[The Stute] February 16, 2024 (Issue 17, Volume CXXI)

We write Stevens history

Groundhog Phil says early spring

TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER

The resident groundhog of Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Phil, has predicted an early spring this year. As per the custom, the prediction of whether we will have an early spring or a longer winter is dependent on whether Phil sees his own shadow. At this year’s annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, PA, Phil failed to see his shadow, meaning that there is going to be an early spring. After Phil’s performance, the Vice President of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Dan McGinley, read aloud a scroll that stated, “Glad tidings on this Groundhog Day and early spring is on the way.”

The custom of using a groundhog to make predictions regarding the early coming of spring traces back to Europe. In many places, the emergence of many hibernating animals from their sleep during February was considered a sign. Additionally, the holiday is also related back to the practices of certain faiths, as February is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It was the belief of Christians during the Middle Ages that even animals that sleep through-

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Study abroad this Summer!

Susi Rachouh encourages participation in international programs

BY EMMA SPOONAUER, STAFF WRITER

Last week, the Office of International Programs held a fair at Babbio Center to provide information about the upcoming programs available for students as well as about the process of applying to these programs. The Stute got the chance to speak with Susi Rachouh, the Director of International Programs, to learn more about the exciting programs that are being offered, how to get involved,

and the value of studying abroad.

In her role as Director of International Programs, Rachouh is in charge of several different areas. These include studying abroad for undergraduate students (unfortunately, Stevens does not offer abroad credit for graduate students), outreach for international undergraduate programs, contracts and legal agreements for undergraduate students, and exchange programs. Currently, Stevens has seven different exchange programs, such as Global E3,

NATIONAL NEWS

Honda and General Motors plan to power your commute with… water?

BY DOUGLAS SOUSA, OPINION COLUMNIST

Whether it’s traditional gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas, or electricity, cars need something to power their movement. Usually, this is done with an internal combustion engine that converts the chemical energy stored in its fuel source into rotary motion via a controlled combustion cycle. Recently, though, there has been a growing number of alternatively

powered vehicles — most notably, electric vehicles. Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid are some of the big players in today’s EV market, each with gradually increasing shares in the American automotive market. However, there is another emerging technology that may be a key player in the future of powering our daily commutes — hydrogen fuel cells.

A hydrogen fuel cell utilizes our planet’s simplest element, hydrogen, as well

as oxygen, to generate electricity. This is done through an electrochemical process based around a polymer electric membrane (PEM).

The PEM consists of a positive cathode and a negative anode separated by an electrolyte membrane — much like a traditional battery. Hydrogen molecules break down into protons and electrons in the anode, and oxygen molecules accept these on the cathode side.

SEE HYDRO PAGE 2

Spring break in Florida: a tale of two cities

BY PRANEETH VANGURU, CONTRIBUTOR

With Spring break arriving next month, students are likely anxiously counting down the days until it arrives. As students swarm to the beaches, amusement parks, and video game systems, towns may experience a nearly doubling in the size of their population. With those millions of young visitors, and despite college students being known as being the epitome of orderly conduct, cities experience dras-

NEWS

FEATURE

tic increases in crimes and disorderly conduct.

In 2022, the mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, imposed a ban on the sale of alcohol after 6 p.m. due to the number of rowdy college students and violent crimes committed. Miami Beach police arrested 322 people and took possession of 70 guns.

Detractors of these measures may argue that tourism is necessary for Miami Beach to survive due to the increase in visitors, driving up sales and boosting the local economy. However, a

deeper analysis of the demographics visiting reveals that this assumption is not necessarily true. College students haven’t had the time to build up the capital and wealth that older generations have. This means that when on Spring break vacation, they are more likely to stay at unregulated dodgy hotels that provide no revenue for the government. Furthermore, college students are less likely to go to bars and order fine wines and champagnes, instead preferring to buy

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which is for engineering and computer science majors.

When asked which programs she was most excited about, Rachouh noted that Italy has become a very popular destination. She explained that the current cities Stevens has available are Milan, Florence, Sorento, Rome, and Syracuse (which is in Sicily). Rachouh then shared that a new program that is becoming a popular destination for American vacations is Portugal. Other

DuckLink’s new leaderboard causes confusion and competition MADISON

When compared to the previous iteration of the platform, many of the new DuckLink’s differences have elicited positive reactions from students, who are happy to see the new functionality and user experience improvements. Some of the new features, however, are raising eyebrows more than fostering positive interac-

Upperclassmen may find the updated DuckLink site unfamiliar in many respects. A once bland webpage with basic search functions for campus organizations has turned into a sophisticated campus-wide platform. By clicking the organization’s tab on the site, users find an alphabetical listing of all groups, and by being a member of these organizations, one gets access to their schedule of meetings and events.

Also, on this page, there is a button labeled “leaderboard” that is available for all students. This page is, as it suggests, a ranking of each organization. Every club on this page has a given number of points, which places them higher or lower in the rankings. Perhaps even less expected, every Stevens student and faculty member on DuckLink is also ranked on a leaderboard.

Admissions changes

to transform new applicant experience

EVAN PAPAGEORGE, OPINION EDITOR

In response to the evolving landscape influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and broader societal shifts, the Office of Admissions (OA) has undergone significant transformations in its approach to the new student admission process over the past year. These adaptations are emblematic of the OA’s commitment to remaining responsive to contemporary challenges and ensuring inclusivity in its policies. The Stute conversed with the Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Carlos Cano, at the OA to delve deeper into these changes.

The revised student admission process, implemented in the Fall of 2023, was unveiled through an article by Stevens, signaling the Division of Enrollment Management’s proactive stance toward enhancing accessibility for undergraduate applicants. A central theme underpinning these reforms is improved access, as underscored by introducing an early action program. This initiative empowers students to demonstrate their interest in joining the Hoboken community without the constraints of a binding decision. Moreover, the OA extended the

Many have wondered what these points mean for the clubs. The ranking of the clubs is not based on subjective quality checks but rather on a semi-opaque point system. As of February 15, the top organization is Stevens Serves, closely followed by the fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. With about 1125 and 992 points, respectively, as of February 15, they leave the other organizations in the dust.

Nearby, the individual leaderboard is topped by Leadership & Service Coordinator Tara Roach, who is trailed by other staff and faculty. Students have been left wondering: How are these points earned, and why do we even need a leaderboard in the first place? The use of the leaderboard is most likely to promote the most active clubs and organizations. Activity money for clubs correlates with both size and average attendance. Safe to say, these are the two aspects that receive points. The leaderboard system allows students to observe which clubs are the most popular on campus rather than relying on word of mouth as students have previously. Because of this, it promotes the groups that are large and have frequent turnout the

test-optional policy—a measure initially instated during the pandemic—until the fall semester of 2027, providing applicants with additional flexibility in showcasing their academic prowess.

In alignment with contemporary societal dynamics, OA also revamped the personal essay prompts on applications, tailoring them to reflect current issues and aligning them more closely with the ethos of Stevens. This adjustment affords applicants a more comprehensive platform to articulate their motivations and aspirations. Additionally, by joining the Coalition for College program akin to Common App, Stevens has expanded its reach, particularly in regions where its presence may be less pronounced, fostering a more diverse applicant pool.

These changes have been in effect for applicants seeking enrollment in the Fall of 2024, offering them an array of options such as test-optional submissions and utilizing the Coalition for College platform. Although it’s still early to ascertain definitive outcomes, Cano notes some promising trends emerging from the ongoing admissions cycle. Notably, there has

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Exploring the wacky world of uncommon holidays

ADITI SHILAWAT, STAFF WRITER

The federal government recognizes 12 official holidays, including favorites like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but does anyone celebrate some less-known holidays? Yes! In fact, many people celebrate some incredibly odd holidays that have been established by various organizations over the years, and they run the gamut from the heartwarming to the macabre.

One of these holidays is called Do A Grouch A Favor Day, which is on February 16, where people go around and celebrate the most grumpy person in their lives, and try to make them happier. Feel like acknowledging your favorite baked item? Consider National Banana Bread Day on February 23, which is a day dedicated to enjoying Banana Bread and learning about it. June 4 is National Hug Your Cat Day for all the cat lovers and owners, and then there’s Let It Go

SEE

Masthead Volume CXXI No. 17

Executive Board

Editorial Board

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.........................ABBY JACOBS ‘27

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

Aditi Shilawat

Emma Spoonaur

Madison Heller

Doug McDonough

An Le

Vikram Varikooty

Riyana Phadke

Stephanie McDonough

Meghana Mamadapur

Kai Wong

Contact Us

Justin Lema

Tianna Spitz

Ethan Kleschinsky

Zoe Hack

Doug Sousa

Praneeth Vanguru

Sean Anderson

Charles Beall

Itai Geller

Anna Dabrowski

Advait Dantuluri

Josie Strano

Stephen Pachucki

Jack Scherban

Joe Cabornero

Samuel Berman

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out the winter woke up for the occasion of Candlemas, which is also known as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin.

This later evolved into the practice of using a badger to determine what the next several weeks would look like. It was German immigrants who brought this tradition to the US with them but replaced the badger with a groundhog. From 1887 onwards, the town of Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania had a staged event every February 2 where the designated groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, made the anticipated weather prediction.

The Stute had the opportunity to interview Isabella Ziv, our Editor-in-Chief, who went to the Groundhog Day celebrations and witnessed the monumental outcome. Ziv shared how it was very chaotic, spirited, and “confusing but in a good way.” She explained how lots of people traveled for the ceremony in the early hours of the morning, which made navigating to the main event interesting. Nevertheless, everyone there shared a common purpose and looked forward to the outcome based on Phil’s actions.

