Spring 2023 Issue 6

Page 1

NJIT’s Provost Finalists

In the first week of October, NJIT President Dr. Teik Lim announced the university’s nationwide search for an applicant for the highly coveted position of Provost and Senior Executive Vice President. For the past 20 years, the position had been held by Dr. Fadi P. Deek, who returned to the faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Informatics and Mathematical Sciences.

Since July 1, Dr. Atam P. Dhawan has served as NJIT’s Interim Provost and will continue to fill this role until a selection is made. A provost is a university’s chief academic officer and reports directly to the university president. Particular considerations for this appointment include implementing NJIT’s 2025 Strategic Plan and designing the 2030 plan with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic plan.

Due to the weighty nature of the role, a provost search committee assembled to choose between candidates from across the United States. There were representatives from each college; Dr. Wunmi Sadik, Distinguished Professor from the College of Science and Liberal Arts, and Catherine Brennan, Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, were co-chairs of the panel. Student Senate President Mark Nashed and Graduate Student Association President Andrew House represented students on the committee.

On Feb. 15, Lim announced that the committee had finalized four candidates, ranging in background and experience: Dr. Karin Rutlandt, Dr. Kenneth Christensen, Dr. Don Leo, and Dr. John Pelesko. From Feb. 20–24, they each hosted a forum in the Campus Center Atrium and Agile Strategy Lab in the Central King Building.

Rutlandt is a chemist by training, who earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degree in Germany. Most recently, she

served as the Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University from 2014 to 2022. She is a reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates programs and was awarded the foundation’s Career Award from 1997–2002.

She said that her greatest accomplishments included starting “[diversity, equity, and inclusion] initiatives to create a strong sense of belonging, including the hire of an associate Dean for this purpose and the introduction of new faculty hiring policies.” She is also proud of Syracuse University’s high retention rate of international students, with around 91.5% choosing to stay for their second year.

In addition, Rutlandt emphasized, “I believe in the ‘ear on the ground’ approach, which allows intervention before it is too late to retain outstanding faculty or resolve problems. The promotion of an inclusive and diverse campus climate is the foundation of an enhanced student experience and thriving research climate.” Under her leadership, the Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences raised around $15 million annually for the promotion of research, student scholarships, and endowed professorships.

Christensen received his education in mechanical engineering and is the Interim Provost, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also holds the position of the Carol and Ed Kaplan Endowed Chair in Engineering and joined the university as the Dean of the College of Engineering. Christensen served as the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal “Measurement Science and Technology” from 2017–2021 and is currently on three editorial boards.

He highlighted his commitment to

digital and non-traditional learners, having launched the “Learner-First Degree Initiative with one of the largest global online educational platforms to address job-readiness for non-traditional learners.” Under his leadership, Illinois Institute of Technology is launching a Lifelong Learning Academy to provide reskilling needs across the tech sector and address the cliff in traditional learners.

Additionally, he brought up the importance of targeted collaborations with industry, especially for technology-centric universities. “From a scholarly perspective, NJIT’s focus on transdisciplinary advances, including research with direct industry and/or national interest impact, also underpins my scholarly growth strategy at Illinois Tech,” Christensen said. At Illinois Tech, he pursued partnerships with manufacturing companies and Chicago’s healthcare sector.

Leo received training as a mechanical and aerospace engineer, working in positions in the Department of Defense’s research arm. Since 2013, he has served as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He is also the chair of the American Society of Engineering Education’s Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Leo is the first appointed dean, as the college was only set up in 2012; he oversaw a four-fold increase in students and directed a doubling of faculty members. “We recently finalized a collaboration with the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences to jointly administer the computer science programs and elevate the department to a School of Computing. This collaboration will add another 1,600 students to the college,” he added.

He spoke on the importance of acquiring funding, explaining, “I successfully obtained extramural funding from

numerous public and private sources. Some examples include the creation of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing while at Virginia Tech, or the fourfold expansion of our research expenditures as dean at [the University of Georgia.]” Given NJIT’s proximity to the New York City metropolitan region, Leo underscored the importance of building collaborative relationships.

Pelesko is a mathematics graduate who obtained his Ph.D. at NJIT in 1997. As the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware, he oversees 24 academic departments, nearly 8,000 undergraduate students, and almost 600 faculty members. He also worked with the Delaware Department of Education from 2011–2020, notably overseeing statewide remediation in mathematics and making recommendations for teacher preparation.

