dewey (of Dewey Decimal system).

Recent Awards
Wares received his 40-year service medal from Fordham in 2011.
“I told Father McShane, ‘I’m just doing this until something better comes along.’”

Fordham Library in the
Pre-Digital Era
“I was in the basement of Keating, which was the library annex. I started out in cataloging and put on spine labels. I am one of two people left who can put a catalog card in a typewriter and make the correct margins with my eyes closed.”

On the Transition to Digital
“In the 90s there was a lot of talk about the electronic library, but we were so busy doing it we didn’t realize how fast it was happening. We started adding electronic resources and all the sudden we realized it’s here.”

Fordham Library in the
Post-Digital Era
“In ’97 we moved into Walsh Library and we had light and air for the first time. I’m still in the basement but I have a window. I can’t think of a single thing that is the same now. Of course, books are still circulating and we still see people in the stacks, but there’s many more people using our resources remotely, accessing 400 different databases. This past year we rolled out OneSearch, which will allow users to search all our resources from one portal.”

On Print vs. Digital
“I don’t have that romantic view [on the print era]. I’m more interested in the content in a usable form. We have some researchers who will read a book in hard copy then will ask for it in digital so they can search or cut and paste what they need. The formats enhance each other. I think a book is in many ways a better portable device, but I can’t imagine being without electronic texts.”

On the Library of the Future
“I think the book stacks will be relatively the same proportion, but they’ll continue modest growth. We’ll see fewer library-provided computers because people will carry their own device—or maybe they’ll be wearing Google glasses.”

Who She Is
Program Associate, Graduate School of Business Administration (GBA), Westchester campus

What She Does
I focus on marketing and recruiting for GBA programs at Westchester, including the Executive MBA (EMBA) program, the part-time evening MBA program, and the Executive Education programs. The exec-ed portfolio of programs has been a recent focus with its launch in Fall ’12 and consists of certificate programs. There’s a Fordham Forum on Leadership and Growth, for example.

A lot of what we do is outreach in Westchester and letting people know that Fordham Westchester exists. I was the vice chair of the Westchester County Young Professionals committee for a year, and that helped with our visibility a lot. I also lead the process for EMBA rankings.

What Brought Her to Fordham
I was working for Tiffany & Co., doing product development for their fragrances, and I decided to get my M.B.A. at Fordham in 2004. Once I graduated, I went into cosmetics marketing for two other companies and did a sports startup for Propolo. When Fordham expanded the EMBA program to Westchester in 2009, I came back. Knowing the staff so well, and knowing what the experience of going through the program is like, it was a great fit for me.

She Got More Than Just a Degree
The EMBA program creates a tight network of people; you become very close and friendly with everyone. Jude(Donato) and I worked on a lot of group projects together, and toward the end of the program, just before we graduated, we started dating. About a year after we graduated, we got married.

The Best Part of Working in Westchester
It’s a small, tight-knit group, and people definitely know what each other does, and know what the programs do. I’m not only selling the GBA, it’s really to get out here and advertise other schools, like professional and continuing studies, social work and education. When you’re going on an outreach visit, you always have to have something in your pocket touching on each different school, because you never know where a question is going to come from.

The Best Part of Her Job
The EMBA program takes 22 months. To recruit someone from the first stage, and watch them go through the program and then see them graduate is very rewarding. Maybe they just planned to take a financial class to brush up on their skills, and two years later, they’re graduating with an M.B.A. and a completely different perspective.

What She Does For Fun
We moved to the suburbs in Connecticut from Manhattan about a year and a half ago, so we’ve really tried to embrace outdoor life. My husband does triathlons, and my daughter has decided she likes to cheer for him. My son was born six months ago, so we haven’t had time for much else.

I love cooking, so whenever I can, I try to get home and try different meals. I’ve been gardening too. Not everything lives, not everything looks as beautiful as I want it to. It’s a work in progress.

Who She Is: Secretary of the University

Background: Raised in suburban Chicago, Ball holds a bachelor’s degree in French and psychology and a master’s degree in counseling from Duke University, and a law degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “I’ve spent my entire career in higher ed, working at several universities in a variety of jobs, including assistant dean, state relations director, and vice president and general counsel.”

How Long at Fordham: Almost 18 years.

How Many Fordham Commencements: This is No. 18.

What She Does: Ball’s chief role is as the administrative liaison between Fordham’s Board of Trustees and the University. In addition, she manages a number of special events, including the comprehensive planning of Fordham’s University Commencement ceremony. She coordinates across University departments to ensure that all 15,000 people who converge on the Rose Hill campus for a memorable graduation ceremony are accommodated safely and comfortably, be they graduating students, family, or friends.

