A Night to Remember: The Gabelli School 2025 Graduate Student Gala

Featured Events , Graduate | Aug 14, 2025 | Gabelli School of Business

This Year’s Festivities Were a Declaration of Community, Culture, Creativity and, Above all, a Celebration of the People Who Make the Gabelli School Extraordinary

On May 9, over 300 graduate students, faculty, and staff came together for the annual Graduate Student Gala to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and share memories in a setting of elegance and creativity. Hosted at The Weylin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a meticulously restored former bank and one of New York City’s most prestigious venues, guests were treated to a multisensory, sophisticated experience throughout the course of an unforgettable night.

The night began as guests mingled over cocktails and shared laughter and memories in the venue’s moody, velvet-lined speakeasy-style basement before ascending into the main domed hall. A space known for its jaw-dropping architecture, including twin domes and intricate marble detailing, it provided a transition from intimate lounge to the grand ballroom where the main part of the event took place. Attendees appreciated a moment of collective awe, which set the tone for what was to come later in the evening.

The food was catered by Pinch Food Design, a company known for its imaginative culinary presentations and creative flair. The plates included risotto served in edible cornettes embedded in roving “server lawns” and miniature pizzas delivered in branded boxes that opened into accordion trays. Pinch, which gained notoriety for catering the 2022 Met Gala, brought the same level of innovation and artistry to the Gabelli School celebration at a fraction of their usual cost as a gesture of their commitment to building a lasting relationship with the Fordham community.

“Cultural Black Tie”, the evening’s theme and dress code, reflected the Gabelli School’s diverse and global student body and encouraged guests to incorporate elements of their culture and personal heritage into their formalwear. As a result, there was a dazzling mosaic of traditions and fashion interpretations that represented the Gabelli School’s diversity of backgrounds and traditions and brought a vibrancy to the grand space. This was complemented by the thoughtful design details that were found throughout the room, including tables dressed in deep maroon linens to play up Fordham’s signature color palette and centerpieces adorned with white and gold candles, fresh pears, and dried gourds.

Behind the 360-degree bar, a vintage-style photobooth printed custom photo strips for guests. And tucked away in an open bank vault was “The Perfect Moment,” one of the evening’s most memorable experiences.

While guests passed through a massive vault door, they were transported into what felt like a red-carpet fantasy. The first room featured a beauty prep station staffed by four industry veterans with experience ranging from fashion magazine shoots to Hollywood red carpets. After a touch-up or full makeover, each person was guided towards a staged paparazzi moment complete with professional lighting and a four-person photography team. The experience was glamorous and cinematic, commemorating and capturing a cherished moment in time that marks the end of another outstanding year.

Later, the evening shifted gears as student leaders took the stage for acknowledgments and award presentations:

• Cara Denton, VP of the Full-Time M.B.A. Student Advisory Council (SAC), presented John Hottinger, director of career advising, with this year’s Faculty Award, a moment that visibly moved him and underscored his lasting impact on the student community.
• Micherre Fox, SAC VP of events, presented Outstanding Club of the Year awards to the South Asian Business Association, the Real Estate Investment Club, and the Investment Banking, Private Equity & Venture Capital Club. 
• Harsh Thakkar, SAC president, officially passed the torch to incoming president Ritin Gupta, as both the outgoing and incoming boards joined on stage for a celebratory photo.

Their speeches reflected the dedication, care, and leadership that defined the year’s student government efforts. “My goal for the year, culminating in the gala, was systemic strategic change that would persist year over year to help drive lasting results. This gala was truly memorable and serves as a great representation of the months behind the scenes that went into building systems to set the Gabelli School up for exceptional student-led events in years to come,” Micherre Fox, the gala committee chair, commented.

The gala was a major production that was made possible by the generosity and goodwill of key partners: The Weylin, Pinch Food Design, Sean Velasco-Dodge and his team of photographers, and Brooktech NYC, which provided the lighting and AV. Their creativity and attention to detail elevated the event far beyond what its budget could have allowed and helped execute the vision and support the tireless work of Fox and the many volunteers who dedicated their skill, commitment, and community spirit to make the gala such an incredible success.

Written by: Michelle Livingston, associate director of communications, Fordham University Gabelli School of Business