[The Stute] March 3, 2023 (Issue 19, Volume CXX)

Preliminary details about 2023 graduation ceremony

BY EMMA SPOONAUER, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

Commencement is just under three months away for graduating students and Stevens has already begun sending emails and dedicated a section of their website to details regarding the ceremony, as well as how students should prepare for it. Following is a summary of what we know so far from these sources.

Prior to the ceremony, graduating students should make sure to visit Workday through MyStevens. Once on the site, students must go through the Graduation Checklist, which includes

SEE GRAD PAGE 2

SGA releases new amendment to change Senate structure

HOBOKEN MAIN BREAK STATE OF EMERGENCY COINCIDES WITH SNOW STORM

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

One of the advantages of participating in a democratic organization is just that: participating in democracy. Here at Stevens, that democracy is represented by the Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA has many responsibilities on campus as the main governing body for undergraduate students: creating student organizations, budgets for existing organizations, and event planning. However, without the support of the student body, the SGA does not have the power to change the rules of itself or the school. To get the approval of students, SGA makes amendments and puts them up for the vote of undergraduate students. Now, the SGA

is asking undergraduate students to vote on their most recent amendment, one that re-organizes the makeup of the SGA and affects the roots of the organization.

The Stute was able to speak with Paulina Georgoutsos, the President of SGA, about the new amendment. Georgoutsos explained, “the amendments proposed are changing our structure from a class system to a ‘by-School system.’” The Senate will have one seat for every 75 students and the seats will be divided between a quantity of “by-School” seats and “at-Large” seats.” This means that instead of seats of the SGA senate being comprised of first-years, seniors, and so on, it will be separated by College of Arts and Letters, School of Business, etc. Each school, Geor-

goutsos continued, “will have one Senate seat for every one hundred students enrolled in the school. The number of senators will not change from our previous system but the classification of them will.” A smaller portion of the amendment will create a new position within SGA, President Pro- Tempore, a training position that prepares individuals to take a position of leadership in SGA in the future. These changes are as written in the amendment proposed to the SGA. This change reorganizes the entire structure of SGA. Georgoutsos explained there were, “many flaws with our current class system [...] many students stay for more or less than four years which makes it difficult to classify

SEE SGA PAGE 2

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR

Gear

and Triangle, a society of highachieving Stevens students

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

The Gear and Triangle Honor Society was founded here at Stevens over 100 years ago in 1919, following the end of World War I, as a society for high-achieving and motivated Stevens students. Gear and Triangle’s founding principles are Honor, Fellowship, and Spirit. Potential members of the society are considered per these principles, plus their academics, extracurricular involvement, and other factors here at Stevens.

The Stute was able to speak with the current president of Gear and Triangle, Joseph Meditz. Meditz explained that the society’s “goal is to gather leaders from various organizations across campus and give them a place where they can spread the news about their

SEE G&T PAGE 2

Wild animal sightings reported in Hoboken

BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER

Ever since the start of the pandemic, more people have been noting instances of wildlife running amok in the city of Hoboken, including deer, seals, skunks, raccoons, and now, coyotes. The first record of a coyote living in New Jersey was located near Lambertville, Hunterdon County in 1939. However, state maps show that coyotes were not reported in or near Hudson County until the 1990s and not in the waterfront towns as of 10 years ago.

On Wednesday, February 15, several residents of Hoboken spotted a coyote early in the morning near Elysian Park, which is located at 10th and Hudson Street. That same night, the police got a call from a local resident about a possible coyote further inland. Public safety spokesperson Marci Rubin said, “Responding officers saw a small animal on nearby 8th Street before it ran off.

Hoboken Police Dept. unites with senior design project

Hoboken police cannot confirm what type of animal it was at this time. It’s rare, but not unheard of for wildlife to be spotted in Hoboken.”

Despite somewhat resembling adorable dogs or foxes, coyotes are dangerous animals. The NJ Fish and Wildlife makes the following statement regarding precautions with coyotes: “Never feed a coyote. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk.” In addition to coyotes, there have been sightings of skunks. Hoboken local Merrit Patterson described an incident where he saw a skunk on 14th Street late last year when it walked over to his and his wife’s dinner date after smelling some leftovers.

With sightings of wildlife increasing in Hoboken, Patch asks you to “Send your stinky sightings and photos of skunks, snakes, seals, eels (not in sushi), deer, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and other creatures to Hoboken Patch.”

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

From regular drills, the presence of the Stevens Police, and the cooperation with the Hoboken Police Department, safety is of the utmost safety at Stevens. The Hoboken Police Department has long been open to working with students at Stevens. One example of this comes recently with a survey from the Hoboken Police Department to gauge the public’s opinion on policing and community involvement. With the help of some seniors at Stevens through their Senior Design Project, the Hoboken Police Department hopes to engage the Stevens community to make campus and Hoboken a safer place to be.

One member of the Senior Design team working with the Hoboken Police Department is Christian Barrientos, a business student here at Stevens, who

SEE POLICE PAGE 2

A state of emergency was declared on Monday, February 27 in Hoboken after a severe water main break cut water service to large portions of the city, including Stevens. The incident, accidentally caused by a contracted construction job by PSE&G, occurred as the city was under a winter weather advisory in preparation for a snowstorm.

When the main break occurred, the National Weather Service had Hoboken under a winter weather advisory, cautioning residents to “plan on slippery road conditions.” By nightfall on Monday, Hoboken was receiving snow even as many students on campus were forced to travel outside to retrieve drinking water or use the bathroom.

Late Monday, the city announced that repairs to the water main were continuing overnight and that water was safe for use and consumption for the time being. Many establishments continued to have access to running water. Still, all those without were ordered to close on Monday night by the New Jersey Department of Health, according to Hoboken Patch.

The main break affected water access at Stevens, forcing the closure of most dining options and bathrooms. In a Stevens Alert sent shortly after the break, the university announced a slate of responses to the incident, including that classes scheduled for after 3 p.m. would be moved online, that portable toilets would be installed at several points around campus, and that bottled water would be distributed to students in the UCC lobby. All Tuesday-scheduled

classes were also moved online, undergraduate classes were canceled after 2 p.m., and administrative offices were told to work remotely. Students were recommended to leave Hoboken if possible, and classes will take place remotely until Friday.

To aid with the turmoil caused by the main break, Stevens provided two water bottles for campus residents and changed the hours of operation for campus spaces and recreational facilities. Stevens also allowed students living on or off-campus who were not able to leave Hoboken to use outdoor restroom facilities and dine at Pierce. Administration recommended students use water sparingly and utilize portable toilets stationed outdoors on campus.

As of Tuesday night, the main break was finally located and repairs began. Starting Wednesday, Hoboken has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for the following: washing dishes, drinking, cooking, baking, making ice cubes, taking medication, “brushing teeth, washing food, mixing baby formula or food, mixing juices or drinks, feeding pets, and all other consumption.”

Water main breaks are a reality of living in Hoboken, According to the HobokenNJ website, “Some parts of Hoboken’s water system are more than 100 years old. The majority of the system is nearing the end of its useful life. As cast iron pipes age, they become brittle and are more prone to break from changes in temperature, pressure fluctuations, or vibrations.” The city is investing in water infrastructure upgrades through 2034 in hopes of ameliorating the impact the old infrastructure has on Hoboken residents.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN PAPAGEORGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRITANNICA.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEMIN SHAKER

Masthead Volume CXX No. 19

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

Charles Beall

Emma Spoonauer

Ethan Kleschinsky

Evan Papageorge

Kayden Cannilla

Kyle Slendorn

Josephina Strano

Julia Wierzbicki

Marisa Powers

Matthew Brantl

Rachel Abraham

Rafael Lee Li

Ruthie Mullisky

Sara Deuidicibus

Stephen Pachucki

Tanya Avadia

Trevor Dameika

Victoria Yashchuk

SGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

which year the senator would fit in. For instance, if we have a senator on co-op in their 4th year do we classify them as a junior or senior senator [...] This ‘by-School’ system will also help the SGA reach our goal of more visibility on campus, as there will be an increase of communication between individual senators and the student body. We also will have the ability to tackle more issues that affect students that may not have had as equal of representation in their school with this old structure.” When asked about the President Pro-Tempore position, Georgoutsos explained,

GRAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

applying for program completion. They also should confirm details such as the mailing address for their diploma and the name that will be called for them.

For attire, students are required to wear academic regalia which can be ordered through Oak Hill free of charge. More detailed information about this is expected to be sent out soon.

The 151st commencement ceremony will be held on May 24, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This is the first time there will be a university-wide commencement ceremony, meaning that all degrees will be conferred in one series of events.

Below is the schedule for the entire commencement ceremony:

• 10:00 a.m. – University-wide Commencement Ceremony, held on the main court

• 11:30 p.m. – GradFest 2023 held in the streets around Prudential Center (ends 3:30 p.m.)

• 1:00 p.m. - School of Engi-

“The President Pro-Tempore position was proposed to allow for individuals to get a chance to shadow the cabinet and help the cabinet with daily tasks. This is for individuals who are interested in the cabinet and want to see the duties it entails. When I was running for VPO in the previous cabinet I wish this position existed to help introduce me to the tasks of cabinet and get a feel for the role that I would be soon entering.”

For this amendment to pass, 209 undergraduate students need to vote, which is 5% of the total undergraduate student body. The vote is scheduled to close on March 17. At that point, if 209 or more students have voted, then two-thirds of the votes cast (if 209 students votes, 141 students) need to be in

neering & Science and School of Systems & Enterprises Undergraduate Name Reading Ceremony, held on the main court

• 1:00 p.m. – School of Business

Undergraduate Naming Ceremony, held on the practice court

• 1:00 p.m. – College of Arts & Letters Undergraduate Naming Ceremony, held in the tented ven-

ue

• 3:00 p.m. – School of Business Graduate Naming Ceremony, held on the practice court

• 3:00 p.m. – School of Systems & Enterprises Graduate Naming Ceremony, held in the tented venue

• 3:30 p.m. – School of Engineering & Science Graduate Naming Ceremony, held on the main court

It is suggested that students and guests arrive at 9:00 a.m. for the university-wide ceremony, and those who are also attending the school naming ceremony should be there at 12:30 p.m.

