On the third floor of Keating Hall at the Rose Hill Campus, Fordham University’s Democratic Club, or Fordham Dems, hosted a Nov. 5 election watch party. The event drew students eager to follow the election results as states were called.
Some students said they felt calmer around like-minded people.When a state was called in favor of the Democrats, the room erupted with students cheering, clapping and jumping in celebration. When a state turned red, students laughed and booed playfully, emphasizing the camaraderie.
“I think people are gonna be energetic,” Dan Sponseller, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25 and president of the Fordham Dems, said. and I think that’s just gonna lighten everyone’s mood up and make this night a lot more enjoyable.”
He said that there have been voter registration drives and discussion sessions to encourage political engagement.
The club’s treasurer, Kyle Zingler, FCRH ’26, said that gatherings with like-minded like this are a way to feel community on campus.
“To lean in to one another and to have also a platform to gauge and dialog as events are happening in real time is really important”, he explained.
Zingler added that the club aimed to make politics accessible to students who might be less educated or aware of the issues at stake.
Stephanie Lopez, FCRH ’26, said that she feels there is a broader significance to the 2024 elections.
“It’s not just about one party or the other,” she said. “It’s about holding our representatives accountable and seeing if they really support the issues we care about — like climate action, healthcare, and education.”
According to Lopez, a deep and thorough understanding of governance at an early age is especially important for civic participation throughout one’s life.
“Regardless of who wins, we have to keep pushing for change,” Sponseller said. “That’s what being part of a democracy means.”
The Fordham College Republicans said that they held a watch party off-campus. At the time of publication, current editorial board members had not provided comments or photos.
