[The Stute] December 2, 2022 (Issue 12, Volume CXX)

We write Stevens history

Stevens launches newly rebranded website

BY TODD BECHTEL STAFF WRITER

On November 16, Ste vens announced that after a 17-month process, the stevens.edu website was upgraded and launched for everyone to use. Beth McGrath, the Vice Presi dent for University Rela tions, and Tej Patel, the Vice President for Informa tion Technology and Chief Information Ofcer, sent an email to the Stevens community along with the launch of the new website. The goals described in this email were to improve the functionality and user ex perience of the website, while still keeping an ap pealing design.

This rebranding pro cess took the feedback of many people involved in the Stevens community.

The email stated that over 100 stakeholders, alumni, and prospective students gave insight into the new website that helped con tribute to the product being released to the public. Over

time, the website will also be updated to improve the experience for users, and the analytics of the new version will be monitored in order to ensure the web site is working as smoothly as possible for those who use it.

One of the main focus es of the rebrand is on the Stevens community. The main landing page features photos and videos from a variety of Stevens events and locations highlighting the institution. It also in cludes news articles focus ing on the achievements of students, staf, and alumni, as well as a calendar for up coming events on campus.

The new website also in cludes the updated Stevens logo, which, similarly to the site, was redesigned earlier this year. Stevens continues to modernize their brand ing both on campus and beyond, as the new logo is prominently featured on the University Center Com plex and the fountain that can be seen when entering campus from 9th Street.

Change in Stevens’ campus masking policy

BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 initiated a neces sary policy requiring masks on Stevens’ campus. These masks helped Stevens maintain some degree of normalcy as students start ed returning back to their classes and reuniting with their friends and teachers.

According to Sara Klein, the Vice President for Student Afairs, prior to November 2022, masks had to be worn at all times during classes, in the Stevens Shuttle, and at Student Health Services (although instructors or presenters in class were al lowed to take of their mask to speak clearly, given that there was a reasonable dis tance between them and the masked students).

Starting in November 2022, masking became optional (though strong ly encouraged) in most places on campus sans Student Health Services. That being said, masking is still required for anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19 or has come into some form of exposure to the virus according to guidelines set by the Cen ters for Disease Control

NEWS (2-4)

Hoboken unveiels mural to celebrate the World Cup Mayor Bhalla, local artist Daniel Azceta, and local bar-owner Paul Dawson pictured

FEATURE (5)

With the holidays around the corner, here are some expert trips on how to prepare for the season of giving!!!

and the Student Health Services. However, anyone that wants to wear a mask for extra safety is welcome to do so. In addition, no one should make assumptions about anyone choosing to wear or not wear a mask, nor should anyone wearing a mask be pressured to re move theirs.

What prompted this change? Klein explains that Stevens’ leadership careful ly monitors the local and national positivity rates and recommended practices from public health experts as well as our own health advisors. The low positivity and death rates, as well as the availability of vaccines and treatments, prompt ed Stevens to revise its policy on wearing a mask. Stevens now places the re sponsibility and decision on wearing a mask on you, as an individual. To combat COVID-19, you should stay up-to-date on vaccines and booster shots, such as get ting your bivalent COVID dose as soon as it becomes available

The most recent cam pus COVID update, sent on Novemebr 30, states that “7 students and 2 employees reported cases of COVID-19 in our on-campus commu nity of 9,779 students, fac ulty, and staf members.”

SCIENCE (6) Read more about the Arte mis I launch, the science of attachment, and how low frequency leads to more dancingw

PULSE (12) Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly cross word puzzle and sudoku

Stevens Awards Gala returns in person, honors and celebrates alumni achievement

BY CHARLES BEALL, OPINION COLUMNIST

On the evening of Satur day, November 12, various members of the Stevens community gathered at the Plaza Hotel in New York City for the 2022 Stevens Awards Gala. Honoring the achievements of outstand ing alumni, the ceremony marked the frst time in three years of the Gala being held in person.

Seven awards were given over the course of the eve ning, with recipients being selected by a committee of Stevens alumni. In true awards-ceremony fashion, awardees gave acceptance speeches upon the an nouncement of their acco lade, as attendees, dressed in gowns and tuxedos, dined and socialized.

The event also had its fair share of performative fair, with entertainment

from the Axel Tosca Trio, featuring Distinguished Artist in Residence Carlos Alomar; alumna Kameelah Samar Majied ‘00 M.S. ‘08; and the President’s Ensem ble. The last group made up a subset of a large group of current student leaders who were invited to the Gala.

The accomplishments honored in the awards were as impressive and diverse as the awardees them selves. This year’s Interna

tional Achievement Award was received by Hermes O. González-Bello ‘89 M.S. ‘95 for his spearheading of proj ects to ensure clean water in communities and work places around the world. In his speech, González-Bel lo spoke on his immigrant experience growing up and his acceptance into Stevens’ Technical Enrichment Pro gram (STEP) despite the

Was your Spotify wrapped too embarassing to share?

SCREENSHOTS FROM NEW STEVENS.EDU WEBPAGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU

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Hoboken unveils new World Cup Mural on 1st Street

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

As often is the case with cities and towns, it is commonplace to commission a local artist to create a work of public art within city bor ders—and Hoboken is no excep tion! On November 18, Hoboken’s Mayor Bhalla, local artist Daniel Azceta, and local bar-owner Paul Dawson met at 159 1st St, or Mulli gan’s Pub to unveil Azcete’s newest work as a commemoration of the commencement of the long-await ed 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The World Cup began on No vember 20 and will conclude on December 18. The tournament will include the competition of 32 teams from across the world a ei e e acr e ci ies in the host nation of Qatar. In the competition, there will be 64 matches, including group and knockout rounds, ending with a ird ace ay December 17 and the championship match on December 18 at Lusail Iconic Sta dium in Lusail, Qatar. This year’s World Cup has seen some contro versy, with accusations of corrup tion in the hosting bid and the rec ognition of Qatar’s restriction on

immigrants, women, and those of the LGBTQIA+ community.

As a memorial for such a mo mentous event of global coop eration and nationalistic pride, Mayor Bhalla commissioned Hoboken-born and raised Azacete to create a freehand spray-paint ed mural. Using 250-300 cans of spray paint, Azaceta worked tire lessly to freehand paint some of the most well-known stars to grace the football pitch across the eras. Athletes include Portuguese for ward Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentine forward Lionel Messi, English de fender Bobby Moore, and FIFA’s proclaimed “greatest”: the Brazil ian forward Pelé.

The mural is located and sup ported by Dawson and Mulligan’s Pub. On November 18, Bhalla, Dawson, Azacete, and other locals unveiled the mural, coinciding with the start of the World Cup. This mural comes after the city of Hoboken set aside millions of dol lars worth of loans for city beauti ca i r ec ear ier i eme ter.

For anyone interested in the mural, it is about a 10-minute walk. d i , ead a i ton St., and take a left on 1st.

EVAN PAPAGEORGE FOR THE STUTE

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAPINTO.NET

WiMSE living learning community

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Residential Housing Associations Regional Leadership conference at Kent State University

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTINE HUANG

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF RHA

Preparing for fnal exams

BY TANYA AVADIA, STAFF WRITER

As we count down the days until winter break, there is a large barrier that hinders our ability to fully en y e iday ea a e am Fi a e am ea i a r a c ime r a c e e de e eme er c me a e d, dents are often loaded with out a di a i me , crammi i dy ime, a d re ari re r me r e iday i a these changes in students’ lifestyles, i i a i e a ey are re ed re ca c me i ma y di ere rm e e m y a ciate stress with a negative conno a i e er, me re ca be ea y a d e e m i a i Unfortunately, the stress students e d a e d ri e a eri d i e bad i d ea y e e re ca a e ma y rm , a d e m c mm ym m of stress found in college students

include: a e i a e i e erea i r a e i e

- Irritability a e i ee a er ee i m c r bei ab e a a d ay a ee Di e i e r b em ce i e rryi

- Continuous negative thoughts i dra a r m re i y enjoyable activities and relation i

- Decrease in grades i e re i a by r d c a i d r be i erm

academic , m c re a bee decrea e academic er rma ce i i c eri i tive since the stress college students e erie ce i r ed i a i e d rade e er, e d e i a ere are i ma y ay ma a e re a y ca a id ee i er e med a d d y r be

