Monthly Archives: September 2017

FOOTBALL

Engineers maintain undefeated status

The Engineers improved their winning streak to three games on Saturday with a victory against Western New England ending with a score of 31–14. The game was tight to begin, but the Engineers pulled ahead in the second quarter and continued to hold the lead through the rest of the game. The contest saw several impressive plays by the Engineers, which clearly translated into the final score. Read more...

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STUDENT SENATE

Senate: Flying Chicken, VP Strong visits

On Monday, the 48th Student Senate began its seventh meeting, as Grand Marshal Justin Etzine ’18 opened with his weekly report. He reiterated that the hiring process and interviews for the new director of the Union are still underway. He also mentioned the closing of the library the Friday and Saturday of Alumni Reunion and Homecoming. In accommodation for the gala being held there, he voiced concern on the potential impact the closing would have on the availability of study spaces on campus. Read more...

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EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

First Amendment should not protect bigotry

In her book The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood describes freedom as a duality: “freedom to and freedom from.” As Americans, we have been conditioned to appreciate the former as the pinnacle of patriotic liberty; we have created a country where we can do anything we please, where we can exercise our rights in any way that we see fit. There’s a bravery in that, and it’s the concept that lies at the core of American exceptionalism. However, this particular facet that our country was built on focuses on only one of those aforementioned dimensions; we’ve built a state that sacrifices freedom from in favor of freedom to. Read more...

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ON-CAMPUS EVENT

Hockey Line keeps RPI traditions alive

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MEN'S SOCCER

Men’s soccer claims win

Men’s soccer secured another exciting victory on Saturday, September 16, when they faced off against SUNY Potsdam. Going into the game, the Engineers were 3–2, with the Bears at 4–2 for the season. The game started off with consistent possession and a goal for RPI and eventually ended in a second goal in the second half, securing a confident lead. Read more...

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EXECUTIVE BOARD

E-Board keeps Outing Club minutes under wraps

On Thursday, September 18, the Rensselaer Union Executive Board held its second meeting of the semester in the Shelnutt Gallery. The agenda was remarkably brief, at only one page. Read more...

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Editorial Notebook

We want pockets now

Our country has successfully overlooked and intentionally idled on one of the most essential problems in the United States of America: missing pockets. Read more...

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

K-Plate at new spot

K-Plate’s soft opening started this past Saturday, September 16, and my friends and I made a mad dash to get our next fix. The modern Korean restaurant relocated from Troy Kitchen to a location of its own on 4th Street, next to Pastime Legends. (That’s near the better-known U.S. Postal Office.) Read more...

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TOP HAT

Updates: Dinosaur BBQ, Interview Committee

Hi, RPI!

Wow, the past seven days have been quite the week! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has felt the time fly by as all of the activities, events, organizations, and, of course, academics begin to kick into high gear for the semester. Read more...

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DERBY

Club officers start year off with workshops, Title IX training

Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of the “Derby,” brought to you by yours truly, Matt Rand. Today, I want to talk to you about a new training initiative that will include discussion of Title IX. But, before we get into that, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all of the clubs and organizations that made the effort to come to the Union’s financial and travel workshops this past week. The opportunity to convey all the necessary information to ensure that club operations run smoothly is a highlight of the Executive Board, and making sure our club leaderships have the proper tools is essential. So, thank you to all of you who came out, and thank you to the Administrative Staff and Executive Board members who helped put on the events. Great job! Read more...

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Full issue: September 13, 2017

The Rensselaer Polytechnic - September 13, 2017

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RENSSELAER UNION

Memo: RPI president can pick Union director

The Rensselaer Union has lacked a director since former Director of the Union Joe Cassidy’s departure in January 2016. In an effort to fill the position, the Division for Human Resources has been conducting a search for candidates. On Wednesday, September 13, the on-campus portion of the search for a director of the Union begins as two candidates will be coming to RPI. During their time here, each will be interviewed for an hour by a committee of 20 students. Ultimately, according to the Rensselaer Union Constitution, the next director of the Union will need to be approved by a vote of the Rensselaer Union Executive Board. Read more...

