Fall 2022 Issue 12

Behind the Scenes: The NJIT Highlander

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

Maybe you’ve seen his familiar face at Homecoming or during sporting events — no one has more school spirit than NJIT’s mascot, the Highlander!

The NJIT Highlander website states that on May 26, 1949, the Newark College of Engineering — known today as NJIT — voted on the name Highlanders as the athletics teams of the campus because the college was located on the Highlands of Newark. Back then, the student newspaper, The Vector, was called The Technician.

The athletics department built the 255-pound, 6’4” figure as the “embodiment of strength and endurance for the athletics teams,” according to the NJIT Highlander website. With red hair and brown eyes, he calls Newark — or Brick City — his home. His favorite music artist is The Proclaimers, but he loves to listen to anything with bagpipes. His favorite pets include the Scottish Terrier and Scottish Deerhound.

The website recounts that the first version of the Highlander featured “a two-colored mask with a fierce divide of gold and silver split down the middle. His long locks of bronze hair spoke of the battles he fought for our teams.” He also wore a kilt, a tradition that has continued to the current Highlander, founded in the winter of 2008. Like the first Highlander, he carries around a sword and

shield, exuding bravery, vigor, and readiness — qualities reflected by Highlander athletes.

Now, the Highlander’s responsibilities include interacting with fans, bringing spirit to campus, and creating an all-around fun environment for visitors as well as NJIT community members. As of recent years, the Highlander attends sporting, campus, and outside events whenever he is called for by others.

Learning the role of the mascot can be quite daunting at first, the current mascot says, but once you’ve done it a

few times, it becomes second nature. He loves being able to dance, take selfies, give fist bumps, and act silly while in the costume, with no one knowing his real identity as a student.

One of the toughest parts of being the mascot is putting on the costume and not overheating in it, especially while being indoors or when it’s the summer. The order of wearing the clothing is as follows: pants with suspenders, top skin, NJIT jersey, kilt, shoes, head, and sword. The mascot used to hold both a sword and shield while in costume, but it becomes difficult to walk around with both

hands holding an object.

It takes about five to 10 minutes for the mascot to get dressed fully. The helmet inside the head part is the most difficult aspect to get used to clipping together. The Highlander has a specific room in the Wellness and Events Center to get ready, and the mascot needs to swipe his NJIT ID card to gain access to the room; sometimes, the mascot forgets to keep his card because there aren’t any pockets on the inside of the costume.

However, Fan Engagement & Marketing Coordinator Heather Bradley is always there for the mascot in case of any mishap, so he doesn’t have to worry about being locked out of the room forever! The flexibility of the role is another great aspect of being the mascot; being a commuter or resident doesn’t affect his ability to be a great spirit source on campus.

Photo from NJIT Athletics

Graphic from NJIT Athletics

Photo by Yukthi Sangoi

THE VECTOR About

As the official student newspaper of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, our mission is to inform and entertain our readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the NJIT community, and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members.

Deadline for articles is the Thursday the week prior to publication at 10 p.m. For more information on submissions, e-mail managing-editor@njitvector.com.

Advertisement reservations are due two weeks prior to publication and should be emailed to business-manager@njitvector.com.

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MEET THE TEAM

ADVISORS

Operational Advisor Matthew Blanar Faculty Advisor Miriam Ascarelli

EXECUTIVE BOARD eboard@njitvector.com

Editor-in-Chief Yukthi Sangoi editor-in-chief@njitvector.com

Managing Editor Mrunmayi Joshi managing-editor@njitvector.com

Executive Editor Areej Qamar executive-editor@njitvector.com

Business Manager Samira Santana business-manager@njitvector.com

Photography Editor Ethan O'Malley photography-editor@njitvector.com

Web and Multimedia Editor Nick Merlino multimedia-editor@njitvector.com

VECTOR STAFF

*Senior Staff

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Monday, Dec. 12th

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13th

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14th 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15th 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

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Rushi Desai Aaron Dimaya Paridhi Bhardwaj* Alfred Simpson* Najee Manning Contributing Writers Ann Ibrahim Pranav Anthapu Matthew Fleishman Ruveyda Mert Shreyal Sharma Harshil Kikani Nicholas Heisler Andrew Fernandez

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1:39 p.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at James and Boyden streets after a random plate check showed that the vehicle registration was suspended. The non-affiliate driver was also confirmed to have an outstanding warrant. The driver was taken into custody and transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

11/27/2022

4:05 p.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at Central Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after a random plate check showed that the vehicle owner had open warrants. The non-affiliate driver was confirmed to be the registered owner, who was issued a new court date.

