[The Stute] February 9, 2024 (Issue 16, Volume CXXI) by The Stute

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Love, The Stute

We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXI No. 16

HOBOKEN, NJ | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck. www.thestute.com TikTok @thestute Instagram @thestute facebook.com/stevensthestute NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904

SSE to be integrated into SES

CAPS sponsors mental health awareness survey

EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR

In a collaborative initiative aimed at fortifying mental health support on campus, the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Stevens Institute of Technology has forged a strategic alliance with the University of Michigan to administer the Healthy Minds Survey. As the flagship organization at Stevens for mental health awareness and assistance, CAPS enhances the array of services available to students. The Healthy Minds Survey, an integral component of the Healthy Minds Network (HMN), represents a national endeavor dedicated to advancing adolescent and young adult mental health research. With principal investigators situated at esteemed institutions such as the University of California-Los Angeles, Wayne State University, and Boston University, the HMN spans coast to coast, emerging as a pivotal resource for diverse stakeholders, including post-secondary education administrators, students, researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers. Although HMN operates nationally, the collaboration with the University of Michigan affords CAPS a unique opportunity to tailor its services to the specific needs of Stevens students. Dr. Eric Rose, the Director of CAPS, emphasized the significance of the survey in gaining pro-

Per an announcement for the Office of the Provost on January 18, the School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE) will become a department in the Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences (SES). Starting in the 2024-20235 academic year, the programs, students, and faculty currently organized as SSE will become a department in SES. To learn more about this change, The Stute spoke to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Qu to learn more. SSE is a modestly new school here on campus. Initially, the school began as a department within SES before splitting apart from SES about 15 years ago. At that point, a growing population of students qualified for SSE programs (engineering management, industrial and systems engineering, etc.). Additionally, as Stevens grew as a research institution, much funding for systems research became available. To allow for SSE to grow and function more independently, the department split away from SES. Although the school saw much success in the early years, there have been signs

SEE SSE PAGE 2

EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR

ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE

Order up! Updates to dining KAYDEN CANNILLA, OUTREACH CHAIR The UCC Marketplace has had updates to its menu and branding every semester since its opening. Residential and Dining Services (RDS) has been making updates based on student feedback, and the feedback has been vehement. This semester, Fantastic Flats, formerly Halal Stall, has been replaced by Happy Appy, where students can buy appetizers like dumplings, samosas, and pretzels. Grill Nation, formerly Colonel John’s, has been replaced by the Yella’s menu, a Passaic County sandwich and burger restaurant.

With these changes, students have complained about the new upcharges and long wait times. On January 29, Trina Ballantyne, Dean of Residential and Dining Services (RDS), emailed the student body with updates. The email addressed the frustration expressed by the student body and the parents’ Facebook group, and assured that RDS was listening and working to “improve the dining experience for everyone.” Changes were made to the pricing, though some menu items still include a $1-$3 upcharge. The Yella’s menu contains six food categories: Submarines, Hot Subs and Steaks,

Burgers, Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Tenders, and Milkshakes. 15 of the 22 food options can be purchased without upcharges, unless a customization like bacon or avocado is added. Milkshakes can be purchased for $3 if they are added to a meal, or they can be purchased separately with a full meal swipe, valued at approximately $15. There are similar discrepancies in Happy Appy, where individual appetizers can be purchased for $5.50-$7.75, or two can be purchased for $13, though the only option to pay with swipes requires one full meal swipe

SEE DINE PAGE 2

found insights into student mental health and well-being, sources of support, and various mental and emotional health topics. The survey refrains from storing names or personal information, creating an anonymous platform encouraging students to share their experiences candidly. CAPS aspires to glean authentic responses by fostering an atmosphere of trust, unraveling the nuanced intricacies of students’ mental health needs and resource preferences. Becca Los, the committee chair for the Student Government Association’s campus wellness committee overseeing mental health initiatives, conveyed optimism about the study’s potential to pinpoint areas where Stevens can bolster mental health awareness. The collaboration between CAPS and the University of Michigan represents a pivotal stride toward fostering an environment prioritizing mental health. The partnership underscores a commitment to improving mental health awareness and support for Stevens students and positions the institution within a broader national context. The insights derived from the survey will serve as a valuable resource for CAPS, enabling the development of more targeted and adequate resources to address the diverse needs of students.

SEE CAPS PAGE 2

Understanding the impact of the Stevens Honor System Meet the SGA cabinet PRANEETH VANGURU, CONTRIBUTOR “I pledge my honor that I have abided by the Stevens Honor System.” These words are plastered upon every quiz, homework, and assignment given by Stevens. However, many of those who read these words don’t fully understand the true scope and magnitude of the Honor System behind this simple statement. ` To get an understanding of what the average Stevens student knew about the Honor System, The Stute interviewed Jessica Ibea and Shreya Roy, both Computer Science majors of the Class of 2027. When asked about the Honor System and her

opinion of it, Ibea responded, “The Honor System. Oh God. What the duck [profanity excluded] am I supposed to say?” with Roy chiming in, “It’s stupid”. Another student said, “It’s like a knife to the throat. You have to maneuver around it.” It’s clear that these students had an either uninformed view and as such, weren’t able to articulate their thoughts about the Honor Board, or a hostile view, and believed the Honor Board to be an aggressor, actively trying to get students in trouble. In this article, I want to explain the full extent of the Honor System and how it impacts every single student at Stevens. To get more

information about the Honor System, I decided to email the Honor Board’s eBoard to get the insider scoop. I got a response from Maggie Jacobs-Byer ‘26, the current chair of the Honor Board. Jacobs-Byer stated that one of the key reasons that she joined the Honor Board is because she believes that the Honor Board aligns with her morals, and she wants to ensure that everyone at Stevens is provided a fair academic experience. She wants the students of Stevens to know that the Honor Board isn’t out to get students or to make the lives of students difficult. The Honor Board wasn’t established to dish out punishments but instead to ensure

the fairness of Stevens and make sure that no one was given an unfair advantage. When a violation is reported to the Honor Board, first it’s decided whether or not the violation is in the scope of the Honor Board or whether another department needs to handle the issue. (By the way, if you would like to report an Honor Board violation, you can just simply email honor@ stevens.edu and get in contact with the Honor Board, or preferably submit an anonymous report.) If there is enough evidence to continue with the investigation, the student is then informed, and Honor Board representatives

SEE HONOR PAGE 2

Michigan school shooter’s mother found guilty In 2021, Ethan Crumbley, then aged 15, entered his high school with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun and fired between 15 to 20 shots. He killed four people, and injured several others. Later that year he pled guilty to 24 counts of felony, including a count of terrorism. He is currently serving his life-long sentence in prison. However, what is far more important for the future of school shootings is that now Ethan’s mother Jennifer Crumbley has just been found guilty of man-

slaughter for the deaths that her son committed, and next month her husband—Ethan’s father—will also be tried. This is the first time a parent has been found responsible for their child’s school-shooting, and sets a precedent for holding parents accountable for their children. In the past, parents have been tried and found guilty for misdemeanors or child negligence when their kids committed a shooting. However, never before has a parent been found guilty for manslaughter when their child committed a murder in this context. The difference

NEWS (2)

SCIENCE (6)

ARHTUR SERRA, STAFF WRITER

Updates to Dining See how Stevens Dining Services has responded to recent complaints about upcharges and wait times at the UCC. FEATURE (4-5)

Happy Valentine’s Day Learn about love languages, get some date night inspiration, and cut out some grams to give to a special someone...

Alzhiemer’s transmission? The 2024 solar eclipse? Protein develops memories? The science of love? Read about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (10)

Read answers to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.

between murder and manslaughter is dependent on intent, if you accidently kill someone it’s manslaughter. What made this case special is that the prosecution was able to prove that Jennifer Crumbley had ignored her son’s obvious fall into depression. Over the course of the trial, the prosecution presented much evidence supporting that Mrs. Crumbley had ignored the state of depression her son had fallen into. This evidence included text messages, in which Ethan’s parents ignored him admitting that he felt depressed. Fur-

thermore, despite that Ethan was clearly not in a right state of mind, James Crumbley bought his son a gun. Moreover, the same day of the shooting, the Crumbley parents were called into school to discuss a test paper on which Ethan had drawn violent images, and did not inform the school that Ethan had a gun. The test paper had a gun on it, a body with gun wounds and several messages such as “Blood everywhere” and “My life is useless.” Beyond the prosecution, Jennifer was preoccupied with an affair

SEE GUILTY PAGE 2

MADISON HELLER, CONTRIBUTOR The Student Government’s (SGA) role as the representative of the student body to the administration is primarily fulfilled through the leadership and guidance of the cabinet. President Nick Smith, Vice President of Operations (VPO) Olof Persson appointed the new cabinet, consisting of Vice President of Academic Affairs Erin McGee, Vice President of Finance Kevin Pfundstein, Vice President of Student Interest Tanishka Kapoor, and Secretary Meghana Mamadupur. In an interview with the President, VPO, and the cabinet members, the leaders of the SGA outlined their hopes, goals, and plans for SGA this year. The president of the SGA, Nick Smith, is a third-year Business and Technology student with a passion for cooking, exercising, and making the Stevens community a welcoming place for everyone. As

the president, he works more closely with the administration than other members of the SGA. His primary goals as president are to “improve student-faculty relationships… tackling the problem of information sharing…and being more involved in the Hoboken community.” Currently, Smith is working on unifying the leaders in the student body to attempt to “improve the study experience across all elements.” Olof Persson is the vice president of operations for the SGA. He is a third-year computer science major, born in Sweden but raised in Houston, Texas. His primary role is being the liaison between the Cabinet and the Senate, and he describes it as a “transparency role,” making sure that there is clear communication and understanding between the branches. While in office, he hopes to accomplish making the SGA both a more unified community while also

