Volunteer Opportunities

About 80% of Fordham University undergraduates 

participate in at least one service project.

This is an awesome percentage and one of the statistics that made me give Fordham a closer look, since I knew in high school that I wanted service to be part of my college experience. I spent my freshman year getting my feet wet on campus. I tried a bunch of different clubs (some of which were service-oriented), was heavily involved in the Manresa community, and did some outside volunteer work as well. Through an email blast from Fordham's Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, I found out about a Saturday morning tutoring program at a middle school located near Yankee Stadium. While some of my friends gawked at me for waking up at 8am a few Saturdays each semester, I loved it. Working with those kids to solve their science and math questions or improve their reading proficiency made me feel connected to my new home and made me care about the goings-on of the Bronx. 

This year, as a sophomore, I began volunteering at St. Rita's Center for Immigration and Refugee Services. On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I teach a two-hour class to adult immigrants trying to learn English. I found out about St. Rita's through the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice's annual Volunteer and Internship Fair. Local organizations and programs line Edward's Parade, welcoming all students to consider volunteering with their group for whatever time commitment they could. I was drawn to St. Rita's because I am especially curious about the immigrant's experience in the United States and I thought that gaining some experience teaching would help me in my career discernment process. While I have always enjoyed service and volunteer work, nothing could have prepared me for the incredible joy I get from consistently working with my students at St. Rita's. 

The DDCSJ provides all the resources a Fordham student needs to get involved in the Bronx community. By volunteering, students can become a tangible part of the community, instead of just being a visitor for four years as they get their degree. One great opportunity offered by the DDCSJ is the Service Learning Program, where students can connect volunteer work with a class and receive credit. Taking a Service Learning class is on my Fordham bucket list, and I hope to take one next fall.

If you think you might be interested in doing service and volunteer work during college, becoming acquainted with your prospective schools' programs and resources is crucial! Check out the site for the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice here!

"We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community." 

~ Dorothy Day

Branching Out!

Students modeling for MODE's photo op

On September 3^rd, I attended Fordham’s annual Club Fair on Edward’s Parade.  The usual campus hangout was encircled by tables, one for mostly every club here at Fordham.  The club fair allows students to see what is happening on campus and gives them an opportunity to get involved with something that they find interesting. At each table you can receive a brief overview of what the club is and give them your email to receive more information as well as meeting times.  As a sophomore, I wanted to broaden my horizons and get involved with something new and exciting.  I came across many clubs that caught my attention, but the one I was most interested in was MODE.

The Fall 2013 Cover

The Spring 2014 Cover

MODE is Fordham’s version of a fashion magazine.  A group of students work together to publish one edition every semester which gets distributed right before the start of finals.  The magazine covers a myriad of topics from fashion to romance to fitness.  What makes MODE special is its emphasis on the Fordham community in its articles.  The models and interview subjects in the articles are all current students or alumni.  Fashion on campus was a huge part of the most recent edition of the magazine.  It is very cool to see people you know in the magazine! Also, it makes it super easy for any Fordham student to relate to!

As a communications major, I was very interested in being a part of MODE.  Writing for a magazine can be a good way to improve on your writing skills while being a great resume booster as well.  Rumor has it, members of MODE have interned for big time magazines such as Teen Vogue!  Being a part of publishing a magazine is not only good for potential writers or journalists.  It is a great way for anyone interested in fashion, photography or graphic design to gain experience.  Although I am just starting to get involved, I cannot wait to begin writing for the magazine! 

Senior Spotlight: Emily Pandise

During my short time at Fordham, I've met plenty of hardworking, ambitious students, especially in Rose Hill's performing arts scene. One of the busiest and most accomplished is Emily Pandise, who I've gotten to know mostly during her time as president of the Mimes and Mummers, our main stage theatre group. Having been recently accepted to NBC's insanely competitive Page Program, her post-grad plans are also looking pretty sweet. This weekend I chatted with Emily about her college experience, crazy schedule, and future adventures.

Name: Emily Pandise

Year: FCRH '14

Major: Double major in American Studies and Communication & Media Studies 

Hometown: Mahwah, NJ 

Clubs: The Mimes and Mummers, Fordham Experimental Theatre, 90.7 FM WFUV, Fordham TV (Fordham Nightly News and Fordham Mornings)

Internships: Entertainment Events, Inc. (Summer '12), Weekend TODAY at NBC (Spring and Summer '13), MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell

Did you come to college with a clear idea of you wanted to do? 

I did, but I completely changed my mind. I really wanted to go into publishing; I wanted to be an editor for fiction publications and ultimately become a writer. I wanted to write first-person essays and short stories. When I got here and got involved in a few activities, I realized that I really like working with people more than I like reading about people. So through my involvement with the Mimes and Mummers and especially with Fordham TV, I realized that I really like to be hands on, not working in an office, and that television would be a better fit for me. 

How did you end up at Fordham? 