As dean, Pelesko stated, “I have a broad portfolio of responsibilities with 30 direct reports that include Department Chairs, School Directors, Associate Deans, a Chief Operating Officer, and a Chief of Staff.” He included his prior experience as director of the graduate students program, during which he “launched the ‘GEMS’ initiative, creating mentored summer research opportunities for graduate students.”

For future goals, he addressed the importance of strategic planning, resource management, and the cultivation of human capital. “Having personally experienced the transformative power of an NJIT education, and having seen the incredible transformation that NJIT has undergone in the last decade makes this an especially exciting opportunity,” Pelesko added.

To learn more about each candidate and the provost search, visit www.njit. edu/provostsearch/.

ector The The Voice of NJIT with Magnitude and Direction Since 1924 Vol. XCIX | Spring | Issue VI Week of February 26, 2023 Layout by Areej Qamar 'INTENTION' ALBUM REVIEW FEATURES BRANCH BROOK PARK ALLIANCE See page 3 FINEST: REIGN OR SHINE XV SNAPSHOTS ENTERTAINMENT See page 4 See page 7
Mrunmayi Joshi | Managing Editor Photo by Areej Qamar

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.

MEET THE TEAM

ADVISORS

Operational Advisor Michael Davis

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

Staff Writers

Aaron Dimaya

Paridhi Bhardwaj*

Alfred Simpson

Najee Manning*

Matthew Fleishman

Contributing Writers

Shreyal Sharma

Vaishnavi Kodali

Haripriya Kemisetti

Venkata Pranaya Reddy

Bansari Mistry David Juarez Nemao Monroe

Distribution Manager

Kevin Colonia

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

Photographers

Sean Slusarz*

Eric Camargo*

David Bendezu*

Aditya Bajaj

Simon Chen

Ivy Sosing

Alisha Valentin

Venkata Pranaya Reddy

Nico Santos

Copy Editors

Mustafa Shaikh

Alfred Simpson

Hafsa Ali

Bansari Mistry

*Senior Staff

Layout Assistants

Nicolas Arango

Ivy Sosing*

Shreyal Sharma

Andrew Anil George*

Varsha Thampi*

Paridhi Bhardwaj

Allie He*

Haripriya Kemisetti

Venkata Pranaya Reddy

Graphic Designers

Nicolas Arango

Varsha Thampi

Syed Zeeshan Ali

CC Gallery

CC 466

2/18/2023

11:46 p.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at Central Avenue and Newark Street while conducting a checkpoint. The driver was determined to be driving under the influence after failing multiple field sobriety tests. The driver was placed into custody and transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

2/19/2023

1:59 p.m. Officers generated a theft report of a cell phone for an NJIT student, which occurred at 15 Greek Way. The investigation is ongoing.

2/20/2023

8:40 p.m. Officers responded to the exterior area of Cypress Hall on the report of a suspicious person in the area. The individual was gone prior to the officers’ arrival.

2/21/2023

1:58 p.m. Officers responded to Tiernan Hall on a report of someone smoking marijuana. The officers searched the area, but did not find the individual.

2/22/2023

6:38 p.m. Officers responded to the area of Bleeker Street and University Avenue after receiving a call from an NJIT student, who stated a suspicious non-affiliate male was following them. The officers canvassed the area for the individual with negative results and provided an escort back to campus for the student.

8:29 p.m. Officers were flagged down at New Street and Newark Avenue by New Jersey Transit staff, who stated that they

had a disorderly individual on the bus refusing to leave. The individual left without incident.

9:32 p.m. Officers responded to the exterior of Cypress Hall on the report of an individual panhandling. The officers canvassed the area, but the individual was gone prior to their arrival.

9:54 p.m. Officers responded to Lot 5 on the report of an individual panhandling. The officers met with the individual and gave him a warning.

2/24/2023

7:18 a.m. Officers responded to the Wellness and Events Center on the report of a non-affiliate male in the building. The individual was gone prior to the officers’ arrival.

11:14 a.m. Officers generated a theft report of a laptop taken from the Wellness and Events Center. The investigation is currently ongoing.

1:06 p.m. Officers responded to the Subway located at Central Avenue and Lock Street on the report of a male causing a disturbance. The officers were able to escort the male out of the store without incident.