SEE SGA PAGE 2

Friday, February 9

News Masthead Volume CXXI No. 16 Executive Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF......................................ISABELLA ZIV ‘25 BUSINESS MANAGER............................TANYA AVADIA ‘26 MANAGING EDITOR.......................................AVA WANG ‘25 LAYOUT EDITOR................................NICOLE GIARDINO ‘25 OUTREACH CHAIR..........................KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 DIGITAL MANAGER................................RAFAEL LEE LI ‘25 SECRETARY.............................................CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 HEAD COPY EDITOR..............................KEENAN YATES ‘24

Editorial Board

NEWS EDITOR.........................................BEN KNOBLOCH ‘25 SCIENCE EDITOR.........................................ERIN MCGEE ‘25 OPINION EDITOR............................EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26 SPORTS EDITOR................................RUTHIE MULLISKY ‘26 FEATURES EDITOR................................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25 PULSE EDITOR........................................MIA PETROLINO ‘25

Operations Board

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25 ARCHIVES LIAISON.......................KEVIN CASTNER JR. ‘24

Operations Board

ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR.................JIYA JAISINGHANI ‘27 ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR...........................SHREYA ROY ‘27 ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR......................LIZ SEPULVEDA ‘27

Staff & Contributors Madison Heller Praneeth Vanguru Sofia Stoeckel Sean Anderson Riyana Phadke Maghana Mamadapur An Le Tanya Sriram Abby Jacobs

Nicole Cheung Ethan Kleschinsky Arthur Serra Hima Thummala Douglas Sousa Rachel Abraham Advait Dantuluri Stephen Pachucki Jack Scherban

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

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

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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.

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tinyurl.com/stutesubmit

SSE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of decline over the past few years. One driver of the merger was from an admissions and organizational standpoint. Students in SSE took SES courses and received the same degrees as most SES students, and the SSE curriculum often mirrored what SES programs required. Additionally, prospective students often needed help navigating to SSE or understanding the difference between it and SES. While graduate attendance and research remained steadily active, the integration into SES will “enable the systems engineering programs to draw upon the financial and administrative resources of SES and will provide opportunities for faculty and students to build connections, mentorship and collaborations across SES departments and disciplines,” according to Qu. Additionally, as a school, SSE funds all the administrative staff, faculty, and other functional programs needed to label it an independent school. SSE can focus

DINE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and grants two appetizers. While the wait time has decreased for Marketplace dining options, a continued issue is that students will receive the Grubhub notification before their order is actually ready. This causes a backup of students at the pickup area, with some students abandoning their meals because they don’t have time to wait for the pickup before class. The Grubhub notification system continues to frustrate students because it often does not update with additional wait times. If the estimated pickup time is 12 p.m.

CAPS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 As the survey unfolds as a confidential and anonymous endeav-

HONOR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 will speak with the student. They will decide on one of the following conclusions: a confession, a stipulated confession, or a hearing. The Honor Board is here to help out the members of Stevens and will always assume you are innocent. Further-

GUILTY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and her horses during the year in which Ethan’s mental state became particularly unstable. In response, Jennifer Crumbley’s attorney quoted Taylor Swift in her opening statement, and has according to the Wall Street Journal become a “TikTok phenomenon” due to her defensive tactics that include

SGA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 providing “more opportunities and resources [...] for change without running for senator.” The vice president of academic affairs, Erin McGee, is a third-year double majoring in math and physics in addition to being involved in research, The Stute, the Stevens Orchestra, and gives tours of the school. Her primary role is “to oversee […] the initiatives and activities related to academics that happen in the SGA.” This involves being the student voice in matters concerning “course offerings, research, advising,” and others. While in office, McGee wants to increase access to research opportunities for undergraduate students. Kevin Pfundstein is the vice president of finance and second-year accounting & data analytics major from Long Island. This is his second term serving in this cabinet position. He manages the finances of the student organizations, and this term has cre-

more on students and research with access to the SES resources. The logistics of the merger, while announced in just the past few weeks, have been in the works for several months to over a year. Originating from the administration of SES and SSE as well as Qu’s office and other school-wide offices, with the help of administrators, faculty, and students, the merger results from much collaboration. After the schools agreed on the merger, they presented it to the Board of Trustees late last year. The administration told SSE alums following the board’s approval before the university-wide announcement at the beginning of the Spring 2024 semester. One aspect of the integration The Stute looked into is the impact on members of SSE, whether it be the weight of their influence in the more prominent university or their simple day-to-day activities. Qu explained that outside of SSE, the change will be minimal, except for minor branding and the Office of Admissions changes. There will also be little noticeable change for students enrolled in SSE programs.

For courses, faculty, and student resources, the departmental organization will match that of the school. One area that will see some more significant changes is SSE’s research institutions. These institutions, like the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), currently have many facets, including some outside SSE. These research institutions will fall under the SSE department or exist separately within SES. For the most part, Dean Jean Zu of SES and Interim Dean Anthony Barrese led the integration. Barrese and Zu have been working on the integration to ensure that all students and faculty of SSE, SES, and university students feel comfortable and understand the merger. The integration of SSE into SES signals a strategic move to streamline operations and enhance resources. The merger aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring continued academic excellence. While Qu expects minor changes in branding and administrative processes, SSE’s core mission and academic offerings remain intact, promising a bright future for both schools.

and the order is not ready at 12:01 p.m., the app continues to display the estimated pickup time as the present time, counting up the minutes instead of recalculating a new pickup time. If menu options are sold out or the order needs to be canceled, no notification is sent to the user, and they often find out when they check the app again for a pickup time. These issues with the notification system also contribute to a problem where orders are incorrectly picked up by other students. Ballantyne’s email also referred to the construction happening in Gateway Cafe, where Just Walk Out Technology by Amazon will be implemented instead of using card readers at a kiosk. Information on

the opening date of the new Gateway Cafe has yet to be released, though The Stute was assured that our lovely Gateway Cafe ladies are not being replaced by Big Tech. In Pierce Dining Hall, the “G8 Station” has also been rebranded to “Delicious Without” to ensure food is prepared without exposure to common allergens. While the growing pains of the new locations continue, Ballantyne encourages students to submit feedback via their mobile messaging or by emailing RDS@stevens.edu. Pierce Dining Hall: 201-904-3398 Pierce Cafe: 201-904-3838 UCC Marketplace: 201-904-3747 Cannon Cafe: 201-904-3771 America’s Cup: 201-904-3833 Catering: 201- 987-7199

or, students are poised to provide unfiltered feedback, laying the foundation for a more nuanced understanding of the mental health landscape at Stevens. This collaborative effort ensures the student body’s well-being and contributes

to the more extensive national dialogue on adolescent and young adult mental health. In the crucible of this joint undertaking, Stevens stands at the forefront of a transformative initiative that seeks to elevate mental health support to new heights.

more, if you are convicted you may appeal two times to get your conviction overturned. The Honor Board is an integral part of Stevens, helping to ensure academic honesty and discipline. While in other universities professors have the final say on what punishments can be delivered, at Stevens the Honor Board keeps professors in check. If the Honor Board finds that the professor has shown

some kind of bias against a student the case will be dropped. The entire process ensures that penalties are fair and consistent, unlike at many other colleges where professors can administer grade drops and other punishments arbitrarily. Hopefully, this article convinced you of the good the Honor Board can do and how generous they are in giving Stevens students the benefit of the doubt.

recounting stories of her own parenting and drinking problem. Obviously, the jury found the defense lacking, and Crumbley has been found guilty of 4 counts of manslaughter and will be sentenced in April. Various law experts and anti-gun NGOs believe that this could be a landmark case to make parents be far more careful with allowing their kids near weapons. In short, if you might be sent to prison, you’re going to make sure your kid is healthy, and nowhere near a weap-

on. Part of Crumbley’s defense was that this could set a dangerous precedent such that all parents whose kids participate in shootings would be held responsible. Proponents of the precedent argue that this would only apply where parents committed acts of gross negligence, and knowingly let their children commit such acts. James Crumbley’s trial is next month, and until the end of that trial, neither side can make comments to the press.

ated more roles within the finance side of SGA to spread out responsibilities so Pfundstein can work on large-scale budgeting issues. During this term, he “hopes to continue the work [he] started on improving the transparency and budgeting process for our student organizations.” Through this, he hopes to solve the budget issues that have plagued the student body for ages, which, due to the high work volume of the position, have largely been left unattended to. Overall, he wishes for more students to become more involved and understand how the finances are handled by the SGA. He said, “I would like all students to know that I have worked tirelessly over the past year and will continue to the next year to fix the issues that have hindered student organizations. I hope to have some exciting news in the next few months that I can announce!” The vice president of student interests, Tanishka Kapoor, is a second-year finance major who is also the treasurer for Stevens Women in Business and occasionally writes for The Stute. She is the primary contact for student organizations and over-

sees “the process for starting a new org on campus.” During her term, Kapoor wishes to promote awareness of campus resources to support campus leaders along with promoting “a diverse set of events.” She also wishes to create a way for leaders in different student organizations to communicate with each other so that the best ideas can be shared among them. The secretary, Meghana Mamadupur, is a first-year quantitative finance major with a passion for traveling and tennis. As the secretary, she records notes for all meetings as well as oversees the election and appointing process. During Mamadupar’s term as Secretary, she hopes to help the senate develop “ initiatives that are impactful to the student body” as well as “increase interactions between the student body and SGA.” Every new cabinet enters the year with a medley of aspirations and new initiatives as well as headwinds and unforeseen challenges. It will be exciting to see what these leaders will accomplish on our campus during their time in office.

