Kid for a Day: Football and a Tour

A couple of weekends ago about 20 students and 3 teaching fellows from MS 331 (right here in the Bronx) visited Rose Hill to tour campus and watch the Rams play Colgate in football. Organized by the Rose Hill Society and The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, "Football and a Tour" aims at exposing inner-city students to college life. But what I thought was going to be a learning experience for these impressionable 6th graders ended up being more of a learning experience for myself. After eating in the cafeteria, chatting during the football game (our mocking "Toothpaste! Toothpaste!" chants against Colgate worked to no avail), and playing some familiar school yard games on our quad, I couldn't help but feel a special appreciation for these wide eyed 12 year olds.

Each child was a part of some cool extracurricular activity (from writing for their newspaper, to taking cooking class, or being a part of their finance club) that has taught them valuable life lessons that I was completely unaware of at 12. They eagerly shared with me the logistics of printing a school newspaper, the importance of eating healthy and portion control, and how to spend my money wisely. Being surrounded by their youth and excitement to learn and share that knowledge made me feel like a kid again. A thank-you email from one of their teaching fellows that expressed how much fun the students had and how anxious they are to come back for "Basketball and Tour" in February made the experience all the more memorable.

Passport's Ok Go Excursion!

Peer Educators is an organization on-campus that provides students with valid and accurate information to challenge them to make safe decisions. Peer Educators has three subcommittees, Passport, Marketing, and Alcohol Awareness. Passport, the committee that I am personally a part of, creates the Passport of New York City that is given out every year. The committee also runs multiple small and large scale excursions around the city. There are excursions to restaurants, rock climbing facilities, broadway shows, ice skating and others. The Friday before Halloween, they ran an excursion to the Ok Go Concert at Terminal 5! Every excursion has members of Passport lead the excursion. We all met before the concert and took the Ram Van to Lincoln Center. Once there, it was a short walk to Terminal 5. We anxiously waited in line to see Ok Go! We made our way inside and were greeted by an array of band t-shirts, all of which were quite tempting (that's marketing for you!). After resisting the urge to buy awesome shirts, we explored Terminal 5. The first floor opens to a smaller space in front of the stage, that is surrounded by upper-level seating. We walked upstairs to take a look around, what a view! The two opening bands were Eytan& The Embassy, which was a great band, and Those Darlins, a band I found less impressive. As Those Darlins ended, we quickly moved as close to the front of the stage as possible, which was a great decision because Ok Go was absolutely amazing! They had confetti shooting out at the crowd, they played one of their songs with handbells, and the lead singer came out into the crowd and sang a song (like 15 feet from me)!! On top of that--yes, I know, what else could we ask for--they had a light show for their encore. Everything went dark, then all of the sudden you see letters floating on stage that eventually formed OK GO! The letters were on the back of their jackets! They started playing, still in the dark, with their guitars lit up with lasers shooting out of the ends. The concert was more than I could have asked for, for only $15 dollars! An amazing experience at an inexpensive price. Afterward, we went and got pizza at a small place nearby and discussed the show. I could not have asked for a better night!

Chef Mike's Cooking Classes!

This past Thursday Chef Mike held an open cooking class in the main kitchen of the Marketplace! All Rose Hill students were invited to attend and learn how to make jelly filled homemade doughnuts!

Students were taught how to roll the dough, fry the dough balls and fill them with raspberry jelly! The final touch was added by rolling the doughnuts in powdered sugar, and once the doughnuts were done students shared the warm masterpieces with peers dining in the cafeteria.

The doughnuts were gone in seconds and everyone enjoyed the delicious desserts!

Surviving Midterms at Fordham

It’s midterm week, and all of campus is feeling the effects – between late-night studying sessions, excess coffee consumption and resulting sleep deprivation, students are buckling down and some (perhaps for the first time) are discovering the wonderful haven that is Walsh Library. This year, I approached midterms armed with a plan that included detailed study guides, ample break time, and abandoning the cozy warmth of my room for a place that may as well be my second home: the library. Feeling much like a packing mule trekking down the Grand Canyon, I loaded up my backpack, laptop, charger, snacks for sustenance, and as many books as I could fit, I left the comfort of my room for more productive horizons that lay just behind the giant library doors. Normally, I choose to sit in the desks on the second floor, by the windows, looking out over the lawn.

Occasionally, this seating choice can backfire, since the view of the sun shining on the grass and trees tends to lead one to want to enjoy the beautiful weather instead of working, yet in the spirit of midterms I find the strength to resist this urge. Once unpacked and organized, I begin my long afternoon attempting to master the French language and the many influences of genetics on family life.

Whenever I am in desperate need of a break and caffeine, I head over to the newly opened Campbell Café, (conveniently located in Campbell Hall, right next to the library).

The Campbell Café has a variety of delicious treats and up-scale food, most importantly (at least for me this week) is the coffee…which is “We Proudly Brew” Starbucks Coffee. Depending on my mood, I either go with a shot of espresso (If I’m in dire need of energy), regular coffee or a White Chocolate Mocha (when I’m looking for a treat!)

The inside of the Café is beautiful and the food is delicious. I have liked everything I’ve tried so far, since nothing beats a hot cup of coffee and a good snack. There’s also MooBella, an ice cream machine that lets you choose your flavor and topping, and then mixes it for you! It’s a great treat and really fun to use. Here’s a peak at what else is offered in the Café:

In the end, after many similar days of late night study sessions and help from both the Campbell Café and Walsh Library, I made it through midterm week. So what’s the moral of the story? When armed with right resources, it is possible to survive midterms!