Identify your stress:

iday i a b d e

BY ANAÏS BOUCHATTA, OPINION COLUMNIST

ere e i a e learned about gift giving over the year a me e d e i e my rie d e di m ey me e e ey remem ber i i ce i y getting closer to the holiday sea remember remember Now that you’ve been given a e ec d a e remem bered the keywords about what y r rie d mi be c ci ly hinting that they need, or have subconsciously hinted at: either r eir i i ace i e eir d rm , a ar me , ab e , r de aybe e e eir i c e r eir day day i em i er way, with any little hint you can ea i y brai rm a d ee ere y mi i d i a c r re a e e er y re e i a i r a a a ace a eed be dec ra ed i a re ec , i i a iece a e i ace d be a recia ed ea b mea i i y re down to be crafty: If this gift re cei er i e admire e arts there is a good chance they mi e y a ai i r iece ar e i , i e crea i ar r me e a i ma e i i m re mea i

ri i ca a e r ai i a d bei ab e dra i a ea y, e ir me a y rie d y, a d ac i i y ry i ca a be d e i mir r r a d ai , ray ai , a d r e a di am ri i ri i r a i a i i a ay a ay add character without worrying about it not fitting in or being m c r a ace e er son you’re getting a gift for has a me y de , c ec e e ry, r e y c r r r a i a i i a y rm i may be a ea y i ere i a a ca be d i i e dec r a d e i em ai e c i me a d ri re ear e e e cam , ere i i a e Fir a e heard good things about it and a i a i i b e er ice i r y r rie d a e a y r c e recei e a mi bri eci ic idea b a y e already read and would rec mme d r a reader rie d i they’d like annotations you can e e ma e em i ide e b r em i d e d a ri i er i ead e i er riced e ar i , ayer r a y ra y really can be done through stores i e a e a y, a i e a r me e a ready a a e mi be a c e addi i y r

re ca a e ma y r ca e a d r i rea , i i im r a i i a e ac y i ca i y ee re ed De er mi i a i re i y i allow you to understand what you eed d i rder erc me i ce y d a y r re ors are, you can construct an action a e e e e eri y e re r rem e i a e er

Accept your stress:

F r ma y de , e a ee ca be i credib y re i may i er nally cause students to feel stressed ab eir re i c d i terfere with their ability to handle re a d ey may a em e e i m re re i a i , b a c d bac re i is because the stress could be too m c a d e, re i i a de a i r r cra i a i on studying because it would add to eir re i i r d e d ca i em e e m re re

e be i d i acce that you are stressed and work to ward doing what you have to get d e die a acce i your stress and not avoiding it or i i mi , i ac , e e e am e a i e em i y ee d e re

Practice self-care: i e e care i a m , i ca be e ecia y e d ri m re re ime y r er e m ing schedule, try and take quick brea e i me re air r d i re c e ca e y i i ca y

In addition to self-care, be sure to stay hydrated, eat whole foods, a d e e e i e r ee Doing these things can be hard as a college student, but it’s worth try ing because it will give you the rest a d e er y y eed dy Create a to-do list: rea i a d i me r ca e y r a i e e ery i that you have to get done and allow

you to coordinate when you will d i ri i d y r a a d eei em e e er ime i m i a e y ee i ddi tionally, as a reward, you can try a y em ere y re ard y r e a er c m e i eac a ma e re a y r re ard y em i a ea y e

Use your support network: me ime reac i er e e mi be e be ay ma a e y r re c e e de , e a are e ame r e d ri a , a d a i a rie d ca e y i ma y ay ca e y ee a y are the only one who is feeling this way, ey ca e y d er ay ma a e y r re , r y c d just feel better by just talking it out em e e a a c e ing services available for any stu de a e em r a e e ay , e y, y ca ear ma a e y r re a d e ce academica y

rie d d a recia e e me De e 23rd Street is close if you’re in b e a y e b d e i m re a i e i year a d e ery year ere a e bee e

Staying safe during wintery weather in Hoboken

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

Sadly, as it does every year here i b e , i er i c mi e c bree e c mi e d son river, the sun setting before 5 m e ery day, a d a i e r m a e i a ic y a e c i r m e i d e er, i i i a der a d ay arm and safe during the year’s colder m e ecia y i e e i am e i d e Fr m a ear r di ere c di i rec i i e ia y dangerous wintery conditions, ere i a ic ide e r e der a d e e r m a a i e e a der Knowing what to wear on frigid day i e r de e e r m e bi er c d e m i a i get is a long, insulated, water-re i a , i d r c a c a ire i be e e ia i i the cold, wind, snow, rain, and er a i e a a e i may c a y day i jacket can be a substitute, but it is a arm r i d r i m i a ce er e e ia i em i er a ire i a air b i er, a er r , ea y a i b i d rac i e e i a e m r m a a y i e i e a r a e i e ide d i e e will snow, and those without good boots will be in class with wet, sog y ee add e b idea

ee i , c d c i add a er ayer arm a d ee y r ee dry b e a , e m im r a i ayeri i i be m re r ec i e a c a d ee high under boots with long johns der a a d a ir i a erma er der a i er ac e a y are arm a d c y be ea a ba i i ayer , i i ime di c a be re ea i y r d rm r a ar me e m im r a i a i i i e ide e di ere ce be ee F i m i d a d i a r d a ay r m a y F i i d i d c i ca be rrib e, e ecia y i y d em i a i y r ayer er rrid a ec i er i b e i e ice i hills and getting dark early, there are e y r i ie r ice rm a d be ard ice e careful when you cannot see the ground under the snow or it is dar ddi i a y, b ac ice i thin, clear ice that could be hard ee d r e i a id a y area a a ear e r i y, b i i i ib e a i ery a ay r r ad e m im r a e a e a ay r m i i be care i be er be arm a d rem e a ayer ra er a be c d i i e e e care e i ca be i ery, a d a

y ime e my rie d a d I have just thrifted each other i em a i , ai ed r made little trinkets for each other and a ed em, a d e yed i e ame am a er i a ing food together or going out

ee me i e er may also be just a gift for your friends i year e e e idea e r y r a r y r i a d i i i i year d ai i e a mi e

PHOTO COURTESY OF BING HAO ON UNSPLASH.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOBOKEN GIRL

Stevens grad helps NASA get images of Mars’ surface

BY ALIONA HEITZ, CONTRIBUTOR

While many scientists keep exploring Earth and its won ders, Matthew Brand aims to shoot for space, more particu larly for Mars. A Stevens’ 2021 alumni, Brand was first inspired by the Curiosity car-sized rover launched on Mars a few years back and found his niche later at Stevens as he combined his computer science degree and his interest in space when he joined Professor Paul Grogan’s research team. Fast forward a few years, his work and passion led him to a spot aboard NASA’s Persever ance and Curiosity Martian rov ers at Los Alamos National Lab oratory (LANL) in New Mexico.

A Pinnacle scholar, leader of the Attila Entrepreneurs student organization, and avidly passion ate about Hoboken and New York photography, Brand was active

on campus but when COVID hit, Grogan’s recent work drew his attention the most among the ones found on the Stevens’ list of researches. Grogran’s study involved building a ‘testbed’ sys tem for NASA which was focused on helping the agency coordi nate satellites and other ground systems with each other while improving information flow and operation management.

Brand further explains; “Dr. Grogan is building a system to experiment with new operational concepts, specifically to test and improve their communications with each other. Let’s say a satel lite flies over a hurricane. What if it could automatically signal the next passing satellite to get a closer look at the most inter esting parts of the storm? Right now that’s not done automatical ly, only manually.”

Working with Grogan, Brand wrote simulation code of oper

ations of multiple satellites, as well as simulated messages flow ing within an observing system, all in languages that are not cur rently standardized.

“He quickly picked up the communication protocol (MQTT) used on the project, and tapped into a deep interest in space systems to understand the fundamentals of Earth observa tion satellites,” says Grogan of his former student. “His contri butions to the NOS-T (New Ob serving Strategies TestBed) test plan built on systems- and soft ware-engineering best practices to help verify that the proposed information system meets re quirements.”

Brand mentioned how his project at Stevens with Professor Grogan was a helpful experience when he decided to apply to Los Alamos.

At LANL, Brand’s daily work as an engineering operator in

volves the supervision of the ChemCam and SuperCam on the Curiosity and Perseverance Rov ers, whose lasers, cameras, and spectrographs work together to identify the chemical and miner al composition of rocks and soils. Each instrument has the ability to shoot rocks on the surface of Mars with a laser from several meters away to reveal the chem ical composition of the gaseous plasma created at collision.

