On Thursday, April 3, RPI softball hosted Castleton State College for a non-league doubleheader. What an afternoon it was for the Engineers, completely outmatching their opponents in an afternoon of sheer dominance. When the smoke finally cleared, RPI had outscored Castleton by a combined 14-0, taking both games to improve its record to 8-6. Read more...
The RPI Remembralls went 1-3 during pool play in World Cup VII this past weekend in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. All three losses due to the other team grabbing the snitch. This is the first time that RPI’s quidditch team has been to a World Cup. The team was founded in 2010 and became part of the International Quidditch Association for the 2012–2013 season. Read more...
I might not be graduating yet, but I’m still a senior. Many of the people who were at Student Orientation and NRB with me are graduating; a few have already graduated. It is scary, overwhelming, and really exciting at the same time. I want to talk about what I’ve seen over the last four years, including my story. Read more...
A tradition is returning to RPI that intends to revitalize the campus and hopes to bring the importance of the environmental impact that we as a student body can accomplish. It’s time for the RPI Reds to go green! Read more...
On the weekend of April 5, the RPI baseball team took on the University of Rochester for two days of doubleheaders. After losing the first three, the men won decisively in the fourth game, 10-1. Read more...
On March 24, RPI fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa, held a press conference announcing a $50,000 micro-grant program for the Mount Ida community. The Mt. Ida community is considered the area located from Congress Street up to Bleeker Avenue, then down College Avenue. The new micro-grant program will allow for ten applicants to be chosen each year and each can be awarded up to $1,000. The programs efforts hope to raise the quality of the community of Mt. Ida. Read more...
Hello RPI! Grand Marshal Week is finally upon us and with it come traditions full of rich history on this campus, dating back to the 1880s. Today, GM Week is packed with different fun and exciting events to celebrate our Student Government elections. In the elections the new Grand Marshal, President of the Union, student senators, class presidents, class vice presidents, class representatives, and alumni representatives are elected. Students get a day off from school to celebrate and are also given a free, collectible glass mug if they vote in the elections the next day. The only senators not elected during GM Week are the freshmen. They have their own special election held in September when they first get to RPI. Please remember to go out and vote this Thursday, April 10 and receive the massive mug that the GM Week Committee has selected this year. Read more...
Influencing Generation Why is a weekly podcast showcasing members of Generation Y who are invoking change in the world. After graduating from RPI, Brandon Galluppi ’13 started this podcast to share the stories of millennials who are invigorated by their age, not limited by it. These inspired youth spearhead a range of initiatives, such as: Read more...
This week’s Athlete of the Week is junior Kristina Weltzin, a pitcher for Rensselaer’s Softball team. Last Thursday against Castleton State, Weltzin pitched a complete game shutout in softball’s 4-0 wire-to-wire victory. Over her seven innings of work, Weltzin gave up just three hits and struck out six batters. This win marks the ace’s fifth win of the season and lifts her record to 5-2. Read more...
On Monday, March 31, the 44th Student Senate met for the final time to discuss proposals prepared by the Student Life Committee for an on-campus prescription delivery service, while the other was for a flat-rate taxi agreement. Judicial Board bylaws were also voted on. Read more...
On Thursday, April 10, the student body of RPI is expected to vote in the general elections to elect the next year’s Grand Marshal and President of the Union. However, this voting process is also used to determine if the majority of the students agree with the changes made to the Union Constitution. This document outlines the processes of RPI’s Student Government such as Senate protocols. While this motion is usually voted on with a single motion, circumstances have changed so that the student body must vote upon two different parts of motion, each of which will pass or fail individually. It was only until recently that this two-way split of the vote came into play. A third motion was being considered but was ultimately turned down on fault of a technicality. While both of the actual motions have passed through and been approved by the Senate, each one is now in the hands of the student body. Should the majority of the voting students pass the vote, it will be directly added to the Constitution. The changes will come into effect starting fall 2014. Read more...
Hello RPI and happy Grand Marshal Week! Today we are all enjoying a wonderful day off due to our yearly tradition of voting in next year’s Student Government representatives. I hope that most of you voted in Monday’s primary election, but even if you did not, it is very important that you come to the Darrin Communications Center, the Rensselaer Union, or Commons tomorrow to vote. We have an extremely high turnout for voting as compared to other schools, but there is always room for improvement. The last few years we have almost reached a 50 percent voter turnout goal, and this year, I believe we can meet that mark. The GM Week Committee did a great job with the design this year and the mugs have a significantly increased capacity, so please come out and vote tomorrow to receive your GM Week mug. There are very qualified candidates running in both the GM and PU races this year, so make sure that you come to the polls well informed. The Polytechnic’s GM Week issue has the candidates’ platforms and answers to many important questions, so if you need to know more information about either candidate, pick up a copy on your way to the polls. Making an informed decision helps not only you and all of the organizations you are involved in, but helps the entire Rensselaer community, so please take the time to learn about each candidate. Read more...
On Saturday, April 5, RPI men’s lacrosse faced off against undefeated and number one ranked Rochester Institute of Technology at East Campus Stadium. This game marked RPI’s fourth Liberty League game and RIT’s second. RPI entered the game with seven wins and two losses, ranking first in the liberty league. RIT came in to the game on a 10 game winning streak and ranked third in the Liberty League and first in the nation. The Engineers were hoping for a win in order to establish themselves within the liberty league and in the nation. Read more...
On Thursday, March 27, US Olympian Marlen Esparza gave a motivational speech in DCC 330. Esparza won a medal in boxing the first time women’s boxing was part of the Olympic Games. Read more...
Last week, members of the Graduate Council sat down with the available Grand Marshal and President of the Union candidates to see how their platforms and views explicitly benefited the unique concerns and issues of graduate students. Read more...
Hello, everyone. This is the final column on the work of the Constitution Committee for this year. This week, I will review and explain changes to the Union Constitution for Article VI: Judicial Board and Article VII: Class Councils and Articles VIII through XV. Read more...
Most people nowadays have a few TV shows they follow and regularly watch. However, there’s a difference between being a loyal fan and being completely consumed by a show. For those of you who experience difficulty controlling your “fangirling,” please get it under control. Read more...
Results sent just after 5:30 am on Tuesday have candidates Kyle Keraga ’15 and Gavin Noritsky ’16 advancing to the final Grand Marshal election, ousting long-time Senate representative Greg Niguidula ’15. Monday's primary race and results were certified by the Rules and Elections Committee after one hand recount. Read more...
As of 12:55 am on Tuesday, the Rules and Elections Committee reports that there is at least one race with a spread of around 10 votes. Recounts are being performed by hand, and the Committee expects to be counting for some time. Read more...
The Polytechnic has chosen to endorse Kyle Keraga ’15 as Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal is the highest elected student official at RPI and serves as the head of the Student Senate. Additionally, the GM is charged with representing the entire student body and voicing their concerns to the appropriate parties. The GM, therefore, holds a great deal of responsibility in both Student Government and across the campus as a whole.
Keraga has been a passionate and dedicated member of Student Government since his freshman year, is the president of Undergraduate Council, and is the chairman of the Student Life Committee. Some of his many successes and programs coming from his time as both a senator and committee chairman, include the proposed recommendations for changes to RPI’s excuse policy, the recently passed prescription drug initiative, and the proposal for a flat-rate taxi fee for students. Keraga has consistently worked to better the lives of his fellow students, something which we believe he will continue to do into his term as GM. Read more...
