[The Stute] September 8, 2023 (Issue 1, Volume CXXI)

Palmer gets a makeover

BY DANIEL HOGAN, CONTRIBUTOR

The residents of Palmer Hall will be delighted to hear about the installation of four new communal bathrooms in the dormitory. Over the summer, Stevens replaced the double style rooms in Palmer with brand-new bathrooms. Previously, Palmer had two bathrooms both situated on the first floor. This created an inconvenience for residents on the second and third floors as they would have to walk down to the first floor to use the bathroom. Palmer has space to house up to 90 residents, all of whom were previously expected to share these two bathrooms. Over the summer, four new bathrooms were added to the second and third floors, with two bathrooms on every floor, one male and one female. These upgrades significantly reduce the number of people per bathroom and lower the distance to the nearest bathroom for many residents.

The bathrooms are located on the far ends of the building. All of these bathrooms have sinks and stalls in the front and showers in the back. The sinks and toilets are automatic to conserve water and each bathroom comes with a pa-

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We write Stevens history

WELCOME CLASS OF 2027!

Stevens Hub to replace myStevens as the goto website for Stevens

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR

Stevens Dining locations awarded at 2023 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards

JIYA JAISINGHANI, CONTRIBUTOR

With no surprise, Stevens has once again won a dining award for Pierce Dining Hall and for the first time, Pi Kitchen! The National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) is an organization that presents member institutions with Loyal E. Horton Dining

Beyond the rulebook: Dr. Stacy Fisher’s vision for student care

BY TANYA SRIRAM, CONTRIBUTOR

Within the intricate landscape of higher education, ensuring the rights and well-being of students holds utmost significance.

Dr. Stacy Fisher (she/her), a notable figure at Stevens as the Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator, fiercely advocates for fairness and student empowerment. With a background rooted in education and administration, Dr. Fisher’s professional journey underscores her unwavering commitment to establishing a safe and inclusive campus environment. Dr. Fisher’s role as the Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator exemplify her dedication to cultivating an atmosphere where students’ rights are respected and safeguarded. These aspects form the bedrock of her mission: offering support to students during challenging situations while guiding them toward finding resolutions

Dr. Fisher sheds light on her motivations by explaining, “I don’t view my work as simply dealing with the legal aspects of college.”

Despite the existence of legal structures like Title IX

NEWS (2-4)

Here’s what you missed in campus this Summer: Palmer bathroom renovations, new Title IX coordinator, Stevens Hub, and more!

FEATURE (6-7)

Stevens 101

Knowing your resources, fininancing with the SGA, and apps you should have.

- a federal law aimed at addressing discrimination and misconduct based on gender - Dr. Fisher goes beyond focusing solely on legality. As Director of Community Standards, Fisher skillfully manages the intricacies of student conduct procedures to ensure fairness and justice are upheld. At the heart of Dr. Fisher’s significant contributions is her role as a Title IX Coordinator. In this capacity, she oversees processes related to reported incidents involving harassment, discrimination, sexual violence, or misconduct based on sex or gender. Her involvement extends far beyond enforcement; it revolves around equipping students with essential resources and providing unwavering support, regardless of their position within the incident.

Dr. Fisher’s journey from administrative responsibilities to her current position represents a smooth transition fueled by her unwavering dedication to student well-being. Her lasting devotion to education and management continues to be a driving force, evident in her present role. Moving from the previous position

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SCIENCE (8)

Air quality? Hudson River water? Bluetooth nerve connection?

Learn more about what’s going on in the world of science.

PULSE (12)

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

Awards across six different categories. The categories include residential dining concepts, residential dining facilities, residential dining (special events), retail sales, catering (special events), and catering (online menus).

Pierce Dining Hall was awarded the 2023 Silver Residential Dining Facility Award. Pierce has also won similar awards dating back

to 2016. Madison Gosler, The Senior Marketing Manager, reported, “most years we end up placing”. Having submitted the entries herself, Gosler emphasized how Pierce Dining Hall is meant to be an enhanced dining experience that has been recognized over the years because of its efficiency and inclusivity.

The technology in Pierce, such as the 50” LCD TVS,

Pharos MobilePrint’s Uniprint launched for campus-wide printing

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR

As technology advances, education often follows: computers, the internet, and, more recently, artificial intelligence. However, remembering older learning methods — perhaps the most used- is still essential: printing. Here at Stevens, it is not uncommon to need to print out many materials, from formula sheets for exams and posters to forms and graphing paper. At the end of the semester last spring, Stevens announced the launch of a new printing app to use the on-campus printers. The Stute investigated how to use Pharos Mobile, the new app, and how well it works.

Announced last year on April 17, the printers in the library started using the Pharos MobilePrint platform, Uniprint. This platform allows students to print from phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, regardless of the operating system. This new system allows printing documents, emails, images, or materials from a webpage. The Uniprint application uses students’ myStevens log-on credentials to print.

There are two ways to use the app: computer or mobile. The first step for printing from a computer is to use Steven’s Uniprint SharePoint, choose the computer’s operating system, and download the drivers. After downloading the drivers, select the Library Printing Queue, which, once logged into, will let you print to the library. Printing from a mobile device requires more steps than a laptop or desktop computer. To print, attach the document to a new email, which must be from a registered stevens.edu email address, and send it to either printbw@stevens.edu for black and white printing or printcolor@stevens.edu for color printing. Next, the system will auto-reply with a list of submitted documents and instructions on “releasing” the documents. Releasing is modestly simple, requiring tapping the DuckCard that matches the requesting email address. However, after 2 hours with no release, the system will delete the request and send a new request email. Another method of mobile printing is from the Uniprints web-browser option. Once

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allows for the menus to be broadcasted for that specific station. Each station also has its own signs to identify the food, its ingredients, and its nutritional value. The menus include a wide range of diverse food that is nutritious as well as appetizing. Students can easily navigate through Pierce Dining Hall and enjoy their

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Over the past few months, Steven’s IT department has been creating a new hub for the Stevens community’s software, websites, and applications. Stevens Hub is a SharePoint site run directly by Stevens IT. It will be a centerpiece of Stevens’ intranet software center. The Stute looked into the new program and investigated its features, usability, and future as we venture into the 2023-2024 academic year.

Starting over the summer, on June 6, content owners could transfer their content from the former system, myStevens, to the new Stevens Hub. The new system uses Microsoft’s SharePoint program and is an upcoming standard across different universities, industries, and agencies. Stevens Hub will feature many programs from the legacy myStevens page like the Ac-

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Police dispatch center moves to campus police HQ

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA, OUTREACH CHAIR

If you left campus in May thinking everything would be as you left it, you wouldn’t be at the ‘Innovation University’. Stevens has renovated nearly every campus building, from HVAC repairs to additional classroom space. There are new offices in McLean, Babbio, EAS, Davidson, and Gateway, new turf on the athletic field, and two new classrooms and teaching labs in the library basement. Possibly the most noticeable change is the relocation of the campus police dispatch center from Howe to their headquarters in Kidde. The Stute corresponded with Deputy Chief of Police Robert DiGenova for more information.

DiGenova describes the move as an overdue necessity for the police dispatch center’s operations. “The design of the front desk was conducive to the needs of a visitors’ center, not a police dispatch center, and was never intended to serve that function,” he said. During regular hours, the Howe lobby has heavy foot traffic, with students moving through the dining hall, bookstore, and now classrooms. DiGenova says it is

ideal “for the dispatchers to be in a secure area within police headquarters whenever possible to limit these distractions and to ensure privacy.”

The remodeling of the Kidde Headquarters allows for a vastly improved workflow for the dispatchers. One of the standard tools dispatchers use is a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer. The Howe Center desk did not meet the privacy standards of the New Jersey State Police, which necessitated the NCIC computer terminal to be stored in a back room. DiGenova says the dispatcher had to leave the front desk to make an inquiry which “jeopardized the officer’s safety, and would give the impression that there was no one at the desk. Now, the NCIC computer terminal is secured and at the dispatchers’ fingertips.” The consolidated workspace allows dispatchers to have all of the necessary tools within view. Two new screens with live security camera footage, Stevens Guardian information, a fire panel, and water flow monitoring allow police to easily keep track of any emergency situations on campus as they unfold. Stevens Guardian network

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KEVIN CASTNER JR. FOR THE STUTE

Masthead Volume CXXI No. 1

Executive Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF......................................ISABELLA ZIV ‘25

BUSINESS MANAGER............................TANYA AVADIA ‘26

MANAGING EDITOR.......................................AVA WANG ‘25

LAYOUT EDITOR................................NICOLE GIARDINO ‘25

OUTREACH CHAIR KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

DIGITAL MANAGER................................RAFAEL LEE LI ‘24

SECRETARY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

HEAD COPY EDITOR KEENAN YATES ‘24

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per towel dispenser. Each of the showers has a hook for residents to hang their shower caddies and toiletries while using them.

Members of the Stevens community have shared their feelings about these renovations. Many believe that this was a much-needed renovation considering Palmer is the oldest dormitory still in use. Many look forward to the convenience this will bring and hope this will stop any overcrowding of bathrooms. While not a large-

scale renovation, the bathroom changes l certainly improve the quality of life for residents. However, some people believe that this isn’t enough and that more must be done to bring Palmer up to date. It is a common opinion that the building is not as nice as the other freshman halls such as Jonas Hall, Humphreys Hall, or Davis Hall, which is partly attributed to its age. On the other end of the spectrum, some people believe Palmer was fine just the way it was. A few past residents believe that while this is a nice change, they did not mind the long walk to the bathroom. Regardless of opinion, this is certainly a step in the

right direction for Stevens. Hopefully, this renovation will bring attention to other older dorms also in need of renewals. Regular updates to Stevens residence halls will ensure campus housing can grow as Stevens enrolls more students.

As for the future of Palmer, there are more renovations down the road. Next summer, the firstfloor bathrooms will be redone. This will bring them in line with the newer bathrooms on other floors. The future residents of Palmer will have a lot to look forward to as Stevens continues to take care of its oldest residence hall.

NEWS EDITOR.........................................BEN KNOBLOCH ‘25

SCIENCE EDITOR.........................................ERIN MCGEE ‘25

OPINION EDITOR............................EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26

SPORTS EDITOR........................................CHRISTA RUIZ ‘25

FEATURES EDITOR................................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25

PULSE EDITOR........................................MIA PETROLINO ‘25

Editorial Board Operations Board

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25

ARCHIVES LIAISON.......................KEVIN CASTNER JR. ‘24

Staff & Contributors

Sean Bautista

Charles Beall

Kelly Chan

Nicole Cheung

Anna Dabrowski

Advait Dantuluri

Itai Geller

Zoe Hack

Isabella Hamm

Daniel Hogan

Victoria Iakoueova

Abby Jacobs

Contact Us

Joya Jaisinghani

Ethan Krupka

Justin Lema

Meghana Mamadapur

Kevin Nguyen

Stephen Pachucki

Riyana Phadke

Emily Prasad

Tanya Sriram

Josephine Strano

Victoria Yashchuk

Raynelis Villa

DINING

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Corrections

Disclaimer

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

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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.

