The GM Week Committee also solicits you for your assistance. Planning has reached a feverish pace for this year’s Grand Marshal Week, held during the last week of March. The committee welcomes new members this month to help plan events and logistics for its programs. Contact gmweek@union.rpi.edu to get involved.

At this week’s meeting, the Senate debated its restructuring plan. Under the new system, Senators will meet regularly with the 60 administrators who most directly influence the student experience at RPI. Our committees will serve as advocates for students, and complete projects based on the feedback we receive.

The spring intramurals season has begun! Any group of RPI students can join intramural leagues in basketball, gym hockey, volleyball, walleyball, soccer, and softball. Sign ups are taken in the Intramural Office in the ’87 Gym during business hours.

Speaking of athletics, our men’s hockey team continues to rack up victories, beating Cornell 2-0 to improve to a 12-9-2 record, our women’s hockey team has attained an exceptional 12-2-2 record so far this season, and our men’s basketball team has won five straight games. Show your pride in the accomplishments of our student athletes by attending their games.

The Career Development Center’s spring career fair will occur on January 27, and spring interviews will begin February 2. Now is the time to register to maximize the value of the CDC if you are still looking for employment. They are located on the second floor of the DCC. Stop in to take advantage of their services.

Also as the President of the Union mentioned, Union budgeting season has begun. After the Executive Board prepares the budget, the Senate must approve it. Each year, the E-Board prepares a raw budget, and the Senate’s Activity Fee Subcommittee, working with Director of the Union Rick Hartt, prepares an Activity Fee Packet, which sets the Union’s activity fee to balance the budget, and explains the methodology behind setting the exact value of the fee.

After we prepare the packet, it is presented to President Jackson, who then integrates it into the overall Institute budget, which is brought to the Trustees for approval. While the system seems complicated, this method allows several layers of checks and balances, to ensure students receive maximum value from the fee they pay and to ensure that fee remains reasonable.