[The Stute] February 24, 2023 (Issue 18, Volume CXX)

Stevens to host inaugural Neon Nights beneft

BY AVA WANG, STAFF WRITER

Next Friday, March 3, 2023, Stevens will serve as the inaugural site for the Jed Foundation’s (JED’s) Neon Nights beneft. JED is a national nonproft organization dedicated to preventing suicide and protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death in 10 to 34 year olds nationwide, making the work of JED and Stevens students, such as Jenna Giesecke and Alicia Zajac, especially impactful.

From 7 to 10 p.m., students, staf, and faculty are invited to illuminate Stevens’ campus for mental health awareness. The night will open with speakers Adelle Caballero, Trafc Anchor for NBC4 New York’s Today in New York, and Stevens student Drew Carranti, voicing their lived mental health journeys. Opening remarks will be followed by a glow-in-the-dark parade

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DEBAUN PAC’S ROMEO & JULIET 100 days until graduation… what will

BY EMMA SPOONAUER, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

Believe it or not, graduation is just around the corner, and so are all the festivities that come with it.

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR

The DeBaun Performing Arts Center (PAC) presented its annual Shakespeare production last week, playing three performances of Romeo & Juliet from February 16 to 18. The perennial romantic tragedy was brought to life by director Dr. Bethany Reeves, Music Program Coordinator for PAC, with Cameron Cliford and Ju-

lia Wierzbicki headlining as Romeo and Juliet, respectively.

Audience members were treated to a story as familiar as it is adored: In Verona, Italy, Romeo Montague falls hopelessly in love with Juliet, who happens to be the daughter of the Capulet family, the bitter enemies of the Montagues. The violent feud, the cause of which nobody can remember, results in profound tragedy for their star-crossed children.

Romeo & Juliet marks the tenth year of DeBaun PAC’s Shakespeare production program, which has included performances of Hamlet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This year is PAC’s frst time workshopping what is perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous play.

As described by Dr. Reeves in the director’s note, “Romeo & Juliet is not so much a tragedy as a com-

Alpha Phi hosts annual Mr. Heartthrob

BY QUENTIN JIMENEZ, SCIENCE WRITER

Last week was Alpha Phi’s annual Heart Health Week, which was fve days of philanthropic events focused on raising money and awareness for women’s heart health, culminating in a male beauty pageant dubbed “Mr. Heartthrob.”

Men from each of the different campus fraternities were selected to compete against each other, but also to push the individual organizations towards contributing to women’s heart health by participating in the week's events.

The week began on Monday with a bake sale and bracelet-making event, which served as a way for participants to de-stress. Tuesday night was a Bingo event, and Wednesday was a healthy snack-making event, with over 200 healthy snacks made to be donated to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter. This allowed people to give back physically rather than monetarily. On Thursday, Alpha Phi hosted a Shufing class, showing people how to take care of their own heart health while still focusing on promoting awareness for women’s heart health.

Friday was the main

event, with hundreds of students from diferent organizations gathered in the new Techfex auditorium to watch the show. While there were signifcant technical difculties, the event organizers were able to continue the show and allow the contestants to display their skills and personalities, while also educating the audience about the realities of women’s cardiovascular disease. Each participant brought something unique to the table, from a live band, an original song, a comedy sketch, and several world record attempts. There was also a dance routine performed by sisters

of the sorority on behalf of TECHnique Dance Club, and an educational music number that promoted facts about women’s heart health. By the end, Alpha Phi announced they had raised more than they ever had before, with around $8000 going towards the Alpha Phi Foundation, a non-proft that benefts cardiovascular research in women and awards scholarships to their members. Overall, Alpha Phi held a successful week of philanthropy that not only raised money for a good cause but also put women’s heart health on the forefront of everyone’s minds.

edy that goes terribly, terribly wrong.” In fact, most of the play’s frst half had the audience in continuous laughter. The actor’s performances were aided by inspired and intelligent stage directions, which, according to the paper program, were composed as accurately to the original versions as possible through “text mining” the earliest published texts. The motion and interactio-

The Senior Week Committee has begun making plans for graduating students this year. Dr. Leo Pedraza, Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Undergraduate Student Life, and Thomas Gaudet, Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement, are co-advisors for the Senior Week Committee. The Stute conducted an interview with Pedraza to gain some insight into what this week will entail.

Pedraza explained that the frst step in the planning process is to identify dates that work best for the events. Then, he and the rest of the committee look back at previous senior weeks to identify what festivities were a

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Stevens Day of Giving launched on Founder's Day

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

The Stevens Institute of Technology was founded on February 15, 1870, by a bequest in the will of Edwin A. Stevens. Since then, philanthropy has continued to run throughout the school's history. To commemorate this act, the Stevens community supports the student, staf, faculty, and administration that calls Stevens home. This year, like many in the past, Stevens's Day of Giving was launched on February 15: Founder's Day.

Stevens Day of Giving is an annual fundraiser that benefts organizations across the Stevens community. Inspired by the philanthropy of Edwin A. Stevens over 150 years ago that brought Stevens into being, Stevens Day of Giving continues the founder’s legacy by raising money for programs and events and supporting the school's sense of community.

Many diferent programs receive funding from Stevens Day of Giving, ofering donors options of who will beneft from their gifts. One choice is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund,

which supports the Ofce of DEI in the events, services, and programs it ofers to the Stevens community. Another option for donors is to contribute to sports teams. Donations to the athletes at Stevens can help provide equipment, travel funding, and more. Donors can also choose to support The Student Mental Health Programs Fund, which sponsors initiatives that advocate for mental health on campus. Other possible donation destinations include individual social fraternities and sororities and the Vibrant Campus Fund, which works on capital projects like the UCC, Stevens Athletics Facilities, and sustainability around campus. Additionally, as seen on signs across campus, donations can also help student organizations like the Stevens Dramatic Society or The Stute!

Stevens launched a website allowing sponsors to view and donate to this year's Day of Giving. On the Day of Giving website, campaigns that are currently running are displayed, like the All Rise Challenge, the Day of Giving, and the Class

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF VOCK

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPHA PHI

100

Masthead

Volume CXX No. 18

Executive Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..............................SANJANA MADHU ‘23

BUSINESS MANAGER.......................JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23

MANAGING EDITOR............................. KEENAN YATES ‘24

LAYOUT EDITOR.........................................ISABELLA ZIV ‘24

OUTREACH CHAIR KATIE BLOOMER ‘25

DIGITAL MANAGER...............................BEMIN SHAKER ‘23

SECRETARY......................................ZANE THUMMBORST ‘23

Editorial Board

NEWS EDITOR.............................................OZ AGUINAGA ‘23

NEWS EDITOR.........................................BEN KNOBLOCH ‘25

FEATURE EDITOR..................................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25

SCIENCE EDITOR.........................................ERIN MCGEE ‘25

OPINION EDITOR.................................CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

SPORTS EDITOR........................................CHRISTA RUIZ ‘25

HEAD COPY EDITOR.....................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24

ASSIS. COPY EDITOR ISABELLA HAMM ‘25

ASSIS. LAYOUT EDITOR................NICOLE GIARDINO ‘25

Operations Board

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25

ASSISTANT BUS. MANAGER..........AVA BUONCUORE ‘25

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER............VANESSA HUERTA ‘23

Staff & Contributors

Advait Dantuluri

Ava Wang

Charles Beall

Christa Ruiz

Cole Gardelia

Emma Spoonauer

Ethan Kleschinsky

Evan Papageorge

Hima ummala

Itai Geller

Joey Ames

Kayden Cannilla

Katie Bloomer

Matthew Brantl

Nick Smith

Pooja Rajadurai

Quentin Jiminez

Rafael Lee Li

Ruthie Mullisky

Stephen Pachucki

Tanya Avadia

Tanishka Kapoor

Vitek Sabath

Zoe Hack

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

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

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

Policy

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

The Editorial Board reserves the right to choose whether or not to publish a submitted Op-Ed based on a majority rule vote, and additionally reserves the right to edit Op-Eds for clarity or request authors to revise. Provided that the author approves the fnal version, The Stute reserves the right to edit Op-Eds according to our copy editing procedures, defned in our policies.

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success and thoroughly enjoyed by Stevens students. They also brainstorm ideas for new events they can incorporate into the week. Pedraza comments, “It's a joy to work with the committee to help them plan out the Senior Week events.”

When asked what the committee had planned so far, Pedraza remarked that “the senior brunch

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through campus where volunteers and sponsors will be distributing free neon-colored apparel at “Glow Zones” stations adorning the parade’s route. The night will culminate in a neon-themed dance party—complete with black lights, a DJ, photos, and food—where each student will have the opportunity to “shine bright.”

