The gripes of being in a student organization

small business, without the stress of making a profit. But sometimes, the surrounding aspects of Stevens make our operation a bit more difficult.

Sanjana Madhu ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

Being involved in student organizations is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a Stevens student. It gives us an opportunity to invest our time and energy into something bigger, gives us chances at practicing soft skills, and encourages us to form communities within Stevens and make friends. The Stute, for example, operates similarly to a

To preface, The Stute, as you may know, is a completely student-run organization, and we depend heavily on the administration to convey information and add context to occurrences across campus. The first issue I want about is the network of responses from administrators is not a direct one. Nearly all responses given by administrators to The Stute during interviews or email inquiries are reviewed and revised by Sara Klein, Vice President for Student Affairs. While there is nothing inherently wrong about this pipeline, The Stute feels that it can sometimes take away from the interview. Writers reach out to administrators because they want to know the administrator’s perspective about a specific topic, not Stevens’ perspective. And yes, while the administrators do represent Stevens as an organization, their input serves as an outlet for students to understand the various positions held by the people who oversee our institution. Additionally, the revision of responses also sometimes removes student impact from a story. And reaching out to student workers directly, especially those under federal work-study, for their input can sometimes put them at risk of losing their jobs. In all, the integrity of administrative re - sponses and the effects of student work has been watered-down for some time now. It’s quite upsetting to see students not being credited for their work and seeing the guarded responses from administrators as they are closely supervised (and, quite frankly, babysat) by upper administration.

Speaking of students not being credited for their work, I want to revisit the topic of compensating those who work for student organizations. As previously written by the current Managing Editor of The Stute, Keenan Yates, in her Letter to the Editor “The case for compensating student leaders,” (which I implore you to all read) Yates mentions, “Given that [...] organizations require an extensive commitment from those in higher-level leadership positions, it makes sense that students would ask for financial compensation for their work.” Students in administrative, governmental, and media-based organizations put countless hours of work into their projects, initiatives, and goals. When you really think about it, it’s quite miraculous that organizations like the SGA, WCPR, and The Link (just to name a few), can accomplish so much with the collaboration of students, the exchange of ideas, and commitment to initiatives, all atop our part-time jobs, hours of school work, etc. Furthermore, student leaders are required to attend training during their term called leadership paths. In practice, leadership paths are great, as they prepare us for different administrative and social scenarios we may face as a leader. On the other hand, the program is dysfunctional and confusing to navigate; sessions are sometimes canceled, attendance is low, and the meetings are repetitive. For these sessions to have a real impact on student organizations, they need to be better structured. At the end of the day, the effort of student leaders and the work they produce is marketed by Stevens as a selling point for attending this institution. And if these leadership roles require serious training, then maybe they warrant some compensation as well. Finally, there’s the matter of the University Center Complex. As I’ve lightly mentioned in previous editorials, The Stute’s office in the UCC is far too small.

Compared to our previous office in what is now the Martha Bayard Stevens Hall, where The Stute had a large office with three closets, space for five desktop computers accompanied by desks and chairs, a large printer, whiteboards, a small conference table, and a bookable conference room right across our office, our space in the UCC can’t compare. While we are still extremely grateful to have office space, it barely provides us with enough space to have small meetings, let alone weekly meetings with our 20-person minor board or seven-person

SENIORITIS STEM students, appreciate your humanities!

courses I needed to take and wondering what a humanity course was exactly. Then, humanities turned into arguably the most valuable classes among all majors.

math/science courses.

BY TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘22

When I was a first-year student, I was so excited to begin my biomedical engineering curriculum at Stevens. The idea of planning my own schedule and taking many medically specialized courses excited me. I remember looking at what

If you are a first-year, you most likely don’t have the opportunity to pick them just yet; whereas, the rest of the undergrads do. Most undergrads fight for the ones that they hear are “easy” or don’t require tests. I’ve done it. I picked a course just because I heard that my friend had an easy time. That’s what most STEM students want in a humanities course, a lessened workload course that brings peace to a time of onslaughts from complicated and stressful

MIND OF A FRESHMAN Finding fulfillment

ence course as a humanities major was nauseating, regardless of how highly rated my professor was. I planned on taking four hours each day to study for all my classes and stay ahead of homework assignments.

Students sometimes receive this desired “relaxed course,” but most students get heavy courses that (to them) mean nothing to their major. However, these courses might not be what they seem. Although the workload may be taxing, it can become a utopia for students exhausted from the constant equations and critical thinking.

Instead of taking the class your friend of a friend of a friend said was easy without any exams, you should choose the course that you are actually or even minorly interested in. This will expand your daily experience. Each STEM student has almost daily lectures about code or mechanics of objects, but occasional lectures about history or philosophical questions can help relax the mind.

