[The Stute] September 16, 2022 (Issue 2, Volume CXX)

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

Newest threat on campus: lantern flies

We write Stevens history VOLUME CXX No. 2

HOBOKEN, NJ | SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

www.thestute.com Instagram @thestute facebook.com/stevensthestute NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904

Dr. Gregory Prastacos’ Term as Dean of the School of Business Extended

Interview with Dr. Eve Riskin, Dean of Undergraduate Education

BY SANDY MCDONALD, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Dr. Eve Riskin, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), has been newly promoted to the Dean of Undergraduate Education. Riskin is a very accomplished woman in her field, honored as the National Science Foundation Young Investigator and awarded the 2006 Hewlett-Packard Harriett B. Rigas Award.

In an email interview with The Stute, Riskin discussed her role and the ambitions she has in her new position at Stevens.

What are you excited about in your role as Dean of Undergraduate Student Life here at Stevens?

Dr. Riskin replied, “I’m leading the undergraduate academic program. I’m excited about the focus on the student experience in the new Stevens Strategic Plan.

SEE DEAN PAGE 2

BY ERIN MCGEE AND TANYA AVADIA

BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, STAFF WRITER The Alexander House on the Stevens campus, which served as the old Student Center as well as a variety of other uses in earlier years, will be renamed Martha Bayard Stevens Hall, President Nariman Farvardin announced. The change brings to greater prominence the name of a woman influential in Hoboken history and

You may have noticed that the campus blue light system is no longer in effect.

Have no fear! Stevens has partnered with RAVE Safety to implement a mobile replacement to the previous system. RAVE Safety, founded in 2004, was designed to safely share critical emergency notifications and data.

Now, you can download the Rave Guardian app in the app store.

App features include many widgets, most notably a direct line to campus police.

Gone are the days of typing in 3-911, as emergency services are accessible with the click of a button. Other features include the ability to submit a campus care report, which covers everything from bias incidents to mental health concerns. Additionally, a catalog of various emergency numbers (including suicide hotlines, the Trevor Project, etc.) are all listed via the call directory, acting as a digital backpack for any health-related needs. The Guardian App boasts a unique safety timer feature; if you believe you will be entering an unsafe situation, this timer can be set to an allotted period

NEWS (2-4)

SCIENCE (5)

Learn more about the history of Martha Bayard Stevens Alexander House to be renamed to Martha Bayard Stevens Hall.

Wondering about the future of food? See how climate change is impacting the food we eat.

OPINION (8-11)

FEATURE (6-7)

See photos from the Stevens 9/11 memorial service

SEE BUSINESS PAGE 2

New Alexander House name honors Stevens family pioneer: Martha Bayard Stevens

of time. When you leave the unsafe situation, disable the timer, or you will be prompted to disable the timer. If you do not disable the timer, campus police will presume you are stuck in an unsafe situation and track your location.

All staff and students can make a “Detailed Caller Profile.” In this profile, you are prompted to provide information about any medical conditions, your course schedule, and other relevant information. By disclosing this information on the secure RAVE network, you enable campus police to find you more efficiently in an emergency situation. Finally, the fastest way to get critical campus alerts is to download the Guardian app. Notifications about campus and surrounding area police activity will be sent directly to your phone.

Your information and location are protected, information about you or your location is only sent to campus police when your safety timer expires or you place a panic call to the police. Additionally, guardians who are not campus police (friends, family, etc.) can be linked to your profile. You have the ability to set a safety timer linked only to your non-police guardians, in which case

Read more about Greek life at Stevens excelling

SEE HOUSE PAGE 2

OLOF PERSSON FOR THE STUTE

instrumental in founding Stevens. The building was rededicated by President Farvardin and a new sign outside of the building bearing Martha Bayard Stevens’ name was installed on Tuesday.

Edwin A. Stevens passed away when his wife, Martha Bayard Stevens, was just 37, providing in his will for the creation of an institution of higher learning in Hoboken.

As an executor of his will, Martha saw that the univer-

Stevens introduces Guardian app in effort to promote campus safety

BY ANNA DABROWSKI, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

Association, which trained young women in financial literacy (“home economics neatness and the principles of saving”), as well as the Martha Institute, which taught industrial skills to young men.

Much of her work impacts the citizens of Hoboken today. For instance, she funded the Hoboken Public Library, which opened in 1896. She was also a pa-

Stevens Institute of Technology’s School of Business would not be where it is today without hard work and dedication from all fronts.

However, at the center of its accomplishments is the contribution of the dean of the School of Business, Dr. Gregory Prastacos. It is because of all that has been achieved during his tenure at Stevens that the School of Business is reputed in such high regard. Under Dean Prastacos’ guidance, the School of Business experienced much reform: an increase in enrollment, integration of business and technology, positive placement outcomes, and much more.

The School of Business Prastacos inherited 10 years ago was a very different one than it is now and its success cannot go unnoticed. It is for this reason and many

The Stute Editorial Mind of a Freshman Senioritis Off the Press The Conversation And more...

campus police will not be notified about your location when the timer expires.

Stevens campus police strongly encourage everyone to download the guardian app, especially following the recent string of crimes reported by Campus Police in a recent Stevens announcement. In regards to the recent events during Freshman Orientation, Chief of Police, Timothy Griffin, stated in a mass email that the “situation was peacefully resolved,” but he would like to “remind everyone to take this opportunity and sign-up for the Rave Guardian app which allows members of our community to communicate directly with Campus Police during times of emergency.”

Download the Campus Guardian app today to promote campus and individual safety!

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sity would open as a school focused on science and engineering—it was the first college dedicated to mechanical engineering in the U.S.—just two years later in 1870.

However, Martha Bayard Stevens is perhaps best known as a civic leader and philanthropist who worked to improve the quality of life in Hoboken, being particularly dedicated to education and the expansion of public knowledge. She established the Industrial Education

Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY, OPINION COLUMNIST Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on September 8, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

EST. Queen Elizabeth’s reign was seventy years long, and the only one most Britons have witnessed in their lifetime. On February 6, 1952, at age 25, Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom following her father, King George VI’s death, and would go on to reign for seven decades. Along with the United Kingdom, the Queen’s reign reached across the commonwealth, which is a set of countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and many others that were former territories of the British Empire.

Following Queen Elizabeth’s passing, Prince Charles, the eldest son of the Queen, immediately began his reign as the new monarch. His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, became Queen Consort. Following them in the line of succession are King Charles’ oldest son Prince William followed in order by Price William’s children, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and

Prince Louis of Wales.

Queen Elizabeth’s passing has sparked worldwide controversy as people look back on her life. Although loved by many, some did not take kindly to the monarch during her reign. Disdain for the royal family is mostly the result of centuries of British imperialism and colonization. At the beginning of the Queen’s reign, the British Empire brutally controlled 70 territories, causing people of the countries once controlled by the British Empire to not mourn the queen’s death. Some people of Kenya did not mourn the Queen because of the 1.5 million people forced into concentration camps and tortured during her reign.

