Vol. C Issue 5 by The Vector

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Vol. C | Issue 5 Week of February 22, 2021

Professor Maurie Cohen Publishes New Book: “Sustainability” By Sreya Das | Web and Multimedia Editor

Maurie J. Cohen, Professor of Sustainability Studies and Director of the Program in Science, Technology and Society at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, recently released a new book titled “Sustainability.” Published Jan. 7, 2021 in North America, this book is part of “Short Introductions,” a British series consisting of various introductory primers with topics ranging from “Health and Illness” to “Media Industry Studies.”

very useful as an introduction to sustainability for interdisciplinary audiences,” commented Dr. Doris Fuchs, Professor of International Relations and Sustainable Development at the University of Münster.

Previously, Cohen had published several other books surrounding sustainability and environmental topics. What makes “Sustainability” stand out from Cohen’s past books is its broader outlook and generalized audience. “Whereas other books have been primarily aimed towards a community of specialists, (though, one always likes to think that specialist writings will find a much wider circle of readership), this book was an opportunity to sort of take the teaching materials that I've been assembling and refining over the past 15 or so years, and put them into a form that might have a wider reach beyond just [the] NJIT classroom,” said Cohen, who teaches an undergraduate course, “Sustainability Policy and Practice,” in addition to his supervising of senior project and seminar and independent studies. For years he did not use a textbook, unsatisfied with the currently available alternatives, and opted instead to post readings to Canvas. “So what is maybe a bit unique about this book is that I was one of the first people in North America, and to some extent the world, to teach a course focused on the challenges of global and local sustainability that didn't take a decidedly scientificor engineering-focused approach. This book is much more directly anchored in the social sciences, seeing sustainability not just as a challenge of renewable energy and electric cars, but as a challenge of how we adapt ourselves to a world of re-

source constraints. “It's an effort to try to make this extremely difficult and hard-to-getyour-hands-around topic accessible to students in a variety of different fields, and particularly, maybe also to students who don't necessarily see themselves as being environmentalists in the customary social movement sense,” said Cohen. “But I'm finding that with each passing year, there does seem to be a larger and larger clientele of students. Maybe it has to do with climate change, maybe it has to do with just people growing generally pessimistic about the future.” “Sustainability” was positively received by the professional sustainability community. Acquiring excellent feedback across the board gave Cohen the confidence that perhaps “this wasn't such a wacky idea to try to write a book that appeals to students across virtually every academic discipline, from philosophy to nuclear engineering,” which isn’t

something that is ordinarily done in this discipline. “Sustainability's original impulse—to transform how we live together on this planet—has splintered into a zoo of small-bore activities. Maurie Cohen masterfully organizes this menagerie of interpretations and approaches into an overarching framework that recovers the radical meaning of the challenge,” reviewed Paul Raskin, President of the Tellus Institute, an American environmental non-profit research organization. “This book offers a very accessible introduction to science, policy and practice associated with the broad and complex topic of sustainability. It delineates many central concepts and lines of development with references to relevant events and actors. A particular strength of the book is that it critically questions the reliability of some well-established assumptions and concepts for fostering a sustainability transition. Accordingly, the book will be

However, writing this book was not without challenges. Cohen recalled, “I was getting ready to deliver the manuscript to the publisher, just as COVID-19 was rearing its head, and I had a panic attack because I finished the manuscript in maybe February or March, and I knew that the pandemic was not going to go away soon, and that the book was ultimately not going to be published until the end of last year. Knowing that that was the timeline, I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, this book's gonna be hopelessly out of date before it even hits the bookshelves or hits the Amazon warehouse or whatever!’ The publisher agreed I couldn't go back and sort of weave a COVID-19 narrative into the whole book; that would have been too complex. But I did add on a chapter at the end, a short chapter, trying to speculate what the implications of the pandemic were going to be with respect to some of the things discussed in the book.” Three main takeaways that Cohen hopes readers will understand from his book are: to realize that “there are fulfilling careers that one can pursue in the area of sustainability,” to think of sustainability as something “you'd want to talk to your friends and family about, as a means of spreading the narrative,” and to encourage people to foster a sense of global solidarity and mutual connection. “We're all part of a global supply chains and supply systems,” said Cohen. “The most seriously disenfranchised and most powerless people are oftentimes the most invisible, yet our lives and livelihoods very much depend now on these folks in one way or another showing up for work every day.”

