Fordham University’s United Student Government (USG) spent its Dec. 4 meeting moving forward proposals on dining, summer housing and student employment while planning a town hall on contraceptive access and sexually transmitted infection (STI) protections in the student handbook.
Executive President Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, and Executive Vice President Andrew McDonald, FCRH ’26, announced an official USG town hall on Fordham’s contraceptive policies and STI protections, scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. in Bepler Hall.
The event centers on a proposal to revise the student handbook’s contraceptives section. In it, a rule currently states that while personal possession of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and birth control is not prohibited, distribution is prohibited “on Fordham University property, using University resources, and at University-sponsored events.” The draft would remove the phrase “on Fordham University property,” thus intending to allow these resources to be distributed on campus.
Senator Henry Carstens, FCRH ’29, and Vice President of Health and Security Aidan Costella, FCRH ’27, are helping organize the town hall.
USG plans to invite 57 clubs to the town hall, including the Fordham College Democrats. They also plan to circulate the proposal and an accompanying petition by mass email and social media and gather testimony from students.
According to USG, posts on social media have alleged a rise in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and STI cases at Fordham, but USG did not cite official data showing an increase.
When asked about these reports, McDonald said that even if they are untrue, the fact that students are talking about sexual health is itself a reason to propose an amendment to the policy and strengthen protections for contraceptive distribution on campus.
Hjertberg and McDonald then led a discussion on a pilot program to extend Marketplace dining hall hours. The proposal compares Fordham’s hours to peer institutions and would likely keep the Marketplace open until around 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, with earlier openings or other changes on weekends.
Vice President of Dining and Facilities Maddie Ando, FCRH ’27, told senators that any changes would take time to implement and that final hours would be set by Facilities and Dining rather than USG. Ando clarified that future, permanent changes may impact the price of meal plans. The senate approved the pilot framework.
A student attendee, Charles Quimby, GSB ’29, presented a proposal to bring a soft serve ice cream machine back to campus dining. Quimby described two machines, one costing about $6,000 and another, more advanced machine costing about $16,000. Ando said Dining Services would research details such as delivery, installation and cleaning, and that if the proposal passes, the cost would likely come from the existing dining budget rather than student fees.
Hjertberg and McDonald also announced a Facilities and Dining internships initiative that would expand paid student positions within the department. The one-page outline described roles split by area, such as engineering and contracts, with students working eight to 20 hours per week at a rate of $18 to $22 per hour. The goal is to give students hands-on experience working with campus trades and operations staff. Senators voted to approve the plan.
Housing policy also appeared on the agenda. Ando introduced an “Improvement of Summer Living Conditions” proposal after meetings with Residential Life. Administrators have already set locations for summer housing in 2026, so any changes USG recommends would take effect in 2027. The proposal asks the university to shift summer housing to residence halls such as Walsh Hall or O’Hare Hall, which offer more amenities, such as individual bathrooms and a kitchen, rather than Martyrs’ Court, the current hall used for summer housing.
Vice President of Sustainability Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27, requested discretionary funding for eco-friendly trash bags.
Vice President of Finance and Budget Peter Grimes, FCRH ’26, and Vice Chair of the Budget Committee Siri Bhat, GSB ’27, reported on budget reallocations totaling more than $12,000 and noted that Budget Day had passed through the Student Life Council, granting block funding to organizations such as Fordham Experimental Theater which had its funding raised from $3,615 to $9,800 and El Grito which had its funding raised from $7,500 to $10,000.
Vice President of Student Life Luc Angus, FCRH ’26, reported on recent club suite inspections and announced that the student art show is postponed to Jan. 27.
Vice President of Communications Yeonsu Son, FCRH ’27, said representative pages on USG’s website have been updated. 13 representative pages, however, still link to out-of-date profiles or give 404 errors when clicked. Additionally, many committee pages are also out of date.
Vice President of Fordham College at Rose Hill Mary Hawthorn, FCRH ’26, described a FCRH Deans’ Council meeting and subcommittee reports.
Costella said the university is interviewing candidates for a new assistant dean in the Title IX office.
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Laila Sayegh, FCRH ’27, highlighted a Christmas card drive and Meals on Wheels collaboration and said she hopes to write about disability on campus before she graduates.
USG also recognized Carstens as November’s Senator of the Month and held a “Secret Swap,” a non-denominational gift exchange similar to Secret Santa, where members traded items ranging from books and LEGO sets to a 1974 Franklin D. Roosevelt pin.
