[The Stute] November 19, 2021 (Issue 11, CXIX)

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VOLUME CXIX No. 11

HOBOKEN, NJ | NOVEMBER 19, 2021

The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck. www.thestute.com Instagram @thestute facebook.com/ stevensthestute

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POSKA AND GEORGOUTSOS RUNNING UNOPPOSED ON SGA PRESIDENTIAL TICKET Meet the candidates

BY DIEM TRINH, STAFF WRITER

“The top three things I hope to accomplish are: SGA creating a larger impact on the Stevens and Hoboken community as a whole, encouraging more diversity of students within the SGA, and mental health advancements.

“The student government has done many great things for the student body however these initiatives are not always publicized and often it feels as though the student body does not realize they can come to the student government as a resource.

— Gabriella Poska

— Paulina Georgoutsos

PHOTOS COURTESY OF POSKA AND GEORGOUTSOS

Phoenix Fest raises money for COVID Relief

BY KATIE BLOOMER, STAFF WRITER On November 6, 2021 Alpha Sigma Phi and the Entertainment Committee (EC) hosted the Phoenix Fest to raise money for COVID relief. The event included music performed

by Stevens students, carnival games with prizes, and food trucks. Alpha Sigma Phi, EC, and other Greek organizations each ran their own carnival booth. Games included balloon darts, a dunk tank, ring toss, and many more activities. All of the money raised went directly to COVID relief which totaled $2,400.

Christopher Kruger, Alpha Sigma Phi’s philanthro-

py chair, explained the reasoning behind the name of the event and stated, “Over COVID, many Greek organizations struggled in keeping a healthy amount of new members. Just as a Phoenix rises from the ashes, we wanted to host an event to revitalize all Greek organizations by bringing awareness to all organizations who participated at Phoenix Fest. A Phoenix is also Alpha Sigma Phi’s fraternal bird.”

Kruger designed, constructed, and oversaw the Alpha Sigma Phi booth as well as the fundraising. He explained that the planning for the Alpha Sig booth be-

SEE FEST PAGE 2

Stevens sports conclude victorious fall seasons

BY ARIANNA GEHAN, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER After a year of uncertainty and many COVID-19 restrictions, the Ducks are bringing the fall sports season to a close with many victories.

The Stevens Women’s Field Hockey team and the Women’s Volleyball team both earned the Middle Atlantic Conference title. The Men’s Soccer Team and the Women’s Soccer team both had victories in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Tournament.

On November 3, Women’s Field Hockey won their first MAC Freedom title afCOURTESY OF @STEVENSDUCKS

CAROLINE MONTANA FOR THE STUTE

The voting portal for Student Government Association (SGA) Presidential elections is currently open, with one pair of undergraduate students running.

Gabriella Poska is running for President alongside Panagiota (Paulina) Georgoutsos who is running for Vice President of Operations (VPO). The form for votes will close on Sunday, November 22 at 11:59 p.m., and the winners will be announced at the following Senate meeting. While the pair is running unopposed, there is an option for voters to abstain. The only requirement for candidates to win is for a simple majority to declare them the winners.

In an email interview with The Stute, Poska and Georgoutsos described what motivated them to run and what they plan to accomplish.

Q1: What is the first order of business you plan to do when you are elected as President?

Poska explained her first goal to mark as completed is “work on an update to our governing documents to include a Code of Ethics and

ter joining the conference in 2019. Stevens was the top seed and defeated second seed Misericordia University with a final score of 2-0. Fifth-year Brynn Froehlich and senior Kila Eadie both scored in the first half of the game. In the end, Stevens concluded with a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. Stevens managed to hold the first three quarters without any shots on goal from Misericordia. The victory marked the team’s first conference title since 2015.

The win secured a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. On November 10, Stevens was defeated by the hosting team, Messiah University.

The Stevens Women’s Volleyball team won their second consecutive MAC Freedom Title, following their win in 2019 (the tournament was not held in 2020 due to COVID). On November 6, Stevens defeated the home team DeSales University in a 3-1 game. The 25-22, 25-14, 2527, 25-19 victory came after the Duck’s only conference loss to DeSales on October 26. Senior Elizabeth Chu was awarded MAC Freedom Tournament MVP honors.

Stevens had both offensive

SEE SPORTS PAGE 2

NEWS (2)

NEWS (4)

OPINION (6-9)

Read the full stories on Pheonix Fest, Stevens sports, and Rocket Fuel Ventures

Research at Stevens

The Stute Editorial Mind of a Freshman Senioritis Second-Year Freshman Off The Press Book of the Week

SCIENCE (5)

Are strawberries berries?

PFAS: The forever chemical

NEWS (3)

Read more about the SGA Presidential candidates, amendments to the SGA constitution, and things to do on campus

SCIENCE (6)

The Food Coma Seasonal Affective Disorder FEATURE (7)

Veterans Day

PULSE (10)

Roving Reporter Crossword

Inclusivity Statement.”

She went on to state, “I think as org leaders we should hold ourselves to a bit of a higher standard.

This is something we spoke about during Restructure and in my opinion, it was one of the most important aspects of our new Constitution. We worked diligently on the Code of Ethics we had written and consulted many members of administration as well as student governments at other universities with a similar structure to ours to better understand how their Code of Ethics serves them and understand how we can best implement something similar.”

Q2: As VPO, how do you plan to use your role as a liaison between the cabinet and the senate?

Georgoutsos stated she wants to “create a closer and more transparent connection between the cabinet and the senate, help senators have a smoother transition into the SGA, and I want to truly take the time to get to know the senators and help them find an initiative they are very passionate about. The student

Continued on page 4

SGA seeking 1/3 student body vote for constitutional amendments

BY NATALIE TODARO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Student Government Association (SGA) is proposing two amendments to their Constitution, requiring 1/3 of the student body to vote on them in order to pass.

The first amendment aims to “allow members of the Cabinet to hold or retain officer positions in any other formally constituted campus organization,” meaning that students would be able to simultaneously hold an e-board position in a student organization while also serving as an SGA Cabinet member.

Reasons for this change include “a lot of the best candidates for the SGA Cabinet are students who are very involved on campus and know a lot about how Stevens’ student organizations run” and “since our terms align with the calendar year and most other organizations align with the

Continued on page 4

Student org ‘Rocket Fuel Ventures’ blasts to new heights

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLACH, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER While the COVID-19 pandemic posed unique challenges for Stevens’ student organizations, many have overcome the obstacles to bring new opportunities and experiences to students. Among these organizations is Rocket Fuel Ventures (RFV), Stevens’ resident venture capital student organization, which is gearing up for change and expansion after a successful first year.

RFV was founded by Stevens student Brian Li ‘22 in August 2020 “to educate students on Venture Capital principles and foster the entrepreneurship ecosystems in our community,” according to the group’s website. Venture capital is the practice of investing money into startups in exchange for a portion of ownership in that company, which is called equity. Venture capitalists have helped foster many well-known companies, such as Google and SpaceX, before they had access to large funds to use to fuel growth. In an interview with The Stute, Li said that the organization has aimed to accomplish its mission in four ways.

The first is a six-week course offered by RFV to interested students which

takes them through the fundamentals of venture capital.

The educational phase of the course is followed by opportunities for students to apply the concepts and skills they have learned, including a “due diligence project,” which refers to the process of critically evaluating an investment opportunity before committing funds. Li explained that their next course is expected to run during the first half of the Fall 2022 semester.

The organization also holds an annual conference, including a virtual international undergraduate venture summit that was held last April. Wanting to expose students in Stevens and other

SEE RFV PAGE 2 BRIAN LI (RFV LEADER & FOUNDER)

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Friday, November 19

News Masthead Volume CXIX No. 11 Executive Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF......................................................................NATALIE TODARO ‘22 BUSINESS MANAGER................................................................JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23 MANAGING EDITOR....................................................................SANJANA MADHU ‘23 LAYOUT EDITOR.................................................................................KEENAN YATES ‘24 OUTREACH CHAIR................................................................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24 DIGITAL MANAGER...........................................................................BEMIN SHAKER ‘23 SECRETARY.........................................................................ZANE THUMMBORST ‘23

Editorial Board NEWS EDITOR...........................................................................TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘23 SCIENCE EDITOR..................................................................RAYNA INDELICATO ‘23 OPINION EDITOR...................................................................ROSHNI REVANKAR ‘22 HEAD COPY EDITOR.............................................................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24

Operations Board HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER....................................................CAROLINE MONTANA ‘22 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER........................................................VANESSA HUERTA ‘23 WEBMASTER....................................................................................JOANA FARDAD ‘22

Staff & Contributors Aleksandar Dimoski Arianna Gehan Benjamin Knobloch Daniel Yu Diem Trinh Emma Tong Joey Ames John Horgan Julia Dwight Julia Wierzbicki Katie Bloomer

Leigha Tierney Matthew Cunningham Matthew Brantl Melissa Kosar Olof Persson Rafael Lee Li Riya Shrestha Stephanie Searing Tasha Khosla Zoe Hack

FEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 gan over the summer, and they started fundraising a month prior to the event using social media.

Matthew Bayne, the President of Alpha Sigma Phi, handled communication between Stevens and Alpha Sigma Phi. Bayne wrote, “We decided to have a balloon dart game; it was a great time but took a lot of effort from the brothers that had to blow up all those balloons!” When asked about the reason behind Alpha Sigma Phi’s philanthropy, Bayne explained “Our fraternity takes a lot of pride in our philanthropy efforts. [...]

Raising money for COVID relief helps the overall progression of eliminating the effects of COVID and hopefully placing us one step closer back to normal life.”

Aaron Siegel, the founder of Phoenix Fest and Vice President of Alpha Sigma Phi, began thinking about the idea of Phoenix Fest one year ago. He reflected on the creation of this event, explaining “Back in September of 2020, as a brother of a fraternity during the

COVID lockdowns, I noticed that many were starting to lose faith and motivation in the ‘college experience’ since we were all virtual and away from one another. All of the Greek organizations were in similar boats, and as a result I made it my goal to have a sort of ‘grand return’ to campus which would impact both Greek life and the student body, as well as make a difference to those affected by the very pandemic which tore us down. It was at this point where the idea for Phoenix Fest was conceived.”

Planning the event involved Siegel reaching out to a variety of Greek organizations, coordinators, and EC. The event was approved under the premise that COVID restrictions would be enforced or could be canceled if outbreaks occurred prior to the event.

The outdoor location allowed the event to be held without any restrictions.

The overall goals of the event were to raise money for COVID relief, revitalize Greek organizations, and run a COVID-safe event. Kruger, Bayne, and Siegel agreed that the event was a success with over

$2,400 raised which will be donated to Direct Relief, a non-profit organization working to combat COVID. There are plans to host another Phoenix Fest next year with some changes, including the date of the event, in an effort to involve more students.

