Senate Responds to Weather Petition
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Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Volume CXXXVII, No. 19 • poly.rpi.edu FEATURES Page 9SPORTS Page 12 EDITORIAL Page 4 Ana Faking it until I make Wishnoff it in college Michael Reach out to your Baird loved ones Review of Best Rap Album winner RPI curling ranked best in nation Coloring Book ADMINISTRATION Inclement weather leads to communications mistake Jonathan Caicedo/The Polytechnic SNOWY AND SLICK CONDITIONS SUNDAY EVENING RESULTED in cancellation of morning classes which was reversed Monday morning. Jack Wellhofer it became clear that both the local roads and did include an error, and we apologize for any Senior Reporter campus were still covered in snow. confusion this may have created.” Just before 7 am on Monday, February 13, Part of this frustration culmninated in a peti- ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, AS HEAVY SNOW FELL email, robocall, and text message notifica- tion that appeared on the RPI Petitions website. across most of the Northeast, notifications tions went out to the Rensselaer community Formal Snow Day Policy reached the required in the form of email, robocall, and text mes- stating Liberal Leave would be in effect and 250 signatures in just a few short hours after sage went out to the Rensselaer community classes would be proceeding as normal. posting, thanks to mass sharing on social media. instating the Liberal Leave policy, allowing This announcement sparked confusion The purpose of the petition was simple: “Once all non-essential staff members an additional and anger among the student body. Many classes are cancelled, do not un-cancel them.” two hours to arrive at work to account for students, assuming that they had the morning As of Tuesday, February 14, Formal Snow conditions on the following Monday. off, made plans around the canceled classes. Day Policy has more signatures than Preserve Later that evening, a second email was Instead, as Ranger Beguelin ’18 put it, “I the Student Union, the petition that sparked sent to the Rensselaer community, stating was woken up by frantic phone calls from the Spring Town Meeting protests surround- that both the Troy and Hartford campuses my classmates… our 10 am exam had been ing the proposed hiring of an executive direc- would be open for business. Toward the end, reinstated sometime in the early morning.” tor of student activities. the email stated that 8 am and 10 am classes At 10 am on Monday, another email went In an interview with Vice President for would be canceled for the Troy campus, and out to the Rensselaer community explain- Administration Claude Rounds, The Poly later classes would remain on schedule. ing the situation. The email stated that, “In gained insight to how decisions regarding This has been typical operating procedure cases of emergency and inclement weather, inclement weather are made. Rounds said for Rensselaer in regards to snow days. On Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute uses multiple that they were worried about the snow con- February 9, Rensselaer first instated Liberal communications methods to reach the entire tinuing through the night, and were planning Leave, then, as conditions remained hazard- Rensselaer community as quickly as possible to wait until 5 am to make a decision. ous, they canceled morning classes, and sub- under changing circumstances. During this When making a decision about inclement sequently the entire day’s operations when inclement weather event, one communication See SNOW, Page 2 STUDENT SENATE Serving the Rensselaer Senate responds to weather petition community Peter Gramenides potential projects of interest to a presentation regarding the Union change “total fees” to “Union activ- since 1885 Senior Reporter the student body. The committee Activity Fee. The Executive Board ity fee,” which then passed 21-0-0. also made progress on counsel- requested that the Senate con- Following the Activity Fee pre- GRAND MARSHAL PAUL ILORI ’17 ing center survey questions and sider increasing activity fees from sentation, the creator of the petition opened the Student Senate with communicating with Vice Presi- $350.50 to $373.50 for undergradu- Formal Snow Day Policy Philip committee reports. Those began dent for Administration Claude ate and $317 to $324 for graduates. Sweeting ’17 gave a presentation Inside with Facilities & Services Commit- Rounds regarding inclement Senate & Executive Board liaison to the Senate regarding actions he tee Chairperson Austin Miller ’17 weather policy. Etzine also met Thomas Alapatt ’17 explained that would wish to take regarding the Comics . 7 who followed up with information with administrators regarding the increase is to cover changes to inclement weather policy. This putting study space areas in the federal labor regulations through included requiring administrators Editorial/Opinion . 