Inanimate Objects Party
Encyclopedia
The Inanimate Objects Party (IOP) is a joke political party at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy
, New York
, United States
. The IOP has been an RPI tradition since 1997. The party's main candidate is Arthur Galpin, an inflatable whale, who runs for Grand Marshal
, and other positions. The other major candidate is Alby the Albino Squirrel, an albino squirrel that lived at RPI and now occasionally runs for President of the Union. The fork
is a symbol of the IOP.
. The campaign began using the logo of the fork, an inanimate object which is honest and dependable. Soon thereafter, Rob "r0b" Colonna, obtained a seven-foot inflatable whale named Arthur Galpin to serve as their candidate. The IOP is perhaps best known for their satirical posters, which anyone can print out and distribute. In 2002, the IOP protested the beginning of the laptop program at RPI. The IOP posted numerous protest-art fliers and banners at high-trafficked areas around campus: some depicted a check from RPI to Bill Gates
, others a degree in “Bachelor of Windows”, others simply decried "Unix or Death". According to an IOP bulletin, Arthur was born in 1993, weighs 3.5 pounds, and is "known to carry toast and duct tape". "Toast" is a reference to an earlier IOP event called the "VCC toasting", during which toast was thrown at the VCC in protest of the laptop program.
According to legend, Arthur has actually won the election several times, but the Rules and Elections commission refused to accept the vote. In 2006 a Rules and Elections (RNE) officer claimed that Arthur Galpin only received "one vote". Actual results in 2006 show "write-ins", which include Arthur Galpin and Alby, comprised 6.9% in the primary elections. In 2007, Arthur impregnated a few visiting whales, whose baby whales quickly overtook the campus. Fortunately students were able to capture them and return them to the Student Union. On April 1, 2009, Arthur appeared on the roof of the CII, the highest building on campus. On April 1, 2010, a baby whale appeared on the DCC roof and for about ten minutes the word "ARTHUR" was spelled vertically with posters on the front windows of the of the CII.
. It is almost certain that Alby is dead now, (squirrels rarely live more than a few years, especially in urban areas). Now, as an inanimate object, every year Alby runs for President of the Union. It is believed Alby was last spotted in 2005. According to the student newspaper, in 2006 Grand Marshal
Carlos Perea started a “Save Alby” commission for the recently deceased squirrel. A moment of silence was held, and then Senate decided to start looking into relocating albino squirrels to campus. Some known facts about Alby are that she is female, since two litters were observed, and that Alby is a true albino, not just a white squirrel. Alby has red eyes, and the gene is recessive - both sets of kids have included mostly gray babies. However, several new albino squirrels have been spotted since Alby. The reputation of the squirrel even lead the Rensselaer Alumni Organization to create a special game titled "Where's Alby?", to educate Alumni of developments at the Institute. The game won the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Gold Award for "Best Practices in Alumni Relations" in 2008.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The IOP has been an RPI tradition since 1997. The party's main candidate is Arthur Galpin, an inflatable whale, who runs for Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal (RPI)
The Grand Marshal is the highest elected student leader of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The position has been in existence since shortly after the American Civil War....
, and other positions. The other major candidate is Alby the Albino Squirrel, an albino squirrel that lived at RPI and now occasionally runs for President of the Union. The fork
Fork
As a piece of cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a tool consisting of a handle with several narrow tines on one end. The fork, as an eating utensil, has been a feature primarily of the West, whereas in East Asia chopsticks have been more prevalent...
is a symbol of the IOP.
History
The IOP started out strong in 1997, in protest to a variety of issues across campus including the requirements all students be required to use Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The campaign began using the logo of the fork, an inanimate object which is honest and dependable. Soon thereafter, Rob "r0b" Colonna, obtained a seven-foot inflatable whale named Arthur Galpin to serve as their candidate. The IOP is perhaps best known for their satirical posters, which anyone can print out and distribute. In 2002, the IOP protested the beginning of the laptop program at RPI. The IOP posted numerous protest-art fliers and banners at high-trafficked areas around campus: some depicted a check from RPI to Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, others a degree in “Bachelor of Windows”, others simply decried "Unix or Death". According to an IOP bulletin, Arthur was born in 1993, weighs 3.5 pounds, and is "known to carry toast and duct tape". "Toast" is a reference to an earlier IOP event called the "VCC toasting", during which toast was thrown at the VCC in protest of the laptop program.
According to legend, Arthur has actually won the election several times, but the Rules and Elections commission refused to accept the vote. In 2006 a Rules and Elections (RNE) officer claimed that Arthur Galpin only received "one vote". Actual results in 2006 show "write-ins", which include Arthur Galpin and Alby, comprised 6.9% in the primary elections. In 2007, Arthur impregnated a few visiting whales, whose baby whales quickly overtook the campus. Fortunately students were able to capture them and return them to the Student Union. On April 1, 2009, Arthur appeared on the roof of the CII, the highest building on campus. On April 1, 2010, a baby whale appeared on the DCC roof and for about ten minutes the word "ARTHUR" was spelled vertically with posters on the front windows of the of the CII.
Alby the Albino Squirrel
Alby was an infamous albino squirrel that gained popularity on campus around 2001, spawning its own website and t-shirts. Alby also caught the attention of the Albino Squirrel Preservation SocietyAlbino Squirrel Preservation Society
The Albino Squirrel Preservation Society is an international collegiate organization dedicated to "fostering compassion and goodwill" toward albino squirrels...
. It is almost certain that Alby is dead now, (squirrels rarely live more than a few years, especially in urban areas). Now, as an inanimate object, every year Alby runs for President of the Union. It is believed Alby was last spotted in 2005. According to the student newspaper, in 2006 Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
Carlos Perea started a “Save Alby” commission for the recently deceased squirrel. A moment of silence was held, and then Senate decided to start looking into relocating albino squirrels to campus. Some known facts about Alby are that she is female, since two litters were observed, and that Alby is a true albino, not just a white squirrel. Alby has red eyes, and the gene is recessive - both sets of kids have included mostly gray babies. However, several new albino squirrels have been spotted since Alby. The reputation of the squirrel even lead the Rensselaer Alumni Organization to create a special game titled "Where's Alby?", to educate Alumni of developments at the Institute. The game won the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a nonprofit association of educational institutions. It serves professionals in the field of educational advancement...
Gold Award for "Best Practices in Alumni Relations" in 2008.