The accuracy of Punxsutawney

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programs that she is excited about are HEX, which is mainly for business students located in both Melbourne and Singapore and ESports in Seoul, South Korea.

Phil’s predictions is debatable.

Staten Island District Attorney

Michael McMahon considers Phil an imposter compared to Staten Island’s own weather-predicting groundhog Chuck. McMahon shares how Staten Island Chuck has an accuracy rate of 80% compared to Phil’s 40% accuracy rate. When asked if there was science behind Groundhog Day, Ziv stated, “I believe in it as a tradition but not as a science.” To quell the doubts about his predictions, several other groundhogs were instat-

ed around the country to follow the same test as Phil. This is how Staten Island Chuck, Pierre C. Shadeaux of Louisiana, and Thistle the Whistle-pig of Ohio came to be. However, while there are other groundhogs, Phil is still considered the original.

This year’s prediction is interesting as this was the first time since 2020 that Phil did not see his shadow and by extension, predicted an early spring. It remains to be seen how accurate this prediction is — only time will tell.

abroad feel most improved in. Rachouh concedes that independent trips can be daunting at first, but sometimes, it can build a lot of character to “get lost.”

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Corrections

Mollie Good should be included in the SGA cabinet article from 2/9. Updates have been made online

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Studying abroad is a big commitment, but Rachouh lists many reasons why it is an extremely valuable experience. Rachouh believes that because Stevens is a very academically rigorous school, many STEM students can’t manage or find the time to study abroad; Therefore, the experience looks considerably impressive on a resume. For this reason, the Office of International Programs has made a strong effort to make their programs flexible enough to allow STEM students to participate. Rachouh then discusses how studying abroad can improve many skills that can be used both in one’s personal and professional life, such as flexibility, confidence, tolerance for uncertainty, working with people who have cultural differences, and global competence.

The last skill she highlights is independence, which she notes is a quality that students who study

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most. But the point platform does provide other avenues for clubs to rise through the ranks, namely, through hosted and contributed events. The more events that are run for the campus community, the more points the club can earn. This creates a positive feedback loop of good events with good attendance, leading to a higher ranking. That has real potential to impact campus in a positive way.

The system for individual rankings is also unclear but involves how often students and staff engage with the new DuckLink system. Actions like creating events, sending messages in group forums, and making announcement emails reward the user with points, which are grouped into categories like “Influencer” and “Architect.”

What that leaves us with is how undergraduate students are supposed to engage with this new platform. The leaderboard implies that the platform is a useful

When asked Rachouh what advice she would give to students considering studying abroad, she emphasized getting started as early as possible. If a student has any questions about the application process, she encourages them to book a meeting with her online or to reach out to Jane Winthrop, who is the new Assistant Director of International and Special Programs and is in charge of all follow-up emails.

For those who are nervous or feel unsure of the studying abroad experience itself, Rachouh reassures that their programs are purposely very student-focused, and that her office can connect students with others who have studied abroad in their country before. If there is not a Stevens student who has traveled to the country that a student is interested in before, they will connect them to the student who has gone through the experience that is closest to what theirs would look like or the specific part of the experience they have questions about. The Office of International Programs has

reference for organizations that undergraduates may want to be a part of, but also as a convenient advertisement for events to attend. Due to the social aspects of the platform, specifically the messaging and forum applications, DuckLink is meant to be used to communicate with fellow students about activities on campus. If members of a group have a question about something related to

four student staff assistants as well as global ambassadors, students who have come back from studying abroad and are volunteering, to help with these connections.

Rachouh also suggests that students reach out to their program provider, who can connect them to other students participating in their program. Another way that Rachouh ensures that students feel more at ease is by planning a Pre-Departure Orientation, in which students are grouped by country to share their concerns. Lastly, she shares that if you experience any issue with your program, you should inform their office about it via the evaluation form sent out after your trip.

To stay updated on the latest news regarding Stevens’ international programs, look out for Rachouh’s weekly emails and attend one of the weekly information sessions held every Wednesday at 3 p.m. To explore all of the international programs available for students, log into MyStevens and click on the “Undergraduate Study Abroad” app. For students who would like to study abroad this summer, the majority of deadlines to apply are on March 25th, while others are in early April.

the event or meeting, there is now a streamlined place for questions that do not have to be created in a third-party format, like Discord or Slack.

The new updated format of DuckLink is very exciting and interesting to students. Despite the confusion and growing pains, with the more efficient site, DuckLink may help in facilitating a new era of involvement on campus.

ISABELLA ZIV FOR THE STUTE

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The electrons are sent through the external circuit, generating what we call electricity! The only byproduct of this process is water when the protons, electrons, and oxygen molecules combine on the cathode side. To continue the process, more hydrogen and oxygen are introduced into the fuel cell.

Automotive companies Honda and General Motors (GM) have joined together in a joint venture to begin the large-scale manufacturing of hydrogen fuel cells under a company named Fuel Cell System Manufacturing, LLC (FCSM). In January 2017, a 70,000-square-foot facility was built in Brownstown, Michigan, to house FCSM. Both Honda and GM engineers, intellectual property, and investments are being funneled into FCSM. Both companies believe that hydrogen will play a key role in the future of alternative, zero-emissions energy production, and mobility.

Honda plans to create a hydrogen-powered CR-V utilizing the technology from this joint venture. The CR-V is one of Honda’s highest-selling models, capitalizing on the vast compact crossover SUV market that is rapidly growing in both the United States and abroad. This hydrogen CR-V will debut in March of 2024 in limited quantities in California. The current goal is to produce 2,000 fuel cell units in 2025, of which roughly 500 will be put into CR-Vs. The hydrogen-powered crossovers will be assembled at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio — the same plant that produced the company’s lux-

ury branded halo car, the Acura NSX. However, the currently sole model of fuel cell being manufactured by FCSM produces only 103 horsepower, which is nearly half the current CR-V’s power output.

GM envisions a different future for the fuel cells produced by FCSM. The Detroit-based automotive giant created their new Hydrotec division to handle the utilization of the fuel cells within the company’s structure. GM will sell them as Power Cubes, which are intended to be used in heavy equipment and as standalone power generators. Other potential uses for the Power Cubes will be in heavy industry vehicles such as garbage trucks, cement mixers, dump trucks, and mining trucks. There is also the possibility of integrating the Power Cubes into airplanes to generate electricity instead of using the power created by jet turbines. Hydrotec has already shown that there is promise in these technologies, successfully powering the 60 kilowatt DC fast chargers for the thirteen electric vehicles at Motortrend’s SUV of the Year event.

The FCSM joint venture between Honda and GM shows the faith that these companies hold in hydrogen’s genuine potential to supplement or even replace current electricity storage technology in the future. Honda is already building cars with fuel cells, and GM has varied plans that include powering vehicles with them as well. As a zero-emissions, more compact, less battery-dependent method of powering the growing fleet of electric vehicles on our roads today, hydrogen fuel cells have the capability to bring the automotive industry a step closer to minimizing its impact on the environment.

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cheap beer from a local supermarket. This means that the city’s police need to work overtime to tame the crowds, and the tax revenue generated from the tourists is not nearly enough to cover the increased cost of policing. Lastly, economic data has suggested that Florida doesn’t need the increased tourism to stay afloat. Florida’s economy has been growing faster than any state on the East Coast, and its unemployment is the sixth lowest in the country. With all of these economic booms, Floridian residents are considering if it’s really necessary to have so heavily promoted tourism.

However, not all tourist towns have the same problems as Miami. In the 1980s, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was one of the most popular Spring Break vacation stops. Countless Hollywood movies showcased its pristine beaches

and vibrant cityscape. Droves of Americans were enticed by these images and began arriving at Fort Lauderdale en masse. Responding to this, city officials increased enforcement of drinking laws and bar capacity limits and raised the drinking age from 19 to 21. This led to the influx of Spring Breakers shrinking to almost a tenth of its original size. The current mayor of Fort Lauderdale has said that the tourists arriving at Fort Lauderdale are well-behaved and respectful. In fact, last year, police made only two arrests during the Spring Break time period. This suggests that it’s possible to cultivate a respectful and orderly tourism population, providing benefits for both local businesses and college students who get to experience the amazing natural wonders of Florida. It’s important to establish curfews and promote the proper enforcement of drinking laws, and if this combination can be successfully executed, a city can experience the benefits of Spring Break without the adverse effects.

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been an upsurge in the caliber of applicants under consideration, indicating a positive response to OA’s revamped approach.

OA has made significant strides in enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in its policies through its revamped approach to the new student admission process. These developments reflect OA’s commitment to remaining responsive to contemporary challenges.

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Day on June 23, which is a day to let go of your guilt and grudges for your own happiness and mental health. Some of these holidays overlap with more well-known holidays too. World Sleep Day is on the same day as St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, and National Espresso Day is on the same day as Thanksgiving, November 23.

There seems to be a day for everything, such as ones about

people (National Boss Day - October 16) and even actions (National Call A Friend Day - December 28). If you want to celebrate your friends or family with a holiday personalized to them, consider finding their name days! Everyone in your life, from Aaron to Zoey, can have a new day to celebrate. However strange these holidays are, celebrations like these are all about adding gratitude for the people and things in our lives we often take for granted. Try celebrating some if you need something interesting to do!

POP CULTURE

Superbowl 2024: The conspiracy bowl

BY SEAN ANDERSON, STAFF WRITER

Last Sunday was an intense and emotional roller coaster for fans of the 49ers and Chiefs and for all football fans across the nation and throughout the world. For the first time under the new overtime rules, a Super Bowl went into extra time through a field goal kick by Harrison Butker, creating a nail-biting finish resulting in another historical event. The Chiefs claimed the victory over the 49ers with a touchdown pass to receiver Mecole Hardman with 13 seconds left in overtime, resulting in the first back-to-back Super Bowl win by a team since the Patriots did it with Tom Brady in 2004. This Super Bowl also marked Patrick Mahomes’ third victory with the team in the Super Bowl and his third MVP award. It is quite an accomplishment for a quarterback who is only 28 years old.

