[The Stute] September 22, 2023 (Issue 3, Volume CXXI)

Happy birthday Claire!

Reminder to register to vote!

We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXI No. 3

HOBOKEN, NJ | SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Stevens police warn about recent scams

SEE SCAM PAGE 2

KAYDEN CANNILLA, OUTREACH CHAIR

CHLOE BRENNA FOR THE STUTE

New COVID-19 booster approved by FDA

BY MEGHANA MAMADAPUR, CONTRIBUTOR The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved another round of the COVID-19 Booster on September 11. This booster is manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer-BioNTech Inc. The vaccine is expected to specifically combat the Omicron variant that is currently circulating. The FDA also speculates that COVID-19 vaccines may have to be updated yearly, similar to the influenza vaccine.

Disaster strikes: NYC water main rupture

BY UMANG CHULANI, CONTRIBUTOR New York City houses one of the nation’s oldest water distribution systems, originally established in the mid-1800s. On August 29, the 120-year-old water main in Manhattan ruptured, resulting in a drastic flood of approximately 2 million gallons of water between 43rd and 44th Streets along 7th Avenue. This incident unleashed a massive deluge in the heart of Midtown, inundating Times Square’s subway system. The burst occurred early Tuesday morning under 40th Street, turning the morning commute into a hazardous journey for nearly 300,000 New Yorkers.

Subway trains 1, 2, and 3 were experiencing major delays in transition due to the major flooding. Water was shown on ABC News to be leaking through the stairwell exits and the subway grates that are located on the streets throughout the city. The flood that occurred in Times Square, just outside the Port Authority and at the heart of the city, swamped the streets with a mixture of refuse and garbage, while also submerging the subway tracks underneath. This resulted in platforms drenched with water NEWS (2-3)

Accountability and amends for Commencement 2023 An interview with former Editor-in-Chief Sanjana Madhu discusses the unfortunate mishaps of graduation.

FEATURE (4)

Read all you need to know about Stevens dining at the UCC and meet our campus dietition.

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Accountability and amends for Commencement 2023

ARTHUR SERRA, CONTRIBUTOR Stevens students received an email from the Stevens Police Department on September 5 warning students about a host of internet and phone scams. The email lists issues that the police department is particularly concerned about such as Venmo schemes, fake job offers, and sextortion, among many others. Included with each of these scams is a description of what the scheme may be, and links to online resources to review if a student feels they may have encountered one of these frauds. Students were also recommended to visit campus police if they felt that they were a target of a scam — Stevens Police Headquarters can be found in the Kiddie building.

This comes amid a general increase in both internet and in person scams on a national level. Close to home, Hoboken Police has been warning the Stevens community of a greater number of scams for the past several months. In December, Hoboken Police were investigating Venmo donation scams.

This popular scam occurs when bad actors asking for donations to charitable orga-

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and transformed the tracks into flowing streams.

Richard Davey, the President of NYC Transit, addressed the issue publicly, highlighting that the subway system was the main victim of the water break’s impact, owing to its proximity to NYC’s water distribution network. To swiftly address the problem, both the Transit Department and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) collaborated to pinpoint the underground leak sources and halt any further pipe leakage.

In the wake of the incident, several adjacent streets and avenues were temporarily closed off to facilitate the removal of flood debris and expedite the repair of the water main break. These thorough repairs allowed for their reopening by midday, restoring regular transportation routes. Nevertheless, the flood’s repercussions extended beyond the streets of Midtown, necessitating more intricate subway repairs during off-peak hours, ensuring that the Tuesday evening commute back home for NYC residents remained unaffected.

Beneath the surface of New York City lies not only a 19th-century water distribu-

SEE MAIN PAGE 2 SCIENCE (6)

Quantum gravity?

Maze-navigating robot?

Pollution in the Antarctic?

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

PULSE (10)

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

The new Covid boosters are approved for individuals 12 years of age and older but can be used in emergency situations for children between the ages of six months and 11 years of age.

Although younger individuals are less likely to have serious effects of COVID-19, this vaccine helps reduce the risk of severe illness.

With Covid cases slowly increasing, the hope is for the new round of vaccines to prevent mass hospitalization. Last year’s Covid vaccine was only administered in 20% of the adults in the United States. However,

deaths due to Covid have reduced due to high vaccine rates in older Americans.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also voted to authorize the new round of vaccines. Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research stated, “The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.”

The FDA is actively urg-

SEE FDA PAGE 2

The Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2023 was a disappointment and gave a terrible image of the university as a whole. As a small but growing university, it’s important to maintain good name recognition and relationships with alumni, and this event was embarrassing on both of those fronts. The failure became statewide news and was noted in national university news sources like The Chronicle of Higher Education, an immeasurable reputation cost. On July 19th, 2023, a task force appointed by President Nariman Farvardin released a 17-page report detailing their findings on the failure of Commencement 2023. The Stute also spoke with former Editor-In-Chief Sanjana Madhu, Class of 2023, about her experience at Commencement.

Madhu calls Commencement 2023 “disappointing,” and “a moment that all graduates, friends, and families had been looking forward to for years… tainted by poor planning and lack of sufficient communication.” The first red flags arose when the venue change was announced in late Spring 2023.

The location first desired was Metlife Stadium, then the Prudential Center, but nei-

ther could be secured. When the Prudential Center called on Stevens to enact its contingency plan, the ceremony was decided to be split up across the Prudential Center, Newark Symphony Hall, and New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The ceremonies were scheduled back-to-back at different locations, with no alternate plan should the proceeding run long.

The Prudential Center main event ran 50 minutes over schedule, causing attendees to leave during the ceremony because no communication was sent out about how the schedule would be adjusted.

The delays for the event as a whole caused some graduates to abandon the ceremony and move on with their dinner reservations, flights, or other plans, deciding that Commencement 2023 was not worthwhile. Perhaps the largest failure occurred at Newark Symphony Hall, where the SES/SSE Undergraduate Naming Ceremony was scheduled for 1 p.m. but did not start until 2:30 p.m., which then caused delays in the Graduate Naming Ceremony scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the same location. Because of the lack of event-wide communication, graduates and their families arrived at NSH, thinking the event was going to start as

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Annual study abroad fair returns to campus

BY BEN ULLRICH, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER On September 13, the Office of International Programs held its annual Study Abroad Fair in the Babbio Center, featuring the various organizations and institutions Stevens works with, as well as Ducks who have recently returned from all corners of the world. This year’s fair comes at an exciting time, as

the Office of International Programs recently launched its shiny new website, making international programs more accessible than ever for adventurous students. Using the new portal, students will find it much easier to discover, research, and apply for programs in over 100 countries across six continents. If the new portal didn’t make it easy enough to discover the right program, the Office of International Programs also hosts

information sessions every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to help students find their very own destination.

In the past academic year, 140 Stevens students studied abroad across five continents.

Thanks to the new study abroad site, keeping track of these students is easier than ever for Susi Rachouh, the director of the Office of International Programs, who says it also allows for students to find their own information about

programs much more easily and intuitively. Ms. Rachouh also hopes curious students seek out their peers who have already studied abroad, especially Global Ambassadors, who are students who have studied abroad in the past and now volunteer to encourage and inform other students about international programs.

There is also a questionnaire feature within the new por-

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SAMUEL C. WILLIAMS LIBRARY UPDATES Stevens library New York Times access website updated to for Stevens community

BY SEAN ANDERSON, click sign up, and you are improve user experience ready to get started. AfterCONTRIBUTOR

If you enjoy reading the Stute, get ready to read the New York Times! Starting this semester, members of the Stevens community, including faculty, staff, and students, will be able to digitally access nytimes.com for free through the Samuel C. Williams Library.

In order to gain access, go to library.stevens.edu/ nytdigital and click the link to travel to the registration page. Upon clicking Create an Account, you will need to plug in your Stevens email, status, and graduation year (if applicable). Then simply

ward, you can access your subscription anytime by going to the New York Times website or through the New York Times mobile app. Access for students will last until their graduation year while access for staff and faculty members will last for 4 years.

Once done, subscribers will be able to access current domestic and international news in addition to newspapers dating back to 1851. Videos, podcasts, and interactive media will also be available with this sub-

SEE NYT PAGE 2

BY SHANE MITCHELL, CONTRIBUTOR College websites are often thought to be convoluted, poorly designed, and challenging to navigate. Following a recent overhaul of the Samuel C. Williams Library website, the library hopes that this claim will not hold true here at Stevens. The website was redesigned with ease of use in mind, and it now seamlessly integrates the many platforms a student may come across while interacting with library services.

Romel Espinel, a Web Services and Teaching Librarian

at the library, was chiefly responsible for improving the user experience and managing the website redesign. He explained that multiple platforms are used to handle various aspects of the library’s services, including creating room reservations, providing research assistance, accessing the archives, and more.

These functionalities were kept in mind as the website was updated, and Espinel now believes the website adequately “provides [students] with many options for finding the research information

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Friday, September 22

News Masthead Volume CXX No. 3 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

Editorial Board

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

Operations Board HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25 ARCHIVES LIAISON.......................KEVIN CASTNER JR. ‘24

Staff & Contributors Arthur Serra Meghana Mamadapur Ben Ullrich Shane Mitchell Sean Anderson Umang Chulani Advait Dantuluri Liz Sepulveda Itai Geller Riyana Phadke Daniel Hogan

Tianna Spitz Ruthie Mullisky Abby Jacobs Victoria Yashcuk Zoe Hack Charles Beall Anna Dabrowski Josie Strano Stephen Pachucki Chloe Brenna Justin Lema

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Corrections The Women’s Volleyball article from 9/15 was written by Abby Jacobs

Disclaimer

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

Policy on Letters to the Editor

All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a Letter to the Editor to be published in The Stute. Letters must refer either to a piece published in The Stute or to The Stute in general and must be between 400 – 800 words in length. Submit letters to editor@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form. For writers who wish to write a Letter to the Editor anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.

