of the Union ===
The positions of Grand Marshal and President of the Union at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are typically awarded (by student vote) to the students who are respected by the student body and are represented by a top hat and a derby hat respectively. While Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has had the position of Grand Marshal (GM) since 1865, the position of President of the Union did not come about until 1890 when the union was developed. However, between 1890 and 1894, there was only a President of the Union, no Grand Marshal. Starting with the 1894–1895 school year, the President of the Union and Grand Marshal ran side by side. The week of voting for said positions is called GM Week, and typically has events on campus for students to do to promote the voting.
The Grand Marshal position is elected by the student body (typically in the spring) and is the highest position a student can hold at RPI. The GM plays a big role in the student government by doing projects, appointing officers, and …
