Residence Hall Renovations

Hello Residents and Hofstra Community Members!!

We here in the Office of Residential Programs hope you’ve had an excellent summer and are excited about the start of a new school year. We have been busy preparing for your arrival and are excited to share some of our updates with the residential population!

There have been quite a few extensive renovations this summer that returning residents will notice, and that new residents will certainly be pleased with. In the Netherlands Complex, both the north and south side of the residence hall have been patched and painted. New mailboxes were installed in Nassau, Suffolk and Colonial Square. New outdoor furniture has been installed near the highrise towers.

Our most extensive project was the renovation of Alliance and Constitution halls. Each of these buildings received quite a face lift, including brand new HVAC units in all rooms, new bedroom furniture, fresh paint throughout the entire building and new hallway carpeting.Check out the new Penthouse suite in Alliance and Constitution, formerly the 13th floor lounge. This furniture is sure to brighten up the place. I know where I'll be hanging out! And when you aren't socializing in the Penthouse, visit the new fitness rooms for a great work out with a shorter commute! 

Our office is very excited about the new changes and hope that you are as well! Because a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few pictures to hold you over until your arrival.

See you soon!! 

On the Brink: Hofstra Discovery Group Puts in a New Student Gard...

On the Brink: Hofstra Discovery Group Puts in a New Student Gard...: The Hofstra Ground Department prepared the surface of the garden by rototilling it and taking out grass and weeds.  Photo by Bob Brinkm...

Introducing the Discovery Class of 2012!

The 2012-2013 school year has officially begun with the start of the Discovery Program! The Discovery Class of 2012 consists of 62 first-year students from all over the United States, some of which have never even been to New York City before. Over this five-day program, each student participates in various service projects that are related to their chosen discovery path: community empowerment, sustainable solutions, or social awareness.

The program started off great this past Saturday with students moving onto campus and saying good-bye to their families after dinner during our ribbon ceremony. Immediately following the ceremony, our upperclassmen Discovery Leaders introduced themselves to the students with their song and dance, “We’re Discovery and We Know It” set to LMFAO’s music! The rest of the night was devoted to everyone engaging in fun activities and getting to know each other. 

Sustainable Solutions path volunteering with the Bronx River Alliance.

 The first day of service proved to be a productive one! Our community empowerment groups helped prepare a local youth community center in Uniondale for the beginning of the school year, gave out food that would normally just be thrown out at the Hempstead train station with Food Not Bombs, and interacted with patients at the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Hope Lodge in Manhattan. Our sustainable solutions group helped eradicate invasive weeds at both the Bronx River Alliance and at the National Park Service’s Salt Marsh Restoration in Queens. Lastly, our social awareness group helped sort through the clothes from the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs' (MOVA) “Pinstripes and Wingtips” suit drive initiative.  Upon arriving back to campus, the students participated in a hunger banquet. This unique dinner gave students the opportunity to see how glaring economic disparities can be.

Social Awareness path in NYC after volunteering at MOVA

The second day of service has also been an industrious one! The community empowerment groups helped prepare and serve meals at the Mary Brennan INN and made encouragement cards at the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Hope Lodge. The students of the sustainable solutions group took an eco-tour through our own Hofstra campus, weeded and sowed the Netherlands Garden, and took a trip to the Crossroads Organic Farm in Malverne. Our social awareness group spent the day at Homes for the Homeless in Queens, where they helped with administrative duties and spent time in the childcare facility. After listening to a variety of campus-based evening speakers, students closed out their night with a trip to fitness center. Thanks for keeping it open especially for us!

Community Empowerment path making snacks for the patients at the ACS Hope Lodge

The Discovery Program still has two more days, and we’re positive they will be full of service, reflection, and fun!

Welcome Week 2012: Make Your Move!

After an entire year of preparation, Welcome Week is less than seven days away, and here in Student Leadership and Activities, we’re ready for check in day to begin! We have met first year students during Orientation sessions all summer long, and we can’t wait for everyone to officially become Hofstra students on August 30^th!

This year’s Welcome Week started with a pad of paper and a long list of ideas, and now it’s become a full-scale 5-day event. The theme, Make Your Move, represents the opportunity the new students have to create their own unique college experience. It’s a chance for them to leave their past behind, and start fresh here at Hofstra. We’ve planned a variety of events to help them get involved in every aspect of Hofstra life. Whether it’s with fraternities and sororities, sports teams, or any other student organization, we give them the foundation so that they can choose how they want to enjoy the next four years.

