[The Stute] April 17, 2026 (Issue 23, Volume CXXIII) by The Stute

I am excited about TechFest food!

We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | APRIL 17, 2026

VOLUME CXXIII No. 23

The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck. www.thestute.com TikTok @thestute Instagram @thestute facebook.com/stevensthestute NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904

TechFest openers and performers announced

The future of nuclear energy with Dr. Friedman

BY JOSHUA BODENSTEIN, NEWS EDITOR

BY CLAIRE DEANS, LAYOUT EDITOR On Wednesday, April 8, Professor Emeritus Edward A. Friedman gave a lecture as a guest speaker for the American Nuclear Society (ANS) on the future of nuclear energy. In his presentation, he first introduced the history of nuclear energy and where it came from. He discussed where radioactivity first came from, denoting that Henri Becquerel was the first to recognize this energy form back in 1896. Marie and Pierre Curie would discover two more elements that emit radiation just two years later in 1898. He continued to mention more information regarding the subject, with one interesting note on how, when “H.G. Wells wrote, ‘The World Set Free,’ he anticipated the development of atomic energy in 1933 and of atomic weapons in 1956.” Following the history, Dr. Friedman broke down how a fission reaction works in the nuclear reactors we use today. He gave the history

SEE NUCLEAR PAGE 2

Between the views of the NYC skyline and the quiet corners of our own campus, we know Hoboken is beautiful. But as for green space, this spring, there are plenty of options within the surrounding area. Below is our guide to three nearby gardens to explore this season, all of which have their own highlights. Reeves-Reed Arboretum Location: 165 Hobart Ave., Summit, NJ This 13-acre historic estate is a treat tucked away in the suburbs. The Arboretum hosts a Daffodil Day Festival yearly, where the “Daffodil Bowl” showcases the various golden hues of over 50,000 blooming daffodils, a key highlight of the estate. Additional events occurring throughout the summer, such as Art in the Garden, are listed and updated in their Annual Events page. Beyond the sea of yellow, the property features a diverse mix of landscapes, as detailed in their guide. The grounds contain both formal NEWS (2-3)

Stevens Dramatic Society’s Grease Learn more about Stevens Dramatic Society’s revival of Grease and how the behind-the-scenes brought the play together! FEATURE (4)

Spring Buzz! Discover why the American Woodcock is trending and Olivia Rodrigo’s lock in Hoboken!

SEE GREASE PAGE 2

SEE TECHFEST PAGE 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHEUNG AND CHRISTIAN FODOR

The scenic world of Stevens Dramatic Society’s Grease BY VINCENT OLIVIERI, STAFF WRITER Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS) presented their Spring 2026 musical, Grease, with performances

Your guide to the best nearby gardens to visit this spring BY ALESSANDRA NIETO, CONTRIBUTOR

(SDS)’s rendition of Grease featured plenty of scenic depth to complement the story. This musical saw lead actors Christian Fodor, a 2/4

Stevens’ Entertainment Committee (EC) announced the full lineup for TechFest 2026, set for Saturday, April 18, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the River Lot. This year’s headliner is British singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri, who will be joined by three student openers — Jorts, ANGELIDIS, and Eve Godin Band— all of whom earned their spots at this year’s Battle of the Bands competition. TechFest is a Stevens-only music festival hosted each spring in the stretch before finals. The EC-hosted event offers a free outdoor concert at the River Lot, food trucks, inflatables, a photo booth, and giveaways for students. Chinouriri is a London-based artist who began writing songs at 17 and first gained attention with her 2018 single “So My Darling,” which later went viral on TikTok. Her 2024 debut album, What a Devastating Turn of Events, debuted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. She has since

gardens and close to a mile of woodland trails open to exploration. Exploring these grounds is free for the majority of the year, with a suggested donation of $10. A fee is only required during the festival, priced at $15 for the main event on April 12 and $10 for the surrounding days of April 1-15. Additional donations are appreciated and help fund the addition of more daffodils. The Arboretum hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of the Daffodil Days event. During the festival itself, the garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the main festival day has shortened hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

held at DeBaun Auditorium from April 9 to 11. From opening night, the audience holistically reviews the ability of the performers to act, the skill of the band or orchestra, and even the use of light and sound effects. One

feature that is often overlooked when it lacks flashy movements or a giant turntable is the scenery of the show. Set in the towering halls of Rydell High School, Stevens Dramatic Society

LOCAL NEWS NJ Transit partners with Via for microtransportation solutions BY FIONA SHI, STAFF WRITER NJ TRANSIT launched a new pilot program in partnership with technology company Via, bringing free, on-demand shuttle services to parts of Bergen County and Monmouth County in an effort to solve the “firstmile/last-mile” problem for public transit users. The service is similar to Stevens Shuttle, also powered by Via, which is a free, on-demand ride service for Stevens students and employees.

MicroLink, powered by NJ TRANSIT, began operating on April 6, 2026, and is a two-year pilot program funded by a $7 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The service is designed to connect residents to and from NJ TRANSIT bus stops and a few specific connections, such as the Englewood Health Center. Customers can book a ride using the MicroLink mobile app or by calling 973-233-4047. The system functions similarly to popular rideshare apps; users enter their pickup and

drop-off locations, and the algorithm determines the most efficient route to shuttle them to a connecting bus stop. In Bergen County, the service will be available in Bergenfield, Englewood, Teaneck, and Tenafly, and in Monmouth County, Freehold and Manalapan. Shuttle services run on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and consist of a fleet of electric and gas-powered vans that seat up to six passengers, including one wheelchair-accessible spot per vehicle. Transit officials view the pi-

lot as a strategic investment to expand access to the existing network without the high cost of extending traditional bus routes into suburban neighborhoods. “By offering flexible, on-demand service, we are helping customers more easily connect to our bus network while also expanding access to the broader transit system for a more seamless trip,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri. The pilot program is cur-

SEE TRANSIT PAGE 3

NATIONAL NEWS Van Vleck House & Gar- U.S.-Israeli War on Iran dens Location: 21 Van Vleck St., Montclair, NJ Formerly a private estate, the grounds offer a peaceful atmosphere whose liveliness blooms with the spring flowers, which are tracked through weekly photographs. While the historic house isn’t open for public tours, the gardens them-

SEE SPRING PAGE 2

SCIENCE (6)

Strong bones? Humans underwater? Allergies? Read about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (10)

Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.

BY NIHIRA PATHAK, STAFF WRITER On February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, resulting in the death of the Supreme Leader and other top Iranian officials. In the six weeks since, the countries have been engaging in a back-and-forth of attacks. Current Situation (as of April 13):

This past weekend, the U.S. and Iran met in Pakistan to engage in peace talks following the ceasefire declared on April 8th. The meeting was the highest-level peace talks the countries have conducted since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. During the negotiations, the U.S. asked for a 20-year freeze on Iran’s uranium enrichment, to

which Iran countered with 5 years, which the U.S. rejected. Along with a freeze on uranium enrichment, Iran was also asked to dismantle enrichment facilities and remove its domestic stockpile of enriched uranium. Following the failed negotiations, President Trump announced the institution of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting at 10 a.m. EST on Monday, April 13.

During the conflict, though the Strait of Hormuz was not entirely shut down, Iran imposed egregiously high fees on tankers passing through, reportedly up to $2 million. President Trump has asked the U.S. Navy to “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.” Iran’s Revolutionary

SEE IRAN PAGE 3

Friday, April 17

News Masthead Volume CXXIII No. 23 Executive Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................JIYA JAISINGHANI ‘27 BUSINESS MANAGER.......................CAMRYN WINANT ‘28 MANAGING EDITOR.................................TIANNA SPITZ ‘27 LAYOUT EDITOR.......................................CLAIRE DEANS ‘29 OUTREACH CHAIR................................ISABELLA FAMA ‘29 DIGITAL MANAGER.........................CHARMY KOTADIA ‘27 SECRETARY.....................................JOSEPHINE CHOONG ‘28

Editorial Board

NEWS EDITOR...................................JOSH BODENSTEIN ‘29 SCIENCE EDITOR..................................RIYANA PHADKE ‘27 OPINION EDITOR.........................................ITAI GELLER ‘26 SPORTS EDITOR..........................MILAGROS CARBAJAL ‘28 FEATURES EDITOR ...........................PRISHA VAGVALA ‘28 HEAD COPYEDITOR..............................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25

Operations Board

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER.......ISABELLE VILLANUEVA ‘26 ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA...............................CHRISTINE YI ‘29 DELIVERY BOY.........................................JONATHAN LAI ‘28 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR.............................SHREYA ROY ‘27 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR....................BRADY SANSOTTA ‘29 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR..........................KAILEY SUPAN ‘29 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR..................EILIYAH SAROWAR ‘28

Staff & Contributors Gavin Ruby Vincent Olivieri Robert Dietrich Anthony Curcio-Petraccoro Brooke Nagurka Fiona Shi Rachel Choi Alessandra Nieto Abigail Thomas Milagros Carbajal Dominic Souza Nihira Pathak Vedhesh A. Kamaraj Chris Kalish Yang Yi Zheng Breona Pizzuta Wesley Yu Disha Gohil Christina Thomas Sydney Leung Sean Palermo Reka Weinacht Viktor Palmer Ruthie Mullinsky Disha Rana

GENERAL.........................................EBOARD@THESTUTE.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.........................EDITOR@THESTUTE.COM ADVERTISING.............................BUSINESS@THESTUTE.COM OFFICE.................................UNIVERSITY CENTER ROOM 216B

Corrections NOTICE A MISTAKE? Email us at eboard@thestute.com.