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

Policy on Op-Eds

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

The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise.

Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

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SCAM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 nizations say they only accept donations via Venmo or Zelle. Upon agreeing to donate, these individuals will ask you if they can take your phone to type in the banking info for their charity organization. However, once your phone is in their hands they send as much money as possible to a personal bank account.

Concern over this issue culminated in the postage of a sign near Hoboken Station warning pedestrians not to give anyone their phone and beware of Venmo scams.

More recently, the police similarly warned residents about tres-

FDA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing individuals to get the vaccination as it may provide protection against other subvariants as well.

This year marks the first time Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccinations are approved alongside influenza vaccinations and

GRAD

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 scheduled, only to be escorted out as the venue reached capacity.

Capacity was a major issue for several reasons. First, up to 20 guests per graduate were allowed at the main Commencement ceremony at the Prudential Center, but only four guests were permitted at Newark Symphony Hall. Then, when the ticket scanning system malfunctioned, it could not be verified that those entering were registered to attend this ceremony, which became a major problem as graduate students and their guests arrived for the Graduate Naming Ceremony. At one point, graduates were escorted out to wait in the parking lot, with no cover from the sun, with the intent that they would process in as their names were called.

This backfired as the speaker gave speeches intended for graduates to their guests, leading to booing and chants for the graduates to be present. The report also found that volunteers checking tickets had no communication with event coordi-

MAIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tion system but also essential electrical and steam energy infrastructure. These systems play a crucial

STUDY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tal that Ms. Rachouh recommends; While all students must meet with the Office of International Programs before studying abroad, the questionnaire allows students to get a head start and quickly find their favorite programs all on their own.

Also on offer at this year’s study abroad fair is a variety of winter break—or “J term”—programs. For students who find semester programs daunting or who already have summer plans, J term programs are

NYT

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tinyurl.com/stutesubmit

they need.” Additionally, Espinel wanted to call attention to the enhanced search bar that was added to the website, which he believes is the most useful aspect of the new site. The search bar “gives students the option to specify their searches by keyword, author, subject, or title,” and it contains information on “everything the library has in both print and digital [format].” For re-

passing scams and utility worker deceptions. These scams are where thieves pose as utility workers— plumbers, electricians, etc.—in order to have residents let them into their homes. Upon the door unlocking these thieves may attack the resident and go on to steal valuables from the home. These scams are less of a concern for on-campus students but should be something off-campus students keep in mind in the future.

On a larger scale, over the past several years online “phishing” scams have become far more common, and have become substantially more sophisticated. Last year, over 6 months starting in May to October a study conducted by SlashNext, a security provider for

messaging, found a 61% increase in Phishing attacks compared to the year before, and although no studies have yet been published for 2023, there is very little doubt that a similar increase has occurred this year. These attacks have become more sophisticated — scammers will often have access to both your email and phone number and will coordinate voice mails, text messages, and emails to lend credence to their hoax.

The general message from authority figures is clear: Students should be as careful as possible on the internet, trust no one they don’t know personally, and if they need help should not be afraid to reach out to the Stevens Police or other resources.

Covid booster vaccinations. Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, urges those over the age of 60 to consider taking RSV shots. The CDC advises for individuals to get influenza shots in September or October for peak effectiveness. Taking these other vaccines alongside the booster helps protect against multiple illnesses and severe side effects.

While Covid remains unpredictable, many institutions such as the Duke Human Vaccine Institute continue to develop a pan-coronavirus vaccine which can combat multiple variants at once, eliminating the need for frequent vaccinations. While such technology may appear in the future, this vaccine is currently proven to combat circulating variants.

nators during the event and had no knowledge of the overall proceedings of the event. Volunteers were given inadequate or no information on how to crowd control or ensure that only registered guests were admitted. The report describes that “There was not a main point of contact from University Events present at NSH. While there were University Events staff at the NSH ceremony, they were charged with specific aspects of the event and were not knowledgeable about the plans for the entire event.” Thus, volunteers were left to their own best judgment on how to deal with the crowds of people expecting to be let in.

University Events had previous event management issues, evidenced in the 2023 Career Fair, leading to the departure of the Executive Director of University Events, David Zimmerman, after Commencement 2023. The Task Force Report “found no evidence that financial resources from the University were lacking for a successful event,” but did mention that the team may not have been appropriately staffed. Planning was disconnected within the University Events team, and members report-

ed “not having full awareness of decisions and plans that were put in place.” The Task Force Report recommends the repair of relationships with the Class of 2023 and their families, suggesting a separate committee be formed with this objective. Indeed, the purpose of this report is not to make up for the experience of Commencement 2023 but to explain the organizational failings that caused it. Madhu considers the report helpful, though “the real proof will be seen in how Commencement 2024 unfolds.

Previous correspondence separate from the task report seems to imply that the administration hopes to make up for the disaster through planning for a strong Reunion 2024 for our class, which is a nice gesture.” In addition to the Reunion plans, graduates received a $260 refund and a complementary diploma case. Ultimately, Madhu is able to move on from the experience and comments, “While disappointed, the blunders during Commencement 2023 did not significantly change my views of Stevens, because my experience here was defined by my four undergraduate years, not graduation day.”

role in ensuring the stability of the city’s subway network, powering the maintenance of its lights, and regulating its heating and cooling systems. This is why you often see steam rising from subway grates and various pipes throughout the city.

Davey has been paramount in the efforts to take proactive measures aimed at preventing future disruptions of the NYC water main system. Millions of New Yorkers now look forward to more reliable daily commutes, hopeful for smoother journeys ahead.

still an amazing opportunity to experience another country and earn some extra course credits. As of now, over 30 students are set to study abroad between semesters this winter. J term programs are also eligible for the same Pinnacle and Clark scholar stipends as summer programs, allowing eligible students to truly maximize their winters.

Students in their first or second year of study are especially well-suited for international programs. Because high-level, major-specific courses are mostly only available at Stevens, students who still have the chance to satisfy their elective and humanities requirements have

much more freedom in their program choices. While each and every student has a unique experience when they study in another country, a common sentiment among the students at the Study Abroad fair was that no student who chooses to study abroad goes on to regret their decision.

Interested students should keep their eyes out for regular emails regarding events regarding international opportunities, or visit the Office of International Programs on the 9th floor of the Howe Center. Additionally, the new portal can be accessed through the myStevens site.

not be access to NY Times Games, the suite that includes the paper’s famous crossword puzzles as well as other games like “Spelling Bee,” which requires a separate subscription.

If you want to keep up to date with the events of the world, or if you are looking for some interesting stories to read, then, for no cost, this is the perfect opportunity.

sources that the Samuel C. Williams Library does not have direct access to, the search system is able to pull from the interlibrary loan system, which retrieves articles and books from other colleges and universities across the nation.

Alongside the new search features, the redesigned website also offers a live librarian chat, a study space reservation system, a journal and research guide finder, and much more. In addition, the library recently obtained access to New York Times subscriptions for all Stevens students, providing them

with increased access to national news while on campus. In his final remarks, Espinel acknowledged that the website redesign was a collaborative effort, as both the Stevens IT department and Springshare, an online services platform, provided support throughout the implementation of this initiative.

Thanks to these recent changes, the Samuel C. Williams Library website is expected to “fulfill [student needs]” and make the user experience such that the “community will come back for reliable, authoritative sources” time and time again.

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Friday, September 22

Hoboken News Renovated cobblestone street in New Jersey

BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER The city of Hoboken, as one of the fastest growing urban areas in New Jersey, is constantly on the move to keep up with the times by renewing dated infrastructure.

However, one relic of Hoboken from the past that still remains is Court Street, which runs parallel to Washington Street and remains one of the city’s few original cobblestone streets from over 125 years ago. Though it seems like a nice homage to Hoboken’s past, it is a hassle and obstacle for cyclists, pedestrians, and trucks as they navigate day to day life while traveling on this outdated road.

In an attempt to reintroduce safety and water flow through Court Street, the city of Hoboken proposes two plans to renovate the street while maintaining its original character. One redesign concept would introduce a concrete sidewalk for both parts of Court Street while reusing and redistributing the original stones to create a better cobblestone street that is more easy to navigate. The other redesign concept would have only concrete paving in front of doorways and garages, letting the street itself remain completely cobblestone. However, this plan would require more stones from the city to be added.

The general public had the opportunity to vote on the two potential options to renovate the street through an online survey.

Councilman Mike DeFusco, whose First Ward includes four blocks of Court Street, says “As someone who passionately advocated for its historic preservation, I couldn’t be prouder of our efforts. We’re blending the past and present, preserving Court Street’s rich history while enhancing the pedestrian experience.” The history of Court Street includes becoming a service alley in the 1830s and the 1850s, before being paved with stones to look similar to the other cobblestone streets in Hoboken around the 1900s. The historic street even appeared in the acclaimed 1954 movie On The Waterfront, starring The Godfather’s Marlon Brando. However, time has not been very kind to the street, as it has become more uneven and lacks a proper drainage system.

