The Journey of Pursuing your Dreams - A review of the Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month Reception

Natalia Orozco

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, Hofstra celebrated Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month with a reception filled with inspiring speeches, introduction to the diversity of dance in Latino/Hispanic culture, and food, including candy from a piñata.

Alicia Anabel Santos

Natalia Orozco, a junior Broadcast Journalism major,  was our M.C. for the event, who shared her experiences growing up as a Latina. She encouraged others who identify as Latino/Hispanic to really celebrate who they are and share their heritage and culture with everyone. A proud Latina, she emphasized how the value of family and being a part of a wider community is a huge part of her identity and her culture.

HOLA teaches participants salsa and bachata

Natalia then introduced playwright Alicia Anabel Santos, this year’s keynote speaker, who works as both writer and co-producer at Creador Pictures and is also founder and CEO of  NYC Latina Writers. The pursuit of one’s dreams in the face of adversity was the overall theme of Alicia’s speech. She emphasized to the students that they are worthy of their dreams, and that they do not need permission or approval to have these dreams and make them a reality. She stressed for students not to sacrifice their happiness in order to not disappoint others who don’t have the same dreams for them. “Your dreams are validated, supported and encouraged,” she stated, “You don’t need to have all the answers today. Dreams shift, evolve and change.” The important thing is to keep moving toward your dreams, and not to give up on them because others say you can’t do it or you shouldn’t do it.

piñata time!

Alicia shared antidotes of her personal journey featured in her book “Finding Your Force: A Journey to Love,” which was also this heritage month’s featured book. She shared both her biggest success moments and also her failures. She encouraged students to face their fears of not being accepted and to strive toward their dreams. She stressed that the successes and the failures are equally important, as they define who we are and all that we are made of.

MISPO handed out MUÑECAS QUITAPENAS - “worry-free dolls”
to students. This popular traditional toy originated in Guatemala

Hofstra Organization of Latin Americans (HOLA) then taught the participants about the diversity of dance in Latin America, including the bachata and salsa. Then, participants had a chance to learn more about the history and culture of the piñata and eventually break it open to get some candy.

Several events throughout October were hosted to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, the theme of which is Legacy of History, Present of Action, and Future of Success.  Share your stories and experiences on social media using the hashtag #HUCultura14.


The next and final event is the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, which will be held on Thursday, October 30 at 7 p.m. in Plaza Rooms East and Middle, Mack Student Center, North Campus. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) originated in Mexico as a celebration of the lives of family and friends who have died. Join HOLA to learn the many traditions associated with this holiday. For more information contact HOLA at HOLAhofstra77@gmail.com.

Alicia Anabel Santos with members of HOLA

LGBTQIA Heritage Month Reception

In honor of LGBTQIA Heritage Month, the Multicultural and International Student Programs Office put on a reception in collaboration with the Pride Network and the LGBTQIA heritage month committee, consisting of students, faculty and staff. 
Jose Rivera, a member of The Pride Network and a senior Spanish and Latin american and Caribbean Studies major, acted as our M.C. and welcomed students, faculty and staff from across the university who came to support the LGBTQIA community. 

Sigma' Cappella, an on campus Acapella group, opened the reception with a few songs, including a beautiful and inspiring rendition of "Love is a 2 way street." The Pride Network followed shortly after with an LGBTQIA trivia that provided the audience with important dates in LGBTQIA history.

Our featured keynote speaker was Micah Jesse, 2009 Hofstra alumnus and Entertainment/Pop Culture Expert. Sharing his key to  success, he encouraged students to expand their network while studying at Hofstra as many of his current  colleagues are former Hofstra students. He also reminded students that "Your network is your networth."

Micah shared his inspiring story of being  discriminated against for who he was in his hometown in Georgia. He later moved to Hofstra where he felt accepted and embraced for who he was. When Micah saw Hofstra's sign "Gay? Fine by Hofstra" he knew it was safe to come out and truly be himself. He encouraged other LGBTQIA students to get involved on campus as well others to serve as allies to support individuals who identify as being part of the LGBTQIA community.  Today, Micah is involved in the WWE Anti-bullying campaign to teach young people that respect and acceptance of difference is not only cool but a key part of a civil society.

Thank you Micah for inspiring us to '"find our passion and we will be successful!" 