Friday, February 9

Sports Men’s Volleyball sweeps FrogJump Invitational The FrogJump Invitational, hosted this year by Juniata College from February 2-3, showcased teams from four schools, including Juniata, Carthage College, the University of Mount Union, and the Stevens Ducks. Stevens now sits at a 6-7 all-time record against Carthage College following a 3-0 victory for the Ducks on Friday, February 2. A double-double by junior Koby Sherman and another 11 digs and a hitting percentage of 0.500 by graduate student Percy Bickford assisted in the team’s sets coming to 25-16, 25-20, and 25-20. Additionally, graduate students Nathan Lancia and Louden Moran made notable marks on the team’s victory with a respective nine kills and four digs and three kills and four digs. The University of Mount Union proved more of a challenge when the Ducks were pushed into overtime in their first two sets on Saturday, February 3. Still, they managed set scores of 27-25 and 26-24, and 25-13 in their third, resulting in an undefeated 2-0 standing so far in the invitational. While the first set almost seemed guaranteed for the Ducks, who maintained an early lead,

Mount Union fought back, scoring 14 out of 18 to get within a point of Stevens. Set two again saw an early lead of 10-7, although Mount Union was quick to tie it up. Then, while losing 22-23, Stevens managed four out of the last five, to bring their final score to 26-24. Their third set saw an initial score of 8-0, a margin that the Ducks would not only keep but also increase to guarantee their 3-0 win. In this game, Sherman recorded a season-high 23 kills, while first-year teammate Alex Olcott made a career-high 12.

The Men’s Basketball team has been very successful since the start of the semester, winning eight of their last 10 games. Most recently, they defeated Misericordia University on February 3 with a score of 87-75 and Arcadia University on January 31 with a score of 82-80. These wins brought the Ducks to a five-game winning streak, as well as improved their record to 17-4 overall and 8-2 in conference play. In the win against Arcadia, senior Mike Goodall put up a career-high 28 points, as well as four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, to help lead the team to a comeback win. Additionally, junior Jack Spellman recorded 26 points, a season-high, as well as 13 rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. In the second half of the game, the Ducks had to overcome an 11-point deficit with only seven minutes left. Goodall, Spellman, and graduate student Stephen Braunstein answered this deficit, bringing the Ducks ahead with only 29 seconds left of the game. Throughout the game, many players amassed impressive statistics. Braunstein scored an impressive 16 points, while graduate student Conor Coffey put up seven points and

the victory due to a Juniata service error and saw a final score of 25-23. Their second set of the second match began with Stevens up by 10, with a score of 12-2. The Ducks once again maintained their lead and finished the set 25-9. The third set of this match was the Ducks’ first loss of the invitational, with Juniata scoring six of the final seven points that guaranteed them the win. Determined to secure the win, Stevens pulled off a final score of 25-22 in the fourth and final set of the match, ending the day with a 3-1 victory.

ON DECK IN SPORTS FRI, FEB 9 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Fastrack National Invitational Staten Island, NY 12 p.m.

Men’s Basketball wins against Misericordia and Arcadia University BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS EDITOR

In their second game of the day, the team faced the host, Juniata College, who had also previously beaten both Carthage and Mount Union. There, they achieved their second-largest hitting percentage of the year at 0.411, whereas Juniata only amassed a 0.299 percentage. The first set mostly saw traded points between the teams, until Stevens saw a score of 19-20. The Ducks then managed the next five out of six points to put them in a 24-21 lead. While Juniata managed another two before the set ended, Stevens clinched

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM

BY ABBY JACOBS, SPORTS WRITER

seven assists. First-year Xander Singh added three points and four rebounds. As a team, the Ducks shot 51.7% from the field, 31.6% from the three, and 82.4% from the line, helping to secure this hard-fought win. The team’s win over Misericordia secured their spot in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Tournament for the postseason and landed them a second-place conference ranking. Like the game against Arcadia, this game showcased many impressive performances. Braunstein scored a season-high 28 points while also adding two blocks and two steals, while Coffey scored a season-high 20 points, along with seven assists and two rebounds. Additionally, Singh put up a double-double, scoring 10 points and making 11 rebounds, and Spellman and Goodall each scored seven points. As a team, the Ducks’ shooting percentages in this game helped them win the game, as they shot 48.5% from the field, 34.6% from the three, and 75.0% from the line. Following these two very successful games, the Ducks’ next game is Wednesday, February 7, in a conference match against DeSales University. This game will be a Duck Country and Tees for 3’s event for the Stevens community.

McNeill breaks career epee wins record as Women’s Fencing triumphs 2-0 BY TANYA SRIRAM, CONTRIBUTER The Women’s Fencing team had a strong showing at the annual Stevens Invitational, held on Sunday, February 4 in Canavan Arena, with graduate student Claire McNeill breaking the program’s career epee win record. McNeill’s outstanding performance propelled the Ducks to victories over the United States Military Academy and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. McNeill went 5-1 in epee, setting a new program record of 269 career victories. Her perfect 3-0 performance against Army broke the previous record of 265 set by Briana Nieradka from 2009 to 2014. McNeill’s accomplishment was recognized by her teammates following her 5-3 victory, highlighting the team’s camaraderie. Senior Alana Schmitt led the team with six victories, while junior Arianna Daringa matched McNeill’s five wins, bringing the Ducks’ season record to 1415. The day began with a dominant 20-7 win over Army, followed by a 17-10 victory over NJIT. The win over Army marked the team’s 23rd consecutive victory over the Black Knights, demonstrating its consistent dominance. The Ducks’ 2-0 record at the Stevens Invitational is noteworthy because it marks the first time they have had such success in their only home event since the 2019-20 season.

Prior to the competition, the program held a ceremony to honor seniors Victoria Beke, Megha Jain, and Jasmine Chen, as well as McNeill and Schmitt, for their outstanding contributions to the program. The saber group performed admirably, posting a 15-3 record, while the epee group was close behind, finishing 12-6. Foil finished with a solid 10-8 record, demonstrating the team’s strength in all three weapons. Assistant coach Linda Vollkommer-Lynch was pleased with the team’s performance, saying, “It was a fantastic day for Stevens women’s fencing, with two victories. It was great to win at home in front of family and friends, and we were thrilled to have all of our seniors participate.” Head coach James Carpenter praised Claire McNeill’s historic achievement, saying, “The story of the day was Claire McNeill breaking the all-time career wins record for women’s epee. That will be a long-lasting record.” Assistant coach Linda Vollkommer-Lynch added, “Claire breaking the record for career epee wins was an incredible accomplishment, and we are proud of her achievement.” The Women’s Fencing team’s success at the Stevens Invitational sets a positive tone for the rest of the season, as they build on their impressive collegiate fencing legacy. They will next compete in the FDU Invitational held at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) on February 11.

WRESTLING The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ 6 p.m.

SAT, FEB 10 MEN’S TENNIS Salisbury Invite Salisbury, MD Time TBA BASEBALL Brookdale Community College (Exhibition) Lincroft, N.J. 12 p.m. WRESTLING New York University New York, NY 12 p.m. WOMEN’S AND MEN’S BASKETBALL King’s College (PA) Hoboken, NJ 1 p.m./3 p.m. MEN’S VOLLEYBALL New Jersey City University New Paltz, NY 1 p.m. SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY 3 p.m. MEN’S LACROSSE Stockton University (Exhibition) Hoboken, NJ 4 p.m.

SUN, FEB 11 MEN’S TENNIS Salisbury Invite Salisbury, MD Time TBA WOMEN’S FENCING FDU Invitational Teaneck, NJ 8:30 a.m. BASEBALL The City College of New York Hoboken, NJ 11 a.m./1:30 p.m.

