[The Stute] December 9, 2022 (Issue 13, Volume CXX)

The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck.

Twas the night before finals week, when all throughout Stevens, not a Duck was stirring, as they battled their exam demons

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We write Stevens history VOLUME CXX No. 13

HOBOKEN, NJ | DECEMBER 9, 2022

NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904

HAPPY HOLIDAYS DUCKS!

Updates on 2023 commencement ceremony

Men’s soccer ends historic season with their final four appearance

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER On Thursday, December 1, the No. 4 ranked Stevens Men’s Soccer team traveled to Donald J. Kerr Stadium in Salem, VA to compete in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship Semifinals against No. 2 University of Chicago (UChicago).

Unfortunately, the Ducks lost to UChicago in a hardfought battle after forcing an overtime period.

The team had an incredible season that will go down as one of the program’s most successful, with a 17-1-5 record, the program’s second ever NCAA final-four appearance, the first being in 2008. Men’s Soccer also was the last collegiate New Jersey soccer team, regardless of NCAA division or gender, to close its season, along with a staggering number

SEE SOCCER PAGE 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA BABER

StevensTHON hosts inaugrual Snow Ball

BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER On December 4, StevensTHON hosted their first-ever Snow Ball. StevensTHON is a student organization that raises awareness and money for Children’s Specialized Hospital, the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, and is part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon movement

across multiple schools.

The main reason for hosting the StevensTHON Snow Ball was to put together a winter-themed semi-formal event for all Stevens students to enjoy all while supporting an amazing cause. Through a partnership with Hudson Dorms, $1260 was successfully raised during the event, and $1111 was matched by Hudson Dorms.

According to Avery Murillo, the Internal Director and

Holiday events light up New Jersey and New York

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR The height of the holiday season is almost here, and both Stevens students and Hoboken residents are heralding it by putting out the last of the decorations, pulling out the heavy winter clothing, and getting ready for a robust slate of local events and celebrations.

The first weekend of December was packed with things for those in the spirit to see and do. Hoboken held its City Hall Holiday Craft Fair on the 3rd and the first day of a local holiday market on the 4th. Meanwhile, a number of tree lightings took place on both sides of the Hudson River, from Weehawken to Manhattan.

The remainder of the month holds many more opportunities for those looking to get in the spirit with their communities. Hoboken and surrounding northern New Jersey cities have festivities planned for the entire rest of the season, and many of New Jersey’s charming small towns may also draw your attention with attractions ranging from tree lightings to Christmas displays.

On top of that, there’s New York’s usual world-class holiday entertainment just across the river.

Here’s a selection of some of the most noteworthy activities to take part in this holiday.

Hoboken Dec. 11 & Dec. 18 - Main Street Pops Holiday Market under the 14th Street Viaduct: This holiday market features hand-made crafts from local artisans and artists, including fashion accessories, jewelry, fine art, home decor, and food. The event will culminate with a “Holiday Extravaganza” on December 18th.

Dec. 11 - Santa Comes to Hoboken: Santa is coming to Hoboken with a host of elves, and will wind through the city on a parade float.

He’ll also make several stops, including in Church Square Park, to take photos with residents.

Weekends until Jan. 3 - Free parking w/ local purchases at Garage B, Garage D, and Midtown Garage: From now until the beginning of next year, parking in several Hoboken garages will be free with proof of at least $20 in purchases from Hoboken businesses or restaurants.

Jerey City Dec. 10 - Heights Holiday Market at Riverview Fisk Park, Jersey City: A new holiday market in Jersey City Heights, just west of Hoboken.

NEWS (2)

WRAPPING PAPER (5-8)

Meet Dr. Takeem Dean, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Read more about Dean’s qualifications, past education, and responsibilities

Need last minute wrapping paper for holiday gifts?

Look no further!

Use the wrapping paper included in this week’s issue PULSE (12)

FEATURE (3-4)

What The Stute actually did this semester and photos from EC’s annual Winter Wonderland.

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

Dec. 12 - Deck the Halls at Ashford, 145 Newark Ave, Jersey City: The Youth Foundation of Jersey City is hosting their 2nd Annual Holiday Fundraiser to support impoverished Jersey City youth, featuring yuletide carol performances. Attendees should bring a donation of gloves, hats, or socks.

Dec. 17 & 18 - Art Market Holidays at 150 Bay St, Jersey City: Purchase local and handmade gifts at this holiday art market in Jersey City.

New York City Dec. 11 - Winter Celebration at Brust Park, The Bronx, NY: Catch a Christmas tree lighting, holiday music performances, and festive fare at Brust Park.

