Jazi Riley and other students on a service trip during Mission Week.
JAZI RILEY / COURTESY
Victoria Schiller, Senior Writer
Mission Week at Manhattan University took place from Monday, April 7 to Thursday, April 10. Various events inspired by Saint John Baptiste de La Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian schools [the order that founded MU] took place, and students were encouraged to take part in these service opportunities to celebrate and give back to the community.
The Quadrangle had the opportunity to catch up with the key planners involved and students who took part in the week’s activities and events.
Evelyn McGreevey, a junior finance major, took part in the event where care kits were made for Concourse House, a local Bronx women’s shelter. Students gathered to pack bags with several different items including socks, tissues, toiletries and notes of encouragement for those living in the shelter.
“I feel like everyone that goes to Manhattan University can attest to the fact that the school itself and the Riverdale area is like a family,” McGreevey said. “Everyone’s so sweet and willing to help each other out so being able to give back to the people in the community is really nice. I feel really proud of myself and my school. I’ve seen so many people giving back today and it’s really amazing seeing how everyone can come together with the common goal of helping out the community.”
ELIZABETH KALAJ / THE QUADRANGLE
Jazi Riley, president of the student body, was an active member of this year’s Mission Week. She wrote to The Quadrangle via email about how she became involved, and what the week is all about.
“Dr. Saracino asked for student government (SGA) and for me to get involved and lead this year after participating last year,” Riley wrote. “SGA has tried to be a hub of advocacy and a social body, and the Lasallian Day of Service allowed us to help out in a larger community effort. Lasallian Day of Service is about recentering and remembering the Lasallian mission on campus. It’s an opportunity to actively contribute to the campus and overall community.”
Vladimir Lee, a business administration graduate student at MU, also works as the graduate assistant for Campus Ministry and Social Action. Lee spoke a little bit about what Mission Week means to him, as well as why it is so important to continuously give back to the communities around campus..
“Mission Week is so important for the Manhattan University community because it gives us all a chance to give back,” Lee said. “Sometimes I don’t like that term because I feel like a lot of us always give back in everything we do. It doesn’t even need to be for a community that is in need, but it’s good to recognize those that may need more help than we already get every day. Everyone on this campus for the most part is blessed enough that they have the ability to go to this school, whether they work here or are a student here, and there’s people that are around us within Riverdale or any other part of the Bronx that sometimes do need more help. I’m very happy to be a part of campus ministry and social action and they did a great job of organizing a lot of events this week to help our community.”