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The Polytechnic
Vol. CXLIII No. 11
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Rensselaer Union Apology, RUVS

JORDAN KRISHNAYAH·1 DAY AGO

Grand Marshal Jordan Krishnayah '28 issues an apology on behalf of the Rensselaer Union for the issue with displaying legal names in the Rensselaer Union Voting System during Grand Marshal Week 2025.

The Rensselaer Union houses the "oldest continously-existing all-student government in the United States." Devyn Martin/The Polytechnic

Student Senate

Senate approves one motion and deadlocked on another in the first meeting of the fall semester

AUDREY JOHNSON & MIGUEL VAZQUEZ

At the first Student Senate meeting of the Fall 2026 semester, Griffin Oliver ’27 introduced two new amendments to the Senate bylaws, only one of which passed.

RPI's IBM Quantum System One at the unveiling, April 2024 Anna Zuniga/The Polytechnic

RPI Academia

RPI’s IBM Quantum System One gets Nighthawk r1 chip

MEHER RANDERIA

Dr. Cameron Cogburn speaks about the IBM Quantum System One on campus, which recently upgraded to the new Nighthawk processor. The system reopened to the public on August 15.

GM Jordan Krishnayah '28 oversees the questioning of Conner Wallace '27 Meher Randeria/The Polytechnic

Student Senate

Judicial Board Member recalled at his own Chairperson confirmation hearing

ELENI DOUGHNEY & RONAN HEVENOR & MEHER RANDERIA

The 57th Student Senate called an emergency meeting to confirm Conner Wallace ’27 for Judicial Board Chairperson, but recalled him from J-Board instead.

Paris Syndrome lead artist Miho Hatori lends her vocals to the performance. Maryam Farooqi/The Polytechnic

EMPAC

Percussive feedback, Strange Jazz, doom metal at EMPAC’s TOPOS festival

THE POLYTECHNIC

EMPAC's annual festival built itself off of experiment, cultural conversation, and stretching the boundaries of what a “music festival” can be.

Engineers rallying for a change in strategy. Kyle Kershaw/The Polytechnic

Football

Rensselaer gets clobbered by the Pioneers

MOIZ STEENHUIS·1 DAY AGO

Rensselaer collapsed in the second half in a 38-14 drubbing to visiting Utica University.

RPI Academia

School of Engineering introduces new Robotics Engineering Major

MATTHEW TREANOR·1 DAY AGO

The Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering announced the approval of the new Robotics Engineering major by the New York State Education Department on August 26.

Academia Beyond

Navier-Stokes, Euler, and the AI priority question

MEHER RANDERIA·1 DAY AGO

OpenAI announced on September 8 that an internal artificial intelligence model had resolved a version of the Navier–Stokes existence and smoothness problem, one of seven Clay Mathematics Institute Millennium Prize Problems. Mathematicians Dr. Tristan Buckmaster and Dr. Levent Alpöge had just solved a similar version of the problem and were in conversation with OpenAI.

Letter to the Editor

Study the humanities to make the most of your STEM education

MITCH MURRAY

Dr. Mitch R. Murray is a scholar who teaches literature, culture, and media in the School of HASS at RPI. In this article, he shares his thoughts on the importance of the arts now, more than ever, in a STEM-focused society.

Men's Soccer

Engineers defeat the Keene State Owls

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ·1 DAY AGO

Engineers quell the Keene State Owls 3-1, with goals from Christoper McKinney, Justin Woodbine, and Harrison Brownlow, in a tense and chippy game.

Women's Soccer

Engineers undefeated at home

SHAH SHEIKH & MIGUEL VAZQUEZ·1 DAY AGO

RPI Women’s Soccer brought home a resounding 5-0 win over VTSU Castleton and a dominating 6-1 over SUNY Potsdam to keep their undefeated streak alive.

President Schmidt discussing the RPI Forward financial model. Anthony Santiago/The Polytechnic

Interview

Transcript: President Schmidt Spring 2026 interview

MEHER RANDERIA & MATTHEW TREANOR & RONAN HEVENOR

The Poly recently sat down with President Schmidt to follow up on the progress of the RPI Forward plan, specifically discussing how the university can leverage data analytics to stabilize enrollment, diversifying revenue through expanded research and philanthropy, and pioneering the integration of AI and quantum computing as interdisciplinary tools for experiential learning and future scholarship.

