STAYINGCONNECTED

Winning Connections

(l-r) Eren Savasli, Jasmin Ibric, and Matthew Bournea with assistant coach Sampson Brown. Photo by Mark McCarty.

Matt Siegel ’85 knows firsthand how gratifying it is to set bright students on the path to enrolling at Rensselaer, and even better, to see them entering as freshmen in the fall. As a former football player and an active member of Rensselaer’s Football Alumni Association, Siegel has been back to campus several times since graduation, and he has seen the tremendous growth and change on campus.

Siegel was well aware that Rensselaer holds high standards for both academic and athletic excellence — in 2004, the team was among the leaders in the Liberty League with 15 Academic All-League selections. “My high school, Brooklyn Tech, is a unique school with a curriculum that mirrors Rensselaer’s: architecture, chemistry, civil and mechanical engineering, media communications, and so on,” says Siegel. “We have always had a number of Tech graduates go on to enroll at Rensselaer, but my interest was in re-establishing a connection to the football program.”

Siegel attended one of Brooklyn Tech’s practices last fall. He spoke with their coach and a number of players, and then connected them with Samson Brown, Rensselaer’s assistant football coach. Brown arranged for the players to visit the Rensselaer campus, and was able to recruit three outstanding student-athletes for the Class of 2009. Eren Savasli, a wide receiver, was twice named All-New York City as a wideout and as a defensive back; teammate Jasmin Ibric was named an All-NYC offensive lineman as a senior. Matthew Bournea, a speedy running back and sprinter, is the third recruit.

“Samson Brown did an outstanding job bringing these top student-athletes to Rensselaer,” says Siegel. “I’m just ecstatic to see the Brooklyn Tech-Rensselaer football pipeline reopened in such a big way this year!”

“Alumni are among the best advocates for the Institute,” says Karen Long, acting dean of enrollment management. “By sharing their experiences on campus, as well as their experiences after graduation, alumni can lend valuable insight to a young person’s college search.”

To learn more about athletic affinity groups, contact Peter Pedone at pedonp@rpi.edu or (518) 276-6061. If you know a student who would be a good fit for Rensselaer, call Rensselaer’s Office of Admissions at (518) 276-6216 or visit http://admissions.rpi.edu/oneword to request an information packet and a fee waiver. Help spread the word that can change young lives: “Rensselaer.”

Photo by Mark McCarty

Featured Alumni Events are listed on the AlumServ Web site.

Travel to Indochina The RAA Travel Program invites alumni to visit three of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing countries — Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam — Jan. 18-31, 2006. Join fellow alumni to visit Bangkok, known as the City of Angels; the Temples at Angkor Wat; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam. Contact Mike Wellner ’64 at (212) 639-9230 or captmike46@alum.rpi.edu, or visit www.alumni.rpi.edu/ap/travel.html.

A Top-Notch Student/Alumni Organization The Office of Alumni Relations has been recognized by the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education (CASE) with a silver medal for the Red & White Student Organization. This recognition comes in addition to three CASE awards received by the alumni office last quarter. Red & White was selected for their well-rounded program offerings, high level of student involvement, and outstanding results. Congratulations to the future alumni of Red & White for this well-deserved honor.

IBM Lenovo Laptop Discount The RAA and IBM Lenovo have partnered to provide laptops at competitive prices exclusively for Rensselaer alumni. IBM Laptop X41, T43, and R52 models are available at significant discounts. To take advantage of this offer, log in to @RPInet at http://arpinet.rpi.edu using your alumni ID number, printed on the address label on the back of the Fall 2005 issue of Rensselaer magazine. Click on the “Products and Services” link to view current specials.