This past Friday, the class council for the Class of 2011 had its first meeting. From what I saw at that meeting, this year’s freshman class looks to make a large imprint on Rensselaer over the course of its four years here. Despite the fact that no one was on the ballot for the council, and that the largest vote-getter for the council had just six votes, each member at the meeting last week showed enthusiasm about being a part of the class council.
The class council election for the Class of 2011 proves that you don’t need to be on the ballot to make a difference in your undergraduate experience. In last spring’s Grand Marshal Week elections, I was elected to my class council with just five votes as a write-in candidate, yet here I am as the Undergraduate Council president.
The point I’m trying to make here is that you don’t need to run for a position to make a difference. You can join your class council as a member-at-large—with the same privileges and responsibilities as a representative voted in during elections—simply by attending a few consecutive meetings. Currently, the council for the Class of 2011 is seeking members-at-large to expand its council, and even if you are not a freshman, it is never too late to get involved with your class council.
The Class of 2011 is also currently looking for freshmen with web skills to help work on and design the website for the council. Contact David Walsh, the president of the Class of 2011, if interested at walshd2@rpi.edu.
On a completely unrelated topic, I would like to talk a bit on the accountability of student government leaders. It is up to you, the student body, to ensure that those fellow students you have elected to represent you truly are doing their jobs. If your leaders are not standing up with integrity and properly carrying out the duties of their offices, make your voices heard. Say you send several e-mails to the President of the Union, and never hear back from him; seek him out in person and confront him over it! Your leaders were elected to properly represent you to the community and the administration; ensure that they are. The power of the masses always trumps that of elected officials. The voters are the true leaders of a society. Make sure those you elect to represent you never forget that.
As always, feel free to contact me—either via e-mail at uc@rpi.edu, or via AIM at TheUCPresident—with any questions, concerns, or comments about to your undergraduate experience here at RPI. The UC is here to help.