1:57 p.m. Officers responded to the exterior area of Smashburger on a report of someone smoking marijuana. The officers canvassed the area with negative results.

10:16 p.m. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop at Norfolk Street and Perez Drive for a failure to observe the signal. The driver was determined to be driving under the influence after failing multiple field sobriety tests. The driver was placed into custody and transported to NJIT Police Headquarters for processing.

Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR 2
Monday, March 6th 49°F | 33°F 14 mph Tuesday, March 7th 48°F | 30°F 16 mph Wednesday, March 8th 46°F | 28°F 18 mph Thursday, March 9th 46°F | 27°F 16 mph
Bowling Night ACS Research Q&A Panel Women In Architecture Blind Date with a Book Commuter Creative Moving Lounge The Vector Weekly Meeting
NJIT Vector Summary For 2/18/23 through 2/24/23 Times Shown are Times Reported POLICE
March 6th 4:00 p.m
6:00 p.m.
March 7th
March 8th 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 10th 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Gameroom
116
Elly's Loft
HSC
Upcoming Events
BLOTTER Monday,
-
Tuesday,
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday,
CC
CKB
HCAD
CC 466
Highlander
Hub njitvector.com @njit_vector FIND US ONLINE
our Friday meetings from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at NJIT Campus Center, Room 466 if you're interested in contributing!
Memor y of Dr. Herman A . Estrin and Roger Hernande
Join
WEATHER Layout by Areej Qamar

'It's a Privilege to Pee'

In a town not too far away, but in a parallel universe, residents are suffering through a water shortage that caused the government to prohibit any use of private toilets. The public pay-to-pee system is owned and operated by the corrupt Urine Good Company — anyone who fails to abide by the law is sent to Urinetown; no one hears from them again.

The Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Program has worked day and night to prepare “Urinetown: The Musical” under the direction of Dr. Michael Kerley, Associate Director of the Theatre Arts and Technology Division at NJIT. The cast and crew have performed on March 1 and 2, and they will continue to entertain audiences on Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m. in NJIT's Jim Wise Theatre in Kupfrian Hall. Tickets to a show cost $15 each and can be purchased by scanning the QR code to the right.

The musical lasts about three hours with an intermission and is bound to tell a captivating and humorous story for the viewers. The satirical comedy touches on themes like capitalism, the legal system, social responsibility, corporate corruption, and environmentalism. With months of work put in by students and staff, the acting and musical numbers are sure to make the viewer appreciate their privilege to pee!

The Branch Brook Park Alliance

NJIT has built an institution and community based on local impact through education, research, economic development, and engagement to improve the quality of life for all. Students have helped shape the culture at Branch Brook Park by helping to establish a sense of community, common purpose, and focus through volunteering. Branch Brook Park Alliance, an organization created to maintain and improve the area, believes in excellence, integrity, civility, sustainability, social responsibility, diversity and inclusion, and communication.

Since 1999, Branch Brook Park Alliance has been refreshing the park for modern use by community members, in partnership with Essex County. The principal methods of this goal are achieved through volunteer stewardship, event sponsorship, and corporate and community giving. Community is at the forefront of everything that the group does.

The alliance’s primary function is to bridge relationships between the park and community leaders and members, local institutions, and organizations and local businesses. This allows the group to meet the needs of community members through various programs and projects thanks to our generous supporters. In 2022, with the help of the NJIT community, over 3,000 volunteers participated

in Branch Brook Park projects.

Anyone is welcome to come out and volunteer on the numerous day and time options, visible through Branch Brook Park’s online platform. Volunteers help the alliance reimagine the park’s 360acre space in order to continue to foster health and well-being for all, especially through environmental conservation and urban sustainability efforts.

Customized volunteer opportunities are also available through sponsorship, which focuses more on team building and personalizing an experience to meet the needs of the organization and the park. Proceeds from these sponsorships allow the alliance to purchase tools and supplies for its volunteers, as well as welcome groups such as Engineers Without Borders and NJIT students.

The Engineers Without Borders club from NJIT has helped park officials create interactive maps of the landscape; these works of art help visitors better navigate the park, available activities, restrooms, historical sites, best places to explore, and tree plagues. The interactive map can be found here on the alliance’s website. This map is often used to locate historical sites within the Park and where the cherry blossoms are located.