TUE, FEB 13 WOMEN’S AND MEN’S BASKETBALL MAC Championships–Day 1 York, PA Time TBA

STEVENS SCOREBOARD DATE

TEAM

WED, JAN 31 MEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FRI, FEB 2 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL WRESTLING SAT, FEB 3 WOMEN'S AND MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD WRESTLING WOMEN'S AND MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD MEN'S LACROSSE BASEBALL WOMEN'S LACROSSE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL WRESTLING MEN'S BASKETBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL SUN, FEB 4 MEN'S FENCING WOMEN'S FENCING

OPPONENT

LOCATION

SCORE

ARCADIA UNIVERSITY ARCADIA UNIVERSITY NO. 11 CARTHAGE COLLEGE WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY FRANK COLDEN INVITATIONAL

AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY AWAY

W (82-80) W (67-62) W (3-0) W (23-16) COMPLETED

SOUTHEAST FUTURES TOURNAMENT PLEX SHOOTOUT

AWAY AWAY

COMPLETED COMPLETED

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (EXHIBITION) DREW UNIVERSITY (EXHIBITION) MESSIAH UNIVERSITY (EXHIBITION) MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION NO. 18 ROANOKE COLLEGE MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY NO. 12 JUNIATA COLLEGE MACFA ROUND ROBIN GROUP "B" STEVENS INVITATIONAL

AWAY HOME AWAY HOME AWAY AWAY HOME AWAY HOME HOME

COMPLETED COMPLETED COMPLETED W (59-42) W (3-0) L (16-17) W (87-75) W (3-1) 3 W, 1 L 2W

Friday, February 9

Feature

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY Best dates for students MADISON HELLER, CONTIBUTOR Valentine’s Day is known to be all about showing your love for other people. Whether that be a partner or friend, there is something special about making time to spend with people we care about on such a special day. The upside to living in Hoboken is the insane amount of access to amazing date locations in and around the city. So, no matter the budget, there is something for everyone in Hoboken.

Romantic Riverside Walk

The sights, the sounds, and most importantly, the price, what’s not to love about taking a walk by the Hudson River? If budget is an issue and you just want to have some nice quality time with your valentine, then a romantic walk might be the option for you.

Hoboken Public Library

With midterms coming up, there are those who may wish to spend more time cramming for their exams. For those studious individuals who also want to spend time with their special someone, a study date at the Hoboken Public Library may be for you. With dedicated areas for working and reading and gorgeous architecture and design details, it brings in the right amount of flair to impress your date.

Boba Date

Coffee is out, and bubble tea is in! Okay, not really, but it is still a lot of fun. Rather than a traditional coffee date, try going for some bubble tea. Not everyone likes coffee, but almost anyone can get behind some sugary milk in fun colors. Both cheap and easy, there are too many locations in Hoboken to pick from, but Kung Fu tea is great due to its proximity to campus and indoor seating availability.

Netflix and “Chill”

For a chill date night, consider getting some ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. Getting a pint straight from the store means they take it out of the tubs in the store. This is objectively cheaper than buying individually portioned cups, and the ice cream is amazing. Then, go back to your (or your date’s) place and put on a movie or show of your choice.

Do love languages really matter? Acts of service: helping your loved one out when they’re in need by doing something for them.

Quality time: spending time with your loved one, even if it’s just saying nothing at all.

SOFIA STOECKEL, CONTIBUTER First of all, what are love languages? Many psychologists have written about the “five love languages”: acts of service, quality time, receiving gifts, words of affirmation, and physical touch, and many people have simply accepted these as fact. Now, psychologists are saying that there are more than five love languages and that many people don’t even have a primary one. Some researchers believe there might even be seven: activity (when their loved one joins them in a hobby they enjoy), appreciation (similar to words of affirmation), emotional (being there for a loved one in hard times), financial (when a loved one spends money on them), intellectual (when their loved one truly understands and connects with them), physical (similar to physical touch), and practical (similar to acts of ser-

Lunch at Honeygrow

As far as casual lunches that almost anyone can get behind, you would be hard-pressed to beat Honeygrow. It’s a stir-fry place that has both pre-made options and is also completely customizable. No matter your dietary restrictions, there is almost certainly something there that anyone can eat. It’s a great time and the best first-date option on this list.

Let’s Thrift!

If activities that you can do together are a priority, then thrifting has got you covered. The glory is there is no pressure to buy anything, but if you do, it is cheap and second-hand (a win for the environment and your wallet!). Shopping at St. Mary’s is a great option as it is affordable and has a variety of options in men’s and women’s clothing, making it accessible to a large range of people. If you’re not fashion forward, you can always make a game out of it, of you and your date creating the most ridiculous outfit you can for each other. Either way, fond memories are bound to be made.

Met Art Museum

If you are the type of person who simultaneously loves art and knows you are getting a good deal, then look no further than the Met Art Museum for your date night. As a student in New Jersey, you do not have to pay a cent to go in and explore the museum as long as you want. So if you and your date like this kind of thing, it is a great way to have a memorable time together exploring all the galleries.

Court Street Brunch

Calling all brunch people! Look no further to get your fix than Court Street Restaurant & Bar, available on Sundays. Though a pricier place than others on the list, it is about average to slightly below average for Hoboken prices on the brunch menu. It is a nicer place and definitely worth the money if you are trying to show off to your date. And for those 21 and up, they sell mimosas, among other cocktails, by the pint for $11 during brunch.

Carpe Diem Dinner

It does not get much more romantic than an intimate Italian dinner, but Carpe Diem takes that to an entirely new level. With a smaller space and food to die for, this is a cannot-miss spot. If Italian is not your thing, Carpe Diem has a lot of delicious non-pasta options, from burgers to steak. So, if you’re a lover of good food in unassuming packages, this may be the place for you.

Sirenetta Lunch

Having some of the best seafood in town is a fantastic time by all measures. Going to Sirenetta on the weekend between 11 and 3 makes their brunch menu available to you. With fresh oysters and clams being available a la carte for a great price, Sirenetta makes lunch a memorable experience for you and your date.

ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE

Receiving gifts: Words of affirmation: Physical touch: when your loved one when a loved one tells you when a loved one gives you gifts and they love and appreciate hugs or kisses you, you know they were you, and compliment your or even just holds thinking about you characteristics. you or briefly when they got it. touches you. vice). This is more of an “updated” version of the love languages, but that doesn’t make the first five unimportant, either. Second of all, why are they important? Love languages can still help someone know what they want from someone they love, further improving their relationship and getting a better understanding of each other, but just because two people have a love language in common doesn’t mean the relationship will exactly succeed. Knowing what the person you love loves can help build your relationship with them, as you are giving them what they need in a relationship. Listening to your partner is the best way to figure out what love language they like and how to appreciate them best in ways that they will love. Love languages aren’t even just between partners! You can love your friends or family members in these ways, too, so that they know how much you

care about them. So, whether or not love languages are real or not, they can help you figure out how to make your partner or loved one happy. Overall, whether or not you think love languages are real, they have lots of benefits in any relationship you have, and can help build empathy because many people you love might “speak” a language you don’t know, and you have to learn to step out of your comfort zone a bit to be able to make them happy. Being able to communicate effectively with your partner is an important part to be able to maintain in a relationship, and love languages can help with that. They’re easy to remember and even easier to do, especially if you truly do care deeply about someone. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what love language you have as long as you are vulnerable and compassionate with the people you love, and the love will speak for itself.

Friday, February 9

Feature All the single ladies (and gentlemen) SEAN ANDERSON, STAFF WRITER As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, if you find yourself single and alone, do not fret. Valentine’s Day is a day of love, and love comes in all different forms. As a single person on this day, take some time to show how much you care about all of the good fortune in your life. Here are just some of the people and things to show appreciation for and ways in which to do it:

Love of Family

As a college student away from home, you may often find yourself busy with work for a class or focused on the internship or job search. It is important to not forget those who have supported you along the way and were your rock to lean on in both good times and bad in order to get to where you are now. If you can, go share a meal with your family on Valentine’s Day or have a family game night. Likely, since Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday, this might not be possible. However, a simple phone call can be enough. Tell your parents how much you love them and send them flowers or chocolates to go that extra step to show how grateful you are for them. If you have siblings, do not forget to include them and tell them how much you miss them. If you can not see them in person, you could still hang out online by playing a multiplayer video game or watching a movie through a watch party

Love of Friends

Be it old friends or new friends, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show appreciation for them. Be it reconnecting with a friend you have not seen in a long time, or hanging out with friends at Stevens, this can be an enjoyable time for both groups involved. In the area, a group of friends can find many activities to do. Taking a stroll on the waterfront can be refreshing and offer the opportunity for friends to talk and catch up. Going out to eat on Washington Street is another great way for you and your friends to spend their time together off campus. If your group of friends are looking for something more unique, an escape room could be an interesting bonding experience for you and your friends as you try to tackle puzzles together in sixty minutes.

Love of Community

This kind of love can take on a few meanings including love of the local community, love of country, or love of the environment. Volunteering can demonstrate that you love the world that we are in and want to help make it a better place. Around Hoboken, there are several places to volunteer or donate to that will help adults, children, and animals in need. The Hoboken Shelter located on Bloomfield Street and the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club are just a few places that are in need of help. Additionally, participating in community cleanups can help to beautify the area and make it a safer and healthier place for people to live in.

Valentine Grams BY CHLOE BRENNA, ISABELLA ZIV, AND STUTE MINORBOARD

Love of Self

This may be the most important kind of love, as being able to love oneself enables one to love others. In a fast-paced world, it can be easy to forget sometimes to dedicate some time to self-care. Make sure to make the most of Valentine’s Day by setting time aside to do something that you enjoy. Take this time to eat your favorite food, watch your favorite movie, read your favorite book, workout, or do something else that you enjoy. If there’s something that you have been wanting to do but have not had the time, make this day the reason you were finally able to get to it.