THE VECTOR

Week of February 22, 2021

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THE VECTOR

News

Week of February 22, 2021

Every_01 Play Premiere:

Morality in Death By Birju Dhaduk | Senior Staff

Under Louis Wells, senior lecturer and the artistic coordinator for the Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Arts and Technology Program, is producing another play virtually that will serve as a reflection and documentation of this year’s pandemic. Every_01 is an adaptation of Everyman, a 15th-century morality play about a person who is faced with Death and their journey facing what they have done with their life before their eventual return to their grave. Wells chose to produce this play, particularly due to its added significance to today’s world. The original play was written a bit over 100 years after the bubonic plague. “The play was created almost like a how-to manual on how to die… and so this was part of a series of woodcuts and illustrations on death and dying to help people make peace with death, to make light of it so that people could go on living in the middle of all this death.” as Wells explains. In comparison, “This pandemic exposes how much our culture in the United States, at the beginning of the 21st century, has siloed off parts of society that we just don't want to deal with. And one of those is Death, and this pandemic has really brought it out how we culturally are just terrified to face it. We're completely obsessed with it aesthetically, but we are not interested in it practically.” The production as a whole is also very different from any other on a variety of levels. Unlike most plays, Every-01 will be shown as a video that is prerecorded. A lot of the play will be recorded through Zoom in a single shot in order to capture the actors speaking to each other rather than separate one-sided conversations. These recordings will then be edited into a piece that will look as though the viewer is looking at a desktop. “The final eight minutes of it leave the conventions of the desktop computer and it goes out into the real world. But we put all that on the stage because Shakespeare says all the world's a stage,” said Wells. This final

part of the play that will be recorded on stage will also include using the entirety of the auditorium to film. Only essential actors will take the stage when filming is done in person, with approval by NJIT and COVID-19 tests that return negative. Additional editing will combine both parts of filming the play into the final product. Wells added that there is added benefit to filming some sections in separate locations. The students are in charge of creating their own backgrounds by shaping their rooms in order to express their character. “Each student is almost like their own producer of their own performance. To me that is really a really cool process because it just makes everybody a small storyteller beyond their role.” The background for one of the characters, Death, will also be created using live motion capture, as Wells explained. “You know the Microsoft Kinect video game thing with the cameras. Now all the original complexity of the original Microsoft Kinect is literally at the very top of your iPhone… We are using one as well. So the actor playing Death will be sitting and talking and gesturing and things like that. Meanwhile, the Kinect will be taking his face, his hands, the tone of his voice and it will be modulating a series of digital sprites so that they move around the environment in response to his performance… You'll probably assume that somebody just did this during edits. But for me, this is part of research and development, making special effects that actors can control. It gives them more control over their performance.” This responsive technology is something that the department has used in the past during its production of Hamlet and has chosen to use once again to include an added effect, but this time, on screen. The play will also have very active subtitles built into the video. “So it'll almost look like a lyric video,” said Wells. “You'll be reading it and hearing it at the same

time. And there's a reason for that… Shakespeare was considered brilliant in his time for making the language legible. You hear that Shakespeare is considered a realist compared to the people before him because they use really crazy rhyming schemes and burst structures that were hard to even say out loud. So this play, it doesn't really use the complicated verse structure, but it uses very old words that we don't really use anymore. So I thought that it would be beautiful to see those words. Also, some of the lines are genuinely beautiful poetry, and I thought seeing them as well as hearing them would help reinforce it.” “I've had, for the last three years, a deaf student and it always felt like he had to experience the work at a distance,” Wells continued. “And I think this might be the first thing he's seen where

