Rensselaer Black & LatinX Student Coalition for Bennett, Corrigan, and Massoni

The Rensselaer Black & LatinX Student Coalition values the role of Student Government and the power it has to directly impact the student experience here at Rensselaer. We are pleased to endorse the following candidates for Grand Marshal, President of the Union, and Undergraduate President who attended our GM Week Q&A Forum on Wednesday, March 16. After hearing their respective platforms, we are confident that they will advocate for the Black and LatinX student communities for the duration of their term.

Grand Marshal: Cait Bennett

Throughout her term as Grand Marshal, Cait has taken swift action towards the matters that affect our Black and Latinx community. Cait made it a priority to involve our communities in the hiring process of vital staff, such as the Director of Multicultural Affairs and Dean of Underrepresented Minority Students, who provide essential support to all of our Black and Latinx organizations. Cait has also been a strong advocate and ally in the Multicultural Sorority and Fraternity Council’s Union affiliation process, introducing an MSFC Senate Liaison position that ensures that the recently formed Multicultural Greek Council can contribute and support the RPI community just as IFC and the Panhellenic Council does so currently. Her experience has proven to our communities that Cait will advocate for the issues that we face and will take initiative in executing the steps necessary to address these issues. Thus, with our endorsement for Cait for GM, RBLX trusts that she will continue to do so while ensuring our voices are represented.

President of the Union: Colleen Corrigan

After serving on both the Senate and Union Executive Board, Colleen possesses good knowledge of the issues our organizations and communities face. Colleen has demonstrated a desire to provide more support to our clubs, however, her explicit opposition to having a joint Multicultural Leadership Council with the Student Executive Board and the Student Senate is a limiting factor in her campaign.

Colleen expressed that her opposing stance on the MLC joint committee is to ensure that MLC can play a more significant role on E-Board regarding club budgeting and policy that affect our cultural clubs without being stretched too thin. This leads us to believe she does not understand the impact which MLC has had, and continues to have, on our community. While her knowledge of club policy is robust, we hope she can provide more concrete solutions to ensuring proper representation on the Executive Board.

Undergraduate President: Ria Massoni-Nesman

As a heavily involved leader of the Class of 2024 and Undergraduate Councils, Ria has been shown to be a large advocate for the needs of her class members by prompting the creation of the Arch Task Force, opening of additional facilities, improved residential policies, and other necessary changes in benefit of RPI Students. Her initiative and concern for those she represents is something RBLX finds admirable, and we are hopeful that she can represent our communities with the same vigor. If Massoni were to be elected to fulfill this position, RBLX looks forward to her pushing for increased student representation of students of color within the undergraduate councils, and increased connection and collaboration within and between classes - as these initiatives will strengthen the unity and diversity of the RPI community.

Sincerely,

The Rensselaer Black and LatinX Student Coalition