Those who wish to use public transportation to get to the ceremony can use Newark Penn Station or the PATH. For drivers,

support of the amendment for it to go into effect. If approved, the amendments would be written into the governing documents of the SGA and be a part of how the organization is run in the future.

As the vote is in progress, the SGA expects that students will have questions. Because of this, SGA members will be at a table outside of Pierce Dining Hall in the Howe Center for the weeks of February 27 and March 6, the last two weeks before spring break. There, Georgoutsos explained, SGA will be “encouraging students to vote and discussing the changes we are trying to make.” SGA hopes students will vote and be a part of how Stevens runs. For more information, Georgoutsos directs students to read the amendment.

there is plenty of parking in the area surrounding the Prudential Center and there are several methods to reserve spaces in advance through third-party applications

There is no limit on tickets for the university-wide ceremony, but there might be a limit for the school-based ceremony depending on how many graduates participate. Information on obtaining guest tickets will be released in April, but for guests outside of the United States, documentation to apply for a visa can be found online. Additionally, all ceremonies will be live-streamed and posted to the Stevens YouTube channel.

Speakers for the ceremony have not been announced yet, but the application for student commencement speakers is still open until 5 p.m. on March 3. One undergraduate student and one graduate student will be selected, and more details about eligibility, application, and selection can be found on the Stevens website.

All future updates regarding the 2023 Commencement will be posted to Stevens’ commencement webpage.

Disclaimer

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

Policy on Letters to the Editor

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

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

Policy on Op-Eds

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

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

POLICE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

also works as an intern with the Hoboken Police Department for Data Collection and Digital Marketing. In addition to this survey project, Barrientos also works on officer recruitment analysis, digital marketing for the department, and increasing the Hoboken Police’s relationship with the public. When asked, Barrientos explained that “the goal is to create an effective marketing plan that not only boosts their social media and community presence but also helps them target new recruits.” The

G&T

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events, network with their peers, and support each other in their endeavors.” As Gear and Triangle is a collection of Stevens leaders, one of the many parts of the society is to inspire and mentor young, aspiring leaders of Stevens. Meditz described that “as members of G&T [Gear and Triangle], we hope to have an impact on the rising leaders of Stevens, aiding them in growing in the ways we have, and hopefully, beyond.”

Potential members of Gear and Triangle must satisfy a particular list of requirements to be considered for membership in the society. While Gear and Triangle can accept members from all academic programs and majors, they must have been a student at Stevens and completed at least three semesters. Additionally, ap-

recruitment rates for the Hoboken Police Department were lower than hoped, so the survey would be a “pitch to anyone interested in the policing career path,” according to Barrientos.

Barrientos explained the team chose to complete this project to give back to the Hoboken Police Department for everything they do. This survey, as Barrientos concluded, “would help give us insight into where the HPD can improve and some general opinions/concerns with policing as a whole.”

The team and the Hoboken Police Department ask anyone willing to fill out this form for the survey and thank those who fill it out.

plicants must maintain a certain GPA and have abided by different conduct policies. As a side note, for students who do not qualify for acceptance into the society, there is also the Dean’s Activity List (DAL) which is open to students who have completed one semester at Stevens. Gear and Triangle members serve as mentors for those in DAL to progress in their studies and develop their leadership skills and involvement on campus.

Once a member of Gear and Triangle, there are many ways to be involved throughout a student’s time here at Stevens. Meditz shed some light on the activities of Gear and Triangle members, ranging from volunteering for service-based events, participating in internal events for networking, or involvement in committees that help run the society’s functions like planning spirit events and DAL mentorship programs. These activities encourage Gear and Tri-

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO FILL OUT THE SURVEY!

angle members to stay involved in Stevens, develop their leadership skills, and help younger members of the Stevens community.

Being a member of Gear and Triangle is beneficial for the members in many ways: networking opportunities, skills development, and recognition of students’ hard work. However, Gear and Triangle are also helpful for Stevens students through mentorship programs, spirit events, and other service projects. Meditz reflected that his “favorite part about Gear and Triangle is getting the chance to interact with students involved with other organizations that I might not have otherwise ever gotten the chance to meet. G&T provides us a common goal of growing as leaders, as well as helping those who will come after us. If we are able to help provide guidance for even one rising leader on campus so they will be better off than we were, I see that as the reason for G&T.”

The article title for “Dear Claire and Ethan” was incorrectly printed and should have been: “How do I get the most out of my meal plan?”

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Rocket Fuel Ventures continues to make strides in venture capital

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, STAFF WRITER

Here at Stevens, one of the most admirable experiences a student can have is seeing their work come to fruition. Whether it be a successful Senior Design Project, a well-received Music & Technology publication, or a Bloomberg Challenge-winning team of students from the School of Business, it is inspiring to see Stevens students succeed, but even more so when a relationship forms between students. One program here at the Stevens School of Business does just that. Through mentoring, experiential learning, and industry programs, Rocket Fuel Ventures (RFV) is a team of students ready to make more Stevens success stories. The Stute reached out to RFV Head of Internal Affairs Evan Bravstein, a class of 2025 Finance major at Stevens. Bravstein explained how the RFV is a student-run organization that focuses on exploring the world of venture capital. According to Forbes, “Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity that funds startups and early-stage emerging companies with little to no operating history but significant potential for growth.” However, VC is often a tricky yet lucrative investment strategy. Bravstein explained, “We [RFV] learn how to communicate with venture capital firms and startups, and we work with startups by writing investment memos and helping them receive funding and investments from venture capital firms.”

RFV, while a new organization, has already seen much success

realm

here on campus. Since its founding in 2020 by Brian Li, a Mechanical Engineering major from the class of 2022, RFV has already hosted a well-attended international summit in 2021, as seen in an article from Stevens, where Li explained that founding RFV was a way of embodying Stevens’ interdisciplinary nature between the School of Engineering and Sciences and the School of Business, a partnership that Li believes helps RFV accurately reflect world-world investment environments.

RFV is an organization that connects students from across many different majors, schools, years, and interests. By including such a diverse collection of individuals, RFV can consider the knowledge from many aspects of a product, service, or company. Additionally, with the success of their first summit, which included speakers from firms that invested in companies like LinkedIn, Yelp, and Twitch, RFV was able to show a widespread and continued interest in VC at Stevens.

Organizations like RFV are part of why Stevens continues to be a leader in producing graduates ready for the industry with experience in real-life situations. With interdisciplinary work from students like Li and Bravstein, RFV is a successful way for students at Stevens to dive into experiential learning and develop lifelong skills. As a parting note, The Stute asked Bravstein some of the best parts of RFV: “managing the members, working with my excellent executive board, and growing my personal knowledge, and the knowledge of our members, about the world of venture capital.”

School of Business’ Student Ambassador Program

BY TANYA AVADIA, STAFF WRITER

The School of Business’ Student Ambassador Program is aimed at giving prospective students a chance to connect with current business students which would give them a feel for what it would be like to be a business student here at Stevens. The role of a Student Ambassador is to serve as a representative of the Business School and of Stevens at large during admissions events. The requirements to get involved in the Student Ambassador Program include being an undergraduate in the School of Business, and filling out the Google Form sent out by Assistant Director of Undergraduate Outreach and Reputation, Lindsay Hartelius, who is in charge of running the program. In an interview with The Stute, Hartelius explained more about the program and why it exists.

The start of the Student Ambassador program can be attributed to Assistant Dean for Student Success Michelle Crilly. Almost ten years ago, Crilly saw a need for the program in the sense that students considering studying business at Stevens should have the opportunity to meet current business students to get further insight. Out of this idea, the Student Ambassador program came to fruition and the program currently hosts its largest number of ambassadors, totaling 35.

Currently, there has been one admissions-related event that happened last semester where the student ambassadors were present. As Hartelius explained,

FIBA kicks off its inaugural semester

BY TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR

On February 9, the Finance, Investment Banking, and Advisory (FIBA) club held its inaugural meeting. According to an email sent out by the School of Business on FIBA’s behalf, FIBA is “a student-run club meant to help like-minded Stevens students in their career journey to land competitive financial analyst roles in careers including, but not limited to: Investment Banking, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Equity Research, & Sales & Trading. FIBA will emphasize growing Stevens’ student body awareness around high finance opportunities, interview prep, recruiting timelines, networking opportunities, and more.”

The club is run by upperclassmen who shared their experiences in high-level finance positions during the first meeting and are well aware of how “front office finance recruiting can be challenging. Students frequently feel directionless, misunderstand the process, and never hear back from the application portal. We’ve been there before, and we’re on a mission to change that.”

The first meeting consisted of a comprehensive presentation called “An Introduction to Wall Street Careers.” This presentation first gave a brief overview of possible careers in the financial world and introduced terminology to

show prospective new members that this club is open to all skill and knowledge levels. Throughout the presentation, numerous Wall Street careers were introduced and their similarities and differences were discussed. The presenters also made sure to note important characteristics of these careers, including work-life balance, the types of skills needed, and the recruitment timelines and processes for each career path.

Toward the end of the meeting, FIBA’s club members made sure to discuss the financial modeling bootcamp, which was hosted on February 18 in collaboration with Adventis. According to another email sent out on behalf of FIBA, “Adventis is a professional financial modeling organization used by students at some of the best business schools around the country. Financial modeling is a key skill used in industries such as investment banking and private equity, and a certification from Adventis will allow you to stand out in interviews! Many certified students have gone on to have successful careers at some of the most high-profile and well-paying banks, such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Centerview Partners.”

