Opinions: They are like ... well, you finish the statement. The important thing is that people will always have their own opinions on almost everything. Often, it is easier to form a negative opinion, especially if your negative opinion can be directed at something public. So why does it matter what I think about people’s opinions on public topics? Recently, there has been a lot of public discussion on events at RPI.
I’m talking, of course, about financial policies here at Rensselaer. To be fair, and for the sake of full disclosure, I would also like to say that I personally do not have any opinion on the subject. From my standpoint, the school, along with the rest of the world, is being affected by the rapidly declining global economy. In an effort to preserve the financial integrity of the institution, measures were taken to reduce the financial burden of the school’s overhead. These measures materialized as budget cuts, which included layoffs. At this point in time, I look at this as a business decision, and think that it is too soon to make an assessment on this. However, this has become a very visible issue on our campus, as seen from posters on the footbridge, newspaper articles (other than this one), a Facebook group, and even most of the casual conversations that I have heard from people over the last week. This is why I decided to talk about it in my weekly article.
As I stated before, everyone has opinions, and that is fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion; that’s one of the things that makes America great. It is, however, important to ensure the accuracy of one’s facts when voicing one’s opinion. All too often this week when talking to people, I have heard people quoting statistics or stating “facts” that are less than true, or just blatantly wrong. I don’t think people are intentionally using erroneous information; I think that there is just too much information out there, and it’s hard to sort out the facts. This is why I felt it was important to say something so publicly. If you are going to be passionate about a subject, it is important to be sure that what you are talking about is accurate. There are several ways to get information on this subject. The Facebook group has been updated very well and seems to have announcements added on a daily basis; therefore, that is a good place to get up to speed on the events. However, primary sources are always more helpful. It is important for people to have the information that they desire on this subject. That is why this Wednesday, the Union Executive Board has approved use of the McNeil Room from 7–9 pm for Vice President for Student Life Eddie Ade Knowles to provide a Q-and-A session for students to gain information on this subject. If you are at all interested in the financial situation at RPI, this is a great opportunity to gain some insight. I encourage all interested parties to attend. If you have any questions about the event, email me at pu@rpi.edu. I hope to see everyone there.
