The Office of the President of the Union requires a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm, and life to carry out the necessary tasks. The fact is that in order to be truly effective in any job one must truly have a passion for what they do. I am driven by opportunity. The opportunity to take part in something truly extraordinary, not only in an Institute, but in a student union.
Many questioned if I had the energy for another term, for in the 140-year history of the Union no person has ever been re-elected President of the Union—or Grand Marshal, for that matter. To that I would respond by saying that I get my energy and motivation from the events and activities of those, that when pulled together, form something truly remarkable. In my mind, the Union is not represented by the two top offices of the Union, but by the students whose everyday accomplishments and activities reflect the diversity and the commitment of the student body.
The Union is characterized by students like Adam Jubanowsky, who worked so diligently this past year as Senate/E-Board liaison that he warranted the creation of the Chris DiPalma E-Board member of the year award. The spirit of the Union is best portrayed by the performance this weekend of The Man a La Mancha by the RPI Players, a theatre troupe that rivals any other collegiate theatre in the country. The Union is a better place because the RPI Chapter of Habitat for Humanity erected their first independent house last semester on Jacob Street.
I do not mind putting in the late hours when I leave late on a Tuesday night and stop by the Poly Office only to see Andrew Tibbetts and Dan Farrand doing the final edit of that week’s edition. Sacrificing a couple weekends for budgeting is easy when our club crew team consistently beats varsity programs across the state. The sacrifice seems minimal when I watch the campus network and see televised programs from RPI TV, which a little over a year ago was simply a concept. Writing my weekly column seems simple after I read a Judicial Board decision, that has clearly taken such tremendous thought and articulation that it leaves no questions unanswered.
I get my energy from people like Mary Kate Ditursi, who has served the student body with such passion and diligence for years that she serves as inspiration for those around her to get more involved with governing the Union. I do not mind putting in extra hours getting the athletic budget completed when the softball team is ranked 12th in the country, or the varsity football team makes it to the national semifinals in the NCAA Tournament, or when the baseball team makes the NCAA tournament for 13 consecutive years.
You see, the Union is full of enough energy and life to accomplish any feat. The Union is truly extraordinary because of its members. My primary goal this year is to ensure that Rensselaer students for generations to come will continue to have these opportunities that we enjoy, and to expand the scope and reach of our talents and passions. It is as simple as that, and this is the sole reason why I take such honor and pride in serving another year as your President of the Union.
