[The Stute] February 18, 2022 (Issue 15, Volume CXIX)

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

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VOLUME CXIX No. 15

We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | FEBRUARY 18, 2022

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Snow days are here to stay

Interview with Chef Anthony and Chef Maureen

BY MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM, EDITOR EMERITUS Should there still be snow days? Snow days, a childhood rite-of-passage when classes and administrative buildings are closed to severe snow, may not be necessary anymore with widespread access to remote learning. But according to a Stevens administrator, snow days are still useful in severe situations.

On February 4, Stevens moved classes and administrative offices online for one day because the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory, warning of freezing rain.

In an exclusive email sent to The Stute this week, Louis Mayer—the university administrator who leads the emergency management team, which decides whether or not to cancel classes in severe weather—said that the one-day shift to remote classes “does not necessarily mean that we will never again have a snow day at Stevens.” Because of the freezing rain on that particular day, he said, the University decided that “a shift to remote operations was appropriate, and it allowed everyone to participate in classes without jeopardizing personal safety.”

SEE SNOW PAGE 2

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICOLE GIARDINO AND THE DEBAUN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

DEBAUN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER’S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

BY NICOLE GIARDINO, CONTRIBUTOR

Stevens’ theatre community in collaboration with the DeBaun Performing Arts Center’s (PAC) presented a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream this past weekend. For multiple years, DeBaun PAC has been doing annual Shakespeare projects at the beginning of each spring semester. Director and Music Program Coordinator Dr. Bethany Reeves

Is Khoda still alive?

BY KATIE BLOOMER, OUTREACH CHAIR Khoda, the secret senior honor society at Stevens, is a mysterious organization that “promotes a unified effort between students and the rest of the Stevens community to uphold and promote a high quality of student life.”

In the past, the Khoda website was updated annually to reveal the members of Khoda from the previous year. This trend has since been broken and the list of Alumni members has not been updated since 2019. Although there is an email address listed on Khoda’s website, attempts by The Stute to contact Khoda have been unsuccessful.

Members are chosen based on their noticeable involvement in the Steves community and are expected to display leadership qualities that will allow them to make improvements for the student body. Each year new members are “tapped in” by current members. On this day, Khoda can be spotted walking across the campus wearing black cloaks. Mem-

bers have been known to keep their heads down and ignore comments made by observers.

Most notably, Khoda completes a “Safety Walk” each semester with the Vice President of Facilities, the Vice President of Enrollment, and campus police in an effort to address infrastructure problems. Although Khoda claims that the organization is a bridge between the student body and the Board of Trustees, the Safety Walk is the only specific event that is known to be done by Khoda.

The remainder of their time is assumed to be spent in meetings discussing topics that are not revealed to the rest of the Stevens community.

Khoda has gone through waves of criticism, with students claiming that a secret organization cannot be in enough communication with the student body to make adequate changes. Despite these concerns, according to an article written by Mark Krupinski, Khoda has become increasingly secretive over the years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF.STEVENS.EDU/KHODA/

NEWS (2-4)

SCIENCE (8-9)

Are snow days still a thing?

Read more about how snow days are here to stay Read more about local news in Hoboken

Why are winter sunsets prettier? Read more about the science behind it.

FEATURES (6-7)

Whether or not you had a Valentine this year, find some V-day memes and share the love

OPINION (10-12)

Editorial Senioritis Lifestyle HACKs Not Financial Times (NFT) Off The Press Passion for Fashion

explains that “student interest is a driving force, and my own background includes over a decade of professional theatre work primarily focused on Shakespeare. We chose Midsummer for our re-entry into live production because it is such a joyous show and because it offers so many fun role opportunities.

It’s very much an ensemble piece.”

Written by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play

set in Athens, consisting of multiple subplots which center around the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, played by Sean Willemann, and Hippolyta, his fiancée turned bride and former Queen of the Amazons, played by Trinity Lundemo.

One of the subplots revolves around a conflict between four Athenian lovers, Hermia, played by Kiera Kennedy, Lysander, played

by Aidan Racaniello, Demetrius, played by Luke Mag-

ette, and Helena, played by Julia Wierzbicki. Egeus, a nobleman and Hermia’s father, is played by Derek van Rouendal.

Wierzbicki explains that “this is definitely one of the more rigorous and engaging plays I’ve been in. Usually it’s the musicals that require a lot of physical movement, dancing, etc. But ‘Midsummer’ had me running across the stage, grabbing onto fellow actors. They even sus-

SEE DEBAUN PAGE 3

Stevens welcomes three new SES faculty

BY ARIANNA GEHAN, STAFF WRITER

During this spring semester, three new faculty members are joining the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science (SES), who are a part of the 20 new members joining between 2021 and 2022. Dr. Jennifer Kang-Mieler and Dr. Yu Gan are entering the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), and Dr. Christopher Sugino is joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME).

Effective June 15, Kang-Mieler will serve as the new Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University and was previously a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, where she played a role in building their BME department. Kang-Mieler is looking forward to meeting the students and she is excited to develop as an educator, leader, and researcher. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the BME department and explained, “I want to build from the excellent foundation and success that Dr. Hongjun Wang initiated. I want to create an environment where everyone shares a common goal

of success through open, supportive, and collaborative relationships.”

While working on her Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, she began to miss laboratory research and became fascinated with the eye, specifically the retina. “I am interested in understanding the disease progression and treatment options for retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular occlusion.”

Her laboratory focuses on ocular drug delivery systems, retinal imaging and biomarkers, ophthalmic electrophysiology and ocular hemodynamics. Further information about her research is available on her website.

Also joining the BME department is Dr. Gan. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and now serves as an Assistant Professor here at Stevens. He was motivated to join the Stevens community due to the highly collaborative environment and his familial connections to the school, as his wife is a graduate of Stevens.

Gan’s research focuses on biomedical image analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. “In

our lab, we train biomedical engineers with computer science skill sets to facilitate our understanding of biomedical medical imaging and improve clinical outcomes in the specific diseases that we have been fighting with. The imaging modes or images that we are interested in include optical coherence tomography, MRI, ultrasound, and CT images.” Gan is looking forward to connecting with students through community activities. He is even looking beyond the campus and planning to connect with local high schools to broaden their exposure to STEM. Sugino is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering here at Stevens, where he is looking forward to building his own lab and working with the students and faculty.

In 2019, he completed his Ph.D. at Georgia Institute of Technology. Sugino was inspired by his undergraduate professors to become a professor himself, and he hopes to have a positive impact on his students. He noted that he could not be happier with the location of Stevens and is excited

SEE SES PAGE 3

Stevens isn’t a large university, but the multifaceted student body can still feel vast. From students who write songs under their breaths to those who wake up at night in cold sweats from nightmares of differential equations, it can be hard at times to articulate what we share as a community. Perhaps that’s why the dining hall can feel like such a social adhesive for our campus. Not every student can relate to your frustrations with CS 115, but everyone’s interested in learning what’s on tonight’s menu at Pierce.

But who are the people who work to bring us those meals? I sat down with Executive Chef Anthony Pucciarello and Sous Chef Maureen Prestia, two of the key individuals who get the show running three times a day.

I arrived at the beginning of a meal service, but despite their busyness, Pucciarello and Prestia were warm and affable. Both spoke of

SEE DINING PAGE 2

Virtual reality is genuine reality

BY ROSHNI REVANKAR, OPINION EDITOR This past Wednesday, the Center for Science Writings within the College of Arts and Letters hosted a guest lecture with David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy and Neural Sciences at New York University and co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. In a webinar to an audience of nearly 130 guests, followed by a question and answer session (Q&A) led by Professor John Horgan, Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Science Writings, Chalmers gave the audience an engaging conversation in possibilities of virtual reality (VR) on our physical realities today, and whether we ought to fear what the future holds.

