The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center welcomed Atlanta-based indie rockers Deerhunter and the Japanese noise rock act Boredoms presenting their BOADRUM 9 performance this past Friday evening as the kickoff event of the “New Nothing” series. The event was rather well-attended, perhaps due to a surprising level of interest from local media outlets or the introduction of advertising on the popular indie music website Pitchfork. The entering audience was greeted with an impressive stage setup. In the middle of the concert hall was an octagonal stage, carefully supported by chains just above the seats, littered with what at first appeared to be a mutant interpretation of the traditional rock set up. Behind this, a second stage was constructed, elevated to compete with the stage already hovering over the lower portion of the orchestra seating in the concert hall. This setup unfortunately provided Deerhunter with one of their two glaring performance arrangement shortcomings—having to perform behind the main act’s gear. (The second drawback was the limitation provided by the hall’s fixed seating arrangement, which proved to be too formal for the act in question.) Read more...

This past Saturday pitted the RPI football team against the Endicott College Gulls in the opening match at the new East Campus Stadium of the East Campus Athletic Village. Not wanting the opposition to steal the Engineers’ thunder, Rensselaer countered the East Coast foes with a 28-0 shutout in front of a record crowd of 3,815—including Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. The Engineers open the season with a strong 1-0 record, while the Gulls drop down to 1-1 on the year. Read more...

In recognition of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the Hudson, a group of RPI students will be making the same voyage as Hudson did. The only difference is that this voyage will be made with pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells, with the hope to raise awareness about sustainability along the students’ journey. The ship will launch on September 21 in Manhattan and make the trip back to Troy in time for Troy Night Out on September 25. Read more...

Recently, I became frustrated with a friend of mine who criticized several works of literature he had never read. Our discussion lead to him admitting, after bashing Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, that he had “only read, like, three pages” of the novel before tossing it aside. The conversation turned to troubles in the Middle East and culminated with a discussion of colonialism, where it came full circle: To the horror of the others in the room, my friend declared that colonialism was very beneficial to the country being colonized. Perhaps, we were quick to point out, if he had actually read Things Fall Apart, he’d have a different point of view. Read more...

Unless we are willing to buck the reins of our so-called civilized society, none of us will ever reach our full potential. As a general rule we are not special—I don’t care what lies your mother may have told you as a child. You need to realize that, though we are social creatures, there is only one person you should devote your life to, and that is yourself. You should be the most important person in your world, and to take any actions that demonstrate anything to the contrary is a betrayal to yourself. Read more...

If one were to step back and look at all that has happened on campus the past five years, it must seem like life at RPI is set to hyperspeed. We’ve completed the Center for Biotechnology & Interdisciplinary Studies, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, and this past weekend’s football game is the start to the East Campus Athletic Village. We’ve started and completed a capital campaign, brought about programs and initiatives that have received acclaim from around the world, and our student body has grown and excelled in quality and diversity; we’ve broken the bounds of what is conventional. Read more...

Formal Recruitment underwent some major changes this fall as the Panhellenic Council worked toward shortening the sorority recruitment period to a mere six days compared to the four weeks in previous years. The new emphasis on rotational events as opposed to a series of individual house parties ensured that potential new members (PNMs) met the requirements of bid eligibility by meeting all five sororities, or women’s fraternities, and each house had an equal opportunity for exposure. Read more...

If you have been sitting under a rock for the later half of the summer without some political issue to ponder, no worries; nationalized health care is going to drag you out. Not only is nationalized health care a perceived partisan issue, it has also sparked television ads that are pushing the American public to one side or the other. However, before you make up your mind about the merits of the bill, some misconceptions need to be remedied. Proponents of nationalized health care support the bill using many misleading arguments which include that it will be cheaper, will provide more extensive individual coverage, and that Republicans are trying to stop you from obtaining health care. All three of these arguments are deceptively misleading—two are even half-truths. Read more...

Last Saturday may have looked to most people like a dreary, overcast day with the occasional shower, but it was an exciting day on campus. Our football team won their season opener, 28-0, in the debut of the East Campus Athletic Village’s stadium. If you haven’t seen the new stadium yet, you should certainly head over this Saturday for the second game of the season against Utica Collage at 1 pm. Read more...

