Food For Thought

My name is Angelina, and I am a 19-year-old Sophomore, here at Fordham University. I hail from Yonkers which is in Westchester otherwise known as “upstate” by “official” New Yorkers. I major in International Political Economy, it sounds cool, but it is just a glorified combination of Economics and Political Science. I also minor in German and, hopefully, American Catholic Studies.

I do know what I want to do after I graduate; I will be attending Law school. My dream would be to work in international law or foreign policy, similar to Amal Clooney.

As you can see, I have a wide area of interests, but my ultimate goal is to understand and help.

I chose to take this class because it is made of everything I care about, culture, German, helping others, Fordham’s core requirements, and most importantly, food. I am so excited to volunteer and interact with many people from different backgrounds who are from the New York City area; even though I have spent some time in NYC I have not interacted with the diverse population it holds. The images I perceive are mainly from the upper west/east sides and wealthy or tourist-laden areas. Hopefully, through the experience of volunteering at various in-need parts of the City, I can help provide a dignified experience around food but also bring to light to others that I know, that most of what we see not only in the city but in the world, generally, is only a fraction of the story.

My name is Thomas Jeffrey LaDuca but I have gone by TJ my whole life. I’m 20 years old and I am a junior here at Fordham College Rose Hill. I am studying anthropology and German and I do not have any idea what I want to do with my degree after I graduate. I have never been the best at writing in detail, especially about myself. I do know that I do like helping others and am not too great at writing a lot about myself.
In the fall of 2018, I took an anthropology class that talked about the impact food has had in different societies throughout history. I am a man of simple pleasures and food is one of them. Learning about how one of my favorite things has changed the course of human history piqued my interest in the discipline. I hope this class helps me to better understand how food molds peoples and culture and gives me a higher appreciation for the food I might take for granted.

I grew up on Cape Ann (similar to Cape Cod, but rougher around the edges) in a house overlooking the ocean surrounded by an older brother, my dog, and my parents.  My social and academic life was centered in my hometown. Eager to break free from the monotony of my environment, I accepted a spot in Fordham University’s Class of 2022. After a transformative first year in New York, away from Suburbia, I decided to spend the summer in London. While abroad, I did my fair share of sight-seeing, clubbing, theatre-going, studying, and wandering through the city. Yet, when I reflect back on my experience in London, my favorite part was the time I spent in the kitchen with my flatmates. “Can I help?” – these were the words that made my trip most meaningful. 

After completing my freshman year of college, I returned to my hometown for a short ten days, headed to Heathrow, and found myself standing in an apartment with five strangers in the middle of London. All strangers, we quickly assumed our place in the flat and plunged into orientation. In the flat we talked, watched TV together, laughed together, and even cried together. But it wasn’t until I discovered rhubarb at our local food market that we all truly bonded. I grabbed the rhubarb, scoured the neighborhood for pie crust, and picked up strawberries from the fruit market. I had never made strawberry rhubarb pie before, but I’d been watching my Aunt prepare it for years. When I returned to the flat and announced my plan I heard those three words I began this story with. I mixed the flour, sugar, and cinnamon, while one of the girls chopped strawberries, one chopped the rhubarb, and another spread the crust in a make-shift pie (frying) pan. Warmth filled our flat as strawberry juice bubbled and crust crisped in the oven. This pie became the catalyst for weekly and sometimes daily baking sessions that not only filled our flat with an irresistible aroma, but it also filled our flat with other students living in the building. Back at Fordham, our bonds forged in our british kitchen remain. And that’s why I am here, intrigued and engaged with “Food for Thought.”

Hey, my name is Nichole Calle and approximately two weeks ago, I turned 21 years old.

Currently, I am a senior at Fordham University studying Visual Arts–to be specific: photography–and am minoring in Philosophy; funnily enough, my major and minor were the reverse of what it is now. If you’re wondering about my plans after graduation, I have no idea; it’s best not to ask me that question.