Micah Jesse with members of The Pride Network

Be sure to check out other events happening during LGBTQIA heritage month, including one of Hofstra's traditions the Pride Network's Drag Show happening this upcoming Wednesday, October 22, 8-11 p.m. in the Student Center Theater.

Club Sports Roundup

It was a massive weekend for the Hofstra Quidditch club who on Saturday, October 11^th, played host to the annual Oktoberfest Tournament, which is comprised of 11 East Coast college and club teams. Hofstra got off to a flying start with the first of two wins over the University of Rochester. The Flying Dutchmen later went on to defeat World Cup Final Four participants Emerson College, who are currently ranked 10^th in the nation. The wins were enough to put HUQC through to the semifinals where they fell to Tufts; the ultimate first place finishers and 13^th ranked team in the nation.

Hofstra Club Baseball swept their doubleheader versus Montclair State on Sunday, October 12^th.  The Pride cruised to a 9-0 victory in the first game, and despite finding themselves down 3-1 in the final frame of Game 2, managed to claw their way back for a 4-3 win. The game-winning single came courtesy of Conrad Opozda. HUCB’s next game is away at Towson on Saturday, October 18^th.

Hofstra Men’s Ultimate Frisbee club traveled to Pittsgrove, New Jersey on October 11^th & 12^th for a 22-team tournament. The Pride lost by just one point to highly regarded NYU Ultimate, and notched a win against Rutgers to earn themselves a 11^th place finish.

 

Hofstra Women’s Ultimate Frisbee club was also in action this past weekend, and suffered at the hands of more experienced opponents, Columbia and NYU, on Day One. However, the young team showed great resilience on Day Two, crushing Rowan College 10-1 and coming out with a 9-4 win over Temple in the consolation bracket. The comeback was enough to earn them a rematch against Columbia, who unfortunately had to forfeit the game due to lack of players. The Pride ultimately finished 5^th place in the Autumn Sky 2014 Tournament.

Hofstra Equestrian had another great weekend, with almost every single rider placing in their classes at their show held at Olde Towne Equestrian Center in Selden, New York. Their next competitive meet is hosted by Stony Brook University and will take place on Sunday, October 19^th.

Hofstra Roller Hockey will look to start the regular season on a winning note next weekend when they head up to Rhode Island to take on URI and Northeastern. Last year the Pride captured a regional title and a 3^rd place spot in the nation.

In other news:

- Women’s Rugby fell to Marist this weekend, 48-31, but the Pride have already clinched a playoff berth and will host the University of Albany on Sunday, October 19^th at 11:00am.  

- Men’s Rugby fell on the road to NJIT, 42-17.

- Hofstra Crew looks forward to traveling to Boston on Saturday, October 18^th to compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta, the world’s largest two-day rowing event.

For information on how to get involved with any Hofstra club sports, visit our website: www.hofstra.edu/recreation and click the ‘club sports’ tab.

See you next week!

Ruby Staplehurst, Guest Blogger,
Graduate Assistant, Recreation and Intramurals 

Hofstra Cares: Rebuilding Together NYC

The Office of Student Leadership and Activities first partnered with Rebuilding Together NYC this past August with our Discovery Program.  Twenty students went to Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn to clear the basement of the house that was destroyed two years earlier in Hurricane Sandy.  In a matter of four hours, the group of students filled a 20 yard dumpster that the homeowner Iggy had struggled to clear on his own.  With teamwork, strategy, and a drive to accomplish the task, the first year students removed files, pictures, boxes, a washing machine, dryer, and more. 

                “Serving all five New York City boroughs, Rebuilding Together NYC is a nonprofit housing organization that rehabilitates homes and revitalizes communities to make them safe and healthy.  With the assistance of volunteers, we provide free critical home repairs for low-income homeowners, primarily those who are elderly, disabled, and veterans.”

                On Saturday, October 11^th OSLA joined with Rebuilding Together NYC again to rebuild the first floor of a house in Canarsie, Brooklyn.  The room was covered with four feet of water.  Over the course of the past two years the homeowner and her daughter have worked with several organizations to strip away the mold infested walls and floors.  The Rebuilding Together NYC team has been working on this house for the past week to add subflooring and drywall. On Saturday, two first year students, two juniors, and two graduate students worked alongside Terry the House Captain, Sabene the Project Manager, Jim and Sean.  We split up into teams of two and three to work in different areas of the house.  Chris and Jim worked from the bedroom and washroom to add wall supports and floor supports.  Joandlys, Autumn, Suzie, and Sabene worked in the hallways and the living rooms to add drywall.  Zarah and Sean added flooring in the hall closet, while Terry and I removed the flooring and replaced the plumbing for the bathroom.