Select dates until Jan. 8 - Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo: According to the Bronx Zoo, “The park comes to life with holiday cheer as immersive light displays, custom-designed animal lanterns and animated light shows sparkle across the zoo.”

Until Jan. 14 & 16 - NYBG Glow and Holiday Train Show at 900 Southern Boulevard, The Bronx, NY: The New York Botanical Garden hosts New York City’s largest outdoor holiday light show as well as a long-running

SEE HOLIDAY PAGE 2

Julia Baber, the Executive Director, students dined on food donated from Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster, Fat Taco, and H&S Giovanni’s Restaurant & Pizzeria. The event also served dessert with Krispy Kreme donuts. But if students weren’t interested in jam donuts, then they could still jam with student DJ Jake Laifer. For keepsakes, there was also a photo booth onsite, as well a raffles with prizes donated by Ath-

leta, Wicked Scents, The Studio, Galatea, Stevens Campus Bookstore, and AirPods donated by Hudson Dorms.

There were also fundraising activities to raise money for the Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Prizes included gift cards to CHOC·O·PAIN for the Fundraising Royalty, the highest fundraisers this week, and gift cards to Urban Coalhouse to whoever raised the most money each hour.

As the end fall semester quickly approaches, much of the senior class is beginning to focus on the end of the spring semester and one day in particular: the commencement ceremony. Commencement marks a student’s completion of their time at Stevens. Yet amongst all of the endings, it is also a time of great beginnings: the start of the next chapter of their lives, the beginning of what they will do next, the commencement of who they are.

On Monday, November 14, the Stevens Division of Student Affairs sent a schoolwide email announcing commencement. The ceremony will be on Wednesday, May 24, 2022, in Newark, NJ, at the Prudential Center. The day will begin on the primary court of the center to confer the degrees of all undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral candidates. Following the main ceremony, each school

SEE 2023 PAGE 2

Student Leaders Affairs Impacting Technology appoints leadership retreat involve teamwork, enDr. Takeem BY KATIE BLOOMER, tocouragement from peers, OUTREACH CHAIR and the practicing of leaderDean as On November 19, Ste- ship skills. vens students headed to Shaya Morgan, the StuAssistant Camp Mason for the Lead- dent Life Coordinator, creers Impacting Technology ated and coordinated the (L.I.T) Leadership Retreat. retreat, as it was the first Vice Camp Mason is a YMCA leadership retreat held by summer camp located in the Office of UndergraduPresident Hardwick Township and is ate Student Life. She started

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER Student Affairs has recently announced its appointment of a new Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs: Takeem L. Dean, Ed.D. Dean’s responsibilities will include supervising the “Office of Residential Education, the Office of Residential and Dining Services, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Office of Community Standards and Title IX. He will also have institutional responsibilities for emergency response, compliance, assessment of the student experience, and implementation of the Strategic Plan.”

Dean earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Education and Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University.

Dean continued his educa-

SEE DEAN PAGE 2

open to group trips such as school retreats. This event involved tackling intense ropes courses, completing team-building activities, and bonding with fellow students along the way. Activity courses ranged from high to low ropes with some being the Giant Swing, Vertical Playpen, and Leap of Faith.

The activities were designed

from scratch by creating the name, purpose, and goals of the event. Morgan also recruited students, specifically who were already leaders in the community and interested in building upon their leadership skills. At Camp Mason, she actively participated in the retreat activities

SEE L.I.T. PAGE 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAYA MORGAN

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News Masthead Volume CXX No. 13 Executive Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..............................SANJANA MADHU ‘23 BUSINESS MANAGER.......................JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23 MANAGING EDITOR............................. KEENAN YATES ‘24 LAYOUT EDITOR.........................................ISABELLA ZIV ‘24 OUTREACH CHAIR...............................KATIE BLOOMER ‘25 DIGITAL MANAGER...............................BEMIN SHAKER ‘23 SECRETARY......................................ZANE THUMMBORST ‘23

Editorial Board NEWS EDITOR.............................................OZ AGUINAGA ‘23 NEWS EDITOR.........................................BEN KNOBLOCH ‘25 FEATURE EDITOR..................................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25 SCIENCE EDITOR............................RAYNA INDELICATO ‘23 OPINION EDITOR.................................CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 SPORTS EDITOR........................................CHRISTA RUIZ ‘25 HEAD COPY EDITOR.....................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24 ASSIS. COPY EDITOR.........................ISABELLA HAMM ‘25 ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR................NICOLE GIARDINO ‘25

Operations Board HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25 ASSISTANT BUS. MANAGER..........AVA BUONCUORE ‘25 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER............VANESSA HUERTA ‘23

Staff & Contributors Advait Dantuluri Charles Beall Cole Gardella Erin McGee Ethan Che Ethan Kleschinsky Evan Papageorge

