Issuu

Happy Friday the 13th

We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXI No. 6

HOBOKEN, NJ | OCTOBER 13, 2023

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

Stevens An inside look ranks into the Pinnacle ‘average’ Scholars Program some light on what it is like TANYA AVADIA, in 2024 being a part of the program. BUSINESS MANAGER When it comes to the The Pinnacle Scholars Pinnacle Scholars Program, College Program is something that one of the questions that rooted in high secrecy for many students have is what Free Speech isreasons unknown to stu- proportion of the student dents. While everyone at body is chosen to be a part Stevens is, to some extent, of the program. Dabrowski, Report familiar with this program, being a student herself, did BEN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR

Jersey City faced a temporary closure due to a rat infestation, raising concerns among local moviegoers about the ongoing rodent issue in the Jersey City and Hoboken areas. The AMC Newport Centre 11, consisting of 11 theaters, received a citation for the presence of rodents and was initially fined $100 following an inspection. A follow-up inspection occurred the following day, on September 29. During its closure, the cinema displayed a pop-up

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), in collaboration with College Pulse, recently released its 2024 College Free Speech Report, which includes a ranking of prominent American universities by their cultures of freedom of expression. The ranking placed Stevens, in its first year of inclusion, squarely in the center of 248 schools that received scores, with the university receiving a speech climate label of “average.” Scores were assigned based on a 13-component methodology, six of which derived from a College Free Speech Survey of 55,102 college students on attitudes towards free speech, and seven of which derived from a panel-based assessment of administrative, faculty, and student reactions to prominent speech incidents. Scores were standardized to fall between 0.00 and

SEE RATS PAGE 3

SEE FREE PAGE 2

RAFAEL LEE LI FOR THE STUTE

Ratflix and Chill: Newport New AntiStalking Bill Centre’s AMC Theater’s JIYA JAISINGHANI, unwelcome guests CONTRIBUTOR

In July, Governor Phil Murphy signed a new bill, S-1517, addressing loopholes in previous anti-stalking laws. The Domestic Violence Act, the previous legal statute for obtaining a restraining order, precluded victims from being issued a restraining order unless the alleged offender had previous criminal charges or was in a relationship with the victim. This is known as the “stranger-stalking loophole.” Generally, stalking in New Jersey is a fourth-degree offense that can lead to up to 18 months in prison and $10,000 in fines. The crime becomes a third-degree offense if there are any prior restraining orders. However, many victims who turn to the legal system for support find themselves unable to receive a restraining order because they do not personally know their aggressors. This loophole is wellknown among many government officials, yet reform was lacking even though one-fifth of stalking cases are not former partners or family members. This forces the victims to wait until their situation escalates to receive a restraining order against their aggressor. An advocate for S-1517, Michele Albano, publicly spoke out against her local police department for not protecting her daughter from a man who had been stalking her for three years. Her daughter, a resident of Hoboken, received threatening and sexual messages and calls from a man who lived only two blocks away from her. She went to the police, in hopes of getting a temporary restraining order, but was denied because she and the man had no personal relationship. Instead, Albano’s daughter went through a yearlong process of trying to

UMANG CHULANI, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER The joy of visiting the movie theaters was once a cherished experience for cinephiles who relished the thrill of seeing films on the big screen. In recent times, the AMC theaters, especially Jersey City’s AMC cinema, have become the center of attention, drawing predominantly negative online reviews and criticism. On Wednesday, September 28, the AMC movie theater at Newport Mall in

NATIONAL NEWS

ern life. When scientists look for microplastics, they find them in food, water, and even parts of the human body. Before now, studies on the internal organs and microplastics were limited. However, in a new pilot study following people who underwent heart surgery, American Chemical Society (ACS) researchers found microplastics in many heart tissues and have gathered evidence suggesting that microplastics may have been either unexpectedly introduced during the procedures or prevalent in the bloodstream beforehand. Microplastics are very small plastic fragments that, according to researchers, can enter the human body through mouths, noses, and other body cavities. Previously, scientists have lacked information regarding the effect of exposure to microplastic for human

As Ukraine’s long and intensely fought counteroffensive against Russia enters its fifth month, an unusual but uniquely effective weapon is set to enter the field: the Poloz-M16 combat kayak. The Ukrainian-produced craft, which resembles a normal kayak with a grenade launcher mounted to its bow, is designed as a cost-effective way to improve the ability of soldiers to complete covert water-based operations. The use of specially designed military kayaks is not new; Both the U.S. and British militaries have been employing them since at least World War II for stealth-centric missions where larger watercraft would be tactically inappropriate. However, according to Serhiy Ostashenko, CEO of the Ad-

SEE STALK PAGE 3

SEE HOUSE PAGE 3

SEE HEART PAGE 3

SEE KAYAK PAGE 3

NEWS (2-5)

SCIENCE (8)

FEATURE (6)

Preparing for midterms. Ever wondered what it’s like to pull an all-nighter? Well now you don’t have to. Read our tips for study spots, time management, and pulling all-nighters!

not know the exact statistic but did share that she had observed that members of the program were incredibly diverse. She explained that she believes the program has achieved a higher rate of

SEE PINN PAGE 2

CEO spotlight: Bristol Myers Squibb at President’s Distinguished Lecture series EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR Since 2012, President Farvardin has hosted the annual President’s Distinguished Lecture Series. At each edition, Farvardin invites a leader of the industry, government, or academic of science, technology, business, engineering, and one of the many other disciplines represented at Stevens to come and lecture to many members of the community of Stevens. This

year’s ceremony in the UCC TechFlex on October 4 welcomed Bristol Myers Squibb Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Giovanni Caforio. Dr. Caforio is a pharmaceutical industry leader. Caforio has served as the CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb since May 2015 and a board member since 2014 before assuming the role of chairman in 2017. In his current role, Caforio

SEE CEO PAGE 2

Recent Hamas attack and war in Israel

Defense Forces (IDF) on McCarthy is Microplastics On the road ARTUHR SERRA, liMonday. As of writing, 1100 STAFF WRITER have been killed by both to Bakhmut, As this is being written, sides, including 11 Amerremoved as in human hundreds of men, wom- ican citizens, and an unSpeaker in heart tissue a grenade en, and children have been known hundred more have shot, raped, captured, and been wounded during the RIYANA PHADKE, -launching slaughtered in Israel and attacks. The situation is best historic vote SCIENCE WRITER the violence is far from over. summed up by Israeli Prime It is common knowledge MEGHANA Early on Saturday morning, Minister Benjamin Nethatoday that microplastics can kayak for on October 7, 2023, the ter- nyu: “We are at war.” MAMADAPUR, be found in countless everyThis attack didn’t come rorist group Hamas fired STAFF WRITER day items integral to mod- Ukraine thousands of rockets from out of nowhere. It is rootOn Tuesday, October 3, House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his post. With conservatives and Democrats joining forces, the Republican Speaker was ousted by a 216-210 vote of House members. The removal marks the first time in U.S. history that the speaker of the House has been voted out of office. All 208 Democrats in the House alongside eight Republicans were enough to vacate the Speaker’s role. The GOP rebels were led by Republican House representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, long a critic of the Speaker, said that McCarthy failed on his promise to cut government spending levels. Just a few days earlier, McCarthy made a deal with President Joe Biden and House Democrats to prevent a government shutdown which didn’t appre-

Local and National news. McCarthy removed as Spekaer, war in Israel, and the recent government shutdown.

the inner workings of Pinnacle are fairly undisclosed to students not part of it. For this reason, The Stute interviewed Anna Dabrowski, the Vice President of Operations (VPO) on the Executive Board of the Pinnacle Planning Committee, who shed

Net-zero emissions? Warming oceans? Asteroid samples Learn more about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (12)

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

BEN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR

the Gaza Strip. Later that day heavily armed gunmen penetrated the Israeli border and attacked towns and smaller communities. Fighting continued on Sunday, and was contained by Israe-

ed in nearly 8 decades of conflict in the Middle East, and many more centuries of history. The history of the establishment of the mod-

SEE ISRAEL PAGE 3

What does a government shutdown mean? ARTUHR SERRA, STAFF WRITER Among some of the government’s most cardinal functions are Social Security, maintaining the military, paying for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a host of other crucial business. No government agency is permitted to spend money without Congressional approval, which isn’t guaranteed to happen on time each year. When this process fails to happen, it’s called a government shutdown, and we came very close to one just a few days ago. However, the

spending bill that was used to stave off this shutdown was just a stopgap measure. The legislative branch now has 30 days to pass a more comprehensive package that will address all of the federal government’s needs for the next year. Every year, the government has to sign into law 12 appropriations bills, one for each of the appropriations subcommittees that exist. These dictate where all the funding from our taxes and loans we take out go to. Unless a clear decision has been

SEE GOV PAGE 4

Friday, September 29

News Masthead Volume CXXI No. 6 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 Umang Chulani Jiya Jaisinghani Riyana Phadke Arthur Serra Meghana Mamadapur Liz Sepulveda Tianna Spitz Jared Donelly Smaran Dayal

Abby Jacobs Kai Wong Ruthie Mullisky Nicole Cheung Ethan Kleschinksy Hima Thummala Rachel Abraham Advait Dantuluri Stephen Pachucki

FREE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 100.00, and higher scores indicate a more friendly campus attitude towards freedom of expression. Stevens placed 116th on the list with a standardized score of 47.35, just beating out Rutgers, which was slotted in at 120th with a score of 47.11. Taking the top spot was Michigan Technological University with a score of 78.01; The only other schools to receive “good” speech climate labels were Auburn University, University of New Hampshire, and Oregon State University, all of which received adjusted scores of over 70. Florida State University rounded out the top five with a score of 69.64. The University of Chicago, the only school to be ranked first more than once in the past, dropped to 13th place this year. At rock bottom was Harvard University, with an adjusted score of 0.00 and a true score in the negatives. Also in the bottom five were University of Pennsylvania with 11.13, University of South Carolina with 12.24, Georgetown University with 17.45, and Fordham University with 21.72. Only Harvard was labeled as having an “abysmal” speech climate. Six other colleges were unranked and given a “warning” label for explicitly prioritizing other values over free speech in their mission statements. This year’s report is the fourth and most wide-ranging such re-

PINN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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

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

Disclaimer

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

Policy on Letters to the Editor

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

Policy on Op-Eds

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

FULL LIST ON thestute.com/policies

tinyurl.com/stutesubmit

diversity compared to the general Stevens student body. Dabrowski also shared that in order to achieve this, it is likely, although not confirmed, that selection to the Pinnacle Scholars Program could be stratified by major, making it harder for those in more popular majors to get selected. Dabrowski also said that the percentage of students selected remains consistent despite Stevens’ growing class size. In terms of the operations, the Pinnacle Planning Committee is the entity in charge of planning events as per the cultural passport. Any member of Pinnacle has the ability to plan events or be part of the committee. Dabrowski stated, “We encourage all first years to plan at least one event from start to finish for the experience.” She explained how this would allow them to take advantage of the benefits of the program and also foster leadership. Although everyone in