While the park currently possesses

5,200 cherry blossom trees in 18 varieties, it regularly seeks to grow its collection through the Adopt-A-Tree sponsorship program. Knowing that many of the area’s cherry blossom trees were sponsored by visitors, community leaders, or residents makes the blooming season even more beautiful. Students also use the flowers to remember this special place, whether for themselves, a group they were affiliatee with, or in celebration of a loved one.

For more information about Branch Brook Park Alliance and the work that the alliance does, visit the group online at https://branchbrookpark.org/index. html. Its Instagram handle is @branchbrookpark and its Twitter can be found @branchbrookparkalliance.

For sponsorships and donor information, reach out to Alanna Garavaglia at (973) 969-1189 x325 or info@branchbrookpark.org.

Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR 3 Features
Layout by Areej Qamar & Varsha Thampi Photos by Yukthi Sangoi
“What a strange thing to be alive, beneath cherry blossoms.”
Kobayashi Issa Japanese poet Photo by Varsha Thampi

Bangla'r Mela

The Bangladeshi Student Association celebrated a festival of Bangladeshi culture in the Campus Center Atrium on Friday, Feb. 24. Attendees could sample henna tattoos, street food, and live performances.

Reign or Shine XV

NJIT's Filipinos In Newark Engaging In Sociocultural Traditions, FINEST, hosted its annual dance showcase last Sunday, Feb. 26 in collaboration with the Student Activities Council. Several groups of dancers performed in the Wellness and Events Center for a chance at winning the competition.

4 Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR Snapshots
METHOD CLIMBING, NEWARK NJ COME FOR THE CLIMBING STAY FOR THE COMMUNITY
Layout by Areej Qamar Photos by Samira Santana Photos by Ethan O'Malley

'The Love Hypothesis' Is Definitely Incorrect

This review contains spoilers.

I’m usually not one for rom-coms, but recently, a book about a biology Ph.D. student went viral on TikTok. It was called “The Love Hypothesis,” written by neuroscientist Ali Hazelwood. As a biology major, I was intrigued by the setting, and decided to give the book a try.

The plot centers around 26-year-old biology student Olive Smith, who is working on a thesis at Stanford University, and faculty member Adam Carlsen. They start and maintain a fake relationship due to a reason that is so unbelievably contrived that I tuned out any further justification of it in the book. Eventually, they develop real feelings for each other.

If you’re going to write about a relationship between a faculty member and a graduate student, the book should at least touch on the ethical issues involved. Some analysis on this front would have been so much more interesting to read, even if my feelings on the matter are set in stone. There is a reason why such relationships are not permitted or encouraged, but again, it would have at least introduced some unique elements.

Yet the matter was just waved aside because, apparently, Carlsen is not on Smith’s dissertation committee. I mean, big whoop. Presumably, if he’s such a brilliant star of the biology department, Carlsen still has a lot of influence over other faculty members and could con-

ceivably derail Smith’s post-graduate plans. His entire reputation is based on failing graduate students’ theses, and the readers are supposed to believe that he will be completely out of the picture when it comes to hers?

The least interesting part of this book was the romance, which somehow managed to be both wildly inappropriate and yawn-inducing. So, let’s talk a little bit about the biology education.

In my opinion, the funniest part of the book is when Smith’s lab-mates let her go first to use the centrifuge and microscope because she’s dating Carlsen, and they’re scared of him failing their proposals. I don’t know if the author meant this to be as unintentionally hilarious as it was, but I couldn’t stop cracking up — if only lab work was this easy.

As a biology student at NJIT, though, I take extreme offense to Smith complaining about not having enough reagents at Stanford University. As of 2021, its endowment is $36.3 billion dollars annually. Do you know what NJIT’s annual endowment is? It’s $170 million. Somehow, our labs still manage to purchase antibodies and ELISA kits.

One of the most glaring holes in the plot — which is saying a lot for a book with a story resembling Swiss cheese — is how Smith suddenly has to switch labs for her Ph.D. dissertation. I completely understand that students run into unforeseen circumstances during this pe-

riod, which lasts an average of five years for biology doctoral students. My own mother got a new advisor two years into her Ph.D.