Chalmers led the conversation by providing snippets of his recent publication Reality +: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy. Chalmers took the time to define key topics in his book such as

SEE VR PAGE 3

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Friday, February 18

News Masthead Volume CXIX No. 15 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.....................................TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘23 SCIENCE EDITOR............................RAYNA INDELICATO ‘22 OPINION EDITOR............................ROSHNI REVANKAR ‘22 HEAD COPY EDITOR.....................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24

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

SNOW

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The university administrator added: “In the event of a more severe snowstorm, we would consider closing the University in order to allow everyone to benefit from a snow day.”

With remote learning taking over classrooms across the United States, some nearby communities are also reckoning with the need for snow days.

In Buffalo, N.Y., some parents were outraged when the public school district moved classes online for one day so that the district could continue working toward the 180 state-required academic days, according to a February 3 local news article. “We already exhausted our allotted 4 snow days,” said Larry Scott, a member of Buffalo’s board of education. “If not remote days, vacation days would have to be used as school days.”

One Buffalo parent said: “If

you’re going to give my son one to two hours of work, I’d rather just have a snow day — it might have been easier.”

In September 2021, the New York City Department of Education announced that the public school system would have no snow days for the entire 2021–2022 academic year, citing the success of remote learning.

“On ‘Snow days’ or days when school buildings are closed due to an emergency, all students and families should plan on participating in remote learning,” the NYC school system said.

When deciding to move classes online at Stevens rather than canceling them outright, Mayer said, the University’s emergency management team considered a variety of factors, including travel safety and faculty availability.

“We had observed that a number of local area K-12 schools announced that they were closing or calling for an early dismissal, which would have impacted the ability

of some of our faculty members to come to campus,” said Mayer.

“We also considered the number of classes that would be impacted, especially lab courses, which are the most difficult to shift to a remote format. This unusual weather event occurred on a Friday when very few lab courses are scheduled, which allowed for a less disruptive shift to virtual instruction.”

There are no formal policies that determine when the University can call for remote classes over canceling them outright, said the administrator.

“The EMT [emergency management team] convenes to make such decisions on a case-by-case basis each time a significant inclement weather event is predicted. The goal of this group is to maintain optimal levels of safety for all of our students, faculty, and staff, and to make timely decisions, and announce such decisions promptly in order to allow our campus community to make appropriate alternate arrangements,” Mayer said.

CAROLINE MONTANA FOR THE STUTE

Staff & Contributors Arianna Gehan Benjamin Knobloch Diem Trinh Erin McGee Grace Miguel Julia Dwight Julia Wierzbicki Lauren Garrett Matthew Brantl

Matthew Cunningham Melissa Kosar Nicole Giardino Rafael Lee Li Stephanie Searing Tasha Khosla Winston Lee Zoe Hack

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

Corrections

1) Article: Hoboken ends indoor mask mandate as Omicron cases fall. Correction: the mask mandate ended on February 9 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.

DINING

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 their love of Stevens and of their dedication to the students here.

Chef Pucciarello juggles the dual responsibilities of working on campus and personally owning a restaurant in East Hanover, Pucciarello’s Italian Kitchen. He said it isn’t easy working 18 hours a day, from 4:30 to midnight, but that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It makes it very easy in life, to accomplish goals, when you know from the beginning what you want to do,” Pucciarello said. His grandmother immigrated from Avellino, Naples, and married in Hoboken. He said his childhood memories are of his mother’s and grandmother’s cooking: pasta lying across the table, sausages and salamis hanging in the basement, grandpa’s homemade wine. His first job, at 10 years old, was to make pizza boxes at a pizzeria up the street from his house for $10 a week. In the 10th grade, he wrote his career paper about becoming a chef. He explained, “There was never any confusion about where my passion was.”

Pucciarello got his culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America and his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In New York, he visited top restaurants and asked to work in the kitchen for no pay. While working, he would closely watch the chefs and develop his own skill. Once he learned what he could at a restau-

rant, he moved to the next one.

Seven years ago, Pucciarello had reached the point of owning multiple restaurants when he was asked by Gourmet Dining, a dining service company, to apply for a position at Stevens. Now, he’s Executive Chef of Pierce and the retail dining locations around campus.

However, his work at Stevens is predated by Sous Chef Prestia, who has worked for the University for 38 years. She started at 14 years old on the part-time dining staff, working in Colonel John’s and at the stations in Pierce. She worked her way up to be head cook and became production chef about two years ago. Prestia said that moving up allowed for fun changes of pace. “[Chef cook] was fun because it was a learning experience. I just walked into it […] learned it, loved it. Then I felt like I was ready for my next step, which would have been sous chef. It […] got me out of the kitchen a little bit, learning how to place orders, run the kitchen and oversee staff.” Now, Prestia works on the production side of dining operations and spends most of her time taking orders.

Pucciarello and Prestia coordinate on menus and staff management. They compose menus for each meal at Pierce, run catering events, and meet with Karly O’Brien, Stevens’ dietician, to ensure that every meal includes a range of healthy offerings. Prestia said that preparing foods that students enjoy is why she loves her job. She noted that the dining hall has recently switched to making more interesting meals and said,

“I’m all about making fun foods for you guys.”

Pucciarello described the differences between managing the dining hall and running his restaurant; “Here, it’s more of a controlled atmosphere where it needs to be maintained specifically. It needs to be geared towards the students, because the students are our bosses.” There isn’t room for creativity, he said, because he needs to take recipes from a web portal called Webtrition, since all meals are required to have detailed ingredient lists and nutritional information. While he appreciates the ability of students to have that information, he looks forward to heading to his restaurant in the mid-afternoon because that’s where he’s free to experiment with dishes. “This is what I’ve accomplished at Stevens, and I’ve accomplished something completely different on the restaurant end.” Common to both jobs, Pucciarello said, is a relentless focus on satisfying the customer. With the ability of negative reviews to gain traction on social media, he said, “you have to be more on top of your game now than ever.”

I asked Pucciarello and Prestia what has been the biggest lesson they have learned from their careers. Both emphasized the necessity of being able to continually learn new things.

“I never went to culinary school,” said Prestia. “I learned everything here.”

“You’re never too old to learn,” said Pucciarello. “I’m 53 years old, and I’ve trained with the best, and I’m still learning every day.”

LEFT: PUCCIARELLO, RIGHT: PRESTIA, COURTESY OF @STEVENSDINING ON INSTAGRAM

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News DEBAUN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 pended Kiera (Hermia) in the air at one point! I’ve never been in a play that was that involved physically. I also had a ton of fun working with the language. I had quite a few lengthy monologues where I really got to focus on the words and delve into the meaning behind them. It was a ton of fun and something I really hope I get to do more in future Shakespeare productions.”

Additionally, another subplot concerns six up-and-coming actors rehearsing a play that they will perform for the wedding. The cast of the play, also known as the Working Folk of Athens, includes Peter Quince, played by Liz Bottoni, Nick Bottom, played by Alex Markoulis, Francis Flute, played

by Corey Batchelder, Robin Starveling, played by Eleni Rotsides, Tom Snout, played by Samantha Weckesser, and Snug, played by Micaela Cardile.

The characters end up within a forest filled with fairies who continuously trick the humans, interfere with their lives, and are intrigued by watching how their lives play out. The Fairy Kingdom is comprised as follows: Titania, the Queen, played by Eleanor Katsman, Oberon, the King, played by

VR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 techno-philosophy. Techno-philosophy defines “how philosophy can shed light on technology and how technology can shed light on philosophy.” The focus of the lecture centered around how “virtual reality is genuine reality.”