11/28/2022

12:31 a.m. Officers responded to the Wellness and Events Center on the report of a suspicious male. They contacted the individual, who was confirmed to be a non-affiliate. The individual was sent on his way with a trespass warning.

Cypress Kitchen Lounge

CC

12/30/2022

3:57 a.m. Officers received a call from a suicide hotline about a student in distress. The officers were able to locate the student in question and get them the appropriate assistance needed.

9:37 a.m. Officers responded to Tiernan Hall on the report of an individual refusing to leave a staff member’s office. The individual was gone prior to the officers’ arrival.

12/01/2022

9:45 a.m. Officers generated a report for a theft that occurred in Fenster Hall. The investigation is ongoing.

11:36 p.m. Officers were flagged down at 281 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on the report of an individual refusing to leave the location after being denied entry. The individual cooperated with the officers and left the area without incident.

12/02/2022

10:52 a.m. Officers generated a report for a theft that occurred in the Central Avenue Building. The investigation is ongoing.

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The Amazing Race: NJIT Celebrates International Education Week

By Mrunmayi Joshi | Managing Editor

NJIT is known for its diverse student body, with significant cultural diversity represented in its undergraduate and graduate populations. From Nov. 9–18, the Office of Student Life and the Office of Global Initiatives celebrated International Education Week by hosting the NJIT Amazing Race.

This event kicked off on Wednesday, Nov. 9, when students were invited to form teams of up to three on Highlander Hub and collect a passport in the lobby of the Campus Center. The next week, numerous cultural organizations hosted events during which students could participate in an activity and learn more about the traditions, art, and cultural heritage of multiple countries.

At every event that a team attended, it received a stamp in their passport, just as travelers visiting other countries get their travel documents stamped. Participants were also required to take a photo with the organizers of each event to prove their attendance. The teams that attended the most events were crowned winners, winning a basket of international sweets.

The prize was awarded to two entries. Narella Vamshi, a first-year computer science graduate student, was one of the winners. The second winning team consisted of third-year biochemistry major Naira Orellana, third-year information technology major Jacklin Wey, and second-year mechanical and industrial engineering major Eric Liao.

Vamshi encountered a booth set up for International Student Week and was interested in the intercultural aspect of the competition. He commented, “I was very excited to participate in different events and get stamps, organized by clubs that represented people from different parts of the world. I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet with different people and learn about different cultures.”

Orellana viewed the event as a way to continue her involvement on campus, stating, “You can always find me doing events on campus anyway, so I think it was just a week-long event that would reward me for going to events that I would have visited even without an incentive. I made a Discord group with my friends, and we posted the event page on there with the times and the stamp related to the event.”

Both were interested in the box of chocolate from around the world that the winner would receive. For Orellana’s team, it was a motivation to enter the competition. Vamshi recalled, “I won a box full of chocolates and enjoyed eating those flavorful, unique, and delicious sweets with my friends. All my running during the race paid off!”

The event was also a novel experience for the teams, during which they had the opportunity to meet student organizations including — but not limited to — Hillel, the Polish Students Association, the African Students Association, and the Association of Indian Students. The “Paint and Sip” event hosted by the African Stu-

dents Association was a favorite; Vamshi commented, “I sketched a decent portrait using only paint brushes on canvas and at the end, it turned out to be pretty cool.”

Orellana’s highlights included “Paint and Sip,” as she found the nighttime event very relaxing. “I also enjoyed learning new words at the Global Table because I learned a Hindi word for ‘thank you,’ which I wanted to test out with my friend,” she commented. This event was hosted by the Office for Global Initiatives.

Vamshi expressed appreciation for the “Pierogies and Latkes” collaboration between Hillel and the Polish Students Association, where students could learn about various aspects of history, traditions, and popular foods.

“The experience was pretty amazing,” he reflected. “Although I was playing solo without any teammates, I was the first one to turn in my passport.” Orellana’s team also greatly enjoyed the events, suggesting, “I would try to have events like the Global Table repeat, so everyone would have a fair chance to get the stamps.”

In addition, she said that hosting some celebrations earlier in the day might make it easier for commuter students to attend. While most events took place before 5 p.m., the “Indian Culture Film” hosted by the Association of Indian Students and Hindu Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action and “Paint and Sip” were both after 6:30 p.m.

“Not everyone is on campus five days out of the week, so I recommend repetition of events because I believe more commuter students would have enjoyed the “Paint and Sip” if they didn't have class or weren't already home at that time,” Orellana commented.

Nevertheless, both winners found the NJIT Amazing Race an enriching experience.

