[The Stute] September 26, 2025 (Issue 3, Volume CXXIII)
Stevens’ rankings
BY NIHIRA PATHAK, CONTRIBUTOR
In LinkedIn’s new listing of Top 50 colleges for long-term career success, Stevens ranked 45th. The ranking is based on five pillars: job placement, internships and recruiter demand, career success, network strength, and knowledge breadth. To evaluate job placement, LinkedIn uses its hiring data to analyze alumni career outcomes and alumni progression into senior ranking positions. The metric is also based on the number of graduates entering a fulltime job within the same year of graduating. Network strength is based on how strong alumni connections are between students of their same graduating class as well as classes before and after them. Knowledge breadth is analyzed based on graduates’ unique fields of study and skills the graduating cohorts have. Stevens has also been included in Princeton Review’s Best 391 colleges for 2025 and in its Best 389 Colleges list in 2023, neither of which have specifically ordered rankings. The Princeton Review bases its rankings on student surveys. Students who attend the college are asked about their information, academ-
SEE RANK PAGE 2
BY SERENA PANUCCI, NEWS EDITOR
This past summer, Stevens’ chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) took part in an 18-day trip to Peru to implement a water infrastructure project aimed at improving the local community’s access to fresh-
water. For the students, the trip was more than just construction work; it was a chance to apply engineering knowledge, develop leadership skills, and engage with another culture in meaningful ways.
EWB, a student chapter of a national organization, partners with communities around the world to provide
sustainable infrastructure solutions while fulfilling their goal of developing the next generation of leaders and engineers. “Our chapter works with communities in Peru, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean to bring them the infrastructure they need to thrive,” explained
Students vote on a new LSB, Stevens Sanctuary Policies Proposal
BY SERENA PANUCCI, NEWS EDITOR
This week, Stevens students will begin voting on the newest Letter from the Student Body (LSB), a student-led initiative calling on the university administration to declare Stevens a Sanctuary University and implement policies designed to protect students, faculty, and staff from fed-
If passed, the letter will be delivered to President Nariman Farvardin and the President’s Cabinet, urging them to adopt a comprehensive set of sanctuary policies. These measures include refusing voluntary cooperation with federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), guaranteeing legal and mental health support for undocumented and international students, protecting activism and protests, and committing to open communication with the Stevens community in the event of federal presence on or near campus. This LSB also explicitly calls on Stevens to “reject the idea that student, faculty, and staff safety can be subordinated to speculative financial concerns.”
Tanishka Kapoor, Pres-
ident of Stevens Amnesty, explained that the LSB was motivated by a rise in government pressure on universities nationwide: “We want the Stevens administration to know that we want to be protected — not just through words but through actions and policy implementations.” Vice President of Amnesty Kristina Szumski added that the group was also concerned by recent changes to administrative language on campus. “We want to have policies that protect student rights, and that our opinions are heard rather than silenced,” she explained. Amnesty members also emphasized that the stakes go beyond immigration; the letter is framed around First Amendment rights, protection of international and undocumented students, and ensuring that advocacy is not punished.
The Sanctuary University Request LSB was drafted by members of Stevens Amnesty International, with guidelines from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and reviewed and endorsed by more than 20 other student organizations, cultural Greek organizations, and faculty members. The drafting
Latine Heritage Month kickoff: Cultura Carnival
BY SOFIA STOECKEL, CONTRIBUTOR
Latine Heritage Month is a month that celebrates Hispanic heritage in the United States, going from September 15 to October 15. The Office of Student Culture and Belonging hosted the Cultura Carnival at Stevens on September 17
to celebrate Latine culture. Some events that they had set up were bracelet-making, games, bag-decorating, and more. They also had a lot of traditional Latine foods such as empanadas, among many other dishes. Stephanie Cueva, previous president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and Sabrina Elgazzar, current
Internal Vice President of SHPE, spoke on the Carnival and what it means to them in a brief interview. Cueva was last semester’s president of the Latinx council, and Elgazzar is the incoming president of the council, and they both contributed to the event with the Office of Student Culture and Belonging. Cueva also used to work in the Of-
fice of Student Culture and Belonging. When asked about the event, Cueva and Elgazzar stated that it was planned by the Office of Student Culture and Belonging, as well as the different Latin organizations around campus, and that it was a chance to come together to
Celebrating Constitution Day and getting ready to vote
BY JOSEPHINE CHOONG, SECRETARY
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are important days in U.S. history, celebrating the anniversary of the Founding Fathers signing the U.S. Constitution. It is celebrated on September 17, and the National Constitution Center stated it “encourages citizens to learn about their civic responsibilities and opportunities.”
The upcoming New Jersey election is especially crucial with the election of a new governor.
One of the earliest commemorations of the Constitution’s signing date happened in 1861. Amidst the Civil War, Philadelphia residents used the anniversary to publicly affirm their allegiance to the Union. In 1939, William Randolph Hearst led public celebrations to honor new citizens in cities across the country. In particular, Los Angeles advocated for a law establishing “I Am An American Day.”
The next year, President Franklin Roosevelt declared SEE VOTE PAGE 3
Appeals court says Lisa Cook can stay on the Federal Reserve Board
BY SEAN PALERMO, CONTRIBUTOR
Lisa Cook, the first black woman represented on the Federal Reserve Board, was publicly “fired” in a public
tweet posted by President Donald Trump last month after allegations were made by one of his supporters, Bill Pulte, who claimed that she’d committed mortgage fraud in 2021, before be-
ing employed on the board.
The properties involved in this case include residences in Michigan and Georgia in which Cook took out loans, with Pulte claiming that she named both properties as
her primary residence for better loan deals. The documents Pulte used to support his claim were found in standardized federal mort-
DELIVERY BOY.........................................JONATHAN LAI ‘28
ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR...........................SHREYA ROY ‘27
Staff & Contributors
Sofia Stoeckel
Nihira Pathak
Sean Palermo
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Disha Gohil
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Jeylan Jubran
Claire Deans Anna Dabrowski
Vedhesh A. Kamaraj
Charles Beall
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Wesley Yu
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All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a Letter to the Editor to be published in The Stute. Letters must refer either to a piece published in The Stute or to The Stute in general and must be between 400 – 800 words in length. Submit letters to editor@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form. For writers who wish to write a Letter to the Editor anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Letter to the Editor based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit letters for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit letters according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.
All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a standalone opinion piece (otherwise known as an Op-Ed) to be published in The Stute. Op-Eds must be between 400 – 800 words, but longer submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To submit an OpEd please email eboard@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form (tinyurl.com/submit-t0-stute). For writers who wish to write an Op-Ed anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.
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ics, administration, college life, and their peers. A key factor in Stevens’ rising success is the university’s return on investment (ROI) rates. Based on this, U.S. News reported Ste-
vens as number 76 in the National College rankings based on Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce studies. ROI rates signify the long-term financial value of a degree compared to the cost of attendance.
Georgetown places Stevens’ 10year ROI at $304,000 and 20year ROI at $1,404,000.
Interest in the school has
grown accordingly –- the class of 2029 admissions cycle saw a 28% increase in applications for early consideration and early admission (ED and EA). Overall, multiple different outlets place Stevens high on their ranking lists for different aspects of the school, highlighting the reputation of Stevens’ ability to balance student life, education, and long-term success.
Will Franznick, environmental engineering senior and chapter president of EWB. “We adopt projects where we do everything from designing technical plans to fundraising and developing social media and marketing strategies. We need people with all sorts of different experiences to contribute,” he explained.
The chapter’s wide scope allows focus on professional development just as much as engineering. Resume workshops, LinkedIn headshots, and mock interviews are regular events, while collaborations with professional EWB chapters give students opportunities that are beyond their majors. “We host events that give people opportunities to grow in areas they normally wouldn’t, from fundraising to public relations,” said Mikayla Minton, a computer engineering senior and chapter vice president.
The Peru project itself had been in the works for nearly a year. Planning began in August 2024, when the chapter launched the first of EWB’s three-phase process: assessment, implementation, and monitoring. After working with
the community to identify local needs, the students thought of five possible solutions, including aqueducts and retention lagoons, before ultimately settling on a spring remediation system designed to increase water flow during the dry season. Students applied through a competitive process to join the travel team, with selection based on their commitment to the chapter, success, and fundraising. “We want to make sure we’re going there with a defined goal and that the work we plan to do is truly beneficial to the community,” Franznick said. Once on site, the team partnered with local contractors, community members, and leaders to execute their plan. The work was not without challenges, however, as rainy, cold weather slowed construction, and language barriers often made even simple communication difficult, since the community of Peru primarily speaks Quechua. “Very simple ideas took a long time to communicate due to the language barrier,” Franznick recalled. But the payoff was immediate. By the end of the trip, the system raised the spring’s flow by 140% during the dry season, directly improving both agriculture and alpaca herding. For the Stevens team, it was a
powerful reminder of the impact their work could have. “We hope the community was able to retain technical understanding from our work,” Franznick said. “We care about them. We want to make them proud and fulfill the promises we’ve made.”
