[The Stute] November 10, 2023 (Issue 10, Volume CXXI)

Happy World Kindess Week

I hope you have a great day!

VOLUME CXXI No. 10

We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | NOVEMBER 10, 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

SDS presents...

Radium Girls, the girls who died for science

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA, of people for their own good and image.” In the case of OUTREACH CHAIR the Radium Girls, dial paint-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF VOCK

Stevens SGA hosts summit

BY SEAN ANDERSON, STAFF WRITER On November 12, Stevens Student Government Association (SGA) will be hosting this fall’s New Jersey College Student Government Conference. This summit will take place from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. and will occur in parts of Babbio and UCC. During this time, members of student government from varying colleges all over New Jersey will be able to come together to create connections and gain useful information from seminars on relevant topics.

Alexander Stanczak, Vice President of Operations of Stevens SGA, is part of the task force that has been in charge of preparing for the conference and has stated that “this conference has been a long time coming for us.” The process of reserving time to host and planning the events of the summit is one that has spanned over a year and a half. This summit is held each fall and spring at a different host college, and SGAs at each college must sign up in advance at another summit in order to have the privilege to host it. Stevens SGA signed up at the summit at TCNJ in Spring 2022. Following this, a conference task force was formed including 7 SGA members as follows: Paulina Georgoutsos, Kevin Pfundstein, Olof Persson, Aditya Bhangale, Rebecca Los, Michelle Jacob, and Alexander Stanczak. In order to tackle all the logistics of the conference, they were broken into subcategories split up to be led by the members of the task force. After months of planning, this weekend marks the culmination of their work.

In total, 16 internal members of the Stevens SGA will be participating in the conference, with some also leading workshops throughout the day.

SEE SGA PAGE 2 NEWS (2-3)

SDS presents Radium Girls, the girls who died for science The fall play took place this last weekend and was a huge success!

Learn more about how it all came together.

FEATURE (4)

World Kindess Week Cut out some compliment coupons to give to your peers and donate to Toys for Tots.

Gateway Cafe to become Amazon Go: an interview with Dining Services

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR As part of their efforts to keep up with the ever-changing technology and trends of society, Stevens Dining recently announced that Gateway Cafe in the Gateway Academic Center will close and become the new home of an Amazon Go on campus. To learn more, The Stute spoke with Madison Goslin, the Marketing Manager of Stevens Dining Services (SDS).

To start, Goslin explained

some of the reasons for changing the location, stating: “In this era of technology, adaptation and innovation are paramount for progress. We believe that introducing Amazon Go to the Stevens campus perfectly resonates with the school’s values. At Stevens, “We are a community of innovators, motivated by solving problems, compelled to advance technological progress and improve the lives and condition of our global society. We are Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology™. Having successful-

ly implemented Amazon Go at other campuses, the most recent being Montclair State, we’ve witnessed remarkable outcomes that exceeded all expectations. Bringing this store to the Stevens Campus was a natural and logical next step.”

Goslin continued in detailing the process to make this change, explaining, “Over the past year, we collaborated diligently with the school and our Amazon Liaisons to meticulously strategize this en-

SEE GO PAGE 2

This past weekend, Stevens Dramatic Society presented Radium Girls, the true story of factory workers in Orange, New Jersey, who worked with radium paint and developed radium poisoning. After years of requesting compensation and being dismissed by their employers, the Radium Girls sued and gained national attention. Their lawsuit was a major landmark in the labor rights movement, giving precedent for worker’s compensation, and safety standards across industries increased following the lawsuit and settlement.

Grace Fryer, played by second-year Computer Science student Taylor Terry, filed the lawsuit against the United States Radium Corporation and was joined by four other dial painters. Terry emphasizes the relevance and importance of this story, saying, “The silencing of women and their pain is unfortunately still a prevalent issue today and this show truly brings it to light. There are also still so many stories that are occurring today in which corporations or the government know of issues in the environment that are harming citizens and they choose to try to keep things quiet and endanger the lives

ers were instructed to keep the paint brushes pointed by using their lips or tongues.

They ingested “between a few hundred to a few thousand microcuries of radium, per year,” thousands of times the safe exposure to radium, which is less than 1/10 of a microcurie. The harmful effects of radium were kept from the all-female workforce, and as Terry’s character describes, they were not expected to ask questions.

Luke Magette, fourth year Mechanical Engineering major, played U.S. Radium Corp President Arthur Roeder. Roeder denied responsibility for the girls’ poisoning for years, as the girls’ condition worsened, not believing that radium could be a dangerous substance.

This was not an unpopular opinion in the medical community, as few wanted to speak out against or stall the rapid advancements that had come from its discovery. “If radium has unknown dangers, it might seriously injure the therapeutic use of radium,” wrote the chief medical examiner of New York to the Radium Girls’ lawyer. Magette describes the complexity of portraying a real person in a position of

SEE SDS PAGE 2

Stevens’ acceptance to the Hoboken Community Center IIE Global E3 consortium says Happy Howl-O-Ween!

BY TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER Studying abroad has become a staple of the American college experience, and Stevens is working towards increasing the number of international opportunities for students. Being primarily an engineering school, Stevens’ acceptance into the Institution of International Education’s (IIE) Global Engineering Education Exchange (E3) consortium allows more engineering students to study abroad and earn credits for their major-specific courses. The Stute spoke with Susan Rachouh, the Director of International Programs, and she explains how this program will eliminate a lot of the worries engineering students face when it comes to getting their courses approved for a semester abroad.

All of Stevens’ engineering programs incorporate a broader engineering curriculum through the Design Spine. The Design Spine, consisting of eight classes with one taken each semester, prepares all future engineers with the overlapping skills and requirements needed to be successful, regardless of their specialty. However, this is most engineering majors’ SCIENCE (6)

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PULSE (10)

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main hindrance in traveling abroad for a semester.

Currently, engineering students opt to study abroad for winter or summer terms, as they have an extremely hard time taking Design Spine courses elsewhere. IIE Global E3 consortium solves this, as it is a coalition of 70 colleges and universities whose engineering curricula are world renowned, and thus will likely support the type of classes engineering majors at Stevens need to fulfill their requirements.

Stevens’ admission to this consortium has been in the works since 2020.

The initial application was submitted to IIE, but due to pandemic-related delays, the next steps after the first round weren’t prioritized until travel became safe again. With operations resuming fully in person again and all the necessary materials submitted, the Office of International Programs finally received a follow-up over this past summer that Stevens had been accepted into this prestigious exchange program. This led to contract negotiations that were finalized a few months later.

With contract negotiations out of the way, the next

SEE IIE PAGE 2

BY KAITLYN CHIURRI, CONTRIBUTOR

ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE

On October 28, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Church Square Park, Hoboken Community Center’s second annual Howl-O-Ween event commenced. Hoboken Community Center (HCC) is a non-profit organization that has a food pantry, helps house low-income men, and gives the community affordable housing programs. This paws-itively awesome event raises money to help support the HCC and its programs. The event consisted of a dog costume contest, a parade,

food trucks, and many other vendors to make it the perfect fall activity. With Halloween approaching, the contest sparked the holiday spirit in a time when fewer and fewer families are trick-or-treating. This year, about 245 dogs took part in the costume contest portion, with each entry costing fifteen dollars for early bird registration or twenty dollars at the door.

The HCC was also able to raise money through spon-

SEE HOWL PAGE 2

Recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award, Sandeep Bhatt

BY EMMA SPOONAUER, STAFF WRITER Every year, recent alumni of Stevens help select a professor who has had a significant impact on their learning and experience on campus to be the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award. Selections also must hold the position of a full-time undergraduate rank above Senior Lecturer and must have taught for at least three years.

The Stute got the chance to speak with this year’s recipient, Sandeep Bhatt,

Teaching Professor in the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, to learn more about his experience and feelings about teaching.

Dr. Bhatt received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following his education, he taught for nine years at Yale University as an associate professor.

Then, from 1992 to 2017, Bhatt held various industrial research positions before coming to Stevens.

He lists all of the cours-

es he currently teaches at our institution, “I teach two theory courses that are required for CS and CySec majors: CS 135 (Discrete Structures) and CS 334 (Theory of Computation).

I also teach CS 601 (Algorithmic Complexity) and a special topics elective CS 810 (Algorithmics).”

When asked what it means to him to be a teacher, Bhatt remarks, “It’s a pleasure to share my excitement in simple and beautiful ideas that have shaped computer science.

SEE AWARD PAGE 2

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Friday, November 10

News Masthead Volume CXX No. 10 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 ‘25 SECRETARY.............................................CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 HEAD COPY EDITOR..............................KEENAN YATES ‘24

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SGA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Stanczak, for one, is leading the discussions on Sustainability and Setting and Defining Initiatives.

Additionally, Kevin Pfundstein, Vice President of Finance for Stevens SGA, will be leading the Finance and Budgeting workshop, and Michelle Jacob, Chair of the Public Relations Committee, and Dr. Leo Pedraza from Student Life will be hosting the Event Planning and Publicity breakout session.

Other discussions and workshops,

GO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tire process. Additionally, we have gathered valuable insights from other schools that have already gone through this process and are now successfully operating their own Amazon Go locations.”

