Published: November 17, 2010

Fordham isn’t cheap. With the high price of tuition, room and board, books, meals, etc., saying that Fordham is expensive may be the understatement of the decade. All of our money goes into the University to try and better our experience and make us better people. Surprisingly, a fair amount of that money comes back to the students in terms of financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc.

Yet, the biggest issue for Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students is that they are feeling shorted. With a much smaller population and overall size than our cohorts at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), it is expected that our percentage of funds is going to be less. The issues swirling around FCLC today, however, revolve around more than just cash flow. Students are feeling shorted in terms of recognition, money, classes, teachers, speakers, administrators, cafeteria quality and library quality, to name a few. We have come to the point where changes need to be made.

There needs to be a mentality change at both campuses. No longer can the mentality that Lincoln Center is full of dancers and theatre students continue any more than our perception of Rose Hill as pretentious, arrogant jocks. The vicious cycle of stereotyping campuses on both sides needs to be reconciled. How? By traveling to Rose Hill and meeting new students, by inviting Rose Hill students down to Lincoln Center events, by having common clubs between the two campuses organize more events that put a focus on bonding for longer than simply Orientation.

There needs to be a greater investment in Lincoln Center facilities. Quinn Library has undergone improvements in the simplest ways by brightening the lights, adding study space and making it feel less like a dungeon. Yet it still pales in comparison to the volumes of information available in Walsh Library. The Café, believe it or not, has made improvements over the years in quality. However, the lack of meal swipes and the reliance on pay-by-item has proven costly to commuter students and residents alike.

The biggest gripe among Lincoln Center students is the difference between tuition paid and resources received. At the same tuition we receive fewer classes, less space, no athletic facilities outside of courts out back along with a tiny fitness center, smaller dining hall, smaller library, etc. The list goes on. We don’t want what Rose Hill has; we only want what is due to us. There needs to be a greater concentration on the quality of services provided to students at Lincoln Center if we are to be properly cared for and taken seriously. The Master Plan for the development of the campus is supposed to provide this. I hope it does, but I also hope we do not have to wait until 2040 to see its full effect.

The largest elephant in the room, however, has to be the dreariness of Lowenstein. With its majestic gray walls, blue signage (even though the school’s official color is maroon) and overall unaesthetic appeal, Lowenstein tends to come off more as an insane asylum rather than a college. While most students are slightly crazy during exam periods, would it really hurt to add some color to the building? Would there be an issue with hanging Fordham signs outside the campus?

Perhaps painting the plaza wall on 60th Street so our southern wall serves as more than a toilet for the pets from across the street? As trivial as it is, aesthetics matter. They add to the feel and the vibe of the college. I’m not arguing for a rah-rah, go-team type of school spirit that is based around sports. That’s not us; that’s not Lincoln Center. Students choose this school because they don’t want to be another face in the crowd at a big college; they want to be unique. So why don’t we be unique by adding more art space to the building, painting the cement walls and letting students of all backgrounds add their physical mark to the building. to make this place as unique as we are?

Fordham has more than the issues I’ve listed above; we all know that. Addressing these issues, however, provides a basis for improvement in our campus. The ability to interact with the administrators who work hard to ensure not only our future but also the future of the University cannot be taken for granted. The ability to receive the same quality of life and attention afforded to the Rose Hill campus is not only a necessity, but a right. We are touted as a tight-knit campus full of the best and the brightest; it is time we start to be treated that way. By working together, students and administrators, we can begin to bridge the gap.  FCLC, lets take the first step.