[The Stute] February 13, 2026 (Issue 16, Volume CXXIII)

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | FEBRUARY 13, 2025

VOLUME CXXIII No. 16

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

Stevens BME research Vandna Rajpal’s first into improving fall mitigation in older adults place win at the D3CODE 2025 Global Hackathon BY TASHA KHOSLA, HEAD COPYEDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAFERIOULAB.COM

BY AMELIE DELA CRUZ, STAFF WRITER Falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults, with over 14 million older adults reporting falls each year. The most common of these injuries is hip fractures, which are typi-

cally only repaired through surgery. These cause a decrease in mobility, loss of independence, and a general reduction in quality of life. Despite this, causes of falls and development of preventative measures are heavily understudied — but a Stevens BME lab is aiming to change this nar-

rative. With the goal of improving fall mitigation in adults ages 65 and older, Assistant Professor Antonia Zaferiou of the Biomedical Engineering Department led this research in her Musculoskeletal Control and Dynamics Lab. Utilizing force plates and motion

tracking devices, this lab is focused on sports biomechanics and preventative and rehabilitative studies. In this specific study, participants wore full-body motion tracking sensors to plot their movements. Their study emphasized

SEE BME PAGE 2

Stevens Master of Data Science graduate Vandna Rajpal and her team, Neural Navigators, received first place at the D3CODE 2025 Global Hackathon. Her team designed Predicting and Reporting Insights with Scalable Models (PRISM), which is an AI-powered data intelligence platform. PRISM allows users to ask questions about their data and receive reliable and secure answers. In an interview with The Stute, Rajpal summarized, “It is like having a data scientist, analyst, and AI assistant rolled into one platform — accessible to anyone, instantly.” According to Rajpal, PRISM allows users to ask questions about their data in “natural language” rather than having to use SQL or Python. It also automates ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), builds predictive models without requiring coding experience from the user, and understands documents (files, reports, texts, etc.). Additionally, PRISM has built-in governance and ethics, meaning that it “tracks data usage, decisions, and ensures transparency and responsible AI.”

Rajpal explained that PRISM is special for a few reasons, such as decreasing time to insight “from months to minutes,” reducing dependence on data engineers and data scientists, and it is “enterprise-ready” because it is “secure, auditable, and scalable.” Furthermore, PRISM bridges the gap between research and “real-world use.” Rajpal referenced “the ‘last mile’ problem in AI.” The“last mile” problem refers to “the gap between laboratory perfection and real-world implementation.” Essentially, for AI the “last mile” is “the gap between what AI can produce and what an organization can responsibly release into production.” PRISM stands out because of its ability to bridge this gap. As for the challenges of this project, Rajpal described, “The hardest part was making natural-language AI reliable at enterprise scale. Translating user questions into correct queries and models while enforcing governance, explainability, and access control was extremely challenging. We had to ensure the system was powerful without being opaque or

SEE RAJPAL PAGE 2

LOCAL NEWS Mandatory cursive, E-Bike licenses: 100 last-minute bills signed by former NJ Gov. Murphy BY HUGO HOLLAND, CONTRIBUTOR Former Governor Phil Murphy signed over 100 bills into law shortly before his term ended last month, with legislation ranging from new e-bike restrictions and mandatory cursive lessons to 2026 FIFA World Cup advertising funding. The 120 bills Murphy signed on January 20 capped his two-term governorship with a legislative flurry, hours before current Governor Mikie Sherrill was sworn into office. Among the most high-profile acts was increased regulation on e-bikes in the state. A new law introduces a reworked classification of e-bikes and significantly strengthens their ownership requirements, with all e-bike users now required to register their vehicle and have a valid driver’s license. Owners of more powerful e-bikes will also be required to have insurance for their vehicles. In order to help owners adjust

and give insurers time to formulate e-bike policies, there will be a grace period for enforcement, with owners having one year from the law’s signing to meet the new requirements. The law also restricts the age of e-bike users. According to the New Jersey Monitor, it will prohibit “minors under 15 from operating an e-bike or motorized bike, and require those 17 and older to have a driver’s license.” This was a key part of the law, introduced last November after a series of deaths involving e-bikes, including one involving a 13-year-old

NEWS (2-3)

SCIENCE (6)

Stevens BME research into improving fall mitigationin older adults Learn about how the BME department is constantly making advances in science ! FEATURE (4)

Valentine’s Day Discover the best florists in town and the easiest and thoughtful dishes to make your valentine!

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWJERSEYMONITOR.COM

Heart attack? Strong friendships? Dating apps? 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.

boy from Scotch Plains. Equally prominent among the bills was an act mandating cursive instruction for elementary-school-age children. The law, according to the NJ School Boards Association (NJSBA), requires that schools provide instruction “that help[s] students become proficient in reading and writing cursive legibly by the end of third grade.” The law represents a turnaround in New Jersey, where cursive instruction had previously been removed from state

SEE E-BIKE PAGE 2

ICE spotted in Hoboken and Jersey City border BY JOSEPHINE CHOONG, SECRETARY On February 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were seen making arrests at the light rail station on 9th Street and Jackson St. It’s located on the border of Hoboken and Jersey City, just a 20-minute walk from Stevens. ICE’s appearance has sparked tension and unrest within the Hoboken and Jersey City communities. Jersey City Councilman Jake Ephros witnessed the ICE agents and recorded his interactions. Ephros asked the ICE agents if they had a warrant, in which one of them responded, “We don’t need a warrant, bro. Stop getting that into your head.” When he attempted to ask other questions, he received few answers. Instead, he observed the agents and said that one person was taken into custody. While the exact number of arrests was vague at first, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs for the Department

of Homeland Security, later reported that 10 people were arrested during the operation. Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour stated that her office received reports about ICE activity. She and Councilman Joe Quintero spoke to multiple witnesses in the area who confirmed that they saw vehicles and several individuals being apprehended. At a Hoboken community ICE meeting held on February 1, Jabbour confirmed that there were at least three cars, with two of them unmarked. She noted that at least two of the detainees worked for local Hoboken businesses. Jabbour remarked that the Hoboken Police Department was not notified in advance, nor did they assist ICE. Jabbour addressed the attendees’ concerns for community safety, affirming that Hoboken “remain[s] committed to supporting every resident, regardless of background or immigration status. You are valued, you are part of our community, and you are not alone.” Residents are encouraged to contact the Office of Constituent

Services at constituents@ hobokennj.gov to connect with local advocacy organizations, legal aid partners, and community groups. Additionally, James Solomon, Jersey City’s mayor, confirmed these reports. In a social media post, he stated that the “videos are extremely disturbing — apparently including randomly picking up people on their way to work.” Solomon signed an executive order stating that no city property can be used for federal immigration operations and local police can’t aid ICE without a judge’s warrant. He reminded residents to know their rights when interacting with ICE and to prepare by memorizing an emergency contact’s phone number and keeping important documents in a safe place. Due to the sighting, on February 1, Stevens sent an email detailing the protocol for possible ICE enforcement actions. The university previously sent a similar email in January 2024, when ICE raided a Newark store without a warrant. If

SEE ICE PAGE 3

Friday, February 13

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News BME

Masthead Volume CXXIII No. 16

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Executive Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................JIYA JAISINGHANI ‘27 BUSINESS MANAGER.....................................FIONA SHI ‘27 MANAGING EDITOR.................................TIANNA SPITZ ‘27 LAYOUT EDITOR...............................EILIYAH SAROWAR ‘28 OUTREACH CHAIR..................................TANYA AVADIA ‘25 DIGITAL MANAGER..........................CHARMY KOTADIA ‘27 SECRETARY.....................................JOSEPHINE CHOONG ‘28

Editorial Board

NEWS EDITOR........................................... CLAIRE DEANS ‘29 SCIENCE EDITOR..................................RIYANA PHADKE ‘27 OPINION EDITOR.........................................ITAI GELLER ‘26 SPORTS EDITOR..................................CAMRYN WINANT ‘28 FEATURES EDITOR ...........................PRISHA VAGVALA ‘28 HEAD COPYEDITOR..............................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25

Operations Board

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER.......ISABELLE VILLANUEVA ‘26 ARCHIVES LIASON....................................ISABELLA ZIV ‘25 ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA...............................CHRISTINE YI ‘29 DELIVERY BOY.........................................JONATHAN LAI ‘28 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR.............................SHREYA ROY ‘27 ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR....................BRADY SANSOTTA ‘29 ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER........JOSH BODENSTEIN ‘29

Staff & Contributors Sofia Stoeckel Amelie dela Cruz Josephine Choong Hugo Holland Vedhesh A. Kamaraj Jack MacDonnel Disha Gohil Sean Palermo Bryan Mahoney

Jeylan Jubran Kevin Matias Anna Dabrowski Charles Beall Madison Heller Abigail Thomas Dominic Souza Christopher Kalish Izzy Gabay

Sydney Leung Wesley Yu

turning while walking, an essential task that is risky for older adults. Turns can compose up to half of all steps while walking, but turning can cause great difficulty as it involves balance, coordination, and a change in the center of mass location. The complexity of this movement makes falls more likely in this stage, but the lack of research in this specific area means that exact preventative measures cannot yet be defined. The lab setup for this study, titled “Older adult frontal plane balance during 90 degree turns while walking,” published in Nature, involved a T-shaped walkway to simulate a grocery store environment. Participants were

RAJPAL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 unsafe.” Still, the most rewarding part of the project for Rajpal was “seeing non-technical users get accurate, explainable insights in minutes instead of months. That’s when we knew we’d successfully bridged advanced AI research and real-world decision-making.” Rajpal’s experiences as a data science graduate student at Stevens followed her to the D3CODE Global Hackathon. Through her coursework, Rajpal became

recorded executing three tasks that increased in difficulty: walking in a straight line, making a pre-planned turn, and making a late-cued turn. For the first task, participants were told to act as if they were walking down the aisle of a familiar grocery store. For the second task, they turned into an aisle to find an item that they knew was there. For the third task, there was a 50% chance of their desired item being in the aisle they would turn into, and they would have to make a quick decision of whether or not to turn down the aisle. Each participant completed multiple trials of each task, and the data were compared within the group and to younger adults performing the same tasks. In comparing older adults to younger adults, researchers found that the group as a whole utilized walking and turning

strategies similar to those of younger adults. All groups generally had more angular momentum and shifts in lateral distance. On the individual level, however, certain adults used strategies not seen in younger adults, such as limiting side-to-side sway. In an attempt to protect themselves, they tend to limit their movement to safer motions. While this result was unexpected, it gives researchers insight into individualized approaches to balance and, therefore, preventative care. This research is a step in the right direction to improving fall mitigation, individualized therapy, and rehabilitation for older adults. Dr. Zaferiou hopes that this research will encourage preventative medicine rather than rehabilitation after an injury, which would greatly improve mobility and quality of life for older adults.

