Archives
September 2020
Top Hat
GM’s guide to managing student stress
September 29, 2020
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 shares his strategies for managing stress.
Derby
Fall financial guidelines for student organizations
September 29, 2020
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere ’21 reviews some changes made to club purchasing and fund reallocation procedures. She also provides information about the annual financial workshops required for all funded clubs and organizations.
Executive Board
E-Board allows clubs to not collect fall dues
September 29, 2020
The Union Executive Board unanimously passed a motion on September 16 allowing clubs to decide if they will collect dues this fall. If a club does not collect fall dues, the motion prevents the club from asking the E-Board during the Spring semester for any additional funding on programs in the club’s initial budget.
Executive Board
E-Board approves virtual events, outlines reallocation procedures
September 29, 2020
The Executive Board has passed a blanket approval on a list of virtual activities for clubs this fall. Activities included under the blanket approval are virtual events, including trivia nights, escape rooms, lectures, training, cooking events, crafting, and movie nights.
Breaking News
Student tests positive for COVID-19
September 23, 2020
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s COVID-19 testing dashboard has been recently updated to reflect a new positive test. This has been confirmed by a Rensselaer County Facebook post.
Opinion
The Arch academic calendar needs to be re-worked
September 18, 2020
Editor in Chief John Stotz ’22 discusses the issues with the nonstop summer Arch semester and proposes a solution to provide students with periodic opportunities for recovery.
Academics
Annual NSBE/SHPE career fair to be hosted virtually
September 17, 2020
NSBE and SHPE will be hosting its first virtual career fair on September 25 and 26 from 11 am to 5 pm on the platform Brazen. According to the fair's co-director Galiea Overa, Brazen was chosen as it has extensive resources available to recruiters and students and its overall user experience.
Top Hat
Explore Troy through cuisine
September 17, 2020
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 introduces first-years to local Troy restaurants, encouraging the newest members of the Rensselaer community to go out and explore the city. In his experience, exploration is the best way to find the best places to eat.
Derby
Realities of remote RPI
September 16, 2020
In the current, remote reality, are students receiving the same benefits of the activity fee? According to President of the Union Anissa Choiniere, the answer is no.
Top Hat
Sharing governance when administrators won’t
September 9, 2020
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 discusses the importance of shared governance, a philosophy where various groups of people broadly communicate and all share in the decision-making process. He explains how Rensselaer administrators have failed to implement it at the institutional level and his full intention to uphold the practice through his role in student government.
Derby
Getting involved and staying connected
September 9, 2020
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere ’21 encourages students to stay involved with the clubs and organizations of the Rensselaer Union. She also explains how you can find clubs to join or start one of your own.
Student Rights
Rensselaer Student Handbook adds discrimination and pandemic policies
September 7, 2020
This year, the changes made to Rensselaer’s Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities reflect challenges and conversations raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and RPI's Title IX policies were changed to follow federal guidelines set by United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
COVID-19
COVID testing: a 4-star experience
September 6, 2020
Over 4,200 members of the Rensselaer community were tested for COVID-19 prior to the return to campus this fall in an impressive feat of organization. While the process has gone remarkably smoothly, we hope that improvement in communication can make it even better.
Administration
Welcome to Rensselaer; please be safe
September 4, 2020
Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Travis Apgar welcomes students back to campus and urges them to follow Rensselaer’s safety protocols, as non-compliant behavior will be addressed swiftly. He emphasizes that all members of the community must demonstrate responsibility and take the lives of others seriously.
Food Review
It's a soggy mess: Rensselaer’s quarantine food does not fail to disappoint
September 3, 2020
Students everywhere endure the mediocrity of dining hall food, but Rensselaer’s choiceless quarantine meals are a whole new take on this quintessential college experience. There was no way to prepare first-year students for the abysmal food that was soon to arrive on their dorm-steps: soggy croutons, cold sauceless noodles, and more. First-year writer Avery Clark reviews Rensselaer’s quarantine food delivery service.
Top Hat
Looking back and moving forward
September 3, 2020
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan discusses student government's new priorities and his commitment to addressing concerns about the Institute's pandemic response as well as recent diversity and inclusion efforts.
Opinion
Fake news, fake food
September 3, 2020
Cooking life hack channels with their slick editing and deceptive recipes have been profiting by misleading their audiences in a similar fashion as fake news organizations. From microwave caramel to political scandals, these forms of media are poisoning the well of information we base our opinions on.
Opinion
Transfer students deserve better communication from Rensselaer
September 3, 2020
Rensselaer is on the 2020 Pi Theta Kappa honor roll for transfer friendly colleges, but their communication with transfer students falls short. RPI must do more to live up to its honor roll status by treating transfer students with equal regard as the rest of the student body, even with the extenuating circumstances caused by COVID-19.
