With the close of this term comes my sincere gratitude towards the members of the Independent Council. Over the last few years, I have seen the involvement of the IC make a staggering comeback, most clearly marked by the IC’s renewed sponsorship of on-campus events. Indeed, the latest Sheer Idiocy event was an astounding success, with well over 90 people attending. And these events are just a prelude to even greater involvement to come.
The Independent Council aside, these times are marked with a perilous lack of involvement in student government. The recent elections stand as a testament to this fact. So far this year we have watched the administration raise tuition for undergraduates, resolve to charge graduate students tuition in the future, make drastic, non-student savvy changes in the commencement policy, and suppress efforts to unionize the graduate population. Students must not stand by and blindly accept the proverbial plate they are being handed. If there was any time when the student population desperately needed a single, solid voice, the time is now.
With these elections, we have seen the installment of a new Grand Marshal and President of the Union. These newly elected officials can only speak with a unified voice with your support and involvement. The administration must not be allowed to make such changes and then be able to convince us they are for our benefit—without first seriously asking us for our input. This input must come from a solid voice that will speak for all students.
RPI exists for one reason—to educate. I have seen that the administration, blinded by their own ideas of RPI’s future, does indeed believe what they are doing is justified and correct. They also believe only a few rogue students would disagree with their decisions. It is our job to tell them—firmly—what we think of their policies—for better or for worse—and their’s to listen critically, because without students RPI would cease to exist. This is why student government is important, and why we must participate.