Goslin then offered a potential timeline for the construction project. Demolition of the existing Gateway Cafe began last Monday, November 6, and should continue until sometime in Spring 2024. However, to help aid the Stevens community while the location is under renovation, SDS “will continue offering coffee and grab-and-go items for purchase on the ground floor of the Gateway North building Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. as well as the beloved Smoothies moving to Cannon Cafe for the time being.”

One concern of some students is the fate of the employees who worked at the Gateway Cafe. Goslin responded to this concern with: “I understand that students had concerns about job losses on campus

SDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 power trying to justify his actions.

“He was trying to do a good thing and got his hands tied,” he comments. Roeder had stepped down from the role of president before the settlement, at which point the new president, Clarence Lee, stated: “We unfortunately gave work to a great many people who were physically unfit to procure employment in other lines of industry. Cripples and persons similarly incapacitated were engaged.

What was then considered an act of kindness on our part has since

IIE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 steps would involve relaying the specifics about the different engineering coursework and requirements to IIE. Rachouh stated that for this reason, it will likely take a year before students can travel abroad through this program.

The technical details of how the exchange via this consortium will work is still being figured out.

The overall application process will remain largely the same ac-

HOWL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 sors such as Groomington Eats, Hoboken Business Alliance, Veterinary Emergency Group, Animal Infirmary of Hoboken, Camp Bow Wow, Mulligan’s Hoboken, and BondVet. The dog costume contest featured nine categories: best in show, most creative, spookiest, funniest, most adorable, best duo, best family costume, best D.I.Y., and most New Jersey. Each contestant had a chance to win a range of prizes that had a 200 dollar value. The judges were a group of Hoboken legends including Jennifer Tripucka, founder of The Hoboken Girl blog, Peter Biancamano, host of The Pulse With Peter B, James Runkle, President of the Hoboken Business Association, and Mike Turner, retired battalion chief of Hoboken Fire

including Student Government Structure and Leadership, Transitions and Membership Retention, Diversity and Inclusion, Conflict Resolution, Cabinet and Senator Dynamics, Burnout and Knowing Your Limit, School Administration Dynamics, Academic Operations and Affairs, and Government and Community Relations will be hosted by other members of SGA, professional Stevens staff members, or both.

Not only will the conference be an opportunity for SGA members to attend these workshops, but it will also give them the chance to build connections. Stanczak states

that this is one of the parts of the conference that everyone is looking forward to since “the opportunity for networking and the ability to connect with other Student government leaders” will allow them to “gain insight into how they run their operations” to learn from each other.

The next New Jersey College Student Government Conference host will be selected at the end of the upcoming conference.

Stanczak states, “Stevens SGA looks forward to once again attending another university to gain more knowledge about how we can continue to better our own SGA.”

due to this location, but rest assured that our wonderful Gateway Cafe Ladies are here to stay! During the construction phase, they will be relocated to other Dining Locations on campus. Once the store opens, we will continue to have dedicated employees managing its operations.”

To finish, Goslin explained what the new experience will be like for students in the Amazon Go location: “To utilize the seamless Just Walk Out technology for shopping, customers can enter the store by simply swiping their credit card or campus card at the entry gates. They can then pick their desired items and exit without the need for a tradition-

al checkout line or self-serve kiosk.

Amazon’s Just Walk Out system employs sensor fusion, computer vision, and deep learning to identify the items customers take from or return to the shelves. The customer’s card will be charged for the items they selected once they’ve exited the store.”

While some questions remain, like if or what dining swipes will be accepted and if the smoothies and coffees Gateway Cafe served will remain permanently, among others, the new Amazon Go location represents the vision of SDS moving forward in Stevens’s innovative mission of the future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS DINING SERVICES

been turned against us.” Magette described the impact of the corporation’s neglect of its workers: “Listening to how these women were screwed over and forgotten about… the people in power just got to walk away and these girl’s lives were affected every day.” Though each girl sued for $250,000, they each received $10,000, their medical and legal bills covered, and $600 annually. Three of the plaintiffs died less than five years after the settlement, and the last plaintiff died 18 years after the settlement, at the age of 51.

Radium Girls is a stark departure from the comedies performed last year by SDS, Play On! and The Prom. There were many unique

technical elements to the show, with UV paint and blue-green lighting to color the entire production with a radioactive glow, though “the heart of the story is the script.” Magette hopes to see more dramas from the student group, saying, “Telling dramatic stories is what makes me love theater.”

According to SDS president Carly Teitelbaum, on Wednesday, November 8 the organization secured the rights for The Addams Family, which will be the spring musical!

Audition dates have not been set yet, but they will likely occur at the beginning of next semester. The performances will be on April 4th at 9pm, April 5th at 8pm, and April 6th at 2pm and 8pm.

cording to Rachouh, but because it is an exchange program, some things work differently compared to other international programs.

Since exchanges involve sending out a fairly equal number of students to an institution abroad and having a similar number of students come in, Stevens students participating in exchange programs can still pay their semesterly fees at Stevens directly.

This allows all participants of the exchange to continue to receive their financial aid packages while traveling abroad. This added benefit allows students to pursue in-

ternational opportunities without the added stress of how to finance them. The Director of International Programs hopes that this advancement will be beneficial to the Stevens community and encourage more students to partake in international experiences.

Although the program is not yet ready, Global E3 will connect Stevens to other universities with prestigious engineering curricula and provide students, from other places around the world and Stevens alike, the opportunity to explore the world while continuing their pursuit of engineering.

Department. The costumes were adorable and creative, with celebrity couples like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce being represented as well as popular movie references, like Weird Barbie, making an appearance. Some spooky costumes also fit the Halloween season, with dogs dressed as creepy spiders and the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine. The competition was ruff, but the prize for most creative was won by a family of four dressed up as NERDS candy.

The dogs donned adorable purple and pink sweaters and owners box costumes. The ‘Best Family’ award went to the Mario characters family, with the dog dressed as Mario and the family members dressed as Shy Guy, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser. The ‘Funniest’ award went to Sophia from the American sitcom The Golden Girls. Lastly, the ‘Most Adorable’ award went to a dog with a rat trap on it, representing the political circumstances in

Hoboken with the City Council Elections happening earlier this year.

The large number of vendors was also a high point of this event, with anything from dog food trucks to gourmet brownies.

Some of the participating vendors and non-profits were Vanilla Joe & Co., Doggy Dots, Supreme K9 Dog Training & Advocacy, The Local Thread, and Woofbowl. Hoboken Girl Scout Troop 12038 also participated in the festivities by hosting a pet donation table and collecting canned or pouch cat food, canned wet dog food, and rolls of pet waste bags. All together, this event helped humans and pets alike by raising money and collecting donations, and many Hoboken residents will look forward to its recurrence next year..

In order to donate goods, volunteer, or donate money to the HCC, please visit Hoboken Community Center’s website at https://hobokencc.org/.

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Friday, November 10

News Should we the Bugs and Chris Walton. When and gain exposure as well. Bernal CONTINUED FROM

BY AN LE, asked about working with these shares the same sentiment, say- push to raise PAGE 1 CONTRIBUTOR artists, SITTV president Lawrence ing, “Overall, we hope to continue And, it’s a joy to watch students’ On Sunday, October 29, Hum- Bernal positively comments, “All bringing in more local talent for the student faces light up when they see phreys’ first-floor residents were of the artists we brought over so recording sessions.” WCPR has how simple ideas can combine left wondering where a sudden far like Chris Walton, Jug & The a Sound of Stevens form on their activity fee? to yield unexpectedly powerful barrage of loud music was coming Bugs, and Wince are not only tal- linktr.ee for any interested artist AWARD

results.” Bhatt’s past teachers taught him the importance of “leaving [his] ego outside the door of the classroom” by slowly and strategically breaking down complex concepts for his students and admitting when he does not know the answer to a question. From these admired teachers, he has also learned to challenge his students and make himself available for them as much as possible.

For students who might want to become a professor one day, Bhatt shares that they should take advantage of the opportunity to become a course assistant at Stevens and to try their best to get into a good graduate program. He explains, “Graduate school provides essential training for research and lifelong learning, and especially in a fast-evolving field like Computer Science, a Ph.D. is a must.” To current instructors, Bhatt advises that you keep your courses rigorous as to not pander to course evaluations, but also to be able to absorb student feedback.

When asked what it means to him to win this award, Professor Bhatt reflects, “As the instructor of two mathematically rigorous and challenging courses required of every CS and CySec major, the award came as a surprise. It speaks to the character of Stevens undergraduates—not just willing to take on any challenge, but appreciating it as well, even if in hindsight!” In what may be a reflection of his mastery of overcoming ego, he also noted that he shares his award equally with the course assistants he has had the privilege to work with throughout his Stevens career.

What’s all the racket at Humphreys?

from, and why it was happening in the first place. Behind the racket was Brooklyn-based band Wince, performing live in the SITTV studio under Humphreys Hall in collaboration with WCPR. Starting at 9 p.m., the Wince studio session lasted for approximately one hour and featured Wince’s most popular songs, such as “A Shuddering Sight” and “Spring Rounds.” The South Brooklyn-based band consists of four members: David Hernandez, Greg Stewart, Ryan Palmer, and William Ren, the last of whom is referred to as their parental guardian. In an interview with Wince, they said that two of their members, Ryan and David, have known each other since high school, saying, “We all knew each other for quite a while before the band came together just through mutuals and shows so it was just a matter of getting together and seeing who was a good fit!” Some of the members are also involved with other musical acts, like Weather Girl and Passive Aggressive, in the Brooklyn music scene. Known for their alternative indie rock music, Wince is one of the head curators of the alternative music venue “the Brooklyn Sack” and has been featured in the BrooklynVegan.

