Have you ever sat around and wondered to yourself, “What the heck is there to do this weekend?” Did you know that RPI is known for having some of the most things to do on campus during the weekend? No joke! This weekend is no exception!
As I am sure you have heard about, this Saturday RPI will host the first ever 18 on ’86 Winter Carnival, on the ’86 Field. The fun starts at 1 pm, kicking off with the opening ceremonies. Immediately following the ceremonies a live ice carving demonstration will begin, where you can watch a full-sized sculpture progress from a block of ice to the final product. Later in the day, there will be a rugby demonstration, held by the women’s rugby team, followed by touch rugby games. In addition, there will be a Rusty Pipes a capella show in the mid-afternoon.
There will also be many events running throughout the day. You can take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the ’86 Field, go ice-skating, get your caricature drawn, and even get your picture taken. There will also be carnival games all day, hosted by different RPI clubs and organizations, such as Human Bowling, hosted by Pi Tau Sigma (the mechanical engineering honor society); Wrecking Ball, hosted by the Class of 2012; and Break a Plate, hosted by the great Class of 2009—just to name a few.
No event would be complete without food. Sodexo will be providing hot and cold beverages, popcorn, peanuts, chowder, and hot dogs, while Terra Café will be serving vegetarian chili. You can eat your food while warming up next to the bonfire that will be burning during the whole event. This will be a great time!
If you want to get inside for a little while during the carnival, with just a short walk to the Rensselaer Union you will have the second annual Clothe-A-Child Wing Tasting.
During this event, many chicken wing vendors from the area compete to see who has the best wings around, and the lucky judges that get to sample all of these chicken wings? You! So if you need a nice way to warm yourself up during or after your trip to the carnival, why not stop in the Union for the wing tasting. This event is held in the McNeil Room. Admission is $10 (proceeds benefit the Clothe-a-Child effort); planning and labor for this is provided by the Union administrative office and the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta.
Lastly, don’t forget that the last regular season men’s hockey game is Saturday night. For me and all of my fellow seniors, this will be the last home hockey game that I will be able see at the Houston Field House as a student. I hope that everyone makes the game a part of their schedules on Saturday.
This weekend is shaping up to be a fun-filled and eventful one. I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!