The trip also gave students a chance to step outside their daily routines and immerse themselves in a different way of life. “It’s really nice to step out of our comfort zones and into their culture and way of living,” Minton reflected. The bonds they formed with the community members added a personal dimension to the project that went beyond engineering. “When you are in this community, you gain an incredible connection with the people of Peru. You have a part in keeping their culture alive,” Franznick said. Looking ahead, EWB plans to return to Peru next year to continue building on the project’s success and hopes to expand similar initiatives to other regions. The chapter also encourages Stevens students from all majors to get involved, whether through engineering design, fundraising, or communications. “We are always looking for students to contribute in any capacity they can,” Minton emphasized.
strong in its requests.
process began last semester and involved multiple rounds of revisions. Amnesty wrote the initial draft, grounding it in federal law and recommendations from Amnesty International, then sought input from a wide range of stakeholders, including student groups such as Stevens Student Justice for Palestine (SJP) and others.
Stevens Amnesty Treasurer Elizabeth Curran explained the importance of including diverse voices, being that “[they] want to have more of an impact on the way our school is run and how it interacts with the wider world. This LSB builds momentum for more student voices.” Among other challenges, Stevens Amnesty members noted the difficulty of striking the right tone and language with administrators while ensuring the letter remained
The Sanctuary University Request LSB was officially introduced at the Student Government Association (SGA) senate meeting on September 21. Voting opened Monday, September 22, and will remain open until 9 a.m. on Monday, October 6. All undergraduate students may vote to approve, deny, or abstain from the LSB. According to the SGA’s rules, at least 10% of the undergraduate student body must participate in the vote, and at least two-thirds of the votes must be in favor in order for the letter to pass. To raise awareness and encourage participation, Amnesty will be tabling daily from 12 to 4 p.m. in the University Center Complex (UCC) for the entirety of the voting period.
SGA President Alexander Stanczak emphasized that LSBs provide students with a unique opportunity for direct influence.
“This is a good way to implement policies of high importance. If passed, LSBs can have a very di-
rect and immediate impact on the student body.”
If the letter passes the student vote, Amnesty and other endorsing organizations will be calling on the administration to issue a university-wide email affirming Stevens’ commitment to sanctuary policies, outlining next steps for implementation.
Amnesty members stressed that the letter is not just symbolic. They hope to see concrete policy changes enacted, including legal resources, campus police training, and protections for advocacy. “The student body has a clear role in shaping university policies,” Kapoor explained. “Students are investors in the university, and our voices should be heard. This LSB communicates that safety, rights, and protection are non-negotiable.”
Voting will remain open until October 6 at 9 a.m., with results expected to be announced shortly after. Undergraduate students can vote here.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS
celebrate Latine heritage and culture during the month. “We want to make sure we have a space where we all can come together and see each other and celebrate our heritage and our month – as well as who we are and what we do,” said Elgazzar. She continued on to describe the different activities that they had set up at the event for students to participate in. Cueva then added on by talking about the Latinx council, which consists of the Latin/Hispanic organizations on campus, and that this event was a way to showcase those different groups to students on campus.
Cueva explained that it “warms her heart” that people care about the community, and she feels like the work that she and her colleagues have done—trying to implement more Latine events— has paid off with the number of people at this event. Elgazzar also explained that the celebrations feel like home, and seeing people who have gone through the same, or similar, experiences and struggles is a good feeling, and for a first-generation Hispanic woman in STEM like herself, it feels good to be supported with events such as the Cultura Carnival. She explained that she enjoys giving back to the community in such ways, and seeing people she loves brings her joy. She also spoke on being mentored by Cueva, and how the process was a bit scary,
but it was nevertheless exciting to see herself in a leadership position, with people looking to her for advice.
When asked about her favorite Latine food, Cueva mentioned pernil, which is a slow-roasted marinated pork leg or shoulder, and is Puerto Rico’s national dish. She also mentioned that she enjoys it with rice and beans. Elgazzar spoke about empanadas, specifically the ones her mom makes, and how they have a nostalgic feel of home. She also talked about how beef empanadas are a staple in her household, and how her mom adds olives to them.
If you want to support the Latine community, you can go to different events throughout the month and celebrate with them!
GATEWAY CAFÉ
Grubhub and Amazon have partnered to bring their latest innovation, Just Walk Out technology, to campus. This innovation enables students to enter a store, grab anything they want, and leave without stopping to checkout Amazon provides the hardware and manages shoppers’ virtual shopping carts, and Grubhub enables a seamless payment and post-order experience on a trusted app students already use
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that the third Sunday in May would be “I Am An American Citizenship Day.” It was later renamed to “Citizenship Day” and moved to September 17 in 1952. In 1956, the week of September 17 through September 25 was designated as Constitution Week. Finally, in 2004, the observance was named “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” and Congress declared that educational institutions that received federal funding had to hold related education programs.
Stevens celebrated Constitution Day by checking for voter registrations, teaching how to register, and playing fun trivia. They also celebrated National Voter Day by teaching the community how to register and playing trivia.
For New Jersey, you can check if you’re registered to vote through the New Jersey Division of Elections’ website. If you aren’t registered, you can register online using your date of birth and one of the following forms of identification: driver’s license, non-driver ID card issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), or your social security number. An alternative option is to fill out and print a paper application and then send it to your County Com-
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gage paperwork that stipulated both properties she was taking out the loans for were meant as a primary residence, though documentation filed with a Georgian Fulton County court shed light on a stipulation of “‘unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing,’” with a loan estimate document prepared by her credit union stating “‘Property Use: Vacation Home,’” that corroborated Cook’s claims that while one property was a primary residence, the other was to be used as a vacation home.
As a result of limited evidence of Pulte’s claims and seeing it as a violation of the Federal Reserve Act separating politics and the central bank, a federal appeals court has temporarily disabled Trump from removing Cook from her position. Trump’s attempted firing has led to discussion about his intentions of firing Cook — especially now that he has insisted on bringing the case before the Supreme Court, notwithstanding the scarce proof. Some speculations have been made that he may be trying to open another spot on the board to appoint a new member sympathetic to his values following his recent appointment of Stephen Miran, who was inducted through a 48-47 Senate vote, after board member Adriana Kugler unexpectedly stepped down from her position before the termination of her term in January 2026. With Miran’s addition to the board, if Trump were to replace the Biden-appointed Cook with someone who may be favorable to his policies, he would reach a majority with four members on the seven-member board that could potentially fulfill his large campaign promise to lower interest rates.
With Cook remaining in her position as of now, she was permitted to remain in a vote held by the rate-setting committee on Sep-
missioner of Registration or Superintendent of Elections for your county. The voter registration deadline for general elections in New Jersey is October 14.
Where you vote is dependent on the address used to register to vote. College students have the option to register either from their college or their parents’ address. To vote, you can apply for a vote by mail (applications due October 28), in-person early voting, or in-person voting on Election Day.
As Governor Phil Murphy has already served a maximum of two terms as governor, this election will elect a new governor. The Republican candidate is Jack Ciattarelli, while the Democratic candidate is Mikie Sherrill. They had their first debate on Sunday, September 21 at Rider University in Lawrenceville, where they discussed energy policies, tax changes, health care cuts, and vaccines. Their running mates will face off in the Lieutenant Governor debate on Tuesday, September 30 at Kean University. Following that, the final debate between the two gubernatorial candidates will occur on Wednesday, October 8, at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center.
If anyone has any questions, they can call 1-877-NJ-VOTER (1-877-658-6837) or visit the official New Jersey Voter Information Portal for more information.
tember 16 and 17 that ultimately resulted in a quarter-point cut with a favorable vote of 11-1 due to concerns with the labor market — the only dissenter being Miran, who insisted on an even more significant half-point cut. Trump would respond to this decision by putting additional pressure on committee chairman, Jerome Powell, due to not making this cut sooner. These rate cuts were expected and rationalized due to issues with the labor market, particularly in the recent weak creation of new jobs after the 258,000 jobs eliminated in May and June of this year. With July yielding only 73,000 jobs and August with an even more staggering low of 22,000 jobs, the committee reasoned that these lower rates would be more effective in fighting unemployment than hurting inflation.
That being said, how exactly do interest rates affect both of these factors? Inflation can be affected by a change in interest rates due to how they impact the purchasing power of consumers. When rates are higher, consumers naturally have less purchasing power due to not being able to buy as many goods when they need to be able to pay off interest for things like loans and credit cards. This results in prices going down due to receding demand and slowing inflation as a result. On the other hand, lower interest rates do the opposite — giving consumers more purchasing power due to having less interest to pay and raising demand that causes prices to also follow an upward trend, contributing to inflation. The dynamic between interest rates and unemployment is largely impacted by how inflation is either hindered or promoted, with higher rates discouraging hiring from firms to save money when prices are higher, and the opposite case when prices fall. As Cook’s case is brought to the Supreme Court, the future of the voting dynamics within the rate-setting committee could affect decisions moving forward.