Policy on Op-Eds

All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a standalone opinion piece (otherwise known as an Op-Ed) to be published in The Stute. Op-Eds must be between 400 – 800 words, but longer submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To submit an OpEd please email eboard@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form (tinyurl.com/submit-t0-stute). For writers who wish to write an Op-Ed anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

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food all while overlooking the Hudson River and New York City It is no wonder that this dining hall repeatedly receives awards from NACUFS.

Pi Kitchen, however, has won its very first award from Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards, specifically, the 2023 Bronze Retail Sales Single Concept Award. Unlike Pierce Dining Hall, Pi Kitchen is a sit-down restaurant with a “farmto-table concept” explained Gos-

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ademic Support Center (ASC), the Campus Card Office (DuckBills), the Stevens Shuttle, the Office of Undergraduate Academic (OUA), and the Writing and Communications Center (WCC). Additionally, Stevens Hub will include easy access to a campus map, People Finder, and many other services the school offers.

The first step in accessing Stevens Hub is to log onto your Stevens account and proceed to Microsoft Office 365 or myStevens.

In Office 365, go to SharePoint and navigate to the Stevens Hub site, and for myStevens, click the Stevens Hub Chiclet. Once there, Stevens Hub offers an easily followable format with some of the most-used links on the heading and the rest of the provided services listed alphabetically.

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of being the Director of Residential Education to becoming the Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator enabled her to expand her impact across the entire campus community.

When contemplating the broader influence of her role, Dr. Fisher highlights her desire for students to understand that engaging with her office does not always involve official complaints. Rather, she wants them to recognize that her office is a safe space offering sup-

ler. Fruits and vegetables come from farms all over the tristate area and Pi Kitchen even has its own herb cultivator. The herb cultivator “grows herbs and plants two times faster” than the normal rate Gosler shared. Pi Kitchen truly takes nutrition to the next level and enhances the culinary experience.

The menu is seasonal and decided by a team of culinary experts. These experts take into account allergies and food restrictions, allowing all students and staff to enjoy their creations. The whole point of Pi Kitchen is to make the staff and students feel comfortable

Steven’s IT will continue integrating existing software and websites from the legacy myStevens to the new Stevens Hub in the coming months. The project team will continue contacting content owners to work with them to facilitate a smooth transition to the new system. The current prediction from IT is for all content to be moved from myStevens to Stevens Hub by November 29, 2023. At this point, the IT department will decommission the myStevens intranet platform.

The Stute explored and compared the new Stevens Hub to the original myStevens program. The first significant difference is the user interface’s (UI) appearance. While the myStevens UI offers a more visually pleasing and spaced system, Stevens Hub favors a more compact UI. While myStevens does not provide immediate access to all programs and content it contains, it has a search bar that allows users to iterate through the

port and resources where students are empowered to make decisions for themselves. This approach focused on empowerment fosters an atmosphere of trust and autonomy

Dr. Stacy Fisher offers various avenues for students who seek guidance, ensuring accessibility and connection. Whether it be through the email address stacy. fisher@stevens.edu, a visit to her office at University Campus Center 215, or communication via the designated Title IX email titleix@ stevens.edu - direct engagement is possible. Additionally, utilizing the “Report a Concern” feature on myStevens platform opens up an additional pathway for connectiv-

and find a second family amongst each other. It is a dining experience that is “rare among college campuses” and is treasured by the staff and student body.

Submissions for the 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards will begin in the fall of 2023. Gosler has revealed that she is trying to get the UCC Marketplace in the running for the 2024 Awards. She has also mentioned how she wants to upscale the retail themes for the dining halls in general and try to get Stevens more retail-related awards.

Overall, the 2023 year for the Stevens dining halls was a success.

entire database to find their intended program. On the contrary, Stevens Hub does not include a search feature, but all available content is listed alphabetically and visible. One improvement in Stevens Hub is the control Stevens has over the program compared to myStevens through SharePoint’s settings.

Stevens Hub is a promising replacement for myStevens, providing a more streamlined and efficient system for accessing various services and programs offered by the university. Although there are some differences in UI, the new hub provides more centralized options and a more Stevens-centric program. As content owners continue to transfer their content to Stevens Hub, Stevens Hub will slowly become a hub of software, programs, websites, and more for Stevens students, faculty, and staff — facilitating a smoother and more integrated experience for the entire Stevens community.

ity. Within the academic arena, figures like Dr. Stacy Fisher exemplify positive change by cultivating nurturing environments that facilitate personal growth and learning. As an educator, administrator, and advocate all wrapped into one multifaceted role model of student-centered aid - she encapsulates what caring support truly means. Serving as both Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator, she steadfastly leads the journey towards an academic experience that is safer, fairer, and more inclusive in its entirety; leaving behind a lasting impact on Stevens’s community as a whole.

KEVIN CASTNER JR. FOR THE STUTE

Introducing the ResilienCity Park: Hoboken’s savior to major flooding

BY VICTORIA IAKOUBOVA, CONTRIBUTOR

In response to increased rain events in Hoboken, NJ, the 5-acre ResilienCity Park will divert and store nearly one million gallons of stormwater. That’s one million fewer gallons traveling through sewage pipes, flooding streets, and ruining our basements for the umpteenth time.

With Hoboken’s low-lying topography, the city becomes particularly susceptible to flooding. It only takes 0.8 inches of rain per hour for water to pool on the streets, and Hoboken residents especially bear the brunt during hurricane season. Nearly 500 million gallons of water flooded Hoboken during Hurricane Sandy. PATH trains went out of commission, power lines were cut, and both private and public property damage amounted to more than $110 million. Based on ongoing weather trends, it’s expected that the frequency of these storms will only increase, and the City is desperately looking for solutions.

The plan to buffer Hoboken from storms came to fruition with the Rebuild by Design Hudson River comprehensive water management strategy. Receiving $330 million, the plan features water-retention projects in the form of “resiliency parks.” Located between Madison and Adams Streets as well as 14th and 11th Street, the Northwest Resiliency Park, now known as the ResilienCity Park, is the largest resiliency park in the State.

The land occupied by Resil -

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in a web browser, go to Stevens’ printing website, log on, upload the documents to print, and select the preferred settings — releasing the documents is the same as above.

The Stute printed with all four (Windows, Mac, mobile email, and web browser) methods. The most inconvenient part of the Windows and Mac options was downloading and saving the drivers and settings on the computer. However, after that, it was modestly simple for future prints. The mobile options were also simple: emailing or logging onto the website.

For the most part, this new system is a significant improvement from the prior system, which required students to go to the library, log onto a desktop computer (which was often busy and always slow), and print that way. The Uniprint system offers the ability to print from anywhere on campus and have two hours to go to the library and print the documents from the queue. No log-on or device is required; tap the DuckCard that matches the requesting account (though, a quick note: it is still possible to print from the library’s desktops).

However, there are still some downsides. For one, it is only possible to print if students have enough DuckBills in their account. Additionally, it could be challenging for the first few prints to get used to the system (though this could be true for any new system).

Additionally, there are quite a few restrictions and requirements regarding document types, document size, and the applications used to print.

With the launch of the Pharos MobilePrint’s Uniprint system, Stevens has upgraded its printing experience. The new app allows printing from anywhere on campus and many operating systems and device options to print from. Although there are some downsides, the system offers a significant improvement from the prior system. With time, the system will improve its downsides, and the new printing app will become a welcome addition to the Stevens campus.

ienCity Park has come a long way. Once exploited by industrial chemicals for nearly eight decades, the land’s potential for remediation came to light, and the BASF property was finally acquired in 2016. To ensure compliance with NJDEP and USEPA requirements, the project team collaborated with engineers and environmental officials to ensure that the park poses no health risks. After years of planning, review, and construction, the park is open to the public, featuring various recreational facilities and amenities, as well as paths for a leisurely stroll.

So how does the park reduce flooding? Using a mixture of soft landscape (e.g. plants and meadows) and hard infrastructure (e.g. floodwalls and tanks), the park aims to provide defense against storm surges and rising sea levels. Hidden beneath the athletic fields, gardens, and knolls is a one-million-gallon stormwater tank. Connected to the tank are sewage pipes that directly feed excess stormwater during heavy storms. This water is stored in the tank, receiving treatment before being pumped and discharged into the Hudson River. By redirecting the flow of water into the tank, main sewage pipes are relieved, and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are effectively reduced. CSOs occur when sewage pipes become overwhelmed and back out water onto streets and private property, essentially throwing up raw sewage.

Beyond flooding, the park has positive implications for the water quality of the Hudson River.

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allows students to send their location to a designated contact or the campus police, similar to Life360 or FindMyFriends. Stevens Police does not keep tabs on your location, but if you indicate that you

Hoboken Maritime Park proposal

BY RAYNELIS VILLA, CONTRIBUTOR

By transforming the impervious surfaces into rain gardens and grassy knolls, the ground would absorb more stormwater, resulting in less contaminated stormwater that would runoff directly into the Hudson River. As explained by Professor Jagupilla, a Teaching Associate Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, more rainwater will infiltrate the ground, and groundwater will be recharged. Furthermore, the groundwater undergoes natural bio-filtration before seeping into the Hudson River, which removes pollutants.

The good news is that ResilienCity Park is not the only park in Hoboken with a similar mission. Since 2017, the City opened up two other resiliency parks: the Southwest Resiliency Park and the 7th & Jackson Resiliency Park. The fourth park, 800 Monroe Resiliency Park, was conceived later in January 2023. Altogether, these four parks will hold up to 3 million gallons of stormwater – a feat for Hoboken.

It is important to note that these parks will not prevent flooding. “Most people say that we have to prevent flooding in Hoboken. That’s never possible. There’s always a probability that something will happen,” expressed Professor Jaagupilla. “The park itself and the presence of the underground tank will help at least to a certain extent” especially when it comes to alleviating Hoboken’s ongoing flooding concerns. For a city with a hundredth of its area being resiliency parkland, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

need help, the app is able to send your precise location to campus police.

One concern about the move is the lack of a non-emergency safe space open 24 hours a day that students can go to. The Wesley J. Howe building is one of the easiest landmarks on campus, a dropoff point for Stevens Shuttle, and, prior to the move, it had bath-

Sinatra Sings at Stevens

BY ETHAN KRUPKA, CONTRIBUTOR

On June 22, the Howe Center was packed with attendees gathered to enjoy the music of Frank Sinatra at the My Way Sinatra Sing-Off, hosted by Hoboken’s Division of Cultural Affairs. 12 competitors from across North America gathered in Hoboken to sing their favorite Sinatra songs in the famed entertainer’s style for this annual competition honoring him in his home city. The My Way Sinatra Sing-Off, formerly Sinatra Idol, takes its name from Sinatra’s “My Way,” which is regarded as a classic of the artist. The event is typically held at the amphitheater in Sinatra Park in good weather, but due to the poor weather conditions the event was moved to the Bissinger Room in Howe. The winner for this year was Chris Patti of Citrus Spring, Flor-

ida. Patti was selected as the winner from a panel of five judges that included Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, who unveiled the bronze statue of Sinatra in 2021 on the entertainer’s birthday. Mayor Bhalla was joined by Hoboken restaurateur Joyce Flinn, Hoboken Historical Museum Director Bob Foster, Spotlight on Sinatra host Deeg, and Jazz Vocalist and previous winner Zack Alexander on the panel of judges. The prize for the competition received contributions from 23 local Hoboken businesses with 10 companies sponsoring the event.