The change of the cobblestone Court Street showcases how Hoboken intends to honor its rich past while still creating a safer way for pedestrians and drivers to travel. Though something as small as the formation of a road may seem insignificant, it is still a reminder of an era that we should celebrate while also making it more accessible for people in the present and the future.

Hoboken’s Vision Zero initiative

BY ARTHUR SERRA, CONTRIBUTOR Cars are scary, they’re fast and heavy, and if they hit something, it’s likely someone’s going to get hurt. This is why we have countless laws guiding who can operate a motor vehicle, what drivers are allowed to do, and how fast drivers can go. However, this hasn’t stopped an ever-increasing number of traffic-related deaths and injuries every year in most of the world. However, Hoboken is one of those few places where the opposite has been the truth. Hoboken hasn’t had a traffic-related death in nearly five years — and has committed to having zero traffic-related injuries or deaths by 2030.

Vision Zero is a movement started in Sweden in the late 1990s with the goal in mind of creating and implementing effective strategies to reduce the number of people who are injured or killed due to traffic accidents. Vision Zero strategies and ideas are in place all over Europe and are starting to become more preva-

lent in North America and have contributed to walkability and reduced the number of injuries and deaths caused by street traffic. Hoboken joined the Vision Zero community in 2021, which involved creating an action plan that can be read on the Hoboken city website and setting the 2030 deadline.

Starting in 2019, Hoboken started several reforms to make our streets safer. In particular, students walking around the city will have noticed that cars can’t park near crosswalks. This strategy, called “daylighting,” involves replacing parking slots with infrastructure like bike racks, extra large sidewalks, and storm drains. If there is nothing to add then the parking slot is entirely removed; this maximizes visibility so that drivers and pedestrians can see each other.

Now the city is adding two new significant changes to daylighting and a host of other smaller modifications already enacted.

Firstly, Hoboken has expanded the city’s school zones to include all K-12 schools and has mandat-

ed a 15 m.p.h. speed limit—down from the city’s normal 20 m.p.h. limit—within these school zones.

Hoboken public safety director Ken Ferrante said of the change “Even a 5 m.p.h. difference will make it easier for drivers to be aware of their surroundings, and react and stop when necessary.”

Furthermore, the city council has voted to add five new stop intersections to improve the city’s traffic circulation. These new intersections add to eight others which were approved last spring.

Together these two changes mark how much Hoboken politicians are dedicated to Vision Zero.

In the five years before all of these reforms, there had been 376 injuries and three deaths caused by traffic. In the first year of reforms alone, there was a 27% decrease in the number of vehicle collisions, an 11% reduction in cars hitting bikes, and 35% fewer collisions between cars and pedestrians. Since then, the reforms have made Hoboken safer every year and have put the city right on track for the 2030 goal.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VZHOBOKEN.COM

For those of you observing Yom Kippur, Stevens Hillel wishes you a meaningful fast

PHOTO COURTESY OF @HOBOKENGOSSIP ON INSTAGRAM

Hoboken becomes a book sanctuary to protect books of all kinds

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR Whether cultural or geographical, Stevens is closely related to the City of Hoboken, which recently announced that the entire city will be a book sanctuary. The Stute sat down and spoke with Hoboken Public Library Director Jennie Pu, who organized the book sanctuary initiative, to learn more.

To start, Pu explained what exactly a book sanctuary is. She explained that a book sanctuary is an initiative started by the Chicago Public Library in the wake of a drastic increase in banned books nationwide in recent months. The sanctuary status states that any visitor of the Hoboken Public Library can “borrow and read” any book about any topic.

Pu also went over the process for Hoboken to become a book sanctuary. The first step, she explained, was to introduce the idea to the library board. They unanimously approved the initiative, which the library sent to the city council for approval. Once there, the board voted unanimously to name Hoboken as a book sanctuary, with one council member noting that while Hoboken is usually a “follower” of trends, ensuring access to all stories regardless of background is something Hoboken must be a leader in. The vote officially made Hoboken a book sanctuary, the first of its kind in New Jersey.

Aside from the story of how the book sanctuary was declared, Pu also gave insight into why the library saw this as an essential initiative for Hoboken. Pu recalled last June when the library offered

a “Banned Books Read-a-Thon” to raise awareness of book bans nationwide, primarily impacting works by or about marginalized communities. While the event went smoothly, the library, after the fact, received many mentions on social media, emails, letters, and phone calls from people across the country in protest of the event. Additionally, with banning books becoming more and more common, Pu and the library agreed Hoboken should support readers’ freedom and denounce book bans.

The hope is that Hoboken’s status as a book sanctuary will bring attention to the need to protect books against bans and perhaps compel other towns to do the same. Pu explained that the local communities strongly opposed the request, and towns even as close as Glenridge had requested to ban a book. Pu, wanting to emphasize the surge of book bans, referred to the American Library Association research, which showed that 2022 had the “highest number of attempted book bans” since records of bans began.

Hoboken’s initiative to declare the city a book sanctuary is crucial to protecting readers’ freedom and denouncing book bans. With the library board’s and city council’s support, Hoboken has become the first book sanctuary in New Jersey, setting an example for other towns to follow. Hoboken promotes inclusivity and diversity in literature by ensuring visitors can borrow and read any book about any topic. The city hopes this initiative brings attention to the need for book protection and inspires other communities to do the same.

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Friday, September 22

Feature

STEVENS DINING Do you see what I UCC?

BY LIZ SEPULVEDA, CONTRIBUTOR It’s a new year, a new you, and a new UCC. For those sick of Pierce already, UCC dining is back with a new selection of culinary concepts and operating hours for the Fall 2023 semester.

For the first time, students can try out the UCC Marketplace’s new concept, Fantastic Flats, which features sweet and savory open-faced bagel creations paired with loaded tater tots.

If you’re craving something more familiar, two of the UCC’s fan-favorite dining destinations—Piccola Italia and Grill Nation—are back this semester.

For a quick Italian experience, Piccola Italia returns with its menu of pizza, calzones, salads, sandwiches, and more. If you’re seeking something more customizable, you may be glad to hear that Grill Nation has you covered once again this semester with its signature burger menu.

Too much on your plate? Beware that the UCC’s Sono has been replaced.

Instead, you can curb your craving for Latin American-inspired cuisine with Tu Taco, Stevens’ new spot for Mexican food, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and salads.

Now to spice things up; one significant change to UCC dining this semester was the removal of the Halal Stall as a permanent station and its incorporation into the marketplace’s “Rotate Concept.” Be on the lookout for destinations such as Halal Stall, Smoked, Brodo Bowls, and Chopped, which will be rotating every three weeks.

Still hungry for dessert? Be on the lookout for the Cannon Cafe’s new hours. Starting this fall, the UCC Harries’ self-described “one-stop-shop” for late-night indulgences (including the Sweet Shoppe, Premium Coffee Shoppe, and Stevens Convenience Store) will no longer be open until midnight — its new hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Don’t worry though; the Cannon Cafe still features its signature selection of treats, including Lavazza coffee, breakfast items, paninis, donuts, ice cream, and other convenient snacks and essentials.

If reading this made you as hungry as I am writing this, check your Grubhub app to see which UCC destination may quell your hunger. The UCC’s new selection awaits you — as long as it’s not after midnight.

GRAPHICS COURTESY OF STEVENSDINING.COM

Introducing Jahaira Perez: Campus Dietitian Stevens Dining dedicates its Nutrition Services to “[broadening] the college community’s knowledge of health and nutrition, while expanding palates and improving food choices.” To do this, the Nutrition Services Division is led by a nationally accredited dietitian. This year, Stevens welcomed Jahaira Perez to the Stevens Dining family. Perez graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences.

Perez’s areas of expertise include “medical nutrition therapy, holistic nutrition, motivational interviewing, nutrition education for all age groups, food demonstrations, sports nutrition, and general fitness and wellness.” She is also dedicated to community service and dietetics due to her four years of experience working with families through the federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Her personal, academic, and professional experiences have fostered a passion for nutrition and “has led her to appreciate the power of food as medicine.

She enjoys activities like grocery shopping, meal prepping, and food demonstrations, which she shares on social media to inspire and educate others.”

As a Registered Dietitian (RD), Perez’s role is to assist students in meeting their dietary needs through programming and to ensure an environment with tools essential to a healthy diet. Students can contact Perez via email at dietitian@stevens.edu.

Examples

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDINING.COM

BY TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR

of what students can discuss with the dietitian include healthier options at Stevens dining locations, dietary restrictions or concerns, requests for healthier items, and any menu-related questions.

As Stevens Dining notes, “Individual product identifiers (PIDs) listing the item name, along with calories, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and sodium are paired with each menu item. These PIDs also make use of the menu icons to make students aware of how each option fits into their diet.” Still, all students are encouraged to contact Perez in order to review any needed accommodations and address any

individual needs or concerns.

Students can work one-on-one or in groups with the dietitian to “discuss food options in the dining hall, answer food and nutrition related-questions, and reach specific diet, wellness, and physical goals.” Additionally, counseling is available to discuss specific topics such as sports nutrition or weight management. Other tasks such as “goal setting, diet analysis, meal planning, body composition testing, dining hall tours, and product evaluation” are also performed by the RD to help students meet individual goals.

A more well-known role of a

Campus Dietitian is hosting nutrition events throughout the school year. These events are typically held in Pierce dining hall and allow students to learn and engage with new nutrition topics every week. In the past, events have included cooking demonstrations, Q&A sessions, informational displays, and of course, free samples for students to try. At each event, recipe cards are also available for students to recreate the featured food sample.