Along with many African countries, some Irish people were very vocal about their joy as a result of the queen’s passing, joining in chants at

soccer matches like “Lizzy’s in a box.” The Irish’s dislike of the royal family dates back to the Middle Ages when Ireland was overtaken and controlled by the British monarchy and government.

On the other hand, many are upset with the passing of Her Majesty. People around the world are taking their time mourning the loss. After the queen’s death, Operation London Bridge went into effect, which is the plan of how the United Kingdom would handle the death of Queen Elizabeth. This plan includes the beginning of the swapping of currency in the UK to the bills with the new king’s face. The plan also includes the details for the queen’s funeral, held at Westminster Abbey on September 19. Now that her reign is over, a new era has begun in British history led

by King Charles III.

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Friday, September 16

News Masthead Volume CXX No. 2 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

HOUSE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tron of Hoboken’s ecclesiastic life, funding a number of area churches of multiple denominations, including endowing the Episcopal Church of the Holy Innocents. Her concern for the general welfare of the city was reflected in her funding of parks, hospitals, homes, a recreational pier for the poor known as the River Walk, and the construction of the Willow Terrace

workers’ housing project.

The building formerly known as Alexander House served a number of purposes since it opened with the university in 1870. Originally the residence of Samuel Bayard Dod, the brother of Martha Bayard Stevens and former president of the Board of Trustees, the building became the home of Martha’s sonin-law Archibald Alexander and his wife Caroline Bayard Stevens after they married. It began to be referred to informally as the “Alexander House.” The original house was destroyed by fire in 1909, but

it was rebuilt the following year.

The house was the official presidential residence, housing President Humphreys and his wife Eva, from 1916 to 1929. After the newly restored Hoxie House took over that role, the building served first as faculty housing and then the student center until the opening of the University Center Complex earlier this year.

For her lifelong service and charitable patronage of the University and Hoboken, this week’s dedication honors a deserving figure of Stevens’ heritage.

Editorial Board NEWS EDITOR.......................................CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24 FEATURE EDITOR..................................TASHA KHOSLA ‘25 SCIENCE EDITOR............................RAYNA INDELICATO ‘23 OPINION EDITOR..............................LAUREN GARRETT ‘25 SPORTS EDITOR........................................CHRISTA RUIZ ‘25 HEAD COPY EDITOR.....................GIANNA CALLEGARI ‘24

Operations Board HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER......................OLOF PERSSON ‘25 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER............VANESSA HUERTA ‘23

Staff & Contributors Anaïs Bouchatta Anna Dabrowski Arianna Gehan Ben Knobloch Charles Beall Danica Lacuesta Emily Retino Erin McGee Ethan Kleschinsky Evan Papageorge Julia Wierzbicki Kate Wilcox

Kayden Cannilla Marisa Powers Matt Brantl Mohin Patel Nicole Giardino Oz Aguinaga Pooja Rajadurai Rafael Lee Li Sandy McDonald Steph Searing Tanya Avadia Trevor Dameika

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

Corrections

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

Stevens updates branding guidelines: Article incorrectly printed in 09/09/2022 issue. Accompanying photo by Evan Papageorge

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.

DEAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 I also am so impressed with how student-focused Stevens is. So I look forward to working with Stevens faculty to provide more academic opportunities to our undergraduates.”

What is your experience in this field or similar past jobs?

“I was an ECE professor at the University of Washington (UW) for over 30 years. I spent 15 years as Associate Dean in the UW College of Engineering where I focused on undergraduates. I spent my last nine years there working on our STARS program, which is a ‘redshirt’ program for students from underserved and diverse backgrounds who want to study engineering or Computer Science (CS). The students worked really hard and often outperformed more privileged students! I hope that some of what we learned at UW might apply at Stevens. “ Any overall comments/ thoughts on how the position is going?

“I’ve been here under two weeks. People are being very welcoming. I have been so impressed already to see the commitment of Stevens faculty and staff to ensure that every student has the support they need to graduate. I’m spending time trying to learn about Stevens and its people. There is a huge difference between a small private university and an enormous public university. Finally I’m from Lawrence Township and it’s so nice to be back home.”

BUSINESS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 more that it is proper to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Dean Prastacos for the extension of his term here at Stevens and to note what constructive changes will occur during the continuation of his term.

Dean Prastacos’ career in academia started at Columbia University and from then on, he has gone on to be part of facilities at other top institutions such as Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Dean Prastacos has also been highly recognized for his work on operations research which has led him to win many awards and distinctions. Starting in 2012, he was officially instated as the Dean of Stevens School of Business.

From the beginning, Dean Prastacos was determined to implement Stevens’ strategic plan that included bettering the quality of education. During his time as the

COURTESY OF PEOPLE.ECE.UW.EDU

dean, undergraduate and graduate enrollment saw unprecedented growth as the school’s undergraduate amount rose 200% from 2012 to 2021 and the graduate enrollment experienced a 94% increase.

Additionally, new faculty were hired and the launching of several new majors and programs, both on graduate and undergraduate levels, contributed to the success of the Business School. It is due to his diligence that Stevens Institute of Technology is now accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This accreditation is the longest-standing and highly recognized form of accreditation that business schools and programs can receive. This, in turn, places Stevens among the top 5% of business schools to receive such a distinction.

In addition, Dean Prastacos’ term as Dean saw the launch of two major projects and centers associated with the Stevens School of Business. The first of which was the MaCuDE Project, a Stevens-led initiative that stands for Management Curriculum for the Digital Era. The project, which includes more than 50 business schools in

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the United States and Europe, aims to update education in the fields of finance, leadership, ethics, and business to provide students with the necessary tools to succeed, particularly in the intersection of business and technology. The second major development is the Stevens-led Center for Research and Financial Technologies (CRAFT), which is the first ever National Science Foundation backed financial technology research center. The industry, academia, and government partners in the center plan to work towards generating research and student projects that will better develop the workforce and help build a finance curriculum for a changing world.

Moving forward, Dean Prastacos plans to continue with the new Stevens Strategic Plan of focusing on technology-driven research and education. This includes attracting top students and faculty, increasing national rankings, maintaining alumni engagement, and continuing to place students in high-impact jobs. He also plans to keep evolving and growing the business school to adapt to an ever-changing economy.

Dean Prastacos will continue to serve as the Dean until August 2024, and looks forward to more achievements for the school in those years, saying: “After 10 years, I am equally if not more enthusiastic about the role and the potential of Stevens and the Stevens Business School. It has helped me develop my skills of addressing difficult situations […] and fast changing environments.

It has helped me improve my communication skills in communicating this vision and energizing our community of faculty, students, and staff. It has helped me understand better the international environment and contribute more as a leader to Stevens and the broader academic community.”

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Friday, September 16

News Stevens Kappa Sigma chapter wins prestigious national award

BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER The fraternities and sororities of Stevens hold a remarkable role in the development and experience of the students at Stevens. From networking opportunities and giving back to Stevens and Hoboken through numerous volunteer and civil service activities and projects, Greek life here continues to shine amongst fellow organizations around the nation. In particular, our very own chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity received some of the highest accolades for the national Kappa Sigma Leadership Conference.

