Updates to the Union

After decades since its last major renovation in 2000, the Student Union has undergone extensive updates, funded by activities fees and designed with student input at the forefront. Director of the Union Dr. Charlie Potts emphasized that the project was carefully managed “on budget” and “on time.”

The Games Room now features glass partitions to the Arcade, providing visibility without letting too much sound in. The room formerly known as Mother’s has been converted into a billiards and ping-pong space with high-top seating and precisely engineered counters, per Potts’ report.

A carpeted seating area equipped with integrated screens, the Ballroom creates a quiet, inviting environment similar to the McNeil room, but with better lighting and ambiance. While some soft chairs are still pending, the space is no longer the “dingy basement” it once was. The introduction of the Theatre introduces a space with 90 seats with exceptional acoustics, ready to host performances, presentations, and events. However, there have been some grievances about certain technical challenges to manage the theatre space. Specifically, there are reports of technical deficiencies in place that makes it ineffective for light technicians to adequately set up the space in order to have professional lighting on the stage.

There were subsequent modifications made to the Rensselaer Union Guidelines and Procedures in order to accommodate the language of the new space in the Union. Additionally, there was a discussion about alternatives to the current Club Management System, which was thoroughly discussed in the Student Senate meeting the preceding day.

Alongside the renovations this summer, one club has been fighting hard for its place on official channels. RPI Amateur Radio W2SZ, long recognized for their technical skill and community service, are now in a dire situation: their iconic repeater has been down.

A repeater takes in a radio signal at one frequency and retransmits it at a higher power and wider range, effectively boosting smaller, more inexpensive radios. A $30 handheld that normally reaches five miles can span 50 to 100 miles with a repeater. This makes radio more accessible for beginners and more critical in times of emergency. The club has previously volunteered communications support for marathons and could serve as a vital emergency lifeline during disasters. Upper New York Repeater Council, the regional frequency coordinator, notified the club that if their repeater wasn’t operational by August 5, they would have only 60 more days before the frequencies were reassigned. Once lost, there’s effectively no way to reclaim them because the waiting lists for amateur radio frequencies stretch decades.

This summer, with only a single student on campus to carry the load, they had to move over 300 pounds of equipment to prepare for a potential restart. Now, with the semester underway, they asked for temporary accommodations to finally bring the repeater back online. Their proposal requested permission to place the repeater rack in the corner of the Student Government Suite and string antennas off their balcony for just one week, while they find permanent alternatives.

The discussion that followed explored alternatives, including drilling a small hole through the Student Veterans Lounge wall to connect to the club’s permanent shack, or eventually securing roof access. The motion ultimately passed 9-0-1, granting the club two weeks to operate inside the SGS, with the option to extend slightly if needed.

Samson Kempiak ’28 was appointed as the new Union Annual Report Chairperson.

This E-Board meeting was held on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. The E-Board meets every Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Student Union Room 3202.