SG leaders focus on school spirit

President James Macchiano and Vice President Cory Hoffman

Increasing school spirit and uniting RIT students while giving them comfortable places to hang out are on the agenda for new Student Government leaders James Macchiano and Cory Hoffman. The pair will head up Student Government for the 2005-2006 academic year.

Macchiano, a third-year animation student, will be the Student Government president, with Hoffman, a fourth-year mechanical engineering BS/MS student, as his vice president.

The April election had the highest student voter turnout ever with a record 3,300 votes—more than twice last year’s parti-cipation.

“I really want to push spirit, using school colors and RIT’s look to facilitate that,” Macchiano says. He also wants to look at space for clubs and organizations and the RIT community as a whole.

“A lot of effort is being made in Grace Watson and the Commons, but I still think that the Student Alumni Union needs work. Students go in there but they don’t stay in there.”

Hoffman agrees, saying, “I also would like to see the RITreat redecorated to reflect the Center for Campus Life. The atmosphere should reflect life and not concrete —more comfortable furniture, plants, better lighting and possibly even an aquarium would bring a breath of fresh air to the student union.”

Other goals include incorporating RIT school colors into campus life by painting the inside of the Gordon Field House and Activities Center, changing the colors of the Web site and increasing school-oriented apparel in Campus Connections; finding new programs to unite students, such as a dance off in the field house during week of welcome where the students dance to earn free rent; and tapping into RIT’s electronic/technology base with a huge LAN party to get students out of their rooms, Macchianio says.

All in all, celebrating community and increasing involvement and spirit are on the table for the coming year and the two are ready to go.

“I’m anxious to begin working in Student Government and am very excited about the opportunities awaiting us,” Hoffman says.