One such award, perhaps the most prestigious, is the Founders’ Award of Chapter Excellence (FACE). Kappa Sigma chapters receiving FACE exemplify outstanding chapter management, community, achievements, and development. At Stevens, the Kappa Sigma Rho Omega chapter asks its members to maintain particular academic requirements and volunteer work

while the group organizes a fundraiser and other community-building events.

Beyond the respectable recognition of being a FACE chapter of Kappa Sigma, the Stevens chapter also was recognized as a Champion Chapter. Champion Chapters are chapters of Sigma Kappa with at least 35 members with a significant number of recruits.

The Stevens chapter of Sigma Kappa gained 94 members to receive this award. It is a great honor of Kappa Sigma to recognize Stevens as an outstanding chapter, but one growing and spreading its exemplary work to more students.

Furthering the outstanding attributes of the Stevens’ Kappa Sigma chapter is their recent achievement of the 100% Ritually Proficient Award. A member of Kappa Sigma receives ritual proficiency when they master the Kappa Sigma ritual — including committing it to memory. This award displays Stevens members of Kappa Sigma’s dedication to upholding their academic, civil, and moral duties. Additionally, Stevens received a similar

yet more exclusive honor of 100% Ritually Proficient for Two Certificates: one of four institutions in the country.

Continuing the outstanding awards collected by the Stevens chapter of Sigma Kappa is the recognition of being a Silver Bowl chapter. The Kappa Sigma Silver Bowl Award represents a chapter’s academic excellence, maintaining a minimum grade point average (GPA) and the brothers’ average above that of the school.

The Stevens chapter of Kappa Sigma won this distinction for its scholarly qualities and for working on improving the Stevens community.

Stevens is an innovative university with a reputation spanning over a century of exemplary education. At the national Kappa Sigma leadership conference, the Stevens Kappa Sigma chapter upheld these ideals and promoted the excellence of the Stevens community and students. Congratulations to the Stevens chapter of Kappa Sigma and their work in receiving these distinctions, and they will continue in the upcoming semesters.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF @KAPPASIGRHOOMEGA ON INSTAGRAM

The Lodge wins founders trophy at national convention

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA, OPINION COLUMNIST The Stevens chapter of Chi Psi received national recognition when they were awarded the Founders Trophy this summer, which goes to the chapter, otherwise known as Alpha, that most exemplifies “Emerging Excellence.” Chi Psi is more commonly known as The Lodge, originating from Chi Psi being the first fraternity in the nation to establish a fraternity house, which resembled a hunting lodge.

As one of only three awards that The Lodge presents at their Annual National Convention, this award is extremely prestigious and represents “the hard work and dedication we’ve put into improving all aspects of the Lodge this past year,” said Stevens Lodge President Theodore Sherman. He continued, “Receiving this award is an immense honor and source of pride for our active brothers and hundreds of alumni who see the Alpha continue to thrive after nearly one hundred and forty years.” When asked about the accomplishments of The Lodge, Sherman responded, “I’m most proud of the absolute dedication and pride my brothers have shown

for the Lodge, especially our newest guys. Nationally, Alpha Xi has always been known as a very tight-knit, United Brotherhood, and I think one of the most important factors in us receiving the award is how we’ve been able to maintain those close bonds through such an adverse time.”

This is not the first time that Stevens’ chapter has received this honor, as it was one of the first Alphas to receive this award in 1975, and most recently in 2013 when the trophy was awarded for their significant increase in membership.

Sherman notes that this was a factor in this year’s recognition as well, in addition to improvements “in all facets of our operation; recruitment, philanthropy, alumni relations, campus involvement and brotherhood unity all showed significant growth over the last year.” The Lodge will continue to exemplify Chi Psi’s values of Brotherhood, and the brothers are grateful for the recognition of their hard work this year.

“The Founders’ Trophy represents the continued success of an organization that has persevered through two World Wars, a Great Depression, and now two global pandemics,” Sherman said.

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Are you looking for healthier lunch options in Hoboken?

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Friday, September 16

News Entertainment Committee prepares for inaugural Fall Fling provided with drink tickets.

The attire is semi-formal, and the decorations will reOn Thursday, September flect a rustic-barn theme.

Students can hop on a 22, The Entertainment Comhayride that will be traveling mittee (EC) will be hosting their first annual Fall Fling from Palmer Hall past Dein the Walker Gym, with Baun Field to Walker Gym. outdoor seating on Schaefer The hayride will feature a Lawn from 7 to 10 p.m. The special guest—Attila the event is free for all under- Duck—who will be giving graduate and graduate stu- out candy to the passengers. dents, the only requirement On par with past Entertainis to bring a Stevens ID for ment Committee events, check-in, and a photo ID to there will be free giveaways get a drink ticket. Check-in at the end of the night, including raffle baskets. A free begins at 6:30 pm.

The night will feature a photo booth will also be in wide variety of entertain- place to capture the night.

In previous years, The ment, including a string Entertainment Committee quartet, Stevens’ student Matthew Kirby as the DJ, hosted a Fall Festival around and a dancefloor. Stevens this time of year. This prewill be catering the event vious event featured more with fall-themed foods, and outdoor activities and inthree local Hoboken coffee flatables. This year, the EC shops will provide some hot has reimagined this event drinks. Although dinner is into more of a dance, with not provided, a full spread a greater focus on food and of appetizers and a selection music.

The Fall Fling is part of of desserts will be served.

For attendees who are 21 Steven’s weekend-long Fall and older, there will even Festival event, but unlike be a bar where they will be some of the later plans that

BY ARIANNA GEHAN, STAFF WRITER

are open to parents and alumni, Fall Fling is a student-only event Special Events Coordinator Jenna Wynd, who has been planning this event since late June, stated she is “really excited for everyone to experience this event. The Entertainment Committee has been working hard to plan Fall Fling to make it as fun as possible for all of the students!”

Entertainment Committee Festivities Director Corey Batchelder shared a similar sentiment: “I wanted the event to feel like a classier take on your typical high school fall Homecoming Dance while still kindling that warm and cozy campus feeling as we welcome back our family, friends, and alumni to Stevens. With this in mind, Jenna and I agreed to give the event a rustic fall barn theme to set an elegant yet familiar tone. I’m truly looking forward to a festive evening with the entire student body!”

Stevens Intercultural Space Re-Opening Week ty & Inclusion (DEI) Lending Library, resources, and student art. Not only is this Last week, Stevens Cele- area used to work towards brated the Grand Re-Open- more inclusivity on campus, ing of the Intercultural but it also serves as a stuSpace. Previously located dent lounge where students in the Alexander House, can be free to express themthe Intercultural Space has selves in a safe space that is been relocated to the second full of their allies.

The Re-Opening Celfloor of the University Center Complex (UCC). The In- ebration Reception took tercultural Space serves as place on Tuesday, Septema hub for their core ideals: ber 6, where the community identity development, social welcomed the Intercultural justice education, communi- Space to its new location, ty-building, empowerment, and heard from a multitude and campus-wide allyship. of campus leaders who made Alongside serving as a safe this new space possible.

