This year, Grand Marshal Week will take over the campus with a Vikings theme and an appropriately named slogan—“Forge, Fight, Feast!” As part of a long-standing tradition at Rensselaer, Grand Marshal Week (GM Week), a week of campuswide celebrations featuring student organizations and student elections, will be held April 6-11.

This year’s Grand Marshal Week theme, Vikings, was unveiled at a hockey game earlier this year.

This year’s Grand Marshal Week theme, Vikings, was unveiled at a hockey game earlier this year.

Each spring, the campus is buzzing with activity as students and members of the Rensselaer community participate in GM Week, which also celebrates student life and government, cultural diversity, and the performing arts. Home to nearly 200 clubs, sports, and organizations, the Rensselaer Union is one of the few student unions that is truly run by students. Student officials are elected each spring by the student body. Rensselaer is recognized as one of only 20 colleges and universities in the United States that operates its student union using this structure.

For the duration of the event, the Rensselaer Union outdoor patio and Rensselaer Union McNeil Room will serve as the main locations for the weeklong series of events.

The kickoff event will be held on Monday, April 7, beginning at 11 a.m. Event highlights include a series of carnival activities, inflatables, club showcases, live entertainment, and more.

GM logoOn Wednesday, April 9, all members of the campus community are invited to attend the annual Provost’s BBQ and Carnival. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Armory. Activities include a caricaturist and various performances by student groups and area performers. Classes will not be held on April 9.

The finale event, featuring a Viking-like feast and performance by a local band, will take place on Friday, April 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. Additional entertainment and activities will follow.

Participating student organizations include members of Circle K, UPAC Cinema, The Rensselyrics, Black Student Alliance, RMA Jazz Festival, RPI Quidditch, Habitat for Humanity, the RPI Crew team, Community Advocates, Sigma Delta, Pi Lambda Phi, and members of the Class of 2016.

GM Facebook Page.

Curious about how GM Week started?