more comfortable working with “messy, large-scale data under real constraints.” She specifically cited the course BIA 678 (Big Data Technologies), taught by Professor Venu Guntupalli. This course “pushed me to actually build distributed pipelines,” which was helpful for the hackathon, “because PRISM isn’t just a model; it’s a system. I was already used to thinking about data ingestion, scalability, and what breaks when data grows or schemas change. That mindset made it much easier to design something practical under pressure.” Following this experience and her education at Stevens, Rajpal

advises students interested in data science to focus on understanding the data and the problems being solved rather than just focusing on coding or learning tools. She urges, “Build projects, experiment, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because that’s how you learn what works at scale. Also, work on integrating different skills like cleaning messy data, building models, and making sense of the results because that’s what actually makes you effective in the real world.” For Rajpal, this hackathon was bigger than just winning. As she says, “Some wins are just personal, and this is one of them.”

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E-BIKE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 learning standards in 2010. Murphy’s legislative spree also included several state-wide test programs, notable among them a program of state funding into research on psilocybin — the key chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms. A total of $6 million will be allocated for research into psilocybin’s potential effectiveness in treating an array of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and alcohol use disorder. The research will be done in-state, where, according to NJ Spotlight News, “Three hospitals […] would receive $2 million each to participate in

the pilot program.” The ultimate goal of the program would be to determine “whether New Jersey should create a ‘psilocybin care delivery system’ that would allow access to the drug for residents suffering from acute mental health disorders.” The new laws also included significant spending and financial incentives for professional sports in the state. According to NJ Spotlight News, “Murphy approved a measure to provide $300 million in tax credits to renovate the Prudential Center,” the home of the New Jersey Devils hockey team. Another bill appropriated at least $20 million for advertising and tourism efforts for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. The rapid pace of Murphy’s

GEAR & TRIANGLE Leadership Honor Society

ATTENTION ATTENTION STUDENT STUDENT LEADERS LEADERS

The Gear & Triangle membership application is open from February 2nd through February 20th! Attend an Information Session on Zoom to learn more! All information is available on DuckLink under “Events” Monday, Feb 2 at 6PM Friday, Feb 6 at 1PM Tuesday, Feb 10 at 9:15PM Wednesday, Feb 11 at 3PM Tuesday, Feb 17 at 2PM

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Questions? Email VP Elizabeth at eknerr@stevens.edu

The views and opinions expressed on this channel are solely those of Gear & Triangle and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Stevens Institute of Technology. Persons of all identities are invited to and included in this group. Stevens does not discriminate against any person on the basis of sex, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

signings drew criticism from some state legislators, though he is not the first to go on such a spree, with the Jersey Ledger noting that “end-of-term bill signings are standard practice in New Jersey.” Additionally, just as interesting as what Murphy approved was what he didn’t. Through a practice known as a “pocket veto,” any legislation that Murphy didn’t sign by the end of his term is unconditionally dropped, instead of being sent back to the legislature. Measures not signed by Murphy included two immigrant-protection bills that would limit the sharing of immigrants’ personal information with federal officials, as well as a bill that would have extended longstanding subsidies for horse-racing tracks.

Friday, February 13

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News ICE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 approached by an ICE agent on campus, students are advised to defer to university policy and contact both the General Counsel and Chief of Stevens’ Campus Police. The Office of General Counsel can be reached by text or call at 212-677-5370 and through email at kschulz1@stevens.edu. Meanwhile, the Campus Police can be contacted through 201-216-5105 or tgriffin@stevens.edu. Stevens protocol recommends students request the agent’s name, badge, ID number, telephone number, and/ or business card without taking any action to hinder or obstruct an ICE agent. Regarding campus protections to property and personal information access, a warrant or subpoena will be required in order to obtain information about a member of the Stevens community or to enter a campus building. Stevens employees are required to follow the federal Family Educational Rights and

Privacy Act (FERPA), which, unless certain circumstances apply, protects the rights of student educational records. Therefore, ICE agents who request information about a student, faculty member, or member of the staff, including where they are located, should be referred to the General Counsel and Chief of Stevens Campus Police. Similarly, call the two departments if the agent claims that there are urgent circumstances. According to Jabbour, the 9th Street light rail station was noticeably quieter the following Monday. Jabbour stated that it reflected the fact that many were afraid because of the raid’s impact on the local community. Anna Dabrowski, a Stevens student and Ward 6, District 2 Democratic Committeewoman, said that the emergency meeting was held to rally the community and to help them understand their rights and take the next steps to mobilize. She noted that Stevens students don’t have to answer questions from ICE agents, and if they see ICE, they don’t have to open doors without a signed judge’s warrant.

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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.

OP-ED

Riding Against the Clock: Inequality Among Hoboken’s Food Delivery Drivers BY NIKO GATTONI ‘29

-STEVENS DINING PRESENTS-

PRESIDENT’S DAY HOURS OF OPERATION EFFECTIVE FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH

PIERCE DINING HALL 10:00AM - 9:30PM

Brunch: 10:00am - 3:30pm Dinner: 4:30pm - 8:00pm Late-night: 8:00pm -9:30pm

AMERICA’S CUP CLOSED

PIERCE CAFE

CANNON CAFE

YELLA’S

PI KITCHEN

8:00AM - 6:00PM 9:00AM - 12:00AM

TU TACO

11:00AM - 10:00PM

PICCOLA ITALIA CLOSED

CLOSED

CLOSED

GATEWAY CAFE CLOSED

POM & HONEY CLOSED

ANY QUESTIONS? EMAIL US AT DINING@STEVENS.EDU

Bulk Orders Order now through Grubhub at the UCC Marketplace Fuel your semester with snacks and drinks perfect for study sessions, late-night cramming, road trips, or just hanging out with friends. New specials are always being added to our bulk sales, so check back often! Don’t miss out, these deals won’t last long!

I did not expect my final project for HASS 103 to lead me into the streets of Hoboken, chasing down delivery drivers on e-bikes. But over the last month or so, I have found myself walking up and down Washington Street and Wittpenn Walk here on campus, phone in hand, waiting for the next Grubhub rider to catch a breath between orders. Their bikes buzz past campus all day long—through rain, wind, rush hour traffic, and Stevens crowds—yet most people barely look up from their phones as the bags of food pass by. In my first few months at Stevens, I became increasingly aware of the many delivery drivers in Hoboken. They are impossible to miss. But I had never stopped to ask who these people really are, how much they make, or what their days look like behind the scenes of the app notifications we take for granted. For my final project, I set out to investigate the inequality faced by food delivery drivers in Hoboken—what they earn, what they endure, and what their stories reveal about the modern gig economy. What I found was a world where workers trade stability for “flexibility,” where long hours are paired with low pay, and where an entire workforce functions without benefits, protections, or even a guaranteed wage. What surprised me most was how hidden this inequality is. It exists right in front of us in big cities across the nation every single day. The Gig Economy Behind the Screens Food delivery apps like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats dominate the local dining scene in Hoboken. As the platforms expanded, the city’s sidewalks and bike lanes filled with riders carrying insulated bags and racing between restaurants and customers’ front doors. But unlike traditional employees, these workers are considered independent contractors. This means no hourly wage, no health or workers’ compensation benefits, no protection if they crash, and no guarantee of steady income—even though they cover all their own expenses,

from e-bike repairs to delivery bags to the cost of commuting. On paper, the gig economy is marketed as flexible: “Choose your own hours.” “Get paid for completing small tasks.” However, many of the riders I encountered rely on this labor as their primary source of income, often due to language barriers, immigration challenges, or the absence of viable alternatives. Even before I conducted my first interview, I noticed something telling: a number of thedrivers I approached didn’t speak English well enough to participate. Others were in too much of a rush to stop—another clue into how tight their schedules and margins really are. How I Did My Reporting I approached this project like a journalist. I wrote a script of questions, asked drivers for consent, recorded short conversations with a voice recorder app on my phone, and took notes after each interview. I walked around Stevens campus and up and down Washington Street, approaching drivers who were stopped between orders. Some interactions were brief. A few drivers didn’t have time to talk at all. But three drivers gave me enough time to paint a picture of what fast food delivery work in Hoboken is really like. Driver One: Twelve Hours for Eighteen Dollars My first interview was completely unplanned. I approached a driver waiting outside UCC—an African immigrant in his mid30s with a warm demeanor but limited English. He delivered for Grubhub. When I asked about his hours, he replied without hesitation: “Ten to ten. Every day.” That’s twelve hours, seven days a week. Then he told me his earnings: “Eighteen dollars.” Not per hour—per day. I thought he had misspoken. But he repeated it, slowly and clearly, spelling it out: “one-eight per day, one-zero-zero per week.” He also paid out of pocket for his electric bike, which costs about $2 every five miles for charging and maintenance. Even if he rode conservatively, his net earnings were shockingly Continued on thestute.com

Friday, February 13

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Feature

VALENTINE’S DAY Local Florists in Hoboken

Valentine’s meals made easy

With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s always nice to get some flowers for your favorite people. Here are some local florists, and a few recommendations to make it yours. Hudson Flowers 92 Hudson St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 All Occasion Florists 617 Willow Ave, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Bloomie Flower Studio 107 4th St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Whimsy Flower 1012 Grand St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Flajes Flowers 214 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Flowers by Diane 109 2nd St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 SOHO Flower & Garden 264 1st St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Beethoven’s Veranda 108 10th St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 Mela Fleurs 320 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 These are just a few of the numerous flower shops we have accessible to us in Hoboken. Sometimes, however, flower shops can get pricey, so I strongly encourage that if you are looking for flowers for any special someone out there, go to Trader Joe’s, grab a few filler pieces such as greenery and baby’s breath with a statement flower! Just because it’s not roses doesn’t mean it won’t be loved!