There are a few critical parts that can be attributed to the victory by the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes certainly can be a clutch quarterback if the team is down on points, as

he has proven throughout the season. Additionally, key pieces on the team, including Travis Kelce, Isaiah Pacheco, Chris Jones, Rashee Rice, and others mean that a game that seems to be decided can be turned around. For instance, while Kelce was not a factor in the first half, he ended as the lead receiver for the team in the end and was crucial to the Chief’s victory. However, several conspiracy theories about a scripted Super Bowl have jumped around popular media, with surprisingly numerous parallels between this Super Bowl and Super Bowl 54 in 2020 as one of the primary reasons. First, both included the Chiefs and 49ers, with coaches Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan, respectively. Additionally, both resulted in a victory for Patrick Mahomes’s Chiefsas they would come back from a double-digit point deficit. Both 49ers teams were very promising as they were both ranked first in the National Football Conference and had a quarterback who started their NFL career 7-0 when they started. Both games occurred during a leap year, and the list could

go on. Some have attributed the Chiefs win to strange and convoluted mathematical equations summing up to the value of 13, which is significant to Taylor Swift. The Super Bowl was held on February 11th, and when the numbers of this date are added together, theytotal 13. Also, when five and eight are added from the 58 in Super Bowl 58, they total up to 13. Taylor Swift traveled 13 hours by plane to attend her 13th Chiefs game this season, where the Chiefs versed a quarterback wearing the number 13 on a team where the numbers of their name (being four and nine) sum up to 13. Even during the game, the total points scored by the half was 13, and the final winning drive by the Chiefs included 13 plays. With whatever is to be believed, the 2023-24 NFL season has come to a close, and teams are preparing now for the draft and the upcoming season. While the Chiefs have set themselves as the undefeated champions, it is anyone’s guess which team could stand out next year and take home the Lombardi trophy.

Deep dive into the 66th Grammy Awards

BY DOUGLAS MCDONOUGH, CONTRIBUTOR

Last weekend marked the 66th annual Grammy Awards, one of the most anticipated and biggest celebrations of music in the Unit ed States. The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, commonly known as the Record ing Academy, spent the night recognizing outstanding achieve ments in music, presenting a min iature golden replica of a gramo phone to the 94 honorees across more than 25 fields.

Attendees included power houses like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, SZA, Travis Scott, Luke Combs, and Billie Eilish. This was a mo mentous night in many ways, including Taylor Swift making history as the most-awarded artist for Album of the Year in the Grammy’s history. Her album Midnights earned Swift her fourth award in this category and her fourteenth Grammy overall. Midnights is Swift’s eleventh studio album, a heavily decorated album that has broken 73 international records, including making Swift the most streamed artist in a single day (184.6 million streams) and the first artist in history to hold the top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Swift used her acceptance speeches to thank her fans and announce the release date of her upcoming album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, out on April 19th.

However, following the Grammys there has been disappointment expressed at the Midnights win, as some believe other artists’ works were more deserving of the title. If you’re wondering how the Grammy’s judging process works, you’re not alone. Luckily, for the 2024 cycle, the general public got a sneak peek into the decision-making process after CEO Harvey Mason Jr. enacted new transparency and fairness rules.

To break it down, the Grammy process begins every September with a nominating period overseen by a panel of 350 experts, with nominations restricted to

releases from the previous twelve months. First-Round-Voting occurs in October, narrowing down the pool of nominations to only a few per award category. Known as the only peer-voted award in music, the Grammy voting members are artists, producers, songwriters, and other creators who are currently working in the recording industry. They are restricted to voting only in their area of expertise to protect the quality of the awarding process. The Final Round of Voting occurs in December, with the voting members submitting their ballots to decide the leading music of the year based on their artistic and technical caliber. An independent accounting firm, Deloitte, is entrusted with tabulating the final results and delivering the sealed golden envelope with the winner’s name to be opened at the Grammys. Despite this rigorous process, the Grammy Awards often are criticized in one way or another after the winners are announced. The amount of people watching the Grammys is less than half of what it was a decade ago, potentially hinting at the fact that people are not as satisfied with the award outcomes as they once were. This year, in one of the most shocking moments of the night, Jay-Z used his acceptance speech to call out

systemic issues within the Grammys. “Some of you are going to go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed,” he said. “Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category.” In his very candid speech, he noted that Beyoncé, his wife, has the most Grammy wins in history and yet has never won the coveted Album of the Year award. It does beg the question: why hasn’t her success translated into wins for the biggest Grammy categories?

While we might not get an answer to that question, one thing this Grammy season proved was the undeniable triumph of a year for women in the music industry.

The four biggest categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist) were awarded to Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, and Victoria Monet. We saw incredible pop performances from Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo, an emotional and captivating rendition from Joni Mitchell, and appearances from iconic artists such as Celine Dion. While the system might not be perfect, the Grammy Awards offer a reminder of just how much there is to celebrate in the music industry and how we continue to be inspired by how the artists leave their mark on our society.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAMMY.COM (SHOT BY KEVIN WINTER)

Stevens’ invisible threat to bird safety

BY AVA WANG, MANAGING EDITOR

On February 1, The Stute had the opportunity to interview Hoboken resident Jeffrey Train. Train wears multiple hats as a teacher, father, and avid birder; It’s a passion he shares with his 13-year-old son, Otys Train. Train shared, “We think of birds as our neighbors in Hoboken, and that’s kind of what I teach to everybody.” He continued, “The house sparrow that’s just outside your window is also making a nest in your building and raising their young and feeding their young (Train paused to gesture towards his five-month-old daughter) and making a living off of [sic] the nature that’s around our city.”

When Train refers to teaching, he speaks of his birding walks, called Mr Train’s Life Lessons for Better Birding and Beyond, a program he describes as a mix of birding and positive psychology. These walks about Hoboken welcome people of all ages. Train guides the group through topics like nature mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness while pointing out our neighborly feathered friends. One of the many stops he makes on his Better Birding and Beyond walks, as well as personal ones, is the Stevens campus.

Train’s encounters with avian biodiversity in Hoboken are remarkable, with documented sightings of 93 unique species. However, this abundance is overshadowed by a troubling statistic: 35 of these species have been found dead on Stevens campus grounds, victims of fatal window strikes. The prevalence of glass structures—from Babbio Atrium to the Morton to Peirce sky-bridge, Pierce Dining Hall, and the newly constructed UCC complex—poses a significant threat to bird safety.

The danger lies in the reflective nature of glass, which deceives birds into perceiving it as an extension of their natural habitat. Mistaking transparent barriers for open space, birds collide with windows, often with fatal consequences. Train’s observations underscore the urgent need for bird-friendly building practices to mitigate such risks and preserve urban avian populations.

Train reports he has made multiple appeals to Stevens administration concerning the issue, and has presented proposals, including quote estimates for applying products such as Bird Divert dots or other cheaper decal alternatives. Train reports he has been met with little urgency, and calls have been left unreturned. He posits that something as simple as an approximately $200 red sticker decal that says “Stevens” or “Go Ducks” would be enough to make the invisible glass boundary visible to our aviary friends. High-caliber universities such as Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale have all made recent adjustments to infra-

careful consideration. Demanding appropriate facility changes, such as the application of solutions like Bird Divert to the windows of existing buildings and mandating the use of bird-visible glass in future construction, holds the potential to make a large impact. Birds are tetrachromatic, meaning that they see color through four distinct classes of photoreceptors. Humans, on the other hand, only have three. This relationship can be likened to how humans view a dog’s vision. Dogs only have two photoreceptors and see the world in blue and yellow, while we possess three: red, green, and blue. The extra class of photoreceptors that birds maintain over us means that they can see into the UV range while we cannot. Glass decals that reflect wavelengths imperceptible to us create a visual boundary for birds, warning them of the glass’ presence. Such technology and commercial solutions already exist. Train asserts that there are many complex challenges in life but that this is not one of them. There is a clear solution available. Bird Divert would minimally detract from our Hoboken views but do leagues for the preservation of aviary biodiver sity.

Train described a poignantly moving phenomenon called aviary passage fidelity, which refers to the tendency of certain bird species to return to specific locations along their migratory routes across gener ations. It’s akin to a family tradition passed down from one generation of birds to the next. Birds, guided by instinct and learned behavior, faithfully revisit the same stopover sites year after year for reasons deeply ingrained in their genetic heritage. There are distinct family lines of sparrows and warblers and 93 other species that call Hoboken home, whose ancestors have made Hoboken a regular pitstop. So, even though you may see sparrows in other locales, each bird strike on campus signifies a dilution of the Stevens sparrow’s bloodline. The families of birds that have watched over all of the Stevens students come before you need help.

Train and his son have been actively gathering data for both personal projects and dbird.org, an initiative partnered with NYC Audubon. Describing itself as a platform for reporting incidents involving deceased or injured birds, DBIRD aims to provide valuable insights to guide conservation efforts and advocacy initiatives aimed at mitigating human-induced threats to avian life. Specifically focusing on window-strike-related fatalities on the Stevens campus, the Trains are compiling data to offer tangible evidence of our direct contribution to this issue. With the migration season from March to June approaching, Train foresees a rise in avian casualties due to window strikes and is calling for support from the Stevens student body to assist in data collection and to advocate for

ication to the cause as a sense of ble neighbors, “We see [the birds] bors symbolically resonate with Train, saying, “you can’t let us die silently, you have to tell the story.” Accordingly, Train will be coming to speak on campus on March 7 at 6 p.m. in Kiddie 360. Friends and neighbors of the birds, inspired by his story, are encouraged to attend

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHANIE MCDONOUGH

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOE CABORNERO

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMUEL BERMAN

Baseball sweeps season-opener

BY KAI WONG, SPORTS WRITER

This past Sunday, Stevens Men’s Baseball swept The City College of New York in a season-opening doubleheader.