Those who wish to view the competition can watch the recording on the Hoboken Historical Museum YouTube channel. For those who wish to view the next competition live, information for the 2024 competition will be posted on Hoboken’s official website.

Throughout the 2023 summer months, the Hoboken Maritime Park Project design team has worked on further developing their final concept design following the public’s recent feedback and engagement. Toward the end of July, an online survey was conducted after the presentation of three approaches for the concept design: the Civic Pier Approach, the Habitat Terraces Approach, and the Waterfront Promenade Approach. Despite there being multiple choices presented to the public, the decision between the final three signifies a great step closer to introducing a park that will benefit Hoboken’s community.

Hoboken’s Maritime Park is intended to offer recreation to all kinds of people, while connecting them to the scenery of the Hudson River. Hoboken’s neighborhood has recently grown in population as the number of children in the city’s school system has increased. Additionally, the population’s age range mostly falls between 20 and 40 years of age. Once the park is constructed, you will likely find diverse families and Stevens students walking around. The Maritime Park Project is definitely something to look forward to for nearby residents and tourists alike.

The site of the project had been previously used as a recreational waterfront throughout the mid-1800s until it was turned into an industrial space in the mid-1900s. Since the 90s, the City of Hoboken has looked towards returning the site to its previous state as a recreational space. Although the Maritime Park would not be the only public area along the Hudson River, it is an opportunity to elicit more community engagement.

rooms and water 24/7. While the welcome desk was not built to be a dispatch center, it was nevertheless a useful resource for students. The Howe Center served as a shelter to escape wind, rain, or the cold late at night, or just an indoor facility for distressed, inebriated, or disoriented students. In response to questions raised concerning the potentially chilling effect the police

With a land area of 4.5 acres and a water area of 4.2 acres, the project site is currently occupied by Castle Point Skatepark, a plate shop, and an electrical power building. Additionally, three piers extend out to the Hudson River. Further progression of the Maritime Park Project signifies that these establishments are subject to change.

Senior Architect and Project Manager Aaron Campbell has led the project’s design team with prospects to “fulfill the city of Hoboken’s ambitions of providing a world-class park to this part of the Hudson River shoreline.” Community meetings have been held throughout the park’s concept design stages. As a result, there is anticipation for amenities that will be compatible with the urban setting. The senior architect also highlights that the expectation is to design and construct “a public park that reflects the desires of the community[,] a responsive park that is in harmony with its local environment[,] and a resilient park that is built to last.”

While the maritime park’s final concept is in development, locals can begin to plan their visiting route. NJ Transit Bus lines 22, 68, 89, and 126 are just around a 20 minute walk from the park. There are also nine rail lines that are about the same walking distance. Along Hoboken’s Waterfront Walkway there is a protected bikeline that reaches the site from Hoboken Terminal. Lastly, visitor parking is available up to four hours by the walkway on Frank Sinatra Drive.

While Hoboken’s Maritime Park improves the city by contributing to urban development, more public projects can be expected. Hoboken strives to be a model for how urban areas can include multiple kinds of environments.

headquarters relocation may have on students in this situation, Officer DiGenova responded, “Stevens Police offers support for student safety at every hour of the day and night, every day of the year, at Police HQ in the Morton-Pierce-Kidde Complex, whether or not the situation is emergent.”

Let me be myself: the traveling Anne Frank exhibit

BY ISABELLA HAMM, STAFF WRITER

From September 5 to 15, the Samuel C. Williams Library will have an Anne Frank exhibit on display in the Mary Stuart Stevens room. The exhibit, which is on loan to Stevens from the Anne Frank Center, consists of 29 large posters that mostly detail the life of Anne Frank, one of the most widely-known Holocaust victims, due to her posthumously published diary. Exhibit posters draw parallels between the prejudice Frank experienced and the prejudice that many people unfortunately still experience today. An informational graphic near the exhibit entrance

reads that this “exhibition culminates with contemporary stories of discrimination and exclusion, giving a voice to today’s youth from various backgrounds and with diverse identities. Through photos and interviews, visitors view how these young people view themselves, how they are viewed by society and what role prejudice plays in their lives.” The exhibit can be particularly impactful to students if they want to have a better understanding of the degree to which people’s lives can be affected by prejudice and discrimination. It’s always important to sympathize with what other students may go through in their daily lives, and to be accepting of people’s identities.

Under the sea exploration: harmful or helpful?

BY MEGHANA MAMADAPUR, CONTRIBUTOR

The Titan submersible, created by OceanGate, imploded on June 18 during an attempt to explore the Titanic wreckage. Aboard the submersible were five individuals, including the CEO of OceanGate. In an effort to save those five lives, an estimated $1,200,000 million was spent by the United States government. This has raised many questions regarding how ethical the submersible was, and how deep sea explorations will be impacted in the future.

The five men aboard the Titan each paid $250,000 to explore the wreckage. The cost of the search and rescue mission was more expensive than the tickets together. The price paid by the United States government is rumored to be $1.2 million, yet the exact amount has not been released to the public. The U.S. was joined by Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, many private companies contributed remote-operated vehicles, potentially requiring the Department of Defense to pay them. Many citizens believe that the bill should not be paid by the government, but rather by OceanGate, the company responsible for the wreck. Paul Zukunft, the retired admiral of the U.S. Coast Guard from 2014 to 2018 announced, “If a private citizen goes out, and his boat sinks…We go out and recover him. We don’t stick them with the bill after the fact.” This portrays the ethical consideration of whether responsibility for the wreck should lead to financial compensation as well.

Furthermore, the Titan received an influx of attention from news outlets and social media, which sparked fury in the public.

On June 18, just five days prior to the implosion of the Titan, a boat

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

BY TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER

with 750 migrants from Libya overturned. This is estimated to have resulted in the death of 600 individuals. The Greek government was unable to assist the refugees in time, partly due to the difficulty in towing a distressed boat.

The public felt this tragedy did not receive as much widespread coverage as the Titan submersible.

This raised the debate of whether the lives of five wealthy people were more significant compared to those of 600 people. Professor Laleh Khalili stated, “A libertarian billionaire ethos of ‘we are above all laws, including physics’ took the Titan down. And the unequal treatment of this and the migrant boat catastrophe is unspeakable.”

Many others weighed in about the urgency of rescuing the lives of five wealthy individuals versus the distressed migrants, including former President Barack Obama. Obama expressed his distaste at the fact that the Titan received more publicity than the migrant boat. In addition to receiving more publicity, the Titan also had a more extensive search and rescue operation.

However, others believe that the efforts put forth to rescue the Titan were entirely justifiable. The Canadian minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, Joyce Murray, explained, “There is nothing too much. We just need to do what we can. These are human beings, these are human lives, and we need to do what we can to save them.” This debate over the circumstances surrounding the submersible proves to be a point of contention for the future.

OceanGate has suspended all future explorations since the implosion. The exact cause of the failure is still being investigated by the Canadian government. While the future of OceanGate’s explorations is unknown, it is clear that more expeditions will continue to explore what lies under the sea.

At the start of the year, economists and financial analysts were making numerous predictions about how the year would play out, but very few could have guessed that a massive banking failure would occur just three months in. Silicon Valley Bank, a firm that had $209 billion in assets, was forced to shut its doors in March 2023 by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Many factors led to the demise of the bank, and its ultimate collapse has impacted many. While Silicon Valley Bank is just a name now attached to the largest banking crisis since 2008, financial forecasters are working to understand what the long term effects of this bank failure will be.

In order to understand the implications of the end of Silicon Valley Bank, it is first necessary to note what went wrong that resulted in such a loss. Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California, was a provider of banking services to organizations and individuals of all stages but its speciality was in providing these services to startups and venture-backed firms. Prior to the bank’s downfall, it experienced large-scale growth in assets and deposits from 2019

BY

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, The Supreme Court ruled to end university admissions offices’ ability to take an applicant’s race into consideration when granting acceptance to the institution. With one of Stevens’ core institutional values and a strategic goal being diversity, equity, and inclusion, there have been changes made to the application process for the incoming class to uphold these values while adapting to the ruling.

A day after the ruling, President Nariman Farvardin concluded his issued statement, “to renew our commitment to recruit, nurture and support a diverse population of students who will go on to become the technological leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators of the future and to strengthen our inclusive and welcoming workplace for current and future colleagues.” Along with Stevens, many institutions issued statements about the topic as well. Questions began to surface on how colleges and universities will go about the next application process.

Previously, high school seniors would most likely use CommonApp or other websites to submit their applications. The CommonApp in-

to 2022. After procuring the large sums, the firm decided to invest in treasury bonds and other longterm investments. The firm saw fit to invest in these bonds because while the returns remained on the lower end of the spectrum, so did the risks associated with purchasing such bonds. However Silicon Valley Bank’s investments grew riskier due to the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates as a way to reduce inflation. Ultimately the bonds they had purchased declined in value. Additionally, on a different front, many of the bank’s customers hit financial trouble due to their association with the troubled tech industry and decided to withdraw large amounts of funds from their accounts. In order to deal with the massive withdrawals, the organization sold off some of its investments at a loss of $1.8 billion. This marked the beginning of the end for the Silicon Valley Bank. Following the $1.8 billion loss, the bank decided to put out more stocks to raise funding but the stock of Silicon Valley Bank’s holding company, SVB Financial Group, crashed at the opening of the market. This led to a total of $42 billion of withdrawals from the bank. After this, regulators seized the firm and trading for the bank’s stock was halted. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corpora-

tion taking emergency measures, allowed all funds, including uninsured ones, to be recovered. First Citizens Bank bought off the rest of Silicon Valley Bank except its $90 billion worth of securities and assets. The SVB Financial Group filed for bankruptcy following the demise of its bank.

The blame for this incident was placed upon the senior management of the company and its board of directors. The Fed claimed that the top management failed to perform proper risk evaluation and the board of directors failed to keep the senior leaders of the firm in check. Regulators also took on a part of the blame as they should have done a better job of assessing the firm and its potential problems during the rapid growth between 2019 and 2022.