BLOOMIE FLOWER STUDIO HUDSON FLOWERS

MELA FLEURS

ALL OCCASION FLORISTS

FLAJES FLOWERS

FLOWERS BY DIANE BEETHOVEN’S VERANDA

WHIMSY FLOWER SOHO FLOWER & GARDEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUDSON-FLOWERS.WHEREE.COM, GOOGLE MAPS, BLOOMIEFLOWERS.COM, WHIMSY_FLOWER ON INSTAGRAM, FLAJES FLOWERS HOBOKEN ON GOOGLE REVIEWS, AMANDA NEUFELD ON GOOGLE REVIEWS, SOHO FLOWER & GARDEN ON GOOGLE REVIEWS, SONIA P. ON YELP, THEMOOREFIELDGROUP.COM

BY CLAIRE DEANS, NEWS EDITOR

Best 2000s rom-coms BY VEDHESH ANANDHAN KAMARAJ, OPINION COLUMNIST As the day of love quickly approaches, there is no better way to spend the day with your loved ones than with the best 2000s romantic comedies. This era gave us heartfelt and genuine laughout-loud moments, offering audiences both comfort and romance. Even today, these films are memorable as Valentine’s Day staples and late-night comfort watches. These films remind us why falling in love, no matter how messy or awkward, makes for the best kind of stories that truly make our hearts flutter. Whether it may be with the love of your life or with a pint of ice cream, these ten romantic comedies (in my opinion) are ones you can’t miss. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days For an advice column, Andie Anderson goes off to find a man on how to get a man to leave you in 10 days. She meets sales executive Ben Berry, who is so confident in his charisma that he thinks he can make any girl fall in love within 10 days. Notting Hill A chance encounter between a bookstore owner, William Thacker, and a renowned American actress, Anna Scott. The average man and the movie star grow closer as they struggle to make

their different lifestyles work. Love Actually An anthology of intertwined journeys connected by one emotion of the collection of individuals, love. Stories ranging from a little boy having a crush to the newly elected Prime Minister who falls in love with a junior staff member. About Time After learning that he has the ability to travel through time, Tim Lake resolves to make changes in his life by finding a girlfriend. He finally finds Mary, and through his power and a little manipulation, finally wins her. But he quickly learns that his power doesn’t shield him from problems of ordinary life. Eternity In the afterlife, where souls have one week to pick someone and someplace to spend eternity with, Joan is faced with an important decision: the man who spent his whole life with her, or her first love, who died young and waited decades for her to arrive. Crazy Rich Asians Rachel Chu accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Surprised to learn that Nick and his family are extremely wealthy and that he is a famous bachelor, Rachel is thrown into the spotlight. Rachel now has to navigate between jealousy, eccentric relatives, and Nick’s dis-

approving mother. Set It Up Two overworked and underpaid assistants come together to set up their workaholic bosses with each other to get them off their backs. In doing so, they start to find similarities between them and start falling in love. The Big Sick Kumail, a Pakistani stand-up comic, meets Emily, an American student, at one of his shows. As their relationship grows, he becomes worried about what his Muslim parents will think of her. When Emily slips into a coma after contracting an illness, he develops a special bond with her father and mother. Crazy Stupid Love Cal Weaver learns that his wife Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. After suddenly being single after 20 years, Cal feels lost in the world of dating. Enter Jacob Palmer, who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be popular among the ladies. 10 Things I Hate About You Kat Stratord is beautiful, smart, but harsh among her peers, especially the boys, at her high school. Unfortunately for her little sister Bianca, she can’t date until her older sister has a boyfriend. Cameron James, who is in love with Bianca, convinces Patrick Verona to fall in love with her.

BY JOSHUA BODENSTEIN, ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER I should start with full transparency: I’ve never had a romantic partner. I can, however, cook, which means I’m at least useful in one Valentine’s-adjacent way. I enjoy making food for people, and I care a lot about meals that feel thoughtful, even when they’re simple. Valentine’s Day in college can feel strangely high-pressure. You want to do something that shows you care, but you’re juggling classes, budgets, and kitchens that weren’t designed with romance in mind. Still, cooking for someone— whether it’s a partner, a crush, or just someone you want to spend time with—is one of the most straightforward ways to make the day feel intentional. With the right dish, even a small kitchen can become somewhere worth lingering. A good place to start, and one of the most budget‑friendly options, is a classic pasta like cacio e pepe (I like this one from NYT Cooking). At its core, it’s just pasta, Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and pasta water, but the technique is what makes it special. The sauce comes together silky and cohesive, not clumpy, and the result feels intimate in a way few dishes do. It’s romantic because it’s restrained; you’re not hiding behind heavy sauces or lots of ingredients. You’re cooking something that requires attention and trust in the process, which is kind of the point of Valentine’s dinner in the first place. If you want something that feels warm and nurturing without being flashy, Alison Roman’s Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric is an excellent next step, especially if your loved one is a vegetarian. Chickpeas simmered in coconut milk with turmeric, ginger, garlic, and greens create a dish that’s deeply comforting and surprisingly elegant. It’s inexpen-

sive, vegetarian, and incredibly forgiving, which makes it ideal for cooking together. This is the kind of meal that invites conversation while it simmers, filling the kitchen with spice and warmth, and it says, “I wanted you to feel taken care of tonight.” Moving on to something a little bit more impressive, Spaghetti al Limone is a great next step. This dish hits a perfect balance between indulgent and light. Shrimp cooks quickly, which keeps the night from becoming stressful, and the combination of garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and white wine feels celebratory without being heavy. Seafood has an inherent sense of occasion, and this dish looks beautiful when plated—glossy noodles, pink shrimp, flecks of green herbs—the kind of thing that makes a dorm kitchen feel momentarily like a real apartment. For something more explicitly romantic, steak au poivre from NYT Cooking is a classic choice that leans fully into Valentine’s energy. A well‑seared steak coated in cracked peppercorns and finished with a cognac‑cream pan sauce feels unapologetically special. It’s more expensive than pasta or chickpeas, but that’s part of the appeal — this is the dish you make when you want the night to feel intentional. Cooking steak also demands presence: heat control, timing, and confidence, all of which translate surprisingly well to the mood you’re trying to set. When it comes down to it, the specific dish almost doesn’t matter. What matters is the act of making time — slowing down, sharing a kitchen, and sitting together over something you cooked with care. Amid busy schedules, classes, and everything else competing for attention, cooking a meal for someone is a way of choosing them for the evening. That shared time, more than any recipe, is what makes a Valentine’s dinner meaningful.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW YORK TIMES

Social media and V-Day feels BY JACK MACDONNELL, CONTRIBUTOR Valentine’s Day is a holiday centered around romantic love. It’s meant to celebrate connection and relationships, but for a lot of people, especially those who are single, it can feel more like a reminder of what they don’t have. What should be a day filled with love often carries an unspoken message: if you don’t have a date, you’re missing out, or worse, something must be wrong with you. That feeling isn’t new, but social media has amplified it to an entirely new level. On social media platforms, we see Valentine’s Day exists at two

extremes. On one side, there are perfectly curated posts of couples living out what looks like a storybook romance: flowers, dinners, and long captions about love… all carefully staged and filtered. On the other side, we see the grim underbelly: comment sections filled with self-deprecating humor and phrases like “It should be me :(” or “My day is ruined,” usually paired with a depressing reaction GIF. There’s very little middle ground — you’re either visibly happy and in love, or publicly miserable and joking about it. Social media thrives on performance. Posts that trigger strong emotions like envy, sadness, or longing get more clicks, which

means they get pushed to more people. Valentine’s Day content fits perfectly into that system. Romantic posts invite comparison, while self-deprecating jokes turn insecurity into entertainment. Gen Z often uses humor as a coping mechanism, as it can feel validating to see their insecurities being brought under the spotlight and poked fun at. It can be a source of refuge… but the problem is when that humor becomes the default response. When people linger on it, repost it, and leave their own sad comments, they reinforce the narrative that being single on Valentine’s Day is something to be ashamed of. Social media doesn’t just reflect how people feel; it

shapes how others think they’re supposed to feel. Over time, this creates a narrative that romantic love is the ultimate measure of happiness and success. It’s a dangerous mindset. Someone’s ability to find love at a certain point in their life is not a reflection of their worth or character. Love isn’t something you earn by becoming “good enough,” and it isn’t proof that your life is more complete than someone else’s. It’s about finding someone who complements you, not completes you. Nobody is an appendage. We are all whole on our own. This is where the relationship with yourself matters most. Being at peace with who you are sets the founda-

tion for any healthy relationship in the future. If you rely on someone else to make you feel complete, that pressure will eventually show. Learning to enjoy your own company and feel secure on your own isn’t a backup plan. It’s necessary. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to revolve around romantic love alone. Love exists in friendships, family, and shared moments with people who care about you. Those forms of love are just as real, even if they don’t photograph as well. The more important question isn’t whether you’re in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, but why social media has convinced so many people that this one day gets to define how loved they are.

Friday, February 13

5

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM SHOT BY DAVE JANOSZ

Sports

Ducks make waves at Big Apple Invitational BY JEYLAN JUBRAN, OPINION COLUMNIST The Stevens men’s and women’s track and field teams took to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island on Saturday for the Big Apple Invitational — and both squads turned in impressive performances against a stacked field of colleges and clubs. Women Shine with Multiple Top Finishes The women’s team collected several standout results throughout the day. In the pole vault, seniors Stephanie Ryazanova and Alexis Merola soared to identical marks of 2.95 meters, with Ryazanova edging Merola for second place by clearing the bar in fewer attempts. Their strong showing helped anchor the Ducks’ efforts on the field.

