CIA Director Discusses Tech Change Preferred Names
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Wednesday, November 9, 2016 Volume CXXXVII, No. 11 • poly.rpi.edu Features Page 8 Sports Page 12 EDITORIAL Page 4 Jonathan Overcoming Caicedo monotony in life Peter Enhancing RPI’s Gramenides public image Senior Board Reflections on the Storytelling at Ground Zero Men and Women Win Meet Editorial election results CAMPUS EVENT CIA director discusses tech change Rex Hu/The Polytechnic PRESIDENT SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON AND CIA DIRECTOR JOHN O. BRENNAN HOLD a conversation on the stage of EMPAC Concert Hall. Sidney Kochman abilities resulting from “cascad- On technology, he pointed out that He is pushing initiatives that aim to Senior Reporter ing consequences” of complex, there is a lack of national consensus foster teamwork across disciplines, interconnected systems, giving on how to deal with the vulner- and has created a new Directorate ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, THE the example of the Fukushima abilities it creates. He is calling for of Digital Innovation to enable the Experimental Media and Daiichi nuclear disaster. Jackson a unified national response to this CIA to operate more effectively in Performing Arts Center was filled explained that a tsunami caused issue that safeguards privacy and today’s world. with Rensselaer community mem- power failures, and those failures civil liberties. On global warm- Jackson prompted Brennan with bers eager to listen to CIA Director led to nuclear meltdowns, which ing, he named the displacement of a question about ISIS’s internet John O. Brennan speak. produced effects felt throughout people living in areas affected by activities. Brennan said that ISIS is President Shirley Ann Jackson the global economy. rising sea levels and food insecurity digitally sophisticated and prolific, kicked off the event by naming After an introduction from Jack- as issues that he is paying atten- and an effective response to it will some of the challenges that the son, Brennan opened his remarks tion to. On nationalism, he named require a national consensus on ex- world faces in the near future: by saying that it is hard to find an a resurgently-aggressive Russia actly what the government’s role in food security, resource alloca- institution more aligned with CIA potentially causing a return to Cold the internet should be. He stressed tion, diseases, and the growing goals than RPI. Brennan identified War-era tensions. the need to balance privacy with influence of non-state actors on three forces of particular interest to As a recurring theme throughout security, and that the government the world stage. him in today’s world: technology, his remarks, Brennan spoke about She also pointed out vulner- global warming, and nationalism. his efforts to modernize the CIA. See BRENNAN, Page 2 STUDENT LIFE Serving the Rensselaer Preferred names coming to Rensselaer community since 1885 Forms in the Offi ce of the Registrar will soon be available for students Jack Wellhofer Downs said she wanted the process to be One other problem preferred names faced is the Senior Reporter made easy so students do not have to struggle potential for abuse. Earlier this year at the Univer- for every new class. Many other colleges and sity of Michigan Ann Arbor, one student changed LAST YEAR, THE PETITION ALLOW THE USE OF universities already have a system in place his preferred name to “Your Majesty.” Downs Inside Preferred Names quickly reached the re- that allows students to change their names, said that the reason this happened was because quired 250 signatures. The Student Senate making their preferred name the only one Michigan’s system is automated. At Rensselaer, Comics . 6 unanimously agreed to work on the petition, available to professors. paper forms will be available in the Registrar’s EdOp . 4 and tasked the Student Life Committee with The process has not gone without some office to change names, with the intent of reduc- investigating possible avenues. After more opposition. When the petition was first ing this occurrence. The Registrar can also look Events . 7 than a year of work, preferred names are recognized, there were questions about the into a requested change if necessary. Features . 8 nearing deployment at Rensselaer. practicality of implementing a preferred Downs says the system should be in place by Sports . 