Disclaimer

All opinions and editorials reflect the views of their respective author(s). No Part of The Stute may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. Cited references of The Stute are permitted.

Policy on Letters to the Editor

All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a Letter to the Editor to be published in The Stute. Letters must refer either to a piece published in The Stute or to The Stute in general and must be between 400 – 800 words in length. Submit letters to editor@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form. For writers who wish to write a Letter to the Editor anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity. The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Letter to the Editor based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit letters for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit letters according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

Policy on Op-Eds

All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a standalone opinion piece (otherwise known as an Op-Ed) to be published in The Stute. Op-Eds must be between 400 – 800 words, but longer submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To submit an OpEd please email eboard@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form (tinyurl.com/submit-t0-stute). For writers who wish to write an Op-Ed anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity. The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

FULL LIST ON thestute.com/policies

NUCLEAR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of the first reactor, built by Fermi, which was launched on December 2, 1942. The first real practical use was in the first nuclear-powered submarine, known as the Nautilus. He continued with the explanation of a pressurized water reactor, which is the model most common in use today. This model essentially uses a water system to cool the reactor down, as significant traces of energy are created and an excess of heat is released. The main problem with this model, however, is that it leads to hydrogen explosions, which can lead to disasters;

GREASE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Visual Arts & Technology major, and Isabella Gallo, a 1/4 Biomedical Engineering major, alongside numerous others, return to their high school experience in a series of flashbacks and high school reunion speeches. Composed of Vincent Olivieri, Ana Viterbo, Anja Lubbe, Athena Efthymiou, and Kosta Georgiadis, the set team for Grease aimed to create a grungy rundown high school full of details the students would love to forget. Initial planning of the set started with the layout and placement of set elements. With Grease being a musical, the pit orchestra is a crucial element that needs to take up a large portion of the set. On top of this, the actors would need entrance and exit locations on both sides of the stage and in the center. In the previous SDS production of Into the Woods, this was accomplished by building the set (mostly made up of trees) directly around the pit, essentially seating them “in the woods”. With Grease, however, the inclusion of a giant building made this plan unusable. Instead, Olivieri referenced another previous SDS production—The Prom, put on in Spring 2023—and borrowed the idea for a raised two-floor platform. With the pit placed on the second floor and the underside of the platform being used for storage, the rest of the stage was free to be filled up with other familiar high school elements: traditional high school lockers, cafeteria tables, sports bleachers, and most notably a DIY 1948 Ford Convertible “Greased Lightning.” Once the list of set elements was decided on, set designer Viterbo began concept drawings and layout sketches to gain a feel for the size of the set and see how it could be interacted with. Anyone

TECHFEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 performed at Glastonbury and opened for Sabrina Carpenter on the Short n’ Sweet tour, accumulating over 120 million streams across her catalog. The three openers were selected through EC’s annual Battle of the Bands, held on March 7 in Bissinger. Six student acts competed—Portland Hotel Yard Sale, Desire Lines, Flower Crowns, ANGELIDIS, Eve Godin Band, and Jorts—with audience members who arrived before the start time

SPRING

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 selves are. Offering everything from wisteria to woodlands to butterfly gardens, the picturesque setting has something for everyone, all of which is documented on their map. Open from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, at no cost, with visitors welcome to come and go as long as they follow the listed rules. The garden’s year-round accessibility is its hallmark.

tinyurl.com/stutesubmit

New York Botanical Garden Location: 29000 Southern

the most notable of these being Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. After the full rundown of the preexisting systems, he addressed where we stand at the present. Right now, there are over “50 companies worldwide developing new nuclear reactor designs”. Most recently, China began building a Generation IV reactor that is helium-cooled. With these power plants that run at temperatures of “1,000 degrees Celsius, 11% of the world’s greenhouse gases can be eliminated”; other energy generation systems like solar simply cannot compete. Not to mention the by-product of hydrogen that could be utilized to create materials such as steel and concrete.

Moving forward, the implementation of several new reactors is in effect. The United States Department of Energy is funding the creation of eight water-based reactors. China is presently constructing 32 reactors. Russia has “36 operational reactors” with seven under construction and many others operating in foreign countries. France is sending people to learn from the Chinese construction programs, and Dr. Friedman discusses why American companies like Westinghouse do the same. To sum up his presentation, he shared several statistics indicating greenhouse gas emission percentages and the countries that have contributed to the 72 reactors newly operating over the past decade.

who has stepped onto the stage in DeBaun auditorium can immediately tell one thing: the stage is incredibly tiny. This firstly causes a challenge to fit any kind of bulky set, but becomes even more difficult when working in space for the 17-member ensemble choreography. To combat this, Viterbo worked closely with Lubbe, as well as the director and choreographer, and squeezed the set building to the minimum size possible while keeping the pit at a comfortable size. The final design covered the upper half of the stage with the massive school building, and the lower half open for smaller set elements, props, and, importantly, plenty of room to dance and move around. The naked set design was basic, but the finished product differed in its rebellious nature, with the set covered from head to toe in posters, graffiti, and chewing gum. Once the initial sketches of the set design were approved by the director, Olivieri began drafting design drawings of the aforementioned elements. Following weeks of set revision and design finalization, Load-In day finally arrived, providing the dramatic society (DS) with exclusive access to DeBaun Auditorium and freedom to begin construction. The final challenge of Grease’s construction was the aforemen-

tioned Greased Lightning. A flashy red convertible seems impossible to build when looking at a pile of 2x4 and foam board, yet those who saw the show would claim this to be far from the truth. After building a rectangular wooden frame riding on 12 caster wheels, the car was covered in an assortment of angled and curved foam, giving it the sleek, fast, aerodynamic feel it deserves. Lastly, the finishing touches on Greased Lightning that took it from an ugly prop car to a true piece of the set were the working high-beam headlights that illuminated the dark drive-in scene, and the fresh coat of hot rod red paint. The finished Rydell High accomplished its goal of showcasing the rebellious nature of the Greasers and Pink Ladies who ran the school at the time, at least in their eyes. The towering and boring nature of the school—often feeling as if it was closing around the actors at all times—contrasted well with the actions of the characters and their choices to defy and live how they wanted. Through technical and artistic detail, the DS scenic team leveraged the depth of world-building to convey these emotions in a way that aided the musical while providing an immersive visual set at the same time.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHEUNG AND CHRISTIAN FODOR

eligible to vote for their favorites. Jorts, from Hoboken, NJ, is a four-piece band whose self-described philosophy is “just jort it, twin.” Born, per their EC bio, “in fire, fueled by ire,” the group’s energy resonated with the Battle of the Bands crowd, earning them the longest set on the TechFest bill. ANGELIDIS, also from Hoboken, NJ, is a four-piece death metal band whose members each have different musical backgrounds. Together they build what their bio described as “crushing, groove-oriented metal songs which tackle the modern struggles of humanity.” Fans of Gojira,

Lamb of God, Slipknot, Crowbar, and Rammstein should definitely look out for them at the show. Eve Godin Band, from Exton, PA, is led by Godin, a freshman at Stevens and singer-songwriter who released an album last summer. Her band — fellow Stevens students Liam, Lindsey, and Ben — debuted at Battle of the Bands before playing a handful of additional campus shows. Fans of Big Thief, Elliott Smith, and Snail Mail will thoroughly enjoy this part of the opener. TechFest is free and open to the Stevens community. Doors open at 5 p.m. on April 18 at the River Lot.

Blvd., Bronx, NY This garden encompasses 250 acres and features plants from around the world, which are documented and tracked on its Plant Tracker. Of the plants spread throughout the grounds, 543 are varieties of cherries, and 200 are concentrated in the Cherry Valley, which offers plenty of opportunities to watch the blooms as they occur throughout the year. A key highlight of the garden is the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where tropical, aquatic, and desert plants can all be viewed. Tickets are required to enter the gardens, the prices of which vary by day. Weekdays are $31 for students and $35 for adults.

Meanwhile, weekends are $35 for students and $39 for adults. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and some select Monday holidays, as detailed in their What’s On monthly calendar. These three gardens offer a variety of options, ranging from free public grounds to more extensive collections. With different landscapes and price points available, there is a destination for everyone looking to make the most of spring.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

Friday, April 17

News TRANSIT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 rently scheduled to last for two

years. During this time, NJ TRANSIT will monitor ridership data, customer feedback, and service efficiency to determine whether similar microtransit zones should be established in other parts of the

state. Residents interested in using the service are advised to book their rides approximately 20 to 30 minutes before they wish to depart to allow for dynamic routing and pickup coordination.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OP-ED

OP-EDS REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE GUEST WRITER FROM WITHIN THE STEVENS COMMUNITY AND ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STUTE FOR PUBLICATION. THEY DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE STUTE ITSELF.