In the high jump, senior Maggie Previglian tied for third overall— the top non-Division I finisher— competing shoulder-to-shoulder with athletes from St. John’s and Fordham. Meanwhile, junior throwers Anacarolina Ventura and Claire Deatrick battled in the weight throw, with Deatrick setting a new personal record at 12.68 meters. Senior sprinter Lauren Alley also made headlines with a personal best in the 400 meters, crossing in 1:00.74 — the fifth-fastest time in program history, and the third-fastest since 2019. Her performance helped highlight the breadth of Stevens’ talent in both track and field events. Men’s Side Makes Its Mark The men’s team matched the women’s high level of success with a day filled with personal records

and top finishes. On the track, senior Danny Jutras led the way with a second-place finish in the mile, setting a new personal best of 4:19.24 — shaving more than a second off his previous time and climbing toward the program’s top marks. Sophomore Enrico Parrella also ran well, finishing fifth in the event. In the 400 meters, first-year Steven Longo clocked a 51.24, not only a personal best but also the ninth-fastest performance in Stevens history. The Ducks also had strong showings in the 800 meters, with sophomore Matthew Hodorowski and first-year Christopher Reyes both running in the Top 10. The field events were equally strong: sophomore William Ladd leapt to second in the high jump,

first-year Konstantinos Georgiadis and junior Justin Gajewski finished fourth and fifth in the triple jump, and the pole vault saw a tight pack of Stevens athletes finishing fourth through sixth. What This Means for the Ducks Both teams demonstrated depth and potential as they continued their indoor seasons. With personal bests, program-record performances, and multiple topthree finishes, Stevens showed it’s capable of competing with larger colleges and elite clubs at meets like the Big Apple Invitational. The Ducks now turn their focus north and east, with upcoming competitions at the Boston University-hosted David Hemery Valentine Invitational and the Widener Indoor Classic later next weekend.

ON DECK IN SPORTS FRI, FEB 13 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD David Hemery Valentine Invitational - Day 1 Boston, MA TBD WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING MAC Championships - Day 2 York, PA 5:30 p.m. WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Widener Indoor Classic - Day 1 Philadelphia, PA 4 p.m.

SAT, FEB 14 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD David Hemery Valentine Invitational - Day 2 Boston, MA TBD WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING MAC Championships - Day 3 York, PA 5:30 p.m. MEN’S FENCING Navy Annapolis, MD 10 a.m. WOMEN’S TENNIS Salisbury University Salisbury, MD 12 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball in double header against Springfield and Drew BY KEVIN MATIAS, CONTRIBUTOR In a clash between the No. 3 Stevens Ducks and the top-ranked Springfield College, Stevens fell short despite their dedicated effort. On February 6, Springfield prevailed with a score of 3-0 in the opening match of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic. Despite the loss, the Ducks managed to keep toe-to-toe with the Pride for each of the three sets. Especially on the first set, the Ducks took the lead with an 11-6 advantage. Sophomores Alex Olcott and Joshua Levandoske combined six kills during the spurt, but Springfield managed to pull even at 16 and take its lead at 17-16. A kill from junior Tyler Hoke led to a 20-19 score, but Springfield pulled through and closed at a 25-21. On the second set, Springfield kept a consistent two-point lead, but a kill from Hoke and an attack error tied the set at 4 and 14, respectively. A point from first-year

Bennett Heydorn led to a score of 24-21, saving the set point. Yet, a service error on the Duck’s half sealed the set point to the Pride once more. The third and final set was tight, with ties breaking out at one, two, three, five, 10, and 11. Springfield led with 19-13, but the Ducks cut the margin in half with kills from Hoke and sophomore Ryan Schmid, and a tandem block. Another kill from Hoke and a point from first-year Cade Allen brought Stevens within three, but Springfield closed the entire game with a score of 25-20. Despite their loss, the Ducks prevailed forward the next day with their match against Drew University. In their consolation game against Drew, the Ducks achieved victory with a set score of 3-1. The first set was once again a tight game — ties breaking out at one, two, three, four, and six points. A kill from first-year Colin Holden off a set from first-year Quinn Bozarth trimmed the score

eventually to 11-10, favoring the Rangers. However, they rolled off three straight points and forced Stevens into a timeout. A solo block from Holden kept the set alive, but a service error on the Ducks’ half sealed the opening point for the Rangers with a score of 16-25. In the second set, the Ducks reeled off four straight points, including an ace from first-year Jacob Lobdell that forced Drew to a timeout. Kills from sophomore Esteban Schmitt andOlcott, and an ace from Olcott led Stevens to an 18-9 advantage. Back-to-back kills from first-year Colin Hughes then capped Stevens off with a 2513 victory. In the third set, Drew took the advantage and notched six of the first nine points, extending their advantage to 13-8. Schmitt stopped Drew’s momentum with a kill, followed by another kill and ace by junior Philip Bone. Lobdell brought the score to 18-17, but Drew brought the game to 24-22. Olcott and Lobdell clutched with

kills that tied the score to 24-24, forcing extra points. Drew’s attack error gave Stevens the lead, and Schmitt finished a Bozarth set to secure another victory at 26-24. On the fourth and final set of Saturday’s game, Stevens opened with a massive 9-3 lead. Drew started on a four-point momentum until a kill from Bone halted their run. Kills from Olcott and Schmitt lead the score to 22-16, with the Rangers closing in with another momentum of three points. Schmitt halted this momentum once more, and a Drew attack error handed Stevens the winning game. Despite the split between this weekend’s games, the Ducks’ effort was undeniable. They kept consistent through every challenge and victory, and they played with determination that is unmatched. Their next game is scheduled to be away against Rutgers-Newark, 7 p.m. on February 17. There is no doubt that the Ducks will continue to bring forth their energy and drive.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DeSales University Center Valley, PA 1 p.m. WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Widener Indoor Classic - Day 2 Chester, PA 1:30 p.m. MEN’S LACROSSE Dickinson College Hoboken, NJ 2 p.m. SOFTBALL University of La Verne (DH) La Verne, CA 3 p.m. MEN’S BASKETBALL DeSales University Center Valley, PA 3 p.m. MEN’S TENNIS Ithaca College Edgewater, NJ 5:30 p.m.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

WED, FEB 4 THU, FEB 5 FRI, FEB 6

SAT, FEB 7

SUN, FEB 8 SUN, FEB 8 TUE, FEB 10

TEAM

MEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD MEN'S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL MEN'S FENCING WOMEN'S FENCING MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

OPPONENT

LOCATION

SCORE

KING'S COLLEGE KING'S COLLEGE CARTHAGE COLLEGE FASTRACK NATIONAL INVITATIONAL

AWAY HOME HOME AWAY

W (93-89) W (73-58) W (3-1) COMPLETE

SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY DREW UNIVERSITY MACFA ROUND ROBIN GROUP "B" STEVENS INVITTIONAL NYU

AWAY HOME HOME AWAY HOME HOME HOME

L (0-3) W (87-75) W (88-81) W (3-1) 3 WINS, 1 LOSS 2 WINS W (3-1)

Friday, February 13

6

Science How brain signals can affect heart attack symptoms BY DISHA GOHIL, SCIENCE WRITER A heart attack occurs when arteries become clogged, blood flow is restricted, and oxygen is cut off. The standard approach to studying them is to treat the heart as an isolated organ. However, new research in mice sheds light on how these events are interconnected with other systems. Heart attacks can damage the heart’s muscles and trigger molecular changes across its tissues. Earlier research has shown that the vagus nerve, which is a key pathway that connects the brain to other parts of the body, sends signals to the brain after a heart attack. Heart attacks can also trigger the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, which can cause inflammation in the heart tissue, leading to cardiac failure. “Heart attacks are obviously centered in the heart, but we’re flipping the switch on heart attack research to show that it’s not just the heart itself that is involved,” said Vineet Augustine, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego. To understand this further, Augustine and his colleagues experimentally induced heart attacks in mice by permanently blocking an artery. Augustine said that during a heart attack in mice, he found that certain vagal

neurons (TRPV1-expressing neurons) “literally wrap around the injury site.” Because of this, the team wondered if the heart attacks in mice could be prevented if communication was blocked through those nerve cells. Later on, the team was able to see improvements in pumping efficiency and electrical signals of the heart by turning off a small group of TRPV1 nerve cells. The TRPV1 neurons carry signals from the heart to the hypothalamus, which is part of the brain that is able to regulate body temperature, thirst, hunger, and sleep. Other cells in the hypothalamus receive those signals, relay them to a different group of nerve cells, which then project back to the heart. This releases an immune protein that causes inflammation. The team was able to discover that blocking any part of this loop was able to relieve heart attack issues within the mice. Even though these findings will take years before entering human trials, it does provide a lot of information regarding heart attacks for further study. Future research can focus on how other parts of the brain may also be involved in this and how they can be affected. Research on “brain–body connections is now reaching a new chapter, says Shivkumar. The current work “sets the stage for the next set of studies,” he adds.

