News

Core engineering pilots Engineering Discovery course

Committee adds, enhances programs for senior year

Ed/Op

Staff Editorial
Institute cannot go on without student support

Editorial Notebook
Don’t forget RPI’s core focus

Editorial Notebook
Voice complaints constructively

Top Hat
Hockey line starting now

Presidents Corner
Events open to RPI community

Graduate Council
Council to focus on grad social events

Derby
Visitors arrive for biotech opening

Letter to the Editor
Cursing: Lack of respect

Letter to the Editor
Swearing unnecessary

My View
RPI needs to change focus on training of engineers

Freshmen Candidates for Office

Features

Guide to off campus life

Top ten music hotspots

Dave Barry
The Poly takes Barry’s dare

chalk zone

Words to Eat By
Mediterranean restaurant impresses

Sports

Engineers undergo major facelift

Second half surge lifts RPI

Cole’s successor invites challenge

Martinovich excited about homecoming

Burke hires first assistant

Soccer finds net, LaBombard medals

RPI looks to rebound

Goodbye baseball, welcome football

Rensselaer in Brief
Troy mandates closings
A law was recently passed in Troy requiring small grocery stores to close during the early hours of the morning. Under this new law, owners will be expected to close their stores between midnight and 5 am Sunday through Thursday and 1 am to 5 am Friday and Saturday.

Some store owners feel as though this new law is infringing on their right to make a living while some residents of Troy feel as though this law will help overcome the noise problems and crime that takes place during these hours. This new law was proposed after a murder in front of a small all-night grocery store on July 3.

Questions have arisen concerning the legality of this new law and the possibility of rules affecting other establishments such as pizzerias and bars. Until any further notice however, violation of this law would be a misdemeanor liable to be punished by a fine between $500 and $1,000.

Researchers obtain grant
A $1.3 million Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team grant has been awarded to a team of RPI researchers by the National Science Foundation. With this grant, researchers hope to develop nanoscale chemical sensors. These sensors would be used to detect toxic gases and other chemical warfare agents.

The entire project was established after a $50,000 grant from RPI’s Seed Funding Program was given to the researchers in 2002. A prototype sensor was introduced in 2003. This sensor was able to identify contaminants that were in the air much faster than previous methods. With the money from the NIRT grant, researchers hope to improve the sensitivity of the sensors.

For more information concerning the research, look for a reports in volume 424 of Nature from 2003.

Ranking improves
RPI has been ranked 46th among the best universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, moving up two places since last year. RPI also ranked 26th in the “Best Values” among the nation’s universities, three places better than last year, and the undergraduate engineering program ranked 16th.

According to the Institute, many investments are being made in research and the educational facilities here. Plans call for 38 new faculty members to be added in the year ahead. Research awards have also increased dramatically from $37 million to $90 million in the past few years.

According to President Shirley Ann Jackson, “The renaissance continues at Rensselaer. The September opening of the new Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies is yet another milestone in our collective effort to foster the progress of the Institute as a leader in science, engineering, and technological education.”

Ambulance office closed
The office for the RPI ambulance crew, located at 92 College Avenue, was closed down by Troy officials due to zoning violations. The single-family house has been used as a storage place for records and supplies as well as a place for crew members to sleep while on duty. According to city officials, use of this building is against the law. It will remain padlocked until the building is changed so that it is no longer in violation of zoning rules.

The building was unoccupied during the summer and it has been padlocked since last month. The variance hearing scheduled for August 26th was tabled. Additional negotiations with officials from the city of Troy and RPI are currently underway. RPI hopes to have the ambulance crew entirely operational soon.