Siegel concluded, “This event would never have been able to come to fruition without the efforts of the Greek Community, generous help from the Entertainment Committee, assistance from the school and the charitable donations from Students at Stevens, and each group involved can rest assured that these efforts will make a difference to many.

Specific people that demonstrated a great deal commitment and involvement, not already mentioned above, include Garrett Horwath from the Entertainment Committee, each of the Greek captains for their respective organizations, and the DJs who selflessly performed for the event without asking anything in return: Pat Besser from Alpha Sigma Phi, Marc Feliu with stage name FeliuM, and David Delatorre and Paul Mattaway with stage name Display Candle.”

ment. After 89 minutes without scoring, senior Jay Poskitt scored the only goal of the game. The game concluded with 11 shots on goal from Stevens and six from Swarthmore.

Stevens’ NCAA run concluded after a loss to defending national champion Tufts University. After a 1-1 game and a scoreless overtime, the Ducks were defeated in penalty kicks ending 11-10.

On November 13, the Women’s Soccer team also had a victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This was the team’s 13th appearance at the NCAA Tourna-

ment. The Ducks earned a 3-0 win over Ithaca College at Wesleyan University. Thirteen minutes in, the first goal was scored by senior Taylor Whitlock, the second goal was scored by sophomore Gab Aloe later in the first half, and the final goal of the game was scored in the second half by sophomore Elsa Bley. Stevens concluded the game with 9 shots on goal, with 0 shots on goal from Ithaca.

Stevens was defeated on November 14 in a 1-0 loss to home team Wesleyan University during the second round of the tournament.

RFV has a close relationship with Launchpad@Stevens, Stevens’ undergraduate entrepreneurship program directed by professor Mukundan Iyengar. Iyengar and other Launchpad officers helped RFV get off the ground and continue to play a role in the organization. Additionally, RFV provides Launchpad with analysis recommendations, helping the incubator to decide how to allocate its investments to various proposed student startups.

The last pillar of RFV’s operations is also its newest. The organization is partnering with venture capital firms from the New York, Boston, and Austin metropolitan areas to provide Stevens students with insight into specialized sectors such as blockchain, consumer health, and cyber security. By offering sector-specific breakout groups to participants, Li said that RFV is better able to engage students with the industries they are most interested in.

If undergraduates wish to get involved in Rocket Fuel Ventures, the organization hosts weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Li describes the meetings as “condensed and focused” but says each one is

shorter and lighter than a full class.

Applications for 2022’s course will open at the beginning of the new year to students who plan to graduate in the spring of 2023 or later.

While Rocket Fuel Ventures has handled the circumstances of the pandemic through virtual meetings, classes, and conferences, Li expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities that the return to campus has offered, like a shift to a hybrid meeting system that allows half of the group’s meetings to be in-person. “[We’re] having in-person engagements and doing things that strengthen us as a group.”

CAROLINE MONTANA FOR THE STUTE

Contact Us GENERAL EMAIL...........................................................EBOARD@THESTUTE.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..........................................................EDITOR@THESTUTE.COM ADVERTISING............................................................BUSINESS@THESTUTE.COM OFFICE................................................................STUDENT CENTER ROOM #302

Corrections 1) Article Student initiative to extend library hours comes to fruition after Quae poll: Daniel Wadler is a 3/5 Industrial and Systems major, not 3/4.

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SPORTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and defensive advantages, with nine aces over DeSales’ five, and 10 blocks compared to five from their opponent.

This win advanced Stevens to the NCAA tournament, where the Ducks lost 3-1 to Middlebury College.

The Men’s Soccer team defeated Swarthmore College on November 13 at Tufts University’s Bello Field in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tourna-

RFV

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 schools to venture capital in an accessible way, Li and his team invited speakers from highly successful venture capital firms like Bessemer Venture Partners, Lux Capital, and Lerer Hippeau to speak to student attendees from Stevens, Rutgers, Columbia, and dozens of other universities.

The event attracted hundreds of students to hear from some of the top venture capitalists in the business.

The group is planning for their next conference, slated for April 2022, to be even more ambitious, with a broader scope that aims to educate startup founders as well as aspiring venture capitalists. In contrast to this year’s all-virtual summit, April’s conference is expected to be half virtual and half in-person, with the in-person component based in New York City. “The fact that Stevens is so close to New York City will allow for amazing networking opportunities as both founders, VCs, and people who work in the startup community will be at the in-person events,” said Li.

TOP: ADAM LATIF (RFV LEADER) BOTTOM: THE TEAM

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Friday, November 19

News Meet the candidates

Continued from page 1 government works best when the members involved are passionate, so I want to take the time to help the senators (especially the new ones) find their passion. Finally, I want to increase involvement from the general student body by receiving clear feedback from the student body and relaying to the senate and admin.”

Q3: What are the top three things you hope to accomplish in both of your positions?

Poska: “The top three things I hope to accomplish are: [1] SGA creating a larger impact on the Stevens and Hoboken community as a whole, [2] encouraging more diversity of students within the SGA, and [3] mental health advancements.”

Georgoutsos: “The top three things I hope to accomplish are [1] helping senators have a smoother transition into the student government and to truly help them find their passions in order to pursue effective initiatives, [2] gain more community engagement (outreach in the Hoboken community, special needs community is a big focus) and [3] increase the visibility of the student government along campus to create a closer connection to the student body.”

To create a larger impact on the Stevens and Hoboken community, Poska elaborated that she’d like to have a “student vs. faculty game toward the end of the semester [...] There is a lot of disconnect between students and faculty/staff/ administration and many make an attempt to meet with any students willing to meet with them. Having everyone in the same room for a lighthearted event before finals would definitely help to develop a relationship and familiarize students with faculty/staff/administration that they will see on campus for several years. Additionally, many other universities host Special Olympics or similar events

and I think we can start to grow that outreach with the Hoboken community and host things like Special Olympics or Easter egg hunts.”

To encourage more diversity of students to join the SGA, Poska detailed that “this semester, we have been dealing with a lot of commuter student concerns. We currently only have one commuter in our senate (who joined just a few weeks ago) so it is hard to understand what commuter students need. This is just an example, but generally, we support the entire student body and in order to do so we need to understand everyone’s individual needs. Right now, we are having a lot of discussions regarding Res Life and Dining and having RAs in our senate really helps us understand both sides of the situation as well as helps us understand how to best address the situation.”

To work on mental health advancements, Poska stated “there was definitely a period during senate meetings this semester when everyone was clearly burnt out. As a senate, we function on ideas and conversation so lively meetings are the most beneficial. I would like to work to institute a Mental Health Awareness Week that would start on a Sunday to give senators a break from SGA and be followed by events each day to truly release the stigma around mental health on campus and allow students time to relax in a stressful time (likely during midterms).

Mental health awareness is something I am generally very passionate about and there are many related initiatives I would like to see through on campus.”

Q4: Do you plan to continue past restructuring efforts within the SGA? Poska stated she does “plan to continue past restructuring efforts in some capacity [...] I do think that there are a lot of internal changes we can make to better understand internally how we function best for the general student body before we make any additional major changes to our

structure. I also think that since we have a very new group of students, it’s important to have another conversation with everyone in the SGA as well as anyone in the student body interested to understand what we want to change and why.”

Agreeing with Poska, Georgoutsos explained, “The past Cabinet did a really nice job of setting up this upcoming Cabinet even without the restructure so though not our main priority, we definitely want to focus on continuing to improve the SGA internally before we move to continue restructure efforts.”

Q5: Do you plan or want to try getting the re-written constitution passed again, with another student body vote?

Poska explained that “we do plan on making amendments to the constitution, but in no means do we plan on taking that old referendum that did not pass and just trying to pass it again [...] generally the SGA does need a new structure, but I don’t think the new one we wanted to pass last year is the right one for us. It seems that most of campus is in agreement with that at the very least.”

Q6: How do you plan to increase student involvement with the SGA? Poska explained she wants to “work with IT to generate a website similar to that of other student governments to highlight the initiatives that have gone through the SGA and highlight a timeline for it all. Also, moving our office to the new University Towers will help since it will be in a more central location. Once that happens, I plan on putting several suggestion boxes across campus. I have had more luck with students anonymously expressing what they needs to be changed on campus than sending an email. Question booths have also had proven success so I am hoping to just make the SGA more visible on campus, show the successes of the SGA over the past few years, and express how just any student can

make an impact on campus.”

Georgoutsos expressed she wants to “create feedback forms and events that are aimed to receiving more input from the student body. The student government has done many great things for the student body however these initiatives are not always publicized and often it feels as though the student body does not realize they can come to the student government as a resource. At the end of the day, we joined SGA to help the student body and without input from them there is an extreme disconnect and it can be difficult to know what the student body wants to see accomplished.”

Q7: What are some current shortcomings of the SGA that you hope to fix?

The most prominent shortcoming that Poska notices “is definitely the lack of interest and knowledge about the SGA [...] there has definitely been some difficulty in pursuing new initiatives over the past few semesters. Most of this I believe is due to being away from campus for so long. I have a lot of ideas that I would like to see happen on campus and after speaking with many new senators, I know what they are most passionate about on campus and would love to see them take a vague idea and turn it into something much greater than I ever could have imagined.”

Georgoutsos noted some current shortcomings of the SGA that she hopes to fix, including “our [SGA] lack of visibility on campus and overall knowledge of the student government. I think as a student government we could do a better job of highlighting all the positive things we are doing on campus [...] I want to help better transition new senators into the student government because often there is a bit of a lag when new senators enter the student government mainly because they are unsure of where to begin in terms of initiatives; from there, I want to make sure that the senators are fully putting their ideas into action.”

Constitution amendments

Continued from page 1 academic year, this often creates an issue that there are students who would like to join the SGA Cabinet, but in order to do that would need to resign from their e-boards in the middle of their term.”

The second amendment aims to change “the quorum requirement for referendums of proposed amendments to the SGA Constitution from one-third of the Student Body to five percent of the Student Body.” Currently, 1/3 of the student body at a population of 3,791 is 1,263 students.

At 5%, only 190 students would be needed to pass amendments.

In an email to undergraduate students, the SGA stated that “with the current quorum, it is nearly impossible to make any changes. By decreasing the quorum we are hoping to allow future SGA officers to be able to make necessary and appropriate changes. Five percent of the undergraduate student body is the current number of nominations a presidential ticket needs to receive in order to move to the voting stage of elections. We feel as though it is an appropriate number of votes for constitutional changes as well.”

In January 2021, the SGA went through a similar process of seeking 1/3 of the student body to vote on a completely new Constitution, which failed to pass after lack of student participation in the voting process. With the current voting portal only being open until November 22, it is unclear if the amendments will be passed.

Students can vote for the constitutional amendments at this link.

Check these articles on thestute.com for links to voting portals

16 things to do next week at Stevens | November 21 – 27

BY MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM, EDITOR EMERITUS Check out the results of this week’s Stute poll on Quae: Each week The Stute will be posting a question on Quae, relevant to the week’s news.