The lecture was separated into three main sections: how we may already be living in a simulation using The Matrix movie as an example, virtual reality is genuine reality using the growth of the Metaverse and the Internet, and, finally, an open question if it’s possible to have a meaningful life in the virtual world.

Chalmers was able to argue that we can be in a simulation where things are perfectly real, and when in a VR the objects we’re interacting with are real dig-

SES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 about all the great food that is so close to campus.

Sugino will be working on research at Stevens. His work focuses on vibration and acoustics, exploring “novel ways to control and harness acoustic waves, using concepts from a multitude of engineering disciplines.” An integral part of his laboratory is the anechoic chamber, which he describes as a “soundproof room used for acoustic measurement.

In a well-insulated anechoic chamber, you can hear your own blood flowing.” He mentioned that any students interested in

Derek Petti, and Puck, Oberon’s chief servant, played by Cameron Clifford. The kingdom also holds attendants, Peaseblossom, played

by Eden Mah, Cobweb, played by Micaela Cardile, Moth, played by Stella Corovessis, Mustardseed, played by Trinity Lundemo, and attendants on Oberon, played by Sean Willemann and Derek van Rouendal.

As the director of Midsummer, Reeves expressed that she is proud of the cast and production team, especially with the COVID-driven halt to the start of an in-person spring semester. The cast and crew put up Midsummer very fast, as they lost nearly two of their four in-person weeks, which was a “significant challenge” for everyone involved. Reeves explained that “as rigorous textwork is extremely important for Shakespeare, the first two weeks being largely limited to Zoom certainly weren’t a loss. Still, stage actors need time on the stage, and builders, designers and tech crew need time in the theatre too.

We all faced quite a challenge in that regard, and I am truly wowed at how well everyone rose to meet it.”

When asked about her favorite part with playing Helena and conveying the story, Wierzbicki explained how the part forced her to get out of her comfort zone. “She

has quite a bit of spunk to her, so I really enjoyed going crazy with the monologues and the physicality. I also really enjoyed the moments where I pulled back and got to deliver some real words about love and longing.” She then explains how her favorite line is when Helena calls Demetrius her world and says, “Then, how can it be said I am alone. When all the world is here to look on me?” Helena has some crazy moments, but her real, vulnerable lines are what make her likable and even relatable to Wierzbicki, who claims that it was really fun getting to portray that balancing act.

The next events that the Stevens community can expect from DeBaun PAC include the Honors Voice Recital on March 4, followed by various concerts by the large ensembles (Choir, Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band) later in the spring. The next theatre activities are in their planning stages. If all goes as planned, they will be re-kindling their summer theatre season, including an acting workshop and production of a modern play. Their summer season has gone dark for the past two years due to COVID. The next theatre production taking place at DeBaun will be the student-run Stevens Dramatic Society’s spring musical, “She Loves Me.”

ital objects running on a computer. An image created by illustrator Tim Peacock showcased how our world may be a simulation created by an omnipresent, or “its by bits” — or we can be a VR created by a savvy programmer, or “its by bits by it.”

The ultimate question is if we can lead a meaningful life in the virtual world. What we believe makes our physical world different from the digital world are social interactions like relationships.

But Chalmers argues there is a rationale for both a future in physical reality and a rationale for a wider appreciation of VR. He hinted we may be facing elements of VR with corporatocracy with Big Data companies. Current debates around VR being omnipotence and omniscience relate to manipulation and increasing focus on how privacy rights are managed by companies like Meta. He ended his lecture on a positive note that

while we may not know for certain what VR, the Metaverse, or what more lies in our technologically advancing society, we can be “hopeful that the net value will be positive.”

Following his lecture, the floor opened to Q&A led by Horgan. Chalmers offered insightful responses to issues concerning the conscientiousness in the Metaverse, and theological issues and adverse effects of VR worlds in our physical social systems today. Regarding the drawbacks of VR, he claimed that “literature is very mixed.” When it comes to theological issues, Chalmers argues we may face tragic issues like sexual assault in the metaverse, and it is crucial that our “legal and moral system catch up.”

Chalmers ended the session with an optimistic note that “we need to have some humility, who knows where we will go in the next thousand years.”

LEFT: CHRISTOPHER SUGINO, RIGHT: JENNIFER KANG-MIELER, COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU AND IIT.EDU RESPECTIVELY

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Friday, February 18

News S&P global ratings reaffirms City of Hoboken’s AA+ credit rating

BY TASHA KHOSLA, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER On February 2, Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla announced that Standard & Poor (S&P) reaffirmed Hoboken’s AA+ credit rating, which is the “second highest possible rating that can be awarded to a municipality.”

According to S&P Global Ratings, “Credit ratings are assigned by committees composed of analysts, experts in each asset class, which consider a broad range of financial and business attributes, along with other factors, such as competitive position, business risk profile and the current economic environment, in application of the relevant methodologies.” The purpose of these ratings are to give insight into an area’s economy and credit risk. However, ratings are not fixed. As S&P ascertains, ratings are adjusted over time in order to ensure that “the market has the correct perception of how we view relative creditworthiness” and “to reflect changes to market or issuer specific credit drivers.”

Hoboken’s AA+ credit rating results from a very strong

financial performance and very low credit risk. As Mayor Bhalla reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent hardship, he shared how the AA+ credit rating has allowed his administration to enact multiple infrastructure improvements over the years. These improvements include “resiliency parks, water main upgrades, Vision Zero pedestrian safety improvements, and more.” Unequivocally, this high credit rating will continue to benefit the Hoboken community and continue to ensure the health and safety of its residents.

According to the report, Hoboken’s strengths included “an extremely strong local economy, financial management policies and practices […] with a strong institutional framework, strong budgetary performance, A financial profile that […] will improve in the near term, [and] the City’s strong cash position.”

Indeed, Hoboken is continuing on a strong path to success. In fact, in 2018, Hoboken received an AA+ credit rating from S&P due to its “very strong” economy, budgetary performance, budgetary flexibility, and liquidity.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINE MONTANA

This rating represented “a continuation of Hoboken’s economic turnaround since 2008” when Moody’s, another credit rating evaluator, bestowed Hoboken “the S&P equivalent of BBB” rating. Consequently, Hoboken’s 2022 credit rating demonstrates the resilience of the Hoboken economy despite the tribulations of the pandemic, proving that the city is able to maintain its high rating.

Moreover, according to the report, Hoboken’s high credit

rating will “continue to result in savings for Hoboken taxpayers, due to low interest rates and debt service payments when issuing bond proceeds for capital improvements and acquisitions.” Additionally, “the City qualified for low-interest loans with principal forgiveness through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to help fund the Northwest Resiliency Park.”

This high credit rating is only the beginning of the success to come for Hoboken. Emily Jab-

bour,City Council Vice President and Chair of the Finance Subcommittee reflected, “It is great news to see that the smart financial decisions and investments by Mayor Bhalla and his Administration […] continue to be validated with today’s reaffirmation of the City’s strong AA+ bond rating.”

These “smart financial decisions and investments” will no doubt benefit Hoboken residents and improve the quality of life of the community.

Mayor Bhalla announces the awarding of $200,000 in grant funds to local nonprofit organizations

BY DIEM TRINH, STAFF WRITER On January 31, 2022, Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken announced that grant funding had been awarded to ten area non-profit organizations (NGOs) under the City’s Nonprofit Support Program. The City awarded $214,695 in funding under the American Rescue Plan to NGOs who offered aid and assistance to residents during the COVID-19 outbreak; “The grant funding supports nonprofits who have assisted the community throughout the pandemic,” the City of Hoboken wrote on Twitter.

According to Mayor Bhalla, throughout the pandemic’s continuous course, these organizations offerred “crucial support to our vulnerable residents and helping our community overcome the many challenges.” He said, “As a City, we will continue to support these incredible organizations as they ensure our residents stay fed, receive medical care, and more. I thank Senator Menendez, Senator Booker, and Congressman Sires for helping secure this federal funding, which is making a direct, positive impact in communities like Hoboken.”