Derby
Welcome back! Virtually, of course
September 3, 2020
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere welcomes students back to Rensselaer. She provides updates on Union operations and the upcoming Activities Fair, which will be operating virtually this weekend.
GM’s guide to managing student stress
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 shares his strategies for managing stress.
Fall financial guidelines for student organizations
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere ’21 reviews some changes made to club purchasing and fund reallocation procedures. She also provides information about the annual financial workshops required for all funded clubs and organizations.
E-Board allows clubs to not collect fall dues
The Union Executive Board unanimously passed a motion on September 16 allowing clubs to decide if they will collect dues this fall. If a club does not collect fall dues, the motion prevents the club from asking the E-Board during the Spring semester for any additional funding on programs in the club’s initial budget.
E-Board approves virtual events, outlines reallocation procedures
The Executive Board has passed a blanket approval on a list of virtual activities for clubs this fall. Activities included under the blanket approval are virtual events, including trivia nights, escape rooms, lectures, training, cooking events, crafting, and movie nights.
Student tests positive for COVID-19
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s COVID-19 testing dashboard has been recently updated to reflect a new positive test. This has been confirmed by a Rensselaer County Facebook post.
The Arch academic calendar needs to be re-worked
Editor in Chief John Stotz ’22 discusses the issues with the nonstop summer Arch semester and proposes a solution to provide students with periodic opportunities for recovery.
Annual NSBE/SHPE career fair to be hosted virtually
NSBE and SHPE will be hosting its first virtual career fair on September 25 and 26 from 11 am to 5 pm on the platform Brazen. According to the fair's co-director Galiea Overa, Brazen was chosen as it has extensive resources available to recruiters and students and its overall user experience.
Explore Troy through cuisine
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 introduces first-years to local Troy restaurants, encouraging the newest members of the Rensselaer community to go out and explore the city. In his experience, exploration is the best way to find the best places to eat.
Realities of remote RPI
In the current, remote reality, are students receiving the same benefits of the activity fee? According to President of the Union Anissa Choiniere, the answer is no.
Sharing governance when administrators won’t
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan ’21 discusses the importance of shared governance, a philosophy where various groups of people broadly communicate and all share in the decision-making process. He explains how Rensselaer administrators have failed to implement it at the institutional level and his full intention to uphold the practice through his role in student government.
Getting involved and staying connected
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere ’21 encourages students to stay involved with the clubs and organizations of the Rensselaer Union. She also explains how you can find clubs to join or start one of your own.
Rensselaer Student Handbook adds discrimination and pandemic policies
This year, the changes made to Rensselaer’s Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities reflect challenges and conversations raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and RPI's Title IX policies were changed to follow federal guidelines set by United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
COVID testing: a 4-star experience
Over 4,200 members of the Rensselaer community were tested for COVID-19 prior to the return to campus this fall in an impressive feat of organization. While the process has gone remarkably smoothly, we hope that improvement in communication can make it even better.
Welcome to Rensselaer; please be safe
Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Travis Apgar welcomes students back to campus and urges them to follow Rensselaer’s safety protocols, as non-compliant behavior will be addressed swiftly. He emphasizes that all members of the community must demonstrate responsibility and take the lives of others seriously.
It's a soggy mess: Rensselaer’s quarantine food does not fail to disappoint
Students everywhere endure the mediocrity of dining hall food, but Rensselaer’s choiceless quarantine meals are a whole new take on this quintessential college experience. There was no way to prepare first-year students for the abysmal food that was soon to arrive on their dorm-steps: soggy croutons, cold sauceless noodles, and more. First-year writer Avery Clark reviews Rensselaer’s quarantine food delivery service.
Looking back and moving forward
Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan discusses student government's new priorities and his commitment to addressing concerns about the Institute's pandemic response as well as recent diversity and inclusion efforts.
Fake news, fake food
Cooking life hack channels with their slick editing and deceptive recipes have been profiting by misleading their audiences in a similar fashion as fake news organizations. From microwave caramel to political scandals, these forms of media are poisoning the well of information we base our opinions on.
Transfer students deserve better communication from Rensselaer
Rensselaer is on the 2020 Pi Theta Kappa honor roll for transfer friendly colleges, but their communication with transfer students falls short. RPI must do more to live up to its honor roll status by treating transfer students with equal regard as the rest of the student body, even with the extenuating circumstances caused by COVID-19.
Welcome back! Virtually, of course
President of the Union Anissa Choiniere welcomes students back to Rensselaer. She provides updates on Union operations and the upcoming Activities Fair, which will be operating virtually this weekend.