Spring 2023 Issue 12

JerseyCTF III An International Attention Attractor

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

“With over 1400 users, [there are] 730 teams from Australia, India, Brazil, South Korea, Ukraine, Italy, France, Germany, South Africa, Kenya — on and on the list goes. This is a worldwide event hosted by NJIT, and it’s all about the future,” said television host John Elliott for CBS News New York’s live reporting on the weekend of April 15-16.

The third annual JerseyCTF capture the flag competition took place on campus, hosted by NJIT’s Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the NJIT Information and Cybersecurity Club (NICC), and the NJIT Secure Computing Initiative (SCI). There were 1,515 total registrants, with 802 active participants — which includes individuals who solved at least one challenge. 801 total teams were registered, and 481 teams actively participated.

“[JerseyCTF] connects with the industry; it connects with stakeholders. It demonstrates the kind of academic program that we have here that trained them to be competitive in this kind of a competition,” said NJIT President Dr. Teik Lim in an interview with Elliott. “We train students to think inquisitively, to have an open mind, to be innovative, and to be entrepreneurial.”

This year, there was a strong emphasis on in-person attendance, allowing participants to work with each other faceto-face. Another aspect that set the event apart from previous years is the addition of NICC as a collaborating organization. There was also accentuated teamwork when creating the challenges presented in the competition.

Three NJIT students executed the IS700B Master’s Project - JerseyCTF

III Challenge Development and Event Administration. Sam Itman, Daniel Daszkiewicz, and Logan Reyes are all completing their master’s degrees in information technology administration and security in Fall 2023; JerseyCTF was their task under Dr. Cristian Borcea, Dr. Reza Curtmola, Dr. Vincent Oria, and Dr. Ali Mili — the principal investigators of the NJIT CyberCorps Scholarship For Service program.

“In the previous two iterations of JerseyCTF in 2021 and 2022, the challenges were being developed without a ton of team collaboration and research involved. It was very much individualized — we could get a challenge or two from alums, a few from ACM members, etc.,” Reyes explained. “The goal this time was to produce more sophisticated challenges across all categories, and we were successful in that because of the newly provided resources and time. The master's project directly contributed to 17 additional challenges for the competition.”

His favorite part, as a Tech Lead, was “working alongside the NICC, ACM, and SCI teams in our ‘Mission Control’ corner of the Campus Center Ballroom.” The other two leads included Ethan Ho, second-year computer science major and ACM president, and Alfred Simpson, third-year information technology major and NICC president.

“One of my favorite parts of the event was the event being televised by CBS. It was great to see John Elliott drop by with his lively and uplifting personality,” Ho mentioned. “One of the benefits was the publicity made in the New York metropolitan area, hopefully increasing attendance in later years.”

Ian Hanna, third-year information technology major and NICC vice president appreciated the feedback the leading organizations received. He said, “It’s nice to know that people took time out of their day to either congratulate us or tell us how it could have gone better. It means that this event meant something enough that they wanted a change, which is really cool.”

Simpson acknowledged that the event “highlighted how diverse the industry can be and how the valuable input of different people, their majors, their backgrounds, and even their cultures can impact someone's approach to security.” A target for next year’s JerseyCTF is marketing towards diversity organizations, as 72.3% of the participants indicated they were male.

In the student division, an NJIT-based team named The Dropped Tables came in third place. It included third-year NJIT information technology major Daniel Marriello, fourth-year NJIT information technology and computer science student Mihir Rana, fourth-year NJIT information technology major Alex Barney, and first-year University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill computer science student Amy Xu, who joined virtually.

Xu underlined how the competition doesn’t require knowledge as much as knowing how to apply skills you have. “I don't have much knowledge in the actual technical aspects, but you can still be a contributor if you know what the tools at your disposal are capable of accom-

plishing,” she said.

“What I've learned from this experience is that I still have much more to learn in the pursuit of cybersecurity,” Rana mentioned. What he expected from participating in the event was different from his actual experience, as the academic foundation was not as relevant as applying skills in the capture the flag context. He nonetheless enjoyed being able to work through challenges and hurdles as a group.

It was Barney’s first time doing a capture the flag event. “All of us had gotten the solution, but we didn't put the correct credentials into the right fields,” he commented about one of the challenges called Timeless. “It was frustrating but kind of funny when everything was said and done.”

“A highlight was solving the Discord challenge, which started off in the JerseyCTF Discord and pointed us to a wild ride to the crazy finale of artificial intelligence-generated Joe Biden reading The Scalar, [The Vector’s annual satirical edition],” Marriello said. “It truly felt to me as though the challenges were built in a way to introduce you to tools and expect you to learn about how to use them rather than expect mastery of them.”

The organizing teams are excited to see what the next year holds for JerseyCTF — they encourage anyone to suggest ideas to implement in upcoming competitions.

Graphic by Logan Reyes

Photo by Ethan O'Malley

Logo by Kapila Mane & Daniel Rodriguez

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.

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RADIO UPDATE

Week of May 7, 2023

4/22/2023

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We're Just The Best Radio

This week had the release of Cwondo’s new album "Tae," supplementing his catalog with 13 songs of strange, surreal indietronica. Songs like "Gomenn" bring clear hooks, but Cwondo’s unsteady, mumbling vocals and odd production drown the album in an interestingly dreamlike vibe. Looking back briefly, Celestaphone’s new album from February is an enthralling, explosive collection of jazz rap with one of the best openers this year, and Tim Hecker’s "No Highs" from earlier this month furthers his mastery of monolithic, synthy, ambient music.

2:58 p.m. Officers generated a fraud and extortion report for a student who sent sensitive photos to an unknown individual. The investigation is ongoing.

7:35 p.m. Officers generated a criminal mischief report for an NJIT affiliate whose vehicle was broken into, without any items missing, at the intersection of Warren Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The investigation is ongoing.

8:13 p.m. Officers generated a theft report for a non-affiliate who had their vehicle broken in to at the intersection of James and Boyden streets. The investigation is ongoing.

8:21 p.m. Officers reported a vehicle with a smashed window at the intersection of James and Boyden streets. No one requested a report of this incident.

4/23/2023

3:03 a.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Lock Street and Sussex Avenue for delaying traffic. The driver was determined to be driving under the influence. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

4/24/2023

12:30 a.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Nesbitt and Orange streets for a failure to observe the signal and driving on the opposite side of the road. The driver was determined to be driving under the influence. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

4/25/2023

12:58 p.m. Officers conducted a pedestrian stop at the intersection of New and Newark streets for trespassing in the old jail. A record check was completed with no outstanding war-

Hope you enjoyed WJTB's weekly column this semester! If music releases move like they have these first five months during the rest of the year, there’ll be more than enough material to cover every week. Some releases already seem promising — Paark’s upcoming album "Stonelands" seems to be taking a blissed-out, sunny approach to his usual wonky bangers, and chillwave master Alan Palomo, formerly known as Neon Indian, has just returned with a new single — but only time will tell. Thank you all for reading, and have a relaxing summer!

rants, and the individual was given a warning.

