Quick break from their studies! Gabrielle Witt '13 with the students of Changa Changa Community School. ...
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Zambia 2012
Jessalyn Marconi '14, Jessica Scapparo '13, Aly Luiso '15, Julia Zorn '12, Gabrielle Witt '13, Kate Gonta '14, Rob Droel '12, Nicole Avedis, Christina DiStanislao '13, Jaclyn Shearer ...
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Mission Trips: An Invaluable Cliché?
The
formula is clear: go to college, go on a mission trip, find yourself.
Matthew
McGinnity returned to school as a 23-year-old junior. Matthew Romano finally
found something he cared about. Jacqueline Keeley turned down an acceptance
letter to graduate school.
So has humanity
finally stumbled upon a proven recipe to the time-old question of
self-discovery?
“It may be
cliché to 'find oneself’ through a mission trip,” said Tiffany DiNome, director
of the Iona in Mission program at Iona College. “But it is a cliché because...
Iona in Mission: Agape
During the week of May 14, nine Iona students, along with Dr. Meryl Nadel and Dr. Carl Procario-Foley, were guests of the Agape Community in Ware, Massachusetts where participants learned about sustainable agriculture, non-violence and many ecological practices to promote simple living and respect for the earth’s dwindling natural resources. Students tilled soil, planted a garden, and ate vegetarian meals. Rainy...
Iona in Mission: Go New Ro-Why apply to GNR by Colleen!
Incoming freshmen should consider applying to Go New Ro because it is an amazing introduction to the Iona and New Rochelle communities. Two years ago when I was an incoming freshman I, like most incoming students, was nervous about entering college and was concerned about fitting in and making friends. Go New Ro gave me the opportunity to meet new people while getting a chance to be involved in serving the New Rochelle community...
Monday, May 21, 2012
Iona in Mission: Go New Ro 2012
Name: Michele Sampson, MS
Department/Position: Director of Off-Campus Housing
How does Go New Ro connect to your position here at Iona? My job involves helping students transition as successful citizens into the greater New Rochelle community. Go New Ro helps me nurture young civic leaders who know a lot about New Rochelle!
Why do you love Iona? I love Iona because of the people who work here! My colleagues all really care...
Iona in Mission: Zambia Day 3
We woke up and went to breakfast at 8:30 am. Most of us shared stories of waking up at various hours of the night (most alongside their roommate). For breakfast, there was a variety of food including bread, fruit and cereal. Soon after, Brother Banda arrived in a truck where most of us piled in the back after Christina said our group prayer.
When we arrived at the school, Brother Banda once again welcomed us and introduced us to Brother...
Iona in Mission: Zambia Day 1 and Day 2
Yesterday we all met at JFK at 7:30 am for our 11:20 am flight. Everyone seemed excited and only a few were nervous, well, mostly me. After waiting around by the gate for a while, we finally boarded our first flight. The plane was huge and had people from various countries. The 12 hour ride to Dubai didn't seem as long as I thought it would be. With so many different movies, TV Shows and CDs to entertain myself with, the flight seemed to fly...
Iona in Mission: Chicago
On Monday, May 14 we arrived at the Brother David Darst Center. A few hours after we settled in, we went to the Epsworth Shelter. At the shelter, we heard the stories of many people who are currently homeless. I spoke to three men in particular. Each person shared their story. One shared that he had moved to the United States from Morocco. He originally lived in Baltimore which he described to me to me as affordable but not a nice neighborhood to live in. From there he moved to Chicago where he did not know anybody. He has been living...
Iona in Mission: Chicago
On Tuesday, May 15, we went to two sites, one St. James where we took part in a food pantry and the other assisting in an after school program for at Port Ministries.
At St. James, Christina and I were given the task to hand out the bags of food to the men and women that came in during the distribution of the food. One of the first things that struck me was not the amount of people that should up, but the number of bags that they were allowed to have. The system was basically set up in which families of 1-3 persons received two bags of...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Iona in Mission: Chicago
Today I had the honor of interacting with both children and adults that have been affected by social injustice in one way or another. One of the highlights of the day was visiting St. Leonard's which is a center that helps recently released convicts work toward a positive future. At St. Leonard's we spoke with former convicts and learned about how they wound up in prison, what their experiences were like, and what their hopes are for the future...
Iona in Mission: New Mexico
I can honestly say that I've learned the true meaning of human compassion. Being in New Mexico I have met so many people that have changed my views. Here are some examples:
From the man who feeds his chicken even though they don't lay eggs, the woman who lives by the saying "life is good", the man who met me at 8:30am to give me a ring he custom made for me since I fell in love with it in the wrong size, the 9 trip participants...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Iona in Mission: Chicago
All semester long we had been preparing for our mission trip to Chicago, Illinois. We attended meetings, fund-raised, and strengthened our bond as a team. It felt like the day would never come, but now it is finally here. As I prepare to embark on my first Iona in Mission trip, I cannot wait become closer with my team, and meet so many amazing people in the windy city! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to spread the Iona mission and share my fortune with others. I am anxious and excited to travel to a city that I am a stranger to. I hope...
Iona in Mission: Agape
On the way to Massachusetts everyone took these few hours to get a quick nap in before we arrived at the community, and we're lucky we did! After a quick orientation on the organic and self-sufficient nature of Agape Community by Suzanne and Brayton Shanley, founders and operators. We enjoyed an excellent lunch of vegetarian chili and an Agape vegetable soup.
Then, we were unexpectedly put to work right...
Iona in Mission: New Mexico
Although my New Mexico experience has just started, it has been quite the adventure. From the start of our journey at the airport, to these past 24 hours in Santa Fe at a community farm and La Plaza, I have been exposed to so much, which I am truly grateful to have experienced. Our day of travel transferring planes and waiting in airports was exhausting, but when we arrived we were met by our laid back friendly leader who is so exemplary of the culture in New Mexico. Hearing the story of our leader and the stories of so many others has been so...
Monday, May 14, 2012
Iona in Mission: New Mexico Pre-trip
Our trip is rapidly approaching and I am quickly realizing that living a life of simplicity is already a growing experience for me. I stuck strictly to the packing list for New Mexico and yet somehow still managed to have a bulging suitcase and stuffed backpack. I am going to un-pack and re-pack again, taking out anything I can in order to make room. I'm redefinining my idea of "necessity", realizing that I thought I was relatively low-maintenance...
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Meet Fred! Go New Ro Student Leader
Name: Fred Carter Jr.
Major: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2015
Hometown: Naugatuck, Connecticut
Why do you love Iona?
I love Iona because of the small size of the campus. Since Iona is on the smaller side you are almost guaranteed to see most of the same people each and every day. You eventually start talking to them and voilà, new friends!
What was your favorite aspect of Go New Ro?
My favorite aspect of Go-New-Ro was learning about...