While the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank was almost six months ago, its effects can still be felt today. For example, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures up to $250,000 but it made an exception in this case. Regulators believed it was necessary to insure the full amount in order to stop the fear and the notion of instability in the banking system. Distrust and uncertainty still linger in regard to the banking system and talks of recession aren’t helping matters either.

cludes a section where the student inputs their demographic information, including race and ethnicity. Colleges like Stevens that participated in the Affirmative Action Plan would take an applicant’s personal essay, supplemental writings, extracurricular activities, and race into consideration. However, with the Supreme Court ruling, those criteria have changed.

April Chang, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, reported two major changes to the application process for students applying for the Fall 2024 entry term to adjust and ensure that Stevens continues to progress their goals and values by recruiting and attracting a diverse population of students.

Chang comments on how the first change includes new essay prompts asking for students to expand on how personal or lived experiences can contribute to their potential success at Stevens. She then includes that Stevens may consider an applicant’s discussion of race if the applicant chooses to share information in an essay in which their identity is linked to their life story, quality of their character, or unique ability to contribute to the university community.

Many institutions like Stevens

including Harvard will be taking “an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” It is entirely up to the student if they choose to disclose this information.

The second change includes implementing Early Action as an option for students. This option will join the previous options of Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.

Following President Farvardin’s statement on June 29, 2023, to attract and retain a community from diverse backgrounds. Chang explains that Stevens will not exclusively use the college application and essay prompts to maintain and expand on this goal. Stevens will be expanding recruitment efforts to include diverse geographic regions, partnering with community-based organizations, collaborating with various stakeholders to expand our pre-college programs, and lowering barriers to admissions through test-optional application reviews.

Chang expresses that “we are excited for the upcoming admissions cycle and look forward to welcoming talented students from diverse backgrounds and cultures to our campus.”

How the ruling on Affirmative Action will affect the application process and diversity of the Stevens Class of 2028

KELLY CHAN, CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU

PHOTO COURTESY OF CNN.COM

Sports during finals and graduation, wrapping up the 2022-2023 academic year

BY ABBY JACOBS, CONTRIBUTOR

Following Stevens’ academic year, the 2022-2023 athletic year ended with four teams in the NCAA DIII Championships and both Men’s and Women’s Track and Field in the All-Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships.

On May 14, 2023, both Stevens’ men’s and women’s lacrosse teams competed in round two of the NCAA DIII Championships following finishing their seasons with records of 18-3. Playing Dickinson College, Stevens’ Men’s Lacrosse faced a defeat of 10-12, ending their winning streak of 11. Notable players included Jack Savarese with three goals and one assist, Keegan Hughes with two

goals and one assist, and Kevin Crowley with two goals. Steven’s Women’s Lacrosse faced York College of Pennsylvania who they played prior in the season, losing with a score of 8-20. Their NCAA Championship game saw a final score of 6-8, with York College of Pennsylvania coming out victorious.

Players Zoe Cook and Camryn Rogers scored two goals during the game, with Emily Leiby and Alison Lax each scoring a goal of their own.

The Stevens Golf Team also made it to round two of the NCAA DIII Championship, where they came in 25th out of the 43 teams competing. Golfers Gus Vickers, Austin Liao, Miles Philion, and Eduardo

Terlaje made notable marks on the team’s placement. Vickers

was one of twelve attendees to get an eagle, shooting just over par with 76 strokes and tying for 51st out of 221 players. Liao had seven birdies, and Philion and Terlaje made 21 pars, heavy contributors to the team’s total of 20 birdies and 96 pars.

On May 15, 2023, both the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams competed in the Widener Final Qualifier, leading to their qualification for the All-Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships (AAROC). The men’s team made it to day two of the competition, where their seven-month season ended.

Following their placement in the AAROC, Stevens’ Women’s Track and Field Team placed 22nd out of 59 teams and scored 13 points, before com -

peting in the NCAA DIII Outdoor National Championships. This competition, taking place only a week later, from May 2527 conflicted with the team’s senior class’s ability to attend graduation. Still, they competed in the 200-meter dash preliminaries on the 25th, as well as the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles preliminaries on the 26th. Track athlete

Laura Matthews claimed the eighth fastest qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles, ensuring her advancement to the 100-meter hurdle national championship. On May 27th, the final day of the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Matthews took fourth place and earned her fifth career All-America honor.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY

University of Rochester Rochester, NY 4 p.m.

SUN, SEPT 10

MEN’S GOLF

The Gauntlet – Round 1 Harrisburg, PA Time TBA

MEN’S SOCCER

Babson College Hoboken, NJ 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

New York University Hoboken, NJ 5 p.m.

MON, SEPT 11

The Gauntlet – Round 2 Harrisburg, PA Time TBA

WED, SEPT 13

FIELD HOCKEY

MEN’S GOLF Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 7 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY MIKE MCLAUGHLIN)

STEVENS 101

BY SEAN BAUTISTA AND KEVIN NGUYEN

College can be overwhelming for many, but Stevens offers multiple resources to ensure the safety and enjoyment for all students on campus, and help ease the transition for first-year students.

When handling academic responsibilities it is important to maintain contact with the Office of Undergraduate Academics (OUA). The duty of this office is to monitor the academic progress of each undergraduate, and provide general guidance alongside major-specific advisors. They provide programs such as the Reduced Load Program, which extends a student’s time from entrance to graduation from eight semesters to ten by allowing students to take one less technical course in each of their first two semesters, and make them up the summer following that student’s first year. The OUA has other programs in place to help students who are concerned with academics through tutoring, advisor meetings, and workshops. Other responsibilities of the OUA are assisting students who are considering leaves of absence or withdrawal, supporting those who are returning from a leave of absence, and giving guidance to students interested in applying for prestigious scholarships, or research opportunities.

To reach them, you can visit in person on the ninth floor of Wesley J. Howe Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Monday through Friday or email them at undergraduateacademics@stevens.edu.

In addition to the OUA, the Academic Support Center (ASC) also works with students to maintain a high academic standing. The ASC offers tutoring services, academic success workshops, and a Peer Leader Program, which is for first-year students to connect with knowledgeable mentors. They can be contacted at asc@stevens.edu.

The Stevens Career Center is another important resource for all students. The Career Center hosts career coaching sessions, employer recruiting events, career education programming, and the Stevens Cooperative Education Program for Undergraduate Students, also known as the Co-op. The Co-op is a five-year, competitive program that integrates classroom education with real-world work experience. To contact the Career Center, they can be reached by phone at 201216-5166, or by email at careercenter@stevens.edu.

The library is home to multiple sources of information. Its goal is to promote information and media literacy while connecting students and researchers around the

world. Study rooms are also available and can be reserved by students online. The library can be contacted via phone at 201-2165200 or email at library@stevens. edu. For assistance with technical issues, visit TRAC, which is located outside of the library entrance. The walk-in hours for TRAC is Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Requests received outside of these hours will be processed at the start of the next business day. The IT department and its related resources can be reached through email at support@stevens.edu, or phone at 201-380-6599.

At Stevens, the DuckCard serves as your ID, and gives you access to your meal plan, buildings, and DuckBills. DuckBills are a prepaid account that can be used to pay certain merchants. Most information regarding DuckCard services can be found on a student’s Transact eAccounts. The DuckCard Office is located in the Wesley J. Howe Center - First floor, Room 120, and can be contacted via phone at 201-216-5156, fax at 201-216-8324, and email at duckbills@stevens.edu.

Apart from academics, the role of managing the student experience falls under the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Life. Student Affairs encourages students to learn and grow outside of the classroom and their responsibilities include Residential and Dining Services, the Office of Student Culture and Belonging, Student Health Services, and the Career Center. Students can find them at the second floor of the University Center Complex (UCC) or email them at studentaffairs@stevens.edu. When it comes to exploring options for involvement such as student organizations, Greek Life, student leadership, civic engagement/ community service, the Office of Student Life is who students should contact at student_life@ stevens.edu. The Student Government Association (SGA) is a means of communication between students and faculty. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for all students, and voice the concerns of the student body. They can be contacted at sga@stevens.edu.

The Campus Police are responsible for protecting and serving the Stevens community. They work closely with the Hoboken Police Department and are available 24/7 to enforce New Jersey laws on campus. To contact them, call 201-216-3911 or email the Chief of Police, Timothy Griffin, at tgriffin@stevens.edu.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the center for everything mental health at Stevens. The staff consists of highly

trained professionals who provide treatment, education, and consultation to anyone in the Stevens community who is concerned about a student. When asked about what kinds of problems students can bring to CAPS, Dr. Eric Rose, the Director of Student Wellness told The Stute, “The problems we see are so varied! Many students need help adjusting to a major life change (like starting college!) Others don’t feel able to manage their stress in a healthy way. Still others need some relief from symptoms of anxiety or depression.” CAPS has been working hard to provide students with better care whether by valuing confidentiality, implementing an online scheduling system, a Duck Support Network, or dedicated crisis counseling 24/7.

When asked about what sets CAPS apart from other resources he stated, “the team at CAPS is pretty introverted – we love deep conversations and we’re good listeners which is probably why we do what we do for a career!” Dr. Rose also noted that the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) is providing free and unlimited teletherapy– guaranteed through April 1, 2024— for nearly all college and university students in New Jersey. Sign up by visiting https://app.uwill.com and use your Stevens email to register and get started today! If you need to reach CAPS, call 201-216-5177 or email caps@stevens.edu.

The Campus Awareness and Response Education (CARE)

Team’s purpose is to raise awareness of community to know when students need help, teaching what action to take when students need help, and responding to a student in need in a way that is attentive to the safety and needs of the whole community and provides maximum support for the student you are concerned about. To reach them, email care@stevens.edu.

Title IX is Stevens’ policy to give equal opportunity to all students, regardless of a student’s identity. The policy also covers incidents of gender-based and sexual misconduct. Students are encouraged to report any sightings of Title IX violations to Coordinators and/or Campus Police. Title IX Coordinator Stacy Fisher can be contacted by phone at 201-2163383, and by email at sflowers@ stevens.edu. Additionally, Deputy Title IX Coordinator Xhiljola Ruçi Kluger can be contacted by phone at 201-216-3718, and by email at xruci@stevens.edu.

If any of these resources interest you, please feel free to contact them through the methods provided, as they are here to help you succeed at Stevens.

Fall 2023 Budget Meeting Recap

The semesterly budget allocations are decided by the SGA budget committe on student interests and the current Vice President of Finances (VPF) Kevin Pfundstein

Where does that student activity fee really go? A guide to financing with the SGA’s Kevin Pfundstein

BY TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR

In an interview with The Stute, Student Government Association’s (SGA) Vice President of Finance Kevin Pfundstein, a second year Accounting and Data Analytics major, demystified how the SGA funds various clubs and organizations on campus. In addition, he described important vocabulary terms for student organizations to know when it comes to club financing.

Pfundstein’s primary role involves overseeing the Budget Committee. As he explained, “So every student here at Stevens has $230 on their semesterly bill that is collected by the school and then given to us. And then with that money, that’s where all of our funding comes from. The student activity fee is sometimes referred to as the SAF. That’s where all of our funds come from. Now from that, we pay a fixed amount, usually each semester, in what we call line items.”