When I was looking at schools, Fordham was on my list because my guidance counselor had mentioned it, and I knew a lot of people who went here who were happy. I ended up getting in through early admissions, and they gave me a bit money. This was the last school I visited. I had been doing theater since high school, and I came to visit a friend of mine overnight and sat in on an FET rehearsal; they were doing Clue. I sat in on a class I really liked. I think it's nice that the people here are the kind of people who open doors for each other. Good vibes.

If you could do the college process over again, what would you do differently, if anything?

I applied to a lot of reach schools, so I would've probably applied to more safety schools for scholarship money. But I'm so happy I ended up here, especially as someone who didn't know she was interested in television until she came here. 

Could you describe your most favorite role as a leader and student on campus? 

That's such a toss-up. I have loved working with the Mimes and Mummers, and the club has afforded me so many opportunities that I wouldn't have been able to get elsewhere… but I have loved producing Fordham Mornings just as much. I really couldn't pick one.

What kind of opportunities has Fordham given you that you might not have found elsewhere?

I think it's really great (because this is not the case in other schools) that students have the chance to work in the TV studio and the radio studio no matter what their major is. Neither of my co-producers for Fordham Mornings are communications majors. My sister's at Syracuse, and I know they won't let her work in the television studio because she's not a communications major.  

What kind of duties do you have as a Fordham TV producer?

We have production meetings every week to decide what's gonna go into our next show. We write, shoot, and edit everything ourselves. Every week I do between one through three packages to air. And we have bunch of live segments, musical guests, and interviews every week. This semester we've added a cooking segment, which has been really fun. I do a lot of the "Do It Yourself" segment each week. I've done fitness segments. We have a new segment called Student Spotlight, and we focus on people and events on campus. During the shows, I floor manage.

What're your post-graduation plans? Do you have an ideal job in mind?

Since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a writer in some form…and then you know, theater is the art of live storytelling. News is the same thing, and I love that no matter what, you can talk to the most important person in the world or the least important person, and you can still tell someone about them. I'm really excited because I was accepted to the Page program in November, so I'll be starting work as a Page in August. 

My ideal job is to be a segment producer for news. I really love talking to people, and I love asking questions and hearing what people have to say, and telling the story for those who can't tell it themselves. You know, because there's so many people who don't have the means, or just can't really articulate what needs to be articulated. 

Can you talk more about what the Page Program entails?

It's a one year program, and it's super competitive. They choose about 80 people from about 12,000 that apply, so it's really, really exciting. And they choose people that want to spend their careers at NBC. You apply for three-month assignments, so you can really get a taste for what each department is like, and from there you can decide what you want to do. Hopefully I'll get to do work with MSNBC, and then morning shows, and then nightly shows. We also give tours and seat people for SNL and other shows.

I know you've had several internships at college. What has been your most favorite internship experience so far?

That's hard. Weekend Today was great, obviously. I spent 8 months there, and I really loved it. And I gotta tell you, I was working on the The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, and they had amazing people there, and I learned a lot from them. I learned a lot about politics. And at network news, they have so much money and so many resources, but they do so much with so little in a 24-hour turnover period at MSNBC. It's incredible what the producers and editors do over there. 

I remember seeing on Facebook that you actually got to go on air at one point.

Yeah, I was modeling Kate Middleton's maternity dress on Weekend Today. I was working late in the office one weekend, and they said, "Hey, what's your dress size?"

Finally, what have you loved most about Fordham?

I think the sense of community here is really strong. And you can really find people who are passionate about the things you're passionate about, and you form lifelong friendships over those things. I love how open people are, how much they're willing to share their time and share themselves with you.

Peer Health Exchange

Interested in volunteering? Interested in health or education? Want to make a positive impact on high school students? Then, Peer Health Exchange is the club for you! Peer Health Exchange, or PHE, is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to give teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions.

How can students get involved? Undergraduate students can get involved by applying to be Health Educators (HEs) at www.peerhealthexchange.org/apply.  HEs are on a specific team and undergo training to teach one of the health workshops at public high schools that have no health education. To date, PHE has trained over 7,500 college student volunteers to bring health education to more than 96,000 public high schools located in the beloved NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington D.C.

A good and funny try at spelling P-H-E

 

What are the different health workshops? There’s a lot! To mention the ones taught through Fordham, the workshops are:

·         Sexual Decision-Making (SDM)

 

·         Pregnancy Prevention (PP)

 

·         Rape & Sexual Assault (RSA)

 

·         Abusive Relationships (AR)

 

·         Healthy Relationships (HR)

 

·         Mental Health (MH)

 

·         Nutrition & Physical Activity (NPA)

 

·         STIs & HIV

 

·         Decision-Making and Communication I & II (DMC I & II)

 

·         Drugs (DR)

 

·         Alcohol (AL)

 

·         Tobacco (TOB)

 

How many people are on each workshop team? Each team is led by one of the members of the Leadership Council (LC), with a Senior Health Educator (SHE), and three Health Educators (HEs). The wonderful Co-Coordinators (CCs) lead and manage all workshops, under the direction of our humble and hard-working Program Manager.

Here's my lovely fellow HE, sophomore Hannah Buckley!
We both teach SDM!