SOFIA STOECKEL FOR THE STUTE
CHRONICALLY ONLINE
Real or performative?
milk, listening to Beabadoobee with their wired headphones, carrying a canvas tote bag that holds feminist poems written by Sylvia Plath, and dangling Labubus on the belt buckles of their barrel jeans. This trend, while seemingly spontaneous, is the culmination of various cultural shifts, from the rise of overconsumption to the changing dynamics of gender roles in a digital age.
On one end of the spectrum, we have figures like Harry Styles, who has been embracing androgyny and “gender-fluid” fashion. By wearing dresses on the cover of magazines and blurring the lines between traditionally male and female aesthetics, Styles normalized a new, softer, and more expressive masculinity. At the same time, the other end of the spectrum gained traction, embodied by figures like Andrew Tate. He and others like him promoted the aggressive, hyper-masculine ideology often labeled as “toxic masculinity.” This narrative preaches that traditional male dominance is critical and essential, framing anything that deviates from it as a sign of weakness. The performative male exists as an attempt to reject the latter while emulating the former. In short, the performative male appears to embrace and align with “feminine” aesthetics, when in reality he’s hoping to attract women, without truly understanding what he’s putting on or talking about.
The performative male understands that traditional, hyper-masculine traits are increasingly viewed as unattractive or even problematic by many women. The aesthetics they adopt—the baggy jeans, the tote bag, the feminist literature— aren’t necessarily genuine but rather components of a deliberate identity designed to communicate progressive values and emotional intelligence. They are crafting a personal brand that aligns with what they perceive to be the desires of their target audience: women
Kiosk culture: How tech shapes dining at Stevens
BY JOSH BODENSTEIN, CONTRIBUTOR
Lunch awaits. Your friends are nowhere to be found. Walking down Wittpenn Walk, you are tasked with deciding between Pierce Dining Hall or ordering online on Grubhub. As the wind whips around your body, you debate between two possibilities: do you hope someone will sit with you? Or, eat alone?
That small decision reflects a larger shift in Stevens dining. Over the past few years, the school has adopted digital ordering, utilizing self-service kiosks in the University Center Complex (UCC), integrating Grubhub across campus, and implementing a food locker system (primarily used by Piccola Italia and the Grab and Go) designed for quick pickup. At the UCC, pickup is nearly frictionless. Students can order food while walking between classes, which is ideal for those with busy schedules who may not have time for a full sit-down meal at Pierce. The result is speed and convenience, but also a dining experience that can feel more transactional than communal. Even if you are sitting at the tables in the UCC, the entire experience feels sterile; pick up your food, get your drink, and sit at the tables. That’s not communal
- just a way to get fed.
Of course, the UCC isn’t without its flaws. While the kiosks and lockers are meant to streamline service, students frequently point to Yella’s as an example of how the system can still feel sluggish. Orders sometimes take longer than expected, stretching up to three hours in the evening, leaving students waiting awkwardly in front of the pickup counter. Combined with complaints about the overall mediocrity of the food, it becomes difficult to say that ordering food digitally is more “convenient”. What is clear, though, is that the convenience promised by kiosk culture doesn’t always match the lived reality.
Pierce Dining Hall offers a stark contrast. While many students are quick to point out the mediocrity of Pierce’s food — the limited variety, the hit-or-miss quality, and the occasional long lines — the hall still functions as a space for community. Even if you walk in alone, you might run into someone from class, share a table with another student, or chat with staff serving food. Meals at Pierce may not be gourmet, but they provide opportunities for conversation and connection that are increasingly rare in the UCC. This difference highlights a broader divide between speed and
social life. Digital systems like kiosks and Grubhub prioritize convenience above all else, stripping dining down to its most basic function: getting food into students’ hands. But historically, college dining halls have been more than just cafeterias. They have been places where friendships form, ideas are exchanged, and students take a break from the grind of classes. Pierce, despite its shortcomings, continues to fill that role at Stevens.
Students now live in a dining culture with two competing models. On one side, the UCC represents the future of food service — highly automated, individualized, and efficient. On the other hand, Pierce holds onto the traditional dining hall spirit, where meals are about more than eating quickly before the next commitment. Having both options gives flexibility, but it also means students must choose between efficiency and connection. If kiosks and food lockers eventually become the dominant model, Stevens risks losing the unplanned, everyday interactions that help make campus feel like a community. Convenience is valuable, but it comes at a cost — and sometimes, the most meaningful part of a meal isn’t the food, but the people you share it with.
often matters more than substance, allowing the performative male to “purchase” an identity. This commodification of values means that media, fashion, and food have become lifestyle packages that can be acquired and displayed rather than organically discovered and internalized.
However, it’s crucial to distinguish between performative adoption and genuine evolution. Not every man sipping matcha or wearing a Chrome Hearts necklace is putting on an act. Many are, in fact, exploring broader expressions of identity or simply, and authentically, a fan of what’s currently trendy. The distinction lies in motivation and authenticity. A man who discovers he genuinely enjoys the taste of matcha, or finds a personal style and confidence in baggy jeans, or feels motivated by the emotional honesty of feminist literature, is engaging in legitimate self-discovery. His choices emerge from internal curiosity, personal preference, or an authentic connection to the culture he’s embracing. The issue arises when these same choices become strategic tools rather than genuine expressions, when choices are made to display a message, one driven by the desire for external validation.
Recently, as more people began to recognize the rise of performative males, many have taken to satire: performative male contests, an evolution of viral look-alike contests. These events have emerged in various college campuses across the country, including at Stevens.
The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) held a performative male contest on Wednesday, September 10, during which contestants dressed up as their best interpretations of a performative male. This satire is effective because it’s rooted in shared recognition and self-awareness rather than an unironic showing of this phenomenon.
Dr. Linsey Cormack Studies the Social Impact of Headphones
BY PRISHA VAGVALA, FEATURES EDITOR
Dr. Linsey Cormack, a HASS political science professor, wanted to capture how something as ordinary as headphone usage might be shaping the way we interact with one another. She became interested in this topic for two main reasons. First, she stopped wearing headphones for a year and paid attention to spaces where people commonly used them, such as during commutes or on the subway. She noticed differences in behavior and interaction. Second, when she returned to campus, she saw that headphones had taken over, whether it was Peirce, Morton, or even lecture halls. Conversations happened less often, and people seemed more and more isolated. Next time you are on a subway, pay attention to the people around you. Most will have their headphones in, gaze averted downwards, and even their motor patterns were different. Dr.Cormack noted that people would often shift to a “subservient pose,” where gazes drop, shoulders turn inward, and people physically retreat from their surroundings. In a way, it is symbolic of how we are increasingly succumbing to estrangement due to the influence of headphones.
Dr. Cormack argues that by not wearing headphones, people create opportunities to spark conversations and practice basic politeness. Limiting our sensory experience to our phones and music may feel convenient, but it comes at the cost of real connection and shared presence. When we retreat into our own worlds, we lose small but important moments of human interaction, like a polite conversation, which are
becoming increasingly rare. These interactions are essential to how we relate to one another. She illustrates this with an example from the gym. While she admits it was never a place where people were endlessly social, headphones make it even harder to connect. People often appear locked into a simulation, fully absorbed in their own routines. Headphones allow people to coexist in the same physical space while living in separate realities. Dr. Cormack stresses the importance of being aware of your surroundings, yet headphones weaken this awareness. How often might you ask a stranger how their day is going if you weren’t wearing headphones? It doesn’t necessarily have to be about starting long conversations but rather about leaving room for small acknowledgments that remind us we are part of a shared environment. She sees the scariest trend among younger people, particularly students, who often wear headphones for up to four hours a day. This is concerning because those years are when people should be learning how to engage with a community. As she puts it, “Kids are like sponges: they take in what they experience.” Another interesting finding from her research is that when sounds come through headphones, they feel as though they originate from inside the mind. Compared to an external loudspeaker, this makes people more likely to believe or be influenced by what they hear. By bypassing the natural filtering that happens when sound travels through open air, headphones make the sound feel more internal and immediate, leaving us more open to its effects. This ties back to the “subservient posture” she observed,
where people physically withdraw and may more easily give in to ideas simply because those inputs feel closer to their own thoughts. In contrast, a proactive posture reflects individuals who are more engaged with their surroundings and responsive to society.
