A Hit at the Hackathon

The less computer-literate among us would consider writing a quality piece of application software to be a difficult task.

Try doing it in less than 10 hours.

That’s what Fordham student Trevor Haskell did — and in doing so, earned kudos from the folks at Google.

Haskell, a junior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, walked away from the 2014 Google Scholars Conference with a People’s Choice Award for an application he and three teammates produced. The team created an app--one compatible with Android phones, the iPhone, and the web--that produces cypher challenges for middle school students.

“A classic example of a cypher is the encrypted phrase where every letter takes the place of the letter after it—‘A’ becomes ‘B,’ ‘B’ becomes ‘C,’ and so on. [Using this code, the word 'dog' would become 'eph,']" said Haskell, a computer science major. “In the app, the idea is for the students to decode the cypher as fast as possible.”

Haskell and his team created the app as part of the conference’s two-day “hackathon,” an event in which computer programmers and software developers collaborate intensely on software projects. Fifteen teams were given 10 hours to build an app that could pique K-12 students' interest in computer science. They then had to present their creation to a panel of judges.

“The reason it’s called a hackathon is because you’re hacking things together,” Haskell said. “Ten hours is a very short amount of time. If you take too long or try to make it perfect, you won’t finish in time. But you still have to make sure the code is clean and that everything works.

“It’s a lot of fun, even though it’s stressful. You’re learning as you go — Googling for answers, working with other people. And at the end, you’ve made something.”

A recipient of Google’s Lime Connect Scholarship, Haskell was one of 68 students from around the United States and Canada invited to the conference, which was held June 18-21 in Mountain View, California. In addition to participating in the hackathon, the scholars toured Google’s offices and learned about outreach projects to help draw younger students to the field of computer science.

Haskell’s post-Fordham plans include working in the information network security field.

Trevor Haskell present the app his team created at
the 2014 Google Scholars Conference Hackathon.
Photo courtesy of Trevor Haskell

 — Joanna Klimaski Mercuri

Needs of Bilingual Special-Education Students are Topic of Summer Institute

A five-day event starting July 1 at Fordham will offer parents and educators an in-depth look at how best to teach special-needs children who are learning English as a second language.

The Graduate School of Education will host the Bilingual Special Education Summer Institute at the Lincoln Center campus from July 1 to 3, and on July 7 and 8.

The institute “will provide an overview of the latest research-based knowledge on effective practices for learners diverse in culture and ability,” according to a brochure. Experts in bilingual education will present on several topics including strategies for bilingual special education students, the ways in which teachers can use students’ native languages to promote learning, and the importance of bilingual special education.

Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D.

“Research shows that teachers working in urban settings must be prepared to implement both theoretically sound and culturally responsive teaching because their students are extremely diverse in culture, language, ability/disability, and socioeconomic status,” said Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate professor at GSE, in an interview posted on the graduate school’s blog.

Of the more than 150,000 English language learners in the New York City school system, 22 percent are special-needs students, she said.

The institute is open to educators, graduate students, parents, school psychologists, school counselors, administrators, and professionals in the area of special education. The registration options include single-day attendance and professional development credits.

“Bridging the intersection of bilingual and special education will provide insights into the multifaceted complexity of language, culture, and the continuum of ability/disability for positive social, affective, cognitive, and academic outcomes,” Rodriguez said.

Sustaining a Fragile Past

Saturday, June 28, marks the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand, an event that triggered what would come to be known as World War I. One of the treasures that the Fordham University archives retains from that era is a 97-year-old flag of Fordham maroon honoring the Fordham Ambulance Corps that served in the war.

In spite of the flag’s fragile condition, the archives recently opened up the flag for photographing. Now, archivists are debating whether to display it in a case (in its folded condition) when a new library exhibit on Fordham and World War I opens next month.

Each time the flag is handled, small bits of the fabric flake away, where they disintegrate into a maroon powder when picked up and held.

Patrice Kane, head of Fordham archives and special collections, says the archives is hoping to re-pack the folded flag into a roll with acid-free paper and perhaps someday consider a full restoration.

"If it were to be restored, it would be nice to display it open," said Kane.

In the meantime, the folded flag has been "preserved" through photography (below). Stay tuned to FordhamNotes for an announcement of the opening of the Walsh Library exhibit next month.