On September 6, Perez was at Pierce to give samples to students as they entered the dining hall. Perez introduced herself and showed off the melon skewers, which were

the sample of the week. These skewers included watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon which were covered in lime juice and tajin, a seasoning made of chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. Dining hall frequenters were given the opportunity to meet Perez and learn more about healthy options at Stevens.

So next time you are at Pierce, be on a lookout for Perez’s events and be sure to stop by. Whether you just want to try the sample at a food demonstration or gain a better understanding of healthy options at Stevens, do not hesitate to contact Perez and ask any questions!

5

Friday, September 22

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY SID ROCHLANI)

Sports

Men’s soccer starts a win streak

BY ABBY JACOBS, CONTRIBUTOR Stevens’ Men’s Soccer is officially on a three-win streak following their 3-0 victory over TCNJ last Saturday, September 16. The weekend before, the team secured victories over both Endicott College and Babson College.

The Ducks’ match against Endicott College was postponed from Friday, September 8, to the following day, Saturday, September 9, where the team clinched their first win of the season.

This game saw the Ducks with 17 shots, five being on target. In the end, graduate student Bruno Andino and junior Adam Berrocal

were the ones to score the winning goals for the team, with an assist from junior Luca Campbell and Andino respectively.

This was Andino’s second goal of the season and Berrocal’s first.

These two goals tripled their goal total for the season and at this point, were the most scored by the team in a game thus far into their season. Thanks to goalie graduate student Justin Cross who made two saves during the game, the team saw a final score of 2-1, marking the beginning of their win streak in 2023.

The team took their second win in two days on that Sunday, September 10, against Babson College, producing their first

shutout of the season with a final score of 1-0. Campbell scored in the first half, his first goal of the season, and the Ducks were able to maintain their lead throughout the game. The team totaled 11 shots, six on goal, primarily composed of Campbell, Berrocal, junior Emerico Vespucci, and sophomore Ben Goldberg. Cross again made two saves earning his 12th career shutout and second victory of the year.

The next week, on Saturday, September 16, Stevens met TCNJ. Prior to this game, the Ducks had won five of the last six games against TCNJ and this meeting saw the third victory in a row, finishing with a 3-0

shutout. In the first half, sophomore Brian Babovic, assisted by graduate student Jameson Railey, and junior Tomas Martini scored, both earning the first goals of their careers at Stevens.

Campbell scored the third and final goal in the second half.

Throughout the game, the team made 23 shots and had 11 shots on goal, and while TCNJ put up a fierce fight, Cross made two saves for the third game in a row and earned his 13th career shutout.

On Tuesday, September 19, the SGA sponsored the teams’ game against NYU at 7 p.m., including refreshments and t-shirt giveaways.

Women’s Tennis is off to a great start, racking up wins in both of their tournaments the past two weekends.

The team kicked off their season campaign starting with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Kickoff Tournament at the TCNJ Tennis Complex on Sunday, September 10.

While there, the team picked up three wins in doubles, with sophomore Anya Sharma and Isabella Dona contributing to two of three wins each. Juniors Emma Eqguia and Dona bested TCNJ’s Mandy Fleischmann and Cassi McDermott 7-6 in the first round. Dona and Sharma stepped forward with a win against Cassi McDermott and Megan Pongrac of TCNJ 8-4 in the second round.

Sharma and sophomore Fionna Flores earned the Ducks their final victory of the day, with a score of 8-2. Additionally, firstyears Julia Chiovitti, Alix Dry, Julianna Gomez and Lorena Piegas made their collegiate debuts during this tournament. Of the fifteen matches played during

Men’s and women’s cross country compete at Misericordia’s the tournament, seven were deCougar Classic cided by tiebreaker.

This past weekend from September 16 to 17, Women’s Tennis took on Haverford, Franklin & Marshall, and Swarthmore at the Swarthmore Invitational, picking up six wins. Against Haverford, senior Polina Odintseva and first year Gomez came through with notable singles wins. Against Franklin & Marshall, sophomore Stephanie Untermeyer picked up a singles and Gomez came through with her second singles win of the weekend.

Though Dry dropped a threeset match to Franklin & Marshall, she continued to show powerful play during the doubles matches. Untermeyer and Dry came together for a stunning doubles win against Franklin & Marshall (8-1), as did doubles team Odinsteva and Piegas (8-7).

The women’s team will continue their campaign at the three day ITA Atlantic South Region Championship on September 23, 2023, followed by a home match against Stockton University on September 30. Ducks, come out to support your Women’s Tennis team!

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER On September 16, the men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Misericordia University in Dallas, PA to compete at the Cougar Classic.

The men’s team finished second overall, with three runners finishing in the top five of the race, and the women’s team finished fifth overall.

Of the men’s team, graduate student Ronnie Melao was Stevens’ top finisher, and he placed second in the race of 112 runners with a time of 27:20.5.

Following closely behind Melao was senior Liam Concannon, finishing third in the race with a time of 27:23.0, and not far behind him was fourth-place finisher senior Jake Aylmer, who ran a time of 27:25.5. The men’s team totaled 36 points to finish second overall, just behind Messiah University in first with 27 points. Head coach John Kolibab remarked

FRI, SEPT 22 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL St. John Fisher University Geneva, NY 4 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS Haverford Invitational–Day 1 Haverford, PA Time TBA

SAT, SEPT 23 MEN’S TENNIS Haverford Invitational–Day 2 Haverford, PA Time TBA WOMEN’S TENNIS ITA Atlantic South Region Championship–Day 1 Fredericksburg, VA 8 a.m.

MEN’S GOLF The Melee–Round 1 Kutztown, PA Time TBA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SUNY Cortland Geneva, NY 11 a.m.

FIELD HOCKEY Eastern University Hoboken, NJ 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL William Smith College Geneva, NY 1:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis kicks off their season with TCNJ and SWAT Invitational

BY RIYANA PHADKE, CONTRIBUTOR

ON DECK IN SPORTS

MEN’S SOCCER University of Rochester Rochester, NY 7 p.m.

that “everyone competed and raced better than we could have imagined. We’re incredibly excited to see how the rest of the regular season goes.”

On the women’s team, senior Jacqueline Lulaj was Stevens’ top finisher, placing 16th out of 89 runners in a time of 26:54.1.

The second Stevens runner to finish was senior Fionna Feerick in a time of 27:19.3 to put her in 21st place. The team had 114 points, putting them in fifth place overall, placing them behind Messiah University, Arcadia University, York College, and Alvernia University. Head coach Kolibab added that “The unit is in great shape and I’m excited to see what they can do with a few more weeks of training under their belts.”

Building on this momentum, both the men’s and women’s teams will be traveling to Dickinson College on October 7 for the Dickinson Pre-National Meet.

SUN, SEPT 24 WOMEN’S TENNIS ITA Atlantic South Region Championship–Day 2 Fredericksburg, VA 8 a.m.

MEN’S TENNIS Haverford Invitational–Day 3 Haverford, PA Time TBA MEN’S GOLF The Melee–Round 2 Kutztown, PA Time TBA WOMEN’S SOCCER Montclair State University Montclair, NJ 7 p.m.

MON, SEPT 25 WOMEN’S TENNIS ITA Atlantic South Region Championship–Day 3 Fredericksburg, VA 8 a.m.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

TEAM

WED, SEP 13 FIELD HOCKEY SAT, SEP 16 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY FIELD HOCKEY WOMEN'S SOCCER WOMEN'S TENNIS MEN'S SOCCER SUN, SEP 17 WOMEN'S TENNIS TUE, SEP 19 MEN'S SOCCER

OPPONENT

ROWAN UNIVERSITY COUGAR CLASSIC MEET COUGAR CLASSIC MEET SWARTHMORE COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON SWAT INVITE–DAY 1 THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY SWAT INVITE–DAY 2 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

LOCATION

AWAY AWAY AWAY HOME HOME AWAY HOME AWAY HOME

SCORE

L (2-4) 2ND OF 11 5TH OF 11 L (0-1) T (1-1) COMPLETED W (3-0) COMPLETED T (1-1)

6

Friday, September 22

Science Falling atoms to atomic clockwork: Stevens Professor awarded NSF grant for quantum gravity research

BY TIANNA SPITZ, OPINION COLUMNIST The universe is humming and quantum physicist Igor Pikovski is leaning in close to listen.

Pikovski, a Stevens professor in the department of physics, received the $514,230 National Science Foundation’s (NSF) CAREER award given annually to leading researchers in the field.

With the award, Pikovski will design and develop new methods to examine the intersection between gravity and quantum mechanics, as Einstein’s theory of general relativity is applied to the rudimentary level of matter.

Pikovski’s work within quantum mechanics faces theory and the mathematical possibility of how matter and light on a subatomic level may behave. In dealing with quantum properties, such as light, that display an inherent discreteness down to the photon, physicists have observed

a bizarre behavior that does not abide by common grounds of classical physics. Pikovski says, “if you go to very small scales, trying to understand single atoms or single electrons, or you try to understand light, it turns out things are completely different than what we expected from normal laws of physics.”

The dilemma of quantum gravity exemplifies the strangeness that occurs when natural laws of physics interact with quantum properties in which Pikovski’s project proposes a modest goal. Driven by curiosity and exploration, Pikovski’s research is not in the business of solving the problem of quantum gravity, but aims to develop methods of finding experimental evidence that provides residual insight into the holistic understanding of quantum gravity and all of its possibilities. Pikovski compares the goals of the project to opening a Lego box without a

construction manual and seeing various pieces splayed out, and then being tasked with testing how each piece fits together. He begins to establish the building blocks by asking how “can we find little experiments, small experiments that give us a little bit of a hint of how quantum mechanics and gravity could meet,” says Pikovski.