Dr. Thea Zunick, Senior Manager of Community Engagement at JED and Project Manager of Neon Nights reported, “While the overarching goal is to raise money for the life-saving work that JED does every day, it was also essential for us to help students normalize conversations surrounding mental health.” Dr. Zunick pointed to the statistic that 70% of college students in New Jersey report experiencing higher levels of anxiety than a year ago, emphasizing the notion that post-pandemic, young adults need support more than ever.

Dr. Eric Rose, Executive Director of Wellness and Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, describes the Neon Nights beneft as “a chance for students to feel empowered — to do something tangible to support mental health for folks their age.” In the treatment of mental health, tangibility and visibility are hard to come by,

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onstage accompanied the writing so well that you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the dialogue was written over four centuries ago. Standout performances in this regard included Samantha Weckesser’s hilarious portrayal of Juliet’s bawdy and boisterous nurse, as well as Hissam Effendi’s genial and antic-prone Benvolio, Romeo’s best friend and seemingly the only voice of reason in Verona.

Performances like these and Ryder Bidwell’s blustering Mercutio injected levity into a show that many forget is largely driven by misfortune and violence. By the start of the show’s second half, which followed a 12-minute intermission, the mood of the play was transformed dramatically. Some of the most somber scenes were carried by acts like Kayleigh Kubit’s irascible Tybalt,

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of 2023 Class Gift. After choosing an event, donors can see the donation counter, some other sponsors, messages from the Stevens community, and other messages from and about the campaign. For

is always a fan favorite,” so they already booked that event in advance in the Halifax restaurant at the W Hotel. No other events are ofcially locked in yet since the committee is still in its early stages of planning, but Pedraza listed some ideas they have so far: “happy hour in Hoboken, a cap decorating event, an event at Barcade, Jersey City.” Pedraza also mentioned possibly planning what would be completely new events for senior week, a “‘Play! Hoboken’ recreation center for 50 days until

graduation” and a drag brunch. The Stute questioned Pedraza about his goals for senior week. Through these events, the committee wants to encourage students to donate to the Senior Gift Fund, money which goes towards “support[ing] services and programs on campus for student mental and emotional needs.” Overall, Pedraza and the rest of the committee hope to create fun opportunities for students to spend time with their friends as they prepare to say farewell to Stevens.

but dedicated Stevens students, alongside JED, have been working to overcome this challenge and empower those sufering. What stands out the most to Dr. Rose is “how positively involved and engaged the students on the planning committee have been.” Dr. Zunick echoed, “This generation, specifcally Generation Z, is poised to drive meaningful change. They believe in their individual power to make a diference, but they also demand that the organizations they are within do their part in building a better future.” Rose summarized, “Neon Nights is not only done by college students, it's done for college students.”

Stevens’ Neon Nights Glow Chair, Jenna Giesecke, has been overseeing the event’s coordination. The lead student coordinator has made quick work of tight deadlines and expressed gratitude for all of the student executive team’s hard work. Giesecke said that “The Jed Foundation wants to bring Neon Nights around college campuses across the country, beginning with Stevens,” and emphasized that Stevens’ Neon Nights beneft will be the frst of its kind. JED’s subsequent Neon Nights initiatives will take place at the University of Tampa and Ithaca College, reported Giesecke, who strives to set Steven’s precedential bar high.

Alicia Zajac, Stevens’ Neon Nights Logistics Chair, recalls her lived mental health journey as a

who dies at the hands of a vengeful and ashamed Romeo and later reappears as a phantom to a hysterical Juliet. Growing in significance over the course of the story is Michael Marnell’s hapless Friar Laurence, the wise and trustworthy confidant of Romeo, who is the first to despair of the consequences of the frantic passions that have consumed the feuding families.

Cameron Clifford and Julia Wierzbicki commanded the stage as the title characters and spanned both sides of its tonal shift. Their deliveries of some of the play’s most famous soliloquies helped audience members to remember the power and context of familiar lines. Wierzbicki’s Juliet deftly carried some of the funniest parts as she played the impatient youth off of her intractable aging nurse, while simultaneously navigating dark and traumatic scenes, including her ultimate suicide. Clifford, meanwhile, consistently communicated Romeo’s rash but authentic

example, for the 2023 Class gift, it’s noted that the frst 200 donors will receive a complementary Stevens pint glass. The Stevens community, consisting of students, staf, faculty, administrators, alumni, and friends of the university, is supported by numerous services, programs, events, and facilities. From sporting events to the School of

major contributing factor to her dedication to the initiative. “When I frst came to Stevens, I had my own personal mental health struggles. I was lucky enough to have such amazing resources available such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and I am extremely grateful for the people who helped me along the way.” Zajac has since gone on to receive her mental health frst aid certifcation and become a Peer Educator for CAPS. Zajac said, “My main goal is to have this fundraiser help those who are struggling, and give them hope that things will improve.” Personal connection and an investment in mental health is a common theme with Rose, Zunick, Giesecke and Zajac. These passionate leaders were all drawn to JED — a foundation founded by dedicated parents who lost their son to suicide in 1998. Passion invites passion.

Giesecke emphasized that “protecting our mental health allows us to access our true potential.” Students who wish to get involved are highly encouraged to register for the Neon Night Beneft online at neonnights.org. Fundraising is open now, with multiple Greek organizations, sports teams, and clubs already competing to claim their spot on the leaderboard. Help raise awareness for suicide prevention and make mental and emotional health more visible by illuminating Stevens campus next Friday.

love for Juliet, which ends in his like demise.

Dr. Reeves concludes the socalled “fatal flaw” of the play is ill-advised haste. In their mad rush to exercise their emotions, whether desperate love or irrational hate, the Montagues and Capulets ultimately ravage each other so completely that they have no choice but to accept a peace that has cost the lives of their son and daughter.

It’s a compelling message that might explain why the play has maintained such incredible longevity. Whatever the reason Romeo & Juliet still plays so often today, DeBaun PAC’s interpretation and execution of this classic story under Dr. Reeves does it justice.

Those interested in experiencing DeBaun PAC’s production of Romeo & Juliet for themselves will be able to watch a recording of one of the performances on PAC’s YouTube channel and can view production photos on DeBaun’s Flickr channel.

Engineering and Sciences Dean's Distinguished Lectures, donations can help support the institutions that make Stevens what it is. In commemoration of the legacy of the gift Edwin A. Stevens gave through the founding of this school, the Stevens community comes together to sponsor and support those who call Stevens home.

SANJANA MADHU FOR THE STUTE

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Alpha Phi Alpha on Black History Month: celebrating the past, present, and future

TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR

Alpha Phi Alpha, a fraternity for African American men, was frst established in 1906 at Cornell University and “boasts an incredible list of high-profle alumni — civil rights leaders, prominent legal and political fgures, scientists, writers, entertainers, athletes and more. Members of the national brotherhood have had an impact on just about every facet of society.”

In honor of Black History

Month, the Phi Theta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Stevens hosted two events throughout this month. The events were Know Your Rights and Know Our Roots through Musical History. In an interview with The Stute, Alpha Phi Alpha president Terrence Meekins II elaborated more on these events and celebrating Black History Month at Stevens.

When discussing the Know Your Rights event, Meekins noted, “In the climax of police brutality and [the] murder of Tyre Nichols, we wanted to do an event

that educated students on campus about ways to maintain themselves and behave during a trafc stop. The event was very informative and engaging but had lower attendance.”

As for the Know Our Roots through Musical History event, Meekins discussed the importance of learning about how Black history plays a role in music history. He described, “Music is one of the most important, widespread, and infuential parts of our society and wanted to learn more about how Black history has been involved in music history. With that, we wanted to explore how our African Roots have been a major inspiration to music all over the globe and its specifc impacts it had. We started at music from before slavery, to during slavery and how that inspired the Negro-Spirituals and gospel. This led to the beginning of the blues, which would be a major inspiration to almost all modern music we have today. The highlight of this event was the music and informational videos played, that brought analysis and understand-

Catching up with Black Student Union

ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER

Black History Month is a month that remembers the accomplishments and history of the black community. The theme for this year’s Black History Month is Black Resistance, which explores how black people have fought against previous and current disadvantages and oppression in numerous ways, as well as maintaining and protecting their successes and well-being.

The Black Student Union (BSU) is a Stevens organization open to all students and provides a space to embrace and enrich black culture on campus. This year, BSU has held multiple events, including the “Eddie Allen Aggregation Big Band,” where the College of Arts and Letters welcomed the Eddie Allen Aggregation jazz band to perform their program, “Before, During & Now: The African/ African American Journey into the United States,” “Black Power Mixtape Screening and Discussion,” where a film examining The Black Power Movement in American society from 19671975 through the lens of Swedish

filmmakers was viewed and analyzed, “High on the Hog Docuseries, Dinner, and Discussion,” where Graduate Student Life held a dinner and discussion of the Netflix series “High on the Hog” focusing on the formation of African-American foods,

“Know Your Rights,” an event that explains the rights people have while driving and getting pulled over by police, and “Know Our Roots Through Music,” an event that teaches how black culture has shaped music. Some other events include “Reading

Hour: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” where the famous Maya Angelou novel and poem

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” was read and analyzed, “BSU’s Wonder Women,” which celebrated women of color, and “Taste of Africa,” which allowed students to discover African Culture through indigenous music, dance, food, and games. In the future, BSU is planning to hold multiple fundraisers, including a fundraiser aiming to help black families that suffered from police brutality.

