The Rose Hill Residence Halls Association (RHA) is bringing back its annual Under the Tent dance, occurring on April 27 from 9 p.m. until midnight. Under the Tent is a 20+ year-old tradition at Fordham University. The actual tent structure will return for the 2024 dance, following a hiatus in the spring of 2023, when the dance was located in the McShane Campus Center.
Under the Tent is a formal, themed dance held on Martyrs’ Lawn open to all Fordham students. This year’s event is Masquerade Ball-themed. “We chose masquerade as the theme because we thought the student population would appreciate the classier event, and we knew we could deliver that to them through this theme,” said RHA Executive President Brinda Purimetla, FCRH ’24. Tickets, priced at $25, include a complimentary masquerade mask, snacks, water and desserts.
“Under the Tent is a truly unique event because it has historically been funded entirely by our organization,” said Purimetla. “As a student government, run by students and for students, our funds are not as expansive as other offices at this university. Whenever we hold Under the Tent, we operate at a large deficit. This is the reason why we must charge a ticket fee to attend the event so that we can continue to hold it in the years to come.”
RHA felt the post-pandemic effects of COVID-19, including the decline in funds for events and the increase in vendor costs. “For Under the Tent, in particular, the year-and-a-half-long pause in large campus activities meant that the funds we generally saw coming in from Under the Tent ticket sales were not available to us,” said Purimetla.
Post-pandemic, Under the Tent returned in 2022, but did not perform as well as in prior years. “When we were finally able to arrange Under the Tent in 2022, we discovered that the increased vendor prices, lack of revenue from the canceled UTTs in years prior and the general unfamiliarity with the event within our board and within our campus community meant that we operated at such a large deficit that ticket sales did not adequately make up for the money we had invested.”
Due to this decline in proceeds, RHA opted to host the inaugural Rose Ball on campus in 2023, held in the McShane Campus Center, instead of under a tent on Martyrs’ Lawn. However, students rallied for the return of the original Under the Tent.
“We wanted to listen, to serve our constituents in the way they saw best fit,” said Purimetla. “This year, in a collaboration with multiple campus offices and administrators, we are bringing back Under the Tent in a way that will allow us to sustainably hold the event in the future without tapping into the funds available for residential programming.”
“I am so excited to go to Under the Tent because I’ve never gone before because I’m a freshman, and I’m excited to have an excuse and opportunity to dress up!” said Roxanne Fernandes, GSB ’27.
The event is open to both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center students, undergraduate and graduate. The dress code is formal, with RHA encouraging attendees to wear floor-length gowns and suits. Entertainment includes music by a professional DJ. Tickets can be purchased online, or through the link on RHA’s Instagram page (@fordhamrha).
