*Editor’s note: This article was written without an audio transcript.

Student Government (SG) discussed the RIT 2026 United Way Campaign, was given a presentation by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) for an award approval request and went over responses to PawPrints during their Feb. 20 meeting. The group also gave brief announcements regarding upcoming events on campus.

United Way Campaign

Ashley Dulac, the Associate Director for Conferences and Special Events and RIT United Way Campaign Coordinator, delivered a presentation about the RIT United Way Campaign. According to the campaign website, the organization is dedicated to supporting “those less fortunate in the community by giving generously.” In 2025, the organization received $226,274 in donations through 479 donors and 294 event volunteers. In 2026, United Way is aiming to reach $225,000 in donations, with a donor goal of 500 and a participant goal of 300. So far, the 2026 campaign has fundraised $18,939. Through United Way, RIT students have completed about 14,726 service hours, equaling an economic impact of $444,430. Some top volunteer agencies include The Center for Youth, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester and Breast Cancer Coalition. 

The organization will be hosting its PBJam Kickoff Event on March 4, where volunteers will make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for local agencies like the Boys and Girls Club, Center for Youth and Willow Center, with a goal of making 1,000 sandwiches. There are three sessions available, with the first session from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the second from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. and the third from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Those interested in volunteering can do so by registering through the RIT Campus Groups site or by emailing unitedway@rit.edu.

United Way will also be hosting its CHAIRity Auction Bidding from 10:00 a.m. March 16 to 12:00 p.m., March 27. Each chair is designed by a different artist at RIT, and the funds raised from them will be donated to the local United Way agency selected by the artist. Starting March 2, the chairs will be displayed at the Campus Center Lobby. In 2025, the auction raised about $6,000. More information can be found on the RIT CHAIRity Auction 2026 website. 

NSBE Presentation

SG’s Director of Finance, Yasmine Ibrahim, spoke to the Senate for the approval of the NSBE award. NSBE is an international student-led organization with over 700 chapters of 24,000 members worldwide. According to the NSBE’s website, their mission is to “increase the number of Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.” The organization hosts an annual convention in March, offering members a chance to make connections, seek job opportunities and attend interviews. The total cost of the event was $35,986, and a request was made to SG for a $10,000 award. Due to SG bylaws, it’s only able to cover 50% of what’s requested in travel costs. A motion was made to approve the award, with SG voting yes unanimously.

PawPrints

A PawPrint from November 2023 asking to extend the times of breakfast being served in Brick City was discussed. The student who created the petition explained that many students have classes ending at 9:50 a.m., and that they’re unable to receive food due to Brick City closing breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in 2023. Since then, Housing and Dining has extended breakfast until 10:30 a.m., and stated that the 30-minute closure is necessary for staff to provide enough time to clean and prepare Brick City for lunch. As such, staff may need to occasionally stop taking orders before 10:30 to ensure that everything is fully closed within their schedule. On Feb. 10, 2026, The Kitchen at Brick City hosted its all-day breakfast event, serving breakfast items until 2:00 p.m. Due to strong turnout, Housing and Dining are willing to host similar items in the future and explained that other campus dining locations such as Artesano’s, Beanz and Midnight Oil offer breakfast items into the afternoon. Housing and Dining also stated that they’ll continue to watch for participation in future events when making considerations for any long-term changes.

SG then discussed a PawPrint previously discussed in a past Reporter article, which had discussed the issues with Housing and Dining only allowing pasta bake forms if asked directly for one. This made ordering for those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or have anxiety or auditory processing issues difficult. SG explained that when pasta bake papers were all put out, it caused increased wait times, mixed papers, people cutting in line and large amounts of unclaimed food. Both the Accessibility Committee and RITZ agreed to keep the paper slips behind the counter, but that there will be a sign indicating that if someone requires a written form, they should get the attention of a worker and either point to the sign or ask for a slip. Additionally, the staff will include all online pasta bake options before 3:00 p.m. They’re also being encouraged to utilize whiteboards when calling out initials. 

Upcoming Events

On March 3, College of Engineering Technology’s (CET) Student Advisory Board and Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) will be having its fourth annual CET vs. KGCOE dodgeball tournament at the Hale-Andrews Student Life Center courts from 5:00 to 6:45 p.m. Teams will be competing for a first-place trophy and “swag bags”. Those interested in participating can do so through the following Google Form.

The African, Latin, Asian and Native American Collegiate Association (ACA) will be holding its Town Hall on Feb. 26, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Student Hall for Exploration and Development in room SHD 3350. Attendees are encouraged to come with ideas, questions and updates.

ACA, along with College Activities Board (CAB) and Unity House, will be hosting Circle Culture, a celebration of Black History Month. Food from Livie’s Jamaican Restaurant, Esans Bistro and Mission BBQ will be provided, along with activities from different cultural student organizations across campus. Live performances will also be held, along with music from DJ Renny. The event will take place at the Fireside Lounge and Davis Room on Feb. 28, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Interpreting services are available upon request and are pending availability. To request services, visit the RIT myAccess website.

Additionally, Cross Register will be providing Narcan training on March 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Student Development Center in room 1300.