Tanishka Kapoor Matt Brantl Victoria Yashchuk Vitek Sabath

Rafael Lee Li Ruthie Mullisky Stephen Pachucki

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

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

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

Policy on Letters to the Editor All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a Letter to the Editor to be published in The Stute. Letters must refer either to a piece published in The Stute or to The Stute in general and must be between 400 – 800 words in length. Submit letters to editor@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form. For writers who wish to write a Letter to the Editor anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Letter to the Editor based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit letters for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit letters according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

Policy on Op-Eds All members of the Stevens community are able to submit a standalone opinion piece (otherwise known as an Op-Ed) to be published in The Stute. Op-Eds must be between 400 – 800 words, but longer submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To submit an OpEd please email eboard@thestute.com with your name and title (when applicable) or using our Google form (tinyurl.com/submit-t0-stute). For writers who wish to write an Op-Ed anonymously, please see our policy on anonymity.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise.

Provided that the author approves the final version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defined in our policies.

FULL LIST ON thestute.com/policies

SOCCER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of individual player accomplishments. The team amassed a total of three All-America awards, five All-Region selections, six Academic All-District players, and seven players making All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Teams. Additionally, this game marked the end of the Duck’s impressive undefeated game streak of 30, which went back to October 23 of the Fall 2021 season.

Although the Ducks were competing in an away match, the community support for the team remained the same, as the UCC Marketplace was the scene for a watch party for students and faculty to get together to support the team.

The first half of regulation time was very dependent on field position, as just about 80% of the game at that point was played in the middle of the field. Graduate student Adam Silva added offensive pressure by being the first of

L.I.T.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 alongside the students. According to Morgan, “the purpose of this retreat was for students to develop leadership skills, practice team building, and create community here at Stevens in an effort to inspire new and current leaders to get involved and foster a holistic

2023

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 will hold its own event to read each student’s name. The smaller ceremonies will also be on-site at the Prudential Center.

Stevens has not yet released

HOLIDAY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 train miniature show.

The whole season - Countless classic holiday activities and sights in New York Small New Jersey Towns Livingston Township - Camuso Christmas Display: A beloved an-

either team to take a shot at the goal, doing so during the 11th minute of the first half. The Ducks had a strong presence in the midfield, which prevented UChicago from pushing forward. This pressure contributed to UChicago only being able to make four shots against the Ducks, none of which were on goal.

The second half of regulation was more defensive for the Ducks.

UChicago increased their offensive pressure and nearly scored, but the Ducks successfully cleared the ball off the goal line to preserve the 0-0 score and force overtime. The second half resulted in UChicago taking 11 shots and senior goalkeeper Justin Cross making three saves.

The pressure only increased in the first half of overtime. Cross stopped two shots on goal that were 30 seconds apart only seven minutes into the overtime period.

During the second half of overtime, UChicago scored the first goal of the match in the 106th minute of the game. However, Cross’s performance this season was stellar.

With 21 saves over seven postsea-

son games, he finished the season with a 0.44 goals-against average and a 0.863 save percentage as being named the 2022 MAC Freedom Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Men’s Soccer Head Coach Dale Jordan was very grateful for such an impressive season. He added, “What an incredible season! I am so proud of what the guys have achieved this year; they are an exceptional group of student-athletes who are fantastic embassies for the soccer program, the athletic department, their school, their families, their communities, and for the state of New Jersey. I want to thank each of them for giving everything possible this season.”

The coaching staff continued by thanking the graduating seniors and graduate students, the athletes’ families for their continued support, the Stevens athletic department, and the sports medicine department and athletic trainer. Though Men’s Soccer season comes to a close, it will be remembered as one of the most successful in Stevens’ history.

student experience here on campus.”

When talking about the students, Morgan stated that “while it was cold outside, that didn’t stop them from climbing to new heights (both figuratively and literally).”

Overall, the retreat was a success.

Students appreciated the opportunity to step away from campus and try something that they hadn’t experienced before. When doing

the sometimes challenging or intimidating activities, they benefited from the support of classmates who were cheering them on. Given that it was a success, there are plans for another retreat in the Spring when it is warmer outside, so stay tuned for updates. Also, students should be on the lookout for the launch of the L.I.T. Leadership Program if they are looking for more leadership opportunities.

who will give the commencement address. The school is also compiling a list of hotels, parking locations, eateries, and other venues for families, friends, and guests of graduates. In the past, the commencement ceremonies included music, the procession of students and staff, a commencement speaker, speeches from students, and

other celebrations.