--Janet Sassi

Fordham's Career Services & Buzzfeed's Tips for Millennials New to the Workforce

Whatever you do, don't be like the main character in the movie,  'Office Space.'

We’re roughly one month away from most college and university commencements, and this means college graduates, including some of ours, are settling into their brand new jobs. “The real world” of work may be a rude awakening for some since not all of its survival tips are taught in the classroom. Luckily, today’s new workforce has the Internet.

Buzzfeed, a site which bills itself as the "first true social news organization," and is well known for publishing listicles, coo-worthy images of cats, and even in-depth analysis of the U.S. economy, has tips for those new to the workforce. In fact, “13 Important Tips For Twentysomethings In TheirFirst Jobs,” includes a tip from Fordham’s very own office of Career Services:

DON’T: Spill personal details to Mandy the PR girl just because she sits next to you.

When you’re a young person at an office filled with lots of young people, it can be tempting to cross the friend–colleague line and talk to your co-workers just like you would your pals at a bar. But even if you just went through a heart-wrenching breakup AND you just got in a fight with your mom AND you’re stressed because you just bounced a check, it might be best to save the cathartic chat for your BFF.

“Leave your life at home,” says Stefany Fattor, director of Career Services at Fordham University. “Yes, I know that girl in marketing is such a good listener. But it’s not the time or place.”

Fattor also adds the following tips, which she shared with us here at Fordham Notes:

BE REMARKABLE

Remember that moment before finals when you’d calculate exactly what you had to do to pull of a ‘B’ or ‘C’? Then you’d study the minimum amount possible to make that grade.  Those days are gone my friend. The great thing about the workplace is that you can almost always count on the hardest working, most talented people getting the respect, promotions and best compensation.  Everyone wants a team of talented, generally awesome people. It’s your job to be the most awesome.  Regardless of what you do, whether it’s putting together pitch books for a managing director or picking up latte’s for the queen editor, make sure you’re better at it than anyone else. No matter how menial the task, nothing better will come your way until you're the best at what you do. 

BE PROFESSIONAL

Much like the "leave your life at home," piece of advice, if you’re interested in your supervisor being enchanted by you, it’s simple: Close your personal social media and email, stop texting your mom, and show some personal interest in them. And you know those work events with cocktails. They are still work events.  2 drink maximum!  You're not funnier with a buzz and no one wants to see you put your fist in your mouth. They really don't want to see you hit on the bartender, or worse, a workmate.  Seriously, two drink maximum.  

BE INDISPENSABLE

Have you noticed the job market is tough?  Perhaps you heard there was a recession. People are losing their jobs and having trouble finding jobs. They also aren’t getting big raises. Guess who gets to keep their jobs—people who are indispensible. That’s right, if your boss can’t live without you, or their job would be significantly harder if you weren’t around, you aren’t getting laid off.  In other good news, this is also exactly what you share when it’s time to ask for your first raise. Don’t be that guy that asks for a raise because guys at other firms make more, or your rent is too expensive, or you want new Ferragamo loafers. No one cares. Ask for a raise because the value you add every single day and the value you can add next year is far more than what they have to pay you.  

Read the rest of Buzzfeed’s tips for twentysomethings in their first jobs, including the number one tip, DO: Negotiate your starting salary, even if you’re afraid, here. 

And since it’s #ThrowbackThursday, check out this 2013 piece in the Chicago Sun-Times “The Grid,” in which Erin McLaughlin, the assistant director of experiential education at Fordham’s Career Services, doles out advice to a twentysomething who asked if she should be taking free candy from a man in her work building. (Yes, it was a real question.)

Remember that Fordham’s Career Services offers several services for students (and some for alumni), including Fordham Futures, a career planning and professional development program that integrates the values of a Jesuit liberal arts education with contemporary society. Learn more here.

-Gina Vergel

Violence Is Not the Norm: GSS and BK Nation to Co-Host Peace Conference

A spate of violent incidents recently highlighted in the news has yet again called the nation’s attention to a problem plaguing the country.

Next week, activists will gather at Fordham to send the message that no amount of violence should be tolerated.

