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RT12292016

22 DECEMBER 29, 2016 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM M.V. native wins big scholarship BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM @A_GIUDICEREPORT A college student from Middle Village was one of two students from New York to have been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship, which will allow her to continue her education in England. Faiza Masood currently majors in religion (in the special honors program) with dual minors in Arabic studies and Asian-American studies at Hunter College. The Marshall Scholarship will allow her to earn a master’s degree studying Islamic Law with an emphasis on gender studies and family law at the University of London or Oxford. Masood is no stranger to winning scholarships and fellowships, as she has already won a summer fellowship to study Arabic in both Jordan and Morocco. And, in the fall of 2015, Masood was chosen to attend the Harvard Divinity School’s Diversity and Explorations Program. “We are so proud of Faiza and very pleased that her hard work both in and out of the classroom is being recognized by this prestigious program,” said Jennifer J. Raab, president at Hunter College. “In Arabic, Faiza means winner, and Faiza certainly is one.” Masood was raised in Middle Village by her parents who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. Her father worked in a candy store for most of her life, and her mother is a homemaker. Their family is both dedicated and hardworking, and they never took a vacation in order to save for their children’s education. Masood now wants to use what she has learned, and what she will learn in the future, to shed a new light on Islamic Law, which many people perceive as being infl exible. Through her studies, however, Masood has discovered that historically Islamic Law is nuanced and sophisticated, and wants to see it continue to evolve to refl ect the current times. “It is very much time for Islamic scholars interpreting sources to come up with new law that is appropriate for this new modern context,” she said. This Middle Village high school spread some holiday cheer with toy and blood drives BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM @A_GIUDICEREPORT The Christ the King community in Middle Village was in the giving spirit last week, as the high school hosted its annual toy drive and semi-annual blood drive. Christ the King High School’s toy drive helped provide a merry Christmas for the children at Cohen’s Hospital — formerly Schneider’s Children Hospital — at Long Island Jewish, where children with cancer received the toys donated by the CK Campus. Toys weren’t the only things being donated at Christ the King this holiday season. The community also hosted its Semi-Annual Blood Drive in conjunction with the New York Blood Center at the high school. Eligible seniors took time from their busy school schedules to give the gift of life this holiday season by donating their blood, and were able to collect over 100 pints of blood. The New York Blood Center is always in need of blood, all year round, not just when disasters strike. “We at Christ the King High School are proud of the students that came Christ the King High School held a toy drive and blood drive to give back during the holidays. out to donate blood and donate toys to children with cancer,” said Christ the King High School’s Principal Peter Mannarino. “Christ the King has Photos courtesy of Christ the King High School always strived to instill a strong sense of moral values and civic mindedness in our students and we are pleased that they are setting an example for others.” Local bank shows the 'Spirit of Ridgewood' BY ANTHONY GIUDICE AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM @A_GIUDICEREPORT Ridgewood Savings Bank and its employees are certainly in the holiday spirit this year. Through the bank’s “Spirit of Ridgewood” program, this year, 340 Ridgewood Savings Bank employees gave nearly 2,400 hours of their time and helped raise over $67,000 for their favorite charitable organizations such as The Inn, St. John’s Bread & Life, Room to Grow, The East 233rd Street Senior Center, Yorkville Common Pantry, World Vision and Forestdale. Leonard Stekol, president and COO of Ridgewood Savings Bank, was proud to announce that 147 employees volunteered 10 or more hours, while 29 volunteered over 20 hours to help these nonprofi t organizations. “Through the ‘Spirit of Ridgewood’ program we participated in 68 events and raised over $67,500, all through the eff orts of our employees,” Stekol said. “I am so proud of the way our employees give their time so generously all year long to these worthy organizations. This incredible eff ort is rarely recognized outside the charities we help, but so Employees of Ridgewood Saving Bank donated their time and money to several charitable organizations this year. Pictured from left to right: Iris Fung, Elizabeth Martinez, Rudra Rupchand, Jonathan Coopersmith, Steven Toth, Bethsabe Sierra, Kathleen Gaglio, Pramella Bipat and Jenny Khuu. appreciated by the directors and the deserving people each charity helps.” One of the organizations Ridgewood Savings Bank partners with through the “Spirit of Ridgewood” program is The Inn (Interfaith Nutrition Network), which works to help the hungry and homeless of Long Island by providing food, shelter, long-term housing, and supportive services. “Ridgewood Savings Bank has been a huge supporter of The Inn for over 20 years,” said Jean Kelly, executive Photo courtesy of Ridgewood Savings Bank director of The Inn. “Employees are front and center at our fundraising events and familiar faces as volunteers in our soup kitchen. They have donated countless items that guests desperately need for daily basic survival, including food, clothing and personal care items. We are deeply humbled to have this level of support from the staff and management of Ridgewood Savings Bank and consider them an important part of The Inn’s family.”


RT12292016
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