Nicholas Dvorak
President of the Union
Can you guess what day it is, RPI?
Hump Day! It is officially test season, round two, so I sincerely hope you are getting enough sleep and taking time for yourselves. It’s hectic and hard, I know, but you are strong and you can do this! Family weekend was a blast, and I want to thank all of the clubs, organizations, sports teams, and administrators who helped make this weekend possible. From the sports games, to music concerts and dances, to the International Festival, I always enjoy seeing the breadth of involvement here on campus. I would like to congratulate all of the students who were honored at this year’s honors convocation on Saturday; you deserve to be in the spotlight for all of your hard work and dedication to your studies and to RPI. I would also like to congratulate Lauren Angelini ’16, this year’s winner of the Nussbaum Award, for her service to RPI and the surrounding community. Lauren was described as “the definition of a good person” in her nomination, and has gone above and beyond for the community she serves. I am constantly amazed by my fellow students; it is always a pleasure to give recognition to your hard work and achievements.
This has been an interesting and busy week for the executive board, and the fun won’t be stopping any time soon. We recognized the Project Rural Indian Social Health and Development club as a Union recognized club. They are dedicated to assisting impoverished villages in India through volunteerism and service. They plan to do a variety of fundraisers and events to send members to India. We heard from Club Cheerleading, and have allowed them the necessary funds to find a proper coach and continue performing for sports teams during games. We approved the starting of the Club Baseball team as a Union funded club. They have taken the old budget of the JV baseball club that was cut from athletics last year. We are looking forward to seeing them come together and enjoy a game they know and love. The Game Development Club is also bringing the awesome Computer Augmented Virtual Environment to the McNeil Room on November 20. This is a virtual reality environment that immerses the player in a 3-D virtual world, and is being used for various research projects such as “The Lost Manuscript”.
This weekend, you better be ready to show off your school spirit at the annual Blackout Hockey Game against Union College on Saturday! Every year we face the Dutchmen on Halloween, and it is your right as an RPI student to remind them they suck! The jerseys worn by the players are one-game-only jerseys which are raffled off during the game, and then presented to the winner directly after. The winner of the raffle gets to go out on the ice, collect their jersey, and meet the players. This is one of my favorite events of the year, and I hope to see everyone there! GO RED. Otherwise, I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween. Eat some candy and relax, you’ve earned it.