On Saturday, June 28, Fordham University and BK Nation, in conjunction with Erica Ford’s Life Camp, will host the inaugural “Peace is a Lifestyle” conference at Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus. The conference will tackle serious societal issues including gun violence, hate crimes, bullying, and violence against women and girls.

Peace is a Lifestyle Conference
Saturday, June 28
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pope Auditorium | Lincoln Center Campus
113 West 60th Street, New York City

The daylong gathering will feature prominent speakers, as well as activists, advocates, academics, elected officials, and concerned community members of all ages.

“We want to galvanize a lasting coalition of anti-violence advocates from around the five boroughs. There are a lot of groups that are loosely working together, but we feel that there needs to be more of a collaboration, sharing information and resources,” said Kevin Powell, president and co-founder of BK Nation.

“It’s also important for the city to see this, because there is no [single] office in New York City that funds these sorts of efforts, which we think are critical. There are smaller offices that deal with discrete issues, but we feel there needs to be an overarching initiative to address violence.”

Powell, who will deliver the conference’s keynote address, has already worked extensively to curb violence in New York City through BK Nation, a national organization that promotes community activism to address matters such as education, civic engagement, health and wellness, and job and small business creation.

“Violence is an epidemic in our country. If you look at the last couple weeks alone, with the shootings in California and Oregon, you’re almost bracing yourself for the next tragedy,” Powell said. “We don’t think violence should ever be normalized in our society. There should be an outcry about these types of things happening. It should never be the case that people feel the solution to a problem is to commit a violent act against others.”

In addition to identifying pressing violence-related issues in the city, the conference will explore possible solutions and actions that communities can take to bring the city closer toward peace.

“In the wake of violent acts that are taking place both here and around the world, people in our communities are feeling hopeless. We are increasingly aware of the violence, but unaware of the groundbreaking work that’s being done in the anti-violence movement,” said Priscilla Dyer, special projects administrator for the Graduate School of Social Service (GSS).

“With this conference, we hope to go beyond talking about the problems to formulating viable solutions moving forward,” she said.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the conference website, email Priscilla Dyer, or call 212-636-6623.

— Joanna Klimaski Mercuri

Orthodox Christian Studies Center Raises $1 Million

Fordham’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center has come two-thirds of the way toward a key fundraising goal, co-founders of the center announced at a benefit party in Manhattan on June 17.

Aristotle "Telly" Papanikolaou (left) and George
Demacopoulos at Thalassa

"Within 18 months, we’ve raised a million dollars,” Aristotle “Telly” Papanikolaou, Ph.D., FCRH ’88, told the cheering crowd of benefactors and friends at Tribeca’s Thalassa restaurant, owned by brothers Steve Makris, GSB ’89, and Jerry Makris, GSB ’87. “We thank you very much for your prayers and your support.”

Proceeds from the benefit support the center’s efforts to fulfill a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) challenge grant awarded in December 2012. The grant requires the center to raise $1.5 million over four and a half years, which will be matched by a $500,000 award from the NEH.

Papanikolaou, Fordham’s Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture and a senior fellow and co-founder of the center, called the grant “the single greatest affirmation of what we’re doing.”

“The government is saying, ‘We want to help,’” said Papanikolaou. “We need to heed the call.”

George Demacopoulos, Ph.D., professor of historical theology, director, and co-founder of the center, said that for too long, Orthodox Christianity has been an “asterisk” in discussions about religion. The only way to change that, he said, “is by funding research in Orthodox Christian Studies in institutions of higher learning, and investing in education.”

The Orthodox Christian Studies Center works to support the continued study of Orthodox Christian theology and culture. The $2 million endowment resulting from the NEH grant will fund the center’s Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence program and Dissertation Completion Fellowship program. Fordham’s proposal to the NEH, Papanikolaou said, is now being used as a model by the agency.

About 180 supporters gathered for the benefit party, held for the second year in a row at Thalassa (Greek for “the sea”). The airy, upscale spot features many authentic touches from Greece, including a curved bar made of marble from the island of Thasos, flower-filled urns from Tripoli, and handmade wooden tables from Mykonos.

Guests went home with a copy of Dialogue of Love: Breaking the Silence of Centuries (Fordham University Press, 2014), a book that commemorates the historic 1964 visit to the Holy Land by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. It was published this year in honor of the May meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who received an honorary degree from Fordham in 2009.