On this day of love, spread the love and count your blessings. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Friday, February 9

Science 2024 total solar eclipse So what is the reason behind ing you fall in love, the most nota- to leave star-gazers in awe

The science behind falling in love BY AN LE, CONTRIBUTER Love can be complicated to define emotionally as it varies from person to person, but it can be somewhat simpler and possibly more comforting to analyze through a scientific lens. There is not just one type of love; in a study by Dr. Helen E. Fisher at Rutgers University, love can be categorized into three classifications—lust, attraction, and attachment—and can be one or a combination of all three. Lust is the desire for sexual gratification. Attraction is the energetic feeling of focus on one or more people that can be inspired by commonalities in interests or appearances. Attachment is the desire to maintain close relations with someone, which can bring about and inspire feelings of happiness and comfort. While these classifications can definitely go hand-in-hand, they are not all present in every loving relationship because each relationship has a different definition of love. Case in point: I would hope you don’t love your family the same way you would love your significant other.

those butterflies in your stomach or those later regretful decisions you made out of love? Besides that special someone, the chemical reactions caused by hormones released by your brain are to blame. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain responsible for producing many vital hormones that affect your emotions. Dopamine, essentially the happiness hormone, is responsible for feelings of pleasure and works as the reward system in your brain. In this case, it’s what makes you feel good, spending time with loved ones and being attracted to them. However, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, as outlined by Harvard University. In addition to the other hormones, love can often come with irrational thoughts and behavior because of the effect of hormones on the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for regulating emotions and thoughts. Dopamine is also linked to addiction, and, like drugs, love can be just as addictive. In addition to all that your brain is already doing, your five senses are also involved in help-

ble of which are sight, touch, and smell. The sight of a good-looking individual can act as a stimulus for attraction. Physical touch releases dopamine and oxytocin, two hormones that invoke pleasure and bonding between individuals. Of course, keep in mind that consent is important; as Dr. Philip Stieg, neurosurgeon-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, said to Health Matters, “the sheer notion of touching that individual may manifest itself in feelings of disgust.” As for smells, the scent or pheromones of someone you’re attracted to can incentivize you to seek them out as part of your dopamine reward system. With that all said, love is more than just what goes on inside your brain; it has more to do with your heart, figuratively speaking. It comes down to personal feelings and experiences, and there are an infinite number of factors that can affect love. Each person has their own definition of love, and it’s ultimately up to you to figure out if it’s more than just all in your head.

Growth hormones of the past may have transmitted Alzheimer’s disease BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE WRITER On January 29, a new report from Nature Medicine stated that in five people who received contaminated injections of a growth hormone as children, researchers found that they developed Alzheimer’s disease unusually early. While this may sound the alarm, scientists are quick to emphasize that Alzheimer’s is not contagious in everyday settings. “We are not suggesting for a moment that you can catch Alzheimer’s disease,” said John Collinge of the University College London’s Institute of Prion Diseases. “This is not transmissible in the sense of a viral or bacterial infection.” Alzheimer’s disease normally presents itself spontaneously in older individuals. In the United States, one in nine people ages 65 and older have the disease. This statistic is what made the newly described cases so interesting to researchers. Symptoms in these five people began to present between the ages of 38 and 55. When looking at the genetic data of three of the patients, researchers could not find mutations in-

dicating a cause for early-onset forms of the disease. However, the individuals in the study had all received growth hormone injections when they were younger to treat various growth disorders. The growth hormones that they took were extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers and combined into batches; today, this method is no longer used. It was found that some of the mixtures were contaminated with prions, an infectious and malformed protein that caused a disease called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Due to this method of extracting growth hormones, more than 200 people were affected by this disease, and the treatment was stopped in 1985. Today, doctors use synthetic versions. For the people who did take the contaminated growth hormone, though, the batches held another problem. In an earlier experiment, Collinge and his colleagues found higher-than-average levels of amyloid-beta, a protein that aids in neurophysiological function, in four people who died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Accumulation of amyloid-beta protein is a key sign of Alzheimer’s, and sends many

researchers into question about whether some of the protein was transferred along with the prions that caused Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Now, researchers have eight more patients who received contaminated growth hormone to compare results and do more clinical studies. While none of the people had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, three had already received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Further exams show that two individuals show signs of cognitive trouble. The most likely cause of Alzheimer’s appearing so early is the introduction of the amyloid-beta protein early in life. It is important to note that it is unlikely for someone to have Alzheimer’s due to growth hormones today due to the change to synthetic injections. Beyond these rare circumstances, the studies may hold information regarding how Alzheimer’s disease can take hold in the brain and whether impacted amyloid-beta protein, like a prion, causes other versions of the protein to misfold. “Untangling the details of how various forms of A-beta spread lies ahead,” Collinge said. “A great deal more research needs to be done.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCIENCENEWS.ORG

A PET scan of the brain of a man who received contaminated growth hormones as a child and later developed Alzheimer’s disease shows higher-than-usual levels of the sticky protein amyloid-beta (purple and orange areas) associated with the disease.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR A forthcoming total solar eclipse slated for this April promises a spectacle of cosmic proportions, captivating skygazers across North America. This celestial event, occurring roughly every 18 months, holds particular significance due to its alignment with the sun’s heightened activity cycle — a departure from the last significant eclipse witnessed over the continent in August 2017, when solar activity was waning. Sanjay Gosain, a solar scientist at the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colo., anticipates an intriguing comparison between the upcoming eclipse and its predecessor. The allure of this rare phenomenon lies not only in its rarity but also in its accessibility to densely populated regions — a cause for widespread celebration. During totality in 2017, observers saw a breathtaking glimpse of the sun’s corona, its ethereal tendrils swirling around the moon’s dark silhouette. However, the approaching eclipse in April will offer a distinct visual spectacle, as Lisa Upton, a solar scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., explains. This time, the corona should exhibit a more intricate structure, reflective of the sun’s dynamic activity cycle. The sun’s activity, characterized by dark sunspot patches, fluctuates over an 11-year cycle governed by its magnetic field. Madhulika Guhathakurta, a so-

lar scientist at NASA, notes the current surge in sunspot activity, indicating the onset of solar maximum, a phase associated with heightened solar activity. A solar maximum has significant implications for space weather, with potential disruptions to communication satellites and power grids. In the pursuit of understanding these phenomena, scientific endeavors have intensified since the 2017 eclipse. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter, among other missions, have embarked on missions to study the sun’s corona and magnetic field up close. Additionally, ground-based observatories such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui provide invaluable insights into solar dynamics. Despite these advancements, total solar eclipses remain invaluable for scientific inquiry. Guhathakurta emphasizes their unique ability to facilitate observations of the sun’s corona in visible light, shedding light on its complex interactions with the magnetic field. These observations are crucial for enhancing our understanding of space weather and mitigating its potential impacts on Earth. In the words of Guhathakurta, “Total solar eclipses are always exciting. It will change you.” As scientists and enthusiasts eagerly await the forthcoming eclipse, it underscores the profound allure of celestial phenomena and the inexhaustible quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.

Protein helps form new memories BY MEGHANA MAMADAPUR, STAFF WRITER Researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have found that the protein RPT6 in the brain increases gene expression, thus assisting in strengthening memory formation. RPT6 plays a crucial part in bonding to DNA. Thus, this discovery has the potential to develop treatments for memory loss and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The discovery of the function of protein RPT6 in the brain was first explored in the Journal of Neuroscience. RPTG is a protein that is found in every cell. Previously, RPT6 was known for its role in the proteasome complex. It provides necessary “housekeeping” within the hippocampus and ultimately assists the proteasome complex with destroying other proteins. The study proved the dual function of RPT6, as it can bind to DNA and regulate gene expression. This crucial discovery is a stepping stone in unraveling more research regarding gene expression control and how it can impact memory formation. While protein is essential for all body parts, it is vital for human brains as it allows for connective tissue between brain cells. This allows brain cells to communicate with one another through chemical reactions. Without sufficient protein, brain development and growth are severely compromised. The brain undergoes changes in structure

and function from childhood to later adulthood. These changes are seen in the frontal cortex and parietal cortex, as well as the hippocampus, which grows in size as one grows older. One prominent memory disease is Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and ultimately fatal. It leads to harmful plaques, causing the hippocampus to shrink. The proteins within the brain form clumps and tangle together, damaging neurons and destroying connective tissue between brain cells. Individuals with Alzheimer’s also have tangles of protein called tau, leading to abnormal clumps and brain death. Because of this, protein in the brain is essential to preserving memories. Another common disorder is PTSD. Similar to Alzheimer’s, the hippocampal volume reduces significantly. Lowered hippocampal volume correlates with trauma and memory impairment. RPT6 does not play a large role in PTSD, but another protein, FKBP5, helps moderate the risk of developing PTSD due to child abuse. As further studies are conducted analyzing RPT6, scientists are working on treating and understanding memory disorders, including Alzheimer’s, dementia, and PTSD. While curing the disorders may take additional time, scientists are confident that potential therapeutic targets for treating maladaptive memory are possible. Because of one protein, memory disorder treatments have found breakthroughs, changing the face of neuroscience.

