In an open letter to President George W. Bush on January 25, RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson encouraged Bush to use his State of the Union address, delivered last night, as a means to “spark a legacy of innovation.” She reminded Bush of the impending “quiet crisis,” and emphasized that now is the time to act to encourage a new generation of young Americans to pursue careers in science and engineering. “A newfound American strength in science can be your legacy,” Jackson indicated to Bush.

Jackson focused on the tie between innovation and energy security, pointing to rising oil prices as an indicator of the need to act. She also emphasized the growing number of students graduating with degrees in technical fields outside of the United States and our failure to keep pace with that trend.

Budget appeals heard

This past weekend, the Union Executive Board heard appeals of budgets from Union-funded clubs that were dissatisfied with their original allocations. According to President of the Union Peter Baldwin, approximately 10 clubs appealed their budgets. In order to appeal, club officers had to file appeal forms by Thursday at noon.

Baldwin and Grand Marshal Max Yates indicated that the Student Senate’s Activity Fee Subcommittee met prior to the finalization of club budgets and will continue to meet as the month progresses.

Pirro advances in race