The bootcamp ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Babbio Center and offered hands-on training as well as instructional videos and content. It consisted of “having students build financial models and analyses entirely from scratch, while explain-

ing key concepts along the way.” A few of the bootcamp’s highlights included performing a discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis and building a leveraged buyout (LBO) analysis.

At their second meeting on February 16, FIBA provided a resume and cover letter review, where students could get specific feedback on their resumes. Their third meeting, hosted on February 23, offered a workshop about how to answer common interview questions. The presenters shared examples, their own experiences, and offered advice and constructive feedback.

At all of their meetings, FIBA has stressed that the meetings to come will involve even more events aimed at taking action to directly help students. As their LinkedIn mentioned, “FIBA is currently a club in development at Stevens, close to achieving probationary status for the upcoming Fall 2023 semester.” However, FIBA’s members emphasized how they want students to know that their club wants to take action right now to help its members grow and become successful.

For more information about FIBA, follow their LinkedIn group page and follow their Instagram page @fiba_stevens for more information. Also, be sure to attend their general body meetings (GBMs) on Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

THE PYTHON FOR BUSINESS CLUB MAKES ITS MARK

BY TASHA KHOSLA, FEATURES EDITOR

the ambassadors ran the Academic Arena where, with various professors, they represented individual business majors. The benefit of this was that prospective students could chat with the ambassadors to hear from a student’s viewpoint of what it would be like to pursue a specific business degree. The admissions event had 300 in-person attendees and 150 virtually, and the ambassadors helped ensure that everything ran smoothly.

For the spring semester, there will be many more events that will require the assistance of the student ambassadors. Hartelius stated that three high schools will be visiting Stevens, in which the ambassadors will again serve as a bridge between Stevens and the high school students. Additionally, the School of Business hosts a yearly trading competition called Trading Day in which the top 25 participants are invited to campus. Student ambassadors will also be representing Stevens at this event. Lastly, events for admitted students such as the Admitted Student Weekend in April and Admitted Student Fridays will need the support of the ambassadors to help those students consider if Stevens is the right fit.

Participating in the Student Ambassador Program showcases a sense of community, according to Hartelius. The benefits of being a student ambassador extend not only to being able to put volunteer experience on your resume but also to aid prospective students in their journeys, all while sharing your own experiences of studying business at Stevens.

The Python for Business Club has been a newer addition to the collection of clubs here at Stevens. School of Business students Om Mehta and Tejas Appana are the co-runners of this club. In an interview with The Stute, Om Mehta shared more about the Python for Business Club and how it originated.

The club started when Josa Balisi, Manager of Academic Operations for the School of Business, reached out to Mehta and Appana with the concept. Mehta elaborated, “She said that Professor Kevin Ryan recommended Tejas and I to run the club given our experience in his classes, in Python in general and our backgrounds in the quant side of the Stevens Student Managed Investment Fund (SSMIF).”

SSMIF combines “programming and modeling techniques, critical thinking, and business and finance skills” in order to manage a portion of the Stevens endowment.

As Stevens indicates, ‘[T]he Student Managed Investment Fund is where tomorrow’s investment professionals perfect these techniques

in preparation for rewarding careers in the fast-changing world of finance. In this two-semester course, students work as analysts, risk advisors, quants and, ultimately, leaders.’ To apply to this course, students undergo a competitive application process. The Python for Business Club aims to help students improve their skills in Python to prepare them for this “fast-changing world of finance.”

The Python for Business Club hosts general body meetings (GBMs) on Mondays at 9 p.m. According to Mehta, “In our GBMs, we focus on the business and finance application of Python, using libraries like Pandas, NumPy, and more. We have a new project each week; for example, we recently had a portfolio analysis program, where we assess the risk to return ratio of a user’s given portfolio. We try to find the midpoint between too basic and too advanced for the students that attend. Our goals for this semester are to keep holding meetings, create new and more involved projects, and most importantly get more members!”

Mehta also noted, “So most importantly, I want Stevens students to know that we only do this to help. We are both TAs for [Profes-

sor] Kevin Ryan’s class, we both have SSMIF quant backgrounds, but we got to where we are with a lot of self teaching. The Stevens Quantitative Finance program and Business and Technology program don’t include courses in Python after freshman year, and we really want to be the ones that can help. In the field of quantitative finance and data science, Python is the most used language, and it’s easy to learn. Practice makes perfect, and we feel like coming and doing a project every week is great practice. And for future members, I want everyone to know that using every resource available is the key to success at this school. If I had this club my freshman year, I would have had a lot easier of a time doing the SSMIF coding challenge.”

For more information about the club, check out their Instagram page @pfb_stevens. Discord is their primary form of communication and the link to the Python for Business Club’s Discord server can be found in its Instagram bio.

Regardless of your experience level, be sure to check out their GBMs and put your Python skills to practice!

“[T]HE STUDENT MANAGED INVESTMENT FUND IS WHERE TOMORROW’S INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS PERFECT THESE TECHNIQUES IN PREPARATION FOR REWARDING CAREERS IN THE FAST-CHANGING WORLD OF FINANCE

The last of fungUS

BY SARA DEUIDICIBUS, SCIENCE WRITER

From a video game to a TV show to … real life? HBO’s The Last of Us has taken social media by storm ever since its first episode aired on January 15 of this year. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after humans were invaded by a pathogenic fungus. Said fungus would take over their host’s nervous system and cause them to become violent and eager to spread to other hosts. While it may seem implausible for this zombie-like invasion to occur in real life, recent scientific research has suggested that fungi may be evolving more quickly than we would like to see.

Earlier this month, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, led by professor Sylvia Cremer, conducted an interesting study with ants and six pathogenic fungi strains. The ants were infected with these strains and then observed over several generations, for ten different trials. During each trial, the scientists noted that not one of the fungi would become more notably prevalent than the others. Rather, each strain tried to

win out the others but did not succeed. However, something interesting happened when the researchers compared how many infectious spores the fungi were producing versus the ants’ response.

Ants are social creatures and, much like humans, try to combat pathogens with social immunity measures. The main tactic the ants used against the fungi involved “grooming off infectious spores from exposed individuals.” Grooming for ants is similar to how humans use hand sanitizer to prevent illnesses. As the ants discovered the spores on their peers, they would work to get rid of them. Expectedly, the fungi produced more spores to try and mitigate the defense mechanism of the ants. However, instead of working harder and faster to destroy these spores, the researchers observed the ants showing less of a response towards those rapidly-generating spores. Cremer explained, “This suggests, that the spores have become more difficult to detect by the ants.”

After more investigating, the team concluded that the fungi intentionally reduced their chemical fungi signals to protect their

spores from being detected by the ants. Specifically, they decreased their production of ergosterol, “a key fungal membrane component.” As production of that component was reduced, the ants would not groom as much as they previously did, showing that they did not know the spores were among them. Yuko Ulrich, an evolutionary biologist not involved with this study, suggested the fungi’s adaptation “could allow the fungi to hide out from the grooming ants while they evolve new ways to fight back—a strategy not previously seen.”

It is interesting to consider how “intelligent” the fungi behaved in response to the behavioral changes of the ants. While this research was done on ants, its results can highlight greater implications and challenges humans may face in the future as we are also social creatures. Given ample time, what is stopping any pathogenic strain of fungus from evolving in such a way that humans are unable to quickly detect their presence? We never expected a pandemic like the one we are still currently recovering from, so what makes a dangerous fungus unable to unpleasantly surprise us in the near future?

Science says we should let students sleep

BY TANYA AVADIA, STAFF WRITER

Teenagers are considered one of the most sleep-deprived people in the world. Research has shown that they neither get enough sleep nor quality sleep, which is detrimental in many ways. A possible fix to this would be having institutions, such as schools, push back their start times, allowing their students to get a few extra moments of rest. However, the problem is that very few institutions have taken the findings of numerous studies over the years seriously, and most students still do not get enough quality sleep.

The notion of having early start times is attributed to teens previously having to get up early

to farm and come home before dark, but that is no longer the case. Instead, now studies are showing how teenagers should sleep in longer because it is necessary for their mental and physical well-being. Teenagers need approximately nine hours of sleep per night, but the amount they actually get is on average closer to seven. Additionally, as teens go through puberty, their circadian clock shifts up by a few hours, making it harder for them to fall asleep early and wake up early.

The clock shifts back during their adult years, but until then teenagers will be prone to staying up late at night and sleeping in the next morning as a result. Another problem with waking teens up early is that not only do they lose the quantity of sleep, but also

quality. Experts have found that teens are missing out on crucial restorative and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Restorative sleep is essential for the body to repair itself and to continue biological processes. REM sleep, which occurs right before a person naturally wakes up, is responsible for solidifying information in the brain. Both are necessary for the mental and physical health of teenagers, but having to wake up early causes teenagers to miss out on hours of sleep that cannot be made up.

Besides losing sleep in terms of quantity and quality, there are many other risks that increase for teens due to their inadequate sleep. Usage of drugs and tobacco increases as the amount of sleep decreases. The lack of sleep also

Saving coral reefs with dental tech

BY ERIN MCGEE, SCIENCE EDITOR

Few people particularly like going to the dentist. However, even though those dental tools, particularly scanners, might be a nuisance to us, they have been a major advantage to researching marine life. A new study from the Australian Institute of Marine Science found that ordinary dental imaging scanners can be used to track the growth of baby corals.