BSU has created a community that can celebrate black culture and the organization promotes discussions about the ongoing examples of racism occurring in STEM fields. There is a perpetual lack of diversity in white and male-dominated STEM-related fields, and nowadays many companies are trying to address this issue by implementing diversity programs.

Stevens is no exception in terms of anti-black racism. An anonymous source from the BSU retold an incident about slow police response time when a black professor had a medical emergency. The student also discussed the incident’s aftermath, the fact that people in the Stevens community don’t know about the incident, and how triggering it was to the black community at Stevens “since there’s already a history of a tainted relationship between black people and police officers.” To practice anti-racism, students should be aware of their own biases and can attend the “Anti-Racist Leadership” workshop hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to learn about how racism impacts everyday lives and how to be anti-racist.

ing of how the music is built, engaging the audience not only in the history, but the music’s structure and impact on society.”

Meekins continued to express how signifcant Black History Month is by emphasizing, “One thing we want the Stevens community to know about [B]lack [H] istory [M]onth is the importance of it and that it has truly infuenced and impacted our society. More than music and civil rights, but the way we dance, speak, give speeches, and show resistance and resilience. Black history is one of the most important parts of American history and for a long time it has been greatly overlooked. It is important to know the depths of history, understand it all and to make our future a better one for all of us!”

As Meekins mentioned previously, not every event, such as the Know Your Rights event, had high attendance numbers, despite its importance. He summarized, “One thing I would like to see is more outreach and collaboration between the cultured and general community. During our events

most people who came were those who were black, hispanic, or within the STEP and Cultural Greek communities that we mostly communicate with already. It would be amazing to have more of the general white population show interest and involvement with events like these because this history and information impacts all of us and we want to share it with everyone!”

So next year, be sure to check out the events at Stevens celebrating Black History Month, not just from Alpha Phi Alpha but from other organizations too! Black History Month ofers everyone an opportunity to participate in events that are engaging, meaningful, and informative. There is always more to learn here at Stevens, especially from our peers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRENCE MEEKINS

Feel the bad to experience the good

BY NICHOLAS SMITH, STAFF WRITER

Just last weekend I watched one of my best friends win the fencing national championships. For the last six years of my life, I have been a fencer. Fencing is a rather individual sport; winning lies solely on your shoulders at times but relying on your friends in the sport is essential to success. As I made quite a few friends in the fencing community, I was aforded the unique privilege of watching and supporting my friends through success, but also witnessing their demise.

When referencing how to deal with emotions, out of sight and out of mind is a tale many individuals have been taught. Emotional suppression is simply when we push our more uncomfortable emotions out of our minds. In thought, this sounds like a viable strategy. The emotions we are uncomfortable with or do not want to feel we should just push away. However, research has shown that avoiding our more uncomfortable emotions only amplifes them and can even have detrimental physical efects.

Something as extreme as a traumatic event or something less signifcant like losing a fencing tournament can create the space to not embrace the emotions you feel. In a study done with individuals with anxiety, there was a group of individuals that were being educated to embrace their emotions and accept them; the other group was being primed to reject their emotions as they came up. Both groups were then shown an explicitly provocative video and the group primed to reject their emotions, showed signifcantly higher signs of distress after the flm: their heart rates were faster, their pace of breath increased, and they saw skin conductance which includes sweaty palms, and goosebumps. Their accepting counterparts showed signifcantly faster return from distress after watching. These additional feelings that were felt by the rejectors are called psychological amplifcation. This is a process that makes us feel our physical signs of distress with the less favorable emotions like anxiety and sadness more strongly. There is a reason

the rejectors had greater feelings of anxiety and demonstrated more physical stress. When we do not accept our emotions, the suppression leads us to feel them more strongly. Research replicating this has long led to the same outcome.

The reason and greater danger of this is due to our restricted emotional capacity. The human brain is limited in every way possible. We have limited memory, a limited cognitive capacity, emotional capacity, and more. These limitations seem to make us inferior however, they are a great beneft. One of the benefts is we forget our bad days faster than our good ones. Even though in the moment those bad days and those tough losses feel more powerful, long term we are more likely to remember our greatest wins and our good days.

The Nobel Prize winning theory of bounded rationality told us that our brain can only process a certain number of stimuli at one moment to make a decision. Emotional capacity operates no diferently, we can only feel so many emotions at once. Any behaviors or habits of suppressing

will amplify and prolong those despairing feelings.

How can we help? Brant Burleson who served a 30-year tenure at Purdue University as a researcher and professor studied how we can best provide emotional support. His research found that the best method is called highly-person centered messages. This includes, “Explicitly recognize and legitimize the other’s feelings, help the other to articulate those feelings, elaborate reasons why those feelings might be felt, and assist the other to see how those feelings ft in a broader context.”

Burleson’s research is signifcant because it provides us with a framework regarding how to provide efective emotional support to help our friends feel their more challenging emotions. This is also proven efective in clinical trials with patients. Referencing research published in the National Library of Medicine, social emotional support has been shown to afect mortality from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and emphysema, while social support consistently led to better outcomes for

Stevens research uses AI to keep bridges safe

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

Here at Stevens, technology is an integral part of the school: from the curriculum, the founding mission, and the name. As a part of Stevens’ multi-disciplinary innovation, research at Stevens leads the world in government, industry, and academic development. Recently, one example from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering could change the world of transportation to be safer for generations to come with the help of innovative technology: artifcial intelligence (AI) analysis of the safety of bridges.

In a partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Stevens civil engineering professor Kaijian Liu and his colleagues have come together to research a revolutionary idea: a cutting-edge AI program

Amorphous ice

BY TANYA AVADIA, STAFF WRITER

Most people are familiar with the three states of matter of water: ice, liquid water, and water vapor. However, recently a team led by Alexander Rosu-Finsen at University College London (UCL) has created a new type of ice: medium-density amorphous ice. Amorphous ice has no structure; all the molecules are joined haphazardly together, whereas, with regular ice, the structure of the molecules is hexagonal. This is a big fnd as this type of ice follows the density and structure of liquid water.

In the last century, two previous types of amorphous ice were discovered: low-density amorphous ice and high-density amorphous ice. Low-density amorphous ice was discovered as water vapor froze on a very cold surface that was under -150 degrees Celsius. High-density amorphous ice is created by compressing regular ice under pressure at -150 degrees Celsius. Neither type of ice is common on Earth, but there is an abundance of them in space. The diference between these types of amorphous ice and the newly discovered one is that the densities of the low-density and high-density types are lower and higher, respectively, compared to the medium-density ice. The

that analyzes the health and safety of a bridge to determine its viability through an integration of diferent AI and machine learning processes along with multiple sources of data related to a bridge’s health.

Before professor Liu’s research, the National Bridge Inventory (NBI), an annual Department of Transportation-mandated evaluation that classifes bridges into broad condition categories, was the sole source of data for safety analyses of bridges. Professor Liu explained, “In our view, NBI data are certainly important but themselves alone are not sufcient to accurately predict dangerous conditions or failures [...] because NBI data do [does] not capture information about bridge defciencies and maintenance actions, which are detrimental to bridge conditions and deterioration.”

The diference, according to

newly created medium-density ice replicates the structure of liquid water the most.

The process with which this new form of ice was created was relatively simple. Scientists utilized a tool known as the ball mill which is normally used to grind materials while processing minerals. Here, the way the scientists used this technology was by putting regular ice and steel balls that were cooled at 77 degrees Kelvins inside of a container and shaking the container 20 times per second. The force on the ice would cause it to break down into a white powder.

Afterward, to study the molecular structure, the team fred X-rays at the powder and recorded how it bounced of. Christoph Salzmann, a chemist at UCL and a co-author of this study, explained how the powder’s density was similar to that of water and there was no coherent structure to this new form of ice.

Salzmann stated, “You’re looking at a very disordered material,” in response to the destroyed crystallized form.

While this process led scientists to discover a new form of amorphous ice, many questions still remain unanswered. Scientists are still unsure if the amorphous ice can be reproduced using the liquid form of water directly since regular ice was used in the experiment.

professor Liu, is using the entirety of the bridge inspection reports, which he said, “contain a wealth of detailed information about the types, quantities, severities, and causes of bridge defciencies, as well as the types of performed maintenance and the applied maintenance materials.”

Compared to NBI data, the reports allow for AI and computer programs to have much more variable data, which allows for a signifcant increase in the validity of long-term safety projection models.