It’s Time to Bring Stevens BME Senior Design into the Real World BY RIMMO LOYI ‘26 I watched my friends in Mechanical Engineering work with computer science majors this past semester, working out ideas on a whiteboard that none of them could have done on their own. The mechanical engineering major knew about materials. The computer science major knew about algorithms. Together, they were working on something that none of them could do individually. This is how innovation happens in the real world. Meanwhile, in the Biomedical Engineering department, we were told to stick to our own lane. Now that I have finished Senior Design, I want to ask a question that needs to be answered honestly: why does the Biomedical Engineering department at Stevens Institute of Technology believe that collaboration is a threat to their students? The faculty in this department are top-notch. They are approachable, knowledgeable, and care about their students. I mean

this in all sincerity. However, the structure that they are forced to work under is failing their students, and pretending that it is not does a disservice to every single student who will come through that department in the coming years. The reasoning that we are given is that if we work with mechanical engineers or electrical engineers or computer science majors, those majors will do all the work and we will learn nothing. Therefore, we must work alone. I want to explain why this is not true. First, it assumes that we, as biomedical engineers, are not capable of holding our own in a conversation with our peers. That is not a message of confidence; that is a message of limitation on our potential before we have ever graduated from the program. Second, it assumes that the way that people learn is not the way that it actually works. If I have trouble explaining a physiological constraint to an electrical engineer, I will have learned more about the

constraint. If a computer scientist shows me a better way to process biosignals, I will have learned something new that I would not have learned otherwise. The more people you have working with you, the more you will learn. At Johns Hopkins University, which has one of the premier BME programs in the country, the Design Team program has as one of their principles the idea of interdisciplinary collaboration. The students here work with clinical mentors and business school faculty and students from all disciplines. The results of this program have been impressive: over 250 medical device projects completed, 40 provisional patents filed, and 16 companies started. The students at this university are being prepared to succeed. At Stevens, we are being prepared to succeed as individuals. We are not being prepared for the way the healthcare system works. We are not being prepared for the way the business world Continued on thestute.com

IRAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Guard responded with a warning that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait “will be dealt with harshly and decisively,” according to state-affiliated Fars News. Civilian vessels and humanitarian shipments, however, are permitted to pass through without harm. Timeline: The most recent negotiations, handled by the American Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas, are a result of weeks of threats and strikes. February 28th: The U.S. and Israel launch joint strikes on Iran, killing the Supreme Leader. Strikes hit a girls’ elementary school, resulting in 175 casualties, most of whom were children. This strike was later reported as a targeting mistake by the U.S. military. March 1st: Iranian drone attacks killed 6 U.S. soldiers at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the first American casualties of war. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader. At this time, President Trump anticipated sustained assaults for 4 to 5 weeks. March 18th: Iran and U.S. allies attacked key energy infrastructure in the Gulf, including Iran’s South Pars Gas Field, and Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City. Qatar’s facility is the world’s largest LNG export plant. March 23rd: Trump announced the U.S. and Iran were discussing an end to the war, the first indication of diplomatic talks between the countries. Iran publicly rejected President Trump’s announcements, claiming no negotiations were taking place, referring to these announcements as fake news. April 3rd: Iran shot down a U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet carrying two crew members, one of whom was recovered the day of the crash safely. The risky search for the second airman lasted two days, taking rescue squads into deep Iran. Both crew members were recovered.

April 5th: President Trump warned that Iran could be “taken out in one night”, and set a deadline of 8 PM EST on April 7th for the Iranians to comply. Trump vowed that every power plant and bridge in the country would be left “burning, exploding, and never to be used again”. April 7th: Trump posted on Truth Social, warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, followed by a declaration of a twoweek ceasefire with Iran later the same day. The Israeli military issued warnings to Iranian civilians to avoid trains and railway lines. April 13th: American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began at 10 A.M. EST, with Trump posting on Truth Social, “Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.” Significance of the Strait of Hormuz Most coverage of the war has revolved around the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices. The Strait of Hormuz, situated between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, is the main gateway for energy suppliers. A large share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply passes through the corridor, accounting for up to one-fifth of global oil demand. Attacks and uncertainty around the Strait’s safety create a significant drop in commercial oil supply transit. Attacks also greatly affect shipping insurance premiums, energy supply planning, and oil prices. Transporting oil becomes expensive for all exporters due to the added danger in the Strait. Iran, like many other countries, has an economy reliant on trade, particularly its oil exports. When the Strait of Hormuz is impacted, the global economy is severely impacted. Brent crude rose by more than 4% intraday and settled around $103 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI crude) around $97 per barrel. With negotiations stalling and military actions escalating, the war becomes increasingly unpredictable, with economic impacts felt across the globe. The coming weeks will likely determine whether the conflict shifts towards diplomacy or intensifies into a prolonged conflict.

Friday, April 17

Feature

SPRING BUZZ American woodcocks shimmy their way to Bryant Park

BY ANTHONY CURCIO-PETRACCORO, CONTRIBUTOR In recent years, Stevens has undergone significant development around campus: from constructing the tallest building in Hoboken to renovating some of the older amenities for students. While these projects are certainly exciting for the entire Stevens community, we tend to forget the history and purpose behind some of the lesser-known buildings around campus. This article provides a brief introduction to these structures and to how they continue to serve the Stevens community, even after many decades of operation. Starting strong with a historically prominent structure is the Gatehouse, located between Davis Hall and Babbio Patio. Many students may not know this, but until eight years ago, a castle wall stood where Gatehouse is, dividing Wittpenn Walk into an upper and lower campus. To make way for the construction of the Gateway buildings, the wall had to be taken down to accommodate the large construction vehicles. As a memorial to the original Stevens Castle of the Stevens family estate, Gatehouse was restored in 2016 with fresh

brick and roofing. Boasting some of the best views of the New York City skyline Hoboken has to offer, the Hoxie House is where the president of Stevens calls home. William Hoxie, a graduate of the class of 1889, funded and aided in the construction of the residence in the 1920s. Ever since, Stevens’ presidents have lived in and hosted community events here, most notably the “Pancakes With the President” event founded by current Stevens President Nariman Farvardin in 2019. Although the primary entrances front Hudson Street and the walkway behind DeBaun Athletic Complex, respectively, the Davidson Laboratory and James C. Nicoll Environmental Laboratory (JNEL) are campus staples, home to the nationally-recognized hydrodynamics, ocean engineering, and environmental research facilities. Constructed in 1935, the Davidson Laboratory houses cutting-edge research assets, including a 320-foot-long high-speed towing tank, used for simulating realistic aquatic conditions. JNEL comes equipped with state-of-theart technology for testing wastewater, liquid waste, solid waste, and air quality. Although tucked away on campus, these facilities serve

more than 4,000 marine, aerospace, defense, and environmental industry leaders, in addition to the Hoboken community, with flood and environmental reporting. Among the newest and oldest buildings on campus, the Vincent A. Rocco Technology Center and Griffith Building, respectively, both serve important purposes to Stevens students. Both part of the Schaefer School of Engineering, the Rocco Technology Center, located next to River Terrace Suites, includes classrooms and faculty offices specifically for the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering. Across campus, situated along the Hudson River and Frank Sinatra Boulevard, the Griffith Building serves the Schaefer School of Engineering broadly, supporting student-led projects competing in the Solar Decathlon and the Senior Design Expo, to name a few. Stevens, founded in 1865, boasts plenty of antique architectural designs to admire. While Stevens students are familiar with the classics, like Edwin A. Stevens Hall, Burchard Hall, and the Samuel C. Williams Library, it’s important to take the time to learn and reflect on the other buildings that contribute to the campus we call home.

Hoboken has entered the Olivia Rodrigo universe BY TASHA KHOSLA, HEAD COPYEDITOR Over the past few weeks, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has been promoting her new album, titled you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, by leaving clues—also known as “Easter eggs”—for fans to piece together. This will be Rodrigo’s third studio album and was announced by Rodrigo on April 2 via Instagram. On March 30, prior to the album’s name being announced, a Hoboken resident reported the sighting of a pastel pink, heartshaped lock on Pier C with the word “drop” written on the side in a font associated with the album release through other Easter eggs, such as a mural located in Los Angeles (L.A.). This lock is not the only one connected to the album promotion. Three other locks were found in L.A., Paris, and London. When the messages on each of the locks are put together, they reveal the phrase “april 17th drop dead,” leaving fans to correctly conclude that the first single of her album will be titled “drop dead” and will be released on April 17. On April 6, Rodrigo posted a video to her Instagram of her placing the lock herself, with Hoboken tagged as the post’s location, confirming the validity of the clue. Of

course, this has caused excitement among the Hoboken community, with videos and pictures of the lock flooding social media. However, fans are also wondering why the lock was placed in Hoboken, with a view of New York City behind it, rather than directly in the city. After all, the other three locations are on par with NYC as major cities. At this time, the connection between the four cities and what they could mean during this album cycle is unclear. A possible explanation is that Hoboken has a rich musical heritage. This city “has been a haven for musicians, and music has played an important role in the cultural life of the city.” Similarly, the other cities involved in the lock puzzle each have their own musical significance, which could be what all four have in common. Additionally, these locations could be foreshadowing that songs on the album may be influenced by major musicians from these locations, or these locations could be of significance to Rodrigo for other reasons. Unfortunately, the lock no longer appears to be in Hoboken amidst rumors that the lock was taken. Upon further investigation by The Stute, there is indeed no sign of the lock at Pier C. A controversial TikTok account has popped up, showing that the creator took

the lock from Pier C and is keeping it for themself. Fans are outraged, with comments on all of the videos telling the creator that they were disrespectful and in the wrong for taking the lock. Time will tell if Hoboken will play a bigger role in Rodrigo’s new album. Although the lock is now gone, we can all appreciate being an official part of the Olivia Rodrigo universe and can enjoy the first single of you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOBOKEN GIRL

Every April, hundreds of people flock to Bryant Park in search of the wacky American woodcocks. These hallmarks of spring migration captivated the world not just with their quirky appearances but with their tendency to shimmy throughout the park. With their huge eyes and surprisingly long beaks, it’s no wonder that these birds quickly became a local sensation. The American woodcocks, affectionately known as timberdoodles, are a type of shorebird in the sandpiper family. They are plump birds, close to a grapefruit in size, and have long and slender beaks to grab worms. Of note, their huge eyes, which are placed high and towards the back, help the birds see predators approaching from behind. While it’s especially useful when the woodcocks are foraging on the ground, the tradeoff is the difficulty of seeing obstacles as they fly. Records of the birds’ appearances date back to 2002, when eBird, a bird-tracking site, launched. While they were witnessed in other parks, they seem especially fond of Bryant Park, as the only green area in Midtown. Because of the glass skyscrapers, which the woodcocks are prone to run into, Bryant Park is seen as a safe haven for the birds.

