Killian With Kindness

During this semester, the Office of Off-Campus Housing partnered with other clubs and offices to host two events called, “Killian with Kindness.” These events encouraged students to be good neighbors in the community, while also learning about the rich history of the City of New Rochelle.  “Killian with Kindness” was part of a semester long “Good Neighbor U” campaign, educating students about ways to be good neighbors.

Starting at 10 pm on Thursday, March 21^st, 2013 the Office of Off-Campus Housing and the Office of Mission and Ministry partnered with the Iona College Annual to host a table in the lobby of Loftus Hall, a first year student residence.  Many students stopped by to participate in the trivia game and to enjoy some hot cocoa and munchkins.  Just a few short weeks later, the Office of Off-Campus Housing and the Office of Mission and Ministry teamed up with the Council for Greek Governance to host a second “Killian with Kindness” table.  This table took place during Iona’s activity hour on Tuesday, April 23^rd on the Spellman Hall Portico.  Along with the “Killian with Kindness” table, the Council for Greek Governance hosted a wing eating contest as a part of their annual Greek Week.  And IC Green and The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue were also celebrating Earth Week with events including a “Tap Water vs. Bottled Water” taste test.

Both “Killian with Kindness” events had a great turn out and many students were eager to learn more about the community by participating in the trivia game.  A student would approach the table that was decorated with a “Killian with Kindness” poster, informative flyers, and assorted candies that were labeled with our “Good Neighbor U” slogan.  Students would selected a question pertaining to New Rochelle trivia or about being a great Gael neighbor in the community.  Winners were entered to win a Buffalo Wild Wings gift card.  But all participants were winners learning more about our great city and ways to be a good part of it!

“Killian with Kindness” was able to reach out to many students in a fun and festive way.  The participants and passers-by were encouraged to represent Iona well in the community, while also being reminded of New Rochelle’s rich history!

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Iona Attends the State of the City Address

On Thursday, February 28th, thirteen Iona students attended Mayor Noam Bramson’s annual State of the City Address at the Davenport Club in New Rochelle.  Stephen Nasti, writer for the Ionian, covered the story for the college newspaper on March 7th:

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson addressed the city at the eighth annual State of the City Address, touting the accomplishments of the city and looking to what lies ahead.

“No one arrives in a time machine to lobby about tomorrow,” said Bramson Thursday night at the State of the City address.

“The mayor’s speech was short, sweet and to the point addressing the various issues and situations affecting New Rochelle,” said Iona College student Timothy Montalvo. “The mayor is a great speaker who delivered his speech with precision, and I felt he connected with the crowd.”

Bramson opened up his speech by stating that New Rochelle’s financial reserves have doubled this year, but noted that the city has experienced tough times, as did the entire country in recent years. “If we want an affordable life, we need to shift our expectations; we can have a healthier city if we work together,” he said.

The mayor also talked about environmental changes and measures New Rochelle is taking in the upcoming months. “We have dozens of citizen volunteers to work together to create a cleaner New Rochelle,” he said. He also talked about cutting energy use and better management of waste.

“I am so happy that our student leaders volunteered to attend the State of the City address to learn more about the city they live in,” said Michele Nelson, Director of Off-Campus Housing. “I hope they’ll bring what they learned from the mayor’s address and share it with their constituents and friends.”

One of the major points in his speech was the construction of the Waterfront at Echo Bay. The Echo Bay Project would essentially become a mega-complex filled with luxury apartments, retail stores, hotels, condominiums and a community center.

The mayor stated that this would be great for the community and explained that New Rochelle will receive about $1.5 million in state funding. Unfortunately, the night wasn’t all smiles and fun.

Those driving into the country club’s parking lot were greeted by dozens of New Rochelle police officers holding up signs that said “Police shortages equals unsafe streets” and “High Expectations + Low Pay = Badge Drain.”

The New Rochelle Police Department was there to show its concern with manpower issues and continued cuts to the department’s budget.

Andolina explained that now there are only 151 positions for officers compared to 189 in 2010. That loss of about 20 percent of their workforce leaves the police department struggling to keep the city of New Rochelle safe.

Iona sent students to the event to get a better understanding of what is happening in the city in which they learn and work.