The Psychological Price of Dating Apps BY MATTHEW SOLTYS, SCIENCE WRITER Though dating apps hold the promising reward of love, they have been accused of using manipulative tactics to mentally and financially exploit those who try to find it. A 2026 meta-analysis indicated that dating app users had worse psychological health and well-being than non-users in facets including anxiety, loneliness, and depression. A meta-analysis could be defined as an “analysis of analyses.” It involves combining published data from many studies of the same topic to create large databases that can be more effectively analyzed. In this instance, the team led by Dr. Liesel L. Sharabi of Arizona State University amassed data from 23 studies on dating apps and mental health outcomes that contained input from 26,000 volunteers published over the course of 17 years. Their motivation stemmed from a class-action lawsuit filed on Valentine’s Day 2024 against Match Group, the parent company of apps such as Tinder and Hinge. It accused these apps of being addictive and profiting from compulsive use. Behind this, Sharabi’s team sought to explore the associations between dating app use and psychological health. The increased media and cultural attention towards this topic

is not without reason: Tinder reported a record 3 billion swipes within a single day on March 29, 2020, and 75 million users worldwide as of 2022. Furthermore, it seems that these apps aren’t losing any ground, despite their growth being heavily induced by the coronavirus pandemic. The worldwide dating app user base is expected to grow to 440 million people by 2027. An estimated 20% of all Americans are participating in online dating, a number that seems small until you consider how many adults have partners. According to the Pew Research Center, only 30% of Americans are single. Results from the meta-analysis backed the qualms of the lawsuit, concluding that dating app users showed far worse mental health outcomes than non-users. These mental health outcomes include, but are not limited to, depression, loneliness, anxiety, and psychological distress. Due to the included studies being highly heterogeneous–meaning that results varied due to differences in population or other factors that may be unique to a particular study–Sharabi’s team conducted further analysis to find what factors may have influenced the heterogeneity. When comparing users of dating apps versus dating websites, only those of dating apps showed significantly worse mental health than non-users. Looking at users who were single versus in a rela-

tionship, only single users showed markedly worse mental health than non-users. This comparison is surprisingly relevant, as estimates suggest as many as 10-29% of people on dating apps are partnered. The scientists also compared heterosexual and homosexual volunteers, finding that there were no notable differences between the groups. Cultural context was used in the capacity that volunteers were separated into participants from WEIRD countries (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) and those from nonWEIRD countries. Users from WEIRD countries showed worse mental health when compared to non-users, while those from other countries did not. These results undoubtedly associate worse psychological well-being and self-perception with the usage of dating apps. There remains the question of how much of this is average-case users compared to compulsive dating app users or those who already had poor mental health. The team is looking for more factors in new and existing datasets to better categorize these issues. In the meantime, psychologists recommend users moderate their time on these apps, encouraging boundaries and time limits. And if you ever decide you’ve had enough of dating apps, just remind yourself that romance came before the iPhone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM

Strong social connections may slow biological aging PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITHSONIANMAG.COM

How has marriage changed over time? BY BRYAN MAHONEY, SCIENCE WRITER In the year 2026, the concept of marriage has transformed significantly from past decades. Fewer Americans are marrying than ever before, and when they do, they decide to do it much later in life. In 2024, US adults were less likely to marry than in almost any previous year since the US Census Bureau started tracking marital status in 1940. The percentage of households headed by married couples was 47.1%, the second lowest share since 2022’s alltime low of 46.8%. Both men and women have seen a significant decrease in marital rates, and when they do marry, it tends to be older. Moreover, most unmarried people have never been married, as opposed to being divorced or widowed, though divorce rates have also been increasing. At the same time, however, the share of men and women who are widowed—the smallest percentage of Americans who are unmarried—has dropped. The percentage of households headed by married couples was at its highest back in 1949, at 78.8%. Since 2010, when it was 49.7%, the percentage has been below 50% every year. This means that for more than a decade, less than half the number of American households have included a married couple. When it comes to age, the average age for a first marriage for men and women in 2024 was 30.2 years and 28.6 years, respectively. The highest the average age has been for men was in 2020 when it stood

at 30.5 years, and was highest for women in the years of 2021 and 2024 when it was at 28.6 years. Since the Census Bureau started tracking marital ages in 1890, the lowest median ages of marriage were in 1956, when it was at 22.5 for men and 20.1 for women. The story changes when the average marital age is compared to life expectancy. Comparing marriage age with average life expectancy, Americans are marrying sooner in their lifetimes than previous generations. When race and ethnicity is examined in comparison to average marital age, marriage rates have declined for all races and ethnicities except Asian men and women, who’ve had the highest rate among all races and ethnicities since 2004. Their marriage rate has remained stable, with 60.8% of men and 62.2% of Asian women being married in 2024, nearly identical to the 1990 rates of 60.8% for men and 62.5% for women. Marriage rates among people who identify as White, Hispanic, and Black have dropped since 1990. Looking at the percentage of Americans who are divorced, the share for the number of divorced men and women has increased. In 1950, 2.0% of men and 2.4% of women were divorced, while in 2024, 8.4% of men and 10.8% of women were divorced. The opposite is true for the percentage of widowed Americans. In 1950, 4.1% of men were widowed, while 2.9% were in 2024. The percentage of widowed women similarly dropped, from 11.8% to 8.1%.

BY SEAN PALERMO, SCIENCE WRITER According to a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity and authored by Anthony Ong (a psychology professor and director of the Human Health Labs in the College of Human Ecology), Laura Kubzansky (a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and researchers from Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, those with richer social lives may be biologically aging slower. Published in the October issue of the journal, the study drew data from more than 2,100 individuals part of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) project: A collaborative and interdisciplinary effort with the goal of investigating midlife development in physical and psychological health as well as social responsibilities and their patterns, predictors, and consequences. From the resulting data, the researchers observed that those with higher cumulative social advantage—a measure of lifelong social and emotional support quantified by deep relationships with family and friends as well as involvement in social groups—had biological markers indicating slower cellular aging, as well as lower levels of chronic inflammation than those less socially involved. Co-author Ong remarks by saying how “cumulative social advantage is really about the depth and breadth of your social connections over a lifetime…We looked at four key areas: the warmth and support you received from your parents growing up, how connected you feel to your community and

neighborhood, your involvement in religious or faith-based communities, and the ongoing emotional support from friends and family.” Additionally, using results of slower epigenetic aging, the authors recognized the ability for social advantages to set back what are called “epigenetic clocks”: Molecular signatures that are used in order to approximate the pace of biological aging. These clocks are supposedly set back by deep social networks in such a way that an individual’s biological age as indicated by their DNA methylation patterns appear more youthful than their literal, chronological age. Two types of these clocks, GrimAge and DunedinPACE— used to predict health risks and life expectancy—are regarded as especially predictive of morbidity and mortality, and those with stronger social involvement and connections displayed significantly younger profiles on both clocks. The investigation has led researchers involved to hypothesize that sustained social advantages may be linked to core regulatory systems linked to aging including epigenetic, inflammatory, and neuroendocrine pathways. Backing up this hypothesis is that said advantage has been connected to lower levels of the pro-inflammatory molecules, interleukin-6 — implicated in heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Interestingly enough, however, there were no significant links with short-term stress indicators such as cortisol or catecholamines. Unlike previously conducted studies that characterized cumulative social advantage by a collection of social factors in isolation such as whether an individual is married or how many friends they have, this recent study redefines it as a more multidimensional

construct combining both early and later-life relationships and resources in which advantage is clustered and compounded. Ong comments how “these social resources build on each other over time,” and “it’s not just about having friends today; it’s about how your social connections have grown and deepened throughout your life. That accumulation shapes your health trajectory in measurable ways.” This more complex view on the way in which biological aging may be slowed through means of social connectivity suggests that holding a single friendship or volunteer position may not necessarily be enough to turn back the biological clock. The authors of the study recommend consistency and depth in social connections built over decades and span different spheres of life are more likely to instrumentally reflect these results. Jeremy Nobel, an instructor in the Department of Health Policy and Management comments on the study by reasoning people should approach loneliness as a biological signal such as thirst that impairs our health if not remedied (e.g. hydration), and that under such a perspective it is unsurprising that our minds have created a mechanism that rewards connection with others. When reflecting on the study, Ong suggested to “think of social connections like a retirement account…The earlier you start investing and the more consistently you contribute, the greater your returns. Our study shows those returns aren’t just emotional; they’re biological. People with richer, more sustained social connections literally age more slowly at the cellular level. Aging well means both staying healthy and staying connected—they’re inseparable.”

Friday, February 13

7

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

The stories we want to hear are not written on paper I constantly think back to Alumni Weekend. It was the beginning of my term, and I was being introduced to alumni whom the past Editor-in-Chief already knew very well. I was smiling and talking here or there, but for the most part, I was listening. I came into my position thinking I knew The Stute. I knew the staff, the past e-board, and the minor board, and that was all there was to it. But listening to everyone at Alumni Weekend made me realize how incorrect I was. I knew “my Stute,” but I did not know theirs. And honestly, being at that event answered a few questions I did not know I had. Let me enlighten you, Stuters. Since the beginning of time, there has been an iMac that has resided on the Editor-in-Chief’s

desk. It does not turn on, and it sits in silence and watches as each Editor-in-Chief discovers it. I found out, at Alumni Weekend, that the iMac was once known as a monster lLayout machine to aid in production. It was bought by somehow convincing the Student Government Association (SGA) to fund it. I had to sadly throw her away. She will be remembered. I could not even tell you the full story of how the iMac came to be; the Alumni simply looked at each other with giddy smiles and were happy to see the monster machine had survived ten years. Did you know we used to have a physical printing press? The then Stute members would stay up until odd hours of the night, pumping out newspapers. Or how about the fact that The Stute used to be way more than 10

to 12 pages long. And that the Layout team has always struggled, and that is an age-old problem. We write about everyone and everything but never ourselves. We are truly the Stevens mirror, but Stevens knows nothing about us, and I am not sure I do either. It was Alumni Weekend that I thought of our Alumni Gala. I wanted a longer, more official way to do this. I want myself and the entire staff to learn about us. There are so many memories that are skipped over. There is no catalog of how things came to be; they just did. We only have our long list of alumni, and we can only rely on them to share how everything came to be. If you are an alumnus reading this, we want to hear more. Anything you have to say, we want to hear it. And honestly, I have a

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

BY CLAIRE DEANS ‘29 I have always been a bit of a “romantic.” I love making gifts for my friends and family, and showing them special ways to say I love you. Unfortunately, being away at school is not the most conducive to this. I will say I know I have it better than many others, as I’m separated by a state instead of several countries; however, it still hurts all the same for me (Though, I do not mean to diminish the struggle that international students—or anyone else that is a significant distance from home—experience). When I was home, I always did some form of gift for my family and friends. Throughout the years, it took shape in many ways,

Jiya Jaisinghani ‘27

Editor-in-Chief

SENIORITIS

Valentine’s day but make it long distance with one year being a treasure hunt set up with little origami gifts, and another with little heart creme brulees for my family to share. For friends, I usually brought them gifts to school. I would make little crafts using things such as Perler beads and embroidery thread. Anything I got my hands on would turn into a gift for those closest to me. All of these things, however, were primarily linked to when I was a kid. As I grew up, so did how I celebrated loved ones. Now that I am older and have a boyfriend, I spend Valentine’s Day with him, but I still try to show those little extra bits of affection to everyone else. Now I’ll write handwritten cards: something that’s come to mean a lot to me. I think

few questions about some of the things in our office that you might be able to answer. The Stute we know came to be because of the one you used to know. Learn about how you have helped us evolve and give us the honor of knowing more about our past during this upcoming Alumni Gala. The RSVP Link is posted on our Instagram and Facebook. It is articles like these where I begin to wonder, what stories will I have to tell? I cannot even think of any right now, but I hope to be one of those Alumni giggling through a story that highlights what my Stute looked like.

