It’s mid-October, and things are in full swing here at RPI. From classes to campus events such as the recent career fair and the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center’s grand opening events, as well as the upcoming family weekend, there is certainly much going on to keep students busy. And of course, there is a whole other category of “things to do” on campus for students to take advantage of: RPI sports!
We have teams that are having outstanding seasons to date and have upcoming home contests that will likely prove critical to their seasons. Add to that the advent of the men’s and women’s hockey season, and there is certainly a wealth of opportunities for students to take a break from classes and head out to enjoy a fun and exciting afternoon or evening outdoors (or inside the Field House!). Here are just a few of the upcoming games on campus:
The Engineer football team (4-0 on the season) has three of its last five games at home on the ’86 Field. In addition to this weekend’s Homecoming game, those include contests against rival Union College and then Hobart College in the last chance to see the team play a regular season game on the ’86 Field.
The Red Hawk men’s soccer team is a perfect 4-0 so far in Liberty League matches, and has a critical home game against Hobart College on October 15 that could determine first place in the league standings, as well as the coveted prize of competing in the Liberty League’s tournament on its own turf.
The RPI field hockey team is fighting for a berth in the Liberty League tournament, and has a pair of critical home contests against Skidmore College and Union College on October 25 and 26, respectively, that will determine whether it will earn that bid.
Finally, Engineer hockey is just beginning. The men’s hockey team will be in action at home Saturday and next Tuesday, with each game starting at 7 pm. The women’s ice hockey team will return back home the following weekend, at 7 pm on the 24th and 4 pm on the 25th.
With all that being said, I encourage everyone to attend sporting events on campus. Even if you think that it isn’t something that you would enjoy, at least give it a try. As someone who, admittedly, attended sporting events very sparsely my first few years here, I can definitely say that I was missing out on some of the great experiences that RPI has to offer. Admission is free of charge to students at all home games except men’s hockey (remember, you need your student ID for football), so what is there to lose?
If you are someone who already makes it to many of the home games, I encourage you to try out other sports that you haven’t experienced yet, for the same reason. Even if it’s a sport that you really think you have no interest in, you never know; you may be pleasantly surprised.
So go out and experience home sporting events. There is very little to lose by doing so, and a lot of great experiences and fun to gain.