How it’s Done: “Commencement is really a University-wide event in the truest sense. Deans, faculty, administrators, facilities workers—in fact nearly everybody on campus has a part in the planning and execution of the day. There are assistant deans who run the individual diplomas ceremonies. There is our carpenter crew, which does everything from putting up stages to hanging banners to creating campus signage. Our marketing department works on programs and certificates. Our grounds crew and custodial crew work around the clock, especially the night before Commencement, when they help transform a dinner-dance setup into a diploma ceremony setup in just a few hours. It’s amazing.”

How Commencement Has Changed: “It used to be that you’d start the planning in March and finish in May, and that would be it. But now it just kind of goes all year round. It has gotten so much bigger and complex, but also more memorable.”

Really? 25,000 Chairs? “One of the things that fascinates people about commencement is the sheer number of chairs that are put out across the campus for various ceremonies, all perfectly lined up. We start the Monday before commencement, setting up some 12,500 on Edwards Parade, 3,500 in front of the Walsh Library, and another 3,500 in Martyrs’ Lawn Tent for the Gabelli School of Business. It’s one reason why we always hope (and pray, with a little help) for wonderful weather. But . . . we set another 6,000 chairs up at inside locations with bleachers and additional fixed seating.”

No, It Doesn’t Always Go Smoothly: “We have had our share of tense moments. A couple of years ago Brian Williams, our commencement speaker that year, gave me a call about five minutes before he was supposed to be here to tell us that he had had a flat tire and was somewhere in the Bronx . . . but not sure where. We sent out our head of security to find him, and he raced him back to campus. That year we started a bit late because . . . we like to see the speaker before we start the procession.
“And then there was one year where we had an abundance of skunks on campus . . . that was a pretty interesting year as well.”

Rewards:“The day of the ceremony is a particularly great part of my job. It’s gratifying to see those students get their diplomas, and we also look forward to serving a new group next year.”

Ultimate Goal of the Day: “The ultimate goal of the day is to get everybody graduated and create a memory for all those involved. It can be a very stressful day for families and for students, who might feel apprehensive, as they get ready to leave. There’s a lot of emotions. We like it to be a celebratory day, one that sends them off on a good note and one that will bring them, as alumni, back to Fordham many times again.”

VIDEO: Creating Commencement

Who He Is
Manager of Custodial Services for Lincoln Center

What He Does
“My official title is manager of custodial services, but that doesn’t tell everything—I fit into a lot of shoes. I oversee the grounds, the custodial services, and the mailroom operations for Lincoln Center and our three off-campus locations in Manhattan. We’re in charge of setting up for the graduations, Jubilee, and all the events at Lincoln Center.”

What Brought Him to Fordham
Thyagaraj started in 1989 as site foreman for a private company that ran the security at Lincoln Center. Then, in 1996, he was offered a position as night custodial supervisor for Fordham. Two years later, he was promoted to custodial manager at the Lincoln Center campus.

His Favorite Part of the Job
“My favorite part of the job is when the kids come on move-in day. We’re there helping them with moving in, telling them where everything is, where they can get their IDs, where the lounges are, etc. And we greet the parents who come to drop off their kids. We want to make them feel comfortable, like this is home.”

Quirkiest Part of the Job
“Whenever Father McShane is speaking here at Lincoln Center, it’s my task to hand him the microphone. Sometimes he likes the lavaliere microphone and sometimes he likes the cordless microphone. I have both of them ready to go so that when he’s ready, he can pick.”

What Keeps His Spirits Up
“I love the people at Fordham. Our staff is excellent, very professional, which makes my life a lot easier. I tell them one thing: Respect. You have to respect one another, never look down on anybody. That’s very important.”

His Favorite Spot on Campus
“The 12th-floor Lounge/Corrigan Conference Center was renovated a few years ago. I like going up to that lounge and the President’s Dining Room when the guys are done with setups. Those are my favorite places on campus, and they show the kind of work we do.”

Snow Day? No Such Thing
On days that are “snow days” for the University, Thyagaraj and his team work extra hard. During the most recent snowstorm, which closed Fordham for two days, Thyagaraj stayed on campus overnight to make sure that the snow cleanup went according to plan. That included making sure the equipment was working, that all needed staff were on hand, that all the emergency exits were clear, and that the fire hydrants and sidewalks were visible.

What Makes Him Proud
At the 2013 University Convocation on March 3, Thyagaraj was one of three Fordham employees to receive the Sursum Corda award, which recognizes staff members who have made outstanding contributions to the life and mission of the University. His wife, who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fordham, and his 10-year-old daughter were in the audience to watch him receive his award. “I’m a Fordham guy,” he said. “I couldn’t see myself working anywhere else.”