The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Sept. 7, to discuss the upcoming construction of the McShane Marketplace and dining plans for this academic year.
Vice President of Facilities and Dining Jamie Serruto, FCRH ’24, introduced Deming Yaun, university dining contract liaison, to give a presentation on the new dining locations for this year. Yaun introduced this new dining project as “Destination Dining,” saying that it is “Fordham’s bridge from the past to the future” and a “bridge of culinary excitement.” The first-floor Marketplace will be closed from October 2023 to July 2024, and, for the time being, they will be moving the marketplace to the second floor of the McShane Campus Center and Bepler Commons. Yaun stated that there would be a total of 14 dining locations on campus this year compared to the eight locations last year. Some of the new locations include two all-you-can-eat locations, a full-service food truck, pop-up push trucks located throughout campus, the Grab and Go store and the Bronx Bagel Company.
In the upstairs ballroom in the McShane Campus Center, there will be all-you-can-eat, allergy-friendly dining with a 250 seating capacity and the option to either dine in or dine out. This location will be opening Oct. 10. Bepler Commons will also be an all-you-can-eat location with allergy-friendly meal options and indoor and outdoor seating options. There will also be a full-service food truck that will rotate locations around campus throughout the week. The food truck’s location will rotate between being near Rodrigue’s and Martyrs’ Court, Starbucks and Finlay Hall. The Grab and Go dining location in the McShane Campus Center will be open anytime that McShane is open. Lastly, they are increasing outdoor seating around campus which will include a 208 outdoor seating capacity near Cosi, 80 outdoor seating capacity near Starbucks and a 192-outdoor seating capacity outside of Bepler Commons.
Vice President of Gabelli School of Business Catie Flores, GSB ’25, presented a budget request to make Gabelli merchandise. She explained that, in the Fordham bookstore, there is a very low amount of Gabelli School merchandise, so she thought that creating and selling more merchandise would be beneficial to the Gabelli students and would bring more awareness to Gabelli Dean’s Council. Vice President of Finance and Budgets Eron Malzman, GSB ’25, explained that he thought this idea might go over the Gabelli Dean’s Council’s budget. Flores said that she would look into what she can do about the funding for the merchandise. Vice President of Student Life Brian Ingaunti, FCRH ’24, presented his budget request for Keating Steps T-shirts, and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Mirei Fukushima, GSB ’25, presented her budget request for pizza for the Diversity Action Coalition’s first meeting.
Executive President Briana Al-Omoush announced that Senator Pro-Tempore elections will be this week. The Senator Pro-Tempore essentially acts as a liaison between Executive Vice President Ava Coogan, FCRH ’25, and the rest of the senate. Catherine McGlade, assistant dean for student involvement, said that the Collins Auditorium will be reopening sometime this week.