Highlighting across both games, senior Christian Kreiser hit a home run while junior Eli Somers had two hits, two runs, two runs scored, and an RBI in game two. Stevens gave up just seven hits between both matches. Sophomore Erik Sibbach (1-0) and senior Jacob Buurman (1-0) each picked up their first victories of the season. Sibbach and sophomore William Sotiropoulos, the two starting pitchers for the Ducks, combined to throw 12 strikeouts.

To open Game 1, the Ducks shut

out the Beavers 6-0 in the first game of the afternoon. No runs were tallied on the board until Kreiser hit a home run off a pitching change in the fourth inning. The Ducks then picked up three base runners due to walks and scored another run off the bat of first-year Chip Krese, the first RBI of his career, to put the Ducks up 2-0. Stevens added three more runs in the fifth inning. With the first two batters out, Kreiser picked up another hit, as he singled to center. Senior Frank Tonina then reached on an error, which put Kreiser on third. Senior Jack Irby was up next, and he delivered a single down the right side to advance both runners, with Kreiser scoring on the play.

Graduate student Michael Reyes would reach on an error in the next

Duck at-bat, which allowed Tonina to score and give Stevens a 5-0 lead.

The Ducks added another run in the sixth inning as junior Colby Ching was walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Dylan Fishbough would bring in Ching a few batters later as he doubled down the left field side.

In the second game of the afternoon, neither team was able to score for the first three innings, but the Ducks broke through in the fourth inning. Somers singled to open the inning, and then sophomore Liam Houghton doubled to bring home Somers. Houghton advanced to third on a passed ball, and was brought home by a single from senior Jack Stafford.

With the bases later loaded, Fishbough earned an RBI as he was

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING

MAC Championships–Day 2 York, PA Time TBA

SAT, FEB 17

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING

MAC Championships–Day 3 York, PA Time TBA

hit by a pitch, tallying the Ducks up 3-0 after the fourth inning. Soon after, in the fifth inning, the Ducks would again record a bases-loaded walk drawn by junior Liam DeRubertis. Stevens clinched the game in the sixth inning as they put six runs past the Beavers, making it 9-1.

The Ducks open up the season 2-0 for the fourth straight year. With the two victories, Stevens improves to 13-1 all-time against CCNY. Baseball returns to the field next weekend for a three-game set with William Patterson. The first game will be on Saturday, February 17, in Wayne, NJ, at noon, and then the two teams will meet twice on Sunday, February 18, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Dobbelaar Baseball Field at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Track and Field takes on Fastrack National Invitational

BY ABBY JACOBS, SPORTS WRITER

The Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams completed the Fastrack National Invitational in Staten Island, NY, on Friday, February 9. There, graduate student Laura Mathews reached 5.64 meters in the long jump, breaking her own school record set the week before at the Frank Colden Invitational.

Mathews also competed in the 60-meter hurdles with teammate and fellow graduate student Kristen Williams. The two finished in second and seventh, respectively, posting times of 8.65 and 9.16 seconds, and ranked 1-2 in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), being the highest DIII finishers.

In the high jump, junior Caroline Tighe’s second-place finish in this individual event, with a personal best of 1.65 meters, brought her to 15th in the country. During her performance, head coach John Kolibab stated that this performance was a “massive breakthrough” and that she “has been trending towards this moment for a long time.” Kolibab also not-

ed that he is pleased with her new ranking, as it reflects his idea that she belongs in the “national conversation.”

The coach also highlighted the performance of senior Nina Burden, who took on the 800 as her season debut and finished the race in 2:21:76. This time moved her to sixth in the league and was the second-fastest of her indoor career. Sophomore Isabel Vogel was also moved to sixth in the conference when she put down a season-best time of 1:02:48 in the 400-meter dash, and first-year Isabella Shanley took 11th in the conference with a collegiate-best time of 26.84 seconds in the 200.

For the men, sophomore Danny Jutras moved to fifth of the MAC leaderboard when he completed what Kolibab called a “head-scratchingly amazing performance,” where Jutras had shaved down his mile more than six seconds to a new personal best of 4:21:56. In the same race, senior Jake Aylmer recorded a time of 4:21:46, maintaining his conference seat of one. Gradu ate student Ronnie Melao set a personal record in the mile at 4:18:55, putting him second in

the conference. Completing three events during the day, sophomore Brandon Kiefer took on the 60-meter hurdles, the pole vault, and the long jump. His hurdles time of 9.41 marked the second-fastest of his collegiate record, he matched his pole vault best of 4.05 meters, and he also recorded a season-best of 6.31 in the long jump. In addition to these achievements, Kiefer leads the MAC in the heptathlon.

Senior Federico Yacoubian took 11th in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.70 seconds, keeping his second-place ranking in the conference, and first-year Joshua Lim secured his fourthplace ranking in the conference after clearing 1.80 meters in the high jump, placing third at the invitational. Up next, the Ducks will take on the West Point Tune-Up, taking place tomorrow, Saturday, February 17, in West Point, NY.

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

West Point Tune-Up West Point, NY Time TBA

WOMEN’S LACROSSE Muhlenberg College (Exhibition) Hoboken, NJ 10:30 a.m.

BASEBALL

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

No. 19 Benedictine University Bard College Hoboken, NJ 12 p.m./5 p.m.

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S BASKETBALL

William Paterson University Wayne, NJ 12 p.m. FDU-Florham Madison, NJ 1 p.m./3p.m.

York College of Pennsylvania York, PA

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ 1 p.m.

MEN’S LACROSSE Dickinson College Hoboken, NJ 3 p.m.

SUN, FEB 18

WOMEN’S FENCING

EWFC Championships Madison, NJ 9 a.m.

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING

MAC Championships–Day 4 York, PA Time TBA

MEN’S FENCING

MACFA Group “B” vs Group “C” Hoboken, NJ 11 a.m.

DUCK DAYS IS HERE!

February 20th - February 23rd

Celebrating Stevens with quack-tastic fun!

BY JEREMIAH CHINWENDU, CONTRIBUTOR

Duck Days is a week-long, student-led event meant to showcase the best that Stevens has to offer. This tradition allows students, faculty, and anyone willing to come to participate in various activities and engage with the school and the community in unique settings. Throughout this week, student life will collaborate with organizations such as the Gear and Triangle Honor Society (G&T), Student Government Association (SGA), and the Entertainment Committee (EC) to put together events that bring all Ducks together, allowing this year’s Duck Days to be an amazing school spirit outlet.

This year, students will have the opportunity to showcase their school spirit through a collection of extravagant events meant to celebrate them. One such event is Ducks on Display, an event in which students showcase their talents for all to see, highlighting their creativity and diverse capabilities. From stand-up comedy to instrumental and vocal solos, there is something for everyone to enjoy. In addition to this, students will have the chance to participate in the SGA-hosted Duck Hunt, a scavenger hunt that takes them around Stevens campus and Hoboken.

What makes Duck Days an especially well-recognized event is the fact that it exposes people to organizations they may not be familiar with, and it shows what

Ducks are capable of doing when they flock together. Students, faculty, and all who wish to join will show off their Stevens pride and develop a deeper connection with the school and the people within it. Duck Days highlights those who are responsible for making Stevens what it is by playing different roles in the development of the community. Education departments, student-led organizations, contributors, and students come together to organize events that capture the essence of student life.

Duck Days leads up to the celebration of Founder’s Day, a commemoration of the founding of Stevens. On this day, we look back upon the history of Stevens and remind ourselves of how far we have come as a school and the

impact that our growth has had on its community. The involvement of local businesses and vendors is a crucial part of what makes Duck Days such an exciting and worthwhile experience. Students not only get the opportunity to experience the best of the school but also engage in their community. This allows students to enrich themselves in the history of Hoboken and explore the impact that being a Duck has on their lives outside of school.

Duck Days is a tradition that spans decades, and it already has your fellow students excited. Student-led clubs and organizations will be posting banners in the UCC next week, highlighting their school spirit and pride. Members of the Gear and Triangle Honor Society, who have been

helping prepare for next week’s events, share their thoughts on what they are most excited about this Duck Days. Victoria Giumenta, the Spirit Chair of G&T shared, “I am looking forward to getting dressed up and going to the Founder’s Day Ball to have a fun night with friends.” Gear and Triangle President Julia Poole said, “I’m looking forward to seeing students show off their talents at Ducks on Display.”

Duck Days will run from February 20 to February 23. Join your fellow ducks in celebrating the rich history of Stevens. You will not want to miss any of the activities taking place because each one, regardless of scale, provides a special experience that will bring people together.

PHOTO

Duck Days is next week!

BY AN LE, CONTRIBUTOR

It is almost time for Duck Days! But what is Duck Days? When asked in interviews with numerous Stevens students, the general consensus can be best summarized by 4/5 Visual Arts & Technology and Social Sciences student Amisha Patel; “I do not [know], but I have heard of it.” While other universities and colleges celebrate spirit week in the form of homecoming with football, Stevens will be celebrating spirit week through various activities and events during Duck Days. Duck Days are Stevens’ annual spirit week celebration made possible through the hard work of the Student Activities Committee and the Gear & Triangle Honor Society. Duck Days will take place the week of February 19, following Presidents’ Day weekend and will end with the highly anticipated fifteenth annual Founder’s Day Ball on Friday, February 23, a celebration of the anniversary of Stevens’ founding. Here’s an early preview of the events and activities of Duck Days, as well as a behind-the-scenes of the planning process for Duck Days.

