From COVID-19 to new student centers to unions to student elections, the 2022 spring semester was filled with notable events.

To many students and Fordham community members, the most notable and important thing that happened to the university community last semester was President Tania Tetlow being announced as the successor to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president emeritus. Tetlow’s appointment is significant as she is the first layperson and woman to ever be appointed to the position at Fordham. Before her time at Fordham, she served as university president of Loyola University in New Orleans. The community said goodbye to McShane as Tetlow was officially sworn in as president over the summer.

Fordham University opened up its doors for spring semester 2022 in the midst of the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite the cases, students and faculty resumed a fully in-person semester. The university announced mandatory re-entry testing for students.

Additionally, the start of the spring semester was met with cancellations. Ramfit, Rose Hill’s Athletic Center was closed, audience members on indoor winter sports were controlled, off-campus visitors were limited and there were few events involving food.

In January, shortly before the return to campus, Tremont, a neighborhood next to Fordham, suffered a devastating apartment fire. The university community aided the Tremont community through a variety of initiatives. Student groups, like the a capella groups, The Satin Dolls and The Ramblers, raised money through a social media campaign. The university encouraged people to donate to Catholic charities. Later on in the semester, Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) partnered with the New York Giants to help people suffering from the lasting effects of the fire.

In terms of on-campus changes, the shiny new student center opened for student use. Students began using the new hub for studying, recreation and events. Campus Ministries, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, CCEL and Career Services were all able to move into their new offices. With the opening of the new student center, the old commuter lounge was closed and many commuting students started spending their time in the new space. RamFit opened at the beginning of February and students were able to start using the renovated weight room. The gym’s new additions were one of the most highly anticipated aspects of the new student center renovation. After almost a semester of use, the new student center finally received a name at the end of April. The building was named after McShane in an official dedication ceremony outside the building. The McShane campus Center is still undergoing renovations but remains open this semester.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs continued its programming and hosted events all throughout the semester to honor certain holidays and cultures. They celebrated Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, MLK week and Asian American and Pacific Islander history.
Fordham’s graduate student workers banded together to form the Fordham Graduate Student Workers (FGSW). Fordham introduced its first First Generation Network for students who are the first in their family to attend college. The pandemic restrictions eventually loosened up and the university was able to lift its mask mandate in May.

Fordham Dance Marathon raised $116,564 for cancer research. In-person spring weekend and spring break returned for the first time since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. The United Student Government (USG) faced backlash over election transparency and the student body elected new officials for the 2022-23 school year.