Their iconicness stems from their wacky dance while foraging for worms. They rock back and forth, as if driven by a silent beat. When Bryant Park hosted a special off-season bird tour, more than 650 people arrived to witness the American woodcocks. The tour was so popular that Bryant Park needed to have bird security just to manage the crowds. But what’s the purpose behind this dancing? Many scientists are torn on the true reasoning. Some theorize that by bobbing its body around, it prompts worms to move further underground, making it easier for the birds to find prey. Others believe it’s to deter predators, as if to say, “I see you, but you can’t catch me.” There are only so many words to describe these wonderful avians. Many videos of their iconic dance can be found on various social media platforms. In fact, Bryant Park’s post of the dancing birds in action received over 100,000 likes and hundreds of comments praising the woodcocks. If you have the time, you can head over to Bryant Park yourself by taking the PATH to 33rd Street. Afterwards, it’s a quick 10 to 20 minute walk to the park where you can enjoy the lovely spring weather and hopefully catch a glimpse of the shimmying woodcocks.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLABOUTBIRDS.ORG

The purpose behind Stevens buildings we forget

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU

BY JOSEPHINE CHOONG, SECRETARY

Stevens through a Peer Leader’s lens BY YANG YI ZHENG, CONTRIBUTOR August 16, 2025. My first Peer Leader (PL) training session in UCC Techflex. I remember walking in nervously, knowing only two of the 47 PLs. My palms were sweaty, and I had no idea where to sit. Then Thomas reached out his hand, smiling. That simple gesture made me feel seen and welcome. That handshake is a great window into what being a Peer Leader encapsulates. As important as it is, this responsibility means far more than just first greetings to new students and their families. Being a PL is a plethora of emotions and responsibilities. It’s the ability to communicate with different families in need, the ability to make the best decisions on the fly when something unexpected happens, and the ability to trust and work closely with a whole new group of teammates over just one week of training. People always ask me, “What type of person would make a good Peer Leader?” Sure, there are general qualities such as maturity and respect that are expected. The truth is, there isn’t a specific answer. That’s the key and secret to our team being such a valuable one. Each and every single of us carries a different experience and tells a unique story. Using myself as an example, I bring an international perspective as studying at Stevens is actually my first time in the U.S.! I’m so glad to have found my place here via the PL program.

Last fall, we had almost 50 PLs, and I can think of different adjectives for each of us. In parallel, being a Stevens student can’t be summarized simply using a few keywords, because our campus has so many distinct personalities. Only with so many perspectives can PLs continue to serve our student body to the fullest. In all honesty, as much as I love working with students and helping them find their place at Stevens, our week of training is at least as enjoyable, if not more. The Peer Leader team is a tight-knit one — these close bonds didn’t just come out of nowhere. Our love and trust for one another come from running through a rainstorm to Alessio’s Cafe during training, lawn time led by Ankita, PL flag football’s strong performance led by Kyra, and many more. In fact, just last night, when I was writing this, my friend asked me why I love being a PL so much. And, this is really one of those things that’s so hard to pinpoint into a few words. But becoming one was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Ducks are pack animals, always looking out for one another in the wilderness. For PLs, to be a Stevens Duck means to constantly be pushing the bounds of academic excellence while keeping an open heart for those around us. Most Ducks are not only driven by their intellectual curiosity, but more importantly, their desire to use their talents to serve and support others in their community when facing challenges.

Friday, April 17

Sports

ON DECK IN SPORTS PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM

FRI, APR 17

Men’s Volleyball takes fifth consecutive conference title BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER Men’s Volleyball has won their fifth consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship title after taking a 3-1 victory over Messiah College this past Saturday, April 11, at Canavan Arena. This victory rounds out their undefeated conference record at 8-0 and adds another win to their overall record of 25-5. Additionally, this was the fourth time the Ducks have faced off against Messiah in the conference championship game, with the Ducks winning each time. The first set of the game was especially strong in the Ducks’ fa-

vor, with the set score being 25-6. In this set, the Ducks had a very strong start offensively, as they scored the first six points of the set and kept the pressure on Messiah throughout the set. The second set of the game was more challenging for the team. Both teams went back and forth until the Ducks gained a two–point lead by the halfway point of the set. It was here that Messiah took the lead and ultimately won the set by just three points. After this, the Ducks didn’t waver and maintained offensive momentum, as during the third set, the Ducks had the lead in points, ending with a 25-21 set score. The fourth set was truly the final sprint for the Ducks, with

both teams going back and forth until junior Ryan Schmid recorded the winning kill for Stevens. After the game, Schmid was named MAC Championship Most Valuable Player, highlighting his performance in the tournament that included 33 kills across two MAC Championship matches. In addition, many players had strong performances that contributed to this win, including senior Tyler Hoke, who had six blocks and five kills, graduate student Julius Stiemer, adding 14 kills and nine digs, sophomore Quinn Bozarth with 42 assists and six digs, and junior Dominic Ambrose with 11 digs. Stevens is set to host the first

rounds of the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament at Canavan Arena, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology facing St. Joseph’s University Long Island, and Endicott College facing Lancaster Bible College on Thursday, April 16. On Friday, April 17, the Ducks will go up against the winner of MIT vs St. Joseph’s University Long Island for one of the First Round matches, and the winner of Endicott vs Lancaster Bible College will face off against California Lutheran University. The winner of these first-round matches will then meet on Saturday, April 18, with the winner of that match advancing to the national semifinals.

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Paul Donahue Invitational Chester, PA TBD WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Coach Pollard Invitational Bethlehem, PA 3 p.m. MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MIT or St. Joseph’s Long Island Hoboken, NJ TBD MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TCNJ Multi & Invitational Day 2 Hoboken, NJ TBD

SAT, APR 18 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Coach Pollard Invitational Bethlehem, PA TBD WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Paul Donahue Invitational Chester, PA TBD

MEN’S TENNIS DeSales University Center Valley, PA 10:00 AM WOMEN’S TENNIS New Paltz Bayonne, NJ 12 p.m. BASEBALL King’s College Wilkes-Barre, PA 12 p.m. WOMEN’S LACROSSE Arcadia University Hoboken, NJ 12 p.m. MEN’S TENNIS Haverford College Haverford, PA TBD

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY DAVE JANOSZ)

MEN’S LACROSSE Arcadia University Glenside, PA 3 p.m.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

WED, APR 8

THU, APR 9 FRI, APR 10

SAT, APR 11

TEAM

SOFTBALL WOMEN'S TENNIS BASEBALL SOFTBALL MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD MEN'S VOLLYBALL MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD BASEBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD WOMEN'S LACROSSE BASEBALL

OPPONENT

LOCATION

SCORE

RAMAPO COLLEGE FDU RV/NR EASTERN CONNETICUT STATE UNIVERSITY RAMAPO COLLEGE TCNJ MULTI & INVITATIONAL MISERICORDIA TCNJ MULTI & INVITATIONAL - DAY 1

AWAY AWAY AWAY

W (9-1) W (7-0) W (12-5)

AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY

W(7-6) COMPLETE W (3-0) COMPLETE

ARCADIA UNIVERSITY MAC CHAMPIONSHIP TCNJ MULTI & INVITATIONAL - DAY 2

HOME TBD AWAY

L (4-7) L (4-7) COMPLETE

LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE ARCADIA UNIVERSITY (DH)

AWAY AWAY

W (16-4) W (4-3)

Friday, April 17

Science Vanguard: How to navigate the underwater human research habitat allergy season during cer and lead engineer of the proj- ensure safety. The diving center cherry blossom bloom BY SEAN PALERMO, SCIENCE WRITER