                Students learned how to use circular saws, power drills, electric nail guns, multipurpose tools and more.  Sabene, Jim, Terry and Sean trained the students with the safety protocols for each individual tool and with supervision let them experience first-hand how to use them.  The participants in this HofstraCares Rebuilding Together trip provided students to learn about themselves, their peers, and their community.  Whether they are filling a 20 yard dumpster or adding drywall and subflooring to renovate a house, the impact that volunteers make when giving back to the community is immeasurable.

Submitted by Megan Sniffin, Graduate Assistant, Student Leadership and Activities

Spirit Support Spotlight: Hofstra Cheerleading

Through the Office of Student Leadership and Activities, Spirit Support is a multifaceted area that promotes a wide variety of events throughout the Hofstra community. Hofstra Cheerleading, Dance Team, Pep Band and Mascots all work to promote school spirit and we will be doing a series of spotlights highlighting each of the areas in the upcoming months.

The nationally known Hofstra Cheerleading Team, under the coaching of Hofstra alums, Christine Farina and Matthew Jones is a large part of the Spirit Support family. Cheerleading is very visible participating in athletic events such as Basketball games, Club Sports games and overall University events such as Fall Festival, Relay for Life, Welcome Week and more!

The Hofstra Cheerleading Team are currently 8 time national champions through the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) National Championships. Each January,  they travel
to Walt Disney World and represent the PRIDE against teams all across the country. They took home the National Championship in their division in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013! In 2014 they took home second place in a fierce round of competition and are looking to reclaim their championship in 2015!

In the spring semester Cheer also supports our Men's and Women's Basketball teams in their CAA Championships normally held outside Baltimore Maryland.

In addition to their work competing,  the Hofstra Cheerleading Team also participates in a wide variety of community service events including the Long Island ALS Walk and supporting "Pete's PRIDE" this past weekend in honor of former Dean of Students Pete Libman, at the Long Island Pancreatic Cancer Walk.

The Hofstra Cheer Team also participated in UCA  Cheer Camp at the University of Scranton this past August and collected the following awards:

1st Place - Cheer Competition,
1st Place -  Chant Competition,
Best Overall, Game Day Award,
Leadership Award (voted on by the other teams in the small coed division) and
Most Collegiate Award (voted on by the UCA Staff!

Needless to say Hofstra Cheer has a lot to be proud of!!

Don't forget to follow updates on the happenings of Hofstra Cheer on twitter @HofstraCheer and @HofstraOSLA and online at www.hofstra.edu/cheer.

Coming Together for Climate Change

 September 21st, 2014, I will always remember this day, and so will the rest of the world. It stands out in my mind because it was the first rally I ever attended, believing in a cause much greater than myself. For the rest of the world it was the largest climate march in history, The People’s Climate March in New York City.

My day started off  at the Hempstead train station. Looking out the window, I wondered if it would rain. Without any proper shield in Midtown, a thunderstorm would certainly dampen our spirits. Nearby in the train car sat professors and students from Students for a Greener Hofstra, the Sustainability and Geology departments and others, all coming together for a single cause. There was a buzz about pun-filled signs, the length of the march, and most of all, the expected number of participants. Not only was New York and the rest of the country prepared for this day, but citizens from around the world were flying in to the Big Apple to raise their voices. All this, in a fantastic display for the citizens of the world as well as world leaders, who would be meeting two days later for the UN Climate Summit just a few blocks over.

The train quickly filled up with more Long Islanders flashing “Save the Wildlife” and “Frack is whack!” t-shirts. Arriving in Midtown, the subway stations were full of people, the streets had one unified traffic jam of bodies, and various groups and organizations stood displaying long banners. Helicopters hovered over us capturing the spectacular sight of about four hundred thousand people marching down Manhattan. I felt an overwhelming rush of excitement as a wave of yelling passed through the crowd. At that moment, with friends and strangers, I’ve never felt more certain about what I was doing. Knowing that my attendance and participation would contribute to this historic event was enough to fuel my chanting.