Grants were awarded to all ten NGOs that applied for funding under the City’s Nonprofit Support Program. These organizations include the Hoboken Shelter, the Hoboken Public Education Foundation, HoLa Dual Language Charter School, the Hoboken Community Center, Accessible Festivals, Amazing Truth Society Inc., Community Lifestyle Corporation, Computers 4 People Inc., Hoboken Family Alliance, Inc., and TRUE Mentors, Inc. In particular, each NGO got the following grant funding:

• •

• • • • • • • • •

Hoboken Community Center - $50,000 Hoboken Public Education Foundation $50,000 Hoboken Shelter $50,000 HoLa Dual Language Charter School - $20,734 Hoboken Family Alliance, Inc. – $11,150 Computers 4 People Inc. - $9,765 Community Lifestyle Corporation - $9,568 TRUE Mentors, Inc. - $6,505 Amazing Truth Society Inc. - $5,263 Accessible Festivals $1,710

The grant funding reimburses NGOs for previously unbudgeted expenditures incurred from March 1, 2020, to October 1, 2021, as well as for programmatic needs connected to providing COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery services.

“We are so excited to be one of the 10 grants awarded from the @CityofHoboken Nonprofit Support Program, and proud to use the funds to continue our mission of serving our neighbors,” the Hoboken Community Center posted on Twitter. Similarly, the Computers 4 People Inc. expressed their appreciation to the City of Hoboken and Mayor Bhalla; they posted, “Thank you @CityofHoboken @ RaviBhalla!”

“We are grateful to the Hoboken community for helping HoLa during another challenging school year,” said Nicole Cammarota, President of HoLa’s Board of Trustees. “This grant will support our model dual-language program and cover expenses which keep our buildings open and our students safe. Thank you, Mayor Bhalla,

the Hoboken City Council, and New Jersey state leaders for your generous support.”

“100% of these funds are directly supporting school children and initiatives at Hoboken Public District Schools,” said Jackie Dowd, co-president of the Hoboken Public Education Foundation. “We are thankful for the city’s financial support as

our district continues to meet the challenges of the pandemic to keep our children learning in and outside of the classroom.”

“We are thankful to have the city’s and community’s support to help us move our homeless neighbors from the streets to the shelter, and to their own homes,” said Hoboken Shelter Executive Director Jaclyn

Cherubini. “Specifically, with this support during COVID-19, we were able to keep our doors open, our lights on, provide warm meals ready to eat, and provide the necessary hygiene supplies to keep everyone safe and healthy at all times.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NJ.COM

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Friday, Februrary 18

Campus Pulse

Anna Zimmer ‘25

I sent really cringy Valentine’s Day memes to my friends.

I sent one to my mom too but she didn’t respond.

Twinkle Gupta ‘22

I was surrounded by a lot of couples. And I was single.

So you can imagine how that was.

Owen Kelly ‘24 “Did Valentines Day happen yet?”

ROVING REPORTER Kalani Pigao ‘23 As lonely as last year’s.

Niki Hartman ‘25

“I got ghosted for 3 hours and got sent a really shitty Valentine’s Day card.”

“How was your Valentine’s Day?”

Janelle Agyemang ‘25

I sat down and dissociated for 2 hours.

No, 4 hours. No 10 hours.

Romeo Willis-Parreott ‘25

Melissa Gil Avendano ‘24

“Just another day for the Avatar.”

“Ha, I worked.”

Greetings by Off Center Elizabeth Foster

Across 2. Hello 4. Privet 6. Ahoj 7. Nĭ Hăo 9. Shalom

LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD 1.GERMAN 2.ENGLISH

Down 1. Guten Tag 3. Ciao 5. Annyeong 6. Hola 8. Bonjour

3.ITALIAN 4.RUSSIAN 5.KOREAN 6.SLOVAK 7.MANDARIN 8.FRENCH

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Friday, February 18

Feature

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY: Feel free to cut out these Valentine’s grams and share them with your Valentine!

Valentine’s grams and memes by Jordyn Ramelli and Isabella Ziv

Friday, February 18

Feature

603 Washington Street, Hoboken NJ 07030

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Friday, February 18

Science Your eyes are not deceiving you —winter sunsets are indeed more beautiful

BY ROSHNI REVANKAR, OPINION EDITOR Living so close to the city has, without doubt, filled my camera roll with substantially more pictures of skylines, sunrises, and sunsets — even more than my unusually large album of memes.

But there was always an ongoing debate with friends about when sunsets are prettier — winter or summer?

Well, today, I am ecstatic to share that winter twilights are truly prettier than those in the summer. The reasoning is summed up by how light from the Sun gets scattered, reflected, and refracted before reaching our eyes.

Light, as we have learned from prior science classes in high school, is composed of a wide spectrum of colors. Each of these colors has its own wavelengths, or a characteristic pattern of traveling through space, with distinctive shapes and lengths of waves.

Visible light, which is composed of colors from red to violet, ranges in wavelengths from 0.4 to 0.7 μm.

Shorter wavelengths—like that of violet and blue—are scattered around more easily, while longer wavelengths—like that of red and orange—are left in abundance.

The blue and violet lights are reflected across surfaces of nitro-

gen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere, which creates the brilliant blue skies we recognize during the day. This also explains why we’re more likely to see the rich hues of orange and red at the crack of dawn, with only slight slivers of purple or blue mixed in.

But what makes a winter sunrise or sunset more illuminating and vivid lies in these cold winter facts: air is significantly cleaner (i.e. less pollen and dust particles floating around), humidity is lower, and elucidate cloud systems are familiar. The dynamic duo of cleaner air and low humidity enables a crisper vision of the sunset — as fewer pollutants result in less hazy sunsets and less dark colors like purples are scattered.

It’s therefore more common to see more magenta-colored sunsets in the winter over orange sunsets from the summer.

The clouds act like a projector screen for the dazzling play created by the cool weather and sunlight. What makes cloud systems during the winter more impactful than those in the summer is a result of a “stronger temperature gradient between the north and southern latitudes, and a stronger jet stream.” These voluminous clouds reflect the gorgeous red, orange, and purple hues of the sunset back to us.

While these actors may be

putting on quite the show in our skies, the true puppet master, the Sun, plays a larger role than we may think.

During the winter solstice, the Sun’s angle is 90 degrees at noon somewhere along the Tropic of Capricorn. Paired with the 23.5 degree tilt in the Earth on its axis, this angle of the Sun results in a longer night and shorter day — allowing us to enjoy the beautiful cinema of colors of a winter sunset much longer.

So now we know that while the celestial gods make winter sunsets much cooler than summer ones — we now have science to prove it!

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAA’S SCIJINKS.GOV

WINTER SUNSET PICTURES APPEAR CLEANER | ROSHNI REVANKAR FOR THE STUTE

SUMMER SUNSET PICTURES APPEAR MORE HAZY | ROSHNI REVANKAR FOR THE STUTE

Moderna administered first doses of its experimental HIV vaccine

BY MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM, SENIOR STAFF WRITER Moderna announced that participants began receiving doses of its experimental HIV vaccine, kicking off phase 1 of its clinical trial.

In a January 28 press release, Moderna said the clinical trial, IAVI G002, is testing whether a two-dose mRNA vaccine can successfully produce “broadly neutralizing antibodies,” a type of antibody that can recognize and block many types of HIV from entering healthy cells.

Producing broadly neutralizing antibodies is widely considered to be a goal of HIV vaccination, and this clinical trial is the first step in that process.