The UK-based Gloucestershire ocean technology firm, DEEP, is continuing progress on its mission to “make humans aquatic” through ongoing testing and research with its underwater vessels, Vanguard. Designed to be a “subsea human habitat,” Vanguard is being tested with the hopes of enabling scientists to continuously remain underwater whilst conducting research for days on end — intending for these habitats to be eventually capable of remaining submerged for at least a week to widely surpass current limitations of many expeditions restricted to a handful of hours. Based at the former National Diving and Activity Centre in Tidenham, DEEP claims that this technology will remove the need to resurface and decompress between dive missions, and, according to chief technology offi-

ect Norman Smith, will “open up a whole new realm of science” through its anticipated ability to explore currently unexplored oceanic depths. When the prototype was initially revealed on September 24, 2025, at a hangar in Miami, Florida, it was capable of reaching approximately 20 meters (65 ft) underwater. Building off of these results, Vanguard’s first test mission is set to be launched in the Florida Keys at a depth of about 18 meters (59 ft). However, in the future, the company plans to go significantly deeper — working on prototypes that can get down to 200 meters (650 ft). The yellow vessel itself, meant to hold a crew of four, comprises three sections: a living chamber, a diving center, and the base. Measuring 12 meters (40 ft) long by 3.7 meters (12 ft) wide, the living chamber is designed as an area for scientists to eat, sleep, and work — designed to resist ocean water pressure to

connects to the underwater base anchored to the seabed, which is used to protect the Vanguard vessel from waves and storms while sitting on the ocean floor. Additionally, the habitat will feature a structure meant to float on the surface of the water with the purpose of transporting compressed air, providing power, and making communication possible with the outside world. As research and development continue, DEEP intends to use Vanguard for long-term conservation projects such as coral restoration through the gradual establishment of larger, modular habitats to be in oceans all over the world. Reflecting on this mission, DEEP Institute CEO Dennis Nelson emphasizes how “Vanguard is real, what we are doing is real, and it is within touching distance. It’s the type of thing you can be proud to tell your kids about.”

BY RÉKA WEINACHT, SCIENCE WRITER The April-May allergy season is a familiar roll-around for anyone who grew up in the Northeastern United States. Sitting by an open window in a classroom, trying to take an exam while your eyes water so much that you can’t see the exam question. Stepping outside into the bright May sunshine and sneezing five times in a row before squinting into the haze of pollen that you can almost see being blown across the yard by the spring breeze. Not everyone gets seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, but many people do. Allergic rhinitis occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to something in the environment, and a normally harmless thing like pollen induces symptoms such as a stuffy or runny nose, itchy eyes, nose, and throat, red and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, or even swollen eyelids. Typically, tree and grass pollen are the biggest irritants in the spring season (ragweed is the culprit in the fall). In the Northeast region of the U.S., the tree pollen season can start as early as February, and then grass pollen takes over in late spring. This is in contrast to the Southwest region, for example, where oak and cedar pollen can be in the air as early as December because of the dry climate. Interestingly, and luckily for the East Coast, cherry trees do not actually cause strong allergies; the trees that are pollinated by wind, like birch, cedar, maple, and oak, for example, are much worse. This is also why windy days have a higher pollen count — a good time to stay indoors for those suffering from strong allergic rhinitis. There are multiple approaches to dealing with the symptoms of allergies, the least recommend-

ed one being “suck it up, I’ll just tough it out.” Allergic rhinitis is associated with fatigue, irritability and moodiness, limited ability to focus, and impaired hand-eye coordination, which is not surprising when your eyelids are puffy, and your whole head feels stuffy. Another approach, avoidance, can be useful if it’s feasible to stay indoors during peak pollen times (usually morning and evening, as a rule of thumb), keep windows shut, not hang clothes outside to dry, and wear sunglasses outdoors to minimize pollen in the eyes. However, for people looking to get outside and enjoy the sunshine on Schaefer Lawn, stroll down the Hudson waterfront, or seek out the elusive few cherry blossoms in Columbus Park, there are OTC and prescription medications available to help reduce allergy symptoms. A good place to start is with OTC antihistamines, which are good for treating mild allergies. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine receptors in the body, thus countering the effects of the inflammation-causing chemicals (called histamines) that the immune system releases in response to an irritant. Something to keep in mind is that they are best taken before symptoms develop, so they have time to build up in the body. Other OTC options are decongestant nasal sprays, but these do not directly counteract the allergic reaction of the body; they just treat symptoms. Finally, more involved treatments are available for people whose allergies are too strong to be inhibited by antihistamines: allergy shots and sublingual tablets are two kinds of immunotherapy with long-term treatment plans (a few months for tablets or 3-5 years for shots). For now, good luck finding a non-windy day on Stevens campus!

PHOTO COURVTESY OF CNN.COM

New scientific discovery for lifelong bone strength BY DISHA GOHIL, SCIENCE WRITER Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeletal system that makes bones more likely to break, affecting more than 200 million people worldwide. However, scientists may have found a way to rebuild those weakened bones. A recent study from Leipzig University in Germany highlights a receptor called GPR133, which belongs to a larger family known as adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and its role in maintaining healthy bone. To understand the importance of this receptor, researchers looked into what happens when it does not function properly. In animal studies, mice with genetic changes that disrupt this receptor closely resemble osteoporosis in humans. “If this receptor is impaired by genetic changes, mice show signs of loss of bone density at an early age -- similar to osteoporosis in humans. Using the substance AP503, which was only recently

identified via a computer-assisted screen as a stimulator of GPR133, we were able to significantly increase bone strength in both healthy and osteoporotic mice,” explains Professor Ines Liebscher, lead investigator of the study from the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine. Bone health is important for the body. Bones help to provide structure for the body and protect organs, just to name a few. The body undergoes a process called remodeling, where osteoblasts make new bone and osteoclasts break down old bone. A balance between these two is crucial for maintaining healthy bones. The researchers found that in bone tissue, the GPR133 receptor is activated by interactions between bone cells. This activation causes the receptor to send signals that increase the activity of osteoblasts and reduce the activity of osteoclasts. This results in stronger and denser bone that is more resistant to damage. The researchers also

found that AP503 can promote bone formation by turning on the same signaling pathway, making it a promising candidate for future treatments. “The newly demonstrated parallel strengthening of bone once again highlights the great potential this receptor holds for medical applications in an aging population,” says Dr. Juliane Lehmann, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry. Healthy bones are crucial for older adults as they reduce the risk of falls and fractures, making this discovery a very important stepping stone for future treatments. The research team is studying AP503 and GPR133 in more detail, trying to understand how the pathway can be used to treat other conditions in the body. Even though further research is required before AP503 or similar compounds are tested in humans, this research offers insight into future treatments to maintain strong and healthy bones.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RUTGERS.EDU

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM?Join our Science writing team! Reach out to Riyana Phadke, Science Editor (rphadke@stevens.edu) for more information – No experience necessary to write • thestute.com/category/science –

Friday, April 17

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

My thoughts on Admitted Students Weekend I have tabled for The Stute for every Admitted Students Weekend, for as long as I have been at Stevens. I have always loved speaking to prospective students and parents, not only about the organization, but also about my time at Stevens! This year, sadly,

was the first year I was less involved in the weekend. I was supposed to table for both days, but got so sick I had to drop out on the second day. But I did notice a few things that were different. The Saturday Admitted Students Day was empty! It was up-

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU

setting how there were not that many people. Normally, there are floods of people you cannot see down Wittpenn Walk. Barely anyone visited our tables. Usually, I find myself talking to 20 or 30 parents and students about The Stute or Stevens. In the hour and a half I was there, I spoke to three! There was barely anyone doing dorm tours, eating the food that was provided, or popping in to come and look at our tabling section. This is not to say nobody was on campus, but compared to previous years, there was a significant decrease. I also noticed that there was a lot less food catered for the weekend. But whatever food was catered for lunch was at the same time as the student organizations tabling! The timing just felt a little less exciting and fulfilling this

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

Why am I so exhausted all the time?

BY ROBERT JACK DIETRICH ‘29 In high school, my day would start at around 6 a.m. and end around 9 p.m. For most of the year, I would be at school 45 minutes early for mock trial practice. I would then have a full day of classes which would be followed by a shift at the restaurant I worked at. I would usually make it home by 8:30 p.m. where I would get some homework done and then doomscroll and crash for the day. Rinse and repeat this for 180 days for a couple of years, and that was high school. Jump forward to now, and my days are vastly different. The earliest class I have starts at 9 a.m. which means my day usually starts at 8 a.m. After my first class, there is a break that’s about two hours long depending on the day. Most of the week, I only have two classes per day (perks of a major switch I guess). Afterwards, I will either have some sort of club meeting or I will study for one of my classes in the library. Then comes dinner from UCC, some doomscrolling, and bed. That’s it. So why on God’s green earth am I so tired all the time now?!? There’s no argument about it, I am doing less per day than I was doing a year ago. Most of the time

I spend in class per day is three and a half hours. Compare that to my senior year of high school, where I would have five hours of classes followed by three hours of work. I was always busy last year, and now I find myself going on random walks through Hoboken because I can’t find anything to do. Again, this begs the question, why am I so exhausted now? I am going to attribute my exhaustion to a lack of solid routine. Despite doing so much every day in high school, most days were very similar in that I would wake up at the same time and go to bed at the same time. Now, when I wake up is determined by if my first class is at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., and when I go to bed is determined by how much work I end up doing that night. Along with the sleep schedule, how I spend my free time is also different. In past years, my free periods would be short and scattered around my day. A free 45 minutes in the morning followed by three classes, lunch, three more classes

and another free 45 minutes at the end of the day. Now, I’ll have a single class followed by two hours of nothing. Previously, I would be focused and engaged for 5 hours straight. Now, I’ll be focused for an hour and then have to figure out how to become focused again in two hours for my next class. These long breaks make every day feel longer. Now, I know this will change as I go through school here as every semester my schedule changes and gets more intensive but for now, somehow doing less is costing me more. Now obviously waking up exhausted every single morning is not ideal. It has gotten to a point where I have started to try and do more in the day to create a more solid routine. I’ve set consistent alarms regardless of class start time. I’ve joined more orgs for the sole purpose of being busier. College is an experience like no other and you learn so much about yourself. I just never thought I would need to do more in order to feel less exhausted. Strange.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEALTH.COM

year. Whether or not this is a result of the budget cuts and the layoffs the school has been facing, we will not know. Although on Sunday, I was fighting my own battles, I was able to catch a glimpse at the crowds, and they did look busier! It was definitely a better turnout than Saturday. However, when speaking with those who were tabling, they faced the same problems as Saturday, there were barely any people! As someone who has had to live through four of these, this was definitely my least favorite one. And who knows, I might be the only one that feels this way, but Admitted Students Weekend is the biggest production the school puts on, and this year it just felt emptier than normal.