 Beginning from Central Park West all the way down to 34th Street, a passionate group of people from all backgrounds joined together and marched. People of various socioeconomic backgrounds assembled on the busy streets, putting aside their differences to support this great cause. Children marched hand-in-hand with their grandparents, Muslims walked with Atheists, students from grade school to post-graduates, persons with disabilities, and individuals who identified with parties and ideologies from across the political spectrum all came together to show that greater changes and initiatives needed to be taken to combat climate change. It was truly a sight to behold. The march included some notable people including co-organizer Bill McKibben, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and former Vice President Al Gore. But perhaps this was the best part of it all – seeing thousands of individuals from various backgrounds put aside their differences and march together, for one united cause, towards a better future and a better world.

Guest Blogger: Allie Koo
Junior, Linguistics Major

Club Sports Roundup

 Ribbons all round for Equestrian team while Men’s Club Lacrosse cruises to a 10-2 victory versus Stony Brook.

Hofstra’s Equestrian team got their 2014 season off to a galloping start with eight of their riders winning ribbons at Good Shepherd Farm in Yaphank, New York on Sunday, October 5^th. Alie Coolidge and Charlotte Wood each won ribbons, while Angela Bottari earned 3^rd place in novice fences and 5^th in novice flat. Kierstin Berwick earned 6^th and 3^rd place in the same events. Lisa Brix won her Advanced Walk Trot Canter class, and the future continues to look bright for HUET, with freshmen Talyn Cortez, Jacqueline Dent, and Casey Feri also earning ribbons in their first college competition.

Men’s Club Lacrosse bounced back from a tough loss last weekend to beat local rivals Stony Brook 10-2 on Monday, October 6^th.  The team will look to build on their success in their next game against Fordham on Sunday, October 19^th.

Women’s Club Lacrosse also scored a big “W” with an emphatic 16-8 victory over NYU on Sunday, October 5^th. The Pride later fell short in a close battle with Stony Brook, 15-12, narrowly missing out on winning the round robin tournament hosted on the Hofstra Fitness Center Field.

Members of the Hofstra Women’s Club Lacrosse Team

Women’s Club Soccer was unfortunate not to come away with a point in their match up against Seton Hall on Saturday, October 4^th. The Pride struggled after losing goalkeeper Lia Rodriguez to injury, and ended up dropping a 1-0 decision despite dominating possession for much of the game.

Hofstra Shooting Club had another successful session on Sunday, October 5^th, this week sampling their skills at Suffolk Trap & Skeet.

Hofstra Women’s Rugby Club traveled o Rutgers for a matchup with the Scarlet Knights on Sunday, October 5^th. The two teams headed into the contest as the only undefeated teams remaining in the conference. Rutgers took the win this time around, 37-7, but the Pride looks forward to a rematch in the playoffs, as they have a secured a Tri-State Conference playoff berth. 

Despite a brilliant chip ball try by Antonio Rogers to start the game, Hofstra Men’s Rugby Club lost their game versus William Patterson, 46-23 on Sunday, October 5^th.

 Hofstra's Men's Rugby Club will look to get back on track on Sunday, October 12th vs. NJIT.

 

Hofstra Club Baseball has had a brilliant start to the current season, but faced their stiffest competition yet at the Penn State Tournament, which hosted some of the strongest club programs in the country. HUCB pitched well but the bats fell dormant and the team ultimately failed to amass any victories. They will aim to get back to their winning ways when they take on Montclair State at home in a doubleheader this Sunday, October 12^th.

The Hofstra Ice Hockey Club took to the rink to start their 2014-15 campaign on Saturday, October 4^th. The Pride hosted Fordham in the season opener on their beautiful, brand new home ice at Twin Rinks at Eisenhower Park. The Rams clinched a 5-3 victory in the end, but Hofstra will soon have another chance to even their record with another home game against Stevens scheduled for Sunday, October 12^th.

For information on how to get involved with Hofstra club sports, visit our website: www.hofstra.edu/recreation and click the ‘club sports’ tab.

Ruby Staplehurst, Guest Blogger,
Graduate Assistant, Recreation and Intramurals