I’ve taken multiple humanities that feel like a whole new world. After spending hours day and night agonizing over the latest math challenge or report, I’ve experienced different escapes, such as ethical dilemmas and screenwriting. Each one of them I was half interested in each when registering, but in each class, I saw the need to “relax” with one of these courses.

I took a science writing course that explored various ethical challenges of had made a mistake.

BY RACHEL ABRAHAM ‘26

Before I got to college, I had extreme anxiety about time management. Every friend, teacher, or TikTok user made it clear that managing your time wisely was crucial to success in college. I bought three different agendas, a whiteboard, and two online calendar apps to ensure I would stay on top of my game. I made the infamous Google spreadsheet with every assignment due that semester. Despite all the planning, I still felt unprepared for what my professors would throw at me. The thought of taking a computer sci -

I wanted to avoid parties at all costs and prioritize self-care. I wasn’t sure how I would do it, but I knew it had to be done. The truth is I have so much free time in college that I don’t know what to do with myself. At first, it made me panic; maybe it was just because I was a philosophy major, and all I ever really did was think. I wrote several essays for my required courses, but I enjoyed them. I even wrote a paper about wigs and the technology behind them. This was mainly influenced by the Elijah Woods interview question, “do you wear wigs?” Surprisingly enough, my professor actually gave me an A. I was so shocked; I thought he

At a certain point, I considered doing a second major because I have always been adjusted to being stressed. It’s all I’ve known, and I wasn’t sure who I was without it. But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t. And I had to fill up my time with something, anything. I spent a concerning amount of time completing word searches, sudoku, and playing 2048. I doodled all over my notes and filled my journals to the brim. I made a skincare routine that has now become crucial to my peace. I even hand-drew the winter decorations for my RA’s hall. Regardless of what I did, I still felt unfulfilled.

The Freshman 15 was one of the many things I had to conquer during my free time. I didn’t realize how much Peirce dining hall pizza slices would add up. Luckily, I hadn’t gained the whole 15 pounds and spent the entire winter break trying to work it all off. Now I’ve been more conscious of my eating habits and spending more time at the UCC fitness center. Gym rats have a point; I do feel a lot better. But the truth is I hate exercise and prefer to spend most of my time on the treadmill listening to music and making up scenarios. Although maladaptive daydreaming is generally frowned upon, at least I know exactly how I’d react when I’m proposed to. Or if I won a Nobel prize. Or the world cup. Will these things ever happen? Probably not. But it sure does get me hyped up enough for the Stairmaster. Shoutout to Chief Keef, Three 6 Mafia, and the Wu-Tang Clan for keeping my spirits high. Honorable mention to Friedrich Nietzche for the existential questions that keep me awake until 4:00 a.m. You keep me fulfilled. the modern day and it challenged my ability to explore the news. Simultaneously, I could explore topics, such as artificial intelligence (AI) takeover or the future with the effect of climate change. Each topic or discussion left my mind to relax from the nitty-gritty STEM ideals.

E-board. And while the shared layout space with The Link was theoretically a smart touch, in reality, it makes the office even more cramped than it already is.

I wish that student organizations were involved in the conversation about the structure of our offices; for what was supposed to be a student-centric building, the spaces allocated for student organizations in the UCC were not nearly enough. Furthermore, the lack of conference spaces in the UCC is just as upsetting.

Overall, The Stute is certainly not some for-profit organization with the intent of slandering, but we do believe in speaking up for student organizations and bringing light to what we think can be changed at Stevens. To bring everything to perspective, there are still many aspects of Stevens student org culture that I am proud of. The monetary resources, the help from liaisons in planning events like Stute Weekend, the mentorship from our advisor Professor John Horgan, and the hours of effort put in by each Stute staff member gives us the foundation and support we need to consistently churn out issues every week. I don’t expect things to magically change overnight; it takes months of student input, debate, and planning to implement such changes. Despite this, students should not be afraid to communicate and advocate for what they believe in (something that Stevens students do well).

Additionally, I took a course that was labeled “Special Topics in Literature.” I thought I was going to get an experience with lots of reading/book study. However, the professor provided a warning over the summer that the course was transitioning into a screenwriting course, and we could drop it if that’s not what we wanted. I was mi- norly enticed by the idea of screenwriting, and I ended up thrilled and enjoyed the course as the professor provided the students the freedom to create their own short scripts. It was an enormous respite from the organic chemistry that I stressed and struggled with 24/7. These humanity courses are meant to pique your interest, not just be an easy way out. They help provide a new way of thinking in a time when STEM can be the only thing on your mind. So, as you continue your Stevens journey, follow your passions and the opportunities in front of you.