Jiya Jaisinghani ‘27

Editor-in-Chief

SENIORITIS

Take that trip

So we are in the homestretch. It’s April, the weather is starting to warm up just a bit, and the graduation plans are being planned. Grad party Partifuls are being sent out, and job offers are being received. I know that after I graduate, my core group of friends will be scattered throughout. A couple of us are staying in the NJ/NYC metropolitan area, some are moving out West or down South, and some friends are even going international. This has been the hardest part of being a senior — the knowledge that soon, we won’t have unlimited access to each other. Luckily, I had the opportunity to go on a spring break trip with my friends, and this experience truly changed my life. My advice to any underclassmen reading this: go on that trip. My four friends and I set out on a road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. We first planned to rent a sexy SUV like a GMC or Lincoln. We ended up with the most beautiful mini-van. Imagine us, traveling through the country in a white Chrysler Pacifica. We named her Paloma, and we deeply miss her and our adventurous week. Our first stop in Paloma was Luray, Virginia. If there is one thing to know about Luray, it’s that this small rural town is home to a super-

market, farms, and the Luray Caverns. While we were driving on the interstate, we would see at least six or seven billboards advertising the Luray Caverns. I urge you to do your research on these Caverns and visit them if you have the time. It was spectacular. Right around Luray was Shenandoah National Park where we spent a lot of our time. Through tornado warnings and less-than-ideal weather, we hiked and picnicked and found ourselves in these mountains. My friends and I thank Luray a lot for giving us a peaceful beginning to our trip. This small town was an amazing place, and inside our Air BNB, we drank coffee on our porch, sang songs in our living room, and saw the most beautiful shooting star (my first shooting star sighting ever). Next up was Nashville. After stopping at a Dutch Bros and Buc-ee’s and a couple hours of some real good road trip music, we arrived in Music City. Nashville truly ignited something in us. Music was not only the main form of entertainment and attraction, but it was the deepest heartbeat of the city. From the Country Music Hall of Fame to The Grand Ol’ Opry to just the bars on Broadway, this city was all about music. I absolutely loved it, and I am currently trying to plan to get back there this summer. After a couple of days of cowboy boots, dancing, and sightseeing, we hopped back in Paloma to eastern Tennessee. We returned back to the mountains and drove to a mountain cabin between the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Here, we hiked in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We saw a jaw-dropping sun-

set, made friends with fellow hikers, and went off the trail and ended up in a small cave to take a break. On our first day in the Park, we rode horses on a three-mile trail in the Smokies. Just an unbelievable national park. While Pigeon Forge was not our favorite city due to the “charming” nature of the area and the “interesting” restaurant we attended (I’ll spare you the details for this one), we left Tennessee after this stop. We spent a night in Roanoke, Virginia, and found ourselves splitting a chocolate chip cookie in a quaint hotel room. After sipping on some burnt coffee and making hotel waffles, we hopped in Paloma to head back to The Garden State. We stopped at a 7 Brew too — it was so good! This trip gave me so much more than pictures and memories. It gave me confidence that my friends and I will be okay and always make time for each other. Seven days in a minivan traveling down south bonds people more than you’d think. Between our nature days in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains, excursions through caverns, crazy nights in Nashville, and bonding moments in the Smokies, we really had an indescribable time. I scraped the surface of our trip in this article. There’s just so much to say about it all. Take that trip, start planning now, spend the money! Stay up late and ask your friends about who they are and where they come from. Talk about your families and cry through stories. Laugh out loud and sing at the top of your lungs. Do everything, feel guilty about nothing. Most importantly, find people who see you.

ple of seasons ago. Sperry has recently collaborated with both Aritzia and Abercrombie, of which my coworker bought six pairs. Additionally, it seems that the general public has accepted sneakers like the Puma Speedcats and those types of sneakers, which will continue to prosper. Some shoes that I recommend are the Adidas Italia 70s, Adidas Ghost Sprint, Converse CTAS, and the Asics Hypersync. One that I am wary of but like to see on other people is flip flops. I knew that

this would happen after The Row released their $600 rubber flip flops last year, and it trickled into the Y2K aesthetic, and now all I can see all over my Instagram is flip flops and baggy pants to achieve this archive aesthetic. No, flip flops have never died, but in a fashion sense, it’s something that we will be seeing more often on people’s feet — not mine, though. The final trend is Chanel. Fashion influencers, fashion critics, and everyone into design have been talking about Matthieu Bla-

zy’s Chanel. It’s been selling out everywhere, and countless celebrities like Margot Robbie, Kylie Jenner, and Teyana Taylor have been seen wearing it, and the numbers are showing. I am not saying you have to buy Chanel, but if you want to see inspiration, Chanel is a good place to look at. In summary, these have been the summer trends that I have been seeing and thought I would share, even though some of these already started last summer, but will likely experience a return.

BY ABBY THOMAS ‘26

UNDERGROUND WORLD OF FASHION

Summer trends

BY GAVIN RUBY ‘27 As I am writing, it is currently 80 degrees in Hoboken, and that means I can’t wear sweatpants and hoodies anymore, which is tragic. With that in mind,

I thought I should share some of the summer trends I have been seeing both from working in retail and what I see online. My worst nightmare has come to fruition, and I like it: Culottes and capris are back into the lexicon of fashion. A 2000s staple that I used to hate— proportionally, I thought it didn’t work— has proven me a hypocrite. After I bought a pair of very long shorts that fell at my shins, my mind immediately changed — I was in love. Luckily, a bunch of retailers

like Aritzia, Abercrombie, and Uniqlo have been capitalizing on this trend, and I have seen it best styled with a nice form-fitting top and a skinny pair of sneakers. This leads into sneaker trends where long gone are the chunky sneakers — hiking shoes and skinny sneakers are in. Salomons are also here to stay, and I will be wearing mine, which I have had for over four years now. Other trends are the boat shoes of 2016, particularly Sperry, after Miu Miu showed them on the runway a cou-

Friday, April 17

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

Exploring trauma and abuse with In the Dream House

BY CHRISTINA THOMAS ‘26 In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is a memoir about her abusive marriage written through the lens of the horror genre. The book is written interestingly as she does not use a common style to detail the abuse she suffered at

the hands of her ex-wife. Instead, Machado uses a horror structure in order to describe what it was like to suffer through this marriage. The memoir follows the period from meeting to divorce, sharing an emotional but haunting look into the abuse and trauma that Machado suffered throughout this relationship, and how it was necessary for her to share it with the world. The book is about Machado’s ex-marriage, and it details her life through meeting her ex-wife and her experience throughout the marriage. She wanted to explore and highlight the abuse she underwent in a same-sex marriage,

and how living through this nightmare allowed her to meet her current wife. It is a personal and touchy subject, but when writing it, she thought it was crucial to discuss the dark sides you can experience in relationships, and the necessity of saving yourself from them. It is a story about pain and endurance written like a horror narrative that works very well. The writing style that Machado takes in In the Dream House is a risk, but one that pays off really well. While I have not read a large number of memoirs, I am familiar with the genre, and she does not follow any typical style that memoirs usu-

ally have. She creates a new way of writing for this work, and she blends together different elements from the horror genre in order to create an atmosphere of pain and confusion to show the reader what it was like to go through what she did. She creates an immersive experience to tackle such a personal and private subject. In order to explore her trauma, she had to reinvent ways to talk about it. It is a haunting novel, and the creative aspects of it are incredibly memorable, simply because of how well it works. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading a memoir, interested in horror, or interest-

ed in experimental writing. Carmen Maria Machado’s other works—mainly her fiction—are based in horror, so she has a background in that genre. She uses the skills she gained from her previous writing in order to fully articulate the painful ordeal and suffering she faced in her first marriage. She also uses these tools in order to fully encapsulate the reader into the emotions she herself was experiencing during this time. She put us in her shoes through her creative use of prose, and it worked very well. Although I think her prose is one of the best parts of the memoir, it could be jarring at first if you are unaware or

unfamiliar with her style of writing. It is a very candid but surrealist way of looking at abuse, especially the abuse she suffered, but ultimately, it works.

like to me. Some people treat spice like a challenge, something to conquer or survive. I’ve seen it turn into a performance — who can handle more, who taps out first, who laughs through the burn. But for me, there is nothing to prove. My relationship with spice isn’t about endurance. It’s about recognition. I recognize the flavors before I even taste them. The sharpness, the depth, the balance between heat and everything beneath it. Spice is not just a sensation. It is memory. It is the echo of kitchens I grew up in, of meals that didn’t need explanation because they were understood.