Welcome Week includes some awesome events, and just planning them got us excited for the Fall. We’re bringing Jim Lehrer, author of the common reading, Tension City: Inside the Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain, as well as Maria Falzone, comedienne and relationship expert to speak. There’s a concert featuring Long Island’s best cover band, Peat Moss and the Fertilizers, a tie-dye party, Student Center Boardwalk filled with a photo booth, henna artists, caricaturists, fortune tellers, pop-a-shot and skee-ball games, cotton candy and sno-cones, a Club Fair and even a mini golf game through the library. If you think those events sound like fun, wait until you see all of the others we have in store for the new students.

Grab your blue and gold and get ready because Welcome Week 2012 is almost here!

Liz Weeden, Class of 2013
Welcome Week Coordinator

Greetings From London!

Hofstra University drama major and former Undergraduate Assistant in the Office of Student Affairs, Megan Heverin, has spent the past few months studying abroad in London, England. She shares her experiences in the post below.

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Cheers!

Here I am (center) enjoying afternoon tea at Harrods.


Well, things have been really great here in London and I am learning so many things I couldn't anywhere else. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do as many touristy things as I would like because I've been in class essentially every day 9-6:30--and then sometimes I even have tutorials at night, but such is the life of a student abroad. That said, I have seen a lot of great theatre while I'm here, so I can't complain.
 

My friends and I by the Globe Theater.



It's amazing the kinds of people you meet in these programs. I'm in a class of 22 people all from completely different backgrounds: there is a mixture of college students and people who have been working in theater for awhile. One of my friends, who's name also happens to be Meghan, is currently playing Little Red Riding Hood on ABC'S Once Upon A Time. And then there are a handful of people who have worked on Broadway and shows like 30 Rock. We also have a guy who's an Austrian Pop star. Such an eclectic group of people--definitely one of the best things about studying abroad!



The faculty here is also incredible: essentially all of them have worked for the RSC (the national theatre) and have been on the West End (think London's Broadway). Many of them are still working, which is inspiring to say the least; and all of them are truly invested in how well each of their students does. They all love teaching and are fully dedicated to their work, it's really wonderful.



Anyway, I hope you all enjoy what remains of summer no matter where you are! And if you ever get the opportunity, please go overseas while you're in college. You won't regret it!

- Megan

Class of 2016: The Storify of Orientation!

Last Call for Debate Volunteers!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Soon the volunteer Debate Staff will be chosen. Have you sent in your application?

If not, we have posted some of the top reasons illustrating why it is so important that you take this opportunity to apply, below:

1. It's a great chance to practice cover letters and resumes! One of the most important aspects of college is how it prepares you for life beyond schooling; and because so much of life after college deals with sending out resumes and responding to whatever postings may be available, this offers a great opportunity for students to work on preparing a resume.
2. It's a chance to participate in history! No matter the location or position, members of our volunteer staff will be gaining the invaluable experience of ensuring the success of this year's debate. Though it is true that you forfeit your ability to attend the debate if you're selected for a volunteer position, please note that we aren't guaranteed to receive tickets from the Commission on Presidential Debates and even if we do, it would be a very limited number.
3. When else can you get a behind-the-scenes look at how presidential debates are run? Building off the last point, Debate 2012 is not an event the comes along every year, or even every four. Hofstra was incredibly fortunate to host debates for two consecutive presidential elections, and it cannot be overstated how rare an opportunity this is. Volunteers can catch a rare glimpse of how debates are organized and how things are handled off-stage.
4. It's a wonderful opportunity to build connections! As a Debate 2012 volunteer, you will be able to rub shoulders with members of the media, campaign staffers, pundits and more as you lend a hand at various stages of preparation.
5. You're guaranteed a shirt! Speaking as someone who was on campus in 2008, I know that Debate swag is at a premium once the event nears. If you're lucky enough to get selected as a volunteer, you'll definitely be getting a shirt.

Many students have already applied, but there is still time! Applications for credentialed (Secret Service Clearance) positions must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. TONIGHT (8/3) in order to be considered! All others will be accepted on a rollings basis until Friday, September 7, based on availability.

To apply and for more information on specific opportunities available, please visit Pride-CMS, located under My Apps on the Hofstra Portal, my.hofstra.edu. Once you are in Pride-CMS, click on Jobs and Internships and then under the keyword search enter "Hofstra University Debate 2012." Here you will be able to view job descriptions, apply and review FAQ and volunteer expectations.