4 on suggestions to replace plastic bags in Sodexo locations with great hall of the DCC, as well the Fair Labor Standards Act, to address mistakes made in email Features . 9 reusable bags. Miller is currently as areas across different campus an increase of student salaries communications with students re- Sports . 12 working with Hospitality Services buildings. The committee is also from $9.70 to $10.40, and UPAC garding inclement weather within in order to make this a reality as currently working to restore technician rates being raised from a timely manner, suggesting that well as work out the logistics of multi-door access with Public $10.00 to $10.50. faculty be understanding of the distributing reusable bags to all Safety in which students will be The presentation also noted that miscommunication, and that once students on campus at a cost equal able to yet again access residence class and athletics fees will remain classes are cancelled by the Institute Connect to or lower than the current cost halls through side entrances. the same for the 2017-2018 school they cannot be uncancelled even in of purchasing plastic bags. Following Etzine, Web year for both undergraduates and the case of miscommunication. Technologies Chairperson graduates, and that the Union activ- The Senate then moved 21-0-0 to Visit us online at: Following Miller, Student Life poly.rpi.edu Chairperson Justin Etzine ’18 con- Sidney Kochman ’19 delivered ity fee increased at one of the lowest recognize the petition and 21-0-0 to tinued by stating that the Student his report. Kochman is currently rates in the past few years. Follow- pass a resolution moved by Etzine in Like us on Facebook: updating student senate profiles ing the presentation and discussion, response to the petition. The creator facebook.com/thepolytechnic Life Committee took a tour of Experimental Media and Performing and pictures in order to reflect the Senate voted 21-0-0 to approve of the petition later said, “I support Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: the current Senate roster. the changes to the Union Activity this resolution as an adequate re- @RPIPoly Arts Center and stated that it’s director seemed very excited about working After committee and constituent Fee. The Senate then voted 21-0-0 sponse to my petition.” with students and brainstorming reports, the UAR Committee held to amend an error in the document to 2 • News Wednesday, February 15, 2017 poly.rpi.edu ADMINISTRATION Crime declines in Rensselaer County, Jackson attributes to local investment in Capital District Peter Gramenides motor vehicle theft, robbery, liquor-law Regardless of recent changes, however, in a the In terms of advancing public safety to re- Senior Reporter arrests, or aggravated assault during 2015. interview with The Poly Matthews suggested spond to new threats, Matthews stated that he The amount of liquor law referrals, however, that students should still exercise regular safety wants to step up patrols in busy areas and is OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, RENSSELAER has increased substantially since 2013 from precautions before traveling in Troy, saying that continually pursuing new partnerships with County, in conjunction with RPI’s campus, has 50 to 188 in 2015, an increase of 276 percent. “There’s a very simplistic way on how not to peer institutions, local law enforcements, as seen an unprecedented decline in crime accord- During this same period, drug law referrals also become a victim, and it’s called a crime triangle. well as state and federal officials. ing to new data obtained by The Poly. increased from 10 to 23 by 130 percent—sig- It’s called the target (victim) and the desire (the Public Safety also currently offers the According to crime logs obtained from naling an increased level of enforcement by offender) and you have the opportunity to com- ability for students, at no cost, to have the New York State Division of Criminal the Department of Public Safety. Director of mit the crime. If you can eliminate any side of a personal security plan made. There is Justice Services, the County’s crime index Public Safety Jerry Matthews responded to this the triangle there is no crime.” also a mobile phone application called rate (per 100,000 residents) has fallen 16 data by saying, “on my watch, I make it a point Matthews also noted that “the most com- RPI Guardian designed to ensure the percent from 3029 in 2008 to 2629 in 2015. that when we have those things we report them mon crime is theft of unattended property,” safety of student when walking late at Crime peaked in this time frame in 2010 at [drug or alcohol related offenses].” In response specifically technology such as cellular devices, night. Matthews stressed the need to “see 3135, following the Great Recession, before to the uptick in offenses compared to prior years, gaming consoles, and laptops. “See the laptop [crime] before it’s coming,” and the need falling to a record low of 2582 in 2013. Matthews also commented “I don’t know how as money on the table.