Features

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.

After transitioning to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rensselaer professors provide their perspectives on online teaching and the lessons they will bring back with them when on-campus learning resumes.

After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.

From jazz favorites to soundtrack classics, the annual Pops Concert hosted by the Rensselaer Music Association was a blast!

Enjoy this brief gallery of a breathtaking walk, titled “Ice Me Out,” from this year’s BSA Fashion Show in anticipation of our upcoming in-depth article. The walk expressed two sides of luxe: opulent, glittery fabrics mixed with edgy streetwear looks and silhouettes.

The Chinese American Student Association held their Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday. I was there to take photos for The Polytechnic, but I had a blast. I had never been to anything like it before, and sure the food was subpar as it was American Chinese food catered by Sodexo, but the celebration featured a variety of performances from a dragon dance, to a performance on the guzheng—a traditional Chinese string instrument, even including a multitude of dance routines by the group Eighth Wonder.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said the gentleman behind me after witnessing the closing act of Sheer Idiocy, which marked the end of a night filled with showstopping flair and frenetic fun. The combined talents of the RPI Players, Rensselaer Music Association, and Sheer Idiocy were intricately intertwined to make the Evening of Performance a night to remember.

During the cold and rainy days here in Troy, sometimes you just have to bury yourself in blankets and put on a good show. If you’ve already binged all the popular series on Netflix and are looking for something new, The Polytechnic is here to help.

Freshmen staff writers Medhini Mankale and Sarah Shiang reflect on their first Big Red Freakout game.

Associate Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University, Jennifer Rhee, discussed concepts from her book, The Robotic Imaginary: The Human and the Price of Dehumanized Labor, during the first Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center talk of the Spring semester.

The Winter Carnival was held just in time as the snow melted away in Troy. The theme was “There’s Snow Place Like Home.” After students checked in, they were free to play games outdoors, free skate, or explore the activities.

The Polytechnic sat down with the co-founder of Thunder Mountain Curry to discuss how it came to be and why it is loved on campus.

Recently, Design for America had two major events—the annual Design Expo and a fall Dinner Party—that highlighted the work that DFA members do to better the community.

I attended acoustician Zachery Belanger's talk "Sound: A New Approach to Integrating Architectural Design and Acoustics" at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center last semester. This talk offered a rewarding deep-dive into the process of how EMPAC spaces are designed, the challenges of the collaboration of architects and acousticians, and a vision for the future of acoustics and architecture.

From Christmas classics to musical arrangements written by Rensselaer students, the annual Winter Concert hosted by the Rensselaer Music Association was a treat for all who attended.

Many gathered at the Eastside Troy Christkindlmarket to welcome the Christmas season in german-style this Saturday evening.

The Rensselaer Concert Choir gave a breathtaking performance in the Chapel + Cultural Center on Sunday night. The concert included pieces from composers that stretched across a timespan of almost five centuries—from the mid-sixteenth up to the mid-twentieth century.

The Rensselaer Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Chamberlain, performed at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center on Saturday. The orchestra played pieces from various eras of classical music, with compositions from Jean-Baptiste Lully, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Franz Schubert, and Pyotr-Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Students chow down at the Mueller Center while learning traditions, history, and fun facts about Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America.

Ford v Ferrari—directed by the eclectic James Mangold—is a rare film. A film that left me in deep, soulful contemplation long after it ended. Before I went to see the film, I’d already known most of the story. As this is a well-documented event in racing history, I didn’t expect to be completely blown away by it.

“I am Tráfico Visual,” said Ileana Ramírez in her talk about her life’s work. Last week Ramírez, a resident of Venezuela and founder of Tráfico Visual, visited the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer to tell her story. Due to the issues in Venezuela last March, she couldn't travel to America and deliver her talk. However, this event went on without a hitch.