There is a certain pride that comes with that. Not the loud kind, not the kind that demands attention, but something steadier. Something that sits quietly in the way I eat without hesitation, in the way I don’t dilute my food to make it more comfortable for others. My tolerance isn’t something I trained for. It’s something I inherited. It lives in me the same way language does. The same way instinct does. I’ve been told, sometimes jokingly, that I have a “high spice tolerance,” as if it’s an acquired skill, like learning to like coffee or building up endurance. But that framing

misses something. This isn’t about tolerance. Tolerance implies resistance — getting used to something that was once difficult. There was never anything to get used to. This is how the food is meant to taste. And more than that, it’s a reminder that no matter where I go, there are parts of me that don’t adjust to fit the environment. I can sit in any setting, at any table, and carry that with me. The heat doesn’t disappear just because the surroundings change. It stays. Beyond the plate, spice becomes something else entirely. It becomes a marker of continuity. Of a culture that doesn’t

fade just because it’s no longer the majority around you. Of identity that doesn’t need translation. There’s a quiet confidence in that. In knowing that something as simple as the way you eat can hold so much history. I don’t measure spice. I don’t compare it. I don’t turn it into a test. I just eat. And in that act, there is something constant, something unchanging. A reminder that no matter how much else evolves—where I live, who I become, how I’m perceived—this part of me remains untouched. The heat doesn’t overwhelm me. It belongs to me.

learned that starting from ground zero when learning this instrument has actively inspired me more than the instruments I already know. When it comes to music, I am constantly being pulled by perpetual curiosity, which is what makes learning so fun. There is alleviated pressure of having a desire to be perfect by learning something new, it removes my desire to be good enough. I allow myself to just focus on learning new things, which I have found to push me creatively significantly more than just my guitar. I have also used the new things I have learned in my other instruments, and my guitar playing has started to develop more banjo-like tendencies.

I have found my songwriting abilities to be more relaxed and enjoyable when I am just doing it out of the curiosity of the thing, rather than a need to be perfect. This perfectionism I have has been easier to abandon under the microscope of a brand new concept that needs to be discovered. Creating and learning is truly addictive, and I find myself craving to learn more and more every day. Developing new interests, skills and creative strategies from something I expected to know nothing about has been so intriguing. There is so much beauty in learning and being curious, and the best part about it is that there will always be something new to learn.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON

BEYOND THE PLATE

Spice tolerance

BY DISHA RANA ‘29 I don’t flinch when the food is spicy. It’s something people notice quickly. The first bite, the pause, the glance in my direction — waiting to see if I’ll re-

act the way they do. But I don’t reach for water. I don’t laugh it off or downplay it. I keep eating. Because this isn’t new to me. I was raised on food that doesn’t apologize for its heat. In my house, spice was never something added cautiously at the end. It was built into the foundation — chili powder blooming in hot oil, green chilies sliced without hesitation, spices layered until the dish carried both warmth and intensity. The kind of heat that doesn’t shock you, but settles in slowly, reminding you it’s there. This is what comfort tastes

ON SHUFFLE

Not knowing often leads to discovery

BY VIKTOR PALMER ‘28 When it comes to creating art, I have found that not knowing anything can sometimes leave room for more creativity. At times when I am overcome with writer’s block or things like that, I have learned that the solution is actually abandoning what I know. There is something about

not knowing anything that can sometimes force you to look at art from a new perspective. This allows you to approach new techniques and maybe discover something new about the artistic process by starting from scratch. One of my favorite ways to reset my creative process is usually through the musique concrete technique. Musique concrete is an old sound technique that originated in the 1940s by Pierre Schaeffer, which entails utilizing recorded sounds from everyday life or objects and putting them together to create music. This technique works to get me inspired because I have to give up total control over the content of the music I am creating. It

takes a lot more creativity to figure out how to morph keychains and wind tunnels into a cohesive vision, but once you try, it gets many gears turning. This technique has been used in music since the 1940s, and it wasn’t as simple as splicing audio in Ableton — it required countless hours of hand-cutting recorded tapes, speeding them up, and reversing them all in analog. This takes a tremendous amount of creativity and resourcefulness. A lot of the electronic music pioneers had to be very creative to produce sounds and had to abandon previously known ideas about musical content. British composer Daphne Oram would handdraw on physical tapes

for hours to get maybe 30 seconds of unique, never-before-heard electronic sound. Composers who worked with musique concrete ended up creating very impactful works, like Delia Derbyshire, who utilized metal lampshades and recorded tapes to create music as iconic as the Doctor Who theme song. Or Hugh Le Caine, who created an entire musical work, “Dripsody,” out of a water droplet by manipulating tapes. I have recently started learning the banjo, which is a very difficult instrument to learn. I’ve had to learn a series of new picking patterns and a completely new tuning, which I’m still getting used to. It is a beautiful instrument, and I have

COMIC CORNER BY BROOKE NAGURKA

Friday, April 17

Opinion THE THINKING FRAME

A Few Good Men

BY VEDHESH ANANDHAN KAMARAJ ‘28 Most courtroom dramas revolve around finding the truth. A Few Good Men is about what happens when people in power do everything to conceal the truth. The famous line at the end of the movie is not a twist, but just a man who truly believes what he did was right.

Rob Reiner’s film follows Danny Kaffee as he defends two Marines who have been accused of killing a fellow Marine on a military base in Guantanamo Bay. What seems like an open and shut case for both the audience and Kaffee, it slowly becomes evident that there is a conspiracy behind this. Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, at the start of the film, is not the lawyer you would want as your counsel. He plea bargains every case, skips out on the cases he knows he will lose, and rides on his father’s coattails. When he is assigned to Lance Corporal Dawson and Private Downey’s case, his first instinct is to make a deal and get them the lowest sentence he can. What

changes him is not the ambition to win the case, but the pressure of a case not allowed to be settled quietly, and colleagues who didn’t let him take the easy way out. The real tension of the movie is not whether the marines are guilty, but whether Kaffee has the ability to become the lawyer he has the capability of being. Despite only appearing for 15 to 20 minutes of the film, Nathan Jessep, played by Jack Nicholson, leaves a lasting impression on the audience. He is one of the film’s compelling figures, but at the same time, he is not a straightforward villain. He genuinely believes that the military’s code is what keeps the country safe, and citizens like Kaffee ben-

efit from this and are too foolish to understand the cost of it. The problem with his belief is that the institution allows him to surpass accountability. Jessep truly believes that he did nothing wrong by giving the order, and Nicholoson plays that with mastery. This makes him a menacing and frightening figure who refuses to be shaken. The scene that defines the film is Jessep’s breakdown at the end of the movie. As a man who didn’t flinch during Kaffee’s clever examination, he finally cracks and confesses that he was the one who ordered the Code Red. He only confesses because he is simply too proud not to, just as Kaffee predicted. When Kaffee

does push him to the truth, Jessep wants him to know the truth. He wants Kaffee and the court to know that what he did was right, that the base runs like a welloiled machine because of officers like him, and that the world is safer because of his discipline. Aaron Sorkin’s writing and Reiner’s direction truly excels here and make it one of the best watches in film. Apart from the courtroom drama, A Few Good Men is a film about institutional power and the lengths people will go to protect it. Jessep’s base operates with a code that exists outside of the law enforced by subjugation and fear. The two Marines at the center of the case are not evil men. They

are men who trusted the system completely and paid the price at the end. While these institutions are incredibly necessary, the film argues how it can be corrupt at the same time. In the end, the film is not about the unfortunate murder on the military base. It is about what happens when someone decides to hold uncontrollable power accountable. Kaffee does win the case; Dawson and Downey are discharged. Jessep is arrested, but the stringent system he built remains. The truth came out, but nothing changed because of it. Some films show that justice prevails and will be served. But this one shows the cost of justice.

