Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Volume CXXXVIII, No. 4 • poly.rpi.edu FEATURES Page 4 SPORTS Page 8 EDITORIAL Page 6 Nathan Thinking critically about Dorer hate speech laws Anahit A plead for form and Lil Uzi takes to the charts with Football reigns undefeated Hovhannisyan function in women’s pants debut album against Western New England CAMPUS EVENT Ndaba Mandela seeks MY VIEW youth empowerment Renew Brookelyn Parslow Rensselaer Senior Reporter Bill Criss ’68 “CORETTA SCOTT KING REMINDS US THAT 78th President of the Union freedom is never really won. You have to earn it and fight for it in every generation. AS A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNION, IT WAS WITH So, what is our generation fighting for?” great sadness and concern for my alma mater that inquired Ndaba Mandela during a forum I read a recent memorandum from RPI’s vice at the Experimental Media and Performing president for human resources. In that memoran- Arts Center on Tuesday, September 19. dum, Curtis Powell was attempting to explain to The talk, which was part of the Rensselaer the current grand marshal and president of the Union Speakers Forum, focused on subjects Union the legal basis for the administration’s sole including the world’s inaccurate percep- discretion to hire a new director of the Union. In tion of Africa, and his efforts to empower my opinion, he totally missed an opportunity to underprivileged youth. When Mandela started to travel, he heal a festering wound—although no one follow- quickly learned how the little knowledge ing this ongoing spat should harbor the illusion that others have about Africa is often nega- that this memorandum was solely his creation. tive stereotypes perpetuated by the media. During the turbulent ’60s, when most campuses Courtesy of APB Speakers were aflame (figuratively and in some cases literally), Africa is depicted as a place of poverty, that since she came from a poor family, RPI was a relative oasis of reason. Not that we were disease, and dictators. On this, Mandela she could never achieve anything. “After commented that he is “not here to say that going through this course, she now has the apathetic to the issues of the day, but because many of those things do not exist, but [that] there is confidence and a skill that she can use to the grievances that had surfaced on other campuses far more to Africa than you see.” He con- help other people, and help herself to begin were incrementally ironed out within the RPI com- tinued, stating that Africans need to own with,” shared Mandela. munity in a spirit of compromise and respect. the narrative on Africa. To accomplish this, While approximately nine million kids While others broke into their presidents’ Mandela prioritizes empowering the youth. finish high school in Africa every year, there offices, RPI’s president, Dr. Richard Folsom, Young people need to “have an enlightened are not nine million jobs waiting for them. invited student leaders to use his office, with- sense of pride and confidence in themselves, This leaves the option of entrepreneurship, out his presence, to discuss matters of campus so that when they travel… they can talk which Mandela considers an important part concern. During this stressful time, there was about Africa with this same level of pride of young people being able to “empower an overarching commitment to reason across the and confidence.” themselves [and] their families” so that they RPI community where dialogue was unbridled Mandela considers technology and en- can “break the cycle of poverty that exists.” and constructive. Sadly, this appears to be the trepreneurship development to be at the Throughout the evening, Mandela often antithesis of what is happening at RPI today. forefront of this movement. There is not a returned to the importance of the youth, There is no reason why any member of RPI’s nation in the world advancing without the even stating that “unity among young administration should manifest such an egotisti- knowledge and use of technology, and Af- people is going to bring this world to a cal imperative to control the Union. RPI’s Union rica is at a disadvantage. He acknowledged better place.” He concluded the forum has, for many years, continued its overwhelm- that competition on a global scale will not by encouraging the audience to dream ingly successful tradition of positive leadership be possible, especially if kids are finishing big enough that it becomes scary, and to high school without ever touching a com- and accomplishments by students, truly unique to believe that “no one can stand in your way institutions of higher learning. Trying to diminish puter. To begin remedying this, he partnered once you have the passion.” the Union’s historical and rightful role by offering with the Nelson Mandela Museum to teach To learn more about Ndaba