CEO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 leads the company through vigorous research and development of transformational medicines and immunotherapies that are helping patients around the world live happier, healthier lives. One of Caforio’s main goals is to increase the efficiency of the development of treatments, reducing the time and cost of medicines while increasing Bristol Myers Squibb’s competitiveness. With a background as a physician, Caforio received his medical degree from the University of Rome. Before becoming CEO, Caforio worked as Chief Operating Officer (COO) with Enterprise Services and Global Manufacturing & Supply. His ascent to leadership comes after years of work at Bristol Myers Squibb, before which he worked in leadership positions at Abbott Laboratories for 12 years. Caforio detailed Bristol Myers Squibb’s work in the pharmaceutical industry in his lecture. Initially, he explained how the cost to develop a medicine or treatment has increased exponentially in the past decades, and the time and success rates have remained modestly constant. Cafoerio used this precedence to introduce Bristol Myers Squibb’s revolutionary use of artificial intelligence and other rapidly advancing technol-

lease by FIRE, which has been conducting the rankings and analysis each year since 2020. FIRE, which was previously called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, calls itself a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization “dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.” College Pulse, which administered the Free Speech Survey, is a college-oriented survey research and analytics company. The survey of tens of thousands of then-current American undergraduates took place between January and June of this year, with the margin of error for all demographics and sub-demographics ranging between 1 and 5 percent. The sample was drawn from College Pulse’s American College Student Panel, consisting of over 750,000 verified undergraduates of diverse backgrounds and experiences; the panel consists of students from both public and private universities, including online universities, historically Black colleges, women’s colleges, and religiously affiliated colleges. The full questionnaire and response breakdown can be read in the final report, although the specific results for each university, including Stevens, are unclear. Another major consideration in the ranking was an analysis of “deplatforming” attempts, or coordinated efforts to disinvite or block a campus speaker by administration, faculty, or students. Both the frequency and success rate of sanction attempts were factored in

the scoring. The greatest difference between high-ranking and bottom-ranking schools, according to FIRE, were their respective scores in the “Tolerance Difference” and “Disruptive Conduct” categories. The former was mostly gauged by survey responses and the latter by deplatforming statistics. According to the report, the bottom five schools had 32 deplatforming incidents between them resulting in 26 sanctions, while the top five saw only 9 incidents and 2 sanctions. Describing why Harvard performed so terribly, the report specifically lists a number of incidents that occurred in the past year. Included were the disinvitation of a feminist philosopher from speaking on campus, the student blockading of events featuring the current Graduate School of Education Dean and a former University President, and the firing or severance of three affiliated scholars. On how schools can reverse negative trends in student attitudes towards freedom of expression, FIRE says that schools should place more emphasis on resisting calls for censorship and more actively defend speakers or faculty when they are under fire. The steps Stevens takes to respond to its inaugural ranking, if any, will be reflected in the 2025 report due for release next year. For more info on the report, its methodology, and auxiliary analysis, see FIRE’s website at thefire. org/research-learn/2024-collegefree-speech-rankings.

Pinnacle can choose to what extent they want to be involved, the Planning Committee still has its own eBoard for those who want to take an additional initiative to lead. The eBoard consists of the President, Vice President of Operations, Public Relations Chair, and Treasurer. Just like in other student organizations, Pinnacle Scholars have to run for these eBoard positions and get voted in. Although they are the eBoard, they try to only plan one event each again to facilitate engagement from other scholars. The eBoard’s main role is to work with administration and advisors and meet twice a month collectively. Regarding the funding of the program, Dabrowski wanted to clarify that the program runs because of donor support and none of the money that students pay to Stevens goes towards Pinnacle. The amount of money received by the Pinnacle Scholars program remains undisclosed but the budget is said to be far lesser than the budget of the Entertainment Committee (EC) who plans similar events. For comparison, the EC’s budget is set to be 16% of the Student Ac-

tivity Fee and was about $500,000 last year. Even though Pinnacle aims to have everyone organize an event, there are still rules they need to abide by when it comes to budget. All events have to be approved by administration and the more expensive an event, the fewer tickets are permitted to be purchased. Similar to EC, the tickets tend to sell out fast. However, if there is an event where there are leftover tickets, Pinnacle students are allowed to have a non-Pinnacle friend attend. While there are still many unanswered questions regarding the Pinnacle Scholars Program, the student insight provided by Anna Dabrowski shines light on the internal operations of the program. Also discussed were the potential changes being made which would have applicants to Stevens apply to be considered for the Pinnacle Scholar Program. To this, Dabrowski stated that she did not have much information on what an application would be like but did say that “switching to an application ensures that people interested in it [Pinnacle] are ready to commit.”

ogies that have the potential to decrease the development time of treatments significantly, increase the diversity of trials to more rural and underdeveloped communities, and drastically cut the costs of many life-saving medicines. Cafoerio continued by explaining how the medicinal industry must expand beyond biologists and doctors to include software engineers, program developers, and computer scientists to use the technologies he hopes to bring to Bristol Myers Squibb. Following the lecture, Caforio fielded some questions from the audience and President Farvardin before receiving the President’s Medal. Farvardin introduced the President’s Medal in 2017. Since then,

each lecture series member has received the President’s Medal. This lecture series includes Associated Press Executives, leaders of the Artificial Intelligence field, scientific advisors for governments worldwide, and distinguished military leaders. The President’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the Presidential Medal are two of the most prestigious honors at Stevens. Caforio’s lecture highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for innovation and change. It demonstrated that The President’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the Presidential Medal continue to bring leaders in various fields to Stevens to inspire and educate the community.

RAFAEL LEE LI FOR THE STUTE

Friday, September 29

News STALK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 gain enough evidence to receive a no-contact order. When the case was shared publicly, many were shocked to find out that someone who did not personally know their aggressor would be denied a restraining order and live in fear with no legal recourse. Governor Murphy acknowledged that Albano’s daughter was the one who inspired S-1517 and that the Administration now recognized the need to protect the victims of more than just domestic and sexual violence cases. S-1517 will amend the Sexual Assault Protection Act of 2015, by renaming it the Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act. This bipartisan bill also expands the list of what will be considered an abusive act that qualifies a victim for a restraining order. Essentially, a victim may

RATS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 message on its website, apologizing for the inconvenience and citing the reason as “temporary closure due to unforeseen maintenance.” Movie enthusiasts are keenly awaiting updates on the situation. Numerous openings within the theater were discovered to be the primary cause of the rat infestation. Situated within the mall’s food court, the cinema inadvertently provided an enticing environment for these rodents. It’s worth noting that the rat problem isn’t limited to just the theater; Jersey City and its neighboring city, Hoboken, have both grappled with similar infestations. In response to these recent events, the city of Hoboken has taken proactive measures, distributing approximately 3,000 garbage cans to residents

HOUSE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ciably lower spending, angering many conservatives. Gaetz also accused McCarthy of making a secret deal with President Biden regarding aid for Ukraine. Since then, Gaetz swore to file a motion to vacate, ultimately succeeding. Gaetz even proceeded to express, “Chaos is Speaker McCarthy.” However, McCarthy’s removal had repercussions for those other than himself: the Republican Party. Following the motion, the party was fractured between the group who voted for the motion and the majority of House Republicans, who dismissed it. Furthermore, the House must also now vote for a new Speaker. After a new Speaker is elected, a government-funding bill must be passed by November. If the bill does not pass, there will be a government shutdown, causing more chaos and blame for the Republican Party. Republicans are set to attend a conference vote for the new Speaker on Wednesday, October 11. While removing the Speaker has been unprecedented throughout history, McCarthy’s position has been unfavorable to many from the day he assumed office. The conservative faction within the Republican Party, or the right-wing faction, has not trusted McCarthy to uphold conservative principles. The faction attempted to block McCarthy’s election in January. After his deal with President Biden to raise the debt ceiling, many in this group turned on McCarthy and voted for his removal. With the uncertainty within the Republican Party, the Democrats’ chances of flipping the chamber in their favor is heightened. The Democrats proved a united front, with the entire House Democratic caucus voting unanimously to remove McCarthy. McCarthy chose not to reach out to any Democrats ahead of the vote. He tried

now go to any police department and show the authorities evidence of stalking or harassment. The victim will immediately be put in contact with a judge who will determine whether or not their case qualifies for a temporary restraining order. Although this expansion sounds beneficial, many critics fear this will clog the judicial system. Around 15,000 temporary restraining orders are issued each year and this addition to the law will increase that number significantly. Additionally, many fear that some will abuse the law and obtain restraining orders when they are not particularly necessary. Despite these criticisms, the state Senate was able to overwhelmingly pass the bill 36-0 and the Assembly 77-0. It is meant to take effect starting January of 2024. As Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in reference to S-1517, “No one should ever have to live in fear of another person.” in the area. This initiative aims to address the rat issue by encouraging residents to securely enclose their garbage in bags within these cans, rather than leaving it on the streets. While attempts were made to reach out to AMC theaters for additional information on the matter, the cinema has chosen not to provide a statement. According to interviews conducted with local Jersey City residents who frequently visit the Newport AMC Cinema, some have expressed indifference towards the issue, viewing it as a means of enhancing their movie experience, describing it as “more immersive.” The local Health Department continues to closely monitor the cinema to prevent any recurrence of a similar situation. The theater has now reopened its doors to the public, with the local community fervently hoping that these uninvited guests won’t make another appearance. to reason with Democrats during his speech, arguing how removing the Speaker would create an “irreversible black mark” on the institution. However, Democrats did not change their position as they resented McCarthy’s reaction to the Capitol insurrection in January of 2021. McCarthy had announced that Trump was responsible for the violence, yet he flew to Florida to speak to Trump and make amends. Many Democrats viewed this as hypocrisy and refused to support McCarthy in the vote. Now, the House must choose a new Speaker. The Republican candidate will be tasked with uniting the various factions that exist. Representative Patrick McHenry, the speaker pro tempore, currently has the power to oversee the election of a new speaker. The two candidates from the Republican Party are Steve Scalise, the current House Majority Leader, and Jim Jordan. In addition, McCarthy has not ruled out his intention to run again. Representative Majorie Taylor Greene spoke, “There are quite a few members that said they’re not ready to move forward to elect a speaker.” The Republican representatives are unlikely to be united in their vote as Gaetz has confirmed that he will not vote for McCarthy if he decides to run again. House Democrats plan to nominate Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader of the House. In order for a candidate to become Speaker, they must win at least 218 votes. If no one gets 218 votes, the House will be without a Speaker heading into the next government shutdown standoff in mid-November. Without electing a Speaker, the house is also unable to send military aid to Israel following the militant attacks or pass a solidarity resolution. With a shaken-up House, the candidate who wins the majority vote for Speaker remains uncertain. However, one thing is certain: without a Speaker, the lives of every U.S. citizen will be affected.

HEART

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 organs and tissues, due to the fact that they are fully enclosed in a person’s body. Now Kun Hua, Xiubin Yang, and their colleagues are looking to investigate whether these microscopic particles have entered the human body through indirect and direct contact, like surgeries. In the preliminary experiment conducted by a team from Capital Medical University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, 15 people undergoing cardiac surgery were examined. Six samples of the pericardium (the membrane that surrounds the heart), eleven samples of the fat tissue around the pericardium, three samples of heart muscle, five samples of the left atrial appendage, as well as preoperative and postoperative blood specimens from half of the patients, were examined. Upon analysis through laser direct infrared imaging—a type of imaging that used laser beams to detect the presence of microplastics in samples of tissue—the team identified 20 to 500 micrometer-wide particles made from eight types of plastic. Even more shocking was that the scientists were able to detect thousands of individual plastic pieces in most of the tissue samples. All

KAYAK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 amant Verf company, which produces the kayaks, the Poloz-M16 are notable for their low cost and flexibility. Despite costing a tenth of modern American and British equivalents, said Ostashenko in an interview with ABC News, the kayaks are stealth-outfitted, able to hold up to 550 pounds of cargo, lightweight, extremely durable, and remotely maneuverable. They can even be deployed into water by land vehicles and helicopters. But the most obvious feature, of course, is the mounted grenade launcher that lends the kayak its offensive capabilities. The NATO-type UAG-40 launcher, invented and produced domestically in Ukraine, can fire a grenade to a distance of about a mile and absorbs recoil to prevent the kayak from destabilizing on the water. Combined with the watercraft’s stealth features, the kayak is equipped to bombard enemy encampments from hidden positions

ISRAEL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ern state of Israel is complicated. However, in a few words, Israel began in the 1920s when Jews started to immigrate to what is now Israel and built communities. This territory was under British control until May 14th, 1948 when the British ceded control of their “Palestinian mandate,” on the same day Israel declared Independence. Immediately after it was attacked by its Arab neighbors, in what would become known as Israel’s War of Independence. Israel won that war and through that victory its borders became defined. More wars, initiated by both sides, would continue to be fought throughout the back half of the 20th century. Luckily there hasn’t been an open conflict between fully fledged nations since the 1980s. On the other side of the conflict lies Palestine. Palestinian Arabs lay claim to what is now Israel, saying that it is their proper home. The establishment of Israel forced them off their native soil and is the source of the antagonism between Israel and Palestine. It is to establish the state of Palestine that Arab nations went to war with Israel in the past, and it is for the same reason that terrorist groups like Hamas still attack Israel. Today, there are extremists who believe that Israel should not exist, or that Palestine should never become a country. Israel isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the Pal-