The program the project is creating uses a recurrent neural network (RNN), where the large data sets from inspection reports and public data like temperature and weather The program virtually evolves bridge conditions far into the future and indexes the rate of safety from one, which means imminent failure predicted, to nine, which means

This also makes it difcult for them to determine the medium-density ice’s relationship to water as not all amorphous ice has a connection with its liquid state.

The implications of this study are many. The discovery of this version of ice can help better understand water as it is more complex to study than other liquids. Additionally, Salzmann discussed the use of these fndings in the study of the geophysics of the icy moons of some of the planets in our solar system. He theorizes that if the ice on the icy moons of Saturn or Jupiter start to rub together, they could end up producing the medium-density amorphous ice that was developed in the lab. Salzmann claimed, “There would be a massive collapse of the ice. It could have severe implications for the geophysics of the icy moons.”

In short, the discovery of medium-density amorphous ice could open up a new feld of study for researchers to look into. Since the creation of this form of ice has yet to be connected with liquid water it is presumably evident that scientists will frst try to see if it has ties to liquid water. Regardless of the fndings, the discovery and the additional studies done on medium-density amorphous ice will surely help researchers get closer to explaining the properties of water.

patients in an elderly population. It is important to note that this practice of providing highly person-centered support is a practice that is inclusive of all people and no situation renders them less useful. As we know men and women, and a variety of diferent races, religions, and cultures experience emotions diferently and process them very uniquely. It’s important to note though that various studies of these additional factors had no implications on these behaviors’ efcacy. Now, this may sound rather intuitive: feel your hard emotions, don’t shove them in a hole. But there is greater meaning behind embracing those more diffcult feelings. When we do not feel the negative emotions like resentment, remorse, or anxiety, we inhibit our ability to feel good emotions. The more negative ones will be amplifed and because of our limited cognitive and emotional capacity, we won’t experience joy, gratitude, and happiness. We live to experience those great feelings, do not fall into the trap of avoiding the bad because you will never be able to feel the greatest feelings of life.

excellent conditions. When the model was tested with over 2,600 bridges in Washington State, the program was accurate 90% of the time, nearly 20% more successful than other existing models.

The impacts of this new program are immense. Professor Liu explains that the program has signifcantly increased correct prediction rates and fewer outliers than standard models, allowing unsafe bridges to be identifed before they fail. Additionally, by increasing the amount of data the system can use to analyze the safety factors, like trafc rates and weather, the system can only become more accurate in predicting bridge conditions. Through this data, the system can recognize patterns and predict the conditions of bridges. Professor Liu explained, “Bridges with similar geometric, structural and construction characteristics could have distinctive deteriora-

tion patterns, depending on the specifc defciency conditions of a bridge and the kind of maintenance it received — in addition to its ambient trafc and weather [...] The NBI ratings alone do not sufciently capture and diferentiate the deterioration patterns of seemingly similar bridges.”

In civil engineering, bridges are perhaps the most involved, yet essential structures. Bridges like the George Washington Bridge allow nearly 300,000 people per day to cross the Hudson river. Yet, with so many cars, high wind conditions, and eroding water, bridges can be dangerous in unstable conditions. With the work of Professor Liu, unsafe bridges could be identifed long before they become hazardous. Professor Liu ofered, “This integrated data, from multiple sources, especially the inspection reports, make a real diference.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JED FOUNDATION

Baseball wins doubleheader against CCNY

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER

On Sunday, February 12, the Stevens baseball team hosted the City College of New York (CCNY) for a pair of games at Dobbelaar Field at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. The Ducks went 14-2 in the frst game of seven innings and 13-2 in the second game.

This doubleheader allowed for some impressive performances. Sophomores Zachary Boykin and Liam DeRubertis each hit a home run, marking Boykin’s frst career grand slam. Additionally, Boykin had eight runs batted in (RBI) and DeRubertis had two. Senior

Justin Doyle and frst-year Erik Sibbach each contributed strong performances from the pitcher’s mound. Doyle struck out four, walked one, and allowed only one earned run on seven hits. Sibbach allowed only two hits across fve scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked one.

Additionally, the Ducks found a lot of success at the plate. Sophomore Evan Pravato went four for six across both games, had two runs batted in, and stole a base while junior Frank Tonina scored four runs. Sophomore Colby Ching went two-for-two with one run batted in. Early in the frst game, sophomore Eli Somers hit a single

through the right side, marking the Ducks’ frst hit of the season, to allow senior Ben Tobio to move to second and eventually within scoring position after CCNY made a throwing error. DeRubertis hit a grounder out to short, allowing Tobio to score. Following up, senior Michael Reyes also grounded to short, allowing Somers to score.

The sixth inning of the frst game was particularly successful for the Ducks. They were already ahead 4-2, but they added an impressive 10 runs against CCNY’s three relief pitchers. Of these 10 runs, Boykin contributed three RBIs, including a two-RBI triple.

This game marked the colle -

Men’s Tennis opens their season splitting the Mary Washington Invitational

BY CHRISTA RUIZ, SPORTS EDITOR

On February 18 and 19, Men’s Tennis competed in the Mary Washington Invitational to kick of their spring season.

In the MAC Freedom preseason coaches poll released in late January, Stevens’ Men’s Tennis was named the league’s preseason favorite. As the two-time defending conference champions, Stevens received frst-place votes from all seven of the opposing head coaches.

On Saturday, the Ducks went up against Washington College of Maryland and won at a margin of 6-3. Junior Aashi Kulakarn and frst-year Max-William Kanz each won twice to lead the team. Junior Andrew He and sophomores Olof Persson, Sebastian Wroe and Vivek Harinarayan won once throughout the match.

The Ducks opened the day by winning two of the three doubles matches. Kanz and Wroe had an 8-4 win to secure the team’s frst point of the season. The second win also came at a margin of 8-4, this time being won by Kulakarni and

Harinarayan to claim the advantage heading into singles matches.

In the frst singles, Washington College evened the match at 2-2 with a straight-set victory. The teams were even again at 3-3 after splitting the fourth and ffth singles, where Kanz earned his second win of the day with a 6-2, 6-4 win.

The Ducks then had consecutive three-set victories at second, third, and sixth singles, crowning them winners of the match. Kulakarni, Persson, and He all won their matches in the second, third, and sixth singles, respectively. This victory moved the team to 1-0 on the season.

In light of his team’s performance, head coach Steve Gachko said, “Everyone stepped up and contributed to a big team win to kick of our season on the road.”

Gachko also added that the team was “all ready and excited to face a very tough Mary Washington team.”

On Sunday, the Ducks faced No. 18 University of Mary Washington, and lost at a margin of 7-2. Wroe had a notable performance on the day, with a straight-set victory at sixth singles. Kulakarni and Har-

inarayan also had an 8-7 victory at second doubles, which was the Ducks only doubles win. In the singles, Mary Washington won fve of the six matches. Wroe secured Stevens’ only win in singles play in a 7-5, 6-0 victory. The Ducks’ loss against Mary Washington moved them to 1-1 on the season.

Gachko stated that although the team did not have the ideal outcome against “a gritty Mary Washington squad,” he noted how “Se-

giate debuts of Kieran O’Brien, Daniel Roman, Alex Stillwell, Liam Houghton, and Dylan Fishbough. Additionally, this game marked the frst career starts for O’Brien, DeRubertis, Ching, Roman, and Victor Schilleci. Moreover, the Ducks were recognized following their impressive performances in these games. On Monday, February 13, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced their picks for the conference Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week. Boykin was named MAC Freedom Player of the Week, while Sibbach was named MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week.

WRESTLING

NCAA Southeast Regional Championship–Day 1 York, PA 11 a.m.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MAC Indoor Championships Day 2 Reading, PA Time TBD MAC Indoor Championships Day 2 Reading, PA Time TBD

bastian Wroe stepped up to fll in at No. 6 singles and came up with a decisive win. Aashi and Vivek continued their strong doubles play and never let their opponents get into the match all weekend.” Finally, he stated that the athletes “grew a lot as a team this weekend and [he is] proud of the efort we had.”

The next Men’s Tennis match will be against No. 29 Haverford College at the Edgewater Tennis Club on February 25.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD

vs Rutgers-Newark Campus

Hoboken, NJ 11 a.m.

BASEBALL vs Springfield College Springfield, MA 1 p.m.

MEN’S LACROSSE vs Ursinus College Collegeville, PA 3 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS

SOFTBALL vs Haverford College Edgewater, NJ 4 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tentative MAC Freedom Championship Final Details TBD

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tentative MAC Freedom Championship Final Details TBD

SUN, FEB 26

MEN’S FENCING

Temple Invitational Philadelphia, PA Time TBD

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD vs Misericordia University Hoboken, NJ 1 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs Juniata College Hoboken, NJ 5 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs Johns Hopkins University Edgewater, NJ 5 p.m.

