It is a bittersweet feeling for me to write this, my “farewell address,” if you will. On one hand, to be honest, it is great to be done with an obligation. Like finishing a class or a big project, I get to breathe my own sigh of relief upon completion. At the same time, this has been one of the most positive experiences of my life. Being able to serve as the head of one of the only student-run student unions in the country is an amazing thing. This experience is made only more amazing by the quality of the people that I have been fortunate enough to work with. This includes the administration of the Rensselaer Union—if you haven’t met them, you are missing out—who are some of the most dedicated people that I have ever met, working every day to make sure that we as students are able to get the most out of the Union. This includes working nights and weekends, something which is unheard of in most lines of work.

In addition to the Union staff, all of our clubs and club members have contributed to the enjoyment I have had in this job. There is always something new and exciting to learn about when working with all the clubs and organizations here, and this would not be possible without the diverse student body that we have. I would like to thank everyone, including the Union staff and all of the people that have been so active in the Union this year, for making RPI a better place.

This year, the Union Executive Board (the first full board in a few years, by the way), has made several accomplishments. To name a few, together we have approved more than 15 new clubs, made preparations to ensure that the bowling lanes area of the Games Room will be usable once again, and set a very successful budget for the student activity fee (the lowest activity fee increase in recent memory). An organization is only as strong as its members; therefore, the whole E-Board deserves to be recognized.

This year, the board was made up of Jeff Teixeira ’09, vice chairman and member at large; Cory Isabelle ’09, Class of 2009 representative; Ken Hyer ’10, Class of 2010 representative; Elizabeth Gondeck ’11, Class of 2011 representative; Virginia Hickox ’12, Class of 2012 representative; Maurice Yeh ’08, graduate class representative; Alexander Franz ’10, club intercollegiate athletics representative (and possible 126th President of the Union); Tequisha Hendrickson ’10, club intercollegiate athletics representative; Alex Thachara ’10, club intercollegiate athletics representative; Bianca Zongrone ’10, undergraduate council representative; Joseph Perchiacca ’08, graduate council representative; and Brian Zaik ’09, Senate/E-Board liaison. All of the aforementioned have contributed to the success of the Union this year. Without these people, I could not have done the job I did as PU, and therefore I would like to thank all of them. In addition, I would like to thank Richard Hartt ’70, director of the Union, whose insight and advice have been invaluable this year, both in meetings and outside, and have contributed to any success that may be accredited to me. I would also like to thank anyone I have come in contact with this year, whom I may not have mentioned above and who has helped me in any way.