he feels like, ‘Oh, I was included in it.’ It wasn't an afterthought we had, the subtitles. It's like you made it a part of it. And that's our goal. So it's not just going to be like little words underneath, it should be more alive.” Wells also described his future image of play as one that is perceived as abnormal, fitting the time period. “I'm choosing to make the set out of pieces that are very familiar to our moment in time. Basically, I'm trying to make a time capsule. I'm making a play that like in a year people might go, ‘Oh, that was weird. I don't remember any of that.’ In five years, they may not remember any of it. In 20 years, they'll look at it and think, ‘Wow, what a weird thing to go through.’ Every-01 will premiere on March 3, 2021 at 7 p.m. on the theatre.njit.edu website.

I'm trying to make a time capsule. I'm making a play that like in a year people might go, ‘Oh, that was weird. I don't remember any of that.’ In five years, they may not remember any of it. In 20 years, they'll look at it and think, ‘Wow, what a weird thing to go through.’ Louis Wells Senior Lecturer and Artistic Coordinator

THE VECTOR

Features

Week of February 22, 2021

Professor Boufadel’s Work On Mitigating Spread of COVID-19 Through Supermarkets By Ethan O’Malley | Photography Editor In a new paper, NJIT professor Dr. Michel Boufadel and his colleagues studied the propagation of COVID-19 particles through the airways in a supermarket setting, focusing on how current set ups could be improved to prevent the spread of the virus. Boufadel, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, has focused much of his past research on sustainability, particularly in regards to water and oil infrastructure. The effects of the pandemic, it seems, have attracted him to the field of disease-focused design. After drafting the study, he reached out to a team of fellow environmental engineers and modelers to produce the paper. The team came to a few notable conclusions, with the paper noting the importance of mask wearing at distances far beyond six feet, the need to upgrade current air filtration standards and, nov-

el conclusions regarding the role that increased surface area may play in curbing the spread of aerial virus particles. The primary method of the study was the use of fluid dynamics modeling with the assumption of air flow from indoor ventilation. Under these assumptions, COVID-19 particles were found to travel in excess of 5-15 meters (depending on size), far greater than the 2 meter (or 6 foot) social distance recommendation by the CDC. This indicates that social distancing itself alone is not sufficient in indoor settings like supermarkets and must be supplemented with measures like mask wearing. As much of the model’s results were based on the assumption of air flow due to this ventilation, the filtration systems used by HVAC systems were a point of focus. The study found that filters with MERV ratings 1-12 (the usual range for residential and commercial purposes)

were inadequate in removing particles less than 5 μm and thus posed further risk of infection by recycling virus particles further into the air. An increase in filtration standards could significantly curb the spread of the virus. Another method that showed promise in the study was the use of staggered display shelves or barriers in aisles. Airborne particles, which land on these barriers, can attach to certain barriers and can mitigate the spread within these aisles, especially when combined with one-way movement of customers. Dr. Boufadel notes the importance of this strategy in supplementing the use of filtration. “Baffles/shields would reduce the risk. They cannot eliminate the risk, but you cannot have return vents every 10 feet in a supermarket.” However, the study notes that as display shelves have a high number of attached virus particles and are likely to be touched by cus-

tomers, measures such as glove-wearing or use of disinfectants by store workers would be strongly recommended. By addressing some of these problems in supermarkets, a prime transmission site for COVID-19, the US may greatly mitigate their infection rates as the process of vaccinating its citizens continues. Even after the completion of these vaccination campaigns, some of the recommendations of the researchers may still prove effective in preventing the transmission of other airborne viruses like the common cold and influenza. However, there is still more room for research in this area. Boufadel stated his intention to better quantify the air streams of indoor spaces in further research, while noting the need for further investigation into methods of reducing virus transmission in indoor environments.