4/26/2023

4:06 a.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of James and Summit streets for a failure to observe the signal. The driver was confirmed to have an open warrant and was placed under arrest. The driver was then transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

4/27/2023

10:30 p.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and James Street after observing a vehicle traveling recklessly, hitting a pothole at high speed and causing the front of the vehicle to become airborne. The vehicle sustained heavy damage to the undercarriage, causing fluids to leak out on the scene. The Newark Fire and Hazmat departments responded to the area to clean up the fluids.

11:02 p.m. The Port Authority Police Department arrested an individual wanted by the NJIT Police Department involved in a case from 2018. Officers responded to Port Authority headquarters to take custody of the individual, who was then transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

11:45 p.m. Officers conducted a pedestrian stop at the intersection of Boyden and James streets after observing a non-affiliate female urinating in public. A record check was completed with no outstanding warrants. The individual was given a summons.

4/28/2023

Layout by Areej Qamar

Michèle Rittenhouse Exits the NJIT Stage after 49 Years

“It was the summer of 1974 when I met Bill Gile. We were watching a play that had a mutual friend in the cast. We had a bite to eat before the show. The next day, he fired his assistant and hired me. We got along well. Did I have a vision? Nope — just a job in theatre.”

Back in 1974, NJIT was called the Newark College of Engineering, or NCE, and was strictly a commuter school; “Wheel of Fortune” didn’t exist as a television show, Microsoft was still in the works of becoming a corporation, and “Jaws” had yet to frighten audiences to their cores. When Michèle Rittenhouse entered campus, she bore witness to all these monumental changes in the university’s history and beyond.

Rittenhouse served as the Director of the Theatre Arts and Technology Program — an initiative that she started at NJIT from scratch. She recalled her first interactions with former NCE director Bill Gile, which brought her to the university. This spring marks her last semester as part of the NJIT community.

With Gile during that time, she found many talented individuals at the university to put on one play per semester. Sometimes, they would bring in professionals to work and perform with the students, as there weren’t any courses to formally train students. With NJIT as a commuter-only school at the time, most of their audiences were filled with staff and faculty.

Eventually, Gile retired. “The dean called me into his office, and I thought, ‘Okay, this is it; I’ll have to leave,’” she recollected. “But he said, ‘Michèle, do you want to create a Bachelor of Arts in theatre? And we'll call it Theatre Arts and Technology?’ and I said, ‘Absolutely.’” By that point, she had already created a capstone course — theatre and technology — which had turned

out to be extremely successful.

Creating the major took tremendous effort from Rittenhouse as well as the new hires — it required 25 courses, and NJIT decided to take the same numbered courses offered at Rutgers-Newark to bring each university’s program together, keeping the majors separate. This has become the only successful joint program in the United States.

The number of students taking the major prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic stayed the same, but the numbers are rebuilding as everything is back in-person now. This goes for the music initiative as well — Rittenhouse reaches out to all incoming firstyears and transfers interested in music and theatre, giving them information on their desired rehearsals. “We bring the students into a very tight community where we look out after each other,” she said.

Rittenhouse knows that the program is strong. “Our students learn playwriting, performance, history, and technical theatre,” she stated. “Many of our alumni are participating in theatre in their communities; some are

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

actually working in the field, quite successfully, and the others are working in their primary major fields using the skills they learned in theatre and applying them to the design and engineering fields.”

WIth Rutgers-Newark sunsetting its theatre program, Rittenhouse has worked on bringing in technical theatre courses geared towards NJIT students who want to study lighting, sound design, and more subjects like those. “I'm trying to see how to nurture the program and push it forward in a seamless way because there's so much we've built,” she mentioned. She hopes to get those courses launched before she leaves.

Dr. Michael Kerley served as the associate director of the program until last year, when he retired. He came back to direct one last musical, “Urinetown,” this past spring at NJIT. He perceives the program as a department at the university with how much input Rittenhouse has provided towards the initiative since its beginnings.

“I can say without a doubt that she has done all of this — five centuries’ worth of work — at NJIT because of her love for the students, for the talent she brought out of them, and for her recognition that the hard work and community that theatre requires will serve our students for the rest of their lives,” Kerley said. “What an honor to have watched Michèle work!”

Even with the bittersweet feeling her retirement brings to many, Rittenhouse has her future plans laid out in front of her. “I aim to further my career in playwriting, as I have many full-length plays written, some produced, ready to be marketed and published. I plan on working on a number of new pieces,” she said, “and gardening in the mountains.”

NJIT Surveying and Steel Bridge Teams Win It All!

NJIT’s Surveying and Steel Bridge teams took first place in this year’s Metropolitan Student Symposium, hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE, and held at Rowan University. For student teams from the Newark College of Engineering, such as the surveying, steel bridge, and concrete canoe teams, this symposium offered a way to display both technical skill and school pride to the world.

Held from April 21-23, the event invited several colleges from across the New York metropolitan area to join in on three days of learning and competition. Over the three days, teams from the likes of Rutgers University, Stony Brook University, New York University, and Stevens Institute of Technology went headto-head with Highlanders only a month ago.

Vincent Campanella is a second-year double majoring in surveying engineer-

ing technology and civil engineering who recently took the reins as leader of the surveying team. According to Campanella, what put his team over the top was their collective experience and camaraderie. In fact, 2023 marked the first time NJIT had sent a surveying team to compete in an ASCE regional; however, any nerves were nowhere to be seen in their results.

He attributes this to the fact that many surveying engineering technology students at NJIT have professional experience, and even work as surveyors as they pursue an education. This, along with the team’s friendly atmosphere, allowed them to work cohesively and eventually win the day.

Unfortunately, the surveying team does not plan on displaying their skills to the rest of the nation this year. Campanella is still thinking of the future, however, and advocates for more sur-

By Aaron Dimaya | Senior Staff Writer

veying engineering technology and civil engineering majors to help defend this year’s regional title. He hopes that ASCE will one day lean into technology-driven aspects of surveying to draw the interest of many prospective students.

Campanella wishes to acknowledge the contributions of two important figures in their run to the title — firstly, the organizing and logistical efforts of the ASCE president at NJIT, fourth-year civil engineering major Pedro Bandeira, and secondly, the advice and positive attitude of the steel bridge team leader, third-year civil engineering student Thomas Hickey.

Hickey attended the 2022 Symposium as a team member and found himself as the leader for the 2023 squad. In contrast to the surveying team, the steel bridge team had more varied experience, with some members never having done any welding before joining the team. Despite

all that, it was this team that placed first in all categories except aesthetics. Hickey attributes this to both his coordination as well as a bit of luck.

Hickey admits that his skills in coordinating the building process have improved, but this year’s steel bridge team may have avoided a tougher assignment by pure chance. In the competition, the competing teams roll dice to see how heavy of a load their bridge must withstand. The NJIT team got the lightest load to test and placed first in that category.

While this was not the sole reason for their victory, the team appreciated the luck. Next year may bring further developments and further cement the Newark College of Engineering’s reputation. Stay tuned for further updates!