PHOTO COURTESY OF GORODENKOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

of the blood samples contained plastic particles, although their average size and type of plastic varied. The research suggests that the human body transports the microscopic particles into the heart via the bloodstream. While this study was only conducted on a limited number of participants, researchers believe that this evidence supports the idea that many microplastics can accumulate and remain in the heart and other tissues. Further, many scientists believe that the oversight of microplastic exposure through invasive medical procedures could prove detrimental in the long run. More studies will need to be conducted to fully understand the effects of microplastics on the bloodstream and

internal tissues. It is important to note that the microplastics that were found in the samples were not as a result of the surgery itself. The preoperative blood samples already contained microplastics; microplastics that have the same makeup as plexiglass, which is not something that surgeons are in contact with during surgery. The fact remains that the heart is the most important organ for the human body. While researchers urge for more research to understand the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics (an even smaller plastic that researchers did not observe in this study), the evidence pointing towards a new potential threat to people’s health continues to build.

on bodies of water. That’s not a niche situation in southeastern Ukraine, where the current counteroffensive is centered. Russian-occupied Ukraine is buttressed by Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, into which thousands of rivers empty. River crossings are an important operational concern for both sides in the war. The counteroffensive, which began in early June and is expected to continue at least into the winter, is concentrated mainly on the oblasts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, both of which border the Sea of Azov. Oblasts are political regions of Ukraine, roughly equivalent to provinces in other countries. The key military goal for Ukraine this year is to retake Bakhmut, the city that Russia successfully seized after a long and bloody assault. Although liberating the city would be a major symbolic victory given that it has been Russia’s only major advance in the past year, some Western military analysts believe it would be a waste of Ukrainian troops and weaponry on a city that no longer holds significant strategic value.

Nevertheless, Ukraine continues to push from all directions towards the city. Crucial to Ukraine’s progress has been the arrival of new Western weaponry. In late September, the first 31 M1 Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine. The American-made tanks, considered some of the most technologically advanced in the world, have been accompanied by other landmark weapons arrivals like the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and German-produced Leopard 1 Tank. However, amid intense demand for weapons of all kinds, Ukraine is also trying to expand its ability to locally manufacture low-cost technology that can still be tactically and strategically viable. The Poloz-M16 kayak is just one of the newest examples of that effort. The government-initiated Brave Inventors platform details other domestic military tech efforts, both weapons and not. These include telemetry equipment, reconnaissance drones, and even a design for a portable field kitchen that is equipped to cook two-course meals for troops.

estinian Arabs. What has become generally agreed upon by most governments is that a two state solution be created. This solution proposes that the current Israeli territory is split in two, with Israel retaining parts of it and a new Palestinian state being created with the rest. This compromise has yet to become a reality but it continues to be the generally accepted solution of choice for peace in the middle east. It is here that one must understand what exactly Palestine is today. Palestine is not yet a state. The Palestinian National Authority (PA), is a body that has civil control over parts of what is currently Israel. If a two state-solution were to be established, the PA will become a governing body. However there is a split in the PA legislature between those who believe in the two state solution, the Fatah, and those who do not, Hamas. Hamas is widely considered a terrorist group that operates mainly from the Gaza Strip. It is incredibly important to separate those two groups; one is not the other. Hamas is a terrorist organization, the rest of the PA is a proto-government. Israel hasn’t been attacked by the Palestinian government, it has been attacked by terrorists. This brings us back to the modern day. As said earlier beginning on Saturday a massive spread of rocket strikes were launched from both the Gaza Strip and from the sea. These rocket attacks have continued since Saturday as of October 9. Immediately after, armed gunmen left the Gaza Strip and

attacked several southern Israeli settlements. It is known that many Israelis were taken captive by Hamas forces and brought back to the Gaza Strip. After two days of intense fighting, the IDF has cleaned up most of Hamas incursions. During this period the Israeli air force attacked several Hamas sites within the Gaza strip, striking at headquarters, and rocket launch sites. Because Hamas routinely sets up its headquarters in the middle of a highly populated area these airstrikes have killed many Palestinian civilians. Over the weekend western governments continued to pledge their support for the Israeli cause. President Biden has said on the subject that “Terrorism is never justified, Israel has a right to defend itself and its people.” 11 Americans have been confirmed killed, and it is highly probable that others are amongst those captured and currently held within Gaza. Now, the Israeli Army stands at the gates of the Gaza Strip. An all out siege has been declared. Most of the strip’s water, power, food, and fuel which comes from Israel has been cut off. It is the end goal of the Israeli government to use this opportunity to root out Hamas from the Gaza Strip, destroying its ability to attack Israel. Not once in the history of terrorism has it succeeded. This time will be no different. If an end to the conflict is reached it will come out of diplomacy, and statesmanship, not acts of terror.

Friday, September 29

News GOV

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 made on where the funding goes, nothing happens. This has happened only 14 times in history, all since 1980. Some lasted as little as four hours, while the longest lasted 34 days, and they have almost always occurred during a period of divided government; Either the two houses of the legislature opposed each other, or they are both opposed by the executive which needs

to sign whatever appropriations bill is passed. The potential government shutdown would have included a wide array of agencies given that none of the appropriations bills have been passed by the Senate. Military personnel, as well as FBI, DEA, and other law enforcement agents, would have remained at their posts, but how long they would have been paid for is unknown. Half of the Department of Defense contractors would’ve been furloughed and the Pentagon could only award new contracts in special cases involving

immediate national security. Federal courts would have remained open until October 13th. Most benefits such as veterans benefits, social security, and Medicare/Medicaid would continue to be paid, but potentially with future consequences. If no new appropriations bills are passed, all of these services would have less money in their war chests and would last for even less time than they currently would. The short-term spending bill ensured normal funding for the 45 days. However, it came at a hefty cost. Firstly, there was no additional

funding for Ukraine existing within the package. The Pentagon still has several billion dollars to spend on sending aid to Ukraine, but it does cast doubt on whether the next full appropriations will not include additional aid to that country. Secondly, it cost Kevin McCarthy his job. Kevin McCarthy was the Speaker of the House until he recruited Democratic support to introduce the 45-day package. This was to work around hardline Republicans within his own party who were using the potential shutdown to further their own aims of cutting

funding for programs like Social Security and Medicare, as well as introducing cultural war issues. This would come back to haunt him, as McCarthy was soon voted out of office, and a new House Speaker has yet to be elected. Without a Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives is without a leader. It is without direction, and the odds of it passing an appropriations bill without direction are slim. If a new House Speaker is not elected within the next 2-3 weeks, we will probably be headed into another shutdown.

Now streaming: Castle Point Radio invites students to tune in and stay a while TIANNA SPITZ, OPINION COLUMNIST Castle Point Radio (WCPR), the Stevens student broadcasting station, announced its Fall 2023 show schedule, rolling out new hosts to curate the sound of Stevens. Featuring hour-long segments of sounds from Weezer to smooth jazz, WCPR opens up its radio channel to students interested in sharing their music taste or learning about station broadcasting. Interested but hesitant to commit to a show? After two club meetings, WCPR members can sign up for shows throughout the semester and become radio hosts in which their music or stream will fill empty slots in between current shows. WCPR welcomes all music styles and show topics beyond streaming as the eBoard walks new radio hosts through DJ training, which can include uploading personal playlists to adjusting mics for live guests or talk shows. On air, anything goes, as long as it meets WCPR guidelines. Daniel Korzen, WCPR President and 3/4 Electrical Engineering major, hosts the Wednesday night show UpBeat and is a member of Dale, a local band on campus. As Korzen has Wince, an underground band from Brooklyn, on repeat, he says WCPR is, “a way to get introduced to new music and underground artists. Bringing that to light outside of commercial radio, there’s a lot of freedom and you can get into dif-

ferent genres a lot easier.” Korzen recognizes that many students may not know that Stevens operates a student radio station, but emphasizes the silver lining of being under the radar. Compared to music organizations based in live events and artist performances, WCPR can lie low which offers freedom to explore underground genres and hone in on radio host personas. Korzen and the eBoard make the Stevens radio scene accessible with easy show sign-up and support. While weaved into the music network on campus, WCPR stands as one of the oldest media organizations on campus, with strong alumni associations reaching back to the 70s that still attend alumni mixer events. Korzen emphasizes the point that WCPR boosts and contributes to other music clubs as a network, but is also looking to maintain a distinct role by hosting independent events. Korzen says, “I love collaborating with the music orgs, but a big thing is I don’t want everyone to get muddled into one, having that distinction is important not only for administration sake, but also pushing different stuff and so it’s not all under one umbrella.” Maintaining a line of distinction to acknowledge each music and media organization from each comes from a concern for contingency and preserving the stand alone music network that gives the campus a different scene that sets it apart from other engineering schools.

After setbacks from COVID, which were felt within all performance clubs, WCPR is on the move for growth. For WCPR, shows were slow to pick up after returning to campus from virtual sessions in which the studio contains relics from artists that had visited WCPR to perform in the past. Posters hang on the studio wall and a signed Mitski CD sits on the desk from when she played for WCPR in the early 2000s. Looking to focus on event management to feature Stevens artists, Korzen is interested in developing the WCPR website to cover music journalism as a radio station looking to give a platform for artists as well as an archive for the undulating music scene in Jersey. Korzen elaborates on the ephemeral quality of college bands in the area, “I think the ability to not only play live on the radio, but also have recordings of what’s going on at the moment at Stevens is very important.” As WCPR welcomes new hosts to fill the channels with music and commentary to represent the Stevens voice, the club looks to transition the website to access blogstyle articles and samples of recent band events, in addition to the live WCPR stream. Korzen embraces diverse forms of music media as “having access for anyone creatively if they want to write something, if they want to photo something, if they want to play something... That’s just how I view it and try to push things.”

Learn more about

- WCPR -

TIANNA SPITZ FOR THE STUTE

OP-ED

Banned books week BY SMARAN DAYAL Every year since 1982, the American Library Association (ALA) has marked Banned Books Week in late September or early October. This national campaign brings awareness to the various attempts to ban or “challenge” books. Libraries, colleges, schools, and bookstores around the country organize events and make available resources. This year at Stevens, our librarians—Vicky Orlofsky, Romel Espinel, Courtney Walsh, and Linda Beninghove—as well as Professor Lindsey Swindall and I decided to put together an event to highlight the ways these broader ethical and political issues surrounding freedom of expression affect our campus community and the town of Hoboken. Below are a few comments I prepared for that event, in which I address the importance of Hoboken becoming a Book Sanctuary City and the need to keep going in our efforts to make our campus and town a more inclusive community. “Thank you all for gathering here today to bring awareness to issues of freedom of speech and thought, but also issues of racism, trans- and queerphobia, xenophobia, and the return of a kind of ‘culture war’ mentality that we were beginning to think might have finally receded into the background white noise of American politics and public debate. But as we have seen during the last presidency and in resurgent farright politics across this country and the world, the concerns of the 1960s and 70s—whether the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley, Second Wave Feminism, or Gay Liberation—are still very much our concerns today.