Dr. Cormack was quick to acknowledge both the downsides and upsides of headphone use. Music, she noted, can be transitional and supportive in times of crisis, but it can also contribute to political isolation. We are already more susceptible to believing a thought when the sound frequency is delivered directly through headphones, and this effect is accompanied by political implications that concern her. Instead of sharing collective spaces where healthy debate and back-and-forth discussion can happen, people often retreat into their own bubbles. In these alienated spaces, outrage is curated individually, which can push people further toward extreme positions. Dr. Cormack captured this shift memorably, explaining that when headphones are added to the mix, “instead of ‘we are here together,’ it becomes ‘we are here together but on our own.’” She hopes people become more aware of their headphone use. As she puts it, “Being human, right now, is the most amazing thing,” yet with headphones, we risk becoming “less human.” The chemistry of being around other people is undervalued in a time when so many feel disconnected. Protecting that shared human experience matters. So next time you are on the subway, challenge yourself to make small talk with someone as opposed to wearing headphones and tuning out the world.
Going undefeated, field hockey brushes past Eastern with a shutout
BY CAMRYN WINANT, SPORTS EDITOR
Going into the day with a 6-0 record for the season, the field hockey team was hoping to extend their record with a win. Playing against Eastern, the girls dominated, scoring the second-most goals in a game in program history, right behind a 13-0 win over Albertus Magnus College in 2018.
The first half of the game started strong, with senior Gabi Moroney scoring within the first minute. By the end of the first half, the Ducks were able to gain a comfortable lead with 21 attempted shots,
and 16 of them on goal. There was a successful goal from junior Lauren Flynn when Moroney followed up with her second for the half. Also in the first half were goals from sophomore Ava Pelletier off an assist from first-year Brooke Hughes, juniors Sophia Cozza and Jess Kopernick. The pressure was on the Ducks in the second half in an attempt to hold onto their lead. Only two minutes into the second half was enough for Cozza to add her second goal for the day, giving her five in the last three days, and grow their lead to 7-0,a current season high.
Junior Jenna Piantieri scored for
the Ducks, and following her was first-year Rosella Birns with her first collegiate goal off of Hughes’ second assist of the game. Late in the second half, Moroney was able to notch her third goal, giving her a second career hat trick, while Hughes was able to get her third assist, tying the program’s single-game record, giving them a 10-0 lead on Eastern.
With senior Lily Wierzbicki in goal for the first half and sophomore Julianna O’Sheal making her second appearance in goal this season for the second half, the goalkeepers were able to keep their net successfully empty the
Men’s golf takes on The Gauntlet
BY CAMRYN WINANT, SPORTS EDITOR
On September 21 and 22, the men’s golf team played in The Gauntlet, going up against big competitors like York College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Drew University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and seven others. The Ducks struggled through the first day, sitting at 13th place, but were able to push through during the second day to finish at 10th place.
The first day was led by firstyear Jack Harris at 74 points with a four-over par, making him the top scorer. He hit a three-over 39 on the first half of the course, with pars on six of them, and was only one-over par during the second half of the course. Senior Brock Dickson followed him with a score of 77 from a four-over par on the first half and a three-over par on the second half. Junior Ben Slicker was close behind him at 78, shooting one-under on the first half and
a birdie on the second hole. Ju niors Sebastian Beaver and Arav Tank rounded out the day with scores of 81 and 84, respectively. The second day started similar ly with Harris going two-under in the second half, and faced birdies in three of the holes, making him the Ducks’ top scorer with a score of 72, and also landed him tied at 11th overall. Slicker ended the day tied at 25th, and Tank ended tied at 51st, both of them hitting a 73. Slicker had a strong closing with a one-over 35, and Tank dominated with a three-over 39 on the first half, and an even par on the sec ond half with two birdies. Both Beaver and Dickson ended tied at 62nd with each other, with Beaver hitting an 80 and Dickson hitting an 84, both boys getting a birdie on a par-three. The Ducks can be seen on the green again on Sunday, September 28, into Monday, September 29, in the DIII Northeast Elite at Wil liamsport Country Club in Wil liamsport, PA.
whole game, giving the Ducks their second shutout of the season so far. By the end of the game, the Ducks managed a season high of 36 shots, 26 of them on goal, with a defense so strong that the Eagles were unsuccessful at making a single shot on goal.
The Ducks came out strong today and held their own, and they hope to continue this ever-growing winning streak at their next game against Washington and Lee University. The matchup will be the third in their series of three consecutive home games, and will take place on Saturday, September 27, at 12 p.m.
STEVENS SCOREBOARD
MEN’S TENNIS Haverford/Swarthmore Invitational - Day 2 Haverford, PA 9 a.m.
WOMEN’S TENNIS ITA Atlantic South Region Championship - Day 3 Fredericksburg, VA Time TBD
MEN’S GOLF DIII Northeast Elite - Day 2 Williamsport, PA Time TBD
COURTESY OF
SHOT BY DAVE JANOSZ
Planet birth photographed for the first time
BY ATREYEE HALDER, CONTRIBUTOR
A brand-new cosmic process has been added to the collection of special moments witnessed in science: a team of astronomers captured the first specks of planet-forming material, hot minerals just beginning to solidify, around an infant star called HOPS-315.
“For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our sun,” said Melissa McClure, team leader and Leiden University researcher.
The findings were published on July 16 in the journal Nature. The momentous event was spotted with the help of two telescopes working together: the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA), an arrangement of 66 radio telescopes found in Chile’s Atacama Desert, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The astronomers used JWST to identify hot planet-forming crystalline minerals just starting to condense and solidify around HOPS-315, a ‘proto’ or baby star about 1300 light-years away from us. To get a closer look at where exactly the signals were coming from, they observed the system with ALMA and beheld a dense disk of matter around a young star, where clumps of gas and dust collapse into larger objects like planets.
“Then that unlocked everything,” said Edwin Bergin, study co-author and a University of Michigan star formation specialist. He noted that it’s the first time that planet-forming solids have ever been detected, which could help researchers better understand how our own Solar System was born.
HOPS-315 is analogous to the nascent Sun, the star of our Solar System, when the Solar System was being formed. Stars are born due to heat from friction when cold high-density molecular clouds of dust and gas collapse under their own gravity as they collide with each other, collect matter and gain mass. Usually, surrounding baby stars like this, astronomers observe swirling disks of dust and gas (the same material that formed the protostar) called ‘protoplanetary disks,’ the birthplaces of new planets. Although astronomers have already seen massive Jupiter-like
planets in such young disks, McClure said, “We’ve always known that the first solid parts of planets, or ‘planetesimals’, must form further back in time, at earlier stages.”
Back in our Solar System, the very first of these solid materials to condense near Earth’s present location, when it was taking shape about 4.6 billion years ago, is observed to be trapped within its ancient meteorites, full of crystalline minerals containing silicon monoxide (SiO) which could condense at extremely high temperatures found in young planetary disks. Then, these newly condensed solids bind together over time, forming planets as they gain size and mass. Fast forward to their new discovery, astronomers have spotted evidence of these very minerals starting to condense in the disk around HOPS-315. Their results show that SiO is present in its gaseous state around HOPS-315 and in these hot crystalline minerals, implying that it is just beginning to solidify. “This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc—or anywhere outside our Solar System,” said Bergin.
“We’re really seeing these minerals at the same location in this extrasolar system as where we see them in asteroids in the Solar System,” said Logan Francis, team member and Leiden University researcher.
The discovery provides a glimpse into the earliest stages of planet genesis or formation around a star, possibly giving rise to a new planetary system, just like our home planetary system, the Solar System. Additionally, it brings forth an opportunity for researchers to investigate the origin of these extrasolar planets or “exoplanets” and the significance of planet-forming material to planet genesis. It could potentially give clarity on how our own Solar System became what it is today. According to Bergin, the researchers are hoping to use ALMA again to probe other similar young star systems.
“We’re seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form,” said Merel van ‘t Hoff, team member of Purdue University. “This system is one of the best that we know to actually probe some of the processes that happened in our Solar System.”
Scientists re-create a legendary golden fabric from clam waste
BY DISHA GOHIL, SCIENCE WRITER
A legendary fabric that was once reserved for emperors has been recreated from clam waste by a team of Korean researchers.
Sea silk, also known as the “golden fiber of the sea”, was one of the most valued materials in ancient Rome, typically used by individuals in high authority. This silk is made from the byssus threads secreted by Pinna nobilis, a large clam native to the Mediterranean, which uses its exceptional threads to anchor itself to rocks. Sea silk has earned the name of “legendary silk” for its shimmering and unfading color and its extraordinary durability. However, due to ecological decline, the species was declared endangered in 2019 and with that, the European Union has banned its harvesting.