Some line items include programs for the Office of Student Life, which the SGA works closely with. Others are leadership engagement programs, a portion of the student center staffing, some diversity programs, fraternity and sorority programs, DuckLink, facilities like the bowling alley, the Student Leader Awards brunch and dinner, and the DuckBill machines. Pfundstein specified that large student organizations, like the Entertainment Committee, also receive a set amount of the SAF. Both the Founder’s Day Ball and TechFest are examples of line items. Similarly, Pfundstein elaborated that both “The Link and The Stute [also] have a set amount of money.”

The SGA also pays for facilities for every student organization when they host an event on campus. Student organizations can request a specific layout when they book a room

and the SGA will pay semesterly staff to set that up for them. In addition, the SGA budgets money for “campus improvements every semester that we’ve been trying to do.” Pfundstein highlighted the recently installed, SGA funded Howebike rack, and shared that the current initiative is on campus composting. Pfundstein informed that these fixed, line item expenses amount to around $500,000 each semester. He further specified the contingency that “We anticipate to collect about $920,000 every semester from the student activity fee. But of course, that’s dependent on how many students there are. It’s directly correlated. So after our line items get out of there, then we go to student orgs.”

The next important term to know is BBM, which stands for big budget meeting. At the end of every semester, Pfundstein will email student organizations to attend a BBM, which is held during the end of the semester. At the BBM, “every student org is given the opportunity to present a budget for the following semester.

It’s an all day event in which me and the Budget Committee sit in a room for about 8 hours and we hear from every student org that comes in person to us. They show us their budget and the Budget Committee and I will vote on whether to approve the budget, modify the budget. And then that will be their budget for the following semester.”

The Budget Committee is composed of undergraduate students and it is not required to be an SGA senator to join. To get involved, students can email sga@stevens.edu to express interest, attend a Senate Meeting, and become appointed.

It is a semester-long appointment.

Pfundstein noted, “I oversee the Budget committee and chair the Budget Committee but I have one vote just like everyone else[...] my vote is equal to theirs.” Majority de-

cides the vote, and the decision is not solely Pfundstein’s call.

Another way organizations can receive funding is through additional funding requests, known as AFRs. These requests can be submitted through DuckLink throughout the semester and are heard on a rolling basis. Pfundstein will email asking the organization to attend the weekly Senate Budget Committee meeting to explain their request, which will then be either approved or denied by the committee. Then, it goes to a full senate vote later that night and after receiving approval, Pfundstein lets them know their funding is approved and “then they have the money just as if they went to the big budget meeting.”

However, the SGA has been working with an increasingly tight budget. Pfundstein reports that the SAF has remained constant, despite inflation. As a result, AFRs are less likely to see success compared to their pre-approved counterparts. If you are looking for more information, the SGA provides a budget handbook that gives an in depth list of “exactly what can be budgeted for what can’t be budgeted for.”

To manage spending, Pfundstein revealed that the food budgeting is rather formulaic, “We take your average attendance at the past two iterations of the event and we multiply it by $12.00 per person.” “I think that’s a big misconception that people think that the SGA has all this money,” said Pfundstein, who emphasized that he is often working down to the last penny.

Once funding receives approval, student organizations can go to the Office of Student Life to pick up their purchasing card (p-card). A p-card is essentially a credit card that every organization has, where they can make the approved purchases. Receipts are submitted to the Office of Student Life who check invoices.

This is essentially how student organizations get funded. Pfundstein reminds that it is essential that SGA funds are used solely for their approved purpose. Funds granted to an organization for food cannot be used for promotional items. Students must submit reallocations, which can be submitted and heard by the Budget Committee on a weekly rolling basis.“Reallocations are approved most of the time because, again, the money’s already been given to that org, they’re just changing how they want to spend it. But we have to make sure that they’re still following the rules,” Pfundstein shared.

Certain clubs, such as club sports, may also charge dues. These clubs are partially subsidized by the SGA. Generally, all student organizations are fully funded by the SGA, with the exception of organizations who fundraise on their own.

One thing that Pfundstein emphasized throughout the interview is “that if the SGA is providing funding to something, it has to be open to all undergraduate students, regardless of if they pay dues or not [...]we don’t allow any exclusive membership, anything like that.[...] the student activity fee is used for all students and anything that’s purchased with it has to be to benefit all students. That’s our main governing principle.”

Regarding the funding for sorority and fraternity life, money is given to and overseen by Kevin Grunder who ensures that and that the funds are used for events that are open to all of campus, usually recruiting or social events. Pfundstein reminds that the main requirement is that “the event has to be posted on DuckLink and visible to the student body if it’s receiving SGA funding.”

The new organization process is handled by the Vice President of Student Interest. When an organization reaches step three, they become eligible to receive SGA funding. Pfund-

stein informed that during step three and four, new organizations are limited to a maximum of $200.00 per semester and $1000 per semester, respectively. Upon graduating from step four, the new organization becomes a full one with no set funding maximum.e “The limit is basically however much we can give you and however much you request.,” informed Pfundstein who further specified that a club’s maximum budget is determined by attendance. “This is why it is crucial for organizations to scan Ducklink passes.

Pfunstein welcomes students to become more engaged and involved with the SGA. The entire SGA cabinet hosts office hours every week in their office, located on the second floor of the UCC by the Intercultural Center. Anyone can stop in or even email the cabinet to ask questions.

Pfundstein encourages those wishing to get more engaged to join the Senate “A senator is an awesome position where you can vote and see everything that’s going on. Or, if [you] just want to be more focused on the finances, they can just join the Budget Committee for a semester [...], see all the budgets come in, [and] vote on them.” To avoid conflict of interest, you are required to abstain from Budget Committee votes involving your other campus commitments and involvement.

As Pfundstein summarized, “Stevens provides a lot of freedom and flexibility for the Student Government Association and student org[anization]s in terms of managing the money.” Stevens is unique in that the student activity budget is almost entirely student run and student funded. The SGA plays such a crucial role in ensuring clubs on campus are able to hold their events, contributing to the Stevens community. If anyone would like to help play a part in this, be sure to get involved with the SGA!

Hudson River water, is it really that bad? Why is the air spicy?

BY EMILY PRASAD, CONTRIBUTOR

Is it possible to grow an extra limb if you swim in the Hudson River, or will you turn green? A certain stigma surrounds the river between Hoboken and Manhattan; but is it actually that dangerous?

Over the course of approximately 30 years, beginning in 1947, the General Electric Company (GE) discharged more than one million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River from its industrial manufacturing plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, New York. In the 1960s, the river was dubbed an “industrial sewer” by Greg Williams, who leads an environmental advocacy organization called the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Fortunately, GE began cleaning the river in 2009 and has been testing pollution levels in the Upper Hudson over the last several decades under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Although the production of PCBs was banned in the US in 1979, the effects they have caused are still evident today. PCBs are considered harmful to humans and other animals because tests show that when exposed to large amounts, they can cause cancer, weaken the immune system, cause birth defects, and de-

lay neurological development. They may also cause liver toxicity, elevated blood pressure, and changes in thyroid hormone levels in infants.

Not only do PCBs and other pollutants affect humans, but they also affect wildlife, including over 200 species of fish that inhabit the Hudson River. USA Today reported that the corpses of thousands of Atlantic menhaden fish were discovered in the river as of July 2020 because of a combination of pollutants and the rising heat of the water. The studies of various fish species show evidence of concentrations of PCBs and mercury in their tissues. Women of childbearing age and children under 15 years old are advised not to eat fish or crabs from the Hudson River because PCBs are more harmful to young children and unborn babies. However, it may be safe for those outside those groups to enjoy fish from the river in certain locations. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) encourages communities to use signs that warn visitors about these fish advisories.

It is not just fish bodies found regularly in the Hudson River. Human bodies are found as well. As reported by MV Organizing, around 59 bodies are discovered every year as a result of a variety of incidents.

For example, in June 2021, a 9-yearold girl’s body was found after she

drowned while swimming with her family. Historically, murderers also dispose of their victims’ bodies in the river. In 1841, the corpse of Mary Rogers, known as the “Beautiful Cigar Girl,” was found floating in the water near Hoboken, showing signs on her neck that she had been strangled before being disposed of in the river.

Fortunately, action has been taken to return the Hudson River to its former glory. The Clean Water Act, passed in 1972, made it illegal to discharge pollutants into navigable waters without a permit. In February 2002, the EPA instated a Record of Decision (ROD) for the river that called for the removal of pollutants from the bottom of the river. This included approximately 2.65 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment.

Due to such efforts, the Hudson River is now considered safe to swim in at certain locations, as it is the safest it has been in over 30 years. Swimming events in the river include the New York City Triathlon, the Hudson Crossing Triathlon, the Great Hudson River Swim, and the Liberty to Freedom Swim. Contrary to popular rumors, you will not grow an extra eye or become an unnatural color if you enjoy the Hudson River as long as you follow guidelines set in place by experts.

PARALYZED MAN WALKS AGAIN USING BLUETOOTH CONNECTIONS

BY NICOLE CHEUNG, OPINION COLUMNIST

Is the apocalypse coming? What is causing this? Why is my weather app now in my most recently used? Many questions like these race through the minds of people experiencing the tri-state area’s alarming dip in air quality.

Any Air Quality Index (AQI) number under 100 is considered safe. On June 7th, Hoboken’s air quality level measured above 301 and was moved to ”hazardous” on the AQI. According to an article from AirNow.gov, “Air quality in this range triggers health warnings of emergency conditions by media outlets. The entire population is more likely to be affected by serious health effects.” Consequently, the city of Hoboken issued an alert which suspended most outside activities including concerts, exercise, and farmers markets. Stevens students saw the effects of poor air quality, as yellow smoke clouded the skies.

Many Canadian Provinces are experiencing record droughts and dryness, prolonging “fire season”. The drier, hotter weather is also making Canada’s vast forest susceptible to fires started by lightning. Ridah Syed at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated, “half of Canada’s wildfires are started by lightning, but those fires account for more than 85% of wildfire destruction. The other half are human-caused in various ways from discarded cigarette butts to sparks from passing trains’’. Of Canada’s 362 million hectares of primarily boreal forests, most are uninhabited by humans. These forests lack the infrastructure to transport firefighters and their equipment, making it very difficult to tame the rapidly spreading fires. Understandably, Canada’s priority is human life, and fires are a naturally occurring beneficial part of a forest’s life cycle. Fighting flames in these difficult locations is deemed not worth the risk to firefighters’ lives.

releases carbon dioxide and in turn amplifies global warming. President Biden has taken action, aiding in Canada’s fight against the rampant wildfires. On June 8th, 2023, the President released a statement stating, “Since May, more than 600 U.S. firefighters, support personnel, and firefighting assets have been deployed,” to aid Canadian firefighters. He also shared that he had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and offered his aid, mainly in Quebec where fires most directly impact American communities. In his 2024 budget request, Biden has planned for $32 billion allocated to climate resilience. This would “help build communities’ resilience to floods, wildfires, and storms, improve conservation and ecosystem management, [and] strengthen America’s disaster response capabilities.” The Biden- Harris administration is also making significant investments in the firefighting workforce, which include increasing the size of the workforce, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and adding mental and physical health services for workers.