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM?Join our Science writing team! Reach out to Erin McGee, Science Editor (emcgee@stevens.edu) for more information – No experience necessary to write • thestute.com/category/science –

Friday, February 9

Opinion ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE

THE STUTE EDITORIAL

Stop and smell the roses I’ve always had a fascination with some of the sillier holidays we have in the U.S. I mean, who wouldn’t love staying up till the wee hours for daylight savings, throwing half-birthday parties, or going all out for Super Bowl Sunday? In fact, one of the only non-editorial articles I’ve ever written was inspired by my passion for Groundhog Day as I dug into its history and quirky traditions. This past Friday, I actually made the trek to visit Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see Phil in action. I was there with over 20,000 other sleep-deprived people gathered at 7 a.m. to witness this 138-year-old tradition. I genuinely think if I described some of the traditions I witnessed,

some people might not believe me. It was definitely a little crazy but in a fun way. It’s exactly this kind of craziness and silliness that makes these holidays so festive. It’s fun to have a holiday to celebrate, and they provide a nice break from the usual grind of life. We don’t always take breaks for ourselves, so it’s convenient to have designated time to celebrate.= Think about it: in the Fall, we get two three-day weekends, Thanksgiving break, and several religious holidays that give students a natural break in the semester and a chance to recharge. But come Spring, it’s just two long weekends and an arbitrarily scheduled Spring Break. Even though those are the only days we have off, there’s

still Groundhog Day, Superbowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools, and May the 4th! So, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, take a moment to enjoy it. Stop and smell the roses (pun intended) and

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

BY NICOLE CHEUNG ‘27 I, like many other newly 18-year-olds, downloaded a dating app. While bad profiles and typo-laden cringe messages served as my entertainment for a while, I’ve realized that this app indicates a larger problem in my life. “Why are you putting yourself on blast like this?” my roommate questioned during the conception of this article. Well, Kylie, this needs to be done. How else will I see the error of my ways? I need to think about my problems, let them marinate, and then resolve them in an article that somehow inspires me to do better and shows others that they are not alone. As many do, one 2 a.m. night, I sat cultivating pictures of myself to put on my Hinge profile. I went back and forth about which photos represented me best, and what types of people each picture would attract. I expertly crafted my prompts, rubbing my hands together in the dark room, the bright

Isabella Ziv ‘25

Editor-in-Chief

SENIORITIS

Hinge hell

phone screen illuminating my face, like a villain that figured out their nemesis’ weakness. By this, I mean it was actually atrocious. I am unhinged on Hinge. For reference, the prompt was “Choose our first date,” and my response was: “1. Playing Papa’s Cupcakeria, 2. Playing Papa’s Freezeria, 3. Yeah that’s it. Those are the only good Papa’s games. Debate me, I dare you dawg.” Somehow, this didn’t deter a few brave souls, and I started talking to people. After a few dry conversations, I realized that I actually kind of hate talking to people. At this moment in time I have 27 unopened iMessages, 19 Snaps, and 21 Instagram DMs. So, I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to open another app where I’d have to actively meet new people. Why was I doing this? In the past, I had really quickly jumped into relationships without the foundation needed to not have them end in less than a month. I’ve deduced that I really do use relationships as a coping mechanism for my life. Like my roommate says (can you believe that we were randomly assigned?), my willingness to get into relationships quickly is due to my impulsivity and desire to escape my own problems with the introduction of another person. Hearing it all splayed out like that to me

appreciate the break in our regular lives. Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner, hanging out with friends, or just having some me time, make the most of it. Life’s too short not to celebrate the little things. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love, in the college sense really made me see things clearly. While I feel like I’m not qualified to speak on selfgrowth, I know I am simply because, like everyone, I’ve grown as a person. I realized that real growth, while it can be alongside someone else, needs to come from me. Yes, downloading an app like Hinge is harmless for most people, but for me, it continues the constant cycle of feeling that I need someone to fill a hole in my life. I get overly attached, the relationship becomes toxic or sour, then I feel horrible and start looking for something or someone else to fill the new void I created. And I didn’t even mention how awkward it is to meet people in real life and then explain that you met off Hinge. That feeling of embarrassment is actually so strong that if bottled up, it could kill a grown man. I’ve met multiple people on Hinge that attended Stevens and I just feel like there’s no possibility for it to end well. This semester, I had made a promise to work on myself more, but had still been passively using this app. I’ve been doing a lot of reflection on what I want out of relationships in general, and it’s not what I was doing up until recently. The problem lies within myself, and as cheesy as it sounds, you really can’t have someone love you if you don’t even love yourself.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24 I feel as if I have been in college for decades at this point, perhaps eons. Every day I grow more tired of the mundane and meaningless and yearn for something uplifting. Across the campus, I see love, both new and old, everywhere I look. As I ref lect on my years here, love is one of the words I would use frequently to describe how I feel about the people I interact with and the things I do. However, it is not love in the romantic sense. I have been in a long-distance relationship since the start of my time here at Stevens Tech. It has been an upand-down roller coaster for sure, but I am 100% happy that I have stuck with it through this time. College is a stressful part of life, and having someone in your corner to support you from the outside can never hurt. As I have learned and grown as a person, that aspect of my

COMIC CORNER BY LIZ SEPULVEDA

life has remained constant, and for that, I am grateful. However, since the point of this column is for me to talk about my time here specifically, I will also discuss the different types of love I have experienced during my time here. One thing my lovely copy editors at The Stute have mentioned several times to me is my love of unnecessary commas, which they then need to fix. I love commas, and I very much enjoy writing, and without people to fix my errors, my writing would make no sense, and for that, I am appreciative. Straying away from The Stute-specific things, I have a great support network here at school. There is always someone willing to talk to me about whatever useless or stupid idea I may have. I love yapping so much, and anyone who is willing to listen to whatever ridiculous ideas I have is a great friend in my book, and they deserve all the love in the world. During this time of year, it can be incredibly stressful if you do not have a ton of people in your life that you can immediately attribute the word “love” to. But the best part about this time of the year is remembering everything and everyone that can be and deserves to be loved

in one way or another. Something that has helped me here is loving all the little things you can do, like a clear sky or a nice meal from a place off campus. At times, it can feel that there is nothing redeeming about the effort you have put in and the stress you have felt during the semester, but taking things one step at a time and trying to love every little thing you can is always helpful. If you are struggling to come up with something to do this Valentine’s Day, remember that there is always something worth loving, and you should take the day to prioritize yourself and have a good time. This Valentine’s Day, I will be stuck on campus, unable to see the people I would normally spend it with, given the opportunity. If there is nothing that you can love or be grateful for this Valentine’s day, you can always download several of the many dating apps and desperately search for someone just as lonely as you and try to spend your time not lamenting life. My advice, as always, is to grow up and prioritize what really matters, but I know that isn’t going to affect the way you spend your Valentine’s Day. So do your best to stay safe and not get kidnapped!

Friday, February 9

Opinion BOOK OF THE WEEK

DOUG’S CAR CORNER

A Man Called Ove

BY ARTHUR SERRA ‘27 Content Warning: suicide

For Christmas I received a book called A Man Called Ove. Deeply poignant, utterly hilarious, and refreshingly optimistic, it has since become one of my favorite books. A Man Called Ove tells the story of Ove. Ove likes things done certain ways, the way things have always been done, and should always be done. He always tugs on the latch three times to check that a door is locked — no more, no less. He can take apart an engine and put it back together better than new. And of course, he only drives a Saab. You see, Ove is a grumpy, old, and retired man who doesn’t seem to have any sparkle or color in his life after his wife’s recent death. Even so, it is quite a shock to the reader

when he attempts to hang himself in one of the first chapters of the book. I admit, I was quite surprised. Luckily Ove’s plan is thwarted by shoddy craftsmanship of the hook he installed into his ceiling. Ove’s obvious reaction was to exclaim that things aren’t built the way they used to be before. He is soon after accosted by a family moving into his apartment block. Although Ove finds the husband an intolerable idiot — he can’t back up a trailer, something all real men know how to do – he finds himself agreeing with the immigrant wife on a few key things, and tolerates their children. This meeting starts the real plot of the book: Seeing Ove enjoying life again. In flashbacks we learn more about Ove’s past, his beautiful and tragic love-life, his incorruptible father who he took so much after. In the present we see him wonover by the constant attention of his new neighbor, the pure adorable-ness of her kids, the fierce need to lend a helping hand to others no matter what, and ever-present is Ove’s dry, a little bit too honest, wit. I will warn future readers that there

How does my car’s engine work? will be more than one more suicide attempt after the initial one, but each time Ove comes back to enjoy his life. Beyond the plot which I found incredibly compelling—it is one of two books I have ever shed a tear for— the writing itself is beautiful. The prose of the book, the way the author uses repetition to create continuity, the way the time moves forwards, backwards and skips, the very fabric of the book makes it truly great. Great technique can only take a bad story so far, the same in the reverse, however Fredick Backman truly combines both to make us fall in love not only with the characters, but with their very actions. The way that we learn of Ove’s daily routine, his love of his Saab cars, truly brings these characters to life. It is a short read, even with a busy college schedule, however I heavily recommend it to everyone and anyone who has the chance to pick it up. After reading this hopefully you too will fall in love with Ove, his daily life, and know that one should always and only drive a Saab.

