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Resident Students Protest the Schenectady Brandishes Gun at Off Cutting Down of Trees Campus Frat Party to Make Way for Construction Fencing Michael Rocco O’Krepky Contributing Writer
Maren Kreutzer and Kavita Trivedi Contributing Writer; Photo Editor
Friday evening, a campus-wide petition went live. “STAND UP FOR NATURE AT UNION: Prevent Cutting Down Trees for Temporary Fencing” spread quickly through social media. With over 320 signatures, this issue has grabbed the attention of many Union students and alumni. The creator of the petition, Ilana Goldner ‘26, voices her concerns about the potentially “unnecessary” removal of these trees. “The reason that I started this petition and showed up for trees, is because it deeply pained me to hear that these mature trees were cut down, both in general and for the reasons that they were. I care too deeply to not do anything.” She believes that the petition “brought attention to the fact that we can advocate for these beings that can’t advocate for themselves.” Along with Goldner’s concern with the removal of the North Lane’s trees, she explained that of equal concern was the lack of transparency between the school and the students. Goldner believes that even though saving the trees on North
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Several of the trees on North Lane and an alternative path proposed by Goldner.
Lane was not a complete success, “our voices matter;” that uplifting the student body and their opinions is key to a thriving campus. Marc Donovan, Director of Facilities and Campus Development, stated: “these trees have been on our scheduled removal list for the past two years based on consistent professional evaluations. Our priority is to ensure safety, support the long-term health of our tree canopy, and allow for necessary infrastructure improvements.” Despite the fact that these trees have been con-
sidered for removal for two years, the reasoning behind the decision was not made clear to the student body, resulting in the outcry. Joe Conti, Union’s arborist and grounds manager, is optimistic. He says that “the trees will have a use; the wood chips are going to the Octopus’s Garden and Jackson’s Garden, so they’ll stay local and in the ecosystem.” He believes that cutting down these sickly trees “creates an opportunity to plant something better, something different–something that will grow well.”
cations, like Rathskeller and Dutch Hollow, will see expanded options. The redesigned meal plan options have more meal swipes and less declining balance. The new meal plans range from having 10 weekly swipes to unlimited swipes, and no declining balance to $450 in declining balance. “The most economical option for students is to use a meal swipe, and the second most economical option is to use a meal swipe as an
equivalency at another venue,” Annette Diorio, the Dean of Students, explained about the decision to remodel the meal plans. “If you’re using declining when going into the dining hall, you’re paying at least $2 more for that meal than you would using your meal plan. We’re also adding more options for students to use the meal swipes to get a meal outside the dining hall.”
Opinions, page 3 Pesticide Use on Campus Thunderbolts Review
Sci-Tech, page 4 Steinmetz Spotlights
Union Announces West Closing, Other Major Dining Changes for 2025-2026 Allyson Bennett Contributing Writer
On Monday, May 12, 2025, Union’s Dean of Students Office emailed the campus community to announce several major dining changes beginning in the 20252026 academic year. The most significant changes are the closure of West Dining Hall and updated meal plans. Several other dining lo-
News, page 2 Amtrak Service Changes
See DINING on page 2
Like many Saturday nights in Schenectady, many Unionites found themselves at an off-campus fraternity house for a party on the evening of May 10th. Sometime around one in the morning, the Schenectady Police appeared. Many in attendance assumed this was the police coming to shut the party down, but nothing happened, and the party continued. Later in the night, when students were leaving, many reported being asked for statements by campus safety and some by the police. Specifically, brothers and others close to the fraternity were questioned. Izzy Petersen ‘27 described seeing multiple police cars on the scene, going so far as to say, “they were blocking off the streets.” The following version of events was compiled from and supported by several individuals involved with the fraternity and the event. First, a small group of adolescents approached the entrance to
the backyard of the fraternity house. As they attempted to enter, they were questioned by the brothers of the fraternity, who did not recognize the adolescents. After being denied entry, one of the adolescents appeared to have flashed a gun. They attempted to gain entry again without becoming violent. In the meantime, several brothers contacted the police. The group of adolescents left the driveway, and subsequently, the surrounding area. The police were informed of the adolescents’ departure, and remained on the scene for over an hour. Thankfully, nobody was harmed, and it is still unconfirmed if the gun was loaded or even genuine. However, these events are a sobering reminder of the frequency of violence on and around college campuses. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2021, there were 2,100 aggravated assaults on a college campus. Union was lucky not to add to this statistic on Saturday - but the threat should be enough to warn the campus community.
Green House Name Changed to Honor Harris Alex Sano News Editor
The Minerva buildings of both North and South College have been staples of the Union campus since their construction just after the turn of the 19th century. Housing Wold, Messa, Sorum, and Green houses, the introduction of the Minerva program about two decades ago saw the names of these buildings change from those of the colors to those of notable donors and donor families. The only yet unnamed building of the seven Minervas is Green House, located in South College, still retaining its original name associated with its color. That is, unnamed until this past Thursday 8th, when a ceremony was held at 5 P.M. to officiate its renaming See HARRIS on page 2
President Harris speaking at the dedication of Harris House.
PopCulture / 807, page 5 Steinmetz Art Exhibition Protest at Capital
Sports, page 7 Men’s Crew, Baseball, WLax
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