Photos by Erin Foody

Photos by Yukthi Sangoi

Layout by Areej Qamar

Maple Hall Spring 2023 Updates

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

The end of the Spring 2023 semester also marks the end of the first year that NJIT’s newest residence building, Maple Hall, has been in use. The virtually generated glimpse of the hall before it finished construction in Fall 2022 featured a public-school archway, market, club room, makerspace, fourth-floor terrace, and outdoor kitchen. While some parts adhered to the plans, there have been changes made as renovations and additions continued to take place in the building.

The terrace, which stands on the second floor, was closed until halfway through the Spring 2023 semester due to supply chain issues. The area is now fully equipped with two fire pits and an outdoor kitchen, but the materials for those parts had significant delays.

“The [terrace] opening was delayed because the missing items posed potential safety concerns with unattended use,” said Andrew Christ, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development and Capital Operations. “Once those items were completed and the residence life policies and procedures were put in place for

use, the terrace was opened.”

Each suite in the apartment-style dormitory currently needs a key to open the door. The projected keyless entry’s electronic parts have also been delayed due to supply chain issues, but Christ expects them to be installed after Spring 2023 ends. These will operate using students’ NJIT ID card as opposed to a key fob.

“This will allow us to have both the NJIT and RISE card access programmed onto one card,” he stated. NJIT partnered with RISE, a real estate company, to construct this building. The university and company are also still working together to find a tenant to sign a lease for the retail space on the first floor along Warren Street. They have some who have expressed interest, but the space is still being marketed.

“We appreciate the patience and hope the residents have enjoyed the first year in Maple Hall,” Christ mentioned. “We look forward to it continuing to provide a great residential experience for our students.”

NJIT Sets Sustainable Goals to Achieve Higher Ranking

In a year-long assessment submitted to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System in January, NJIT scored a silver rating, which is valid until March 21, 2026. The system is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance, according to its website. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education hosts this sustainability culture assessment.

The evaluation was completed through a survey that was sent out through email to all students, staff, and faculty on Oct. 5, 2022 by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Key points from the survey results include that around 50% of staff, faculty, and students want leaders on campus to make sustainability a top priority.

Despite this, around 30% of the aforementioned groups are still unaware of NJIT’s Office of Sustainability. They would also like the university to work on providing access to alternative modes of transportation, presenting additional recycling opportunities, composting on campus, and adopting a plan to guide sustainability efforts.

On April 6, 2022, former NJIT President Dr. Joel Bloom pledged the pursuit of a carbon neutral campus, committing to take direct action on climate change as an institution. Dr. Prabhakar Shrestha, the university’s first Assistant Director of Sustainability, emphasized the significance of this step.

“Most of the institutional-level commitments come from the highest administrative body,” he said. “It is important to have the support of senior leadership as we work toward carbon neutrality.”

Shrestha has been active in acknowledging areas in which there are opportunities to earn even higher ratings, corresponding with the previously mentioned sustainability tracking system. The first is documenting sustainability objectives within policies and guidelines. An example of this would be “getting sustainability goals in our design policy for new and renovated buildings,” he mentioned.

Additionally, he suggested enhancing education about recycling and continuing to diverge from landfills. “NJIT has made recent efforts to increase recycling participation on campus, like the implementation of single-stream recycle bins, the reduction of single-use items, and the switch from plastic bags to a more recycling-friendly paper alternative,” Shrestha added. “Increasing awareness of our recycling guide will also help to reduce contamination and improve recycling on campus.”

Food waste is one of the most prominent types of waste that end up in landfills. Implementing food waste recycling is in the prospects of NJIT’s near future, Shrestha said. NJIT works with Waste Management to divert its food waste, coming primarily from the dining hall, to participate in the management’s Centralized Organic Recycling process.

To address working towards the carbon neutrality commitment, he mentioned that NJIT has already taken measures of action to pursue the pledge.

“The first step taken is forming a sustainability subcommittee to guide the development and implementation of the Climate Action Plan,” Shrestha commented. “We also completed our greenhouse gas inventory, which is a part of the Annual Progress Evaluation report.

The inventory highlights our annual greenhouse gas emissions; the information will be analyzed for opportunities for improvement.”

The figure below depicts NJIT’s greenhouse gas emissions by sector.

Ultimately, Shrestha believes that on-campus engagement plays a major role in promoting growth in sustainability. “We are already planning events

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

with the Student Senate and Graduate Student Association to enhance our sustainability events and make it simple for our community to practice pro-environment behavior,” he concluded.

This story was produced in collaboration with CivicStory (www.civicstory. org) and the NJ Sustainability Reporting project (www.SRhub.org).

Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the entity. Scope 1 can include emissions from fossil fuels burned on site, emissions from entity-owned or entity-leased vehicles, and other direct sources.

Scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the generation of electricity, heating and cooling, or steam — generated off site but purchased by the entity — and the transmission and distribution losses associated with some purchased utilities — for instance, chilled water, steam, and high temperature hot water.

Scope 3 emissions include indirect greenhouse gas emissions from sources not owned or directly controlled by the entity but related to the entity’s activities. This can include commuting, air travel, waste emissions, etc.

Photos by Yukthi Sangoi

Graphic from Office of Sustainability

Layout by Areej Qamar

Kappa Xi Kappa Philanthropy Dinner

Can You Escape?

Photos by Ethan O'Malley

The Kappa Xi Kappa Fraternity hosted a philanthropy dinner supporting the Pittie Project; there was food and raffled items. The event contributed over $850 towards the Pittie Project!

Photos by Alisha Valentin NJIT’s Forensic Science Student Association hosted an Escape Room in the PC Mall, where groups tested their wits and teamwork skills. The best group even earned a trophy!

Layout by Areej Qamar

The Vector End-of-Year Party

The Vector kicked off the summer and said farewell to its departing members by hosting a party with a delicious taco bar and games. We wish all of our staff members and readers the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Photos by Sean Slusarz & Miriam Ascarelli

Meet Your 2023-2024 Student Senate Eboard

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

On the Student Senate, Azer served as a first-year representative, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Vice President of Finance during her first three years, respectively. A significant part of her presidential platform for next year includes advocating for mental health resources and funding for counseling services; she would like to work with the Vice President of Administration to complete the process of providing wellness days to students. Azer also mentioned that although many Senate-recognized groups have an office, these rooms are outdated. Thus, a renovation project is in her sights for the summer. “I have already scheduled meetings with Dean Boger as well as Andrew Christ to discuss this project and work towards its completion by September 2023,” she stated. Overall, she said, “by prioritizing effective communication, engagement, and collaboration, I am confident that I can overcome challenges and lead the Student Senate towards a successful year.”

Vice President of Administration Macrina Makar

As a first-year representative two years ago, Sefen noticed that “first-year students have a lot of potential but are just so occupied by getting acclimated to the new environment.” He appreciated seeing first-years networking, socializing, and getting out of their comfort zones during an ice cream social hosted that year while he was on the finance committee. “The most prominent issue that I plan on tackling is extra funding for clubs. Most clubs just choose not to request extra funds that they may need because of the long-winded process,” he stated. “I want to work with the [university’s Committee on Finances] to return a sum of funds to students in any form, whether it be scholarships or certain programs with grants.” Sefen would also like to make tutorials for organizations to learn how to use eMerchant properly.