--Nicole  LaRosa

The Homegrown Impressionism of George Thompson, FCRH '56

If you haven't had a chance to swing by the William D. Walsh Family Library in the last couple of months, now is the time to head on up to the Rose Hill campus.

A selection of paintings, drawings, and sketches by the acclaimed pastel artist George Thompson, FCRH '56, are on display for just one more week on the library's main floor. They are a permanent part of the library’s special collection, but don’t often get shown as a group. Thompson has been called one of the 45 master pastelists in the world, and much of his work focuses on the Bronx, where he was born and raised, and on other urban spaces. 

For a taste of Thompson, see the video:

http://digital.library.fordham.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VIDEO/id/594/rec/203 

Study Highlights Extreme Rainfall as Unexplored Area of Research

Scientists agree that one of the effects of global climate change will be major changes in the amount and timing of rainfall. 

And while many studies have been conducted to gauge the reaction of plants to draughts, less has been done to learn what happens to plants when it rains a lot, or at unusual times.

In a new paper published by the journal Biogeosciences, James Lewis, Ph.D., professor and chair in the Department of Biological Sciences at Fordham, helped shed some light on the current gaps in research. 

“Impacts of Extreme Precipitation and Seasonal Changes in Precipitation on Plants” is the result of a collaborative effort between Lewis and Melanie Zeppel and Jessica Wilks of Macquarie University, Sydney. 

It’s a global review of how plants respond to extreme precipitation in different ecosystems around the planet, such as dry grasslands, woodlands, warm humid tropical rainforests, savannas, as well as cold deserts. 

Plants from one of the study regions, cold desert Canyonlands National Park, Southern Utah.
Photo by Patrick Hudson

Because changes in both the amount and timing of precipitation change soil water content, plant growth is likely to be affected. This has implications for food production, forestry industry, biodiversity and carbon and water cycles. Pests, pathogens and invasive species are likewise influenced by extreme precipitation changing soil water content.

Lewis said the review, which involved thousands of papers going back 30 years, came about after they began examining the studies already done on savannahs, for a study they plan to conduct on this topic. They found that some manipulative studies have been done on grasslands and on temperate and tropical forests, but that’s about the extent of it. 

Scientists can make general predictions about plants and rainfall based whether plant’s soil bed is of sand or clay, whether the roots go deep or shallow, and whether a plant has a short or long lifespan. 

But no one knows just how differently tropical forests will respond, compared to boreal forests in the Arctic or even deserts. Of special concern is how studies point toward a need for greater irrigation of agricultural systems, which will likely experience less rainfall.

“Precipitation patterns are likely to vary in many parts of the planet,” Lewis said. 

“And in areas that are relatively wet, this may have negative consequences for plants, particularly if those changes in rainfall are reductions in the amount of rain during the growing season.

Other areas may actually benefit, however, “because the rainfall may actually increase during the periods when plants are growing and decrease during the periods when they’re not.”

Lewis said the study can serve as a road map for future studies of extreme precipitation.

“We don’t view the review as definitive; we view it as pointing out the next steps,” he said.

—Patrick Verel

New Jesuits Ordained at University Church

Congratulations to three new Jesuits who were ordained on June 14 at the University Church. The Most Reverend Matthew H. Clark, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Rochester, N.Y, ordained  Mario Powell, S.J., Sam Sawyer, S.J., and Tom Simisky, S.J. The three are pictured below from left to right.

Alumnus Stages World Cup Festival in D.C.

 Hundreds of soccer fans gathered in Dupont Circle on June 12, 2010, to watch three World Cup matches on two giant TV screens. The event's principal organizer, Aaron DeNu, GSAS '06, is working with the German Embassy to put on a similar event on June 26, during the 2014 World Cup.

Eight years ago, Aaron DeNu, GSAS ’06, was living near Fordham’s Rose Hill campus when he saw how soccer fans’ passion for the beautiful game could enliven an already vibrant neighborhood.

“I was fortunate to be living on 187th Street during the 2006 World Cup,” he said. “What an amazing experience it was to be in the heart of Little Italy during the Italian national team’s march to the finals.”

