Archives

September 2019


Derby

You just went to the Career Fair. Now what?

By Caitlin Kennedy September 26, 2019

I hope you all took the opportunity to attend the NSBE/SHPE Career Fair this past week. First I want to give a shout out to the National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the volunteers that made this year's career fair such a huge success!

Top Hat

Attention all freshmen interested in StuGov

By Meagan Lettko September 26, 2019

Freshmen campaigning kicked off last week on September 16. Freshmen students can now attend informational sessions to learn about the rules and procedures of campaigning and elections, which is a requirement for campaigning.

Executive Board

Union open house planned for September 27

By Namish Gali September 26, 2019

The Executive Board met on Thursday to allocate $140 to the Dance Dance Revolution Club, approve two club budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, and make plans for the upcoming Union open house.

On-Campus Event

Come celebrate Latinx Heritage Month

By Pragati Pant and Anushka Potdar September 26, 2019

September 15 marked the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month, which recognizes the importance of Latinx culture and history within the United States. Three student organizations—Alianza Latina, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity—have events planned throughout the month, and all students are welcome to participate in the festivities.

On-Campus Event

Ground Zero hosts "Sick Gig"

By Madeline Wilson September 25, 2019
Ground Zero Basement held an underground music concert in the East Campus Class Community Center on Friday.
Interview

Getting familiar with RPI's friendly fifer

By Anahit Hovhannisyan September 25, 2019

The Polytechnic sat down with the fifer that has been heard playing across campus to learn more about his life.

Club Spotlight

Giving sustainability a scrumptious spin

By Pragati Pant September 25, 2019

Out of the many clubs promoting sustainability on campus, Terra Café is definitely the yummiest one. They’ve partnered with Sodexo to bring affordable and alternative dining options every Wednesday. Located in the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Terra Café tries to use local produce as often as they can when making these meals.

Administration

Campus still affected by historic flood

By Madeline Wilson September 19, 2019

Troy experienced another historic flood on Wednesday, August 21. Though this was weeks ago, damages to campus still linger and affect student life. Sage Avenue is still not open to through traffic, 104 students have been displaced from their assigned dormitories “until further notice,” and landscape repairs are ongoing throughout campus.

Executive Board

New faces coming to Union Admin Office

By Madeline Wilson September 18, 2019
The Union’s Executive Board met Thursday to hear event proposals and approve new employees in the Union Admin Office.
Student Senate

Sustainability, create-your-own meal plan petitions discussed

By Madeline Wilson September 18, 2019

Senators heard and discussed two Student Senate petitions that gathered over 250 signatures each during the summer. “At the end of the day I’m not sure how much more as a community we can do,” said Hospitality Services Advisory Committee Chair Rhea Banerjee about the create-your-own meal plan removal.

Editorial Notebook

Why you should fall in love with Tetris

By Avery Sommer September 18, 2019

I play Tetris every day. Some days it’s just for 10 minutes, others it’s for upwards of four hours. It’s not something that I think or plan to do, it’s just something that happens whenever I sit down at my desk or open my laptop to do work. It’s not a problem—most of the time. There, of course, are times that I find myself saying “just one more game” a little too often when I’m supposed to be doing work—or writing this.

Opinion

The freshman curriculum is outstanding

By John Stotz September 18, 2019

I didn’t appreciate how well the freshman engineering curriculum is structured until I went home for the summer after freshman year. It's designed so that every student knows by the end of their freshman year if they love engineering and are sure about the major they chose.

On-Campus Event

Knoblauch shares her story of success and mental illness

By Anushka Potdar September 18, 2019

On Saturday, the Rensselaer Union hosted the 2019 Student Leader Summit. The event included conference-style “choose-your-own” workshops, breakfast, lunch, and a special keynote presentation featuring Heidi Knoblauch, the owner of the Plumb Oyster Bar in Downtown Troy.

hockey

Season kicks off with new ticket pack

By Theo Severud September 18, 2019

The annual Hockey Season Kick-Off event, to commemorate the start of the Men's and Women’s Division 1 hockey seasons, will take place outside of the Union on Wednesday, September 18 at 1 pm. There is a new Flex-Ticket Pack this year that allows students to purchase five tickets for the price of $20.

Derby

Take your mental health seriously

By Caitlin Kennedy September 14, 2019

Tuesday was World Suicide Prevention Day. I want to take this chance to inform students of the resources available to them here at Rensselaer.

Opinion

RPI's long-standing ties to U.S. militarism

By Jacob Kaplan '20 September 13, 2019

Science does not exist in a vacuum. There are consequences, both good and bad, for every discovery. Scientists are often depicted as apolitical, only concerned with their work, and unconcerned by its implications. This trope is convenient for those who wish to absolve themselves of any guilt over the uses of their work. This is nihilistic and dangerous. As engineers, scientists, and programmers we are in a privileged position.

Staff Editorial

What the Class of 2023 wants to know

By The Polytechnic Editorial Board September 12, 2019
The following questions were asked by freshmen who participated in The Polytechnic’s Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond event.
Student Rights

Rensselaer Student Handbook updated

By Harrison Todd and Sarah Shiang September 12, 2019
Every year, the Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities is updated before the start of the Fall semester.
Executive Board

Office of sole Greek administrator moved to Union

By Shardul Joshi September 12, 2019

The Executive Board caught up to speed in their first meeting back from the Summer break. The Board’s primary focus was discussion regarding updates on the “dominoes project” approved last spring, accompanied by position appointments and general announcements.

Opinion

Building the future of The Polytechnic

By Sidney Kochman September 11, 2019

Journalism is in flux. The traditional newspaper is dead. Revenue from selling advertisements in a printed edition is shrinking. Across the country, smaller newspapers are being bought by national conglomerates, and the staffs that understand local issues better than anyone are being eviscerated to cut costs.

Editorial Notebook

People, lights, and busy streets with a side of roaches

By Pragati Pant September 11, 2019

I spent this summer interning in New York City. While I loved my internship experience, I learned a lot about myself and the city outside of working hours. This was a new playground for me—one with different swings and slides than the ones I was used; my childhood in New Hampshire nor my college years in upstate New York had prepared me for a bite of the biggest apple.

Downtown Troy

Troy’s thriving eateries celebrate Restaurant Week

By Namish Gali September 11, 2019

Restaurant week is a celebration of the diverse, dandy, and dapper dining establishments of Troy, NY. It runs from September 9 to September 15, and special deals are offered just for the week. These are a selection of restaurants in Downtown Troy that members of the Polytechnic enjoy.

On-Campus Event

Welcoming incoming freshmen with a Fest

By Avery Sommer September 11, 2019

Welcome Fest, the penultimate Navigating Rensselaer & Beyond event for the incoming class, started off with the traditional handshake from President Shirley Ann Jackson at the Approach.

Top Hat

Exciting renovations to dining halls, Union

By Meagan Lettko September 6, 2019

Welcome back to RPI! The start of the fall semester is always such an exciting time to come back to campus and see everything that has changed. Whether you are a freshman or a senior you can appreciate the nostalgia and excitement the start of school brings.

Derby

Ushering in a new semester with changes to the Union

By Caitlin Kennedy September 6, 2019

Welcome back to campus everyone! And welcome RPI Class of 2023! I hope everyone had an amazing, restful summer. While you were relaxing on the beach or working hard participating in Arch or an internship, we have been hard at work! If you have not been to the Union yet, I highly suggest you go check it out. Right off the bat, you will notice some great changes; we’ve added new paint, floors, and furniture throughout the building to help create the most productive, comfortable space we can for students.