The undefeated RPI football team scored another victory Saturday, crushing Union’s defense 33-7 in front of a capacity crowd of 3,000 fans at the ’86 Field. The win regains the Dutchman’s Shoes Trophy for the Engineers and improves RPI’s record to 5-0.
As was mentioned in last week’s Polytechnic, your Student Senate passed a resolution denouncing a proposal before the NCAA President’s Council to eliminate athletic aid for Division I sports played within Division III schools. We are joined by President Jackson, your Rensselaer Alumni Association, and the Athletics Department in our belief that this proposal could seriously undermine the competitive position of our hockey team.
The proposal was brought forward to correct a problem that does not exist. The philosophy of Division III athletics is to promote the academic excellence of student athletes. Therefore the award of athletic scholarships is not permitted for Division III sports. However, eight schools have deeply rooted legacy programs that compete at the Division I level.
It is important to understand that at these eight schools the athletics philosophy is very much rooted in academic excellence, even within each school’s Division I sport. For example, at RPI, our hockey athletes perform, on average, better than students who do not participate in intercollegiate sports. In effect, this proposal could only harm competitive, academic-centric programs with long, rich histories.
In related news, this Friday is the hockey home opener against the University of Connecticut. Tickets are still available at the Houston Field House box office. A 7 pm start is scheduled for the contest.
Work continues on the Senate’s projects. I want to thank everyone who has become involved. It shows a strong commitment by our students to making this a better place for future generations of scholars. There are still a few openings for project members on most of our projects. Please contact me soon to sign up for the project of your choice while we still have positions available.
Finally, I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. It was probably the best opportunity in October to take a break, recharge, and get ready for the home stretch. Personally, I found time to leave campus and spend a few days entirely detached from the academic world. It was a very good thing. If you did not have such an opportunity, I encourage you to take some time this week, before the semester gets into full gear. You will thank yourself later.
Remember, we always welcome your feedback. The Senate is available at senate-listens@rpi.edu. I can be reached at gm@rpi.edu, 276-8597, or the popular AIM alternative, “RPI Grand Marshal.”