10 First Dates, Single Seniority

there is a beauty to it. To me, it is something tangible to remind me of someone. It reminds me of the person’s humor, sincerity, and overall joy that they bring me. So this year, I hope to write little letters to those closest to me. I hope that it stands as a reminder that though I am far away, I am always thinking of them and caring for them. It’s small things like these that make me feel a bit more connected to home. On a day that celebrates love, it hurts not getting to see all of my favorite people, but let this be a potential precursor to those I love. Now, for everyone else, take this as a message to send a nice text to your loved ones and show your appreciation to those around you. Happy Valentine’s Day!

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS

BY ANNA DABROWSKI ‘26 This past year, I have gone on 10 first dates with the complete intention of remaining single. This may seem counterproductive, but in a society where we barely interact with people outside of our close circles, I took on this “challenge” as a way to better understand how our generation navigates dating generally, especially when it comes to meeting strangers. I gleaned a lot from this experience, and have learned a lot from being single as a whole. If you are single this Valentine’s Day, do not be bummed out, you are actually the one who is winning. Time is a finite asset, and it is so easy to throw your entire life into a relationship and forget about personal and professional development. In my time being

single, I studied and took the LSAT, applied to law school, and landed multiple full-ride scholarships. I’ve also thrown myself into my passions and ran and won a local election to be the Ward 6, District 2 Committeewoman. I have formed close relationships with local council people (and the mayor) and now consider myself a community advocate who is deeply invested in Hoboken and the lives of my neighbors. We are truly family here in Hoboken. My career aspirations have blossomed as I work and consult on political campaigns and have made connections with politicians that I never imagined. I am working on many side projects at any given time, whether it be for a policy think tank or for a local activism organization, or even drafting a book. I am truly the happiest I have ever been in my life, and I owe it all to prioritizing myself, my passions, and my value system. I have also learned a lot from dating. Our generation does not have nearly enough conversations with strangers and those who are different from us. I approached this challenge with the mindset that someone does

not have to be what I am necessarily looking for to go on a date with them. A first date is simply a conversation and an opportunity to learn about someone new. This has resulted in a lot of fun, engaging, exciting, and horrifying conversations. There is a phenomenon in the current state of dating where men will lie about their political stances to obtain a date with women. I have had multiple situations where those claiming to be “moderates” are actually aligned with MAGA rhetoric. This begs the question, why are Conservative men so eager to attempt to trap liberal women, but I digress. I’ve also learned that most people just settle. Realistically, it is not very difficult to get into a relationship, the hard part is actually finding someone who adds value to your life and is aligned with your morals. Having so many conversations with different types of people has shown me that I do not need to settle, that values should not be compromised, and that I am more successful with a badass group of women backing up my career choices, activism, and passions than trying to fit myself into a cage that is someone else’s life.

granting her a job in the Bridgerton House when she was let go from her previous employer. I also liked that, aside from their attraction to each other, you can see a friendship between them. This might be a hot take, but I think Benedict and Sophie are doing a better job at an unintended “friends to lovers” compared to Colin and Penelope in season three. I thought the story was going pretty well until Benedict ruined it with the words “be my mistress.” Obviously, it makes sense for Benedict to say this, as Sophie is a maid and he is a member

of the nobility, and therefore, they cannot marry. Additionally, Benedict didn’t want to marry until he met the enchanting lady in silver at the masquerade ball. Benedict doesn’t know that the woman he is looking for is Sophie, but nonetheless, you can see the hurt on Sophie’s face. Given her mother’s background as a maid and her father’s mistress, Sophie understands that it would be a lose-lose situation for her. I’m hoping in the second half, Sophie truly gets what she deserves, and Benedict grovels and redeems himself.

GIRL(ISH) TALK

My review of Bridgerton season 4 pt. 1

BY TANYA AVADIA ‘26 If you know me, you must know my love of the show Bridgerton, so trust me when I say that I had my calendar blocked off for the release of the show’s fourth

season. After my bingewatch of the first part of season four—and given the occasion of Valentine’s Day—I feel compelled to share my thoughts. Therefore, here’s my review of Bridgerton season four, part one: *Disclaimer: There will be spoilers.* I absolutely ADORE the way Sophie and Benedict met. In a classic Cinderella move, Sophie sneaks into a masquerade ball where she catches Benedict’s eye. It’s cliché but perfect. Something that I really liked about the way they met was that it was not love at first

sight. While I definitely understand that some people might view it as such, I would simply describe it as intrigue. Benedict’s character is one of carefreeness; he is part of high society but does not care for the rules of it. He is imaginative and likes to live life on his terms. This is a nice parallel to Sophie who—by attending this ball against her rank—is also doing so because it is her dream. Benedict wants to learn more about Sophie because she acts very different in comparison to the usual members of the Ton. I especially enjoyed the forbidden

chemistry they shared when he taught her to dance in private. From that point onward, Benedict started on his search for this mysterious lady in the silver dress, and despite crossing paths with Sophie multiple times, he fails to recognize her. While I feel that Sophie could’ve simply said something, I understand that her position as a maid kept her from doing so. Nevertheless, I really liked how friendly and respectful Benedict was towards Sophie despite their difference in class, going as far as to protect her and

COMIC CORNER BY IZZY GABAY

I need to tell you the truth... I want to be more than friends. Each moment we’ve spent together, my heart only

aches for you more.

My colored world is made more vibrant when I’m with you...

Friday, February 13

8

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

In preparation for Wuthering Heights

BY MADISON HELLER ‘27 Whenever a new film attempts to adapt a beloved classic in literature, an angel gets their wings and bookworms gain another title to add to their TBR list. Jokes aside, I’ve been looking forward to watching the Wuthering Heights film, in no small part because Margot Robbie is in it. My first instinct is to always say

that the book is better, and in preparation to be a snob about Wuthering Heights, I had to first read Wuthering Heights. I went in with expectations of a darker love story with gothic elements, something in between Jane Eyre and the rather romantic trailers for the movie floating around. To put it bluntly, Wuthering Heights was nothing I could have predicted and everything I could ever want. Before I proceed with my thoughts on it, I do recommend going into the story being about as blind as I was, especially with the movie’s release being upon us. Wuthering Heights is first and foremost a story about obsession, cruelty, and its consequences. It’s not a first-person nar-

rative from the perspective of either of the main characters, Catherine and Heathcliff; rather, it’s a retelling of the events that happened on the property of Wuthering Heights and the tragic fate that met its occupants. To summarize the plot, Heathcliff is adopted by Mr. Earnshaw, a wealthy gentleman, into his family and raised alongside his two children, Catherine and Hindley. The children initially do not get along, but Catherine and Heathcliff soon become inseparable, and Hindley is sent away when his father favors Heathcliff over him. After their father’s death, Heathcliff is treated poorly and Catherine marries another man, and given his love for her this devastates

FOODIE FINDS

In love with Paris Baguette

BY PRISHA VAGVALA ‘28 Hello fellow foodies! When I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of desserts. Valentine’s Day screams chocolate-covered strawberries, candy hearts, and red velvet. Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one or treating yourself this year, Paris Baguette offers a range of pastries you’re bound to love. I usually try to avoid writing about Paris Baguette since I already have, multiple times, but when it comes to seasonal and holiday menus, they truly always win. This Valentine’s Day, they introduced three new cakes: the Pink Velvet Chocolate Ganache Cake, the Pink Velvet Layer Cake, and the XOXO Strawberry Soft Cream Heart Cake. Paris Baguette cakes are consistently delicate, airy, and flavorful, which is honestly the perfect combination for any cake. Paris Baguette also delivers when it comes to Valentine’s Day pastries. The Conversation Heart Macaron is a pink, heart-shaped macaron filled with silky pastry cream and raspberries. The balance between the tart raspberries and the sweet cream sounds like an irresistible combo. Croissant lovers are also in luck this year! They released the Pink Velvet Supreme Croissant,

a round croissant filled to the brim with pastry cream, dipped in pink chocolate, and topped with festive Valentine’s sprinkles. They also dropped The Pink Velvet Mochi Donut, which is topped with adorable Valentine’s Day sprinkles. While I didn’t try this one specifically, I’ve had other mochi donuts from Paris Baguette, and they were fluffy with a slight chew. Another donut is the Pink Velvet King Cream Donut, and as expected, it’s dipped in pink velvet chocolate and filled with custard cream. From having this custard filling in the past, the flavor is more subtle and less sweet than most, so the sweetness from the ruby chocolate coating will balance it perfectly. This week, thanks to The Stute and our Business Manager, Paris Baguette made an appearance at our Stute meeting, and I got to try the sugar-coated croissant donut. The name does not do it justice. It was insanely good and genuinely made my day. I did not realize it was a croissant donut at first, but that explained the flaky, buttery layers. While the donut itself was a bit heavy, the light custard filling balanced it perfectly. The lemon icing added a slight tang that paired well with the sweetness. I also tried the strawberry croissant, layered with soft custard cream and strawberries. One thing Paris Baguette does especially well is balancing sweet and tart flavors to create that same harmonious blend in their desserts. I would rate the strawberry croissant a 10 out of 10, and it will always be my go-to pastry.

