Hello everyone. I hope that people are successfully getting through their exams, projects, and other work as spring break fast approaches. This semester is flying by quickly and this Senate’s term has only four weeks left. As we finish our terms we will be bringing closure to most of the projects. Some projects will continue and will be enhanced by the next Senate. As the Senate transitions to its new members, I would like to put a lot of focus on continued growth even though membership has changed. We have accomplished a lot as an organization this year, and I would like to see continued growth in the new Senate instead of starting from square one, as is often done.
We have put a lot of time and effort into turning the Senate into an organization that accomplishes more, is more fun to be a part of, and has a better working relationship with the different administrative groups on campus. Imagine what the Senate could accomplish if the new members improve upon what has been done.
I will spend a significant amount of time working with the next Grand Marshal to get the Senate up and running quickly. I would also like to continue communication across the terms by asking the next GM to begin a tradition of talking with the previous GM once a month. Furthermore, I’d like to encourage more alumni communication amongst the Senate by holding Senate hosted roundtables where previous Senators and current Senators can communicate and share their experiences and know-how. The current and previous Grand Marshals could participate in something similar.
The importance of alumni and communication with those people who have been involved with our organizations from years past is equally important for the entire campus. The Rensselaer Alumni Association, in coordination with the Athletics Office, is working on homecoming next year. As well as a homecoming football game, we would like to see a campus-wide effort to bring back alumni to create an entire weekend of events.
The Student Life Committee of the RAA has been working on programs and events for the weekend with the schedule to be announced soon. We will be working with the Interfraternity Council to create a greek float competition. We will also be encouraging fraternities and sororities on campus to invite their alumni back to campus. We may even include some kind of competition for the most number of alumni in proportion to the size of the fraternity or sorority.
We’d like to extend the activities and competitions to other groups on campus by challenging them to bring their alumni back to campus. We will be working with clubs in the Union for example to bring back old members of their organizations. We have also discussed the possibility of having a second activity fair sometime during the weekend.
Our relationships with our alumni are extremely important. We hope that bringing back homecoming will bring some spirit to Rensselaer and capitalize on these valuable relationships. Please e-mail me if you have any suggestions or feedback at gm@rpi.edu. Good night everyone, and enjoy your spring break!
