My Favorite Fordham Experience

One of the most popular organizations at Fordham University is Global Outreach, which provides teams of Fordham students the opportunity to travel, both domestically and internationally to partake in a service and immersion trips. Fueled by a desire to experience a new part of the world and an interest in international cultures I decided to apply for an international GO! project at the beginning of my sophomore year, and it is unquestionably one of the best decisions I have ever made at Fordham. 

After going through the interview process I received a call from the student leader of the GO! Mexico project letting me know that I would be spending my winter break in Puebla, Mexico. One of my favorite aspects of the Global Outreach program, as oppose to other service trips, is the amount of preparation that each team undergoes for months leading up to departure. Starting in October my team, of ten students and our chaperone, met weekly to learn more about the Puebla community where we would be staying and we also got to know each other better. 

 

On January 7^th, 2016 our group landed in Mexico City, from where we drove two hours to Puebla, the third largest city in Mexico. The ten days I spent in Mexico were an unforgettable experience. We visited many parts of Puebla, spent time farming, and helped out at a school for the blind just to name a few aspects of the trip. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to see such a beautiful part of the world and interact with the incredible people who live there.

Another reason I enjoyed my GO! project so much was my amazing team. Prior to joining Global Outreach, I had never met any of the students on my team. GO! Mexico 2015 consisted of students from all classes as well as both Gabelli and Rose Hill students. Through our weekly meetings leading up to the trip and our ten days together in Mexico I became incredibly close with each member of my team. Its strange to think how without Global Outreach I never would have met the remarkable Fordham students who shared in this memorable experience with me.

Fordham University does an excellent job at providing their students opportunities to experience and learn from the world around us. To any person considering applying to a Global Outreach project I highly encourage you to do so as I truly consider it one my favorite and most impactful experiences in college thus far.

Check out this link to learn more about Fordham's Global Outreach program.

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

GO! on Spring Break

My roommate Emily is currently on a Global Outreach spring break project in the Adirondacks. Here's an interview with her to learn about GO! at Fordham.

Name: Emily Tormey
Major: Mathematics
Year: Junior
Hometown: Plainville, MA


What is GO!?
GO! stands for Global Outreach. The Global Outreach office is part of the Office of Mission and Ministry. They hold projects 3 times a year: winter break, spring break, and at the beginning of summer break. The projects are cultural immersion and service opportunities that all have a different and unique focus on different cultures and different social justice issues. There are 32 projects total a year between Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, offering both domestic and international projects.

What GO! project are you going on?
I will be going on GO! Adirondacks.

What will you be doing? 
My team will be learning about the culture and history of the Mohawk and Abenaki tribes with a focus on their stewardship of the land and its resources.

What has your team done to prepare?
My team has been having weekly meetings since November. Every week we come together as a group and focus on a different aspect of the GO! mission and our particular trip’s focus.

Emily and some members of her team at GO! commissioning.

What are common practices of GO! projects?
GO! is centered on four pillars that are taken very seriously by the entire GO! community. They are spirituality, social justice, simple living, and community. Each of these pillars is extremely important to having a successful GO! project and they are all discussed in detail at our weekly GO! meetings.

What is the process to go on a trip?
First you have to submit an online application and interview with the project’s leader for each project you are interested in participating in. Once you have been selected, you meet with your group each week for about 2 hours. Additionally, each week you go on a one-on-one with a member of your group. That could be getting coffee off campus, grabbing lunch, or doing something fun in the city. The fun part of one-on-one’s is that you can do whatever you guys want together.

Another important aspect is fundraising. Each project does come with an estimated cost, but individuals are allowed to do personal fundraising and teams always do fundraising events together. Just a few weeks ago my team had a very successful fundraiser delivering bagels to students in their rooms or off-campus apartments. Also, the fundraisers are a great time to bond with your team and get to know them better.

What are you most looking forward to?
Well, one of the exciting things about GO! is that you don’t actually get a full itinerary of what you will be doing before you go. So, right now I know some general details of what the focus of our project is, but I do not know what activities we will be doing or what will happen on a day-to-day basis.

What are you least looking forward to?
Nothing. I am beyond excited to go on my project and spend a week with the amazing people I am lucky enough to be on a team with.

Fordham PhilRAMthropy

Fordham philanthropy – Fordham students for students!

In the true vision of men and women for others, Fordham students are committed to one another both on and off campus. Philanthropy is very much a large part of campus life, whether it is fundraising for scholarships or raising money for Global Outreach Trips. As a member of two philanthropic organizations, Fashion for Philanthropy and the Student Philanthropy Committee, as well as a former Fordham Annual Fund student-fundraiser, I can attest to this spirit of “giving back” on campus.

A picture of my friend on his Global Outreach trip in Mexico
which was funded by fellow classmates!