Both teeth and corals are calcium-based and require scanning equipment that can be used on wet surfaces. 3D dental scanners work by imaging over 100,000 points of reference on a person’s teeth in order to make a digital impression of someone’s mouth. While at the dentist, marine biologist Kate Quigley was inspired to start using dental technology on small corals in order to make the same 3D impressions. Her goal was to bring this technique to her lab as a way to model corals, without causing any further damage to them or the environment.

Our coral reefs have been under attack from warming oceans and pollution for years. Higher temperatures stress corals, which are living organisms. This pressure causes them to expel the algae contained in their tissue, causing the coral to turn white, called “bleaching.” Since the late 1990s, there have been 3 major bleaching events, and in the last 30 years, we have lost a predicted 50 percent of corals globally. Scientists are exploring a few different treatments for preserving coral reefs. One such method is to make “coral nurseries,” or protected areas where coral can grow, and then transplant those corals into bleached areas. However, researchers have maintained that this is more of a short-term solution. Marine biologist Rebecca Albright points out that: “After all, degrading conditions are the main cause of coral decline in the first place, so until we tackle climate change, pollution and overfishing […] we are basically using a Band-Aid approach to buy reefs more time.”

The stakes for restoring coral reefs are extremely high. Reefs

across the world support nearly 25 percent of all marine life and almost $30 billion in goods and services, in addition to protecting coastal communities from dangerous waves and storms.

The ability to scan corals and make 3D images will make a difference as scientists continue to research saving corals, as it helps us understand how rising temperatures and stress affect their structure. The advantages of this technique, beyond its accuracy, are portability and affordability. The wands for scans can be purchased rather easily and modified to be used on corals. This method also saves a great deal of time. According to the researchers, scans that previously took upwards of 3 hours now take only 3 minutes. Previously, scientists could still make 3D models, but they were imprecise and sometimes inaccurate.

At the moment this dental technology is only used in the lab, on corals in aquariums taken from the Great Barrier Reef. In the future, those studying coral reefs hope to make the scanners waterproof, so that they can use

impacts the mental state of teens as they reported feeling more hopeless. Studies have also shown that the risk of suicide increases in school-age kids and that not getting enough sleep is a contributing factor. Moving school start times by even 30 minutes lessens a lot of the risks that teens face when they don’t get enough sleep. Getting more sleep also has its benefits, as teachers have noted that well-rested students tend to engage in class more.

While it is definitely the fault of school systems for not taking any action on these findings, it must also be taken into consideration the many factors that they would have to change in order to accommodate for this later start time policy. Changes to the busing schedule must be made, teachers’

them in the field. That being said, it is not yet clear how the lasers used for dental scanning work under the water.

While there is clearly a lot more to be done in the area of coral research, Quigley’s work

and administrators’ schedules would have to be altered, after-school programs would have to be pushed back, and so much more. As hard as it is to make these very much needed changes, school boards have to start somewhere, and any action is better than the current inaction.

A student’s quality of education is very much dependent on their quality of sleep, and so both school board administrators and the government must listen to the needs of their students. Schools have to start acknowledging the science behind why teenagers need more sleep and implement the required changes because it makes a big difference in a student’s life, especially with regard to mental health and academic performance.

stands as a great example of combining fields of study and using the technology from one area to help another. With this innovation, there are a lot more resources for the people who protect the future of our reefs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OCEANOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Wrestling sends seven to nationals and claims third straight Southeast Regional title

BY CHRISTA RUIZ, SPORTS WRITER

On February 25, Stevens Wrestling captured its third straight Southeast Regional title at the M&T Bank Field House. The team amassed 181 points over the twoday event to finish atop the 21team standings. The Ducks will send seven wrestlers to the NCAA Division III National Championships, matching a program record. Wrestlers headed to nationals include first-year Nico Diaz, senior Hunter Gutierrez, first-year Ryan Smith, junior Stefan Major, and graduate student Michael Dooley. All five were crowned regional champions. In their respective weight classes, Junior Luke Hoerle finished third and senior Kyle Slendorn finished second to

join the regional champions in the national championships as well.

Diaz secured his spot at nationals by defeating Jack Bauer of Wilkes with a four-point near-fall in the first sudden-victory period. He then won the championship match after Dalton Rohrbaugh of York withdrew from the tournament due to a medical forfeit.

Gutierrez dominated the 149-pound bracket, winning all four of his matches with bonus points, including two first-period pins over Peyton Hearn of Thiel and Hai Siu.

Smith overcame national No. 10 Jesse Alvarado in his first match, securing an 8-3 decision win with a four-point near-fall in the third period. He then defeated Jason Rezac of Alvernia in the championship with a 6-3 victory

and the riding time point. Major captured his second consecutive regional title at 174 pounds, pinning Kade Kravits of King’s College in the semifinals and securing a 5-4 victory over Colby Morris of Waynesburg in the final with a third-period reversal.

Dooley, the fourth seed at heavyweight, earned two tough decision wins to capture the regional title, defeating Austin Williams of Delaware Valley 4-2 and Brandon Williams of Greensboro 2-0 with the riding time point.

Slendorn finished second at 141 pounds after defeating Mark Samuel of Roanoke with a 16-5 major decision and falling to the bracket’s second seed, Wilson, in the championship.

Hoerle secured his spot at na-

tionals for the first time with a 12-4 major decision over top-seeded and 11th-ranked Riley Parker of Washington & Lee in the thirdplace match. He also bounced back from a loss to Mason Barrett of Averett with a 6-4 decision over Jared Kuhns of York.

In terms of the outcome of the matchup, head coach Joe Favia stated, “Sending seven wrestlers to Roanoke is a powerful statement, but our mission isn’t over […] we are focused on finishing strong by taking an army to Virginia to battle for the national title.”

The seven national qualifiers will make their way to Roanoke, Virginia for the NCAA Division III national championships, which are set to begin at 11 a.m. on March 10. Best of luck to the team during nationals!

Women’s basketball makes a strong postseason run

BY RUTHIE MULLISKY, SPORTS WRITER

On Wednesday, February 22, the women’s basketball team hosted Misericordia University at Canavan Arena for the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom semifinal game. The Ducks defeated the Misericordia Cougars 66-55. This marks the second consecutive season that the Ducks advanced to the MAC Freedom title game and the second season where they faced top-seeded DeSales University.

This impressive win came paired with some strong performances. Graduate student Jess Broad amassed an astonishing 24 points and nine rebounds across both halves of the game. In the first half, she scored eight points and had six rebounds; in the second half, she dominated with 16 points and gained the remaining three rebounds. Her performance in this game allowed her to reach 1,500 career points. In addition,

first-year Leyla Castro added an impressive 12 points, six rebounds, and a personal-high seven steals. Additionally, first-year Dorothy Loffredo made two free throws and scored a three-pointer to help ensure the Duck’s lead. The first points of the game were scored by junior Elissa Nsenkyrie from a fast-break layup. The Ducks’ lead was kept by a strong defensive effort that only let Misericordia to just 2- for-17 for shooting.

This semifinal victory led the Ducks to compete in the MAC Freedom title game, where they lost a hard-fought battle against DeSales at a margin of 59-36 on Saturday, February 25, at Billera Hall in Center Valley, PA.

Although the Ducks lost, they still brought some strong offensive moves that DeSales had to counteract. Broad, again, had a strong performance and accumulated 17 points throughout the game. Graduate student Amber Porrett added six points and nine rebounds while

sophomore Lucy Alberici also contributed another six points. Additionally, Loffredo added seven rebounds. The first points of the game were won by senior Danielle Cornetta from a fast-break layup after first-year Leyla Castro won the opening tip, howev-

er, both teams found it difficult to score early in the game. The Ducks played their best defensively in the third quarter, where they held DeSales to a 15% shooting percentage. Porrett blocked two shots, and Cornetta and Alberici blocked one shot each.

STEVENS SCOREBOARD

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

All-Atlantic Region IndoorChampionships–Day 1 New York, NY

FRI, MAR 3 vs Montclair State University Hoboken, NJ 3 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

vs Elizabethtown College Newport News, VA 6 p.m.

SAT, MAR 4

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

All-Atlantic Region IndoorChampionships–Day 2 New York, NY

BASEBALL vs Lehman College Hoboken, NJ 11 a.m.

NIWFA Championships Madison, NJ Time TBD

BASEBALL vs SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY 12:30 p.m.

MEN’S LACROSSE vs William Paterson University Weehawken, NJ 1 p.m.

SOFTBALL vs Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE vs Baruch College Newton, MA 1 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs Lasell University Newton, MA 3 p.m.

SUN, MAR 5 vs MACFA Championships Madison, NJ Time TBD

MEN’S FENCING

WOMEN’S FENCING vs John Carroll University Hoboken, NJ Time TBD

SOFTBALL

WOMEN’S LACROSSE vs New York University Weehawken, NJ 1 p.m.

WED, MAR 8 vs Stockton University Galloway, NJ 2:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL vs Widener University Hoboken, NJ 5 p.m.

MEN’S LACROSSE

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs New York University Hoboken, NJ 7 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENSDUCKS.COM (SHOT BY SID ROCHLANI)

THE STUTE EDITORIAL

To the next Editor in Chief of The Stute, and the next, and the next…

In my last Editorial, I talk about the passing of time, and how my mind is constantly stuck in a state of being pulled between two time periods in my life. While last week was certainly a “past-dwelling” week, this week has been filled with thoughts about the future, and primarily the future of The Stute. So in the style of past editors, I wanted to take a minute to offer up some advice to the next Editor of The Stute, and future Editors to come.

Through my experience with The Stute, I’ve seen different flavors of leadership from three different Editors before stepping into the position myself. Each Editor has brought a unique journalistic perspective to the organization. From designing the front page of the paper, to starting new initiatives, to coming up with article ideas, to planning Stute Weekend (the list goes on…), your actions as Editor speaks for The Stute as a whole and sets a spe -

cific tone. As you first step into the role of Editor, it may seem easy just to pick up where the last Editor left off. But just because The Stute has followed one specific functional method, does not mean that it cannot be changed.