12 The petition cites self-identification as “one names system. The concerns particularly the end of the semester. She estimated that be- of the core rights we have as humans… Imag- revolved around changing the name on stu- tween 50-100 people in the LGBTQ community ine trying to be comfortable and live life when dent IDs. Fraternities use Rensselaer IDs at RPI will take advantage of the system. Even you are being addressed with a name and with as admittance to parties, which could cause more students who prefer a nickname, like Jack Connect pronouns that don’t fit you.” confusion if the legal name differs from the over John, will also be able to change their name The petition aims to bring this self-identification name on the ID. There was also concern with the new system. Visit us online at: to RPI, so that students can use “any non-legal about where Rensselaer IDs stand as legal When in place, it will only affect class rosters, poly.rpi.edu name of their choosing” for all non-legal uses, IDs. In the case of injury or similar, if an Residence Life, and the Center for Career and Like us on Facebook: says current SLC chairperson Justin Etzine ’18. authority were to find only the Rensselaer Professional Development. Downs called this a facebook.com/thepolytechnic Graduate student and sponsor of the Emily ID on the student, there might be confusion “stepping stone,” and aims to further work on Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: Downs said her original reason for creating the in identifying this student. But Downs said bringing preferred names to ID and even allow @RPIPoly petition was her own inability to change to a that if this were ever the case, RPI would incoming students to change their names before preferred name. RPI currently requires a legal likely be contacted to confirm and the pos- they arrive at Rensselaer. document for a name change to occur. sible confusion mitigated. 2 • News Wednesday, November 9, 2016 poly.rpi.edu SENATE Committees update Senate on project progress Jack Wellhofer Counseling Center survey which Senior Reporter is now available at https://poly. rpi.edu/s/104jk. The survey aims The Student Senate began their to pinpoint areas for improvement weekly meeting as usual by starting within the Counseling Center. with committee reports. Chairper- SLC is also looking into external son of the Academic Affairs Com- referrals to accommodate more mittee Varun Rao ’18 announced students. that the committee started to look Professor Amir Hirsa was the into the Make Career Fair Day a visiting member of the Faculty Student Holiday petition. In their Senate. He spoke briefly about a initial benchmarking, AAC found meeting on November 15, from that most schools do not get a day 4–5 pm in Sage 3303 to discuss off for the career fair, but that there core curriculum changes. He en- are major-specific career fairs. Rao couraged all students and faculty said more benchmarking is needed. to attend the discussion. He also discussed the core cur- The last item on the Senate’s riculum survey, which will be used agenda was to discuss changes to to gain student thoughts on the their bylaws. Graduate student An- upcoming curriculum changes. thony Bishop asked some clarify- The committee is particularly ing questions about the document, interested in the proposed sum- Brookelyn Parslow/The Polytechnic but most changes have been made mer reading requirements and THE SENATE ALSO DISCUSSED changes to their bylaws which will be voted on in an upcoming meeting. outside of Senate’s weekly meet- proposed leadership requirement. survey would soon be making the Public Safety Dinner would be tak- Hall as one of the the places DPS ing. The bylaws will be voted on Facilities and Services Commit- rounds to gather information on ing place on November 16, and that will be from 5:30–7:30 pm. in the coming weeks. tee chairperson Austin Miller ’17 shuttle changes. He also reminded Russell Sage Dining Hall will now Justin Etzine ’18, of the Student told the Senate that a shuttle routes the Senate that the Department of be included with Commons Dining Life Committee, discussed the E-BOARD Brennan Red Army receives funding From Page 1 Elisabeth Ryan mous in support of funding the club’s trips to the should be able to access information while providing for civil liber- Senior Reporter Whitney Young Health Clinic and paying the obliga- ties. He doesn’t want to allow enemies of the United States to hurt the tory amount of $1,500. Suggestions for supplying a country by taking advantage of technological vulnerabilities. THE RENSSELAER UNION EXECUTIVE BOARD OPENED smaller percentage of the originally requested amount In response to a question from Jackson about Islamic terrorism, their meeting Thursday, November 3 with the Rens- was discussed before tabling the topic for next week. Brennan said that he “admires” Islamic culture, society, and people. selaer Global Medical Brigades budget review. GMB Red Army appeared before the E-Board requesting He added that groups such as ISIS are perverting the religion for their brought to the E-Board’s attention an anomalous situ- additional subsidies for rally towels. These traditional own reprehensible purposes. Brennan remarked that previous terror ation regarding the Club Management System: dur- towels which typically feature Puckman are handed groups tended to have specific political objectives, whereas groups ing updates, GMB was never appointed an E-Board out at the Mayor’s Cup Ice Hockey game at the Times like ISIS and al-Qaeda have very broad goals and political objectives representative or SARP and their budget lines were Union Center.