Tuesday, February 20

Students, along with the entire campus, are encouraged to represent Stevens by wearing Stevens spirit wear or the school colors: red and gray. Stevens will be “duck-orated,” and student organizations and groups will have the opportunity to

hang their banners in UCC and Babbio as part of an initiative to heighten school spirit. As Stephanie Hios, Student Activities Coordinator, said to The Stute, this is to “give the campus a real homecoming and spirit week feel.” Hios will be hosting a table on the UCC first floor for a game called Duck Pond from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 21

Stevens mascot, Attila will be around for pictures between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and another to-be-determined table event will be happening.

Thursday, February 22

The Gear & Triangle Honor Society will have a table in UCC from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for ‘Duck n’ Donuts’, and the Ducks on Display talent show will start at 7 p.m.

Ongoing throughout Duck Days In addition to all the mentioned above, there will be a Duck Hunt starting on Tuesday, February 20 running through

Thursday, February 22. Prizes will be won by scanning the QR code under the ducks when they are found. The Stevens bookstore will also be having a storewide 10% off sale the week of Duck Days. All of this information and schedule can also be found on the chalkboard located at Pierce Dining Hall.

So, how did Duck Days come to be? To put it simply, Hios said, “Planning is very intricate.”

Having taken on the role of Student Activities Coordinator this past November, Hios has had the goal of involving all of Stevens through campus-wide initiatives and meeting with various departments such as dining, athletics, and the library/archives. This is different from previous years’ Duck Days, which did not have as much involvement from all of Stevens. Hios hopes that with all of this effort, students will be excited to partake in the festivities of Duck Days to celebrate school spirit and take pride in being students at Stevens. As Hios says, “Whether you are an athlete, in fraternity or sorority life, a student worker, in any of our student organizations, or even if you are a student that is not involved, we are all one community under the umbrella of Stevens Institute of Technology.”

To finish off, the Founder’s Day Ball is the last celebration of Duck Days. This will be an opportunity for students to dress up, dance, and enjoy themselves to celebrate the 154 years of Stevens Institute of Technology. Organizing Duck Days was a campus-wide effort, involving the Student Activities Committee, Gear & Triangle, and all of Stevens organizations, groups, staff, and faculty. These festivities are not ones to be missed out on!

Happy Duck Days!

COURTESY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT LIFE

DUCK DAYS SCHEDULE

Also available at the Pierce Dining Hall chalkboard wall!

TUE, FEB 20

• Wear red and gray or Stevens gear to kick Duck Days off!

• Check out the administrativeoffices to see some duck-orations!

• Take a look at organizations’ banners hung from the stairs in the UCC, Babbio, and residence halls

• The Duck Pond 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the UCC

• Men’s Volleyball Game 7 p.m.

WED, FEB 21

• Table Event (Game TBD!)

• Pictures with Atilla 3-5 p.m.

• Women’s Lacrosse game 4 p.m.

• Duck n’ Donuts tabled by Gear and Triangle 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the UCC

• Ducks on Display talent show 7 p.m.

• The SGA Duck Hunt will run from Tuesday 2/20Thursday 2/22. Prizes can be won by checking the QR code on the bottom of ducks found!

• Enjoy a 10% discount at the Stevens Campus Store from 2/20 - 2/23

• Stevens Dining will feature duck and Stevens-themed food and décor from 2/20 - 2/22

Conservation of sharks: safeguarding the apex predators of the ocean

BY VIKRAM VARIKOOTY, STAFF WRITER

Sharks, the apex predators of the ocean, have captured the imagination of humanity for centuries. As shown in the thriller movie Jaws, sharks are known for the fear they strike at people on a summer beach day. Yet despite the fear they cause humans, sharks are under threat like never before. The conservation of sharks is not merely an ecological concern, but a necessity in making sure that marine wildlife food chain is balanced.

To comprehend the urgency of shark conservation, we must first understand the vital role they play in marine ecosystems. Sharks, as top predators, regulate the populations of prey species, thereby preventing the collapse of lower trophic levels in the food chain and maintaining the overall health of the ecosystem. Moreover, they contribute to the genetic diversity of marine populations, ensuring resilience in the face of environmental changes. Without sharks,

the intricate web of life in the oceans would unravel with catastrophic consequences for all marine life, and in turn, humans.

Despite their ecological importance, sharks face numerous threats, primarily driven by human activities. Overfishing, fueled by the demand for shark fins, meat, and other products, poses the most immediate danger to shark populations. According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), up to 73 million sharks are killed annually, primarily for the shark fin trade, pushing many species to the brink of extinction .It is believed that many shark species have had their populations reduced by 50 percent from 1986 to 2000.

Habitat degradation and loss further compound the challenges facing sharks. Coastal development, pollution, and climate change are altering marine habitats at an unprecedented rate, depriving sharks of critical breeding and feeding grounds. Chemicals contained in waste released in the

AI Competes in Math Olympics

BY MEGHANA MAMADAPUR, STAFF WRITER

On January 10, 2024, Dr. Trinh defended his doctoral dissertation on AlphaGeometry at New York University. He originally pitched the AI system to research scientists at Google and became a resident. AlphaGeometry is just one of Google’s AI systems; it joins the Google DeepMind fleet. While other AI systems such as AlphaZero for chess have been developed, AlphaGeometry is significant as math has almost infinite ways to reach a solution. On the other hand, chess remains finite.

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a highly esteemed competition for the brightest high-school students across the globe. When AlphaGeometry was tested in the competition, it solved 25 out of 30 Olympiad questions within the time limit. On average, a bronze medalist solves 19.3 problems within the limit, while silver and gold medalists solve 22.9 and 25.9 problems respectively. AlphaGeometry, at 25 problems, is only slightly behind the gold-medalist standard.

This breakthrough remains significant as AI systems lack reasoning skills, which leads them to be unable to solve geometry problems. AlphaGeometry employs the predictive power of a neural language model along with a rulebound deduction engine to find solutions to the problems. So, it combines fast ideas with deliberate, rational decision-making. This develops over 100 million unique examples, allowing AlphaGeometry to be trained without humans.

This impressive accomplish-

ment was recognized by Fields Medalist and IMO Gold Medalist Ngô Bảo Châu. Châu spoke, “It makes perfect sense to me now that researchers in AI are trying their hands on the IMO geometry problems first because finding solutions for them works a little bit like chess in the sense that we have a rather small number of sensible moves at every step. But I still find it stunning that they could make it work. It’s an impressive achievement.”

AlphaGeometry was also highly regarded by another former Olympiad gold medal winner, Evan Chen. Chen explained that AlphaGeometry is both verifiable and clean, which contrasts with earlier complex geometric proofs. The previous proofs were hard for human reviewers to understand, but AlphaGeometry was similar to the thought process of a human mathematician.

Over the past few years, Olympiad math problems have been a benchmark for AI. In November 2023, the Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize was announced, with $5 million going to the first AI to win gold in the Olympiad. This AI discovery is one of the many breakthroughs occurring with AI. While AlphaGeometry has had positive results, other AI platforms have had less success. It was found recently that Life Corporation, a Texas Company, created a voter robocall that impersonated Biden using AI. Because of this spread of disinformation, Meta has called for cooperation in labeling AI-generated content, so users are aware of what content is real and which isn’t. While the innovative future of AI lies ahead, the world will need to be wary of potential negative consequences.

ocean also contribute to sharks unintentional killings. There are still multiple ways to combat these unintentional killings, however. For example, food safety agencies can conduct frequent checks on shark products. If the contaminants in shark meat and other by-products are above the safe limits, then stopping the trade of these products can lower the sources of pollution, which can also support the long-term viability of shark fishing for the species and regions where this is feasible.

To address these threats and ensure the long-term survival of sharks, concerted conservation efforts are essential. Marine protected areas (MPAs) play a crucial role in safeguarding shark populations by providing sanctuary and refuge from fishing pressure. Organizations like Oceana and the Shark Trust advocate for the establishment and expansion of MPAs and cite their effectiveness in preserving marine biodiversity.

Shark Trust runs many different projects, research and fundraising

activities, which anyone can join to help conserve sharks. Public awareness and education also play a pivotal role in shark conservation. Many people believe that sharks are a threat to humans, but in reality, the opposite is true. The likelihood of being struck by lightning is higher than being attacked by a shark. By dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding sharks and highlighting their ecological significance, we can foster a

greater appreciation and stewardship for these apex predators.

The conservation of sharks is not just about saving a single species; it is about preserving the entire marine ecosystem. By recognizing the intrinsic value of sharks and taking action to protect them, we can secure a future where these fascinating creatures continue to roam the oceans for generations to come, and even keep the oceans a healthier place.

US company’s moon lander disintegrates in Earth’s atmosphere

BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE WRITER

On Thursday, January 18, a private spacecraft, whose destination was supposed to be the moon, ended up back on Earth after suffering from a propulsion malfunction. Astrobotic Technology, based in Pittsburgh, revealed the loss of communication with its moon lander, Peregrine, via a post on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. Upon notification, the craft entered Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific, resulting in its disintegration due to the tremendous heat. The United States Space Command officially confirmed the destruction of Peregrine on Friday.

The spacecraft had a perfect launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 8. Shortly after separating from the rocket’s second stage, however, Peregrine’s propulsion system encountered a major malfunction, preventing the craft from keeping its solar panels oriented towards the sun. The propulsion system was not the only issue. Even after Astrobotic’s successful reorientation of Peregrine for a battery recharge, a propellant leak determined the mission to land on the mood unattainable.

Astrobotic plans to convene a

review board comprising space industry experts to investigate the incident and determine the root cause of the failure. The current hypothesis suggests a valve failure, causing a high-pressure flow of helium to rupture a propellant tank.