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EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

Managing editor shares personal ideals, anecdotes

Mindfulness: why it matters to balance awareness and outreach, logic and emotion

I was scared to write this notebook. I was afraid it would seem like I’m not chill, or like I have a sociopolitically charged opinion (I promise I’m not a social justice warrior). In the end, I decided to write it as part of a personal endeavor to speak up when it matters to me. I like to think I’m pretty good at being ambivalent, so I’ve done my best to write it in a way that balances emotional investment in culture and appeal to logic. Here’s my case for mindfulness: two anecdotes and three dualities. Read more...

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

Shop caters to hipsters, reviewer thrilled

In the two weeks that I have been on campus, I have rediscovered why I love Superior Merchandise Company. Located at 147 4th Street in Troy, it ticks off all of the boxes on my list of why a shop should exist. It is a totally unique experience in Troy that everyone should visit at least once. With curated goods ranging from craft beers to beard sculpting products, SMC gives visitors a friendly and enriching shopping experience. In addition to the craft goods, high quality coffee is served behind the counter on a rotating basis, with different roasts brought in regularly. The whole atmosphere of the store is unique, and strikes me as the hipster college student’s paradise. Read more...

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SOCCER

Women’s soccer slams The Sage Colleges

This past weekend in women’s soccer, the Engineers played The Sage Colleges for the first time since September of 2007 when they achieved a 2–1 win. The Engineers have remained undefeated by the Gators for the past 22 years, with 13 games happening in that time period. They continued that streak with a strong 5–0 win. The game took place at home on Sunday at the East Campus Stadium. Read more...

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STUDENT HEALTH

Counseling Center undergoing revamp this semester

At the end of the Spring 2017 semester, the Student Senate released Counseling Center survey results and areas for recommendation. The survey results included both quantitative and qualitative data on the student experience summarizing the general findings of the year-long study. Due to the sensitive nature of the counseling and the feedback provided by students, anonymity was guaranteed by the Senate subcommittee, led by Nathan Dorer ’18, to all survey respondents. The survey was shared with the Rensselaer community via social media from November 3 to November 15, 2016. Read more...

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STAFF EDITORIAL

Commending Jackson’s comments on DACA

On September 5, Donald Trump’s movement on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival made it clear that American citizenship is what he holds essential to the American identity. Through this policy, people who came to the United States as children are offered opportunities like college education and work permits—opportunities that are denied to immigrants who enter the country illegally as adults. On an ethical level, this is a policy that provides people who were not old enough to be held accountable for decisions regarding how they entered the country some degree of normalcy as they transition to adulthood. Read more...

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ALBUM REVIEW

XXXtentacion: edgy

XXXtentacion is a controversial human being. From multiple prison sentences, to troubling witness testimonies, to the sheer energy he puts into his shows and lifestyle, the man cannot be completely analyzed. He has been named “the most controversial freshman” by XXL hip-hop magazine, which described him as one of this year’s ten up-and-coming rap stars. That being said, his latest album, 17, aims to shed some light on his state of mind and show the darker side of his personality. Dealing with topics such as suicide and lost love, XXXtentacion sometimes sings and sometimes rants about his struggles. Coming in at a grand total of 22 minutes long, the album is abnormally short by modern standards; each one of the 11 songs skips by before you realize you finished it. Read more...

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FOOTBALL

Engineers’ vengeance

After a hard loss to Worcester Polytechnic Institute last year, the Engineers managed to bring the Transit Trophy back to its rightful home in Troy with a strong 36–14 win in Worcester Massachusets. Read more...

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STUDENT SENATE

Title IX coordinators visit senators

On September 11, 2017, Grand Marshal Justin Etzine ’18 opened the meeting with his weekly report, stating that the hiring process for the new director of the Union is ongoing. Etzine conceded that he cannot share more about the process, except that interviews are currently being conducted. Following the GM report, the Student Senate received a presentation from Title IX Coordinators Elizabeth Brown-Goyette and Larry Hardy. Read more...

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