There have been a few developments in Hoboken, in the New York City area, and the world beyond that have coalesced to form the particular atmosphere that we now find ourselves in. On the one hand, there is that resurgent politics of fear-mongering, exclusion, and race and gender supremacism. On the other, we see valiant efforts around the country and the world to push back against these forces and tendencies and assert the rights of marginalized and minoritized communities. One such successful effort has been the Hoboken City Council’s resolution to declare Hoboken a Book Sanctuary City, which the Director of the Hoboken Public Library, Jennie Pu told us about today. This follows in the wake of a previous resolution last year in 2022 making us a “Right-toChoose” Sanctuary City for abortion access. This summer, the Hoboken Public Library also organized a Pride Month Read-a-Thon, where the mayor Ravi Bhalla, city councilmembers, and others, including myself, read aloud from LGBTQI books that have been banned elsewhere in the country, particularly—but not only—in the State of Florida. However, whereas Florida politics might be limited in the impact that it has on us in New York, New Jersey, and the other mid-Atlantic states, transphobia and racism are far from an exclusively Southern phenomenon—and, in fact, they never were the sole prerogative of those states south of the Mason-Dixon line. In my own South Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush, just over a week ago, on the 23rd of September, our local Brooklyn Public Library branch was forced to cancel a

Drag Story Hour and close after it received a bomb threat. Bigotry and hate aren’t contained by state lines—or national borders, for that matter. Similarly, earlier this year, the Queens Public Library branch in Jackson Heights faced disruptive protests over its Drag Story Hour. Friends of mine from the neighborhood—I lived there before starting at Stevens last Fall— joined in on a counter-protest, and the consensus seemed to be that those taking issue with Drag Story Hour were outsiders to this largely South Asian, Latinx, and queer corner of Queens. This Fall semester, I’m glad to be teaching what is arguably the first exclusively Queer Studies class here at Stevens, Queer Fiction. While putting up posters for this class around campus, they were the only ones—among many other class posters—mysteriously taken down in a matter of days. After putting them back up, they disappeared again. We never found out who was responsible. One might think what happens in our libraries, schools, and classes has little to do with more material realities of safety from transphobic, homophobic, and racist violence, or the much more direct consequences of the criminal justice system and the continuously assailed social welfare state. And, while there is certainly some truth to this—humanities professors are not the heroic political activists we sometimes imagine ourselves to be—representation, education, media, and access to information exist on a spectrum alongside other, more material realities. To be able to see yourself in the university curriculum, to have your histories, lived experiences, and the art produced by your communities be taken seriously in the

curriculum is the most baseline expectation any and every student is entitled to. These educational and representational victories, such as getting Queer Studies on the curriculum and ensuring access to diverse books in perpetuity here in Hoboken, are crucial. Another milestone-in-the-making is the Gender Studies minor being developed here at Stevens, which will soon open for enrollments. However, our efforts to transform our culture and society for the better should not end at such victories. They happen within a particular context: after years of gentrification, Hoboken has become a relatively wealthy and privileged bubble nestled within the surrounding NYC area. It is unaffordable—many faculty and staff at Stevens cannot afford to live here, let alone most working and middle class New Yorkers and North Jerseyans of color. Moreover, the language of a Book Sanctuary, while important and laudable, does draw on the much more common parlance of the tradition of Sanctuary Cities, places where undocumented immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers might find safety from deportation practices that return people to war zones, political persecution, state-sanctioned queerphobia, political, gang, and domestic violence, and economic hardship. So, I want to ask: what does it mean for Hoboken to be a book sanctuary, but in practice, a city with limited shelters for people suffering from houselessness, and no significant infrastructure to take in some of our new friends and neighbors from other countries, who are currently forced to sleep on the streets across the river in Midtown Manhattan, or languish in cold, unsanitary, and

flooded tents on Randall’s Island in the East River? Books give us access to diverse experiences and ideas. But so do people. And, as a literature professor, it might be heretical to say this, but what are books without people? What role do diverse books play in an economically privileged and, according to the 2020 US census, majority white city located in an otherwise much more diverse metropolitan area? Moreover, what does it mean for a Queer Studies class to be inaugurated at Stevens just as the Supreme Court dismantles affirmative action in college admissions? As the Stute recently reported, Stevens will now have to reassess how it accounts for diversity in its recruitment efforts. I ask these questions not to diminish our achievements, but to remind us that there is much left to be done, and that antiracism and queer rights cannot be achieved without also working towards economic and immigrant justice. In the days after the transgender activist Jennicet Gutiérrez interrupted President Obama at a White House Pride Event in 2015, she spoke to the press about her reasons for doing so. “If the president wants to celebrate with us,” she said, “he should release the LGBTQ immigrants locked up in detention centers immediately.” Similarly, just as Gutiérrez insisted that celebrating Pride at the White House must also translate into concrete action, including releasing queer immigrants from detention, celebrating books by queer people and people of color must also mean making our university and town a place that is truly open and economically accessible to all who want to live and learn here.”

Friday, September 29

News OP-ED

Three candidates vie for 6th Ward seats in Hoboken city council elections BY JARED DONNELLY In the upcoming Hoboken City Council elections, the 6th Ward, which encompasses most of the Stevens Institute of Technology campus, is gearing up for a competitive three-way race for the council seat between incumbent Jen Giattino and challengers Ian Rintel and Lauren Myers. Incumbent Council Member Jen Giattino, seeking her fourth term, is a well-known figure in the 6th Ward. With a remarkable history of service spanning 12 years, including five years as council president and four years as vice president, Giattino brings a wealth of experience to the race. This re-election cycle she is focusing on “a cleaner, greener - and yes - RAT FREE Hoboken” and a commitment to continue fostering a relationship between Stevens and the city. Ian Rintel, a long-standing member of the Hoboken community with 25 years of residence, also owns Play! Hoboken. His platform, as outlined on his web-

site, revolves around key pillars such as business, education, open space, and safety. Rintel’s campaign message emphasizes the need to overcome division within city government, pledging to work collaboratively for the betterment of Hoboken. This is Rintel’s second run for a City Council seat. Lauren Myers, a trial and appellate litigator for King & Spalding, brings her legal expertise to the race. Her campaign strongly focuses on maintaining safe and clean streets, supporting local small businesses, and preserving Hoboken’s distinctive character and sense of community. Myers is dedicated to investing in traffic solutions, addressing the rat problem, redeveloping Church Square Park, and tackling homelessness throughout the city. Students should remain conscious that while Stevens Institute of Technology is not the core of any candidates’ platform, it is undoubtedly impacted by the initiatives of city leaders. For Stevens to become a more pivotal part of city council elections, it is import-

ant to register and vote in Hoboken elections. Stevens is a vital part of the 6th Ward and addressing issues related to the needs of our students, faculty, and staff will only become a priority if the Stevens community participates in these elections. As Election Day approaches, residents of the 6th Ward and Hoboken as a whole will have the opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s platform and make informed decisions about who will represent their interests on the Hoboken City Council. Between 2012 and 2022, Fraternity Row joined the rest of Stevens Campus in the 6th Ward, leaving the 2nd Ward behind and uniting more Stevens voices. For additional information on each candidate’s campaign, I recommend visiting their respective websites. The Hoboken City Council elections are scheduled for November 7, and the deadline to register to vote is October 17. The results of this election will shape the future of the 6th Ward and the city as a whole.

OP-ED

Bring back the anchor BY KEVIN CASTNER JR. Hi there, reader! If you don’t know me, my name is Kevin Castner Jr. I am, amongst other things, the Archives Liaison for The Stute. I am petitioning to return the SS Stevens anchor to the Stevens campus. For some context, the SS Stevens was a floating dormitory at Stevens from 1967 to 1975. After it was no longer economically feasible to keep the SS Stevens afloat, it was sold for scrap. To commemorate “The Ship,” the Class of 1975 presented funds to have one of its anchors placed along Wittpenn Walk overlooking its previous mooring. The anchor was removed from campus due to the construction of the UCC and the temporary closure of Wittpenn Walk. With the UCC and Wittpenn being open for over a year now, I would like to see the anchor’s return. The question I have most often

encountered during this campaign is “Why, what does it matter to you?” It’s funny how a one-word question can be so loaded, but after some thinking, my answer is quite simply “As a reminder.” Whenever I feel overwhelmed or am doubting myself, I like to walk. As I take in the people, the architecture, and the air of campus, I come to realize I am not alone. I come to realize that so many have come before me and there are many yet to come after me. The history and the future, intertwined in this place, give me strength and inspiration to do my best for the sake of my forerunners, my successors, and my present self. These reminders are most readily evident in the monuments erected in memory of times past. So, I, in turn, pose the question, “What meaning does the future, progress, or innovation hold without a past reference?”

BRING BACK THE ANCHOR! Sign the petition now to bring back a piece of Stevens history!

OCT 17TH! 9.15 - 10.15 PM GS 216

JEN GIATTINO

IAN RINTEL

LAUREN MYERS

Voter Registration Deadline: October 17th https://www.hobokennj.gov/ Election Day: resources/register-to-vote November 7th

Friday, October 13

Feature

PREPARING FOR MIDTERMS Studying in Hoboken: where to go Time management: BY TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR It’s that time of year again. All that homework is piling up and it seems that every class has an exam, group project, or worse, both that need to be completed. As tempting as it is to take the best nap of your life on a twin XL bed or focus on anything else in your room but your assignments, you know that you need to study in a less distracting environment. Luckily, there are plenty of study spots on campus and in the Hoboken area for you to visit. On Campus The Samuel C. Williams Library offers plenty of different study locations. The first floor, conveniently where the drop-in tutoring center is located, provides rows upon rows of tables. While it may be a little noisy, it’s the perfect place to meet up with group project members and get some work done. The second floor is a little bit quieter and has study rooms available for students to reserve. If you would prefer to work in complete silence, the third floor is the best option. It is completely silent and has numerous desks and tables available to work at. Another great option is the UCC skybridge. The fourth floor of the skybridge has multiple tables and seating options where students can study while enjoying the view. There are also study lounges available which have TVs and whiteboards for students to utilize. The dining area of the UCC also has tables available and a great view. Other study spots on campus are academic buildings, such as Gateway North and Gateway South, or even the various eateries on campus. Spots like the Cannon Café have outdoor seating which is definitely good to take advantage

of while the weather is still pleasant. Pierce Dining Hall can also be a great place to study, especially early in the day or later in the night when less people are around. In Hoboken Throughout the city, there are plenty of places to stop by to study. For instance, there is the Hoboken Public Library, which has lots of tables around and an outdoor reading area. The lower level of the library also has pre-owned books donated by Hoboken residents available for purchase. If you need to print something, the Hoboken Public Library also has mobile printing available. Hoboken also has no shortage of coffee shops — the perfect place to hang out while also grabbing coffee and a snack. Jefferson’s Coffee, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Empire Coffee & Tea, and bwè kafe are popular examples. There are also other benefits to studying at a coffee shop. According to a group of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “the optimal study session has a moderate level of ambient noise of 70 decibels.” A bustling coffee shop has this sound level, making it a good place to focus and get work done. There are various other establishments in Hoboken that can serve as a place to study. Panera recently started allowing customers to dine in again, making it a great place to sit down and study while sipping a charged lemonade. Other places like Kung Fu Tea or Chipotle also have seating and table options for customers. In the end, it’s up to you to decide what works best for you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to study at your dorm or apartment, but there are also other places on campus and in the Hoboken area to check out!

The Library

Outdoor Spaces

Jefferson’s Coffee

Gateway North

OLOF PERSSON FOR THE STUTE

How to keep up with the whirlwind of your life BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR Time management is a must, whether due to rigorous courses, piles of homework, classes on top of internships, or attempting to have a social life and get enough sleep. However, keeping up with a student’s responsibilities can often take work. Here are some tips on how to effectively manage your time. The most effective time management skill is setting goals and organizing priorities. When faced with 10 homework assignments, four exams, six club meetings, your friend’s birthday, and 30 voicemails from your parents, it is essential to realize that some tasks may not be as important as others. While it may be difficult, it will make life significantly easier. Tell your club you might need to skip a meeting, plan to hang out with your friends over the weekend, or tell your parents you’ll call them over the weekend (but make sure you do). Another excellent method of time management is minimizing distractions. Whether turning on

do-not-disturb, noise-canceling earplugs, or closing the blinds, limiting the number of distractions in your workspace helps you get more done but also helps to train your brain. By having an excellent place to focus, over time, you will train your brain that this area is for work and increase your stamina without feeling like you need to check your phone. In a more literal manner, one time management method is — managing your time. Whether through Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, iCloud Calendar, Notion, or old-fashioned color-coded paper, making a schedule is essential in managing your time. Setting time aside to study, go outside, have lunch, or go to bed and see it adjacent to your classes, different meetings, and when assignments are due is a great way to stay on top of long-term goals and plan your day. Above all of the different time management techniques—priorities, scheduling, distractions— one has the potential to make or break all the others: maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Suppose you do not have a healthy lifestyle. In that

case, it will be harder to stick to a sleep schedule, you will lose focus, and many basic tasks will go from being cleanly organized on your schedule to taking up most of your mental energy. Eating healthy, getting enough sleep, maintaining hygiene, getting a good amount of exercise, and maintaining good mental health will significantly improve your time management. Effective time management is crucial for students to balance their academic, personal, and professional lives. Without it, essential tasks and long-term projects can become demobilizing, drastically making your life more difficult. Time management tips like prioritizing tasks, minimizing distractions, creating a schedule, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you stay on top of your school work, job, social life, and mental health. With these tips, you can achieve your goals, reduce stress, and enjoy your college experience fully. Time is valuable: managing it well is the key to success. So don’t be afraid to sit in a nice quiet space with your neatly color-coded schedule, and stay on top of your time management skills.