This technique has revealed subsurface salt deposits, which may indicate previous bodies of water. The newer SuperCam incorporated several upgrades, including the capability to take color images and a microphone that recorded the first audio ever captured from the Red Planet.

“Each day, we plan what the rovers will do,” Brand explains. “It’s almost a mission-control scenario. We all meet daily to assess and coordinate the rov

Study fnds low-frequency bass leads to more dancing

BY ERIN MCGEE, SCIENCE WRITER

The McMaster University LIVELab is not like the university labs you’re used to. It’s a theater a e e c m e e i a stage for performers and space for researchers from McMaster University. LIVE stands for Large Interactive Virtual Environment, where they research neurologi cal responses to performances in music, human interaction in groups, and the social impact of large experiences.

Recently, the lab has been fo cusing on how concertgoers react to music, particularly what makes people dance more. To test this,

researchers used the LIVELab as well as 3D motion capture, pro fessional sound equipment, and Canadian electronic music duo Orphx. e dy ed e e, each given headbands that would track their movements. Then, the participants attended a concert by Orphx. While the performers were aware of the study, they did not change their performance in any way, to make the research as accurate as possible for a concert setting. Every few minutes, the researchers would play a low-fre quency sound, one that the au dience probably couldn’t hear, during which they would track how much the participants moved

in comparison to the rest of the concert.

D ri e mi e c cer , they found that the participants danced at 12 percent of a greater rate when the low-bass speakers were playing, as opposed to when they weren’t. The researchers speculate that it has to do with our inner ear. The vestibular sys tem, a portion of our ear that pro vides balance and is closely relat ed to movement, is able to pick up the low frequencies and allowed the participants to perceive more rhythm than what they could hear audibly. In this case, while the concert-goers could not hear e e ra ba d , i a ec ed their motor and balance none

theless, increasing the intensity of movement, which led to more dancing.

The university points out that research like this is an important intersection of music and tech y e r a r e paper, Daniel Cameron, says “I’m trained as a drummer, and most of my research career has been focused on the rhythmic aspects of music and how they make us move”. The lab continues to ex plore this by combining neurosci ence with music, dance, and per formance. They have also recently released publications on how mu ic a ec c rdi a i , academic skills, and even topics like how our brains react to popular songs.

er subsystems: power, telecom, mobility, all the instruments. We take each day’s scientific objec tives —‘shoot this rock with this laser,’ essentially — and turn that into plans, then create computer code that is sent up to the rover at the end of each day.

“We also check daily to make sure each rovers’ activities are safe for that rover, and that the instruments remain healthy. My days are very dynamic.”

Reflecting upon his years at Stevens, Brand truly believes the content learned during his time here was helpful in excel ling outside of the Institute. Now that he is actively working on key features of two rovers provid ing more than just images from the red planet, Brand feels like his work is truly paying off as he helps share the landscapes of Mars that no one has ever seen before. “It makes a hard day re ally worth it.”

In the future, as research in i e d c i e r , e LIVELab plans to look at the po tential for music and health, par ticularly related to stress levels and music therapy. While their work is still ongoing, the group undoubtedly has an appreciation for music. Cameron also points out that, “Music is a biological cu riosity – it doesn’t reproduce us, it doesn’t feed us, and it doesn’t shelter us, so why do humans like it and why do they like to move to it?” Although these are questions we have yet to answer, study ing how we react to sounds and performances brings us one step closer to understanding the hold music has on us.

BY NICK SMITH, CONTRIBUTOR

We need friends. Martin Se ligman, a foundational researcher i e e d i i e yc y, discovered that out of the 100+ ac r a ec i a i e , e single greatest determinant is the relationships we have. And the bulk of that research was done di rectly on college undergraduates. e i e a e ame e ec r m r a i y a m i ci arettes a day. Loneliness is deadly; it accelerates diseases and weak ens our immune systems. A 2020 study done on dementia patients found patients with small social e r a e i i ca y er levels of cognitive functioning than those with large social net works. Lonely folks even frequent the ER more. Loneliness not only a ad er e e ec y r y ical health but also drastically im pacts one’s mental well-being. Despite the ever so evident ben e cia c ec i , i di id uals have been shying away from their friends for 30 years. Social

networks are shrinking. In a Gal lop poll, the number of Ameri cans having ten or more friends decreased from 33% to 27% and the number of Americans with a rie d a r decrea ed r m i i r out the pandemic, the lack of so ciability was only perpetuated as me a d me a ed 18-29 years old reported losing contact with most of their friends. This problem, however, is uniquely American. According to a Univer i y ic i a dy, erce i a d erce dia vacation with their colleagues as opposed to six percent of Ameri cans.

Not only are people’s physical networks changing but our atti tudes are also changing regarding friendship. In a study surveying millennials and baby boomers in their senior year of high school, millennials valued having a friend a r i i ca y e a their older counterparts but val ued extrinsic values like status and money much more than baby boomers did. The proportion valu

ing a friend at work decreased r m r m i c e i r r eyed i

I stress the importance of this and emphasize both the physical a d e me a e e e ec simply because the rising epidem ic of loneliness and our cultural obsession with independence does not have to be this way.

American culture has become infatuated with this socially desir able image of independence. The satisfaction of not needing any one else. Not surprisingly, it often leads to depression.

Friendship is a transformation al force. When we have friends, we live longer, happier, healthier, and m re ed i e

So naturally, we ask, how the heck do we make friends? We take initiative.

This past summer a new friend of mine, Sara, reached out and in vited me to take a trip with her. At the time we were not the clos est of friends, but I was over the m e ci ed by ara er a d immediately accepted. We went on that trip and had an incredible

ime a d r rie d i ri ed from there. Today, I consider Sara one of my closest friends. Had she not taken that initiative on her part we would not be as close as we are today.

One of the reasons we avoid initiative is because we are bad at predicting how much people like us. I have a secret... People like you more than you think. A study found that individuals with low e e eem i i ca y dere timated how appreciated they were in a relationship. This belief leads to low self-esteem in relationships which results in increased uncer tainty making it more unlikely that we reach out to our friends.

Another reason is that we of tentimes are too concerned think ing about ourselves to reach out. e i e ec i im y e we overestimate how much others notice us, typically in a bad way. We think that people are focus ing on our negative aspects more often than they actually are. In re ality, people aren’t noticing the nu anced things you call yourself out for. More often than not, people

are appreciating the great things about you. Try to be present. The spotlight is not always on us, espe cially in a negative light.

Given that, I encourage you to take initiative with your friends. er a e year eri d, e a act and initiate relationships and activities with their friends are far less lonely. Essentially, those put i i e r eir rie d i had more friends and more mean ingful relationships.

This may seem rather intuitive. Good news, it is. But this is easy now when we live in such proxim ity, share meals together, attend class together, and work together. When we leave an environment that makes it so easy to make friends, it becomes increasingly m re di c r r cia networks, and becomes one of the greatest challenges people face.

Those of you that believe fate is going to bring you to the per fect romantic partner or new best friend, it won’t. Stop waiting. Take initiative. Your health and happi ness depend on it.

and the moon.

on the moon.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

e e , ace ra e er itself as an interest for students across a variety of majors, as es sentially every major is involved in one way or another in launch ing a rocket into space. That said, the space-traveling world was ecstatic recently, as the National Aeronautics and Space Admin istration (NASA) launched their r emi mi i , e r i of the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and Orion space craft. The Artemis mission is NA r a em i year send humans back to the moon. The launch did not have people b ard b i bri cie i c payloads to conduct experiments

e r a c a em at the Artemis mission were nearly three months ago, but ad ab r d e di c ie i i e imme e e tanks, twice the size of those in the Space Shuttle program. Hur ricane Ian disrupted the third attempt at the end of September, but NASA was able to return the craft to the safety of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). How ever, another attempt in Novem ber damaged the rocket during Hurricane Nicole, as a return to VAB was infeasible. Despite sus taining damage, this launch was greenlighted, with the craft on the way to the moon.

e r emi i e r ime

NASA launched a rocket able to carry humans in 11 years since

e a a c e a i i 2011. If this mission is successful a er day , e r emi will be the next step: a four-per son crew to lunar orbit as early as 2024. Artemis II would be the r e i a e ar r ram e r ma e m , e r er c r e m , a lunar orbit satellite, a perma nent lunar outpost, and a step forwards to farther missions, like to Mars.

e er, de i e e cie i c and technological developments and milestones in these mis sions, there is some controver sy and doubt over them, notably because of the $90 million bill American taxpayers will be pay ing. Questions are arising as to the reason to return to the moon: is it for science, patriotism, or to

go farther than we have before, and how much damage, money, and potential danger will it cost?

