This semester, I’ve come to a bit of a realization. From my observations, it’s obvious to everyone, but always seems to be difficult to do. Starting to do anything is the most important thing you can do. Read more...

Last week, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Travis Apgar wrote a letter to the editor of The Polytechnic (poly.rpi.edu/s/5bmq2). In his letter, Apgar accused an unnamed group, which we can only assume is Save the Union, of spreading misinformation and engaging in attacks of rhetoric. Apgar wrote, “This community deserves to know the full story.” We could not agree more. The full story needs to be told, the facts displayed for all to see. We ask the RPI community to compare not just the rhetoric, but also the actions of all those involved in this ongoing situation. Read more...

Hello everyone! I apologize for not having written in a few weeks, a very tight schedule caused me to miss a deadline or two (sorry, members of The Poly). I hope that you all are doing well, and that you are all buckling down for the end of the semester and finals season. I know I am. I know that, right now, each and every one of you is currently swamped with the last homeworks of the semester, trying to wrap up final projects, and studying for the last tests of the regular academic year. I wish you all the best of luck during this time, and hope that you all earn the great grades that you’ve worked all semester for! Read more...

On Monday, December 4, the Student Senate heard presentations on potential updates to shuttle routes and making candidate nominations electronic, and passed a resolution regarding the recent judicial actions taken against students. Read more...

Starbucks corporate calls its stores the “third place” between work and home where you are able to go as a retreat. Featuring the same roasts you would always expect, and an atmosphere that is the same everywhere, Starbucks exemplifies this idea of a third place, and as such I have made it my go-to place to do work. Read more...

Over Thanksgiving break, I found myself in a movie theater late at night waiting to see Coco with a group of my friends. The theater lights dimmed, the audience came to a hush, and the projector started up with… Olaf from Frozen. This was fine; some animated films run shorts before the actual feature film, a prime example being the short about volcanoes being run before Inside Out. These shorts are usually cute, not very memorable, and crucially, five or six minutes in length. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, however, didn’t seem to get the message. By the 10th or so minute, it had driven people to confusion. I remember turning to my girlfriend and making her reassure me we were in the right theater. After a confused nod in return, I resigned myself to my new fate of sitting through what felt like “Frozen 2: Electric Boogaloo.” The plot follows Elsa and Anna finding a Christmas tradition, after being informed that people won’t come to their grand party due to following traditions of their own. Rather than going out themselves, Elsa and Anna stay home, depressed, and Olaf decides to take it upon himself to amass all traditions in the kingdom of Arendelle. He comically finds cakes, Christmas trees, and a full-on sauna. Then, to no one’s surprise, he loses them. Fortunately, his entire adventure was meaningless, as Elsa and Anna realize that Olaf himself was their Christmas tradition, and he is celebrated by all the people whose traditions he borrowed. Read more...

The film Coco follows the story of a young Mexican boy named Miguel who has one dream: to become the next biggest musician. He idolizes an artist named Ernesto de la Cruz—who shares a striking resemblance to Pedro Infante—and has a seemingly natural talent for playing the guitar. However, his family has banned him from even listening to music. I found that very strange because Mexican culture is rich in music. On his journey through the land of the dead, on the Day of the Dead, Miguel learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday, and he comes to realize the true importance of family. It’s a very beautiful story, with detailed, colorful visuals, and a lovely narrative that takes a family-friendly approach to the questions of life after death. It really is worth the rave reviews and I completely recommend watching it. However, that’s not what I’m going to talk about in this review. Instead, I’ll be talking about the uniqueness and importance of this film. Read more...