Annual NSBE/SHPE career fair to be hosted virtually
NSBE and SHPE will be hosting its first virtual career fair on September 25 and 26 from 11 am to 5 pm on the platform Brazen. According to the fair's co-director Galiea Overa, Brazen was chosen as it has extensive resources available to recruiters and students and its overall user experience.
The Arch academic calendar needs to be re-worked
Editor in Chief John Stotz ’22 discusses the issues with the nonstop summer Arch semester, and proposes a solution to provide students with periodic opportunities for recovery.
Explore Troy through cuisine
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 introduces first-years to local Troy restaurants, encouraging the newest members of the Rensselaer community to go out and explore the city. In his experience, exploration is the best way to find the best places to eat.
Rensselaer Student Handbook adds discrimination and pandemic policies
This year, the changes made to Rensselaer’s Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities reflect challenges and conversations raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and RPI's Title IX policies were changed to follow federal guidelines set by United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Sharing governance when administrators won’t
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 discusses the importance of shared governance, a philosophy where various groups of people broadly communicate and all share in the decision-making process. He explains how Rensselaer administrators have failed to implement it at the institutional level and his full intention to uphold the practice through his role in student government.
COVID testing: a 4-star experience
Over 4,200 members of the Rensselaer community were tested for COVID-19 prior to the return to campus this fall in an impressive feat of organization. While the process has gone remarkably smoothly, we hope that improvement in communication can make it even better.
Realities of remote RPI
In the current, remote reality, are students receiving the same benefits of the activity fee? According to President of the Union Anissa Choiniere, the answer is no.
Welcome to Rensselaer; please be safe
Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Travis Apgar welcomes students back to campus and urges them to follow Rensselaer’s safety protocols, as non-compliant behavior will be addressed swiftly. He emphasizes that all members of the community must demonstrate responsibility and take the lives of others seriously.
Fake news, fake food
Cooking life hack channels with their slick editing and deceptive recipes have been profiting by misleading their audiences in a similar fashion as fake news organizations. From microwave caramel to political scandals, these forms of media are poisoning the well of information we base our opinions on.
Transfer students deserve better communication from Rensselaer
Rensselaer is on the 2020 Pi Theta Kappa honor roll for transfer friendly colleges, but their communication with transfer students falls short. RPI must do more to live up to its honor roll status by treating transfer students with equal regard as the rest of the student body, even with the extenuating circumstances caused by COVID-19.
Looking back and moving forward
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan discusses student government's new priorities and his commitment to addressing concerns about the Institute's pandemic response as well as recent diversity and inclusion efforts.
Essentials for life at Rensselaer
As the summer comes to an end, The Polytechnic would like to share with you a list of college student essentials and recommendations for the coming school year. This comprehensive list covers nearly all of your dorm and classroom needs, from mattress toppers to iClickers.
Getting involved and staying connected
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere ’21 encourages students to stay involved with the clubs and organizations of the Rensselaer Union. She also explains how you can find clubs to join or start one of your own.
It's a soggy mess: Rensselaer’s quarantine food does not fail to disappoint
Students everywhere endure the mediocrity of dining hall food, but Rensselaer’s choiceless quarantine meals are a whole new take on this quintessential college experience. There was no way to prepare first-year students for the abysmal food that was soon to arrive on their dorm-steps: soggy croutons, cold sauceless noodles, and more. First-year writer Avery Clark reviews Rensselaer’s quarantine food delivery service.
Rensselaer reveals details for Fall reopening
As the Capital Region moves towards Phase Four of reopening, Jackson and several administrative staff gathered together for this summer’s second Town Meeting to further address and elaborate on Rensselaer’s plan for the Fall semester.
Housing standards determine eligibility for on-campus learning
An update to Rensselaer’s COVID-19 FAQ page clarified the housing requirements that RPI announced will apply to students living in off-campus housing. The requirements include a restriction of no more than two students per bathroom.
An update to Rensselaer’s COVID-19 FAQ page clarified the housing requirements that RPI announced will apply to students living in off-campus housing. The requirements include a restriction of no more than two students per bathroom.
No Greek housing this Fall
President Shirley Ann Jackson announced that students planning to live in a sorority or fraternity house during the Fall semester will need to seek alternative housing during a town meeting on July 1, “given our protocols and standards and how we think we have to operate Rensselaer in the fall…we could not accommodate having the Greek houses open.” Greek students were advised to speak with both off-campus and Greek commons staff to find appropriate housing.
Health center to expand services for Fall semester
Services from the Health Center and the Counseling Center will be expanding, as confirmed by Executive Director for Health and Wellness Dr. Leslie Lawrence during the Town Meeting on July 1. Students arriving to campus from certain states will be required to quarantine for two weeks, and all students on campus will have to undergo continuous testing.
Campus de-densification, dining reservation part of new COVID-19 policies
Residential life, including housing, dining, and shuttle services, will be undergoing changes to accommodate social distancing measures, as outlined by President Shirley Ann Jackson and other administrators during the Town Meeting hosted on July 1. Campus density is expected to decrease by 55%, students will have to distance themselves and wear masks at all times, and dining services will operate through a reservation system.
The importance of Asian-American allyship
Monday marked the end of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As young Asian-Americans, we wanted to examine the role of Asians in America: how we came to this country, how we lived, and how we can move forward as a group, particularly in today’s social climate.
Pre-pandemic P/NC policy returns for Arch
A system-wide announcement posted to Rensselaer’s LMS site on Friday by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Michael Hanna said the Institute is going back to “the normal rules” of the pass/no credit policy for the Summer semester.
Elections
Narayan and Choiniere win GM, PU races
Advaith Narayan ’21 and Anissa Choiniere ’21 have been elected Grand Marshal and President of the Union, respectively. The announcement was made on a live stream through the Union’s Instagram account, and a rundown of the election results was sent out in an email shortly thereafter.
Letter To The Editor
Our Arch concerns have gone unheard
Grand Marshal Meagan Lettko '20 and Vice Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan '21 voice their concerns with how the Arch program is being handled this summer and outline the Student Senate’s recent efforts in advocating for rising juniors.
How to socialize while practicing social distancing
After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.
After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.
Building the future of The Polytechnic
Journalism is in flux. The traditional newspaper is dead. Revenue from selling advertisements in a printed edition is shrinking. Across the country, smaller newspapers are being bought by national conglomerates, and the staffs that understand local issues better than anyone are being eviscerated to cut costs.
Journalism is in flux. The traditional newspaper is dead. Revenue from selling advertisements in a printed edition is shrinking. Across the country, smaller newspapers are being bought by national conglomerates, and the staffs that understand local issues better than anyone are being eviscerated to cut costs.