Some responses vary, with space historian Jordan Bimm, from the University of Chicago saying it reminds him of explorer George Mallory’s remarks of climbing Mt. Everest “because it’s there.”

The keystone of the Artemis mission is the Orion capsule.

The capsule is the cabin where the astronauts will be during travel. Orion has safety features that can shoot it away from a malfunctioning SLS rocket up to 400 mph in just two seconds. Al though an essential aspect of the craft during a crewed launch, it is deactivated for this mission since no one is onboard. Thankfully, the SLS rocket successfully got Orion into orbit to its next step

After separating from the SLS rocket, Orion used the interim cryogenic propulsion systems (ICPS). About one hour after the launch, Orion used ICPS to complete a translunar injection (TLI), which burns its rockets for 18 minutes, accelerating the cap e r m , m , enough to escape the Earth’s gravity and head to the moon. If done incorrectly, Orion could have missed the moon, bound for i i e ace, r cra ed bac Earth (the infamous “go/no-go”). Orion is to splash down in the aci c cea , e di e r e mis I mission on December 11. The steps after that would be Ar temis II and III, ushering the re turn of humans to the moon and exploring beyond!

A friend a day keeps the doctor away Artemis I launch, leading the way for a lunar return

Men’s Soccer beats Johns Hopkins to advance to NCAA semifnals

BY CHRISTA RUIZ, SPORTS EDITOR

On November 20, No. 4 Ste vens Men’s Soccer defeated No. 19 Johns Hopkins University in their ar er a ma c a me a e De a e ic m e e eam ayed a ie a , and the game proceeded on pen a y ic , ere e e c red e i e a ie i e i y c red r, ic e e e e a i a emi a r e ec d ime i r gram history.

e r a e ded c re e and the teams combined had just r i e a ever, in the 51st minute, the scor i dr a e ded e y er White of Johns Hopkins sent a cr i a a e e

a ee er i r de ec ed, but then Jonathan Cui headed the ba i e bac e e

In the 79th minute, Stevens a i e e r i y e e e c re a ree ic r m a i r m yard out. Senior Bruno Andino and ju i r Dy a a d ie ded e ba , a d di e dr e e ba i e ce er e a r i e a e year i di e a a e bee ame i er , i e e er a e rced er ime e D c a r i ed a air c r er ic i b e a mi e re a i a d e a mi e e ec d er ime i rder r ceed e a y kicks to decide the outcome of the match.

m re ca am be

r r e e a d dr e e ba into the center of the net to give e e a ead di a d a d ed i cce shots, but Johns Hopkins scored eir r ree ic a e , ic e e ed e e a y ic a e er, e r er for Stevens missed, and Johns i c y ema c red i e em a ead e ic r e e a are ari , ad e i i e a y i Freed m Championship, and he struck the ba i e e e e e a y i a c a ce e d i i e emi a , y er White stepped up for his team’s ic c a ce b mi ed e over the crossbar.

F r e e i ic , rad a e de Dy a ardi dr e

The latest with women’s basketball

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER

c ber , e idd e a ic ere ce re ea ed i re ea , ere me a e ba a ra ed be i ec d ace, ic a decided by e nine head coaches of the conference. a ea , e D c i ed ec d i e c ere ce, i a era rec rd a d a c ere ce rec rd e eam made i a e ay e Freed m am i i , ere ey eeded De a e i er i y, ra ed r i i ea re ea i a ei r ace e ddi i a y, ember , e D c ayed eir ea e er a ea i er i y, a i me e i a a mar i a ea , ey de ea ed ea i a c re of 66-48.

On November 13, the Ducks trav e ed e ar e ym a i m a r e e e y a ia ay i e a a ac e a cer a ic, ere ey de ea ed Moravian University 87-84 in dou b e er ime i mar ed e r mee i be ee e r ram , a d i a ed e D c im r e to a 2-1 record.

i ame ca ed ma y im pressive performances. Sophomore cy berici c red a career i

i a d a amed e ac e a cer r ame eam i r i a e yire c red points, and graduate student Jess Broad added 23 points. The team forced overtime after overcoming a i de ci i e r ar er e r er ime eri d, e y ire made a air ree r i e e eam a ear y ead e ec d er ime eri d, r year ey a a r e ed e D c a e e ead a ai by ma i a ba e i y ec d e i e eri d ddi i a y, e D c e d ra vian to one for ten in shooting. The D c i ed e ame i a i erce a e, i e ra i a y i ed i

After such a tight game, head coach Megan Haughey commented, e ard r a 50 minutes today. We had a great e i e r d c i r m a arie y ayer a d made r ree r c a e e d re a i a d i overtime.”

Concerning the team’s more re cent games, on November 16, the D c de ea ed e e e e er ey i a c re r d out their home opener. On November , e D c a de ea ed c air a e i er i y a a mar i of 80-61, and on November 22 they de ea ed er e e ey i ay eir c ere ce e er a De a are a ey ember

Fast Times Before Finals–Day 1 Bethlehem, PA Time TBD

New Standard Corporation Invitational–Day 1 York, PA 3pm

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 1 Ewing, NJ 5pm

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 1 Ewing, NJ 5pm

e ba e er e c r er e a a e bac e D c ead i i ea e i e, am ar i e i r d e a y r i eam a d mi ed e e e e a , ic c i c ed e ic ry r e e a d e a ce ebra i e r a ed e e ire student section to join the Ducks a mid e d e dra m ed e e 0-5 on the year and ended John Hopkins’ season at 15-1-8. Stevens advanced to face No. 2 University ica i e a i a emi a December i a em, ir i ia e c e D c i e emi a ma c

Fast Times Before Finals–Day 2 Bethlehem, PA Time TBD

Fast Times Before Finals–Day 2 Bethlehem, PA Time TBD

TCNJ Winter Opener New York, NY Time TBD

TCNJ Winter Opener New York, NY Time TBD

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 2 Ewing, NJ 9am

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 2 Ewing, NJ 9am

New Standard Corporation Invitational–Day 2 York, PA 3pm

vs Misericordia University Hoboken, NJ 1pm

vs Misericordia University Hoboken, NJ 3pm

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 3 Ewing, NJ 9am

The College of New Jersey Invitational–Day 3 Ewing, NJ 9am

vs FDU-Florham Madison, NJ 6pm

vs FDU-Florham Madison, NJ 8pm

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY KELLY SHEA)

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY MIKE MCLAUGHLIN)

THE STUTE EDITORIAL How to RRR

And just like that, we’ve made it to December again. Another se mester is almost behind us with immi e a brea i d our necks. We all know how much I enjoy writing in clichés so I must say, the past few months really did y by d i y e ca me my earlier editorials, you may also know that I believe that all good things come in threes. A sum mary of this semester: motions, memories, mistakes were made; opinions, objectives, outlooks were obtained; achievements, avant-gardes, accomplishments were attained (I also enjoy alliter ation).

i eme er, i e m , de nitely came with challenges. You may have challenged yourself with di c c a e , er c mmi ed yourself to many extracurricu lars, and felt emotionally drained at times. But despite every physi cal, emotional, and mental battle thrown your way, you made it to the last stretch, and for that, you should be proud. Whatever your experience may have been, I am

positive that this semester has contributed in some way to your personal growth. And so, as the se mester comes to a close, I implore you all to do the following: Rest, emember, a d e ec a r c i ed by e my closest friends during the Fall 2021 semester, quite an eventful time in our lives. We were both excited to be back in Hoboken af ter spending an eternity on online c y d e d e d ing time adventuring outside our apartment and enjoying the plea sures of a lesser-COVID-stricken r d r , i eemed silly to me, but as time moved on, the concept stuck and became a necessary ritual. And so, af ter each eventful excursion, we’d wake up the next morning, grab ba e a d c ee, a d e e , emember, a d e ec r re cent experience. Rest y a e a , a end-of-the-semester event to plan, your part-time job, and tons of homework and group projects on

OF A FRESHMAN

Home sweet home

your plate. But it might just do you some good to stop working on overdrive and take a break. Rest.

ere i i ryi i the semester on fumes. So grab a ba e a d a c ee r m y r a ri e , d a ier , and just take some time to decom press.

