S k u ll t a p s by Jesse Parent Class of 1996 Skull, the organization founded in 1911 to honor administrators, fac ulty, staff, and students for their con tributions to the advancement and betterment of the university, recently tapped thirteen new candidates. Those candidates are: Professor Robert Labontc’, WPI class of ’54, of Shrewsbury, MA, is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engi neering Department. As a student, Labonte’ was an officer of Theta Kappa Phi fraternity (now Phi Kappa Theta), a member of Pi Delta Epsi lon, editor for the Tech News, and a member of the lacrosse team. As a memberof the faculty, he is involved on the ECE Project Committee, ECE Undergraduate Program Committee, and was involved in the recent Space Shuttle Project. Raymond Banks, a mechanical en gineering student with biomedical interests from Nashua, NH. He has been an orientation leader, is a mem ber of the basketball team, the rush chair of Phi Gamma Delta, and in
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ity, member of the Student Alumni volved in the Big Brother/Big Sister committee. Francesca Escoto, a management Society, Society of Women Engi program. Laura Bielitz, a mechanical engi engineering major from Lawrence, neers, Institute of Industrial Engi neers, the Management Society, and neering student from Agawam, MA. MA. She has been an assistant sum mer coordinator and mentor program the goat committee of the class of She is captain of the women’s soccer coordinator for EMSEP, outreach 1997, and she is a member of the team, a member of the softball team, coordinator for the Society of Women a former orientation leader and cur Epsilon Upsilon Pi honor society. Brian Learned, a mechani rent orientation assistant, cal engineering student from a member of the women's Clinton, MA. He is a repre mentoring program and of Skull, the organization found e d in 1 9 /1 to sentative of GAMMA, vice Phi Sigma Sigma sorority, honor adm inistrators, faculty , staff, and stu president of recruitment for and scholarship chair for dents fa r their contributions to the advance Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, the PanHellenic Council. ment and betterment o f the university, re captain of the football team, Kevin Doherty, an elec cently tapped thirteen new candidates. and a member of the rugby trical engineering student from New Castle, NH. He team. Jodi Mazzarino.acivil en is an Orientation Leader, gineering student from Danvers MA. Engineers, secretary for Alden former rush chair for the She is a committee head for the Voices, a member of the Hispanic lnterfratenity Council, member of American Society of Civil Engineers, Student Association, president. New Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Naval ROTC program, a former resi commitee head and pledge trainer England representative, and regional for Alpha Phi Omega, member of secretary for the Society of Hispanic dent advisor, and a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, and a Professional Engineers, a member lacrosse team. member of Bacchus. of the Student Alumni Society, Matthew Dowling, a biology/bio Jimmy Pai, a computer science Masque, Alpha Gamma Delta soror technology major from Nevada City, student from Honolulu, HI. He is the ity, and a Resident Advisor. CA. He is a member of Alpha Psi chairperson forthe International Stu Deborah Foley, a management en Omega, Tau Beta Pi, and Mu Sigma dent Council, member and newslet Delta honor societies, a member of gineering student from Tewksbury, ter editor for the Chinese Student Masque, former rush chair and cur MA. She is vice president of the Association, and member of the rent Pylortes of Tau Kappa Epsilon Newman Club, new member coordi Asian Society Club. Fraternity, and memberof the social nator for Alpha Gamma Delta soror
Myles Walton, a mechanical en gineering with aerospace intentions major from Marlboro, MA. He is the Philanthropy chair for Theta Chi fra ternity, member of the WPI Stage Ensemble and Concert bands, mem berof the Tau Beta Pi honor society, goat keeper for the class of 1997, member of the ultimate frisbcc team, and student hall director for Founders Hall. Sarah Wilcox, a civil engineering major from Wakefield, MA. She is a member of the women’s crew team, committee head for the American Society of Civil Engineers, commit tee head and service vice president for Alpha Phi Omega, and a resident advisor. Bernardo Vasquez, a computer science student from New York City, NY. He is the co-founder and com munications officer of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers on this campus, a member of the Na tional Society of Black Engineers, the Black Student Union, and the Hispanic Student Association, EMSEP cordinator, instructor, and mentor, and a tutor and resident ad visor for the Strive program.