Pulling an all-nighter to determine whether you should too BY LIZ SEPULVEDA, COMIC ARTIST An essay on a text you haven’t read yet. A group presentation that you’ve been forced to handle the brunt of. A Stute article due tomorrow that you just couldn’t bring yourself to start. We’ve all been there — struggling to finish whatever you set out to complete by nightfall and asking yourself the age-old question: should I skip sleeping tonight and pull an all-nighter? To help you answer this question, I’ve taken up the task of compiling scientific evidence and student testimonies on the topic — written all while I pull an all-nighter myself. 12:58 AM - Contemplation It’s the end of the day and your assignments have piled up. In my case, that Stute article is really not writing itself. If you’re in my situation, you’re probably asking yourself: should I really do this tonight? Firstly, consider the physical and mental effects. While your body may experience a weakened immune system and decreased muscle growth/recovery, your mind may become susceptible to feelings of irritability, anxiety, and depression, as well as decreased reaction times and attention spans. First-year Stevens student An Le noted that her migraines had returned after pulling two back-to-back all-nighters, not uncommon for those skipping multiple days of sleep. Unfortunately for students, staying awake beyond 17 hours can lead to poor academic performance. A 2013 Berkeley study found that sleep helps memories become long-term, unlucky for those skipping sleep to study. After this threshold, humans perform worse than those intoxicated at the drunk driving limit, meaning you might not want to take a test immediately after pulling an all-nighter. 1:47 AM - Getting in the Groove If you’ve made up your mind about pulling an all-nighter, there are ways to do so somewhat effectively. Stay well-fed and hydrated to avoid exhaustion. Against your impulses, beware of junk food — lack of sleep can lead to poor metabolization, leading to a temporary pre-diabetic state, as well as susceptibility to illness.

“You definitely should at least sustain yourself, but maybe think about what you might potentially vomit,” said Le on the unexpected feelings of nausea that accompany long hours awake. 3:24 AM - The First Wave At this hour, many tend to feel the first wave of sleep tugging at their thoughts. As I write, my eyes are burning with the urge to doze off and I desperately need a remedy. Maybe I’ll blast the AC or play loud background noise to shock myself awake. Unfortunately, however, these common tricks for avoiding sleep aren’t backed by any scientific evidence. Instead, don’t doubt the simple solution of exposure to bright lights; working in welllit areas spurs awakeness due to light’s role in regulating circadian rhythms, and increasing the brightness on electronic devices will allow you to take advantage of blue light’s proven ability to hinder sleep. Caffeine is another widely-proven method, as it blocks adenosine, which promotes feelings of sleepiness in humans. Coffee is your friend at this hour, so maybe turn to one of Hoboken’s many late-night coffee shops for a fix. If you’re more of a break-taker than a forceful worker, do just that; research shows taking breaks to do something physically engaging like splashing water on your face or taking walks effectively maintains alertness. Science also backs taking 15-20 minute “power naps,” optionally supplemented with caffeine for an easy wakeup. Be careful with these, however — when done incorrectly, power naps can lead the body into deep sleep. I think I’ll close my eyes for a few seconds and finish this thought later.

4:52 AM - Home Stretch Bad idea. By now, you’ve hopefully woken up from any power nap mishaps and are maybe even alert enough to push through your assignment. This isn’t uncommon. Third-year student Jonathan Ramesh, who boasts at least fifty all-nighters from his time at Stevens so far, described the final stage of an all-nighter as being an energized “home stretch” of task completion. Unfortunately, this sudden feeling of awakeness indicates a shift in your body’s natural circadian sleep rhythms, which help you feel tired at normal hours. Messing with these may lead to worse sleep for weeks to come. 6:35 AM - The Morning After If you’ve made it along with me to watch the sun rise, it’s time to recover. Doctors recommend ditching the caffeine, eating healthy, and taking naps to get through the day while trying to return to your normal sleep pattern as soon as possible. Maybe after all of that, you’re somehow still on the fence about all-nighters. When asked if they would recommend that more people pull all-nighters, our student sources were in accordance. “Absolutely not,” said Le, “do your work ahead of time and only do them [all-nighters] one at a time. Don’t do them back-to-back like I did.” “All-nighters will mess up your body for a good amount of time,” said Ramesh. “It’s basically sleep deprivation. If you’re in desperate need to study or do work, an all-nighter is always an option, but I think more people should protect their sleep.” While that sinks in, let me slink away into my bed to recover from this whole ordeal. Good night — or, good morning, rather.

LIZ SEPULVEDA FOR THE STUTE TWO CHAIRS PLACED TOGETHER IN MORTON CREATE A SORT OF CRIB, A COMMON ALL-NIGHTER SPOT FOR HASS STUDENTS. ALSO WHERE THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN.

Friday, October 13

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM

Sports

Field Hockey MAC Defensive Player of the Week and King’s College BY KAI WONG, SPORTS WRITER On October 2, sophomore Lily Wierzbicki earned Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Defensive Player of the Week honors. This is Wierzbicki’s first career weekly award, coming out of Stevens’ game versus Albright College with five saves and a shutout win. The shutout win marks the Ducks’ fourth on the season. Speaking of shutout wins, Stevens Field Hockey kicked off conference play with a 4-0 win

and continue to ride their longest winning streak of the season, now at six games. With their win against King’s College this past Saturday, Stevens remains undefeated at home this season and added a fifth shutout win to their record. The Ducks also celebrated senior day, honoring Dani Hessels, Paulina Georgoutsos, Amanda Murnick, Julia Zatyko, Lynda Fairnella, and Mackenzy Garden. Stevens dominated the game from start to finish, with their first goal coming from first-year

Men’s Golf competed on October 2 and 3 at the Royal Lakes Fall Invitational in Flowery Branch, GA in a two day tournament. This tournament also served as the collegiate debuts of two first-years, Sebastian Beaver and Dillon Kim. The first day, Monday, October 2, the Ducks found themselves in 14th place of 18 teams, with a team score of 304 for the day. With a par 71, Beaver and sophomore Austin Liao led the team finishing just three over. Tuesday, October 3, the second and final day of the tournament saw the Ducks place 13th, tied with Denison University, totalling 609 strokes. Senior Gus Vickers was one of just 10 to finish the second round under par, leading to his final score of 148, and placement as tied for 22nd out of 96 total golfers. Liao followed, tied for 30th, Beaver tied for 42nd, Kim tied for 66th and first-year Ben Slicker tied for 85th. The team saw more success at the Drew Birdie Bash on Thursday, October 5. With par set at 72, Stevens, represented by first-year Maxime Debets, sophomores Punn Chittaratlert and Brock Dickson, junior Eduardo Terlaje, and senior Joss Hindin, fired just 23 over. Chittaratlert led the Ducks with a pair of birdies and 10 pars, finding a final score of just four over par, and tying for 7th

out 44 golfers at the tournament. Debets and Hindin both had three birdies, finishing six and seven over, and placing in ties for 12th and 17th respectively. The day ended with the Ducks in second place out of nine teams participating and a final score of 311. At the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Classic, which spanned over Saturday, October 7, and Sunday, October 8, the team secured 11th place out of 19 teams, after tying for 11th on Saturday with Catholic University of America. Their final score of 608 summed up both Saturday and Sunday’s team scores of 304, with Vickers leading the ducks at two over in the opening round and an even par on day two. Vickers also carded four birdies and an eagle, being just one of 13 players to do so. Both Liao and Beaver finished the opening round just three over, and tournament five and seven over respectively. Liao carded nine birdies, third in the tournament, and finished tied for 22nd, having shot five over. Following a strong performance this past weekend, Vickers was named the Mac Freedom Golfer of the Week. This is his third weekly award. This weekend, October 14 and 15, the team will participate in the George Cangero Invitational in Bethpage, N.Y., hosted by Farmingdale State College.

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER The Men’s Soccer team is continuing their strong start to the season, especially with their past two performances in games against Rutgers University-Newark and Misericordia University. Against Rutgers-Newark, the team posted a 2-1 win, and against Misericordia University, the team played in a hard-fought game that ended in a 0-0 tie. On October 4, the Ducks played Rutgers-Newark at the DeBaun Athletic Complex, a win which marked the last non-conference game of the season. The game started off very quickly, with Rutgers-Newark making strong offensive moves and even forcing graduate-student goalkeeper Justin Cross to make a diving save only 53 seconds into the game. They kept this offensive momentum and were ultimately the first to score a goal. However, the Ducks quickly answered this goal, and only two minutes later, they scored their first goal to tie the game 1-1. Senior Adam Cohen passed the ball for the assist and first-year John Kovalchuk scored a header. This goal marks the first of Kovalchuk’s career, and the first assist of Cohen’s career. The team continued this offensive drive and sophomore Max Rokhsar scored a goal to take the lead and improve the score to 2-1 just before the first half ended. Additionally, this marks Rokhsar’s first goal of his

FRI, OCT 13 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Denison University Rochester, NY 6:30 p.m.

SAT, OCT 14 the season on an assist from firstyear Kylee Scherer. This made the score 4-0 and was Scherer’s first career assist. Between the posts,Murnick made her first career start and earned a win. Stevens was back in action on Wednesday, October 11 as the Ducks hosted their pride game against Misericordia. The Ducks are 3-1 all-time against the Cougars, including winning the last three meetings. Field Hockey will also play tomorrow, October 14 against Lebanon Valley College at 6 p.m. in Annville, PA.

Men’s soccer continues success with a win and a tie in two most recent games

Men’s Golf with strong individual performances in recent tournaments BY ABBY JACOBS, SPORTS WRITER

Sophia Cozza. Cozza scored her third goal of the season off of a penalty corner on an assist from junior Mackenna Quigley. The Ducks’ second goal also came from a first-year with one second left in the second quarter, when Jess Kopernick scored on a rebound off a shot from Fairnella. The third quarter received the most action from the Ducks. Only minutes into the third, junior Alisyn Fink scored her second goal of the season, and with only three seconds remaining, Fairnella scored her sixth goal of

ON DECK IN SPORTS

career. Throughout the second half, Rutgers-Newark had many attempts at scoring, all of which were saved by Cross in goal. Throughout the game, Cross totalled 5 saves. Furthermore, on the offensive end, the Ducks took 16 shots, with eight on goal. Later in the week, on October 7, the Ducks traveled to Dallas, PA to play a conference game against Misericordia University that ended in a 0-0 tie. This game continues the team’s undefeated conference play record for the season. Additionally, it marks the team’s fifth shutout of the season. In the first half of the game, Stevens started out strong with its offense, by attempting two shots on goal in the first twelve minutes. However, for the rest of this half, neither team recorded a shot on goal, and so the score remained 0-0 at halftime. In the second half, Misericordia first recorded a shot on goal, forcing the team to make a save. The Ducks upped the ante, and in return, recorded another shot on goal, but again they were unable to score, and so the game ended in a 0-0 tie. The Ducks proved to have a stronger offense than Misericordia, with the team totalling 11 shots, with three on goal, compared to Misericordia’s seven shots, with only one on goal. The Ducks will be returning to play on Saturday, October 14 at DeBaun Athletic Complex for their Mental Health Awareness Game against DeSales University.