WED, FEB 22 vs Hunter College

Weehawken, NJ 3 p.m.

SOFTBALL vs Hunter College Weehawken, NJ 5 p.m.

SOFTBALL vs Maritime College Throggs Neck, NY 7 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S LACROSSE vs Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

WOMEN’S TENNIS vs Kean University Hoboken, NJ 7 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY MIKE MCLAUGHLIN)

THE STUTE EDITORIAL

Living in the future and the past

The best thing about being Editor of The Stute is that it keeps me on top of my schedule — who knows what kind of chaos my life would delve into without Google Calendar and The Stute’s Assignment Tracker. But sometimes, these oh-so-helpful tools have me living in the future.

If you don’t already know, The Stute operates one week in the future. We assign articles for an issue of the newspaper one week in advance so that writers have enough time to reach out to sources, collect information, gather their thoughts, and write their articles. Often, this has the organization, especially the editorial board, thinking about next week’s issue well before this week’s issue is fnished.

I’m also living in the future, in the sense of trying to fgure out what my after-graduation plans are and where I’ll end up because I’m currently deciding between a few options. On top of this, I’m also fantasizing about what my

new apartment will look like, trying to refuel my motivation toward lost hobbies, and dreaming about what it’ll be like to move to a new city and meet new people from all over the country and the world. There’s so much unknown about the future. The last 21 years of my life have felt calculated, mapped out even. This is the frst time in my life that I feel like I truly have a choice in how I want to live my life, which is equally exciting as it is terrifying.

Now looking at the Assignment Tracker, where The Stute tracks all of the content we write, I see that there are only three more Editorials before our next election cycle, which happens towards the end of March. In other words, that means after this issue, I’ll only be writing for this column two more times.

Due to the realization of this, combined with the emails about commencement and the celebratory events leading up to graduation, I’ve become very nostalgic about my time at Stevens, and have spent

MIND OF A FRESHMAN Ambition

a decent amount of time refecting on the past.

First my freshmen year, I was so naive, yet ambitious in terms of how I approached my life. I wanted to make the most out of my experience and take advantage of all the resources made available by Stevens. I joined many clubs, spent countless hours in the library, and started to build meaningful relationships. I had dreams of traveling the world, “discovering myself,” and accomplishing something, without much direction in terms of what that something would be. Then, the pandemic sent me back home, where my life felt disrupted and stagnated, and I’m sure everyone can relate. I felt burnt out, and exhausted, but avoided my boredom by taking heavy courseloads. Coming back to Hoboken, the last three semesters have felt like a blur. I jumped into every experience and opportunity that came my way. I decided that my life should be equal parts enjoyment

and work, and that’s exactly what I tried to accomplish, and boy did I succeed. But yet at the end of the day, I felt drained, overstimulated, and jaded. I was overexerting myself, prioritizing life experiences and academics over my overall health and well-being.

At this point in my life, as I’m being pulled to the past through nostalgia and refection and to the future through The Stute and anticipation of graduating, I feel like I’m at a crossroads in my life. My mind sees a lengthy, fruitful path ahead of me, full of promise and zest. Behind me, there’s a collection of experiences from which I’ve learned so much and have helped me discover more about myself. For a while now, my thoughts have tumultuously oscillated between the two paths. No matter your academic year at Stevens, I’m sure everyone feels regular pulls to the past and the future. But while indulging the reminiscence and anticipation, don’t forget to live in the present.

Sanjana Madhu ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

BY TANISHKA KAPOOR ‘26

The unbelievably great weather in Hoboken came to an end with the start of drizzles and harsh winds this past weekend. While the warm sun gave a serotonin boost to everyone, we saw that nothing can last forever as the clouds covered the sky. Personally, I really enjoy the rain and the way it hits my window and creates a soothing atmosphere that never fails to put me to sleep. My favorite thing to do during this weather is to take a walk down to the pier, feel the cold droplets on my face, and stare at the skyline. Surprisingly, I have not gotten sick from doing this yet. The skyline tends to motivate me on days like this. Staring at the crooked and weirdly shaped buildings that somehow are so similar yet so diferent never fails to make me feel inspired. It reminds me of my ultimate goal of realizing

true independence through my career. As frst-year students, we feel immensely motivated to accomplish something. To change the world. There are days when I convince myself that I will leave a mark in whatever career path I chose to take. Sometimes I’m suddenly hit with the realization that I am in control of my own life, and I am the only one who should be truly living my life. As my CAL 105 professor said, “The world is our oyster so let’s do whatever we want.” While that thought is a little scary, it never fails to excite me. People will come and go, but you will always stick by you. I know, very philosophical, but the truth is that your career will give you back as much as you give it, which is something you can’t say about people. No shade.

Stevens is flled with dedicated and ambitious people who want to make a diference. But how do you diferentiate between ambitious and over-ambitious or unrealistic? I think oftentimes we want to accomplish so many goals that we overwhelm ourselves with unrealistic expectations. Other times, we set ourselves to accomplish something but leave it incomplete midway through. Think about the number of times

you took up the grand goal of changing yourself and going to the gym every day. How many times has that worked out? (Maybe this is a me problem). My point is that it should not be about how many things you have going on, but about how many things you can complete well and to your satisfaction. For this, you need discipline and dedication. A way to hold yourself accountable for the goals you set for yourself, and this is not easy to do.

This is especially a struggle for frst-year students since we aren’t really sure what we want from our life yet. We lean towards being more explorative and constantly search for ways to gain more experience. This can get tiring at times as we look for ways to fll up our time and be less “lost.” Maybe this is a distraction that keeps me away from thinking too much about what exactly I want to do.

So what have I learned from my overthinking? I have recently started to realize that it is okay to go with the fow of life. Very profound, I am aware. Do what makes you happy and focus on yourself because there is nothing else that really matters. Look at me sharing my heartfelt opinions.

BY CHARLES BEALL ‘22

I am quite lucky that, despite being a double major, I am fnished with most of the requirements to receive undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics after this semester. The grueling 18 or 20-credit semesters for the past two and a half years, with some additional summer courses sprinkled in, have paid of!

Now I only have two lecture courses this semester, and my two other “courses” are research credits for my senior research project. This is great because last semester I became rather stressed because I had very little time to work on this project.

The extra time does come with a bit of a caveat: I now have to plan out my research, which is mostly self-directed. My research advisor and I plan out tasks at our weekly meetings, and then it is my

Senior Design team ready to get started

BY OFF CENTER

With the Innovation Expo coming up in just over two months, one Senior Design team looking to get a head start held its first team meeting this week to lay out some team rules. The mixed-major team laid out some rules for who would be responsible for taking notes at meetings, scheduling meetings, and other administrative tasks. They also had a quick call with their advisor to get some ideas for projects they could work on for the rest of the semester.

The first task is going to be getting licenses and learning how to use some simulation and design software that they’ll need. Little do they know, they won’t actually get access

to it until the day before the final presentation, at which time they’ll have to do their entire project in a day. The software is also for simulating processes they have never learned about and requires floppy disks to store data. They will probably find out about the floppy disks in a couple of weeks and have to visit an antique store to get some.

We caught up with the group to get more of a timeline of their plans for the rest of the semester.

“Well over spring break we’re all going on a cruise together, so nothing is going to happen that week. And then we have another cruise planned for the week after. Actually, I think there’s like five week long cruises that we’ve planned in the re -

maining nine weeks,” the group member in charge of time-sensitive lab experiments told us. “I think someone will have to go into the lab and take manual readings from the Positron Emission Topography Actiniometer 8540 for us. Maybe my roommate will be willing to.”

We checked with the roommate who said “what is a Positron Emission Topography Actinometer 8540,” and then we said, “not sure, sounds made up.”

Part of the problem might be their project. With four majors involved, the plan to design a medical device for breathing that also can move robotic arms to simulate body language over zoom while predicting properties of a solids mixing operation

job to structure my time in order to make progress on the tasks. What’s even more difcult is that we’re exploring new territory at this point, so it is hard to say whether the progress I make is indeed correct.

Moreover, it is very easy to get side-tracked with topics that seem to be related to the research, but may not really be. I did this over the past couple of weeks by looking at a diferent problem-solving approach to the topic of my project, but after talking about it with my advisor, we decided to stick with our original approach.

I was worried I had done something wrong by going down this rabbit hole, but my advisor also provided some encouragement (something she’s great at doing, and for which I’m deeply grateful). I had taken some initiative by looking at this new approach, and my ideas made sense according to my advisor. Even though we decided to not go further with this approach, these words of encouragement gave me a confdence boost for continuing work on the original approach.

And I think the even more important takeaway from discussions with my advisor is that this project doesn’t have to be the most groundbreak-

ing research in the world. Research in general is all about incremental progress — to truly understand new frontiers of a topic, you frst need to carefully and thoroughly tread through them.