The chair of the Diversity place for students, this new & Inclusion Committee, Vivspace has a library with over 200 books and DVDs that ian Touch, discussed how students can borrow at no she worked on the Interculcost, to learn new informa- tural Space from the ground tion about different cultures up. The space was proposed and identities, and how to back in 2018, since Stevens did not have any spaces for be a more inclusive ally.

The Intercultural Space diverse students to gather was created as “a space for together and be proud of dialogue on the topics of their heritages, identities, diversity, inclusion, and in- and/or disabilities. She distersectionality on campus” cussed going to the original (Proclamation P-19S-001 opening of the Interculturof the 106th Senate of the al Space in the Alexander Student Government Asso- House, and how it is surreal ciation). This space includes seeing the ideals of the origthe Office of Diversity, Equi- inal space being transferred

BY NICOLE GIARDINO, STAFF WRITER

to a new and improved space. In the UCC, everything about the space seems more vivid and real.

Student Government Association (SGA) President, Gab Poska, discussed how seeing diversity and inclusion initiatives grow on campus is amazing. Stevens has become a much more inclusive and welcoming campus, and because of this, last week the first drag brunch was able to take place. In 2018, the drive and push from the Stevens students allowed for the opening of the space, and through their continuous support, the Intercultural Space was able to be completely remodeled within the UCC. The Intercultural Space sparked a lot of change on the Stevens campus when it started in 2018, and continues to serve as a safe space for all students.

Following the grand opening, there were four more events for students to attend throughout the week.

On Wednesday there was an Accessibility Ally Workshop, where students heard from the Diversity and Inclusion

SANJANA MADHU FOR THE STUTE

Committee about the problem of ableism and how to become better advocates for people with disabilities.

On Thursday, Out of the Shadows Trivia Night took place, where students tested their knowledge of the history of social change. On Friday there was a Cultural Arts Night, where students celebrated their identities through art. They were able to either take their art home with them or hand in their pieces to be added to the Intercultural Space’s Student Art Wall.

Finally, on Saturday the Mid-Autumn Festival took place. The director of DEI, Liliana Delman, states, “The Mid-Autumn Festival is hosted by the Offices of Undergraduate and Graduate Student Life and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. It is a tanking event with DIY lantern-making and moon cakes (a traditional food for the Mid-Autumn Festival).” This holiday is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, with variants of the holiday being celebrated in Japan, Korea, and many other

countries in East and SouthEast Asia. According to Chinese Tradition, the lanterns that are made for this holiday symbolize fertility and longevity, and also serve as guides for spirits. Students were able to celebrate this holiday on campus with the Stevens-wide event that the Intercultural Space held.

Each of the events during this week was sponsored and/or hosted by the Intercultural Space Student Advisory Committee, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the SGA, and the Office of DEI. The Students and Staff alike are excited for new opportunities to be opened by the UCC’s improved Intercultural Space. The Intercultural Space is currently open and is welcome to all Stevens students: be it any background, gender identity, expression, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship status, and physical or mental disability.

You can follow them for any future updates and/or events on their Instagram: @interculturalspace.

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Friday, September 16

Science The future of food

BY KATE WILCOX, CONTRIBUTOR With climate change becoming an ever-growing issue, scientists around the world have been fighting to find solutions to help mitigate the effects that it will have on our food and researching the roles that food practices might play as a solution. Various parts of the world will be impacted by climate change extremely distinctly from one another, resulting in agricultural systems that have been in place for decades to be vulnerable.

This impending disaster will not only affect those local communities but will have drastic consequences when it comes to food scarcity and the global economy.

There are several ways that climate change can impact the agricultural industry; wildfires, drought, and pests are just some of the environmental effects that crops are vulnerable to. Rising temperatures can have positive or

negative effects on certain crops, but overall, it leads to weeds and pests becoming widespread due to shorter winters and a drastic increase in evapotranspiration: the process of water being evaporated from the soil or by a plant’s transpiration. According to an article titled “Agronomy for Sustainable Development,” by Miguel A. Altieri et al., this “is likely to intensify drought stress” which would intensify the lack of growth.

Climate change will make a significant amount of crops harder to grow which will not only make food more expensive but will also increase food scarcity.

In order to combat the inevitable rise of food prices due to climate change, some scientists suggest that investing in a diverse range of food could help in the short term.

Anna Gibbs writes in her article, These six foods may become more popular as the planet warms, about six different foods that are full of carbohydrates, protein, and

minerals that could be used in many dishes and are climate resistant. These include popular foods such as muscles and kelp, which live symbiotically to help reduce the acidity in the ocean as well as act as a filter. Gibbs also mentions crops like millet and enset, which although lesser known, have the possibility of becoming a household staple. Food that can adapt to climate change can be more efficiently mass-produced in order to reduce food expenses and food scarcity around the world in the short term.

Although having crops that grow in tough conditions is highly beneficial while the climate continues to change, it, unfortunately, will not decrease food scarcity and the environmental impact of climate change in the long term.

In order to more effectively slow down climate change, or even mitigate the effects that humans have had on climate change, diversifying our food selection is

not the only change that needs to be made; we also need to change how our food is produced as well.

As Altieri et al. stated, “The transformation and democratization of the world’s food system is the best way to adapt to climate change, while simultaneously eradicating hunger and poverty […]”

Currently, the most popular way of farming is by using monoculture practices; a western farming technique that was popularized by Europe in order to mass produce and specialize in one crop. Although it is currently seen as the most effective way to farm, it also plays a huge part in speeding up climate change. Monoculture practices, along with the help of pesticides and modern technology, have significantly increased crop yields at the cost of our ecosystems.

A famous example of how monoculture practices have resulted in a dramatic increase in food scarcity is the Irish Potato Famine. During

the mid-1800s, Ireland grew only one type of potato, so when a disease that destroyed the leaves and edible roots of the vegetable spread throughout the country, the Irish were left to starve. This was because monoculture farming leaves crops vulnerable to climate disturbances. In this example, climate change as we know it today did not impact that disaster, but it is an example of what many communities will go through since, “certain insect pests, diseases, and weeds may survive or even reproduce more often each year if cold winters no longer keep them in check.” While looking at how climate change will impact our food, scientists suggest not only diversifying the food products that we put on our shelves but to change how that food is grown. By looking into more diverse ways to produce food, scientists believe that ecosystems have a better chance of being resilient to changes in the climate.

Why you shouldn’t ignore the floods in Pakistan

BY OZ AGUINAGA , CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Pakistan, a country that emits less than one percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, now faces the consequences of a global warming crisis. One third of the country is underwater following an intense heat wave and a long monsoon season that has dumped a record amount of rain, leaving 33 million people displaced and killing more than 1,200 people.

Scientists believe there are several factors that have contributed to the flooding. Temperatures reached over 104 degrees Fahrenheit in Pakistan during the months of April and May. Considering that

warmer air holds more moisture, meteorologists warned that there would be above-average rainfall during the monsoon season.