Pushing Through the Pandemic at NJIT: A Reflection By Nicholas Merlino | Staff Writer This pandemic has been going on for a long minute. First, the lockdown was supposed to last for only two weeks. Many of us, myself included, thought very little of the gravity of the situation. Then it ramped up: what started out as two weeks became an indefinite period that consumed the summer. The leaves started to turn as we began to think about whether or not it was feasible to go back to school. The enormous cost of education became harder to justify, with many of my friends around me from high school deciding to take gap years, as to not start college in a pandemic. I’ve found the lectures from online schooling are awkward at best and useless at worst. However, the most dismal aspects of the pandemic are the social implications. How can you make friends when everyone is supposed to stay socially distanced, and a large portion of the student body is not supposed to come to campus? Meeting new peo-

ple has been downright difficult. We are now approaching the end of winter, as we start to delve into the Spring 2021 semester. Nearly a year of our lives has been mutilated by COVID-19. However, I say mutilated, and not taken away, because I think we have managed to adapt in some ways to these conditions and make the best of things. For example, Discord, a communications platform, has always played a subtle, yet notable, role in campus interconnectedness. Now, many clubs at NJIT have always used Discord to attract new members, schedule meetings and more. Since the pandemic, students in a majority of my classes have gone out of their way to create Discord servers focused solely on helping individuals with the material in that class. These common spaces, although not exactly the same as meeting up in groups in person, act as forums for students to ask questions, plan study sessions and interact

with each other in ways that would be otherwise impossible in the pandemic. I think these “Discords” are awesome because they are so inclusive. Anyone with the link can join, and weirdly I think it has made online learning a lot more bearable. Last semester I took Probability and Statistics, and I don’t know how it happened, but students taking that class across every section managed to come together in a single Discord server. It gave me a feeling of community with my peers, and it made studying for the exams much easier for me, as there were now dozens of students working who I could work with to solve problems together, as opposed to me doing it by myself, compounded on top of the loneliness this pandemic has put us through. I have seen that there are opportunities for social engagement out there, but only if you are willing to seek it. Luckily, I’ve found that club life at NJIT is still going strong, with many clubs having

weekly virtual meetings and online activities. Now online, I viewed this as an opportunity to step outside of my own comfort zone. I had the personal goal of joining at least one new club this semester, The Vector, which is an ambition that I have fulfilled. There are always new social spaces to explore, and while it may feel daunting, other students have been willing to help me along. This is a comforting thought to me because it demonstrates that the loneliness we may feel from learning at home is common, natural and something that we can help each other work through. And I believe this will be key to us eventually unshackling the chains of the pandemic and returning to typical college life. The coming and distribution of the different COVID-19 vaccines are potentially a sign that the pandemic might be coming to an end, and that we might just pull through it. Graphic By Sreya Das

THE VECTOR

Entertainment

Week of February 22, 2021

Wandavision Review Because the world doesn’t revolve around you. ...Or does it? By Karim Gueye | Senior Staff Writer “WandaVision” is Marvel Studio’s latest original television series – and the first to be published on Disney’s newest streaming service. It stars Elizabeth Olsen as the Avenger Wanda Maximoff, and Paul Bettany as Vision, the part-vibranium part-carbon “synthezoid.” Unlike many shows original to streaming networks, “WandaVision” The show is slated to air for nine episodes; there are two episodes remaining at the time of publishing. Interestingly enough, Marvel chose to air episodes weekly on Disney+, rather than airing the entire season at once. This is a welcome change in a world of “binge-able” shows like “Stranger Things”; a slower airing gives fans more time to discuss smaller scenes and develop and discuss unique theories. The

cast choices are interesting too, as Vision has been dead in-universe for the past three years. “WandaVision” is a superhero drama-mystery masquerading as a stereotypical sitcom. The show begins with newlyweds Wanda’s and Vision’s move to Westview, a New Jersey town that seemingly exists in the 1950s. The couple navigate life through Westview, all while trying to hide their fantastic powers from the world. The show’s mystery comes from its character’s indifference to the strangeness of Westview. Wanda and Vision are both unperturbed by the absurdity of their current situation, with neither character even aware of anything unusual about their predicament. Not

