Fordham University was once a stomping ground for U.S. President’s, war heroes and leaders in a number of prestigious fields.

The Jesuit institution, formerly known as St. John's, has a long and storied history. Students faced with fighting each other during the American Civil War. The greenland around Keating Hall (shown above) served as a training ground for students heading off to the western front in WWII. We learn this and more on this week's Fordham Conversations with guest Debra Caruso as she discusses her book Fordham University and the United States: A History.

On this week’s show, Fordham Professor Maureen Tilley tells us all about Christmas traditions and the stories behind them, some you may know and some you may not. From the horrifying folkloric Krampus to the reason we celebrate on December 25, why we exchange presents, and why Santa lives in the North Pole. Dr. Tilley is a professor of theology and medieval studies. 

Fordham University professor of Law and Founder and Director of the Fordham Urban Law Center, Nestor Davidson discusses  the legal questions that arise as cities begin to grow.

This week on Fordham Conversations, Fordham Philosophy professor William Jaworski talks about reconciling the spiritual world with the physical world. He discusses the Aristotelian concept of "hylomorphism" and how's he's adjusted it for the modern world.