They have also announced a new album coming out on November 10, a show in NYC at Market Hotel on November 17, and another album on December 15.

This last studio session with Wince is not the first collaboration between Stevens Institute of Technology TV (SITTV) and Castle Point Radio (WCPR). SITTV and WCPR began collaborating with two other studio sessions in February 2023, featuring artists Jug &

ented, but all of them are personable and engaging people,” and adding, “There is a little bit of a star-struck element to it.”

WCPR president Daniel Korzen, an avid listener of underground music groups, first discovered Wince at Trans Pecos, saying, “[I] was instantly hooked cause they reminded me [of] a lot of groups I had grown up listening to like Slint and had something super unique to their sound.” He sent them a message on Instagram inviting them to play at Stevens when they posted a story about playing at college shows. Korzen intends to continue collaborating with SITTV and has groups in mind that he wants to invite, naming High, Screenager, Big Stink, In Blue, and Lightheaded, among many others. He says, “I’m just very invested in the NJ scene and want these sessions to not only capture this moment in music but [also] expose artists to more listeners.” In addition, Korzen enthusiastically expresses that he wants Stevens’ artists to join in

of any genre. No upcoming collaborations have been confirmed as of yet, but both WCPR and SITTV will continue to work together to plan future studio sessions. To note, Wince commented about the collaboration, “Everybody was super friendly and helpful! The studio was also such a surprise and it was really professional but also a relaxed environment. We had a ton of fun!”

While Wince was performing in the SITTV studio, above the studio sits Humphreys Hall, interim home to over 100 Stevens students. A Fizz post was made commenting “Ok who tf is playing the guitar in Humphreys” and a few students briefly opened the door to the studio to see what was going on.

WCPR and SITTV happily welcome any artist looking to collaborate with them. Students can tune in to WCPR to discover new artists and music or wait until they are startled by the next studio session down beneath Humphreys Hall in the SITTV studio.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE HUASHUAYO

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity raises thousands of dollars in donations for breast cancer awareness

BY SHANE MITCHELL, STAFF WRITER October is breast cancer awareness month; In recognition last month, the New Jersey Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (often referred to as “SigEp” on campus) showed their support for the cause by raising nearly $6,000 for the American Cancer Society. They raised such a significant sum of money through various fundraising efforts, including their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Brunch, a SigEp band performance, and a brotherhood skydiving challenge, among other activities.

As current SigEp President Justin Baumann shared, this year’s fundraising effort hit especially close to home for the SigEp brothers. Baumann explained that “the president prior to me, Jayden Pereira, lost his mother, Fernanda Pereira, in August to metastat-

ic breast cancer. She loved the American Cancer Society for their advocacy, research, and familial support, and was a massive fan of [SigEp’s] breast cancer awareness fundraising efforts every year.” As such, the SigEp brothers worked extra hard, with support from collaborating student organizations, to raise funds in creative and innovative ways.

While some fundraising methods used by SigEp were more traditional, like their bake sales and Breast Cancer Awareness Brunch raffle, the brothers also took part in some challenges that drew additional attention with unique themes. For example, Brother Michael Lanfranco will be spending 24 hours in Pierce as a reward for hitting one of their fundraising goals, and President Justin Baumann shaved, bleached, and dyed his hair pink once $750 in donations had been collected.

One of the most interesting fund-

raising prizes SigEp had to offer was a brotherhood skydiving trip, which is expected to take place soon in exchange for the $2,000 fundraising goal being reached.

As for collaborative events, SigEp partnered with the Stevens Poker Club to hold a charity poker tournament, and the brothers held a “brotherhood sports competition” against members of the Stevens community to raise money as well.

Even though October has passed, SigEp encourages students to support Breast Cancer

Awareness year-round via individual donations. “If students want to give, then we would urge them to donate directly to the American Cancer Society (in Fernanda’s name if they so choose),” Baumann said. Members of the Stevens community who want to contribute to the effort to defeat breast cancer can donate online at the ACS’s website. Those suffering from cancer, or who know someone who is, can explore ACS Programs and Services online as well.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @SIGEPNJA ON INSTAGRAM

ASKtivation bracelet making night

BY DOUGLAS SOUSA, CONTRIBUTOR On November 2, the Active Minds club hosted ASKtivation, a bracelet-making night to raise awareness about the club’s new national initiative, ASK. This stands for “Acknowledge, Support, Keep in Touch,” the three key steps that Active Minds encourages students to keep in mind when checking in with the mental health of their friends. Bracelet-making was the club’s way of spreading the meaning and importance of ASK. Launched earlier this year, ASK is an initiative started by the national Active Minds committee to further the former initiative of Validate, Appreciate, Refer (VAR).

This was a similar campaign with similar goals, and has been revamped for the new initiative.

Active Minds has partnered with

MTV for ASK, and even got the opportunity to launch the initiative at the Video Music Awards ceremony in September. Both VAR and ASK are tools for anyone to approach a friend, family member, or even complete stranger that may be struggling with their mental health. Active Minds stresses that the form of communication does not matter — the important part is that communication is established and carried out in an effective way. Whether someone is actively going through a mental health crisis or not, Active Minds describes VAR and ASK as great ways to check on someone in any situation.

The ASKtivation event itself began with a short presentation from club president, Celia Mauri, outlining each of the three pillars of ASK. Mauri explained that “Acknowledge” refers to validating a

person’s feelings and experiences while recognizing the courage it took to open up about their situation. “Support” emphasizes the importance of showing up for them and asking how you can help. Offering options and resources that may help cope with and confront those feelings helps the person see a path forward through their tough times. “Keep in Touch” means that checking in regularly, no matter how small the interaction may be, shows that you care about and heard them when they opened up to you. These three key factors add up to a great way to truly help someone that is going through a difficult time.

Attendees of the event made friendship bracelets out of colored beads and letters that showcased their interests and personalities.

There were also snacks and drinks to help create a friendly atmo-

sphere throughout the event. The Active Minds club supplied some premade bracelets with key phrases relating to ASK, along with several other items such as stickers and pins to give the attendees a physical reminder of the event and the lessons learned there. Further, there was a display for attendees to take a picture with at the event.

The Stevens chapter of Active Minds was one of the first chapters to hold an event during the national ASK initiative, showing how quickly this club has grown since it was reactivated this past academic year after nearly three years of being listed as inactive.

Mauri is proud of the club’s progress so far, and hopes that it continues throughout the year and beyond. In order to get involved, check out Active Minds on DuckLink and on their Instagram, @ sit_activeminds.

BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER The student activity fee, which is used to help fund various clubs and organizations at Stevens, was decreased to $230 from $245 in 2015. Though the number may seem like a large sum for every student’s individual contribution to campus events, it allows Stevens’ many clubs and student organizations to offer food and other benefits to all undergraduates.

With an average inflation rate of 3.32% per year since 2015 and nationally rising costs of goods and services, this raises a few questions: Why was the student activity fee originally decreased? What difference would an extra $10 per student in funding make?

According to the Stute article “Where does the student funding really go?”, the process in which the student activity fee is distributed so that a sufficient amount of money of requested funding is given to each organization on campus. The Student Government Association (SGA) is responsible for the distribution to accommodate the various experiences and interests that the students at Stevens hold. The SGA allocates funds according to budget requests and reviews additional funding requests from various clubs, while taking into account room booking, event attendance, and other factors. The SGA did not choose to decrease the student activity fee to $230; Instead, it was imposed upon them by the university.

But what difference could $10 make? After all, that’s just slightly over the price of getting a burger from 7th Street Burger! Though this individual contribution of money seems very miniscule to cover an event, when you multiply that $10 by the approximately 4000 student undergraduate population, the resulting $40,000 could make a huge difference.

An increase in funds could make a difference towards student organization event supplies and food. It could potentially allow the Entertainment Committee to buy more tickets for off-campus events, increasing accessibility to the general student population.

Certain benefits that have recently been stripped from student organizations, including free food at general body meetings, could potentially be restored. Though a $10 increase in the student activity fee may seem like a small amount, it truly makes an impact on the success of events.

The decrease in the student activity fee as well as recent rising costs has already had an impact on events at Stevens. According to Article I of the Student Government Association Constitution, “The SGA shall have the power, within its own means,to recommend a change in the amount of the Student Activity Fee.” This recommendation would need to be reviewed by the Office of Student Life and more offices further down the line. An increase in the student activity fee could provide significantly more funds that feed directly into student organizations and the student experience at Stevens.

Donate to the SGA Toys for Tots fundraiser on behalf of

The Stute

and you can come to our GBM to play with the hot wheels and then we will donate them back to Toys for Tots!

4

Friday, November 10

Feature

WORLD KINDNESS WEEK SGA Toys for Tots Fundraiser

BY ARTHUR SERRA, STAFF WRITER One of the central hubs of student life here at Stevens is the Stevens Student Government Association(SGA). Its various committees help organize and oversee all student-run clubs on campus, they put on fun events to help students relax, they serve as a voice for the student body, and through the Government and Communications committee (Gov & Com), they host charitable events, and get students involved with local affairs. The current focus of the Gov & Com committee is on their Toys for Tots initiative.

