The week of September 21 was National Hazing Prevention week in the United States. On Thursday, September 25, the Rensselaer Interfraternity Council held its first ever lecture on hazing prevention in the Darrin Communications Center for new pledges. IFC President Tyler Gumina ’15 and Executive Vice President John Schiel ’16 started off the lecture by formally defining the term “hazing.” It is “emotional and physical abuse for the purpose of integration into a community.” Schiel then stated that, according to a study done in 2008 at the University of Maine, 55 percent of club, team, and fraternity participants are exposed to some form of hazing, including sex acts, drinking, and embarrassment, which is often public. Read more...

University students in Hong Kong have dropped their books and flocked to government buildings in protest of Beijing’s refusal to allow Hong Kong to select its own candidates for the election of the city’s leader. As a result, all of the election candidates will be prescreened and approved by Beijing before the election, such has been the case since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule. More than 10,000 students are boycotting classes in a movement bearing the undertones of the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989. Most universities are not punishing their students; college administrators, faculty, and the city’s biggest teachers’ union are largely sympathetic to the cause. Tied yellow ribbons, a symbol of the city’s pro-democracy movement, snake the gates of the pro-Beijing chief executive’s office. Amidst all of the chaos, People’s Liberation Army personnel carriers have moved into the city clandestinely. Read more...

On Saturday, three Greek organizations hosted their annual charity events. Lambda Chi Alpha hosted the Watermelon Bash, and Pi Beta Phi and Theta Chi co-hosted Wing Fest. Read more...

The Student Senate once again convened on Monday, September 29 for a multitude of student-related activities. The meeting began with the Senate’s annual picture and soon delved into the motion of the week. Congratulations were then given to the new freshmen senators, Justin Etzine ’18, Jennifer Freedberg ’18, Steven Sperazza ’18, and Keegan Caraway ’18. Soon after the approval of previous minutes, a ceremonial motion was put forward congratulating and thanking Dr. Timothy Sams, vice president of Student Life. Sams is resigning his post on October 10 to move on to Morehouse College to accept the role of vice president of Student Development. The motion acknowledged Sams’ immense support in student diversity, avocation for all aspects of students’ vocations, and overall work during his years at RPI. The motion honors and thanks Sams and wishes him the best of luck in his future work. The motion passed with a vote of 19-0-3. Read more...

Agenda topics for this week’s Executive Board meeting included presentations from the Undergraduate Council, Rensselaer Music Association and RPI Players. President of the Union Erin Amarello ’15 presided over the meeting. Read more...