Vice President of Student Affairs Marina Samuel

Second-year biomedical engineering major

President Lauren Azer

Third-year biomedical engineering major

Makar represented the Newark College of Engineering this year, hosting an engineering networking event and addressing the incorporation of co-ops, growth of the college’s tutoring center, and matters regarding lab courses. In the upcoming year, she hopes to increase the opportunities for students to express their opinions and connect with the Student Senate by sending semesterly evaluations and maintaining an open form of communication via email and Discord. “I hope to address issues with lack of advisor availability by lowering the advisor to student ratio, decrease the maximum weight of final exams and assignments to 30% for final grades, incorporate job skills in the first-year seminar curriculum, and ensure no exams take place the day after break,” she said. “By improving the quality of education at NJIT, I hope to give students the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom in terms of internships and co-ops.”

Vice President of Finance Beshoy Sefen

Third-year biomedical engineering major

Continuing her position from this year into the next, Samuel mentioned, “I have received some feedback regarding building renovations, dining hall issues, and others, and I am eager to hear more about the most prominent issues that require attention.” She understands the importance of building strong relationships with students and taking the time to listen to their concerns. During the last year, she has learned how to write more effective proposals that lead to change on campus, such as access to free menstrual products. “My primary motivation for running for this position was my desire to make a meaningful impact on campus and enhance the love and productivity among students,” she commented. “I will amend anything necessary and not take no for an answer.”

Marshall served as a first-year representative this year and was part of the student organizations committee. He stated, “One of the biggest issues I would like to address is the poor communication between the Student Senate and organizations on campus.” He finds it difficult to solve problems with many clubs at once with the system that is in place. Another initiative he aims to work on is encouraging NJIT’s outreach in conferences and competitions to build the university’s and students’ reputations outside of campus. “During this next year, I expect to meet resistance with the college regarding change on campus,” he mentioned. “I plan to work heavily with both the school and the rest of the Senate community to positively impact the student organization process and foster a community where organizations can grow.”

Director of Public Relations

Jonathan Ghaly

First-year biology major

Director of Student Organizations Nicholas Marshall

A first-year representative on the public relations committee this year, Ghaly learned that his position for next year “requires a proactive, hands-on approach as well as innovative thinking to bring out the best in NJIT for our student body.” Organizing events and running the social media and merchandise sales are two activities that appealed to him, motivating him to serve as director in the upcoming year. “I plan on creating an environment on campus where students can feel that their voices are heard regardless of their identity,” he said. “I also plan on working closely with the Diversity and Inclusion Officer to make NJIT a place where all feel welcomed and are excited to be a part of the community.”

Doss served as a first-year representative on the finance and internal affairs committees this year and has organized the internal after-hours events of this semester as a way to be introduced to her role in the upcoming year. “A goal I have is to reinforce the Senate community by doing an after-hours field trip at the Newark Museum of Art and community outreach together!” she commented. Additionally, she would like to improve communication with Media and Technology Support Services to maintain general body meetings’ quality. Another task on her agenda is creating a public calendar with event dates, deadlines, schedules and more to make sure organizations and the Student Senate are informed of what is happening in the most effective manner.

Secretary Marianne Doss

First-year biology major

Second-year biomedical engineering major

First-year architecture major

AIS and PSA Throw the Desi Wedding of the Semester

By Mrunmayi Joshi | Managing Editor

The night of May 1, just a few days before finals began for NJIT students, was not a quiet one for the Association of Indian Students (AIS) and the Pakistani Student Association (PSA). The two organizations amassed their large followings to host a “Mock Shaadi,” which had been performed at other universities with significant South Asian populations such as Rutgers and Princeton. However, the 2023 Mock Shaadi was the inaugural wedding for NJIT.

“Shaadi,” the romanized version of in Hindi and Urdu respectively, is the North Indian and Pakistani style of wedding, featuring processions leading in the bride and groom, classical and modern dance performances, and henna art on guests’ hands. A “Mock Shaadi” has all of these components, besides the actual marriage. Instead, Instagram followers of the two clubs’ accounts voted on the bride and groom.

Tisha Madhok, second-year human-computer interaction major, and Ian Vega, second-year computer science major, were chosen to be bride and groom respectively. The event took place from 6–10 p.m. on May 1 in Ballroom A of the Campus Center. Presale tickets cost $7 per person, while tickets on the spot cost $10, and covered food, drinks, a seat, and henna.

The event truly kicked off at around 8 p.m., when Madhok and Vega were introduced and seated on a swing covered in flowers. Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi music rattled through the speakers, and amenities such as a fog machine and strobe lights painted the event in multicolored shades. These introductions were followed by dance performances from classical dance organization NJIT Thillana, a group from PSA, and Brick City Bhangra.

Akshitha Singathi, third-year NJIT computer science major and the director and founder of Thillana, performed a Kathak-inspired routine with second-year Rutgers-Newark and NJIT biomedical engineering graduate student Chirag Motwani as part of NJIT Thillana. Kathak is a North Indian form of classical dance that combines traditions from various religions and cultures from the subcontinent. “We wanted to innovate with our love for classical dance by experimenting with Kathak,” said Singathi, thanking the two organizations for the opportunity to perform.

Motwani commented, “My journey with NJIT Thillana has been great — like living a dream. I feel immense happiness performing for Shri Krishna tonight, especially in Kathak, which is outside my

forte. Thanks to [AIS and PSA] for the opportunity!”

Ruby Kapoor, third-year computer science major and president of AIS, commented, “[PSA] reached out around three weeks ago, so there were lots of late nights figuring out the logistics of the event. A major expense was the DJ and the food; after all, an event this size hosts anywhere from 300-350 people, and we planned to serve a full dinner to all these people.”

Kapoor added, however, “A highlight was watching the whole crowd cheer on the bride and groom together, even though they were not necessarily familiar with everyone there.” Although the Spring 2023 semester has come to a close, Kapoor encouraged attendees to keep an eye out for the organization’s Garba and Holi events in the upcoming academic year.

Lamia Saeed, third-year business major and president of PSA, pondered the difficulty of pulling together such a large event in such a short period. “With everyone’s busy schedules, along with projects and finals, it was difficult to find good times, but once everyone was together, we were able to work together well,” she said. “The entrances of the bride and groom and the dance performances were my favorite part."

Attendees and organizers alike expressed appreciation for the opportunity to celebrate South Asian culture. “Seeing such a big desi population attending the event was very rewarding,” said Shrinivas Sai, a second-year computer engineering student and the event coordinator of the Association for Indian Students.

Second-year biology major Priya Marella commented, “My favorite part was that the event got Indian culture to come to NJIT through the henna and the dancing.” Likewise, second-year biomedical engineering major Ishika Macherla enjoyed the performances, food, and overall vibe of the event.

Madhok and Vega had the busiest night of all, and were involved in most of the festivities. When asked what her favorite part was, however, Madhok reflected, “Slow dancing with my groom.” Likewise, Vega mentioned that slow dancing with Madhok had been the highlight for him as well.

Keep an eye out for future Mock Shaadis hosted by the clubs, as well as their upcoming events during the Fall 2023 semester, by following their Instagram pages @njit.psa and @njit_ais!

