Many of you may not be aware of the group of students who make up the Union’s Executive Board. This talented group of people gathers every Wednesday night to discuss issues pertinent to the Union, clubs, organizations, and the RPI community. This group is comprised of Zach Ament, Mark Anderson, Mike Budris, Sandra Harya, Brian Kolins, Chris Lacey, Shadeequa Miller, Jorge Nunez, Cater Ortolano, Suzanne Pelusso, Peter Sherman, Maureen Tedford, and Marisa Zavarella.
Early this year they developed a mission statement with the help of the Archer Center for Leadership Development. The goal was to clearly define the 2001-2002 E-Board and its roles within the Rensselaer community. Our mission: “The Union Executive Board is the student government body, committed to the RPI community, responsible for the fiscal activities and development of the Rensselaer Union. We strive to foster a sense of unity through support of co-curricular activities with open representation and effective communication.”
Thus far, the E-Board has achieved great success in many ways. The No. 1 priority for the group was to become a group of responsible club representatives. Even though they are one member short of a full board, they have made great strides with club interaction, and have achieved the desired level of contact with most organizations. I have gotten many comments to the effect of, “wow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen my Board representative,” and “these ideas are great, I can’t believe our Board representative is actually helping us,” and “I didn’t know that the E-Board could help us do this. Thanks!”
The E-Board had also worked hard to create a new website. The Technology Committee led the redesign of this site that includes information about the E-Board, our goals, and documents helpful to the organizations we work with. The goal of this site is to aid the clubs and organizations that we work with to make their jobs easier. It is our goal to create a dynamic site including online forms that could be submitted and stored, and eventually eliminate paper altogether!
In terms of the building itself, you may have seen new photos on the walls or trophies and other memorabilia in the display cases. These are all items that the Board has worked on in addition to their daily club interactions. Although the project is not complete, the goal is to make the Union feel like more of a second home for students. We are hoping that the project will eliminate the “white space” and “sterile” feeling that many students have felt since the renovation. This project is also an effort to try to celebrate the accomplishments of students on this campus through visual representation.
The E-Board has also approved new documentation for forming political- and religious-affiliated groups. Drafted by the constitution committee, this document outlines the necessary steps to follow in order to become a Union recognized club. This document eases the process for organizations, and expedites the “on boarding” process for all.
In other words, I wanted to share the goals and deeds of this group with you. Above, I have outlined only a few of the accomplishments. You should also know that there are many more simple day-to-day tasks that often go unseen and unheard, but make a difference for someone.
