Welcome to the OSLE!

Are you looking to get more involved on campus? Do you want to make an impact here at Hofstra? At the Hofstra Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) it is our job to see that each and every student gets the most out of their college experience.

Every student can be a leader and has something unique to bring to the university. There are a variety of conferences, lectures, workshops, cultural programs, seminars, concerts, dance parties and socials that take place at Hofstra each semester. In addition, more than 100 clubs and organizations on campus.

Meet The Staff

Nestor Melendez - Assistant Dean of Students and Director for Student Leadership and Engagement

Karl Koeppel -Associate Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Denise DeGennaro -Assistant Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Nicole Thomas -Assistant Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Stan Cherian - Director of Orientation / Associate Director for Student Leadership and Engagement

Sara Diem - Assistant Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Mary A. Gale – Senior Assistant To the Assistant Dean and Director , Student Leadership and Engagement

Colleen M. Niemczyk - Senior Assistant To the Associate Director, 

Student Leadership and Engagement

Remington "Chad" Freeman - Assistant Director, Intercultural Engagement & Inclusion 

(LGBTQ + Affairs)

What does it mean to be a leader?

The OSLE believes that there are many ways to become a leader. OSLE administrators are available to help you figure out how you can best use your skills and talents to make this university the best it can be.

I am a new student at Hofstra looking to get involved. Where do I start?

Excellent question! For new students, the OSLE is great place to figure out how to become involved.

Students are encouraged to contact Karl Koeppel, Associate Director, Student Leadership and Engagement at Karl.W.Koeppel@hofstra.edu. Karl can sit down with you and help find the student organization the will best fit your interests and talents.

What if there are no clubs or organizations that I am interested in?

The OSLE understands that every student has a wide variety of interests. If you feel that there are no clubs or organizations that best fit your needs, the OSLE will work with you and get a process in place to start your new student organization.

What can the OSLE provide for me as a student to enrich my experience at Hofstra?

Not only does the OSLE oversee all of the official clubs and organization on campus (except for club sports). They also provide a wide variety of leadership programming including:

• Student leadership summits such as the blue and gold leadership summit (blue for first and second year students in the spring and gold where students are paired with staff or faculty mentor). The summits feature different leadership topics wide from presenters working at the university.
• If you are looking for a shorter time commitment, the OSLE presents leadership summits off campus for new student leaders.
• For seniors at Hofstra, the OSLE provides senior seminars.
• Students may also participate in community service programming, including alternative spring breaks and “staycation.” 
• Educational programming.
• Substance abuse programming.
• New student orientation and welcome week for incoming freshmen.

International Student Affairs Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

This year the annual International Student Affairs Thanksgiving Dinner was held on Monday, November 23. International Student Affairs hosted about 70 students who feasted on traditional Thanksgiving favorites such as turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn bread and pumpkin pie.

Natalie Caesar, assistant director of International Student Affairs gave a fantastic presentation covering the historical significance of “turkey day” celebrations and a brief history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Students were surprised to learn that many of the foods we prepare in a modern-day Thanksgiving are quite different from those that were served at the first Thanksgiving such as waterfowl and venison.

As dinner winded down, students made turkey door decorations while discussing plans to attend holiday home stays, “friends-giving”, Black Friday shopping and viewing the Macy’s parade.

Guest Blogger: Lauren Krampen, Graduate Assistant, International Student Affairs

Club Sports Roundup

Hofstra Powerlifting Club competed at the Crossfit Strong Island competition in Merrick, New York on the weekend of November 21st-22nd. Miguel Ayala Jr. was the only member of the team to compete in the Saturday morning session; he finished the day with a 530lb squat, 330lb bench press, and a 600lb deadlift, giving him a pro-total (>1,400) of 1,460lb. Ayala won 1st place and set the state record for squat, deadlift and overall total in the Pro-Raw Modern category 165lb weight class. On Sunday morning, Stefan Bozic finished 2nd in the Amateur Junior Raw Classic division 220lb weight class, with a 400lb squat, 255lb bench press, and 400lb deadlift, giving him an 1135lb total. In the Sunday afternoon competition, Hofstra’s Yu-Hsiang Huang took 3rd place in the 181lb weight class Amateur Raw Modern division, with a 315lb squat, 220lb bench press, 420lb deadlift, and 955lb total. Louis Ban rounded up the weekend with an exceptional performance in the Sunday evening session; he finished with a 535lb squat, 270lb bench press, 570lb deadlift, 1375lb total at 198lb. He took 1st place, set a new RPS (Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate) world record squat, and a new RPS state record deadlift and total for the Raw Modern (with wraps) Teen category 198lb weight class. The Pride earned 3rd place overall.

Members of the Hofstra Powerlifting Club pose with other winners at the Crossfit Strong Island competition in Merrick, New York.

Hofstra Ice Hockey Club dropped a tough 6-4 decision to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday, November 22^nd at Twin Rinks at Eisenhow Park. Andrew Gagnon, Darren Schwartz, David Craig, and Brandon Fauci all tallied goals for the Pride, while goalie Alex Feinstein stopped 47 of the 53 shots he faced.

Hofstra Men’s Club Soccer dropped a 4-2 contest at Montclair State on Sunday, November 23^rd. Federico Podesta and Tyrone Behari scored goals for the Pride.

Hofstra Quidditch hosted the season opener of the Big Apple Quidditch Conference on Saturday, November 21st, coming away with a winning 2-1 record. After losing a close, hard fought game to Rutgers, the Flying Dutchmen rebounded by dominating the Horcruxes 250-0 and NYU 100-20. NYU was the Northeast Regional Championship Runner up last season and is considered one of the top 20 teams in the country, making that victory especially satisfying for the club.

Hofstra Women’s Rugby Club had a busy weekend with a game against Stony Brook University on Friday, November 27th and a 7’s tournament the very next day. Despite tries from Nery Mendez, Cheyenne Wong, and Kim Tran, as well as a converted kick by Margaret O’Callaghan, the Pride fell to Stony Brook 26-17. With no time to dwell, the team was back in action the next morning, competing in five games on Randall’s Island. Following losses to Molloy College and Wilfrid Laurier University, Hofstra tied the University of New Hampshire and went on to defeat the Royal Military College of Canada, before drawing a rematch against the Wildcats of New Hampshire. In the rematch, the Pride cruised to a 35-17 victory and earned 5th place overall.

Hofstra’s 29 Club Sports are always looking for new members and welcome all experience levels.  If you would like to find out more information about joining one of our clubs, please visit hofstra.edu/recreation and click on the ‘Club Sports’ tab, or feel free to visit us at the Hofstra Fitness Center with any questions you may have!

Ruby Staplehurst, Guest Blogger
Graduate Assistant, Recreation and Intramural Sports