What will students remember of RPI? What iconic entity will jump to their mind? No one can know. It is a fact—RPI does not have any longstanding customs. We lack that single iconic explanation of life at the ’Tute. If this statement seems false, take stock.
First, look to the tangible. There is the campus—with historic buildings burnt down. The largest monument—the Approach—is too decentralized. The art pieces on campus are sparse, and too small to be iconic. Their size, placement, and the general disposition of the student body leave them as hidden oddities rather than symbols.
Class gifts rarely realize their full potential. What could be the greatest opportunity for students to come together and leave an impact has yet to pan out. The trees, clocks, and sundry landscape-gifts adorn the campus like fashion jewelry. Individually the bits have style, but when combined, they communicate a jumble of noise rather than a concert of diversity.
Ever since its conception as an experiment in higher education, Rensselaer has been shaped and changed by every influence imaginable. The presidents, from B.F. Greene to Richard Folsom, have injected aspects of other schools in the hopes of creating the greatest around. The piecemeal image that resulted has never coalesced into a single strong statement.
There is a solution and it is not in some falsified tradition. Clearly, the answer to the question of identity is in something new.
That which symbolizes RPI must communicate the essence of studenthood. It must capture its very soul. And what better communicates the deepest intricacies of the heart than music? This is how RPI lacks. There is no song.
It must be noted that there have been attempts. The jingle most referenced in this capacity is called “Here’s to old RPI.” It is an aged song, composed in 1906. It has kicked around long enough to be considered the alma mater. It did not earn that title by merit. Even when published it did not command enthusiasm and was criticized as unsuitable. Two attempts to replace it surfaced in the late 1920s, but both were judged inadequate. “Old Rensselaer” was not a bad tune, but no student would in his right mind sing “Rensselaer Laudamus! We praise thee Rensselaer.”
RPI has the means to right this musical wrong. Hold a competition for a new piece! Offer a commission, or at the very least, a prize! The campus is rich in talent. Somewhere out there rings the soul of this school. Find it!
Editor’s Note: “Rensselaer Revisited” is a column granted to Benjamin Scheiner by the Editorial Board to inform the campus community of the history behind Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