However, there’s another culprit to the flooding: melting glaciers. Pakistan is home to 7,200 glaciers. Pakistan has the largest number of glaciers outside the polar regions. This means that Pakistan, already one of the most vulnerable countries, will become increasingly susceptible to flooding in the years to come as the planet warms. In a 2021 study, a group of researchers found that the Himalayas — one of the main mountain ranges in the country — is melting at an unprecedented rate. “Our findings clearly show that ice is now being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that

is at least ten times higher than the average rate over past centuries,” said Jonathan Carrivick, the study’s lead author.

The deadly monsoon rains have destroyed road and communications infrastructure leaving millions of Pakistanis homeless and looking for higher ground. More than 1.2 million houses, 5,000 kilometers of road, and 240 bridges have been destroyed. Some have gone so far as sheltering in makeshift tents alongside damaged roads. Residents in southern Pakistan have taken it upon themselves to form new dikes with sandbags to prevent further inundation. Pakistan’s agriculture has also taken a massive hit. Two million acres of agricultural land have been flooded including cotton, sugarcane,

and vegetable fields. And nearly 700,000 livestock have died. Food prices have already shot up due to the flooded crops and impassable roads which only exacerbates the situation.

Early estimates put the damage of the recent deadly floods at more than $10 billion. Pakistan has appealed for international help with some countries having already responded by sending supplies and aid such as China and the United States.

Pakistan’s finance ministry has warned of the impact. The loss of certain crops, like cotton, which is key for Pakistan’s textile sector that makes up more than 60% of the country’s exports, could devastate the country. This only exacerbates the situation in Pakistan

where residents already face high inflation, a depreciating currency, and exorbitant food prices.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to release $1.1 billion in Pakistan bailout funds from an agreement entered in 2019. This is, of course, short of the actual need in Pakistan. The flooding in Pakistan is but only the first telltale signs of what’s in store in the future. And though the crisis in Pakistan seems far removed from our daily lives, we can expect the hurt to echo across the world.

Many of the impacts of global warming are now simply irreversible. We are continuing to face forest fires, droughts, floods, and death at inconceivable rates. The looming question is: was this inevitable…can we change anything?

James Webb Space and the future of space imaging

BY EMILY RETINO AND DANICA LACUESTA July 12, 2022, was a historic day because the James Webb Telescope released the first full-colored images of space. The James Webb Telescope was built under the Webb Program, which is an international program under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA). At the moment, the telescope is the largest optical telescope in space and claims to see approximately 13.6 billion light years away from Earth.

It is essential for society to educate themselves on this telescope and the images they produce.

Since Webb’s telescope can only target a specific area at a given time, the target areas were predetermined and meticulously planned in advance to create images that would help further our current understanding and

knowledge of space. The James Webb telescope is a huge advance from the Hubble Space Telescope, with greater detail, a definition in shape, and color. Although the Webb telescope images have given researchers a wealth of new information, there’s a catch! The telescope has an infrared detector, the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), using light collected from the sky.

This detector allows astronomers to look at the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum; the telescope sees heat radiation, and engineers take this radiation to create an image in color for us to see.

Webb has the goal of “pushing the boundaries of human knowledge,” which can inspire bright, ambitious students to further current knowledge. The scientific discoveries found under the images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope can potentially build bridges between Stevens students, astronomers, physicists, and oth-

er technicians in NASA and other space agencies. Students who are passionate about space and exploration will be more inspired to pursue scientific research. Dr. James Rabinovitch, Assistant Professor at Stevens under the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science, leads a research group dedicated to space exploration. After seeing the images, he stated, “the clarity, the detail, and just the beauty that we saw was absolutely amazing.”

NASA is committed to establishing a stronger observatory named the Nancy Grace Roman Space, where people will collaborate on machine building, analyzing data, and developing software. With the rise of interest in space, the Space Systems Engineering program at Stevens can captivate many aspiring space engineers, and ultimately the images captured from the James Webb Telescope can help us foresee a bright future for the world.

(Above) This observation reveals the amount of water present in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet, WASP-96b, surrounding a distant star based on the gas molecules present based on the brightness of colors of light. Although WASP-96 b is unlikely to be inhabited by any forms of life, this technique could be used in the future to determine whether other planets can support life. The first clear detection of water in exoplanet atmospheres was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2013, but Webb’s observation was more detailed, “marking a giant leap in characterizing potentially habitable planets beyond Earth.”, PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.

6

Friday, September 16

Feature Stevens commemorates 21st anniversary of September 11

AS THE POEM STATES,

EVAN PAPAGEORGE FOR THE STUTE

BY SANDY MCDONALD, CONTRIBUTOR “We Remember the Past, Embrace the Present, and Hope for the Future” On September 12, the Stevens community came together to remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks. The Point, known to students as “The Cannon,” looks across where the Twin Towers used to be. The event began with the Presentation of Colors by the Hoboken Police Department Honor Guard.

The drums and pipes played

while campus Chief of Police Timothy Griffin prepared to give his welcome speech. While the events of that day are well known to most, hearing Chief Griffin’s stories will always strike a chord with those who witnessed the tragedy and those who did not.

Student Sara Deuidicibus shared the poem, “A Litany of Remembrance—We Remember Them,” by Rabbi Sylvan Kamens and Rabbi Jack Riemer. The poem is one to keep in mind on days like these, days where stories are shared

and tears are shed. Cindy Chin ‘05 was one of those who shared her story. Her husband, boyfriend at the time, lived in Davis. All the couple did for the next couple of days was a blur — going to and from friends’ dorms, making sure her dad was alright, and checking the television for any updates. Students at the time described that fear and isolation, stating “we were pretty much trapped there.”

Dean of Students Kenneth Nilsen shared his perspective next, which was an essay he

wrote for the 10th anniversary, “We Remember the Past, Embrace the Present, and Hope for the Future.” In this text, he illustrated the turmoils of the staff working on that day.

Seventy-five co-op students were working in the city, and employees stayed until 10 p.m., finding all of the students unscathed.

At the time, Griffin was working as a Lieutenant at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. His first day back from training with the FBI was 9/11.

He and his colleagues worked

SO LONG AS WE LIVE, THEY TOO SHALL LIVE, FOR THEY ARE NOW A PART OF US, AS WE REMEMBER THEM. tirelessly in the pile, on tugboats, and doing everything they could to help the community they so dearly loved.

“For those of you who were not born yet, or were too young to remember it, thank you for being here and listening to the stories of those who were. I am glad you did not have to experience it, but I hope you never forget the thing you never experienced.”

As the poem states, “So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.”

Friday, September 16

Feature

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8

Friday, September 16

Opinion THE STUTE EDITORIAL

Waystar Royco vs. The Stute: how the news operates from fictitious media conglomerates to college newspapers I spent the latter half of my summer getting back into the habit of watching television.