So, while my research project will be presented in two months at the Innovation Expo, my main focus should be to make that incremental progress, and that way, I should still have a good deal of solid work to report on by the end of the semester. And after I graduate, there’s nothing stopping me from continuing work on the project, and eventually building small progress into more substantial fndings.

Not all things are like this kind of research — deadlines can be hard and professors, managers, or bosses may demand something be done quickly, but in projects where there is this increased fexibility of time constraints, I would recommend taking a similar approach. Small progress is more impressive than you think and can lead to big results as long as you are patient, curious, and dedicated. I hope that this strategy for project completion will yield you success, and what’s more, higher levels of fulfllment and lower levels of stress.

and also being a website at the same time made it a little difficult to make much progress. Because how would all of that happen at once? “Honestly, we have no idea how this is going to work. The plan for our poster is just to take some pictures of cool sciency-looking things that may or may not have been involved in our project and just tell anyone who will listen about how revolutionary it is.”

Things only got worse when they lost their binder. A few days after our first interview with whoever seemed to be the leader for that week, the binder with all their notes mysteriously disappeared.

“All our minutes! Literally minutes of work have been lost! There’s no way we can remember who was

supposed to schedule the next meeting again. We won’t be able to have literally any more meetings,” they told us frantically. We were a little confused because all four of them were there and could have had another planning meeting right then, but apparently, that was out of the question. We do wish this group the best of luck as they try to do an entire project in a third of the time, but we’ve decided to stop answering their calls because we don’t know anything about the project they’re now asking us for help on. We’re so excited to see all the cool pictures and software screenshots that were most likely made in PowerPoint on their poster and see how they tie everything together.

SENIORITIS

I’ve found time for my senior research! Now what?

SUSTAINABILITY

Sickness and sustainability

tion that is causing a variety of symptoms afecting everything from my eyes and ears to nose and throat. In addition to specifc problems, I generally feel more tired and less motivated.

Opinion

ADVICE TO BROKE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Afordability in the city

BY KATIE BLOOMER ‘25

Unfortunately, a bunch of college students living in tight quarters results in a constant cycle of being sick, recovering, and getting the next illness that comes around. The fact that some people are just learning about the importance of cleaning and basic hygiene does not really help the problem. Being a few states away from home means I can’t just jump in a car and go back to my house when I’m sick. Instead of focusing on recovery, being sick at college means picking up my own prescriptions, cooking, cleaning, and keeping up with schoolwork. Unfortunately, this is something all students can probably relate to. Regardless of whether you are in college or not, being sick often uses a lot of extra resources which means more waste. Even continuing established sustainable habits can feel impossible when dealing with the added work of recovering from sickness.

This week I have been dealing with a sinus infec-

Simple tasks like washing dishes are exhausting and it’s a tiny bit tempting to just switch to disposable plastic utensils and paper plates for the time being. Despite the appeal of less work, I can’t justify the massive amount of unnecessary waste that would create. Luckily, I don’t have any of these items in my room and the only thing that sounds worse than washing dishes is taking a trip to the store and spending money on things I don’t need. Although I haven’t resorted to disposable paper products, I have started to slack in other ways. For example, I am relying on takeout food from my school meal plan. This means a lot of my meals are coming in single use boxes instead of the limited waste created when I cook my own meals. Additionally, I have consumed more ice pops and bottles of Gatorade in the past week than I usually would in six months. Technically, if I want to be the most low waste I can, I shouldn’t be having these products, but they are keeping me hydrated, so I’m not going to stop.

There are so many parts of being sick that use more resources but shouldn’t be messed with. For example, medication often comes

NOT FINANCIAL TIMES (NFT)

in plastic bottles or blister packs which have limited recycling options. Not taking the proper medication is silly and it’s not worth risking your health to reduce a few pieces of plastic. Instead, look into recycling programs that accept hard to recycle items. Other items, like tissues, are also nearly impossible to avoid. The obvious alternative is a handkerchief that can be washed and reused. I have tried these a few times and I am not interested in using them on a regular basis. Some swaps just don’t work for people, and that is ok because I put my time and efort towards other swaps that are better for who I am.

Your best is enough and what is your full efort one week might not be possible the next, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t giving it your all. Sometimes when I write these posts I question my true audience. Am I writing for you or is it more for myself? I think that everyone can use a little boost at times and if my article can do that for you, then it was worth writing. My main point is try to give yourself the same kindness and forgiveness that you give others. The world is not going to be saved by using fewer tissues, but it might be a little bit better with more kindness. I realize how cheesy that sounds, but it’s the truth.

BY HIMA THUMMALA ‘26

Welcome to the Big Apple! Where your dreams are big, and the gaping void in your pocket is even bigger! Everyone all over the world dreams of visiting New York City at least one time in their lives. Whether it’s for the typical tourist attractions, ranging from visiting Times Square to Central Park, or it’s to experience the thrill of riding a subway, or maybe just to say that you’ve been to the city before. Whatever the reason may be, the average person with the average salary can reach the general consensus that being in the city is very much so expensive. There are so many fun activities to partake in within NYC, much of the reason why people attend Stevens, but unfortunately “taking advantage of the city” can only be done to an extent. Luckily, there are choices that can be made to help you get the renowned NYC experience at an afordable price. One of the trickiest things for a tourist is fnding their way around, which means that they need a reli-

able form of transportation. Especially with the jampacked roads which have miles of trafc that make it difcult for one to drive in the city. Many think that they can beat this hustle and bustle by just walking, but when traveling long distances on foot, it can be draining, robbing your chance of enjoyment to its fullest extent. People are also drawn to the typical NYC romanticization of getting a taxi ride, as seen on TV shows such as Gossip Girl and How I Met Your Mother, but they really can do more damage than good when it comes to their high fares. This is why it is best to opt for the subway system. The subway has existed since the early 1900s and is still in constant and popular use over a century later. The intricate-looking—but not so intricate—maps help New Yorkers get to and from on a daily basis. So if you really want to experience the authenticity of a local’s transportation methods, give the subway a go (just make sure you do your research beforehand so you don’t get lost). Furthermore, the bus is a less unique, but still effective, way to arrive at your destination. And don’t forget about the Citi Bike! It’s a cheap, fun, and healthy alternative to other vehicles which consists of a biking system special to NYC. You simply pay and ride a bike, and return to your closest station after use. Overall, just make sure to choose a

travel option that resonates with you and your comfort levels.

With all this traveling, you are sure to build up an appetite. One can always bring food from home, but it is also important to incorporate the city’s food into your diet if you want to get the full experience. Luckily, the city is known for its afordable food, such as $1 pizza, hot dog stands, halal carts, and more. But it is crucial to research beforehand, especially if purchasing from less-known places. This can be done by looking at online reviews, asking around, and making sure their health code is up to date. Also, it’s benefcial to keep an eye out prior to your trip for deals and/or coupons for meal options. Or if you have had a specifc spot in mind, save up to splurge at that place you have always wanted to go!

It is important to remember that your time is money in a busy place like New York City as there is always something new to do or see. So it’s pivotal to create an itinerary to ensure a productive and fun time, while also avoiding any expensive mishaps that could be prevented. Overall, NYC is an adventurous place with countless opportunities to explore, enjoy, and make memories. And if done right, it can help you do all of these for a cheaper price, which is not a luxury in all cities.

Broadcom-VMware

deal extends close date by 90 days

ware.

Dell benefts from their laptops having Intel’s chips — as there are sets of customers that desire one or the other but would not necessarily purchase both separately.

BY JOSEPH AMES ‘22

Originally announced back in May, cloud computing company VMware and chipmaker Broadcom’s $61B deal is being pushed back an additional 90 days due to regulatory considerations.

The original deal centered around the strategy of vendor consolidation, which is a supply chain strategy utilized by high-growth companies in selecting from whom they purchase their products. Take, for example, the relationship between Dell and Intel. Dell frequently utilizes Intel’s processors in their laptops. Intel benefts from their chips being used in Dell’s laptops and

This strategy is fairly common in IT and enterprise systems — especially given the emphasis on quick-scaling and afordable prices businesses demand from their software providers.

As for VMware and Broadcom, the former was originally under the Dell umbrella of products — specializing in visualization, storage, and public cloud infrastructure. Broadcom is a major chip manufacturer, which provides processors that help to link connecting servers to storage devices.

The deal made perfect sense for Broadcom; acquire a service provider that has gained the favor of many data service companies such as NetApp and HP and leverage that into more distribution channels for their chips as well as leverage their own distribution channels into more SaaS revenue for VM

However, the plan may be too perfect as regulatory scrutiny has come in from far and wide regarding the deal. Big tech mergers always attract regulatory attention, but VMware’s situation seems diferent. While it has prevailed thus far without any holdups in the US regulatory environment, the EU has been in the midst of antitrust probes into Broadcom’s acquisition for months now.

The main concerns center around Broadcom’s potential to degrade VMware’s software for competing chip providers as well as limit the ability of its rivals to utilize VMware’s software.

The probe is expected to come to a conclusion around May 11, at which point a decision will be made as to whether the acquisition can proceed as planned. No matter what direction the result goes in, the cloud computing landscape certainly is holding its breath in anticipation of what is to come.

MUSIC TO MY EARS

New Jersey’s role in the history of recorded music

recorded and distributed, rather than only experienced live. Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 in Menlo Park, initially using a needle to make scratches on tinfoil-wrapped cylinders that could only be played back a few times before tearing.

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

New Jersey may not be the frst or most glamorous place you think of when considering places important to music history, but Thomas Edison’s phonograph was the frst time music was able to be

His idea was originally for a dictation machine, and after patenting the phonograph did not return to the idea of improving the durability or the sound quality until 1887, when he started producing wax cylinders, instead of the fimsy tin. He sold and improved the formula for blank wax cylinders to both the con -

sumer at home for personal use and to competing recording companies like Columbia Records. Edison’s studio in West Orange, NJ, was the leading producer of audio recording equipment, as such many of the world’s best artists came to New Jersey to record.

The design of the phonograph required a sound to be funneled into the machine, which left signifcant background noise.

To combat this, enormous and expensive horns that could surround the instruments and players were constructed to keep out as much noise as possible. The picture aside is of Edison’s

125-foot-long brass horn, which strikes me more as a sewage pipe than recording equipment. It’s completely understandable that this machine was dismantled in 1942 to recycle the brass for the WWII eforts. A more typical recording session is seen in the picture below, where the output of the instrument would be ftted to a horn and fed into the cylinder to be recorded. A little-known fact about Edison is that he was almost completely deaf, yet he had strong opinions about the music that was recorded in his studio. He believed he owned the rights to all music record-

ed on his machines and did not include the artists’ names on his recordings until 1910. Despite being hard of hearing, he had incredible pitch, making him very strict with artists during recording sessions. In one case, he insisted a world-renowned pianist had missed a note and that the recording would need to be restarted, and when the recording was played back with the note indeed missed, the insulted musician stormed out. He was also known to despise vibrato and disregarded distinguished violinists on that account.

Edison’s contributions

to music history are little known, though signifcant. With his invention, people could record and listen to their own work again, preserving performances for centuries. Edison regarded the phonograph as his favorite invention, calling it his “baby” and predicting its impact, saying it would “support me in my old age.” It’s interesting to see the origins of recorded music, especially the contrast between analog and digital music. There’s something special about the true replica of a voice that hasn’t spoken for over 100 years.

BY ITAI

It is undeniable that art is one of the most infuential mediums of expression. When we produce art, regardless of our skill or talent, we expose our emotions through the mediums we choose. The catharsis of art makes every piece unique, regardless of how simplistic it may seem. An artist’s internal confict is splayed out on a canvas for the world to see, or at least those who they choose to show it to. Artists often embrace and channel feelings of sensuality, resentment, or euphoria when they create. This allows them to escape their feelings while also giving them a volume in which their emotions and ideas can freely exist. Certain artists understand this better than others, particularly those who have existed through confict, discrimination, and trauma. One of those artists is Charles White, who famously said, “Art is an integral part of the struggle…It must ally itself with forces of liberation.”

Charles White was an infuential African Ameri-

can painter and printmaker from Chicago who confronted the social issues faced by African Americans in the United States during the twentieth century. He exposed the harsh truths of African American life and showcased the uniqueness of African American culture through the lens of social realism. Throughout his life, White directly experienced discrimination and cruelty in his personal life and professional career. He was born into an unstable family; his father passed away early, causing his mother to remarry to an abusive alcoholic steel mill worker. This was when a young Charles found an escape in art, taking classes at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Growing up, White initially hid his passion for art, but eventually started showcasing his art at exhibits when he was fourteen. Unfortunately, he was often snubbed out of recognition in favor of white artists, as was often the case for the time. When attending high school, White grew increasingly more aware of his unjust social reality; school systems refused to teach about important African American fgures from the Harlem Renaissance, causing White to obtain rebellious social views which he would later showcase in his celebrated pieces. Failing out of high school due to his rejection of the corrupt education system, White was denied a position at both of

the art schools he obtained scholarships to and instead chose to pursue his passion at the Art Institute of Chicago. He would go on to channel his resentment towards the cruelty and humiliation of the Jim Crow era-South through his art, producing pieces that would make their way into famous collections such as the National Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art.

My favorite artwork from Charles White is Hope for the Future, a powerful lithograph piece that depicts a black mother holding her child while sitting in front of a window. In the background, a noose is hanging from the tree outside, depicting the violent nature of racism in the south. I think this piece is particularly moving because of its brutal reality; it addresses the contempt displayed by white Americans towards the actions of the Klu Klux Klan and other racist movements in twentieth-century America. I admire White’s exaggerated approach to anatomy, it gives his pieces a lot of character. This makes it difcult to distract from the true meaning of the piece, while still focusing on the plight of the fgures in the foreground. These fgures are also more defned because of White’s masterful attention to detail; his shading technique is brilliant, using a variety of cross-hatching methods to give the fgures defnition.

The way a movie is shot can go a long way in creating a memorable viewing experience. Last semester I reviewed the war epic 1917, which was shot in such a way as to make the entire

two hour film seem like one unbroken shot. Another uniquely shot film was 2018’s Searching, starring John Cho as a father who is trying to find his missing teenage daughter. All the events in Searching are shown through computer screens and smartphones, a genre of visual storytelling known as a screen life film. Searching was a major success, and its reception was positive enough that it has gotten a standalone sequel, titled Missing, which is currently in theaters and is the film I have chosen to review for this issue.

Whereas Searching told the story of a parent looking for their missing child, in Missing, those roles are reversed, as it is Storm Reid’s June looking for answers as to where her mother went after disappearing on vacation with her boyfriend. Storm Reid gives a great leading performance as June, and the fact that the cinematography allows us as the audience to both hear the words she is saying as well as see her actions on her computer screen adds an interesting layer of depth to her character. While I’m talking about the acting, I cannot go without mentioning Joaquim de Almeida’s performance as gig worker Javier, who steals every scene he is in with his comedic timing as well as a few great dramatic beats.

To say Missing kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its runtime would be a slight understatement, as it has enough twists and turns to keep you interested as to what will happen next. Although I will say at times the film’s twists get very close to going a bit over the top. Regardless, I really enjoyed this movie, and if you’re into true crime or thrillers, I’d definitely give Missing, and by extension, it’s standalone prequel Searching, a big recommendation.

GELLER ‘26 BY COLE GARDELLA ‘24

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Charles Wilbert White

SPOILER ALERT Missing

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Comic Corner

Vitek Sabath

Hinge, #corecore, and Wafe House

BY POOJA RAJADURAI ‘23

I got my eyebrows done for the frst time in over a month when I went home for the long weekend. I kept looking at myself in all the mirrors in Macy’s after leaving the eyebrow salon in the mall. My friend noticed and asked me if I thought I had a new face. I laughed. The eyebrow lady had asked him if he wanted to do his eyebrows and he said no, so he couldn’t possibly understand my enthusiasm.

Most days I wonder if anyone can really understand me or if they pretend to because we’re all secretly masking the fact that our own thoughts are unintelligible to ourselves. I wonder if when we talk to each other

we collectively meet on this metaphysical plane where the gibberish of our brains takes an agreed upon form only to melt away as soon as we leave each other. Maybe that’s why there are always two versions to every story. I notice this especially on dating apps, where for some reason it seems that it is normal to firt unconsciously for days at a time, stalling before our schedule clears up long enough to entertain a gibberish conversation in person. I have an account anyways, if at least for the notion that human interaction gives life meaning. I think about this the way I think about god. Whether or not there is a god, there’s no harm in praying to him; whether or not human interaction is what gives life meaning, there’s no harm in loving people.

Gen Z has a hard time with the meaning of life. Indeed, nihilism has become a popular trend among my peers. I can’t say I blame us very much. Regardless of how much we want to tailor our feeds to show us the aesthetics we’ve convinced

HISTORY OF THE DUCKS

ourselves we embody, the calamities of every part of the world seep into our everyday existence, making depression a virtual trend and anxiety relatable. So we turn to Nietsche, hoping that the belief in nothingness will ofset present concerns while clearing up enough brain space to start anew. We take comfort in the idea that there is no meaning in life, and this frees us to look at the world a little more objectively, making us the most informed and conscientious generation of consumers in modern capitalist society. One can fnd proof of this in all sorts of marketing studies, but most interestingly in the #corecore movement on Tiktok, the Gen Z media platform of choice. Likened to the Dada movement, these movements aim to confate news, elements of nostalgia (or anxiety), music, and popular videos to produce a visual experience that represents our state and stake in the world. Anything can be nothing and everything at once. Hoping the trend doesn’t fall victim

to anti-intellectualism, art critics and young philosophers try to redefne the movement over and over again. I can’t tell if it’s genius or just meta.