With the endangerment of Pinna nobilis, the POSTECH research team in Korea turned their attention to Atrina pectinata, a closely related clam species in which its threads shared physical and chemical similarities to those of Pinna nobilis. As well as this, A. pectinata is found abundant in Korea, as it is commonly used for food. The byssus of A. pectinata is
usually discarded as waste, so the researchers were able to use them to recreate golden threads that were indistinguishable from those of P. nobilis
Another stunning characteristic of A. pectinata threads is its golden hue and the resistance to fading over time. Unlike animal-based fibers such as wool and silk that are made from long, fibrous proteins, the team found that sea silk is primarily composed of spherical proteins called photonins. These spherical proteins assemble into nanofibrils that twist together in helical bundles. The proteins form layered arrangements that interact with light which gives these threads their amazing shine. Since the color of the thread comes from this highly stable structure and not from any type of pigment, the color “doesn’t fade for more than 1,000 years,” said Jimin Choi, a biological engineer at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea. Globular proteins are typically unstable, says Professor Doo Soo Hwang from the Pohang University of Science and Technology. However, in sea silk, the photonins are reinforced by a mesh of sugars and matrix proteins which pro-
vide strength and durability. The researchers noted that the more ordered the protein structure is within the fibers, the better the structural color becomes. These findings could help to revive sea silk production without contributing to the endangerment of A. pectinata, mainly due to its large consumption in Korea. As well as this, the findings in regards to the thread color could help to engineer nontoxic golden pigments to be used in textiles and cosmetics. Professor Hwang noted, “Structurally colored textiles are inherently resistant to fading. Our technology enables long-lasting color without the use of dyes or metals, opening new possibilities for sustainable fashion and advanced materials.”
Color perception: different eyes, same brain process
BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE EDITOR
Is the color you see the same as the one I see? It’s a question that has been around for centuries, sparking debates among philosophers and neuroscientists alike. While the subjective quality of perception, such as the “redness” of red, for example, remains elusive, new research suggests that the way our brains process color is far more universal than once thought.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience on September 8 has shown that color perception can be decoded across different people, not just within the same individual. The findings suggest that human brains share a consistent neural “code” for colors, shedding light on one of the most fundamental aspects of visual experience.
Researchers Andreas Bartels and Michael Bannert from the University of Tübingen in Germany examined how color is represented in the brain and whether those representations are consistent across individuals. “Now we know that when you see red or green or whatever colour, that it activates your brain very similarly to my brain,” says Bartels. “Even at a very low level, things are represented similarly across different brains, and that is a fundamentally new discovery.”
To test this, the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record the brain
The Hypercuriosity Theory of ADHD
BY JEYLAN JUBRAN, OPINION COLUMNIST
Do you ever find yourself five tabs deep in Wikipedia at 2 a.m., trying to figure out how black holes work when you were supposed to be finishing an essay? For many people with ADHD, that’s not procrastination, it’s curiosity overdrive. A new perspective, called the Hypercuriosity Theory of ADHD, suggests that what looks like distraction might actually be something else entirely: a brain wired to explore, question, and chase novelty. Instead of being “attention-deficit,” it’s really attention to everything.
Research into ADHD points to dopamine, the brain chemical tied to reward and motivation. For ADHD brains, novelty acts like fuel: a new task, idea, or even TikTok video releases dopamine, making it hard to resist. Routine tasks, on the other hand, do not provide the same spark. This is consistent
with studies documenting “novelty-seeking” traits in ADHD. At the same time, differences in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for filtering and prioritizing, mean that people with ADHD stay more open to surrounding stimuli. That can make it easy to veer off-task, but it can also lead to noticing details others might miss. Curiosity links closely to creativity here: studies connect ADHD traits with divergent thinking, the ability to generate many solutions instead of just one. If you’re constantly asking “what if?” or “why not?”, new ideas naturally follow.
An evolutionary perspective even frames hypercuriosity as once being advantageous. A 2024 paper in Evolutionary Psychological Science argued that in hunter-gatherer times, being the person who noticed new plants, paths, or predators could be a lifesaver. In today’s world of deadlines and Zoom calls? Not as practical. Still, this framing shifts the focus. ADHD is often
viewed only in terms of deficits: difficulties with executive functioning, like starting tasks and finishing them on time, or managing details. Hypercuriosity suggests a more balanced view—one where explo ration, connection-making, and in novation are also part of the story. Think of the classmate who keeps asking “why?” long after the lecture has moved on. They might feel disruptive, but they can also push the professor to explain things better. Or the coworker who gen erates 10 different angles during a brainstorming session — may be chaotic, but also a catalyst for breakthroughs. These are examples of curiosity-driven brains at work. Of course, hypercuriosity does not erase the very real challenges of ADHD. Time management, organi zation, and follow-through are still difficult in systems built for linear focus. And yes, sometimes that Wikipedia rabbit hole is just pro crastination with a fancier name. But if curiosity is the engine, then
activity of 15 participants as they viewed a series of colors. The scans revealed distinct, finely tuned patterns in the visual cortex, the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information. Some cells showed stronger responses to specific hues, such as red or green, and these preferences were arranged in consistent ways across participants.
The next step involved machine learning. Bartels and Bannert trained a computer model, known as a linear classifier, on the fMRI data from one group of participants. They then asked it to predict which colors were being observed by a second group, based only on their brain activity. The model succeeded in many cases, decoding not only which hue was being viewed but also its brightness.
Previous studies had shown that a person’s brain activity could be used to predict which color they were seeing, but only if the training data came from the same individual. This study is the first to demonstrate that the brain’s representation of color is consistent enough across people to allow accurate decoding between different brains.
“This shows that there are commonalities in the way different brains encode colour,” says Bannert. “And these have something to do with the way that our brains represent visual space.”
The discovery also challenges existing theories about how color is processed in the brain. Jenny
Bosten, a color-vision scientist at the University of Sussex in the UK, describes the finding that some neurons appear biased toward particular colors as “a new finding that I was surprised by, and doesn’t really fit with our theory of how those areas of visual cortex process colour.” Still, she acknowledges its importance: “If it stands the test of time—which there’s no reason why it shouldn’t—it might change how we view colour-coding in the cortex.”
Despite the revelation, the study does not fully resolve the philosophical question of whether colors look the same to different people. Bannert is cautious, stating, “We can’t say that one person’s red looks the same as another person’s red. But to see that some sensory aspects of a subjective experience are conserved across people’s brains is new.”
While our private experiences of color may still differ in ways science cannot measure, the underlying neural architecture appears to be universal. The research suggests that humans may share a common biological language for processing color, one that transcends individual perception.
By bridging the gap between subjective experience and shared brain function, this study brings us a step closer to answering that ageold question: when we look at the world in all its hues, are we seeing the same thing?
ADHD is not about broken attention — it’s about differently tuned attention. Next time you see “dis-
traction,” it might be worth asking: Is this attention wandering, or attention wondering?
PHOTO COURTESY OF THEGUARDIAN.COM
THE STUTE EDITORIAL
It is not always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns
In all honesty, I have restarted this article five times in the last few hours. I have changed topics and promised Itai, the Opinion Editor, I am “cooking” — I was not. I wanted to write something fun, informative, and fresh regarding The Stute, but I cannot seem to think of anything. ChatGPT even suggested I write about AI and the role it has on campus…I’ll pass. Instead, I thought I might take a more personal approach this week.
I wrote this line a few months back: “Some weeks are so easy, so fun, so lighthearted. Other weeks, they ground you, make you think twice about every decision you have made.”
I think about this line at least once a week. Something about that line resonates so deeply within me, and I believe it speaks volumes about the role that I am in.
Anytime I have to make a major decision, I take time to form my own thoughts and opinions about it. Then I talk to someone from the E-board, normally Tianna, to give me a broader perspective on the subject. This process allows me to make a well-rounded decision and keep my team aware of what choices are made behind the scenes. Recently, these conversations have been happening more frequently. Bringing my thoughts together, let alone finding the time to do so, has progressively become more challenging.
I keep thinking that every final decision I make could be the wrong one. It could lead to more hate emails or comments on Instagram, and overall hurt me or The Stute. I keep thinking, “What if?”. I HATE that question. It makes me uncomfortable that I doubt myself.
MIND OF A FRESHMAN
Is the Editor-in-Chief supposed to doubt herself? Is that reassuring? Have the past Editor-in-Chiefs doubted themselves?
The answer, I’ve learned, is yes. Stepping out of the haze that was last week, I can tell you this with full confidence: everyone doubts themselves. I have been stressed. There have been a lot more decisions because we have a lot more engagement now than in previous years. On top of everything, I am balancing school, research, my job, family, and friends — time feels stretched thin. I am human too, and sometimes the decisions I make seem like the end of my Stute world. Every choice I make is important because I am aware of who it may affect, whether that be my fellow Stuters or the readers or both.