Toys for Tots is a charity backed by the Marine Corps Re-

serve, whose mission is to raise money, and buy toys for low-income children during the holidays. The majority of the money is raised in November, to be spent in December so that disadvantaged children can wake up on December 25 with a new toy.

The Gov & Com committee’s fundraiser is running between November 5 and 24. The primary goal is to raise money for the organization. However, Evan Peneiras, Gov & Com committee chair and his team are also hoping to show unity among the student body in the form of charity.

In order to encourage student participation, the fundraiser is organized as a competition between all student organizations

Donate on behalf of

on campus. When giving money through the online portal, students specify which club or organization they are representing in their donation. Throughout the three week event, the SGA will track the total amount of money raised by each organization and will award a prize of 50 free hot wheels for the organization that raises the most money.

Either talk to your club leaders, or find this article online to get the link to donate money. Cash and checks can also be turned in by hand to SGA Vice President of Finance Kevin Pfundstein. Finally stay updated through the SGA instagram @stevens_sga which will post an updated leaderboard two to three times a week.

The Stute

and you can come to our GBM to play with the hot wheels and then we will donate them back to Toys for Tots!

Compliment Coupons Feel free to cut these out and share them with people around campus to spread some kindness!

I hope you have a great day today!

Thanks for being a friend.

You always make me laugh!

I appreciate and admire how dedicated you are to everything you do.

You are a great friend.

I appreciate the work that you do as a student leader on campus.

You inspire me.

I appreciate everything you do as a tutor.

Thank you for everything you do for Stevens Dining.

You mean a lot to me.

I appreciate your work.

You make me feel welcome.

Thank you for everything you do as a professor.

I think you’re really cool!

Thank you for everything you as a course assistant.

You’re awesome!

Thank you for everything you do as a teaching assistant.

I appreciate you for always taking the time to listen to me.

I appreciate the advice that you give.

I love your style!

COMPLIMENT COUPONS BY TASHA KHOSLA AND NICOLE GIARDINO

Kindness Week Outline November 13

November 14

November 15

November 16

November 17

Random Acts of Kindness

Kindness to Others

Community Kindness

Self-Kindness

Kindness in Action: Community Service

Leaving rubber ducks with motivational messages around campus- post on your instagram story and tag stevens_sga if you find one!

Night class snack donations in Babbio Atrium courtesy of Stevens SGA

Kindness Student/Faculty Lunch and Learn Student Experience Lunch and Learn and Gratitude Card Making

Resources from CAPS and night class donation snack donations in Babbio Atrium

Toys for Tots Event

5

Friday, November 10

Sports Field Hockey declared MAC Freedom Champions

BY ABBY JACOBS, SPORTS WRITER On Saturday, November 4, Field Hockey took on DeSales University in the MAC Freedom Championship Game, where they secured a 1-0 victory and were declared conference champions.

The Ducks, seeded first, were 16-2 in their season on Saturday, but upped their win streak to 14 games in a row, to become 172, and 9-0 in their MAC games.

During the championship, 17 shots were made with six being on goal. Yet, it was a shot just one minute into the first quarter that would win the Ducks the title. First-year midfielder and forward Sophia Cozza, assisted by graduate Lynda Farinella, scored the sole goal of the game, and her seventh goal of the season. Sophomore goalie Lily Wierzbicki made seven saves during the game, and following their win, was named the MAC Freedom Tournament MVP. The Ducks’ battle against DeSales was the second game of the

MAC Freedom Championship, with the first being against No. 4 Arcadia University on Wednesday, November 1 in the semifinals.

Despite the team taking 29 shots, and 10 being on goal, it was only in overtime that the first and final point of the game was secured.

First-year Molly DiCampli, assisted by Cozza, took the winning shot 65 minutes into the game and secured their place in the MAC Freedom Finals.

On Sunday, November 5, it was

announced that the Ducks would be taking on No. 13 seeded Cortland on Wednesday, November 8, as their first opponent in the NCAA DIII Field Hockey Tournament.

On Wednesday, November 8, the Ducks traveled to Cortland, NY., where they were defeated 3-1 by SUNY Cortland in the first round of the NCAA DIII tournament. The team had six shots, with two landing on goal, but in the end it was graduate

Lynda Farinella who scored the lone point of the game just under seven minutes into the game. Assisted by first-year Sophia Cozza, Farinella’s goal was her 14th of the season, Cozza’s assist being her ninth, both team leading statistics. Further, sophomore goalie Lili Wierzbicki made a career high of 12 saves during the game.

The Ducks finished the MAC Freedom Conference 7-0, and the season 17-3, with a program record 14 win streak.

ON DECK IN SPORTS FRI, NOV 10 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Pacific University Forest Grove, OR 8 p.m.

SAT, NOV 11 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL MAC Freedom Championship Final Location and Time TBA

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

Men’s Soccer wins MAC Freedom Championship The Stevens Men’s Soccer team has ended the regular season on a high note, with their third-straight MAC Freedom Championship after defeating Lebanon Valley College.

Additionally, their performance in the MAC Freedom semifinal was just as impressive, where they defeated Misericordia University to head to this championship game.

On November 1, the Ducks hosted No. 3 Misericordia University at the DeBaun Athletic Complex for the MAC Freedom semifinal game.

Stevens had control of the majority of the game, as the final score was 4-1. Furthermore, the Ducks scored in the first two minutes of the game, as junior Luca Campbell scored on a penalty. In the 38th minute, the Ducks added another goal when junior Terry Thompson scored off of a corner kick, bringing the score to 2-0. Right before halftime, Misericordia scored off of a penalty to leave the score 2-1 at half-time. The intensity that the Ducks had before the half remained for the second half, and, in the 48th minute, Thompson scored his second goal of the game

off of an assist from graduate student Jameson Railey. These goals mark Thompson’s first and second goals of the season. This momentum continued, and in the 68th minute, Campbell kicked the ball straight to the crossbar, where Railey took the opportunity to score, scoring his first goal of the season, finalizing the score at 4-1 and advancing them to the MAC Freedom Championship game.

The Ducks traveled to Annville, PA to compete in the MAC Freedom Championship game against

No. 1 Lebanon Valley College (LVC), where they defeated LVC in a hardfought 1-0 victory. The Ducks started the game out strong, with a shot on goal only three minutes into the game from junior Emerico Vespucci that was ultimately stopped by LVC’s goalkeeper. The game went back and forth between the Ducks and LVC, but with only 11 seconds left in the first half, the Ducks were given a corner kick, where senior Fritz Kabeiseman scored off of an assist from senior Dylan Maund, putting them up 1-0 at the half. This goal

marks Kabeiseman’s first goal of the season. While the Ducks had many shots in the second half, they were again stopped by LVC’s goalkeeper. The story was the same for LVC, whose shots were stopped by graduate student Justin Cross, who totaled six saves throughout the game. This scoreless half left the Ducks with their third consecutive MAC Freedom Championship victory.

The Ducks will return to play Worcester Polytechnic Institute on November 11 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Metro Region Championship Logan Township, NJ Time TBA WRESTLING Roger Williams Invitational Bristol, RI 9 a.m.

Luther Open Decorah, IA 10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL No. 17 Catholic University Washington, DC 2 p.m.

SUN, NOV 12 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S FENCING Vassar Invitational Poughkeepsie, NY Time TBA

Women’s Soccer finishes out its season

BY KAI WONG, SPORTS WRITER Last Tuesday, October 31, the Ducks earned their MAC Freedom Championship berth with a shutout 2-0 win over third-seed Arcadia University.

Stevens jumped on Arcadia early, firing off 13 shots in the opening 20 minutes but was unable to find the back of the net. The Ducks continued to put pressure on the Knights but still were unable to get a goal as the score remained 0-0 at the half. Coming out of the break, it did not take

Stevens long to convert, as senior Amelia Rehrig scored the winning goal with an assist from graduate Rachel Rouse just 21 seconds into the second half. Six minutes later, the Ducks doubled their tally as the Knights gave up an own goal. Senior goalkeeper Dana Perry was able to hold on, making two saves and seal the Ducks’ 2-0 victory at home.

The following Saturday, November 4, the Ducks finished their MAC Freedom Championship Tournament in an overtime match, falling 2-1 to the top-seed Misericordia University.

The Cougars scored just three minutes into the game and continued the pressure throughout the half.

Stevens got its first shot on target of the game right before the half, as junior Olivia Castro had a shot saved.

Coming out of the break the Cougars led 1-0, but Stevens responded in the second half with three shots on target in the first eight minutes. In the 55th minute, the Ducks found the back of the net with a goal from Rehrig assisted by senior Elsa Bley.

The score remained 1-1 and the two teams went into overtime. Misericordia scored in the 104th minute,

but Stevens was not able to answer back, and the Cougars secured the MAC Freedom title.

The Lady Ducks hoped to receive an at-large berth during the NCAA Tournament selection showcase since they did not clinch an automatic berth. The selection show took place on Monday, and the Ducks did not receive an invitation. Despite not receiving an invitation, the Women’s Soccer Team finished its season 9-7-2 and had a seven-game winning streak in season which is the program’s longest since it won 15-straight in 2019.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL George Fox University Newberg, OR 5 p.m.