NJIT Hires New Diversity Officer

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-In-Chief

On Dec. 1, Dr. David E. Jones became NJIT’s first chief diversity officer. His role involves advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives on campus, including enrolling and supporting diverse groups of students and faculty.

“I was thrilled to be offered the position,” Jones said. “It is an exciting time to join this wonderful and reputable institution, with the recent arrival of President Lim, the expansion of the university strategic plan, and the recent publication of the campus climate report.”

He added that the support for DEIB work among the university’s senior leadership and faculty has guided him in understanding the types of change and impact there can be on campus. “The people I have met at NJIT bring positive energy to DEIB work, and I am truly excited to be working collaboratively with wonderful colleagues to help move this work forward,” Jones mentioned.

As of now, his initial few months in this role will focus on cultivating meaningful relationships with the entire NJIT community — students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other partners. Jones will also be using data from the report of

the campus climate survey that was launched to the university community to understand distinct experiences and learn what may stand as priorities.

As the chief diversity officer, he serves as a leader to guide DEIB implementation on initiatives, programs, policy, and procedures in areas such as hiring and recruitment, engagement, training and learning development, sustaining an inclusive culture, and nourishing community partnerships.

“The process for organizational culture change takes time and full commitment and collaboration from all members of the community,” Jones said. “Based on my initial conversations with faculty, students, and staff, I am hopeful we can all come together under one unified approach to better serve all members of the Highlander community.”

He has spent over 15 years working in higher education DEIB administrative, teaching, and consulting roles to help make university campuses more inclusive and equitable. The start of his career, however, focused on student affairs, namely residence life and student conduct. “I quickly noticed the need for DEIB work in higher education, so I con-

nected my lived experiences and professional commitment to begin serving in roles to improve campus climates,” Jones stated.

He has served in diversity leadership roles at institutions such as William Paterson University, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. With NJIT's commitment to innovation and potential community partnerships with the surrounding Newark community, he was inclined to come to the university.

“I was most attracted to NJIT because of its student diversity and its reputation as an institution that prides itself on academic excellence, innovation, social mobility, and research,” Jones explained. “As the science and technology university of New Jersey, NJIT has the potential to leverage its diversity to increase representation of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to pursue and succeed in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.”

While working on DEIB matters, he likes to quote James Baldwin: “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

His determination to be the catalyst of positive change at the university is clear. He said, “We must come together as one Highlander community to collaboratively face the longstanding inequities that disenfranchise some groups of people more than others and create a culture of belonging that can be sustained to help move the university toward a culture that is more inclusive.”

He is prepared to initiate and complete the “important, challenging, yet necessary” work to advocate for faculty, students, and staff and push NJIT towards a more equitable community. He concluded, “The possibilities to help NJIT become a more affirming, inclusive place where everyone feels a sense of belonging are now.”

Photo from Tristan Duverglas

Photos from Narella Vamshi

Student Directors Present One-Act Plays

The Directors’ Project 2022

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

From Nov. 16–19, students in the Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Arts Program showcased their semester-long ventures at the Warren Street Theatre for The Directors’ Project 2022. Each evening, 11 different one-act plays directed and performed by students were presented under the coordination of Emily Edwards, university lecturer for the program.

Multiple classes were involved with the creation of this project. “The directors from my Directing I class are responsible for finding plays they personally resonate with, coming up with visions for their pieces, and working with designers to realize those visions,” Edwards said. “They are also in charge of running auditions, casting their shows, and rehearsing them.”

Students in stage management worked on the technical and communication aspects of the project, and the production students helped build sets, hang lights, and run crew for the shows. In addition, there were over 20 student actors from NJIT, Rutgers-Newark, and Essex County College.

Dariel Angeles, third-year communication and media and theatre arts major at NJIT, directed a play called “Words, Words, Words” by David Ives, which focuses on the infinite monkey theorem. The production ponders what monkeys would talk about if they could speak.

“On one of the nights, one of the props went missing. While I shriveled up and stressed out, the actors improvised around it! Seeing them form that strong camaraderie and ensemble really made my heart flutter,” Angeles said. “It is my first time being listed as the sole director of something, which is a feeling I know won’t get old.”

Fourth-year NJIT theatre major Reynaldo Cobarrubias directed “The Checkout Line” by Austin Hendricks, a comedy about the generalization of groups of people. While stuck in a grocery store line, a human asks a ghost questions about their personal life and about their ‘kind,’ offending the ghost.

“I’m honored to be a part of this project as a director, production crew, and a bit of voice acting. I’m also a bit saddened by the fact that it’s over. After three weeks of auditions, rehearsal, and show, it feels as if I need to find another thing to do now,” Cobarrubias said. “It was my first time being in The Directors’ Project or any production like this.”