Flier of the different groups present at the
Student Philanthropy Fair

As an executive board representative of Fashion for Philanthropy, FFP, I had the chance to meet with other philanthropic groups on campus at the previous Philanthropy Fair. At the Fair, students held bake sales to raise money for their respective causes. Many students filtered in and out of the McGinley Center and stopped by the Fair to support their friends and the groups of which they were a part. I tabled for FFP in order to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. FFP is indicative of the philanthropic spirit on campus. Members raise money all year in support of our annual Fashion Show, whose proceeds directly profit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For example, throughout the year we will hold bake sales and food deliveries which are funded by fellow classmates. An example of another philanthropic organization on campus that was present at the Fair was the B+ Foundation, an organization where "kids help kids fight cancer." It is chapters like these that bring students together in the spirit of helping others and the community at large.

The Fair was a success on two levels – on a surface value, it helped raise money and awareness about different charitable causes; on a deeper level, the Fair exemplifies Fordham student’s commitment to one another.

FFP Table at the Fair!

Another example of on-campus philanthropy is the Student Philanthropy Committee, SPC, which seeks to work with other groups and departments on campus to help fundraise with the Development Office. For example, the SPC will be working with the Athletics Department and Career Services to jumpstart philanthropic efforts to make improvements within each office. As such, members of the SPC are Fordham students working for current and future Fordham students.

It is clear that there is a philanthropic spirit on campus, which I believe is unique to the Fordham experience. It is rare to find in competitive college settings students who are so willing to help their peers. I feel as though this spirit transcends campus and truly fosters strong community ties that exist even after graduation. Once a Ram, Always a Ram!

Poster distributed at the Fair promoting
the Bronx Community and its goings-on.
 

Growth through GO!

One of the greatest things about Fordham is the various opportunities students have to apply the knowledge and values they learn in the classroom and apply them to real world experiences.  One such opportunity is Global Outreach (or GO!), which sponsors domestic and international service and immersion projects over winter, spring, and summer breaks.  This past winter break, I participated in GO! Mexico, and spent 11 days in the town of Cholula, Mexico with 10 other students learning about the importance of sustainability in areas stricken by poverty.

A field of cacti in Cholula.  Popocatepetl, an active volcano, is in the background.

We were hosted by Community Links International, a non-profit organization that works to educate communities across Latin America how to incorporate sustainability into their lives.  In Cholula, we learned that water is expensive and in short supply, so Community Links is building a community center that will incorporate techniques for conserving water and capturing rainfall.  For example, the land that they are building on is slightly sloped, so they have strategically planned the crops that they will grow to efficiently irrigate the plants as water runs from the high point to the low.

This retaining wall will prevent erosion, which can occur during the rainy season.

Although helping to build the community center was hard work, we had a lot of fun too! One of the goals of Global Outreach is building community, both with our fellow students and with the people in Cholula, and one of the ways we did this was by playing soccer - lots of soccer.  

One of the most memorable experiences was playing soccer with several local families on a Saturday afternoon.  Members of the community - young and old, parents and kids, men and women - joined in the fun.  Although I don't speak Spanish and most of them didn't speak English, playing alongside one another was a very rewarding way to interact and bond.  Participating in GO! Mexico was a unique way to extend learning beyond the classroom, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.

Father Phil's Bucket List

There are always tons of things going on around Fordham, several which are organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).  Last night in Keating 1^st Auditorium, CAB hosted an event called “Father Phil’s Bucket List.”  He gave the students some inspiration about how to best spend their time in college, and how to take advantage of all that Fordham has to offer.  Father Phil started off with a quote from Howard Thurman:  “Ask yourself what makes you come alive and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”  He spoke about the importance of discovering our personal mission and delving deep into all that we do.  He also said we should expand our minds by learning another language and reading more, both for school and leisure.  He discussed how following the news will help us to formulate our own opinions on current issues, giving us the tools to engage in critical thinking and meaningful discourse.

The view on my way home from studying abroad!

Father Phil also encouraged the students to go out and see the world in whatever way they can.  He talked about how much travel can broaden our horizons and change the way we see the world.  Through visiting other countries and continents, we can immerse ourselves into other cultures and learn not only about these people, but also learn more about ourselves in the process.  Here at Fordham there are countless study abroad programs available to students in various locations and for different lengths of time.  Whether it is a weeklong study tour, a month in the summer, or a whole semester, you can find a program that best suits you and your academic career path.  Father Phil also spoke about the importance of serving those in need, following in the Jesuit tradition.  Fordham has endless opportunities to help others not only in the local community, but also across the country and beyond through programs like Global Outreach.

Eddie's Parade at sunset

Another point that Father Phil spoke about was appreciation for nature.  He discussed the beauty that surrounds us here at Fordham, both on and off campus.  Just across the street from our main entrance is the New York Botanical Garden, where students can enter for free simply by showing their Fordham ID.  He also encouraged students to eat well, especially since just outside campus is Arthur Avenue, the heart of the Bronx’s “Little Italy.”  This area is lined with delicious Italian restaurants, pizzerias, and bakeries to explore.  Students can even visit Manhattan by the Ram Van, Metro-North, or subway.  Father Phil talked about the importance of exercise and, fortunately, Fordham has great gym facilities and even intramurals for students who want to participate in sports on a recreational level.  He ended with an old Italian proverb:  “With hard work and determination one can climb a mountain.  With Faith and imagination, one can move it!”

My intramural flag football team

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