However, I don’t think this would happen for the reason offered in the book, which is that Smith’s advisor is retiring; this is also supposed to explain why the lab cannot afford basic supplies. To that, I say: what kind of faculty member would take on a Ph.D. student when they know they will be retiring in the near future? Retirement, unless it’s because of something unexpected, is usually something that principal investigators plan for.

This would have been such a good opportunity to bring up issues that real doctoral students face, such as not having the right mentor or not aligning with the kind of work that they do. Having the maturity and courage to understand what her project required — and taking the step of changing advisors — would have added to Smith’s character. Instead, Hazelwood provided an extremely flimsy excuse that made the plot feel even more contrived.

This might be me nitpicking, but there is a moment in the book that irritated me beyond belief. When Tom Benton, Smith’s potential new mentor at Harvard, arrives at Stanford, he asks her why she cares so much about studying pancreatic cancer. When she answers, he doesn’t accept her response, saying, “There must be a reason you’re so mo-

tivated. Did someone close to you have cancer?” To this, Smith responds that her mother had cancer. Then, even more unbelievably, Benton asks, “Did she die?”

Obviously, this entire convoluted setup is meant to bring the love interests closer together. However, I was extremely annoyed by the idea that someone can only care about their research if they were personally affected by it. What about the intellectual challenge? Or the fact that pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any malignant growth?

I think this book is probably suited best for people who aren’t involved in academia at all. This is because it’s just so unrealistic that it’s almost unreadable. Needless to say, the characters are all one-dimensional and either boring or extremely off-putting — often both. The best thing I can say about this novel is that I didn’t spend any money on it. One out of five crabs from me, and even that is because of the centrifuge part.

Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR 5 Entertainment
Layout by Ivy Sosing Photo from Goodreads
Forte PIZZERIA Campus Center Lobby 11AM - 8PM Mon. - Fri. 11AM - 5PM Saturday

'INTENTION' Album Review

"It has been a minute, but we are back": this time, with a review of George Watsky's new album "INTENTION." The third and final installment of what the slam-poet-turned-musician calls "the Symmetry trilogy," the release is Watsky's first full-length album in nearly three years.

I first heard of Watsky, whose last name doubles as his stage name, when he was featured as a performer in the "Epic Rap Battles of History" YouTube series. After getting his start in slam poetry by winning the 2006 Brave New Voices poetry slam competition, he took his spoken-word talents to YouTube in the form of incredibly fast rapping and quick-witted lyricism. Over a discography of seven studio albums and a multitude of live albums and extended plays, he honed these abilities.

"INTENTION" follows January 2019's "COMPLAINT" and March 2020's "PLACEMENT," with the three albums employing similar visual stylings and general aesthetics. The album covers were designed to fit together as a cohesive unit, and when they're put side by side, the album names can all be read left to right. It's obvious that this whole project was filled with "INTENTION" from the start, pun entirely intended.

That comment about intention, however, contrasts with the messaging from the opening track, "THE PLAN IS A MESS," which focuses on rolling with the punches even when the best-made plans need to change. The last few years have been emblematic of this mindset for Watsky, who was forced to repeatedly reschedule and later cancel "The PLACEMENT Tour" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Musically, “THE PLAN IS A MESS” starts with a slow piano intro and relaxing chorus before rapidly building intensity in the verses. Watsky combines fast rapping and weird vocal inflections to show just how messy his “plan” has become. While some of the original songs that he became famous for were relatively straightforward with a few fast rap bits, these days he has no problem combining plenty of different stylings into a killer track.

The song ends with Watsky giving shoutouts to everyone who worked on “INTENTION” — as well as Pat Dimitri, who worked on “COMPLAINT” but is apparently now “slangin’ NFTs.” These shoutouts, however, don’t include mentions of the several featured artists

that appear in the tracklist, including on the next track.

“WHAT’S THE MOVE?” features legendary rapper T-Pain, whose bread and butter is his autotune styling. This signature is more than present on this song, along with an overpowering brass section and a drum beat that’s more than worthy of lyrics like “gadunkadunk built like a Tonka truck.” That lyric is one of the lesser-charged ones on this track, but the song, by-andlarge, sees Watsky and a partner at a crossroads: while they enjoy each other’s company, do they want to stay together long-term?

He frames this question as probative, willing to accept any outcome, as “we all got different visions of joy,” but indicates that he would do it all again if he had a second chance. Considering the actual lyrical content of the track, these themes feel really intense.