Despite the cloudy news, there are still many actions that citizens can take to reduce wildfires at the source and control the current burns. As previously stated, heightened anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gasses are creating the air quality issues prevalent recently. To tackle the issue at its forefront, humans will inevitably need to decrease our greenhouse gas output. Many of these changes center around being less wasteful, more deliberate with resources, and therefore are more cost effective.

BY RIYANA PHADKE, CONTRIBUTOR

Forty-year-old Gert-Jan Oskam has begun to walk on his own after almost ten years with the help of implants in his brain and spinal cord.

In 2011, Oskam, a citizen of the Netherlands, suffered life-changing paralyzation after a tragic cycling accident in China. His doctors had told him that he would never walk again after breaking his neck; however, he is now able to stand, walk, and climb.

This amazing recovery was made possible by an ever-evolving program led by a team of neuroscientists in Switzerland. The program looks to develop softwares that helps reconnect the brain with muscles that have not been functioning since an accident. In GertJan Oksam’s case, this is when his spinal cord nerves were partially severed while cycling. The particular implant that Oskam received is known as the “digital bridge” and aims to wirelessly transmit signals from the brain to the muscles in order to give him the ability to move once again. This idea is essentially the same process as bluetooth connection on many smart devices.

Like many scientific innovations, the trials for “digital bridges” were not an immediate success. In 2017, during the beginning phases of the recovery program, Oskam tested a system that recreated the steps of walking by sending signals from a computer to his spinal cord. By lifting his heels, something he could do himself, Oskam was able to trigger the electrical impulses in his spinal cord and take a step. While the device allowed him to take some steps, the movement was robotic and uncontrollable by Oskam.

In a more recent trial, electrodes were implanted in Oskam’s brain which identified neural activity that indicated he wanted to use his legs. The brain activity was then converted into impulses that were sent to the electrodes in his spine, which allowed him to move his legs with considerable ease. What was even more fascinating was that after forty sessions with the implant, Oskam was able to regain some of his leg movements when the implants were turned off – which showed that he had not severed all of his spinal nerves.

As the technology is still relatively new the device is not able to produce movement that is com-

pletely smooth and that mimics healthy human functioning legs, but the neurologists and Oskam believe that with time he will be able to produce more natural movement as compared to previous versions of the technology.

With Oskam showing progress in rehabilitation more than ten years after his accident, researchers and scientists are optimistic that other patients with more recent injuries may receive a similar or additional benefit. Grégoire Courtine from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne stated, “it’s more than 10 years after the spinal cord injury. Imagine when we apply the digital bridge a few weeks after spinal cord injury. The potential for recovery is tremendous.” Courtine also believes that connecting the brain and spinal cord can regenerate spinal cord nerves in paralyzed patients.

In the end, the development of the “digital bridge” demonstrates the rapid increase in the fields of biomedical engineering and paralysis therapy. The Switzerland-based neurologists are hoping that future devices may allow patients to recover other types of functionality, such as control over other limbs or organs.

Historically, more fires have occurred on Canada’s west coast, but this spring, more fires have occurred on the east coast. This may be attributed to the weakened jet stream that circulates air currents around the globe. Jet streams that flow from west to east are imperative to regulating average temperatures and weather patterns. Abnormalities have caused other weather disasters such as the infamous 2021 Texas power crisis or “deep freeze”. Jet Stream weakening can be traced back to the current global warming crisis. Global warming and weakening jet streams exemplify a positive feedback loop in which: rising temperatures stagnate jet streams, the stagnation of jet streams causes warm tropical air to flow northwards and become trapped over continents, which further fuels wildfires and

We can slow climate change in many areas including; transportation, food, homes, and shopping. We can increase use of public transportation, keep vehicle tires properly inflated, and run car air conditioning less frequently. To decrease carbon emissions related to food we can decrease meat consumption, shop organic, local, and in-season, keep close track of food inventories, eat or freeze items before they expire, donate food abundance, and use reusable cutlery and dishes. At home, we can unplug appliances when not in use, donate or sell old clothes, and recycle whenever possible. Lastly, when we shop, we can avoid overconsumption, utilize reusable shopping bags, prioritize quality over quantity, thrift, and support environmentally conscious brands.

Poor air quality is negatively affecting human health, the environment, and the economy. Many seemingly small changes to everyday life can have large echoing positive effects on the current climate crisis.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GUARDIAN

THE STUTE EDITORIAL

The ghost of The Stute’s past, present, and future

The vaguest part of the description for my role as editor-in-chief is to “ensure the successful fulfillment of The Stute’s purpose.” Some clarity can be found inThe Stute’s Constitution, which specifies: “The purpose of The Stute is to advance the knowledge and practices of journalism by producing a newspaper and maintaining a website. The physical and digital paper shall inform and influence the student body and act as a medium for student expression so as to further evoke and foster the true spirit of Stevens.” While the wording of this article has evolved over the years, it transcends generations. The legacy of The Stute shows that it is more than just a publication; it is an entity that has evolved through the years, encompassing countless narratives, voices, and contributions. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with some of the voices from our past, with those who (hopefully) will represent our future, and get to kick off this year with our present mem-

bers. In June, we participated in Alumni Weekend 2023 and held a Stute Alumni Gathering. This event provided a unique opportunity to engage in conversations with Stute members from decades past and learn about how much our organization has evolved since their time, while also discovering surprising similarities that have endured over the years. The best way to describe this event was heartwarming, seeing the genuine appreciation we all share for the chance to connect with other generations of The Stute and bond over our shared experience.

During the summer we held The Stute weekend, an exciting opportunity for incoming first-year students to stay on campus for a weekend and get involved with The Stute before the semester starts.

The event drew together a diverse group of individuals with a wide range of interest areas. Some people were even interested in layout!

One of the most gratifying parts of the weekend was the realization

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

What it means to be a duck

that these newcomers will eventually become the future leaders of The Stute, which is super exciting because this is a really great group of students. This sense of continuity is especially meaningful to me, as I had people I looked up to when I first joined The Stute. It feels so wholesome and full circle that now I’m leading this organization and am a mentor to this new group.

The current generation of The Stute is truly a great one. We hold the responsibility of fulfilling our own purpose. I am thankful for the past Stute members for establishing the organization as it stands today. I am excited to introduce future generations to the world of Stute. And I am honored to lead the current set of Stute members as we kick off Volume CXXI!

SENIORITIS From pixels to people

BY JUSTIN LEMA ‘27

Dear first-year Ducks, I would like to congratulate everyone on achieving this great milestone in your life. As a fresh new Duck, I can testify how much emotion this experience has and will bring me for the next four plus years. We have been through many rough times and benevolent journeys, but we were able to make it. It takes a great amount of grit and determination from each new student to be able to define their next four years with Stevens and the small city of Hoboken.

As we all are getting settled, I know the many questions that students may have which is How can I make college go smoothly for me?

One thing to keep in mind is our habits and how we can start off on the right foot of this fouryear marathon. One re -

curring theme that can be heard from many of our upperclassmen is the value of budgeting your time. We may have taken it granted in our high school as we could easily ask for extensions on assignments as our teachers would constantly remind us to complete our overdue projects, but college may not be the same. If I may be honest, I can certainly use some more work on my time management because it is not something that anyone can master overnight. We are going to have to introduce or adjust new time management habits as we pursue our college career as it will only benefit us.

A famous saying that many of you may have heard goes as follows: “Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today” (Abraham Lincoln). Let’s be honest, we have not been living by this saying exactly — and why should we? We always have tomorrow especially if today so happens to be a Friday, the sun is shining, or the ice cream trucks just happens to be rounding the corner. The fact is that for every responsibility, project, or assignment we put on hold, they will only pile up until it

becomes too difficult to bear. Trust me, I have fallen into the troubles of procrastination and screwed myself over on a year long project that I had to crunch in under two days (I am sure you are questioning my time management skills for sure). That said, I do not want this to be a new worry for all of us new Ducks as we transition into Stevens, but it is a habit that we should be aware for the next four years at college. The best part is that we can start off slow and start forging our habits now! What I recommend is for all of us to start off by planning out days and times that we cantackle our two week-long projects. Think of this as taking small steps up a staircase rather than fully running up which if you do, you may trip and severely hurt yourself. The point I am trying to get across is that rather than have our assignments on hold until the very last minute, we should start planning an attack on our work. By adapting better time management skills into our habits, we will be doing our future selves a grand favor and making Attila very proud to call us baby ducks.

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

My first week at Stevens was not the university experience I had been anticipating. The growing pains were compounded by unique circumstances; it was September 2020, all classes were virtual, and contact with others was at a minimum. Talking in breakout rooms felt awkward, indoor gatherings were prohibited, and my door was shut to keep my germs to myself. In the first three days, I met one new person. I blamed myself for not trying harder to connect virtually and lacked the confidence to go up to a group and introduce myself. How were other people managing this? I couldn’t be the only one eating alone in my room.

Zoom lectures didn’t leave any room for continued socialization after class ended. I felt trapped in my room to take the call and stare at faces in boxes that didn’t feel real. I asked my RA for help. We ate in the dining hall, one

BY JOSEPHINE STRANO Comic Corner

of the only times that week where I faced someone without a mask or screen between us. He was also figuring out how to plan an event that worked within capacity limits, and I walked away with a COVID-compliant plan to meet my neighbors. I messaged my floor’s GroupMe, inviting them to watch The Princess Bride projected outside our building on Friday night. Around 20 freshmen joined me, and immediately I felt the transformation of social connection. It didn’t matter if we became the closest of friends or drifted apart without having overlapping classes, the point was to meet people. My neighbor across the hall offered a hand bringing my computer and projector setup back upstairs. We had breakfast the next morning, remained friends for the year, and now we’re going into our second year of being roommates.

Even in a small school like ours, even with barriers to interaction during lockdown, there are opportunities to constantly meet new people from different backgrounds and circumstances. ResEd, Student Affairs, and The Office of Student Culture and Belonging all exist to work for you, the only way they can help is if you let them know you’re not happy. They already have events planned,

Isabella Ziv ‘25 Editor-in-Chief

and it’s on you to help yourself and attend them. I used to feel out of place to show up to a meeting without knowing anyone, but think like the coordinator of the event. More attendees indicate a more successful event; do not discount the worth of coming to listen. If I’m desperate for connection, there’s an urge to control the conversation, because I want everyone to meet me so they’ll be friends with me. I’ve learned to listen before contributing and to find where my contribution is valuable. Consider whether this group is a good fit for you, trying to force it with people you don’t have much in common with is a fruitless and frustrating effort.