Fordham Basketball's "Ram Town"!

Friday's "Ram Town" was awesome!

Fordham's atheletics department threw a huge celebration to kick off the basketball season.Thousands of students sporting maroon attire flooded the rose hill gym for a night packed with fun, entertainment, free give-a-ways and a lot of Ram pride!

I challenged my friend to an inflatable sumo wrestling competition and then celebrated my victory with the best Italian food in NYC, coming right from our very own Arthur Ave.

Students who had never before picked up a basketball competed in free-throw competitions and relay races on inflatable obstacle courses to win dozens of great prizes! Even though I only left with a few free t-shirts, posters and magnets, one of my friends won a free flat-screen TV! And a freshman girl even won a trip to Las Vegas!

In a nutshell: the night was "Ram-tastic!"

Fordham People: Sofia Pertuz, Assistant Dean and Director for Multicultural Affairs

Fordham University's Office of Multicultural Affairs upholds the University's mission to honor and revere the dignity and uniqueness of each person, in keeping with the Jesuit and Catholic fundamentals of faith, hope, and love. I recently spoke with Office of Multicultural Affairs Assistant Dean and Director Sofia Pertuz, based at the Rose Hill Campus, to find out more about the office's recent accomplishments and new initiatives.

Q: How long have you been a part of the Fordham Community?

Sofia Pertuz: I have been part of the Fordham Community since June 2009.

Q: What has been Multicultural Affairs' most significant achievement during your time at Fordham?

SP: We are excited about the continuation of the Diversity Peer Educator (DPE) program. Each year DPE continues to grow with a great group of students who have committed to help create spaces for ongoing collaborations and have been trained to assist their peers with conversations about inter-cultural awareness. Another achievement that we are proud of is the official launch of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and Ally Network of Support, where all members of the Fordham community, students, faculty and staff alike are invited to join by attending a training to help create a welcome and open environment for LGBT students and their allies. This is rooted in the Jesuit principle of "cura personalis" or the care of the whole person. Finally, we continue to hold our Sustained Dialogue series where we foster an open space that encourages dialogue as a way to share experiences and come to meaningful intercultural understanding.

Q: What initiatives is OMA taking to improve services to Fordham students?

SP: We are incorporating more multicultural awareness training in New Student Orientation for incoming students and training student leaders across campus including Orientation Leaders, Resident Assistants, Commuter Assistants, Global Outreach Leaders, Urban Plunge Assistants, Ram Van Drivers, and so many more. The main purpose of OMA's training is to create welcoming environments that are inclusive to all Fordham students no matter what areas of involvement they are a part of.

Q: What would you say is a student's greatest resource at Fordham?

SP: While I think students have excellent faculty and staff on campus who they can turn to, I think a student's greatest resource at Fordham is their peers. They can learn so much from the rich diversity that Fordham's campus has to offer and can get so much from hearing about each other's experiences.

Q: What is your favorite place on campus and why?

SP: My favorite place on campus is the Marketplace in McGinley Center, not only because there is food there (which is great!), but because it is where I bump into to many students that I can talk to about their Fordham experiences. I love to find students I can join for lunch if they are sitting by themselves because I always walk away learning so much and so glad I did!

To find more information more on the Office of Multicultural Affairs or to contact the office, visit: http://www.fordham.edu/student_affairs/multicultural_affair/

Fordham University's Student Culinary Council

Hello everyone! I am happy to announce that the Student Culinary Council is currently accepting applications to join our multiple committees! The Student Culinary Council (SCC), which is comprised of the Marketplace, Retail, Sustainability and Nutrition committees, is a group of students that works with Sodexo, Fordham's catering company, to plan menus, events and promotions, while always assisting them in achieving the highest level of Customer satisfaction.

In the past the Student Culinary Council has been responsible for:
-Planning and testing of new menu items
-Driving survey participation
-Establishing new retail brands
-On Campus mystery shopping

As Co-Chair of the "Marketplace," I am responsible for assisting my committee, which manages Fordham's main cafeteria "The Marketplace".

This year we are slated to assist Sodexo with all of the following events:
October 20th: Oktoberfest & Rock Band Performance
October 20th: Cooking Class- PiesOctober 21st: Grilling
October 21st: SCC RAM SPIRIT DINNER
October 25th- 27th: Global Chef (Hong Kong)
October 26th: Cooking Class- Global Chef
October 27th: Pumpkin Carving Contest
October 28th: Rice Krispie Haunted Houses
November 3rd: Cooking Class- Pasta
November 5th: Pizza
November 11th: Cooking Class- Homemade Doughnuts
November 15th: Roasting, Braising & Boiling (Employees & Students)
November 16th: Cooking Class- SCC Gets Stuffed (SCC & Faculty Family Dinner)
November 18th: Thanksgiving Dinner- Start of Christmas Season & SCC’s “Students Giving Back” Campaign
December 9th: Cooking Class- Truffles
December 15th: Make Your Own Gingerbread House & Midnight Breakfast
December 16th: Christmas Dinner

In addition to all of these events, we have weekly meetings to discuss the food served in The Marketplace, and we are constantly critiquing the menu to make sure students are satisfied when they dine in the cafeteria.

Students who are interested are encouraged to apply to any committee! If accepted, you will be added to Sodexo's payroll and earn $8.25/hr working for the SCC! We are not considered a club- this is a job! The SCC is a great way to get involved in on-campus life while earning some cash!