The NSF grant diverges into different research directions relating to the detection and glimmers of quantum gravity. An example of experimentation includes Pikovsiki’s previous work in measuring the gravitational waves, ripples in space-time caused by cataclysmic events such as black holes merging, via finely tuned atomic clocks. To modern physicists, the behavior of quantum gravity is unknown and mystifying in which researchers such as Pikovski take a shot into the dark through various approaches of experimenta-

tion. “It’s a little bit like finding a needle in the haystack,” says Pikovski, “you don’t even know if there is a needle, or what it looks like, you have to be a bit creative to think about where you should look.”

Gravitational waves serve as a new piece to the puzzle in examining the interface between gravity and time on quantum particle laws; it is not the main focus. The project is based in the roots of quantum mechanics, and testing its effects through simplistic experiments that demonstrate the fundamentals of gravity — from falling atoms to atomic clockwork. Pikovski’s latest work replicates the fundamental exchange between energy and matter, derived from Planck’s constant modeling quantized units of energy, in gravitational waves to demonstrate similar behavior of discrete chunks of energy that are extracted.

Pikovski asks “What is it good

for?” What can the physics community and society make of researching a reality defined by its minute effects? Pikovski acknowledges the practical application of quantum theory, but the qualifying question was met with a philosophical curiosity.

At its heart, Pikovski’s research is a creative endeavor to find quantum mechanics where it’s least expected. “If you can find it in other places where you don’t expect it, I think there is a rich new side,” he says. The project’s intrinsic curiosity for examining the intersection of quantum mechanics and gravity begs for unconventionalism in which he welcomes the perspective of collaborating with Stevens graduate and PhD students. “Students are often much more creative and they see things from fresher eyes,” says Pikovski, “that’s exactly what you need, you just want to question simple things.”

‘Brainless’ robot navigates through mazes without human or computer help

BY RIYANA PHADKE, CONTRIBUTOR Researchers at North Carolina State University have designed a “brainless” soft robot that can independently navigate through complex environments using a concept called physical intelligence. The new development comes at a time where the field of robotics is expanding rapidly, and is proving to be a critical jump in the soft robotics field.

The concept of the ‘brainless’ robot is not new. The researchers had previously built a soft robot model that could turn and move on its own. However, there was one caveat: the robot was not able to spontaneously change direction, it needed to physically encounter the obstacle in order to change its movement. In the newest version, the robot can turn and move on its own.

How does it do this? The main contributors are physical intelligence and the temperature of the robot’s environment.

Physical intelligence refers to objects, like a soft robot, whose behavior is determined by its structural design and the materials it is made of. Due to the unique build and asymmetrical design of the robot, the machine can move without being directed by a computer or human intervention. This is due to the new

asymmetrical design, something that the older robot models did not have. One half of the robot exerts more force onto the ground than the other, which allows it to move in arcs, travels through complex obstacle courses, and avoid getting stuck between multiple objects. “Think of a plastic cup that has a mouth wider than its base. If you roll it across the table, it doesn’t roll in a straight line–it makes an arc as it travels across the table. That’s due to its asymmetrical shape” says Professor Yin, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University.

The addition of the asymmetrical design in the new robot as compared to the symmetric design in the older model is what researchers found to be the reason that the robot could now move more independently through various mazes.

While researchers did alter the structure and design of the robot, the soft robots are still made with the same material as the older robot models. Liquid crystal elastomers, a polymer having elastic properties similar to rubber, are made from long molecular chains, linked in a way that makes them flexible but with some of the properties of liquid crystals. When the robot is placed on a surface that is at least 131 degrees Fahrenheit, the

elastomers of the robot contract, causing a rolling movement. Researchers found that, the warmer the surface, the faster the robot moved.

“The concept behind our new robot is fairly simple: because of its asymmetrical design, it turns without having to come into contact with an object,” says Yao Zhao, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at NC State. “So, while it still chang-

es directions when it does come into contact with an object—allowing it to navigate a maze—it cannot get stuck between parallel objects. Instead, its ability to move in arcs allows it to essentially wiggle its way free.”

In a community that largely focuses on robots becoming smarter and more human-like, this ‘brainless’ robot brings a new perspective to the field of robotics, opening up discussions on

the idea that brains in robots are, perhaps, optional.

For now, the ‘brainless’ soft robot is currently in discussion on how it can help promote more green energy. “This work is another step forward in helping us develop innovative approaches to soft robot design — particularly for applications where soft robots would be able to harvest heat energy from their environment,” Yin says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW SCIENTIST

Antarctic research stations pollute the sea floor

BY DANIEL HOGAN, CONTRIBUTOR In an ironic twist, scientists are the ones polluting Antarctica! Researchers took samples from the Antarctic sea floor near the Casey research station and found levels of pollution that were comparable to levels in the sea ports of Rio de Janeiro and Sydney. In the samples were high levels of heavy metals like lead and zinc and also polychlorinated biphenyls, which are forever chemicals and carcinogens. The use of polychlorinated biphenyls was banned in 2001 which is a testament to its longevity as it is still found on the ocean floor some 22 years later.

You might be asking how this problem even originated. Ever since 1991, Antarctica has been classified as a “natural reserve,

devoted to peace and science” under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, however, humans have been in Antarctica much longer than that. Roughly twothirds of the research stations built in Antarctica were built before this treaty was signed. Much of the pollution nowadays comes from these old stations. Before 1991, there was nothing stopping scientists from dumping their waste on Antarctic land or marine and that is exactly what scientists did. This was certainly not isolated to the Casey station, as stations from every country in Antarctica face the same historical pollution issues.

Researchers are now trying to figure out ways to clean up the pollution and monitor the impacts the pollution has on the Antarctic ecosystem. Research-

ers at the Argentine Antarctic Institute have experimented with releasing bacteria that remove hydrocarbons that were released into the soil after fuel spills near the Carlini research base. They found that these bacteria were able to reduce hydrocarbon levels by 75%. Meanwhile, researchers at the Casey station are in the process of upgrading their wastewater treatment systems.

As for the effects of pollution, researchers have conducted experiments in order to figure out the environmental impacts it has. Researcher Jonathan Stark has conducted a study in which he has compared the biodiversity levels of areas polluted in Antarctica with control areas.

He found that polluted locations have less biodiversity and that species that were more resis-

tant to pollution became more dominant in those regions. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as more studies are underway to determine if pollution has affected these ecosystems in ways besides biodiversity.

As for the future, researchers are taking steps to make sure that history does not repeat itself. Curbing the environmental impacts of research stations today is just as important as cleaning up mistakes made previously. Scientist Shaun Brooks has proposed a nine step solution that helps stations set environmental impact mitigation goals. As more and more researchers come to Antarctica it is important that scientists outline methods to preserve the pristine environment. Over 100 stations are already in Antarctica and the reduction of future

pollution is certainly a concern.

Many of these stations are built in Antarctica’s ice-free areas which make up less than 1% of Antarctica. These ice-free areas have the highest levels of biodiversity and support penguin and seal colonies. When scientists build bases in ice-free areas they disturb natural wildlife and displace animals that use these rare parts of Antarctica to survive. A recent study has found that approximately half of all coastline ice-free areas have human structures or activity visible from space. Compare that with the number of research stations on Antarctica and you can see just how few of these ice-free areas there are on Antarctica. It is very important that if we want to continue studying wildlife in Antarctica we do so in a way that is non-invasive and clean.

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM?Join our Science writing team!

Reach out to Erin McGee, Science Editor (emcgee@stevens.edu) for more information – No experience necessary to write • thestute.com/category/science –

7

Friday, September 22

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

Egg-sploring life’s discomforts Picture this: I’m sitting in the dining hall after ordering my Taylor ham and cheese sandwich (NO EGGS), debating what to write about this week, and my friend suggested I write about eggs. I said, “Yes, that’s a great idea,” and now I’m here writing about eggs. It might seem like a mundane topic, but it got me thinking about my complicated relationship with these breakfast staples.

This summer, I decided I was going to stop hating eggs.

I’ve never liked the taste, smell, or even thought of them, even though everyone around me seems to love them. I know they’re packed with protein and super versatile and would probably be a great addition to my diet. But I had to see for myself.

I mean, I used to despise Brussels sprouts and mushrooms as a kid, and now they’re my two favorite vegetables. So, why not give eggs a fair shot, right?

With newfound enthusiasm, I set out on my mission, think-

ing maybe I’ll work up towards eating eggs on their own, eventually. I started making quiches that were basically 80% bread, cheese, and veggies, with just a hint of eggs. I even began ordering eggs on my breakfast sandwiches, hoping that mixing them with other f lavors I enjoyed would do the trick.

Despite my best efforts, I still couldn’t bring myself to like eggs. Now, you might wonder why I’m going on and on about eggs in this editorial. Well, there’s a valuable life lesson here, I swear.

Life is full of things that make us uncomfortable, like eggs in my case. But what I’ve realized is that you don’t have to force yourself to endure discomfort. Instead, you can have the power to turn the tables and make the uncomfortable parts more bearable.

Think of life like a breakfast sandwich. Sometimes, the central element—the egg, if you will—may not be to your liking.

It could be a class you dislike, a challenging relationship, or any other situation that feels unappetizing. Just as I surrounded those eggs with things I like, such as bread, meat, and cheese, you can surround your discomfort with things you love. Fill your life with friends who lift you up, hobbies that make you happy, and moments of pure fun. These layers can help you appreciate the overall experience while making the tough parts easier to swallow. I told you there was a life lesson.