MEN’S GOLF George Cangero Invitational– Day 1 Bethpage, NY Time TBA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Ithaca College Rochester, NY 10 a.m. Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY 4 p.m. WOMEN’S AND MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Border Battle Logan Township, NJ 11 a.m. WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SOCCER Desales University Hoboken, NJ 7:30 p.m./5 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA 6 p.m.

SUN, OCT 15 MEN’S GOLF George Cangero Invitational– Day 2 Bethpage, NY Time TBA

TUE, OCT 17 WOMEN’S SOCCER King’s College (PA) Wilkes-Barre, PA 7 p.m.

WED, OCT 18 FIELD HOCKEY Arcadia University Hoboken, NJ 7 p.m. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL King’s College (PA) Hoboken, NJ 7 p.m. MEN’S SOCCER King’s College (PA) Wilkes-Barre, PA 7 p.m.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

WED, OCT 4

Thu, Oct 5 Sat, Oct 7

Sun, Oct 8 Tue, Oct 10

TEAM

Field Hockey Women's Volleyball Men's Soccer Men's Golf Men's Golf Men's Cross Country Women's Cross Country Women's Swimming Men's Swimming Field Hockey Women's Volleyball Men's Soccer Women's Soccer Men's Golf Women's Volleyball

OPPONENT

Keystone College Misericordia University Rutgers–Newark Drew Birdie Bash Mason-Dixon Collegiate Classic–Day 1 Dickinson Pre-National Meet Dickinson Pre-National Meet Montclair State University Montclair State University Kings College (PA) Montclair State University Misericordia University Misericordia University Mason-Dixon Collegiate Classic–Day 2 Lebanon Valley College

LOCATION

AWAY AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY HOME HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY

SCORE

W (1-0) W (3-0) W (2-1) 2nd of 9 11th of 19 25th of 40 31st of 42 L (96-166) W (150-112) W (4-0) W (3-0) T (0-0) L (1-2) 11th of 19 W (3-1)

Friday, October 13

Science SSE professor helping lead Australia to net-zero emissions BY ERIN MCGEE, SCIENCE WRITER Current models for how climate change will affect the Earth are bleak, at best. Most studies predict more frequent hot days, rising sea levels, more acidic oceans, less snowfall, and heavier rainfall at certain parts of the year with droughts in others. However, there is good news. Many countries have taken ambitious steps in order to fight climate change, with the United States, Canada, Australia, the European Union, and others pledging to have net zero emissions by the year 2050. Australia in particular has made a plan to hopefully do this in such a way that preserves jobs, promotes economic growth, and keeps energy prices low. One of the scientists helping Australian industries with this goal is Stevens School of Systems and Enterprises professor Amro Farid. Currently Alexander Crombie Humphreys Chair Professor in Economics of Engineering, Farid has recently been working with CSIRO, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, using system engineering to develop models of Australia’s energy system. CSIRO has been the driving force behind a lot of Australia’s climate research, also looking into protecting the endangered

species and natural treasures Australia has. The country’s biodiversity makes it a great candidate for researching the long term effects of climate change. For example, research into weather patterns like El Niño and warming waters have shown to have an effect on Australian fisheries, potentially causing severe impacts to the environ-

ment, such as coral bleaching, lower yield in the fishing industry, and changes in wild fish migration patterns. Australia is taking what they call a ‘technology-based’ approach to fighting climate change and reaching their goal of net zero emissions. Over the next decade, the government plans to invest 20 billion Aus-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CSIRO

NASA returns first asteroid samples to Earth BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE WRITER On Sunday, September 22, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft safely deployed a capsule containing samples from an asteroid named Bennu. The NASA live stream commented that this historic event is like “opening a time capsule to our ancient solar system”. This accomplishment is the completion of a 4 billion mile journey over the past seven years, and a huge milestone for the United States. Experts believe that the samples can help scientists unlock hidden mysteries about the solar system, including how it came to be and how life itself evolved. Roughly 8.8 ounces of rock were brought to Earth from Bennu. After its recovery from the Utah desert, the capsule was transported to a military range before being flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid, was chosen as the target site largely due to its age. The asteroid was likely formed in the first ten million years of the solar system’s existence, which made it a prime sample from before 4.5 billion years ago. Because of this, studying Bennu’s chemical and physical properties could be one of the best ways for scientists to understand the beginnings of the solar system. Many researchers are still unsure on whether or not asteroids played a role in the emergence of life, however, there are theories that suggest that asteroids and comets delivered water and other life-building materials to the planet. NASA’s sample may be the key to finally understanding space phenomena. Bruce Betts, the chief scientist at The Planetary Society, congratulated NASA on their efforts and expressed interest and excitement for what this meant for the space field. When mentioning the asteroid sample,

tralian dollars (AUD) into low power carbon solutions, such as wind and solar options, while also helping to gain 80 billion AUD in private and corporate investment. The government hopes that this investment will spur innovation that does things like lowering the cost of solar panels and developing clean hydrogen-based power and carbon

Warming oceans means more dangerous beaches BY TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER

PHOTO COURTESY OF HTTPS://BLOGS.NASA.GOV

Betts said,“They’re pretty well untouched from right around 4.5 billion years ago. To get insights into these rocks gives real power to not just the science of asteroids but to everything in our solar system.” What makes the return of the Bennu asteroid sample more remarkable, is that it is classified as a potentially hazardous object. NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office estimated that there is a 1 in 2,700 chance of Bennu crashing into Earth between the years 2175 and 2199. The ORISIS-REx sample was delivered to NASA’s Space Center on September 25. A curation team has begun the intricate process of disassembling the TAGSAM (Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) in order to reach the full sample within. At the start of the process, NASA scientists found dark powder and sand-sized particles on the lid of the capsule. On September 29, NASA began the screening process for the sample. The initial curation process moved slower than anticipated, but for an excellent reason: the amount of material

found in the lid of the capsule was much more than scientists anticipated. “The very best ‘problem’ to have is that there is so much material, it’s taking longer than we expected to collect it,” said deputy OSIRIS-REx curation lead Christopher Snead of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The first sample collected is now undergoing analysis which will provide initial data regarding the Bennu material and what can be expected from the bulk sample when it is revealed. This “quick-look” research will utilize a variety of instruments, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), infrared measurements, and x-ray diffraction (XRD), to gain a better understanding of the sample. “You’ve got really top-notch people and instruments and facilities that are going to be hitting these samples,” Lindsey Keller, an analysis member at Johnson Space Center said. Over the coming weeks, the curation team will move the sample into a different specialized “glovebox” where they will carefully pick apart the capsule head until they reach the bulk of the sample within.

capture systems, while also creating jobs in these industries to decrease the economic effects of a changing economy. Systems engineering research fits in very well to the “technology-based” approach. Farid’s research has been developed into what is known as the Smart Energy Mission. The setup focuses on using models to develop the best solutions for Australia’s complex energy situation. It rests on 3 pillars: transformation, digitalization, and empowerment. Transformation involves modeling how energy infrastructure will change over the next few years, digitalization rests in integrating different green energy technologies under one connected interface, and empowerment comes from connecting investors, people, and governments in an international partnership. So far, the Australian government boasts of a good track record, pointing out that emissions in the country are already more than 20 percent lower than 2005 levels. They hope to see an 85 percent reduction in emissions by 2050, which is the goal needed to become carbon neutral. The Prime Minister of Australia also stressed international cooperation in this effort saying: “You can’t have one-nation solutions to issues which are global. They require international cooperation.”

When thinking about going to the beach most people’s concerns center around drowning or sharks, but unfortunately, due to global warming, there is the new and increasingly prominent threat of bacterial infection. Micro-organisms such as the Shewanella algae (S. algae) and the flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) have been leading to serious cases of infections and in some cases even death. Previously, many such water-borne pathogens were found living in the waters off the coast of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico where the temperature of the water was warm, but now these bacteria are starting to move northward. As stated by Jim Oliver, a microbiologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, “It used to be highly unusual north of the Carolinas, now it’s fairly routine.” Ed Houlihan, 83, was guiding kayakers on a four-mile trip in Cape Cod after which he was fine until five days later. On day five, his health took a toll as he experienced chills and aches. His shin turned red and sore and he experienced a high fever. Doctors later diagnosed him with S. algae infection caused by the bacterium which lives in brackish waters. The number of such infections have been on the rise as another bacterium V. vulnificus also caused three deaths in the State of New York. These types of bacteria mostly enter the body through scrapes or cuts. Oliver finds in his recent study that the number of infections caused by the V. vulnificus has increased eightfold from 1988 to 2018, with about 10 cases in 1988 to about 80 cases on average in 2018. From 1988 to 2018, the Vibrio species in general have caused more than 1,100 wound infections and 159 deaths. Another find of Oliver’s study is that cases of such infections were found to be on average 48 kilometers further north each year indicating how unusually warmer temperatures in the north is a leading cause of these infections. Joan Brunkard, an epidemiologist

at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), explains this when she states, “any bacteria, including Vibrio, are more abundant in warm waters, and we know that water temperatures are increasing, and we had record-breaking heat waves this summer.” Another correlation between rising temperatures and rising infection rates was also studied in Denmark. Infections due to these types of bacteria are a rarity for countries in northern Europe as the water temperatures there are too cold. However with the warming of the waters in the Baltic Sea, bacteria have been thriving leading to a risk of infections for humans. It was also found that the years when the summers were cooler, the rate of people getting sick was also lower. This again proves that sickness rates from bacteria are dependent upon the high temperatures. In the U.S. the rise in people getting infected has led officials at the CDC to declare that medical practitioners should initiate intensive antibiotic treatment as soon as possible if a person is diagnosed with such an infection. Both types of bacteria have been noted to kill even within a day’s time. V. vulnificus has been reported to cause Sepsis, a dangerous condition where the body’s defenses to fight off illness start attacking the body’s own tissues and organs with more dire cases requiring limb amputations. For all these reasons and in order to avoid infections, the CDC recommends that those who are older, have liver disease, or have even a small cut should avoid swimming in warmer temperature waters. Houlihan believes that his cracked toenail was all that the pathogen needed to infiltrate his body. Since he has gotten infected with S. algae, he has been hospitalized thrice for a total of 26 days. He also had to undergo surgery to remove the tissue damaged and still has one more surgery pending. The procedures that Houlihan had to go through showcase not only how dangerous these bacteria are but also how global warming has so many side effects that haven’t even been considered before.

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 –

Friday, September 29

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

Acknowledging the need for empathy in a time of crisis On Monday, October 9, President Farvardin sent a school-wide email that I found very disappointing. It was sent as a timely response to the recently declared war in Israel, urging students to “foster kindness, support and appreciation for others and to model inclusivity and compassion” and directing them towards available mental health support resources. While the administration has made it clear their intention to remain apolitical, the message fell short in fully acknowledging the effect these events are having on our Stevens community. Additionally, the discussion of their 10year “strategic plan” was incredibly ill-timed. For me, this is deeply personal as I am currently concerned for the safety of my entire extended family in Israel. Speaking personally,

not as an eBoard member of Stevens Hillel or The Stute, I find the support of a community incredibly important and meaningful in times like this. In such times of crisis, what we need from the school is more than a mere acknowledgment of the situation. The school’s response should not just revolve around the resources available or the longterm goals of the university; it’s about acknowledging the immediate pain and distress that students are feeling and validating the depth of our experiences. It’s about fostering an environment where open dialogue and understanding can occur, regardless of the political or ideological stance one holds, and recognizing that this situation is affecting individuals within our community on a deep, personal

level. It’s important to recognize that there are bipartisan issues where taking a stance might not be necessary. The frustration exists not because the school has taken a specific stance, but because the immediate concerns of the students are not being adequately addressed. In such situations, it’s crucial for the administration to actively listen to the concerns of students, validate their experiences, and provide avenues for meaningful discussions. No matter whether this is deemed political, humanitarian, or something else entirely, what matters most is that within the Stevens community, there are people who are hurting right now and need acknowledgment, empathy, and compassion.