The primary payloads (instruments that are carried onboard spacecraft) on Peregrine were from NASA, part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program aimed at reducing the cost of lunar experiments by involving commercial companies. Astrobotic received $108 million from NASA to transport five experiments costing $9 million to build.

When Astrobotic confirmed that the spacecraft, redirected off course by the propellant leak, was on a trajectory to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, the experiments Peregrine carried were lost, too. While this is certainly a setback, Astrobotic is contracted for a more significant lunar mission with NASA: the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). Costing over $430 million, VIPER is scheduled to launch in November on Astrobotic’s larger lander, Griffin. However, NASA awaits the results of the investigation into the Peregrine incident before deciding whether to modify its plans for Griffin and

the delivery of VIPER.

Despite its unfortunate end, the mission spanned an impressive 10 days, covering over half a million miles. Peregrine traveled beyond the moon’s orbit before reversing course towards Earth, missing its intended landing site on the lunar near side. Astrobotic remains determined to fulfill its lunar exploration commitments and build on the lessons learned from the Peregrine mission.

The recent incident involving Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission highlights the changing nature of the space field. With more private companies, like Astrobotic, SpaceX, and Blue Origin, entering the space exploration arena, space exploration continues to grow. Despite the setbacks, such as the propulsion system malfunction and subsequent loss of communication, private companies drive innovation but also challenge the traditional roles of government agencies in this field of study. The Peregrine mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, sought to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of involving commercial partners in lunar experiments. While setbacks are bound to happen at this stage, the commitment to overcoming challenges is what shapes the future of space exploration.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW

TIMES (SHOT BY WENDY NGUYEN) PHOTO COURTESY OF

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG (SHOT BY BRIAN J. SKERRY)

The metamorphosis of Stevens

The landscape of Stevens has changed so much since I came here in Fall 2020. When I arrived on campus, the UCC Towers were blocked behind fences and scaffolding obscured most of the view. With so little of the campus populated, and all

the buildings being new and foreign to me, it felt big. It felt like pioneering, discovering the academic buildings and areas to socialize without upperclassmen. As campus reopened, I carved my paths, but the Innovation University continued to change.

The Stute office used to be in the attic of Martha Bayard, which we used to call the Student Center (and was previously named Alexander House). The first floor was dedicated to the intercultural space and they had fantastic little couches and a TV that I would put music videos on. The game center was there, and the pool table remained in constant use.

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

The attic was magnificent, a slanted roof with dormer windows, and a cardboard cutout of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. We had two rows of desks and would sit back to back, turning around any time we needed a break and felt like a chat. In the office there was room for a meeting table, but we’d go across the hall to give presentations or hold staff meetings.

Howe had four dining options: Pierce Dining Hall, Pierce Cafe, and Colonel Johns & Sonos. The Pierce Omelette station has always been elite. I would bring my computer and my bottle of Cholula to the dining hall and

When physics laws are broken

join my 9am zoom math lecture. At the time, they only had the far inferior Texas Pete hot sauce packets, and while we can’t be certain, I’d say you have me to thank for the switch to the jugs of Cholula.

Downstairs, where the oddly shaped classrooms now are used to be Colonel Johns, aka CJs, which eventually evolved into Grill Nation, while Sonos was rebranded to Tu Taco. The staff at CJs worked themselves to the bone; it had a mean burger and the drink fridge was incredibly accessible. I saw probably hundreds of dollars worth of soda stolen from the CJs fridge, from students with Tera Byte meal plans. RIP

to a real one fr. Phys. Ed. used to be a requirement. Every student not on a club or varsity team had to fulfill four P.E. credits. Exercise bands were on my syllabus and I would go to Walker for an hour a week and try not to embarrass myself. We’d have class there at the same time every week and every week it would be locked, and we’d have to go searching for keys. The first big snow I experienced on campus made a silence that was completely foreign to me. The city noises were dulled, the campus was frozen and undisturbed. Only the racing, icy wind pierced the picturesque

image. The trek to the dining hall to pickup a meal was treacherous; the wind so strong that I was pushed backwards just standing still. My friends and I sled down the Castle Point Tennis Courts hill in a laundry basket, and made a snowman on Schaefer Lawn.

There are officially less than 100 days until graduation. People keep asking me my plans, as if I wasn’t still deciding my major a mere 3 years ago. Sometimes I get big ideas about the good I could do for people with all the physics I’ve learned and math I’ve struggled through. Change will happen whether you make it or not, but I’d rather be a part of it.

Ever study for a test only to find your mind blank once you read the first question? Now, this would not be an issue on a small quiz, but the exam I took the past week holds 35 percent of my physics grade. What surprises me more is that we were allowed a formula sheet during this exam, and yet I completely forgot about its existence on my desk for the first question. A whole hour was spent creating my formula sheet, only for it to be forgotten within the first half hour, and looking at the clock certainly did not help my situation.

Your typical exam at Stevens began promptly at 5 p.m., and given that this was a physics exam, I knew that there would be in-depth questions that I would have to prepare for. After having written the pledge, the TA began the timer, and my self-confidence quickly faded away as I read the first question. A question with three parts is typical, but I had no idea what the last parts of the question meant.

This was not the first time where I got tricked by only the first question, as I have also been humbled greatly by the MA 126 final exam last semester. Any difference between the two exams would have to be with the answers that one can get. In a physics exam, the answer can vary from a small decimal to a large-scale number, which makes it difficult to trust my answer.

This was the case as I managed to answer the first question within twenty minutes, but I looked back at my numbers and realized that I forgot to convert them to the right units. I immediately felt relieved but also crushed about my work because it reassured my hesitation with my initial answer. This also came with the feeling of a crushing blow because this would mean that I would have to scrap most of my work and adjust all the answers to the problems’ subsequent parts.

I believe that the biggest stress factor in an exam is not the problem itself but it is the race against time. Throughout my erasing and rewriting of formulas on paper, I kept glancing at the clock to the point where time just began to tick faster. Fast forward to forty minutes into the exam period, and one student got up and turned in their test. Looking around, I did not see any other students submit their exams, but

I thought that they must have finished and were just checking over their work. Now, when I looked back at my exam, I could only see less than half the questions done.

This tug of war between my test and time kept going until the last second of the period when most of the students remained in their seats. A total of roughly five students were able to submit their exams before the cut-off, but that is a small fraction of the total 70 students. That evening, I felt completely worn out, mostly because of how fast my mind began racing in those last few minutes of the exam. This felt like playing Minute to Win It, except the risk of losing money is replaced with an exam score that will plummet my GPA.

The following day, our professor asked the class about their thoughts on the exam, and it surprised me to find out that most had difficulty completing the exam on time as well. Usually, scenarios where the time given to complete an exam is overestimated, are very rare to happen. As the time given for the exam was not justly measured (given that this was a four-question exam), our professor offered revisions and half-credit back to ease our worries. This just goes to show that no matter what, there are times when physics laws can be broken.

COMIC CORNER

BY JOSIE STRANO

mer day in England, 1935, and the teetering Tallis family drape themselves across their upper-class country house. Like dolls being perfectly positioned throughout the home, we meet the Tallis children— Leon, Celia, and Briony— from oldest to youngest as they linger between a misspent summer and a scandal that will alter their lives and scatter their bonds forever. Ian McEwan’s novel, Atonement, published in 2001, and its movie adaption released in 2007, is an almost love story, or what a young love could have become, if not for childish deception set during World War II. McEwan’s detailed characterization of the main character, Briony Tallis, represents a psychological study of guilt and remorse that follows her formative lie.

Narrated in the third person, we meet 13-yearold Briony as she becomes an aspiring writer and “possessed a strange mind and a facility with words.” Briony is a storyteller, a liar, in which her innocent household plays become projected onto her older sister, Celia’s, budding inti-

OFF THE PRESS

macy with the son of their housekeeper, Robbie Turner. McEwan captures the rushing and illogical behavior of a summer crush between Celia and Robbie’s chemistry, from family friends to acquaintances at both at Cambridge and contrasts the romance with Briony’s voyeurism as she misconstrues intimacy for a crime. Misunderstanding the relationship between Celia and Robbie, Briony accuses the housekeeper’s son of a life-altering crime as the summer climaxes with Robbie’s arrest and Celia resenting her family for dismissing his innocence. Depicting the power play between the words of an upper-crust teen against that of a lower-class man reaching beyond his social worth, Briony frames Robbie for a crime that separates the couple for years and uproots their life together and forever asks, “What if?”

Relying on the unreliable narrator and the perfect catastrophe it creates, Briony attempts to atone even as she realizes her lie subjected the couple to a life of war, labor, and longing. Briony writes to Celia and confronts her within her new household trapped within an unhappy marriage, then tracks down Robbie’s active regiment through the evacuation of Dunkirk. All she can do is bear witness to the aftermath of the immature lie and falsehoods in which she offers us the rectification of the novel itself.

Mimicking the Greeks, almost all of the characters live a life of despair as Bri-

ony’s ignorance stands at the epicenter of their suffering.