And so, my first piece of advice is don’t try to be someone you’re not; do what works best for you and the new E-board.

It’s easy to think that the purpose of the Editor is simply to oversee The Stute. But really, I think “Editorship” is something entirely different. Rather, the position of Editor sets the atmosphere, the direction, and the culture of the organization, which has a much larger impact than the actual administrative and the other rudimentary expectations of an Editor. So my next piece of advice, as silly as it may sound, is to let your personality reflect!

There are so many creative decisions that you will have to make as Editor. While I recommend

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

Blind optimism

ed four years of my life if I didn’t. And a ton of money.

BY RACHEL ABRAHAM ‘26

When I entered high school, I was highly optimistic about the world. I had a great sense of school spirit, loved all of my teachers, and wanted to make the most out of my four years. I later had a friend, three years my senior, ensure that by the time I graduated, I would hate the school and everything about it. She was right, although I intensely disliked her pessimism. As a senior, I counted down the days until I could attend Stevens. I won’t lie. It felt fantastic to have senioritis and complain about anything and everything. But I was worried that I would also grow a distaste towards my new school. I wanted to prevent this as much as possible, mainly because I planned on taking out loans to attend. I had to love every second. I would have wast-

keeping up the professionalism, remember that you are a student at heart.

As I’ve already mentioned, Editor in Chief will be a demanding position that will require strong leadership skills. It’s almost like adding another class or a parttime job to your schedule and will certainly be a time commitment. With this new addition to your schedule, it’s important to remember to have priorities. As I’m sure, anyone running for the position of Editor will have objectives they want to accomplish, but take one step at a time. You don’t need to rush into every goal all at once. My last piece of advice to the next Editor is to own your experience. You will get out of this experience what you put into it, so be intentional with your time; a year may seem like a long time at the post, but trust me, it flies by. It’s important to set goals for the next executive board and de -

fine clear plans on how you plan to accomplish them. And while you have full liberty to set the direction of The Stute for this next year, don’t think you have to do it alone. The E-board and minor board are your biggest assets, as well as the rest of The Stute staff and the organization’s advisor, Professor John Horgan. (I will also be in the area after graduation, and am only a phone call or text away!) Most of all, while the position is a huge responsibility, it’s meant to be fun! Enjoy the struggle during those midday layout sessions, relish in the moments you spend planning issues with the staff, and embrace the mistakes you make (use caution when using the word inaugural), these are the moments you will remember the most.

At the end of the day, I am certain the next E-board and Editor will do a fantastic job and will continue to set The Stute on a positive trajectory.

OFF THE PRESS

Madhu ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

The truth is that it’s tough for me to hate on Stevens. I love it here so much. We don’t have the highest-ranked philosophy program, but the professors make it amazing. Professor Morgan always tries to make analogies that STEM students can understand. Or famous celebrities — we’ve unpacked the epistemologies of Andrew Tate numerous times. The campus is the perfect size for me; I can get my steps in and make it to class on time. I have mixed emotions about Pierce, but the cafe keeps me alive. Diane has my iced coffee ready as soon as I walk in. I love the parties, no matter how lame they’re said to be compared to Rutgers. But I’m not built for Rutgers parties; the stories I’ve heard bring tears to my eyes. So, I’m thankful for the more intimate gatherings at Stevens. I wish they would play less EDM; it’s tough to get hyped up to Taylor Swift. But everyone is so polite that I really can’t complain. I also enjoy walking down to Babbio and trying to only look at the view briefly, so I don’t give tourist vibes. It takes my breath away every time,

though.

I hope that I’ll always feel this way about Stevens. There’s nothing wrong with being optimistic, and I hate when people think it’s cool to be a downer. You can keep your sadistic thoughts to yourself. You’ll be at school for four years; can you try convincing yourself that you enjoy it? Lying to yourself about your happiness is also a great way to become happy. The “fake it ‘til you make it’’ mentality is very powerful. In fact, I encourage everyone to be utterly delusional regarding optimism; shoot for the stars, babe! Doing anything to avoid getting up for your 8:00 a.m. at EAS? It’s because you’re not hyped enough. Put on some A$AP Ferg and get to work! Don’t want to complete your 67-page code? Put on the two-hour-long Mario Kart music; I swear it works wonders. Can’t bring yourself to go to the gym? Just take a look at Alix Earle’s Instagram feed, and convince yourself that you have the ability to look just as attractive, if not more.

In conclusion, you’re better off being blindly optimistic instead of pessimistic. Look for the good in everything. I promise you’ll find it.

BY OFF CENTER

Off the Press got an urgent message this week on behalf of the silly little guys on campus. It took five of them stacked on top of each other in a little trench coat to get the envelope through the mail slot on our door, but late Thursday night, an adorable little envelope slid through the slot and to the top of our mail pile. The contents however, were anything but adorable. The silly little guys need our help. Overall silliness in the local area has declined dramatically recently, and similar to an enzyme that needs specific temperature and pH levels to function, these little guys need the right silliness levels to get by. They aren’t sure of the exact causes of the reduction in silliness, but the drop off seems to have started when they didn’t have their favorite oatmeal for breakfast. The oatmeal has since been replenished, but there’s no one to cut the banana into little slices for them, and they don’t like oatmeal without a healthy dollop of fruit, specifically sliced banana. What’s more, the brown sugar got into big clumps, clumps too big for their little spoons to break up, and now they

can’t sweeten the oatmeal either.

We here at Off the Press need these silly little guys. Their small stature makes them excellent eavesdroppers, getting us all of our best and some of our most average tips. Their unabashed enthusiasm keeps us motivated when we’re poring over financial documents searching for detergent that might be left over from money laundering or scanning security footage for any Duracells when we hear there might be a battery case. Without the silly little guys, your premier source of journalism would cease to put out the finest 600 word weekly columns that tell you everything you need to know and some things you don’t.

But it’s not just Off the Press. Literally any time anyone has ever laughed ever in history, it’s because there was a silly little guy pulling the strings. They have developed electrical nodes that can cause your diaphragm and other relevant muscles that the author can’t be bothered to look up to expand and contract in such a way that you smile and laugh. You know when you think about your favorite person in the world and you kinda

just involuntarily smile? There’s actually a little guy standing very carefully on your head pulling up the corners of your mouth with itty bitty ropes.

The silly little guys don’t have long. They project that within two weeks, they’ll have to cut their workforce due to insufficient silliness supply. If that happens, they wouldn’t be able to make as many people smile and laugh. Everyone would just go around growling at each other. You could tell a spectacular joke on a date, and your date would just kind of look at you because there wouldn’t be a silly little guy to make them smile. Or maybe your joke wasn’t that good. These guys have standards you know.

So how can you help? Off the Press is hosting a charity dinner, with not only free food but also sketch comedy. Some of your favorite silly little guys like the three blind mice, Frog and Toad, and Waldo will be in attendance. So if you’re ready to bring the silliness levels skyrocketing back to where they belong, be sure to come to Off Center’s only sketch show of the semester: Charity Dinner to Benefit the Silly Little Guys on 3/24 at 9 p.m!

BY TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘23

The midterm rush is approaching and I have about four midterms in the week leading up to spring break. Midterms are a pivotal part of the academic calendar, serving as a midpoint assessment of a student’s progress in a course. On the other hand, as a senior, I’m especially tired and sick of them and I believe the concept of a “midterm” causes a lot of unnecessary stress even before the conclusion of the semester.

One of the most significant negatives of midterms is the stress they place on students. Midterm exams are scheduled when students already have multiple assignments, projects, and exams because the school requires professors to input a midterm grade. The added pressure of midterms can lead to feelings of anxiety and overwhelmedness. Furthermore, when midterms are scheduled too close together, students may not have adequate time to prepare, adding to their stress levels.

Additionally, a midterm is relatively comprehensive (depending on the course), and in my opinion, it should be done differently than increasing the weight of the grade on this mid-semester test. It could be much simpler with each relative section of material being broken

up and focused on through alternative teaching methods rather than a cumulative test that delves into every topic studied. This puts stress on the students to know everything that has been discussed in the first half of the semester in the midst of other exams and projects. It should always be the final exam that forces you to break down the wall of what you learned the past semester. Midway through the semester should not be even close to “make or break” even though some professors and/or the school itself weighs it that way.

One of the main benefits of replacing midterm exams is that it allows for more flexibility in the types of tests used. Alternative assessments, such as section-by-section quizzes, can be tailored to aid the specific course and learning outcomes. This

can be helpful in splitting up the material and challenging the student’s knowledge in a unique, but necessary way.

Another benefit of alternative assessments is that they can promote more meaningful learning experiences. Midterm exams may encourage students to focus on broad memorization rather than a deeper understanding of the material. Alternative assessments, such as group projects or case studies, help encourage students to work collaboratively and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. It is important to note that replacing midterm exams does not mean eliminating assessments altogether. It is necessary to have some form of assessment to ensure that students are grasping the course material and making progress. However, alternative

assessments can be used at the same time as traditional section-by-section exams to create a more comprehensive evaluation of a student’s progress.

Finally, it is important to consider the impact that replacing midterm exams could potentially have on student success. When students are overly stressed and overwhelmed, their academics can suffer. As a result, it may be advantageous for professors and the school to focus less on a midpoint progress check. Instead, they can build off their material each week, and they can utilize different methods to help academic growth. As a result, the possibility of having more than three cumulative exams across all courses does not have to happen and you can have more peace.

The silly little guys need our help!

Sanjana

THE CONVERSATION

Reaching the limit: the debt ceiling

Opinion

FOR MATH’S SAKE Climate modeling: a larger-scale capriole with chaos

trends in the climate as well as accurately forecast patterns of the shorter-term and more fluctuating weather.