only do we not know what Westview is or how Vision is seemingly alive, the story itself seems uninterested in its own mystery. The two Avengers spend the early episodes attending neighborhood watch meetings and holding dinners to curry favor in the workplace. The contrast between the understated presentation of the setting and the impossibility of what’s currently happening will leave the viewers uneasy until more details of Westview are revealed in later episodes. The mystery of Westview unfurls at a masterfully lazy pace, with the patience of a story that knows it will be watched. “WandaVision”’s sitcom plotlines range from engaging and nostalgic at their best, to downright boring at their worst. At times, the story will of-

fer a bland Westview subplot while the “real” plot is being developed in the backgrounds. Othertimes, the absurdity of the setting blends masterfully with the quiet horror of our heroes’ predicament, and we’re left wondering how long WestView can keep up the farce being presented to us. Despite some minor flaws of “WandaVision,” the episodic format of the show means that every character is given at least one moment to shine. Even secondary characters are given their own story arcs within the show – and that’s not something many Marvel movies can claim. With seven fantastic episodes to date, “WandaVision” has earned its place in the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe.

COLLECTIONS voices from around campus

Submit your responses to @njit_vector on Instagram!

What does NJIT stand for? "nut jobs for incels in tech" "Newark's Juntion for Impressive Trivia" "No jalepeño in taco" "not just icey town" "Nine jocks in total" "North Jersey Indian Temple"

"Now You Impale Thyself"

"Nachos Juicy Intro to Tacos"

"New Jersey Intitute of Trenton"

"N (from Death Note), Jay, Eye, Tea"

"Not Just IT"

"I(n)tuitive, judgemental, introverted, thinking"

"New Jockey's in Training" "Never Just Intutitive Thinking"

"Nupcial Joyous Intelligence Tactics" "Never Just In Time"

THE VECTOR

Entertainment

Week of February 22, 2021

Top 10 Movies of all Time from a Movie Buff

By Anthony McInnis | Senior Staff Writer

10. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001) The first Peter Jackson directed “Lord of the Rings” movie was a lightning-ina-bottle success. For decades, J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic literary series was thought to be unfilmable. However, because of Jackson’s passion, a perfect cast and groundbreaking visual effects, the classic fantasy story was put to screen. All of Tolkien’s great writing and world building is on display along with the visual spectacle only Hollywood could provide. On top of that, the film is just incredibly well-paced and easy to watch, despite the enormous length. “Fellowship of the Ring” is simply the pinnacle of what big budget action movies are capable of. 9. “Hoop Dreams” (1994) This documentary shows the life of two Black teens, Gates and Agee, as they are recruited by a prestigious high school for their basketball skills. It shows the racial and economic struggles that the teens must face as they join a predominately white school in the hopes of making better lives for themselves. “Hoop Dreams” was significant for showing such a candid picture of an aspect of American life that barely received any attention at the time. On top of the subject matter being important, the documentary is incredibly well put together, with tight editing that manages to convey a story with drama and tension. It’s all the more impressive considering it was a low budget documentary. 8. “La La Land” (2016) Oftentimes, the most disappointing thing about movie musicals is that they don’t take advantage of the medium of film. If you look at most Broadway adaptations, the singing and dancing will be not as impressive compared to their stage counterparts. Fortunately, “La La

