RPI Pep Band Alumni (and
Friends) Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 3
About Us
Announcements
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Events
Newsletter
Polls
Pictures
Message Board
Links
History
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This Issue:
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It's summer time! Yup, that's right - the off-season. Time to kick back, relax, and gear up for another year of RPI mayhem (as opposed to the Electric Mayhem). That means time to look back at another successful Reunion Weekend, and look ahead to the start of football season, hockey season, and the 2nd Annual Pep Band Alumni Night. Sounds like a lot, so let's get started! |
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Is anyone else counting down the days 'till the next RPI game? (That would be October 9th at the Maverick Classic in Omaha) We know there's a few of you out there, and that like us you're starved for any news on next year's teams. Much of the news this off-season has focused on events within the conference. At the end of the '03-'04 season, the ECAC announced that the hockey portion of the conference would be breaking away to form ECAC Hockey, led by acting commisioner Steve Hagwell. Changes are sure to be found at both Princeton and Harvard, as both named new head coaches this off-season (though I doubt either one will be as entertaining as former princeton coach Don "Toot" Cahoon). Princeton decided on Guy Gadowski, former coach at Alaska-Fairbanks, while Harvard went with an alum of both their program and the NHL in choosing Ted Donato. Of course the news everyone's waiting for is who will replace UVM for the '05-'06 season. Five schools applied to join the ECAC: Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Mercyhurst, Niagara, and Sacred Heart. All five of these schools have played against RPI in recent seasons. Rumors have it that two schools will be selected, and an announcement is expected in the next week or two. Back on the home front, he men's team looks to get a boost from this year's freshmen. Much of the talk focuses on two of the recruits: goaltender Jordan Alford and forward Andrew Lord. Though neither player was picked up in this year's NHL draft, their talent should make them strong collegiate players for the Engineers. Alford is used to taking lots of abuse, averaging arround 34 shots faced per game. This alone should prepare him for RPI, where the men's team has consistently been out-shot over the last several seasons. Jordan was named team MVP for his previous club, the Canmore Eagles. In 43 games played, he had a .910 save percentage and a 3.42 GAA. Andrew Lord is a forward with both a scoring touch and a knack for finding his way into the penalty box. In five playoff hames for the Vernon Vipers this season, he picked up 7pts (5-2) with 29PIMs.His regular season numbers were impressive as well, scoring 45pts (16-29) and 89 PIMs in 56 games. Once Andrew gets used to the college game he should be a big presence on the ice, coming in at 6'3" and 191lbs. Since announcing the timeline for the women's elevation to Division 1, very little news has come from the 'Tute. John Burke, who took over as acting head coach for the team in the wake of Bill Cahil's death, looks to lead the Engineers to another string season in their last at Division 3. The Lady Engineers are also looking for a new assistant coach, though no candidates have been announced. In other news, two RPI greats have retired from the NHL this year. Adam Oates, a member of several NHL franchises and NCAA champion, announced his retirement following the end of the regular season. Several weeks later, after being eliminated by the Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Joe Juneau of the Montreal Canadiens and for Oates teammate in Washington hung up his skates to become more involved in Montreal's youth hockey movement. That leaves Brian Pothier as the only RPI alum expected to see regular ice time in the NHL next season. Electronic schedules for the men's team can be found in the Files section of the Yahoo Group. A complete women's schedule has not yet been released, but as soon as it is we will post it as well. |
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So what happens when you get a bunch of alums togeather in the Pub? We talk sports. Yeah, there's a surprise. :) Our second Reunion Weekend started off with a roller hockey game in the OS14 lot. Fun was more the name of the game, rather than skill, but a good time was had by both those playing and those watching. Even some of the folks on the trolley tours enjoyed the show. After a side trip for dinner, we all met up at the Clubhouse Pub for our 2nd Annual Pub (and Games) night. In some cases, this event should be renamed "some of the worst pool ever played" night. Attending alums ranged in classes from 1992 to 2003. A good time was had by all, and we're all looking forward to next year's event. |
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With the schedules out, RPI Pep Band Alumni and Friends is preparing for next seasons' events. The first of these will be the 2nd Annual Pep Band Alumni Night. Based on the schedule we have two Saturdays under consideration. The first is October 30th vs Mercyhurst, and the second is November 6th vs St. Lawrence. This year's event will be a little different. Instead of trying to "surprise" the current band, our goal is to get attending alums to rehearsal that morning as well. More details are in the works, but we need your help to chose a weekend! We've set up a poll to solicit your opinion on which weekend would be better, which can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPI_Pep_Band_Alumni/surveys?id=1465612. This is not an RSVP, just a way for us to gauge interest and see which weekend all of you would prefer. We're also looking at setting up some pre-game activities. Be sure to check in with both the web site and the Yahoo Group, as the poll closes on September 1st. |
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Wow, it's been a busy quarter for some of our recent alums. Good to see so many people doing well, and to hear from so many of you. Let's see what everyone's been up to. Ex-conductor Stand Up Kim will be finishing up her degree in geology this May from Kansas State University. Her next step will be to finish a degree in secondary education and begin a graduate degree in geology, including three weeks in Hawaii studying volcanoes. Her husband Darrell is currently serving in Iraq and will be returning home this fall, while her son Justin turns four this summer. Another ex-conductor, Tex Tunes It Y'all '02, has just finished his MS in electrical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. From there, Tex will be working at Hanscom Air Force base in Boston doing research. Ex-manager and all around good guy Johnny Stucklen '01 will be running in the Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Mini Marathon on May 8, 2004 in Indianapolis, IN to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Johnny is trying to help raise $1500.00 for the LLS. 80% of the money goes directly to research and the other 20% goes to support the children and their families. If anyone wants to help out and donate they can either contribute by sending a check payable to "The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society" to me or can do a cash donation to his paypal account at stuckj@alum.rpi.edu. All donations are tax deductible, and must be received by April 14th. Checks can be sent to 263 Main St., Salem, NH 03079. For more info, go to Team In Training, or contact Johnny directly. And finally, Ex-manager Erica Baer received some good news recently, as she was accepted into the PhD program at Alliant International University, where she will complete her degree in 2008. We're always looking to spread the word on things happening in the lives of our alums. If you have anything you'd like to share, please let us know. |
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When RPI says they're breaking ground on a new construction project, they really mean it. Construction on EMPAC has begun. Anyone who remembers sledding down library hill or just sitting there in the summer watching the sunset better sit down for these next photos. The fence, along with most of the trees, is no more.
To see more photos, click here. The first photo was taken a week before the rest, so you can see the amount of progress being made. We've also included some photos of the renovated approach for those alums who haven't been back in a while. Some interesting news comes from the announcement of new athletic facilities up near the Fieldhouse, with several buildings to be started within the next few years. No plans to replace or upgrade Houston Fieldhouse as of yet, but who knows what the future might bring. |
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Do to massive amounts of spare time on the part of the managers,
this column column has been intentionally left incomplete. Feel
free to fill in the blanks at your leisure. Greetings from (1)
(2), where many of the (3) have (4) for the summer. Your (5)
managers have been working
(6) to get ready for next year's (7) events. This fall, the (8) band is planning on going (9) to Army for a
men's hockey game. The band is also planning two other (10) for
the spring semester; One to Vermont, and one to St. Lawrence/Clarkson
(11).
We hope
that you are all having a (12) summer and look forward
to
seeing (13) of you at coming events. (14), |
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As always, here's our newsletter recap and notices.
Next issue: Reunion Weekend recap, Football and Hockey previews, getting ready for Alumni Night, and Student Orientation! |
