Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Scholar The Rose Thorn Archive Student Newspaper Fall 9-30-2005 Volume 41 - Issue 04 - Friday, September 30, 2005 Rose Thorn Staff Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/rosethorn Recommended Citation Rose Thorn Staff, "Volume 41 - Issue 04 - Friday, September 30, 2005" (2005). The Rose Thorn Archive. 214. https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/rosethorn/214 THE MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS ROSE-HULMAN REPOSITORY IS TO BE USED FOR PRIVATE STUDY, SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. SOME CONTENT IN THE MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS REPOSITORY MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. ANYONE HAVING ACCESS TO THE MATERIAL SHOULD NOT REPRODUCE OR DISTRIBUTE BY ANY MEANS COPIES OF ANY OF THE MATERIAL OR USE THE MATERIAL FOR DIRECT OR INDIRECT COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGE WITHOUT DETERMINING THAT SUCH ACT OR ACTS WILL NOT INFRINGE THE COPYRIGHT RIGHTS OF ANY PERSON OR ENTITY. ANY REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS REPOSITORY IS AT THE SOLE RISK OF THE PARTY THAT DOES SO. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Newspaper at Rose-Hulman Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Rose Thorn Archive by an authorized administrator of Rose-Hulman Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY T ERRE HAUTE, INDIANA Friday, September 30, 2005 Volume 41, Issue 4 Bonfi re traditions continue Fred Webber phone pole was replaced by a Staff Writer center pillar of wood, on which the outhouse is now placed. It reshmen and their Soph- became a tradition to build the omore Advisors and Bonfi re as many ties high as your Resident Assistants sit year of graduation. For students around a fi re, toasting graduating in 1978, this meant Fmarshmallows and hot dogs. A 78 ties. As the years went on, few are sitting on top of the foun- this idea was scrapped as the dation of the Homecoming Bon- height of the fi re became unrea- fi re – an orderly pile of wood and sonable. hay – and peering into the dark- Building the Bonfi re started as a ness. Meanwhile, on the perim- project in which all students par- eter of the fi eld, upperclassmen ticipated, but during the ‘60s or are looking for an opportunity to early ‘70s, it became a freshman strike. These students are partic- class project. In the early ‘90s, ipating in a new year of Bonfi re when all students were required tradition. to take military history during The nighttime upperclassmen their freshman and sophomore raids are just one part of the long, years, Army ROTC took over con- evolving history of the Rose-Hul- struction management and orga- man Bonfi re. According to Erik nized the freshman builders by Hayes, there are records of the hall. Rose Bonfi re as early as 1932, In 1996, the SRC was completed Ken Meyer / Rose Thorn though the tradition started a few on top of the original Bonfi re site Freshmen continue the building of the bonfi re Thursday after a set-back involving chemically treated years earlier. “It started as a Hal- at the new campus. Since there rail ties, which are illegal to burn. Four-by-fours were brought in to complete the structure. loween tradition. It was held at was no place to put the Bonfi re, 9th and Walnut, back when Rose the school decided to cancel it. found a permanent site. “Once all of the Bonfi re so the freshmen what happens when the real one Poly was still inside Terre Haute,” “We weren’t going to let that tradi- again, it became every student will have to guard the Bonfi re or goes.” he explained. tion go away,” said Hayes. Hayes working on it. We all had to work work very hard to complete it on Freshman Mechanical Engi- The original bonfi res were and fi ve other RAs started selling together to get it built in time.” time. neering major Chris Leibs ex- formed from railroad ties that the fi rst Bonfi re shirts, at around Though the origin of the Bon- Freshmen now guard the Bon- plained that he was guarding be- students acquired. Around 1942, $10, to raise money to support fi re raids is unknown, “it general- fi re every night after construc- cause “everyone is here! It’s con- a telephone pole was erected in the parts of the Bonfi re the ad- ly started as a way for upperclass- tion begins. Freshman Shantel ceivably one of the best things I the center of the fi re, with an ministration had supported in men to mess with the freshmen,” Strode explained that she was could do with