Sabrina Ponzo – The Concordian

Starting the school year on a delicious note

Start your semester off on the right foot by avoiding fast-food and pricey cafeteria lunches. These recipes are quick, easy, and will make you look forward to those afternoon lunch breaks.

Lunchbox-ready couscous

1 cup of cooked couscous

1 sliced green onion

A handful of cubed tomatoes

Dried cranberries

Dried apricots

4-5 pecans

2-3 cocktail shrimp (optional)

Cilantro or parsley (for seasoning)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a tupperware. Drizzle olive oil over couscous when ready to eat.

Note: For a simple and quick way to cook one cup of couscous, add half a cup of uncooked couscous to a bowl. Pour in ¾ of a cup of hot water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for ten minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and enjoy!

Deli Turkey Burger

3-4 slices deli turkey

½ an avocado (sliced)

Burger bun (toasted)

4-5 arugula leaves

Honey Dijon mustard

Toast burger bun. Spread honey Dijon mustard on both ends. Add turkey slices, avocado, and arugula.

Vegetarian option: replace turkey slices with your favourite grilled vegetables. Coat the bun with hummus instead of honey Dijon mustard.

Greek-inspired Club Sandwich

3 slices of bread (toasted)

2 tablespoons of tzatziki

3-4 sun-dried tomatoes

3 romaine lettuce leaves

3 slices of cucumber

2-3 slices of feta cheese

A pinch of oregano

Spread tzatziki on the first slice of bread. Layer feta and cucumber slices. Sprinkle with a touch of oregano. Add the second slice of bread. Continue building the sandwich by adding lettuce and sun-dried tomatoes to the second half. Add tzatziki on the last slice of bread to complete the club sandwich. Cut it into four triangles. Secure with toothpicks for lunch bag.

TingLi Lorigiano is not your average 20-year-old. This first-year biology major and Italian minor student is no stranger to getting involved in both academic and community life.

“What catalyzed my decision to join was wanting to be a part of the Chinese community; to get in touch with my cultural roots and be a part of something bigger than me.”

Lorigiano will also begin training for The Miss Chinese International Pageant this coming January in Hong Kong.

“It means a lot to me to be able to carry the torch of our multicultural Montreal, and of the Montreal Chinese community, all the way to Hong Kong,” she explained. “It’s an honour and I hope to embody all the strength that being an Italian-Chinese Canadian from Montreal gives me.”

Lorigiano said the best part of being involved in both these areas is being able to strengthen university-community development.

“Because I am both Italian and Chinese, cross-cultural communication has integrated itself into how I can better facilitate growth and accomplishment of the Concordia student body and the Chinese community.”

Lorigiano said her involvement with academic and social initiatives at Concordia came naturally. Both in high school and CÉGÉP, Lorigiano was actively involved in extracurricular activities, organizing events and clubs, and volunteering.

“I think it’s all about bringing students together and helping them achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals as best as possible,” she said.

During her first year at Concordia, Lorigiano decided to run for an ASFA executive position even though no first-year student had ever done so.

“My mandate isn’t even over and I’ve already learned how to lead better, how to manage teams and projects, how to push myself to being a better person both personally and professionally,” she stated. “Most of my learning has come from my peers and mentors that I was fortunate enough to meet along my way at ASFA.”

With pageant practice three times a week, a five-class course load, ASFA projects, and six final exams to study for all in one semester, Lorigiano explains how important her motivation is when it comes to being a part of so many things.

“Its all about intrinsic motivation.You need a drive, a vision, an inspiration. With purpose you can pave any path you’d like to take by being a goal getter and productive in all avenues.”

During her free time, Lorigiano enjoys Hatha yoga, song-writing, and tutoring as an alumni student at Vanier College. She shared her thoughts on what her future goals and aspirations entail:

“First and foremost I hope that I can finally put Montreal and Concordia on the map in the Miss Chinese International 2014 Beauty Pageant. As for future careers, I think my plans are still in the creative process. All I know is that it has to be something that will allow me the opportunity to have ideas and plans and goals to offer the world.”