Spring 2015 in Review: CCARNYC
It’s May, which means summer is right around the corner! Before we start daydreaming about sunshine, iced coffee, and the many amazing places Pace students will be going this summer, we’d like to throw it back and reflect on some of our events from the Spring 2015 semester.
Thank you to all of the amazing students who volunteered with us, signed petitions, organized an event, and helped to make a difference in this community in so many ways. Your efforts have contributed thousands of meaningful hours of service to non-profit organizations throughout the City and advocated behalf of many of your fellow New Yorkers. We thank you for all of your time and effort, and know that others do too!
To join us next semester and stay updated, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for our bi-weekly eDigest. Have a great summer, and congratulations to all of this year’s graduating students!
Protest 101 | February 25th
In February, Pace faculty and staff discussed their personal experiences with activism and civil disobedience over several generations of protest. Panelists included Len Berg discussing the Black Nationalist Movements of the 1960s, Dr. Patricia Gloster-Coates (History) on the March on Washington and Civil Rights era, Dr. Roger Salerno (Performing Arts) discussing the Vietnam War Era, and Dr. Emily Welty (Peace and Justice Studies) on Occupy Wall Street. Each panelist also gave their perspective on the latest protest movements and how University students can become the activists of this generation. This event was co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Student Peace Alliance, and Center for Community Action and Research.
New York Common Pantry | March 6th
Pace students volunteered to help with New York Common Pantry‘s choice pantry programs in collaboration with the Christian Fellowship at Pace, who has been leading group volunteer trips to the pantry each month throughout the Spring semester. Volunteers provided access to necessary food and nutrition for hundreds of hungry New Yorkers, and had a blast in the process!
TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat | March 7th
Each year, TEDxManhattan hosts a day-long series of speakers on issues of urban agriculture, food policy and education, and ways in which our food choices impact one another and the planet. This year, Pace student Yuliya Palianok, in conjunction with the CCAR and Pace Residential Life, hosted an on-campus viewing of several speakers that engaged 15 students in discussions around our food system and how our choices can make a difference. You can view all of the speakers from this year as well as previous events on the TEDxManhattan website!
Alternative Spring Break | March 16th-19th
This Spring Break, 15 students from the NYC and Pleasantville campuses traveled to Rockaway, Queens, to spend the majority of their time “off” volunteering with Friends of Rockaway to rebuild homes that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. In addition to volunteering over 6 hours per day, participants also met with community members, reflected with their fellow students, wrote letters to elected officials about their experience, and participated in discussions before and after the trip about income inequality, climate change, and disaster recovery. You can see it all through social media posts, and photos on Facebook, as well as blog posts from each volunteer.
Periclean-in-Residence: Halleh Seddighzadeh | March 23rd-25th
In March, forensic traumatologist and anti-trafficking expert Dr. Halleh Seddighzadeh of ARMAN spent four days visiting both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses and leading a number of events on her work to end human trafficking. As the Spring 2015 Periclean-in-Residence, Dr. Halleh spoke to classes, hosted an activist training workshop, had lunch with student leaders, led discussions, and more in her effort to educate about trafficking and what students can do to get involved in the effort to stop it. Dr. Halleh’s visit and events were sponsored by the Office for Student Success, Seidenberg, Center for Community Action and Research, Project Pericles, Student Affairs, and College of Health Professions.
Years of Living Dangerously: Earth Month Movie Night | April 9th
In honor of Earth Month, the Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies, Anthropology Professor Dr. Judith Pajo, and the CCAR co-sponsored a movie night screening of Years of Living Dangerously: Winds of Change (complete with popcorn, nachos, pretzels, and other movie-themed snacks) and follow up discussion about energy policy, politics, and choices in the United States. If you missed the movie night, you can still check out all of the episodes of Years of Living Dangerously on Netflix!
Hands On New York Day | April 18th
As part of the annual, city-wide New York Cares Day Spring, the CCAR led a group of 75 students, staff, and faculty to volunteer at Hattie Carthan Community Garden in Brooklyn for the fourth year in a row. On a beautiful, sunny Saturday, volunteers painted, mulched, weeded, tilled soil, cleared beds, and helped to get the garden ready for more than 45 garden members to grow food this summer.
New Roots Community Farm | May 1st
6 Pace volunteers spent a Friday morning traveling to New Roots Community Farm in the South Bronx, where they mulched, weeded, organized, and helped prepare the farm for the coming summer season. New Roots is run by the International Rescue Committee and works to increase food security and enable refugees and recent immigrants to reestablish their ties to the land, celebrate their heritage and nourish themselves and their neighbors by planting strong roots—literally—in their new communities.
