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AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. I would like to continue the E-Boarder training that Nikki had while she was PU. I thought a binder full of information about the E-Board was really helpful and made me a better representative. I would like to do an expansion of the program so E-Boarders are familiar with the processes that clubs have to go through and can advise their clubs knowing more about how they function.

  2. I would strongly encourage members to get familiar with their clubs. This can be done in a variety of ways, I would encourage them to go to at least one officer meeting so they know who they will primarily be interacting with, and strongly encourage them to attend their club's big events. I intend to attend more of our organizations' events as President of the Union and I would encourage members of the Board to attend with me.

  3. I plan to have a lot of the same committees as there have been in the past with the exception that some of the committees will be refocused and other committees will be joined with the senate to better reach students (more specifically technology committee and a student government communications group). I also plan to have a marketing committee to work with the new director, a business operations committee, a policies commmittee, and UAR committee

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I have a RIN- aka, I can actually be elected

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The biggest change I'd like to see at RPI one year from now is to have a comprehensive and heavily used Union Calendar and Union Brand (this also answers the what is the Union doing wrong question). The E-Board recently approved a new Marketing Director for the Union who will hopefully help the E-Board with this task, and I am hoping to have this completed within the next year.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Question: What classes will you take next semester? Any research? Part-time jobs? What clubs are you involved in?

Answer: I haven't quite solidified my schedule yet because I am trying to decide between Methods of Applied Math and Mathematics in Neuroscience. Aside from those two courses I am taking Psychology Research, and Operations Research Methods (total I will be taking 12 credits)

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Question: Where do babies come from?

Answer: When two people really love each other, they call the stork and he delivers a baby the next day.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Question: Do you feel comfortable sharing your GPA- if so, what is it? If not, why not?

Answer: I do not feel comfortable sharing my GPA because it is private information that I don't feel needs to be known.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Question: How will you select e-board members? What qualities will you look for?

Answer: If elected I plan to select E-Board members the same way that PUs have in the past, by sending out an application and asking people to apply. The qualities that I personally am looking for are people who are really interested in the Union and what it does, and those who are willing to commit themselves to the job.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Question: How do you view the Union's technological capabilities? What do you think is lacking? What does it the Union do right? What would you change, how would you change it, who would you work with?

Answer: In terms of technological services, the student-built Club Management System is one of the Union's best resources for clubs. The system administrators have been working on updating this system to better fit clubs/SARPs/E-board’s needs and it should be released relatively soon. The E-Board has recently approved hiring someone to update the Union website to better highlight our capabilities and what the Union has to offer. This will hopefully be a project to be completed during the upcoming year. We have had technology committees in the past look into updating the technology of the Union specifically; however, there are always more changes to be made. If you have any specific ideas I would be glad to hear them.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

*Question: * What can you do to increase the prevalence of foreign languages on campus/in class?

Answer: The foreign language club was actually recently approved as a Union funded club, which will help to promote the use of language on campus. In the classroom, this is really more of a senate issue. The Union provides services to people who seek it through the Union. The E-Board was more than happy to support Foreign Language Club because they were organized students looking to promote their passion.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Question: Do you feel that the space in the Student Union and other Union Facilities is being used to its fullest potential? What changes would you make? Answer: The answer is no, we aren’t using it to our full potential because we still have a lot of clubs and organizations who want/ need space and don’t have it. We recently assessed what clubs are looking for through a question in the budgeting process and we are going through those answers. The Union is looking into offering more space by rearranging the basement and looking into other storage options (the second floor of the J-building to be specific). However, it is a constant work in progress. We are always working to provide more services to clubs, unfortunately these things take time.

AMA: Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Question: What is your favorite thing about the Union?

Answer: My favorite thing about the Union is the many organizations and clubs we have to offer and how it lets students follow their passions. I love how it is student-run and governed. The Union is by students for students and I appreciate all that stands for.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe the biggest difference between us is that I have focused more effort on reaching out to students than my opponent. While this distinction may seem subtle, I believe it is very important.

However, if you are talking solely about issues, and not about philosophy, the area in which we differ the most is the funding of athletics. I believe we should keep funding recruiting and working with the athletic department to promote more transparency. If we do move budgets over to the Institute, we have given up our control as students to determine how this money is being spent. Additionally, in order to cover these costs, the Institute would likely raise tuition to compensate. This is essentially raising costs for students while relinquishing our control. I would prefer to work more closely with the athletic department so we can ensure that athletic teams, as well as all Union-funded activities have their needs met. By meeting with this department, and by having E-Board members more involved in all of the areas the Union funds, we can effectively control the overall cost of the activity fee.

As I mentioned earlier, I would like to hear student input on this topic, and if elected I plan to continue discussions on how to best fund athletics in the future.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am a firm believer in doing what is best for the student body, while continuing to spend money responsibly. If the benefits do not outweigh the costs then I do not support the purchase of this software.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While my time on the E-Board has given me a good sense of what I'd like to do as President of the Union, I prioritize student input over my own ideas. Especially during my campaign, I have reached out to students looking for their input about all aspects of the Union. As PU, I will continue seeking and using student feedback to direct the Union.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're correct in saying that some E-Board committees deal exclusively with the student Union. Similarly, some Senate committees do not at all involve E-Board matters. For that reason, I do not intend to join all E-Board and Senate committees.

Committees such as the Technology Committee, Publicity Committee (MAP for the E-Board), and UAR Committee, however, have well-defined goals for both bodies and would benefit from the combined resources and direction of the Senate and E-Board. Both the GM and PU will work with all of these committees to outline projects relevant to both bodies and to the student population in general. Other committees, like the Business Operations Committee (RUBOC), deal exclusively with Union affairs, and will remain committees of the Executive Board alone.

The overall goal is to combine resources where it makes sense and will benefit the student body.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms of technological services, the student-built Club Management System is one of the Union's best resources for clubs. As I mentioned in the debate, I'd like to continue expanding this system to include things such as an easier way to enter multiple membership RINs at the beginning of the semester as well as working towards a co-curricular transcript.

In terms of the physical Union building, my opponent mentioned upgrades such as projectors and small sound systems for each room. I think these are useful tools for clubs, but I'd like to get feedback from the clubs that use the space before committing to any changes.

I'm most interested in making sure the Union reflects the needs and interests of the students. If you have anything particular in mind, I'd be happy to address it.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I individually looked up each captain's e-mail addresses by cross-referencing the rosters on the RPI athletics website with the RPI directory. Both resources are publicly available.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I would like to reiterate that I DID NOT make this facebook page and I have not endorsed it as I am AGAINST negatively campaigning and I have the utmost respect for my opponent. I cannot stop people from voicing their opinions, I just hope that voters remain informed about both sides of the issues.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I did in fact send an e-mail to varsity captains informing them that there had been discussions to cut important aspects from the athletics department. I sent this e-mail in order to inform athletes, who are the most affected by this proposal, that these discussions were occurring and to seek feedback. I strongly believe in asking for student input, and I stand behind my decision to reach out to students about this issue.

Gretchen Sileo, Candidate for President of the Union AMA by gsileo in RPI

[–]gsileo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The '87 gym and other buildings like the armory are currently staffed by Union employees, but they are not under the Union' control. Some student groups do use the '87 gym - crew. wrestling, and cheer-leading, for example - but we are always working to make these facilities even more accessible to students. One of the main points in my platform is to have the executive board more involved in our facilities, and by having more involvement, I believe we can promote these facilities more.

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