Hello again, RPI! With only a couple of days left until the beginning of Spring Break, you should make sure to wrap up your work and take care of small projects that you are able to do now. I can assure everyone that trying to get homework done after being off for a week usually does not go very well.
A big congratulations to the Rensselaer Science Fiction Association this week for another successful Genericon, hosted this past weekend in the Darrin Communications Center and Center for Industrial Innovation. One of the single largest events put on by a Union club, Genericon is a weekend-long convention for gaming enthusiasts, science fiction fans, comic book artists, and the campus community in general. It takes almost a year of planning to pull off an event of this magnitude. Great job!
First off this week, I would like to share some of the successes that many of our club sports teams have had this year, as many of them prepare to represent RPI in national tournaments and competitions. Ultimate Frisbee will be competing in its national tournament to be held in Milwaukee, Wis. this May. Volleyball will play in the USAV Adult Open Nationals over Memorial Day weekend in Louisville, Ky. ACHA Club Hockey has recently competed in the NECHA Championships held last month in New Hampshire. Students from the Racquetball Club will be traveling to their national competition in Arizona this April. The Ski Team is currently in Sun Valley, Idaho competing at the USCSA National Championships. RPI Wrestling had seven students qualify for their national tournament, which will be held this month in Texas. RPI Curling will be traveling to Minnesota this month for their national tournament, and the Cycling Club sent students to Wisconsin to compete in the Mountain Biking Championships this past October. Clearly, we have some very talented student-athletes in many of our clubs, and I would like to wish everyone good luck! If your club is planning on traveling to compete at a national-level tournament this semester, I would love to hear about it. Please e-mail me at pu@rpi.edu and I will make sure to include your club in a future edition of The Poly.
In Executive Board news, the Malaysian Students Association was approved as the newest Union-funded organization last week. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about Malaysian culture, contact Muhammad Zainal at zainam2@rpi.edu for more information. A climbing trip to Kentucky over Spring Break was approved for the Outing Club, although this trip is not subsidized by the Union. Changes to the Union Constitution were also discussed, although stay tuned to future issues of The Poly for more information regarding them. This Wednesday, the E-Board will be meeting with club officers from the American Red Cross Club, the Independent Council, and the Student Senate, among other proposals on the agenda. If you are interested in seeing how students manage the Rensselaer Union, I invite you to stop by and find out. As always, our meetings are every Wednesday at 8 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery, and they are open to the public.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the Union budget or matters for the Executive Board, please feel free to stop by or e-mail me at pu@rpi.edu. My normal office hours for this semester are at 6–8 pm on Wednesday nights, although I am frequently in my office at other times. I hope that everyone has an enjoyable Spring Break, and I will see you in two weeks!