It’s that time of year again, when the leaves are just beginning to turn colors, and there are hordes of ragged looking college students living outside of the Union fixated on their unwieldy assortment of videogame systems and laptops. The outside of our building is harnessed by the truly dedicated hockey fans we have living here at RPI. For those new to this aspect of our shared obsession with ice hockey, I will provide a brief introduction.
Before the Field House was renovated, there were a large number of pillars that obstructed the view of the ice from many of the seats. The students would camp out waiting in line for days to ensure that they would be able to see their beloved Engineers in all of their glory. Every year we continue this tradition.
So grab a few friends and set up camp outside the Union. Once you get there, all you need to do is register your group in the Union Administration Office, or look for me early in the evenings. Hockey Line is an amazing experience that everyone at RPI should try at least once.
You may have noticed a number of notices around campus, and in this issue of The Poly, about the festivities that are occurring on campus this week. This is an exciting time to be a student at RPI. The Ribbon-Cutting of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies is being accompanied by several exciting events.
On Friday, at 8:30 am, Dr. Jackson is hosting a Colloquy in the Academy Hall Auditorium right before the ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 am. It is a privilege given to all RPI students to have an opportunity to attend this colloquy, and to be in the audience at this historic opening of the Biotech Center. I will be in the audience at both events, and I encourage you to join me.
This week you are going to be hearing a lot about how we are the future of the world, and how RPI will be at the forefront of science and technology as the world moves forward. Constructing buildings and creating new programs is only half of what it takes to create a student population that leaves its mark on the world. The other half has to come from us, the students. We are being given the tools and the opportunity to make something of ourselves. We need to provide the desire to succeed and the desire to be more than just another individual.
As this week unfolds, I want each of you to think about how you see yourself in twenty years. A successful life is not necessarily one with great riches and critical acclaim, but rather one of happiness and satisfaction. We did not come to RPI because we wanted to stand still, but because we shared the common thought that satisfaction is found by becoming more than what we started as. Take this week as RPI moves into the future to find a way to let RPI move you further towards your goals.
In the mean time, I’ll see you at Hockey Line.
