This coming weekend the Office of the President and the Cabinet are financing the 18 on ’86 Winter Carnival to provide the RPI community with a break from the stresses of school and the economy. There are numerous events planned throughout the afternoon to celebrate the winter season: free hot cocoa, sleigh rides, ice skating, and much more. Take some time off this coming Saturday and enjoy what the administration has taken upon themselves to create for the community. Hopefully, this event will bring renewed energy and a sense of community to the campus. In the future, perhaps we will see this event repeated as we enliven an old RPI tradition.
The Student Senate is winding down its term and wrapping up all loose ends. The Student Sustainability Task Force has been moving quite steadily forward with the continued support of the administration to improve sustainability at RPI. Keep an eye out for a design charette, where students from all disciplines will be invited to participate in developing environmentally friendly ideas for campus. The Finance, Facilities, and Advancement Committee has been working on sophomore housing and parking issues. In the coming weeks, we will convene a Parking Review Board meeting to discuss all of these concerns.
As our term ends, another begins, and in just a few weeks GM Week campaigning will begin. For those of you who are new to campus this year, you might think General Motors takes over RPI for a week in April; well, you’re sadly mistaken.
GM Week is Grand Marshal Week, a week-long celebration of student government and campus tradition. Basically, a few weeks prior to it, you’ll see candidates running around trying to get the necessary signatures to run for office and posting incredible amounts of campaign material on every possible surface. The week is filled with free events aimed at getting people excited about the election on that Thursday; the school even gives us Wednesday off so we can attend the student debates and enjoy the day’s events.
If you are interested in running for an elected student government position, now is the time to prepare your campaign and begin networking with your friends. The experiences gained from student government positions are unparalleled in any other on-campus experience; you get to network with administrators and faculty and learn valuable communication skills. If you are interested in serving the RPI community, please attend a Rules and Election Committee Info Session in the coming weeks. Visit their website for more details at http://elections.union.rpi.edu/. The members of RNE are a great resource and can provide you with the information you need to run for office. If you would like to know more about student government, please feel free to contact me as well at gm@rpi.edu. I will be more than willing to answer your questions. Happy campaigning!