Iris Lewis, second-year theatre arts major at NJIT, directed a play about couple debating whether to leave their New York City apartment and buy a house with a history of a horrible murder — it’s titled “New Horizons,” and was written by Edward Einhorn.

“I think the connection I made with my actors was one of my proudest moments; as an actor myself, I wanted to be for them a director they were comfortable with,” Lewis reflected. “For both actors, this was their first time doing a live theater performance. So, to watch them break out of their shells and add their own flair to their characters really made me smile.”

The most difficult aspect to deal with for her was not seeing exactly what she envisioned in the beginning when she first read the play happen on stage, or even during rehearsals. “It wasn't too disheartening; it felt more like a discovery of how others perceived it,” she added.

Third-year NJIT theatre technology and communications major Evyn Garcia directed a play called “Two-Timing Bread” by Ryan Bultrowicz. It covers the story of a silent piece of bread caught cheating on his girlfriend. “What follows is on-stage discourse and violence, some of the core aspects I value in my entertainment,” he remarked.

“One of our actors happens to be an inanimate, completely mute loaf of bread. This proposes many challenges, the main ones being timing, proper reactions, and towards the end, some genuine puppeteering,” Garcia explained. “I know I was a bit nervous to direct, knowing that the actor I am directing has had prior theater experience working with much better directors than me. In that regard, it could be intimidating, but overall, even after the long grueling hours and having to work stage crew, I'd say we had a jolly good show.”

Miles Joseph Bardzilowski, sixth-year theatre arts and technology major at NJIT, directed “A Llama Stole My Heart” by Jen Browne. It follows two sisters attempting to make funeral arrangements for their eccentric aunt.

“I was an actor in The Directors’ Project 2020, but being a director this time around was a whole different experience. I’ve created something that’s mine, and in doing so, I’ve contributed to a patchwork of things that are ours. It’s awesome,” he said. “The process of bringing it together was stressful and exhausting at times, but now that it’s over, somehow, I can’t wait to do it again. Is this what having kids is like?”

From Rutgers-Newark, Veronica I. Papianni directed “Date with Death” by Steven Hayet, Franchesca Orteva directed “Moon Falls to Earth” by Gina Femia, Brandon Greenfield directed “Omit the Reference to the Unspeakable” by Duncan Pflaster, Alyson Fernandez directed “187” by Jose Rivera, and Urja Vyas directed “The Fugly Train” by Duncan Pflaster. NJIT student Christian Gonzalez directed “There Is No Try” by Dean Haspiel.

Some of the local playwrights came to see their shows performed at the theatre and met the directors and actors involved. “That was the cherry on the top of the project, and I was so glad that could happen. It's important to make the connection between the words on the page and the face of the human who wrote them,” Edwards said. She also mentioned that the playwrights were elated with the project results.

“I'm delighted to see it all come together — to see the directors, stage managers, actors, and crew be so proud of their creations — to see their families and friends recognize all the work that they put into it,” she added.

Actors Sa'Jadah Sharif (left) and Ewan Lee (right) in "Moon Falls to Earth"

Actor Claire Rapier in "Words, Words, Words"

Actor Lucas Valerio Melo in "There Is No Try"

Actors Kateryn Cabezas (left) and Patrick Sansone (right) in "187"

Photos by Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Table Tennis x Billiards Fall 2022 Tournament

NJIT's Table Tennis and Billiards Clubs put together a joint tournament in the Campus Center Game Room. Participants were offered free food and a chance to win prizes if they performed well.

Flag Football

IEEE, along with various other organizations, hosted a flag football match on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Participants could compete in the games, watch from the stands, or grab free snacks provided near the Campus Green fire pit.

Layout by Areej Qamar

Photos by Eric Camargo

Photos by David Bendezu

‘The Secret History’: Aesthetic, Gruesome, and Puzzling

By Mrunmayi Joshi | Managing Editor This review contains spoilers.

“Dark academia” is an aesthetic and subculture associated with moody settings, higher education, and Gothic architecture. Think sipping coffee while poring over classic Greek, dressing in formal-yet-stylish attire, and holding secretive meetings by candlelight. This idea romanticizes the life of classical academia, particularly within the liberal arts, and has gained popularity through media such as outfit ideas and mood boards on various social media platforms.

Donna Tartt, arguably the pivotal author who popularized this subgenre, published her first novel, “The Secret History,” in 1992. Revolving around six students studying classical Greek at the fictional, elite Hampden College, the story ventures from murder to idyllic retreats tinged with suspicion. The narrator is Richard Papen, a poor transfer student from California, and the other five are Francis Abernathy, Henry Winter, Edmund Corcoran, and twins Charles and Camilla MacAulay.

