Inside Wednesday, News . .2 April 20, 2016 Sports . .4 Editorial/Opinion . .5 Volume CXXXVI, Events Calendar . .7 No. 26 Comics . .8 Features . .12 Ilori, Kirchner elected GM, PU News Wednesday, April 20, 2016 GRAND MARSHAL WEEK Student government elections come to close Justin Etzine and Tianyi Qiao ’18 were elected For the Class of 2019, Vignesh Senior Reporter as independent senators, and Babu ’19 and Colin Williamson Hannah Rabinowitz ’18 and ’19 were elected as president and FRIDAY, APRIL 15 SAW THE AN- Marvin Cosare ’18 were elected as vice president, respectively. Kyle nouncement of election results for Greek senators for the Panhellenic Waters ’19, Nancy Bush ’19, all offices elected during Grand Council and the Interfraternity Caleb Caraway ’19, and Pamela Marshal Week 2016. Council, respectively. Pulla ’19 were elected as Class Former senator Paul Ilori ’17 For the Class of 2017, Kyle of 2019 senators in the most was elected GM by 56.4 percent Neumann ’17 was re-elected Class contested senate race of the elec- of the vote over Dan Rogers of 2017 president, and Michael tion cycle. Colin Atkinson ’19, ’17, and former Executive Board Gardner ’17 was re-elected Class Chris McCulloch ’19, Benjamin Representative Chip Kirchner ’17 of 2017 vice president through Morrison ’19, Jeffrey Rong ’19, won President of the Union against a write-in campaign. Austin David Tamir ’19, Thomas Jansson Shannon Gillespie McComb ’17, Miller ’17, Erica Braunschweig ’19, Mark Birkbeck ’19, and Keegan Caraway ’18, and Liam ’17, Joseph Venusto ’17, and Yuvraj Chopra ’19 were elected McEneaney ’17 with 46.6 percent CJ Markum ’17 were elected as Class of 2019 representatives. of the vote. Class of 2017 senators. Alexander Graduate students Michael Running unopposed, Eryka Greaves Peixinho ’17, Trevor Corraro ’17, Caiola, Anthony Ashley, Brandon ’17 was elected Undergraduate Emily Phillips ’17, Brian Priem Bensel, Ainsley Pinkowitz, Jordan Council President with 83.7 percent ’17, Marcus Barbret ’17, Samuel Angel, and Anthony Bishop of the vote. Waddell ’17, Parker Reno ’17, were elected as graduate sena- GM Week Elections are held an- and Ryan Bailey ’17 were elected tors. Graduate students Amanda nually, with final elections typically as Class of 2017 representatives; Youmans, Jennifer Church, occurring on the Thursday of GM Peixinho was the only candidate Spencer Scott, Brandon Bensel, Week. Voters are given a collect- on the ballot. Emily Aaldenberg, and Kelly ible glass mug for voting, and the For the Class of 2018, Brenna Jenkins were elected as graduate Student Senate’s Rules & Elections Buckley ’18 and Sean Waclawik representatives. committee oversees the campaign- ’18 were elected as president and A total of four sanctions were is- ing and elections processes. vice president, respectively. For sued by R&E during the 2016 election Sidney Kochman/The Polytechnic For alumni positions, former the Class of 2018 senators, Justin cycle. Kirchner received a sanction for FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNION NICK DVORAK ’16 PLACES PU Nick Dvorak ’16 was elected Etzine ’18, Matthew Heimlich repeated posting of posters on the foot- the Derby on top of newly-elected PU Chip Kirchner ’17. alumni president, former GM ’18, Steven Sperazza ’18, and bridge sign holders, which carried a sanction for not including a takedown R&E also saw a late change in Marcus Flowers ’16 was elected Richard Lin ’18 were elected. penalty of extra service hours. Chopra date on his posters. leadership when Victoria Tong alumni vice president, Margaret Ellie Mees ’18, Youssef Elasser saw his collected nominations nulli- R&E and the Judicial Board re- ’16, then chairperson of R&E, re- Murphy ’16 was elected alumni ’18, Yueze Li ’18, Stefanie fied by a sanction for repeat violations leased a number of decisions during signed from her position, leading secretary, and former UP Kelly Warner ’18, Gwen Diebold ’18, of the rule that bars active campaign- the campaigning season, many of the committee’s Vice-Chairperson Dearborn ’16 was elected alumni Xing Tong ’18, Daniel Gorman ing in dining halls. Licata, Gillespie which involve the submission, or lack Hannah Rabinowitz ’18 to assume treasurer. Tasked with planning ’18, Kayla Cinnamon ’18, and McComb, and Braunschweig received thereof, of required campaign forms the role as acting chairperson. alumni reunions, alumni class Mark Beston ’18 were elected an extra hour of community service or the waiving of grade point aver- The full election results can be positions are lifetime positions. as Class of 2018 representatives, for not including takedown and con- ages for various positions. An article found online at http://poly.rpi.edu/s/ For independent and Greek where the latter five were write- tact information on all visible sides of describing all decisions can be found qiz3d/. positions, Samantha Notley ’18 in