You have the power to reshape your experiences and perspectives. You don’t have to force yourself to like something you

Isabella Ziv ‘25

Editor-in-Chief

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

SENIORITIS

How to avoid a burnout?

BY JUSTIN LEMA ‘27 By the time this article is published, three weeks would have gone by since the first day of our freshman year. I bet you may have had some classes that immediately jumped into the curriculum on the first day of school after a quick five-minute introduction to the course. It is important to be able to not get caught up in the intensive wave of our college career, which is why taking well-deserved breaks is a must.

Let us explore relaxing activities to do outside of campus because they will help you from getting burned out from your firstyear semester courses. One of my go-tos are parks.

Frank Sinatra Park, which is just South of the Griffith Building along Frank Sinatra Drive, is one of my favorites. This park offers amazing scenic views and is a great spot for taking a

stroll in the fresh breeze as autumn strolls closer. Not only is this park amazing for a stroll, but it allows for cycling, jogging, and sports for everyone. Ever wanted to cycle by the Hudson River on a fresh morning?

Well, you can easily take one of your bicycles or rent a Citi Bike and ride along Sinatra Drive in the bike lane. Make sure to stop by one of the piers, such as Pier C, because despite being a small island, it has so much to offer, and it is my personal favorite. Not only is there a fun playground and a trail to jog along, but there are also many benches to just sit and look at the West Side of New York. This park also offers a fun telescope that you can use to look over at New York City and get a better view of the city. It is possible to even see Little Island in detail as it sits across the Hudson in New York. Sinatra Park is most definitely a park that you want to explore soon with friends or by yourself.

Now, just as Hoboken offers great places to take mental breaks, Stevens does it two times better. Are you looking for time to have fun and play games, especially after having a rough week of exams? Luckily, both the bowling alley located in Howe Center, and the Game

don’t. Instead, fill your life with ingredients that satisfy you to bring happiness and fulfillment into your life, just as I tried to do with eggs.

Throughout life, your tastes, preferences, and circumstances can change over time, and what you dislike today might become your favorite tomorrow.

So, as you navigate life’s buffet, remember that you can redefine your relationship with the less-than-appetizing aspects.

Surround yourself with what nourishes your mind, and watch as discomfort turns into growth and the unlikable becomes just another ingredient in your journey.

Our bubble of doing too much

Room in the UCC are both one hop, skip, and a jump away. The bowling alley offers six lanes from which to play. Go in groups of friends or even by yourself, and you will be able to borrow bowling shoes and practice your strikes with different styles.

The bowling alley is in the basement of the Howe Center, which can be accessed via the elevators in the lobby or the adjacent stairs.

If you are feeling more of the video game type of afternoon, you can visit the UCC and walk to the Game Room, which is on the lower level. The Game Room comes equipped with its own Xbox and some games as well. However, feel free to bring any other console and hook them up to one of the three displays available.

The Game Room also offers a foosball table and a pool table alongside bean bags in the center for comfortable gaming or relaxing, and all of this is offered within campus. Can you believe that!?

So, I hope that you do take some time to give yourself some mental breaks as the year progresses. Make sure to breathe in, take a pause, breathe out, and go out for a walk alongside Frank Sinatra Drive or book a visit to the Game Room.

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 More than a couple of times over my academic career, I have wondered if I am happy. Am I busying myself with the things that fulfill me, or am I distracting myself from realizing my unhappiness? I come back from 12-hour days considering the three years I’ve already sunk into an engineering degree and how long I can keep this pace up.

I have more things going on right now than I ever imagined I was capable of.

Time management was difficult for me throughout high school and as I started Stevens, but I’ve found that it’s a result of the people I spend my time with. The decision was both convenient and conscious to make friends with people who cared more about academics than I did.

In surrounding myself with people who prioritized doing assignments early and active

COMIC CORNER

BY JOSIE STRANO

involvement in clubs, I adopted those traits myself.

Each year on campus, I have found deeper roots in this community. In my first year, as I tried to get my footing and survive Chem I and II, I wasn’t exactly involved.

With the return of in-person classes and activities in my second year, I expanded my circle, explored Hoboken and the greater NYC area, and found The Stute. In my third year, I tried to get a grasp of campus culture by engaging with the community through student performances, open mic nights, and just getting outside and meeting people.

Each semester, I’ve tried to do more, join more clubs, and take on more jobs, against the doctor’s order with my impending case of senioritis.

As I’ve learned more about campus culture, I think that this level of involvement is the type of insane that so many students here are; you have to want in excess. There’s a drive for intensity: you always have to max out your potential, achieve the most, fill your days, and sacrifice sleep. It runs deep into the academic requirements, where “reduced-load” 15-credit semesters means you can’t graduate in four years, and it’s not uncommon for seniors to still be taking 18 credits or more. It’s in the standards for

academic probation, which dictate that receiving more than three C’s does not get you a degree. Not only is everything extremely rigorous, but it also comes so naturally to me. I’ve had many conversations where we just list all of the commitments we have, trying to prove to each other and ourselves that ‘I am busy because what I do is important.’ It ties in with the broader issue of hustle culture that you can’t enjoy activities if it doesn’t make you money or add to your resume.

Would I have chosen engineering, or Stevens for that matter, if it wasn’t for the return on investment? I try not to hypothesize about that too much because that is not the world we live in. Often, money, cost, and value are the driving factors in decision-making, but your life is separate from the earnings you generate. You need to learn to be happy regardless of your starting salary. Don’t disregard your hobbies by throwing all your time into your career; you will not be rewarded for running yourself ragged with overcommitments. Test the waters and expose yourself to new opportunities that only a college experience can offer, but don’t give so much of yourself away that there is nothing left outside of academics.

8

Friday, September 22

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde: a story about the philosophy of self

BY VICTORIA YASHCHUK ‘26 In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, time and youth seem desirable yet prove to be destructive. The gothic novel begins by introducing Lord Henry Wotton and his friend Basil Hallward conversing while Basil paints one of his masterpieces.

Lord Henry shows deep interest in Basil’s artistry, curious as to what Basil’s new artistic muse might be. Reluctantly, Basil confesses to having fallen into a deep love with the beauty of a young man, Dorian Gray. When Basil looks upon Dorian’s face for the first time, it is as though he found purpose in painting once more. Skeptical yet curious, Lord Henry wishes to meet Dorian in the hopes of understanding Basil’s excitement and determination.

Listening to Basil, Lord Henry understands that Dorian’s beauty lies within his innocence: Dorian is the young embodiment of Narcissus, who has not been touched by life’s inevitable experiences. Eager to meet him, Lord Henry secretly intends to take advantage of his youth.

Lord Henry is a radical theorist, and upon meeting Dorian, takes him under his wing and entrances him with theories and beliefs on the hedonistic pursuit of new experiences while he is still young.

Self-development is the key to avoiding a mun-

dane, miserable life, es- of many that will present pecially as one gets older, itself in the painting, repaccording to Lord Hen- resents Dorian’s change of ry. Thus, Dorian begins character: from favorable to live by the vision Lord to cruel. As Dorian continHenry has set out for him ued living, every wrinkle, without realizing the mor- sin, and blood appeared on al consequences he will the painting, while Dorian suffer in his future. himself remained young.

The catalyst of Dorian’s He locks the portrait away downfall is a painting in hopes of restoring its of himself. The painting beauty, but his hedonistic was marvelously painted pursuits, however immorby Basil, using Dorian as al, age the painting more his model to capture the and more until the paintbeauty of youth and inno- ing looks unrecognizable. cence before it disappears Seeing the ugliness of forever. Basil gifted his his soul in the painting, painting to Dorian, and as Dorian becomes miserDorian looked upon him- able and kills Basil. Afself, the first layer of his ter encountering Sibyl’s innocence disappeared: he vengeful brother, Dorian realized his beauty would is determined to better diminish, as he believed himself, but to no avail. the key to a beautiful and The painting showed all pleasurable life was his of Dorian’s ugliness, both appearance. At that mo- literally and figuratively. ment, Dorian proclaimed Dorian stabs the painthow he wished to be young ing in hopes of ending his forever, to become the ver- curse, but in stabbing the sion of himself he sees in painting, Dorian ends his the painting, and for the own life, his corpse now painting to age and show old, wrinkly, and ugly. his every sin. By saying The painting, however, these words, little did gleamed with as much Dorian know his words beauty as ever. would come true and While we rush to grow would be a curse rather up and experience everythan a blessing. thing we can before our Before Dorian realized minds tell us it is too late, his wish had come true, we never stop and realize he continued living his that every waking moment life and testing Lord Hen- is worth living for because ry’s hedonistic theories. that is what makes life so Dorian, while in pursuit extraordinary: its tempoof them, falls in love with rariness. theater actress Sibyl Vane.

He watched her every performance, which led to a short-lived romance between Dorian and Sibyl.

When Sibyl admits she can no longer act due to her passionate love for Dorian that can never be imitated on stage, Dorian cruelly dismisses her and leaves their relationship. Heartbroken, Sibyl ends her life.

After this, Dorian notices a blemish on his painting that was never there before. This blemish, the first PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

GIRL(ISH) TALK

In defense of Swifties

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 When I was young, like 10 or 11, I was probably the biggest Taylor Swift fan alive (I know that’s a bold claim, but I stand by it). Now, those who are blinded by the current Taylor Renaissance might not remember what it used to be like for Swifties in the old days. It was a dark time. She’s a cultural icon, musical genius now, but back then, Taylor Swift was a young artist whose only fans were preteen girls. People would say to my face that she dated too many men, her music was too repetitive, and in the words of a few middle school boys, she was stupid.