One of the most unique and useful aspects of Stevens and the general college experience istransplanting yourself to a place where others are looking for like-minded people. It is your responsibility to go and find them. It’s unlikely that you find a lifelong group the first week, even the first semester, or possibly the first year. You don’t have to commit to the people you meet during freshman year, even temporary friendships are still meaningful. Adjusting to a college setting might not feel any easier than it was for me, but it’s still up to you how to best use your freedom here.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Secret History, by Donna

Tartt: the destruction of morale

scend.

UNMASKING: AN AUTISM STORY Defining autism

BY VICTORIA YASHCHUK ‘26

The world is like a great abyss, filled with endless opportunities and emotions; because we live in such a precarious, disquieted globe, the disquiet we are surrounded by fails to hush the tumult in our minds and hearts.

Love and obsession are argued to be two different catalysts and motives. But are they really, when both drive a person to do anything, absolutely anything, to live the reality that once only lived in a dream? An interesting question regarding reality is, do people make their reality or live in their heads, hoping it is the truth?

Obsession and reality are questioned in Donna Tartt’s novel, The Secret History

The novel is told through the eyes of Richard Papen, a curious college student who joins a peculiar group of college students: Camilla, Charles, Francis, Edmund, and Henry. This clash of characters forms when Richard joins a Greek class taught by Julian Morrow, a mysterious and authoritative professor; Julian subconsciously influences his students to question the world they live in, replacing modern ideologies with that of the Ancient Greeks.

Exploiting the passion his students have for the life and philosophy of the Ancient Greeks, Julian encourages his students to live by such philosophy — to escape the burden of monotony and live in the intoxication of chaos and adrenaline — causing the group to develop a particular obsession with the Dionysiac frenzy rituals. With the help of various intoxicants, these rituals allow devoted individuals to tran-

Richard’s fascination with his newfound friends and professor causes him to fall under the influence of their questionable morals. At the start of their friendship, everyone, excluding Henry was adamant about enlightening Richard on the rituals. This caused Richard to be (at times) left out of the group without any reason as to why he was being left out, occasionally finding a bed sheet covered in dirt or a leaf concoction in a boiling pot. Taking the initiative, Henry reveals the group’s “practices,” introducing the idea of chaos and mania to Richard.

Henry, being the unspoken leader of the group, hosts these rituals in the desperate hope that his life has more meaning and purpose than what the mundaneness of reality can give him. The group’s shared passion for losing control of themselves is the core that keeps them so close together. While the need to lose themselves keeps them together, it becomes the reason for their tragic fallout. Edmund, notoriously known as Bunny, begins separating, even fearing, his friends after truly understanding the intensity of the

rituals. The twist of the plot puts a great twist on the group — it makes its grand entrance when Henry tells Richard how he murdered an innocent farmer while he was in a state of high during the ritual. The news of the murder spreads — no one knowing Henry was the murderer — striking the group with intense paranoia. Bunny knows Henry is the killer and begins blackmailing him and the rest of the group. Reaching the peak of their paranoia, Henry, Charles, Camilla, Francis, and Richard develop a plan to kill Bunny; this plan, though immoral and divides the group even more, is successful. Vermont blows up at the news of Bunny’s death, believing Bunny drunkenly fell off a cliff; with the presence of the FBI, the rest of the group is put under immense pressure. Each character fights each other as well as themselves, leading to a tragic separation and with Bunny in the grave.

The intoxication of chaos, though once beautiful, showed its terrorizing realness. Professor Julian Morrow was correct in teaching his students that beauty is terror, for we bow down to what we perceive is glorious.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26

Autism: a single word that can represent an endless amount of possibilities. It is a spectrum that represents a wide range of individuals, all with unique traits. However, autism is so vast that it is often difficult to define what autism is. From different naming conventions and diagnosis techniques to it not being known for sure what the physical manifestation of autism is, a shroud of mystery often masks autism.

Before unraveling what autism is, one needs to have a definition of autism. However, as mentioned above, this can be difficult sometimes. The National Institute of Mental Health defines it as a “neurological and developmental disorder” that impacts social skills, behavior, and intelligence. However, that is their particular definition of autism spectrum disorder. Traditionally, autism could have many different names — often including instances of misdiagnosing.

The first whispers of what would become autism arose in the early 1900s as a diagnosis of individuals

OFF THE PRESS

unable to communicate or share their “inner life,” according to Eugen Bleuler in 1911, who was trying to create a more fitting diagnosis for individuals typically diagnosed as schizophrenic. For the next few decades, this was the standard definition of autism: a children’s disorder that caused hallucinations, vivid imaginations, and the inability to grow into a “normal” member of society.

In 1944, another scientist, Hans Asperger, published autism research focusing on children’s social skills and communicative development. Then, in the 1960s into the 1980s, during a global movement of reorganizing mental health away from institutionalizations into therapy and education, autism changed to be defined as individuals who struggle with social communication and imagination — a complete reversal of the original definition. However, standard diagnoses did not include this new definition until 1994. At that point, individuals received a diagnosis of having autism or Aspergers — with Aspergers being a more specific diagnosis of autism that emphasizes the exchange of social skills for intellect.

However, in the 21st century, with significant changes in mental health awareness and anti-stigmatization, another reformation of autism occurred, splintering what was once a single definition into many. For one, the term “Asperg-

ers” was removed from the standard diagnosis list for multiple reasons, including it not being inclusive enough or too inclusive and controversy over Hans Asperger’s personal history, to name a few. Beyond Asperger, the term “high-functioning autism” was also used for a few years before being phased out because it was seen as derogatory to those diagnosed with autism but not as high-functioning, as well as those diagnosed as high-functioning who felt pressured by needing to always appear as “functioning.”

The solution to this fragmentation of the definition of autism was the creation of a new, all-encompassing diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD, introduced in 2014, allows for a general diagnosis and more individualized definitions (Aspergers/high-functioning autism would be on the top of the ASD spectrum). ASD has since been the standard diagnosis for individuals exhibiting the traditional traits of autism, Aspergers, or high-functioning autism: abnormal development of social and cognitive behaviors. However, there have been criticisms of ASD, so the definition of autism may change yet again.

Although autism’s definition may be closer to being solved, many mysteries can still be explored, from the diagnostic processes to historical figures with autism; there is always more autism to unmask.

Invasion of the intellects

BY OFF CENTER GIRL* TALK

Realizing that you fulfill a stereotype

perceived as being mean when I was in charge. I never thought that it would come from the inside-out.

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

I hate to admit it, but I used to think I was different from other women. Not that I was better or cooler, I just thought I didn’t have “the girl thing.” “The Girl Thing,” admittedly, could be a lot of things, but what I’m specifically talking about is the way that girls sometimes feel in positions of leadership. Even the most confident, prepared woman can be reduced to thoughts of “oh god, I’m being so bossy right now” when they have to be even the least bit commanding. I think it’s deep rooted in society, the tired phrase “men in charge are bosses, but women in charge are b***ches.” I used to think that this bias would get to me from the outside-in, that I would be

I mean, I’m a feminist, you would think my exposure to powerful women and “girl power” growing up might have hammered the stereotype out of me by now. Recently though, I found that I was wrong. There’s no way around it, I have the “girl thing.”

This past summer, I worked as a director at an all-girls summer camp. It was my second year working at this camp. This new role put me in charge of a team of lifeguards, some of whom I had worked with in the past and some that I had never met before. I went into the role quite inexperienced (in management), but extremely prepared and overqualified as an aquatics manager. Pretty soon into starting the job, I realized that the job was more than I thought it was going to be.

I was responsible for managing all of the counselors, campers, and even staff members who were older and more experienced than me. At the start of the summer, I prepared for every-

thing that could go wrong. I made emergency action plans and learned about facility codes, but there was no way to get around how mean I felt when it came down to actually telling people what to do.

I wasn’t the only one struggling. All of my friends who had stepped up into leadership roles this summer experienced the same thing. Each of us could see that the others were doing great and their staff were doing great, but none of us had that confidence in ourselves.

Ultimately, I think it’s really good that I took on this role, and I think with time, my friends and I will be able to get over this thing. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to have these stereotypical female weaknesses. As much as we like to think that we’ve progressed past it, a lot of women (at least that I know) have dealt with this. So if you ever have felt or find yourself feeling “the girl thing,” just remember that it doesn’t mean you are a bad leader and it definitely doesn’t mean you should stop.

According to the local Hojoken news source, “Nohnoozesguhd News,’’ there have been recent reports about sightings of people with an actual freaking brain. Though it may seem silly, this is not something to laugh at and should be taken seriously. According to Hojoken local, Startrick Pat, as he went to drink some tea before going back to Do, he managed to bump into someone and have an intelligent conversation with him. Being given an experience to actually think seriously traumatized Startrick, and he had to be hit on the head with a hammer twenty million thousand times in order for it to get back to normal. The operation was expensive, costing exactly one cent.

Another Hojoken local, Eyedoan Tavanaim, was unfortunately not so lucky. When she was on her way to McDonalds to have an extremely healthy lunch, she met another intellect at the table she was sitting on, and they managed to have a lengthy conversation about the ultimate meaning of life. This experience completely changed the course of how Eyedoan lived - she started going to a local university and graduated with honors, now owning a multi-million

dollar company. Her family is devastated by their loss.

The Center for Intelligence Control (CIC), explains that having a brain is bad because it forces you to think. It makes you realize the steps you need to take to improve your life and make discoveries that could potentially change the world for the better. It could cause you to realize the mistakes you made in your life and make you seek to avoid them in order to actually grow as a person. And this is a bad thing because [...] because [...] well, they do not have a reason because to come up with a reason requires thinking, which could further increase the growth of intelligent thinking.

Recent reports have stated that intellects have started increasing at alarming rates of once in every ten thousand years. Normal, everyday people are slowly becoming terrified at the possibility of becoming people that actually know what they’re doing. People are starting to unlock their doors and removing their home security systems to prevent intellects from coming into their houses. The growing amount of intellects have resulted in people creating sane conspiracy theories about what is actually happening, and everyone is acting in a completely calm and

rational manner. The CIC, after doing minutes of research on Wikipedia, is providing some basic tips on how to protect yourself from the growing epidemic of intellects.

One of the important rules that the CIC recommends is to never ask questions. By preventing the spread of questions, you are preventing the spread of knowledge that could slowly improve your mind and succumb to the rising rates of intellectuals. In addition, never open a textbook and laze around in your room all day. The experts at the CIC have seen that routinely lazing in your room all day will help affect the euro dopamine levels in your brain and decrease the activity of the brain muscle. In addition, avoid going to any sort of learning facility, as increased exposure to textbooks and intelligent people would result in something extremely terrible. In the event you choose to choose to attend a learning facility, be sure to avoid the Stevens Institute of Technology as experts have found out it is indeed a place where you can learn a lot.

Though the rising growth of smart people may be startling, following these simple steps will ensure that you can live a life free of any sort Astop the rising growth of intellects.

