My GO! Experience

Earlier this semester, I interviewed for the opportunity to be on one of Fordham’s popular Global Outreach projects. I applied to GO! Navajo, New Orleans, and Alaska. Fortunately, I received my top project choice, and I am preparing with an incredible team to experience Bethel, Alaska from May 18^th to the 28^th.

The bear shirts we sold as a fundraiser in the Alaskan flag colors!

Global Outreach is a program at Fordham that allows students to travel to places they have likely never experienced on a cultural immersion and service trip. Students learn about problems pertaining to the specific area of their project including social justice, environmental, political, and economic issues. Each team consists of 10-15 students, and travel during either winter, spring, or summer break. Every project is unique in duration, focus, and dynamic, but GO! emphasizes its four pillars to provide the most meaningful experience possible; these include community, simple living, spirituality, and social justice. Now that you have a little background on GO! let me tell you about my own experience thus far.

My GO! team at GO! Olympics!

I am participating in the GO! Alaska project, which is one of the summer domestic trips. I have a team of 12 members, including my team leader and chaperone, none of whom I knew before accepting the project. Over the course of the semester, we have had meetings, outings, and other events that have allowed us to become a tight-knit community. These are people I likely never would have met if I had not participated in GO!, but now they are people that I can trust, grow from, and almost call my family. Between fundraisers, Campus Movie Fest, our team retreat, gym sessions, and Chipotle runs, we have bonded so much, and there is no one else I would rather venture into unknown territory with.

We are all so excited for our upcoming project. We have not only spent the semester getting to know each other, but we have also done a lot of research on Bethel and its social issues as well. Because in GO! the motto is "participate, don't anticipate," the team (besides the leader and chaperone) does not know what our activities and responsibilities will consist of when we are there. We, however, have each other to rely on and work with, and with open-minds, I think we will all really gain a lot from our experience in Alaska. 

GO!ing to the Dominican Republic

This spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic on a Global Outreach mission trip. Global Outreach, or GO!, is a student-run organization at Fordham that sponsors domestic and international trips that allow students to become better aware of social, economic, political and environmental injustice. These projects range from learning about women's rights and immersing in the culture of Nicaragua, to participating in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans. With over 30 different locations, there is definitely a project for everyone and many students participate in a GO! trip during their four years here.

My team walking towards the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración in Santiago, DR

After six months of weekly meetings, bake sales and community building, my team of twelve students finally departed for the Dominican Republic. We volunteered with the Joan Rose Foundation in Esperanza, DR, which provides lessons, meals and a safe haven for the children of the impoverished community. We were able to witness the extreme racism in the country that Haitian immigrants experience, as well as the living conditions in bateys, which are communities of sugar cane workers. Many families in the area live off of $0.90 a day, so it was extremely eye-opening to witness their lifestyle. The Joan Rose Foundation was such a loving community and we were able to make many new friendships with the children. My GO! experience was nothing less than life-changing, and I would definitely encourage everyone to apply for a trip!

My team at the Joan Rose Foundation

Fordham Delivers

As a member of the Fordham Marketing Association’s Fundraising Team, I can testify to the success of a campus wide fundraising trend, food delivery.

Mode Magazine delivered Cookies ala Mode to students looking for a sweet treat on a Friday night 

Clubs and organizations run food delivery fundraisers throughout the year. While the success of these events may be due to the hunger (and possible laziness) of the student population, it also speaks to the creativity of students looking to fund their passion projects.

GO! Adirondacks ran the fundraiser “Oh My Bagels!” for students looking for breakfast on a Sunday morning, but not looking to leave their dorms

A popular participant in food deliver service fundraisers are Fordham’s GO! Teams. The GO! Teams raise money throughout the year to help fund student service projects throughout the world. 

FMA added an extra flare to food delivery fundraising by delivering students pancakes in reusable Fordham mason jars

Blog by: Caroline Dunn

Rams for Others

Fordham students are dedicated to giving back to the community and helping those in need.  We embrace the Jesuit tenent of Men and Women for Others.  The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice offers many opportunities for students to participate in community service projects, but there are many additional ways to support good causes around campus and the community. 

Currently RHA (Residence Halls Association) is hosting a Philanthropy Series, with four main events.  Earlier in the month there was a 12 hour dance marathon and a beer tasting event (for those students 21+ of course). Both of these events were fundraisers for the B+ Foundation, which works to fight childhood cancer.  On Wednesday there will be a Philanthropy Fair featuring student clubs presenting about their work with the community and GO! (Global Outreach) Teams raising funds for their service trips.  The final event in the Philanthropy Series will be an auction taking place next week. 