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Iona in Mission: Detroit, Bolivia, New Orleans

Contributors: MaryKate Murnane, ’14 and Brittany Pinto, ’13 - MarCom Student Interns

A typical college student might prepare for a spring break of sunbathing, jet skiing, and of course a whole lot of free time relaxing.  But here at Iona, many students want to give back to others in need and choose a very different spring break experience.  Through the Iona in Mission program students are given a unique learning experience that offers them the opportunity to serve those most in need. Starting on March 7, 31 Iona College students said good bye to New York and hello to Bolivia, New Orleans and Detroit. 

From March 7-16, a group of 10 students and one administrator headed to Cochabamba, Bolivia to team up with the Christian Brothers (Los Hermanos Cristianos). The focus of the immersion experience was to experience the poverty of Bolivia by working with the Brothers in a tutoring center and an orphanage. This is the second year Iona has worked in the community of Los Hermanos Christianos.

From March 9-16, 11 Iona in Mission students and one administrator went to New Orleans, LA (NOLA) working with Camp Restore.  Camp Restore is a Christian service organization which utilizes local and national volunteers to rebuild the homes of the elderly, disabled or uninsured victims of Hurricane Katrina.  The NOLA trip offered opportunities for students to visit and reflect with Christian Brother volunteers in the communities. Student leader Matt Romano ’14 expressed, “Last year we spent the week rebuilding a church severely affected by Katrina and farming for the ARCH.”  The NOLA service project is a popular annual trip for members of the Iona community.

A third team of 10 students and one administrator travelled to Detroit, MI to work with Motown Mission, which offers an urban work and reflection experience.  “This is not only a learning experience but a memorable trip that they will never forget,” said Stephen Hill, coordinator of Iona in Mission.   This was Iona’s first year going to Detroit.  The students worked at homes in need of repair, soup kitchens, and urban agriculture sites. 

Iona in Mission Spring Break projects are wonderful ways for students to serve especially if they have winter or summer break jobs or classes. For more information about Iona in Mission please contact Steve Hill at shill@iona.edu.

The community prays for the Iona in Mission teams and sends them off to serve during a Commissioning Mass in the Arrigoni Center on Sunday, March 3.

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Iona's Success Center

The Success Center is part of the Office of Mission and Ministry at Iona College. This tutoring program serves 50 of New Rochelle’s youth in grades 1-8, supporting students with homework, literacy skills, and socialization. Iona student volunteers, Education and Speech Pathology majors as well as student workers, all participate as tutors for the program.

Besides tutoring, the program hosts several events and provides many opportunities for the students throughout the year. During Make a Difference Week, the students participate in a kickball game with the Best Buddies and in a park clean-up in the local community. On April 3rd, parents of the program will come to the college to hear about all of the other opportunities and programs  offered, such as speech therapy and marriage and family counseling.

The Success Center’s final fundraiser for the year will be held on May 1st in the Spellman Hall Lounge at 5:30 pm. Success Center students will perform a lip sync and parents will provide a multicultural spread of food and desserts to enjoy! Come out and support this program. Tickets will be $2 for any Iona affiliates and $5 for others. If you cannot attend, but would like to make a donation, please see Ashley Napoli in Amend Hall room 106, Mondays through Wednesdays from 4 pm - 5:30 pm or email her at anapoli@iona.edu.

 

Raymond Garo ’15, Steven Burth ’14, and Carlos Mendez ’15 with Iona’s Success Center students

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Iona Makes the President's Honor Roll

Iona College has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. 

In February, Iona students Jess Scaparro ’13 and Elaine Primus ’13 continue to help clean up after Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point.

Among the areas recognized at Iona were overall community service hours logged for multiple projects, through the Office of Mission and Ministry, Residential Life, Student Development, and Athletics.  Other projects such as Iona in Mission trips and community interfaith projects were also recognized.

“It demonstrates that we’re being true to our mission as a college committed to service,” said Carl Procario-Foley, director of the Office of Mission and Ministry. “Our students really do some extraordinary things.”

Christina Grafstein ’13 and Benny Rivera ’15 help clean up North Avenue.