Mandela and legal wrangling about bylaws and constitutions is basic computer literacy and programming his work to continue the legacy of his grand- counterproductive, foolish, and damaging to one of Serving the to high school students in Africa. This past father by empowering the new generation year, they hosted a four-day coding program through the Africa Rising Foundation, visit the most valuable pillars of Rensselaer’s tradition. Rensselaer for eighty girls, half of whom had never https://poly.rpi.edu/s/qc1zy. The Union is not what needs reining-in on RPI’s community interacted with a computer before. He was campus, if I can be so blunt. touched by the feedback, and especially See RENEW, Page 7 since 1885 by the story of a young girl who believed STUDENT SENATE Inside Senate: Flying Chicken, VP Strong visits Jonathan Caicedo LeNorman Strong, the interim vice to improve space planning for consideration. Ultimately, the Comics . 3 Senior Reporter president for student life. Strong student recreation and studying. petition was charged to Class of stated his visit was to greet the new Amir Hirsa, secretary of the 2019 Senator Nancy Bush ’19, Editorial/Opinion . 6 ON MONDAY, THE 48TH STUDENT Senate and to outline some ways Faculty Senate, took the floor af- who will bring it to the atten- Features . 4 Senate began its seventh meeting, his office is trying to better the stu- ter Strong. Hirsa began by outlin- tion of the Business Operations Sports . 8 as Grand Marshal Justin Etzine ’18 dent experience. He first empha- ing the Faculty Senate’s plan for Committee of the Rensselaer opened with his weekly report. He sized the importance of continued major changes to Rensselaer’s Executive Board, which will then reiterated that the hiring process collaboration and communication core curriculum. He stressed decide how to proceed. and interviews for the new director between the student body and that, while the process is still Before adjournment, the Senate of the Union are still underway. He administration of Rensselaer. He in the early stages, the Faculty closed the meeting to discuss Connect also mentioned the closing of the followed by outlining the topics Senate is carefully considering the establishment of the Human library the Friday and Saturday of he will be focusing on this year in the major proposals and the ef- Resources Interview Committee, Visit us online at: Alumni Reunion and Homecoming. the annual performance planning fects that they will ultimately which will be tasked with work- poly.rpi.edu In accommodation for the gala being process. Strong announced his have on academics. ing with the Division of Human Like us on Facebook: held there, he voiced concern on the partnership with Assistant Vice The next major item on the Resources to organize student facebook.com/thepolytechnic potential impact the closing would President and Dean of Students agenda included acknowledge- involvement in future interviews Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: have on the availability of study Travis Apgar in trying to better ment of the “Bring the Flying for various campus job openings. @RPIPoly spaces on campus. equip RPI to respond to student Chicken to Campus” petition, The Senate will meet on Monday Following Etzine’s report, emergencies on campus. He also which garnered the 250 signa- at 8 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery. the Senate opened the floor to mentioned important initiatives tures needed to receive Senate 2 • News Wednesday, September 20, 2017 poly.rpi.edu EXECUTIVE BOARD E-Board keeps Outing Club minutes under wraps Union Matthew Rand ’19 led a presentation that gave an overview of the documents and the role that the E-Board has in the structure of the Union. After the presentation, Director of the Mueller Center Steve Allard gave his report. In it, he noted that the Mueller Center now hosts a record 35 classes. He added that more than 500 students, faculty, and staff are currently enrolled, which is up from 330 people last year. In the president’s report, Rand updated the E-Board on the status of the search for the next director of the Union. One candidate was interviewed by 16 students, and an- other candidate is due to be interviewed on Wednesday, September 20. He hopes to share more news about this position in the coming weeks. Rand then kicked off a discussion about the E-Board’s transparency and handling of the Rensselaer Outing Club. He is planning to meet with graduate Judicial Board Chairperson Nathan James, Policies Committee Chairperson Anissa Choiniere ’20, and Senate–Executive Board Liaison Joseph Venusto ’18 to Elena Perez/The Polytechnic determine what judicial powers the E-Board has at its disposal THE EXECUTIVE BOARD DISCUSSED transparency and policy concerning the Rensselaer Outing Club. (file photo) when a club violates a policy.