News

Dean Eckbreth steps down

flying contraptions

IFC, DOSO discuss party policy

hosting excellence

Ed/Op

Staff Editorial
Poly regrets factual error in Senate project article

Editorial Notebook
Keep library open all hours

Editorial Notebook
West houses NBA’s big stars

Top Hat
Senate comes out against modifiers

Derby
Bowling upgrade needed

Independent Council
Council planning work with greeks

Letter to the Editor
Hotel needed for visitors

Letter to the Editor
Talk about modifiers

Dave Barry
Dave Barry’s guide to buying new TVs

Features

Cole Porter’s Anything Goes impresses

Tartuffe lacks outrageousness, stage presence

comedy in the paper

Tarantino unsheaths sword of genius

Sports

Lahn scores 12, RPI fails to garner wins

Saints clip Red Hawks late

RPI solid versus D-I competition

Baseball experiences mixed results

Men’s Tennis hopes for brighter days

Top seeds alive in quest for Cup

Pitching paces softball

Albany welcomes back Arena2Football

Rensselaer in Brief
Faculty vote on grading
This week, RPI’s faculty is voting on whether or not to add modifiers to the grading system. The electronic vote of the full faculty began Monday and will run through Friday.

The issue has been discussed for months and the newly elected Senate has reaffirmed past Senates’ stances against modifiers. Last year’s Student Senate voted unanimously to condemn the current proposal following a forum. When the issue was discussed in the 1980-1981 school year, the Student Senate at the time also was against the addition of modifiers.

If the current proposal passes the vote by faculty, the final decision will then rest with President Shirley Ann Jackson.

Troy festival planned
Last Thursday, it was announced that Troy will begin a food, craft, and song festival called the River Street Festival on June 19. It will occupy the area between Congress Street and Monument Square and allow area businesses to feature their products more prominently.

For a 36 year period ending in 2001, the Riverfront Arts Festival brought people to Troy to see what vendors had to offer. The event was known for a sidewalk-painting contest that resulted in decorations lasting for days.

The River Street Festival will run from 10 am until 5 pm on June 19. The entertainment for the event will begin at noon.

Simulating surgeries
Assistant Professor Suvranu De of the Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Nuclear Engineering was recently awarded a grant by the National Institutes of Health for $347,000. The two year grant is for research in developing a next-generation simulator for training surgeons how to perform minimally invasive surgeries.

This type of surgery has become more popular in recent years since it shortens hospital stays and causes less trauma for patients. However, the surgeons face less mobility and limited visibility when performing these surgeries.

The new simulator is supposed to feature upgraded graphics and touch simulation. According to De, “Current simulator technology can be significantly improved with the addition of touch feedback. I believe better simulator training will substantially reduce operating room errors, reduce tissue damage, speed recovery, and lead to better patient outcomes.”

Anslow ruling upheld
The Appellate Division of New York’s Supreme Court upheld the ruling of a lower court that overturned Mary Beth Anslow’s release from jail last week.

Anslow had previously been convicted of endangering the welfare of Laura Mae Marbot who died at the age of three months at the unlicensed day care center Anslow was running at her home. The case has been ongoing since the death occurred in September of 2000.

In a 4-1 vote, the court agreed with State Supreme Court Justice James B. Canfield’s February ruling that the Rensselaer County Local Conditional Release Commission acted illegally when it released Anslow.

According to The Times Union, Anslow is now expected to remain in jail until July. This estimate takes into account time off from her original one year sentence in return for good behavior.

Lally program rates well
The May 2004 issue of Entrepreneur magazine rates the Lally School’s technological entrepreneurship program as one of the top 12 in the country. The rankings are based on over 30 different criteria including course offerings and faculty and alumni evaluations.

The publication reviewed over 700 programs for their rankings. The technological entrepreneurship program at RPI focuses on managing risk, taking new knowledge, and turning it into commercial opportunities.

According to Lally School Dean Denis Fred Simon, “The Entrepreneur ranking is an affirmation of the Lally School’s excellent faculty, seven of whom are recognized scholars in entrepreneurship. Their ability to provide the experiential learning required to develop the next generation of technological entrepreneurs has been proven time and time again.”