Iona College was founded in the tradition of the Christian Brothers in 1940.  The Congregation of Christian Brothers was itself founded in 1802 by Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice in Waterford, Ireland.  Rice was a wealthy businessman who found meaning in his life after establishing Catholic schools and other supports for poor young men at a time when such schools were illegal.  This honor indicates that Iona is living out the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers.

The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll honors the nation’s leading higher education institutions and their students, faculty and staff for commitment to bettering their communities through service. These are institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. More information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees, can be found at nationalservice.gov. 

Zuzanna Michalak ‘13, Amanda Kelly ‘13, Amanda Furlong ‘16, Krista Villamaria ‘13, and Ranisha Singh ‘13, prepare sandwiches for a Minight Run.

The honor roll is coordinated by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund and other programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

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A New Leader in Residential Life: 

Carllos Lassiter

In September 2012 Iona welcomed one if its newest members to the Iona and New Rochelle communities. Carllos Lassiter is Iona’s new director of Residential Life. Carllos comes to Iona most recently from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he served as the associate director for Residential Education. He received his bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from Vassar College and his master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Mississippi. In January he will be starting a distance education doctoral degree  program in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, exemplifying Iona’s values of life long learning.

Lassiter chose to come to Iona College because it reminds him so much of his undergraduate experience at Vassar College, also a small liberal arts institution. However, he is particularly excited to be at Iona because it is a religiously affiliated institution. Being a very spiritual person, Carllos is excited to merge his professional life with his personal values.

A professional in the field of Higher Education with a passion for Residential Life, Carllos believes that the purpose of residential life is to create a living/learning environment that supports the communal life of students as well as supports and challenges them to become better citizens, stronger individuals, and stakeholders in their student life experience.

At Iona, Carllos has set some important goals for the office over the next few years. Most importantly he hopes to create upper class residential themed communities and help meet Iona’s Strategic Planning goal of  defining the unique Iona student experience as it relates to Residential Life.

When asked about his favorite part of living the New Rochelle community, Carllos indicated it’s the people; he has met wonderful professionals from many different fields that provide a wonderful knowledge base, serve as excellent community resources, and contribute to the rich diversity of the city.

Iona welcomes Carllos in his new role and hopes you will do the same as he shapes the future of Iona’s Residential Life program.

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Snapshot: Iona in Mission Trips to Peru and West Virginia

This January Iona in Mission is hosting two service immersion experiences: ten Iona students will travel to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia, and 11 Iona students will travel to Lima, Peru.  Both groups will be working in communities with great needs. Iona students annually travel to Nazareth Farm, but the Lima trip is brand new this year.

Led by Raymond “Sandy” Hunter, students travelling to Lima will stay with Christian Brothers in the Canto Grande neighborhood, which is the location of Fui y Alegre, the Christian Brother school currently serving students in this community.

Raymond Hunter ’13  plays with a student in Bolivia in March 2012

Participating in his third Iona in Mission trip, Hunter wanted to serve as the student leader for the Lima trip to help establish the trip, build new relationships with the Christian Brother community in Peru, and  work directly with the people of Lima. Hunter wrote his senior thesis about Peruvian history and understands the extreme poverty faced by the 9 millions citizens of the city. Previous Iona in Mission trips for Hunter included New Orleans in 2011 and Bolivia in 2012. On each trip Hunter was struck by the hope and resilience of those he served.

Rina Colamarino ’13 and Sarah Lucas ’13 at Trinity Church in New Orleans in March 2012

Senior Rina Colamarino will lead students to Nazareth Farm, West Virginia in her second Iona in Mission trip.  Last year Rina participated in the trip to New Orleans, staying and working with the Christian Brother community there during spring break. Rina set a goal for herself to participate in a mission trip before she graduated.  After her trip to New Orleans, she realized this is something she can and will incorporate into the rest of her life.

At Nazareth Farm, students will learn about the economic challenges of Appalachia and engage in service opportunities such as constructing homes, farming, and visiting community members. Students will live simply, using little energy and take bucket showers.  Iona volunteers will also meet students from SUNY Oswego and Ithaca College who will be serving with them during this week long experience.

Both trips are sure to be powerful, meaningful experiences that will shape students’ lives for years to come.

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