I attended the “Uprise at Five” event held on Thursday, February 26, and I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed. It was not so much an “uprising” as a “please pay attention to us” plea from the students to the administration.

Students are upset with the way they have been treated by the new administration. This is understandable, but it should not come as a shock. The administration has functionally ignored student and faculty input since the beginning of President Shirley Ann Jackson’s tenure, and has gotten serious about creating the kind of campus they want by dissolving the Faculty Senate and handing down authoritarian edicts governing student behavior. Also, fraternities have been disappearing due to stiff penalties from the administration.

The Interfraternity Council, Student Senate, and other groups have attempted to organize meetings and discussions with the administration, which have been met with either indifference or outright rejection. Petitions and expressions of public support go unheard. Yet, at the “uprising,” students were told to be respectful, to not use foul language, to not boo the trustees, and to “be positive.” Students were told that the answer was more collaboration and discussion.

It is clear from the administration’s track record that it doesn’t care about collaboration or discussion and doesn’t care about student input either, as students have not given the administration any indication they are serious about forcing a change. The only way the situation will improve is if the students start exercising the power available to them. Students need to make the administration notice them and respond to their demands.

For example, the IFC and the Panhellenic Association could pool their resources, hire a lawyer, and have all of their members place their tuition in escrow, to be withheld until the administration revises its policies toward fraternities and sororities. According to the Dean of Students Office website, there are over 1,300 RPI students in fraternities and sororities. This would represent a loss of over $48 million per year for the Institute if it fails to engage in negotiations. If resident assistants are upset about their benefits being cut, they should go on strike. New RAs for next year should refuse their job appointments, and students should stand in solidarity by refusing to apply for open RA and resident director positions.

It is clear that the administration has no intention of working proactively with the campus community, so they should get serious about forcing the administration to make RPI a place that works for all of us.

Kevin R. Fodness ’05