Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Hawthorne, and as of last Thursday, I am your new Undergraduate Council president.
This past year, the Undergraduate Council has been hampered by inaction and laziness. My predecessor failed completely in his duties. I promise to you, the undergraduates of RPI, that I will reverse all ill-effects left over from this past year and bring back a sense of honor and decency to the UC.
For those of you who don’t know what the UC does, I will give a brief rundown. The UC is the uniting body of the class councils, serving to oversee the actions of each one. We are meant to cover any legislative ground not covered by the Student Senate and the Executive Board. If you have any problems as an undergraduate, the UC is where your voice will be heard loud and clear.
My first action as UC president will be to correct the problems of the previous administration. The 2010 Class Council has been operating without a constitution, and I pledge to ratify said document at the first UC meeting held. I will bring to a vote a change in the bylaws clarifying how to impeach the UC president. Currently, the bylaws state that if three UC representatives request a meeting, the president must hold a meeting within a week. The bylaws do not explain, however, what can happen if the president fails to call a meeting—such was the case of this past year. Fixing this problem will hopefully stave off any lack of leadership in the future.
After righting some of the major wrongs of the last year, I plan to rebuild the class councils from the ground up. I plan to do this through increased availability and visibility. You will see this column as a biweekly staple in the editorial section of The Polytechnic from now on. Many of you do not know what and how much your class councils do for you, and I intend to let you know what exactly they do and how to get involved in my next column. I’ll be attending several class council meetings throughout the year to provide guidance and immediate access to those who want it. I’m planning a large undergraduate bash at the start of the upcoming fall semester to encourage class council participation. Rebuilding the class councils requires student interest from the get-go, and getting freshmen involved and excited early on is the easiest way to do it.
If you have any questions, or would like to get involved with the UC or class councils, do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me via e-mail at hawthr@rpi.edu or just send a message to “The UC President” on AIM. I look forward to working with you and for you over the next year, and I hope to hear from you.