Remember

Now that you’re equipped with the proper tools, take some time to remember the happenings of this semester. Remember the good memories: how you got closer to new people, the fun you had dress ing up for Halloween, the exciting places you visited in the city, and whatever else you will cherish from Fall 2022. Take some time to remember the not-so-great things too, they’re equally as important. And if you really want, maybe re call some of those confusing topics from class so you’re not totally in e dar e a a r ac Refect

Finally, you’ve reached the most important part. If you’re an underclassman, explore the pos

itives of this semester and think about some goals you can make for the next. If you’re older, think about how your experiences at Stevens have prepared you for the next phase of your life as you em bark into real adulthood. Which e er ay y c e re ec , make a mental note of some im portant takeaways.

And that’s it, you’ve RRRed! Hopefully, you see that it’s a sim e, ye e ec i e rac ice er taking some time to RRR myself, I’ve already started to look back on this semester with nostalgia. I’ve e e ay my ard r , reinforced important lessons I’ve learned, and felt proud of what I’ve ultimately accomplished this semester.

Of course, there are multiple ways to RRR (while bagels and c ee ca add e e erie ce, will admit they are not essential). And while it may seem like a silly practice, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. You may just be surprised about what you discover about this semester and yourself.

SENIORITIS Burnt out?

Sanjana Madhu ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

BY TANISHKA KAPOOR ‘26

The smell of burning wood, the warmth of the re, e c m r e yellow lights. There is noth ing like home. For some of us, we haven’t complete ly felt the comfort of our family and home since we left for college. For me, eat ing home-cooked meals made me realize how much I missed them. Nothing could ever surpass the food that my mom makes. Even though we don’t really cel ebrate Thanksgiving, my mom made the best mashed potatoes and garlic bread I’ve ever had. As we ate the delicious meal and watched e i e er i e am ily room, I had a sudden surge of gratitude. Maybe i beca e my r eme ter at college showed me how it felt to live without this comfort.

When I randomly told my mom, “thanks for ev erything you’ve done” as

we watched a dramatic Net i , e ed a me weirdly and pretended to check my temperature as if I was sick. Intrigued by her reaction, I decided to do this to my brother as well. As he scrolled on his phone, I went up to him and repeated the same words. He looked up at me, said a “bruh,” and went back to scrolling. My dad had a better reaction as he basically told me, “About time you said those words.”

Through these encounters, I’ve learned that no matter how grateful you may be, it is important to vocal ize those words and share them with others. So, even though Thanksgiving is over and we are now back in school, I would like to carry forward this thankful spir it I feel as I write this piece and dedicate the rest of the two hundred or so words to people I am grateful for.

First, thank you to my parents for literally every thing you’ve done. I genu inely feel happy and lucky to have parents like you who created a comforting environment in our home. Thank you for providing a space that I can always come back to and live in.

Next, thank you to my brother. I will rarely ever say this out loud but I’ve always admired your ded ication to learning and

knowledge. I thank you for always looking out for me and entertaining me. You may be extremely annoying at times, but you were the r er mi ed e I went to college. (Name an other sibling that will admit that).

Also, thank you to my ex tended family. To my grand parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Thank you for supporting me, reading ev ery one of my articles, and supporting my parents and brother. I know I can always depend on you guys for any thing I need.

Finally, thank you to my friends. To my college bud dies, thank you for always being there for, not only me but for each other. In a place without family, I feel lucky to have such a support system. To my high school friends, I cannot thank you enough for getting me through some of my tough est times. Thanks for lis tening to my rants and still supporting me to this day.

As the season continues and the smell of festivities hovers in the air, I want to proceed toward the end of my r eme er i a thankful spirit. For those reading this, don’t hesitate to reach out to your loved ones and show your thanks (and yes, that includes your sibling if you have one).

Properties of perfection

BY OFF CENTER

—SATIRE—

What makes the per fect project meeting? As a a d e d eme er projects loom in the notso-distant-but-not-nearenough-to-really-start-wor ryi ab re, e re e a ac di mission around campus. We talked to a full gamut of groups, from senior design super-developers to out standing organic chemis try crews, as well as groups with less superb attributes d a eir ecre sauce was… or was not.

r r a e i brary where a group of four was making an important presentation. They told us the semester presentation is coming up so they, “have

to make it look like they did something.” They seemed to be in a frenzy of productivi ty, so maybe the secret is to just make people think you did something instead of ac tually doing something. The Google Slides animations were on full display. In just a few minutes of talking, we saw the honeycomb tran sition, every possible di rec i e yi i a d , ree di ere eme , and multiple gifs. There was even a slide that was just a link to NASA’s website because their project had something to do with space. Whether it was a facade or not, it looked cool and we think this group has the e ia b a a e Innovation Expo and they’ll be shooting for the stars next semester.

Next, we snuck into the labs where some chemical engineers were struggling to force ketchup through a tube. “It’s a NON-NEWTO NIAN FLUID,” one of them raged. We aren’t sure what the popular Fig Newton ac a d i ids, but apparently, they’re ab e y cr cia id c a i ca i e a e a rant that involved a lot of made up words like “vis cosity” and “shear force” and “pipes,” but we missed most of it because one of our editors had brought a hamburger and was trying to use the pump to put the ketchup on his burger. Then the pump made a god-aw ful buzzing, whirring noise, and ketchup began to squirt everywhere. The lab looked like a crime scene, and the

BY TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘22

It’s about that time of year again. Students are back from a Thanksgiving holiday that gave them a taste of what it felt like not to focus on school every hour. However, all Stevens students have to come back to campus knowing that there is still work to do and a are mi e are over 12 weeks into the semester, it can be tough m er a y e r e work done. This concept of burnout is common among almost every student and it will only get worse as the se mester goes on, but burnout can be lessened with a few tactics.

After being in school for so long, we all have reason able motives to be exhaust ed. You have to know that your friends are experienc ing it too. The best way to get work done, especially at this point of the semester, is to work together where

possible. Not only do you both need to get the assign ment done, but outside in put also provides a quicker result. You both are working toward the same goal. It’ll lessen the load on certain occasions and help your burnt out brain get through work.

Next step, learn to say no to the unnecessary. It’s crunch time. Only do things that you enjoy and can re lax in your free time. When your friend approaches you about that movie that was just released or the party that is going on, evaluate r i y a e ime r that or just need rest. Rest is necessary for success, es pecially when the semester becomes most stressful. You must always prioritize what is most important for you and your health.

When I don’t take care of myself, I tend to get sick. These are commonly the times when I experience high stress and don’t take the time for myself. It’s my body’s way of forcing me to stop. You never want to take a a r a e am e you are sick. Even more frequently, I get a stomach ache due to the stress of ex ams and projects. After the exam, there’s a large mo ment of peace and calm, but the stress damage is already done. For some people,

there’s no mitigating the stress of these exams, but you can lessen the stress of everything else (e.g. assign ments and extracurricular activities).

Other destressors to help burn out at the conclusion of the semester include taking a walk or going to midnight breakfast. Hoboken is an area where contemplation is easy and common, es pecially by the water. Take advantage of it. Midnight Breakfast is in the midst a a eri d i i stress, but go with friends, eat food, and get your mind e ery i

As college students, it is e reme y di c er come burnout and it always will be. As a senior, I have found these methods to be extremely helpful and useful to utilize. Just remember; as the semester winds down, e ery a , e ery e , a d every assignment is just one step closer to graduation. I know for some of you, grad uation may be far away, but at least you will be closer to the end than you were at the start of the year.

Everyone must learn how d eir eace d ri e e ime r the stress and burnout, two main obstacles at the end of the semester. Let’s push through together, instead of separately.

plastic tube moved and wig gled like it was possessed by a demon, but the engineers were ecstatic.