As part of commencement, Stevens offers resources for undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral candidates whose degrees will be conferred. The school will post more resources for help with their yearbook photos, diplomas, and general information regarding the day and event itself.

nual Christmas display created by toymaker Ernie Camuso will run until New Year’s Day. There will also be an event for children with special needs and their families on Saturday, December 17th, and a Menorah lighting on December 18th.

Maplewood - Dickens Village: This annual recreation of scenes from A Christmas Carol with a collection of dioramas in miniature

houses will be open on the first three Saturdays of December. December 10th and 17th will feature wagon rides and a petting farm, and a Menorah lighting will be held on December 21st.

Millburn - Winter Walk: Visitors to Millburn will find Taylor Park illuminated by thousands of Christmas lights. Enjoy holiday music while walking through tunnels of lights until January 15th.

DEAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tion at Wingate University, earning an educational specialist degree and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education and Higher Education Administration.

In his professional career, Dean has been working in higher education for nearly 20 years. He began working in residential administration at institutions like Seton Hall University, North Carolina Central University, and The Julliard School.

He returned to his Alma Mater at Montclair State University as a community director and then as Assitant to the Dean. He then went to Passaic County Community College as the Director of the Center for Student Involvement, Allen University, and Johnson C. Smith University as the Dean of Students. Before coming to Stevens, he worked at Union College he started as the Dean of Students before changing positions to be the Assistant Vice President of Student Development and the deputy Title IX Coordinator.

In a recent email, Student Affairs praised Dean “has experience in nearly all facets of student life, including student conduct, athletics, campus recreation, student life, disability services, Title IX, diversity, equity and inclusion, residence life, admissions, student leadership, counseling services, veteran’s affairs, fraternity and sorority life, and career and professional development.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NJCU.EDU

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The Stute’s

SEMESTER AT A GLANCE

13 Issues Released

24 Members Joined

350+ 164

Memorable Moments

Articles Published

Pages Designed

2078

Baby Pictures The minorboard submitted old pictures of themselves in costumes to feature in the Halloween issue

Newsletter Subscribers

Meet the 2022-2023 Stute Executive Board

EDITOR IN CHIEF SANJANA MADHU

Office Cleanup Sanjana and Isy sorted through lots of boxes to make our new office in the UCC clean and functional

MANAGING EDITOR KEENAN YATES

LAYOUT EDITOR ISABELLA ZIV

BUSINESS MANAGER JORDYN RAMELLI

Stute’s First TikTok OUTREACH CHAIR KATIE BLOOMER

DIGITAL MANAGER BEMIN SHAKER

SECRETARY ZANE THUMMBORST

The E-Board created our first TikTok introducing themselves and their positions by “passing the phone”

THE STUTE EDITORIAL

RRR-ing: The Stute edition

BY SANJANA MADHU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Welcome to the last issue of The Stute for the Fall 2022 semester. Inside you will find some end-of-the-semester news, photos from EC’s Winter Wonderland event, a few select opinion columns, a monthly calendar, a semester recap of what The Stute has accomplished this semester, and wrapping paper.

We encourage you to wrap your gifts to loved ones in this year’s wrapping paper, or utilize the paper as crafting paper!

The last issue of the semester also means it’s the last week you’ll hear from me about all things Stevens, The Stute, and life in general. The last issue also means that The Stute takes a break from printing and has time

to Rest, Remember, and Reflect (RRR). If you read my editorial last week, you’ve already been introduced to the concept of RRRing. But for those of you who are unfamiliar, RRR is a concept useful for recollecting your thoughts at the end of major events or periods of time in your life. Last week, I talked about how to RRR as a student, so this week, I want to take some time to RRR for The Stute.

This year has been the first year that The Stute was fully back in person since the COVID-19 pandemic. While last year had most of the normalcy we were used to, there were still widespread mask mandates, canceled classes, and a variety of other changes caused by the pandemic.

Last year, we were also still

in the process of readjusting to in-person classes and our new printing schedule. But this year, we came back with strong momentum and new goals we wanted to accomplish.

Our first goal before beginning the semester was to hold our annual summer recruitment event, Stute Weekend. This year, we invited 12 incoming freshmen to campus for a weekend to learn more about The Stute and contribute to our first issue this academic year. The event has always been a sort of bonding experience for both the students and The Stute staff members who help run the event.

One of our largest goals this semester was to increase the size of our staff. Each issue of The Stute is filled with

a Masthead and a Staff Box, showing you all the people who have contributed to that specific Stute issue. A problem we noticed last year was that the number of contributors began to dwindle as the semester went on. However, this year, we’re proud to have retained many writers, editors, photographers, etc. for The Stute! We’ve also increased the number of students on our minor board by filling two News Editor positions, a Sports Editor (which also allowed us to reinstate our sports section this year), an Assistant Layout Editor, an Assistant Copy Editor, an Assistant Business Manager, and another Social Media Manager. We also added a new “Comic Corner” to The Stute and have two comic strip artists!