DeNu helped some local merchants coordinate ad hoc viewing parties.

“TVs were pulled into the street, makeshift projectors showed replays at night on Arthur Avenue,” he recalled. “I knew that wherever I would be living during the next World Cup, I would try to re-create the energy I felt during that summer in Belmont.”

In 2010, DeNu made good on his goal.

By then he was living in Washington, D.C., having accepted a job at George Washington University, where he currently works in the student affairs division as associate director of technology, outreach, and events.

Prior to the 2010 World Cup, he and a friend secured the permission, funding, and equipment necessary to stage what they called Soccer in the Circle. The daylong World Cup viewing party drew a multinational crowd of hundreds to D.C.’s Dupont Circle to watch three games, including a U.S.-England match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

“Dupont Circle is right in the heart of D.C.,” DeNu said. “It’s only a few blocks from the White House and it’s surrounded by embassies, so it seemed a natural place to host a World Cup festival.”

So natural that four years later, as the 2014 World Cup is set to kick off in Brazil, DeNu is at it again. 

Aaron DeNu, GSAS '06

He recently secured the support of the German Embassy, which agreed to foot the bill—approximately $30,000, DeNu estimated—to host a one-day World Cup viewing party on June 26, when the U.S. national team will face Germany.

This time, DeNu has far more experience working with local and federal officials to plan free public events in the park.

Following the 2010 World Cup, he founded Dupont Festival, a nonprofit that organizes activities in and around Dupont Circle throughout the year. DeNu is the principal organizer, and there are three other people on the group’s board of directors.

“Since that first World Cup viewing,” he said, “we have hosted more than 40 public projects in the park.”

They’ve organized outdoor film screenings, showing movies on the National Film Registry such as E.T., Casablanca, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. And DeNu has exhibited a flair for promotion.

For a screening of Back to the Future, he rented a DeLorean similar to the one featured in the film, parked it in the park, and attracted passersby by blasting “The Power of Love” and other tunes from the movie on the iconic car’s stereo.

“I’ve had a lot of luck in finding the right mix of pop-cultural activities and tying events in to the calendar,” DeNu said. “On the summer solstice we show a movie. When the fountain is turned on in the spring, we have a fountain day.”

Early this year, DeNu campaigned to get Bill Murray, star of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, to take part in the Dupont Festival’s annual Groundhog Day celebration. “The D.C. Council even agreed to rename [the holiday] Bill Murray Day if he showed,” DeNu said. Although the actor did not respond, the Huffington Post published a piece about DeNu’s effort.

DeNu said the Dupont Festival’s events are about “creative placemaking,” leveraging arts and cultural activities to serve the community and transform the neighborhood around Dupont Circle.

“Our mission is to creatively animate public space,” said DeNu, who has been working closely with the National Park Service, the D.C. Council, the police department, and local businesses.

“We’ve been building trust with folks in town, and they fully understand what we’re trying to do,” he said. “They know that all of the money we raise goes directly to the events.”

The upcoming World Cup viewing party already has the community buzzing.

“Hundreds of people have RSVP’d already,” DeNu said, “so we’re expecting a nice crowd [for the U.S.-Germany match]. We’ll also be showing the Belgium-Korea match that afternoon. We have two large, super-high-definition LED screens that are glare-proof and weather-proof.”

Having the support of the German Embassy is especially satisfying for DeNu, whose paternal great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from Baden, Germany, and settled in Indianapolis.

DeNu grew up in Milford, Ohio, not far from Cincinnati. He was a record-setting striker on the Milford High School soccer team and went on to play for four years at Wilmington College of Ohio, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and history.

In 2004, he continued his interdisciplinary studies at Fordham’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, focusing in particular on the effects of technology on human interaction.

“I specifically sought out Fordham,” he said, “for its interdisciplinary master’s degree program.”

DeNu also said his time in New York City inspired his interest in creative placemaking.

“Living in New York City accelerated that for me. Walking around the Rose Hill campus and seeing all the different activities there and in the Bronx and in Manhattan, going to events in Central Park and Bryant Park, that was a real inspiration,” he said.

“Being at Fordham and being able to see all that stuff and see how it works was a degree in itself.”

—Ryan Stellabotte