In 2012, I dragged my (very supportive) dad to the Red tour and had one of the best nights of my

life up to that point. The next year, I was into emo music, and if you had asked, I would have said that Taylor Swift was stupid, and denied ever liking her music. Looking back, I’m disappointed that I let other people’s opinions matter so much to me. Still, I wonder what changed from then to now.

In 2013, Taylor Swift was so hated that I pretended to never have known any of her songs, and now she’s widely recognized as one of the best musicians to ever live. Of course, a lot of the change has to do with her own persistence to take back her legacy as well as a cultural shift away from slut shaming women, but I also think the change involved the fundamental shift of her fan base.

Historically, the interests of teenage girls have been written off as bad, brainless content not worth anyone’s time. Taylor Swift’s fan base used to be primarily made up of teenage girls but now, 10 years later, those girls have grown up into young women who have purchasing power and social inf luence. Those young women

have learned how to think for themselves and can’t be talked over quite so easily anymore. Now, instead of a silly pop star, Taylor Swift is a serious artist and her fans make headlines about causing literal earthquakes. She’s still singing the same songs, nothing changed except for the average age of her fans.

Other artists have had similar arcs. Harry Styles started off as a part of One Direction, the butt of many jokes in the 2010s.

Now, many members of the band have had major success with Harry Styles being a huge name in music. There are so many examples, romance movies are just as stupid as action movies but are regarded so much less seriously.

Cheerleaders aren’t considered real athletes, etc.

So, I’m writing in defense of Swifties, in defense of a younger version of me. The same songs that I used to be made fun of for singing along to are now verified bops that are still topping charts.

Swifties always had good taste, but femininity has always had to fight harder to be taken seriously.

UNMASKING: AN AUTISM STORY

Unmasking masking: how to become someone who isn’t you

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26 Over the past two weeks, in this column, we have discussed more academic topics — the definition and diagnosis processes of autism, with commonly agreed-upon connotations throughout academia and the psychology discipline. However, now that we have the foundations of what this column will discuss, we can delve into more unknown aspects of autism. Perhaps the most logical place to start is the title of this column, Unmasking. For many, masking may not be a familiar term. Still, even for those who do, it does not always have the most concrete definition, use, or proof of its existence.

Today, we will unmask: masking.

Masking, in its simplest terms, not just for autism in general, is to conceal something. In psychology, it means to hide one’s true self to conform with society.

While seemingly an obscure term for personality studies, it is pretty standard. Every time you

laugh without understanding a joke or nod along in a conversation about a topic you’ve heard nothing about — that’s masking.

As discussed in the definition edition of this column, the typical definition of autism is a lack of social skills (in the most basic terms, but read that article if you’re interested). For individuals with a deficit of social skills, masking may be the only way for individuals with autism to interact with other people.

Autistic masking—the academic term for it—can include avoiding triggering situations (loud environments for those with sound sensitivity, for example), planning or scripting conversations ahead of time, or physically muff ling movements (a typical autism trait is called stimming, defined as unusual movements or noises).

As someone with autism, I can say (at least for me) that masking becomes second nature after a long time. However, it can be hard sometimes, takes a lot of practice, or never happens for some people or situations.

When I was younger (elementary school until nearly my senior year of high school), I had a book—turned into a Google Doc—of any social interaction I may have encountered throughout the day and how to react. As someone who liked equa-

tions and books, this was an easy way to seem like I understood what was happening in a social situation (masking). Another way I masked back in elementary school was I would stay with the teacher. As a seven-year-old, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about not understanding other kids if the teacher was involved in every conversation.

I am happy to say I no longer need a “How to talk” book to function daily. However, that is not because I “outgrew” autism or anything like that, just that I have learned enough and masked for so long that it has become second nature to listen to other people, be on-topic, and not randomly mention something completely unrelated in the middle of a conversation (I still do that sometimes, but intentionally instead of obliviously).

Masking can help individuals with autism feel included in their communities or even just be able to function and interact with the world around them. However, there are some setbacks, but we will explore them in the next edition of this column, where we will delve into unmasking the mysterious world of something simple: living with autism.

OFF THE PRESS

Universal Studios’ plan to take over Hoboken

BY OFF CENTER - Satire Recently, Universal Studios announced its major decision to open a major park in New Jersey by replacing the entirety of Hoboken. The citizens of Hoboken are outraged (and in Hoboken, of course) about this major decision, as this is going to impact their everyday lives. However, Universal announced plans to relocate all the citizens of Hoboken to a newly built hotel for the theme park, though living in the hotel will be more costly than before. This is not helped by the fact that all the currently existing stores and restaurants will remain as Hoboken transforms into Universal Studios Jersey, decreasing the pay rate of those working by half.

Stevens Institute of Technology and a small plot of land extending to the Hoboken Montessori School will be replaced with a new area for Universal Studios Jersey called Learniversal, dedicated to helping children learn and STEM students earn a college degree. For students at Stevens Institute of Technology, this involves multiple rides, including Back To The Future, to learn about world history, and Jurassic Park, to learn about geosciences.

There is a new ride known as Revenge of the Dummy, where a lazy student who

gets zapped by lightning after f lunking his class tries to get revenge by placing a magical Egyptian curse on the school.

In addition, students will apply their newly learned information about various STEM subjects on a new coaster that is mandatory for them to ride, known as the Test. It is divided into two trains: Thrill-Lovers and Thrill-Haters. On the Thrill-Lovers train, those who answer questions correctly will ride a thrilling section of the coaster, and those who don’t will ride a mild section of the coaster. The Thrill-Haters train is the opposite. For younger children, there are new attractions such as Despicable Me: Minion Math Mayhem, Curious George Goes To School, Shrek’s Guide To Fairy Tales, Internet Trolls World Tour, The Cat in the Hat, and Woody Woodpecker’s Schoolhouse Coaster.

East of Learniversal will be a new section dedicated to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, containing Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and the new Hagrid Ride. South of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a Super Nintendo World containing a Mario Kart ride, a Donkey Kong ride, and new experiences themed to Kirby, Pokemon, and the Legend of Zelda. North of Learniversal is the entrance to Universal Studios Jer-

sey, where guests can enter and visit a studio tram tour that can teach them about making movies. Currently, it is up for debate on who the new mayor of Hoboken will be after Universal takes over Hoboken.

The main reason why Universal is choosing to build a new theme park in Hoboken is due to wanting to compete with Disney, who are in the process of buying out the entirety of New York City to create a brand new theme park known as Disneyland New York. Disney plans to replace all the buildings and monuments currently in New York City and create five new theme parks as a replacement for the boroughs. However, the public is not happy with the new theme parks being built that are replacing major cities and are planning to overthrow the Disney and Universal theme parks in both California and Florida. This leaves the potential future of Universal Studios Jersey and Disneyland New York in question, as both companies have noticed the enormous backlash to their decisions. Now it is up to you: would you want Hoboken and New York to turn into resorts, or are you happy keeping it the way it is? If you choose to keep both cities the way they are, just be glad this is only an Off The Press article.

9

Friday, September 22

Opinion FOR MATH’S SAKE

(An attempt at) doing justice to statistics

BY CHARLES BEALL B.S. ‘23 & PHD STUDENT For those who followed the escape and eventual capture of the convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante over the past couple of weeks, you were in for a crime documentary playing out in real-time. From the crab-walking prowess that made the prison break possi-

ble, through the several near misses with the police, to the convict also being required to meet over Zoom with Brazilian prosecutors looking into a likely Cavalcante murder in their country (which he only narrowly escaped by forging his identity to emigrate to the US), this story had everything necessary for a Netflix special.

The story hit a little closer to home for me since I grew up near Chester County, Pennsylvania, where all of this went down. But moreover, it got me thinking — how common are prison breaks in this country?

As many of you likely know, the United States, while being the land of the free, is home to the highest incarcerated population in the world (over two million prisoners) and furthermore has the highest

rate of incarceration, with 629 prisoners per 100,000 people.

Interestingly, Brazil, Cavalcante’s home country, has the third highest imprisoned population globally, with around 810,000 incarcerated.

The statistics above are 2021 numbers from the World Prison Brief — but they don’t stop there. You can indeed find out how many prison escapes there are in the United States every year by going to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) website. BJS collects data on federal and state prisons, but it should be noted that federal prisons are extremely hard to break out of due to the high-security measures taken there, so these escapes are pretty much all from state facilities.

However, the numbers

are nonetheless high — 2,231 escapes occurred in 2019, for instance. These numbers are significantly down from the start of the century: in 2000, 5,168 inmates escaped. A huge disclaimer here: these statistics reflect that escapes happened, but they shouldn’t be taken to mean that there are thousands of prisoners still on the loose from when they broke out. In 1994, for example, a whopping 14,307 prisoners successfully escaped, but 13,346 of them were eventually recaptured.

That still means 961 illegal ex-cons evaded, but as a final bit of solace, note that New Jersey has a prison population of 12,506 as of 2021 – so if we scale things down and go by purse statistics, then only about 27 escapes would hap-

pen here annually, and maybe two of them at most wouldn’t get caught. I would hope those two were wrongly convicted of something like in a certain movie about a prison break (I won’t say the title so as not to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but my hint to find it is to start with the earliest year that I used in a statistic above).