An HIV vaccine is a top priority in ending new transmissions of HIV. According to UNAIDS, there were 1.5 million new transmissions of HIV in 2020. Although current medicines make it impos-

sible to transmit HIV, an HIV vaccine could prevent people from acquiring the virus.

Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, said, "We believe advancing this HIV vaccine program in partnership with IAVI and Scripps Research is an important step in our mission to deliver on the potential for mRNA to improve human health."

This is not the first clinical trial for an HIV vaccine. In 2021, Moderna ran a proof-ofconcept trial—IAVI G001—testing the vaccine in humans. In that clinical trial, 97% of the 48 participants saw successful results, said William Schief, Executive Director of Vaccine Design at IAVI's Neutralizing Antibody Center, who led the study.

"We've seen promising proof of concept for germline targeting in IAVI G001, and this trial [IAVI G002] lets us take that approach to the next stage," said Schief.

The first shot in the trial was administered on January 27 at George Washing-

ton University in Washington, D.C., according to Moderna.

Currently, “Undetectable = Untransmittable,” or U=U, is the leading global campaign explaining how the sexual transmission of HIV can be stopped, according to the U.S. National Institute of Health.

U=U means that a person with HIV can take daily antiretroviral medicine to suppress the virus so low that it’s undetectable in a blood test.

When a person has an undetectable status, it’s impossible to transmit the virus to another person sexually. An undetectable status also means that the virus can’t impact a person’s immune system, providing for a normal, healthy life.

As well as U=U, PrEP is another way to prevent acquiring HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a daily medicine for people without HIV who think they may be at risk of HIV exposure. By taking PrEP properly, it’s impossible to acquire HIV. Post-exposure prophylax-

is, or PEP, is also available for people who think they may have been recently exposed to HIV and are not on PrEP. About the trial According to the U.S. National Institute of Health, this trial began on November 12, 2021, and is expected to end on April 11, 2023.

In November 2021, 56 healthy, HIV-negative adult volunteers enrolled at four testing sites across the United States. The sites are George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Hope Clinic of Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and the University of Texas-Health Science Center at San Antonio.

48 participants will receive one or two doses of eOD-GT8 60mer mRNA Vaccine (mRNA1644), with 32 of them receiving the boost Core-g28v2 60mer mRNA Vaccine (mRNA1644v2-Core). An additional eight volunteers will receive the boost immunogen alone.

Participants will be monitored for safety for six months after their last vaccination. Participants' immune responses to the vaccine candidates will be examined in molecular detail to evaluate whether the targeted responses were achieved.

David Diemert, one of the lead investigators at George Washington University, said, "We at GWU School of Medicine and Health Sciences are pleased to be part of this endeavor that aims to induce the next step of B-cell maturation toward the goal of generating antibodies that can neutralize a broad range of HIV variants. Further immunogens will be needed to guide the immune system on this path, but this prime-boost combination could be the first key element of an eventual HIV immunization regimen.”

The clinical trial was sponsored by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a global notfor-profit working to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS.

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM? Join our Science writing team!

Reach out to Rayna Indelicato, Science Editor (rindelic@stevens.edu) for more information – No experience necessary to write • thestute.com/category/science –

Friday, February 18

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Science Recent Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope What are scientists hoping to find?

BY ERIN MCGEE, SCIENCE WRITER Last Christmas, NASA gave us a new telescope. Now, it’s working on seeing some of the earliest stars and galaxies of the universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope launched from Earth on December 25th, 2021. Meant to replace Hubble as our primary telescope, the main goal of Webb is to help us understand the earliest time in the universe, about 100 million years after the Big Bang.

Earth’s atmosphere makes it notoriously difficult to observe the sky, posing a challenge for scientists and astronomers for centuries. This problem was addressed first by Hubble, which gave us our best images of the universe by orbiting the Earth.

Webb will go even further, 1 million miles away from Earth.

It is orbiting the sun at what is called the L2 point, or the Lagrange point. This point is one of five positions around the sun in which the gravitational pull of the Earth and the Sun is equal to the centripetal force of a small object, keeping it in place. Therefore, Webb will require very few course adjustments in order to remain in its orbit. It reached the L2 point on January 24th, about a month after launch. However, the cost of this position is that Webb will be completely unserviceable, unlike Hubble, making it extremely difficult to fix if something goes wrong.

During its travels, Webb has also successfully completed all of its other set-up steps meant to take place during its flight: the deployment of its solar array, the assembly of its antenna, the deployment of its sun shield, the addition of the momentum

flap, and the extension of all of Webb’s individual mirrors, as well as some course corrections, to name a few.

Webb’s mirrors are definitely the most crucial, and delicate, part of the mission. Made up of eighteen large segments of beryllium and coated with gold, the mirror has the ability to fold into pieces, making it smaller for launch. Since a telescope’s sensitivity is strongly related to the size of its mirror, the entire configuration is huge: about six meters, several times the size of Hubble’s primary mirror.

In addition to the mirrors, the other major part of the telescope is its sun shield. Since the telescope must operate at extremely low temperatures while orbiting the sun, engineers developed the sun shield to keep temperatures stable, and therefore reduce any harm to the delicate instruments. About the size of a tennis court, the shield’s five layers keep the telescope cool even when it changes its orientation to the sun.

The most recent development is that Webb has detected its first photons with its infrared camera. By pointing the telescope at a distant and isolated star, scientists plan to calibrate the eighteen segments in order to get an image. This marks the beginning of what will be a long period of tuning the telescope, focusing it so it is able to see the universe clearly.

This is a major step forward, not only for the technology used to make this possible but for its ability to expand our understanding of the universe itself.

Its predicted lifetime, according to NASA, is going to be 10 years, during which it will provide priceless information and images.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA.GOV

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PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA.GOV

10

Friday, February 18

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

The first day jitters never stop Not very long ago, I decided to attend my first Stute meeting. Well, I shouldn’t say that I decided, rather it was my freshman roommate who dragged me to the Howe Building that night to attend The Stute’s first General Body Meeting. I remember walking in and sitting on the floor with an obstructed view; the office was filled to the brim with students interested in becoming staff writers, opinion columnists, photographers, etc.

With absolutely no journalistic experience, I bravely signed up for my first news article, and within the next week, I anxiously conducted my first in-person interview. I quickly brushed off my anxiousness, citing first-day jitters as the anxiety-inducer.

After getting a few weeks of writing experience, my next semester I was appointed as News Editor. I was stoked for my first real position within The Stute, but the jitters persisted. My responsibilities were pretty minimal, but I was happy to have a larger role within the newspaper.

Last year around this time, I was elected Managing Editor while being online, and the same jitters followed, but with higher stakes. Whilst transitioning into the position online, I faced a fair deal of imposter syndrome and consistently doubted my abilities to oversee the editorial side of The Stute. But as time went on, I began to get comfortable in my position and, dare I say, confident in how I did my job. I

was able to learn the nitty-gritty aspects of The Stute, and let me tell you, getting an article from an initial idea to a polished piece on the front page is no easy feat (if you know, you know). At some point, I noticed that my jitters started to subside. Overall, while taking on the mantle of Managing Editor was demanding and challenging, it was also unbelievably rewarding.

This past Tuesday, I was elected as the Editor-in-Chief, and the jitters are back and bigger than ever. Within the past week, I’ve begun to feel the full weight of the position, knowing that I have massive shoes to fill. To be completely candid, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous to take on the position. Regardless

of my jitters, I’m extremely excited to take on this position.

In doing some reflection, I think the jitters indicate the coming of a new challenge. More importantly, I’ve learned that they never go away. No matter how many difficult roles you may take on, no matter what kinds of difficult challenges you face, no matter how much you learn, jitters are a part of the process. So in sum, I welcome the jitters for now and the future.

