Andrew “Dru” Alvez is the assistant director of Intercultural Affairs. He is the liaison for all students of marginalized backgrounds and heads the Bridges First-Gen Mentorship Program. Dru also works with Posse Scholars. He came to Union in 2017 as part of the Residential Life team. Dru lives in Schenectady with his wife, Asia, and young daughter, Alana. A Capital Region native, he grew up in Albany, N.Y.
FIRST APP YOU LOOK AT IN THE MORNING: Emocha
ONE BOOK YOU HAVE READ MULTIPLE TIMES: "Beer & Circus" by Murray Sperber. This book takes a deep dive into what makes college athletics and the party scene associated with it so lucrative – and why many prospective undergrads choose a college based on these factors.
BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED: Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: Messa Rink. Big hockey fan. Go U!
GO-TO BREAKFAST: BaconEggNCheese (Yes, that’s one word, lol.)
NETFLIX OR AMAZON: Netflix. Too many hit shows – “On My Block,” “Tiger King,” “Atypical,” “Making A Murderer,” etc.
FAVORITE PODCAST: “All The Smoke” with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. I love hearing the unique perspective of these NBA players on all kinds of different topics, not just basketball.
ONE SKILL YOU WISH YOU HAD: I wish I could play an instrument or sing.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PANDEMIC DIVERSION/ACCOMPLISHMENT: Easy, watching “Tiger King.” “Tiger King” was the beginning of my quarantine TV-watching and it did a great job of entertaining me.
BEST PART OF YOUR DAY: Picking up my daughter from school when she has a great day. Alana is full of energy after school and is excited to see me and tell me how her day was.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOU: I have dunked on at least three former NBA players. O.J. Mayo is one of them.