News

The Student Senate unanimously appointed Christopher D. Carothers to Tenure and Promotion Committee representative after they tabled the motion last week.

RPI Sunrise was granted Union affiliation, and the Badminton, ACHA Hockey, and Union Show Tech clubs all received subsidy reallocations.

The Student Senate delayed a motion to appoint Professor Chris Carothers to Faculty Senate Tenure and Promotion Committee Representative as they did not have enough information about the candidate.

The Flying Pig Society gained Union recognition. The club wants to hold workshops and bring in professional figures to speak.

Hockey Line returns for the first time in three years with a few changes, and a newly founded RPI Young Democratic Socialists of America club fails to gain Union affiliation.

Freshmen Election ballots are now ordered from most nominations to least, drawing criticism from senators who believe the new system is unequal.

The Harkness field and East Campus Athletic Village main gym went through renovations that brought both fields up to current standards.

Executive Board members resisted against limiting Student Union hours, arguing that the Union should be a safe haven for late night students.

The Philippine American League, Korean Student Association, and Alianza Latina were approved funding for cultural events. The Rensselaer Music Association was approved for a due waiver.

The class of 2026 will be made up of 2,110 students, making it the largest freshman class in RPI history. For comparison, the class of 2025 is made up of around 1,500 students.

July 1 marks the end of Dr. Jackson’s position as president of RPI and the start of Dr. Martin A. Schmidt’s presidency.

Commencement guests must now show proof of a negative PCR test taken up to 72 hours before arrival on campus or a rapid antigen home test taken 24 hours in advance of campus arrival. This update comes after a COVID-19 requirement update sent yesterday sparked discussion on Reddit and the RPI parent Facebook group. Previously, only PCR tests taken up to 48 hours before Commencement were permitted.

The Executive Board approved a total of $90,500 to demolish the W2SZ trailer on Sunset Terrace and build two offices in the Mueller Center. Additional subsidy requests by TeamRPI eSports and the Union Show Techs were also approved.

Being notified of a positive for COVID-19 test result can be an overwhelming ordeal. The Polytechnic interviewed six students to take a closer look at the experiences of people who contracted COVID-19 while living on campus. While they report being well taken care of during their stay, they still have reservations about certain aspects of their time in Colonie Apartments.

During the Student Senate meeting on April 12, Grand Marshal Cait Bennett ’22 reported on meeting with President Shirley Ann Jackson about the upcoming presidential transition. Furthermore, the Student Senate motioned to reappoint Alexander Grant ’24 as Secretary.

The Union Executive Board confirmed nine members to join the Board, including a new “Counselor to the President” position.

The Student Senate approved the appointments of Executive Board and Student Senate Committee chairpersons. Among them is the first Graduate student Student Life Committee chairperson, Zachary Barringer.

The Rensselaer Union is planning to introduce two new offices in the Mueller Center, demolish the W2SZ trailer near ECAV, and renovate the Student Government Suite in the Union.

Stickers that stated “SKI DRUGS WOMEN” were found around campus yesterday, featuring a picture of a hand holding a pill over an open drink. The Polytechnic has attempted to investigate the stickers’ accusation but has not verified it.

Graduating students can now bring four guests to the Commencement ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at the East Campus Athletic Village at 8:15 am, according to an email sent out on Friday. Registration information is set to come out sometime this week.

The Union Executive Board designated Girls Who Code and the Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin Technology Club as Union-recognized clubs. A motion to purchase two AEDs also passed unanimously.

Editor’s Note: This story contains information about an alleged drugging that readers may find triggering.

The Executive Board approved a motion to designate the Multicultural Sorority and Fraternity Council and their sub-organizations as Union-affiliated clubs.

Melissa Walega has been hired as a Title IX Coordinator and Senior Human Resources Specialist according to an announcement sent through Morning Mail this morning. Walega is now one of two Title IX coordinators at Rensselaer.