As someone who notoriously watches light-hearted TV (i.e. sitcoms, reality TV, or what you might call “background noise for while I’m doing my homework TV”), I decided it was time to watch a more serious show. Flipping through HBOmax, I came across Succession, a dark-humored drama following a power-hungry family that oversees a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. While the show is meant to be a serious critique, it also satirically comments on the actions of the 1% and the ups and downs of the media industry.

As one can assume, the show also follows the many scandals that arise from with-

in Waystar Royco. With the intent of not spoiling anything about the show, it got me thinking about how media companies today navigate scandals, and whether or not their upholding of the “facts” exempts them from the scrutiny of the public eye. More importantly, it got me thinking about the difference between the priorities of large news organizations versus the priorities of smaller, not-for-profit organizations, and everything in between.

Working for a news organization, it’s important to us as members of The Stute to know the impact our news stories have on our readers and how our stories are being received.

Outside the bubble of college newspapers, it’s vital for large media companies to under-

stand the impact that their actions will have on their stock price, shareholders, and their brand. Of course, there also is great emphasis on the stories these news outlets produce, but their main focus is on how those stories impact their im-

age. In that sense, at times, it’s nice to have less responsibility and have no impact on the markets. It’s important to sometimes take a step back and understand the interesting privileges we have as student reporters.

Sanjana Madhu ‘23 PHOTO COURTESY OF TVINSIDER.COM

Editor-in-Chief

MIND OF A FRESHMAN

SENIORITIS

My yearly fall tradition

Let’s consider ourselves lucky

BY MOHIN PATEL ‘26 Autumn. The epitome of all good things the world has to offer. Every year the same joyous smile sneaks its way onto my face upon seeing the first bright yellow leaves, indicating the change yet to come. Halloween, arguably the greatest holiday, takes its time claiming every home across the nation with the humble pumpkin stationed outside the door. My daily routine develops into throwing on any old hoodie and my favorite pair of work pants, just to run outside and enjoy the perfect goldilocks temperature for as long as I can.

Seeing the forest turn every color of the setting sun day by day becomes my personal treat, drinking milk with pumpkin spice while watching in quiet disposition.

Farms throwing their doors open for many anticipating visitors such as my

own family become the one event no one can opt out of, an inevitable monthly family trip that never becomes tedious. With the corn maze’s layout changing every year, without fail, my dad gets yet another opportunity to get us as lost as possible in spite of him having a map.

My lactose intolerance becomes a wisp in the wind as I shovel that farm-made pumpkin ice cream into my mouth without regret. Seeing the horror enter my mother’s face as my brother runs over toddlers in the tricycle race is another priceless treat that drags us all back to the notso-pearly gates of Alstede Farms year after year.

Despite all this, the highlight of my fall every year becomes rewatching the animated masterpiece of Over the Garden Wall. Few works have ever fully encapsulated autumn’s charm as this 10 episode show has. Growing up in a suburban neighborhood bordering your average North American forest, the fall wonder trapped in the woods has been an elusive mark that filmmakers and artists worldwide have never quite been able to capture. Deservedly winning itself two Emmy Awards, this show is my guilty pleasure

that not enough people have the slightest clue about.

Following the plot of two brothers lost in a forest trying to get home, as someone who has frequently become lost in the forest with my brother this touches a spot that not much media has treaded before. The young boys come across strangers ranging from a talking bluebird to a woodsman, trying to stay one step ahead of the malicious sentient darkness dubbed the Beast. It’s a unique pastiche of my favorite TV shows growing up like Adventure Time and Gravity Falls, masterfully storytelling using hand-drawn animation and nostalgia. It becomes timeless as its roots are embedded in folklore, which is as old as storytelling itself.

Excitement grips me as I await fall at Stevens, eager to begin my days wandering around Hoboken for little coffee shops and their new holiday flavors. The cozy atmosphere of the great outdoors just adds to the charm of the best time of the year.

The various festivals and the smell of freshly fallen leaves will not just remind me of home, but will finally establish Stevens as my second one.

BY TREVOR DAMEIKA ‘22 Three years ago, Fall 2019, was my glimpse at normal college life. From little fear about health issues to always talking to new people, my first semester at Stevens was blissful, and I got to experience relationships without masks.

March 2020 was the month everyone at Stevens got sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I came out of an MA-123 exam with 500 GroupMe messages, 25 text messages, and 10 emails, each wondering what the future would hold as Stevens transitioned all classes online for the next two weeks.

It was at first two weeks, then, the rest of the semester, then, the 2020-2021 academic year. Did I know we were going to be gone THAT long from Stevens? No. On-

line teaching was almost unimaginable when I first arrived, but it evolved into my only source of learning for a year and a half. This online learning created an immense, uncomfortable social anxiety within many students including myself.

The fear of raising your voice when you do not know what the other person’s body language is like or what they are going through.

The worst was knowing how the class of 2020 and the class of 2021 would graduate. With more than half of the Stevens population missing from their final months, they did not get a worthy farewell for the wealth of time and effort put into their Stevens careers.

There is no changing how they left Stevens, but we can hope that our eventual final months will be a celebratory time with our close ones.

Simultaneously, the entire first year for the class of 2024 was a time of not getting to experience what college was really like, but at least they had hopeful years ahead of them. At the same time, I was sitting at home in my pajamas listening to lectures about materials while also watching anything from any streaming

service.

School clashed with students’ personal lives every day online. Communicating with fellow students was difficult because no one knew what was going on in the student’s personal environment. Teachers could not have much control over their classroom other than seeing students’ black zoom screens. Students around the world along with those now employed in remote jobs found the comfortability to wear a dress shirt at the same time as pajama pants.

While this was a difficult time for many, I did feel I was the lucky one. I got to experience what college was really like before COVID-19.

Additionally, I felt I would eventually get back to Stevens and have a senior year that would be a deserved farewell. For all students, it has been a journey. My message from this piece is to enjoy your time with others while you have it. This world can be a chaotic place, and we are slowly coming out of this pandemic. Let’s enjoy the fact that we can have in-person relationships and make the most of our time.

OFF THE PRESS

Class pets

BY OFF CENTER —SATIRE— Building off the known success of therapy dogs and the general presence of four-legged friends on campus, Stevens has announced that all classrooms will now feature a class pet for students to interact with before, during, and after classes.

Similarly to the responsibility many students may have had in elementary school of taking care of the science lab pets at resource, work study positions will be available for those who wish to feed and maintain the animals’ living spaces. This writer would like to note that like in elementary school, it will be possible to be fired for going to recess instead of feeding the fire-bellied toads too many times, but we all should have grown

out of that by now.

As some of the animals were being brought in, a few of our reporters had a Harry-Potter-InThe-Woods-With-HagridTo o - S e e -T h e - D r a g o n s moment and got a sneak peek at some of our new furry friends.

Except none of them were furry.

From feathers to scales, an assortment of ostriches, alligators, porcupines, and more were backed into loading docks by Physical Plant trucks.

After sneaking in later in the week to the building where they were stored, we got to get an up close look at the animals that will be joining us in class. “I’m looking forward to living in Altorfer 501,” said Alvin the talking alligator, causing our reporter to jump out of his shoes and into galoshes that were next to

Alvin’s habitat. This made Alvin chuckle a bit, which we didn’t know alligators could do.

