On Thursday, Sept. 12 the United Student Government (USG) welcomed a new senator, Simon Rodriguez, GSB ’20. Rodriguez proposed multiple initiatives in his speech to the Senate, including a proposal to get club leaders more involved in knowing what happens in the Operations Committee, and more incentives for Gabelli and Rose Hill students to get involved in clubs not directly related to their majors.

He also said he advocated in favor of more avenues for international students to explore options for therapists who speak their language, as he believes that the language barrier prevents many international students from getting the mental health care they deserve as Fordham students.

Vice President of Communications, Thomas Reuter, FCRH ’22, unveiled new posters for the USG club showcase, which will be occurring on Sept. 18 on the Keating steps. He said the “Meet the Candidates” event for freshman candidates will also be occurring on Sept. 17, at 5:30 p.m. in Bepler Commons.

Executive President Kaylee Wong, GSB ’20, and Executive Vice President Ashley Qamar, GSB ’20,  proposed  a possible new initiative in tandem with Campus Psychological Services (CPS) in their executive report. It is an online program teaching students about mental health and wellness, similar to the AlchoholEdu program.

There was also a discussion regarding USG joining the Jesuit Student Government Alliance (JSGA), a network of presidents of student governments in other Jesuit institutions. JSGA is a body that brings together all of the student governments of Jesuit universities around the United States. Fordham is currently a member of the Alliance and Wong is the co-president of the JSGA.

During the advisor report from the Office of Student Involvement, it was revealed that the Collins elevator project would begin that weekend, and would be underway this past Saturday. They said the project will continue into the summer.

The Dining Committee, chaired by Domenic Setaro, FCRH ’21,  discussed the lines in the Marketplace during his report, and considered switching to a tap system for the cards like those found in the residence halls. He also discussed rumors of swipers being mistreated by Aramark’s employees, with two people claiming the new chairman of the Marketplace asked the swipers to not sit anymore, and that they actively had their chairs taken away from them. The Dining Committee planned to investigate.

The E-Board received funding this week totaling $57,000, of which $37,000 dollars is to be left over for clubs. In the spring, the Budget Committee has a final budget day where they estimate the budget based on enrollment number, but they always underestimate. Last week, they got the finalized enrollment numbers and received a more accurate number based on student activity fees.

During the open floor, there was a discussion of the president of Ireland’s upcoming visit to Fordham.