candidates. their posters; Licata received a second at http://poly.rpi.edu/s/uaee6/. STUDENT ACTIVISM Protesters rally outside Troy Building to BBQ Maria Kozdroy Senior Reporter PROFESSOR BILL PUKA AND STUDENTS HELD a barbeque in front of the Troy Building last Wednesday to continue the Save the Union movement. Snow postponed the event from the originally scheduled date of Wednesday, April 6. Posters announcing the event went up around campus in the week prior. Sean Lewis ’19, expressed that he was glad to be part of the movement, as he wore his red Save the Union shirt. The event had groups of students rang- ing from freshmen to seniors enjoying the weather, talking about school, the then upcoming elections, and more. This event comes after the Save the Union protest that occurred on Wednes- day, March 30 outside the Spring Town Meeting. Students, faculty, and alumni came together in front of the Experimen- tal Media and Performing Arts Center to speak out about grievances with the Rensselaer administration. During the March 30 protest, students packed the EMPAC Theater to hear Presi- dent Shirley Ann Jackson speak and an- swer questions about the recently-listed Executive Director of Student Activities position and the state of Rensselaer’s finances. More information about the March 30 protest can be found at http:// Sidney Kochman/The Polytechnic poly.rpi.edu/s/87zod/. STUDENTS HOST a cook-out barbeque outside of the Troy Building in a continuing act to protest the RPI administration. poly.rpi.edu Wednesday, April 20, 2016 News • 3 WORLD NEWS Ecuador hit by 7.8 magnitude earthquake Nathan Dorer Senior Reporter ON SATURDAY, APRIL 16, A 7.8 MAGNITUDE earthquake shook much of Ecuador, injuring nearly 2,500 and leaving the current death toll at 246. While Ecuador is in an area of high seismic activity, this quake serves to be the largest that the country has experienced since 1979. The tremors from the quake were felt nearly 200 miles from its epicenter and damaged infrastructure in the major cities of Muisine, Manta, Portoviejo, and Pedernales. In response, Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas has declared a state of emergency, and consequently 10,000 soldiers and 4,600 police officers have been deployed to the affected areas. The quake struck nearly 17 miles south of Muisine, and the U.S. Geological Survey has reported that it took place at the relatively shallow depth of 11.9 miles. Ecuador lies in an area of high seismic activity known as the “Ring of Fire.” This area serves as the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, where the Nazca plate is currently being subjected under the South American plate at a rate of 65 mm each year. It is the act of these tectonic plates rubbing against each other that caused the earthquake, in addition to the more than 130 aftershocks that have taken place. Courtesy of Andes/César Muñoz As it stands, much of the communica- LOCALS SURVEY the ruins in their neighborhood after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated Ecuador on April 16, 2016. tion within the country is currently down. Ecuador, in addition to the Colombian navy with the BBC that they are “trying to do the earthquakes that have measured above 7.0 However, all major phone companies have carrying water to affected coastal towns. most [they] can but there's almost nothing on the Richter scale, although the current extended free text messaging to the area to The tourist destination Pedernales is re- [they] can do.” As it stands, landslides near events have proven to be among the most allow families to contact missing members. ported to have encountered the most damage Pedernales have made it incredibly difficult deadly quakes, due in part to its proximity Currently, the government has been able to of- from the earthquake. The mayor of the town, to assess the area, and heavy rainfall is ex- to major cities. Ecuador has proven to be fer food and other essentials to those impacted Gabriel Alcivar, issued a statement in which pected. devastated by the events, and the country by the disaster, and aid has begun to arrive he stated that the “entire town” had been flat- The disaster that has struck Ecuador serves looks to recover in the coming months. from Venezuela and Mexico. Additionally, tened and also urged residents to be cautious to be one of the worst in the country’s long The information from this article was Colombian officials have announced that of the looting that had broken out in light of history of earthquakes. Since the turn of the gathered from various sources including the they will provide search teams and dogs to the disaster. Alcivar stated in an interview century, the region has encountered seven BBC, CNN, and Slate. Veteran required to fill out amputee form annually Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost his legs during a tour with the Canadian Armed Forces in 2006.