These statistics are now all readily available on the Internet, and they were being collected even before, as BJS has existed since 1979 (go Jimmy Carter!). The truth is, there are 13 such “principal statistics agencies” in the US government, including other more famous ones like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. This reflects America’s long history of data collection and statistics study-

ing, an important aspect of the country that has set precedents for many other nations that have their own statistics agencies or departments.

The even more important thing, though, is to use these statistics properly. The misuse or misrepresentation of statistics happens almost all the time in US politics, sometimes with disastrous consequences. We must always strive to avoid the mentality of authoritarians who have said “one death is a tragedy; one million deaths is a statistic,” and realize the human elements behind all these numbers. Statisticians should work not only to properly explain the results of their data collection, but also to prevent the “statistic-ation” of human prisoners, laborers, schoolchildren, and citizens.

nized notes without having to do much extra work. Buying an iPad for note-taking such as this was one of the best investments I made as a student and makes it so much easier for classes with slide decks.

Another way to spruce up note-taking is to look into external resources to help deepen your understanding of certain topics. If the course is something that you find exceedingly difficult or something that you know you will use a lot in the future, it may be worth it to purchase the textbook for your course if it was not something you were going to buy initially. When I decide to purchase a course textbook, I always buy it and

read it before or after the lecture to try to clarify anything that confused me initially.

Another strategy that I use to improve the quality of my note-taking and study skills is creating review summaries before exams. Before an exam, I’ll start to go through all of my notes on relevant topics that will be on the exam and consolidate them into a few pages so that I have a summary to look back at when I am preparing for the exam. Plus, making the review sheet itself is a really great way to recall information and study before a test.

Another way that you can make sure to always have your notes up to par is, believe it or not, by making friends in

your class. This has so many benefits, such as having people to study with and learning from other people’s studying and note-taking habits. Another way that this can be extremely beneficial is if, for whatever reason, you need to miss a lecture one day and want to still be able to get the information from someone else to copy the notes into your style some other time and having someone you know you can go to for this can be very helpful. It is also always great to be able to confer with a friend to figure out what the best way to learn or take notes is in a particular class because collaboration is such a powerful tool we can use in our college careers.

LIFESTYLE HACKS

Note-taking for success

BY ZOE HACK ‘24 Whether you’re transitioning from high school into your first year at Stevens or just getting back into the swing of things after Summer break, transitioning back into academics can be difficult.

There’s a difference between long days of high school to college academics, from sit-

ting in an office all day to back in a classroom, and even from just not going to classes regularly to having a class schedule to follow again. One of the best ways to stay on top of this transition is to come up with an individualized plan for how you learn best in each of your courses.

The first step to succeeding academically for the semester is being patient with yourself and understanding that not everything is going to fall into place all at once.

Every semester, it takes me at least a week to figure out the best way to take notes for each of my classes, typically each course needing an individual approach. At the beginning of each semester,

I usually start by taking all of my notes in a notebook on paper, and then, depending on the pacing of the lecture and materials offered, I will re-evaluate the effectiveness of my note-taking strategy for the rest of the semester.

One of my favorite ways to take notes is directly on slides with my iPad. This technique works well for classes where the professor projects slides and adds verbal insight as they present. This technique allows me to write down all of the information that the professor teaches that is beyond what is already on the slides while not having to spend time copying down what’s already on the slides. This technique also creates orga-

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Hiroyuki Tajima: woodblock printing in the 20th century

BY ITAI GELLER ‘26 This week’s Artist Spotlight is about Hiroyuki Tajima, an artist who produces incredibly abstract woodblock prints using a traditional Japanese woodblock printing style known as Sosaku Hanga, which is one of the three traditional woodblock printing styles. I came across Hiroyuki

Tajima’s art when I was first researching Japanese woodblock printing for my high school newspaper, where the Artist Spotlight column was born. At the time, I was investigating Ukiyo-e woodblock printing; this style was created in the 17th century with the purpose of producing detailed images of Edo-period palace quarters, along with popular myths and legends. Incredibly, these immensely detailed hand-carved prints were mass produced and sold to regular citizens for an affordable price. Considering the sophistication of some of these works, it is amazing to think that so many people possessed them at the height of their popularity.

Unlike Ukiyo-e, the Sosaku

Hanga style originated nearly two centuries later, alongside the Shin Hanga woodblock printing style. Unlike the Shin Hanga style, Sosaku Hanga artists sought to maintain a creative approach that rejected Westernization and promoted abstract Japanese traditionalism. This is evident in Tajima’s artworks, which typically feature abstract industrial textures and darkly colored smothered designs. What makes Tajima’s Shin Hanga so special is the fact that each individual detail in his pieces was carved by hand. The process of Japanese woodblock printing is incredibly tedious; woodblock prints start out as a sketch drawn on paper, which is then transferred to the

woodblock by carving. Once the ink sketch has been transferred, the first woodblock has been completed. This block is used for the black outlines of the print. Separate blocks are made for coloring in the outlines. The first woodblock is covered in ink, and the paper is pressed into the woodblock.

This same process is repeated for the separate woodblocks.

When I first covered Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Ukiyo-e prints in my high school newspaper, I was already impressed with just how much detail there was in his figurative artistic style.

What makes Tajima’s work so much more impressive is the fact that he renders such minuscule abstract detail using woodblock carving.

A great example of this is Tajima’s Creation, a beautiful print that is reminiscent of something straight out of the original 1984 Dune film, which is filled with dark brown industrial set pieces. Tajima’s piece incorporates a very similar clay-colored texture but contrasts it with an aqua-blue hue in the background as if there is a bioluminescent Avatar-like creature lurking below the surface. The patterns are also unique, as Tajima generates a spore-like pattern in the foreground. His pieces are pleasing to the eye, but for relatively contemporary work, it is refreshing to see a lack of modern symbolism and more of a focus on creating.

Overall, I think that it is in-

spiring that Tajima decided to take an innovative approach to a traditional artistic style. It makes me curious about what other traditional artistic methods can be recycled for a modern audience.

CREATURE BY HIROYUKI TAJIMA

tirely different from what you learned in class. You recall how your professor got sidetracked on the first two slides and then sped through the last ten slides in the last seven minutes of class. The course involves multiple professors, so you are sure that the pacing has to be kept the same for all sections, but if your professor can’t pace, well….

This red flag is hard to overcome, I recommend asking your peers about the teaching styles of the professors in different sections.

Perhaps you could transfer sections, or if the professor doesn’t mind, just sit in on a different section lecture without transferring. This would allow you to assess how much

content you are actually missing out on and determine if you are actually at a disadvantage, it’s entirely possible that the whole course is poorly structured.

Now for an undeniable green flag: the professor who plays random video clips that suit the conversation. This is more prevalent in HASS classes where the content can be more fluid. I love a good political or sociological discussion accompanied by a relevant Simpsons or South Park clip, these professors are a massive green flag. I totally recommend taking a HASS class as an elective or just for fun because these courses are more discussion-based and facilitate learning in an en-

gaging way.

It’s also a super green flag when professors talk about their personal lives with students, as it breaks down social barriers. Students feel way more comfortable engaging in dialogue and asking questions when they know the name of their professor’s daughter’s bunny, or that they also enjoy a good dinner at Karma Kafe on Washington Street.

No matter what type of flags your professors exhibit this semester, attitude is 90% of the battle. Sometimes, success is up to individual motivation. So don’t let a little bad handwriting or a strict late policy get in the way of your Dean’s List semester. Happy Fall Semester Ducks!

THAT’S A RED FLAG!

Professor red light green light

BY ANNA DABROWSKI ‘26 In honor of the first few weeks of school, let’s talk about stereotypical red and green flags associated with professors.

The first week of classes, sometimes known as syllabus week, can go either way. Some

professors will slowly walk through the syllabus and give an overview of the class, while others will ask you to look over the syllabus on your own as they jump directly into the content of the course. However, not going over the syllabus is not necessarily a red flag, as some course content is so rigorous that a syllabus day is a disservice to the student.

Therefore, I do not recommend you make a green or red flag ruling on a course or professor solely on this metric.

But then your professor starts scrawling in illegible cursive on the board. As you squint to read what they wrote, you realize that you are missing all of the content because you are staring at a

word that looks like a bunch of scribbles. You sigh and lean over to the student sitting next to you, they give you a shrug.

This Red Flag makes you wonder if the add-drop period is over yet (it is), how will you ever learn the content?

In this scenario, it is probably best to “pre-learn” the material before the class if you have a textbook or notes that are given to you beforehand.

Additionally, try to focus on listening to what the professor is saying rather than reading directly off of the board. This red flag can be overcome with slight modifications!

Yet, this is not the only issue you are confronted with.

You look over the first homework assignment, and it is en-

10

Friday, September 22

Campus Pulse

Arantza Diaz ‘26

“I can’t eat cheese, I’m extremely allergic.

But that being said... gouda.”

Michelle Olhoviks ‘27 “Mozzarella. No argument.”

Dennis Vink ‘24

“Recently pepper jack because I have been wanting a little more spice.”

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li and Mia Petrolino

Lydia Drosou ‘25

“I don’t like cheese, but can I say parmesan?”

“What’s your favorite type of cheese?”

Chris Lubas ‘26

Noor Laassel ‘27

Robert Dominik ‘27

“Raw cheese or pecorino romano.”

“Swiss.”

“100% American cheese.”

Kailey Totland ‘25

Sudoku Easy Puzzle: 0.34 difficulty

Medium Puzzle: 0.52 difficulty

“Feta cheese for sure.”