The biomedical engi neers were in another lab nearby. They showed us a device that they claimed was to help people breathe a i b i a de i e ly just a medieval torture device, but plastic. We tried to back away as quickly as we could but it was too late. One of them grabbed our editor. Another shoved the mask device thing onto his face. Our eyes wide with horror, we could only watch as our beloved editor, our fearless leader, the Emper r a a i e r em ire kept breathing normally? It must be a trick! After a frozen moment, we rushed to his aid, pulling the mask

, a d deri e bi medical engineers out of the way. In the process, we also knocked over some very expensive prosthetic proto types and may have undone years of intensive research. This meeting revealed to us that if you’re desperate enough for human testing, you’ll eventually end up working together to get it.

If you want to see what great teamwork looks like for yourself, then you should c me ee e er nal improv show of the se mester The Price is Right to Bear Arms tonight 12/2 at 9 p.m. and tomorrow 12/3 at 3 p.m. all in Babbio 122! r erri c eam a e ed troops trained tirelessly for this and their teamwork is top-tier. Hope to see you there!

MIND

SUSTAINABILITY

Being sustainable during the holidays

bei y, d eme a , a d a yi am re me e e i de cri i , ry ac i e y a ai e c arac er i ic

BY KATIE BLOOMER ‘25

am a i a e ab ai abi i y, b e a ic a er b e e ere i er i , b y d a i i di ab e ac a i , a d d d e er r e c ice ey ma e e e e ee my ai abi i y a ram a e ree a ie , read i c m , r ear me a ab e i r me a i m, ey e ar ryi i y e ai ab e i ey d a dde , ey are r mi i me a e a ic a er b e i eir a d i be eir a er b e r e e ee ma e re i i e ed, a d e a a i a ey are eari a rc a ed be re ey e ab e dar ide e i d ry i i rea a ey are a are eir ri , am e ai abi i y ice a d a a i i a er em r eir c ice e e i a i , e d i a e i ab my e a are i e ai ab e, i e a ri ed r a ic ra ed ra a bar i my ba , a i be er ec ir me a i eem be ere y ed a

ri ma i a r ac i , a e d i a ime i my e e ded ami y a y are a are my ai abi i y i i ia i e a d ere mi be c a ce di c e i r me a i m i e ry re re a y e r e e a i e e ir me a ere y e , a a e e e c er a i a a r i y ed ca e e e are c ri a d e c ra e a c ri i y ead ry i e a e a a ard i e ba a ce b ca re i i iri bi c a e i e i e er ea i ri ma , e iday ea i e er ec ime a r me ai ab e r d c ider i a y a e rece y r r are ab i d rec mme d ar i i me ba ic er a care r d c i e am a d c di i er bar , a bamb br , r a a ic ree i ba m ere are e d e ai ab e a er a i e a dard r d c a d m ca ac a y a e y m ey i e r dea y, a e i em d be rc a ed r m ma a d ca b i e e i r e e dream i e a bei a ay e rea r d c a ere made i e area a d a e ca ai ab e re r mar e , y ca i

THE CONVERSATION

A railroad strike for the holiday season

rderi e e r d c i e me ma b i e e a e e a ded i e a e ere are a me i y ar er a e c m a ie i e e ac a e Free , e ar i , a d re y a e y ic a er r d c i i e ac a i e e c m a ie are a ma a ca b i e e , ey er a arie y r d c a d bra d y ca ry ma y i a i i e rder a d y ay r i i ce e ryi e r d c , ry rc a e m i e i r m e re beca e i i red ce e ac a i r i i , y rder e a i em e ryi i r e r ime a i m i e ca re i a ed r d c i i r be r y y are re a y i e, ay a ay r m re ab e r d c a d c e i em i c m ab e ac a i i ay, y are c i a re ab e c ai er de i ed eci ca y r a r d c a y d i e e er a , e d ay a ay r m re ab e r d c i ce ey are de i ed rce y c i e re rc a i a d rare y a e a ay re r e c ai er i y d i e e r d c i iday ea , i ab e e ir me e y are ma i a i i a d y a r r d c a y eed ider ai ab e a a are ac a e ree, c m ab e, r re ab e

FOR MATH’S SAKE

The tricky mathematics of ice skating

BY TASHA KHOLSA ‘25

Introduction

F r e a e ee , e a i ar e rai r ad i a e bee rea e i a ri e d e r r i c di i , e ere a e da ce icie , a d a r a e e e i are e ee e a , ir, ai , ra r a i ra r a i Di i i D , a d e r er d c m i e i eer a d rai me e ia i a e bee made, b D a rece y re ec ed a e a i e ab r dea i rei rai r ad

Campus Conservative, Marisa Powers i e a rai r ad ri e i cer ai y idea , e ide admi i ra i i eri a y i ce i e r e r er ri e e e a i e a reeme d a e y a ed r ree day er year r a r i e medica a i me i di ci i ary ac i e c rac re e ed e rai r ad i did addre e eed a e r er are r y c cer ed ab , mi imi i ab r c a d ar e i c r ic der a i e a c m i e c d c r i ed a ayi , e ec i e c rac r e r ed a reeme a e

BY MARISA POWERS ‘23

ri m e a a ey d a e r c r m e e ey eed a e a a d a d ma e i r em ey re eri i i eir i e i d i i eir e bei i e e re ecre ary a ed a a re c ere ce a meri ca ami ie d er i a a reeme i reac ed, b i e eed e rai r er are me , ey i er a e ere ere a ri e, i d a e a i i ca im ac e a ready er i ec my e ec my d e , b acr m i e i d rie a d e r d cer rice de d i crea e by erce e ide admi i ra i eed m re eri y c ider e eed r i merica i ey a a id a ri e e i er e i re d be a a re r , b i eem a i mi be ece ary i e ai ad i d acce e erm e c rac by December Campus Liberal, Tasha Khosla rre y, e ery e i i re a e ac i a d e ri e ai r ad ri e are i cred ib y dama i e ec

my beca e ey ca crea e a y e r a e , r m a i e d a m bi e , a d ca e a i e i e rice a y e c mer d ca cre e c mm e e a d r er a e e rai r , e de i ery ar a d rce ac rie d ad di i , i ce rai r ad are re ib e r a i e a i rei a a y, a rai ri e c d c e ec my ab bi i a day a year a a a ready e erie ced i i a i , r a e , a d a i crea e i c mer rice , a rai r ad ri e i e a i e merica e e eed e ide admi i ra i i ac i e y a em i a er a rai r ad ri e e er, im y ryi i crea e a e i r , e ecia y i ce e mai i e a bee e r r i c di i a d e ric a e da ce icie re ca e i ed b a i ma e e i e a ay ic ae a i d ey, a i aci c c m i e e i eer aid ey ca ry rce a ri e, b ey ca rce i re eed i a d ard be re ey rce i i i e ri e, beca e i ey d e e re i a d ea e e i d ry e y i i i e i r er y ac ed i e rea c cer e e i d ri e dea ma i r ce Conclusion ide a ree a e eed e i member d be r i rder a id r er c ic a d a im e di ri e

BY CHARLES BEALL ‘22

e e di c a ec ma ema ic i a i e ca e r y i e c m e i y e r b em a i rea e ere are re a i e y e ariab e a d ice c i r i a ce, c i a d di ere iab e c i i ed i e rea r d, ere ca be m c i i a y em a c i r e ma i i credib y i e cie , a d ery e i e i e am e ere e ma i i e r , e er, i i ice a i r ear ed ab i r b em r m a e de r ed i er e mmer a re earc r ec e e a i ed y ic , a d me i ed a e ad read me ar i c e ab ma ema ica y m de i ice a i e mec a ic i ed are ery ric y, b i i ba ed e ame c a ica me c a ic a a ear ere a e e , a d e a y m re c m e r b em

e ice a i m de i r b em ar ed i a de ire der a d ima m eme r ice a er e e mai re

y ic i e e e ima i y r b em i a ery rai r ard ay e me d i d a c i a de cribe a cer ai a i y e y em y ica y e er y i i ere e e er y a y em i de e d e i i a d e ci y i c i e ar i ca e, e a e e ar e y em, e b dy a ice a er, b i i i a d e ci y are i ariab e a e er e , y ici i c ider aryi a i i a d e ci y by i a di ere ib e a e y em ca a e i r ca e, e a a d m e me a ice a er i ca be ric y, b ere are eci c c di i e ca e a e er y i i mi ed e ca d a a a d e m eme ere e a er, r a y y em, r a ma er, ca e e ea am e er y i me d, a the Lagrangian formal ism of mechanics i r i crea r, e i a ra e, a i equations of motion a e ca e ac y m de e e i e y em me ime , e e e a i ca be ery c m e , a d i i di c d a i r e i i a d e ci y e y em a e ery i i i a e ara e a are ca ed i e rab e y em mea i e e a i ca be e ac y ed a d i e rab e y em e ca a be a r ima e em i c m er ma i y, e e a i m i a c me

