The RPI Wrestling Team requested a $3,978 subsidy to reimburse team members who participated in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association National Tournament. Originally the Union subsidized $4,000 of the total expenses of participating, but the total cost of the trip amounted to $15,955.39. The additional $3,978 would reduce the cost of attending to $7,977.70, meaning each participant would have to pay $919.65. The request fits within Union rules of subsidizing up to 50 percent of approved costs for travel. The motion to grant the amount requested was passed 10-0-1.
Next, Quadball Club presented a request for $2,000 on top of the $4,000 granted previously. This is to fund their travels for a competition in Roseville, CA. The total expenses are $8,933.35, with fundings of $4,000 from the Union and $1,885 from fundraising bringing the total cost down to $3,048.35, at $254 per participating member. During the deliberation on this motion, Vice President for Board Operations Joseph Bowers ’25, ’26G stated that this would “put this trip almost to a 70 percent subsidy, and while that is the standard… we haven’t given a team 70 percent when they are already on an excess of $4,000. I’m going to move to amend this motion to $1,000, closer to 55 percent which is what we gave Dance Team.” The motion was passed 11-0-0 with the amended amount of $1,000.
Engineers Without Borders was the last group to present a proposal, requesting $1,087.50 in travel reimbursements for their Uganda Project. EWB cited an unexpected situation that required the three traveling members to pay for plane tickets out of pocket. Originally, their return flight would have a layover from Doha, Qatar to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. However, amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict they had to rebook their flights through Amsterdam to avoid airport closure and being stranded in Qatar during an active conflict. They claimed that they made it on the last flight out of Qatar before the airport closed. After refunds for the cancelled tickets, it still cost about $352.50 per person. EWB tried fundraising and all other options before coming to the E-Board. They emphasized how important this was due to their budget being almost depleted.
During the deliberation of the motion, Business Operations Committee Chair Toby McDonald ’26, ’27G commented on a phrase at the end of the motion, “...due to the US/Middle East conflict,” asking if it was extraneous. Vice President for Rules and Special Projects Gavin Finn ’28 responded that it was important for contextual reasons, for when people look back at why this subsidy was granted. McDonald then proceeded to motion to change the wording of the motion, moving the clause to the beginning as a “whereas” statement. This was argued against as breaking convention, due to “whereas” statements being primarily used by the Student Senate for their legislation, while E-Board usually doesn’t use them. The amendment did not pass. Finally, McDonald motioned to amend the amount from $1,088 to $455, citing the 50 percent rule of the Rensselaer Union Guidelines and Procedures. Finn immediately commented on the motion, expressing “that a $1,000 is a bargain in terms of an emergency for reasons of safety. Additionally, [he felt that] this should not be treated as a trip subsidy due to the emergency nature of it. While [McDonald was] not incorrect, this need[ed] to pass by three-fifths." No one seconded the motion to amend.
Club and Organization Representative Grey Smith ’27 asked if this would count towards the total cost of the trip, or just the travel. McDonald explained that the Union trip subsidy, if given to them, would be 100 percent, since the rest was funded by an external organization. Finn again stated his agreement from a Union perspective, but emphasized that this was an emergency situation, closing with “$1,000 is a bargain for making sure three of our students came back home safely.” The motion passed 10-1-0 at its original amount of $1,088.
This E-Board meeting was held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. The E-Board meets every Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Student Union Room 3202.