WED, NOV 15 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ 6 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL New Jersey City University Hoboken, NJ 7 p.m.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

WED, NOV 1

FRI, NOV 3

SAT, NOV 4

SUN, NOV 5

TEAM

WRESTLING WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL FIELD HOCKEY MEN'S SOCCER WOMEN'S SWIMMING MEN'S SWIMMING WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL FIELD HOCKEY WOMEN'S SOCCER MEN'S SOCCER WRESTLING MEN'S SWIMMING WOMEN'S SWIMMING WOMEN'S FENCING WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL MEN'S FENCING

OPPONENT

DELAWARE VALLEY UNIVERSITY DESALES UNIVERSITY MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL NEW YORK UNIVERSITY–DAY 1 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY–DAY 1 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL NED MCGINLEY INVITATIONAL NEW YORK UNIVERSITY–DAY 2 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY–DAY 2 TEMPLE OPEN DREW UNIVERSITY ROWAN UNIVERSITY TEMPLE OPEN

LOCATION

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

SCORE

W (29-19) W (3-1) W (1-0) W (4-1) 2ND OF 3 3RD OF 3 L (1-3) W (1-0) L (1-2) W (1-0) 3RD OF 13 3RD OF 3 2ND OF 3 COMPLETED W (3-0) W (3-1) COMPLETED

6

Friday, November 10

Science The effects of kindness on the human brain and the community

BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE WRITER Kindness, as many define it, is being selfless, caring, and compassionate towards others.

We share kindness with others through acts such as a smile, a nice word, an unexpected deed, or a planned surprise.

“Research shows that kindness can be cardioprotective.

It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. Oxytocin releases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels and thereby reduces your blood pressure and improves heart health,” says Dr. Ballamudi, a SSM Health child psychiatrist.

Physiologically, kindness can positively change your brain because it boosts serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that give people feelings of satisfaction and can cause reward centers in the brain to light up. Endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers, can also be released. There is research to suggest that random acts of kindness release dopamine, a chemical in the brain that gives a feeling called “helper’s high.”

Scientists who study happiness have long known that being kind can improve a person’s overall well-being and mood from day to day. Everyday life has numerous opportunities to show kindness, yet many people do not take advantage of them.

Nicholas Epley, a behavior-

al scientist at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Amit Kumar, a writer for Scientific American, examined the possibility that people who perform random acts of kindness undervalue its effect on the other person.

A study was conducted across multiple trials involving about 1,000 participants where people performed various acts of kindness. Something was considered an act if the primary intention was to make someone feel good without expecting anything in

return.

Depending on the trial, the specific act of kindness varies.

One experiment involved participants writing notes to friends and family, while another involved giving cupcakes away. In order to track the data, Kumar and Epley asked the performer and recipient to fill out questionnaires. The performer was asked to report their own experience performing the kind act and to predict their recipient’s response. The idea was to determine how valuable people per-

ceive their kind actions to be.

After reviewing the responses, several patterns emerged from the results. Both the performer and the recipients were in more positive moods than normal after the exchange. Additionally, there was a clear pattern that the performer, the person who did the act, undervalued the impact they had. Recipients felt significantly better than the person doing the act had thought. From the recipients’ responses, it was found that they rated each kind act as “bigger” than the person

performing the act did.

The initial studies were done based on kindness from familiar people, such as friends and family. However, it was found that participants underestimated their positive impact on strangers as well. One experiment was performed at an ice rink in a public park, where participants gave away hot chocolate. The results showed that the recipient’s experience was more positive than the giver anticipated. While the participants giving away the warm drinks found their actions to be “no big deal,” the data found that the act really meant something to the recipients.

When people forget the importance of kindness, they are missing out on natural boosts to their oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin levels. Being kinder in daily life has been shown to make the performer feel good, and also make the recipient feel appreciated and cared for. Acts of kindness can make the world a happier place for everyone.

They can boost feelings of confidence and optimism. They may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they’ve experienced themselves contributing to a more positive community.

Dr. Ballamudi says it’s important to teach children, while they are young, how to be kind. She encourages parents to volunteer with their kids so they can have the experience of feeling good when doing things for other people. “It’s equally important,” she states, “to learn and practice self-kindness.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT HEALTH CENTER

The science behind smiling

BY MEGHANA MAMADAPUR, STAFF WRITER When we hear a joke, see someone we love, or simply hear a few words that make us happy, we tend to do one simple action: smile. For most, it may not require much effort to turn our lips upward, but there is a science behind smiling. In fact, it takes 13 muscles to smile.

A smile starts in the sensory corridors, sending emotional data into the left anterior temporal region of the brain. Then, the data appears on the surface of the face, where two muscles manipulate the lips: the zygomatic major and the orbicular oculi. The zygomatic major is located in the cheek and turns the lips upward, while the orbicular oculi encircle the eye socket and squeeze the outside corners of our lips to resemble a crow’s foot. This process to produce a smile takes between two-thirds of a second to four seconds.

Since we use the zygomatic major and orbicular oculi muscles to smile, we can use the same muscles to determine a fake smile. When only the zygomatic major is activated, the smile is fake. The second muscle, the orbicular oculi, is an indicator that the smile is genuine as it shows creases around the eye socket. Our brains are able to easily distinguish between fake and real smiles by comparing the geometry of faces and thinking about situations to judge whether a smile is expected.

A genuine smile is scientifically referred to as the “Duchenne smile.” This name is a nod to Guillaume Duchenne, a French anatomist who studied emotional expression.

Duchenne helped gather that the intensity of a true smile can predict personal well-being and longevity. On the other hand, a fake smile can reflect embarrassment, deceit, and grief.

Until the 1970s, many psychologists believed that smiles reflected an array of emotions, rather than being the expression of happiness. This belief was disproved by Paul Ekman

The science of gratitude: and Wallace Friesen, psychologists at the University of Cal- the key to a happy, healthy life? ifornia at San Francisco. Ekman and Friesen captured muscular coordinates behind 3,000 facial expressions, confirming that positive emotion was behind the true Duchenne smile. Duchenne smiles produced more activity in the brain’s left anterior region, which is correlated with positive emotions.

Smiling is a universal mechanism of communication. Scientist Andrew Newberg concluded that a smile is “the symbol rated with the highest positive emotional content.” When our facial muscles produce a smile, they create a positive feedback loop that goes back into our brains and creates a feeling of joy. Essentially, when our brain feels good and tells us to smile, we tell our brain it feels good and the loop continues.

Many people inherently smile more than others, despite possessing the same muscles. In 2003, Yale psychologist Marianna LaFrance performed an analysis of smiling research from 162 studies and a total of 100,000 participants. She was able to isolate three variables that influence smiling disparities between individuals. One of the variables was gender norms, in which different sexes tend to smile differently depending on whether they are being watched or not. Another variable was situational constraint. For instance, flight attendants are required to smile, whereas funeral directors must remain somber.

This can cause a huge difference in the amount of smiling. Lastly, emotional climate plays a factor as embarrassing or tense situations tend to have females smile more than men.

Sometimes, life renders difficult, and a cause to genuinely smile seems bleak. However, one way to gain back a state of true happiness is to imagine a situation of joy that you previously experienced. This can be a conversation with someone you love or an event that gives you deep satisfaction. A strong memory can help trigger a smile. By smiling, you are scientifically contributing to your happiness!

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR As part of this week’s edition’s theme of kindness, one aspect that has seen scientific research is gratitude. Can gratitude offer more benefits than offering thanks to those around you? Read below to explore the science of gratitude.

Before beginning this exploration, it is essential to define gratitude. Gratitude is the emotion, primarily joyous, that arises when you acknowledge others in your life — in particular, expressing thanks and voicing appreciation. For example, if someone offers you a pencil or holds open a door for you when your hands are full, and you are in a rush.

However, while gratitude is modestly well-known, there is another side of gratitude that is lesser known. As described by Philip Watkins, a professor of psychology at Eastern Washington University and the author of Gratitude and the Good Life, gratitude offers physical benefits that are equal, if not more fruitful, than the feeling itself.

Many studies explore the physical impacts of acts of gratitude like writing thank you letters or having a conversation

with a loved one about what they mean to you. Beyond fostering healthy, communicative relationships and society, gratitude can also improve health.

One study finds that expressing gratitude can reduce the effects of depression and anxiety while increasing self-confidence and self-worth. Additionally, some studies show that expressing gratitude can improve romantic, platonic, and professional relationships. Gratitude can go as far as enhancing sleep quality to creating a sense of affinity and warmth.

However, with so many benefits, how much gratitude is needed to reap the rewards?

One expert, Joel Wong of Indiana University’s School of Education, explains, “I think the benefits of gratitude activities truly unfold through long-term habits.” So, to reap the benefits of gratitude, one can build it into one’s daily routine, like any habit. Some ways to do this could be to make it part of your first checking of emails or right before you go to bed. Other sources, like Gretchen Schmelzer, a psychologist in Philadelphia, believe gratitude worked into therapy sessions (so weekly to a few times a month) can be extremely useful in maintaining good mental health. Another

way, according to the Journal of Happiness Studies, can be to write a letter expressing gratitude — nothing lengthy, just a quick expression of thanks (of course, texts and email would also do the trick).

