Hello RPI! My name is Justin Etzine, and I am beyond humbled to be serving the student body as your Grand Marshal. Thank you to all of those who came out to vote, expressed interest in the campaign, and have looked to get involved in student government! I’m excited for the incredible potential for the year ahead, and I’m looking forward to working with my fellow student government officials to serve you as effectively as possible.
There are a number of ways to get involved in student government, and I highly encourage all of you to do so, especially if you’re interested in making a difference for current and future Engineers. The best way to get involved, like I did, is by joining a committee! There are a number of committees that focus on many areas of campus life.
The Facilities and Services Committee works primarily with the physical state of campus and the auxiliary services on campus. The Hospitality Services Advisory committee falls under FSC, focusing specifically on improving food services on campus. The Academic Affairs Committee works with the Provost’s office on all academic related areas, both for undergraduate and graduate students.
The Student Life Committee has a special place in my heart, and focuses on—you guessed it—student life at RPI, including Greek life, residence life, and athletics, along with student rights and responsibilities. The Web Technologies Group is also quite special, and focuses on creating and extending technological services for the benefit of students for free.
The Community Relations Committee is focused on growing outreach efforts with the Capital District, along with building stronger bonds with the other colleges in the region. The Student Government Communications Committee and the Union Annual Report Committee are joint-Senate and Executive Board committees. The SGCC handles and coordinates efforts to effectively communicate with the student body. UAR handles the creation of the Rensselaer Union’s annual financial statement—the Union Annual Report.
Finally, the Rules and Elections Committee is responsible for the cycle we just completed: elections! Their membership is restricted to ensure that different bodies are involved in the fair coordination of elections. That being said, if you’re interested in joining, feel free to let me know, so that I can keep you updated on the appointment of its members.
We’ve already hit the ground running, and the first major task ahead is forming a team of passionate students to chair the Senate’s committees and coordinate the many new and existing efforts to improve the RPI experience in the upcoming year.
These positions are open to all students, and I recommend you apply! If you’re interested or have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas, please feel free to reach out to me at gm@rpi.edu! We held our first meeting Monday night and have another scheduled for next Monday, April 17; I highly recommend you come by, as it is open to all students!
As promised, I plan to keep my platform online throughout the year and regularly update it with progress on the promises I have made to you all. Above all, I believe it is very important that the student government remembers to stay true to our promises and our constituents—the student body.