Answering trivia in Dagger John's during the
beer tasting event for RHA's Philanthropy Series 

I recently turned 21, so I though what better way to celebrate than attend a beer tasting that benefited a great charity.  The event was held in Dagger John’s in the basement of the McGinley Center.  While munching on some chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and pigs in a blanket (a.k.a. college kid delicacies) we were treated to fun facts about beer with the chance to answer beer trivia questions for prizes.  The host of the event was a recent Fordham alumnus, who actually had an internship with the New York City Brewers Guild while at Fordham (just another perk of attending a well-connected school in NYC).  We were given 4 oz. samples of 6 different types of beer, and while we were tasting, our host shared his industry knowledge and informed us of the qualities to look for in each.  I had a lot of fun and felt very sophisticated at my first beer tasting.  This event is just one example of how Fordham students find unique ways to serve others.  

Ready, Set, GO!

Global Outreach, or GO!, is a program at Fordham that gives students an opportunity to participate in service and immersion trips around the country and around the world.  GO! projects are based upon four pillars: social justice, simple living, community, and spirituality. Unlike other volunteer opportunities here at school, GO! teams make long-term commitments to their projects, as they spend time together each week in the months leading up to departure learning more about themselves, each other, the community they will be visiting, and the work they will be doing.  Rather than focusing on providing charity, students approach these projects with an open mind and a positive, yet humble, attitude.  They are taught to understand that injustices are complex, and that practicing solidarity with a community different from their own is as much a goal of the program as the "help" that they may be able to provide to that community.

Puebla's location in Mexico.

At the beginning of this semester, I was accepted to participate in GO! Mexico.  Over winter break, I will travel to Cholula, a city in the state of Puebla, with ten other students.  For ten days, we will live in home stays with Mexican families while we work with a local non-profit organization and learn about sustainability projects in the area.  Although we have not yet made our journey, Global Outreach at Fordham has already been an enriching and rewarding experience.  I feel fortunate to have gotten to know my team members - a diverse group of people who I may not have met otherwise.  And I'm looking forward to our trip in just 23 days!

Christmas in McGinley

Some friends and I with Fordham's very own Santa

Today, Fordham's Campus Activities Board (better known as CAB) kicked off the holiday season with its annual Holiday Fair! The second floor of McGinley was magically transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with snow, candy canes, Santa, and even two elves à la Zooey Deschanel. Stations for making cups of good hot chocolatey holiday cheer and ginger bread men were offered to students for free, as were pictures taken with Santa. There were also a number of stalls dedicated to fundraising for groups such as Circle K, Walk for Life, and many Global Outreach projects.

Ugly Christmas sweaters!

While some offered items such as koozies, lanyards, and homemade jewelry, most stuck to the Christmas theme. There were stands where you could buy miniature Christmas trees, decorate ornaments, or pie Scrooge in the face. My favorite by far was (of course) my own stand which sold ugly Christmas sweaters as part of a fundraiser for GO! Glenmary. After weeks of gathering together our best Salvation Army finds, my teammates and I haggled with fellow Rams over the prices of our most atrocious pieces. In the end, we sold all and made a bundle to be put forward for our service trip's funding.

Such is an example of just one of the many events Fordham has to offer during the Christmas season. Whether you are looking to craft some decorations, support service teams, donate to the Coat Drive, or just in general spread the season's cheer, Fordham has the event for you! December is a great month to be a Ram as there is always something to do.

GO! Trip to Navajo, New Mexico

One of the best things that Fordham has to offer is its Global Outreach (GO!) program. This program is completely unique to Fordham and gives students the opportunity to travel all over the world. There are trips to India, Romania, Guatemala, Mexico, and even ones within the US including Nashville, New Orleans, San Diego, and New Mexico. These are just a handful of the many trips to choose from.

GO! is not an ordinary club or organization that you would typically find on a college campus. It is completely student-run and organized and is centered on service to others as well as community, simple living and spirituality. Every week throughout the semester, you will meet with the eleven other people going on your project and get the chance to build amazing friendships with them. This way by the time the trips comes around, you know your team very well and cannot wait to spend an entire week with them.

The beautiful reservation in Navajo, New Mexico

In May I had the opportunity of going on a GO! trip to Navajo, New Mexico. Navajo is home to the Navajo Native Americans in northern New Mexico right on the border of Colorado. My team and I stayed with a welcoming Native American on his reservation that has been in his family for multiple generations. This trip was not only a chance for my team and I to bond and form life-long friendships, but it was also an educational experience. I learned about some of the injustices that Native Americans have faced in the past and how I can help change the dialogue about the way in which people speak about Native Americans. I also learned a lot about their unique culture, which included emersion trips to Pow Wows where more than twenty different Native American clans would gather together and join in traditional dances and other festivities. Living in a tent on a beautiful piece of land for more than a week with my closest friends and learning about a culture completely different from my own is an experience that I am thankful to Fordham for giving me.

My GO! team and I on our last day in Navajo before heading back to Fordham

The great thing about GO! is that you do not have to say goodbye to the wonderful people that you went on the trip with once you return to Fordham. All of a sudden you have a close-knit group of friends that live right on campus with you that you can talk about this unforgettable experience with. I could not recommend more highly getting involved with GO! before your time at Fordham is complete.

Blog By: Abby Collins