Another goal for The Stute was to increase our presence online.

While printed newspapers are certainly our strong suit, The Stute understands the importance of having a strong digital footprint. One way we are accomplishing this goal is by increasing our social media presence. Through the hiring of a new social media manager, The Stute has started a Tik Tok account @thestute which we hope will be a fun way for students to get to know the inner workings of The Stute.

The Stute has also taken on three student developers to start a self-guided project of developing a mobile application!

The last goals for The Stute were more administrative. Firstly, we worked

last semester to order new, sturdier distribution racks around campus. This semester, we were able to install them across multiple campus hot spots. Additionally, another main task for this semester was moving into our new office in the UCC. After some organizing and cleaning, we’ve finally reverted to using our office for newspaper production days.

To reflect, this semester has been quite tumultuous, yet rewarding. I am incredibly proud of the work that the staff members at The Stute put into our publication this semester, and I am curious to see what we accomplish within our 14 issues scheduled for next semester. As a closing note, good luck with finals, and on behalf of The Stute, have a great holiday!

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Feature ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE HOSTS ANNUAL WINTER WONDERLAND Photos by Olof Persson and Ethan Che for The Stute

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BREAKFAST & LUNCH

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Opinion DEAR CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

Q: What should I get my friends for the holidays?

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 Now that we’ve entered December and the holidays are right around the corner, it’s officially the season of giving! While some people find it easy to pick out considerate and thoughtful gifts for all their friends, some (like myself) struggle

with the task. I personally find it hard to predict what things my friends will find valuable and worry that the gift might just wind up in the back of a drawer or the trash in a few months. For people with similar worries, I would recommend thinking about what things your friends might need or want, like some decorations for their rooms or some selfcare items they wouldn’t buy themselves. You could also make something by hand if you’re a creative person, but that’s usually better for family members than friends.

But the best way to figure out what your friends might want is to listen to what they complain about and think

about what you can do to make that better.

It’s also important to not put too much pressure on yourself to get the perfect gift, because usually, the perfect gift doesn’t exist. Your friends probably already have everything that they need, so it’s ok to get them a silly gift that will make them laugh for a few weeks, or something nice that they might have bought for themselves anyway. Also, if all else fails, don’t be ashamed to get your friend a gift card to their favorite store. By choosing a place you know they use often, you can show that you’re paying attention, and you don’t have to worry about it not being used.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24 It’s that time of the year again when your Secret Santa is approaching and you haven’t managed to decide on a gift, and like normal you have come to me to receive my advice.

I assume you are planning on a budget because

you don’t have money like that, but we can make it work. At this point, you’re cutting it close. You can try to expedite shipping to the Stevens mailroom, but they’ll just lose your package, putting you back at square one. After the mailroom falls through, you can probably try the Newport Mall in Jersey City, but I don’t have much advice outside of that. When it comes to what to get them, you have to know your audience. I do not know your friends so for you to ask me to pick a gift for them is crazy.

You know your friends, just get them something

and I’m sure they’ll appreciate it — and if they don’t, I’m fairly confident they won’t be comfortable enough to tell you that.

Get your friends bad gifts to test if you are close enough to tell each other the truth, that is my advice for this week. You should get me a gift for giving you all this advice.

I need to start accepting tips and donations. Feel free to leave me a gift in The Stute office if you feel so inclined. With this being the last issue of the semester I will wish you a happy holiday and have fun with finals!

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

OFF THE PRESS

Til next time

Student becomes corporation

BY TANISHKA KAPOOR ‘26 The days pass by as we rush towards finals week, almost crossing the finish line for this first semester.

It’s funny how it seems like just yesterday we all were trying to settle into college.

Now, our residence halls have become like our second homes.

The year began with what I would describe as a scramble for acceptance. In an arid land devoid of a proper support system, we wanted to feel a sense of belonging. After all, this was going to be the place we would spend the majority of our time existing. We also went

through the act of accepting.

As we met new people, each with their unique stories, we learned to accept their presence and friendship. I always like to say, “you never know who you are going to meet and what they will teach you,” and college has proven that to be true. Each person here has broadened my perspective so much that I have grown to value people a lot.

I think probably the toughest part of acceptance was coming to terms with the fact that we are growing and moving on as we took a huge step towards independence. For some, college is just what they had desired.

A break from home, no regulations, and the ability to live on your own terms.

For others, it started with a surge of homesickness and difficulties in adjusting to this new environment.