The berry tart I tried had a literal mountain of berries stacked on top of smooth custard cream, and wow, it was so good. You get that classic berries and cream combo, but the tart base really stole the show. The buttery, crunchy graham shell is filled with a baked sweet almond filling that is nutty and lightly sweet. On the other hand, the cloud mango coconut cake was exactly what I expected — fluffy and soft. Mango and coconut are basically the tropics in cake form. The cake itself is a classic vanilla sponge layered with fluffy cream that is super bright and refreshing, with the mango flavor really shining through. It is topped with mango cream, fresh mango cubes, and blueberries. This is probably my favorite cake slice from them so far. Paris Baguette also has plenty of savory options if sweets are not your thing. But this Valentine’s Day, I definitely suggest making a trip and trying their Valentine’s treats, gifting them to someone you love, or just exploring more from their extensive menu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EATER

him. Heathcliff returns years later as a wealthy man set on revenge against his adoptive family, and he succeeds in this quest but ultimately dies to be reunited with Catherine in the afterlife. Heathcliff’s obsession with vengeance spawns not from mere love or hatred, but from the desire to claim what he sees as rightfully his. If he’s not able to have what he wants, then he is willing to destroy the object so that no one else can have or appreciate it. To me, the intrigue of this book is its utter complexity at every level of storytelling; the relationships between the characters, unreliable narration, and a frankly sad ending all result in Wuthering Heights feeling real in a way not many

stories accomplish. I feel as though the story could have really happened because it’s so grim yet doesn’t become overbearing. A niche factor that made me enjoy the novel is honestly, how fundamentally unlikable all the characters are. Our narrators are biased and likely to lie or manipulate to their own benefit. And our main cast all have either a fatal flaw that diminishes them to the reader, or are so objectively horrible in their portrayal that they become monstrous. I honestly thought going into reading Wuthering Heights that it would be a romance, and can now only classify it as a beautiful horror story with rich societal commentary. I’m glad I took the time to read Wuthering Heights.

I recommend that if you’re considering watching the movie version to give the novel a shot, either before or after. I at least am interested to see how the modern adaptation handles the novel and all its complexities.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON

ON SHUFFLE

Love is all around

BY ABIGAIL THOMAS ‘26 I grew up in a home that celebrated everything. Every Christmas was a celebration, every Easter was an egg hunt, every Halloween was a full decked out (not scary at all) haunted house. My mom always made sure everyone had a fun time during the holidays. Birthdays were also a big deal growing up, and truly still are. My mom would make my sisters and I feel like absolute princesses on our birthdays every year. And since we’re all old enough, the tradition of celebrating holidays and birthdays has been passed down. I love it all. Valentine’s Day is no exception of course. My friends and I have recently been discussing relationships, as that is the topic of the season. One of my favorite parts about being in a relationship was getting to celebrate another person. I loved making birthdays special for someone else and I loved doing Valentine’s Day. But before and after the relationships I have been in, I still have proceeded to celebrate those I love around me, including holidays, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day! All of this to say, I love love and all the music that soundtracks special moments. Here is

a small collection of song recommendations I think everyone should listen to during Valentine’s Day to celebrate the holiday of love. The first song is called “I’ve Seen It” by the Best New Artist Grammy winner Olivia Dean. I’ve been blasting this song for a while now, as its message is beautifully simple. She sings about how there is so much love around her by way of her parents, her best friends, and her own dedication to loving herself. And she recognizes that while she might not have that romantic love in her life right now, she is not missing out on anything at all because of the love she has right in front of her. What a good reminder. The next song is by Gracie Abrams, an artist I love so much. I listen to her all of the time, and it’s like she reads my journal. She has a song called “Packing It Up” that encapsulates what it feels like to finally fall in love after a while of being on your own. She talks about how she was so close to just closing the book on relationships and fully deciding to be on her own. Gracie sings about the quiet feeling of falling back

in love and discovering that this new person might be the one. I just love this song, and I think it is the perfect song for falling in love. The last song is one of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard. “All I Need To Hear” by The 1975 is one of the most earnest songs I’ve ever heard. Matty Healy and the rest of this band pride themselves on their nihilism, sarcasm, and irony towards love. Healy explained during the press tour for his most recent album how this is the first song where he just says exactly how he feels about love. He talks about being in a simple relationship where he doesn’t need all the glitz and glamour. All he needs is his partner and the knowledge of their love. While Valentine’s Day looks different for everyone, we are all capable of love. Whether it is romantic or platonic, love is all around if you really look for it. I’m excited to one day have a romantic Valentine who I can celebrate this holiday with, but until then, I have my best friends — my truest valentines. I’m looking forward to spending this Valentine’s Day with my girls, and trust me, these songs will be playing all day long!

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE 1975 ON YOUTUBE

FROM CUBICLES TO CAMPUS

What I learned about leadership by not being in charge

BY JEYLAN JUBRAN ‘27 Before starting my coop, I had seen all kinds of leaders — from people who ran meetings by yelling the loudest, to people who barely raised their voice but somehow still commanded the room. I didn’t know

what kind of leader I was going to get, and honestly, I was hoping for the quiet one. The kind that didn’t need to prove anything, who led calmly, clearly, and without making everyone around them anxious. I used to think leadership was about titles. About being the person running the meeting, making the final decision, or getting cc’d on every email. If you weren’t “in charge,” I assumed your role was simple: listen, execute, and stay out of the way. That assumption didn’t last long. One of the biggest adjustments during my co-op wasn’t learning new software

or understanding technical processes — it was learning how much influence exists without authority. When you’re not the manager, you start noticing things you never paid attention to before. Who people actually listen to. Whose opinions shift the room. Who follows through. Who doesn’t. I learned that leadership shows up in smaller moments. It’s in the way someone asks questions without making others feel stupid. It’s in how feedback is given privately instead of publicly. It’s in noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed and stepping in without being asked.

When you’re not in charge, you also learn what kind of leader you don’t want to be. You see how silence can shut people down. How indecision can stall progress. How a lack of communication creates confusion that everyone else has to clean up later. And you realize that leadership isn’t about control — it’s about clarity. The most effective leaders I worked with didn’t remind people they were in charge. They made expectations clear, trusted their team, and created space for others to contribute. They didn’t need to dominate conversations to be respect-

ed.

Being on the sidelines taught me how much power there is in showing up prepared, paying attention, and speaking up when it matters. You don’t need a title to take responsibility. You don’t need authority to make an impact. If anything, not being in charge made me more intentional about the kind of leader I want to be someday. One who listens first, communicates clearly, and understands that leadership is less about position — and more about presence. I never really thought of myself as a good leader. Honestly, I still don’t. But

I’m trying. And after seeing leadership show up in so many different ways—good, bad, loud, quiet—I think I’ve learned enough to start figuring out what kind of leader I want to be. Not because I have it all figured out, but because I have to keep learning as I go. Especially now, stepping into a role like SGA President, I don’t feel pressure to be perfect — I feel responsibility to be intentional. Leadership, at least to me, isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about listening, learning, and showing up better each time. And that’s something I’m still working on.

Friday, February 13

9

Opinion FOR MATH’S SAKE

The statistics of love, and what to make of them

BY CHARLES BEALL B.S. ‘23 & PHD STUDENT I once again have the chance to write a For Math’s Sake column in the Valentine’s Day issue, which is a good opportunity to showcase the connections mathematics has with love and relationships, or share about how cultivating love for an at-times challenging and painfully frustrating subject can help in other areas

of life. This year, I would like to comment on some statistics around love, dating, and other aspects of human connection with a hopefully new perspective. I say hopefully new, because there are many views about, say, the decline of dating and sex among young adults; the increasing average age of those who get married, along with a decrease in marriage rates; or even whether there is a growing political gap between men and women. One also sees a variety of perspectives and accounts published in The New York Times’ “Modern Love” column (ranging from expert findings to wild and crazy love stories), The New Yorker’s book reviews (recently, this one about consent), or even The Atlantic’s Sophie Gilbert

on the prevalence of porn and Harper’s Magazine’s Daniel Kolitz on “The Goon Squad” (the last two especially are difficult reads). On a mathematical level, one must be especially careful when interpreting statistics, as I’ve also written about before. It is immensely challenging to obtain a sample that represents the overall population with some degree of accuracy. Statisticians have some extremely clever ways to mitigate this challenge, but even when done effectively, others can take statistics out of context or warp their interpretation to the point that numbers get weaponized in the political, cultural, and, yes, romantic spheres. This misinterpretation and weaponization of course has several harmful effects, but

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Revisiting Renoir in the age of excess

BY ITAI GELLER ‘26 Valentine’s Day feels like the most confusing holiday. It juxtaposes superficial acts of endearment and very traditional, healthy methods of courageous intimacy in a way that’s both condescending and admirable. It makes you wonder if it truly inspires endearment or betrays the secrecy of affection. For many, it becomes an unwelcome reminder that—yet again, or painfully unlike last year— their time will be spent without romance, excitement, or certainty of a relationship. Simultaneously, everybody in the world seems to be on social media flying to Paris to make out under the Eiffel Tower as a firework display somehow goes off in perfect unison. The romance feels artificial. If love is genuine, shouldn’t it be secretive or in consistent and ordinary displays of thoughtfulness, rather than singular extravagant gestures? Thus, Valentine’s Day seems to set a very unrealistic expectation for how we outwardly convey affection, both in and out of relationships. As a result, the unattached feel further isolation and resentment — even though they shouldn’t. Ultimately, how others choose to celebrate their devotion to one another is fully their choice; it has nothing to do with your life or how you choose to approach relationships. Still, the commercial nature of Valentine’s Day will always impose this odd necessity for lavish affirmation as proof of commitment. In contrast, art offers a healthy medium to explore both traditional and novel approaches to both romance and solitude, especially in an era where technology has further warped our perspective of devotion and intimacy. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a renowned French painter from the 19th century, best illustrated the meaning of devotion and companionship through his impressionist pieces. While Renoir portrayed a variety of subjects ranging from landscapes to pets, his focus on Parisian leisure evoked a uniquely un-

pretentious sense of whimsy. This complemented his intimate scenes of couples well. In most scenes, couples are either dancing, walking together, or simply enjoying each other’s company. Renoir’s portrayal of affection is subtle, yet easily elucidated by a couple’s reaction to one another. There’s a certain charm in the youthfulness of these interactions, even though oftentimes most subjects were likely in their late twenties or older. The gestures of intimacy are simple and isolated — the couples are typically the only subjects in each scene, intensifying the mysterious intrigue of their connection. The passion evoked by these interactions is outstanding, despite the modesty of their gestures. While Renoir shows us the intrigue of love through these scenes, he also seems to intentionally convey the importance of boundaries. In certain dancing scenes, such as Dance at Bouvigal, the female subjects avert their eyes or don’t grab onto their male counterpart as tightly. As a viewer, there is certainly a discomfort in this, and you are instantly reminded of virtue in pursuit and the importance of consent. Ultimately, Renoir suggests that lasting affection is defined not by spectacle, but by restraint, mutual regard, and simplicity. Despite the common adoration of Renoir’s subjects, he also illustrates that true romance isn’t infallible. Unfortunately, many relationships end in either mutual or disastrous ways. Paintings such as A Girl (pictured alongside this article) demonstrate the helpless feeling associated with rejection. This painting, in particular, is interesting in that it deviates from Renoir’s typical impressionist style, bearing more similarity to a Rococo or Romanticist style. I think this better demonstrates the agony of unrequited love, veiling the subject in a static darkness rather than his usual bright color palette.