Be sure to vote!

Stuck on campus over the break? Check out this list of events open to undergraduate students from November 21 to November 27.

Disclaimer: This list is always changing. To include an event in this list, contact eboard@thestute. com, or upload the event to Ducklink at least one week in advance. Contact hosts directly for event information.

Sunday, November 21, 2021 11:30 a.m. – Sunday Brunch @ Pierce Dining Hall (hosted weekly by Stevens Dining; meal plan required) 7:00 p.m. – “Stevens Unplugged” Conversation about effects of social media @ Bissinger Room, 4th Floor Howe (hosted by Stevens Athletics)

7:00 p.m. – SGA Senate Meeting @ Babbio Center 122 (hosted weekly) Monday, November 22, 2021 11:30 a.m. – Meatless Monday @ Pierce Dining Hall (hosted weekly by Stevens Dining; meal plan required) 7:00 p.m. – Newman TV Night @ Babbio 219 (hosted by the Newman Catholic Association) 7:30 p.m. – Annual Lip Sync Competition @ DeBaun Auditorium (hosted by Phi Sigma Sigma) Tuesday, November 23, 2021 5:00 p.m. – The Stute Production Night @ Student Center 302 (hosted weekly by The Stute – join our team!)

9:00 p.m. – SGDC GBM @ Gateway North 204 (hosted by the Stevens Game Development Club) View the full list on thesute.com

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Friday, November 19

News RESEARCH AT STEVENS Clark and Pinnacle Scholars present summer research

BY JOSEPH AMES, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER On November 10, the Clark and Pinnacle scholars presented their summer research at an annual Research Expo which took place in the Walker Gym from 3 to 5 p.m. The event featured students’ research posters presented in a gallery-styled exhibition. Students rotated between presenting their own research to their peers and research mentors and exploring the gallery to observe other presentations.

Pooja Rajadurai ‘23 and her partner Hannah Ju ‘23, Quantitative Finance majors, conducted research on the impact of Uber’s acquisition of Postmates on consumer welfare and were able to present their findings at the Expo. The pair sought to determine if there were any differences between the pre and post-acquisition performance of Uber, measured by delivery times, delivery fees, ratings, etc. The two “webscrapped UberEats and Postmates’ websites for data using Python, and then cleaned the data [which, Rajadurai admitted, took awhile] and then ran regressions, specifically the difference in the differenc-

es [from pre and post-acquisition], and found that prices did stabilize after the merger for burgers and pizza in Boston and New York [Rajadurai notes that burgers and pizza were the two most ordered items].”

Their findings: due to a decrease in competition, UberEats was able to raise its prices. Rajadurai noted this as a cause for further research, stating that, research into different food items in more cities, and “other mergers of food courier companies, like Grubhub and Just Eat Takeaways” could prove insightful to those searching for additional information on these and related developments. Rajadurai was sure to give thanks to their advisor, Professor Pallavi Pal of Stevens School of Business.

When asked to summarize her experiences at the event, Rajadurai stated, “it was great to see so many people interested in what students accomplished over the summer, especially faculty because most people worked with an advisor or research mentor to complete their projects.” Rajaduri went on to state, “I think what I liked most about the whole exhibition was that it’s easy to

forget as we get older and more experienced in a more and more niche area of research or fields of study in general, other people in other fields of study are getting that immersed in their own. So it was really nice to be able to take a step back and appreciate how many things there are in the world to care about, research, and study beyond what we normally do on a daily basis.”

Another student who participated in summer research was Micaela Cardile ‘22, a Biomedical Engineering major, who reflected on the experience and expressed, “it encouraged us to talk about our academic interests outside of a classroom setting.” While the event was an overwhelmingly positive experience for those involved, Cardile was quick to add that she wishes there had been more snacks at the event: “It ran out so quickly!”

While students also conducted research during Summer 2020, they were unable to showcase their findings at the research expo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the event marked the culmination of many research projects from this past summer conducted by Stevens scholars.

COURTESY OF POOJA RAJADURAI

Research on the rise, Stevens sets a new record for funds

BY RIYA SHRESTHA, SCIENCE WRITER Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Stevens has set a new record in research funds for the fiscal year 2021, topping the last by $4 million. There is work being done in various areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, healthcare analytics, and cancer research. Being supported and awarded by various independent and government organizations, such as the Department of Defense, iModal Ground LLC, National Science Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and National Institutes of Health, Stevens has accumulated a total of $50.6 million in awards.

According to the Vice President of Research and Innovation, Dilhan M. Kalyon, Ph.D., tremendous efforts have been made and novel

methods have been developed in the laboratories of Stevens. A team of researchers led by chemistry professor Abhishek Sharma working on the project, “Modular Approaches to Unusual Borylated Heterocycles Using Novel Acylborons and alpha-Hydroxy Borons as Enabling Tools,” have designed some fundamentally new types of boron compounds which have medicational applications that were not possible before. Stevens’ STAR (Sensor Technology & Applied Research) Center on the other hand is working on keeping people safe above and underwater. Kalyon said that the team is working on developing “a patented acoustic system that can detect, classify, and monitor intruders in harbors, on rivers and lakes, and in the open ocean.”

For the current fiscal year 2022, $33.4 million has already been raised.

Almost a third of it was awarded to Professor Dinesh Verma and his team at the System Engineering Research Center (SERC). They have collaborated with other universities to establish the “Acquisition Innovation Research Center,” which will infuse innovation and develop alternative methods to better support the technological advances that are critical to a strong defense. According to Kalyon, their primary goals are directed toward using technology to make more strategic decisions and further enhance the development of the workforce and education.

Another research awarded a large sum of money is led by Professor Shang Wang of the Department of Biomedical Engineering for his project, “Multi-contrast dynamic optical imaging to advance live developmental biology.” The

purpose of this research is exactly as the title describes: to be able to use the multi-contrast imaging method to investigate the cells for a better understanding of the structures and functions of human tissues. This could potentially improve medical treatments significantly in the future.

The increase in award funding indicates advancements underway in fields such as education, medicine, and the workforce. This collaborative effort taking place on behalf of the staff and students is a catalyst for further funding increase as new research is commenced and advancements are made on previous projects such as those efforts implemented by Professor Dinesh Verma and Professor Shang Wang. The remaining act is keeping up to date with the developments made in the fields allocated the awarded funds.

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5

Friday, November 19

Features

VETERANS DAY 2021

Meeting Veterans halfway and learning from the Stevens military community Conversations with current students, alumni, veteran students, and others

BY ROSHNI REVANKAR, OPINION EDITOR In light of Veteran’s Day last week, The Stute interviewed a handful of alumni, current students part of the Stevens Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, veteran students, and others. These individuals have worked on various projects to empower and engage the military community on campus and have cited the Stevens Veteran Office (SVO) and Professor Dr. Donald Lombardi as key players in their successful educational experience at Stevens. They also provided key suggestions and insights to the non-military community on how to better engage with veterans and the military community on campus.

Veterans Kevin Sanders ‘14 and Joshua Hwang ‘22, who were both part of the Marines before attending Stevens, spoke of their gratitude towards the SVO regarding the Yellow Ribbon Program, which substantially improved their Stevens experience. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the Yellow Ribbon Program helps pay the remainder of “private, foreign, or graduate school tuition fees that the Post 9/11 GI Bill does not cover.” This substantially reduced the financial burden that came with transitioning to an academic career post military life.

For Sanders, skills he learned in the Marines complemented what he learned at Stevens, leading to a successful post-grad career in private equity. Being handed a significant amount of responsibility as a 19-20 year old, the Marines encouraged Sanders to “trust [his] instincts,” and he explained that Stevens only helped him build on that confidence.

The ROTC community on campus is also seeing continued success. Lt. Jennifer Lloyd ‘21 is currently an active duty Cyber Second Lieutenant, part of the basic leadership course (BOLC) on the software developer track. She was the first 2LT to commission into the cyber branch from Seton Hall’s ROTC program. Even though the veteran/ROTC community represents an even smaller cadet of the Battalion at Seton Hall, Stevens cadets have “consistently been ranked in the top 10 in [their] respective ROTC classes,” according to Lt. Lloyd. Another student in the ROTC program, Cassandra Ball ‘22, has grown through leadership roles and is now in a staff position, which is the highest rank for an ROTC Army cadet. She explained her current position has led to outreach events with associations like My Lady Sorrow and

American Legion.

While not a veteran or a ROTC cadet, Elsa Bley ‘24 has had the unique experience of watching her father serve in the U.S. Air Force. Bley noted that while students may not see a large veteran population on campus, “the biggest population on campus are children of veterans.” A large part of Bley’s summer 2021 research project was involved in studying how universities and campuses can better support their military-affiliated communities on campus. Bley is delighted to know that ROTC/veteran students receive priority registration because students “receive funding only for a certain number of semesters.”

These opportunities, in Bley’s opinion, are the small steps to improve the veteran/military experience on campus.

Another veteran, Kristopher Trautz ‘22, was part of the I&E Select Scholars Program this past summer and had the opportunity to engage with the veteran community on campus, revamp the SVO website, and help take part in the development of the “Green Zone” training program. Trautz believes that combined with the daunting challenges of being a first-generation student, and mental health stigma about veterans can feel isolating at times. “Green Zone” program is something that Trautz is “happy” came out of his experience, as it provides sensitivity training to staff and faculty for veterans on campus.

Sanders, Hwang, Trautz, Bell, Bley, and Lt. Lloyd all encourage the Stevens community to not be afraid to strike up a friendly conversation with a veteran. Bley encourages students to reach out because she “thinks a big thing is to take advantage of different people having different experiences than you.” On a similar note, Hwang expressed, “I will never meet another group of people like I have met there. The worldly experiences were the most influential to me.”

After entering the BOLC software developer track in the Army without a mentor to guide her, Lt. Lloyd hopes to be a mentor to her fellow cadets at Stevens, as “it’s really important to network and share your experiences with others who have similar interests.”

Ball is appreciative of the leadership experiences she has gained, and is “grateful for the connections [she] has made thus far and will continue to in the future.”

Trautz hopes for continued advocacy and student engagement with the help of the SVO in engaging and supporting the military community on campus.

“I also had the honor of speaking at Seton Hall’s 2021 NJ Cyber Security Conference last week, and sharing my experiences as a cyber professional. I think it’s really important to network and share your experiences with others.” — Lt. Jennifer Lloyd ‘21, U.S. Army Cyber Second Lieutenant

“Meet [Veterans] halfway on opening them up, because I guarantee that they as individuals will regret [not sharing their experiences] and then the non-military community will miss tons not learning from them.” — Kevin Landers ‘14, Staff Sergeant — Helicopter Maintenance Supervisor (2005-2010)

“Starting that conversation, even if it’s just like what branch of the military you served... bring them into the conversation beyond that, just talking like a person...” — Kristopher Trautz ‘22, Terminal Instrument Procedures Specialist (TERPS-S), Landing Zone Safety Officer, Shift Supervisor/ Sergeant (2015-2020)

“The influence they do have on campus as leaders is important to recognize. If you know someone, they have a wealth of information…

They come with a lot of experience and add to the culture. They are generally proud of their service; they love to answer your questions.” — Elsa Bley ‘24, Accounting and Analytics

“If I had the chance to redo my college/ROTC experience, I would definitely do it again at Stevens and would sell my soul to the Army again… ROTC keeps me in shape, motivated to keep going, and has provided me leadership experience that no club can provide.”

