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...

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...

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...

“‘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.

According to Civil, a third year Visual Media major, and Skinner, a third year Biomedical Sciences major, a survivor of sexual assault had come to them before the slut walk telling of her unfavorable reporting process with Public Safety and stated that she was upset about the situation...

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.

Presents can be a tangible way to show people how much you care, but money is not the best way to measure this...

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...

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...

4/5 Stars

Where would a half-blood son of Poseidon and his Athena-born girlfriend go after falling off a cliff? Hell.

That wasn’t a punch line, but the synopsis of Rick Riordan’s fourth installment in the Heroes of Olympus Series, “The House of Hades.” The book begins with five Roman and Greek demigods carrying the newly discovered Athena Parthenon back to Greece, where they hope to close the Doors of Death before the Earth Mother, Gaea, awakens and ends the world. Just when the group is beginning to think that Gaea may prevail, daughter of Pluto, Hazel, is summoned to take on a task that may just save Olympus...

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. A truly self-made artist, much of his initial popularity was a result of his extremely self-depreciating lyrical style...

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.

I entered RIT as a first year student during RIT’s last academic year on quarters. The academic environment I joined was well established and well understood by students and faculty alike...

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.

According to the President’s page on the RIT website, RIT exists to enhance education for students, place students in good careers and advance societal knowledge. Everything the university does should be measured against that purpose...

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.

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” – Oscar Wilde

After seeing an advance screening of the documentary “Blackfish,” a movie showcasing the mistreatment of orcas at the theme park, Pixar decided to change the ending to Finding Dory in an effort to not promote captivity for animals...

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

Avenue Q, SUNY Brockport, 180 Holley St. 7:30 p.m.

Sesame Street may have taught you the basics – letters, numbers, sharing – but there is so much more to learn, and puppets can still teach you! Come to SUNY Brockport’s Tower Fine Arts Center to see Avenue Q, the Sesame Street spin-off for adults...

"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.

The lacrosse that is played across the world today originated with the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, who inhabited much of the Northeast, including most of New York State...

At the November 22 Student Government (SG) meeting, SG Senators gave reports on their progress so far, the Director of Student Relations introduced a new program to collaborate with the NTID Student Congress (NSC) and SG was asked to suspend a pro..

On November 14, a report was made concerning the rate of tobacco use in middle and high school students...

Cover: Photo: William J. Ingalls

Transgender Day of Remembrance was internationally recognized on November 20...

iOS & Android

Sleepbot has taken sleep logging to a whole new level.

The app itself is a comprehensive sleep tracking program, that records, analyzes and maps out the user’s sleep patterns. The application has a user base of over one million downloads, which continues to grow even today.

When first using the app, I was concerned that my lack of sleep logging knowledge would undermine my effort to use it. I was proven wrong by its fluid display and detailed layout. To start, all I had to do was choose how many hours of sleep I wished to get in a night...

At the November 13 Institute Council meeting, President Destler gave his report and updated information about the strategic planning process. Judy Bender, assistant vice president for human resources, presented changes regarding staff compensation. Finally, a new policy was introduced and the next academic calendar was revealed.

During Destler’s report, he updated the Institute Council on the planning process for intersession, stating that the Institute is on track to offer 12 courses during the break...

A young woman reflects on the effects rape has had, and will have, on her life. A man states that he will not let the experience change him for the worse. A seemingly innocent home of the clergy is described as a place of sexual assault...

Mononymous (adj): a person who goes by a single name.

When asked for to put his full name on a test, Stephen was mononymous and put his first name. His professor never returned his paper after grading it.

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes.” – Mazer Rackham, “Ender’s Game.”

Axolotls, an amphibian species, diverged in evolution from another type called tiger salamanders, which resemble axolotls as juveniles but become terrestrial upon maturation. Researchers recently found that if injected with iodine, axolotls rapidly mature to look like tiger salamanders...

Not all RIT policies are designed to be a hindrance to students; Some are designed to do the exact opposite. Consider parking tickets, we all know that they suck...

At the November 15 Student Government (SG) meeting, two representatives of university policies came to discuss a proposal for policy review and categorization. Some present bylaw revisions were also passed...

illustration by Colleen McNally

In late October, a significant number of Saudi Arabian women organized protest for the right to drive an automobile...

Monday Night Football, TC Riley’s 7:30 – 11:30 p.m.

Catch the game and hang out with friends at TC Riley’s this Monday. Hosted by CAB, this event is great whether you’re a Patriots fan, a Packers fan or a fan of just taking it easy and watching some football.

Cost: Free

Nazareth College Welcomes Ellen Gustafson, Callahan Theater 4245 East Ave. 7 p.m.

Are you in need of inspiration? Come listen as food system activist, author, innovator and social entrepreneur Ellen Gustafson speaks at Nazareth College...

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Touted earlier this year, Microsoft promised 8.1 would come with a series of new features, improvements and optimizations for the now-one-year-old OS. And for the most part, these changes are quite handy.

Many of the features for the original release of Windows 8 can now be modified or controlled in 8.1. One feature I’ve welcomed is the option to bypass the start menu and go straight to your desktop. Although slightly slower, this feature is great for those who can’t bear to make the extra click...

As RIT’s Interactive Media Game Design students know well, no game project is complete without a team of talented developers, a new idea and a source of funding. RIT professor Joe Pietruch recently embarked on a project to fund his game, called Chain Gang Chase, with Kickstarter. Pietruch hopes to create a multiplayer couch co-op intended to be played with up to eight players .

The plan is for Chain Gang Chase to hire students on co-op, differentiating it from other Kickstarter projects that RIT students may be familiar with...

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Touted earlier this year, Microsoft promised 8.1 would come with a series of new features, improvements and optimizations for the now-one-year-old OS. And for the most part, these changes are quite handy.

Many of the features for the original release of Windows 8 can now be modified or controlled in 8.1. One feature I’ve welcomed is the option to bypass the start menu and go straight to your desktop. Although slightly slower, this feature is great for those who can’t bear to make the extra click...

Hrushikesh Sagar was recently elected as the new Student Government (SG) representative for the graduate student population, and is the first international student to hold the position.

“I am from Pune, India...