When do students apply? PHE recruits Health Educators during the fall and spring semesters. Once you apply, an interview process will be held with the AWESOME Leadership Council and Co-Coordinators! And who knows? Maybe if you’re a part of PHE, you’ll be so inspired to get more involved by applying to be a CC or LC or even a SHE!

 

 



Here's the great LC for SDM, senior Dan Mullen! Did I mention he's awesome?

 

  Even if you’re NOT interested in health or education, you can still get involved! I’m actually a business student. Of all the organizations I have been a part of, PHE is definitely the BEST! Not only will you make a difference by providing a much-needed service to students who are facing such high pressures that inhibit them from making healthy decisions, but you will also get to train and educate with fun and incredible people, who are some of the most genuine people I have ever met.



Fordham Peer Health Exchange

90% of teens who were educated in a PHE workshop intend to take what they learned to help them in making healthy decisions about what is right for them. I highly recommend PHE for students, who want to be a part of the fun, use tons of acronyms haha, but most importantly, be a part of inspiring others and making a difference!

 

Working with Children in the Bronx: City Squash!

If you love to volunteer and are looking to do so regularly, or even once in awhile during your college experience, Fordham is a great school for just that. The Bronx community has so many opportunities and options to give back and volunteer. Whether with the elderly, your peers, or with young children, there are a lot of different options, all in a very diverse and interesting neighborhood.

One of these options, which I personally feel very strongly about, is City Squash. City Squash is only a few blocks away from campus, making it a very easy walk after class. What is City Squash you ask? This program is a non-for profit after school enrichment program that local kids in the area can attend after their daily classes. The program is held both at Fordham and in the Bronx as well. The kids are taught how to play the game Squash, which teaches them a new and interesting sport and gives them good exercise, and then afterwards, they are tutored (by Fordham kids!) and work on their homework together. It is a great program to help kids stay on track.

Where do the Fordham kids come in you ask? Whether here on campus or at their office in the Bronx, you tutor the children in the program, which is so rewarding and has been such a great experience for me and my friends that have participated. When you get started, you fill out a sheet telling them which grade you would like to tutor, and then you get placed with kids.  I tutored 4^th graders, and formed close personal relationships with many of the kids. They looked forward to our meetings, and after working on homework we would chat and do extra worksheets for fun, which they really enjoyed. If you are looking to be a teacher this is a great program to look into! Even if not, giving back is so important, and it is so stressed here at Fordham. City Squash is a great way to do so.

The program is so flexible and the hours aren’t long. Whether tutoring in English, Math, or History, the kids really appreciate your help and get really excited for the sessions.

Fordham is the perfect school for those looking for multiple volunteer opportunities, one of those being City Squash. I highly recommend it; you’ll get so much out of it and help kids too!

Getting Involved: College Democrats

Coming to Fordham, I knew that I wanted to get involved politically on campus. I had spent my previous summer working on a political campaign in my hometown, and from that moment on, I was positive that this was something that I wanted to continue when I got to campus in the fall. When I arrived at Fordham, I was a shy and nervous freshman. At the club fair, I found the table for the College Democrats and I immediately signed up. Little did I know that this would be one of the best decisions that I have made since coming to Fordham.

I started going to the meetings with my friends, timid and super nervous about them. Now, I’m on the executive board of the club, as secretary! If someone told me freshman year that I would have this position I wouldn’t have believed them for a second. One of the many really great things about Fordham is that it gives you all the resources that you need to follow your passions and interests, and meet really cool and interesting people while doing it. I met some of my really close friends through the College Dems, and everyone that I have met through it has been so awesome and inspiring.

As club secretary, I send out emails every week about our meetings and upcoming events. Our club discusses currents events and issues going on around our world today, holds debates against the College Republicans, host guest speakers, and goes on fun or silly outings together just as a group. We also hold an internship panel every year, where kids who have had political internships talk about their experiences and how to get one yourself, which is perfect if you are looking to get a head start on that career path. Even if you aren’t planning on majoring or minoring in political science or history or anything of that nature, joining a political group on campus is a great way to stay informed about what is going on around you while doing it in a fun way with your friends and peers.

Executive Board with Senator Dennis Kucinich! 

One of my favorite aspects of the club is the fact that we get to have such amazing speakers. Last year, we hosted Dennis Kucinich, a senator from Ohio. I helped plan and advertise for the event and sat in the front row for his speech! He was so inspiring. I even got to meet him after. He asked me about my experience at Fordham and I got to ask him questions about his career. It was honestly something that I’ll never forget. In the past we’ve had speakers such as Bobby Kennedy Jr. and David Axelrod. I know that the College Republicans have hosted really big names as well in the past.

The new Executive Board for the 2013-2014 school year!! 

Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or don’t even really know where you stand yet, I strongly suggest joining a political group on campus. You meet such intelligent, interesting, and dedicated people, and you have a ton of fun while still doing something productive and worthwhile. I have met the most remarkable and talented people here at Fordham, and so many of those I have found through all of the incredible clubs and organizations that this university offers, especially the College Democrats. So when you get to campus in the fall as a new Ram, don’t be afraid to sign up for what you’re truly interested in at the club fair. Hopefully I’ll see you at the Dems table!