— Cassandra Ball ‘22, Army ROTC staff position

“I have met many heroes. People who have fought and worked in every department….

Veterans Day is for the veterans. I want you to give more gratitude towards people who have died or have been injured.” — Joshua Hwang ‘22, Avionics Technician, Marine Security Guard (2011-2018)

Stevens during the World Wars

BY LEIGHA TIERNEY, STAFF WRITER Through a collaboration between the Samuel C. Williams Library, Stevens Veteran and Military and Connected Services, and the Division of Alumni Engagement, a virtual online seminar “Stevens During the World Wars” was held this past Veterans Day. The lecture featured items from the Library’s Archives and Special Collections and described the contributions that Stevens made to the war effort during World War I and World War II. The seminar began with opening remarks by Linda Beninghove, Director of the Samuel C. Williams Library. Beninghove then introduced President Nari-

man Favardin, who made introductory comments and spoke to the history of Stevens during the World Wars as well as the current state of Stevens research and innovations related to the military.

Dr. Donald Lombardi, University Teaching Professor, presented on resources currently offered by the Stevens Veterans and Military Office. Lombardi, a former United States Marine, discussed initiatives and programs made available by the office such as G.I. Bill benefits and the Yellow Ribbon scholarship program available to veterans and their families, the Army and Air Force ROTC programs available to Stevens students, and officer programs with the United States Army and Marine Corps. Lombardi also highlighted the nu-

merous achievements of current and graduated veteran students.

Kristopher Trautz, an undergraduate student and veteran, discussed the history of Stevens’ involvement in World War I. Trautz discussed the significance of the Student Army Training Corps, Student Navy Training Corps, and Naval Steam Engineering School. Trautz also described the contribution Stevens research made to engineering and industrial efforts in World War I. The history of Stevens during World War II was recounted by Ted Houghtaling, Archivist and Digital Projects Librarian of the Library. Houghtaling conveyed the perspectives of Stevens students and faculty throughout the war era through archived speech-

es and print artifacts. Houghtaling also discussed the V-12 Navy College Training Program at Stevens, which began in July 1943.

According to Hougtaling, Stevens was one of 131 schools to “provide technical training to students before becoming commissioned officers.” Houghtaling also described the research efforts undertaken at Stevens during the war, including the Davidson Laboratory, which still produces marine and naval engineering research today.

Head of Archives and Special Collections, Lead Loscutoff described the role that women played in the war effort at Stevens during World War II. According to Loscutoff, women were enrolled as Stevens students in the War Industries Training Program

in the Spring of 1942. Loscutoff also discussed the culture at Stevens during World War II and presented photographs from The Link yearbook and articles from The Stute that demonstrated the strong military presence on campus during the war. Furthermore, Loscutoff presented a recorded interview with Joe Schneider, a World War II veteran from the class of 1946. In the oral history, Schneider recounted his experience in the V-12 program at Stevens and his time serving in the Navy.

As the program concluded with a Q&A session, the seminar presenters emphasized the resources offered by both the Veteran and Military Connected Services office and the Library’s Archives and Special Collections.

6

Friday, November 19

Science Strawberries aren’t true berries, botanically speaking

BY DIEM TRINH, STAFF WRITER Strawberries’ citrusy taste with a blend of sweetness is a versatile addition to different dishes, such as salad and dessert. Strawberries, as many people believe, are berries because they have the word “berries” in them. Well, it is quite false. They are in fact not berries. What actually are strawberries if they are not “berries?”

The name “strawberry” may have derived from “strewn berry” as these fruits were scattered across the ground as they grew. It could have possibly been derived from English youth gathering wild strawberries and selling them to the public impaled on grass straws. Strawberries, botanically speaking, aren’t true berries. So, what makes a berry a berry?

A berry has three distinct layers: the exocarp (skin), mesocarp (middle) and endocarp (innermost part). According to Judy Jernstedt, a professor of plant sciences at the University of California, Davis, for a fruit to be classified as a berry, it must grow from a flower with

only one ovary and have more than two seeds.

“Some plants, such as blueberries, have flowers that only have one ovary,” the Live Science noted. As a result, she claims, the blueberry is a true berry. Tomatoes, peppers,

cranberries, eggplants, and kiwis all come from a single ovary flower allowing them to be technically classified as berries. And surprisingly, bananas are berries as well!

Botanists refer to strawberries as “false fruits,” or

pseudocarps. A strawberry is a multiple fruit made up of many tiny individual fruits inlaid in a fleshy receptacle. They are considered aggregate fruits because they are produced by a flower with more than one ovary. The specks with

COURTESY OF @GARDENSTREETFARMERSMARKET ON INSTAGRAM

brownish or whitish colors oftentimes misidentified as seeds are the real fruits, known as achenes, and each one contains a small seed.

Categorizing berries “is kind of chaotic,” Jernstedt said. “And the scientists feel that way too. There are always attempts to impose some order on fruit classification. But this has been going on for a couple of centuries, so don’t hold your breath that it’s going to be solved soon.” Classifying nature’s numerous fruits can be difficult since they evolve without regard for how scientists would perceive them.

Strawberries are one of the most beloved fruits, whether eaten fresh sliced or cooked. They are perfect for the home garden because they don’t take up too much space and often generate a good yield.

They are rich in vitamin C, manganese, folate (vitamin B9), and potassium, and they also include small trace levels of several additional vitamins and minerals. Strawberries are beneficial for your health and provide color and flavor to your dishes, but don’t confuse them with berries!

PFAS: The forever chemical

BY JOSEPH AMES, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER What does the scientific community fear most for the general American population? Instantly, hot-button topics such as global warming, the obesity epidemic, and COVID-19 come to most peoples’ minds. Time to add another name to that list: Poly and Perfluoroalkyl Substances, otherwise known as PFAS, are a class of more than 4,000 different chemicals according to National Geographic. So what exactly are PFAS, why have we never heard of them, and why are they so dangerous?

PFAS have been used in commercial products since the 1940s. Created by the

bonding of carbon and fluorine (one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry), PFAS are used to make everyday products resistant to moisture, heat, and stains.

People most commonly come into contact with PFAS in their water sources, in their food, in manufacturing, and in packaging among other things. Overall studies have shown that as much as 95% of Americans have been exposed to PFAS and have “a measurable concentration in their blood.”

Moreover, according to a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sampling of water supplies, up to 15 million people live in areas where PFAS are above the Health Advisory Level (HAL).

So what exactly makes PFAS so dangerous? According to research done by the CDC, high levels of certain PFAS have lead to “increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, small decreases in infant birth weights, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia [Pre-eclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman whose blood pressure had been normal. It can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both mother and baby according to The Mayo Clinic] in pregnant women, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.”

Test subjects (animals) who were exposed to higher than

average levels of PFAS were found to have suffered liver and immune system damage, as well as experienced “higher rates of birth defects, delayed development, and newborn deaths.”

One of the primary culprits of increasing the population’s exposure to PFAS was DuPont, a chemicals company based in Wilmington, Delaware. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), “For nearly 70 years, DuPont and 3M have known that PFAS chemicals build up in the blood of people, and since the 1960s were aware of the health risks from exposure to PFAS compounds but hid that information from its workers and the public. A timeline of internal company memos

assembled by EWG documents the decades-long deception perpetrated by DuPont and 3M.” In 2001, attorney Robert Billot filed a class-action lawsuit against DuPont, resulting in a $671 million settlement. Recently, DuPont issued a $4 billion settlement as a result of the Delaware Supreme Court ruling in December 2020.

Those wishing to learn more about PFAS can look at the CDC’s page, or can watch the movie Dark Waters detailing the events of attorney Billot and his fight against DuPont. While it is easy to get caught up in hot topics like COVID-19, it is important to educate ourselves on other scientific issues such as PFAS.

AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AND A GEOLOGIST CONDUCT WATER SAMPLING AND TESTING FOR PFAS LEVELS ON EAGLE POINT LAKE IN LAKE ELMO PARK RESERVE | COURTESY OF DAVID JOLES FOR THE STAR TRIBUNE

FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS, DUPONT AND 3M HAVE KNOWN THAT PFAS CHEMICALS BUILD UP IN THE BLOOD OF PEOPLE, AND SINCE THE 1960S WERE AWARE OF THE HEALTH RISKS FROM EXPOSURE TO PFAS COMPOUNDS BUT HID THAT INFORMATION FROM ITS WORKERS AND THE PUBLIC. A TIMELINE OF INTERNAL COMPANY MEMOS ASSEMBLED BY EWG DOCUMENTS THE DECADES-LONG DECEPTION PERPETRATED BY DUPONT AND 3M.” – ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG)

7

Friday, November 19

Science Pumpkin to talk about: the food coma

BY TASHA KHOSLA, CONTRIBUTOR As always, Thanksgiving offers us all a time to take a break, relax, and appreciate some quality time with our loved ones. The staple of every Thanksgiving festivity is the food. Turkey, mashed potatoes, and apple pie occupy the table and our thoughts every year. Still, the one forgotten characteristic of Thanksgiving is the “food coma.”

This post-dinner phenomenon leaves us feeling lethargic, causing us to shuffle into bed, unable to eat anymore.

Although Thanksgiving is all that separates Halloween from the December holidays, many people skip out on the Thanksgiving feast, hoping to avoid the mysterious food coma by avoiding the classic Thanksgiving fare. So, the question remains, what actually causes the dreaded food coma?

The turkey is often blamed in the food coma discourse because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid commonly associated with sleep.

However, Dr. Singrid Veasey, a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, says that one would have to consume “100 turkeys to get enough tryptophan – about one gram — to make you that sleepy.” In fact, according to the New York Times, “there is no more tryptophan in turkey than in other common meats like chicken and beef.” Instead, Veasley and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, claim overeating and delayed eating cause the food coma. Veasley notes that too many “inflammatory proteins” are being produced by the body in response to the meal, signaling the brain that it is time to rest. Furthermore, “loading up at dinner” interrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, which is

the body’s natural internal clock that controls important functions including sleep.

Disrupting this rhythm leads to sudden feelings of tiredness.

