RPInsider

Our hearts are with those in Haiti

Post updated at 4:27pm to clarify donations.

In a commendable step to helping those affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti, RPI has announced that they will be matching donations from Faculty, Staff, and Students to the aid organizations AmeriCares, Oxfam America, and Save the Children. The ‘Tute will also donate $10,000 to each organization, for a total of $30,000, in addition to matching donations by community members. RPI has been accepting donations since the 14th and Bill Walker (Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Relations) has confirmed that the community has donated almost $12,000 already. This means that the people of Rensselaer will be sending almost $54,000 in aid to help with rescuing and rebuilding Haiti.  So much for pervasive apathy!

Yesterday, the deadline for RPI’s offer was extended to January 31st. This means there’s still time to take advantage of this opportunity to do twice as much good with your money! If you’d like to have RPI match your donations to one of the designated aid agencies, follow these instructions:

Donate direct to the organization electronically through their website:

1. Make payment to AmeriCares, Oxfam America, or Save The Children
2. Forward the electronic receipt to salval@rpi.edu

Donate electronically though RPI:

1. Go to RPI’s giving page
2. Select “Other Designation” and type “Haiti Relief Fund”
3. Enter your donation amount (no dollar sign)
4. Click “Submit Securely”

For more details, see the emails below. We are very proud to be members of the RPI community at times like this. A big sincere thanks to everyone at RPI who made this possible!

Read more…

Share Uncategorized employees, health, money, students, unity

This was half of the crowd. Photo from http://lion.puttynuts.com/~sam/

You’ve heard about it by now, no doubt.  The Uprise at Five (PM) happened yesterday outside of Russell Sage Dining Hall.  Students came out in force to show their dissatisfaction with the lack of input from students on administrative decisions.

Read more…

Share Uncategorized spirit, unity, uprise at five

These people don't go to RPI, but they are very excited for school

Do you like RPI? Want to share your knowledge of the ‘tute and meet the incoming freshmen?

Tomorrow at noon in 3202 in the Union, FYE is holding an information session for people who are interested in being SO advisers.

FYE can be reached below:
http://www.fye.rpi.edu
First-Year Experience
518-276-6864

Share Uncategorized spirit, to do, Troy, unity

Although I haven’t heard of an official announcement, there is a Facebook group , and lots of talk on campus about Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, Metro Station, All Time Low, and Hey Monday who will be will be playing at the Houston Field House. Tickets go on sale Jan. 30th at the Field House, and the concert is scheduled for Monday April 26! The tour is called the “Believers Never Die” tour.

I’m glad to see the E-Board decided to get another big-name band this year. Maybe it will bring some unity back to the school, too!

Share Events to do, unity

I don’t think it would be unreasonable to say that most RPI students lack a general sense of school spirit.  This has been something that various administrators have said publicly they want to change. Why could this be? It’s not because we’re all too busy with our academics, or completely distracted by video games.  Looking at other universities who are very spirited, there are usually great sports teams (we have that too!) as well as great friends to go to games with (we have that too!) But there is obviously more than just an athletic aspect to school spirit. Looking elsewhere in life, spirit occurs when lots of people love a certain place. Well, looking at RPI, I would gander to say that this is why we don’t have as much spirit and unity as we can. Between layoffs (affecting the staff), and faculty governance issues (affecting the faculty), and new required sophomore housing (affecting students) the only stakeholder seemingly protected at the institute is the administration. They are the ones who are instituting all of these changes in the first place.  No wonder there isn’t spirit and unity! Everyone is disgruntled! Enthusiasm and good feelings for a place are contagious. It might help if the staff and faculty loved the place where they work. Well, I guess there is something that unites us all… Watch out administration, you might have some spirited unity coming your way, just not the kind you were thinking of.

Share Uncategorized employees, layoffs, spirit, unity