The word mango is stolen from the Portuguese manga, which was probably stolen from some other language. This doesn’t quite explain where the ‘o’ comes from, but as with many things in the English language, it doesn’t have to make sense, does it? Mangoes grow on trees. Specifically: mango trees. They typically live for centuries and grow to about 115–130 feet tall. Mango trees regularly grow evergreen leaves. The leaves focus on developing the flowers, which are small and white with five petals each. The fruit, a mango, typically takes three to six months to ripen. Read more...

When it comes to fast food, everyone has come to expect a certain level of quality. Obviously expectations are low, but seeing as it is consistent, quick, and cheap, most people put up with it. If I go to a Burger King in Colorado, I know the Whopper is going to be disturbingly large, messy, and taste vaguely of smoke, just like the one I had in Massachusetts. If I ignore how frightening that is, I can enjoy the filling meal that only cost me a few dollars. That’s why I was so surprised to find a fast food chain specializing in burgers that don’t suck. Read more...

There is an ascendant school of thought that questions the function, if not the value, of recipes in everyday cooking. The idea is that recipes should be seen as mere “parameterizations,” useful only as examples or case studies. Only the ratio at the heart of the recipe, such as three parts flour with two parts egg for pasta dough, is seen as truly fundamental and important information. Michael Ruhlman argues for and teaches the use of this ratio-based system in his new book, Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. Read more...

The Rensselaer men’s soccer team has continued its undefeated streak with a win and a tie in the 2009 Valiant Classic, hosted by Manhattanville University in Purchase, N.Y. The Engineers faced off against the New York University Violets on Friday, winning the match 3-0 before taking the Drew University Rangers to two overtimes in Saturday’s 0-0 draw. In addition, the Engineers blanked the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons in last night’s game by a score of 3-0. The two wins and tie place RPI 4-0-1 overall, while NYU dropped to 1-3-0 on the year, and Drew remains winless—and goal-less—with a record of 0-1-4. Read more...

The much-anticipated debut of the Capital District Sled Warriors, STRIDE’s sled hockey team, will take place at the Houston Field House on Friday at 7 pm, when the Sled Warriors take on the RPI men’s and women’s hockey teams. Mike Blabac, goalie on the USA National Sled Hockey Team, will sit with the Sled Warriors, while Andrew Catalon, sportscaster on NBC Affiliate WNYT 13, will call the event. Read more...

After hosting its own tournament last weekend, the women’s soccer team traveled to Route 7-rival Union College for the Dutchwomen’s Classic. The Engineers battled to a 2-2 draw against the St. John Fischer College Cardinals on Friday and fell 1-0 to the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons. Rensselaer finished out the week 2-2-1, while the Cardinals moved to 1-3-1, and the Red Dragons improved to an undefeated 5-0. Read more...

Effective this fall, there have been several new developments in the City of Troy that affect RPI students, from new dining options to parking meters. Read more...

Welcome to RPI, Class of 2013! As you’re settling in to your dorms and attending your first week of classes, don’t forget to consider your options for extracurricular activities, where you can make friends and balance out your schoolwork with fun. Read more...

I’m not a tough sell when it comes to Mexican food, I just have a few minimal requirements when it comes to Mexican restaurants: loads of spices and flavor, cheese as an integral component, and the terms “grande, gordita, and chalupa” do not appear anywhere on the menu. As long as those key points are met, I can eat with an open mind. However, despite the low bar, eating at a random restaurant is still a gamble. Okay, the name isn’t particularly catchy (I have forgotten it on at least two occasions) and the neighborhood leaves something to be desired, but how does Salsa Latina hold up? In a word: Jackpot! Read more...

RPI men’s soccer begins another season of play this upcoming weekend, backed by seventh-year Head Coach Adam Clinton. The Red Hawks, who finished last season 13-6-1 overall and 6-1-0 in the Liberty League, are eager to get back on the field, make another attempt at a Liberty League title, and a return trip to the NCAA Championship. Read more...

On August 14, Rensselaer officials confirmed that the student found at Samaritan Hospital who had allegedly committed suicide was Ian Axelrod ’10. Axelrod was an RPI student majoring in biology from Chevy Chase, MD. It was found that he shot himself in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun near the emergency entrance to Samaritan on August 12 at 9 am, but the autopsy to confirm his identity had been delayed a few days. Read more...