The real cause of the food coma is the carbohydrate-heavy side dishes. Judith Wurtman, author of The Serotonin Power Diet, succinctly states “Carbohydrates soothe and tranquilize.” Eating protein, such as turkey, hinders the body’s serotonin production. Nevertheless, Wurtman explains, “once you consume a ratio of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein, the blunting effect is overridden.” Still, the buttery mashed potatoes and decadent pumpkin pies are not wholly to blame. Alcohol, another example of a carbohydrate, also contributes to the food coma. When first consumed, alcohol has a sedative effect, leading to drowsiness and fatigue.

Moreover, alcohol relaxes the

throat muscles, thus worsening pre-existing sleep disorders. Combining alcohol with the traditional carb-heavy Thanksgiving meal leads to the tiredness associated with the infamous food coma.

Although I do not mind the food coma (after all, what can be more important than a sweet potato casserole?), there are steps you can take to avoid it. For instance, consider adding variety to your plate. Rather than avoiding carbohydrates all together, try alternatives with a low glycemic index, like wholegrain bread or sweet potatoes.

Additionally, include more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, such as spinach and arugula, to your meal.

Including more options will help combat the sleepiness that the Thanksgiving side dishes often bring. Also, be sure to pace yourself during the meal. The sight and smell of the dishes lining the dinner table can be tempting,

but remember, Thanksgiving is notorious for the leftovers it leaves behind. There is no harm in saving your leftovers for the next day. Digestion takes energy so remain true to your body and consume the amount of food you know you can consume without disrupting your body’s natural cycles.

Most importantly, do not feel guilty about enjoying the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, and food. The exhausting food coma happens to the best of us. If you’re like me and absolutely live for dessert, you’re probably all-too-familiar with the lethargy that comes with Thanksgiving and are ready for it. Despite your personal feelings towards the food coma phenomenon, be mindful this Thanksgiving and take care of yourself. The holiday season can be stressful so use this time to rest and enjoy your Thanksgiving.

The facts: Seasonal Affective Disorder

BY DANIEL YU, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

WHEN SOMEONE IS EXPERIENCING SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD) THEY ARE BASICALLY EXPERIENCING ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION, BUT IN A WAY THAT IS UNIQUELY LINKED WITH THE CHANGE IN SEASONS.” – DR. ERIC ROSE

Feeling down from rainy days? While most people find gloomy skies disheartening, prolonged exposure to bleak weather can lead to more than just the blues for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a condition that affects up to 5% of adults in the U.S., triggering moodiness, sleep issues, mental fatigue, and other symptoms associated with depression.

“When someone is experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) they are basically experiencing all the symptoms of major depression but in a way that is uniquely linked with the change in seasons,” says Eric Rose, Ph.D Licensed Psychologist and Director of Student Counseling for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Stevens. “The symptoms start and stop at the same time each year [usually starting in winter and ending in the spring]. There is also a unique symptom profile that helps distinguish SAD from other types of depression. I think of it kind of like ‘hibernation mode’ – people with SAD often feel low energy, increased need for sleep, and increased appetite (especially for carbohydrates). Additionally, SAD often makes folks feel both highly sensitive (particularly to rejection) and irritable.”

While more common over the fall and winter seasons, SAD can occur over the spring and summer as

well. The changing hours of sunlight across the seasons alter the body’s natural circadian rhythm, affecting the production of hormones such as serotonin and melatonin which regulate sleep and mood. Over time, these hormones can cause feelings of tiredness and worsen the person’s overall mental health.

People with a family history of SAD, or having related conditions like bipolar disorder or depression, are especially susceptible to its effects. Living farther from the equator also affects the severity of SAD, due to the greater fluctuation in daylight hours. However, the condition itself can be managed with some preparation

and light treatment.

“SAD is highly treatable,” says Rose. “The easiest interventions involve good sleep hygiene, regular aerobic exercise, and vitamin D supplements. Some of the most effective interventions involve lamps and light ‘simulators’ that mimic the sort of exposure to sun one would have in the spring or summer months. Lastly medications (prescribed by a licensed physician) can also be quite helpful.”

In addition to the above, talk therapy with professional counselors and other trusted individuals also help to mitigate the psychological harms of SAD. “The team at CAPS is highly trained in talk thera-

py and this is what we most often provide to students in distress,” says Rose. “Extensive research is available on the ability of talk therapy to provide relief for depression (and most other forms of emotional distress). We also provide educational workshops and presentations on things like depression and anxiety where students can learn tools they can do on their own even without a therapist. To learn more about what CAPS can offer students can visit us on the web at stevens.edu/CAPS.” To address any symptoms of SAD or other kinds of depression you may be experiencing, make sure to utilize the free resources provided

by Stevens such as CAPS.

STUDENTS CAN VISIT THE STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH CAPS | CAROLINE MONTANA

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8

Friday, November 19

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

The good old days Next week is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. The entire day (or week, if you’re like me) revolves around cooking, baking, spending time with family, eating way too much, sleeping, and watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

What could be better?

The holiday season always makes me slow down a bit mentally, and especially with winter break coming up, days really do seem to slow down. I’m getting ready to go home in about a month, which is making me feel a little nostalgic, a little sentimental, and a little nervous about what the state of my bedroom is (I think Mom’s been using it for storage).

The other day I realized that I’ve been Editor-in-Chief for over a year. It literally made me go, oh shit. A year? A year??? Impossible. Sorry, that’s not right. It was

just a few months ago I was in my bedroom in the middle of Stute elections on Zoom. Absolutely no way it’s been a year.

But it has been a year—a little more than a year really. I remember the moment I was elected, I said to myself that I need to treasure every single moment. I remember thinking that the next year and a half was going to be really special, and I should actively make sure I treasure moments and really stay present. I’ve never really done that before, or maybe never had the chance to because I couldn’t predict the future for how something would go. But I knew that while this position was temporary, I would be in it for a while and it was something I was passionate about.

Pretty frequently, often in the middle of something Stute related, I say to myself something

along the lines of, “Stop. Look at where you’re standing. Look at what’s around you. Cherish this moment. You’re really lucky to be here.” I have done this so many times; in random scenarios like simply walking into the Stute office, coming off the elevator in the Student Center, or picking up a print issue.

I do this because, to quote Andy Bernard from an episode of The Office, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.” Too often I realize that time has passed, and I didn’t treasure what I was doing or what I did while the time was passing.

And I didn’t want that to happen during my time as Editor: I didn’t want to look back on 18 months and think that I should have cherished the time more. I didn’t want to look back on it all and wonder

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

where the time went and if I enjoyed it. When I pass on the torch, I want to know that it was really an incredible time of my life, I gave it my all, and I also was completely grateful and present for every single moment.

I know I’ll be able to say that come March. While realizing I’ve been at this for a year did make me kinda shook for a moment, thinking about how much time has passed, it made me even more motivated to truly cherish next semester.

Understandably, The Stute is not publishing next week during Thanksgiving, but we’ll be back for our last issue of the semester on December 3. Next week you can picture me eating pounds of turkey and butternut squash mac and cheese while also kinda freaking out that my time as Editor is almost up. Holy. Shit.

Natalie Todaro ‘22

Editor-in-Chief

SENIORITIS

From angry engineer to psyched When will Senioritis get here? psychologist kept going. out? Maybe it’s because of

BY KATIE BLOOMER ‘25 When I was applying to colleges, I considered majoring in Industrial Engineering, Business, or Psychology. Industrial Engineering seemed the most versatile, Business was the most natural for me, and Psychology was a new interest I had discovered towards the end of high school. All three were slightly imperfect. Industrial Engineering was full of classes I despised, Business placed too much value on making money, and Psychology was incredibly specific, which limited career options.

As the college application deadline approached, I decided to settle on Industrial Engineering because I liked the flexibility that came with an engineering degree, especially since I was unsure of what I wanted as a career.

After less than a week of classes, I knew engineering was not for me. The classes were difficult, but the more

concerning thing was that I had absolutely no interest in any of them.

If you are reading this as a STEM major, you might be thinking “I don’t like my classes either—who likes chemistry and math?”

It wasn’t just about the classes being difficult—which they were. It was frustrating that I clearly was not getting anything out of them. I did not want to use these skills in a future job, so everything felt meaningless. My engineering friends who were in the same classes also felt frustrated, but they were not considering dropping out of the class. This issue of mine was clearly a bigger problem than pure academic rigour.

About two weeks ago, I officially switched my major to Psychology. This was not easy because I felt like I should be an engineer. After many difficult conversations with family, counselors, and friends, I made the switch.

As of now, I am still taking the classes that are part of the general curriculum for freshman engineers. Even though I am still taking the same classes that made me switch majors, I now have something that I am working towards. I want to be successful in these classes so I can get a good GPA and get into a PhDprogram. I feel

like all (or at least most) of my stress has been turned into motivation.

Now, I am a Social Science major in a school full of engineering and computer science majors. It feels pretty weird. When I told my friends that I was switching majors they were very happy because they knew the stress that my past situation had caused. When I tell strangers or distant acquaintances, they are shocked and kind of look at me upset.

Why am I at Stevens Institute of TECHNOLOGY in the school of Arts and Letters?

Well, I came here for Engineering but my interests led me down a different path.

Brief thoughts of switching schools did enter my mind, but I realized that Stevens still has a lot to offer, even if you are not a STEM major.

Maybe you are struggling in your classes, but you know they are right for you. If that is the case, stick with your major and keep fighting for that degree. Maybe you have felt out of place and feel like you need a change — then go for it! My grades have suddenly become more important to me because they are stepping stones to a future that I actually desire. It is amazing how much easier life is when you are passionate about your work.

BY ALEKSANDAR DIMOSKI ‘22 I have somewhat of a confession to make. In high school, senioritis never really ‘hit.’ After I was accepted into Stevens, I decided to take it easier in my classes, but a lot of them were AP classes that I’d be taking the exam for soon. Since AP credits carry over into college, it made sense to study the appropriate amount of time for them in order to make those classes worthwhile. Afterwards, the teachers also didn’t want to do anything, and since the exams were over, there wasn’t much of a point to studying new material. It all became busy work.

The point that I’m trying to get to is that there was never really a point where I made the decision to stop working. I just …

Now that I’m in my senior year at Stevens, I’m not sure when I’m supposed to catch senioritis.

In some ways I feel like a fraud; how can I be writing for this column, when writing for this column is itself proof that I don’t have it quite yet? Theoretically, senioritis is something that can’t be written about while it’s being experienced.

On top of that, I was recently accepted into the Accelerated Masters Program. On the one hand, a lot of the classes I’m taking now will count towards my graduate degree. On the other hand, it feels a little like I’ve been accepted into college again; why should I bother working hard when I’ve already been accepted?

Besides schoolwork, I’m the President of The Lodge, as well as writing for The Stute and being an active member of other clubs. Oftentimes, it feels like there’s more work for these organizations than for schoolwork.

The question that I’m running into is, when is it enough? At what point am I justified in just saying that I’m done and tapping

the year that we lost, but it really doesn’t seem like I’m supposed to be done yet.

I still feel the same drive to get my homework done and go to my classes.