Interview

Transcript: Dr. Cameron Cogburn interview

MEHER RANDERIA & DEMETRIOS SKORDAS

The Poly recently sat down with Dr. Cameron Cogburn to discuss RPI's IBM Quantum System and the Nighthawk r1 chip. The following is a transcript of the interview.

Student Senate

Senate endorses STAR and RPA petition, multiple committee appointments

ELENI DOUGHNEY

Senate endorsed the Student Transgender Association RPI and Rensselaer Pride Alliance petition surrounding the school's process for changing sex classifications. Griffin Oliver '27 was appointed VGMIA, Ryan Kilgore '27 was appointed VGMEA, Zach Nobles '27 was appointed AAC Chairperson, and Charlie Fowle '29 was appointed FSC Chairperson.

Student Senate

Senate splits the role of Vice Grand Marshal, establishes Rules and Administration Committee

ELENI DOUGHNEY

Senate passed an amendment to split Vice Grand Marshal into external and internal roles, created the Rules and Administration Committee, and confirmed multiple committee chairperson appointments.

Executive Board

E-Board grants reimbursement for EWB’s emergency plane ticket out of Qatar

KYLE PAN

E-Board grants many travel subsidies and reimbursements, but almost reduces the emergency subsidy requested by Engineers Without Borders’, by citing the RUGP.

Press Release

Where did the money go?

ISABELE LIEBER

136th President of the Union Isabele Lieber shares her insights about the FY27 Union Annual Report.

GM Week 2026

Tracking GM Week 2026 endorsements

MEHER RANDERIA

An endorsement tracker for all candidates running for Grand Marshal and President of the Union from other student organizations in GM Week 2026.

Executive Board

E-Board reallocates Union rooms, leaves Photo Club in jeopardy

KYLE PAN

E-Board passes a motion that leaves Photo Club and the Student Veteran's Association without a room, among other reallocations. Dance Club and ShowTechs received additional subsidies, RMA special McNeil Room request approved, Sew for Hope gets starter budget.

Candidate Profile

UP Candidate Profile: Grace Meehan

GRACE MEEHAN

Editor's Note: The Poly sent a questionnaire to every candidate that had filed to run for GM, PU, and UP prior to Spring break.

Anthony Santiago/The Polytechnic

Features

Onstage and behind the scenes of the ordinary life of The Living Tombstone

RILEY SOBEL

UPAC Concerts brought out the "Five Nights at Freddy’s band” this April.

On-Campus Event

Rensselaer Games Showcase changes the game

ELENI DOUGHNEY

RPI’s Game Development Club hosts their 2025 Games Showcase, highlighting the achievements of student game developers.

On-Campus Event

UPAC Cinema hosts its fourth annual student film festival

ANISHA BISWAS

UPAC Cinema hosted the fourth annual film festival on March 28, displaying the skills of many young filmmakers at RPI.

Features

Rock, blues and games

ANISHA BISWAS

6 pm on March 28 was a popular time slot for many student events across campus. A rock and blues concert took place in the McNeil room while a retro game showcase took place in Sage Laboratory.

Public-use chalk art on the patio of the Union at the festival. Riley Sobel/The Polytechnic

Photo Short Story

Touch Grass Music Festival continues performance season at RPI

RILEY SOBEL

In the one-weekend gap between the RPI Players’ last performance of Something Rotten! and The Living Tombstone coming to campus, appreciators of the arts got something new.

Mayhem at the Provost Picnic, a challenge to stay in the game. Anthony Santiago/The Polytechnic

GM Week 2026

Uncovering the mysteries of GM Week: 2026

ELENI DOUGHNEY

A week full of mystery-themed events to celebrate Grand Marshal Week 2026, including a casino night, a scavenger hunt, and the annual Provost Picnic.

An amusing take on the 1950s musical Something Rotten! Anthony Santiago/The Polytechnic

Photo Short Story

RPI players welcome the audience to the Renaissance in Something Rotten!

SOPHIA MENESES

The RPI Players brought Renaissance London to life with their dynamic performance of Something Rotten!, showcasing a blend of comedic timing, seamless technical execution, and an outstanding cast.

