By Helen Stevenson

During the month of February, the Strategic Initiatives team within Fordham College Rose Hill is honoring student nominees for “Who Do You Love at Fordham?” The program serves to highlight staff and faculty members on the Rose Hill campus that contribute to the university community in a meaningful, positive way.

The Strategic Initiatives team is composed of Professor Rachel Annunziato, Ph.D., Dean Christie-Belle Garcia, Annunziato’s graduate assistant Abigail Kedik, FCRH ’18, and the FCRH Communications and Outreach intern Grace Little, FCRH ’20.

Annunziato said that the group is honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the nominated individuals. She said it is part of the university’s effort to maintain a sense of community on campus.

“We are deeply committed to community-building and celebrating those who enhance our lives here,” she said. “‘Who Do You Love’ is a great old song that we thought captured the spirit of this.”

Nominees are given a shout out on the FCRH Instagram, Facebook and Twitter under the handle @fordhamfcrh. The Strategic Initiatives team posts two nominations every Tuesday, including one staff member and one faculty member.

“We have invited, via email blasts, all FCRH students to send in nominations,” Annunziato said.

The first nominee was Martin Broadbelt, staff member in the Marketplace cafeteria.

According to the post, nominees praised Broadbelt for his omelet-making abilities and kind demeanor.

“Martin not only makes great omelets, but he goes out of his way to make sure students’ days are off to a good start with his kind words,” said one student in a nomination. “Waking up early can be hard, but Martin brightens students’ days every day with a kind smile and encouraging messages, especially during midterms and finals.”

The next nominated university figure featured was Eve Keller, Ph.D., who serves the university community as an English professor and the director of the Honors Program.

One nomination for Keller described the way she goes beyond her expectations and responsibilities as a professor and director.

“She cares about students personally and has reshaped the Honors Program over the past few years because of student input,” the nomination read. “Dr. Keller is spunky, hard-working, and kind, and I am very lucky to have gotten to know her here at Fordham.”

On the second week of “Who Do You Love at Fordham?,” the Strategic Initiative posted to honor Rev. Thomas Schirgi, S.J., a theology professor at the university.

In their nomination, one student said that Schirgi was the best professor they have had at the university because he embodies all ideals of Jesuit education and cura personalis.

“When you think of what a professor at Fordham should be like, Fr. embodies all aspects of it,” the student wrote. “He not only presents interesting material, but pushes one to better understand his or her faith.”

Burt Scipio, a security guards on campus, was nominated on Feb. 12. Scipio has worked at the university for 14 years.

In a nomination for Scipio, one student wrote that he not only works to keep Fordham’s campus a safe environment, but he works to keep it a happy and welcoming one, too.

“Burt is one of those people who just always makes you smile,” the student wrote. “He’s the kind of person that you look forward to seeing even on your worst days.”

Annunziato said the nominations are often inspiring and kind-hearted – so much so, the team intends to continue the event in the future.

“Given the wonderful reception by our students and how much this acknowledgement has meant to nominees, we do plan for this to become an annual event,” she said. “In March we will begin to celebrate students from each class year on our social media too.”