That’s probably a good thing. There’s obviously still a lot for me to do, and the more that I can learn and the more that I can work with organizations on campus, the better. Being at college has been a great experience for me, and I don’t plan on wasting the time I have left by not being involved. There’s a fine line between working hard and hardly working.

If I hang out with people from a club that I’m on the e-board for, is that time spent working, or is it time I spent relaxing? Of course, I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it’s something that I wonder about.

For now, I just want to see where the next semester takes me. At the end of this semester, I won’t be on the e-board of any organizations, which means I’ll have less responsibilities, so I can decide then in what way I want to contribute to the community.

Maybe by then I’ll have caught senioritis—maybe not. Only time will tell.

SECOND-YEAR FRESHMAN

Bagels, caffeine, and other fantastic discoveries

BY KEENAN YATES ‘24 Being on The Stute has subtly switched my inner calendar from the 20212022 Fall Semester Schedule to The Stute Schedule.

So while we still have a month left of school, knowing that this is my last article of the term has me thinking my finals are next week which, for the good of myself and all other students on this campus, is very much not the case.

Now, where to start for one last time… Well, hi ev-

erybody. It’s nice to see you again! The coolest thing to me will always be having people come up to me and saying “Hey, I read your article in The Stute!” More than the fact it’s both sweet and surprising to have people read my writing, it’s also a superb reminder that hey — people actually do read this so I should pay attention to what ramblings I’m putting from mind to keyboard to Google Docs to another shared Google Doc to Adobe InDesign to PDF to print newspaper. Try saying that fast five times.

I’ve been here in Hoboken for four months and let me (briefly) tell you all about how my life got flippedturned upside down. First order of business: bagels. I cannot lie, my first couple of weeks here I vehemently argued the case that bagels were overrated and not

even good. Partially I did so in jest because I thought it was hilarious how passionate people were about it all.

But my, my, my how the tables have turned. Now if I’m out by Eighth and Wash anytime past 9 p.m., there is a very strong likelihood that I will be giving in to the magnetic pull of Bagels on the Hudson and saying hi to Millie while getting a bagel to accompany me on my walk back to my apartment. It’s gotten to the point where I had no choice but to do my research on bagel shops in my hometown and I am already sad at the thought of leaving good bagels behind.

Bagels are far from the only unlocked menu item, though; up next is caffeine.

This one was a major game changer. I feel as if a whole new world has been unlocked to me. A world, of

course, filled with sleeping for four hours a night and rereading the menu at Empire five times just to order the same thing. To some it might sound like an iteration of hell but in any case: Game. Changer.

Never again will I be caught dozing off or skipping class altogether in order to catch up on missed hours of slumber! Now I have the power of bagels and caffeine on my side and so the adventure, or misadventure, depending on how you see it, has just begun.

Not everything has grown on me here though.

Stairs are by far the most irksome thing I’ve encountered, and no — not all stairs are created equal. Some are narrow and steep and could quite possibly just be slides painted to look like stairs for the amount of times I’ve slipped. Others are n e v e r

e n d i n g, such as my apartment’s stairs, particularly when coming home after a tough morning practice. It wouldn’t be fair to say all stairs are particularly horrible though. Some, like the ones in MPK, are portioned out neatly and spaced well enough that you can rest assured you’ll make it to the bottom exactly when you planned to, without any surprise shortcuts.

Past these observations, there are a couple things that I especially enjoy here.

The first thing that comes to mind is finding my own spaces to enjoy on campus and around Hoboken, obviously so that I can avoid the aforementioned stairs leading back to my place. There are so many little nooks and crannies that I’ve been able to discover and study in, to the point where campus has become a huge treasure

map in my mind with little “X” markings to denote my favorite niches, of which the list continues to grow as I continue to explore.

Which brings me to my last and final note of things I’ve enjoyed here, the people. Between The Stute, my teammates, and people I’ve met either by chance or through classes, I’ve greatly appreciated the jokes, lessons, and time spent together grocery shopping, doing laundry, drinking coffee, studying, and attending various club meetings for free food. I know for a fact that when I look back on my first semester in Hoboken, I’ll fondly remember bagel runs, the discovery of caffeine, and a little less so the dreadful stairs. I’ll smile at the memories made and the funny pictures taken, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the school year.

9

Friday, November 19

Opinion LIFESTYLE HACKS

SCIENTIFIC CURMUDGEON

Finals survival skills

Big data, bad healthcare and my girlfriend’s magic ring

BY ZOE HACK ‘24 I promise final exams won’t be as scary as it sounds (hopefully).

1. Make a color coded schedule If you don’t already color code your planner or calendar, this is my number one tip for organization (and there’s no better time to start than right in time for finals). I don’t know if this is just me, but I usually associate different classes or activities I’m involved in with different colors.

In addition to color coding per every class, I also find it helpful to color code by unit or topic for each class. This helps me remember relevant information through association with the given color and other important key parts of that

topic. When it comes to test taking, my brain associates the topics of the questions with whatever color I know that topic comes from, and I have an easier time recalling the information that follows.

2. Make sure you know what to expect Check the syllabus for your course to see what information it gives on the final. Is it cumulative? Does it focus around a certain topic? What is the test format? If no information is specifically outlined about the final, learning objectives or outcomes are definitely a good place to start while figuring out what topics to study for the final.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask the professor their expectations for the final exam, and if they could provide study materials or some sort of practice or past exam.

3. Plan out plenty of time to study each topic Once you have your finalized finals schedule, grab a calendar, and start planning backwards from the date of your final. Give yourself a day or two to review each unit or topics from each past exam you’ve had

in the course. Bottom line: absolutely do not wait until the day of to start studying for your finals. Yes, you are probably more prepared than you think, but having a game plan and information fresh in your mind will lead to the highest success.

4. Study in groups!

I think that group studying is one of the most effective ways to study for a test and solidify your understanding of a topic. Not only will you be able to keep each other accountable for studying, but you will also become more confident in your own skills by helping others grow theirs. When it comes down to it, we are all here to work hard, and by collaborating with others, we strengthen everyone’s academic confidence.

5. Eat healthy! (and stay hydrated) A healthy diet = a healthy mind. Make sure to fuel your body with healthy options (I know I am very guilty of not eating enough vegetables, but they really do help your brain function to the best of its ability). Balanced meals will also enhance cognitive function, so make sure you are definitely getting enough

protein at every meal. Focus on eating three meals a day, especially at a time when you want your brain to be at its top performance level.

Most importantly, no matter what time your final is at, eat breakfast! Starting off your day with a nutritious meal will ensure you will be well prepared to put forth your best ability on your final.

6. Get those zzz’s Just as important as eating healthy is making sure you get an ample amount of sleep. Allowing your brain to rest before working it super hard during a final is super important. Try your best to not stay up late the night before studying for your final.

Instead, be confident in your preparations and get that extra hour or two of sleep.

7. Remember to breathe You’ve made it through your first semester of in-person schooling in a while, take a moment to be extremely proud of yourself for that. No matter what you’re up against when you sit down to take your final, take a deep breath to clear your mind, and you will succeed!

sponded “I think it needs to highlight your strengths as it pertains to this role specifically.” The paragraph that was supposed to explain the how candidates had succeeded in roles nearly identical to the one being applied for started with “weljsdf aifwoeiev” before the font changed to Windings. We have no idea how that was accomplished on a typewriter.

University administration is very supportive of the event. The event is expected to increase job-placement rates due to the fact that as long as recruiters don’t read the letter, they’ll be impressed that one was uploaded. It should be noted that this advice came from Off the Press’s own recruiting chair and does not necessarily apply to other organizations. We recommend reaching out to the hiring manager to ask them if they plan on reading the cover letter. If that doesn’t work, just

show up at the office and give them the resume and cover letter yourself, as it significantly increases the chance that your cover letter will not be read.

Off The Press’s entire remaining advertising budget will be spent on procuring these coveted cover letters for our editors and writers so you can expect some stiff competition. It is for this reason that you will no longer see our business cards and posters soliciting news tips via QR codes around campus, but you can still expect our fine journalism every week. Hopefully there is not a donor to the school interested in purchasing any of the letters we want, because they would, of course, out bid us. Internally, we decided it was safe to assume anyone who had enough disposable money to put their name on a building without spray paint is most likely not in the market for cover letters.

OFF THE PRESS

Cover Letter Auction

BY OFF CENTER In response to the overwhelming demand among students who have begun applying for internships only to realize with dismay the vast number of cover letters they’ll need to write, several of the professional societies have banded together to cohost a cover letter auction event. Tomorrow in Bissinger, students will be able to bid on .pdf files that can be downloaded and submitted on Handshake and external application websites. Some of the highest value letters, which feature nice formatting, tales of how the author resolved internal conflict, and addresses of companies students are actually interested in are expected to sell for over $100, a few meal swipes, and three months of Chegg.

When asked how they wrote enough cover letters to host this event, the hosts

stated; “Oh, we didn’t write them. We have some typewriters in the back, brought in some pets, and just let them walk all over the typewriters for a long long time,” one of the presidents told us.

“Filtering out the illegible letters took a while, as one of our cats kept trying to slip their terrible letters back in,” said another club’s secretary who was covered in scratches. “She didn’t like it when I told her that her letters were terrible.” When asked how the typewriter sheets would be turned into .pdf files, she replied, “we have one phone with CamScanner and a strict deadline.”

The Career Center was pleased that people were enthusiastic about cover letters and glad that the event was promoting their use, but were less pleased when they found out about the quality. When we showed them one of the first letters in the lineup for Saturday, they re-

603 Washington Street, Hoboken NJ 07030

Looking for delivery person and employees

BY JOHN HORGAN

CAL PROFESSOR My girlfriend, “Emily,” who likes to hack her health, recently purchased an Oura Ring. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary silver ring, but it’s lined with sensors that monitor heart rate, respiration, temperature, body motion and other variables. Algorithms analyze data and draw conclusions, displayed on her iPhone.

The ring tells Emily how much exercise and sleep she’s getting, and it advises her, in a gently bossy way, on how to be healthier. Maybe go to sleep a little earlier tonight, exercise a little more tomorrow.

The ring is an almost magical piece of engineering. All that sensory and analytic power packed into that tiny, elegant package!

The ring transmits data to its maker, Oura, which refines its algorithms to make its “precise, personalized health insights” more accurate. Ideally, the ring will help you cultivate healthier habits and alert you to problems requiring medical intervention.

That’s Emily’s hope. But when she urged me to get an Oura Ring, I shook my head and said, No way. I worry that the ring is making her unhealthily anxious about her health. It would surely have a similar effect on me.

A technology reviewer for The New York Times touches on my concerns.

Before you purchase a device like this,” he writes, “you need to ask yourself whether you’ll use the data to make better choices, or whether it will cause you unnecessary stress,” We should ask ourselves this question about all our digital devices. On balance, are they good for us?

