By The Editorial Board

“Home is where the heart is.” It is a relatable cliché that removes the idea of home as a place and replaces it with the suggestion that home can be anywhere a person is happy. To many, home can be the place where they grew up, the place where they currently reside or somewhere else; the list can go on ad infinitum. The idea of home penetrates the heart and mind of every person on this planet, and each has his or her own definition of the place in which he or she feels most comfortable.

Fordham has made numerous strides toward ensuring that its campus feels like a home for its reidents. From the integrated learning communities to the improvements to facilities we see on a daily basis, Fordham is working toward making Rose Hill a place where residents can feel comfortable resting at night, even within the hustle and bustle of the of metropolis New York City.

On-campus living functions as much more than mere living quarters. It allows residents to grow together from the time they first arrive on campus until graduation, and covers all of the growing pains of adjusting to college life in between. Fordham’s residence halls accommodate their students with increasing proficiency, even as many students abandon Rose Hill for off-campus apartments. These halls are a place where students can seize the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in student life, an experience that can only be described as once in a lifetime. With plenty of time to live in cramped studio apartments after graduation, why would one not choose to live among peers?

One of the most recent improvements is the laundry altert system, which can tell residents when washing machines and dryers become available and when their clothes are finished with the cycle. The days of wet piles of clothing all over laundry room floors seem to be coming to an end with the advent of this system. This new initiative follows the Office of Residential Life’s decision to begin installation of ID swipe systems to replace physical keys for the front doors of some residence halls. We at The Fordham Ram hope to see improvements grow as time progresses.

The experience of being engaged in an intellectual community is invaluable, and can only be truly provided by on-campus residence halls. Recent advances are encouraging and we greet them with great optimism. We hope that Fordham students will take note and advantage of the improvements and continue to make on-campus living a memorable experience.