Archives

President of the Union Caitlin Kennedy ’20 reflects on her term.

Emi Ahlo ’22 urges students to speak up and voice any concerns they have with Rensselaer’s COVID-19 response, rather than taking indirect action by posting online and submitting negative course evaluations.

The Polytechnic endorses Advaith Narayan ’21 for grand marshal. Narayan has specific, achievable goals, and we believe his work over the past three years reflects the commitment required of a grand marshal.

The Polytechnic endorses Anissa Choiniere ’20 for president of the Union. She hopes to “unite the RPI community and improve the future of the student experience.”

The Polytechnic endorses Evan Lazaro ’21 for undergraduate president. Lazaro has been involved in student government since his freshman year and we hope to see him utilize his experience to bring positive change to the undergraduate council.

The Interfraternity Council has voted to endorse Advaith Narayan for grand marshal, Anissa Choiniere for president of the Union, and Evan Lazaro for undergraduate president.

After the general body meeting of the Panhellenic Council on March 4, the council delegates have voted to endorse Advaith Narayan for grand marshal, Anissa Choiniere for president of the Union, and Evan Lazaro for undergraduate president.

Elections for grand marshal, president of the Union, undergraduate president, and positions on the Student Senate will be held online from April 29 to May 1 using the platform Simply Voting. This platform was chosen by the Elections Commission due to its similarity to the Rensselaer Union Voting Suite, as well as its security and accessibility.

Rensselaer is making an exception to the normal pass/no credit rules this semester as students adapt to online classes. Students may P/NC any and all of their classes taken this semester, and have until May 15 to fill out the relevant form in order to designate a class as such.

Grand Marshal Meagan Lettko '20 and Vice Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan '21 voice their concerns with how the Arch program is being handled this summer and outline the Student Senate’s recent efforts in advocating for rising juniors.

Students receive their bill from the Institute each semester, where there is a line item labeled “Undergraduate Activity Fee.” So what’s this fee? Every student enrolled at Rensselaer pays an activity fee, which is actually three separate fees; class dues, the Union activity fee, and an athletics fee. Graduate students pay a different graduate fee.

A recent question on RPI’s COVID-19 Arch 2020 FAQ page clarified that the reduction of financial aid for this year’s Arch semester will impact both merit and need-based aid, as both are included in students’ total gift aid. According to the FAQ, “the adjustments will reflect the proportionate amount of room and board costs” that rising juniors would normally be charged for living in residence halls over the summer.

After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.

The Polytechnic asked students running for senator positions to discuss the issues they plan to address if elected. Here is the response we received.

The Polytechnic asked undergraduate president candidates to discuss their goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are their responses.

The Polytechnic asked the candidate for president of the Union to discuss her goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are her responses.

The Polytechnic asked grand marshal candidates to discuss their goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are their responses.

The Polytechnic asked students running for class president to discuss the issues they plan to address if elected. Here are the responses we received.

I hope this update finds you well. It’s been about a month since we left campus for Spring Break. I know when I left class that Friday afternoon, I never would have guessed it would be my last college class ever. Whether you are a senior and grieving the loss of your senior spring, or a sophomore coming to terms with the fact that it will be months before you see your classmates again, I feel for you. These are unprecedented times.

I know that I’m not the only one tapping through “until tomorrow” posts, 30-day song challenges, variations of “draw a carrot” stories, and endless customized bingo grids during quarantine. Nevertheless, watching my peers challenge each other to post videos of pushups, dances, and practicing music have reminded me of the power of social media and how it can be used positively in a trying time.