Fordham Celebrates Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday
Lauren Kopajtic, Susan Greenfield, and actresses Katie Kopajtic and Noni Alley perform a scene from Northanger Abbey
Beloved novelist Jane Austen turned 250 on December 16th, and Fordham celebrated with a birthday party. A bustling room of students, professors, alumni, and their families gathered together at Rose Hill’s Campbell Hall for the event organized by English professor Susan Greenfield and Philosophy professor Lauren Kopajtic. With round tables laden with rose and mauve frosted cupcakes and pastel decorations bedecking the walls, the participants were treated to an array of entertainments, treats, and a raffle.
Dressed in period costumes, within an ensemble of actors, Prof Greenfield and Prof Kopajtic performed a line reading from Chapter III of Northanger Abbey (1818), in which Catherine Morland meets Henry Tilney and they dance and talk together, the audience giggling at the scene’s endearing repartee and colorful characters. Sean Huynh, a junior English major who recently performed as Mr. Darcy for Fordham’s Theatrical Outreach Program, also reprised his role and brought a flair of drama to the night by performing Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice (1813). Along with these spirited performances that breathed life into the page, the audience enjoyed a “Clip Salad” directed by English major Andrew Armour, featuring video clips from notable Austen film and TV adaptations, modern interpretations such as Clueless (1995)—a 90s high-school comedy inspired by Emma (1816)—pop culture references, and BookToks from avid online fans. As any modern Janeite knows, the resonance of Austen’s writing—the novels’ themes, characters, and plots—remain ever relevant and beloved regardless of the distance between us and the novelist’s Regency-era England, something that was well-demonstrated by the variety of scenes and quotes throughout the video.
Sean Huynh charms the crowd as Mr. Darcy
In the second half of the event, several lucky attendees won prizes in the door raffle, including Austen-themed journals, candles, mugs, and a coloring book. Prof Kopajtic then lit the “250” candles on a beautiful custom cake, designed as a selection of Austen modern editions, including a Penguin paperback of Persuasion (1817) and an Oxford World’s Classics Sense and Sensibility (1811). The attendees continued to mingle and grab slices of the cake, enjoying the whimsy mixed with intellectual stimulation infused throughout the evening.
Prof Kopajtic cuts the cake after the attendees sing “Happy Birthday”
The organizing professors will be bringing their passion for Austen novels, in all of their complexity and charm, to classrooms in Spring 2026. Prof Greenfield, (favorite Austen novel: Mansfield Park [1814]), is teaching a subject titled “Jane Austen in Context,” which will focus on Austen’s narrative techniques and literary skill, while allowing close reflections on the critical themes and cultural contexts that sit behind the romance, including British imperialism and slavery. Prof Kopajtic, (favorite Austen novel: Persuasion), is teaching “Jane Austen and Moral Philosophy,” also aimed at delving into how the popular novels engage with a wider context and can function as works of moral philosophy, questioning the role of virtue, emotion, and individuality within society.
Prof Greenfield and Prof Kopajtic in their Austenite costumes
The popularity of continuing to read and study Austen, even amongst younger students who might otherwise be only beginning to enjoy classic fiction, was evident throughout the birthday event. As attendees began to trickle out, all sated with abundant amounts of cake and engaged discussion, it was clear that the evening had been a successful honoring of Austen’s legacy of humor and intelligent discourse. With her novels replete with balls, dinners, and witty conversation, Austen knew the value of a good party.