I can tell you though that I have a dog named Shikah; she’s my buddy whenever I’m out photographing; sometimes, she’s the subject of my work. I’ve had her for just over a year now–got her as a puppy–and it’s been quite an experience. I have future plans to get a cat; she needs company. At least, that’s the excuse I tell myself; it’ll be fine!

Fun fact: I’m allergic to apples.

My name is Grace Howie and I am currently a senior at Fordham University studying Economics with a minor in Business Administration and German. I am 21 years old and I am from Miami, Florida, but I was born in Northport, New York. I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My younger brother, David, is currently a freshman here at Fordham! I have 3 golden retrievers that currently live with my parents in Miami.

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I am on the Sailing team here at Fordham and have been sailing since I was 7 years old. We practice 3 -4 afternoons a week at Morris Yacht and Beach Club on City Island. On weekends we travel to different schools for regattas to sail against 18 other colleges and universities. We sail 420s and FJs, which are double handed boats, and my position is the skipper.

I have had an amazing 3 years so far at Fordham and it is very bittersweet to be graduating this year.

Ann Pekata is a young, somewhat impulsive, loud, and incredibly enthusiastic and creative individual. As a child, she was often found in some hidey-hole curled up with a book, and her adult life is no different (just with more terrifying responsibilities). Some of her favorite books include Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, and the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco.That love of books led her to declare an English Major with a Creative Writing Concentration, as well as a German minor. This love of books has also led her to spend an egregious amount of money at bookstores. Ann has a fascination for true crime and reads about it quite heavily – causing a notable increase in her paranoia and in her friends’ exasperation. Ann’s favorite show is How to Get Away With Murder which says a lot about her; The Umbrella Academy is a close second. She also deals in card tricks and has dazzled many a roommate.

      Ann prefers to live in a world of fantasy. Her favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. While those are her favorites, she has a true love of movies and is constantly at the movie theater and loves to talk about movies in general. At the time of this writing (September 2019), she has seen The Goldfinch two days ago and still will not shut up about it. Speaking of things Ann won’t shut up about, do NOT mention Queen in front her – Queen is one of her favorite bands of all time, and is constantly listening to them, thinking about them, talking about them, and watching Bohemian Rhapsody. Easily going to be her top listened to artist on Spotify’s end of the year recap thing. Music is also big in Ann’s life – she is always listening to music, and if not, humming to herself and wishing she was listening to music instead of whatever noise real life is presenting her with. She’s a huge fan of Fall Out Boy – her other favorite band – and Spotify Premium is the best thing she has ever spent money on.

     Yeah, that’s Ann’s personality in a nutshell. She’s also fiercely devoted to her friends, full of love for her life so far, very passionate about her writing, extremely feminist, willing to square up whenever, and misses her dog Riley terribly, but that’s all sentimental so there’s no time for it here.  

Hello! My name is Alberina Latifaj and I’m a sophomore at Fordham University. I am originally from the Bronx but I have since moved to Mahopac, New York where I live with my parents and two siblings. My interests include, playing basketball, traveling and volunteering at my local hospital. I really enjoy helping people in any way that I can which is why I am considering applying for nursing programs directly after college. In addition to this, I am excited to have the opportunity this semester to serve as a volunteer at West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH). This organization seeks to alleviate the hunger crisis in New York City because it is something that affects people across a wide spectrum. What I find most interesting about this organization is that they aim to help their customers in the most respectable way possible by giving them the choice of which items they want from the pantry. This is a unique feature which allows WSCAH to have a greater impact on the community in NYC. I feel connected to this movement because I have many memories of my grandma back in Kosovo spending some of her days cooking meals for the under-privileged families surrounding their neighborhood. Her movement may not be as organized as a food pantry, but she does everything she can for these people and it has motivated me to want to do the same. I look forward to posting about my experience as a volunteer at WSCAH and hope to provide services that can help as many people as possible.