Photos by Areej Qamar

Layout by Areej Qamar

The Broken Vinyls Set to Release Debut EP

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

Alternative indie rock band The Broken Vinyls has announced that its EP, “Exit 151,” will officially be released on May 19. The group features second-year NJIT information technology major Rockwell Dela Rosa on drums, second-year Essex County College student Jonathan Arevalo on guitar and vocals, second-year Essex County College student Bryant Ayala on guitar and vocals, and Institute of Culinary Education graduate Fofo Suira on bass guitar and vocals.

The band has now been working on this album for months, and is excited to share it with avid listeners on and off campus. The only single that’s currently out, “Drop Out,” is going to be revamped in the EP; “if anyone enjoyed that, they're hopefully going to love this new one,” Dela Rosa commented.

Back in October, The Broken Vinyls had the chance to play in the Campus Center’s Highlander Pub. The members have also been able to play in a variety of settings, ranging from intimate acoustic gigs to rock shows at local venues. They’ve performed at the Meatlocker in Montclair, N.J. and the RedHouse in Boonton, N.J., which has since moved to a new location.

The band meets anywhere from two to four times a week at Ayala’s place whenever the whole group is available. Aside from going over the sets for upcoming shows, the bandmates might start writing a new piece or work on deciding future plans for the band.

“The writing process usually starts with either Jonathan, Bryant, or Fofo writing something on their instrument, and we all build on it,” Dela Rosa explained.

“Drums come after the melodies, then come the lyrics, and everything else gets fine-tuned along the way until we have the final product.”

Danny Sasso, the band’s producer, has been instrumental in helping the EP sound its absolute best. He was introduced to Dela Rosa as a friend of a friend through a jam session at a practice studio; now, Dela Rosa has known Sasso for years. “We usually visit him once or twice a week to either record tracks or just listen to how the mixes are sounding and make comments accordingly,” Dela Rosa commented.

The Broken Vinyls is beyond thrilled to share its new piece of art with others in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned to hear the members play songs from “Exit 151” at future shows!

In with the Engineers, Out with the Algae

NJIT’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders is always working on improving the quality of life of local and developing communities. One of its two current main projects includes a region inside Cotopaxi, Ecuador called Maca Grande; the objective is to provide a clean source of water to improve health and accessibility of those living in the community.

The other major project involves surveying fallen materials and water flow to remove nutrient sources and algal bloom at Newark’s own Branch Brook Park. The members use an interactive map to document points along and in the water course where there are snags — areas of large buildup due to certain obstacles.

The whole park is split into four areas, and about 10 volunteers have visited the park every two weeks since December 2021. The group started with Zone 3, continued to Zone 2, followed by Zone 1, and concluded with Zone 4 this March. Before covering the last zone, the members met with representatives from Pennoni — an engineering firm — and Jersey Cares — a nonprofit organization that recruits and engages volunteers to address community needs.

Jesica Rana, second-year computer science major, is the Newark Project Lead for this semester. “I became really involved with this project because of its mission. Branch Brook Park is a stun-

ning park in Newark that sees countless visitors every day,” she said. “It’s important for us to take the initiative to improve the quality of the water to benefit both the park's visitors and the environment.”

During 2022, second-year biomedical engineering major Theresa Carlos served as the Newark Project Lead, and she will continue the position in Fall 2023. She is grateful to have met and worked alongside many motivated individuals while being part of this project. Carlos made the initial request to collaborate with the park and developed the initial data collection method idea of using a combination of photo coordinates and collaborative google maps to create a precise interactive map.

“I love seeing the beautiful flowers, animal life, and so many different people from the community coming together to enjoy the park,” she commented. “Knowing that the work we are doing will keep the park clean and safe and allow more people to continue going there motivates me to stay involved in the project and to do more.”

Vice president of the club and second-year computing and business major Jhanvi Pai helps train volunteers on-site. She also organizes volunteer dates and manages technical tools to collect and analyze data. Pai loves seeing the commitment and passion students have towards the community, mentioning that

“every survey session, we have different students from the university join us.”

Arick Iglesias, president of the organization and second-year mechanical engineering major, mentioned that Engineers Without Borders focused mostly on the international project — Maca Grande — and had little to no activity in Newark. However, the Branch Brook Park Alliance showed interest in working with the club, leading to an expansion of the club’s portfolio.

“One of my favorite parts of this project is definitely the people and volunteers,” he said. “Speaking with our Jersey Cares point of contact, Kelley Forsyth, is always a pleasure, and whenever we go to volunteer, seeing friends and members doing community service while

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

also enjoying themselves in the park is always nice to see.”

Engineers Without Borders welcomes students of all backgrounds to participate, implement their engineering skills, and solve real-world problems. Visiting its Instagram @njit_ewb or its website at www.ewb-njit.com can provide more information for those who are interested in contributing to the club!

Scan the QR code below to check out the park’s interactive map:

Photo by Kelley Forsyth

Photo by Elena Spiteri

By Yukthi Sangoi | Editor-in-Chief

What are some of your interests?

I absolutely love messing with technology, meeting new people, music, going out and experiencing new things, learning new ideas, and being outside in the sun! Whether it's messing around with some funny little program, or some huge project, it's always a great time! A few great friends and I built a full Master Chief helmet with working LEDs and sound effects last semester, just because we wanted to! I also try to be as part of as many things as possible because it allows me to meet new people. Whether it's going to on campus events or traveling the country for a conference, I have had the opportunity to meet a ton of amazing people who have all made a huge impact on me. I love listening to music just as much as I love playing music. I play percussion! I believe music allows one to express oneself in a way unlike any other. If I could be out in the hot sun every single minute of my life, I would. I love the beach, playing outside — the whole nine yards.

What kind of projects have you done that are your favorites so far? Why do you like them?

My favorite project this year had to be the Master Chief Helmet. It's a big helmet from a game series called Halo, and we placed RGB LEDs into the visor and gave it sounds and everything. It came out really well, and I’d love to come back and polish it at some time. A friend and I have been talking about making it for a very long time; in October, we finally sank time into it. It took us a total of one month to do, and it was really fun. The time crunch opened the door for some really interesting problems, and it was really cool to work around them. It's far from the most advanced technical project I've done, and it's far from the most impactful society wise, but it was great to be able to work on something like this with my friends.

What's your favorite outdoor activity?

I love the beach! Any chance I get, I'm at any listed

Nick Volpe

Fourth-year Computer Engineering Major

Campus Catalog A Feature on the NJIT Community

available beach in New Jersey. Swimming, sand, frisbee, the insanely hot sun — love it all.

What’s your favorite outdoor activity at NJIT? Any memorable or funny moments you’d like to share?

A big one for NJIT outside are our campus-wide capture the flag games. They aren't part of an event or anything; we just grab as many people as we can, and sometimes play massive capture the flag games using the entirety of campus.

What are some events you've hosted as part of IEEE that stand out to you?

Our football event was really awesome. We were able to collaborate with a lot of organizations on campus and the Athletics Department, and all of the students playing and watching had a super great time!

Jeopardy was also extremely fun; dressing up like a Jeopardy host is something anyone would have fun with. Shoutout to AIChE and ACS!