Regardless of the type of person, we all have at some point felt the lack of comfort and warmth, which can only be found in what we call our

home by the people that we feel a sense of belonging with.

By the time we felt like we had relatively settled in, midterms rolled around. It was not only the first real test of our academic abilities, but it also was a trial of how well we managed our schedule. With so many options for activities and things to do, midterms asked us the question, “Will you prioritize me?” Of course, we need to remember that at the end of the day, college is here to provide an education and an experience. For some, midterms were not the most challenging, while for others they really tested students’ mental strength and discipline.

As midterms ended and time led us into November, I feel like we entered the calmest part of the first semester: a change into cooler weather, earlier nights, and a scent of festivities. November marked the time when we understood what it meant to be

at college and realized our strengths and weaknesses.

We took a breath of fresh air as we progressed towards Thanksgiving with feelings of gratitude.

They say before every good thing comes challenges. On the brink of our first semester, we will be challenged once again with finals. After that, however, we break free into winter break, which I hope will be filled with joyous moments and happy memories.

As we approach the completion of many of our college firsts, I would like to end this last piece by telling you that you should be proud of yourselves. The first semester at college is probably one of the toughest adjustments, and you made it! Whether you stumbled across this finish line or briskly ran through it, you should be proud of your accomplishments and hardships.

So, until next time, I wish everyone happy holidays and the best of luck for this last step.

SENIORITIS

The app sampler, pt. II: and now I wait

BY CHARLES BEALL ‘22 This past Saturday, I hit the submit button on all my applications for Ph.D. programs in mathematics.

I ended up applying to five schools, which was narrowed down from the 10 or so schools I had on the shortlist for much of the fall semester. It will be a while until I hear back — March at the latest — as if, after my appetizer, the cook is taking a lot of time on a surprise main course.

My initial feeling was one of true excitement and

relief. I had been working on these applications for a few months, hoping to submit them a little sooner, but I’m very happy with how they came out. Even with the non-refundable application fees and filling out the same personal information, past experiences, and letter writer pages five times, it was a very worthwhile and fairly enjoyable endeavor.

After that first wave of good feelings, I’ve gotten a bit more ponderous about the app process, and what it means for my future. My favorite thing about applications is that I know no one else will be submitting one under the name Charles Beall. My app is my own, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done to get to this point. But the darker side of that is, now people I don’t know will have to judge the small representation of my entire personality and skill set against a slew of strong and impressive applications.

Will I be able to stick out from all the others? And if not, what does that mean?

I’ve spent my whole time at Stevens with the expectation of continuing school at the graduate level, and eventually getting a Ph.D. But now is the moment of truth, and after I hit that submit button, it’s all out of my hands.

The statistics aren’t much in my favor, either—many people who apply to Ph.D. programs do not get in.

I have to take a step back and realize that now is the time to wait, but not to worry. Submitting these applications was a big accomplishment for me, and now I have the opportunity to make more achievements in other areas. I can focus on finishing out my fall semester strong, on my senior research project, which I have more time to commit to now, and on enjoying my last semester as a Stevens undergrad in the spring.

And I hope that the sur-

prise main course comes out to be a beautiful display of food. That is the best option, but even if it happens, there are many more things to think about. Will the food actually be good, or does it just look really nice? What if there turn out to be multiple options—how will I choose?

These are tough questions, but I will be better equipped to answer them in a little while. Right now, I plan to answer the questions right in front of me, and that’s all any of us can do.

If you are applying for job or research opportunities, or (for some of my fellow seniors) who have already accepted offers, I want to shout out all of you for the hard work you are doing. I believe in you, and I hope you get to celebrate once you hit that submit button, and again when you hear back good news. More importantly, in between, I hope that we’ll be ok in the waiting.

BY OFF CENTER —SATIRE— After hearing about how “corporations and people are basically the same,” and “corporations make a lot of money,” one entrepreneurship-minded business student saw an opportunity to get firsthand startup experience and has now become a corporation. We caught up with Big Money Corps Inc. for more on how he went from “Dave” to a major multinational corporation traded on the NYSE. “It started as a senior design project back when I was a person and a finance major,” Big Money Corps said in an official company statement, “but it’s really annoying filing all these extra forms with the SEC and having to tell all my shareholders everything I’m doing with my life.” Shareholders have the chance to buy stock in Big Money Corps Inc. and can vote on decisions like if Dave should become a vegetarian or if he should walk through the park on his way home this week.

The easiest part so far has been having an HR department, but the company has struggled to raise capital since no one really cares if Dave goes through the park or not. Also, because corporations are legally separate from their owner, which is the stockholders and not Dave, it becomes a very existential crisis of identity.

