2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Spring Weekend, the long-standing tradition of relaxation before final examinations, took place this past weekend in the face of both sincere anticipation and controversy. This year's theme, the "Greatest Show on Earth," applied to all the activities and a general carnival atmosphere from Wednesday to Sunday.
A group of Fordham students received an insider's perspective on the current state of South Africa this past Monday, as Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., hosted a lunch with Eric Bost, the United States Ambassador to South Africa. The South African consul general, Fikile Magunbane, and vice consul, Ivan Vosloo, were also in attendance.
Sodexo employee "Harri" Harripersaud passed away from natural causes on April 28. He was 71. Harripersaud had been a member of the Fordham community since 1994, when he was hired by Sodexo Food Services. Associates, friends and family will miss Harri.
Every spring brings Commuter Week, a week long celebration hosted by the Commuting Students Association (CSA). CSA is the student-run commuter organization on campus. According to its mission statement, the group works "to provide a single voice for commuting students, to develop and implement policies, services and programs, and to represent commuting students' particular needs and concerns.
Knight of the Royal House of Italy Marco Grassi selected Fordham to be the very first New York City university to host a member of the Italian royal family. On Monday, April 28, Grassi, the president of the American Foundation of Savoy Orders and an Italian commandatore, delivered a special address to the Fordham community titled "Savoia: Italy's Royal Family and its Post War Involvement.
The New York Council for the Humanities has awarded Fordham's Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP) an $18,000 grant. The award, which is the first major outside grant received by the BAAHP, will be used to fund a series of public presentations that will allow the researchers to share the results of their work with the community.
While some students were determined to turn this year's Spring Weekend theme into "The Greatest 'Wasted' Show on Earth," administrators took a greater preventative role in promoting alcohol safety. Each year, Spring Weekend festivities at universities across the country pose significant challenges to collegiate administrators, security services and medical service providers, as students plan on consuming significant amounts of alcohol both on and off campus.
The drowning of Fordham student Patrick McNeill, ruled an accident when it occurred in 1997, is now being reconsidered in connection with 39 other similar incidents that occurred around the country over the last 11 years. Now retired NYPD detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, who were assigned to the original case, said that "smiley face" symbols and other evidence at the crime scenes reveal that these "accidental" drownings are actually the handiwork of serial killers operating in a loosely affiliated gang.