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WPI History and Tradition Part VIII: A time of War by Donna Emma Edzards Associate Editor Dr. Ira Nelson Hollis, fifth presi dent of the Institute held a close contact with military authorities at Washington. This coupled with his high position in engineering societ ies made him all too aware of the impending difficulties to befall the young men of our country. Although he had asked the students of WPI to
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take advantage of the opportunities offered in summer training camps and naval cruises, Hollis insisted that his students take part in the technical services rather than waste their engi neering talents in the line of fire. It was then in 1916 that military sci ence was introduced into the cur riculum. After the declaration of war, the entire campus became involved in the war effort. In a tremendous dis
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play of patriotism, an attempt was made to establish a military unit on the campus. A National Guard ser geant organized three hundred stu dents and teachers into a battalion of four companies. Withoutequipment, they drilled on Alumni Field during times originally intended for physi cal education. By 1917, a great in crease could be observed in the vol ume of war-material production in Washburn Shops. Every available
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machine was manned by a skilled workman at an obscenely high rate of pay. Furthermore, in order to conserve foodstuffs, these same workmen cultivated victory gardens during their spare time in plots of less than arable land. It was at this time that student activities were disrupted. There was a significant decrease in scheduled athletic events, and an abandonment of all minor sports. The football team and newly formed basketball team were not very successful due to very small number of participants. The newspaper was facing signifi cant shortages, and so was taken over by the Alumni Association. Late in the spring of 1918, the War Department developed the Stu dent Army Training Corps. WPI was one of the 500 educational insti tutes to sign the contract and thus received an enrollment of over 600 students under military supervision and discipline. The course work was planned on a three term basis with a total of eleven hours per week for military drill and war aims. The military requirements, in addition to 60 percent of the old program course work, were incorporated over eight terms to completed in two years.
Seniors could then finish their work in two terms of three months each. Uniforms and equipment were is sued to all students of militaiy age, the fraternity houses were converted into barracks, and the yet completed swimming pool was floored over to be used as a mess hall. Each day, these students stood reveille, formed for mess, drilled, passed in review, and attended evening studies. Such was the normal routine until the Ar mistice signed on November 11th. The war ended with WPI losing a large number of professors through the war cause to down-sizing (forced early retirement or sabbatical), en listment, or special military research assignments. Likewise, many stu dents were members of the armed forces serving in England and France. The Journal, the campus paper, re ported a total number of about 700 men from the WPI campus who served their country. A large major ity of these men were commissioned officers. Fifteen of the seven hun dred who enlisted, died in service. This article is therefore dedi cated to those who fought for our freedom and the freedom of oth ers, by serving their nation and its armed forces.
Prize-winning artwork stolen at library art show by lAtra Brueck Special Collections IJbrarian Gordon Library NEWSPEAKSTAFFPHOTO/ AU KEACH A Wedge celebrant reaches into the fateful box which decides who will win the prizes which were donated by various campus organizations. The grand prize was a Sharp color television.
Black-History Month at WPI
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Sometime during the afternoon or evening of Monday, February 12, Eron Flory’s artwork, “Recycled Time,” was stolen from the gallery on the third floor of Gordon Library. The piece, a clock constructed from a bicycle gear and chain, had been
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voted Best of Show during Gordon Library’s Open House on February 7. Graduate student Flory made the clock as a Valentine gift for his wife. Anyone with any information con cerning the disappearance or where abouts of the artwork is asked lo contact Campus Police, Lora Brueck at Gordon Library (x5413 or lbrueck@wpi) or Eron Flory (eronfl@wpi).
C ontents Counseling and Student Development.............................. 6 Student Government Association......................................7 Computing....................................................................... 7 Special Feature............................................................H, 9 Club Corner...................................................................12 Greek Corner.................................................................13 Classifieds..................................................................... 15