This project had three singles leading up to its release: “AWW SHiT,” “ROLLIN,” and “Paper Nihilist.” The first of those songs, “AWW SHiT,” was teased on Twitter after almost a full year’s hiatus from the artist; the track itself was released two days later with an accompanying music video. It features Hollis, an indie artist and high school classmate of Watsky’s who released her first solo album in 2022. The track also features Seattle-based Gifted Gab, who took on the song’s second verse.

“ROLLIN,” featuring Camila Recchio, shares some themes with “THE PLAN IS A MESS,” but instead of the “plan” being self-devised, the song focuses on inheriting a broken world and making it your own. This theme feels particularly potent considering the climate crisis that our generation has inherited, and this song will only continue to feel prescient as times change. Camila Recchio, the featured artist on this track, is a long-time collaborator with Watsky, with their shared discography spanning over half a decade.

“Paper Nihilist” is one of my favorite Watsky songs and one of my favorites on the album. The production is so pleasant to listen to that I hope he releases an instrumental, but even with lyrics, the song is a joy to listen to. It discusses the intersection of a world with no meaning and the desire for a sense of self. Fitting what is now a consistent theme on the album, the song is ultimately about battling adversity and winning, with Watsky’s nihilism turning into optimism.

The last song I want to feature is “MILE AWAY,” a

RADIO UPDATE

Week of 2/19/2023

We're Just The Best Radio

WJTB has recently opened its recording studio for semi-full operation. Available in the studio are an audio interface and microphones, with the support of skilled club members for any of your needs. If you are taking Dr. Christopher Funkhouser’s “Podcast Practicum” course, also known as COM 324, you may already be familiar with the material. If you want to learn the ropes, however, just join the WJTB Discord at njit.gg/ wjtb! Podcasts and speaking aren’t the only options — if you are part of a band and want to record some music, stations are also open for that!

Otherwise in music news, this year’s hits got an early start this February. Just in the last few weeks, Gorillaz released a

new effort in “Cracker Island,” and underground R&B experimentalist Liv.e released her new album “Girl In The Half Pearl,” a psychedelic 17-track mix of everything from breakcore to ambient pop. Caroline Polachek also released her newest collection of synth-tinged art pop. Throughout the album's 12 tracks, she further demonstrates her chokehold on both melody and pure vocal talent. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, New York City band Model/ Actriz released a very well-received album called “Dogsbody.” Underneath its screeching synthesizers lie numerous queer, aggressive dance-punk bangers. Fans of music that scares you a little bit — in a good way — should take note.

track that I knew would be the closer for the album on first listen. Featuring stunning vocals by Rachel Zegler, the song looks to the future before a beautiful outro that ties the album up with a nice little bow. It was an intensely satisfying conclusion to this round of songs and the entire Symmetry trilogy… wait, why is there another song playing?!

When “DOT XXX,” the actual finale, came on, I literally yelled and texted a friend at 1 a.m. in total disbelief. With the perfect song on which to end the album having just concluded, what more could Watsky possibly have to say? As it turns out, he had a lot to keep talking about!

A mostly percussive song, “DOT XXX” is seemingly the conclusion to two different trilogies: the Symmetry trilogy of albums and what I’ll call the “dot” trilogy. That second trilogy features 2016’s “Don’t Be Nice” and 2019’s “Advanced Placement,” which all refer to domain names that begin with “KissWatskysGluteusMaximus.”

These websites, kisswatskysgluteusmaximus.com, .net, and now .xxx, all contained easter eggs when visited. This newest entry is special, however, for being the start of an alternate reality game, or ARG for short. While the goal of this ARG was uncertain at first, it was soon revealed that “INTENTION” is not a nine-song album, but a double release with 18 songs, and that the ARG would be the key to “unlocking the second half.”

The official website for the game included a link to a Discord server for players to discuss clues and theories. I’ve never had to split an album review into parts before, so I’m not going to give a crab rating until after the remaining songs’ release. I’m beyond impressed, however, with the artistry and creativity that Watsky put into this first half, and I’m excited to see the second part!

COLLECTIONS

voices from around campus

If you could start over as a first-year student at NJIT, what would you do differently?

"go to class more"

"Nothing, no regrets"

"I would have pursued more research opportunities, studied abroad before COVID-19 happened, and stayed in touch with more people."

