FDU ranks high among veteran-friendly schools. Several veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan tell how the University is helping them build new lives.
Join Dean Nicholas Baldwin as he reflects on his 25 years as head of FDU's first international campus, Wroxton College.
Bruce Springsteen and poet Robert Pinsky headline WAMFEST: The Words and Music Festival at the College at Florham.
Psychology professor Katharine Loeb looks at eating disorders and pediatric obesity and how parents may hold the key to treatment.
Service opportunities make Spring Break rewarding and educational for student volunteers.Alumni Profile
The Jokes Are on Them!
Arlene, BA'68 (T), and Harlan Jamison, BA'68 (T)Alumni Profile
A Portrait in Public Service
Harold “Cap” Hollenbeck, BA'61 (R)
As big an impact such service-learning groups make on the residents of visited locations, it may be the students who walk away with the greatest benefit.
“For several this is the first time for them to leave New Jersey or fly, so I think the trip definitely exposes students to different cultures and locations,” says Craig Mourton, assistant dean of students for campus community development at the Metropolitan Campus. “I have seen over the years a huge increase in the confidence of the students who go on the trip, particularly the young women. Students start the week thinking they don’t have any construction skills, but by the end of the week they are keeping up with the pros,” Mourton continues.
“The trips also give us a great opportunity to discuss social-justice issues such as race, gender and poverty. Each night after we are done with our work, we have great discussions that allow the students to reflect on their experience. The trips also bring together students who may not normally travel in the same circles to become close friends.”
“Participants help themselves by helping others,” Mauro says. “They develop lifelong skills and a feeling of satisfaction. They build leadership skills, and they build their résumés. Employers today are looking for candidates who will not only be good employees, but also good citizens.”
“The amount I learned was immeasurable, and I could not have pictured a better spring-break team,” says Chua. “I was immersed into the Navajo culture by sleeping in the hogan (a traditional hut made of logs and earth); eating endless amounts of mutton burgers; herding sheep; visiting Native-American history museums; experiencing the Navajo market, which is their version of a mall; and speaking, dancing and singing in Navajo.”
Students return with a sense of empowerment. “This was my first time building a house,” writes Yijao Wang, a student from China who went to Winter Haven. “And I feel that I can now do something which I felt I couldn’t do previously. I challenged myself and won. This experience gives me power and belief!”
For College at Florham student Danyelle Valentin, the trip to New Orleans helped her feel secure in her plans for after college. “The trip was a confirmation of my dream of joining the Peace Corps when I graduate,” she says.
Certainly, there were long hours of physical labor, and subsequent aching muscles on these working vacations, but the students who embarked on the adventures still dwell on the positive.
“I remember clearly that even though it was raining, no one stopped working or complained,” says Wang. “Everyone was still working hard. People walking on the wet ground, the sounds of raindrops and the ’ding-ding‘ when hammers struck the nails formed a piece of beautiful music.”
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FDU Magazine is published twice yearly by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1000 River Road, H-DH3-14, Teaneck, N.J. 07666.
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J. Michael Adams, President; Richard Reiss, Senior Vice President for University Advancement; Angelo Carfagna, Assistant Vice President for University Advancement and Communications; Okang McBride, Director of Alumni Relations; Carol Kuzen Black, Director of Publications/Senior Editor; Rebecca Maxon, Editor and Web Designer; Nina Ovryn, Art Director
Contributors: Nicholas Baldwin, Scott Giglio, Katharine Loeb, Andrew McKay, Tom Nugent, Melissa Payton
Photo/Illustration Credits: David Brabyn, Peter Byron, Benoit Cortet, Gerard DuBois, Jaclyn Chua, Danielle Drombar, John Emerson, ETH-Bibliothek Zurich Image Archive, William Kennedy, Dan Landau, Library of Congress, Librarything, Caroline Malia, Craig Mourton, National Portrait Gallery, Art Petrosemolo, Nick Romanenko, Anassa Tullouch
For a print copy of FDU Magazine, featuring these and other stories, contact Rebecca Maxon, editor, at maxon@fdu.edu.
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