Land” utilizes the language of cinema to give an experience unlike any other musical. To say the song numbers are impressive is an understatement. The stunning sound and visuals are also coupled with an emotional love story about two fully developed characters. 7. “The Lighthouse” (2019) As modern horror movies go, “The Lighthouse” sits above all others. The film has expert pacing, phenomenal performances and gorgeous cinematography. There is a slow creeping escalation of horror as the tension between the characters increases. What makes this movie particularly unique is its sense of humor. Willem Dafoe’s character is simultaneously a threatening antagonist and ridiculous sea captain. The mixing of horror and comedy not only makes the movie exceptionally fun to watch, but also creates a uniquely frightening experience. When the viewer is unsure if the next scene will only culminate in a hilarious moment or terrifying reveal, it amplifies the tension. 6. “Stalker” (1979) Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky’s final and perhaps most famous movie “Stalker” is a surreal and powerful experience. In the world of the film, there is an area called “The Zone” in which there is a seemingly otherworldly presence. Inside “The Zone” there is “The Room” which supposedly grants the wishes of whoever walks inside it. A man called the “stalker” leads a writer and professor through “The Zone” to find “The Room.” Along the way the three have deep philosophical conversations about the nature of faith and desire. Every frame of the movie is slow and methodical as it mesmerizes the viewer. The film is simultaneously ugly and beautiful, utilizing shots of chemical waste and abandoned nuclear power plants to full effect.

5. “Her” (2013) “Her” delivers a beautiful and heart-breaking romantic science-fiction story. Theodore is a depressed and introverted man traumatized by his recent divorce. After purchasing an Artificial Intelligence operating system named Samantha, Theodore bonds and falls in love with her. The film touches on themes of life, loneliness and technology. Joaquin Phoenix gives a career-best performance as Theodore, managing to sell the character’s social awkwardness without making him creepy or unlikable. 4. “The Graduate” (1967) This classic dark comedy/drama is relevant to anyone in college and on the cusp of fully entering the adult world. The film follows Benjamin after he completed his Bachelor's degree yet finds himself still unsure of where he wants to go in life. After spending his developing years doing everything that was expected of him, he never figured out what he actually wants. Feeling lost, Benjamin finds himself in an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s law partner. Graduating college and entering the real world where one is responsible for their own lives can be very intimidating. On top of being extremely relatable, “The Graduate” also has one of the best movie soundtracks of all time performed by the legendary Simon and Garfunkel. 3. “Grave of the Fireflies” (1988) This critically acclaimed anime film is culturally significant for portraying the human cost of World War II. The film follows two Japanese siblings after their house is firebombed and their mother is killed. They both must struggle to survive on their own in a country at war. The relationship between the two siblings is tragic and beautiful. The film is all the more powerful knowing that it

was adapted from an-autobiographical short story of the same name. Very few movies about war really show what it is like to be a normal person living through it. The story effectively makes the viewer invested in the siblings’ survival as they face one hardship after another. 2. “The Godfather” (1972) When it comes to classic cinema, there are almost no movies as acclaimed as “The Godfather.” After knowing the trouble Francis Ford Coppola went through to make this movie, it's a miracle that this movie turned out to be so groundbreaking. The film centers around Michael Corleone, as he’s slowly drawn into his family’s life of crime. The cast features a collection of all-time cinematic greats with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. The film is an exploration of family above anything else; it analyzes what family means to the main character and how far he is willing to go for his family. 1. “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece represents the pinnacle of science fiction. It was the first movie to truly show space in a believable way. Both the stunning beauty and the horrific unknown of the cosmos are on full display. The film is centered around these mysterious black monoliths of unknown alien origin. These monoliths seemingly show up at moments of human evolutionary change. It is truly an epic story taking mankind from the primitive ape ancestors to colonizers of space to something beyond that. It represents everything that makes movies great with iconic moments, masterful directing, a phenomenal soundtrack and rich themes and ideas.