One caveat, Dr. Wong warns, is that it is crucial to be specific.

If someone was expressing gratitude to you, would you rather hear “thanks,” or “thanks for helping at work while I wasn’t feeling well. It helped reduce my workload once I was feeling better?” Dr. Wong explains that specificity helps “because it deepens our experience of gratitude [...] It intensifies our grateful emotions and thoughts.”

Learning about the science of gratitude shows that expressing gratitude can offer physical and mental benefits beyond just thanking those around us. It is a positive emotion that can improve health, reduce depression and anxiety, and strengthen relationships. By making gratitude a part of our daily routine and being specific in expressing it, we can reap the rewards of this powerful emotion. Let us practice gratitude daily and spread kindness and positivity to those around us. Remember, a little gratitude can go a long way in making the world a better place.

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM?

Join our Science writing team!

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

7

Friday, November 10

Opinion MIND OF A FRESHMAN

SENIORITIS

Dear best friend

BY NICOLE CHEUNG ‘27 For context, this is about my best friend who’s attending another college right now. We met as kids on my first competitive swim team.

When I moved to another team, she came with me. At that new swim team, the girls weren’t so kind to her. They would talk behind her back about her strange mannerisms and way of communicating. Maybe I was afraid of being ostracized too, or naïve as to who they were talking about, but the fact stands that I didn’t say a word. When I saw how my silence contributed to her sadness, I wondered, “How could I call myself a friend and not say anything?”

I promised I would never let anyone talk about her like that again, and that I’d try to protect her in any way I could. We grew up; in separate towns, swim teams, and physically. She grew to be much taller than me and even

though she could protect herself now, and was older than me, she would always be the little sister I never had. Since knowing her, she’s had many issues with social anxiety and communicating with people, far before my problems with the same things had manifested. We struggled through social anxiety and depression parallel to each other through middle and high school. And even though I could give her all the advice in the world, I couldn’t seem to help myself.

But as I grew more confident and social, she struggled to do the same.

Now as both college freshmen, I am an extrovert and she is an introvert. We have very different lifestyles; I take things as they come to me and am disorganized to a fault, while she is scared to take risks for fear of failure and very schedule driven. Though we seem quite opposite upon first look, to our core we are the same. Everyone has a little bit of my best friend in them; the voice in themselves that tells them they need to hide themselves, or that no one will like them for who they are behind the facade.

But for everyone like my best friend out in the world, there will be someone out there who will just get you, or an extrovert to “adopt” you. If we all tried to bring someone in our lives a little bit outside

You can’t spell kindness without I of their shell, we would get to see the true radiance of an introverted soul. Everyone wants to communicate, and express themselves. All it takes is for one person to meet them and make them feel seen and heard.

So, dear my best friend, you will never be alone again.

We don’t see each other that much, but when I look at the city across the river, I think of you. When I see a musical I think of how many times you’ve watched it over and over again. When I see your school colors I’ll always snap a picture and send it to you. I have a great group of friends here at Stevens and yours will come to you if you could open up and let them in. People want to love you, and this will all come in time. Despite what you may think, you never are a burden to me. When I say I’m free to talk or hang out with you anytime, I mean I will make time for you. I am so incredibly proud of how far you’ve come in so many aspects of life, and I will always be here to catch you if you fall.

My message to anyone reading this is to seek to understand the misunderstood, and treat people with kindness because, aside from the wall people build around themselves, there’s a real person usually begging to emerge.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24 With World Kindness Week around the corner, many are thinking of ways to help out and get involved with being kind to others, themself, and their community. With all this talk, I was thinking about ways I would like to be kind this upcoming week. During this time of the year, it feels like people do not take much action in being kind to themselves, but would rather make efforts to help others. It is incredibly important that people take action to be kind to themself. There are many ways to do this. I like to be kind to myself by taking a nap, ordering out from a favorite place in Hoboken, or even going on a walk with some friends. Although I feel that it is important to be kind to those around you and your community, I do believe that it is more

COMIC CORNER

BY LIZ SEPULVEDA

important to be kind to yourself first. If someone is going out of their way to be kind, but at the same time being hard on themself, the act of kindness feels less genuine. Although it is important to make an effort to help others and your community, if you are constantly sacrificing yourself to do it, the ends will likely not justify the means. Unless you’re curing cancer, then you should probably continue to sacrifice your own well-being for the sake of others. But in my case, I am not curing cancer, I am nowhere near curing cancer, so I think I would like to use this upcoming week to prioritize being kind to myself. Obviously, if I am capable, I will do my best to stray from my usual habits and be nice to those around me, but I’m going to make sure I take the time for myself.

I love a good nap. When the going gets tough, nothing makes me feel better than taking some time to get some much-needed rest in the middle of the day. I know the daily workload of a Stevens student can get easily overwhelming, so I can not stress enough how important it is to set healthy boundaries and take the time that you need

for yourself. There are people who will look down upon you for stepping back to care for yourself, which is crazy. But I will stand strong on the hill of insisting that as long as you communicate your boundaries well, no one should have an issue with them. I get busy frequently, and sometimes I just need a day off, so I will lay in bed until 2 p.m., maybe miss a class here and there, and relax. During the middle of the semester, it’s hard to find time for yourself. There is always an event, midterm, or meeting taking up every second of every day for at least half of the campus population.

But I am encouraging you all to skip your meeting and take a nap, be kind to yourself, and do not let anyone tell you that you are a bad person for caring about yourself. I hope my words inspire at least one of you to sleep a little extra next week.

If any of you insist on emphasizing kindness to others this upcoming week, may I recommend saying nice things to a certain senior on campus who writes an opinion column in The Stute? If any of you have read this far and want to be kind to me, my Venmo is @ Ethan-Kleschinsky :).

8

Friday, November 10

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

Franny and Zooey: The Salinger novel that should be talked about

BY TIANNA SPITZ ‘27 Often overshadowed

by J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the equally provocative but more developed counterpart novel Franny and Zooey was published in 1961, about 10 years after Catcher. If Catcher deals with ‘phonies’ and the perils of coming-of-age within a postwar sentiment, Franny and Zooey completes the immature and self-loathing narrative that began with Holden Caulfield with self-awareness and closure as Salinger introduces us to the Glass Family. While Franny and Zooey was originally published separately as a short story and novella focusing on two children from the Glass family series, Frances “Franny” and Zachary “Zooey” Glass, in which the slim novel ref lects their personal coming-ofage as privileged young adults trying to solidify their place in the world and only really have each other to bear witness.

The first part follows Franny Glass, the youngest of the family, as we are introduced to a self-absorbed 20-year-old college student in the backdrop of Yale during the fall of 1955 as she takes a train to visit her boyfriend for an Ivy football game against

Princeton. On the outside, she is comparable to a female Caulfield tormented by academic ‘phonies’ of the higher education system as she condemns her peers and professors, yet she seeks answers in spiritual texts that contemplate her relationship with God and the meaning of devotion. The novel reveals the true Franny Glass as Salinger’s narration hyper-focuses on a painfully tense and loveless date in which her spiritual breakdown forces us to question the meaning of devotion in a mundane sense. Franny desperately tries to level the root cause of her spiritual revelation with her apathetic boyfriend as the narration highlights one-sided conversations and subtle body language cues that offer a gendered analysis of emotional alienation.

Salinger’s heavy description of body language and characterization is key to understanding how part one of “Franny” is answered by the second part introducing Franny’s older brother, Zooey. As Franny reaches her breaking point, the built-up anxiety culminates as she passes out at the cafe and her boyfriend falls away as a superficial accessory. Part two, titled “Zooey,” picks up with a frustrating but ever-relatable scene of 25-year-old actor Frances Glass in a heated argument with his mother over getting in touch with Franny after her breakdown that causes her to recuperate at home. Zooey presents himself with equal arrogance met with exasperation as he def lects the dysfunctional family dynamic

between his mother and younger sister with pointed and abrasive one-liners. As Zooey practices a script for an upcoming TV show, he rereads an old letter sent from the eldest Glass son that had passed.

Similar to its earlier counterpart “Franny,” “Zooey” is intense in descriptive setting and character mindset, yet this second part offers a grounding moment that reassures the reader that the fever of academic phonies and religious zeal will pass. Zooey’s character study ref lects a time when Franny’s frantic and raw pain becomes a dull ache as they both understand each other’s grief after the death of a loved one.

Franny and Zooey is compelling in characterization as the siblings portray exhaustion and isolation that is enduring but made bearable through their complex connection. Salinger’s writing stands out as witty yet emotionally transparent and humanizing, almost juxtaposed to Caulfield’s narration, in which Franny and Zooey offer the reader comfort and reconciliation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26 The theme of this week’s paper is essential and should be in the spotlight around campus often: kindness. To keep in the mood, this week, we will unmask autism, but with kindness!

Sadly, although kindness is fantastic, we will be exploring the absence of it when dealing with autism. A few weeks back, we explored the stereotypes of autism and how they can be harmful; however, beyond stereotypes, the daily life of an individual with autism can be challenging. A quick disclaimer before I start, though: kindness towards individuals with autism or other neurodiverse individuals has significantly improved over the past few years, whether from “Spread the Word to End the Word” or more acceptance of others.

