In addition to the Student Senate’s normal business at last week’s meeting, several guests from the administration came to speak with the senators about updates within the sphere of academics. Provost Robert E. Palazzo, Vice President for Research Francine Berman, and Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education Prabhat Hajela discussed topics with senators ranging from the co-terminal degree program to undergraduate research. Read more...

Show your school spirit

It’s a great time to be an Engineer! As the colder weather blows into Troy, so does the sound of buzzers, cheers, and the pep band from the Houston Field House along with the conclusion of the fall sports season. Read more...

Anyone who was not in an isolation room this past weekend couldn’t help but notice the increase in traffic around campus—that’s right, the drop in temperatures and the pouring rain meant that it was once again time for Family Weekend and FallFest. Fortunately, the highlight of my family’s visit is always the indoor International Festival on Saturday, and this year marked the 21st gathering of campus cultural organizations in a toe-tapping, taste-bud-tantalizing afternoon. Read more...

In a change of pace from the past few seasons, the men’s hockey team has started the season on a different foot—the winning kind, that is. With this past weekend’s sweep of Atlantic Hockey opponents in non-conference play, the Engineers came away with their first back-to-back wins at the Houston Field House since February 10–11, 2006. Fueled by impressive performances by freshmen Brandon Pirri and Jerry D’Amigo, RPI came away with the 4-3 overtime win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Friday, followed by a last-minute 3-2 victory over the American International College Yellow Jackets on Saturday. With these wins, RPI now sits 3-2-1 overall on the season, while Sacred Heart falls to 0-1-0 in its season opener, and the Yellow Jackets move to 0-2-0 after losing to Union College the evening before. Read more...

Everyone knows that sophomore year is a stressful one. I found this out when I had a panic attack one morning in LITEC. What, you ask, would have caused it? A combination of labs for LITEC, homework for COCO, and midterms for both of those classes. I did not know what to do, so I turned to the Health Center. I called them up and I was immediately redirected to the Counseling Center. The woman on the phone asked a few questions about my condition, which, I supposed, were meant to determine the severity of my case. Read more...

We’re a little more than halfway done with the fall semester; Family Weekend hopefully brought you some quality time with the parents (and maybe some free dinners) and a recharge for the long haul to Thanksgiving vacation. Read more...

Family Weekend has passed, and the semester is whooshing by once again. That ring of excitement that has been in the air since the anticipation of the East Campus Athletic Village can finally tone down, at least for a moment. We’ve had a very festive fall, and with Halloween sneaking up, it looks like we still have a ways to go. Despite the rain this past Saturday, many students had the opportunity to share this past weekend with their families. The open doors of the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center and ECAV were jaw-dropping facilities to show off to our parents, siblings, and friends. Read more...

This year is an off-year, which means that many people don’t go out and vote, though these may be some of the most important elections that deal with its citizens directly. This year is your city and county elections, your mayor, treasurer, secretary, etc.—like any well-run office or club —as well as your county legislature, executive, and judges. These are the officials you deal with on a daily basis; why not place more care into who is elected into these positions. Read more...

1. I remember being 6 and sitting in my first grade class with my stupid teacher wrapped up in foil. “Guess what I am?!” she asked theclass. We were all silent. Read more...

You might have heard of Shaimus. They’re a quintet formed at the Berkley College of Music in Boston—but based in Los Angeles, California. You may have even heard one of their songs. This really depends on whether you, like me, have played the original Guitar Hero. “All of This” by Shaimus is a bonus track in the game. (We’re at RPI, so I’m going to assume you have played Guitar Hero and have at least heard this song once or twice. If you haven’t, what are you doing here, exactly? Get on it.) Read more...

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a good game. It has won many awards, including the Guinness World Record for the “Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game.” Before I go any further, though, I should note that this is not a hard thing to do. Most every superhero game up until this point has been a tie-in of some sort or just outright terrible, and quite often both. This is not the best game I’ve played this year, but it is a ton of fun. Read more...

“Why wouldn’t I use a tray?” is the question that I and a few other volunteers posed to all freshmen during the dinner hour at Commons Dining Hall this past week. To me, a “Go Green” follower, I find that the answer is somewhat simplistic: “Because it helps the environment and saves energy.” However, at an engineering school such as Rensselaer, I have found that convincing others of a similar initiative is much more challenging. Read more...

The theory that financial markets always reflect the real value of the economy has been dominant since the 1950s. This theory has been used to justify the deregulation of the financial markets that some have identified as the cause of the last three recessions. In The Myth of the Rational Market, Justin Fox tells the story of this theory as it developed in economics and finance academia. Read more...

You may have noticed how some restaurants like to decorate their interiors with some sort of vague theme in mind. I have to admit, sometimes it’s done really well and you get a coherent effect that appropriately sets the atmosphere, like the antiques in the Cracker Barrel or the music memorabilia in Fuddruckers. And then sometimes they fail in such a spectacular manner that the only conceivable explanation is that some poor schmuck was sent to a series of yardsales with $20 and told to fill a truck with random junk. Well, that poor schmuck succeeded and that restaurant is TGI Friday’s, but the restaurant I’m reviewing falls into another category. This restaurant created a theme so monumental, so colossally all-encompassing, that when you walk into the restaurant it literally kicks you in the face. Read more...

It was my first time setting foot into the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. I had heard the stories—the tales of the legendary acoustics and the history of the hall—but I had never actually been there. I walked in to find the classic look of an older theater that was humming with an excited audience, dressed to the nines for a night on the town. Hiking my way up the stairs to the balcony, I made my way over weathered carpet and past creaky banisters. A wizened usher pointed me in the direction of my seat and offered me a program that was far more modern than any of its surroundings. I took my rather uncomfortable seat, laughing at the hooks underneath meant for hanging my top hat. The lights dimmed and a hush of anticipation swept through the audience. Read more...

Over the years, one thing has been lacking here at RPI—school spirit. Although groups on campus, exist for such a purpose, such as the Red Army, never has the entire student body been brought together in an event other than Big Red Freakout!. Senior Garett Vassel of the men’s hockey team began a vision last spring where all members of the RPI community—students, staff, professors—could be united as one entity to raise school spirit and awareness of events on campus. Along with fellow senior and president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee Alex Lamparski, and the Interfraternity Council Vice President of Social junior Ryan Koehler, a new group on campus was formed: RPI United. Read more...

On a rainy Saturday at the East Campus Athletic Village, the RPI Engineers downed the St. Lawrence University Saints by a score of 10-7. Read more...

Following the departure of Assistant Coach Shawn Kurulak at the start of the 2009–2010 season, there was a need for a replacement. Although the aid of assistant coaches is crucial to a hockey team, an extensive search was put forth for a substitution with no rush on the process. Last Friday, it was announced that Bryan Vines would be taking over the position left by the void of Kurulak’s untimely departure. Read more...

The Engineers met another rough patch this week as they finished their Liberty League campaign and are about to enter the home stretch for the season. Read more...

This past weekend marked an impressive milestone for both the men and women’s rugby teams. For the first time in the teams’ history, both sides will be competing in the Division II playoffs for a chance at the state title. Read more...