McEwan seems to string out an endless summer through visual description and a foundation to set the dysfunctional Tallis family dynamic in order to represent what was lost after Briony’s deception. A cushioned summer of romantic potential and familial warmth fragments as Robbie is enlisted into the British forces of World War II to shorten his prison sentence, and Celia enters a life of nursing and labor completely cut off from her family. We follow Briony as she ages and comes to terms with the repercussions of that summer in which she also condemns herself to a life of penance, desperately reaching out to Celia for forgiveness and any form of atonement. The novel presents us with three lives ruined by a child’s wild imagination to criminalize a socially condemned relationship in which McEwan asks us what the meaning of ‘atonement’ really is and the power it continues to hold.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Hieronymus Bosch: The Art of the Unsettling

BY ITAI GELLER ‘26

For centuries, humans have been obsessed with the unsettling. In the modern age, we continue to embrace the horror genre, typically in cinema, literature, or other entertainment mediums. However, from an artistic perspective, frightening imagery and culture have evolved significantly. While most people imagine the most dated form of disturbing fiction to be the likes of Nosferatu or Frankenstein, I think that this genre is deeply rooted in the 16th and 17th centuries. Inspired by religious morality, many artists of this period in history attempted to illustrate the “heretic fate,” which led to some truly unsettling imagery. One of my favorite artists of this era would be Heironymous Bosch, a legend of the Northern Renaissance recognized for his distinguishably grotesque paintings. Bosch certainly strayed far from the contemporary genres of the era, illustrating sprawling landscapes inhabited by a multitude of detailed curiosities. Bosch, a Dutch Christian, had an unconventional way of approaching religious themes. While the Italian Renaissance focused on secular ideologies, the Northern Renaissance sought to revive religious fervor by depicting traditional

U.S. looking to ban popular holidays

BY OFF CENTER

-Satire-

In a surprising turn of events, the United States government has recently enacted new legislation to ban some of the most popular holidays that people like to celebrate: New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. But why? These holidays are practically a staple of American culture! To not include them would certainly be preposterous!

Here are the reasons why these holidays are being banned.

New Year’s Day is being banned because, to some people, it is a harsh reminder that changes are coming

each and every year. People who have been alive since the 1950s are sad about the way technology keeps updating, as typewriters become replaced by laptops, cordial telephones become replaced by cell phones, and how chalkboards are replaced by SMART boards. To stop reminding people that the world has been changing, New Year’s Day will be banned. Valentine’s Day is being banned because some people are offended by the way hearts are portrayed on Valentine’s Day cards. The scientific community is appalled by the way that the hearts that are portrayed on the Valentine’s Day cards do not resemble the way actual hearts look.

DEAR CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

They believe that continuing to showcase the way hearts are portrayed on Valentine’s Day cards will lead to misinformation that will affect how people think about the way the heart actually works. For this reason, Valentine’s Day will be banned.

Easter is being banned becausedue to some people cannot not being able to spot the Easter Bunny. People have been disgusted by the way that, since childhood, they have never been able to spot the Easter Bunny, since all of the giant bunnies they actually see around Easter usually tend to be people wearing funny costumes. They feel like not being able to see the Easter Bunny is a

mockery of people whothat want to see the Easter Bunny. Because of this, Easter will be banned.

Fourth of July is being banned due to the fear that Fourth of July fireworks will attract alien life forms and encourage them to invade the world. People have been coming up with theories that the red, white, and blue from the Fourth of July fireworks are bright enough to be seen from other planets, and they are afraid that if life exists on other planets, the location of Earth will be revealed and aliens will come to invade us. For this reason, the Fourth of July is banned.

Halloween is being banned because people are

religious imagery in popular mediums. Bosch focused heavily on human vices such as self-indulgence and the resulting judgment within the context of religious ideology.

An excellent example of this theme is illustrated in Bosch’s

The Garden of Earthly Delights, a three-panel oil painting that seeks to demonstrate the perils of temptation.

In the left and center panels, Bosch illustrated a bright fictional oasis inhabited by an outstanding population of nude figures and fleshy textured structures. While this landscape is playful, it is equally grotesque and unsettling. Bosch’s successful application of perspective makes it appear as though it stretches infinitely, and after looking at this painting multiple times, I constantly find myself discovering a new peculiarity.

However, once you direct your attention to the rightmost panel, you discover a dreary, dark, and uncertain hellscape accompanied by its fair share of disturbing chimeras and abnormal objects. In this dark reality, humans seem to be at the mercy of their obsessions. An example would be a figure in the foreground that is seemingly trapped in the strings of a giant harp. Additionally, traditional depictions of hell appear, such as pits of fire and dark silhouettes of dimly lit buildings. It’s incredibly surreal and terrifying. The message reads across pretty clearly, which is seemingly Bosch’s intent. However, there is so much room for interpretation with respect to his otherworldly creations and the expansiveness of the landscape. This is what makes

mad that they are getting candy instead of free Nerf guns. People say Halloween is a time when people are supposed to get sweet treats, and what could be sweeter than a free Nerf gun? So, people are mad when others get candy, and being denied a free Nerf gun seems like a complete rip- off. For this reason, Halloween is being banned.

Thanksgiving is being banned because people are afraid that they will face a rebellion from their Thanksgiving dinner. People have started coming up with theories that food is gaining sentience, and are afraid that the turkey, the cranberry sauce, the mashed potatoes, and

Q: Should I join the Student Government Association?

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

Even with the 23-24 school year more than halfway through, it’s never too late to get involved to get involved. Whether you’re a first-year still trying to figure out which organizations you fit in with, or you’re a senior wanting to explore a little bit before you

graduate. I would definitely recommend joining the Student Government Association (SGA)! The SGA has a lot of different opportunities at different commitment levels. First, let’s talk about how the SGA is structured. The whole thing is led by the President and the Vice President, who are elected by the student body. They then appoint a cabinet that oversees a variety of internal operations. Then, there are the committees, which are led by committee chairs. The committees include finance, campus wellness, diversity and inclusion, and many others. These are made up mainly of senators but are open to anyone from the student body to join. The committees are re-

sponsible for a majority of the work that the SGA does, and if you’re interested in just a spe cific issue, you might want to join the committee that will help you work on it. For a little more commitment, you could become a senator. This in volves attending a weekly sen ate meeting, joining two com mittees, and participating in mandatory events every now and then. I’m a senator, and I find it a great way to stay up dated on what’s happening on campus, though you do have to be elected during specific times. Either way, getting involved with the SGA is a great way to leave a mark on Stevens’s history, no matter what commitment level you choose.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24

I am a firm believer that everyone on campus should get involved in one way or another to meet new people and find things that they enjoy doing. Being cooped up in your room all day isn’t great when you could be out and

Bosch’s work entertaining and chilling, regardless of its allegorical nature. Now reverting back to the present, it is admittedly difficult to draw parallels between the works of Bosch and the modern horror genre. From Bosch’s time to the present, the definition of the genre slowly shaped itself through folklore, mysticism, and popular culture. While Bosch’s work is indirectly horror, it was successful in its purpose of instilling virtue through fright. So, where does the modern genre fail? This can be attributed to its lack of inspiration and focus on generating a quick thrill rather than a lasting impression. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of horror movies, so I think it’s laughable that twelve Friday the 13th movies have been released in the last four decades. There is a reason films like Midsommar, Pan’s Labyrinth, Silence of the Lambs, and Get Out have so much more cultural traction. These films possess all of the characteristics of a successful scare. They do the underlying themes justice while also engaging audiences through their unsettling atmosphere, storytelling, and artistic choices. I recognize that visual arts are typically meant for the purpose of entertainment, but has there ever been a time you’ve looked at a painting, listened to a song, or watched a movie that evoked a specific emotion or caused you to self-reflect? This is why I believe Bosch was a master of the unsettling; he lured you in with his creatures, curiosities, and imagination and spat you out with a sense of uncertainty.

the pumpkin pie they love stuffing their faces with on Thanksgiving will come to life and get revenge on the people partaking in the feast. For this reason, Thanksgiving will be banned.

Christmas is being banned because people think Santa Claus is actually robbing houses. People notice that even though presents are brought, , there is a large amount of money that is stolen from the people whose houses that Santa visited. In addition, it seems like the toys that Santa ends up bringing are not as awesome as they are made out to be. For this reason, Christmas will be banned.

about doing things you are interested in and meeting cool new people. I was in the SGA for about a year and a half, and during my time, I was both a member of the Senate and the cabinet. Looking back on it, I think it was a worthwhile experience, but I do not think I would personally recommend it to most people. Especially people looking to get involved for the first time on campus. If you are looking to join your first few clubs on campus, I assume you are looking for fun things to occupy the little free time you have during your time here, and if I am being honest, the SGA is not

in the top 100 most fun things you can do here on campus. It is a good tool if you are looking to enact change on campus, but to be honest, most of the change will not be put into effect until years after you graduate. My advice is to spend your time doing things that make you happy and take some of the stress, and the SGA might do the opposite of that. But at the end of the day, do what you think is best for you!

PHOTO

EXPLORING: A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY

A stroll around Battery Park City

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26

This past weekend, the weather was too lovely to stay inside. I decided to walk with temperatures reaching the 50s and the sun shining. While considering where to go, one beautiful park came to mind, one with a niche history and spectacular views and just a few minutes away from Hoboken:

FOR MATH’S SAKE

Battery Park City (BPC).

BPC is a stretch of land along the southwestern portion of Manhattan. Consisting of 92 acres of land, BPC features parks, museums, memorials, schools, stores, fitness centers, and residential housing. The area is one of the most desirable areas in Lower Manhattan.

The history of BPC is fascinating in terms of its development. Up until about 50 years ago, BPC did not exist. In the late 1960s, New York State passed a bill that created the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) to build the neighborhood. To make room for BPC, the conglomerate of organizations used excavated soil from the development of

the World Trade Center (opened in 1973) to fill in part of the Hudson River to make the land for the neighborhood to exist.