Of course, IEEE's big one this year was the hardware hackathon. Now, I wasn't the one to primarily host it — that was the Hackathon Committee — but I still had such a great time being a part of things. There was a huge amount of helping hands in it, and I'm super glad that all of the attendees enjoyed themselves as much as they did because it seems a lot of them were really inspired to make great things.

We have collaborated with so many great organizations on campus, met so many amazing people through them, and been able to inspire and make a positive impact on so many students at NJIT. Doing what I do as part of IEEE — and so many more things at NJIT — has allowed me to be the best that I can be. That's what it's all about!

Photos by Yukthi Sangoi

Layout by Areej Qamar

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' The Reimagining of Princess Peach

For video game lovers across the world, Mario and Luigi are more than just characters bleeping across a computer screen. They are a symbol of many childhoods, spending countless hours exploring unique and interesting worlds in the search for Princess Peach. When it was announced that the franchise would be reimagined into a movie, it was no surprise that many fans had mixed feelings about how it would be produced.

No one wanted a repeat of the abysmal 1993 "Super Mario Bros." film, and even fewer people were ready for actor Chris Pratt to voice Mario. I must admit that when entering the movie theater, I was also skeptical about how good the experience would be, especially with the knowledge that I would not be hearing the iconic red plumber’s accented voice.

I found the film enjoyable with its unique reimagining of the origins of not only Mario and Luigi, but also Princess Peach. As it turns out, Mario and Luigi are just common plumbers from Brooklyn trying to get by. The reason that they don’t speak with an Italian accent: the brothers simply made a commercial to promote their plumbing business and believed that using an Italian accent would boost their clientele. As a result, both speak with a Brooklyn accent throughout much of the movie. Al-

though jarring at first, it became easier to accept this new voice for Mario as the movie progressed.

Once Mario and Luigi find their way to the universe in which Princess Peach resides, we see an obvious difference between the movie and the games. Mario is no longer on a quest to save Princess Peach, but is rather traveling the world to be reunited with his brother and save him from the notorious Bowser. The role of the 'damsel in distress' has been given to Luigi instead of Peach, the usual recipient. When Mario meets Peach, we are presented with a Peach who is not just a princess, but also a warrior, diplomat, strategist, and leader. As the movie

‘Baby J’ Review

By Mrunmayi Joshi | Managing Editor

This review contains mentions of substance abuse and self-harm.

John Mulaney has had a rough few years. The standup comedian was initially vaulted to fame through his segments on the show “Saturday Night Live” and his Netflix specials “New in Town,” “The Comeback Kid,” and “Kid Gorgeous.” His combination of boyish charm and mature witticism drew primarily millennial — as well as some Gen Z — fans in droves, and it wasn’t uncommon to see Twitter accounts with quotes from his offbeat speeches.

In December 2020, as the world reeled from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mulaney announced that he was checking into rehab for drug addiction. This initial move was generally met with support online, especially as Mulaney had been relatively vocal about his previous struggle with alcohol and drugs. A few months later, in May 2021, the comedian went on to announce his separation from artist Anna Marie Tendler, his wife of eight years.

Mulaney immediately faced much more backlash online, especially after his romantic linkage with actress Olivia Munn in September and their pregnancy announcement in November of that year. This might seem interesting to followers of celebrity culture, as Mulaney’s “sins” were not nearly as grave as figures who have been accused of serious crimes. However, a significant portion of Mulaney’s stand-up routine was based on his clean-cut 1950s image and his life with his wife. Most egregiously, Mulaney had mentioned his aversion to children in his specials; fans saw his pregnancy announcement as a betrayal.

progresses, the origin of Princess Peach is revealed, showing how she became the selfless warrior-princess the Toads adore. Gone are the days of seeing a helpless Peach waiting for a plumber in shining overalls to save her.

Princess Peach’s new role as an independent and empowered woman may be the latest to join this recent cinematic phenomenon, but she is certainly not the first. The most noticeable female character that outgrew her role of submissiveness in recent years is none other than the iconic black-white-and-red jester Harley Quinn. Starting off as the Joker’s lackey and girlfriend, Harley was seen as a character who would do anything for

By David Juarez | Staff Writer

her puddin’ even if it meant facing degradation and arrest by Batman.

The character of Harley Quinn not only highlighted the effects of an abusive relationship, but also the difficulties many people go through to become independent and reevaluate their selfworth. HBO’s series “Harley Quinn” not only captures the therapeutic self-realizations that Harley achieves as she explores a life of independence, but also her exploration of her sexuality and moral ideology. The redefinition of Harley Quinn as an empowered character leads to both a journey of self-love for Harley and a sense of gratification due to seeing a fictional character achieve success despite her difficult life situation.

In Princess Peach’s case, the re-evaluation of her identity serves as a reminder that there is always room for improvement for previously developed characters. In today’s era of entertainment, it has become important to be able to break the mold and let go of outdated social tropes.

I would rate the movie 4.5 crabs out of five!

As for me, I feel that the entire scandal proved that sexism is still alive and well, even amongst the young women who constitute most of Mulaney’s fanbase, and that struggles with substance addiction are still colored with stigma. This was proven through the hordes of followers accusing Munn of plotting to steal Mulaney away from Tendler, and the rampant speculation on the timeline of the relationship. Additionally, armchair experts posted advice on not entering a relationship when starting sobriety, let alone having a child.

Mulaney’s new special, “Baby J,” was released on Netflix on April 25 this year, his first since the 2018 Emmy-winning “Kid Gorgeous.” The title is oddly fitting; the 80-minute experience marks the rebirth of his persona. Gone is the comedian who pranced and jumped around the stage with enthusiasm; this Mulaney is visibly older and more tired, standing next to the microphone with muted hand gestures.

He explores his journey into rehabilitation and sobriety, quipping, “I was the best-looking person at my intervention,” because of his cocaine use causing weight loss, while all his comedian friends had been delving into the joys of ice cream and wine during the pandemic. Over the course of the special, Mulaney details humorous experiences such as ordering DoorDash to his inpatient facility, the difference between using a baby-changing station to snort cocaine and actually changing a baby, and having an intervention on Zoom.

Unlike his previous specials, Mulaney goes into detail about the sordid — but mostly just tragic — life of an addict. A story about buying and pawning a Rolex

watch to buy drugs comes across as desperate and wasteful, not funny, and the same goes for the last part of the show, which is a long segment about an interview he allegedly did while high. He does acknowledge the elephant in the room, saying, “When I’m alone in a room, I’m with the person who tried to kill me.”

Mulaney had spoken about his experiences with drugs and alcohol in his prior specials, but had always spun them as the inevitable amusements of a college student with too much time and money, not serious problems. In “Baby J,” Mulaney recalls sitting outside of liquor stores as a 13-year-old, asking passerby to purchase 24-packs of beer for him and his friends. This special has a very different feel; gone is the polished, prematurely middle-aged choirboy.

Is this the “real” Mulaney? I’m not so sure — about that or the special. The piece is certainly more raw, but it could’ve used some workshopping, especially at the ending, which felt a bit predictable and weak. Compared to his previous tightly-woven monologues, this special is somewhat rough around the edges, with meandering parts that don’t quite connect.