BY MARISA POWERS ‘23

Introduction

The U.S. has hit the debt ceiling, meaning that “the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments.” In Congress, there are disagreements over federal spending and what to do about the debt ceiling, leading to concerns that the limit may not be raised in time for the government to make required payments.

Campus Conservative, Marisa Powers

With the United States debt currently at $31.4 trillion and the debt ceiling needing to be raised again after the last time in 2021, I think it is important to question why. Since Biden has been in office, the debt has increased by $6 trillion. He has advocated for large spending policies such as $500 billion in tax cuts, $370 billion for a bipartisan infrastructure law, $80 billion to increase the size of the IRS, the Inflation Reduction Act, and more. These policies have added to the deficit and increased the debt, thus causing the ceiling to need to be raised again.

President Biden wants to raise the debt ceiling without any limits on spending, but the Republicans are proposing spending cuts. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy stated, “Defaulting on our debt is not an option, but neither is a future of higher taxes, higher interest rates and an economy that doesn’t work.” Biden will only discuss cutting spending after the debt ceiling is raised, but some Republicans will not agree to raise it until the Democrats agree to cut spending. Both sides need to find a way to work together as their partisan arguing only affects the American economy and people negatively.

While I agree that the debt ceiling should be raised in order to avoid the risk of recession, I side with the Republicans in their desire for spending cuts as we should

DEAR

BY TASHA KHOLSA ‘25

not spend billions of dollars on certain policies and bills that cause more debt than solutions.

Campus Liberal, Tasha Khosla

The debt ceiling debate should not be weaponized and instead should be raised as soon as possible to prevent having to default on debt.

However, in the future, more reform should go into government spending in order to responsibly control just how much money the U.S. government is borrowing.

Back in 2011, Senator Mitch McConnell devised a plan called the Budget Control Act which “allowed Obama to raise the debt ceiling on his own while allowing Congress to pass a joint resolution to override that action if two-thirds of lawmakers wished to. They said this allowed Congress to continue to have oversight over raising the debt ceiling but prevented it from being used as a political tool.” While this plan did have its flaws, the idea still stands strong today.

Weaponizing the debt ceiling by threatening cuts to social security and other beneficial programs does nothing good for the Americans who rely on these programs. As McConnell explained in 2011, “If we’re unable to come together, we think it’s extremely important that the country reassure the markets that default is not an option, and reassure Social Security recipients and families of military veterans that default is not an option.”

Still, it is important to acknowledge the harm raising the debt ceiling inflicts as it causes interest rates to increase and therefore inflation to increase, thus hurting American households in the long run. The U.S. needs long-term reforms on government spending for this reason, especially to bring down the national debt. But for now, raising the debt ceiling is critical before the U.S. can move forward.

Conclusion

Both sides agree that the debt ceiling needs to be raised and that government spending should be reformed.

CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

How

BY CHARLES BEALL ‘23

Over the past weekend, extreme weather events across the continental United States abounded, from a blizzard and flooding in and around Los Angeles to record high temperatures for February in Florida and other parts of the Southeast. Extreme weather is a predicted byproduct of climate change, and we have seen more and more examples of this in the past several years.

But how are we able to predict the increasing prevalence of this extreme weather in the first place? Weather is notoriously much harder to predict than climate, but with the help of mathematics being applied to climate modeling, scientists can observe longer-term

We’ve actually come a long way in studying climate over the past 50 or so years, with early advances coming from the advent of chaotic dynamics and multiscale modeling. This column covered the basis of chaos theory in an article last semester, but for a brief refresher, mathematicians use the term “chaotic” to describe systems whose behavior can change drastically with even the slightest of alterations in their initial conditions.

Multiscale modeling is also important for describing complex systems because it tries to capture the different dynamics that can be going on at different scales in the system. When looking at climate, we have, on the smallest scale, particles in the atmosphere interacting with each other; on larger scales, we have phenomena like cloud and front formation which cannot be modeled feasibly by keeping track of every single particle; and for yet larger scales, we have the average temperature and rainfall of a region over

many years.

While we have different scales that involve different types of modeling, mathematics still provides us with a way to connect these scales together, and, if we can glean patterns in the smaller scales, we can predict what those patterns engender in the larger ones. This is how scientists figured out that (1) an increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere can and will cause global warming, and that (2) human emissions are the leading cause of this increase.

On the flip side, we can gain an understanding of the smaller scales by studying the largest scales in multiscale modeling, too. This is a little trickier to do, but scientists have also been successful, and it’s in part what has led to a shift from the term “global warming” to the term “climate change.” Scientists know that, while temperatures, on the whole, have risen and will continue to rise, there will nonetheless be fluctuations of this in the weather. The weather will also become more extreme as the buildup of greenhouse gases in the at-

SPORTS MATTER Stevens should be a sports school

mosphere continues.

What will be important in the coming years, I predict, will be using multiscale modeling to assess the most effective damage control when it comes to climate change. Humans have already done lots of damage to the Earth, and this has been accelerated exponentially by climate change. To survive as a species and protect the species around us, we will need strategies to mitigate future destruction.

This will be difficult to do, of course, because even the best science likely will not mean much at first to big corporations still making huge profits, or governments neglecting regulations or global agreements, despite the immense toll the Earth is taking from their actions or inactions. Nevertheless, I believe that more practical solutions will arise soon, and the best of them will have involved a great deal of multiscale analysis along the way. The mathematicians and scientists will then rely on activists and politicians to wage a multiscale campaign to implement those solutions.

BY KYLE SLENDORN ‘23

I envy the students that go to a big sports school. I’m referring to Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, the Power-5 universities that sell out sporting events in stadiums and the buzz around the big game electrifies the campus. Gameday is like a holiday, students get up early, dress up and prepare for the game. Throughout the United States, football is the biggest college sport, but the top athletic schools will gather a crowd for anything, especially if their school is successful. Being a part of an environment like that is something I never got to experience in college. It is frustrating to be a member of one of the best athletic departments in the country at Stevens and garner little attention from the student body.

I do acknowledge all the factors that make this far-

fetched: Stevens is a Division III school, we don’t have a football team, and we have a smaller size of enrollment, which is typical of a Division III school. I understand the challenge, but it doesn’t mean we should be content with this obstacle. Every year the football game between Ithaca and Cortland gets 40,000 fans in attendance. There are a lot of Division III schools out there that make a big deal about their athletics.

Not having a football team hurts. It is just such an easy sport for students to get behind. Look at all the high schools around the country, even schools that don’t draw a crowd for any other sport will have one for football. As for the size of Stevens, we may be growing with every new class, but our enrollment is small. Not only are we small in enrollment, but it seems that the campus turns into a ghost town on the weekend. Perhaps, our student body just isn’t interested in sports, and no matter what efforts are made the support never comes. I find this hard to believe and think there is still hope for Stevens to be a sports school.

It starts with promotion. Getting the word out about a big game or match is paramount. I think the student

body will show up if they are well-informed. Over the past few years, Stevens athletics and Stevens’ main social media pages have been doing a better job of promoting sporting events. Where they fall short is the timing of the post; they are often posted on the day of the event. This gives little time for students to plan to attend, they likely already have something planned. Stevens students are heavily involved with clubs and organizations around campus. Along with the better promotion of Stevens’ sporting events, a sport-dedicated student section would help boost awareness. All the big sports schools in the country have a devoted student section. They show up to all the events, bring the noise, and fiercely support their team. How cool would it be to see that at Stevens?

Stevens’ athletics has been dominating recently. Last year was the most successful year in the school’s history. We finished 10th in the Learfield Directors Cup DIII Standings, our highest finish ever, which is an award given to colleges and universities with the most success in athletics during the academic year. The DI team in 10th place right now is Alabama, a major sports Power-5 school. Stevens athletics also

do I search for an off-campus apartment?

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

While Stevens has significantly expanded its on-campus housing with the recent addition of the UCC University Towers, there still is a serious lack of space to house all Stevens students. Currently, Stevens has space for 1,824

students to live on campus, but about 7,527 graduate and undergraduate students. Due to this, nearly all students will have to search for outside housing at some point in their college careers. Going off campus gives you better housing stability since you don’t get kicked out during breaks or in the summer. Additionally, you no longer are at mercy of the Stevens housing lottery which can save you a lot of money.

I personally moved off campus after my freshman year, and I’m very happy with my apartment, although it was a difficult and confusing process and I definitely wish me and my roommate did

things differently. The first thing that you need to think about is when you want your lease to start. It’s important to do this because usually leases start a few weeks after signing; landlords won’t reserve a place for you when someone else will rent immediately. So you’re going to have to plan a week in the month before your ideal start date to go apartment hunting. There is a lot else to consider like price, location, and amenities. The most important thing is to do your research, and start looking at listings now so that you have a sense of how things are priced and you can tell when you’re getting scammed.

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24

Searching for an off-campus apartment should be the least of your concerns as the time to sign a lease approaches. There are so many factors to consider when apartment hunting, you may currently be thinking about

the location and price of your prospective housing arrangement for the next year, but I encourage you to look deeper than that. Considering who you live with should be your top priority, you do not want your second year at college to be spoiled by living with an abomination.

The worst and most toxic way I can think to do that is to take all of your friends and create a large spreadsheet of who is willing to live with who and have a single moderator assign housing combinations based on their totally unbiased judgments. After getting your housing partner(s), you should then complain to the moderator

recorded 13 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championships, eight All-Americans, and Stevens’ first national champion in wrestling, Brett Kaliner. A university with this much success in sports should have large crowds at all the big events, not just a crowd, but a student section. Currently, the big crowds that do occasionally show up are a mixture of family, friends, and the away team’s fans. The campus should be buzzing with excitement for a big game. Then, a whole section in the stands would be filled with students cheering on their fellow classmates.

