REGISTER NOW: SIBLINGS DAY 2016

REGISTER NOW

This year, Hofstra’s fun-filled Siblings Day hosted by the Office of Parent and Family Programs and the Resident Student Association will be held on Saturday, February 27. Both commuting and residential students are invited to have their sibling or relative on campus for a day of super fun activities! Students along with their siblings will begin their day Saturday at Noon with check-in and lunch. 

The rest of the day brings a series of activities including arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, late-night breakfast, and more! Hofstra students are permitted to host up to two siblings or relatives from ages 8-17. Younger siblings ages 8-12 may participate in the program until 9:30 p.m., and cannot stay overnight and siblings ages 13-17 are permitted to stay overnight with their resident student and with written consent from the student’s suitemates.

Please register your siblings at hofstra.edu/sibs today!

Steps to Register:

1.) Visit hofstra.edu/sibs to register your student’s siblings and/or relatives

2.) Ask your parent/guardian to complete the Acknowledgement and Release Form found here (p.2). They should sign and return the scanned copy to parents@hofstra.edu or fax to (516) 463-2447.

3.) If you are a resident student and plan to have your sibling/relative ages 13-17, you must complete the Overnight Guest, Roommate Acknowledgement form found here or at any of the RD’s offices in your student’s residence hall.

For questions or more information, please feel free to contact the Office of Parent and Family Programs at (516) 463-4698.

-Stephanie Iaccarino, Class of 2014 and Class of 2017

International Journey of an International Student

Have you ever experienced two contradicting feelings of enthusiasm and anxiety simultaneously? Moving to a new country engenders a mishmash of such disputing feelings. It generates a feeling of excitement and an anticipation of a new beginning and opportunity to succeed. At the same time, a feeling of apprehension flutters through you. It makes you worry whether you will be able to adapt to a different culture, climate, food and survive in this new environment. However, all these feelings and confusion are worth it and is ultimately a beautiful experience.

I was born in India but at the age of 16, I decided to pursue a different platform of studies. This decision took me to Malaysia, where I enrolled in British and Canadian courses that exposed me to Western education system in a Southeast Asian country. This was a perfect amalgamation to begin with.  I had an amazing opportunity to spend a few years of my life in Malaysia and Singapore, where I had a taste of a completely different culture. While I explored the Western system of education I also learned more about Malaysia as a country with its unique multi-ethnic culture along with the perks of living in a university town. Overall, this experience taught me that studying in a different country and staying away from home exposes you to an entirely new environment and helps you to grow as a person.

I have always been an explorer and my sense of adventure did help me when I first landed in New York. I have lived in different countries, however, those countries were not very far from home and the culture was fairly similar. So I was really nervous to come to a Western country so far away.

At Hofstra I instead quickly encountered multiple chances to meet new people. Everyone is so warm and eager to help you grow that any uneasiness fades away very quickly. There are so many clubs that you can join and numerous job opportunities and a variety of events are organized that truly help you to expand the horizon of your social network. The culture here is different when compared to an Asian country, but I believe that I am fortunate to have this opportunity to meet people from entirely different cultures and enhance my knowledge.  

Studying in different countries definitely comes with its own perks and I would personally advise students to come here with an open mind, have a sense of adventure and try to make efforts to be more proactive when exploring a city and its culture.

Guest Blogger: Aditi Sachdev

Graduate Student, Masters in Industrial Psychology           

Club Sports Roundup

Hofstra Quidditch hosted their annual Festivus Winter Fantasy tournament on the Hofstra Intramural Fields on Saturday, December 5th. For this event, general managers are selected for each team and a snake-style draft then takes places to choose the teams. Festivus was once again a huge success for The Flying Dutchmen, as the fundraiser attracted 115 quidditch players from the tri-state area and included some highly competitive games. Ultimately, the black team (pictured below) won for a second year in a row, comprised of students from Hofstra University, Rutgers University and Emerson College. The event raised over $1,000 for the club, which will go towards their upcoming trip to Austin, Texas during the spring semester. 

A team consisting of students from Hofstra, Rutgers, and Emerson claimed this year's Festivus Winter Fantasy tournament championship.

Hofstra Running Club ran in the Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis at held at Hofstra on Saturday, December 5^th. Freshman Ryan Connell finished first overall in a time of 17:59, followed by senior Zachary Englis, who finished in 6th with a time of 20:18. Freshmen Holly Johnston and Emily Szachnowicz came in first and third in their age groups with times of 23:52 and 26:02, respectively. Sophomore Adel Elkosh and freshman Geo Amaya finished first and second in their age group with times of 21:58 and 23:50, respectively. In addition to their standout performances, the club also raised over $250 for the Arthritis Foundation. 

On Sunday, December 6th, members of the Running Club volunteered at the Girls on the Run 5K, also held at Hofstra. Girls on the Run is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization "dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams." The girls begin training at the beginning of the school year and their hard work culminates in this event. The girls are paired up with a running buddy who helps to keep them motivated and inspired throughout the race. Running club member Tammy Karikal, Holly Johnston, and Zachary Englis volunteered with Girls on the Run and ran with their running buddies for the 5K. The event had over 300 participants and was the most successful one to date!

Hofstra Ice Hockey Club hosted Suffolk County Community College on Friday, December 4th at Twin Rinks at Eisenhower Park. Despite goals from Austin Natale and Darren Schwartz, the Sharks ultimately claimed an 8-2 victory.

This will be the last Club Sports Roundup of the semester-enjoy the holidays everyone!  

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