A major theme of the novel is the line between repression and letting go; the group’s instructor, Julian Morrow, repeatedly brings up what he sees as the great repression of ancient Greek denizens. He theorizes that for these people, joy would have been the result of letting go of their self-control. Academically and socially isolated as they are, the group decides to hold a bacchanal without telling Papen, their newest member, or Corcoran, who does not possess their intelligence or views.

During the bacchanal, they lose all control and brutally kill a farmer, supposedly in the spur of the moment. Corcoran witnesses the bloodied group returning and

reads about the farmer’s death, eventually putting the pieces together. Although he is disgusted and horrified by what they have done, he is also nearly penniless.

For many months, Corcoran subjects the other group members to merciless insults and blackmail, rendering them at their wits’ ends. Eventually, Papen finds out about the farmer’s death and takes the other students’ side. It is Winter who eventually concocts the plan to kill Corcoran by pushing him off a mountain on a hike.

The five execute this plan, but media scrutiny, the police investigation, and internal guilt cause rifts in their relationship. Eventually, the tension within the group comes to a head as multiple secrets are revealed. An explosive scene details their fight, which causes another death.

The biggest strength of “The Secret History” is Tartt’s masterful character development. The book is not a “whodunnit” but rather a “whydunnit” — on the first page of the prologue, Papen recalls the group’s murder of Corcoran. However, she retains the audience’s interest with truly memorable, if somewhat pretentious, characters.

Her greatest accomplishment is making readers sympathize with the group’s killing of Corcoran. He is presented as an obnoxious fraternity member who does not fit their affluent, formal, and witty style. This partially comes from Papen’s narration, as it is clear that he will be replacing Corcoran, causing mutual resentment.

Objectively, insulting words and a few loans are not a good moral justification for murder, especially for

those who have killed previously. Yet Papen’s words make it seem as if the group had no other choice. The true message of this portion of the book is about the definition of beauty; Corcoran does not fit the group’s aesthetic, so he must be removed.

When I searched for the book online, most image results were not quotes or pictures of the book’s cover, but rather mood boards, clothing inspiration, and fanart of the characters — devotion for a pack of murderers. However, the descriptions of idyllic days spent studying in cottages, feverish discussions at night, and the harmony between the students are truly enchanting. Readers can almost visualize the characters’ interactions and mannerisms.

It is a shame that Tartt’s sparest prose is used when she describes the youthful delights of the group before its splintering. More description here would have seared the memories of the students’ happiness into the audience’s minds, so that they would have felt its loss more keenly.

The pacing of this book is a problem; pages upon pages are devoted to events which are not very relevant, while she only hints at certain other events which would have been fascinating to read about. Overall, however, I did enjoy reading this book — more for the vibes than for the content. Would I read it again? Probably not in its entirety.

“The Secret History'' is very interesting and often moving, capturing the in-between feeling that many college students face as they transition from childhood to adulthood and independence. However, the novel is periodically dry and should have been a bit more balanced. This gets 3.5 out of five crabs from me!

COLLECTIONS

voices from around campus

"I try to start studying for each exam exactly 1 week out of the final"

"skip class to study for another class"

"Studying? What's that?"

"Praying"

"idk you tell me"

"Break studying up with dopamine rewards. Trick your brain into thinking studying is fun. Don’t cram the night before. It won’t work"

"hope and pray"

"Acing exams is lame anyways"

It's finals season! What are your studying tips/ tricks that you use to ace your exams?

Horoscopes

By Clairvoyant Cancer Conveying the Current Chances

ARIES

See what you can do for your community. It might counteract some bad karma.

TAURUS

You might realize that someone you care deeply about doesn’t share your same values, so be careful.

GEMINI

Teamwork can be tricky so expect to make some compromises.

CANCER

Start December by trying to make your dreams come true. This is your moment.

LEO

You’re fighting solo right now, but you got this. Heal your emotions and move on.

VIRGO

Yikes! Seems like there’s trouble in paradise. You might wanna talk it out with your partner.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Home is where the heart is, but that’s not where yours is.

SAGITTARIUS

You might get hurt by some miscommunication. Don’t let your words start a war.

CAPRICORN

Your friends might be your sole support system right now. Take advantage of it.

AQUARIUS

You’re on the road to success this week, so make use of your productivity.

PISCES

You might need to set some firm boundaries. You know what I’m talking about. I won’t say more.

Do You Even Sudoku?

From samuri-sudoku.com

From

Word Search Comic

By Syed Zeeshan Ali