The market for “wearable” health-tracking devices is growing fast, according to a recent report in a healthcare-business journal, with tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Apple as well as smaller companies such as Oura competing for customers. “Demand has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic and is only expected to accelerate in 2021,” the report states.

Studies of fitness trackers yield mixed results. A 2019 review in the American Journal of Medicine concluded that “wearable devices play a role as a facilitator in motivating and accelerating physical activity, but current data do not suggest other consistent health benefits.” A 2016 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that subjects wearing devices that track calorie intake and exercise lost less weight than controls.

Keep in mind that Americans are already over-tested for potential medical

problems, notably cancer.

For every woman whose life is extended by a mammogram, as many as 10 women receive unnecessary treatment for breast cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, according to a 2013 meta-analysis by the Cochrane network, which conducts impartial evaluations of medical interventions.

The ratio is even worse for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests for prostate cancer in men. An analysis by the group NNT, which like Cochrane evaluates medical procedures, concludes that PSA tests do not reduce mortality, and they lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatments in one in five men.

A r tif icial-intelligence enthusiasts claim that it will improve the accuracy of tests. That was an alleged application of IBM’s much-touted AI program, Watson. But neither Watson nor other AI products developed by IBM have fulfilled their promise. IBM’s efforts “have fizzled,” the technology journal IEEE Spectrum reported in 2019, and a few “have failed spectacularly.”

Economist Gary Smith and technology analyst Jeffrey Funk report in the business journal Quartz that only 11 percent of radiologists employ AI for interpreting images. The reason, Smith and Funk assert, “is poor performance.”

Claims that big data plus artificial intelligence will revolutionize healthcare “are mostly hype,” Funk told me via email.

The U.S. is a leading inventor, marketer and adopter of medical technologies, including those involving big data and AI, and yet U.S. health care is abysmal.

Although the U.S. spends much more on healthcare per capita than any other nation, the health of the U.S. population lags behind that of comparable industrialized countries and even Costa Rica, which spends less than one tenth as much per capita on healthcare.

My guess is that a growing number of people will become dependent on health-tracking devices, even if they doubt the benefits. Consider this recent review of the Oura Ring. The reviewer, Chris, says that after 11 months of wearing the ring, neither his sleep nor any other components of his health improved.

Chris nonetheless compulsively checks his ring’s output every morning, in the same way that he checks Instagram and other social media sites. Just as likes and positive comments give him a “dopamine hit,” so does Oura data indicating that he got a good night’s sleep. If he lost the ring, Chris says, he would buy a new one.

Will the Oura Ring and other devices empower consumers by helping them to take charge of their health?

I doubt it. But the devices certainly empower and enrich the companies that make them. The data we generate with our digital devices helps companies make them even more addictive.

10

Friday, November 19

Arts & Culture PASSION FOR FASHION

An ode to shoes

BY MELISSA KOSAR ‘22 Ah, the accessory we all have too much of, can’t spend enough on, and will never stop daydreaming of.

What is it with shoes anyways? I mean sure, they can’t really be categorized as an accessory. Instead, they are an essential part of our wardrobes; we certainly do not leave the house without them. How often do you find yourself dazed upon a blouse the same way we drool over a perfect shoe?

Uh, hardly ever. They truly are works of art. A good pair can last you years, and if you’re like me, you buy the same exact pair repeatedly because why reinvent the wheel? When you find true love, you don’t go looking for something better, you’ve

already got it, right there on your foot!

Red bottoms, pointy stilettos, square toe sandals, chunky boots, classic white sneaks … I mean come on, what is there not to love?

They say eyes are the gateway to the soul, I say shoes are the gateway to style. You can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear.

There’s a reason why for years we have been pouring loads of money into the shoe industry with no sign of stopping. They will forever be that one thing we can’t get enough of. No matter how many we have, or how much we spend, there will always be more out there to get our hands on. Each season we get new styles, and each year we see new trends.

This fall its chunky boots, its western styles, its knee highs or thigh highs, its clogs, its furry shearlings or sleek leathers or smooth suede, its printed fabrics, or solid colors. And I want all of it! That’s the best thing about shoes I think (well at least one of them), there’s something for everyone. I admire style icons like Hai-

PICTURED LEFT: FAUX LEATHER STRAPPY BLOCK HEELS FROM NASTY GAL | PICTURED RIGHT: SPLIT LEATHER COWBOY BOOTS FROM ZARA

ley Bieber who can step out in sporty Jordan’s one day and strappy stilettos the next all while maintaining her style. According to Yves Saint Laurent, “fashion fades, style is eternal.”

Since shoes hold the power of making or break-

SPOILER ALERT

ing an outfit, we are lucky enough to live in an age with an abundance of shoes.

It’s easier than ever to load up your wardrobe with the trendiest shoes that fit your vibes. With that being said, now is the time to explore all your vibes. In a world where

you can be anything, be as much as you damn well please! Don’t limit yourself if you don’t want to, push your boundaries, expand your style. Purchase a pair of shoes you would have never imagined that you would like. And watch yourself fall

in love with the confidence and newness a fresh pair of kicks can bring you. Be authentic but be bold. Nothing out there is not meant for you, make it you! With the right mindset you look good in everything you put on.

SPOILER ALERT

Spencer: A disturbing portrait Minor characters matter: Why there should be more of a focus of Diana on minor characters in stories

BY JULIA WIERZBICKI ‘23 For some reason, the story of Princess Diana has been gaining notable traction recently. Between The Crown on Netflix, the musical coming to Broadway, and now this new film starring Kristen Stewart, I was hoping that this film wouldn’t be a rehash of the same things we’ve seen before. Luckily, Spencer was a unique and quite unnerving piece that I believe was one of my favorite portrayals of Diana thus far. Even so, it was not without its faults, which I will be sure to elaborate upon later on in this piece.

If you’ve heard anything about Princess Diana, and her controversy among the royal family, you’ll know that she was pretty much an outcast. She didn’t want to conform to the ways of tradition and refused to be controlled. This caused a great amount of turmoil within the family, which is

quite apparent during the film. It was filmed in a way that made it almost like a horror film from Diana’s perspective. The extraordinary pressure that she was under, combined with the ever-present press created claustrophobia around her that you could physically feel coming through the screen. An eerie soundtrack that reminded me a bit of Birdman only added to the tension and I really liked the tone of the film overall.

The best part of Spencer, by far, was Kristen Stewart.

Previously, I was not a huge fan of the other things she had been a part of, (ie. Twilight, Snow White and the Huntsman) but this movie proved that she could truly act. I read that she practiced Diana’s accents and mannerisms for six months prior to filming and on-screen; they seemed extremely natural. Not only that, but the way she embodied Diana’s poise, stress, and even psychotic breaks made it seem completely natural. I’ve seen many films where the main character is falling apart mentally that make it seem over-dramatized, but this felt raw and real. I hope that Stewart gets recognized for her work because it must’ve been extremely mentally and emotionally draining to film.

While there were several things I liked about the film, there were several major flaws that dragged it down significantly. Firstly, the pacing was slow. There were some excellent scenes, but in between, there was barely anything happening. The whole film takes place over the course of only three days, so there isn’t a lot of wiggle-room when it comes to time, but I would’ve much rather the film be 90 minutes and move faster than an hour fifty with the pacing it had.

Additionally, the plot was a little all over the place. It seemed like Diana made really rash decisions without thinking much of her children or herself, and it had a tendency to take away from the film. Sometimes it came across like she was acting sporadically because of the stress, but other times it just seemed weird and out of place.

Overall, I really liked the film. I’m always interested in films to try something new and even though Spencer didn’t quite stick the landing, it still had some great moments that I really enjoyed. If you’re familiar with Princess Diana’s history and are willing to sit through a very-slow-burn, then I definitely recommend Spencer.

KRISTEN STEWART PORTRAYING PRINCESS DIANA IN SPENCER | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

BY EMMA TONG ‘25 What is your favorite character? For most it would usually be the main character of the show, whether that be Superman, Homer Simpson, etc.

That makes sense since it is usually the main character that the viewer will see the most; the stories are focused around the main characters, and they often times experience the most change. While I feel it can be implemented well, and is done so most of the time, there are some series where I feel that the side characters could stand out more. I will be using Boku No Hero Academia as that test study. Boku no Hero Academia is a story about a world where everyone has quirks or superpowers, and it focuses on a boy named Midoriya Izuku under the tutelage of the top hero who enters a hero school to become a hero.

For clarification when I say minor character, I mean supporting cast of characters who aren’t the main cast.

Side characters are known to be used as a foil to the main character or basically the opposite of the main character to highlight certain parts of the main character. This is seen in Boku no Hero Academia, where Shinso, a minor character with a mind-controlling power, tries to control Izuku who has little to any control over his own powers. But since they usually act as foils that means

they can usually have very different personalities and even different backstories than the main character.

This means minor characters can be unique and diverse, as seen in Boku No Hero Academia where the cast is full of unique characters all with their own special superpowers and appearances, including characters that grow mushrooms, to characters that shoot a beam out of their belly button. (This is even seen in the background art with the block guys.)

However, one pitfall of most shows is that they often fail to use these characters; Boku No Hero Academia often doesn’t use its cast of characters because it spends so much time developing and creating the main cast. While not the worst characters, who follow the usual main character archetype, this leads to relatively the same story being played over and over again. However I understand reasons why the author may not want to do this, as these archetypes are established because people like them, and while it may not fit my taste, it does so for many. I would argue that it is worth it for authors to try new things, and instead of spending so much time with a standard archetype or having a story fall on one character, they should give more depth to unique characters to gauge audiences’ responses to these new techniquest. Kohei Horikoshi, the author of Boku No Hero Academia has been shown to respond to fan enthusiasm regarding certain characters by bringing them back with an increase in popularity.

I argue that is not enough, since it doesn’t give characters enough time to shine when they seem stuck on the plot instead of interwoven in it. This is due to

production since by the time a character becomes popular, they have probably planned out the rest of the series which makes it hard for them to give such a character a big role.

Minor characters also solve the problem of there being too much of an emphasis with main characters. It helps to fix the filler problem versus spending unnecessary time with the main characters. Many series, especially long running series run out of plot for the main character so they often start filling up that space with minor characters’ backstory. I did enjoy this, and it felt like a shortcut to integrate such a large group of people into one cast. Also it was better than revisiting a main character backstory again. For most, it may feel half-baked, where it was somehow fitted into the plot at hand, and then totally forgotten for the rest of the series. I would like it if the character was more of an integrated part of the story, so it felt like they had a stake in the story before developing into it.

Boku No Hero Academia tries to do this through Iida, a supporting character, by introducing conflict in which his brother was harmed badly by a villain and he strives for revenge.

While this was interesting for the author to trigger Iida’s own side quest, it unnecessarily added the main characters and I didn’t feel like I got enough time spent with Iida to understand his reaction to the scenario. In all, I would argue for more buildup and involvement for minor characters in these stories.