Coming from Hoboken, getting to BPC was very easy. Since it was so lovely, I took a ferry to sit outside. The ferry leaves from Hoboken Terminal and lands at Brookfield Place Ferry Terminal, right in the center of BPC. However, BPC is also adjacent to the World Trade Center, which also has a stop for the PATH. Once there, I enjoyed a nice, leisurely walk down to the tip of Manhattan and Battery Park (where BPC got its name from). En route, I passed landmarks and attractions like the World Trade Center, North Cove

Harbor (as seen in The Wolf of Wall Street), the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and countless photo opportunities with the New York City skyline, the World Trade Center, and views across

the Hudson River. BPC is a beautiful and fascinating location in Manhattan with a rich history and many attractions. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, it’s worth a visit to experience the stunning views, parks,

museums, and residential areas. Easy access from Hoboken via ferry or PATH makes it a convenient and enjoyable destination for anyone looking for a relaxing day out.

Cliques, small worlds, and ActivityPub: the math of social connection

BY CHARLES BEALL B.S. ‘23 & PHD STUDENT

an article that covers the mathematics of social connection in general. Being a broader topic, this article will only scratch the surface, but I hope it will provide a variety of subtopics for the reader to look more into as interests them.

LIFESTYLE HACKS

The starting point for seeking to model social connections with mathematics is the concept of a graph. I’ve covered graphs in a few different contexts before, but as a refresher, their two main components are vertices and edges. In the social connection context, the vertices represent people, and the edges that connect two vertices represent whether two people know each other. More complex graphs may also assign weights to the edges, which can specify how well two people know each other (if they have a really strong bond, the weight of their connecting edge will be large).

So, in general, we can use graphs to model connections in a neighborhood, city, country, or the entire world; one can also imagine

Maintaining a balance

BY ZOE HACK ‘24

As we’re scarily onefifth of the way through the semester, I have taken some time to reflect on the past few weeks, as well as my entire college experience, seeing how it will be coming to an end so soon. Being in my final semester and seeing my peers engage in the job search, I couldn’t help but notice something. In the job search, one of the most common things that people look for is a good “work-life balance,” which, yes, of course, is something to strive for in our future jobs, but do we have this so-called “work-life balance” now while we’re still college students? For me, the answer would probably be no, not all the time. I definitely have the tendency to sometimes allow my work to overwhelm me, so here are some tips for getting that balance back and enjoying life while still being a good student.

I think the first part of this is actually determining what is important to you and what brings you a good quality of life, so in other words: setting some pri-

orities. For me, this would include finishing all of my assignments on time, giving myself ample time to prepare for exams, spending time with my friends, staying involved in campus organizations, having some time for hobbies, and being able to spontaneously decide to do something fun in the city. By reflecting to understand what is important to you, you will have a better picture of what your balance looks like so you can work towards it.

I definitely say this way too often, both in my writing and in real life, but use a calendar!! There are tons of different options that you can choose from, but I find that as a college student, Google Calendar has been the most useful for me. It’s something I can easily access and modify on my phone or my computer, and it makes it so that I can visualize my week to see where I can add in time to do the things I enjoy.

This tip is coming from the (nearly retired) campus leader in me: SET BOUNDARIES. A lot of times, this can be difficult when you are very passionate about the things you are involved in, but even just by setting a few simple boundaries, you can have more control over your life and how you choose to spend your time. One super simple boundary you can start adding into your life is setting a time to not respond to any emails after, so say after 6 p.m.,

using a graph to model the accounts on a social media platform, or a group of patients who may be connected by certain medical conditions or genetic traits. A goal now in modeling these social networks is to figure out whether different parts of the graph are highly or sparsely connected based on the aspects of the vertices.

Mathematically, highly connected subsets of a graph have an apt name: cliques. Cliques are a set of vertices where each one has an edge connected to all the others. Cliques all know each other, and if we’re using weighted graphs, the weights on the edges are especially high.

But, as you might expect, when we have large graphs – let’s say a graph that models every profile on a social media platform – it can be

really hard to find cliques by a brute-force approach of checking all the vertices and edges.

This is the intuitive reason why the problem of deciding whether a graph has a clique of a certain size is NP-complete; it would take another article to go into the technicalities of this term, but for now, it means that the problem poses a significant computational challenge. An alternative approach to deterministically figuring out where cliques are is to randomly generate huge graphs and see if they manifest similar behaviors to real-life social networks.

Of course, the generated graphs in this scheme aren’t completely random: they are created with some baseline rules in place. For instance, if we’re trying to

model the connections of a neighborhood, it’s very likely that two next-door neighbors know each other, but less likely that two people living on opposite sides of town do – or so it may seem. One of the most fascinating results to come out of social network modeling is that some models, based on their set of rules, allow for “small-world” phenomena, in which two people with vastly different backgrounds still have a decent likelihood of knowing each other through someone else. The phenomenon gets its name from people saying something like, “Wow, it’s a small world,” when they experience it.

This brings me to my last point, that there are multiple ways to construct social networks, and social media platforms have, in large

THAT’S A RED FLAG! Stevens’s red flags

you don’t bother to check your email (unless you are expecting something spe cific or get an urgent no tification). This gives you hours back each day that you don’t have to spend energy being “on call” constantly checking your email, and can contribute to a better balance.

In my experience, at least being friends with people who are very involved on campus, it can feel almost impossible to find time to hang out with people when we all have different sched ules. When it is just one person I’m trying to coordinate something with, we will just send each other screenshots of our weekly calendar (another reason Google Calendar can be very helpful), and then we can find a time that we are both free and block it out in our calendars. For larger groups of people, as silly as it sounds, I sometimes send out a “When2Meet” to figure out when everyone can hang out or we can all go to a restaurant together. In either case, once a time is figured out, I can put it in my calendar, and then it becomes a built-in part of the week. In some cases, when life can get super busy, it even makes sense to block out some personal free time in your calendar to do the things you enjoy. Either way, make sure to take the time to understand what balance looks like to you so you can strive to maintain it.

BY ANNA DABROWSKI ‘26

and negatives. Whether it’s the sparkling towers or the crusty old Edwin A. Stevens, certain features bring about a feeling of confusion, bewilderment, and even anger. So, let’s unpack the red flag features of our beloved buildings.

Starting out with the good old library. As someone who does not frequent there often, I can say this is because it is, simply put, ugly. From the dim lighting to the overwhelming feeling of chaotic openness, the ambiance feels simultaneously suffocating and lackluster. This feeling of anxiety only increases when you attempt to use the printer.

The MPK complex, home to the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, is one of the few buildings on campus where you can find a fellow woman due to the more balanced gender distribution. However, you will not be finding this fellow woman in the bathroom, because women’s restrooms do

not exist in the majority of the MPK complex. One of my favorite pastimes is leaving my class on the 3rd floor of Morton to walk the length of three buildings and two sky bridges in order to pee.

Every time the registrar releases the class locations for the upcoming semester, I hope and pray that I have a class in the basement of Gateway South. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have their 8 a.m. math recitation in a windy-maze-like basement that is also home to the commuter showers? Additionally, the toilet that never stops flushing is like music to every Stevens student’s ears.

What is the North Building? Rumor has it that every Stevens student is still trying to find it. I allegedly had a class there once, but I got lost somewhere between Edwin A. Stevens and MPK. But if you need any more convincing of the building’s malice, I’ve heard the desks in NB 105 are so sloped that your $2,000 laptop can conveniently slide onto the floor. Is it a stained cement block or a relic of the 1960s?

Hint: it’s both; it’s the Howe Center! Many things could be said about this building, like how the ghost of Colonel Johns roams at night or how the right elevator is currently completely covered with plywood, but personally, I would like to challenge you to find any specific administrative office.

Have you ever seen anyone get in or out of the middle elevator in Babbio? Me

part, been the constructors in recent years. Their model has been very siloing – users must have a profile for each platform, and the platforms rarely communicate with each other. Certain people in the tech world have pushed for better interaction across social media platforms, leading to rules such as the AT Protocol of BlueSky and others like ActivityPub and Nostr.

As is the case every week, last week’s Valentine’s Day issue had some great articles covering the importance of love for oneself as well as love towards and from others. Human connection, more generally, is what makes us distinctly human, and it is great to see mathematics lending a hand in describing how this connection arises across scales and facets of society.

neither, allegedly, it’s just an empty shaft. To be honest, it’s probably where Attila lives when she doesn’t have to attend sporting events. If you want to avoid accidentally impeding Attila’s residence, you could take the stairs! Except you can’t, because the stairs to each floor are cleverly disconnected from each other, meaning you have to walk the length of each floor before reaching the next staircase.

Finally, we have our fancy schmancy, state-of-the-art towers. Are you into podcasts? If you aren’t, I highly recommend getting into them if you are planning on living in these towers. The elevator wait requires you to pick up two or three additional hobbies for your hallway-elevator-waiting downtime. I actually have a solution to this red flag, though, that I would like the whole student body to consider! What if we make it a social rule that you can only press a button for a floor if the one for the floor below it or above it hasn’t been pressed? It’s not a big difference for you to walk from floor 11 to floor 12, and if everyone does this, then I feel like the elevator wait times in general will be so much faster.

Anyway, this article was mostly humorous, but it should be said that our campus is one of the most beautiful ones in America. From the skyline to the green spaces, we should be grateful to experience such beauty.

EVAN PAPAGEORGE FOR THE STUTE

What’s your favorite thing about Stevens?

Crossword by Jack Scherban

Barred Dropquote

ACROSS DOWN

Hidden Links Only Connect

Difficulty: Hard

Dhruv Kanchi ‘24 I like Pierce.”

Ankita Bhat ‘26

“The chlorine that emanates from the vents of the pool as you walk by Debaun field.”

Izzy Ritchie ‘25 “The cutest roving reporters on any college campus.”

Brian Galasso ‘25 “Sushi friday.”

Deanna Gaber ‘27 “The view.”

Taewon Yu ‘27 “The location.”

Shinjini Sharma ‘25 “I’m a commuter. So leaving.

Nick Palladino ‘24 “The bridges, they look cool.”