At Off the Press though, we knew the animals wouldn’t be happiest in classrooms, listening to heat transfer coefficients, missing semicolons, and surface integrals, so instead we made a rash decision and began opening cages. First, an ostrich was let loose, but to our surprise, did not f ly away into the night after it got outside. Research later revealed that ostriches do not, in fact, f ly. We lost the porcupines pretty quickly because they ran and hid in some corners so if you ever end up with a quill in your sock after a class in Burchard, that was probably our fault. Alvin was the last one to go as in the brief time they spent together, our reporters had

grown quite attached to him, but we knew Altorfer was not the place for him. After many pets, a handshake, and hugs, Alvin was released into the night and did the classic alligator waddle down to the river where we can only assume he remains today.

As for the administration, after they found out all the animals had been released they denied their existence in all of our interviews with them but did mention they weren’t sure how they would handle the extra work study students whose positions had mysteriously disappeared into the night. If someone knows if they did send out information about the animals, please send it to us because as a matter of policy, we do not read official Stevens emails.

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9

Friday, September 16

Opinion | Professional Topics SUSTAINABILITY

I keep rotten fruit in my cabinet

BY KATIE BLOOMER ‘25 So, you are definitely wondering what the heck I am talking about. I am referring to my compost bin which only occasionally contains mold and rotten fruit.

Let me start from the beginning. Almost two years ago I decided to start a compost pile in my backyard to reduce the amount of waste I was sending to landfills. I had grand plans to use the soil in my houseplants, but my plants did not live long enough to see that dream come true.

Anyway, I basically started throwing compostable materials in a pile at the edge of my yard and called it a compost pile. It only required an occasional turn with a shovel and minimal monitoring to make sure nothing funky was going on.

What people don’t tell you is that it takes an insanely long time to get the soil to build up to a decent-sized pile of dirt. After two years, I have only gotten a few cups of dirt from the pile and those went into my mom’s houseplants. Ap-

parently, she buys heartier plants than I do and they have survived our family’s natural tendency to both over and under water.

When I started getting ready for college, I was devastated to leave behind my prized compost pile, even though it was worth little more than sentimental value. There was seemingly no way to compost as a freshman living on campus, so I reluctantly threw perfectly good organic materials into the trash can where they would be sent to the landfill and turned into methane. My friends had to hear me complain about the lack of a compost system every single time I had a banana peel or apple core. Luckily, they are understanding and knew this was an issue that really bothered me.

Over the summer, I had a sustainability internship for Stevens and spent seven hours per day researching environmental stuff. One of my first missions was getting a compost program started at Stevens so nobody would have the same frustrations I did. Although I hit some barriers trying to start a compost program on campus, I found that Hoboken offers free composting to all residents, including those living in Stevens residence halls. So, I immediately started planning how to best implement a composting system in my college suite with suitemates and a constant flow of guests. Luckily my friends

are all very supportive of my, sometimes wacky, sustainability things and were totally ready to start composting.

I brought a mini trash can to use as the compost bin and stored it under the kitchen sink so guests wouldn’t accidentally put trash in it. Every few days the compost needs to be emptied to prevent mold.

This means I need to carry my neon green compost can through the South Tower, across campus, and down Washington Street to City Hall. The walk takes about 40 minutes which is kind of long to be doing multiple times per week, but I try to use the time to catch up on podcasts or music. Sometimes my friends walk with me which makes it way more entertaining.

I definitely get some pretty weird looks with my mini neon green compost can, but that is half of the fun. I have considered putting the can in a bag to conceal it on my walk, but I have found that being bold with sustainable actions also helps spread awareness. Of course, the educational component only works if people actually know what I am doing, which they most definitely do not.

Anyway, if you are interested in composting, please check out the Hoboken compost page. It is completely free. You drop off compostable materials and they handle it from there. I would recommend storing

your compost in the freezer, especially if you don’t want to empty it frequently. This will prevent any chance of mold or odors.

If you see me walking

around campus or Hoboken with my mini neon green compost bin, please say hi! I would love to stop and talk to you about composting!

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters should be addressing a published piece in The Stute or to The Stute in general thestute.com/ policies for the full requirements

THE CONVERSATION

FOR MATH’S SAKE

Biden’s loan forgiveness plan

No fib: The Fibonacci Sequence is cool

BY TASHA KHOLSA ‘25

BY MARISA POWERS ‘23

Introduction On August 24, President Joe Biden announced his three-part plan to reduce student debt for low-middle class working families to “provide more breathing room” as they recover from the pandemic. Biden’s goals are to make the loan system more manageable for borrowers and confront the growing cost of a college education.

Campus Conservative, Marisa Powers In my view, Biden’s Loan Forgiveness Plan creates more problems than it solves. It will without question raise the national debt.

And with the inflation rate already being at a forty-year high, 59% of Americans are worried this will only make it worse according to a survey from CNBC. His administration has also declined to address how they plan to cover all the debt because it is clear that it will be on the shoulders of taxpayers, costing upwards of $500 billion. Also, student loan forgiveness is an incentive for universities to raise their tuition, as students can take out large loans that will later be forgiven.

It is worth noting that Biden does not have the power to cancel student

debt. In 2021, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated, “He can postpone, he can delay, but he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.”

The Justice Department said that the HEROES Act of 2003 gives the administration “sweeping authority” to reduce or eliminate student debt during a war or national emergency, the pandemic being the emergency they’re using to justify his plan. It became law while US troops were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to relieve soldiers from the burden of loans. However, using this act to justify the loan forgiveness is seen as an overreach by some, even members of Biden’s own party.

Biden and his administration should be taking action to decrease inflation and lower taxes for the American people, not creating ostensible solutions that add to these problems.

Campus Liberal, Tasha Khosla There is no doubt that college debt is an issue in America due to the disproportionate rise in cost of attendance and job pay for young Americans. While Biden’s plan to erase existing debt is a step in the right

direction, the reasons for this mountainous debt are the real issues that need to be addressed.

While Biden’s plan does focus on the working class and low-income students, it still does not decrease the actual cost of attending college. Institutions of higher education are businesses; they seek to earn money in order to fund the programs and needs of the institution.

As a result, college costs of attendance are high, with the average cost of a fouryear U.S. college education being $35,551 per student, per year. These costs include “books, supplies, and daily living expenses.” However, these costs vary across state lines depending on whether a student is paying in-state or out-of-state tuition and if the institution is private or public. Arguably, erasing up to $20,000 in student debt is not enough to make the financial hardships of attending college disappear.

Especially since it is possible that colleges will raise rates to combat the inflation that will inevitably occur, although the extent of inflation’s impact is yet to be agreed upon by economists.

Ultimately, this plan is a temporary solution to a larger issue. Going forward, the Biden Administration needs to examine why student loan debt is so immense in order to properly ease the burden higher education inflicts upon students and graduates.

Conclusion Both sides agree that the Biden administration should take other steps to solve the issue of student loan debt.