Minor characters can help to tell different and more unique stories and improve a story by better exploring the world these characters fill up.

11

Friday, November 19

Arts & Culture TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Big Tech pushes for national cloud

The book you read when you want to travel to France and fall in love

BY SANJANA MADHU ‘23 It’s no secret that the government and Big Tech mix like oil and water (when it’s time for a lawsuit, their relationship more similarly resembles Pepsi and Mentos). But a newly proposed National Cloud could alter the dynamics of this relationship, creating a stronger union between tech firms and Congress.

The National Cloud would allow for the storage of Artificial Intelligence research conducted by researchers, computer scientists, academics, and employees at small tech companies throughout the country.

Furthermore, researchers will have access to computational power through this government-funded Cloud as well as large government datasets. The National Cloud is part of a larger effort to “study and provide an

implementation pathway to create world-class computational resources and robust government datasets for researchers across the country.” With the pressure of staying technologically relevant in today’s atmosphere, the U.S. wants to keep ahold of its crown (as fears of losing it to China surface).

The U.S. is far from the only country interested in a National Cloud. Italy has recently requested bids from companies to build a national cloud hub, a project totaling 900 million euros.

While this project’s purpose is to make the countries “less dependent on large overseas tech companies for cloud services,” the premise of the Italian national cloud is similar. Other countries like China have also started to migrate large tech giants to government cloud computing services. India has also looked into building a national cloud, named Meghraj, which “ensures optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development and deployment of eGov applications.” While countries have different purposes for their national cloud, they all aim to serve the government and advance the country’s technological presence.

The National Cloud seems great at first glance; the democratization of AI can allow for greater domestic innovations. However, critics have remarked that Big Tech is eager to back the National Cloud to push their own agenda and make profits from offering their own commercial cloud computing services to house the National Cloud. Whether the government employs Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or some other cloud computing service, commercial computing systems will be necessary for this project. A white paper released by Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence details that “both public computing infrastructure and services from commercial cloud providers,” will significantly boost the power in favor of companies that help host the National Cloud.

Another problem with the National Cloud is the slew of privacy problems, which according to critics, the government has not given much thought to. While the Privacy Act of 1974 does not permit the pooling of data under the government, it does offer exemptions for statistical research. Fur-

thermore, creating the National Cloud forces the government to work with the same Big Tech companies that the Biden administration has pledged to buckle down on through antitrust regulation. With increasing tensions between Congress and tech firms, it’ll be interesting to see a potential partnership between them.

The idea of a National Cloud is still in its early stages, so it’s hard to tell what kind of impacts it will have. But, it seems like this government-funded cloud service might serve as a conflict of interest while also allowing Big Tech to profit. Additionally, without resolving the obvious issues first, the National Cloud can pose serious threats to Washington’s bounty on tech. However, while the National Cloud seems to help Big Tech profit from the government, the idea still has its merits. This Cloud would streamline government funding and data into the hands of researchers who have spent years studying and working with intelligent automata. However, if/when this plan goes into effect, it will certainly be interesting to see which entity wears the pants in America’s hottest budding relationship.

THE COLLEGE GOURMET

The great Oreo wars of 2021

BY JULIA DWIGHT ‘22 I tried all the Oreo flavors so you don’t have to.

Well, not all of them.

That’s because there are over 80 varieties of America’s Favorite Cookie, most of which I don’t believe can be found outside of a lab. I’ve certainly never seen a limeade Oreo out in the wild.

While I couldn’t get my hands on Lady Gaga’s famed Chromatica Oreos, I did try seven types beyond the original cookie. There’s no better way to research than by raiding a grocery store.

Before any judging, I set some basic ground rules for myself. All cookies would be sampled without milk to avoid any influence on the flavor. I would take mental tasting notes after each bite; this is serious business. Finally, this would be no onebite-only deal. The Great Oreo Wars are not for weak soldiers, and I planned on getting my fill.

I started strong with the Java Chip Oreos, based on coffee-flavored ice cream.

Immediately upon opening the package, I knew this one would be a winner: it smelled just like my favorite mocha. The flavor wasn’t overly artificial, nor was it

too overpowering. It worked perfectly with the standard chocolate cookie. A surprising hit!

Next up was the mint Oreo, a personal classic.

I grew up in a very promint chocolate chip house, so minty desserts always abounded. In my opinion, this is the perfect entry-level flavored Oreo. It has just the right level of sweetness without any funky artificial afternotes.

When I saw the gold foil on the dark chocolate Oreo package, my interest was piqued. This cookie had a rich flavor without being as heavy as I expected it to be.

It’s a little less sweet than the double chocolate cream variety, so you can eat more than just one.

The birthday cake Oreo was my favorite back in the day. It’s known for being hyper-sweet and it delivers.

This cookie is not for the faint of heart. The filling is

less cake-y and more pure frosting, so sugar lovers rejoice. I can see why my younger self was a big fan of these.

You can never go wrong with the Golden Oreo. The classic chocolate sandwich’s vanilla sister is a great option if you’re looking for something a bit lighter. It’s not as big of a flavor bomb as say, the birthday cake Oreo, so this is a great casual-eating option. If you want to go a step further, combine these with vanilla pudding and Swedish Fish candy for a beach version of the classic “dirt-and-worms” Oreo dessert.

The peanut butter Oreo seemed to be the perfect new entry in the flavored Oreo world. The texture took some getting used to, with the cream filling less reminiscent of a standard sandwich cookie and more of a Reese’s cup. However, after a few bites, I found

myself enjoying it more and more. These have a sweet, nutty taste that reminds me of Halloween candy.

I ended my Oreo journey with the Godzilla of sandwich cookies: the Mega Stuf. I am a serious lover of the Oreo filling and usually choose their Double Stuf option as my default, so this extra-creamy variety was a must-have for me. It’s definitely more of a fun food than an everyday Oreo.

With this much filling, you can start tasting a bit of the artificial flavors, so one or two is just enough.

After much deliberation (and a minor cookie-induced stomachache), I felt much informed about all things Oreo. In my opinion, if you’re looking for an interesting new cookie to talk about at dinner parties, try the Java Chip Oreo. If you’re like me, you know that you can’t go wrong with coffee and chocolate.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TARGET.COM

SEND A SHOUTOUT TO A FRIEND, MENTOR, LOVED ONE... TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE STUTE! EMAIL EBOARD@THESTUTE.COM BY 11/21

BY STEPHANIE SEARING ‘24 Anna is perfectly happy in Atlanta; she has a loyal best friend and a crush who is just starting to like her back. Suddenly, her Dad decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. Her whole world is flipped upside down. Even though she doesn’t speak a word of French, Anna makes new friends, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair who becomes her best friend.

Sadly he’s taken, but in the City of Light and Love, anything can happen.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was the first romance novel that I’ve ever read, and it’s why I fell in love with the genre. I think Perkins accurately captured what it’s like to explore a new country, but also still having to deal with senior year high school drama. This is also the first book of a series; obviously after reading this, I read the entire series and I love it. It is a basic, hallmark movie-type romance novel, but the plotline is so cute. And honestly, how cool and romantic would it be to fall in love in Paris?!

If you like sappy romances, this is definitely for you.

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12

Friday, November 19

Campus Pulse

Celine Bennion ‘22

“At home. Very boring. I live really close I’m from Clifton, which is 30 min from here.”

Daniel Claro ‘23

“At home. I’m a commuter that’s where I always spend it.”

Jillian DeGeorge ‘24 “Thanks-what?”

ROVING REPORTER Stephanie McDonough ‘25

Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving?

Tyson Werner ‘23

Natalie Rofail ‘25

“I’m going home for Thanksgiving on Long Island with my family.”

“At home with my family.”

“I’m spending it at home with my family in New Jersey.”

Martyna Zubek ‘25

“I’m spending Thanksgiving at home with family too.”

Building Blocks by Off Center

by Off Center Stephen Pachucki

by Off Center

Sanjana Madhu ‘23

“I’m spending Thanksgiving at home with family.”

ACROSS DOWN DOWN ACROSS 1. ___-Aid 1. Open-wheel car: go-___ 1. ___-Aid 1. Open-wheel car: go-___ 5. Its songs include “Butter” 2. Only U.S. state without a 5. Its songs include "Butter" and 2. Only U.S. state without and rectangular flag "Dynamite" rectangular flag “Dynamite” 3. Britney Spears song: 8.8.Opposite Britney Spears song: "__ Opposite of of out out “___!... I3.Did 10.

Again" (#FreedBritney) 10.Chips Chips ___! ___!

It Again”It(#FreedBritney) 11. ___ Strong cleaning 11. Spelling Spelling ___ 4. Strong4.cleaning solutions solution 12.

5. Who” "Doctor TV chann 12.Therefore Therefore 5. “Doctor TVWho" channel 13. Mature Mature 6. “Spill the ___” the ___" 13.

6. "Spill 14.Salem Salem in “Sabrina 7. A collection of games,of in games, in 14.

"Sabrina the the Teenage 7. A collection Teenage tennis Witch", for instance 8. Netflix series: "Love __ Witch”, for instance 8.

Netflix “Love 15. Throw 9.series: Opposite of___ yes 15.

Throw Blind” 16. Timbre 16. Duct ___ 16. Timbre 9. Opposite of yes 20. CBS competitor 17. Follow 20. CBS competitor 16. Duct ___ 23. "Life is like ___ of chocolates" 18. Manga series: "Death _ 23. “Life is like ___ of choc- 17. Follow 24.

Commercial 19. Former partners olates” 18. Manga series: “Death 26.

Goldberg is the main character 24.Joe Commercial ___” 20. It contains Times Squa on show 21.partners Punny "Monsters Inc." 26.this JoeNetflix Goldberg is the main 19. Former 27.

SNL cast member Davidson20. It contains 22. Slice character Times Square 28.

"From sea ___ shining sea" 24. @ on this Netflix show 21. Punny “Monsters Inc.” 29.

Lightweight bed 27. SNL cast member David- character25. ___ re mi sonA face has two 22. Slice 30.

28. “From sea ___ shining sea” 29. Lightweight bed 30. A face has two

Sudoku

24. @ 25. ___ re mi

LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS: Across:

Down:

1) SQUIDGAME

1) SEMESTERS

6) CREAM

2) UPVOTES

9) MOVESIN

3) DASHER

10) LILNASX

4) ANNA

11) SITTER

5) ERLENMEYER

12) UNEDITED

6) CALLDIBS

14) EAST

7) ELANTRA

15) THREEBEARS

8) MIXED

18) SPARETIRES

13) CHRISPRATT

20) CHAI

16) SPIELBERG

23) JUMPROPE

17) FEARLESS

24) TUNNEL

19) ALMONDS

26) MANDELA

21) HANSOLO

27) XBOXONE

22) EUROPE

28) OASIS

23) JUMBO

29) THEMESONG

25) AXLE