THE VECTOR

Entertainment

Week of February 22, 2021

Always and Forever: Toxic, and not Just the Relationship By Isaac Scafe| Senior Staff Writer Netflix introduced to the world their adaptation of Jenny Han's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" in 2018. After releasing "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" in 2020, the media giants delivered another heart break for this past Valentine's Day with "To All The Boys: Always and Forever." "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" is the final installation of Netflix’s “To All the Boys” series based on author Jenny Han’s series of the same name. High school senior, Lara Jean Song Covey, portrayed by Lana Condor, prepares to start the next chapter of her life, adulthood. Like many graduating high school students, Lara Jean is dealing with the pressure of college applications and acceptances. For Lara Jean, she plans on attending Stanford University to go to college with her boyfriend, Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo. Yet as the movie progresses the choices that Lara Jean makes will ultimately leave her with

The choices in the books posed a much more realistic option for the characters as opposed to the likes of Stanford and Berkeley in the movie. two options, a college life with or without Peter. As a movie, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” accomplishes the same as the previous two movies. It serves as a typical teenage rom-com movie with relatable characters that carry the plot. Most high school students go through the same pressure of waiting for their college acceptance letter. This film gives students a place to relate to as they go through the process themselves. There's the typical young adult angst that happens in every movie in this series which makes it predictable like the other "To All The Boys" movies. However, the main

Photo By Bettina Strauss/Netflix (Glamour) issues with "To All The Boys: Always and Forever" is how they portray the idea of college. One of the issues with the movie is where both Lara Jean and Peter want to go to college, changing the course of the original novel. Stanford is considered a dream school for the couple, but for many Stanford is too far for themselves to reach, boasting a 4.3% acceptance rate, yet this film uses it to further romanticize its couple, especially as Peter never showed any academic prowess in high school. Even the schools Lara Jean considers her "safety" schools, the University of California, Berkeley and UCLA, aren't easy goals for portraying the most realistic students. The movies should've taken a page out of the book (literally) and went with the colleges used in them. In the novel "To All the Boys Always and Forever, Lara Jean," Peter ends up at Duke University on a lacrosse scholarship while Lara Jean has the option of attending The College of William & Mary or the University of North Carolina. The choices in the books posed a much more realistic option for the characters as opposed to the likes of Stanford and Berkeley in the movie. Young students watching shouldn't feel pressured into having to be accepted to the best universities in the country or be seen as a failure. The other glaring issue that "To All the Boys I Loved: Always and Forever" presents is why the characters want to go to Stanford. Peter chooses to attend the college to pursue his lacrosse career, but Lara Jean seemingly wants to go to Stanford because Peter is going there. High school relationships are always tricky. For someone, it could be their very first relationship where they feel like they found the one just like how Lara Jean feels about Peter. However, I didn’t find this portrayal of such a relationship healthy, and took issue with the movie’s direction, which in the past has attempted to display growth between the characters’ relationships. It would have been better if both people still attemped to be happy to attend their respective colleges and worked on their relationships in college. "To All the Boys I Loved: Always and Forever" romanticizes behavior that can be toxic in a real relationship.w

"To All the Boys: Always and Forever" wraps up the "To All the Boys" series. It's your typical and predictable Valentine's Day movie to enjoy with loved ones, friends or just by yourself. However, the film takes the idea of college and seemingly romanticizes the concept. The top colleges in the country shouldn't be por-

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trayed as reasonable expectations for students. "To All the Boys: Always and Forever", while an okay film, can make the college decision experience even more stressful for high school students. It should serve as an example as to what not to do as a lovesick teenager about to make big decisions.

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Entertainment

Week of February 22, 2021

Horoscopes

Do You Even Sudoku?

By @poetastrologers

ARIES TAURUS You can do it is what you always say to everyone but yourself. But right now you must know how strong you are still. To your right and left are friends cheering you on. Take heart in the heart that motivates your actions.

CANCER

GEMINI

A pretty sunset will illuminate the grasses stuck deep. So you too are held by the idea of destiny. But still you know that real friendships abound everywhere. Two faces on the moon are friends, too.

You turn it over and it is so many possibilities again. What you need is what you will get. So listen loudly to the sound of the wind. There could be so many other parts to this story.

LEO

VIRGO

EASY

You are smiling and laughing, and the music comes down the entryway. There are people to call and others to weave into the sound. If you need to, draw again. There won’t be anything like this that calls for you.

Adventure can happen in the midst of conversation. So the best to thing is to have so many of them. There will be lots of opportunities to and also to write about your dreams. There will be more dreamy days and blue bowls filled with sweet liquids.