FOR

MATH’S

SAKE Mathematics’ social dilemma

gorithms that go into these apps seek to keep you scrolling, refreshing, or otherwise exploring posts rather than putting down your device or looking at another app.

BY CHARLES BEALL B.S. ‘23 & PHD STUDENT

I recently watched The Social Dilemma, a documentary that dissects the darker aspects of social media platforms and similar tech mega-services like Google and YouTube. There’s loads to be written about this film, but I want to focus on how the al-

LIFESTYLE HACKS

The film explains how social media companies do this so that you can also look at ads regularly placed between recommended content – it is the advertisers, not the users, who are paying these companies after all. But there are horrifying statistics on the effects of these algorithms.

Rates of teen and youngadult depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide have increased considerably since social media apps were introduced on mobile phones. Authoritarian regimes have used social media to dictate

what content the users of their country see, as well as content foreign users see, to sow division or even try to determine election outcomes abroad. Conspiracy theories have gone viral, often leading to violent outbursts by their believers, as algorithms found out that such content makes people use the social media apps more.

Math is behind all these algorithms. Computers, supercomputers, AI, would all not be possible without the laws of mathematics, and it is for this reason that I think mathematicians should take films like The Social Dilemma very seriously. Mathematicians are a notoriously poorly-understood bunch — we conjecture and prove

Starting off the school year right

my final year, excitement to see friends again, and eagerness to learn new things, I wanted to take a step back and really be able to record my final year and share with others all of my tips and tricks I’ve found along the way for being successful as a student at Stevens.

BY ZOE HACK ‘24

As I am now entering my fourth and final year at Stevens, I am filled with so many different emotions.

Through my panicking for

If you’re a first time reader, hi! I’m Zoe. I am a 4/4 Pure and Applied Mathematics major with minors in Computer Science and Economics. Outside of The Stute, I am involved in Ste -

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Beatriz Milhazes

BY ITAI GELLER ‘26

In this issue of the Artist Spotlight, I’ll cover the popular Brazilian modern artist Beatriz Milhazes. Milhazes typically paints collages, which can be best described as ensembles of unique forms, symbols, and ideas organized to represent an overarching concept or feeling. Admittedly, collages can be a very intimidating medium. It is not uncommon to be overwhelmed when presented with them, as they are typically a simple selection of shapes which are slapped onto a canvas in some impatiently rendered attempt at “art.” As you can probably tell, modern art is not my fa-

vorite genre. However, Milhazes takes a unique approach to collage rendering which I find inspirational. Milhazes was born in Rio de Janeiro, a Brazilian city that boasts a prominent classical and contemporary art scene. Rio de Janeiro is also well known for its incredible street art culture, empowered by the legalization of graffiti in 2009. In her work, Milhazes typically juxtaposes Brazilian cultural themes and the western modernist movement. Modernism is an artistic movement which disregards traditional artistic values, all while encouraging abstraction, experimentation, and artistic evolution. Unfortunately, the cliché nature of today’s modern art typically detracts from its revolutionary ideology. Think of the sheer amount of Andy Warhol clones that exist with the sole intention of selling to the masses. Thankfully, Milhazes takes an enjoyable and innovative approach to modern art which doesn’t simply seek to appeal to the average consum-

THAT’S A RED FLAG! It’s Not Kenough

representation of girlhood, but the male in your life either hated the movie, or completely missed the message. Best case scenario, they just want the “I’m Kenough” sweatshirt, and are oblivious to the call for feminism.

BY ANNA DABROWSKI ‘26

So, you recently attended the Barbie movie, and let’s just say you “dragged” along your boyfriend, father, brother, or any male you know. You left the movie sobbing over the emotional

vens Choir, am a Peer Leader, a member of Greek Life, and too much more. I started writing this column in Fall 2021 as a way to share my tips and tricks about college living and academics (All tips and tricks have been found by first going through multiple rounds of failure). I hope you’ll have a fun time reading and laughing along with me about my trials and tribulations and all of the things I’ve since learned throughout my journey at Stevens.

The beginning of the

theorems about abstract concepts, and often struggle to either argue for their relevance or warn other users (scientists, engineers, financial analysts, tech companies) of their power.

Even though it is a struggle, it’s one that I believe all mathematicians should engage in daily. In a world more driven by data than ever before in human history, to strive for an understanding of the numbers, equations, and dynamics at play is vital for our survival. Mathematicians, and the mathematically minded, should do as much as possible to assert their perspectives on the future of their field and how it should be used in other fields.

There have been some

positive steps in this direction. A few big AI companies and developers have agreed to pause advancements on this technology and more deeply research the inner-workings of large-language models – they will need a deep understanding of mathematics to do this. And throughout modern history, scientific labs have hired many mathematicians to lead theoretical departments when studying new and powerful technology – many of us saw this in another recent film, Oppenheimer But climate change and destabilizing forces on democratic nations (to name a few existential threats) require mathematicians to take more drastic measures than ever.

More mathematicians should be involved in efforts to protect democracy and present effective strategies for combating social problems. We should also, in tandem, enhance our knowledge of ethics and increase participation in mathematics by historically underrepresented groups (both of which are still lacking in almost every mathematics Ph.D. program). In short, my Tweet (or X-post?) is that mathematicians should seek to become more involved in the social arena, providing our knowledge in thoughtful, inclusive, and humanist ways. This dilemma should be on our minds as much as the next steps in our proofs.

Fall semester is always full of equal amounts of fear and excitement (or at least it is for me). There are always many opportunities to meet new people and make connections both in classes or by trying out a new club or activity. Especially if it seems scary for you, I implore you to try to put yourself out there this year and expand your network. One of the pieces of advice that my Peer Leader told me which I pass on at any opportunity that I have is to put your name

down on email lists for any of the clubs at Stevens that you even have the slightest bit of interest in. This is the easiest way to get to know like-minded people and as the semester goes on, you can narrow down what you are truly passionate about.

While making connections and having fun is a large part of your experience of Stevens, it is also important to prepare yourself for a year of rigorous academics as well. Some easy ways to do this is to make connections

with other students in your class so you can form a study group and support each other throughout the semester (plus you make some more friends—bonus!). Getting to go over the material with others will benefit both yours and their understanding of the content. And if you need extra support, make sure to take advantage of campus resources such as office hours and tutoring! When you focus on your goals, you can promote academic success for the semester.

er. Although her work retains the presence of the recognizable vibrant colors and odd shapes associated with modern art, the Brazilian cultural influence in her works generates a refreshing flavor. When analyzing her work, I was able to identify certain cultural imagery, such as Brazilian food wrappers and symbols derived from Mardi Gras costumes. This imagery shines through and dulls out the simplistic nature of conventional modern art symbolism.

One of my favorite pieces by Milhazes is Modinha, which is a Portuguese term that roughly translates to “fashion.” Unlike in Milhazes’s The Kiss or Aubergine III (Green)— pieces which incorporate food wrappers to create decorative backgrounds — Modinha feels a lot less crowded with its plain offwhite background. An ensemble of circles occupy most of the painting, abstractly overlapping one another. Growing out of the circles are clusters of flowers, an element which can best be attributed to the green-

house near Milhazes’s studio in Rio de Janeiro. Most of the flowers are painted in a dark brown or blue, contrasting well with the brightness of the circles. In addition to the floral elements, smaller clusters are formed out of miniature circles. This seems to be an ode to the elaborate Brazilian carnival clothing worn by festival dancers, which is typically adorned with beads.

Although understanding

Milhazes’s collage was a challenge, I think that a valuable lesson can be learned from my experience analyzing this piece. Reviewing artworks featured on Artist Spotlight has always been difficult for me because I meticulously research every detail of a piece. When I first saw Milhazes’s Modinha, my first thought wasn’t, “Oh this means this [...] and that means that….” My first thought was, “Oh this is

cool and unique, end of story.”

Yes, an artist’s message is important, but especially when it’s hard to understand, don’t let that detract from your experience as an observer. Art is meant for an audience, and it won’t generate the same feeling for everyone. Your feelings and emotions towards an artwork are important too! Embracing them will help you create your own unique observation.

Why do men hate a movie about dolls with such a passion? Many cite the wrongful treatment of the Kens in the movie, claiming the whole movie paints men as objects. Wow, that has never happened to women in media ever *cough cough Margot Robbie in the Wolf of Wall Street.* Unfortunately, it is my job to in-

form you that anyone who hates the Barbie movie for the “mistreatment of men” or the “feminist agenda” is exhibiting a red flag

Now that we have diagnosed this person in your life, whoever they may be, what is the course of treatment? For starters, do they actually understand the plot of the movie? For many, nuances are overlooked. Yes, at the end of the movie the Kens do not achieve full equality, this is a call to the fact that women still have not achieved full equality. The first female Supreme Court Justice was nominated in 1981.

The message is not that men should be stripped of equality, the movie rather illustrates the centuries it has taken women to progress to where they are. Hopefully after having a candid discussion about the movie, this person’s viewpoints will progress. I call this Ken education, or Kenucation.

I’ve also heard men state that Barbie’s experiences in the real world are exaggerated, such as the immediate sexual assault she experiences. Anyone who has this stance, first of all needs to understand that movies have a limited time to con-

vey plot points, and second of all needs to shut up. One in four women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime, not including verbal harassment, and this metric is widely accepted and has been peer reviewed dozens of times.

If this person in your life denies this metric, you may have encountered a terminal red flag. I’m sorry but my only advice is to cut them out of your life. Bye bye, fact denier Ken.

Lastly, we need to discuss the light red flag. Yep, the Ken idolizer, or “I’m just Ken” singer, or the “I’m Kenough” sweatshirt wear -

er. Don’t worry, I do all of these things too, so not all people who fit into these definitions are a light red flag. Generally, this person is not that much of a red flag, but I have discovered that many aspiring Kens, although they love the movie, also missed the point of it. Some of these Kens think that the movie was about how men are enough (kenough), or they simply do not acknowledge the feminist plot of the movie. This flag is more pink, probably curable, you may just need to spell out the plot of the movie for them.

MODINHA BY BEATRIZ MILHAZES, CIRCA 2007

Laddergram

Campus Pulse

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li and Mia Petrolino

“What are you most excited for this semester?”

Crossword Hidden Links Only Connect

ACROSS DOWN

“nouns”. “places”, etc. What do the following have in common?

Very Hard Puzzle: 0.83 difficulty

Medium Puzzle: 0.48 difficulty

Arjun Koshal ‘24 “Graduating?”

James Kirk ‘25 “Schaefer cable machine.”

Dustin Conway ‘26 “Stomping lantern flies.”

Connor Magee ‘27 “4.0 or bust (my dad’s gonna beat me up if I don’t)”

Madeline Cheevers ‘26 “Being on campus and not being lost all the time.”

Nicole Assante ‘26 “Taking my first major-related course.”

Quinn Marotta ‘25 “Going to Vito’s weekly.”

Lauren Ingraham ‘24 “This is my last year (also kinda sad)”