The most essential area of daily life for individuals with autism, where kindness is sometimes lacking, is social inclusion.

having the same issue.”

This is not to say that girls won’t suggest solutions and boys won’t show support, but men and women are more likely to lead off with and focus on their respective methods of empathy. Similarly, people who default to showing sympathy might expect a similar response when they bring an issue to another person and might interpret a given solution as minimizing their issues. People who default to giving solutions might see sympathy as dismissive and unhelpful.

Looking at the people that I know, these communication styles don’t always line up with gender. I know that I default to trying to solve problems, and it took me a while to understand that not everyone wants that. I also see that these ways of responding line up with common gender stereotypes. Women are supposed to be soft and caring while men are supposed to be realistic and take action. I don’t think that these traits are biological. Culture inf luences women to be sympathetic and heavily stigmatizes men for being emotional, so these responses might come from the gendered expectations of how masculinity and femininity

For many with autism, myself very much included, it is difficult to join social circles, whether it be friends, clubs, sports teams, or music groups.

Typically, it is a combination of individuals with autism’s difficulties in social situations but also a primarily subconscious reaction of many neurotypical individuals.

It is natural to avoid that which is unusual or different from ourselves — a main reason humans have survived for as long as we have. However, it can be challenging to overcome the instincts of wanting to avoid someone different than yourself.

For me, this is an almost everyday occurrence. Whether I am spouting historical facts like Niagara Falls or conducting a symphony from my headphones with the enthusiasm of a bird who recently learned to f ly (or many other unique characteristics of myself), it is second nature for some individuals to leave me out of a conversation, group, or even some inside jokes.

It is not always intentional but can be detrimental after an entire day of surviving in the wilderness of the social world.

Even though kindness can be lacking in some environments, it is always possible to improve your actions — to spread kindness yourself; most of the

time, it is pretty simple.

To start, if someone is doing something you would consider unusual, try to look past whatever atypical action that individual is taking. Remember, you probably have an awkward habit that others look past.

If you feel like you have a fountain of kindness you would like to spread; there are always more ways to help neurodiverse individuals who may be struggling. First, you ensure that you include everyone in a group, activity, or event. To go even further, you can reach out to groups that advocate for individuals with autism, like Best Buddies International, that can connect you with neurodiverse individuals in a mentorship/friendship relationship.

Although kindness can sometimes be lacking for autistic individuals, it is always possible to improve your actions and spread kindness yourself.

By doing as little as to not judge others, including all around you, or advocating for individuals with autism, we can create a more inclusive and accepting environment for all. So, let’s continue to spread kindness, one action at a time, and make the world a better place for everyone!

Breaking News: alternative fairy tales II

BY OFF CENTER

How do men and women show compassion?

Two years ago, I took a class called Psychology of Gender (I highly recommend it if anyone is interested), and it made me start to notice things that I hadn’t ever thought about before. One of the things we talked about was the way that men and women listen and respond when someone comes to them with a problem, as well as the response that men and women expect when they come to someone with a problem. Typically, men respond to problems with solutions. If someone comes to them to complain about their class schedule, a more typical response for a guy might be, “You should talk to your academic advisor.” Meanwhile, a girl might be more likely to say, “That sucks, I’m sorry. I know some other people who are also

Kindness for all: a look at kindness as an individual with autism

OFF THE PRESS

GIRL(ISH) TALK

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

UNMASKING: AN AUTISM STORY

should exist.

Either way, both responses can be incredibly helpful and kind if you interpret them correctly.

When people offer solutions, they are showing that they care about what happens to the other person, and they want things to get better. Although we don’t always want solutions in the middle of facing a problem, getting an outside opinion from someone who cares can be incredibly helpful. When people offer sympathy, they’re trying to communicate that the other person isn’t alone. A lot of the time, people already know how to fix their issues, and they just need someone to listen.

Everyone cares about the people around them, and by learning how to understand people’s ways of showing their care, we can better appreciate our support systems when we’re going through a difficult situation. By being conscious of our friends’ needs, we can also learn how to give support better.

Typical male and female psychology could be different for many reasons, but the result is a diverse array of ways that people can show care and offer help.

-SatireRecently, in the far southwest part of northeastern Hoboken, there has been a series of various strange events that have been occurring, featuring talking animals, sorcery, and the occult.

People from all over the world have been commenting on these strange events, seeing similarities to stories from long ago, with various implications and messages that were discovered as a result of this strange phenomenon.

It is important to note down this strange occurrence to help us reevaluate our lives and realize how shocking they can end up being. Here were three of the strange events that occurred.

The first strange event involved a furry leporid and a slow-moving reptile. For over a year, the furry leporid mercilessly bullied the slow-moving reptile by making numerous comments on the slow-moving reptile minuscule average velocity compared to the furry leporid, as well as repeatedly embarrassing the slow-moving reptile by repeatedly pointing out the reptile’s shortcomings in their velocity whenever it proved inconvenient, which caught the attention of everyone around and made them laugh.

As a result, the poor, slow-moving reptile could

not take it anymore and decided to challenge the furry leporid to a race to prove to the leporid that the reptile was worthy of respect. So, the slow-moving reptile and the furry leporid engaged in a race, where in the middle of the race, the furry leporid chose to take a prolonged nap, which caused the slow-moving reptile to move forward in order to win the race. Soon, the slow-moving reptile was about to cross the finish line, but the furry leporid woke up at the last minute and zoomed to the finish line, winning the race. The moral that most people seem to take from this story is that trying to one-up your enemy will not always work, and that procrastination is okay as long as it doesn’t lead to consequences.

The second strange event involved two children, a boy and a girl, who were abandoned by their parents in the woods and were forced to use their survival skills at a premature age. As they were walking in the woods, they encountered a gigantic mansion that was made out of all kinds of desserts, like cakes, cookies, ice cream, donuts, soprillas, tiramisu, gulab jamun, mochi, ladoos, and even fruit for those that preferred something naturally sweet. There was even a kindly-looking senior who offered to take them in and let them con-

sume the house. However, the girl suggested not to go into the house due to fearing that the kindly-looking senior had malevolent intentions for the children and reminded them that it was dangerous to talk to strangers. So, the two children avoided the house and tried looking for food in other ways by gathering nuts and berries and hunting the various animals that lived in the forest. However, their poor survival skills caused them both to pass away. The moral that most people seem to take from this is that when lost in the woods with no knowledge about surviving, it is sometimes a good idea to try to get any help that you can get.

The third strange event involved a green insect and twenty red insects.

The twenty red insects were gathering food for the winter, while the green insect decided to laze around until winter came.

When winter came, the green insect chose to travel south, where the green insect enjoyed a fun life with plenty of food. Meanwhile, due to the excessive food starting to rot and the snow forbidding them from throwing the food away, the red insects died from food poisoning and horrible living conditions.

The moral that people seem to take away from this is that overworking can sometimes lead to disaster.

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Friday, November 10

Opinion ADVICE FOR BROKE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Online shopping: good or bad?

The action of going to the local grocery store with a list is starting to become less common due to the increase of online shopping and delivery options. The question is, is this a good or bad concept for the average person?

BY HIMA THUMMALA ‘23 The more popular virtual shopping becomes, the easier it gets for families to be efficient, punctual, and stressfree. A task that commonly occurs about once a week is mostly eliminated, saving

fuel and time. And groceries aren’t the only items being delivered, as almost anything can be delivered in this day and age. This allows for not only a decrease in effort required to shop, but also a more flexible chance to customize products. This is because being able to shop on the internet allows people to request certain orders. Rather than having to walk through a local retail store and having to choose what color sweatshirt you want out of the ones available, you can usually choose from many more options online. Obviously, it is possible for certain colors to be out of stock on the websites of stores,

or it’s possible to customize products in-store, but there is usually a better chance of finding a larger variety online to choose from when it comes to many different products.

But is online shopping always a good thing? Online shopping eliminates the action of going to a store and purchasing a product. Although this might not seem like a big deal, it is. One of the factors that is lacking in online shopping is the ambiance of the store. Stores create a vibe to the place, from its decorations to the attitude that employees have towards customers. One might argue that the website may be nicely or-

ganized and laid out, and that the on-the-phone customer service is helpful, but the actual experience is lacking.

If people start to stray away from shopping in person, the actual joy of shopping in person could become rare.

Also, it can be tricky to keep track of what you are going to buy when shopping online, which can lead to you spending more than you would if you were shopping in person. After adding an item to your virtual shopping cart, you don’t see the item until you press it on your cart again, or it may show up on the side, but it is easy for your focus to be on what other products you

want to buy. But, if your shopping is being done in person, you see the different items in front of you in the shopping cart you are pushing around.

So the next time you go to add something to the cart, you see how much you have already added. This makes it easier to consider if an item is worth spending money on or not.

It is important to consider possible additional costs of online shopping as well. Sure, there are the external costs of spending money to get to the store, but the experience makes up for that. But when buying something, such as clothes, online, you don’t always know if you are going

to get the correct size since it is not physically in front of you. Your trust in ordering the correct one is based on what the company has posted on the website or other people’s reviews. After you receive a product that you want to return, you have to spend the time and effort to send it back, which could possibly have a shipping cost as well.

So, is online shopping good or bad? Depending on how you look at it, there are both pros and cons to this shopping method, but one should not be chosen over the other. Instead, it is best if a balance is maintained between the both.

