This weekend featured the occurrence of many important events on our campus, not the least of which was the varsity football team’s wild 44-7 trouncing of Coast Guard in the Shotglass Trophy game on Saturday afternoon. An estimated crowd of 1,800 fans watched quarterback Dan Cole set the school’s career touchdown record as his squad demolished Coast Guard’s defense. The Red Hawks next face WPI in Worcester this Saturday in the Transit Trophy game.
The football game was the culmination of the athletic reunion weekend, two days of events sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Athletics Department focused on bringing alumni back to campus in the fall. The weekend was a success, and will be used as a prototype for planning next year’s Homecoming.
Also last weekend, the Institute’s Board of Trustees visited the campus. The Trustees meet four times each year to discuss the operation and strategy of the university. They break into various committees focused on topics ranging from the school’s finances to student life issues.
There was significant student involvement during the Trustees’ visit. The President of the Union and I met with the Chairman of the Board to discuss the current issues facing students, including the impact of the underage drinking task force, plans for construction, and the changing role of the Hartford campus. We were then joined by Senator Gavin Gyle in conducting tours of residence halls for the Trustees. The tours featured discussions of the renovations conducted this summer, and conveyed the specific needs for future improvements.
Other students participating in the visit were Undergraduate Council President Leslie Granger and Graduate Council President Jeanine Thompson who joined the Academic Affairs Committee, and Executive Board representatives André Lewis and Ronak Talati, who were involved in a Finance Committee meeting. These students were a focal point for the Trustees in understanding student needs and views and their presence allowed those principles to be included in the governance of the Institute.
Finally, it is my pleasure to announce a successful hockey line this year. Ten groups of students officially registered before ticket sales began, with many others joining unofficially after sales started. The groups included the brothers of Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Lambda Phi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Theta, and Phi Mu Delta, along with four groups of independents. An estimated 150 season tickets were sold in the first hour, following a catered breakfast sponsored by the Dean of Students Office and served by Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles. Thank you to everyone who participated!
As always, you can contact the Senate twenty-four hours a day at senate-listens@rpi.edu. I am available at gm@rpi.edu, “RPI Grand Marshal” on AIM, or 276-8597.
