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THE OBSERVER October 6, 2021
News
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Sundstrom Leaves Office During Second Term of Vice Presidency
He cited incompatible ideas with the current USG administration as the reason for his resignation on Sept. 30 SUNDSTROM from page 1
According to Joe VanGostein, USG president and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’22, vice presidents can be invited to these meetings, but it is not a constitutional requirement. “We decided that this year it would just be president and advisor as allowed by the constitution,” VanGostein said. According to the USG constitution, the president has the power to preside over all executive board meetings and act as an adviser to university committees and councils, while the vice president can assist with these duties “if need be.”
“ The role of USG VP
is a very demanding and complex one. Robert decided that role was no longer for him. ”
Robert Sundstrom has stepped down from his position as vice president of USG, but will continue to work toward the student experience on campus at OSI.
In the event of a vacant executive board position, the USG constitution states the position will be fulfilled by the president pro-tempore, or majority leader, of the senate. The senate must then elect a new president pro-tempore. Dorothy Wenzel, senior director for the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and adviser to
USG, said she will be supporting the student leaders with their recruitment process to fill the vacant position, though she cannot give any specifics at this time. According to Wenzel, the board is reviewing USG’s constitution and will be meeting next week to decide how to move forward. VanGostein said he looks forward to continuing to serve the student body with a new vice president. “The role of USG VP is a very demanding and complex one. Robert decided that role was no
Joe VanGostein, USG president and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’22
ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
longer for him,” he said. “I wish him more success in his future endeavors.” The resignation of Sundstrom as vice president went into effect on Oct. 1. When he announced his resignation the day before, he said he was nervous about the announcement but that many USG members were supportive of him. “I didn’t want to leave, but I felt like I needed to,” he said. “A lot of people indicated they were sad to see me go but expressed that they understood my reasons.”
Sundstrom said that after the meeting he wished VanGostein luck; VanGostein expressed his gratitude toward Sundstrom for their work together. Though disappointed with how things ended with USG — a club he has been involved in since his sophomore year at Fordham — Sundstrom said he is excited to continue doing work for students and student experience through his event directing job at OSI. “I always support every student to make a decision based on
what is going to be best for them, so I support Robert in his decision,” Wenzel said. Wenzel thanked Sundstrom for his commitment to his vice presidential work — especially during the 2020-21 academic year when Loreen Ruiz, FCLC ’21 and former USG president, was fully remote. Sundstrom had to embrace more responsibilities, such as leading hybrid meetings. Sundstrom will not be involved in the administrative process of USG’s special election, but he said he will “definitely vote.”
SOL Hosts Mucho Gusto, First In-Person Mixer of Year
More than 100 students attended, ushering in a year of renewed student enthusiasm to get involved on campus By LETICIA GUIMARĀES Contributing Writer
After a long period of hosting exclusively virtual events, the Student Organization of Latinx (SOL) hosted its first in-person event of the year, Mucho Gusto. The student mixer offered a variety of opportunities to meet new people and eat Venezuelan food catered by Arepas Grill. Mucho Gusto was open to all undergraduate students, giving everyone a chance to eat and dance while getting to know one another. Mucho Gusto featured a DJ, a dance floor and a photobooth. SOL has not been able to host in-person events since before the pandemic, and readjusting to planning live events with COVID-19 restrictions was not an easy task. “It was really hard keeping up with all the vaccination rules and making sure that everyone hired was fully vaccinated,” Odalys Tepi, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22 and secretary of SOL, said. “It is definitely the right thing to do to make sure every student and staff is as safe as possible.” Another important goal that the SOL team focused on was using Mucho Gusto as a tool to encourage sophomores to connect in a way that they were unable to last year. Carmen Salazar, the outreach program coordinator for SOL and FCLC ’22, emphasized the importance of making up for the lack of connection to the community
Come to the Traditional Latin Mass
LETICIA GUIMARĀES/THE OBSERVER
SOL hosted its first in-person event of the year called "Mucho Gusto" which featured music, a photobooth, and Venezuelan food.
that students felt last year. “Because of COVID-19, our outcome wasn’t as strong as we wanted it to be, but this year we are working on providing everyone with the cultural aspect of the college experience, especially when it comes to making sophomore and freshmen create bonds,” she said. SOL expected between 40 and 60 people to attend the mixer, but the turnout was over 100 students. At the event, it was noticeable that people were having fun. Attendees commented on how wellplanned the event was. Mary Olivette Bookman, FCLC ’24, said it was the biggest
in-person event she had seen in her Fordham experience. “My favorite part is seeing everybody come together after so long and watching people from different backgrounds just chilling out over some good food and music,” she said. “The energy was so good, so much happiness was involved.” SOL hopes to plan more in-person events like Mucho Gusto and create a safe space to build relationships and foster Latinx heritage, culture and traditions for both Latinx and non-Latinx students. Their next goal is to collaborate with other campus clubs and organizations to host more culturally inclusive events.
Sung Mass every Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Church of Saint Agnes 143 East 43rd Street (bet. Lexington and Third aves., near Grand Central)