"I would be myself instead of acting a certain way to make friends. Real friends would have liked me for who I really am :)"

"applied to internship programs much much earlier"

"ask her out earlier"

"Never join vector"

"Get a good parking spot"

"Develop my study habits better"

"not start in the fall of 2020"

"gone to rutgers"

Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR 7 Entertainment
Layout by Andrew Anil George
Scan the QR code to submit your answer for next issue's collections question! bit.ly/vectorcollections
Photo from Spotify

Horoscopes

ARIES

Don’t be afraid of the changes that appear. You’re better at adapting to change than you may realize. Your life would be boring without change.

TAURUS

Recurring dreams hold significance. They might be hinting at something that you’ve been avoiding.

GEMINI

If everything sounds right but feels wrong, trust your feelings.

CANCER

Feed your mind new knowledge, and push yourself to experience the world with travel. The more you do, the more you learn. Everything is an experience.

LEO

Understand your nightmares to get rid of them. Why are they happening? Are they trying to tell you something?

VIRGO

What do you want people to say about you after you’re gone? Use that as a guide on how to change.

LIBRA

Look for a new skill, whether it’s solving jigsaw puzzles, solving a Rubik’s cube, or arranging flowers. Your interests might surprise you.

SCORPIO

Someone you may be avoiding is pretty hurt about it. Take some time to think about what you’re doing, and talk to them.

SAGITTARIUS

I know you’re intelligent and creative. Use that to make things happen. Don’t let people distract you from your goals.

CAPRICORN

Think about what you enjoy learning and where to find classes or information regarding it.

AQUARIUS

Stepping out of your routine will get you out of your comfort zone. Try something you’ve never done before, like going to a new place or eating different foods.

PISCES

If you’re not satisfied with your current career, make a plan to change it. Side note: do what you love, even if it isn’t for a career. You never know what will happen.

Word Search

Do You Even Sudoku?

Crossword

From onlinecrosswords.net

Week of February 26, 2023 THE VECTOR 8 Entertainment Down 1. Function 2. Waterston of Hollywood 3. Diamond worker? 4. Campus mil. unit 5. Bribery 6. Ratatouille requirement 7. Herr's better half 8. Move stealthily 9. Radar measurement 10. Seven-time Wimbledon champ 11. Hanna-Barbera bear 12. Handle without care 13. One of Hook's gang 21. Railroad tycoon J.P. 22. Best Musical of 1996 23. Rubs irritatingly 24. Kind of majority 25. Welcome command 29. Jeopardy 30. German painter and engraver 32. Pizazz 33. Party to a seance 34. "I did it!" 35. Like many a pet 38. Place setting item 41. Plays Simon Says 44. Equipment 48. Jam 49. Surfeit 51. Tight-fisted type 54. Strong criticism 55. Auditioner's quest 56. Upper hand 57. Cooperstown's Dizzy 58. Gentle 59. Warmonger 63. Kind of lion or horse 64. Aug. flight info 65. Victor at Fredericksburg Across 1. Take over forcefully 6. Newts 10. Athletic facilities 14. Mead's "Coming of Age" locale 15. Clutch 16. Knock around 17. Deserted 18. Rubberneck 19. Chills and fever 20. Text container, perhaps 23. Rebel govt. 26. IMer's chuckle 27. Beethoven's "--- to Joy" 28. Popular weekly lineup 31. Bridge locales 36. Toward shelter 37. African plains grazer 38. Clog 39. Trepidation 40. Heart chambers 42. Sorvino of "Mighty Aphrodite" 43. Lieutenant's underling 45. Rhea relative 46. Mice, to owls 47. Ornamental pillar 48. Consumer woe 50. "--- Blue?" 52. Cowboy Ritter 53. Wee bit 54. Winner of two Oscars and two Tonys 60. Rock group? 61. SNL staple 62. Studio stand 66. Kelp, e.g. 67. Model MacPherson 68. Greta Garbo, for one
Sharp-witted
Cincinnati sluggers 71. Execute a camel?
69.
70.
Find the following: provost finalists urinetown theater branch brook alliance love hypothesis intention complaint placement
EVIL HARD MEDIUM EASY Comic From poorlydrawnlines.com Tag @njit_vector in your Instagram story with photos of your completed puzzles — only if you can solve them, though!
Layout by Haripriya Kemisetti

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.