However, I think this special was necessary, for both Mulaney to grow as a comedian and the audience to understand his new career path. No matter how true the rest of the special is, Mulaney is showing the audience that he is a real person — with struggles — for the first time, and that deserves some credit. Three out of five crabs from me!

Layout by Andrew Anil George

Photo from Netflix

Photo from Illumination Entertainment

'Swarm' Rooting for the Unrootable

“This is not a work of fiction” is the first disclaimer that “Swarm” presents to its audience, a complete contradiction to the fictional show that begins seconds later. Although this may simply seem like playful wording for the first episode, this bewildering statement is only the beginning of the insanity that “Swarm” plans to impose on the audience. “Swarm” is a psychological horror, thriller, and dark comedy miniseries created by producers Janine Nabers and Donald Glover.

“Swarm” provides a unique take on one of the most dangerous phenomenons of the modern era: stan culture. To be a “stan” means to be an overzealous fan of a celebrity, which may span from placing celebrity posters on your bedroom wall, to arguing online with “haters,” to becoming a serial killer. At least, that’s the

case for the show’s protagonist, Dre, who is played by Dominique Fishback.

Dre is an obsessive superfan of the world-renowned pop star Ni’jah, who mirrors Beyoncé; she is a core member of the pop star's fanbase, the “swarm,” a play on Beyoncé’s fanbase, the “Beyhive.” After suffering from a traumatic childhood and being treated like an outsider by most of the people around her, Dre uses Ni’jah as her personal outlet.

As a result, Dre’s biggest dream is to meet the popstar alongside her sister, Marissa, played by Chloe Bailey. After the tragic death of Marissa, Dre makes it her life mission to complete the promise she once made to her sister and finally meet Ni’jah. With her mental health at an all-time low, Dre also vows to “silence” anyone who dares to insult Ni’jah along the way.

With the series only consisting of seven episodes, “Swarm” follows the fast-paced and bloody road trip that Dre embarks on as she gives her all to reach her goal by any means necessary. Demented, hilarious and frightening, the show provides an unforgettable rollercoaster ride of a viewing experience, even if the deeper message it attempts to convey throughout the runtime feels rather unevolved.

“Sometimes…it’s good to give in.” This quote may have erupted halfway through the season in the context of a conversation about eating junk food, but it perfectly encompasses a feeling that continues to resurface in nearly every episode. Throughout the show, Dre commits murder out of sadness, anger, and desperation.

On paper, Dre is a horrifying character that most couldn’t wait to see behind bars. However, as I watched the humanization that Fishback breathed into Dre through her captivating performance, I couldn’t help but smile when witnessing Dre succeed through her luck and wits, regardless of how bloody the show became. This is not only due to Fishback’s stellar acting, but also because of the erratically comedic themes spread throughout the show.

Through the show’s exceptional creation of atmosphere through the show’s editing, directing and soundtrack usage, the audience has the green light to cry, laugh or scream in shock, regardless of the plot occurring at that moment. “Swarm” never takes itself

too seriously or delves too deep into triggering topics, which can be seen as both a gift and a curse. This modulation of mood that “Swarm" resides in allows viewers of views to enjoy the subversive show.

However, the show’s relaxed attitude towards dark themes do not mean that the show in any way resembles a simple popcorn flick. One underrated aspect of “Swarm” is that at its core, the show is mainly a plot device to speak about topics that Nabers and Glover deem important. As a character states, "I don't appreciate you portraying [stans] as monsters.”

“Swarm” is incredibly self-aware and acknowledges the potential harm it may cause. Rather than pursue harsh judgment of real people for the sake of entertainment, the show would much rather shine a light on the unacknowledged mentality of these characters, while also bringing up other important issues through these characters along the way.

“Swarm” uses a unique plotline to investigate multiple topics that typically lie unacknowledged. During the 20- to 30-minute runtimes of its episodes, the show finds a way to connect the dangers of cults and parasocial relationships, the issue of Black women’s voices being ignored, the deeper meaning of food addiction, the poor treatment of children in foster care, and many more.

These topics are addressed through unconventional methods that “Swarm” has no issue diving into, such as including real murder cases within storylines and even creating a fake documentary episode that completely recontextualizes the entire show.

Overall, “Swarm” is an extreme passion project with a high budget, and it's better because of that. This sense of freedom allows “Swarm” to tap into unique and exciting areas that have never been addressed on television. This sense of freedom sometimes feels boundless throughout the show; as a result, the show never reaches satisfactory conclusions for most viewers.

“Swarm” may not feel fully realized by the time it ends, but the show is an assuredly rare and unmissable experience. The viewer empathizes with its characters and themes throughout the show, through its powerful messages that previous showrunners were too afraid to touch.

I give Swarm 3.5 out of five crabs!

By Najee Manning | Senior Staff Writer

Photos from Prime Video

'Suzume' A Poignant, Mystical Adventure

By David Juarez | Staff Writer

Fans of “Your Name” and “Weathering with You,” rejoice! A new movie by Makato Shinkai was finally released in American theaters in April. “Suzume No Tojimari,” or “Suzume,” as it is known to American audiences, is Shinkai’s latest movie, tackling concepts such as closure, love, trauma, and ecological disasters.

“Suzume” follows a 17-year-old girl named Suzume Iwato who still feels the impact of her mother's disappearance 12 years later. After a fateful encounter with Souta Munakata one day, Ikato enters an abandoned resort and finds a door at the center of the site. After Ikato opens the door, she releases a cat statue from the ground and unknowingly unleashes an entity known as “The Worm” into the world.

While Ikato and Munakata success-

more doors to free “The Worm.” Should the entity fully escape, a natural disaster of a great magnitude will hit Japan and kill millions of people. Together, Munakata and Ikato must travel across Japan to close doors, reinstate Daijin as the keystone of the Western Door, and prevent “The Worm” from fully entering their world.

As Ikato travels through her Odyssey, we see not only beautiful scenery highlighting the liveliness and beauty of Japan, but also the ferocious aftermath of natural disasters. The movie highlights the fragility of life and the difficulty of coming to terms with the passing of a loved one. Most importantly, the movie highlights the importance of remembering the past — of not letting those who died be forgotten in the sands of time. With each closing of a door, we hear the memories of the people who lived in the

COME FOR THE CLIMBING STAY FOR THE COMMUNITY

METHOD CLIMBING, NEWARK NJ

A specific scene that stood out to me was the closing of a door in an abandoned school. Years ago, a landslide destroyed the school, killing the students and staff inside. As the door closes, we get a glimpse into the lives that the school contained, with students going about their day talking about class work and plans for after school. The juxtaposition of the ordinary life of the school in the past and its ruined state in the present made me wonder how many times I have passed abandoned buildings and sites without ever really stopping to think about the experiences of the previous residents.

It is fitting that following the themes of remembrance and closure, “Suzume” is centered around one of the most impactful environmental disasters that has ever hit Japan: the earthquake of 2011. Although viewers never actually see the actual event, we do see the aftermath, as well as earthquakes appearing each time

“The

Worm” gets free.

