Last week I challenged you to think bigger, but don’t ever stop thinking about dear old RPI. This is a historic place that deserves our attention as she prepares us for the challenges of a lifetime. Although they are nothing compared to the grandeur of the buildings rising up around us, our student efforts across campus are far from menial. While we have helped to influence and shape the ambitious renaissance of this campus, we have also worked hard to address the little things. They too are just as important, not simply because of their merit to the Institute, but because of the lessons they teach our students that tackle them. Sometimes the task can be daunting, especially when it seems everyone else is focused on loftier goals, but let me assure you, every small change imparts a chain reaction that is hardly trivial. For instance, the Student Senate and E-Board are working with Sodexo and the Administration Division to consider an ambiance upgrade to the Rathskellar in the Union. Why? It’s psychological. A few small changes to lighting and seating help create an environment that is conducive to student needs. Add 100 small changes such as this across campus and you’ve just fostered a setting that’s sure to improve student outlook and performance.

To all the dedicated students that have sacrificed so much to continually enhance the quality of life here, I salute you. Keep up the work, but don’t ever stop persevering, as many areas of the campus still need our attention. The administration is well aware of this and is working just as hard to shape a premier environment for young entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, and humanitarians to grow in this new age of discovery.

President Shirley Ann Jackson and her team of fundraisers and planners deserve a pat on the back for a job well done on the tremendous development the campus has seen since the investiture of The Rensselaer Plan and the kickoff of the $1 billion capital campaign.

In a span of three years, the Institute has opened the $100 million Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies that ranks among the world’s most advanced research facilities focused on the life sciences. Considering the promise biotechnology research holds for all of humanity, the Biotech Center is perhaps one of the best decisions the Institute has ever made. The center has already had a great impact on the Institute, but its legacy will be felt far beyond our campus as its breakthroughs permeate the fabric of human existence.

Apart from housing numerous labs and offices, the presence of the building—coupled with the newly renovated Academy Hall on the south, the old Science Center to the west, and the Low Center on the north—have made the area one of the busiest yet most beautiful places on campus. The grace of the new building only serves to compliment its proud mission of discovery. Before the construction was even complete, it attracted $22.5 million for the creation of the GEN*NY*SIS Center for Bioengineering and Medicine, and similar investments are sure to continue as Rensselaer dances in the spotlight of biomedical research.

The Biotech Center is just one example of the many progress vectors we’ve witnessed during our time at Rensselaer. While the Student Senate’s Ruckus music service, Go Be Red spirit initiative, and the proposed renovations of the Union are nothing in comparison, everything has a reason and an impact, so never underestimate your ability to make a difference. Both big and small, the changes occurring on this campus are everywhere, and that’s something to be proud of.