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

Right across the river, I’m reminded how fast time passes. In the city, everything is changing all the time and too quickly for most people. Many of us chose Stevens based on its proximity to the city. Here, there’s always something to do, see, or experience. But I’ve realized in my month here that I rarely take the time to just look around me. This has created the irrational fear that I’m just gonna let things pass me by. The world keeps mov-

Dollarita regret end and I would hold onto that dread, and use it as a reason to never do anything. It has been difficult to realize that I deserve good things, to be happy, and to move on from the past. My mom always says, “If you’re happy, life goes on, but if you’re unhappy, life still goes on.” I attribute my healthier mindset to the fact that I’ve been living life more in the moment. I’ve stopped wishing that things could return to the way they were, and have ceased wasting time missing people who don’t care about me. I forget the past for better, or for worse, and move on. In my 1:30 a.m. walks back to Davis Hall from Castle Point Hall, I relish in the fact that I am here, I am loved, and I’m where I’m meant to be. Watching through the glass as good things pass me by gets old really quickly, so I am determined to not let good things in life pass me by this time.

NICOLE CHEUNG FOR THE STUTE

BY NICOLE CHEUNG ‘27

Editor-in-Chief

SENIORITIS

Fleeting time

ing and I’m fearful I won’t be able to keep up with it. Since being here, the absence of alone time has become quite apparent to me. My mindset all throughout high school has been: if you can’t be happy, then just be accomplished. This way of thinking is probably what got me here. I would try to silence negative thoughts with rigorous academics, clubs, activities, and continue this now. If people didn’t want me or to pay attention to me I would give myself intrinsic value, and make people want me. But as I look up from my work now, I realize, I am actually decently happy, even without pushing myself to the brink. I am surrounded by wonderful people, and good things are happening to me. My adolescent years were plagued with thoughts that the good things that were happening to me would inevitably

Isabella Ziv ‘25

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24 Once upon a time, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar™ was hosting an incredible deal. One dollar margaritas! If any of you can find a deal to beat this, please feel free to email me any time of any day. But back to the topic at hand, this last weekend, I had the pleasure of moseying my way down to an Applebee’s with some close friends — some may be high-ranking members of this very newspaper, while some may not (I will not name names). We sat down after a long day of hard work and needed something to lift our spirits, and like a shining banner, the waitresses’ shirt had the words “Dollaritas are back” on it. We knew what we had to do. I should preface the rest of this by saying that everyone involved in the long weekend shenanigans are over the age of 21. I know two weeks ago, I was expressing my displeasure with never being ID’d even though I had a brand new shiny license to show to the world. But now I can proudly say that I have been ID’d once — it was at an Applebee’s, but

COMIC CORNER BY LIZ SEPULVEDA

it still happened! And so the night began; we ordered our first round of dollaritas and some snack food for the table, and they were delicious. I will not elaborate on the rest of the night, but the title should tell you enough. But the night brings me to a concern I’m facing. Being a senior, I am currently working my way through my last long weekends of college, so I really feel obligated to make the most of them. Looking back on all my years, I feel like I would opt to spend my long weekends getting back rest from the long hours that come with being a full-time student, but the last year or so, I have made an effort to spend them with the people I enjoy being around. I get busy, and who cares if the experiences

are good or bad? It is nice to spend them in the company of friends, families, or other loved ones. At the end of the day, even though I experienced what some call “dollarita regret,” I think it was for the best. I mean, I got a whole column out of it! So it couldn’t have been the worst decision I’ve ever made. I think my piece of advice for this week is that even though you’ll have “regrettable” experiences throughout your time at college and all of life, they are all just experiences that you will be happy to have had happen 10 years from now. So go out and make the best decisions you can, but don’t linger on the bad ones for too long because they do not matter in the grand scheme of things.

Friday, September 29

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

UNMASKING: AN AUTISM STORY

Storytelling through the looking glass of genetics

As we look in the mirror and find our father’s eyes or our mother’s nose, what similarities persist through generations, and how do the unique ways we animate identical traits tell our story? Carl Zimmer, science journalist in genetics and author of the 2018 non-fiction book She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potential of Heredity, captures the mixture of deja vu and naturalistic wonder as the machine of heredity reminds us of its unyielding march throughout our day to day lives. The exigence of the book ref lects a semi-memoir in which She Has Her Mother’s Laugh has its humble beginnings from family dysfunction and a mid-life crisis — very approachable. Zimmer pulls from his own anxieties about his unknown family tree while sitting with a genetics counselor discussing health predispositions for his own children. Zimmer describes his murky background as his mother’s genealogy was equated to an elaborate game of telephone and his father’s side was a dead end, showing the reader that the book’s genetic inquiry is a very intimate relationship researched and traced back to vali-

are fast and immersive reads, but She Has Her Mother’s Laugh reads like a fairy-tale story as Zimmer turns to colorful anecdotes, historical case studies, and even mythology to answer the looming gene question. Contextualizing the origin of heredity, Zimmer knows that his audience isn’t interested in a genetics lesson on Mendelian inheritance and human genome sequencing. Leaning on cultural and historical phenomena, we learn of kinship bonds, feudal inheritance, and the transfer of culture aided through genes from across, and sometimes in spite of, generations. At its heart, this seemingly dense read about a long-forgotten high school biology class becomes an empathetic study of the confusion and admiration towards our own genetic profile that reveals a way of life. As the information on genetics has amassed, understanding complex inheritance of rare diseases and CRISPR gene editing, Zimmer treats these scientific checkpoints as living and changing entities that have been morphed by social interest, medical breakthroughs, and prejudice.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

BY TIANNA SPITZ ‘27

date those also searching into their genetic identity. Almost like pulling on loose threads to reveal the patchwork of the gene narrative, Zimmer is our tour guide from the birth of genetics in the 1900s to the political and ethical quandaries that have gravitated toward the human genome as technology has become more advanced and robust. Zimmer bows down to the gene, and because every chromosome borrows from the last, he does the same. Like any true science journalist, Zimmer doesn’t shy away from posing the bioethical questions of the future implications of genetic engineering and technology, but he knows that the answers are weaved into the past. As the book follows the relevant threads of heredity, careful to equally recognize non-western and classical concepts of genealogy, Zimmer exemplifies alternate concepts of heredity from the Malaysian Island of Langkawi that recognizes familial ties if children consumed the same food in which kinship was established through shared substance. Conversely, the hierarchy of pedigrees emerged in French society by the 13th century, coined by noble lineage portraiture. The physical proponents of limited gene pools and royal in-breeding have resulted in physical deformities such as the Habsburg Jaw, marked by an elongated lower jaw, which is symbolic of a moment in history where genetics jeopardized lineage and the unknown medical repercussions would continue to haunt an empire. Few non-fiction books

How to unmask autism: trustworthy sources to learn about autism

GIRL(ISH) TALK

Barbie (the movie): what it means to be alive

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 Fine, I’ll talk about it! The Barbie Movie came out this summer and it took girls by storm. No one has specifically asked me to write a column about this, but I feel like it would be wrong not to discuss my thoughts at some point. I mean, pretty much every girl, gay, and they that I know, was counting down the days till Barbie hit the theaters. And the movie did not disappoint. It covered a lot of ground, leaving us with a lot to think about. I, like many, have some issues with the pro-Mattel messaging, but I’m going to ignore those and talk about them in a different week. There were so many good and beautiful themes in this movie and honestly, I cried at least three

times. A quick disclaimer before I get into it, this will contain some spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet and want to experience it for yourself, maybe come back to this article after you watch it. The first moment that really got me was when Margot Robbie, as Barbie, was sitting in a park, looking at the people living their lives around her. Although the previous scenes highlighted the imperfect parts of our world, this one gave the audience a brief reminder of why it’s all worth it. Then, the whole experience is wrapped up by a nice exchange between Barbie and a woman waiting for the bus where they both tell each other that they are beautiful. Another moment was when Barbie finds herself in a kitchen, sitting with Ruth Handler, the maker of the Barbie doll. Barbie says, “the real world isn’t what I thought it was,” and Handler replies, “it never is, and isn’t that marvelous?” Finally, the last moment that got me was when Barbie became human and the montage played of what looked like home movies showing women in all stages of life, growing

up, graduating, achieving goals, living. Underneath the plot of the movie and the less subtle themes, the Barbie movie had me thinking about what it means to be a girl. At some point or another, we all grow up and realize that we aren’t like the dolls that we played with as kids, we’re humans. Before she becomes human, Barbie asks Ruth, her stand-in mother figure, “so being human’s not something I need to ask for or even want? [...] It’s just something that I discover I am?” When we’re little, we picture ourselves and our future as being so shiny and perfect like Barbie. We don’t include heartbreak, or pain, or uglines. Then we get a glimpse at what being a woman really means, and some of it sucks, but some of it is so inexplicably beautiful. That’s what it’s all about, the chaos, the pain, and the beauty of growing up as a girl. Our mother figures who watch us go through the same things they did and have to let us figure it out on our own. In the end, we all make the same choice that Barbie did, not to be perfect but to be human, to embrace it all.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26 As we have discussed in this column so far, autism is a complex, often mysterious topic. We have been learning about the definitions, diagnosis, masking, and other parts of autism. While we will continue to explore autism, it is essential to understand who you learn about autism from. Whether on the internet, a class, or someone you know, there are many different perspectives, anecdotes, and ways to learn about autism — and they may not all be accurate. This week, we explore how to learn about autism. First, I might as well explain why you should listen to anything I say about autism. As mentioned in this column, I was diagnosed with Asperger/high functioning autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (see the definitions edition to learn the differences). In essence, I know about autism from my own experiences, what professionals like social workers, therapists, and doctors have told me over the years, and research I have done myself. Of course, my experiences may be the complete opposite of others’,

or the same, or a mixture of similarities and differences. My experience with autism versus others is where the first difficulty in learning about autism may come into play. With so many individuals with autism, changes in diagnoses and definitions, or traits and characteristics, you may encounter someone on the street with entirely different experiences than me with autism. They are not wrong or right, and I am not wrong or right; both are valid sources of information. Whether someone is self-diagnosed or clinically diagnosed, an individual with autism, ASD, or Aspergers, or however they identify, are often safe and reliable sources to learn about autism. An alternative way to learn about autism (like this column) is through printed/internet sources. Whether it be news articles (like this), publications online, blog posts, medical journals, or documentaries, there are infinite sources to learn about autism online. However, as with learning anything online, one must be wary of incorrect information, false news, or manipulated sources. As with many internet safety articles, it is safe primarily to visit resources from reputable organizations. For autism research, this could be the American Psychology Association (APA), the May Clinic, the National Institute of Health (NIH), or most government and institutional sources.

Again, like this column, published sources by individuals with autism are good to learn about autism; however, be wary of individuals claiming to have autism but may not. Again, similar to most online research, if there is something suspicious about an individual online, be wary — but if everything seems authentic with a source, it is mostly safe to learn from them about autism. Throughout this article, I have been qualifying many of my statements: “However, be wary” or “are often safe.” One avenue to learn about autism that I feel confident will always be true (barring extreme circumstances) is professionals and experts. Whether it be a professor of psychology who studies, neuropsychologists who explore the chemistry of autism, or social workers who help individuals with autism every day — they will know the most, or at least the most comprehensive, academic knowledge of autism. Autism is a fascinating topic. Whether it be the complex process of defining autism, the many different diagnosis systems, or the varying characteristics of autism, autism is mysterious in many ways. However, one way to dig deeper, beyond the masked secrets of autism, is by examining the chemistry of the brain neuropsychology of autism. Next week, we will explore what may be the physical representation of autism within one’s brain.

