Archives
April 2021
Student Handbook updates reflect acts of discrimination, clarify community health requirements
Finish strong and look ahead
Newly elected Grand Marshal Cait Bennett ’22 and President of the Union Yaseen Mahmoud ’22 encourage the student body to finish the semester strong, continue supporting each other, and look forward to the year ahead.
New members inducted to Phalanx and White Key Societies
The newest members of the Phalanx Honor Society and White key society were inducted in a "tapping ceremony" on April 17. The Phalanx Honor Society and White Key Society recognize Rensselaer students and faculty with outstanding records of leadership and service.
J & J: The key to community immunity
In an email to students Tuesday morning, Executive Director of the Health Center Dr. Leslie Lawrence informed the Rensselaer community of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine’s pause in distribution. Staff writers Jack Zhu ’21 and William Hawkins ’23 argue that this decision will put the entire Rensselaer community at unnecessary risk.
Food waste is a choice we don’t have to make
Gretchen Forbush ’21, founder of Rensselaer’s Food Recovery Network chapter, and Volunteer Coordinator Hannah Price ’23 provide food for thought on the conflicting food waste and food insecurity crises that coexist, and how the Food Recovery Network fits in.
RPI Ambulance services reinstated
After 13 months of inactivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, RPI Ambulance services resumed on April 12. The decision to do so comes after the Senate passed a motion addressing the concerns of residential assistants on February 3.
Austerity measures could leave graduating seniors mugless
The Rensselaer Union plans to purchase 1800 mugs for the 1755 students who voted in this year's Grand Marshal Week elections. Union Programs and Activities Committee Chair Eddie Weisser ’21 presented four options to distribute GM week mugs to students during last week’s Executive Board Meeting.
Wellness day woes
“While well-intentioned, a wellness day is not a replacement for Spring Break,” write staff writers Jack Zhu ’21 and William Hawkins ’23.
Jackson discusses support for underrepresented students during Town Meeting
Rensselaer students and faculty members asked Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson and other administrators about plans for the Fall semester, advocacy for underrepresented students, and condemnation of the recent spike in anti-Asian hate crimes during the Spring Town Meeting on March 25. Dr. Jackson also announced intentions to hold commencement in-person and have the campus operate almost normally by the Fall semester.
Why you need to change the way you look at sex work
Why should you, a college student, worry about the lives of sex workers? Your attitude can help them reclaim the dignity and respect they deserve, while their lives have become even more challenging due to the pandemic, writes Associate Editorial/Opinion Editor Maya Johnson ’22.
RPI secures 1700 Johnson & Johnson vaccines for distribution
President Shirley Ann Jackson announced that 1700 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses have been allocated for RPI students.
Becoming the women that change the world
Women’s History Month is a time for everyone to reflect on the many women who have changed our world. At a school whose slogan is “Why not change the world?” Alumnae Cara Riverso ’10 writes that Rensselaer women should reflect in an additional way.