Final Practicum Report

This second half in the semester I worked closely with two of the subgroups within the Climate Impact Team here at Fordham. The first of which I would like to talk about is “Rams Against Aramark”, where our mission was to raise awareness about the dark side of Fordham’s provider Aramark with the end goal being to replace them with an alternative company. Aramark not only is known for their environmentally damaging practices, but also for their involvement in the industrial prison complex, something that my group leaders were extremely passionate about. For me personally, this was not something that I had really ever explored before and near little to nothing about. I found learning about not only the industrial prison complex as a whole was important information to have as an adult in this world, but becoming educated on Aramark and its flaws held weight too as I am currently eating their food three to four times a day while at school.

Rams Against Aramark met every Thursday every week this entire semester, barring a couple missed meetings due to exams or conflicting schedules. The typical meeting would involve talking about how to raise awareness about the crimes of Aramark throughout the Fordham student body, specifically using technology and social media as the mechanism to do so. We also would recap the leaders’ meetings with higher-ups at Fordham in regards to making the change and our group being able to have a better platform with the possibility of eventually coming into contact with Father McShane on the subject. We also discussed planning events where we would provide a meal for students as a form of protest against Aramark and Fordham’s support of the company.

The most important thing I took away from Rams Against Aramark was a better understanding of what it is like to have a voice as a student here at Fordham. Though this may not be something that directly correlates to the environment, it will help me in future environmental endeavors, such as demanding Fordham create an area for composting, improve their recycling and waste management systems, or lowering their carbon footprint. It seemed every time we made progress as a unit in Rams Against Aramark, someone higher up at Fordham would always make us take a step back. Though there was always someone to listen to what we had to say, not many of them took it to heart nor put what we suggested or requested into action. I also got a better understanding of how important unity is in a club or group that is fighting against a “bigger” opposition so to speak. Each member of the group had their own role, whether it be research, social media management, or meeting with officials. Overall, the Rams Against Aramark educated me on a problem within the Fordham community and its connection to a much larger real life issue as well as gave me the experience of working in an advocacy group for the first time in my life.

The second subgroup I was in this semester was “Community Business Partnerships”, which is a group I would be interested in not only continuing to work with next year, but also one I may want to lead eventually. Supporting the local community in the Bronx and New York City as a whole is something that I’m very passionate about because as a resident I feel we should be consistently working to improve our community and uplift those we share it with and their businesses. With that being said, my favorite project that we worked on in Community Business Partnerships was working with local restaurants within the two Fordham (Lincoln Center and Rose Hill) communities. Everyday on my way to the gym on Webster Avenue, I walk by a locally owned bakery called “Confectionaires”, they have fantastic pastries for breakfast and also serve coffee, something that nearly all college students consume on a daily basis. However, I have never seen any Fordham students there when I either walk by or go into the storefront myself. I proposed to the group that we reach out to Confectionaires to maybe plan a catering event through Fordham or provide a student discount that will get students in the door. As of two weeks ago, I can say we successfully achieved the latter of the two ideas and Fordham students can receive 15% off their order with a Fordham ID every Tuesday! I hope that next year we can expand the amount of relationships with local restaurants like this as it not only helps support the local economy but also diverts students away from Aramark and not for nothing provides students with simply better food. I specifically want to look into supporting businesses with sustainable practices, such as using locally sourced produce and poultry or vegan/vegetarian establishments.

Community Business Partnerships also required me to research and learn about New York City based environmental groups and organizations, many of which I was very interested in. GrowNYC is a non-profit organization that works to improve the environment quality of life in all areas of New York City, which to me is something very important as we have previously discussed the issues of environmental injustice and racism across the city. Community Business Partnerships in my opinion can give Fordham students the avenue to make not only Fordham a more environmentally friendly community but also New York City in its entirety. I look forward to working with this group next semester and to one day take it to the next level and expand our platform and outreach.

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