The internal combustion engine is one of the most widely used methods of converting chemical energy into mechanical energy in our everyday lives. From powering automobiles to generators to airplanes, they truly are everywhere. But that begs the question — how do they work? How do they turn dead dinosaur liquid (gasoline) into little explosions that move our cars? As a mechanical engineer with an interest (let’s avoid the word obsession) in cars, I’m hoping to answer these questions for you today. I’m going to focus on four-stroke gasoline spark-ignition engines for now since those are what are typically used in today’s cars… and I like them the best. That may have sounded like a bunch of jargon

before, but it’ll all make sense within the next 450 or so words, I promise. The essential parts of an engine that you’ll need to know are the piston, cylinder, intake and exhaust valves, and spark plug. Pistons are the cylindrical metal bits that slide up and down in the cylinder, which is the housing for the entire combustion cycle. The valves do exactly what they sound like — they let air into and out of the cylinder at carefully controlled times. The spark plug ignites the entire mixture with a little arc of electricity to begin the little explosion that drives the entire process. Let’s go about this by breaking down the name piece by piece. “Fourstroke” refers to the number of times each piston moves up and down in its cylinder to complete one operating cycle. Those four strokes are the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust strokes. A good way to remember it is, “Suck, squeeze, bang, blow,” if you’re about as mature as I am. The intake stroke is when the intake valve opens up, and the piston first moves downward in

the cylinder, creating a vacuum that draws the air and fuel (gasoline) mixture into the cylinder, mixing it all up so that it can explode as cleanly and evenly as possible. Next is the compression stroke. This is when the intake valve closes, and the piston moves back up the cylinder, squeezing that air and fuel together to allow for a more efficient explosion. This is followed by the combustion stroke, where the spark plug at the top of the cylinder ignites the compressed air-fuel mixture (thus, “spark-ignition”), pushing the piston back down the cylinder and rotating the crankshaft, which is connected to the transmission and rotates the wheels of the car. Finally, the exhaust valve opens up, the piston slides back up the cylinder, and the byproducts of the combustion event are pushed out of the cylinder and out through the exhaust system. This process repeats itself thousands of times per minute, creating the rotary motion that moves our vehicles by exploding little bits of fuel. So now you know how an internal combustion engine works! Wasn’t that fun? I know, I think so, too.

part-time job and the reason that they do not want to take a job is because of being just picky and not having logical reasons, such as allergies or other restricting concerns, they should at least try to keep an open mind about it. But one should not fret if they do not prefer to work in certain industries, such as the food industry, because often there are other jobs available, such as in the retail industry. Many basic-level jobs at retail stores do not require much, if any, prior work experience, which could relieve some

struggles on the job search. When it comes to the hiring process for part-time jobs, students do not need to worry about not having enough work experience in that specific sector. Even if you are applying to work at a clothing store but only have past experience working as a teacher’s assistant, hiring managers will likely take that into consideration. It is also important to consider distance from work, your residence, and your classes. Since it is very likely that you have a schedule set for your

classes and are potentially already in the swing of attending them, you do not want a job that would interfere. So, it is important to factor in how much time your classes, as well as your extracurricular activities, studying, and leisure time, will take. Then you can know when exactly you can and cannot work. So next time you’re on the job hunt, keep these factors in mind. There is a lot more than just working that goes into a part-time job, so make sure to consider them!

BY DOUG SOUSA ‘24

ADVICE FOR BROKE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Should you get a part-time job?

BY HIMA THUMMALA ‘23 Is a part-time job feasible in the academic environment we live in? Attending college isn’t what we used to think it

was when we were younger. It’s not just classes and living with your friends, but rather it’s joining extracurricular activities to build your resume, navigating the world of internships, and trying to figure out what career path you want to take. There are a lot of unknowns in this period of our lives and, on top of that, many of us want part-time jobs. Part-time jobs could be wanted for several different reasons, whether it’s to pay tuition, get a break from academics, or just to get some extra spending money. What-

ever the reason is, it can be tricky to achieve this goal. This often isn’t because of the lack of jobs available, although that could be the case at certain times of the year. But even though this may happen, there are usually jobs available somewhere in the desired vicinity, so then what is the problem? It is possible that it could be due to being particular about your job preference. Students may look for a specific niche of a job, but those are not always available. But if a student is really in need of a

OFF THE PRESS

New majors offered at Stevens BY OFF CENTER -SatireAt Stevens, we are excited to expand the possible curriculum we can offer to ensure that we get a diverse range of students that can possibly exceed all possible possibilities. Starting in 2025, we will be introducing new schools that will really make Stevens go above and beyond as a school of science and innovate new ways of learning. The first school that we are happy to introduce is the School of Magic. As a school that was inspired by possibilities to improve the world through innovative ways, we recognize that it is important to try to expand into magic, using the natural elements of the world as well as spell books in order to use magic to solve all of the world’s problems, including world hunger, homelessness, long queues, and many more. As an added (and not subtracted) result, we decided to go further by using magic to change some of the rules of physics, which will definitely improve our departments related to physics and science by forcing them to think in innovative ways to solve problems with the addition of magic in the situations they will apply their knowledge to. Though we

are aware of the possibility of misusing the power of magic, we are proud to announce that there is nothing to worry about because we have selected reliable professors (those people are people who make YouTube videos about wanting to conquer the world). The second school we are happy to introduce is the School of Living in the Past. With the age of the internet revealing many problems such as cyberbullying, leaking sensitive information, easier spread of false information, and a shorter attention span as a result of being terminally online, we recognize that some people wish to go back to simpler times before the internet came to be. One option is learning about the 1950s when computers were as big as people, and the latest technologies included a black-and-white television, a radio you could tune, and washing machines. Another option is learning about the 1900s, where the lightbulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera, where cars didn’t go as fast as they do nowadays, and people used outhouses instead of bathrooms. Finally, we have the option of living in the age of cavemen, where people can only use stone and the elements of the world to live, completely

removed from technology. Finally, the last school we are happy to introduce is the School of Evil Geniuses That Want To Take Over The World. We recognize that there is an innate desire in some of our students to want to take over the world, and we feel that trying to ignore those desires is detrimental to the health of those students. But rather than trying to convince them to use their brilliant knowledge and expertise of science and machinery for things other than world domination, we believe it is best to introduce a school that is dedicated to trying to help achieve those desires in the best way possible. Here, we grade students based on the amount of maliciousness they are capable of exerting, as well as how many cities their evil inventions are capable of completely annihilating. We also prepare them for their quest for world domination by teaching them how to do a professional evil laugh, alongside other proper evil etiquettes such as mustache-twirling and hand twiddling. We are proud to introduce new schools at Stevens to expand our curriculum and achieve many things. So, if we see evil robots taking over the world sometime in the future, you can thank Stevens for that!

Friday, February 9

Opinion EXPLORING: A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY

Dining amongst the legends of history at Fraunces Tavern

I was exploring downtown Manhattan when I decided I should get something to eat. I came across this cute little colonial brick house named Fraunces Tavern, and my historical nerdiness sprang into action. Could this be the Fraunces Tavern frequented by early American powerhouses like George Washington? I knew I had to find out. Explore with me the cute colonialist architecture yet powerfully influential meeting place of the American Revolution. Fraunces Tavern is a

York hospitals met there — all before the American Revolutionary War. During the war, British cannons damaged the house as Americans, including Alexander Hamilton, fired upon the British fleet. While the British occupied New York during the war, the tavern acted as a tavern, with the occasional meeting of the Sons of Liberty. At the war’s end, George Washington used the tavern to bid farewell to his officers as he retired. However, retirement did not last, as he became the first American president a few years later. After founding the American government, Fraunces’s tiny house was the home of the finance, war, and foreign affairs departments — acting as the hub for the newborn United States government. However, once the government relocated to Philadelphia and then to Washington, D.C., the tavern ended its reign as one of the most influential sites for the American government.

All of the history, including original artifacts and layouts of where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had their last social meeting before their infamous duel, is only five dollars for students to enter. It is a complete immersion of history with the original stairs, tables, and maps sprawled around the room. There is also an exhibit that the Sons of Liberty (the

STEVENS’ CHEFS RECIPE CARDS

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 If you’re looking to impress someone this week, consider making them a meal, and there’s really no easier place to start than soup. Soup is really hard to mess up, and there’s

dreds of years ago. Fraunces Tavern is a beautiful, hidden gem of New York history. Embodying early American history, historical architecture, and tasty meals, the tavern is the perfect combination of fascinating history and a place to hang with friends and eat the food of the American heroes we learned in elementary school.