STEVENS’ CHEFS RECIPE CARDS

Butternut squash soup to take the pain away

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 Making someone food is one of the kindest things you can do. A warm meal for when you are feeling down makes you feel cared for. Butternut squash soup is a fantastic fall soup, rich with spices, thick, and nourishing. A soup on a cold day can be pivotal, and it lasts for weeks

frozen. Butternut squash soup is a warm hug from a friend on speed dial.

This recipe does not require very complex skills; the hardest thing about this recipe is preparing the vegetables. Peel the squash first using a large knife. The easy part is you’ll be blending it later, so once you can hack into it, uniformity does not matter. The prep work is a significant portion of the total cooking time, but once it’s simmering you can sit back and wait as the aroma fills the room. As a victim of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), I would omit or substitute dairy, but I understand that not everyone is as brave as I am.

What’s especially wonderful about butternut squash soup is its versatility. You can enjoy it as a standalone meal, a side dish, or as an appetizer. It pairs wonderfully with a crusty piece of bread or a simple salad, making it a fantastic addition to your autumn menu.

As you prepare this soup, you’ll notice how the act of cooking itself can be therapeutic. Chopping vegetables, simmering ingredients, and savoring the aroma that fills your kitchen can be a meditative experience. Sharing a bowl of butternut squash soup is sharing a piece of your heart, a symbol of care that transcends words.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients:

Directions:

1 butternut squash ~2.5 lbs 1. Prepare vegetables a. Peel, half, and seed butternut squash. Cut into 3 medium shallots ½-inch cubes, yields approx. 5 cups. Save some 2 carrots seeds to be roasted as garnish. Roughly chop 1 medium sweet potato all other vegetables 1 medium green apple 2. Sauté 2+ cups of stock (vegetable a. Heat butter in a large pot over med-high. Saute shallot (approx. 5 min). Add squash, apple, or chicken) potato, carrots, and white wine. Stir and cook 1 cup heavy cream until wine evaporates (approx. 30 sec) 2 tbsps white wine or dry 3. Simmer sherry a. Add stock and seasonings (suggested 1 tsp 2 tbsps butter or olive oil ginger, ⅛ tsps nutmeg, 1 tbsp brown sugar, ½ Seasonings to taste: tsp cinnamon). Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce ginger, nutmeg, brown heat and simmer on low until vegetables are tender (approx. 15-20 min) sugar, cinnamon, salt, Blend, garnish, and serve 4. pepper

Equipment

Blender, hand or electric

Recipe by: The Raiola Family

a. Using handheld blender, puree soup in the pot till smooth. Add heavy cream, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with reserved seeds and serve warm

A POOLSIDE PERSPECTIVE

Are college athletes more successful in life?

BY KEENAN YATES ‘24 Being a college athlete provides a unique undergraduate experience, but does it influence outcomes and perspectives during and post graduation? Gallup, Inc., an American analytics and advisory company based out of Washington D.C., performed a study titled “A Study of NCAA Student-Athletes: Undergraduate Experiences and Post-College Outcomes,” which aimed to provide an answer as to whether or not athletes had different experiences and outcomes than

non-athletes. The study, conducted on behalf of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), was based on surveys of a nationally representative sample of 74,385 U.S. adults who graduated between 1975 and 2019 with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The survey included ten questions to measure the respondent’s wellbeing across five separate elements: Purpose — Liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals Social — Having a strong and supportive relationships and love in your life Financial — Effectively managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security Community — The sense of engagement you have in areas where you live, liking where you live and feeling safe and having pride in your community Physical — Having good

health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis These categories were used to measure respondent’s ability to “thrive in key elements of the human experience,” as reported by PR Newswire, in their post-collegiate lives.

The study found that former student-athletes were thriving at greater rates than non-athletes, by a 5-10% spread, in all categories except financial wellbeing, in which student-athletes mirrored their counterparts, with a 1% difference. These results were found to be consistent across a spread of factors, such as demographics, NCAA division, graduation era, gender, and race and ethnicity. Beyond general wellbeing, student-athletes were more likely to pursue higher education: while the study found that 39% of student athletes went on to pursue higher education, only 32% of non-athletes did.

All other factors held constant,

a logistic regression found that NCAA student-athletes were 1.3 times more likely to earn a postgraduate degree than their counterparts.

Student-athletes were also found to benefit from high-quality student experiences. While 35% of NCAA student-athletes strongly agreed their professors cared about them as a person, only 28% of non-athletes said the same. Student-athletes were also more likely to strongly agree they had a mentor in college who encouraged them to pursue their goals, coming in at 27% as compared to 23% of non-athletes. Immediate career outcomes were similar in number, as 33% of student-athletes had a job lined up after graduation, as compared to 30% of non-athletes. However, this metric was much more significant for first-generation college students, in which 36% of firstgen student-athletes had a job lined up, as compared to 30%

of their counterparts.

In terms of campus involvement, student-athletes were much more likely to have a leadership position in a club or organization, such as student government, Greek Life, or on an athletic team, totalling 55% as compared to the 31% of non-athletes. A much smaller number of student-athletes transferred colleges — only 22% rather than 38% of non-athletes. In addition, a significantly greater percentage of student-athletes donated to their alma mater within the last 12 months of the survey being taken: 28%, as contrasted with 17% of non-athletes.

What makes student-athletes so sought after? In an article for Forbes, President of Miami University of Ohio, Gregory P. Crawford points out a couple key factors. First and foremost, college athletics teach passion and perspective.

Athletes learn there is more to life than their sport, and in

turn gain a better understanding of time management, and a personal reflection of the “meaning of a thriving life, and how its different elements are synthesized for the good of the whole person” as according to Crawford. The personal responsibility and group engagement of athletics helps student-athletes build a distinctive attention to detail and resilience, which Crawford notes is “vital for success” in environments that are innovative and entrepreneurial in nature. The status and service student-athletes experience as working as a part of a team gives them a sense of servant leadership, gaining the empathy needed to be a good team player. In essence, the experiential learning that college sports offers provides a unique opportunity for athletes to build on their teamwork and leadership skills, which later prove key to their professional and personal success.

of security threats, keeping the public divided on the Palestinian conflict, and goals to weaken the Israeli Supreme Court. His false promises and stories have left hundreds of his people to die at the hands of Hamas.

Now that I have established that I condemn Hamas and condemned the attacks on Israel, let me speak freely on the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians without being attacked. It is so difficult to put all this information into words. The cries of parents for their

children have left me numb to the core. Seeing hospitals, churches, and schools blown into ashes makes me all the more angry. Watching people only speak on behalf of one side continues to baffle me. Hearing my professors dismiss the experiences of the Palestinians, all while knowing little to nothing about Middle Eastern history, makes me furious.

Arabs have constantly been stereotyped for their anger. Whether on social media, TV, or in films, they are made out to be this race

filled with rage. To the people who continue to believe this; if you lived our lives, you too would be angry at the world for their ignorance.

The Palestinian fight isn’t only Palestinian. It has deeply affected all its neighboring countries. It has now come to the United States, with an American child in Chicago being stabbed twenty-six times as his landlord yelled, “You Muslims must die.” If you can’t see the parallels of the Israel-Hammas war to the Iraq war, all I can tell

you is to read a damn textbook. Did we learn nothing?

How many times do we have to repeat the same mistakes until we learn our lesson?

If yo’re going to fight for human rights and peace, at least have the decency to defend people on both sides.

Don’t pick one side and run with it because it affects you personally — how self-centered are you? You can’t preach peace and ignore the cries of children (whether they are “children of light” or “children of darkness,” Bibi).

FROM SOUQS TO SCHOOLS

Real talk

BY RACHEL ABRAHAM ‘26 Since October 7, the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank has reached 10,000. Half of

the Palestinian population are children. We’ve seen all the videos: children without limbs, missing their heads, burned to ashes. The “... children of darkness…” (@ IsraeliPM, on X) have been quickly making their way out of this world, thanks to Israeli “self-defense.”

My heart breaks for the victims of the Hamas attack; innocent men, women, and children died in a state created to ensure their protection. I feel the Israeli anger towards Netanyahu’s government, his undermining

10

Friday, November 10

Campus Pulse

Caitlyn Cianci ‘25

“Friends and family.

Totally every other person’s answer.”

Jiya Jaisinghani ‘27

David Cruz ‘24

“The red velvet waffles in Pierce.”

“Huh, something generic... Being on Earth.e”

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li and Mia Petrolino

“What are you grateful for?”

Fayha Farooqi ‘26

Mike Lanfranco ‘25

Chang-Woo Ham ‘24

Brendan Lee ‘26

“Pierce dining hall.”

“Tyler Soiferman.”

“To go to college here. That’s pretty special.”

Riyana Phadke ‘27

“The skyline.”

“The giggles and the sillies.”

Hidden Links

Crossword by Jack Scherban ACROSS ͳǤ ͷǤ ͹Ǥ Ǧ

ͺǤ ͻǤ "___ Misérables“

DOWN ͳǤ ̵ ʹǤ Ǧ

͵Ǥ

ͶǤ ͸Ǥ ̶ ̴​̴​̴ ̶

Dropquote “Drop” each letter into one of the squares Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ

Sudoku

Only Connectǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ “nouns”. “places”, etc. What do the following have in common?