Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the break!
We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXI No. 11
HOBOKEN, NJ | NOVEMBER 17, 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
Flu shots! Get your flu shots!
Why is co-op enrollment down? BY SEAN ANDERSON, STAFF WRITER
BY KATELYN CHIURRI, CONTRIBUTOR
Looking ahead to the spring semester, some students are preparing for a full-time class schedule and others are preparing for their upcoming co-op experience. While some will be local, others might be traveling farther away for their experience. However, the number of students this time around could be much lower than in previous years. According to Workday, for this spring, only seven students are currently enrolled in DEAN 401, which is listed as the Cooperative Education work term. Those who are planning for a co-op for just the next semester must enroll in this course, and it is probable that more registrations will come in. However, a downward trend can be seen from previous semesters leading up to this one. Following the Spring 2013 term, at least one hundred students were in co-op in each semester, with the highest number being 304 students in the Fall 2015 term. Since the Spring 2022 term, the number has fallen below one hundred, and currently, only 66 students are registered and in co-op in this Fall term.
run at the Montana governorship in 2016, Gianaforte ran for and was elected to the House of Representatives in a 2017 special election. After serving two terms he would successfully run again for Governor of Montana. Governor Gianforte is a controversial figure in national politics. He is a member of the Christian right wing of the Republican party, with the viewpoints one would expect
As this year’s flu season begins, annual flu vaccinations are once available for the public to protect themselves against illness. Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is a respiratory illness that can range in severity depending on the variant and the person who gets sick. Symptoms of the flu can also range in intensity but mostly consist of fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle or body aches. Because of the flu’s ability to spread and be deadly with high-risk people, getting the flu shot is important. High-risk people that may experience complications from the flu include people over the age of 65, pregnant people, children under the age of five years old, and people with pre-existing illnesses such as asthma and heart disease. Although the shot does not prevent one from getting the flu, it does lessen the seriousness of the symptoms to help prevent deaths and long-term illness. The flu level is considered low in New Jersey this year and there is a lower number of cases and outbreaks compared to last year at this time.
SEE NORTH PAGE 2
SEE FLU PAGE 2
SEE CO-OP PAGE 2
What’s up with Gateway North? BY ARTHUR SERRA, STAFF WRITER The truth about American private universities is that they rely heavily on alumni donations. Recently in the news, we can see the damage that has been done to universities, in particular the Ivy League, where alleged widespread antisemitism has caused alumni to retract their donations. Stevens is no different: Alumni money is a requirement if the administration wants to fund
more research, give out financial aid, and expand campus facilities. Students are generally happy for expanded facilities and shiny new classrooms, but sentiments change when the donor’s actions do not reflect the beliefs of the student body. A particular source of controversy at Stevens is Gianforte Family Hall, and the man who donated it: Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana. Greg Gianforte attended Stevens Institute of Technology, and graduated in
1983. He went on to work at Bell Laboratories, and later McAfee Associates until founding his own company in 1997 called RightNow technologies. RightNow was a software development company that was later acquired by Larry Ellsion’s Oracle Corporation 2011 for 1.5 billion USD. For the next six years, he focused on his philanthropic and personal interests, focusing mainly on raising money for Conservative Christian Groups in Montana. After a failed
LOCAL HOBOKEN NEWS BY ARTHUR SERRA, STAFF WRITER
Pride and Israeli Flags torn down in Hoboken
PHOTO COURTESY OF NJ1015.COM
In recent weeks, an Israeli and pride flag have been stolen from Hoboken City Hall and a Hoboken restaurant, respectively. Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead, the City of Hoboken decided to place an Israeli flag at half-mast at city hall to commemorate the victims. At around the same time, a pride flag flying outside of Hoboken restaurant Uncle Milton’s Cafe was vandalized for the first time. Then, last week, its flag was vandalized again. Uncle Milton’s Cafe is a restaurant and coffee shop in central Hoboken. A large part of the establishment’s branding is its support of the LGBTQ+ community; The cafe is self-described
on it’s website as “an inclusive environment open to everyone LGBTQ+ friendly.” The cafe has reassuring messages on its walls as part of its decor, and has a reading corner with books for LGBTQ+ youth. Pride flags are important symbols for the LGBTQ+ community, and many ally or LGBTQ+-owned establishments use them as a signal that they are inclusive. Uncle Milton’s Cafe has a pride flag hanging opposite its American flag right outside its doors. Twice now, Uncle Milton’s owner, Milton Canales, has found his flag vandalized. The first time Canales found his flag in an ugly state, he said that the vandals “burned the sides first, then they
NEWS (2-3)
SCIENCE (6)
FEATURE (4)
PULSE (10)
Reminder of Gianforte Hall petition and protests The history of this building and why clubs have vowed to not use it for events. Happy Thanksgiving! Read about how football’s relation to Thanksgiving, thing at Stevens to be thankful for, and Thanksigivng food rankings.
SEE FLAGS PAGE 2 Quantum computing? Grant for RF sensing? Brain tissue for marathons? Learn more about what’s going on in the world of science. Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.
Hudson County and Hoboken elections
PHOTO COURTESY OF @JENFORHOBOKEN ON INSTAGRAM
Every year, millions of Americans go to the polls and influence the direction of the government. When most people think about elections, they think of presidential or congressional elections. The federal government has a tremendous amount of power and influence, but at the end of the day, most of the governance that affects people’s everyday lives is done at the local and county level. That is why just as, if not more, important as the federal races are the local elections for district attorney, school boards, state legislatures, and mayors. Stevens Institute of Technology is in the city of Hoboken, which is part of the greater Hudson County. Hoboken is split into six “wards,” each of which
elected a city councilor, who sits on a ten-person body. The remaining four members include the mayor and three other city councilors that hold atlarge seats and are elected by the whole city. Hoboken elections are held during federal election off-years, which are odd-numbered years, and alternate between elections of the six ward-specific seats and the four at-large offices. This year the elections were for the six Hoboken ward seats. In the recent past, most of the candidates have run unopposed for their seats, but this year five of the six seats were contested, demonstrating an increase in residents’ scrutiny of local gover-
SEE ELECT PAGE 2
ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE
The Archives and Special Collections: a how-to of Stevens history BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR The Samuel C. Williams Library’s Archives and Special Collections (ASC) offers a vast selection of books, artifacts, and records accessible to students. Split into two parts, the ASC includes the University Archives and the Special Collections. The University Archives are a record of the history of Stevens from its founding in 1870 through the present, while The Special Collections is a trove of rare books, essential artifacts, works of art, and other historically significant items. These collections do not specifically record Stevens’ history, focusing on the history of the Stevens family, Hoboken, and the local area. The mission of ASC, as stated on its webpage, is “to engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the local and global community with primary sources and historic artifacts. Our objective is to instill a sense of pride and knowledge about Stevens and its rich heritage and legacy, which includes the history of the Stevens family.” However, while ASC is devoted
to preserving and sharing Stevens’ history, it is just as devoted and interested in recording the future history of Stevens or how the future community members of Stevens will look back at our current moment in history. One way ASC does this is by allowing open access to their collections. The Stute spoke with Leah Loscutoff, the head of ASC. She emphasized that the collections are an excellent resource for students, faculty, and other interested parties. They range from all of the commencements of Stevens in the past, artifacts representing Stevens’ involvement in world events like World War I, and collections specific for influential alums of Stevens like Frederick Winslow Taylor, who revolutionized industrial efficiency and became the face of scientific management. Individuals interested in exploring the collections—whether for a class, personal interest, or research—can schedule an appointment to visit the archives. There are also online portions of many collections that are viewable via the ASC website.
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