At the Student Senate’s meeting last week, President Shirley Ann Jackson spoke to the Senators regarding the state of the Institute. During her presentation, issues such as languages, the Class of 2014, and the Clustered Learning Advocacy and Support for Students initiative were discussed. Read more...

Recently, the Institute has seen a spike in crime both on- and-off campus. In the past few weeks, numerous students have been attacked or robbed while walking back to residence halls or apartments in the evening or night hours; some robberies have even involved weapons. Larceny has also been a large problem on campus, as multiple laptops and backpacks have recently been stolen out of dining halls. Read more...

Last Friday, I went for a visit to the Playhouse to see The Visit, a relatively dark comedy. The play tells the story of Clara Zachanassian, a woman returning to her childhood town to try to right an injustice done to her many years ago. The production follows her return and the ultimatum she gives the town as a means of seeking her revenge. Read more...

After earning their first win in six games against the Clarkson University Golden Knights on Friday, the Engineers battled out to a 2-1 loss to another ECAC undefeated team, the St. Lawrence University Saints, on Saturday night. The win and loss place RPI 7-4-1 overall and 3-1-0 in the ECAC, while Clarkson falls to 3-7 overall and 0-3 in the league. St. Lawrence improves to 6-4-1 overall and 2-2-0 in ECAC play. Read more...

Last week’s Interfraternity Council Meeting on November 11, 2009 provided more information about the transition from the current executive board to the newly elected members. Additionally, the meeting saw the end of elections with the position of vice president of social. Read more...

Although my rule of thumb is never to write an editorial about something in the same issue as an opinion piece is printed, one opinion piece caught my eye this week: “Pay should only be as high as rankings” on page 6 of the issue, which I urge you to read before reading this editorial. Since next week there will be no new Poly due to Thanksgiving break, I felt it was better to clear the issue up now so we can start fresh after we’ve had our fill of turkey (or tofurkey, according to your preferences). Read more...

I was at the final football game of the regular season on Saturday (congrats RPI Engineers on the 13-10 win!) and I noticed something. Besides the athletes on the field or the spectators in the stands, RPI students are at a lot of other places. The game was filmed by RPI TV, the student-run television station; it was broadcast on 91.5 FM by the student commentators for WRPI, the campus radio station; the RPI cheerleaders were on the sidelines, along with the students in RPI Ambulance. Even many of the game day staff and athletics support were student volunteers. It certainly is a great thing to see that everybody comes together to make a day successful, even if it is a little rainy. Read more...

The yearly cycle here at RPI is fairly consistent. We’ve again reached that point where Thanksgiving break is a mere hair’s breadth away, keeping the semester’s hectic schedule of homework, exams, projects, and activities in perspective. Freshmen are settled in, for the most part, and most have found those activities which suit them on campus, and seniors are busy searching for work, going on interviews, and finding themselves with as big a workload as ever. Read more...

I am responding to the cover story and editorials in the November 4 issue. While I wish to point out that President Shirley Ann Jackson has performed well over the past decade, the extremely high pay vs. presidents at even higher-ranked schools is seriously out of whack, especially in today’s economy. I also oppose the statements made by Michael Zwack ’11 and Cara Riverso ’10 alleging that the school was of inferior quality prior to Jackson’s inauguration, and their failure to represent the students in this issue. Read more...

This semester marks the first year the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center has included long-term exhibits. Beginning with Take a Day for Yourself, by Danish artist Mads Lynnerup, EMPAC has welcomed two more ongoing installations since October 1: Body/Traces, by Sophie Kahn and Lisa Parra, and They Watch, by Workspace Unlimited. Wanting to see something new, I decided to head over to EMPAC to see what these installations were about and to see if they were any good. Read more...

Two years ago, Infinity Ward pulled the Call of Duty series out of the oversaturated World War II market and rebooted in the present with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The result was an incredible campaign that offered intense action with a great story, with one of the best multiplayer experiences ever. With such a great experience, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has some big shoes to fill, and although it stumbles in a few areas, it largely succeeds in offering a more polished, satisfying experience. Read more...

Like any great columnist who has been writing for some time, I’ve run out of ideas. So like the circus juggler whose four-ball act has become stale, the course is clear: Lame + 1 = Awesome. I have to add a fifth ball. Except that instead of balls, they’re restaurants, and I’m only adding a second, but still, it’s the same principle. (Sort of ... basically ... not really ... darn!) Read more...

One word: Epic. Vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hannett, and bassist Robert Trujillo proved to the Times Union Center and Albany once again on November 12 that Metallica can still put on a show after 28 years of being together. (Well, minus Trujillo, who replaced Jason Newsted who replaced the late Cliff Burton, who replaced Ron McGovney.) Read more...

Par-TEE! A century ago, Troy was a-rockin’ with parades, speeches, banquets, bunting, fireworks. The 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration honored the tri-centennial of Henry Hudson’s trip up his namesake river, and the centennial of Robert Fulton’s 1807 steamship journey on said river. (Alas, the celebrations this time around were so low-key as to be all but unnoticed.) Read more...

I’m always on the lookout for good, traditional American songs. When my friend lent me his copy of The Civil War, a 1998 Broadway musical, I was quickly captivated and hypnotized. I usually am not a fan of musicals, but there is something about this one that’s different. As a history buff, I was thrilled track after track, just trying to feel as much music and soul as I could. I can tell you that you will appreciate this music. History fanatic or not, the album’s patriotic hymns will be sure to appeal to your emotions and make you smile. Read more...

Once upon a time in my eighth grade earth science class, we were given an extra credit assignment: to take a photograph of ourselves standing eggs on end during the Spring Equinox. Being the heinous overachiever that I was, I cheated. I tried and tried, but couldn’t make the egg stand up, so what’s a girl to do? Stick the egg to the table with silly putty! I remember smiling as my mom (applauding my creativity) took the photo of me and my “talented egg.” Read more...

It’s no doubt that green is in; everywhere we look we are surrounded by messages to save the planet, save money, buy local, and so on and so forth. We’re encouraged to drive less, reuse more, and adjust our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprints. So, how exactly can we do this? Even more importantly, how can we do this to integrate with our lives, versus being forced to adapt to something uncomfortable? Read more...

Rensselaer men’s soccer fell in the second round of the NCAA Division-III soccer tournament this past Sunday after putting forth a stellar performance to reach advanced play in the season. RPI, ranked No. 13 in the nation, took down No. 20 Eastern Connecticut State College in a tight 1-0 bout on Saturday afternoon before falling 1-0 to No. 6 Williams College on Sunday. The Ephs advance to the sectionals round, which consists of 16 teams, and will play the York College of Pennsylvania Spartans this Saturday. Read more...

Following a difficult loss to Cornell University last weekend, the women’s hockey team has stepped up its game in the final two matches of a four-game home stand this past weekend. Rensselaer handily defeated the Yale University Bulldogs by a score of 4-1 followed by a 1-1 tie against the Brown University Bears on Saturday afternoon. Regaining their composure and leveling out their conference record, the Engineers are now 4-6-4 overall and 2-2-2 in ECAC play. Yale, on the other hand, is winless in conference action with a 0-5-0 record and 0-5-1 overall, while Brown maintained a 1-4-3 overall record and is 0-3-3 in the ECAC. Read more...

On a cold and rainy afternoon at the East Campus Stadium, the RPI Engineers defeated the United States Merchant Marine Academy Mariners by a score of 13-10. With the victory, the Engineers finish the season with a 5-4 overall record and a Liberty League record of 3-4. Read more...