Culture
When Student Government (SG) President Paul Darragh, a third year Software Engineer and Vice President Nick Cifranic, a third year Information Security and Forensics major, ran for office they had a list of major goals they wanted to accomplish before the end of their term. The list included a bike sharing program, convincing more professors to use myCourses and other minor goals such as videotaping some classes.
RIT’s conversion to semesters has affected more than just academics; athletic teams have felt this shift as well. All RIT sports teams were represented by the Athletic Administration and considered when the change was voted on. However, not all teams are feeling the same effects. Some teams are experiencing little change, some are encountering challenges and some are benefitting from the conversion.
Word of the Week: Williwaw (noun): A violent squall. Sentence: Dan shivered to the bone due to the williwaw blowing through Rochester. Quote: “Oaths are but words and words are but wind.”-Samuel Butler
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Local Boy Receives Firefighter Funeral On January 20, eight year old Tyler Doohan gave his life to save his family in a house fire in East Rochester. When the fire broke out, Doohan ran to wake his family, saving six members. After noticing that his disabled grandfather had not made it out, he re-entered the burning house.
On December 16 President Bill Destler hosted the first open forum for the current round of strategic planning. Destler stated that there is typically a new strategic plan every ten years; the upcoming plan informing RIT’s efforts from January 2015 until January 2025. He emphasized that the plan needed to be a community plan approved by the Trustees, and not a Trustee plan thrust on the community.
Monday 12/9 Magic in the Making, Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Blvd 6 – 8 p.m. Come to the Geva Theatre’s annual open house event and learn about all the behind the scenes effort that goes into putting on a show. Explore the set of “A Christmas Carol” and the rehearsal space. Hear about how costumes, props, sound and lighting are designed and discover the spells behind the theater’s magic. Cost: free
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Worlds AIDS Day is observed every December 1. The day is a way of raising awareness for the global AIDS pandemic and the steps many people are taking to stop it. According to AIDS.gov, more than 25 million people have died from the disease since cases were first reported in 1981. Currently 33.4 million individuals are living with HIV, the virus that has the potential to transform into AIDS.
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At the December 6 Student Government (SG) meeting, the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration presented on the organization’s status, the GCCIS, CAST and Greek Senators presented on their midyear progress and administrators shared information on recent and upcoming policy revisions.
Every year during the holiday season the United States experiences its greatest period of charitable giving. According to Charity Navigator, 50 percent of all charitable giving goes to religious, educational and arts organizations while the rest goes to charities for those in need. Americans, on average, give 4.7 percent of their income to charities. The average individual donates 24 percent of their annual donation between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
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Larry Rivers worked as a custodian on the residential side of campus for over 10 years, making sure the halls were clean, rooms were tidy and trash was disposed of properly. He sometimes assisted in repairs of equipment due to his background in carpentry and plumbing. He was recently promoted to career custodian and aimed to become a senior custodian. He passed away on November 20 at the age of 56 due to failing health.
4.5/5 Stars Well into his 30s, musician Shad continues to produce quality hip-hop, providing thoughtful insight through his rap as well as exceptionally good production for an initially underground artist. Rising to fame by winning the Rhythm of the Future talent contest, Shad put all his winnings into producing his first album, “When This is Over,” which along with his second album “The Old Prince” gave him an established name in underground hip-hop.
4/5 Stars Where would a half-blood son of Poseidon and his Athena-born girlfriend go after falling off a cliff? Hell.
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Caffeine Energy Drinks Cause Heart Dysfunction Fatal heartbeat problems may eventually occur for even a healthy individual due to consumption of caffeine and taurine-filled energy drinks, according to a recent study. Even though these drinks have ingredients listed, manufacturers tend to refrain from informing the consumer of any chemicals within the beverage.
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Jimmy Forbes is a fourth year Mechanical Engineering major, student in the Honors Program and three-year captain of the RIT Men’s Soccer team. Forbes accomplished the rare feat of being chosen as a captain after only one year on the team once his coaches identified his leadership potential. Men’s Soccer Head Coach Bill Garno said he chose Forbes as a captain because of his work ethic and commitment to the team’s success.
Put Some Thought Into It by Nicole Howley Dunder Mifflin Regional Manager Michael Scott once said in an episode of The Office, “Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It’s like this tangible thing you can point to and say, ‘Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth.’” Although I enjoy hearing the majority of Scott’s personal philosophies, our opinions diverge on this matter.
“‘What were you wearing?’ – Public Safety.” This was a sign seen at the 2013 slut walk, hosted by the Center for Women and Gender. The sign was made by students involved with the slut walk, including future members and founders of the feminist coalition Michelle Civil and Zakary Skinner.
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Cover: The Rochester Subway in Rochester, NY was originally operated from 1927 to 1956. Today it is in disrepair and home to the homeless. Partly filled in, the city and the public are in talks to renovate this space. Photo: Joe Philipson
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Twins Alexa and Jamie Martinez made their debut at RIT four years ago on an accepted students day where they impressed the upperclassmen with their vigor and endurance on the soccer field. Needing no time to adjust to college level play, they played side by side as defensive center midfielders their freshman year. The fourth year New Media Design majors are now co-captains of the Women’s Soccer team.
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It’s fair to say that the RIT community is technologically inclined. Almost all the information a student could need is online, from finances to housing to the cornerstone of course management: the Desire2Learn myCourses system. While this system is not unique to RIT, it is an integral part of the education organizational process and we believe that all faculty members at RIT should be using myCourses in some capacity.
Word of the Week: Desiderate (verb): to want or wish for something. Sentence: Bill desiderated for new games on Steam. Fortunately, there was sale – too bad for his wallet. Quote of the Week: “A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” – Oscar Wilde
Refined grading is bad for RIT and its students. To justify a change to a plus-minus grading system, there should be clear benefits that outweigh the negatives. Unfortunately, the positives, if there are any, pale in comparison to the negatives. RIT has changed a lot since the decision was made to implement plus-minus grading and it is past time to challenge this implementation.
I do not doubt for a moment that the semester system will work out for RIT in the long run; it might take a few years to stabilize. Unfortunately, current RIT students are not enrolled a few years from now. We are enrolled in the present and the likelihood is that by the time the semester system reaches a happy equilibrium, most current students will have graduated.
Wednesday 12/4 Pi Kappa Phi Hot Chocolate Hand-Out, Tiger Statue 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The weather is cooling, snow is falling and finals are coming, all of which set the perfect mood for hot chocolate. The only thing that could make it better is the fact that it’s free as well! Cost: Free
"When the Jesuits came into the country of the Iroquois, they saw these sticks that they were using. They thought that the looked like the sticks that the bishops were using, 'la crosier.' There it is," said Alfred Jacques, the Onondaga lacrosse stick maker, as he demonstrated the shape of la crosier with his handmade lacrosse stick. "Lacrosse. But we [Onondaga] never call it lacrosse." They call it the Creator’s Game.