By Cailin McKenna
Students returned to campus on Monday after a week-long spring break, and were met with the Commuting Student Association’s (CSA) annual Commuter Week. The week long program is open to both commuters and residents, and hosts innovative events around a central theme.
In years past, the week has included themes such as Broadway, Comic Con and Netflix, and has received great support from the Fordham community. There is a large turn out from students, who are incentivized by free food, entertainment and prizes. Events provide an opportunity for both commuters and residents to socialize.
“Our main goal is always to bridge the gap and ensure that commuter students know they have a home here on campus,” said Jessica Giglio, FCRH ’15 and president of CSA.
“Fordham Students have been incredibly receptive to each year’s theme and mostly because each year we bring such a variety of events to Fordham,” said Giglio.
The theme of this year’s program is “Through the Decades,” which will take commuters and residents through 300 years of history beginning with eighteenth-century France and ending with a 1990s throwback. CSA has planned 11 events for this year’s schedule, up from the usual nine events.
“Our Executive Board thought long and hard about the perfect theme for the week and unanimously,” Giglio said. “We decided that a decades theme would allow us to have the most eclectic variety.”
The week kicked off on Monday with Ramily Feud, an interactive trivia game played with groups of four. In addition to trivia, CSA continued to provide activities for students with a variety of interests including jazzercise, socials, tea parties and guest speakers.
Continuing with the theme, CSA tackled the 1960s with two major events, including the inaugural commuter-friendly dance social, which took place on Tuesday in McGinley Center and was cosponsored by Peer Educators. Additionally, on Wednesday, March 25, Mark Naison, a professor of African American studies and history, gave a lecture on student involvement in the 1960s and what current college students can learn.
CSA will also work with student groups such as ASILI, Fordham’s Black Student Alliance, in hosting their annual dinner and dance event known as Black and Gold in the McGinley Ballroom.
This year, CSA will also bring a rollerskating rink to Fordham. On Thursday, March 26, the rink will set up shop in McGinley second to celebrate the 1950s.
While planning for the event was a lot of work for Giglio and her fellow executive board members, she believes that CSA has been an instrumental part of her Fordham experience.
“CSA has been my home for the past four years and a large part of that stems from the relationships I’ve made in the planning of events like Commuter Week,” she said. “I hope all Fordham students have the chance to attend commuter week and see all the hard work that goes into the week.”
The week will conclude with the event Ram’s Got Talent on Saturday, March 28 at 5 p.m. in Fordham Prep’s Leonard Auditorium. The show will consist of 10 Fordham students who were chosen from auditions to showcase their talent.