OFF THE PRESS

Kooky iller kaught: How it happened BY OFF CENTER -SatireThe infamous Georgia-born serial killer, Eve Pilgrim, was recently caught in Albany through a series of wacky events. Eve Pilgrim has been guilty of killing 356 people by doing a cringe-worthy impersonation of “Stylish Dheeru” from the VIVA videos. New York City local Sridhar Gupta first spotted Pilgrim in a bakery, looking over plans to kill the famous band Love4All, who were planning on doing a concert in Albany. Not wanting to let evil prosper, Sridhar recruited his friend, the vigilante street musician Patrick Heffner, who held an immunity to all kinds of cringe-worthy impersonations. Patrick also recruited his siblings, Meg and Danny, along with two of Meg’s friends, Frank Glee and Molly Mills, in an escapade to stop Eve Pilgrim. However, while going over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in a van to catch Pilgrim, a banana peel fell on the road, causing the van to slip and fall into the Hudson River. There, they landed on a water tower underneath the river and discovered an underwater world. In the underwater world, they discovered a bunch of Beatnik fishes swimming in what seemed to be a giant pool. Sridhar and his

friends went over to ask the fishes how to get to Albany to stop Pilgrim when they realized that the pool was actually a cannon filled to the top with water. The cannon exploded, causing everyone to go flying through the air as they passed by clouds shaped by all the numbers from one to infinity before falling into a giant lake of lava, which had a temperature of zero degrees Celsius. At the bottom of the lake was a secret door that said it could lead them to Albany, which everyone entered. Behind a door was a place known as Foodfight Paradise, where all kinds of food from different cuisines were thrown everywhere, ranging from pizza burgers to paneer haggis to hummus escargot. Some ice cream fell on Meg’s face, which gave Meg 180-degree burns as well as caused both of her arms to fall out. Meanwhile, a burrito was launched in Patirck’s ear, causing Patrick to scream as the burrito started licking his brain. Meanwhile, Danny found a gingerbread man and started eating him, causing it to scream. When the gingerbread man asked why Danny was doing it, Danny said it was because he was only eighteen years old, which the gingerbread man accepted as an excuse. Meanwhile, Sridhar found a portal to another world, which everyone went into.

The portal went to a place known as Totally Normal Land, where everything was totally normal. However, since people from Earth are typically not normal people, Sridhar and his friends didn’t really fit in. However, the people from Totally Normal land were really kind and helpful people and gave them directions to get to Albany, as well as give them tips on how to stop Eve Pilgrim. Sridhar and his gang followed the directions to a castle and saw a portal back to our world. Sridhar and his friends jumped through the portal to get to Albany, they saw Eve Pilgrim with all the band members of Love4All tied up. As she was about to do her cringe-worthy impersonation, Sridhar did an impersonation of “Darling Das” from the VIVA videos, causing an electric shock to be emitted through Pilgrim’s body. After that, Patrick, Meg, Danny, Frank, and Molly started singing every single theme song of a Nick Jr. show, which caused the ropes holding the Love4All members to get untied. Then, Sridhar pulled up lumps of clay and threw them in the air, causing them to transform into tax collectors who sang “When the Saints Come Marching In,” which caused Eve Pilgrim to get tied up with the rope. The police were called, and Eve Pilgrim was finally arrested for her crimes.

Friday, September 29

Opinion ADVICE FOR BROKE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Fintech and how to know if it’s right for you

BY HIMA THUMMALA ‘23 The up and coming branch of fintech and data is a useful and impactful niche that is growing more and more day by day. Stevens Institute of Technology’s School of Business expresses this through its majors offered such as Quantitative Finance, Information Systems, and Business

and Technology. The classes offered in these courses don’t focus solely on the typical business classes that are believed to be taken at colleges, such as finance, economics, etc., but also classes that focus on coding and excel modeling and its applications to the business world. Those who pursue these courses could often be going after jobs in the industries of investment banking, data science, or business analytics. The world we live in is filled with data gathered from many different sources. This could be on a big or small scale. Data can be analyzed in many different ways, one of them being by the use of Excel. Excel is one of the many tools that can be used by those in many dif-

ferent analyst professions due to the many built in functions which can aid in the analysis of data. So how can this information be applied to someone who is not pursuing a career in this field? Excel can be used to do something as simple as keeping track of your finances. So how would someone effectively create a budget on Excel? First, start by labeling three separate columns by “Reason,” “Date,” and “Amount.” Then go ahead and fill in the rows with their corresponding answers. Create a total cell under the amount section. Type in “=sum(),” and highlight the numbers in the amount row, and press enter — and that’s it! Your total will appear and let you know what you spent in total on all of your

expenses, and will let you easily reference what you spent money on, when you spent it, and how much it was, all in one organized place! Furthermore, there is a large demand for careers in the interdiscipline of financial technology. This is what makes it such a lucrative and sought after career by many. Also, many go after their dream of working on the world famous Wall Street in New York City, where major finance companies are. The constant hustle is what many work for, whether out of passion or desire for the high salaries. So how can students get involved in the field of finance technology or just learn about it? Well, if they are still in college they can take a correlated

class as an elective, or even take up a minor in the subject! If planning to go on to further studies, students can try to go into their intended fintech field by pursuing a masters in the subject. For example, if a student is majoring in Computer Science, they can pursue their masters in Computational Finance, still allowing them to pave a pathway into the field. Being in college is a time to figure out your interests. Just because you go to college planning to pursue a certain major, you may realize that it may not be your finding. If that is the case, then consider this. Are you a data oriented individual? Do you enjoy analyzing data and seeing what sort of conclusions you can form

from it? Do you like to learn about the financial market, economy, or another business discipline? If your answers are yes, it could mean that you could be well suited to become some sort of analyst in business. This could be a financial analyst, economic analyst, data analyst, and much more. Although, it is important to know that this is not all there is to fintech. There is much, much more ranging from algorithmic trading to Venmo. It’s a large and diverse field filled with many different aspects that help make not only the financial world, but the whole business world more efficient and help companies achieve maximum effectiveness.

STEVENS’ CHEFS RECIPE CARDS

Crumb cake, emphasis on the crumb

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 My aunt has always provided great advice in cooking and many other areas of my life. Her cooking style is best described as indulgence. Moderation is not a priority, either in volume of cooking or richness. She loves to make trays of overloaded Thanksgiving stuffing or sweet but balanced desserts. For my 8th birthday, she made a giant tray of cookies and cream cupcakes for me to bring to school. Of course, in third grade, your social status is pretty much determined by the quality of dessert you bring in for your birthday, so I sat anxiously awaiting the verdict, the room unusually

quiet. I was afraid my peers were quiet because they didn’t like them, but my teacher reassured me they were so preoccupied with eating that it left no time to talk. To this day, I consider it a legendary feat to make a cupcake so good it leaves a room of third graders speechless. Her crumb cake recipe is similarly regarded but deceptively simple. Sometimes, the novelty of the dessert is more impactful than the technique. Everyone’s cake recipes are going to be pretty similar, but pairing and presentation can take it to another level. Instead of cookies or frosted cake, a crumb cake stands out on a dessert table. A typical recipe might be paired with coffee and eaten as a breakfast cake, though these ratios might not constitute a breakfast of champions; these proportions create approximately equal layers of crumb and cake. I still like the coffee pairing, so drink a cup of decaf with it or add flavorings to the cake if you can’t get enough mocha flavor.

A POOLSIDE PERSPECTIVE

What they don’t tell you about college athletics

BY KEENAN YATES ‘24 When you sign up to play a sport in college, you sign up for the practices, the games, the cool gear, and the new coach and teammates you’ll have. As with anything, there’s more you have to figure out on the fly. Every first-year comes in aiming for trifecta: great grades, great athletics, and a great social life, the feasibility of which is nil without good time management. But why not shoot for the moon? The thing is, there are only 168 hours in a week, and classes are intellectually challenging while practices are physically demanding. School gets tough quick: it isn’t even necessarily that you’ll have one hard class; it’s more so the fact that you’ll be taking Differential Equations alongside Statics (formerly Mechanics of Sol-

ids) right next to Physics, and have fifty pages to read for your chosen humanities course. Of course, there’s a different learning curve for everyone, but the high school “I’ll study the night before and be fine” ethos does not often bode well at the college level, especially for athletes with a need to rest before the next day’s practices and classes. Even with the course load, one thing that might be surprising is that, at least in my experience at Stevens, coaches actually care about your academics. Being a Division 3 school, there’s the unspoken reality that your athletic career will probably end after these four years, while your professional career will only take off at that point. What that means is the real investment is in the classroom. That being said, it doesn’t mean you’re going to train less, have a smaller commitment to athletics, or get away with skipping practice. You’re still looking at some 15-20 hours a week spent practicing and training in the varsity gym, not including games or meets and the travel time it takes to get to wherever you’re headed. It’s easy to underesti-

mate the amount of sacrifice required to play a sport in college before you get there, especially when a majority of it comes in the quiet form of staying in rather than hanging out with friends so that you can sleep early for morning practice, and coming back early or forgoing holiday breaks altogether since you have to stay on campus to train or compete. Is the sacrifice worth it? The answer differs from year to year and athlete to athlete, but the support network you get as a first-year athlete is huge and can make a big difference in your college experience in the short and long run. If I had to fill in the blank of “I wish I knew xyz before choosing to play a sport in college,” there are a lot of great fillers that would do justice. I wish I knew the importance of a good sleep schedule. I wish I knew how influential my team’s support network was to my success as a first-year. I wish I knew how many friends I’d make. I wish I knew that there would be great practices just as much as awful ones. And lastly, I wish I knew that it meant achievements my younger self would not have thought possible.

FROM SOUQS TO SCHOOLS

Arab Adventures

BY RACHEL ABRAHAM ‘26 Traveling as an Arab has always been an interesting ordeal. I’ve heard all the crazy TSA stories there are, and they just get even wilder over the years. One of my cousins was driving back from Canada into the States and got pulled into custody for hours (her last name was f lagged in their system, but she didn’t care for that; she was just mad they were trying to confiscate her olives and za’atar). Having a Lebanese stamp alone will reel you into many questions. I’ll probably never be admitted into Israel without a massive interview, which is especially odd given that I’m an American. Still, they don’t care about that. Funny enough,

I was actually in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, and our airport got blown up. We had to go through Syria to get back to the States, which took quite a while because of my mother’s immigration status, but I’m here now, so… I won. My boyfriend also has a couple of interesting stories about his time in Lebanon. The last time he visited, he wanted to go to this famous falafel shop in Tripoli (people needed clarification about their plans to go, considering its occupation by Al Qaeda). He didn’t mind a little danger, but the f lags were a bit much. He was more upset by the fact that the famous falafel spot was closed. In his own words, “Like, if I’m bouta get captured by Al Qaeda, at least lemme get my sandwich.” If I wasn’t a threat to national security already, I now know a bit too much about nuclear weapons. It’s not like it was my choice; I just happened to attend a school that requires science-focused courses for liberal arts majors. I was expect-

ing a more classic liberal arts education, but I honestly don’t mind Stevens’ curriculum. If anything, it makes me more well-rounded. Modern philosophers are sort of looked down upon, and I’d be far more obnoxious if constantly quoting Camus, Nietzche, and Dostoevsky. It sucks because, at one point, philosophers were really cool. Plato stayed f lexing on his students (literally). I like to imagine that we would have been gym buddies (keyword, imagine, he wouldn’t take me that seriously. Plato believed that women were physically inferior to men). Anyways, back to the point. Traveling as an Arab sucks right now. I can’t even take a direct f light to Beirut because of terrorist hijackings in the 80’s (the CIA still has to find some of these terrorists, and when they do, I will throw a RAGER). Hopefully, circumstances will change one day, but I doubt it. Sorry, no happy ending in this one.

Friday, October 13

Campus Pulse

Anjali Denissov ‘27

Cecilia Esteban ‘26

“Whip cream on a bowl of Froot Loops. Don’t judge until you try it.”

“I’m not a weird food eater, sorry. I eat anything that comes my way. Judgement free zone <3.”

Nicole Giardino ‘25

“Grape jelly and cream cheese. I grew up having that one.”

ROVING REPORTER By Rafael Lee Li and Mia Petrolino

“Probably like… Is yogurt and pretzels weird?”

“What is your favorite weird food combo?”

“Mayo and ketchup. But that’s not weird!”

Nicole Cheung ‘27

Miguel Bigao ‘23

“Nutritional yeast over anything and everything.”

“I have tuna and rice. It’s like sushi without the kelp.”

Pedram Behrooz ‘25

Megan Birns ‘26

Sudoku Very Hard Puzzle: 0.87 difficulty

Simon Garcia ‘25

“Beer and a protein shake.”