So to formally introduce myself, my name is Sanjana Madhu, I am the new Editor-in-Chief of The Stute, and I’m here to tell you that the first-day jitters never stop. And if the jitters do stop, that means it’s time for you to find a new challenge.

Sanjana Madhu ‘23

Editor-in-Chief

SPOILER ALERT

THE COLLEGE GOURMET

Piper: the greatest short film of all time

Let’s bring back cookbooks

BY JULIA WIERZBICKI ‘23 After an insane amount of hype and anticipation, the sequel to Finding Nemo—Finding Dory—was released in 2016. Although it wasn’t viewed as a national sensation like the original, it did include something quite memorable, not within the movie, per se, but in what came before it. Like many Disney animated movies, there was an unrelated shortfilm that played before the film in theaters. This one was titled Piper. And although Finding Dory has faded into the background of Disney animated films, Piper stays renowned as one of, if not the best, animated short films of all time.

On the outside, the film seems simple enough. It stars a baby bird (a sanderling, to be exact) who learns to overcome his fear of the ocean in order to scavenge for food.

But that one-sentence summary does nothing to capture the essence of how the story is told.

What Disney and Pixar are known for doing best, in my opinion, is telling a story with minimal to no words. This can be shown in certain films like Big Hero Six, where Baymax has a minimal vocabulary. This stylistic approach is often used as a crucial storytelling feature in their short-films.

It’s a simple way to force the animators and storytellers to get creative with how they get their characters to communicate.

For Piper, they use bird calls and the physical expressions of the birds to portray their feelings.

Even though we as humans can’t understand what the bird’s chirps exactly translate to, we’re able to get a sense of what they’re thinking and feeling through their actions. This forces the viewer to pay close attention to what’s going on onscreen and pay attention to every sound and movement.

Additionally, the pacing of the film is what some consider to be perfect. It might seem like pacing in something only a few minutes long isn’t that important, but it sets

the tone and mood for the whole piece. Piper does a superb job of identifying the problem, showing the struggle of the characters, the discovery, and the resolution, all at the perfect pace. Every moment was clearly thought out, and there are many creative twists in the simple story.

Lastly, I wouldn’t feel like I’m giving this film justice if I didn’t talk about the animation. The color of this piece is spectacular, and every frame feels like it could be hung in a picture frame. The ebb and flow of the water are beautifully animated and, at times, the ocean feels like it’s dancing with the characters. We might take Disney’s realness in their animation for granted now, but even today, something about the design behind Piper truly makes it stand out.

If you haven’t had a chance to watch Piper, I highly recommend doing so. It’s on Disney+ and it’s a creative, lovely story told in a beautiful setting.

I often find myself watching it just to put myself in a better mood. And while there are many great contenders for short films, I still view it as one of the greatest short films of all time.

BY JULIA DWIGHT ‘22 When I was younger, I used to pour over my family’s old community cookbooks. I flipped through aged pages dotted with cooking stains, reading 90s-era recipes for tri-color pasta salad and chicken entrees.

We’ve all experienced looking for a recipe online and finding it hidden between paragraphs of the author’s life story. Recently, I discovered that this is for copyright reasons; if the author includes a written piece alongside the recipe, they own the rights. Otherwise, the ingredients and directions are not considered intellectual property.

Love them or hate them, these stories paint a picture surrounding the recipe’s origin and inspiration. They can tell you what feelings an author was trying to create with their food and tell you a bit about the history of a dish. This is precisely why I love cookbooks: the recipes aren’t just something you can cook, but a look inside a chef’s brain.

In 2020, multiple YouTube celebrity chefs left Bon

Appetit’s video division in light of prejudicial payment disparities. In the following weeks, I bought Priya Krishna’s book Indian-ish to support her new endeavors. It tells the story of her mother’s emigration to the United States, using ingredients common in American grocery stores as substitutes in traditional Indian recipes. It reminded me a lot of my own mom, subbing out ingredients in her family’s Puerto Rican recipes and making empanadas with frozen pastry wrappers.

Cookbooks act as narratives in their own right.

Flavors are some of the strongest memories, throwing back to childhood meals and influencing new culinary creations. They range from sentimental records of family recipes passed down through generations to avant-garde art books with gelatin-based concoctions.

Krishna’s book reinvigorated my love of cookbooks and got me looking for more to add to my kitchen library. Buying a chef’s own book acts as a master-class of sorts, teaching you their own techniques and special tips. For example, Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz, a personal favorite of mine, provides the reader with the author’s own tricks for difficult pastry recipes like the French croquembouche.

Books covering specific cuisines or courses offer new lessons to help you develop in the kitchen.

For birthdays and holi-

days, my boyfriend buys me cookbooks from my wishlist. This holiday season, he got me Horror Caviar: a horror and thriller-themed collection produced by the film production studio A24.

The recipes are sandwiched between essays from film researchers, discussing the specific subgenres that inspire the recipes. They’re complex, many with ingredients I’ve never cooked with, acting often as culinary art pieces. Think lamb with marigold jelly for Midsommar and black sesame pastry with Concord grape gelée for The Blob. The book offers an introspective look into the history and creation of scary movies, and I got a tasty Georgian candy recipe to go with it!

On social media, more creative chefs can gain audiences and tell their stories with their own cookbooks.

Joanne Lee Molinaro of TikTok, known for her unique storytelling alongside recipe tutorials, released The Korean Vegan Cookbook this past October. This medium allows for a more familiar telling of the meals, reminiscent of standing in the kitchen listening to stories as someone cooks.

Cookbooks allow for a physical manifestation of a chef’s ideas. You can collect them from your favorite restaurants, movies, or cuisines. They offer a little taste of a new type of food to sample and experiment with, all in a pretty, paper-filled package.

LIFESTYLE HACKS

To work or not to work?

BY ZOE HACK ‘24 Something I have been struggling with this semester is deciding how much time I am going to devote to schoolwork and how much time I want to save for myself. I know some people have a rather strict no-work-on-weekends policy, but I have never really found myself in such a position to work this way. With multiple extracurricular commitments and a heavy

course load, I am some days simply unable to fit in work other than attending classes. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe there is an anti-no-work-on-weekends approach.

After days when my classes are particularly long and most of my day is blocked off, working can sometimes be detrimental to my mental and physical health. I sometimes wonder why I am electing to overwork myself when I’ve already had a mentally and physically draining day. So, instead of banning work on weekends, I have tried to limit the amount of work I do on my busiest days to solely necessary studying or assignments.

A good work-life balance is something I always preach. But if I’m being

completely transparent, maintaining that balance is not something I am very good at. I often find myself justifying doing work instead of doing something to relax by saying, “Oh well, knowing that I’m getting more work done is relaxing.” This is me fully admitting to probably my biggest flaw — I am often very bad at following my own good advice.

Setting personal limits and boundaries is something we may not always remember to do, but it is extremely important to our physical and mental well-being. The most important being getting adequate and good quality sleep. I always notice that the amount of sleep I get directly impacts how my day is — whether I’m productive

and energetic or unmotivated and falling asleep in classes (yikes!). When it is physically impossible to get the golden eight hours at night (I always seem to have late activities the nights before my 8 a.m. ‘s), naps are definitely the way to go.

Taking naps can be very difficult depending on how much time you have, how long it takes you to fall asleep, when you usually eat meals, what your roommates are up to, and probably many more factors. I am still trying to figure out what the “perfect nap” entails, but for now, I try to stick to an hour long timer on my phone with the lights being turned on (to make for an easier wake-up). There’s a lot of research available online regarding different durations of naps and when

to take them to find what works best for you.

Second to naps, eating nutritious and well-rounded meals and snacks also leads to maximum productivity. My days thoroughly depend on what I’m eating and when I’m eating it. I feel more energized on days when I get a nice fill of protein for breakfast and follow it up with a timely and balanced lunch. On days when I’m extra busy, I always try to work harder to eat as healthy as I possibly can, so I won’t get as strained from the arduous day.

