By KELLY KULTYS
The executive board for the current academic year are to step down when new members are initiated at Under the Tent. (Courtesy of Maria Buck)
It may not be November, but it is election season here at Fordham. One of the first student organizations to hold its elections is Residence Halls Association (RHA). The group held its elections this past Sunday, and the board has two new incoming leaders.
For the incoming president and vice president, Maria Buck, FCRH ’15 and CJ Cacace, FCRH ’15, there is nothing new about working together.
“We started RHA together. I think it’s only fitting that we end it together,” said Buck, the current chief financial officer (CFO) on RHA.
The girls met early on in their time at Fordham, and it was all because of RHA.
“My first memory of Maria is from the Loschert lounge during the first week of classes—she and fellow RHA member Brittany were roommates and both collecting signatures, and I was so intimidated at first that I almost didn’t run,” Cacace said. “Then when we were all elected and on retreat together, it was all of the girls in one cabin, and then Maria, Brittany and me in the other one. I think this isolation did good things for our bonding.”
Back then, before the two even got to know each other, they decided they wanted to work together.
“I was handing around my packet for signatures and CJ expressed interest in running for RHA, and instead of running against each other she decided to run for V.P. of Loschert so I could run for secretary,” Buck said.
This sense of camaraderie between the pair blossomed as they worked together throughout freshman year.
“The best thing that happened during our freshman year was winning hall board of the month in October, aka the first one of the year, because we dressed up like the ‘Scooby Doo’ gang and it was amazing,” Buck said.
Fast forward from their early days in Loschert to junior year, when the two were reunited again through RHA. This time they were on the Executive board; Buck became CFO and Cacace became chief-of-staffs.
Cacace joked that the only reason she ran was because of Buck: “I decided to run for e-board last year around this time when Maria mentioned that she was running for CFO and told me that I should run, if only because she missed being on a board with me,” Cacace said.
There is a hint of truth to her joke. Buck said what made this year’s board successful was their bond outside of the organization.
“Our e-board this year was amazing,” Buck said. “There was a lot of love in this group. I think what made us great was we all were very different, but worked very well together. We knew each others’ strengths and weaknesses because we weren’t just the RHA executive board but we were friends also.”
Cacace added: “I realized how welcoming of a family RHA was and am so grateful to have formed such close bonds with these five extraordinary people. As Maria mentioned, we all are very different but complement each other well and together have managed to do something great this year.”
Buck wants to bring this dynamic to her board next year, and she hopes that Cacace can help their board connect.
“We have similar visions for where we can to take the organization, but we also have very different personalities so we balance each other really well,” Buck said.
And Cacace believes this will not be an issue for the incoming board members who delivered “speeches that were passionate about RHA.”
As for that incoming board, it is just about complete. After elections on Sunday, besides Buck and Cacace, the rest of the board includes Jesus Leon, FCRH ’15, as chief of staff; Tim Bouffard, GSB ’16, as chief financial officer and Emma Bausert FCRH ’17, as executive programmer.
There’s one position still undecided however, as Lucy Koehler, and Kristen O’Grady, FCRH ’15, tied for communications director. Buck says that a tiebreaker election will be decided the Sunday after break.
Both Buck and Cacace caution not to look too far ahead just yet. The new elects will have the chance to shadow the current board as they prepare for their biggest event of the year, Under the Tent. There, the new board is officially sworn in at midnight.
For Buck and Cacace, it will be a bittersweet transition.
“It’s hard to grasp that it’s almost over and I’m going to miss our dynamic very much,” Buck said.
Still, they are excited to take over the reins, reminiscent of helping lead their freshman board.
“Sarah [Hill] and Alex [Whiteaker] have left big shoes to fill, but I’m confident that we will make them proud,” Cacace said.
As Spring Weekend draws closer, the two remain tight-lipped on the theme, although they did acknowledge that it has been chosen.
“But I will say that I am very excited and if people thought that it can’t possibly get better than Gatsby… just wait and see what Jesus has up his sleeve,” Cacace said.
Kelly Kultys is Editor-in-Chief at The Fordham Ram.