Green ink and the tree that you want to describe. No matter where you find it is the thing that you most want. You have ordered everything illuminated. A light touch is exactly what you needed.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Someone is looking out for you. Sure that someone could be you. You will find a hat that is blended with the sun. Whatever you need will be ready and waiting.

Large and everpresent are these feelings. They lead down a path where there is nothing but another path. You may have made your mind up years ago. This time you will wonder again, however.

It’s everything they mentioned but this time it’s in your own words. Ten tries and then this time it’s ok again. You will hold out a hand and someone else will grasp it. This week you will be so helpful.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

There are messages to be sent, but you are hazy on the particulars. Yellow and a stream of words that make you feel happy. Suddenly a bird or suddenly a love note. You will respond when you are ready.

Holding a light out is every mention of love. Standing firm in the earth and nothing to cause anything but peace. You have loved a lot already. In this moment there will be even more treasures to discover.

Sometimes a word leaves the house like perfume. You send it off, two or more, now three and then many. Love is a thing that leaves from what is beautiful about the day. You will find so many things and feel deeply.

MEDIUM

HARD

Comics EVIL

Crossword Crossword credited to onlinecrosswords.net

Tweet @TheNJITVector a photo of your completed crossword puzzle (only if you can solve it, though)! Across 1. Wrench type 6. Less restrictive 11. Andean tuber 14. Tropical fruit 15. Evangelist McPherson 16. Female swan 17. Wabbit chaser 18. Bad luck bringer? 20. Dine at nine 21. Critic, for one 23. Rich kid in "Nancy" 24. Hub for Bulls 26. 162 major league base-

ball games 27. Good luck bringer? 31. Grammar class subject 32. Search for truffles 33. Mushroom part 36. Harbor a fugitive 37. "Candle in the Wind" subject 39. Auto racer Yarborough 40. Hospital unit 41. Pub order 42. Avant-___ 43. Bad luck bringer? 46. Choice

49. Like an eager date, say 50. Strikers' rhyme 51. Emulated a rook 53. Faithful or reliable word 56. Good luck bringer? 58. Diplomat 60. Ike's WWII command 61. Tibiae 62. Dodger Hall-of-Famer 63. Form compost 64. Belief 65. Performs a database function

Down 1. Subjects of white lies, sometimes 2. Doozy 3. Satirized 4. Holiday cusp 5. Tell the story 6. Secure 7. It may precede old age 8. Arab potentate 9. Sinuous sea creature 10. Opposite of charge 11. Iridescent gemstones 12. Casals' instrument 13. Russian pianist Rubinstein

19. Head for the stratosphere 22. Christina's daddy 25. Multitude 26. Walkway for Socrates 27. Pierce 28. Wife of Hercules 29. Shave cheese 30. Trinity member 33. Like a one in addition, often 34. Ray of filmdom 35. Jury box member 37. "Runaround Sue" singer 38. Publicist's quest 39. Lewis or Reiner

41. Object formally 42. Building supports 43. Storage receptacles 44. Most recent 45. Astronaut Jemison 46. Earthy pigment 47. Part of a frame-up? 48. 78-card deck 51. Place to take it on 52. Tops 54. Needing directions 55. Batik colors 57. Type of wolf 59. Conservative leader

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Week of February 22, 2021

HELP KEEP NJIT’S CAMPUS SAFE...

BY GETTING TESTED!

To ensure the health and safety of

*Volunteers accepted based on availability of test kits.

the university community, NJIT is conducting weekly COVID rapid antigen testing of 400 individuals on campus. That’s 320 students and 80 faculty and staff each week. Invitations to be tested will be sent out via email. We strongly encourage voluntary registrations as well.* Testing will be administered by New Jersey Innovation Institute in conjunction with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.

TESTING HOURS Monday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tuesday: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

NEW TESTING LOCATION M2CU Unit Corner of Warren & Lock Streets (across from WEC)