Where it went
Fast-forward a year, the Rival at Fordham editorial and strategy team combined totaled near 40 undergrads, representing all four graduating classes. In 2016 alone, The Rival Fordham* was read by nearly 10,000 users and received nearly 40,000 page views. In terms of overall traffic, we ranked #3 among a network of 13+ schools with 28,000 sessions strictly in the Fall semester.
For better or worse (depends who you ask), we were a conversation starter on campus, gaining momentum in terms of staff and content output. I felt it was time to capitalize on the network we tapped into and expand the Rival brand beyond the editorial realm.
Enter: The Rival Live, Fordham's first ever satirical news web series. And with it, a fresh new 25 faces, nearly all of whom shared a passion for production and comedy.
The show was approximately 12 minutes in length, including a title sequence with an original song, a desk dialogue, in-studio interview, two sketches, and one commercial. Along with this, we also produced shareable segments that existed independent from the show, which lent an opportunity for more experimental sketch ideas that may not fit into the framework of the week.
*The Rival Fordham website regrettably was taken down in 2018 by HQ due to funding issues, and later reinstated in 2019. The site you may see online is not a proper reflection of the way it existed during my leadership, so the Instagram is the best way to get a sense of the content and community engagement
The Rival Live’s intro sequence, featuring prominent places on and off campus
A riff on Jimmy Kimmel’s segment “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets,” “Professors Read Mean Reviews” showcases Fordham professors calling out students who have spoken ill of them on the internet in a lighthearted manner
Donald Trump’s experience at Fordham during undergrad
Commercial satirizing the absurd sandwich names at the beloved community deli, RDP, affectionately called “Rams”
Lyndonna is a recurring character in Rival Live episodes; a mother of one of the Fordham students, she is tuned in to all things on campus, but is in shock at the happenings at a pregame
Carlos on Campus was a segment inspired by Billy on the Street, wherein Carlos essentially accosts students on campus with random irrelevant questions
Sketch mocking how silly the Duo Mobile Security system at Fordham is
With Arthur Ave as our backdrop, The Rival Fordham decided to put a twist on Valentine's Day and set up 28 strangers to share a blind kiss...Lady and the Tramp style
“Rush Rival” is a spoof on sorority videos that may circulate on other campuses
Another Valentine’s Day execution, featuring 20 of Fordham’s eligible bachelors. Students were encouraged to Venmo $1 to Rival Fordham to cast a vote for their leading man. Proceeds were donated in support of our neighbors in the Bronx who lost their homes in a local fire