Anything can be nothing and everything at once, but also anything else. One of my professors likes to say that art history arose from the advent of photography, which allowed people, for the frst time, to decontextualize elements of diferent cultures and analyze them in ways that remarked on the human condition frst and the culture second. Decontextualization and confation have become tenets of the media experience, allowing us to believe in relationships between totally unrelated things that have been promoted under the guise of creativity. Under what other principle would the New York Times publish an article arguing for the similarities between a Wafe House brawl and an Edward Hopper painting? Will wonders never cease!

In any case, my eyebrows look great.

Morton Memorial Laboratory of Chemistry: the building to honor a man

LIFESTYLE

HACKS

Learning to ask for help

things you can do.

As far as available academic resources for when you need help, going to office hours for your professor and TAs is a great start. Not sure what to ask or even where to start?

BY ZOE HACK ‘24

I always like to write an article like this around this point in the semester as almost everything has picked up, and—for me at least—stress levels are high and the motivation to fight burnout is low. So, when the overwhelming feelings of stress get to you, remember that it is absolutely okay to ask for help.

Maybe ask about a homework or test question you got wrong and how to approach something like it in the future. Beyond this, the Academic Support Center has tutors for most classes with students who’ve been in the same shoes as you and will know how to help. Outside of campus, there are so many free online resources available to students. I often get so caught up in all of my work that I forget that I can find an instructional youtube video on whatever topic I am struggling on.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE ‘26

The early years of Stevens’ history are one of growth, development, and achievement. Producing generations of innovators and engineers that would change the world, Stevens quickly grew into a respected institution. However, the school’s rapid growth would not have been possible without its frst president, Dr. Henry Morton. Sadly, Dr. Morton passed away in 1902 at the age of 65. To honor his life, Stevens renamed the planned Alumni Building to the Morton Memorial Laboratory of Chemistry.

When the school frst began, it consisted only of Edwin A. Stevens Hall. However, as seen with the Carnegie Lab, the school needed more space. Dr. Morton established the Alumni Fund to build the then-named Alumni Hall, for which he was a leading benefactor. Dr. Mor-

ton was much involved in architecture and the design of what was then called the Alumni Chemical Hall. In fact, Dr. Morton came up with the idea to have unique chimney designs to ofer the appearance of a chemical lab and to provide good circulation from fume hoods within — a design facet included in the still-standing building today.

Shortly before Dr. Morton was struck fatally ill, the building was ready for construction. Blueprints for the building were designed in part by Stevens Alum, Ackerman (1891), and Ross. The site was chosen on the northeast side of the block as the Edwin A. Stevens building near where the Burchard Building is today. As Dr. Morton’s health declined, he pushed for the building to be constructed. Professor Jacobus remembers Dr. Morton regarded the building as his “fnal efort.”

After Dr. Morton’s death, the building was renamed to honor him and redesigned to be longer, three-story, and basementless with a new site chosen—its current location—to, as Professor Jacobus described, make it “look more imposing.”

Dr. Morton’s successor, Dr. Humphreys, advocated

DEAR CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

for a building as grand as the man it commemorated with an exterior design of hardburnt bricks, oak furniture on the interior, and quarter-oak trim. The interior design was by then-chemical professors Dr. Pond and Professor Pryor, with lecture halls with preparation rooms, blackboards, and a state-ofthe-art down-draught ventilation system to allow many students to conduct chemical experiments simultaneously.

The dedication ceremony was on the afternoon of June 13, 1906. The proceedings included remarks by President Humphreys, a prayer by Rev. J Clayton Mitchell, and a tablet afxed to the building’s exterior by the president of

the Alumni Association, Professor William H. Bristol. Since then, Morton Laboratory of Chemistry has stood as a focal point on campus. Today, the Morton Laboratory is part of the MPK complex (Morton-Peirce-Kiddie) and is home to the College of Arts of Letters. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 2022, for signifcant contributions to architectural history. So if you happen to fnd yourself playing piano on the frst foor or visiting the Writing and Communications Center on the second foor, remember the legacy of the remarkable man the building is dedicated to — Dr. Henry Morton.

In the past (embarrassingly, in the pretty recent past), I have viewed asking for help as a weakness. I didn’t like the idea of admitting that I wasn’t able to do something on my own, so not asking for help seemed to be the easier solution. When I say asking for help, I don’t just mean with academic material; asking for help in any aspect of your life can immensely improve your situation. Scientifically speaking, most natural processes require a certain energy input, so if in order to reach a goal you need a little boost of help to get started, that is absolutely reasonable and, in nature, expected.

As far as school work goes, attending a professor’s office hours or voicing your questions in class can be extremely beneficial, but that doesn’t always work for everyone. Sometimes you can find yourself in a place where you don’t even know what questions to ask to get the help you need. I’ve definitely been there and know how helpless you can feel in such a situation. That moment when you feel weak is where you can make one of the strongest decisions: asking for help. Whether it be making a point to reach out to others in your class to collaborate on work or getting a tutor, asking for help when you feel helpless is one of the strongest

As well as academic resources, there are also many accessible mental health resources both on and off campus. CAPS is a great place to start, being free and on campus and having many outside resources and referrals. Asking for help can sometimes feel less scary if you are asking someone who does not know you personally and can offer a great deal of objective advice and support. Doing this also allows you to kind of take a step back while you explain your situation to someone who is not already aware of it.

Especially given the recent movement to break down all stigmas about mental health, it is important to be a part of the conversation, be aware of the resources available to you, and speak up if you are in need of help. Chances are high that the people you surround yourself with will do everything they can to help you and see that you’re getting the support that you need.

In all aspects of your life, make sure to check in on those around you, because chances are that if you are afraid to ask for help, others are too, so creating an environment of love, acceptance, and support is the best way to promote the growth of yourself and others around you.

Q: Why does this template look so good?

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

While I don’t currently have a meal plan, I remember two years ago, as a freshman, having to fgure out what to do with my absurdly large meal plan. I can recall doing the math around this

time of the year and realizing that I would have to get more than three meals a day to go through all of my dining dollars, meal swipes, and snack swipes. It was nice not to have to worry about running out of food, but I also felt guilty that I wasn’t using all of my very expensive meal plan. Ultimately, I didn’t end up using all of my plan, ending the year with about 70 meal swipes unused. In the time since then, I’ve learned a few tricks that I wished I had used my frst year at Stevens. One is: take advantage of the opportunities Stevens gives you to use up your swipes on things other than

food. Every year, Stevens advertises ways to use up your swipes in creative ways like donating to food banks or ordering whole take-out pizzas from the dining hall. Another way, and my personal favorite, is to guest swipe upperclassmen who don’t have meal plans into Pierce. I promise you that if you offer any of-campus upperclassmen free food, they will almost always say yes unless they’re already getting free food from someone else. At the end of the day, the best way to get the most value out of your money is to not purchase a meal plan after freshman year.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24

The Tera Bite meal plan consists of 230 regular meal swipes, and with 118 days in the semester from the frst class to the last fnal, it is reasonable to assume that you will not get rid of all of

your swipes and get the most out of your meal plan. We’re almost halfway through the semester and I know you’re not nearly halfway through your meal plan, so here are some ways to get rid of your spare meal swipes. You could always get your upperclassmen friends (like me) a meal when they’re in need or just use your swipes to buy cases of water and snacks — but that’s no fun. Personally, if I had a surplus of swipes, the frst thing I would do is swipe myself into the dining hall and carry out as many apples as I could, and then do it again later when they restock. “What are you do-

ing with these apples?” you may be asking. I would take them to the cannon lookout and throw them as hard as I could and try to reach the Hudson River. As appealing as this sounds, I, unfortunately, do not have a surplus of swipes, so I am encouraging you to do this instead. You could also choose to give out the apples to people around Hoboken that you think could use a pickme-up. If borderline apple theft doesn’t appeal to you I would recommend just trying to eat as much food on campus as you can. You already paid for it, so might as well use it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAMUEL C. WILLIAMS LIBRARY AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li

LAST

Kevin Castner Jr. ‘24 “Doing the best I can each day.”

Chloe Brenna ‘24 “I’m literally getting Roving Reporter-ed right now. I’m good! Just busy…”

Ajay Movva ‘24 “Fantastic. Ignore your work, it’s all mental.”

Chris Stathopoulos ‘25 “*sighs*”

Gabriella Molinaro ‘26 “Overwhelmed with trying to balance my time well.”

Michelle Malen ‘25 “Could be better.”

Marco Polimeni ‘23

Sofa Savchuk ‘25 “Oh God, that’s so deep. Two out of three exams done… I’m fne.” Easy Puzzle: 0.43 difculty