HER STEVENS

Taking up space in male dominated classrooms BY BREONA PIZZUTA ‘27 Walking into a classroom where you’re one of the only women, if not the only one, can feel intimidating before the lecture even begins. Whether you’re in a STEM lab, a business course, or any traditionally male-dominated field, there’s often an unspoken awareness: you stand out. And with that visibility comes pressure to prove yourself, to not make mistakes, to speak only when you’re completely sure you’re right. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to shrink yourself to fit into spaces that were never designed with you in mind. You deserve to take up space in them. Fully. Many women in male-dominated classrooms

experience what’s often called the “confidence gap.” You might hesitate to raise your hand unless you’re 100% sure of the answer, while others speak up more freely, even when they’re unsure. It’s not about ability. It’s about conditioning. From a young age, women are often taught to be careful, prepared, and precise. In contrast, men are more likely to be encouraged to take risks and speak up. That difference shows up in the classroom, where participation can feel like a performance instead of a conversation. But confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t. It’s something you build through action. When you don’t speak up, it’s easy to feel invisible. But the impact goes beyond participation points. Your

perspective brings something different to the table, whether it’s how you approach a problem, collaborate with others, or challenge assumptions. In fields where women are underrepresented, your voice isn’t just valuable, it’s necessary. Speaking up also creates space for others. When one woman raises her hand, it often makes it easier for another to do the same. Representation doesn’t just exist, it grows. In male-dominated spaces, it can feel like your mistakes carry more weight. One wrong answer might feel like it confirms stereotypes, even when that pressure is completely unfair. That pressure can lead to over-preparing, overthinking, and sometimes staying silent altogether. But

THE BIG QUESTIONS OF EVERYDAY

An awkward kind of spring

BY MILAGROS CARBAJAL ‘28 As spring arrives, the sun over the ocean, when we look out the window, feels like a perfectly set scene for new beginnings. And along with the cherry blossoms and vitamin D comes one emotion that lingers in the background of those very beginnings: awkwardness. Oftentimes, we perceive awkwardness as a social hindrance. And it can be. It shows up in small moments — when you forget exactly how a proverb goes, or when you suddenly become highly aware of the way your arms are positioned, like they don’t quite belong. It’s the discomfort of forgetting the unspoken language of a new group or a new person. But what if awkwardness is actually the key to knowing when something matters? I recently began a new experience as an EMT and found myself face-to-face with this feeling. I had to learn new people, new systems, and even new names for things I had never heard before. In the beginning, I felt off my game. I fumbled through the equipment bag

when asked to grab something, hesitating for just a second too long, aware that everyone around me seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I became hyper-aware of how I was standing and constantly questioned where I should position myself. I cared about the impression I was making in a new environment and how well I could perform my role. Despite this discomfort, the world around me felt amplified. I’ve noticed how appealing it is, especially for people our age, to maintain a kind of composure or quiet authority. We choose to present ourselves as effortless and in control. I catch myself trying to do the same more often than I’d like to admit, but sometimes that “presence” is just a way of hiding behind practiced confidence. Avoiding awkwardness might make us seem more put together, but it also keeps us at a distance — from people, from new experiences, and from anything that requires us to not already know what we’re doing. When we step into something unfamiliar, awkwardness is almost inevitable. It means we don’t know the rules yet. But it also means we’re paying attention, and more importantly, that we care enough for it to disrupt our usual sense of ease. Awkwardness thrives in uncertainty, and in order to take on new beginnings, we are bound to feel uncertain

in many social situations. But a lot of that discomfort doesn’t even come from the moment itself, it comes from how we interpret it afterward. We replay what we said, how we stood, what we should have done differently, assuming the other person noticed every detail just as much as we did. In reality, they’re likely too focused on themselves to dissect our every move. And yet, we turn inward, becoming overly aware of ourselves in a way that keeps us consumed by our own world and holds us back from engaging with the world around us. If we let that fear take over, it makes us hesitate before speaking, before stepping forward, before fully engaging in something new. It could even prevent us from putting ourselves out there altogether. In doing so, we don’t just avoid awkwardness — we miss out on the very experiences that would have made us more comfortable in the first place. We hold back from saying what we actually want to say. Awkwardness isn’t something that holds us back. It’s something that shows us we’re stepping into something new that we haven’t learned how to belong to yet. And maybe the feeling we try so hard to avoid is actually one of the clearest signs that something matters to us. And it might be worth all the small, momentary discomforts of being a little awkward.

here’s the reality: everyone is learning. Everyone gets things wrong. You are not held to a higher standard, you just feel like you are. You don’t need to be perfect to participate. You just need to be present. Taking up space doesn’t have to mean becoming the loudest person in the room. It can look different for everyone, but it starts with small, intentional actions: 1. Speak Once Per Class Set a simple goal. Contribute at least once each class. It could be asking a question, answering one, or building on someone else’s idea. Consistency builds confidence. 2. Sit Where You Feel Seen Instead of hiding in the

back, try sitting closer to the front or center. It naturally increases engagement and visibility. 3. Stop Apologizing for Your Voice Avoid phrases like “This might be wrong, but…” or “Sorry if this doesn’t make sense…” You deserve to speak without disclaimers. 4. Find Allies Connect with other women or supportive classmates. Having even one familiar face can make participation feel less intimidating. The most important thing to remember is this: you earned your place in that classroom. You are not there by accident. You are not less capable. You are not “lucky” to be included. You belong. Taking up space

isn’t about proving anything to anyone else; it’s about recognizing your own worth and refusing to minimize it. It’s about allowing yourself to be seen, heard, and respected without shrinking to make others comfortable. So raise your hand. Share your ideas. Ask the question. The more space you take up, the more you redefine what that space looks like for the women who come after you!

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

Foxglove

BY CLAIRE DEANS ‘29 The Victorian Language of Flowers was used for decades to relay feelings that people had a hard time expressing or were too embarrassed to share. Each flower has its own meaning, and each color further explains the emotions they arise. The flower we will be looking at today is the Foxglove. This flower has tall stalks with bell-shaped blooms towards the end. They typically bloom in a range of colors, including pink, purple, white, and yellow. It’s a legend that the blooms of these flowers served as little hats for fairies and that the fairies had a deep connection with the flowers. In the Victorian Language of Flowers, the foxglove symbolizes deception, insincerity, mystery, occupation, stateliness, and more. Being that The Language of Flowers is largely a secret love language from the Victorian era, it is not often that you see flowers with negative connotations. Even so, there will always be some happy meaning to

the word that doesn’t quite fit otherwise. Foxglove is no exception to this. I feel like now more than ever, we see deception and insincerity around every turn. Whether it be the presence of social media that promotes these insane standards or just a news release of whatever is the most recent scandal revealed. People have always gossiped and spoken behind each other’s backs, but now it just feels worse. I don’t know if maybe it’s just harder to escape it, but it feels intense. In the past, when I saw drama or my friends came to tell me all about the latest news, I was usually working on my school work, and oftentimes that became my savior. I would hear one of my friends come up to me, talking about the latest guy and how, apparently, all of our friends were turning on each other. The thing that saved me from being burned in that fire was my studies. I fear that the beauty of this escape simply does not work the same in college. Now, if I throw myself in my studies to stay out of trouble, I burn out faster than a candlestick in a hurricane. The other option is to be left to sink in a sea of “he said she said,” where there is no escape in sight. I’m trying to learn the balance a bit better now, but it’s hard to decompress when everyone has a piece to say about every individual around. The worst thing is actively watching those speaking

behind others’ backs, faking it in front of them. The deceit drives me insane. I would rather that if someone didn’t like me, they simply ignore me, or honestly give me a stink eye or whatever they feel is necessary, just don’t be insincere. I am trying to be very genuine myself. After all, I couldn’t lie to a brick wall, so why even spend the effort? I just wish that people would be genuine and give each other a chance regardless of race, political standing, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else. At the end of the day, it takes more effort to uphold a lie, so why hide it in the first place?

IMAGE COURTESY OF GARDENER’S PATH

derate

bers: 28

Friday, September 19

Campus Pulse

Pranvera Xhelilaj, Gabriela Cangialosi ‘26

GiGi Cannon ‘27 “Campus coffee walk!”

Molly Harris ‘27 “Getting a sweet treat”

“Tanning/possibly sunburnt”

ROVING REPORTER

By Brady Sansotta and Rachel Choi

Anthony Nielsen ‘27

Darren Kluesner ‘29

“DYE UP!!!!!”

“What’s your go-to ‘it’s finally nice out’ activity?”

Allie Halverson ‘28

Joseph Pinho ‘26

Riley Parker ‘27

“Frisbee!”

“Spikeball!!”

“Studying outside”

“Going on walks around Hoboken”

Stephen Pachucki

Puzzle Page

Word Wall

Crossword ACROSS 1. Halloween animal 4. They're hard to explain 6. "I am ___" (Marvel catchphrase) 8. Words often illuminated in radio stations 10. Agile 11. Visualize

DOWN 1. Computer issue 2. Hairstyle worn by Jimi Hendrix 3. Animations 5. Clean bars? 7. Rubber part of a car 9. Bread for a Reuben

Sort the words below into five groups of four words. Each of the words comes before or after a certain secret word. For example, LICORICE, MEMORY, POGO, and WALKING are all words that come before STICK. When you are done, place all five secret words in the blanks.

? ___

____ ?

? ____

? _______

King’s Tour (Metapuzzle)

Chain Reaction Each of the clues leads to a two-word phrase or compound word. Insert each answer into two of the boxes on the right. At the end, you will have an interlocking chain of six phrases.

1. Popeyes product 2. Raising Cane’s product 3. Early childhood art technique

The three other puzzles on this page, when solved, will each give you five letters. Place each set of five letters in order across the corresponding row of the grid. Then, traverse each square one by one in any of the eight directions (like a king in chess) to spell out the answer. The starting and ending squares are shaded. Every letter will be used exactly once. The clue below the grid designates the lengths of each word.

4. Tool for coloring walls 5. Footwear for the rink 6. 1982 cyberpunk movie with Harrison Ford

Sudoku

Difficulty: Easy

7 8

2 8

4 2 9

Difficulty: Moderate

1 5

Id: 93403

Level: Easy

Set Numbers: 24

2 4

_____ ?

4 2 4

2 9

1 3 2

7 5