Post-Thanksgiving reflection and final push

Hi fellow students! I hope you all were able to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday. It was a much-deserved break for all of us. This semester has certainly been my most stressful and busy semester, as I am sure has been true for most of you as well. This week, I want to reflect on what we’ve overcome this semester, both as a student body and in the Student Senate, and share with you what I am looking forward to next semester.

Despite all odds, our campus community has come together to maintain our campus’ health and safety. We have curtailed the spread of COVID-19 on campus with our dedication to frequent testing and isolation, and in doing so, we’ve served as a model for other college campuses nationwide. We have all sacrificed many things from athletics to clubs to other recreation. There is no sugar coating of how this semester felt—it was a struggle. Our classes were being taught differently and the way we interacted with each other was drastically different. Nevertheless, we’ve all made it through Thanksgiving and face our next challenge. The remainder of this semester is fully remote, which for some of you might be what you’re used to this Fall semester, but for the rest, it will be the last hurdle we need to clear before we’re able to destress and relax over our winter break.

I sometimes have trouble finding the motivation to push through and finish this semester with the same intensity that I started with, but looking back and reflecting on all that we’ve been able to accomplish this semester gives me the drive to continue and finish strong. The mere three weeks standing between us and our winter holiday is nothing compared to the grueling months we’ve already pushed through, especially given what we’ve all been able to learn and achieve during that time.

Just like many of our other clubs and organizations on campus, the Student Senate has been operating fully virtually this semester. I was initially worried about the uncertainty of virtual operation, how our committees would function, and if we could serve the student body with the same efficacy as previous years. But we all found our groove and have made some strides that I am very proud of. This new way of functioning is now starting to seem very normal for us, but I would still love to see everyone in person when it is safe to do so!

Having learned all that we’ve learned through this semester, I am very excited for what is to come. Primed with our Senate survey data (the survey is still open, please fill it out), the Senate committees will get to work in understanding what we need to focus on the most for the Spring semester. Additionally, the Student Life Committee has finished a condensed version of the student handbook which you will see very soon. I am also working on a campus-wide mental health plan with the Health/Counseling Center, the Provost's office, and the Division of Student Life which will be underway in the Spring semester. On top of all of this work, the Senate committees are all working on their ongoing projects like looking at sustainable and creative initiatives around campus, and improving the student-TA relationship to make it more fruitful for both parties. With all these efforts in progress, I am very excited to finish up the remainder of this semester and jump into the Spring semester, in hopes to see all of these projects come to fruition. Above all, I am excited to see the sophomore class on campus again in the Spring!

I wish all of you the best of luck with the remainder of this semester. As always, if you have any questions for me or want to share your thoughts with me, you can reach me at gm@rpi.edu.