HEARTY TOMATO SOUP <3

Hearty tomato soup

a lot of room for artistic liberty. Tomato soup is a classic American comfort food and is dead simple to make for yourself. The longer you cook tomatoes, the better the flavor you’ll collect, especially with aromatics and alliums. Fresh Jersey tomatoes have great flavor, but until the summer months come around, canned tomatoes work just as well. This recipe omits dairy, but ½ cup of heavy cream or halfand-half could be added for some extra creaminess. Making your own vegetable stock can level up this dish and give you something to do with your vegetable peels, leaves,

current owners of the building) host. When I visited, the exhibition explored the popular references (like in Marvel Comics) of George Washington. Beyond the museum, Fraunces Tavern is also — a tavern. The first floor of the building operates a cute little eatery that will satisfy anyone’s urge to eat where Hamilton, Washington, and other Revolutionaries lived hun-

EVAN PAPA-

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26

small, traditional house on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan. Initially, the site was in the East River but was land-filled to make more space on the island. The first development on the site was of Stephanus van Cortlandt before giving the land to his son-in-law, Étienne “Stephen” DeLancey. DeLancey constructed the house that currently exists on the site in 1719. Slowly rising through the Dutch ranks (at the time, Manhattan was a Dutch colony), DeLancey used his home as a headquarters for his political career before selling it to Samuel Fraunces (hence the name) in 1762. Under the ownership of Fraunces, the building became a tavern home to some of the most influential moments of the American Revolution. The Sons of Liberty used the house to plan the Boston Tea Party, the founding of the New York Chamber of Commerce, and the first Board of Governors for New

Ingredients:

stems, and skins. I recently acquired an immersion blender, and it went a long way in making my tomato soup nice and smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the cooked soup out of the pot into a normal blender, buy pureed or diced canned tomatoes, or simply leave tomato chunks in the soup. Tomato soup is very versatile and can be great as a side dish or main course. They are well complemented by lighter sides like arugula or Caesar salads and richer dishes like grilled cheese, mozzarella sticks, and risotto.

Directions:

½ medium onion, chopped 2-4 cloves of garlic 1 large carrot, chopped 3 cans tomatoes 2 cups vegetable broth 2 tbsp brown sugar chopped basil olive oil Seasonings: bay leaves salt pepper

1. Sauté onions, carrots, and garlic a. Lightly oil the pot and sauté carrots and onions on medium-low until carrots can be indented with a fork and onions take on some color (~10 min). Add garlic and a pinch of salt. 2. Add liquids, boil, then simmer a. Empty cans of tomatoes into pot, add broth, brown sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until it smells delicious (~15 min) 3. Blend and serve a. Remove bay leaves and use an immersion blender to achieve desired consistency. Add salt, pepper, basil, and any other desired aromatics to taste

Equipment

pot blender (optional)

Recipe by: Kayden Cannilla

GIRL(ISH) TALK

Addressing the rainbow elephant in the room

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 I find the idea of this column pretty daunting. I mean, how could I possibly write articles that are going to capture the experience of being a woman? There isn’t a single experience that every woman

will have, and the more that womanhood interacts with different identities, the more the experience deviates from what’s “normal.” Of course, I know that all the experiences of women are normal no matter how many identities they have. Still, it’s difficult not to feel like an imposter when speaking for women. I feel like I haven’t gone through enough of the same things that a woman should have. I wonder if other women with different identities also feel like this sometimes like there’s an elephant in the room alongside their womanhood. For me, my elephant is be-

ing queer. While it might not be immediately clear how my sexuality can connect to my gender, the more I think back, the more I see how interwoven the two are. Like, would you believe that I’ve never been hit on by a guy? I spent most of college barely looking like a girl, so I’ve been pretty successful at avoiding any unwanted interactions with men. I didn’t get catcalled until I was 19 (and even then, it only happened once), I’ve never been followed online by sugar daddies, and I’ve never had to be worried about reproductive rights. Of course, some of these experiences are inherently tied to sexu-

ality, but when you don’t date men, there’s less pressure to be feminine and appeal to the male gaze. Actually, there’s pressure in the other direction to be masculine, to dress and act in ways that will signal to other people what your dating preferences are, so people already know on a subconscious or conscious level that you’re different in some way. There are downsides to acting masculine as a girl, but I feel like, in some ways, I’ve traded the disadvantages of being a girl for the disadvantages of being queer. There are some things that I can’t avoid, but I think that on a

subconscious level, people view queer women as more similar to a man than a woman. I think that we deal less with the stereotypes of being overly emotional, irrational, or weak. We tend to avoid romantic male attention, which (I think) has a whole host of benefits. At least in my experience, straight men are more comfortable interacting with me than a straight girl because I “don’t really count,” I’m just “one of the boys,” and I don’t take offense to this. They’re right — in many of the ways that matter to society, I’m a man. In the same way that gay and queer men, who tend to present more femi-

nine, are negatively affected by sexism, I’m sheltered by my sexuality from some of the stereotypes that straight women are subject to. Anyway, there’s not really a point to this article, I just wanted to talk about something that bothers me every time I write one of these. I wonder if every woman feels that they have an elephant in the room with their identity, that their struggles being female are overshadowed by certain experiences or conditions, or if other queer women agree that we have sexism on easy mode compared to straight or more feminine women.

was teach a bunch of bullies how to be more effective bullies. By the way, I can’t believe how much they got away with in that film. Borat was amateur compared to The Dictator. I first saw it in 2022 and was stunned (more so by the fact that my roommate thought I would enjoy it). But now, everyone wants to eat hummus, smoke hookah, ride a camel by the pyramids, and go to Dubai. And I’m totally here for it. There is an undeniable aesthetic to Arab life that I think everyone should experience. Whether in North Africa, the Levant, or the Arabian Peninsula, you will find remarkable diversity,

cuisine, fashion, architecture, and hospitality. We love to see foreigners immersing themselves in the culture; they understand it from their own experience, not Hollywood’s interpretation. And above all, I hope everyone gets the opportunity to eat shawarma after partying for twelve hours in Beirut. There is nothing quite like it. I have such a difficult time understanding why anyone would want to gatekeep their culture. What better way is there for people to understand you? I could sit here for days explaining my culture and why you should respect it, but it’ll go in one ear and out

the other. There is no better way to learn about people than to be with them. All of this discourse about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation makes it all more scary to learn about others. Most people have good intentions when learning about new cultures; you can’t cancel them if they’re confused. When you come at people’s necks for not doing things your way, it puts a bad taste in their mouths that they won’t forget it. Also, who said your way is the right way of experiencing culture? Who are you, an NPC on TikTok, to tell people that they can’t eat this, wear that, or go there? The growing admira-

tion for Arab culture and lifestyle has been the most effective way to eradicate stereotypes against us. One of my favorite Youtubers, Drew Binksy, has displayed this incredibly when traveling to Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. He even had his honeymoon in Saudi Arabia, so he’s an honorary Arab to us. Amid language barriers, cultural and religious differences, he’s had such wonderful experiences in the Middle East. Everyone deserves to have that positive experience there, especially if you’ve been fed negative stereotypes your whole life. So no, no gatekeeping Arab culture.

FROM SOUQS TO SCHOOLS

On gatekeeping

BY RACHEL ABRAHAM ‘26 The word “gatekeep” has grown in popularity over the last few years, most famously in the phrase “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.” Gatekeep: the act of gatekeeping — to control access to something in an attempt to exclude others.

One of the most common uses refers to cultural gatekeeping. It refuses access to a community, cuisine, language, and many other aspects of the culture. Now, I will explain why it’s stupid and should be done away with. Growing up in a post9/11 world was quite the time. It’s gotten much better, but middle school was brutal. Sasha Baron Cohen really paved the way for that with The Dictator. While the main character alludes to Al-Qaddafi, every aspect of the film is a play on stereotypical “Arab” culture. Cohen might have thought he’d reveal people’s inner hypocrisy. All he did

Friday, February 9

Campus Pulse

Lilya Eid ’26

Gavin Ruby ’27

Suraj Bose ’25

“I’m gonna watch classic Disney movies with my sister.”

“Crying.”

“Studying for Control Systems.”

ROVING REPORTER By Rafael Lee Li and Mia Petrolino

“I have class.”

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

“Going to Karma with Olof!

Katie Bloomer ’25

Arthur Serra ’27

Hans Sasuman ‘25

“I’m hanging out with my girlfriend.”

“Getting flowers from Olof to Cleo.”

“I’m hoping to be surprised... Ahem, Lauren.”

Olof Persson ’25

Hidden Links

Crossword by Jack Scherban ACROSS ͵Ǥ ǫ ͷǤ ͹Ǥ ǡ ͻǤ ͳͲǤ ͳͳǤ

Syllacrostic Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ

DOWN ͳǤ ̵ ʹǤ ͵Ǥ ̶ ̶ ͶǤ ̶ ǡ ǡ ̶ ͷǤ ̶ ̴̴̴̶ ȋ Ȍ ͸Ǥ ǡ ͺǤ

Medium Puzzle #1

Sudoku Difficulty: Medium

1 7 5 8

5 1

3 4

6 7 7

Only Connectǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ “nouns”. “places”, etc. What do the following have in common?

ͳǤ ȋ͵Ȍ ʹǤ ̶ Ǧ ̶ ȋʹȌ ͵Ǥ ̶ ̶ ǡ ȋʹȌ ͶǤ ȋʹȌ ͷǤ ± ǣ ̶̴̴̴ ̶ ȋͶȌ ͸Ǥ ȋ͵Ȍ ͹Ǥ ȋ͵Ȍ ͺǤ ȋ͵Ȍ ͻǤ ȋʹȌ ͳͲǤ ̴̴̴ ȋ͵Ȍ ͳͳǤ ȋʹȌ ͳʹǤ ̶ ̶ ȋ͵Ȍ ͳ͵Ǥ ȋʹȌ ͳͶǤ ̶ ̶ǡ ̶ ̶ ȋ͵Ȍ

Cleo Shannon ’25

Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and every 9 by 9 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

SYLLABLE BANK