The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met to discuss new business and elections on Thursday, Sept. 14.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative stated that they had their first meeting last week and discussed different ways to increase student turnout at athletic events. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) representative said that campaigning for elections began last week.
The two candidates running for President Pro Tempore, Isaac Muir, FCRH ’26, and Jack Hanus, FCRH ’24, presented their campaigns to the senate. Hanus said that he felt qualified for the position of president pro tempore because he has had many years of experience on USG and that he is a very approachable, amicable person, and those qualities are important for this position. Muir stated that he greatly values what the senate has done and wants to be there to support them in their future proposals. Muir was elected as the new President Pro Tempore.
Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, presented the new bylaws for the Facilities and Dining Committee. The committee is now led by a committee chair that must be elected by the student body. There are three new subcommittees, including health and nutrition, sustainability and facilities.
There is also a new mission statement. These changes to the bylaws were approved by the Senate.
Executive President Briana Al-Omoush, FCRH ’24, announced that they will have a full senate by their next meeting as the class of 2027 elections will have been completed. Al-Omoush announced that there are two town hall meetings planned for this semester, and the first one is currently scheduled for Oct. 3 but is still subject to change. She also stated that the Student Life Council will be meeting this Wednesday at 3 p.m. in McShane 112.
Senator Nicky D’Abundo, FCRH ’26, had the idea of creating an Instagram page for each class senate to provide more visibility to the student body. Al-Omoush said that they will be creating the Instagram accounts soon.
Vice President of Finance and Budgets Eron Maltzman, GSB ’25, explained that there is not much money available for tabling events this semester as USG is block-funded for $9,000 and there was an unexpected cost. He also announced that the Finance and Budget committees’ vice chair was elected and that liaisons were assigned to every club. Vice President of Communications Ariadna Wong, FCRH ’25, stated they are closing committee applications, and they are considering sending out a survey to the student body to see how much they know about USG.
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Mirei Fukushima, GSB ’25, said that the Diversity Action Coalition had their first meeting last Monday, and they assigned subcommittee heads.
Senator Karam Youssef, GSB ’26, said that he spoke with Dr. Jeffrey Ng about advertising programs to the student body and about restarting Active Minds, a national organization that works towards mental health. Senator Deborah Adebanjo, FCRH ’26, said that she is hoping to collaborate with Serruto about having more diverse dining options, such as kosher, halal, vegan, etc., available on campus. Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, announced that Collins Auditorium is now open.
