Opinion

After the general body meeting of the Panhellenic Council on March 4, the council delegates have voted to endorse Advaith Narayan for grand marshal, Anissa Choiniere for president of the Union, and Evan Lazaro for undergraduate president.

Grand Marshal Meagan Lettko '20 and Vice Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan '21 voice their concerns with how the Arch program is being handled this summer and outline the Student Senate’s recent efforts in advocating for rising juniors.

Students receive their bill from the Institute each semester, where there is a line item labeled “Undergraduate Activity Fee.” So what’s this fee? Every student enrolled at Rensselaer pays an activity fee, which is actually three separate fees; class dues, the Union activity fee, and an athletics fee. Graduate students pay a different graduate fee.

The Polytechnic asked students running for senator positions to discuss the issues they plan to address if elected. Here is the response we received.

The Polytechnic asked undergraduate president candidates to discuss their goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are their responses.

The Polytechnic asked the candidate for president of the Union to discuss her goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are her responses.

The Polytechnic asked grand marshal candidates to discuss their goals and leadership experience and to reflect on Student Government as a whole. Here are their responses.

The Polytechnic asked students running for class president to discuss the issues they plan to address if elected. Here are the responses we received.

I hope this update finds you well. It’s been about a month since we left campus for Spring Break. I know when I left class that Friday afternoon, I never would have guessed it would be my last college class ever. Whether you are a senior and grieving the loss of your senior spring, or a sophomore coming to terms with the fact that it will be months before you see your classmates again, I feel for you. These are unprecedented times.

I know that I’m not the only one tapping through “until tomorrow” posts, 30-day song challenges, variations of “draw a carrot” stories, and endless customized bingo grids during quarantine. Nevertheless, watching my peers challenge each other to post videos of pushups, dances, and practicing music have reminded me of the power of social media and how it can be used positively in a trying time.

I did not realize that my classes on March 6 were the last I would ever experience on campus. In a matter of a few days, I lost the remainder of my last semester at Rensselaer to the novel coronavirus.

We published a staff editorial regarding the technical problems we have faced on campus last month. Within that article, we talked about how we noticed Wi-Fi issues on campus. After the article was published, Associate Director of IT Infrastructure Colleen Morrissey reached out to share how the Division of the Chief Information Officer has been committed to ensuring a strong Wi-Fi network across campus.

I would like to share with you why you should plan a visit to a national park during your upcoming summer break.

As I am sure you have noticed, in the last few weeks, the school has been updating us about the flu and coronavirus and the measures they are taking to ensure students are safe on campus. However, there were some issues with how many of these policies were implemented.

I was once told that college is the last time in your life that you will be able to focus on learning things solely for your own benefit and gain. In the future, it is likely you will primarily be learning to advance your career. Everything you do now should be purely motivated by self-improvement. I didn’t realize the significance of this statement at the time, but reflecting, I find it has defined my time here at Rensselaer.

Keeping in line with our change to online-first journalism, The Polytechnic now has a regularly updated social media presence and a department dedicated to promoting our content.

I realized how many people around me had secured summer internships when my sophomore year ended. When I went home after finals, I applied to positions in a panic. I was afraid I made a mistake by never attending career fairs and making no effort to get an internship.

Your four years here will pass in a flash, so make the most of it. Be responsible and get your work done, but don’t forget to have fun.

Campaigning for elected Student Government positions officially kicked off this past week on February 12, 2020! Students can now attend informational sessions to learn about the rules and procedures of campaigning for elected positions.

The Arch is fast approaching—especially for me, now that I am at the end of my sophomore year. I never really tried to become exempt from the Arch because frankly, I didn’t want to be. Since the beginning of college, I wanted to study abroad for at least one semester, and the Arch allows me to do that without worrying about transferring credit towards my major to graduate within four years.

Privacy is dead. It died unnoticed while everyone watched.

Yeming Shen’s PhD advisor, Thomas Sharkey, writes about Yeming’s contributions to the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department after his unexpected passing.

We had a meeting of all the Union officers this past week. The grand marshal, undergraduate president, graduate president, judicial board chair, and I all met a few times a semester to make sure that all bodies of our Student Government are working together cohesively. On this occasion, we met to discuss some wrap-up items as many of our terms are coming to an end and student leader appreciation.

President of the Union Caitlin Kennedy discusses the importance of the club budgeting feedback form, and asks clubs to respond. Kennedy also mentions that campaigning for next year’s Student Government starts soon.