Just for fun, we decided to mine the archives for some of those interesting items that don't quite fit into our usual posts. Instead, we selected some gems that convey a campus mood or a mindset if you will!

During the construction of EMPAC, the Institute Archives and Special Collections had an exhibit in the Folsom Library lobby about performance spaces at RPI.  Now with EMPAC well into its third year as a complete and dedicated space for the performing arts at Rensselaer, I had the opportunity to create an online exhibit from materials in the archives, including items used in

Yes, that's right -- mandolins were all the rage from about 1894 to 1924.  Mandolin clubs popped up at high schools, colleges and cities all over the country.  The club at RPI evolved out of the Banjo and Guitar Club in 1892 --  it was called the Banjo, Guitar and

The annual Campus Carols holiday concert was a Rensselaer tradition for many years. The genesis of the event dates back to 1944 when it was called the "Christmas Candlelight Program." In early December, the RPI Glee Club led the campus community in the singing of Christmas carols at the RPI Clubhouse. In 1948, the event was renamed "Campus Carols" and moved to the '87 Gym.