I was auctioned off for $210 last weekend to support Clothe-a-Child, which raised money to support children in the Troy community. Thank you to all of those who supported the event, I guess I’ll be having a nice candle-lit dinner at McDonalds soon…

The first week back has let me think about what should be done in the remainder of the 40th Student Senate’s term. I heard some feedback from students last week and have some thoughts in response:

• Rensselaer and the Residential Commons Model—RPI has introduced Clustered Learning, Advocacy and Support for Students and there is both uncertainty and debate on its potential success on campus. That’s why I think a student-led benchmarking trip to peer institutions, the debut of a CLASS info graphic, and the resolution of issues of the initiative with regards to greek life, athletics, and ROTC are important goals to achieve.

• Student Senate Transparency—Why can’t leaders in student government exchange information with their fellow students? We’re cleaning up the Student Government Suite to be a more welcoming venue, upgrading Flagship! (our online document management system), and launching a new Student Senate website to enable an easier way to exchange information.

• The Rensselaer Union Experience—As the budget for the Rensselaer Union is completed and the proposed activity fee is submitted to the Student Senate, we should look at the value that our customers (activity fee-paying students) receive and see what we should be improving.

These are what I’ve been thinking about for the past few days, and I’m more than willing to hear your ideas. If you haven’t surmised by now, this job is my life, and I am always listening. Stop by the GM/PU office in the Student Government Suite on the third floor of the Union, e-mail me at gm@rpi.edu, or follow me and comment at http://twitter.com/rpigm.

This weekend is the Winter Carnival, and this year the East Campus Athletic Village will be the venue for the continued revival of the Rensselaer tradition of Saturnalia. This community event is sponsored by the Office of the President, the Student Life and Administration divisions, and the Rensselaer Union. For information on the day’s events and activities, visit http://carnival.union.rpi.edu. Special events include the fireworks show, a pep rally before the Men’s Ice Hockey game, and a Legends program celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the 1985 National Championship game.

Begin the new semester by joining a new club, going to the gym, or make some friends and forgetting some enemies. Embrace the challenges offered by RPI and offer back some solutions.