r m a yi e a ra ia rma i m e ice a i r b em are i e rab e , e ca ri e d e a i a e ac y i e e i i a a er a e ery i i a de ired a i a d e by re earc er a e i er i y ber a, a d y ca read eir a er r e m re ec ica de ai a a c e ab i r me i a e e re earc er a er e a ice a er, a d a ed dy i r b em i ce i a a a i er i a rea e am e di y r eci c r b em e ba ed y r i ere e a y ca d e e r b em i y r die a e e a d bey d i ca be di c i e re cribed r b em a i ed i c a , b ere a ay e r i y r e me r y r e ide, r dedica e y r e i r r ec i e , a e ci i c me i a e m re i

r ma ema ic , i a rare ca e ere i ca ed e i e c m e i y e r b em e a ra ia rma i m, e e e i d e d i , a r ided a r y ic er e year i e ba i m der y ic re earc i b ma ca e y ic e ec r , a m , a d dame a ar ic e a d ar e ca e y ic a a ie a d b ac e , i y re ab e a y e a ra ia

rma

i m a ab e r b em y re a i a e ab , ry i ere a d c a ce i i e a r mi i c me

Opinion

MUSIC TO MY EARS

The state of live music

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

Last week, I went to the Music Hall of Williamsburg, a d i a e r i d r concert I’ve seen in three years that seemed post-pan demic. No masks, no vacci nation cards at the door, no concern for the germs of the sweaty people around you. I live for live music, though it’s hard not to com pare my experience before to whatever quasi-state of the pandemic we’re in now. ad a er i , the sense of community be tween concert-goers seems to be missing, or at least arder d e r e era admi

sion concert I attended at age 16, roughly 250 people, had one of the nicest crowds I’ve ever been in. When I a a ired a d my e e , a r e e banded around me to make sure I didn’t get knocked over trying to put it back on. If the crowd got rough, people checked to ensure no one was trampled. Since ASTROWORLD, a 2021 Travis Scott concert where 10 people died and 25 were hospitalized from injuries due to crowd surges, more artists are getting recogni tion for pausing a concert to check on the crowd. Crowd surging is a much more prominent problem, which is morbidly ironic now that the 6 feet apart rule isn’t being enforced. There seems to be less respect for people’s space, whether it’s shoving to the front or dragging all 8 of your clos est friends around trying to d a be er ie

Based on my own ex perience, and the people I’ve talked to in person

or through the internet, ere a i e e without concert etiquette. Smaller venue general ad mission shows are about ex periencing the environment and the people around you, bonding over your mutual appreciation for an artist. The focus should be on the performance, experienc ing the live music and the scene. There seem to be more people whose focus is on getting the artist to no tice them. They see strang ers not as companions who are also there to enjoy their night, but as a hitch in their plans because this concert is for them to get the best experience, regardless of a a ec e e e around them.

The connection people feel to their favorite artists is special; despite entertain ment industries like Broad way and movie theaters still struggling from two years of being virtual, concert-go ers show rabid enthusiasm. The Met Opera, among oth er e ar i d rie , a

major decreases in atten dance, dropping from 75% capacity in 2019 to 61% ca pacity in 2022. By contrast, Live Nation’s second quar ter results show their high est quarterly attendance ever, with a 38% increase in tickets sold from 2019 to 2022. The historically dedicated Taylor Swift fans overloaded the Ticketmas ter website when her newest tour went on sale, resulting in both Ticketmaster and

Taylor Swift releasing state ments apologizing for long wait times and bad pur chasing experiences.

With the industry boom ing as artists return to live performances, it makes sense why the scene has changed in the past three years. New people are arriv ing without the experience of the past few years to teach them concert etiquette, and their obsession with bigname artists compels them

ac e y, i ere ed i their own experience rather than the mutual experience that makes live concerts truly special. Unfortunate ly, I’d say my experience has been worse at recent con certs compared to pre-pan demic ones, but I have hope that it’s getting better as people remember how to cia y i erac y a piece of advice to anyone going to concerts is simple: wear deodorant.

A Semi-Triumphant Return of the

es we make when we feel like there’s nothing left to lose.

BY JULIA WIERZBICKI ‘23

From the start, Wakan da Forever had big shoes to fill. Not only was it the final film in the phase four saga, but it also had to explain the canonical death of T’Challa as well as pay homage to the in credible Chadwick Bose man. I don’t think the film could’ve ever quite lived up to the expectations that Marvel films held, but it was able to excel in quite a few areas. Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forev er, while a bit problematic plot-wise, is an interesting look at grief and the choic

I’m not gonna lie—the first hour of this movie had me hooked. The first scene of Shuri desperately trying to save her brother, then transitioning to T’Challa’s funeral, then to the silent Marvel logo with a mon tage of Black Panther was something I’ll never for get. I also loved the scene introducing the Talokan people was suspenseful, intense, and really gave me hope that this would be an interesting new addition to the Marvel universe. But sadly, this intrigue was short-lived. By hour two, I really felt the plot of the film start to drag. The Talokan and Wakandan relationship was not well fleshed out, and Namor’s plan of having Shuri teamup with him to fight the rest of the world or basi cally destroy all of Wakan da didn’t make any sense. It was such a shame that a

King: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

movie with such potential depth was bogged down with a weak story. There were a few scenes that would give me hope, like Queen Ramonda talking with Shuri about how to cope with her grief, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to save the pace of the film.

The thing I was most disappointed in, howev er, was the ending. My first major issue was Shu ri’s transition into Black Panther. I was really ex pecting a moment where I would stand up and cheer, but I found myself feeling like the whole scene was rushed. I was also hoping for something besides the replayed Marvel CGI bat tle, but that’s exactly what we got. There was even a cliche “main-character protection” moment where Shuri gets stabbed, a clear ly mortal wound, and inex plicably doesn’t die. It was so disappointing that such an interesting and unique premise for a film so

quickly fell into the same plot faults as other films. Like so many other recent Marvel projects, I feel like this piece could’ve done with six more months of plot work at least. That being said, I did enjoy the film overall. There were some great scenes tackling grief and loss, and I genuinely feel like the Talokan people could be a great addition to the MCU. I’m only being so critical because of the promises this film made, as well as the past histo ry of Marvel’s great films. I feel like many are being kinder in their reviews to ward the film due to the subject matter it tackles and Marvel’s previous disappointments, but it is definitely not a film with out flaws. Overall, Wakan da Forever is one of Mar vel’s more mature films as of late and although it’s not perfect, is a welcome addition to the MCU as a whole.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

ica c i e d a

BY STEPH SEARING

The word ‘Bondmaid’ was discovered missing r m e r Oxford En glish Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it. Esme is born into a world of words; she spends her childhood in the ‘Scrip torium,’ a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collect ing words for the Dictio nary. As a child, Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper con taining the word ‘bond maid er e r

Esme rescues the slip and stashes it in an old wood en case that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young ser vant. Esme begins to col lect other words from the Scriptorium that are mis placed, discarded, or ne glected by the dictionary men. Over time, Esme re alizes that some words are considered more important than others and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. While she dedicates her life to the Ox ford English Dictionary, secretly, she begins to col lect words for another dic tionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words. The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative: the narrative of women’s involvement in the dic i ary a d e i i cance of the women’s suf frage movement.

As this novel was set d ri e r me ra e, ere ere ma y themes of female equality and empowerment. There

was one woman, Tilda, who embodied these ide als throughout the novel.

e a a ra e e inspired and pushed Esme to contribute and face the oppression in her own way. Additionally, there were so many women who actual ly contributed to the real Oxford English Dictionary who were brought to life in this novel, which is em powering to learn about. Although women have been overlooked at many points in history, they always had an impact.

A theme that was com monly threaded through out the novel was be longing. Esme constantly looked for her purpose and e ace ere e i while doing what she loved. She had many obstacles throughout the novel, as all protagonists do and as we all do in life, but eventual ly, she found her way and overcame all that she went through in the process. I thought that her journey

and growth as a person were relatable and inspir ing.

