Kyle Keraga ’15 said he had always wanted to be Grand Marshal, but it was not until midway through last year that he finally decided that he was going to run. When we asked what his motivation was, he said that he felt there was a need for change. Keraga is a senior pursuing a major in computer science. Read more...

Staff Editorials are the weekly opinion of the editorial staff. For this Poly Press Pass issue, we decided to let the Press Pass members put their thoughts together into a special piece on Student Orientation and Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond. Read more...

Students were given a chance to sample A Taste of A capella on Wednesday, August 20, as part of the Navigating
Rensselaer & Beyond program. The day started off with members of
Rensselaer’s first a cappella group, the
Rensselyrics, leading the activities. The freshmen participants in this group learned “Kiss Me” by Christian rock band Sixpence Six None the Richer. The students were then divided into three groups based on their vocal ranges. The women went into a separate room to work on the tenor parts, and the men divided into separate soprano and bass sections. Although no experience was required for the event, it was clear how talented the entire group was. After a very short time, each group was singing in harmony. Once the groups were ready, they came together and ran through the song. After practicing for a while, members of the Rensselyrics demonstrated some of their songs for the students, such as “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. James Schure ’18, who informed me how much he had learned about a capella from the program. Many students who had choir experience flourish in a cappella groups. Another student, Chris Zhang ’18, said, “I would definitely think about auditioning for the group after the program if I had time.” Read more...

When presented with the opportunity to interview Seth Appert, we wanted to gain some insight into the coach’s and team’s past in preparation for this year’s season. Appert grew up in Cottage Grove, Minn. where he began playing hockey at the age of four. In light of tradition, he stayed in his hometown to play for his high school team before moving on to Ferris State University. His aspirations of playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL never became a reality because, as Appert puts it, he “wasn’t good enough.” After nine years as an assistant coach at the University of Denver, Appert was brought to the RPI staff in 2006. He states he was drawn to RPI’s “great tradition of history and success” and believes the team is “a part of the cultural fabric of our community.” When asked about his coaching staff, Appert was humble in thanking Nolan Graham ’03, Bryan Vines, and the newest addition, Andy Thomas, the operations coordinator, for their hard work. He credits them for their work in recruitments and relationships with the players themselves and later states, “You can’t operate a successful Division I program without a good supporting staff.” Appert then went on to credit the Engineers’ fan base in not only intimidating the opponent, but also for the role they play in the recruiting process. Read more...

I was fortunate to be able to have a chance to meet with RPI’s Vice President of Strategic Communications and External Relations, David Brond, and the Assisstant Director of News and Editorial Services Mike Mullaney. Here is the conversation: Read more...

Hey readers! For anyone confused by this week’s paper, we as a staff have decided to consolidate Press Pass into the first issue of this semester. This way, coverage of Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond events is more publicized and those who worked on this issue are given more credit. We strove to report on as many events as we could. Read more...

MUSICALLY INCLINED FRESHMEN PUT on an excellent performance for their fellow classmates in EMPAC Concert Hall on August 21 at 9 pm. The different musical groups include the newly introduced jazz ensemble section and concert band section. One of the bands performed “Barber of Seville” by composer Gioachino Rossini. Read more...

Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond events were held on August 20, including ultimate frisbee at Upper Renwyck Field. In order to advance the interest of the sport and provide an opportunity for fitness and challenge amongst other RPI undergraduates, students tested their abilities through collaboration and sharpened their skills simultaneously, even the neophytes. In the morning, concentration was placed upon fundamental skills including throwing and catching, defense and coordination. Read more...

On Monday, September 25, the 45th Student Senate met for their first meeting of the Fall semester, with guest speaker Auxiliary and Parking Services Director Alexandre da Silva. After an initial presentation by Morgan Schweitzer ’16 on new and updated parliamentary procedure policies, da Silva took the floor to start discussion with senators and the public over recent Sodexo policy changes. Additionally, Shoshana Rubinstein ’16 was approved as the new Senate-Executive Board liaison. Paul Ilori ’17 was approved as Senate representative to the Rules and Elections committee. Read more...

Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Rensselaer campus! I hope you’ve all enjoyed your summer, and that you’re ready to get back into the swing of things. With the close of Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond, I hope you’ve been given a taste of what campus life has to offer. The events this year were spectacular and larger than ever thanks to capable, dedicated, and fun-loving Student Orientation advisors and Residence Life Staff, and it was my distinct pleasure to be able to share in the experience. Read more...

A good way to begin freshmen year is getting to know the diversity of activities, clubs, and organizations on RPI’s campus. In an effort to introduce and
familiarize students, the
Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond program put together a Rube Goldberg design and construction activity. Five different categories were given, each representing a different category of clubs and organizations, including sports, media, multi-cultural, and performing arts. Teams were grouped based on students’ interests. Read more...

We had the chance to interview the Dean of the First Year Experience Janelle Fayette. She talked to us about what she wants students to get out of their freshman experience and how it helps them make the transition to independence. Read more...

Hey RPI!

I hope that everyone has been enjoying their first week back from summer break. The next few weeks may bring more classes and your first homework assignments, but it also brings a lot of exciting things to the Rensselaer Union when you need a break from your studies. Read more...

The Live Action Role-Play Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond trip focused around two murder mysteries. In these games, participants were given a name tag with a character’s name and a folder containing their in-game identity. The event was mostly full with about thirty players. Read more...

On August 20, the Rensselaer Hybrid Racing Team held their NRB event. Any RPI student is welcome to join the club; whether a business or mechanical engineering major, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in designing, fabricating, and maybe even racing a compact race car. Funded mainly by the School of Engineering, the team has access to a lot of campus resources and tools. In addition, companies sponsor the team by donating various automotive components. Read more...

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work on a newspaper, but have never had the chance to do so? Read more...

The Engineering department was abundant with flashing LEDs during the Build Your Own Arcade Game Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond event held by the Embedded Hardware Club. The students were divided into groups, each tasked with creating an arcade game using simple electronic parts, a microprocessor, and a breadboard. Many of the groups had very little experience with programming and circuitry. Everyone was surprised with how much they had learned in such a short time. Students who had never programmed before had entire programs built to run their game in mere hours. Read more...