On Thursday, Sept. 19, Fordham University Rose Hill’s United Student Government (USG) met to conduct special elections and review progress on initiatives, specifically from their meeting with President Tania Tetlow.
A special election took place at this meeting to fill the vacant Class of 2027 senate position. The vacancy occurred after the previous senator Mike Rodriguez, FCRH ’27, took the role of vice president of facilities and dining last week.
Katelyn Martins, FCRH ’27, ran for and won the open senate position. Martins, who is both a first-generation American and college student, aims to enhance the experience of other students with similar backgrounds at Fordham. Martins discussed one of her biggest issues on campus, which is not knowing if washing machines in residence halls are available and having to drag her clothes just for the machines to be filled. To solve this issue, Martins proposed the implementation of an app that would be able to see the remaining load time and availability of machines. When asked by The Fordham Ram if this plan could be implemented without replacing existing machines, Martins said she believes it would be possible, noting success at other colleges including the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Florida State University. Additionally, Martins said she would like to be an advocate for mental health and plans to create more mental health programs like online journaling events. Martins also plans to bring local small businesses onto campus for events such as farmers’ markets. Martins was elected following a brief vote. Two positions for the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) Senate for the Class of 2025 remain open.
This was the first meeting including the newly elected Class of 2028 senators. These newly elected FCRH ’25 senators, a GSB ’26 senator, Martins and Rodriguez, were all sworn in by Dean Christopher Rodgers after reciting the oath of USG.
Yeonsu Son, the Residence Hall Association’s chief communication officer, presented the status of residence hall elections to USG. All required forms have been filled out except for Finlay Residence Hall, where no one ran due to a miscommunication.
USG representatives recently met with Tetlow to discuss and provide feedback on proposals from last year. Tetlow addressed the challenges and potential flexibility in increasing employment opportunities for international students. She noted that fixing the system for faculty work visas is difficult but has been a priority. This comes after some faculty members were deported last year when their visas expired, and Fordham was unable to renew them in time. Tetlow also mentioned her own challenges with the study abroad office. The group discussed a need for adequate career resources for Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) compared to GSB. Higher-quality feminine products may be coming to public restrooms, specifically the McShane Campus Center and Keating Hall, though there’s less flexibility for residence halls. One proposal that was ultimately rejected was getting a live ram for Spring Weekend. Tetlow explained that rams are expensive and require a partner because they often get lonely.
Committees reported updates on their ongoing initiatives. FCRH Dean’s Council discussed confirmation for wellness tabling during midterms, as well as the potential for an Undergraduate Research Panel during October. Additionally, the GSB Dean’s Council will be having a “Little Free Library” event for GSB textbooks in an effort to reduce waste. The Diversity Action Coalition is in discussion with Dean Catharine McGlade about families who can’t travel to attend Family Weekend. The DAC is also working on training workshop leaders for the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
There will also be an election for President Pro Tempore of the USG Senate on next Thursday, Sept. 26. Candidates will have three minutes to speak, followed by questions from the USG Executive Board. The President Pro Tempore serves as the president of the senate and reports directly to the USG executive board, although they will not be on the board themselves.