my time.” outhouse perched at the top. the past, such as snacks for stu- says Hayes. The upperclassmen guarding the Bonfi re because “I Around the early 1960s, the tele- dents building the fi re. They also try to deconstruct part or even love bonfi res... I can’t wait to see Continued on Page 3... Rickert, Allison return from sabbaticals Alex Clerc The NSA headquarters consists Rickert also helped coach a lo- ditives for Exxon Chemical. But type of gas chromatographer/ News Editor of two high-rise offi ce structures cal high school math team during for his most recent sabbatical last mass spectrometer (GC/MS). and an estimated 10 acres of un- the school year, and during both year, Allison elected to work full- Poland was tasked with using the Wouldn’t it be great if every sev- derground facilities. The head- summers of his sabbatical, he time at Rose-Hulman Ventures. instrument to develop experi- en years, you had the chance to quarters employs at least 20,000 was a teacher at a summer pro- During the 2004-2005 academic ments to be used in undergradu- take a year off from your career to and claims to gram for high year, he worked with 6 different ate education. work on projects that are impor- be the largest school students students on four different proj- Poland came up with two ex- tant to you? In most careers, this employer of All the math called the Re- ects. periments: one involving the de- would be considered a luxury. mathemati- search Science Allison believes that taking termination of the octane rating But every seven years, our pro- cians in the na- classes we teach Institute (RSI). time off from teaching to go on of gasoline and one dealing with fessors may elect to take a year tion. The RSI is a six- sabbatical is very benefi cial. “You the extraction of limonene and off from teaching to do just that. Rickert here, however week program stay current, either in industry or other compounds from lemon This is the third installment of a worked at the that gets high academia. When you’re teaching, and orange peels using super- series of articles highlighting the NSA during esoteric, were school students you’re really busy and you end up critical carbon dioxide. accomplishments of our profes- the 2004-2005 exposure to ignoring the latest developments Through his work, Poland be- sors who went on sabbatical last school year. being applied in undergradu- in your fi eld. It’s nice to have a came more familiar with the year. Because of ate research in change and get refreshment,” world of research: “I gained in- For his second sabbatical, the classifi ed some way. mathematics, said Allison. sight into how research works. Professor of Mathematics John nature of his science, and Allison also had very positive It doesn’t happen four hours at Rickert traveled to Baltimore, work, he can- engineering. things to say about the Ventures a time like the class and lab peri- Maryland to do math for the gov- not discuss In the summer experience: “I recommend that ods do. There’s a lot of trial and a ernment at the National Security the details of —John Rickert of 2004, the all students who want to work in lot of error that go into develop- Agency (NSA). Rickert worked his projects. RSI was held at industry work at Ventures. It’s an ing anything in the lab.” at the NSA headquarters at Fort However, Rick- Cal Tech and in excellent thing to do.” Poland said his favorite part Meade, located 15 miles south- ert could share a few refl ections 2005 it was at MIT. Ross Poland, currently a junior of the experience was “learning west of Baltimore. on his experience: “The NSA is Professor of Chemistry Bruce chemistry major, worked under to interpret the different spectra The NSA has two core mis- very technical and very broad Allison’s previous sabbaticals in- Allison during the spring and I produced using the mass spec- sions: code-making (devising in scope. All the math classes cluded research on polycarbon- summer terms of 2005 for a com- trometer. Spectroscopy is one of ways to keep American commu- we teach here, however esoter- ates at Purdue, exploring super- pany called Griffi n Analytical. my favorite parts of chemistry.” nication secure) and code-break- ic, were being applied in some conducting organic crystals at Griffi n Analytical, based in West ing (deciphering foreign signals). way.” IU, and working on motor oil ad- Lafayette, had developed a new Continued on Page 3... News Entertainment Opinions Sports Flipside Assassins is back. Everybody loves Probation as punishment Get behind the team.