In his spare time now, Big Money Corps Inc. has begun doing more things that corporations and people do. He’s already filed thirty lawsuits against people infringing on his intellectual property and plans to file more even though we told him that what most people call “thoughts” can’t be legally owned. The most interesting lawsuit out there right now is a trademark infringement on everyone else named Dave. We, unfortunately, cannot comment on it due to its ongoing nature and the fact

that one of our reporters, the one who interviewed Big Money Corps, is named Dave himself.

Dave/Big Money Corps has enjoyed contributing to elections far beyond what anyone should be allowed to donate to political campaigns and has started paying himself a salary. He’s asking himself for a raise next week and remembered to ask for a little more than he really wants so he has room to negotiate down. Meanwhile, Big Money Corps is expecting Dave to ask for a raise next week and is worried because as the only employee, he has a lot of leverage. The largest internal dispute within the company is the potential for unionization due to the low number of employees (one) that would need to vote in favor of a union for it to pass. Dave is planning on filing a workplace malpractice suit against Big Money Corps but is running into issues with conf lict of interest in the courts, and no judge wants to let a guy walk back and forth between the plaintiff and defendant desks arguing with himself in their courtroom.

Dave plans to commit tax fraud and misrepresent the financial state of the company to investors.

He also wants to start paying investors using other investors’ money in what many of us call a Ponzi scheme. Big Money Corps denies the allegations by the rogue employee, but would not comment on why he is still employed by the company. With impeccable logic, Dave told us that “they’d never fire me because they are me.”

As a show of goodwill, we bought 10% of Big Money Corps and are planning on voting for him to become a vegetarian. We think we can form a coalition with some of the other owners to force Dave to become a TikTok inf luencer as well.

10

Friday, December 9

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

BY VICTORIA YASHCHUK ‘26 Challenge is one of the best and most critical components of life. While challenge is perceived to be antagonizing and inevitable, it allows us to develop in interesting ways. The beauty of challenge is its ability to change perception and maturity, and the best thing about challenge is that it motivates us to push forward, to challenge, and be challenged in ways that did not seem possible before.

The most painful yet sentimental obstacle for anyone is when they are challenged by another, for we do not roam the grounds of Earth to live in loneliness. Everyone has heard the phrase “opposites attract,” but how different are we really from each other?

Objectively speaking, we are always curious about things we deem impossible, based on restraints we set for ourselves. Those restraints and limitations are what make the perception of living a long and difficult one, and when boundaries are tested, the perception of a difficult and extensive life becomes one of coldness and the need to guard oneself.

The classic novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a powerful representation of love and emotion, as Austen leads the reader through an experience of strong personalities and stubborn attitudes. Austen takes a different approach to the term “love,” in the sense that perception overpowers every feeling and emotion possible.

The reader is presented with a menagerie of characters that contribute to the plot. Austen introduces us to the heroine and hero of the story, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth is the main protagonist, as the story centers itself around Elizabeth’s lack of self-awareness and lack of ability to

find a husband, for marrying is the best thing a woman can do, according to history. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth challenge each other’s calibers in a way that creates a tangible tension and competitiveness leading them to become the ideal pair. The novel contains numerous characters, each one contributing to the tension between Bennet and Darcy, as betrayal accompanies love.

When they first meet, Elizabeth’s perception of Mr. Darcy is cynical and negative, as her interpretation of Mr. Darcy was based on his closed-off manner accompanied by the stories she heard from George Wickham, the godson of Mr. Darcy’s late father, breaking any relations Wickham and Mr. Darcy had. Adding onto Mr. Darcy’s antagonizing caliber, he separated his best friend, Mr. Bingley, from Elizabeth’s sister, Jane Bennet, due to false observations and assumptions.

Darcy’s newfound devotion to Elizabeth becomes conspicuously undeniable, but his overly proud and entitled character is rejected

by Elizabeth, causing him humiliation. Elizabeth’s rejection was obvious enough, until her reasons to dislike Darcy were found to be completely false and based on unjust accusations. The judgmental, introverted, and intuitive manners of Elizabeth and Darcy first caused their separation, but eventually caused them to come together as Elizabeth begins reciprocating Darcy’s affection. With the world being full of people who do not understand Darcy and Elizabeth, the misunderstood understand each other perfectly.

With Austen captivating Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s romance as the major occurrence of the plot, Austen simultaneously utilizes Elizabeth’s point of view to show how the life of a woman drastically differs from that of a man’s. As Elizabeth and Darcy create their story, the attempts at romance of other feminine characters, that being Elizabeth’s sisters, are shown, illustrating how different the life of a married woman is compared to a single woman. With each character representing masculin-

ity and femininity in their own way, every character carries their power grace-

fully and is the most realistic romance novel I have read thus far.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARNESANDNOBLE.COM

SPOILER ALERT

Die Hard: The Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time

BY COLE GARDELLA ‘24 That’s right folks, I am one of the many people that know Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and no, it’s not just because it takes place during the holidays. Is there some potential bias in my belief because Die Hard is my favorite movie of all time? Potentially. However, I’m not here to argue about the genre of movie that this film is, I’m here to review this classic action film, so let’s get on with it.

Directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard takes place during an office Christmas party in which

New York City cop John McClane, played by New Jersey native Bruce Willis, visits his estranged wife Holly and unexpectedly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when thieves come into the office building and hold the party hostage, leaving only McClane to take all of them down single-handedly. Willis’s comedic chops shine through with his quick witty remarks about the situation he has found himself in, but that’s not to say his performance is one-note.

In particular, a scene in a bathroom where he admits he should have handled his separation from his wife better is masterfully done and isn’t cut short by action or comedy, truly allowing the dramatic weight of the moment to sink in.

As much as I love Bruce Willis and his performance in this movie, it is the late great Alan Rickman, who I’m sure most of you know from his portrayal of

Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, who has the best performance in the movie as the leader of the group of thieves, Hans Gruber. In his first feature film role, Rickman delivers what is, in my opinion, the greatest villain performance in any movie ever, aside from a particular Sith Lord. Rickman has a very calm presence as Gruber, rarely raising his voice and preferring to use his actions and weapons to instill fear into the hostages.

In my opinion, the performances of Willis and Rickman are the movie’s greatest strengths.

In addition to being the greatest Christmas movie in history, Die Hard is also a fantastic action movie. The setting of an office building that’s under construction is fairly unique and leads to some unique set pieces as well as some gnarly deaths that likely wouldn’t be possible in a different setting. While

it may be a bit of a tired trope nowadays, the general plot of an everyman hero against a large group of villains was popularized by Die Hard, which would end up redefining the action genre as we know it; plenty of movies follow similar plot lines. Speed? Die Hard on a bus. Air Force One? Die Hard on a plane.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop? You guessed it, that’s just Die Hard in a mall. McTiernan’s masterpiece has influenced and will continue to be an influence on action films for a long, long time.

In summary, Die Hard is undoubtedly a classic film, regardless of genre.

Captivating performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, as well as some of the best action scenes in cinema history, are just a few of the numerous reasons to check this flick out no matter the time of year.

Until next semester, Yippee Ki-Yay and Happy Holidays Ducks!

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEMOVIEDB.ORG

COMIC CORNER

BY VITAK SABATH

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Friday, December 9

Campus Pulse

December 4

5

6

7

2022 is almost over?!?!

11

12

13

8

14

Pick up a copy of The Stute

Forever a bones day (rip noodle)

9

10

Pick up a copy of The Stute

15

Last day of classes

16

17

Finals

Secret Santa with college friends

19

20

21

22

23

24

Hanukkah

Hannukah

Hannukkah

Hanukah

Hanuka

Chanukkah

Last minute presents shopping

Christmas Eve

30

31

26

Christmas Day Channukah

3

Distant Mariah Carey noises...

Finals

25

2

Winter Wonderland

Internal screaming

18

1

27

28

29 Kwanzaa

Chanukah

Secret Santa with high school friends

Jersey City, New Jersey

Can you find the 5 elves hidden in this issue?

As we approach the holiday season, Stevens students start to miss some family traditions.

We hope these photos bring back some festive spirit!

New Year’s Eve

12

Friday, December 9

Campus Pulse

Marcos Salazar ‘23 “Not flexing, but I’m going to France, Switzerland, and Spain.”

Brendan Probst ‘22

Kieron Ampaw ‘26

“Imma work on Quae and go skiing at least once.”

“Play Valorant.”

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li Bryn Kanagy ‘25 “Spend time with family and friends from high school.”

“What are your plans for winter break?”

Kristen Williams ‘23 “I run track so I will work out. And read stories.”

India Roemlein ‘24

Kayleigh Bowler ‘24

Noah Miller ‘26

“Make some art. It’s too far ahead to make plans.”

“Recover”

“Relax, travel, and catch up with friends and family.”

Huddled Up Word Search Stephen Pachucki - Off Center

Sudoku Medium Puzzle: 0.49 difficulty

This word search contains the name of 17 brand names huddled up around a fire. Each brand has something to do with winter, the cold, or toys. Words in the grid are huddled up around the fire. They can only be found horizontally and vertically but can bend 90 degrees at any point. One word has been shaded in as an example. A small part of each brand’s logo can be found in the collage below. Good luck and have a great winter break!

This week’s answers:

Last week’s answers: