Ndaba Mandela seeks youth empowerment
Comments Off on Full issue: September 20, 2017
“Coretta Scott King reminds us that freedom is never really won. You have to earn it and fight for it in every generation. So, what is our generation fighting for?” inquired Ndaba Mandela during a forum at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, September 19. The talk, which was part of the Rensselaer Union Speakers Forum, focused on subjects including the world’s inaccurate perception of Africa, and his efforts to empower underprivileged youth. Read more...
As a former president of the Union, it was with great sadness and concern for my alma mater that I read a recent memorandum from RPI’s vice president for human resources. In that memorandum, Curtis Powell was attempting to explain to the current grand marshal and president of the Union the legal basis for the administration’s sole discretion to hire a new director of the Union. In my opinion, he totally missed an opportunity to heal a festering wound—although no one following this ongoing spat should harbor the illusion that this memorandum was solely his creation. Read more...
In the world of rap, a perfect album is very rare. Most albums are near-perfect and chock-full of the artist at their best, but with the inevitable two or three tracks that go in a different direction to show the artist is “multidisciplinary.” They know what their strengths are, and they aren’t afraid to branch out. Luv is Rage 2, Lil Uzi Vert’s debut album, is an amazing example of this. First appearing on my radar with his 2016 mixtape Lil Uzi vs The World, and then being put onto XXL’s 2016 Freshman list, Uzi has had ample time to refine his music and get his name out. His stint in the spotlight after a high profile feature on Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” only increased the young rapper’s following, and furthered the hype for his first actual album. The hype was so unreal that a teen in Florida threatened to shoot up his school if the album wasn’t dropped in May, though luckily neither happened. Coming out in late August, Luv is Rage 2 took the charts by storm, and in my opinion, it rightfully deserves its praise. Read more...
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The Engineers improved their winning streak to three games on Saturday with a victory against Western New England ending with a score of 31–14. The game was tight to begin, but the Engineers pulled ahead in the second quarter and continued to hold the lead through the rest of the game. The contest saw several impressive plays by the Engineers, which clearly translated into the final score. Read more...
On Monday, the 48th Student Senate began its seventh meeting, as Grand Marshal Justin Etzine ’18 opened with his weekly report. He reiterated that the hiring process and interviews for the new director of the Union are still underway. He also mentioned the closing of the library the Friday and Saturday of Alumni Reunion and Homecoming. In accommodation for the gala being held there, he voiced concern on the potential impact the closing would have on the availability of study spaces on campus. Read more...
In her book The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood describes freedom as a duality: “freedom to and freedom from.” As Americans, we have been conditioned to appreciate the former as the pinnacle of patriotic liberty; we have created a country where we can do anything we please, where we can exercise our rights in any way that we see fit. There’s a bravery in that, and it’s the concept that lies at the core of American exceptionalism. However, this particular facet that our country was built on focuses on only one of those aforementioned dimensions; we’ve built a state that sacrifices freedom from in favor of freedom to. Read more...
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Men’s soccer secured another exciting victory on Saturday, September 16, when they faced off against SUNY Potsdam. Going into the game, the Engineers were 3–2, with the Bears at 4–2 for the season. The game started off with consistent possession and a goal for RPI and eventually ended in a second goal in the second half, securing a confident lead. Read more...
On Thursday, September 18, the Rensselaer Union Executive Board held its second meeting of the semester in the Shelnutt Gallery. The agenda was remarkably brief, at only one page. Read more...
Our country has successfully overlooked and intentionally idled on one of the most essential problems in the United States of America: missing pockets. Read more...
K-Plate’s soft opening started this past Saturday, September 16, and my friends and I made a mad dash to get our next fix. The modern Korean restaurant relocated from Troy Kitchen to a location of its own on 4th Street, next to Pastime Legends. (That’s near the better-known U.S. Postal Office.) Read more...
Hi, RPI!
Wow, the past seven days have been quite the week! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has felt the time fly by as all of the activities, events, organizations, and, of course, academics begin to kick into high gear for the semester. Read more...
Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of the “Derby,” brought to you by yours truly, Matt Rand. Today, I want to talk to you about a new training initiative that will include discussion of Title IX. But, before we get into that, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all of the clubs and organizations that made the effort to come to the Union’s financial and travel workshops this past week. The opportunity to convey all the necessary information to ensure that club operations run smoothly is a highlight of the Executive Board, and making sure our club leaderships have the proper tools is essential. So, thank you to all of you who came out, and thank you to the Administrative Staff and Executive Board members who helped put on the events. Great job! Read more...
Comments Off on Full issue: September 13, 2017
The Rensselaer Union has lacked a director since former Director of the Union Joe Cassidy’s departure in January 2016. In an effort to fill the position, the Division for Human Resources has been conducting a search for candidates. On Wednesday, September 13, the on-campus portion of the search for a director of the Union begins as two candidates will be coming to RPI. During their time here, each will be interviewed for an hour by a committee of 20 students. Ultimately, according to the Rensselaer Union Constitution, the next director of the Union will need to be approved by a vote of the Rensselaer Union Executive Board. Read more...
I was scared to write this notebook. I was afraid it would seem like I’m not chill, or like I have a sociopolitically charged opinion (I promise I’m not a social justice warrior). In the end, I decided to write it as part of a personal endeavor to speak up when it matters to me. I like to think I’m pretty good at being ambivalent, so I’ve done my best to write it in a way that balances emotional investment in culture and appeal to logic. Here’s my case for mindfulness: two anecdotes and three dualities. Read more...
In the two weeks that I have been on campus, I have rediscovered why I love Superior Merchandise Company. Located at 147 4th Street in Troy, it ticks off all of the boxes on my list of why a shop should exist. It is a totally unique experience in Troy that everyone should visit at least once. With curated goods ranging from craft beers to beard sculpting products, SMC gives visitors a friendly and enriching shopping experience. In addition to the craft goods, high quality coffee is served behind the counter on a rotating basis, with different roasts brought in regularly. The whole atmosphere of the store is unique, and strikes me as the hipster college student’s paradise. Read more...
This past weekend in women’s soccer, the Engineers played The Sage Colleges for the first time since September of 2007 when they achieved a 2–1 win. The Engineers have remained undefeated by the Gators for the past 22 years, with 13 games happening in that time period. They continued that streak with a strong 5–0 win. The game took place at home on Sunday at the East Campus Stadium. Read more...
At the end of the Spring 2017 semester, the Student Senate released Counseling Center survey results and areas for recommendation. The survey results included both quantitative and qualitative data on the student experience summarizing the general findings of the year-long study. Due to the sensitive nature of the counseling and the feedback provided by students, anonymity was guaranteed by the Senate subcommittee, led by Nathan Dorer ’18, to all survey respondents. The survey was shared with the Rensselaer community via social media from November 3 to November 15, 2016. Read more...