I am lucky to have a great team
to rely on but, at the end of the day, I am the only person who can take myself out of that mental hole. And I am still finding my way out of it. If I am ever “too comfortable” in my position, it would mean my time at The Stute would be over. I do not want that yet. So, I welcome the discomfort, the tough choices, and the second guessing. Even though last week took its toll, it gives me hope for this week. After
To all the big sisters… Ode to Morton 324
they mean to me. Their birthdays are coming up this October, with Maggie turning twenty and Holden 13. Why do I mention this you ask? It’s because they will never let me forget it. My siblings and I are really close. We know just about everything about each other, like the best ways to get each other mad or hysterical laughing, there is no in between. They know more about me than I do myself.
I remember the day my brother was born, my uncle took us to school because my dad was going to the hospital with my mom. I did not shut up about how I was going to have a little brother by the day’s end.
He and I did everything together. From when we were little to now, where he towers over everyone in the room. Every game I had
growing up he was there, just as I was there for all of his. Nobody warned me about that change. About how singing with my siblings in the car after practice would be so sorely missed. About how hearing about accomplishments from so far away would be so much harder. About how hearing that your mom made your favorite dinner without you and your sibling got the best piece. I knew how it felt to be the sibling left behind, having to proceed without my sister there. It sucked, but you survived, you let life keep happening. In a shocking turn of events, it is much more annoying when you’re the one not eating mom’s chicken cutlet.
Not being near my little brother is weird. He was always a bit annoying and loud, but he was always there. If I was stressing over homework he would get me a cold glass of water
and tell me to take a break. If he fell hard, I would laugh at him for falling and then help him back up. It’s weird not being able to do that. He may be five years younger than me, but he taught me some of the best lessons, like how to be more outgo ing. After a week at school, he asked me if I had talked to anybody yet, and when I said that I had friends, he replied in genuine shock, absolutely stunned by the reality that I was capable of talking to people.
Siblings are difficult. For the first 18 years of life I could’ve strangled them, but as we get older, I value them a little more. I miss my brother but he never lets me miss him long enough before he informs me about my new “eyebags”. I suppose that’s what’s been helping me so far. Every single time I really miss my brother, I remind myself of how annoying he could be, and then I miss him a little more.
room, peering out the windows at Kidde on the other side of the lawn. What is in the attic of MPK anyways? I often stare at the broken windows wondering what could be hidden away in the depths of the inaccessible fourth floor.
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This room used to feel a lot different — I remember hesitantly walking in through the rear door and taking a back row seat, peering at the upperclassmen ahead of me. I listened to them debate politics, ethics, and the state of the world. Now, I sit where I want, with a coalition of fellow Quantitative Social
become my friends. Now the state of the world grows more scary, and it almost doesn’t feel worthwhile to debate anything. It all gets lost in the echo chamber equivalent to background
When I first sat in Morton 324, I was scared to express my opinions and speak out against injustice. I catered to the majority and watered myself down for the sake of social desirability. Over the last three years, I have grown more confident in my ability to express my opinions and stand solidly in them. I’ve gotten into political arguments, heated exchanges, and have even removed myself from people and organizations that do not reflect my personal values. Now, I realize it is more important than ever to get involved in local governance and to address issues within our own communities. This week from Morton 324, I stuffed and addressed envelopes to my constituents soliciting feedback regarding policy, safety, and other issues in Hoboken. As I shoved the envelopes into the 4th Street mailbox, I wondered whether anyone would respond to even such a direct solicitation of opinions.
I think we fail to realize
that has shaped us in our young adulthood, has become our home. Many of us may even stay here after graduation, so instead of mourning the “college town” Hoboken, let’s inject some civic engagement into a “post-grad” Hoboken, and begin caring for it with a new sense of stewardship. Seniors, let’s all try something new this week — let’s care a little about our city. Attend a council meeting, reach out to an at-large council member, or even reach out to me or Shane Mitchell (your Democratic Committee Representatives for this district). Seniors, we’ve all grown into young adults, and just like Morton 324 has shaped me, the city of Hoboken has shaped you. Maybe three years ago I wouldn’t have filed a work order when a chair broke in Morton 324. Now, in this room that has molded me and my ideological awakening, I open the facilities concern page on my MyStevens portal. There is a mayoral election for the city of Hoboken in November, and at a bare minimum we should all switch our voter registration and vote! In order for the city to respect the wants and needs of the young adult population in Hoboken, we need to
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE DEANS
KAIDEN GOZ FOR THE STUTE
A review of R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis
through this journey that they learn more about themselves, each other, and ultimately reflect on whether or not the decisions they made and continue to make are really worth the effort. Ultimately, they complete this very classic Hero’s Journey by returning home (mostly) unscathed.
takes that sentiment and brings it to an entirely new level. The novel follows Alice Law and her academic rival/frenemy/crush Peter Murdoch as they journey
Although I don’t want to give many spoilers—since many enjoy R.F. Kuang’s work and this book is very recently published—I have a multilayered critique that necessitates them for a well-rounded discussion. Starting out, there are many strengths within it, particularly in the research and geography of Hell, the layered symbols and metaphors used to convey commentary on academia, and in the deep dives into Alice’s psy-
chology. I may be notorious for enjoying a fantasy world that is grounded in our reality — where there are rules and norms, and it is happening openly with real consequences on events throughout history. This is exactly the case with the magic of Katabasis as well as how its underworld functions. Kuang has done her research thoroughly and used many different cultures’ interpretations of Hell, blending them beautifully with vivid imagery and philosophical ideas on the nature of sin. The philosophical handrails surrounding the discussion of what it means to do good and what it means to do evil are ever-present in each circle of Hell; Kuang has presented very interesting ideas on each layer. By the end of the story, we also come to
Italian fest, childhood treats
first layer is green, the second white, and the third a pinkish red, inspired by the colors of the Italian flag.
BY PRISHA VAGVALA ‘28
back into different memories of my life. For those of you not familiar with rainbow cookies, they are a three-layered almond-flavored Italian-American cookie with raspberry jam between each layer and a chocolate coating around the outside. One of my favorite treats is petit fours, and before I knew what a petit four (sponge cake with jam filling and an icing coating) was, rainbow cookies felt almost identical to them. To be honest, I have no idea why they call
Carlo’s Bakery, a Hoboken classic, was founded in 1910 by Italian pastry chef Carlo Guastaferro. Italian immigrants had been settling in Hoboken since the 1840s, and they paved the way for the city’s food culture and traditions that are still around today. Carlo’s brings the best cannolis to Hoboken, and they did the same for the Italian Festival. My sister and I got ours dusted with a cloud of powdered sugar, with a perfectly flaky shell and a fluffy, sugary-sweet filling topped with chocolate chips on both sides. The first bite sent me to another dimension. Right after quarantine, my family and I would often visit Hoboken, and we always stopped by Carlo’s for their famous cannolis and sometimes a slice of their rainbow cake. Now quarantine feels like a distant memory, al though I need to make more stops at Carlo’s this year to get lobster tails, the pastry and cake slices.
Speaking of lobster, as soon as I saw a lobster roll stall, I immediately grabbed my family and ran there. I am glad because lobster is the most divine delicacy to ever grace my taste buds. It is just so melty, creamy, and buttery at one time in a perfectly toasted roll. Our
understand the many intricacies of Alice, why she is the way she is, and what forces have shaped her. However, despite these high points, I found myself wanting while reading Katabasis as it lacks several key aspects of any great novel. The pacing of the story, as well as its own stakes, were lackluster, and often the moral commentary and the author’s wishes for a romance between Alice and Peter seemed to override or derail their actual stated goals and characterization. All of this led to an ending that felt hollow rather than triumphant. The novel’s speed lacked a real sense of urgency at any point, even though there is realistically a stark limit for how long the human characters can exist in the afterlife. The charac-
ters spend an awfully long time getting into shenanigans or deep philosophical discussions when both their own lives and possibly their professors’ life were on the line. Additionally, it felt as though Alice’s goal—which she had stated constantly in her own mind the entire time and presumably had no delusions of lying to herself—completely flipped after a particular flashback, which broke my suspension of disbelief.
Katabasis was a good casual read, but I truly expected more from R.F. Kuang, and this affected my own opinion on it heavily. The concept is fascinating, and the novel has a bit of a slow beginning, with a terribly good middle, which leaves the ending hanging with more regrets and questions
lobster roll was accompa nied by a side of fries, and like most Americans’ com plaints about Italian food, it wasn’t salted enough for my liking, but the texture was on point and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. I also got to enjoy the iconic Ital ian creation that everyone loves: pizza. A traditional style wood oven-baked Ital ian pizza, true to the original pizza you find in Italy ac cording to my mother. The freshness cannot compare to the greasy $14 pizza you order in five minutes. We got the Margherita pizza and a mushroom pizza with truf fles, both just so fresh and delicate. The last time I went to Italy, I was only two, and the Italian Festival made me realize just how long overdue I am for another visit. Until then, I can wander the streets of Hoboken, where Italian immigrants brought a little piece of their homeland to us, and savor a taste of Italy in every bite and every shop.
