GM Week 2020 mug distribution plan in development

The rising presence of the novel coronavirus in the United States resulted in a shift to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester, prompting the planned Grand Marshal Week 2020 elections to be held online and its in-person festivities to be canceled. Students swiftly left campus and were unable to receive their Grand Marshal Week mugs. The Union Programs and Activities Committee and Election Commission have outlined a plan for students to receive the mugs. On-campus students are planned to pick up their mugs from the Union Admin Office and students who can not physically pick up the mugs will have their mugs shipped to them.

Grand Marshal Week is an annual celebration of the student government voting process and culminates with the election of a new student government, including a new Grand Marshal, the highest elected office in the Student Senate. All students who cast a vote in elections are eligible to receive a free mug to commemorate the democratic process. All students who participated in the first virtual GM Week Student Government elections, which took place from April 29 through May 1, remain eligible to receive a GM Week 2020 mug.

Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 confirmed in an email communication with The Polytechnic that the Rensselaer Union is in possession of the Grand Marshal Week 2020 mugs that were set to be distributed last March. He also said that the Union Programs and Activities Committee is currently working out the logistics for issuing GM Week mugs.

In an email to The Polytechnic, Union Programs and Activities Committee Chairperson Eddie Weisser ’21 stated: “As per tradition, every person that votes receives a mug, and there is every intention for that to hold true.”

Class of 2021 Council Member at Large and Elections Commission Chair Keenan Adams ’21 affirmed in a statement to The Polytechnic that he received permission from the E-Board three weeks ago for on-campus students to collect their mugs from the Union Admin Office during operating hours. In an email sent to eligible voters, Adams announced that on-campus students can go and receive their mugs now. The email also clarified that students can not pick up a mug for a friend but "we will keep you updated about that." According to Adams, this will likely continue next semester.

The Class of 2020 Alumni Council has voted to forgo paying for the fees associated with mailing the GM Week 2020 mugs for recent graduates who cast a vote, according to Weisser. However, he states that it is his goal to not require students to pay for shipping costs and plans on paying for shipping through the Executive Board. Adams requested that students who will be off-campus fill out a Google Form that will be delivered by email to allow the E-Board to estimate shipping costs.

[Editor’s Note]: This article was updated to include information in an email that Adams sent to the Student Body with information about mug pick up. This includes that students can pick up a mug as of today.