Finally, family played an important role in this nov el—even unconventional family. The people who are there to support you in the darkest times are your fam ily too. Esme always had her Da, but because she was motherless, she had oth er ma er a re i er life, like Ditte—her father’s friend—and her friend, Liz zie. Throughout the novel, they were there for her by giving her advice and com fort when she needed it most.

ed c i a woven into history in the novel. A big premise of the book was that Esme stole the word ‘bondmaid,’ and if you actually look in the originally published dictio nary, the word bondmaid is missing. Additionally, almost all of the charac ters were actual people who helped edit the Dictionary, and I love whenever histor

This book was very well written and honestly very educational as well. If you e i rica c i this is a good one because

it’s not a common histo ry timeline that we learn about. If you have an inter est in words and linguis ic , i i de i e y a i ere i c i read

SPOILER ALERT

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOUSEOFINDEPENDENTS.COM

THE DOODLING DUCK Talent or nothing

BY POOJA RAJADURAI ‘23

Sometimes certain sen tences from books I’ve read stay in my head. Ran domly, they’ll come back to me. Like how when I add sugar to my lukewarm coffee, I’ll think about how Danny Conroy from Dutch House would have rather spent his time explaining to the woman who claimed his mother was still alive that her sugar would have melted faster if she had added it while her tea was still hot. I don’t remember reading Pride and Preju dice , but I do remember reading a YA novel loosely based on it which quoted the first line from Austen’s

novel: it is a truth univer sally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife . Some times I think about how Isabel Allende concluded her heartbreaking memoir Paula , “Godspeed, Paula, woman. Welcome, Paula, spirit,” as she found clo sure in the passing of her only daughter. Of one of my favorite authors, Loui sa May Alcott, the line that comes to mind most fre quently is how Amy March from Little Women says, “That’s just why, because talent isn’t genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be great, or nothing,” when asked why she was giving up art after having visited Rome.

And in one sentence, Alcott has perfectly cap tured how it feels to be im perfect, even at the things we love doing the most. Amy March is in a partic ular situation where she has to decide the feasibil ity of her talents bringing

her a suitable living wage as a woman. Today we might not have the same exact concerns (for better or worse, we don’t have to worry as much about hav ing no possessions after marriage as we do about the pay gap), but there comes a day in every young person’s life when he or she or they must decide if they’re going to be enough for their dreams. Are we just talent or have we found what is truly meant for us? Is there such a thing as a true calling and if we’ve heard it calling our name, can we answer? In the face of these questions, I can only draw upon the values instilled in me as a child. A religious woman who imparted some degree of spirituality in myself, if not cookie-cutter tradi tions, my mother used to tell me, “Hard work can change even God’s mind.” This would come up, par ticularly after my elemen tary school body rejected Beethoven in tantrums and wailed in defeat.

She would recite this saying in Tamil, and re gardless of a language barrier or fundamental religious confusion, I can attest to the notion that practice and hard work can overcome any natural disadvantage in an art or sport. I can’t say that I’ve unflaggingly believed in an adage that puts 100 per cent of the control in your own hands, especially con sidering there are many times in my so far short life that I’ve experienced a se vere case of butterfingers (I mean this as literally as I do figuratively; I truly do not suggest working on a painting for hours before accidentally dropping a paintbrush of black over the whole canvas when you really only wanted to place a pupil in the eye of a lion). Maybe one day you’ll have to make like Amy and choose a practical alter native to doing something that makes you happy. But until then, give it your best shot.

The Forgotten Hanukkah Story of Judith

BY JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23

Countdown to Hanuk kah: 17 days! Celebrating the festival of lights sur rounded by my family and friends is something I look forward to every year. With this being said, my love of Hanukkah hasn’t always been so prevalent. Because I come from a multi-faith family, I celebrate Hanuk kah and Christmas. Grow ing up, Christmas excited me more than the Jewish holidays; it’s highly com mercialized, the decor is beautiful, and with Christ mas comes Santa Claus! But as I grew older, I be came fonder of my religion and I truly began to enjoy celebrating the holiday with my family. We make homemade latkes, spin

dreidels, and exchange presents. After the fun, we always take a moment to remember the struggles Jews faced before us and why Hanukkah carries so much meaning. This year, I realized there is more to the story of Hanukkah that isn’t widely talked about— the story of Judith. I want to share her story and shed light on a very powerful woman within the Jewish religion.

The significance of Ha nukkah that I learned in Hebrew school revolves around the Maccabees. The story reads as follows: “The Maccabees success fully revolted against An tiochus IV Epiphanes. Ac cording to the Talmud, a later text, the Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculous ly burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s lighting.” This is the reasoning behind celebrating Hanukkah for eight days and light ing candles each night. To my understanding, this is the classic Hanukkah sto ry that is taught to many. When conducting inde

DEAR CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

pendent research, I found that there is another indi vidual who played a part in creating the Hanukkah narrative we know today.

During the Middle Ages, many individuals were celebrated during the eight nights of Hanukkah, one of them being Judith. The narrative of Judith begins when the town of Bethulia was captured by an Assyrian general, Ho lofernes. Judith, a young woman who was recently widowed, didn’t want to see her town perish. In an act of courage and bravery, Judith went to the enemy’s base to help her commu nity. After being struck by her beauty, Holofernes invited her to a banquet.

At the party, Judith pre sented Holofernes with cheese, which caused him to become drunk and lat er pass out. (Fun fact: the tradition of eating cheese on Hanukkah stems from Judith giving Holofernes cheese to get him drunk.) She decapitated him while he slept, and the town of Bethulia was able to launch a surprise attack, in which they were victorious.

Judith’s story encom

Q: What is the meaning of life?

or if we’re just wasting our time. The good news is that if you don’t find meaning in your school work, that’s okay. College only takes a few years, you have your whole life to discover what career and life you want to have.

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

Wow, what a compli cated question! While I’m certainly no expert on phi losophy, I’m happy to give my input. I think that at this point in the semes ter, people start asking themselves this question more often because they start to wonder if all this work is actually worth it

If you do find mean ing in college life and are filled with existential dread over the thought of post-graduation life, I promise that your exis tence won’t be over once you enter the real world. I personally believe that there is no one meaning to life but rather many sources of meaning that change as you do. Right now you might find mean ing in running a club and

in 20 years you might find meaning in reno vating your house. If you feel like you can’t find meaning in your life, you might just need to get in volved with more, think of things that you’ve enjoyed in the past, and try to do similar things. It also can help if the things that you do leave an impact or are building towards something. However, if you are feeling like there is no meaning to life, it could also help to reach out to the Stevens Coun seling and Psychological Services, who recently opened an online registra tion system, so you don’t have to call to book an ap pointment anymore.

passes the message of Hanukkah, which is over coming the powers of a larger force with bravery, strength, and determina tion. The Book of Judith promises that her story will be shared from gen eration to generation, but this didn’t prove to be true. While her story was told by many Rabbis at first, it soon became a memo ry of the past. I can’t help but wonder why this story is scarcely shared, as it is a wonderful example of Jewish courage. Judith is a powerful woman in history who deserves to be cele brated! Moving forward, I plan to tell the story of Ju dith to my family, friends, and future children; if you are celebrating, I urge you to do the same.

As this is my last col umn for the semester, I want to thank everyone for reading my work thus far. I only have one semes ter left of undergraduate school, so I have one more semester left of writing. Have a happy and healthy holiday season, and I will see you next year!

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24

As someone who took a philosophy class once at a community college, I am equipped to answer this question for you. Life can be whatever you want it to be. Life is heartbreak on the Buchard bathroom floor, taking a shower in the Gateway South base ment, and waking up with

only some recollection of the night before. If you are too dense to under stand what I am saying, the meaning of life does not lie within the con fines of your academics. There are things in life far more important than your grades in your col lege classes. As finals approach, I can assume some of you will be pan icking and anxious about what is to come with ex ams and final grades, but I am here to tell you that it does not matter. I know a lot of people that never went to school and managed to have fun with their lives and survive by other means.

If you are struggling

to find purpose in life I would recommend doing what you love and prior itizing having fun once in a while. Life is miser able when you spend time locked away only focusing on the future, sometimes it is important to live in the moment and make stupid decisions. If you are in college and spend ing your time being up set and miserable when it could be spent having fun and making memories, the choice seems pretty clear to me. A wise man once said, “Life is a high way and I want to ride it all night long.” These words changed my life and maybe they’ll change yours too, good luck.

Pachucki Off Center