On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Rose Hill Student Government (USG) met to discuss club proposals and special elections on campus.

The start of the meeting consisted of special election campaigns which began with Maria Narvaez, GSB ’24. Narvaez stated that she wants to be a part of change in the Fordham community and campus life. She hopes to include more foreign language-inclusive campus tours. Narvaez explained that many international students’ parents do not speak English and are unable to understand the tour guides. With this initiative, Narvaez hopes to create a more inclusive environment for international students and their families. She also stated that she hopes to expand the commuter students’ locker spaces and include more diverse companies in Gabelli Ground Floor meetings. Vice President of Operations Lauren Walcyzk, FCRH ’25, asked if she would be open to working with international integration for her initiative, and Narvaez said that she was planning on contacting them for this project.

Nicholas Chipelo, GSB ’26, presented his campaign for the special elections position as GSB senator of the class of 2026. Chipelo began his campaign by stating that he has loved being a part of the Fordham community and would now like to give back to them. He stated that he wants to improve the learning environment and to give students better access to nutritional information at on-campus dining areas. Senator Reese Dains, FCRH ’26, asked how he plans on bridging the gap between Fordham College Rose Hill students and Gabelli students.

Chipelo answered that he has not noticed a huge gap between FCRH and GSB students. However, he also stated that, if that gap becomes too large, he would try to find some way to unite the students.

Lastly, Michael Duke, GSB ’26, presented his campaign for the senator of the class of 2026 GSB to the student government. Duke stated that he is a part of the Fordham Marketing Association, had an internship with a non-profit organization in the Bronx and that he attended a panel discussion to learn more about leadership positions. He explained that he wants to improve the school and be a voice for the Gabelli class of 2026. Duke said that he wants to focus on improving security right outside of campus because of the many assaults that have happened, and he would also like to improve the student government marketing. Vice President of Health and Security Emily Kennedy, FCRH ’24, asked how he plans on improving the safety of students outside of campus to which Duke said that he would like to work on improving the marketing of the Ram Path on Arthur Avenue because many students are not aware of it.

Maria Narvaez, GSB ’24, was elected as a Senator of the Class of 2024 GSB and Nicholas Chipelo, GSB ’26, was elected as a Senator of the Class of 2026 GSB.

Walcyzk said that the club fair was very successful with more than 140 clubs and organizations participating. Vice President of Student Life Brian Inguanti, FCRH ’24, stated that their committee size increased significantly and that club room applications will be sent out in February. Chairman of the Committee on International Integration Luisa Rosa, FCRH ’24, introduced her next project idea which is to get economic majors placed under the STEM program so that international students who major in economics can get a work visa that will last up to three years. She explained that international students with degrees in STEM programs are allowed to have work visas for up to three years while non-STEM international students can only receive a work visa for one year. Additionally, Rosa stated that many universities have economics listed under their STEM programs, but Fordham does not.