All in all, learning to take care of your mental and physical health by setting work boundaries is probably one of the most important lessons one can learn while at school.

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11

Friday, February 18

Opinion SENIORITIS

PASSION FOR FASHION

Catching up for lost time

Some of my favorite female fashion icons of all time

BY GRACE MIGUEL ‘22 College is a unique place.

It can be a place to start anew, find yourself, find a group of life-long friends, discover your passions, and so much more. It is an environment to fully embrace individuality and freedom.

We can let loose and make plans on a whim while also gaining the responsibilities of having a job and paying for rent. College years are marked with the color and vibrance of youth and the early formations of patterns that resemble adulthood.

Alumni and my family friends always tell me, “Savor your college years, you can never get them back.”

In response, I wave them off and give them the typical, “Yeah, yeah I know,” which I now understand was ignorant. There have been times where I wish I were graduated and working in industry

— having real-people money and evenings free of assignments due at midnight.

While I do look forward to life after graduation, I still wish I had more time at Stevens because so much of my college experience was online.

I’m thankful that I am here for an additional semester so that I can enjoy the Stevens experience for a little bit longer. I was committed to the Advances Master’s Program (AMP), regardless of the pandemic.

Many of the current seniors are now pursuing Master’s degrees as well because they want their college experience extended. I feel that there are more seniors than not pursuing AMP because the pandemic has robbed them of their experience.

There are some who are enthralled in campus life, going to club events left and right, and others that are simply happy to be in Hoboken, close to their friends they haven’t seen in months.

Being able to grab lunch, coffee, or a drink with a friend is something so small, yet so meaningful.

It isn’t just the in-person classes that were missed, it was the ambiance of college life. Running into friends or even acquaintances on cam-

pus was something so minuscule yet so conspicuous in the definition of a college experience. By taking an extra year, seniors are granting themselves more time to make up for what was lost, while pursuing a degree that will give them a leg up in their job search.

Pursuing a second degree is a big feat and should be a decision handled with thought. It gives you the opportunity to learn more about a subject you’re interested in, and it also pushes you further in your job search. Gaining that extra year or semester on campus is a bonus to the degree.

I find it interesting that so many people who were initially ready to graduate are now staying an extra year. Getting two degrees in 5 years is incredible, especially from a high-ranking university. It makes us more marketable but also lets us savor our college years a little bit longer.

For those of you who still have a year or more to go, as my alumni friends said to me, enjoy your college years like they’re your last. Make as many memories and connections as possible and capitalize on the resources that are at your fingertips.

Cherish it.

OFF THE PRESS

Student really looking forward to Super Bowl this weekend

BY OFF CENTER —SATIRE— On Thursday, we here at Off the Press had the chance to catch up with one Stevens student who was very excited to “watch the Super Bowl this Sunday,” adding that it was the first time in his life his beloved Cincinnati Bengals were playing in it and he wouldn’t miss it for the world. After establishing that fans of the Bengals do exist and some of them live in the area, and of those a small fraction (literally just this one guy) go to Stevens, we dug more into his backstory.

“I was born in Krucpool, became an assassin, joined the Guild, and went on a quest to Illidef, and then” was as far as he got before we were able to deduce that he was talking about his Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) character. Our journalists prefer to cut straight to the hard-hitting questions like, ‘what’s your major?’ and ‘how many shoulders do you have?’ It should

be noted though that after we covered the main subject, we did spend several hours discussing the DnD campaign and giving him advice on how to handle the quest for Shonru’s lock now that they’ve procured the key without the Guild knowing.

After establishing Bengals Fan’s chemical engineering major status and shoulder count of three (left, right, and one for shouldering the burden of the human existence (double parentheses here, he was very existential)) we asked some very delicately worded questions about what he was doing on the night of February 13, 2022, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. “I was so busy doing all this work so I’d have all of this weekend free to get excited and watch the game. I wrote two essays, solved a Bernoulli differential equation without a tutor, did like three online homeworks...” Honestly, the list of accomplishments was very impressive; we didn’t know it was possible to de-

sign statistical models for weird processes while also interviewing for a summer internship. Now that our editors looked it over, we also are glad we aren’t interviewing for a company that wants to hold interviews on Sunday nights. We also mentioned that he should be careful about the timing of the internship based on John’s mishap last week.

Eventually, there was nothing for it. We simply had to disclose to this poor man that he had missed his favorite team play in the Super Bowl for the first time in a very long time (we couldn’t be bothered to check exactly how long). We were going to have to tell him that they lost. It was all over for him.

He blew it. What a blunder.

A complete embarrassment.

The utter humiliation. So we did. Our interviewer said, with a paternal inflection, “Son, the Super Bowl was last week and the Bengals lost.” At this point, our reporter’s pen ran out of ink so we have no idea how he replied.

BY MELISSA KOSAR ‘22 For as long as humans have dressed themselves, I believe fashion and style have existed. Throughout the existence of the world, many figures have emerged in the fashion world as notably iconic and fashion-forward. As many of us do, I pull inspiration from several styles and figures in the fashion world. Each of us has our own unique and independent style, however, much of who we are and how we dress comes from the people who inspire us and empower us. I am constantly on the search for fashion inspiration, searching up pictures of my favorite public figures, stalking celebs on Instagram, or even just looking around at people walking on the street. Overall, I like maintaining a contemporary fashion look, I love changing it up and keeping my looks fresh and unique. One day I could be aiming for a feminine look with a dress, and something form-fitting and flattering, and the next I could be in baggy jeans, a baggy t-shirt, and raggedy sneakers looking very Billie Eilish-esque. I think many of my major fashion inspirations have this same contrasting style dynamic that keeps things interesting and perhaps that’s what I love about them.

First and foremost is the one and only Miss Hailey Bieber. Besides the fact that she is married to THE childhood crush of my generation (if you weren’t at some point a Belieber, you’re lying), Hailey is just SO COOL. It’s plain and simple, she pulls off a variety of looks with ease and consistently switches up her aesthetic while remaining true to her style and identity. Of course, she is a model and pulls off very feminine and elegant looks as part of her job, however, her street style is often very sneaker oriented paired with baggy pants and slick low buns. What I love about Hailey is this seemingly seamless transition between two contrasting vibes. However, no matter what look she is sporting, she stays looking fresh and of course beautiful. She has her style figured out and is proud to hop between these different identities.

Up next is none other than Diana, Princess of Wales. Although her life ended far too soon, the Princess was and continues to be a truly timeless fashion inspiration. As many trends from the ’80s have reemerged, it is natural to look to the queen of style during her time. Princess Diana rocked puffy sleeves, shoulder pads, straight leg jeans, biker shorts, and white shoes paired with thick white socks. There is nothing she couldn’t pull off. She ranged from chic and sophisticated to sexy and classy. Of course, the iconic “Revenge Dress” has proved the importance of a

little black dress in every fashionista’s arsenal, you just never know when you might need it.

Speaking of black dresses leads me to the queen of class, Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey inspired much more than just fashion. She inspired jewelry, accessories, and make up looks as well. When I think of her, I cannot help but think of long chains of pearl beads, winged eyeliner, elbow high black gloves, slicked back hair, high neck lines, and long cigarette holders. Everything about her screams classy. Her sophisticated feminine look has inspired many, myself included.

Whenever I am going for a look of maturity and class, I turn to this style icon we were all so blessed to watch on the big screen.

Lastly, an iconic figure in the fashion world that

inspires a wide variety of styles is not even a person but rather a character.