The last factor in making Stevens a complete university is getting the students more involved in athletics. We are a top academic school in a great location, with two brand-new residential towers. Our athletics teams are getting better every year. There are countless clubs and organizations on campus. We have about all you can ask for. Let’s not only be a top academic school but a top academic school with stellar athletics that garners huge support from the students. A college’s athletic team unites the student body. It increases school pride and community amongst students and gets prospective students to want to attend.

that you do not like your housing arrangements and then everything will slowly fall into place… or completely fall apart. Now that you have your truly perfect roommate situation sorted, it is time to load up Zillow and hope something that won’t break your bank account falls into your lap. Finding apartments on a student’s budget may prove to be impossible and you will be forced to either take a loan or live on the street. If I want you to take anything away from this it is that there are things worse than living on the street, and that is living with bad roommates. Stay toxic, and have fun!

MUSIC TO MY EARS

Måneskin’s RUSH!: the cost of going global

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

Måneskin (pronounced moon-ay-skin or mahnay-skin) is a newly distinguished Italian rock band, with such accolades as a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, Italian X-Factor runner-up, and Eurovision winner. Their raspy cover of

SPOILER ALERT

“Beggin’” did numbers on TikTok, charted in over 40 countries, and reached number three in the Global 200. Their latest release RUSH! came out in late January and is their first global album, with 15 English songs of the 17 total. The album is an interesting exploration of poprock, though it falls short in key areas.

My personal favorite is “Timezone,” which has a great blend of changing tempo, powerful vocals, and raw lyrics that drive the song’s emotional journey. The lead singles were “Mammamia,” “Supermodel,” “The Loneliest,” and “Gossip.” These five songs represent the core sound of the album, with the

many songs in between fading into the background. Indeed, the main criticism of this album is that they seem to plagiarize themselves. An Italian reviewer comments on “the band’s tendency to make their own the styles [sic], clichés and sounds of a rock already heard and made ‘alla Måneskin.’” RUSH!, in essence, is a great pop-rock playlist that tends to repeat itself.” In the dense world of pop-rock, it’s clearly an achievement to have defined your own sound, though it’s harder to continue to innovate.

“Gossip” is an upbeat and snarky tune that features Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and

The Banshees of Inisherin: A metaphorical (and literal) civil war

Måneskin takes influence from many rock bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Damiano David, frontman of Måneskin, said “I think that the inspiration we got from Radiohead was to be very focused on creating a very specific world for each song,” which comes through on RUSH! though not always in a positive way; the album doesn’t have an easy flow, and listening on shuffle might be equally as cohesive. The tonal shift from “Kool Kids,” a scream-singing, ironic head-bopper, to “If Not for You,” a power ballad, is jarring, to say the least. The Italian songs are blocked together towards the end of the album, intentionally marking their roots

without alienating listeners early on. The structure of the album seems focused on cementing them into pop, likely due to the influence of songwriter/producer Max Martin, credited on five songs, including Supermodel. Martin is responsible for many of the ‘90s and 2000s pop hits, from Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and The Weeknd.

Overall, the album is enjoyable to listen to, though in places purposely trite.

In the Spotify description of the song “Feel” the band writes, “the words in this song are used exclusively as sound, there’s no meaning intent.” This is a relief as half of the words are “la-la-la-la,”

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby

though perhaps it reflects more meaningfully on the larger body of work. It’s in the uncanny valley of self-awareness: the album is bookended by “Gossip” and “Supermodel” which center on the inherent vanity and superficiality of fame. “Timezone” and “The Loneliest” both speak to the breakdown of personal relationships upon entering the macro scale of being known internationally. These themes are juxtaposed by the self-stated filler lyricism that makes up much of the album. It’s hard to treat it as a serious work of art without a coherent theme. In their venture into globalization, their eloquence feels lost in translation.

BY JULIA WIERZBICKI ‘23

With the Oscars fast approaching, I’ve set myself the goal of watching every film nominated for best picture before the award show.

So far, I’ve seen Elvis, Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, and this week I checked off The Banshees of Inisherin (directed by Martin McDonagh). Before I watched this movie, I really wasn’t sure what to make of the plot summary. It simply described two lifelong friends at odds after one of them decides to end their relationship. I wasn’t sure how there would be two hours worth of plot out of such a simple concept, but I was definitely mistaken. The Banshees of Inisherin is a phenomenal example of how a quiet story regarding a few people can cover the most complex of themes and ideas.

One of the most interesting things about the film is its setting. I saw one reviewer describe the film as being “aggressively Irish” and I have to agree (in a good way). The setting is absolutely beautiful and the film is shot in a stunning

green/gray color palette. While the dialogue can be a bit difficult to follow at first, the slang that the characters use helps give context to the island and its people. In addition to the dialogue, I felt like every person’s screen time was used extremely effectively. The film wastes no time getting started, as the very first scene is Pádraic going to Colm’s house to ask if he wants to go to the pub. Even without having read the description of the film, it was easy to pick up that this was a normal occurrence and Pádraic felt comfortable around Colm — until he suddenly didn’t. Without the use of words, it was clear between the sullen blankness of Colm’s face and the confused and slightly hurt look on Pádraic’s that something was amiss. The connection between these two characters was very strong from the start and I believe they were cast perfectly for the roles. Others, such as Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán, and the wayward boy, Dominic, also jump right into the plot without much explanation of their characters. It’s up to the audience to discern how these characters are related to each other and I found that it was very easy to do so thanks to the directing and acting choices.

I found that there were several ways people decided to interpret this film. Some theorized that Colm and Pádraic’s conflict is a metaphor for the Irish civil war. This would make sense as neighbor turned on neigh-

bor without warning during the war. There was some mention of a military conflict throughout the film, so McDonagh might’ve been leading the audience in that direction. I, however, am leaning toward another interpretation: the fact that Colm stopped being friends with Pádraic out of selflessness. It’s hard to consider, at first, how hurting Pádraic so deeply and causing his downward spiral would be done out of kindness, but there are many hints that lead to this conclusion. Firstly, Colm is much older than Pádraic. It also seems that Colm is unhappy in his current situation and his life leading up to this point. It’s possible that he realized Pádraic would end up with the same fate as him unless something drastic happened to get him to leave the island. Colm is (or was) Pádraic’s only friend, and by taking that away, he might’ve hoped it would be enough to shock him into action. Instead, it caused Pádraic to doubt everyone and everything around him and eventually begin hating the people around him. Clearly, if this was Colm’s intention, they backfired terribly by the end of the film.

These are most definitely not the only ways to interpret The Banshees of Inisherin, and I invite you to watch it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. It’s most certainly worthy of its Best Picture nomination and I hope that come Oscar time, it gets the recognition it deserves.

BY VICTORIA YASHCHUK

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby is a gruesome and emotional story about two fathers trying to avenge the death of their gay sons. In his novel, Cosby introduces us to Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins, both grieving about the murder of their sons, who were happily married but fell victim to the dangers of being involved with the wrong people. Both having a criminal history, Ike and Buddy Lee evolve from their stage of awkwardness to becoming partners in crime after Buddy Lee offers to take the initiative in finding the ones who murdered their sons, Isiah and Derek, to which Ike is first reluctant but then

agrees.

Along with finding the murderers, Cosby shows the personal battles Ike and Buddy Lee try to overcome, trying to come to terms with the fact that their sons are no longer alive. Through the thoughts and internal battles of Ike and Buddy Lee, Cosby provides insight into the incredibly deep divide the fathers feel between loving their late sons and disapproving of their sexuality. By taking the initiative, Ike and Buddy Lee prove to their late sons that they will love them no matter what, despite having been against their sons’ relationship while they were alive. Cosby establishes a parallel within the novel, which is significant to the plot and adds a layer of suspense to the already somber plot. This parallel is the alternating chapters between Ike and Buddy Lee’s journey and the killer, giving the reader insight into the killers and their plan to find Tangerine, a young woman who knows about the murders of Isiah and Derek. Tangerine becomes the binding factor between Ike and Buddy Lee and the killer, Grayson.

While Ike and Buddy Lee are trying to find the killers, the reader is a step ahead, as Cosby makes sure the readers know about Grayson’s “clubhouse.” The “clubhouse” refers to Grayson’s biker gang. Grayson is a truly menacing character, as he instills fear in everyone around him; Grayson idolizes brutality, violence, and fear, establishing a sense of superiority amongst the gang.

The ending of the novel hangs heavily on the heart, as the grieving fathers risk their lives to prove themselves worthy of their sons’ love and forgiveness, hoping that Isiah and Derek are high above, watching their fathers make up for all the years lost to arguing and misunderstanding.

I have noticed that, for the most part, the books I read tend to tie into the idea of family and the harsh realities that come with it. This book especially, being realistic fiction, shows both an inside and outside perspective of failed familial relationships, misunderstanding, and loss. With all the harsh realities, comes the change in perspective life forces upon everyone.

‘26

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODREADS.COM

HISTORY OF THE DUCKS

Walker Gymnasium: innovative gym for the innovation university

was a new home of the Red and the Gray: William Hall Walker Gymnasium.

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE

in 1915, Stevens needed a place to house their sporting teams. Through the donations of one man, there

GIRL TALK

William Hall Walker, born in Michigan in 1846, grew up in a world brimming with the desire to change. Despite his father’s wishes, Walker got an apprenticeship in Connecticut before moving to New York City to work for Morgan Iron Works while attending the Cooper Institute. However, Walker quickly rose above his station using mechanical and scientific, eventually achieving fame through an invention known as Walker’s Pocket Camera, a precursor to the Kodak camera. As he grew older, so did his reputation. Traveling the world and taking out many patents, Walker became acquainted with Stevens Institute of Technology through a mutual interest in design, engineering, and innovation.