Answers from the wooden box
box? Would they think to themselves, “What makes this person tick?” Or would they look at you and simply think, “This is a person, and they are just a wooden
BY ITAI GELLER ‘26
than true satisfaction. I would recommend reading Katabasis if you already enjoy R.F. Kuang and are interested in her interpretation of an underworld and afterlife, but for the casual reader or fantasy enjoyer, it is not even close to a mustread.
Underground on shuffle
cause you’re in the same friend group or club. You don’t know them as well as you used to, but all you have in common now is your neighborhood. Enger cleverly delivers this concept with beautiful vocals, accompanied by amazing music As the lyrics strengthen in emotion, the music grows with intensity. I love this song so much and I recommend listening to it with all the windows down on your next car
coolest people in the world when they talk about their “eclectic” music catalog. You know those people…We all know people who mention an artist with a name so crazy you think they asked ChatGPT to make it up, like Backyard Kitchen Sink Butterflies
Anyways, I’d love to share a couple songs from my favorite super indie artists. First is a beautiful tune called “The Neighborhood” by a lesser-known pop princess Grace Enger. This song is a pop anthem that highlights the feelings of trying to get over something. Enger talks about sharing a neighborhood with someone she doesn’t talk to anymore. It’s like when you end up losing a friend and now you have to see them everywhere be-
The next song is by a cool upcoming artist named Maeve — an NYC pop star with a growing following. One of her most recent songs is sure to give you all the vibes. This song is called “(We’re Not) Together!!!!”, the Situationship Anthem. Maeve sings about not complicating the already good “thing” that is going on in a certain relationship. She is talking to this person on the other side of the relationship, explaining how she can’t stay up late waiting for him to call her. This carefree anthem combines comical and relatable lyrics with catchy melody lines. This song is one of my favorites recently, and it is always playing in my earbuds when I take a trip into the city.
The last song is by an artist I’m sure you’ll know — not his solo work, however! Joe Jonas, the middle child of the Jonas Brothers, released his solo album this
past May. The music he released alongside his brothers is family-friendly and made for people of all ages. Joe’s solo work focuses more on the adult-ish struggles we all face and learning how to grow up. One of my favorite songs from this album is called “My Own Best Friend.” This song is for all the people who are learning to do things alone. I think that it is hard to learn how to become your own person outside of your home, friends, romantic relationships, and everyone else. This song highlights the highs and lows of working through change and developing into an independent human. I love love love this song and it has been sitting rent-free on every one of my playlists. I totally recommend it.
Hopefully these super underground, mysterious, indie, alternative (sarcastic) songs make it on one of your playlists. If you listen to anything today, I recommend Joe Jonas’ “My Own Best Friend” but be sure to check out all of these recommendations!
Marisol Escobar remains the most elusive artist of the Pop Art movement, despite being one of the most celebrated female artists of the 1960s. Amongst the male-dominated world of contemporary art, Escobar stood out for her alluring mixed media installations, which addressed topics such as gender norms, cultural identity, consumerism, and individuality. Escobar was recognized for her ability to fully retreat into her work, oftentimes assuming hypnotic states in social settings, travelling deeply into herself and the subject matter at hand. Most importantly, she was unapolo -
getically herself — creation took precedence over all else, especially admiration. Analyzing Escobar’s work, you would notice plaster casts of Escobar’s face adorning the various sculptures in her installations. This was seemingly an attempt to fracture her identity; in interviews, Escobar would rarely go into detail about the intentions of her work, avoiding publicity and leaving interpretation to exhibit attendees. Alternatively, it could be interpreted as a means of self-discovery, both for the individual and Escobar herself. This theme is made complicated by Escobar’s frequent abandonment of the human form; people are almost entirely represented by wooden boxes or other inanimate objects, occasionally decorated with detailed fabric, a plaster face, or drawn in appendages.
Escobar sought to satirically represent the individual as unitized — informed by the consumption of modern society, stripped of individuality, and reduced to a single role. Escobar recognized the deep complexity of humans and sought to critique objectification and social subjugation.
One of my favorite pieces of Escobar’s is Love, which depicts a concrete head drinking from what appears to be a Coca-Cola bottle. While many have cited this artwork as subtly perverse, I feel that Ecobar’s true intention was blatant satire. The bottle’s positioning makes it impossible to stop drinking, suggesting that the overpowering presence of commercial culture in modern society directly influences our ability to maintain our identity. I think that Escobar’s uncompromising approach to
addressing aspects of human visibility sustained its relevance in the evolving complexity of the digital age. The influence of mass media and the tendency towards cultural homogeny have continued to subvert the independence of people globally, posthumously intensifying the purpose of Escobar’s work. While I haven’t always found figurative pieces to be particularly captivating, I think there is an angst to Escobar’s work that is alarmingly familiar.
What would somebody else think if they saw you as a wooden box? I’d imagine Escobar would respond, “It doesn’t matter, as long as you know yourself.” Escobar’s piece, The Party, would teach us that as long as you can live with yourself, your identity will never falter. Especially in a world where the grass always seems greener on the other side, Escobar’s work challenges us to take pride in who we are and where we come from.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Opinion
GIRL(
ISH ) TALK
I’m genuinely confused; why aren’t women considered technical?
BY TANYA AVADIA ‘26
challenge that comes with learning hard things. Something that does puzzle me is the stark difference between women entering STEM-related fields compared to their male counterparts. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but it appears that there are barriers to entry which should be addressed. I work in tech, and so for me I find it both fascinating and ironic that the pioneer of modern computer science is a woman. Ada Lovelace was born in 1815 to Lord and Lady Byron. Against the norm of the time, Lovelace was highly encouraged by her mother to study mathematics. This later became the foundation for her interest in the fields
of math and machines. In the 1830s, she became acquainted with Charles Babbage who was working on the concept for an Analytical Engine. When translating his paper on the concept from Italian to English, she added her own notes which ended up being significantly longer than the original paper. She envisioned that the machine could be so much more than a calculator and cited that it could also create music if notes were associated with numerical values. Lovelace later wrote what is now considered the first computer programming algorithm. While the idea was initially Babbage’s, she expanded upon it greatly. She set the
foundation for what computers could have the potential to do long before that technology existed. While her contributions to the field of computing were long overlooked, many early programming languages, such as Ada created by the Department of Defense, are named in her honor.
While we have come a long way since then, both from a technological and societal perspective, there unfortunately still remains a gender gap. One of the main reasons for this is the subtle messaging that gets passed down and then reinforced for girls and women. For example, take a look at the toys that are marketed towards girls
versus boys: dolls for girls and cars for boys and kitchen sets for girls and legos for boys. From a young age, several gender stereotypes are enforced which may subconsciously condition girls away from STEM-related areas. This is later reinforced in real world settings where people make assumptions about women having a secondary or less important role: female doctors getting mistaken for nurses or female leaders not being taken seriously.
The impacts this can have on women and girls learning or entering a technical field is massive. Women may feel imposter syndrome, lacking confidence in what they are pursuing. Additionally, this
What can Kurt Gödel teach us about politics?
BY CHARLES BEALL B.S. ‘23 & PHD STUDENT
heimer, Bertrand Russell, and David Hilbert, to name only a few — his singular and relentless genius has profoundly affected the mod-
on quantum mechanics, through the development of the atomic bomb, to the advent of modern computation and artificial intelligence, von Neumann’s contributions are legion. This article is about someone else, though; the only person to have ever outsmarted von Neumann, acThe Maniac. This person is the logician Kurt Gödel, a name possibly even more obscure than von Neumann’s nowadays. Gödel, however, arguably shook the foundations of mathematics as profoundly as quantum physics, nuclear technology, and AI in their respective
Beyond its impact on mathematics, I will also argue how Gödel’s work can provide some insights into the current political moment. In the early 20th century, mathematicians like von
FROM CUBICLES TO CAMPUS
Neumann, Russell, and Hilbert hoped to establish the consistency of mathematics. In particular, they were searching for a set of axioms — self-evident statements serving as starting points to a mathematical theory — that could be used to prove or disprove all other statements. In other words, these axioms would serve as a set of unimpeachable adjudicators, against which mathematicians could argue the truth or falsehood of any claim or conjecture.
Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, published in 1931, dashed these hopes. Gödel showed that any consistent set of axioms is incapable of proving or disproving every further statement within that system. In a certain sense, the axiomatic system would lead to a never-ending generation of new axioms — statements that seem true, whose
Lessons from applying to
ization: these people are just people. I used to write cover letters like I was addressing royalty. Like if I didn’t sound professional enough, I’d be blacklisted from the workforce forever. Spoiler: no one talks like that. Yes, be respectful and polished, but also be yourself. Say things clearly. Write how you talk (assuming how you talk isn’t completely unhinged and brain rot) and remember that the person on the other side is just trying to get through their inbox before lunch. Don’t make it harder for them. And when it came to actually applying… I tried everything. Handshake, LinkedIn, career fairs, company websites, and cold emails to alumni who definitely forgot they went here. It was messy
and overwhelming. I had no clue what I was doing until halfway through. What saved me was building a system. I had a spreadsheet — I tracked where I applied, who I talked to, what version of my resume I used (yes, there were many), and whether I remembered to follow up. It didn’t make the process easy, but it made it feel doable. And more importantly, it helped me feel like I was making progress even when I wasn’t hearing back. Oh, and the job descriptions? Half of them read like they were asking for a unicorn who codes in three languages, manages teams, knows how to fix HVAC systems, and has seven years of experience… for an internship. I learned to ignore that. If you meet like 60–70% of the requirements and think you could learn the rest, apply anyway. Worst case, you don’t hear back (and honestly, that’s happening even when you do match everything). Then came the technical interviews. If you’ve nev er been in one, let me paint a picture: you’re in a Zoom meeting, trying not to panic, while solving a problem out loud that you didn’t know ex isted five minutes ago. I went into mine thinking I had to be perfect — get the right answer, say the right thing, impress them with a know it all attitude. But that’s not what they’re really looking for. What matters is how you think. I literally had someone tell me, “It’s okay if you don’t know, just walk me through your logic.” They want to see
how you approach a problem, how you communicate un certainty, and whether you’re someone they can see learn ing on the job — not whether you memorized every chem ical component in an HVAC system.
Applying to jobs is un comfortable. It takes more time than you think it should. You will be ghosted, over think emails, and wonder if that one typo is why you didn’t get the interview (it’s probably not). But eventual ly, something will stick. And when it does, it’ll feel like all the chaos, doubt, and resume revisions were worth it.
If you’re in the thick of it right now: keep going. Be a little delusional. Apply to things you’re not sure you’re ready for. And don’t be afraid to just be a human in the process because that’s who they’re hiring.
truth cannot be proven with the other axioms at hand. In this way, the axioms are incomplete.
But what if we had a complete system, where no new axioms need to arise? Gödel demonstrated that this is possible, but with a key catch: such a system necessarily includes statements that are paradoxical or contradictory. In short, such complete systems will always be inconsistent, allowing for the provability of seemingly impossible concepts.
Gödel’s work found that the mathematical bedrock many of his contemporaries sought was in fact a chimera. Despite this shocking fact, we can still make mathematical progress, as we have seen time and again in the decades since the incompleteness theorems. We just need to be more mindful of the
those axioms may lead to an unacceptable incompleteness or inconsistency down the line.
In all this, I see several connections to U.S. politics, currently facing a similar foundational quandary. With the brazenness of the second Trump administration, and the range of responses to its actions (backlash and protest in some cases, acquiescence and enabling in others), the U.S. citizenry and the world have been confronted with deep questions. What does it mean to have, or defend, free speech? How much authority can a leader possess before it becomes authoritarian? How do countries respond to apparent lawlessness or the implementation of zero-sum politics?
Gödel’s work by no means answers any of these questions. Yet it does provide a possible perspective to find-
creates a shortage of mentorship and leadership; women don’t see other women in higher positions from whom they can learn and get guidance. This ultimately creates a detrimental cycle in which women are not supported entering certain roles and fields, resulting in a lack of advancement. Even though a lot of progress has been made, a lot more is left. A simple step in the right direction would be to empower women who are entering these difficult and technical career paths, giving them support, and continuing to challenge baseless assumptions. After all, who knows, the next Ada Lovelace may be sitting right next to you in class today.
ing answers. Our political system — with huge national parties, an intricate network of institutions, and myriad influences — is sufficiently complex to entail several paradoxes and contradictions, or otherwise feel grossly incomplete if there are self-evident “truths” on which we cannot agree. It is perilous to ignore this reality, but I don’t think it’s impossible to accept it. Politicians have nevertheless built powerful coalitions over the years or worked with activists to stymie movements of repression and despair. We can all share our perspectives to argue for change and reach a compromise when disagreements persist. This is our toolbox in the absence of absolute provability. Rather than looking to destroy things down to a nonexistent bare truth, why not ask instead: what can we build?
: When Having It All Having Nothing
fragmented style of storytelling was revolutionary at the time, offering the audience a unique view of the complex and layered nature of Charles
The themes in Citizen continue to resonate with people today because of our views on public figures. In the present, public figures are constantly being dissected by the media, where each appearance, tweet, or post adds to the puzzle of what kind of person someone “really” is. The film becomes a mirror for people’s obsession with constructing and deconstructing powerful figures. We the people want to not only know what they do but what drives them — what their “Rosebud” is. But like the journalists in the movie, we might never find the right answer.
The Godfather, but when you strip away the old-fashioned exterior of the film, Citizen Kane feels strikingly modern, exploring the idea of the loneliness that comes with power and wealth.
The story of Charles Foster Kane is framed as a mystery centered around his last words. On his deathbed in his enormous estate Xanadu, the newspaper tycoon mutters the word “Rosebud”. To uncover the meaning, reporters interview all the people who knew Kane the best. The interviews piece together a portrait of Kane’s life: a child ripped away from his family, a ruthless businessman, a charismatic manipulator, and finally, a lonely old man at his tremendous estate. This
Citizen Kane was decades ahead of its time in terms of camerawork and photography. Orson Welles and the film’s cinematographer Gregg Toland employed “deep focus” photographic technique, where both the foreground and background are equally in focus, for visually striking scenes. The best example of this is when young Kane is playing in the snow while his parents are in the house discussing his future. Simultaneously, the camera moves backward from the boy to his parents, reminding us that what we are seeing isn’t just storytelling but underlying commentary reinforcing the main themes of loss and control.
Beyond the technical achievements of this almost 80-year-old movie, Citizen Kane is emotionally devastating. At the heart of the movie is a man trying to fill the void of a lost childhood with money, power, and fame. As his newspapers become an empire, Kane buys extravagant statues, constructs Xanadu, and controls public opinion, all while failing to buy love or loyalty. His last word, “Rosebud”, reveals not a secret person in his life but the longing for the simplicity of childhood: the sled he left behind when he left his home for the last time. The irony is painful. After chasing bigger and bigger things, at the end of Kane’s life, all he wanted was for something small, innocent, and nostalgic. The tragedy lies in Kane’s loss of control over his sanity and happiness as he attempts to manipulate his image and the world.
So, why should Citizen Kane matter to the modern audience who have grown up watching Avengers, Fast and Furious, and other action-packed movies? Because it’s not just a movie about a man with money and power, but about us. It forces us to ask ourselves why we are so involved in other people’s lives, how power distorts identity, and how the things that we chase may not be what we want at the end of our lives. Citizen Kane makes us look inward and wonder what our “Rosebud” might be and if we are in danger of losing it in pursuit of all else.
ROVING REPORTER
By Isabelle Villanueva and Jacob Normand
Puzzle Page
“What’s your go-to fall movie?”
Crossword
Across:
1. Way to communicate typically via a cellular device
9. Type of tire
11. There are fifty of them
14. This, for example
15. To undergo change on the genetic level
17. To cook or to insult
19. Father in Spanish
20. Popular song by the Goo Goo Dolls
21. Mobile computing devices from the 1990s that laid the groundwork for the smartphone abbr.
22. Nintendo Console
23. Do not tell the truth
24. Old-fashioned exclamation of surprise
26. Best New York sports team
27. A message to express that a property is available for rent
29. American brewing company with a blue ribbon
30. Confused or dazed
32. Solo vocal performance of an opera
33. Depreciating or becoming cheaper
35. Bumblebee’s disguise in Transformers 2007 film
36. Something available for purchase would be
Down:
2. First name of a popular soccer player that recently joined Real Madrid for the 2025/26 season
3. Tall pole that supports the sails of a boat
4. East coast time zone abbr.
5. Historical name of Thailand
6. Assumed a fixed upright posture
7. Found at bars and restaurants
8. Someone who plays the clarinet
10. Signature Pennsylvanian dish
11. Healthy siamese dish
12. Sound a cat makes
13. Piece of equipment used when riding a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle
16. Notable characteristics or qualities
18. Popular trail
25. Reason to scrap a part or product
26. Primary branch of Github
28. Actress who plays Deanna Monroe in The Walking Dead
29. Beforehand
31. May be a board or a video
32. Surrounding glow
34. Fugitive running from law enforcement is on the _____
Eiliyah Sarowar ‘28 “10 Things I Hate About You.”
Michael Terkanian ‘28 “I liked Lady Bird a lot.”
Rowan Ruf ‘28 IT because it’s the best horror movie.”
Maria Dante ‘27 “Scream”
Jack Fischer ‘28 Eddington is my favorite fall movie. Crazy movie.”
