The Fordham Rose Hill United Student Government (USG) met on Thursday, Oct. 30, to discuss a Day of Service event in order to help the Bronx community and voted on proposals regarding student registration websites and excusing absences for voting.
The USG Vice President of International Integration Jenny Hong, FCRH ’28, presented a budget request of $700 for her committee’s Culture Fest. The budget request was approved.
Vice President of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Hunter Gholson, GSB ’26, requested a new microphone to film talk videos. Gholson also shared about an organization, Youths for Excellence, that is raising money for relief efforts for schools affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
The USG Vice President of Sustainability Ayden Johnson, FCRH ’27, submitted a budget request for housekeeping supplies for his committee. Johnson also shared on the behalf of Vice President of Facilities and Dining Maddie Ando, FCRH ’27, who was absent from the meeting, that her committee submitted a budget request for tabling and prizes for events.
The USG proposal committee shared their final tweaks on their proposal for improving the registration website. Senator Henry Carstens, FCRH ’29, shared that they added more testimonies and changed the wording when discussing how to fix the restrictions part of the page. USG voted to pass the proposal.
They then voted on Senator Anna Brown’s, FCRH ’27, proposal to have the act of voting constitute an excused absence. The proposal was passed.
USG Senator Ava Cascella, FCRH ’26, announced that the proposal group for offering lower-level meal plans has put their plan on paper. They want a plan that better suits commuter students’ needs (which includes fewer commitments), options for 70 or 30 swipes and smaller packages of 10, 15 or 25 swipes, all priced the same as the student swipe-in rate at the Rose Hill Marketplace. Executive Vice President Andrew McDonald, FCRH ’26, suggested calling for a motion to table pending language of the proposal and potential changes to it. Cascella mentioned the need to discuss pricing adjustments, look over the proposed microplans, gain more survey data and ensure the plans are helpful for both commuter and off-campus students.
Executive President Lucas Hjertberg, FCRH ’26, called attention to the fact that millions of Americans will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the United States government shutdown. McDonald reminded everyone that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared this a state of emergency.
These benefits serve an average of 41.7 million people per month or 12.3% of U.S. residents during the 2024 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In New York City, there are reported to be 2.9 million recipients. There are over 40% of Bronx residents that rely on SNAP, which represents the highest percentage of all New York City boroughs, and one in three Bronx children are food-insecure, according to CBS.
During last week’s USG meeting, they voted on using discretionary funding for a Day of Service. Hjertberg shared that the day of service should be a food-related event to help give back to the Bronx community. Hjertberg had said they could possibly partner with Fordham Food Walks and a couple of Fordham’s service clubs.
Hjertberg also said they can spend the discretionary funding on different things, whether ingredients for sandwiches or canned goods. Hjertberg added that USG would like to speak to Fordham’s Office of External Affairs, the Fordham Center for Community and Engaged Learning and Fordham’s Office of Community Affairs to figure out the best way to disperse food and funding. A date for this event has not been determined.
The USG Vice President of Operations Tina Pathak, FCRH ’28, explained that she left the new club form open for two months this semester, rather than the traditional two to three weeks, and plans to do so next semester. Vice Chair of the Budget Committee Siri Bhat, GSB ’27, shared that, along with operations packets, budget packets were due on Nov. 1, although that deadline was then extended to Nov. 3.
Johnson shared that the next Fordham flea event will hopefully be able to donate to Part of the Solution. He also shared that they would like to have a Halloween costume drive. Students who donate their costumes will receive a discount at the next flea. This would then lead to a Halloween costume sale for next year.
Ando’s report shared that the USG Wellness Day will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Hjertberg also had reminded everyone that President Tania Tetlow’s Chief of Staff Michael R. Trerotola, Ph.D., is attending the next meeting on Nov. 6.