Sam Javanrouh/The Polytechnic

Opinion

On the precipice: six national teams that lie on the World Cup’s doorstep

MOIZ STEENHUIS

Six stories picked from the twenty-two teams that remain in the running for spots in this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Letter to the Editor

Orion and Dr. Bae’s litigation continues as RPI’s own discovery documents refute it’s “good faith” defense

CHULSUNG BAE

Dr. Bae addresses his ongoing litigation against RPI, citing specific discovery documents and calling for transparency from the university's leadership, in this letter to the editor.

Staff Editorial

What is The Poly watching?

THE POLYTECHNIC STAFF

Not sure what to watch next? The Polytechnic staff shares their favorite shows worth streaming.

Editorial Notebook

Project Hail Mary is the friends we made along the way

AUDREY JOHNSON

Contributing Editor Audrey Johnson ’29 gives her review of Project Hail Mary, a movie adaptation of Andy Weir’s book of the same name. It’s a science fiction movie about friendship that will make you want to discover more.

Top Hat

Beware the Fratification of Student Government

TIBURON BENAVIDES

Grand Marshal Tiburon "T" Leon Benavides '21, '27G looks to future RPI student leaders to advocate for both Greek and graduate students as RPI navigates a long-term demographic shift away from Greek Life and toward a larger graduate population in this Top Hat.

Top Hat

Tradition!

TIBURON BENAVIDES

Grand Marshal Tiburon "T" Leon Benavides makes his case for why student representation and government is important, especially at RPI. He urges students to vote and run for elected office during the upcoming GM Week in this Top Hat.

Alumni Interview

Transcript: Priti Langer alumni interview

AUDREY JOHNSON

The Poly sat down with Priti Langer to discuss her heart attack at 46 that led to her becoming a Go Red For Women Ambassador, and how RPI helped influence her ability to advocate for herself.

Alumni Interview

Transcript: Dr. Jennifer Freedberg alumni interview

MEHER RANDERIA

The Poly sat down with Dr. Jennifer Freedberg ’18 before the winter break to discuss her journey in physics from RPI undergraduate to a condensed matter post-doc at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and how a collaborative scientific community is essential in shaping a career in academia.

Editorial Notebook

Water Thievery

KYLE PAN

Associate News Editor Kyle Pan ’29 recounts his experience with caffeine

The men's team celebrating their well-earned win. Kyle Kershaw/The Polytechnic

Men's Football

Roll red, roll white: Rensselaer rumbles over WPI for the Transit Trophy

SHAH SHEIKH & MOIZ STEENHUIS

Rensselaer stifled rivals Worcester Polytechnic Institute 35-7 to claim their sixth consecutive Transit Trophy.

Interview

Transcript: Eric Lang interview

MOIZ STEENHUIS

The Poly sat down with men's hockey coach Eric Lang last semester to get his thoughts on his first season with the team.

Sports

Weekend Sports Roundup 10/31 - 11/1

MOIZ STEENHUIS

Football continues their strong season.

Sports

Weekend Sports Roundup 10/23 - 10/25

MOIZ STEENHUIS

Accolades for football and field hockey, soccer, and ice hockey continue season.

The Engineers celebrate after a Callista Adorno homer.
The Engineers celebrate after a Callista Adorno homer. Moiz Steenhuis/The Polytechnic

Women's Softball

Tigers thrashed twice at Troy

MOIZ STEENHUIS

A Callista Adorno home run and scoreless outings by Engineer pitchers sees Rensselaer rout RIT with 15-1 and 7-5 victories Friday afternoon.

Cedrone on the field. Anthony Santiago/The Polytechnic

Women's Lacrosse

Balancing lax with the facts: how Cedrone and Pritts handle the everyday grind

MOIZ STEENHUIS

Lacrosse takes up to four hours a day for Sofia Cedrone and Kacey Pritts, which adds to their productivity academically and professionally.

A face-off during the game. Riley Sobel/The Polytechnic

Men's Lacrosse

Rensselaer Bested by Union

MOIZ STEENHUIS

A third quarter collapse sees Rensselaer fall to rivals Union College Garnet Chargers.

Men'S Hockey

Rensselaer clawed by RedHawks in opening series sweep

MOIZ STEENHUIS

A collapse and a shutout to the Miami RedHawks spoil Eric Lang’s debut.