While I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film, I did find some aspects to be a bit off-putting — primarily the pacing at which the story was set. The beginning of the movie was a mixture of fast-paced scenes that would abruptly transition to slower-paced scenes. In the beginning of the movie, it felt as if there was a rush to establish the world-building and jump into the journey.

In addition, towards the end of the movie, a character that is important for the finale appeared, but was never given a proper introduction, in my opinion. All in all, however, I would recommend the movie; not only does it have beautiful animation, but it also explores many thought-provoking concepts. I rate it four out of five crabs!

COLLECTIONS

voices from around campus

What are your plans for the summer break?

"summer cs 288, summer job, and gaming"

"Going into a three month long vegetative state to recover from this year and to wait for the next"

"summer class, DND, living my best life"

"I’m going to sleep so hard for the first two weeks."

"Summer job… which is the same as my winter, spring, and fall job :D"

"At least one summer class (3 credits), one confirmed trip, and two planned."

"Keep on the grind"

"Getting a summer job again"

"summer class and summer job ;-;"

"research and work but hopefully lots of sleep!"

Photo from IMDb

Chlöe’s 'In Pieces' A Heartfelt but Scattered Debut

For over seven years, the singer/songwriter duo Chloe x Halle, composed of twins Chloe and Halle Bailey, has made waves through unique compositions of experimental contemporary R&B. This year, Chloe Bailey experienced the tumultuousness of adulthood and chose to release solo music that shows her personal journey during Chloe x Halle’s music hiatus. As a solo artist, Chloe Bailey adopted the pseudonym “Chlöe” and released her debut album, “In Pieces,” where she strives to showcase her honed vocal and production skills.

Released on March 21, “In Pieces” focuses on the themes of turbulent relationships, heartbreak, and finding self-confidence as Chlöe steps into the realm of adulthood and makes her individual mark in the music world. The album boldly presents itself as a passionate journey during which Chlöe showcases her current emotions and struggles. “In Pieces” does not sugarcoat any of her introspection, although it leads to the album’s core themes feeling erratic and its lyrics feeling juvenile.

The opening track, “Someone’s Calling (Chlöe),” sets a vibrant tone for the album, adopting a New Orleans flair through its use of the trumpet and violin, along with an angelic choir, to create a unique introduction that entices listeners. However, after this opener, listeners are met with the intense R&B ballad “Pray It Away,” where Chlöe attempts to seek peace instead of getting revenge against her toxic partner. Despite the harsh contrast in sound, her strong vocals and production on the song allows the audience to slowly accept the theme change.

Although “Pray It Away” resembles the end of a harmful relationship journey, “In Pieces” quickly rips listeners away from this mentality and throws them into a random chapter of Chlöe’s relationship with the next track, “Body Do.” In this sultry and upbeat pop-influenced track, Chlöe details how she continues to gain satisfaction alongside her partner, without forgetting that he is not to be trusted.

Yet again, Chlöe pushes the listener to a completely different chapter of her life with the R&B-focused track “I Don’t Mind,” where she describes how her ex-partner is still in love with her as they continue to have physical relations. However, she narrates that she prefers simple physical relations over returning to a proper relationship with him due to the emotional pain that he has caused her. This is only the beginning of the album’s constant shift in mood and storytelling order, one of the album’s biggest issues as a listening experience.

Despite every song being meticulously produced and containing vigorous vocals from Chlöe, these constant theme changes refuse to let the listener grow connected to the album with any track. This problem is worsened by Chlöe’s lyrics, which at times feel rudimentary and repetitive. She often fails to get the importance of her message across before the end of most tracks, which typically last no longer than three minutes.

Chlöe’s lyrics are deeply honest, yet sometimes become so personal that the song becomes too involved without clarification of the problems that she is facing. As a result, the listener fails to gain any connection with the topics being discussed. Because of this, most listeners will spend most of their time with “In Pieces” simply lending an ear to Chloe’s relationship woes, while continuing the attempt to find a track they gravitate towards before it’s soon replaced with a brand-new sound during the album’s 37-minute runtime.

This does not mean, however, that “In Pieces” is an unenjoyable listening experience, as the album contains multiple earworm choruses through tracks like “Feel Me Cry” where Chlöe describes how she hopes to reach a higher stage of emotional expression with her partner, as well as the energetic rap collaboration “Told Ya” with Missy Elliott that explores Chlöe’s confidence after an ended relationship and as a solo artist. Chlöe is also not afraid to delve deeper into what she wants to express with her music, as seen in songs such as “Make It Look Easy” where she confesses how she struggles with her insecurities and strives for perfection within her music and personal life.

One of the album’s interlude tracks, “Fallin 4 U,” where Chlöe mixes her vocals with a recording of a woman who refuses to depend on a man, indicates her desire to find love without being viewed as someone who needs to be in a relationship to feel complete. Despite the rollercoaster that “In Pieces” exemplifies, it is not an album that you will rush to turn off. Instead, it may be an album that you wish had better execution due to its combination of amazing vocals and clean-yet-experimental production.

“In Pieces” ends with the title track, in which Chlöe provides the album’s finale through a piano ballad that describes her pure love for a person and desire to be with them even in her most vulnerable times. This closing track is a strange contrast from the previous song “Heart On My Sleeve,” which focuses on Chlöe’s distress over being an open book for someone who did not deserve her love and honesty. The closing track also suffers from generic writing, but as Chlöe states in the track, “I know it’s complicated, but you don’t have to say a single word.” This song showcases the best of Chlöe’s vocals as she provides a euphonious and memorable album conclusion.

As “In Pieces” comes to an end, it leaves its mark as a combination of creative visions scattered through tracks that are unfortunately never cohesive or impactful enough to help the album reach its full potential. Although Chlöe provides a few memorable songs throughout the album, the overall message that “In Pieces” attempts to showcase feels inconsistent and underdeveloped.

I give “In Pieces” 2.5 out of five crabs!

By Najee Manning | Senior Staff Writer

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Horoscopes

By Clairvoyant Cancer Conveying the Current Chances

ARIES

If you have something on your mind, this is the time to communicate it. Remove the barrier and remember, it’s only awkward if you let it be awkward.

TAURUS

Don’t be afraid to ask for help over the next few weeks. It might help you get closer to your goals.

GEMINI

Be devoted to yourself to reach your highest potential. There may some people who are getting in the way.

CANCER

Expressing yourself could lead to a major breakthrough. Just don’t lose yourself in the process.

LEO

Look for new friends if you can. Moving on is the only way to forget about past wounds.

VIRGO

Relationships of all types can strengthen your ambitions, but it’s up to you to surround yourself with people who aren’t toxic.

LIBRA

Devote yourself to expansion, whether it’s through making connections, traveling, reading, or learning new hobbies.

SCORPIO

Relationships have the potential to get stronger if you make the first move. You never know where it leads you.

SAGITTARIUS

It’s the perfect month to start a relationship, but be careful with whose emotions you play with.

CAPRICORN

You’ll need to put in effort if you want your relationship to last.

AQUARIUS

Romance is in the air. It’s the time for spring flings that may spur into long time partnerships.

PISCES

Make family your priority and create a solid emotional foundation with your loved ones.

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Joe Marquez