News

Every year, the Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities is updated before the start of the Fall semester.

The creation of an Arch Greek Life Commons—which would allow students to live in their respective Greek houses during their required summer semesters—was the sole rejected recommendation from the ten outlined in the Draft Report of the Greek Life Task Force, said Vice President for Student Life Peter Konwerski in an email to The Polytechnic.

For the second week in a row, the approval of various Student Government appointments was on the Senate agenda.

In the last meeting of the 49th Executive Board, the hiring of a graduate assistant intern was approved, a new Student Government Communications Committee chairperson and a new Multicultural Leadership Council were appointed, and women’s Ultimate Frisbee requested a subsidy to compete in the USA Ultimate College Championships.

To complete the 50th Student Senate, members voted to approve Grand Marshal Meagan Lettko’s ’20 officer appointments, some of which created the non-voting membership of the Senate.

“THERE IS NO PLANET B!” was just one of the phrases written across the banner at the Student Sustainability Task Force’s four-hour demonstration on the ’86 Field on Monday.

The 50th Student Senate saw multiple visitors in its second meeting, including Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President Travis T.

The Interfraternity and Rensselaer Panhellenic councils held an open forum in the Darrin Communications Center on March 30.

In an email sent to the Rensselaer community on March 27, updates to the “Alcohol and Other Drugs Policies” in the Student Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities were announced to students.

Three days after its announcement, the March Against Deferred Recruitment was cancelled by “Save RPI Greek Life,” the anonymous organization that had planned the event.

During the penultimate meeting of the current Executive Board, the creation of two new clubs was overseen—including a Holocaust Remembrance Committee—and four people were approved for positions.

The Greek Life Open Forum held on March 20 in Darrin Communications Center 308 was presented as a space for students—Greek and non-affiliated alike—to ask questions to the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council concerning the Draft Report of the Greek Life Task Force and its impact on the Rensselaer community.

President of the Union Caitlin Kennedy ’19 chaired her first Executive Board meeting on Thursday.President of the Union Caitlin Kennedy ’20 chaired her first Executive Board meeting on Thursday.

During their first meeting, the 50th Student Senate appointed an interim vice grand marshal and created a new ad-hoc committee.

For the first time in at least 49 years, the Institute rejected the student-proposed Union budget and did not submit it to the president and Board of Trustees for approval.

In an email sent to the Rensselaer community, Vice President for Human Resources Curtis Powell and Vice President for Student Life Peter Konwerski outlined the updates to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policies, which will go into effect this Summer 2019 semester.

Meagan Lettko ’20 and Caitlin Kennedy ’20 have been elected Grand Marshal and President of the Union, respectively.

On March 14, during the second-to-last Executive Board meeting of the year, President of the Union Justin Etzine revealed a plan to maximize utilization of the Rensselaer Union real estate.

The Union Programs and Activities Committee has historically been composed of five subcommittees: Cinema, Concerts, Comedy, Lights, and Sound.

Though a seemingly small change, the amendment to the Executive Board Bylaws adding an appeal process to the 2.5 GPA minimum for membership of the E-Board emerged from a tense half-hour long discussion.

The Executive Board approved the use of up to $33,000 for the purchase of new furniture for the seating areas on the third floor of the Union and $1,600 for a new projection system for the Shelnutt Gallery.

In his second-to-last Executive Board meeting as president of the Union, Justin Etzine ’18 G ’19 presented a series of final amendments to the Executive Board Bylaws alongside Policies Committee Chairperson David Raab ’19.

In a four-hour meeting, the Executive Board saw a historical 32 motions, heard presentations from nine different clubs, approved amendments to their own Bylaws, and altered room assignments spanning all three floors of the Union.