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City serves looks left and right! Played by Sarah Jessica Parker, who embodies her character on and off screen, Carrie Bradshaw is the epitome of New York City chic. She often wears her iconic Manolo Blahnik’s with a perfectly combined mini dress or casual shorts. She pulls off everything and even though she is scripted by the writers, Carrie truly does symbolize the style of many women across the wide and New York especially. Some of my bolder fashion choices have been inspired by Carrie. For a point in time, when my hair was blonder, I thought I was a younger version of Ms. Bradshaw and aimed to dress the part accordingly!

HAILEY BIEBER IN A TYPICAL STREET STYLE SUIT PAIRED WITH CLASSIC B&W JORDAN’S | PHOTO COURTESY OF OLTNEWS.COM

ONE OF THE MANY SPORTY CHIC LOOKS FROM PRINCESS DIANA | PHOTO COURTESY OF PEOPLE.COM

12

Friday, February 18

Opinion GIRL TALK

Will I feel like I’m a teenage girl forever?

BY JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23 I am 21. This feels crazy to write because at this very moment I still feel like I’m 15. When I was 15, a lot of exciting things happened in my life. I met my best friends, Katie and Liv, who I consider more like sisters than friends. I was playing a sport that I loved. I was obsessing over celebrities that I thought I would love

forever. I had my whole life ahead of me, and don’t get me wrong, I definitely still have lots of life to live, and that absolutely excites me.

But time moves quickly, and I’m certainly not a kid anymore which is something to reflect on. For this column, I want to answer the question I’ve been asking myself recently: “Will I feel like I’m a teenage girl forever?”

What sparked my idea for this column was a TikTok I came across a few days ago. In the video posted by user @maris_mbi, she explains “My 20+ girls it’s okay to still dress like you did 2 years ago. It’s okay to still have those posters in your room, it’s okay to still want your walls pink… Society wants us to drop all the interests we have as teens and just become these

new people because we’re in our 20s.” Instead of continuing to scroll mindlessly, I stopped for a second and thought about this. At first, I thought to myself that I still have the same interests I had as a teen. I still love anime, writing, reading, and a handful of other hobbies I enjoy. But, another part of me thought about all those celebrities I loved and cherished as a young teen. I thought about the posters I reluctantly took down when I graduated high school because I felt like I was obligated too. I thought about hanging out with Katie and Liv after school and going to get Applebees on Friday nights. I thought about practicing softball with my teammates. I ultimately came to the conclusion that maybe I missed the feeling

of being in that stage of my life. If Taylor Swift writes a whole song dedicated to being 15, it has to mean something.

I decided to ask my mom and my grandma if they still feel like teenagers as well. My mom said, “Sometimes I can’t believe how old I really am when it feels like just yesterday I was a teenager graduating high school.” My grandma said, “The answer to your question is no. I don’t feel like a teenager as I get older. Although I have fond memories of my teenage years, I try to embrace each stage of my life. They are all a gift that I treasure.” My mom and grandma are very wise women, and their answers are helping me form my own answer.

After doing some think-

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ing, I go back to the idea that maybe I miss the feeling of being 15, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the same things I did when I was a teenager while welcoming new stages of my life. I think that’s the best answer I’ve got for my question.

Will I feel like a teenage girl forever? If I stay true to myself and stay in the moment, I will grow with each stage and fondly look back on the memories. I remind myself that there is no pressure to change the person I am, just because I’m growing.

I can still hang posters in my room, I can still play the sport I love, and I can still obsess over celebrities. Life moves quickly, but there is no rush to change. If Katie and Liv are reading this, let’s go get Applebees this Friday night.

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NOT FINANCIAL TIMES (NFT)

Will fortune really favor the brave?

BY ROSHNI REVANKAR ‘22 For the first time in the televised history of the Super Bowl, major cryptocurrency platforms from Coinbase to Crypto.com had the chance to promote their trading platforms to nearly millions of U.S. viewers this Sunday. With more than $7 million dollars paid by these big game day players for each 30 second slot, it begs the question — where does the line between investment advice and marketing speak end?

According to research

by Morning Consult, “84 percent [viewers] said they usually pay ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ attention to the advertisements.” Such a high engagement for targeted ads is a salivating proposition for many companies, who possibly paid more than $6 million to have their company showcased during commercial breaks.

Furthermore, coming from tumultuous years of political upheavals and the pandemic, public backlash is a slippery slope for those wanting to make memorable impressions on potential customers. Most advertisements are lighthearted and comedic ranging from Amazon Alexa’s mind reading powers to General Motors Dr.EVil taking over the car company.

But what has kept many investors and regulators on edge is the growing presence of crypto and their respective trading platforms in American sports, a major speculative breeding ground that can balloon to a nearly $36 billion market for online sports betting.

Trading company eToro, well known for its social

trading app that allows investors to copy trades, is one of the few crypto trading companies we saw this past Sunday. The game day ad was its “first step” in looking to increase its presence in American markets. According to their chief marketing officer, Nir Szmulewicz, the company is looking to spend $25 million on a global marketing campaign.

Major crypto exchange, Crypto.com, has capitalized on the craze for these digital currencies amongst the sports betting crowd. UFC has secured a $17.5 million sponsorship agreement with Crypto.com. The iconic Staples Center, home to the Los Angeles Lakers, is in the process of being renamed Crypto.com Arena in a 20-year long deal worth $700 million. In the rather eerie ad featuring Matt Damon, the well-known actor displays many iconic moments in history that end with a welcome embrace to invest in crypto because, as we all know, fortune has to favor the brave.

I personally never understood the obsession with sports, but I do understand the appeal of betting. From casino Roulettes to online betting DraftKings, there is an exhilarating feeling of wagering a winning bet and being the only one in the room on her high horse.

It feels nice to be fortunate enough to have made a risky bet — heck, it might want me to make another, even more risky bet.

However, generating mass appeal for risky trading propositions to an audience enthralled by sports betting is mildly concerning. It is unlikely for any sports fan to hear from their financial advisors, who understand the risks and rewards associated with investing in unpredictable assets, to jump on the bandwagon of crypto trading. Stock exchanges have undergone multiple regulatory upheavals with institu-

THE PROJECTED MARKET FOR SPORTS GAMBLING IS EXPECTED TO BE $13 BILLION BY 2025 ACCORDING TO MORGAN STANLEY REPORTS | PHOTO COURTESY OF BARRONS

UNFORTUNATE RISE IN CALLS, TEXTS, AND OTHER MEDIA TO GAMBLING HOTLINES IN THE U.S. HAVE RISEN 45% TO 262,000 AS OF 2021 | PHOTO COURTESY OF BARRONS

tions such as FASB and SEC adding multiple rules into law that protect investors from fraud. Crypto is still something many regulators are slow to regulate at the speed it is developing in markets today. Not all crypto is bad, and the hope of financial innovation is something worth celebrating.

Yet, we see that there may also be detrimental

social consequences that come from the mass-marketing of crypto trading platforms. Bitcoin has a large carbon footprint, with “bitcoin mining consumes 133.68 terawatt-hours a year of electricity.” This is not marketed to the viewer concerned about climate change. There are also growing concerns with rises in gambling as “calls to

the national gambling hotline soared 45% in 2021 to 257,000.” This is not marketed to the novice crypto investor who may need to stomach wild swings in its price. These arguments have been used by various countries looking to ban their trading and mining operations in their countries.

As I contemplate these

commercials and the world of investing, it’s worth understanding that cryptocurrencies are valid assets and like I mentioned last week, many investors hold them.

But trading is not a bed of roses as displayed in these ads. Trading is like working out; you don’t get results after one day, sometimes it takes years to build a solid portfolio.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FROM THE STUTE! Bring this coupon to the Stute office (Student Center Room #303) for free pizza at production night, 2/23 at 6PM* *While supplies last. Many will enter, few will win.