Fordham was one of about 600 colleges and universities nationwide recognized this month for student service in their surrounding communities. The universities were singled out for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.

In 2009-2010, Fordham supported more than 5,039 of its students as they contributed 1,134,956 hours to hundreds of community organizations, schools, not-for-profits and governmental agencies to help strengthen and improve communities. Much of the work took place in the North Bronx, in neighborhoods surrounding Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

“What these numbers don’t reflect is the depth and intentionality of the relationships forged between all schools across the University and community organizations, not-for-profits and neighborhood associations throughout New York City,” said Sandra Lobo-Jost, director of the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, Fordham’s community service program.

Among the programs Fordham students participated in are:

–    The Free Tax Preparation Program for low- and moderate-income Bronx residents, done in conjunction with the University Neighborhood Housing Program;
–    LIFT the Bronx, a community organization combating poverty in the Bronx through teaching resume writing, interview skills and job hunting support;
–    Fordham Kiwanis, a global organization that assists disadvantaged children and supports Key Club in Bronx high schools; and
–    Fordham City Squash partnership, which brings students to the campus for an after-school program in tutoring and squash.

Universities are chosen based on innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the breadth of academic service-learning credits.

The annual event, which was held on May 14 in the Rose Hill Gymnasium, drew students, friends and family to celebrate membership in honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa; winning Fulbright fellowships and other prestigious awards; and a host of additional achievements.

O’Donnell, who will begin his duties as president of Manhattan College in July, noted that there was a certain symmetry to this Encaenia, as this was the first class he recruited when he became FCRH dean in 2004. Addressing the soon-to-be graduates, he told them that their liberal arts educations would help them look beyond troubled times.

“I hope that such a long view makes you more than usually suspicious of the claims of the information-entertainment industry, when it uses terms like unprecedented, or tells you things are skyrocketing, or nose diving, soaring, or crashing, imploding or exploding, or that they’re tottering or teetering on the brink,” he said.

“All this is very exciting, no doubt, but words like skyrocketing or nose diving—applied to economy, for example—are what George Orwell called ‘dying metaphors,’” O’Donnell explained.

“These are words that once expressed a fresh and accurate view of reality by making apt comparison, but have now become placeholders for thoughtless speakers who are imitating other thoughtless speakers who have forgotten that they’re even using metaphors.”

He also thanked colleagues at Fordham, and in particular, Veronica Boland, assistant to the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. Boland is leaving after 30 years to become executive assistant to the president of Manhattan College.

“While as the president-elect of Manhattan College I could not be more delighted, as the current dean of the college, and Veronica’s seventh dean, I know exactly how sad a day it will be for her colleagues when the day of her departure comes,” he said.

“In presenting her earlier this year with the Sursum Corda award—the highest award that the University gives to its employees—I said of Veronica: Her uncompromising insistence on doing things right is matched only by the good-humored graciousness that marks everything that she does. She has exquisite tact, which means that she almost never has to correct the dean . . .directly.”

The Claver Award, which is named for St. Peter Claver, an 18th-century Spanish Jesuit, was presented to Stephanie Crane. Fordham’s Jesuit community gives it annually to the Rose Hill senior who most exemplifies the University’s dedication to community service.

Michelle Costantino received the Fordham College Alumni Award, which is a chair presented to the student who best shows the Fordham spirit of excellence in academic, service and extracurricular activities.

In her valedictory address, Christine Schwall, told her fellow classmates that the U2 concert that occurred this past March on Edwards Parade was an example of the togetherness that made her time at Fordham memorable, and even helped her cope with her father’s death during her sophomore year.

“A line from one of their songs, “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for,” seems to be describing what we might be feeling tonight, or how our job search is going. The lines, “Here’s what we got to be: love and community,” may be voicing something we all finally appreciate,” she said.

Having been nurtured in the Fordham community, Schwall extorted her classmates to give back to the world community.

“As Mark Twain once said, ‘Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.’ Class of 2009, as I leave you this evening, consider the following: as a result of the education we have received from Fordham, what do we owe the world?”