As the sun set over Frank Bailey Field on the edge of Union’s campus, so too did the Engineers’ hopes for an NCAA bid. With the passing of the day, we saw the end of a potential playoff berth marking the end of a run that has been both exciting and invigorating, coming from a team that league insiders believed would be rebuilding for future years. It was a day that saw thousands of Dutchmen and Engineers alike—tripling the intended capacity—in a rivalry that is as old as college football. With the NCAA playoffs out of reach, players walked off the field with empty hearts and heads held low. While we may have come up short on the scoreboard, this season has characterized a shift within the program that can be extended to the campus as a whole. Winning is not only expected, but required. Expectations have skyrocketed, with the hoisting of a national championship trophy as the only possible success within the eyes of the players.
From the school’s vantage point, however, you have succeeded in our eyes. On Saturday, students traveled across the Capital District by the busload to see the red and white fight for a conference title and an NCAA bid. The crowds were loud, the excitement was there, and most importantly, Rensselaer pride was in the air. Some came out for only their second or third game, yet even they connected with the school and team like a seasoned fanatic.
For me, a school passionately backing its team is the ultimate measure of success. Usually, this entails students getting behind a team that has established a winning program. Which is the precursor, winning or student support? I am not certain, but I do know that the paradigm has begun to change within the past several years. Maybe it is better records, postseason glory, or maybe it is the student body. I would contend that the Rensselaer of old is exactly that—the past. The biggest change is not in the campus façade or programs, but in the students that fill our halls and fields, the students who make our club and program offerings robust, who surge our greek system with energy, who continually outperform peer schools on the field, and whose life drives the campus.
Students used to come to Rensselaer only looking forward to leaving; for those who still operate within this mindset, your numbers are diminishing. There are those here who love Rensselaer, whose pride for the Engineers runs deeper and deeper, and they are getting louder and louder. The common bond between us all is growing stronger. The Rensselaer Plan has acted as the catalyst for change at RPI. Many point to the changes within the buildings, policies, or funding—but not so much the people. Change within a building or policy can be done with relative ease, but to change a people is something different entirely. Today, it is alright to love Rensselaer, because there are a lot of other people just like you.