At Stevens, the school was nearing its 50th anniversary. With multiple buildings, a decorated staff, and graduates of distinction in academia, industry, and the government, Stevens needed a

building to house its athletic teams. Although initially for a Laboratory of Mechanical Arts, Walker agreed that his gift of $100,000 could be applied to the construction of a gymnasium on campus.

The plan was to construct a typical, rectangular gymnasium on the path connecting Castle Stevens to Morton Labs. However, since the selected plot of land was trapezoidal, a rectangular building would have been awkward. The innovation university’s solution was a new, elliptical design for the structure that concaves more with the topography of Castle Point. Despite the increased cost of curves, the ellipse would allow fewer lineal feet of walling to enclose the structure, argued architects Ludlow (who graduated from Stevens in 1892) and Peabody. Ludlow and Peabody designed the structure in a classical revival structure based on ancient Greek and Roman designs. The exterior of the building was made of variegated deep-toned brick with raked joints, lime and ter -

The inspiring women of the trades

played large roles in the safety of the labor force, and today they are continuing to advance the professions.

racotta stone trim, and a green shingled tile roof.

The first floor housed locker rooms, trophy rooms, washing rooms, offices, and a large practice room.

The second floor housed the main gymnasium under a trussed ceiling 27

feet above with a gallery running track. Additionally, on the south side of the building, there was a swimming pool heated by sunlight through a reflective roof.

Walker gymnasium is still standing and was

placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2019, for its significance in architecture. So to anyone who is enjoying a badminton match in Walker, remember so were the Stevens students of 100 years ago.

BY JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23

When brainstorming for a topic this week, I turned to my family for help. My dad, being an electrician for the Local Union No. 3 IBEW (Local 3) out of New York City, gave me the idea to write about women in the trades. Taking to the internet, I started to dig into the history and current nature of women working in trade professions, such as construction, electricity, and mechanics. I also had the opportunity to speak to two inspiring women of the Local 3. Women have

OP-ED

To begin, women have held an intricate part in advancing the labor movement. As explained by history.com, “The labor movement in the United States grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers. For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions.” Some key women in history include Rose Schneiderman who was a powerful person in the trades union movement for over 50 years, Sue Ko Lee who led the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and the Women of the 1910 Chicago Garment Workers’ Strike, which is one of the biggest strikes in Chicago history. Without their

perseverance, bravery, and strength, trade professions would not be what they are today.

It’s important to remember that trade work holds just as much opportunity, potential, and stability for women as they do for men. Gender stereotypes can be a major obstacle for women looking to get into the trades.

Kristen Wilsen, president of Jack Cewe Construction Ltd. states, “At every level in the industry, we need to counter the belief that work in the trades is for men only […] The fact is, women can do this work and you don’t need to be male to have a successful career in construction.”

Statistically speaking, women make up 10% of skilled trade jobs in the country, which includes occupations such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bus operators, farm managers, heavy equip -

Can I still play Hogwarts Legacy?

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24

The Harry Potter franchise is hugely successful, with seven books, eight movies, and three theme parks, this is a multi-billion dollar business. In the early days, writer J.K. Rowling was intimately connected with the fanbase, with fans keeping up with her on her blog and Twitter. In the past few years, many fans and even the lead actors have distanced themselves from the author due to her controversial opinions, namely on accusations of transphobia. With the launch of the new video game Hogwarts Legacy, an aggressive wave of opposition calls to boycott Rowling’s work, but misinformation is rampant in counterarguments.

The first argument against a boycott asserts that buying the game sup-

ports the developers, not Rowling. This is false; as the owner of the intellectual property, Rowling earns royalties and will profit from the game. Additionally, developers rarely if ever see a cut of the profit, and are paid before the release of the game. Whether a boycott would be effective in denting the tens of millions of royalties she receives each year is another issue. Rowling likely will continue to be absurdly wealthy regardless. Rowling believes that if you purchase any of her work, you support her views. In a snarky response to one boycotter, she tweeted, “The truly righteous wouldn’t just burn their books and movies but the local library, anything with an owl on it and their own pet dogs.” Her Twitter account is filled with self-righteous responses to the most incendiary comments from those who op-

pose her, making a strawman out of valid criticism.

The other case against the boycott is that the game is too compelling, it offers all the nostalgia a Harry Potter lover could want in a game. The game however, seems to fall short of users’ expectations. Even in the 9/10 review from IGN, the reviewer noted major performance issues, learning curves in combat mechanisms, and plot holes to the tune of “its magical world makes no sense.” Another reviewer found the game “clunky,” adding the experience was “less than I would expect from a game with this kind of budget.” It’s a question that the consumer must ask themselves: is a $70 game that benefits someone who uses their platform to promote anti-trans rhetoric worth it?

Rowling wrote an essay in 2020 opposing

ment operators, welders, and more. In order to increase this percentage, I believe we must start by encouraging girls to find their passion and pursue it, regardless of gender stereotypes. Organizations such as Girls Garage, Girls Build, and Tools and Tiaras are making leaps and bounds for young girls across the country, which includes motivating them to try new things and find what they love to do.

I had the pleasure of speaking to two women of the Local 3, Tanya Ferguson and Theresa Murray. Ferguson is a Shop Steward and Executive Board Member. Since she was young, Fergesun has wanted to be an electrician and follow in her dad’s footsteps. At work, Ferguson reinforces safety and informs all employees of what’s going on within the Union. She has an amazing support system consisting of her cowork -

ers at Local 3. Ferguson’s favorite part of being an electrician is being able to start a job and see the finished product at the end, gender equality, wages, and Economic security.

Murray currently serves as an A Division Journey Wire Woman, where her daily tasks include installing cable supports and overseeing the running of cables for a school located in the Bronx. Murray knew she wanted to become an electrician at the age of 10 when she was watching the movie FlashDance — a scene encompassing a female welder impacted her tremendously, and she knew she wanted to pursue a similar field. Entering the Union at age 19, she has faced internal hardships being a woman in a male-dominated field, such as always feeling the need to prove herself. Murray’s favorite parts of her job include the satisfaction

of seeing what she has built with her own hand and the amazing connections she has made with coworkers. Being a woman in a male-dominated field and school, hearing these women speak about their experiences truly inspired and motivated me. It was such a cool experience to connect with them. I also want to add that my Grandfather who passed away loved working for Local 3, and I know he would be proud of me for writing this piece. Through my research, I have found that women are a vital part of labor professions due to their hard work, dedication, and passion. In addition, It’s important to encourage young girls to explore the trades and find what they truly love to do. With proper encouragement and support, women can continue to reinvent the trade professions, just as women have before us.

Scotland’s Gender Recognition Bill, which would make it easier for citizens to change their legal gender, including removing a medical diagnosis requirement. Rowling fears that the definition of sex is being eroded by trans groups and that young people are being socially pressured to transition as a result of homophobic ideas. She purports to respect the safety of trans people, saying she simply doesn’t want trans rights to be at the expense of women’s rights. The statement in itself suggests that even if she respects a trans woman’s identity, she does not view it as equal to a cisgender, “biological” woman. The argument against biological sex being the basis for legal sex is dense and cannot be quickly summarized. “Natural law” has been used to discredit the existence of trans people. In essence, it is dif-

ficult to draw a hard and fast line on where biology determines sex. Male chromosomes are not always XY and females are not always XX; humans can have allosomes that are neither, both, or sex-reversed, resulting in a human that can have a physically male body with XX chromosomes. Additionally, the mental processes that recognize gender in our peers are certainly not made on the basis of biology. We are not constantly aware of people’s chromosomes, sex organs, or testosterone levels as we stand next to them and decide which pronoun to use, suggesting a valid distinction between sex and gender. Nevertheless, Rowling’s rhetoric has been used in defense of anti-trans bills, proposing “separate but equal” sports teams and sanctioned denial of medical care for trans people.

This topic is monstrously convoluted, and Rowling’s other controversies were omitted, including the accusations of antisemitism on the basis of the greedy money-lender goblins in the books and game. While refusing to buy a video game isn’t activism, it is important to be able to recognize sources of misinformation and bigotry in our culture. A Stevens student and representative for oSTEM and TranSIT gives his input, writing “I was a very huge Harry Potter fan growing up. Now though, I avoid the franchise as much as I can. As a trans person, JK Rowling’s opinions on transgender people completely turned me off of the series. How can I continue being a Harry Potter fan if she actively lobbies against transgender rights?” If you’re feeling conflicted, take the advice of the people affected by the issue.

‘26

HISTORY: COURTESY OF THE SAMUEL C. WILLIAMS LIBRARY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

“I’m trying to think if I have cried on campus. No, I haven’t cried on campus.”

ROVING REPORTER

By Rafael Lee Li

“What is your favorite place to cry on campus?”

Maze

Help the Hoboken water service worker find the main break!

Hard Puzzle: 0.65 difficulty

Medium Puzzle: 0.51 difficulty

LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS:

Vivekraj Harinarayan ‘25 “Pierce Dining Hall.”

Luke Bianchi ‘25 “Favardin’s house, he’d whip you up some pancakes.”

Kristina Szumski ‘26 “I haven’t cried since I got in here.”

Lucas Brusa-O’Connell ‘26

“In the booths on the second of the library. It’s nice and private and loud enough that no one hears you.”

Emily Martinez ‘25

Aliyah Vinas ‘26

“The extra quiet space in the library 3rd floor.”

Amanda LaFrancois ‘26 “Third floor library. I can silent cry. Oh, and during swim practice. Like in the pool, with my goggles on.”

Nicholas Villa ‘23 “To cry?! Probably in the MakerSpace every time my 3D print fails.”