With the end of a relationship comes newfound independence — for some, it’s difficult to endure the feeling of loneliness, while others bask in the freedom of autonomy. Renoir’s portraits appear to speak volumes about the benefits of independence. His subjects almost never face the viewer, conveying a complex state of inward, independent thought. In nude portrayals, subjects appear more physically at ease, their dynamic poses implying a heightened sense of self-awareness and sexuality. Thus, it is demonstrated that in solitude, we are able to better reflect on ourselves and our romantic interests. We also build the confidence needed to comfortably navigate our feelings outside of relationships. Renoir’s work provides a more traditional approach to romantic relationships that demonstrates how simplicity and quiet affection can sustain intimacy, all while hinting at the hardships of rejection and the benefits of solitude. If you don’t find success this Valentine’s Day, just remember that anyone can be your Valentine, including your friends and family. As a holiday, I think it’s best understood as an open invitation to reflect on the importance of the special person—or people—in your life, rather than a quest for instantaneous or superficial romance. Also, remember that artists like Renoir’s interpretation of romance may not align with everyone’s concept of healthy intimacy. His paintings predominantly portray white Parisian couples in heterosexual relationships, resulting in a lack of diversity likely influenced by preference, as well as historical and geographic context. There are still other artworks worth exploring that may better serve you as the reader in navigating romance, and I encourage you to find that medium. Until then, I wish you luck in your romantic endeavors and remember — keep it simple.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIART

I think a primary problem in the context of love and relationships is how such statistics miss the exclusively individual experiences of love stories. A way I like to think about this is with romantic comedies: there are tons of romcoms out there, ranging from all-time classics to scripts prevalent with cringe. I think the classics become classics precisely because they include some truly unique elements that separate those stories from the standard, generic romcoms. These unique elements, meanwhile, are outliers in a statistical setting, so they often will not find their way into the resulting average-case or best-fit analyses. It can become more difficult when mathematical algorithms play an increasing role in how dating plays out, either through finding dates

themselves, or deciding what is a “trendy” date idea. This is not to say that dating apps or social media accounts have an inherently bad influence on the dating scene – for instance, it seems that a good percentage of long-term relationships today stem from meeting people online. But, one again should not jump to conflate good predictive powers of certain algorithms with the algorithm actually having a sense of love and human connection under the hood. I think what can help alleviate some of these difficulties is to view these online services as additional tools that you can use as you see fit to find deeper connections with others, rather than the be-all end-all of obtaining good relationships in 2026 and beyond. These tools can help

create opportunities for those truly unique moments to happen, or you can look for other ways to make these moments possible. In the end though, it is vital for all of us to continue doing whatever we can to stay connected with others, while also staying open to new experiences that can make a lifetime of difference. In Good Will Hunting, a mathematical romcom of sorts (although this is stretching the analogy to its limits!), this looks like skipping what turned out to be an iconic World Series game to “go see about a girl.” In a world that can feel dominated by statistics, numbers, and algorithms, I wish you many happy moments with your friends, loved ones, and new acquaintances this Valentine’s season.

THE THINKING FRAME

La La Land: a love story about letting go

BY VEDHESH ANANDHAN KAMARAJ ‘28 Before watching the movie, La La Land seemed like another romantic movie of bright colors, beautiful music, and two people falling in love in Los Angeles. But underneath its joyful exterior, Damien Chazelle crafts a devastating story. It is not a story about how love takes over. It is a story of the cost of love when dreams and ambition come first. Can a person both follow their dreams and the person they love? The film’s opening song, “Another Day of Sun,” expertly sets up the film’s central theme upfront. Stuck in traffic on a freeway in the blazing sun, strangers come together in song about ambition and the future of possibility. As the song goes on, more people and small bands join in — both an exhilarating and exciting number to watch. But at the same time, it is also ironic that they are trapped in the traffic and motionless. From the beginning of the film, Damien Chazelle shows that Hollywood is where people with big dreams and hope coexist as they wait for their big break. Mia and Sebastian meet

at a time when they are both passionately chasing their dreams. Mia wants to become an actress, and Sebastian hopes to open his own jazz club. Despite going to countless auditions, Mia is unable to book a role. Casting directors barely look up when she recites her lines and often cut her off after only a word or two. The cruelty of the film industry is aptly portrayed through Mia’s interactions with these casting directors. Meanwhile, Sebastian has dreams of saving “real jazz,” even as the world around him pressures him to let it go. His ambition makes him both admirable and stubborn in Mia’s eyes. Both characters strive for success, but struggle to survive in La La Land as it continues to demand compromise. Throughout their relationship, music becomes the language of their lives. At the start of their relationship, their songs are jovial, flirtatious, and light. But as their relationship deepens and their careers slowly advance, the music disappears. Melodies, songs, and dances are replaced by long, uncomfortable conversations and arguments. Their fantastical relationship gives way to a realistic one. Chazelle uses this shift to show how, as a relationship matures, the dreamlike times during the beginning get silenced. Their relationship starts to crack when Sebastian joins Keith’s band. Although the band quickly becomes successful, it goes against everything Sebastian stands for. The music the band plays is

not true jazz but mixed with electronic elements. Mia feels betrayed by Sebastian because he sold out on his big dream, and she believes she has lost the person she fell in love with. This results in a big, painful argument over dinner because neither feels they are wrong. Sebastian needs stability while Mia wants him to stick to his dreams. They don’t become enemies but simply grow in different ways. After their argument, Mia leaves Los Angeles feeling defeated. While back home, Mia gets a call from a casting director for a role, but she’s reluctant to audition. Nonetheless, she goes, and her audition monologue, “Fools Who Dream,” becomes the emotional core of the film. She sings about her aunt, who lived for the arts but was never successful. Her song is not just about acting but daring to follow one’s dreams despite the suffering it may bring. It becomes a confession of fear and hope that the room finally listens. When Mia and Sebstain lock eyes years later, a montage plays of a different reality where they did stay together — an imagined life that could have been. Their smiles acknowledge both loss and gratitude. They did love each other. It simply was the wrong time. Unlike traditional musicals and romantic films, La La Land refuses a perfect ending. There is no reunion, no relighting of their spark. As my friend Thomas would say, this movie deserves a spot on the Halloween edition of The Stute.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Friday, February 13

10

Campus Pulse

Adrian Oakley ‘26

Kaitlyn Marcelo ‘26

Gavin Ruby ‘27

“As soon as my friends tell me their birthday, I put it in my calendar.”

“I like cats.”

“My green flag is that I am the green flag.”

ROVING REPORTER By Isabelle Villanueva

Angel Zarte ‘29

“What’s your greenest flag?”

Cristiano Ambrosio ‘29

Salma Abdelaziz ‘26

Satyam Patel ‘29

Osi Uga ‘26

“Respectful to parents.”

“I was my hands in between every step of my skincare routine.”

“Loyalty in general.”

“I’m a caring person.”

“I be playing Fortnite and shiz.”

A Love Letter to Hoboken

Puzzle Page Mini Crossword

Chris Kalish

Chain Reaction

Down: Across: 1. Palindromic Swedish 1. Grocery store on Clinton St. in Hoboken band 5. Salty water used for 2. Small remain of food 3. An optional program culinary purposes 7. Super Bowl halftime of study secondary to your major here artist Bad ____ 4. Dissatisfaction in 8. French love boredom 9. French cheese 6. Gothic novel by Charlotte Brontë, Jane ___

Clues: 1-2. Holiday on February 14 2-3. Savings that will begin on March 8 3-4. Public transit line that stops at Hoboken Terminal, 2nd St., and 9th St./Congress 4-5. Train tracks 5-6. Ahead? Uh, yeah, I sure hope it does!

Each of the six clues on the right 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.

V_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D__ L____ R___ R___ W___

*Puzzle instructions by Stephen Pachucki

Hidden Links

Cryptolist

Inspired by the British game show Only Connect, the goal of this puzzle is to find the hidden connection between four seemingly abstract clues. Each answer will use trivia, wordplay, logic, or some combination thereof. The solution is always more specific than “nouns”, “places”, etc. What do the following have in common?

The following list has been translated using a basic substitution cipher. For example, if E represents T in one word/phrase, it will represent T in all the words/phrases in the list. No letter maps to itself. The list is alphabetized. Hint: start guessing things in the category and see if any of the letter patterns match up.

Chocolates

Flowers

Jewelry

Teddy Bear

Blackboard

Rock wall

Sidewalk

Billiards

Elysian

Columbus

Shipyard

Stevens

*Puzzle instructions by Stephen Pachucki

Sudoku Difficulty: Medium

Streets in Hoboken

ALVRPTYEWT

HIWWDJPZIF

YXLTF

RQFVWT

APIIWA

VPTLEXL

*Puzzle instructions by Stephen Pachucki

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLES CROSSWORD

KINGS TOUR

Washington Street CRYPTOLIST Fast-Food Chains Burger King

McDonalds

Canes

Popeyes

Chick Fil A

Wendys

HIDDEN LINKS Leopard, Whale, Tiger, Cow → Types of sharks Jackson, Pierre, Madison, Austin → State capitals that are also common names Oxygen, Iodine, Bromine, Fluorine → Elements that naturally form diatomic molecules