Let us get right down to it—there has been an unusual turn of fate for bus-faring students and residents of Eaton Road. An anonymous alumnus has contributed an undisclosed amount of money (rumor is to avoid the tax ramifications of a princely estate) that will eliminate the current "idling bus" issue, and do so in grand fashion. Ground will be broken by this week’s end to erect a superstructure that will not only house the buses passing through the Sage & 15th Streets station, but will come equipped with a silencing shield and gigantic heaters to address the noise pollution and cold-bus syndrome that seems to occur when the bus is turned off. High-tech ventilation ducts (always nice to use the word "duct" in my column) will whisk the filthy exhaust from the area, while allowing all those inside to remain on their feet and able to breath properly. After consulting with the environmental engineering department, it has been decided that the resulting blocks of solid-state polluted air will be sent directly to Staten Island for disposal. Residents of "the Rock" have thus far supported this diversification of trash effort.
In more realistic news, I received—at last count—much e-mail from the up-Pawling Avenue greeks professing their extreme satisfaction with the service, and hopes that future students will be afforded safe and reliable transportation to a centrally located terminal. In addition, I learned how far and often some of my fellow greeks must travel just to have a good line of sight into Emma Willard. Cheers to the men of Pi Lambda Phi.
Now that the spring semester is in gear, I would like to offer any and all interested in running for student government positions the opportunity to meet with your Grand Marshal to discuss the evolving role of stu-gov at RPI. Having three years’ experience as my class president, combined with weekly—if not daily—interactions with administrators and leader-types should land me on your list to consult prior to running for office. I promise not to use the time we meet to sway your stance on state ownership of utilities (see PG&E, Edison), but I will attempt to impart what knowledge I can of the environment at Rensselaer. Feel free to e-mail me over the coming weeks with questions, or to set up a meeting, at grecoj@rpi.edu.
This week marks the first installment of a grievance component to my column, where I will expose one complaint made to me by any member of the Rensselaer community. Keep in mind, as I am the judge of what "gripe" is chosen, chances are any anti-GM commentary will have to be dealt with Gestapo style. With no further adieu, I give you the:
Gripe of the week: People with either a tree that actually grows money or just blatant disregard for those who actually purchase parking permits should have to face the consequences of their actions with appropriate punishment. A definite increase in permit-less vehicles parked in lots has been observed this year, and old fashion tickets are not combating the ignorance. Perhaps laziness is just at an all-time high, and having a class in the Pittsburgh Building followed by Sage Labs requires moving one’s car from West Hall lot to North lot, but I doubt it—as do others who own a permit to our campus’s mostly filled lots. I can see it now … a mass of cars across from the Field House. And what’s that I hear off in the distance? A shuttle bus! Get ready folks, brisk walks between classes are in our future—and so is a friendly shuttle bus driver to start and end our day on campus.
See you all next Monday night for Senate in Union Room 3202. Have a safe and productive week, and let’s go Ravens!