BY CHARLES BEALL ‘22 Patterns pop up all the time in nature, and they are typically very appealing to us. From appreciating the look of a flower to enjoying the tidiness of one’s room, order and structure are pleasing to the eye and soothing to the brain.

Numbers, on the other hand, may be slightly less appealing to some of us — or at least, they don’t seem to hold the same beauty as patterns in nature. But in fact, it is because of numbers that such patterns arise. These numbers follow their own pattern — mathematically, one would call this set of numbers a “sequence”— and there is one sequence, in particular, that shows up all over the world, across many fields and species. This is the famed Fibonacci sequence.

Most of you have likely heard about this sequence and may have even come across it in a course or two (for me, I remember a mathematics course sophomore year where we proved a special property of the sequence that I will describe a bit later). But I hope I can convince you of its ubiquity in nature and, as a result, its beauty.

Let’s begin by defining

the sequence. The Fibonacci pattern is that each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers. This means we need to set the first two values of the sequence — these are typically chosen to be 0 and 1 — but after that, the sequence makes itself. Following 0, and 1, the next several values in the sequence are: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, ... ...and so on.

The first application of this sequence is not all that beautiful, but it is fairly practical, especially if you are traveling! If you pick a number in the sequence and jump to the next one, that is a good approximation for the conversion from miles to kilometers. Runners may recognize that 5 kilometers is about 3 miles, but this goes for all the higher numbers in the sequence too! If you don’t believe me, you can Google “convert miles to km” and plug in some other numbers.

This perhaps may be a little easier than multiplying miles by the conversion rate, which is about 1.609 km/mi. But why does this work? The answer is that the ratio between a number in the Fibonacci sequence and its next-lowest neighbor approaches “the golden ratio” as we continue writing terms in the sequence.

The golden ratio is about 1.618, so we’re very close to approximating kilometers from miles this way!

Where else does the golden ratio show up? Well, pretty much everywhere. It is how many types of flora, including sunflowers, daisies, pinecones, and pine-

apples, to name a few, are patterned. We see this by observing the first several values of the Fibonacci sequence showing up in such patterns. An example is given below, here with a chamomile flower.

Fibonacci numbers also show up in fauna, specifically for bees. Honeybees generally follow the pattern that eggs laid by unmated females are male, while eggs fertilized by a male bee are female. With this information, one can trace the pedigree of male bees – they have 1 parent, 2 grandparents, 3 great-grandparents, 5 great-great-grandparents, and so on. So, we again have a Fibonacci sequence!

One other place that not necessarily the Fibonacci sequence, but the golden ratio, shows up, is much more man-made: this final example is credit cards. These cards are designed so that the ratio of the longer side to the shorter side is the golden ratio. If credit cards have an aesthetically-pleasing size to you, this may be why!

The main point of going through all these examples is that numbers can show up in very unexpected and disparate situations — but, nevertheless, they help us understand patterns in those situations, and furthermore, how such patterns can extend across several areas of nature. Perhaps the most miraculous part of this story is that nature seems to be able to understand math as much as we can, and can utilize math to make life more orderly, and, yes, more beautiful.

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Friday, September 16

Opinion | Arts and Culture ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Is there still “good” music?

BY KAYDEN CANNILLA ‘24 My favorite part about music is its subjectivity. The most popular artists that get millions or billions of streams have some of the

most vicious slanderers.

Part of this is counter-culturalism since it’s seen as very cool and intelligent to be against the mainstream, but of course, not all music is for everyone. We have systems to measure how “good” music is, like big winners at award shows, top of the Billboard charts, or record-breaking Spotify streams, but none of this can convince someone to listen to BTS or Beyoncé or whoever it may be. Some people may argue that these metrics have no value at all because they don’t take

into account the hundreds of thousands of small artists who can’t get noticed enough to even make it into consideration.

Maybe music used to be good back when the world was smaller but now that music is such a large industry and the market is so saturated, new, good music is hard to find. Maybe people are resistant to finding new music because they’re comfortable with what they already know. This is certainly true of genres, where people make sweeping judgments and call all country

music “bad” because they really dislike Luke Bryan. I think it’s very narrow minded to think that not listening to country music makes you better than the hundreds of millions of people who do enjoy it.

I have my own biases but I try to keep myself open to new music constantly.

From Bad Bunny to Beach Bunny, I try to practice finding new music because it can be difficult to know where to start in the age of streaming. Keep an ear out wherever you go; you never know if you might connect

with movie soundtracks, the barista’s playlist at your local coffee shop, or the bus driver’s favorite radio station. You certainly won’t know what you like if you have your own library playing in your earbuds.

Rather than framing the question as “good” or “bad”, I think it’s more helpful to consider it as music I like or didn’t like. In a music column, I think the semantics are important because, to me, the idea of reviewing music does not necessitate judgment on the music. A critic isn’t there to tell people

what’s “good” and “bad”; art is inherently subjective and a person needs to experience that art for themselves to decide whether or not they like it. The job of a music critic is to sort through their own subjectivity, consider other people’s tastes, and give an informed opinion. My goal for this column is to focus less on reviewing music and more on making people aware that certain new music exists and they might like it. I’m always taking recommendations, so be sure to submit any requests to The Stute.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

SPOILER ALERT

The movie from those trailers: Bullet Train

BY JULIA WIERZBICKI ‘23 My coworkers and I have been huge fans of Bullet Train ever since we saw the first trailer a few months ago. Since then, we must’ve seen at least 15 others, as well as an A MC-sponsored giveaway and a sunglass shop that had a television playing the trailer 24/7. At that point, it was clear this movie spent an insane amount of money on marketing, so we decided to see the movie out of pure pity for the millions spent.

We expected a hilarious-

ly bad movie we could all get a laugh out of.

We were ver y surprised to find ourselves genuinely laughing out loud and enjoying ourselves through the entire two hour film that is Bullet Train.

The first thing I thought after the credits started rolling was, “This felt like an Agatha Christie stor y.” In case you’re not aware, Christie is a myster y author best known for overly complex murder novels including Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None.

A lthough I’m usually not a fan of her (in my opinion) overly dramatized style, I feel like this movie had just the right mix of insane twists and stark humor to make it work. It ver y clearly knew what kind of movie it was and stayed ver y self-aware throughout

its many whacky sequences. Even the gore seemed comical, such as Brad Pitt sarcastically asking a woman painfully dying of snake venom if she wanted to hold his hand or needed a glass of water. There were so many scenes that in different contexts would’ve been extremely dark and disturbing, but Bullet Train’s style made it seem almost cartoon — in a good way.

The other characteristic I really enjoyed about the film was the style. Nearly ever y scene was colorful and vibrant, harkening to the bright lights of Tokyo.

In contrast, the scenes where they toned down the saturation really stood out and brought a more serious tone into the film. I feel like this was balanced really well and helped define when the stor y needed to get

more down-to-earth. In addition, ever y time a new character was introduced, they showed a title card. This helped the audience keep track of the large cast of characters with increasingly strange names including my personal favorites, Lemon and Tangerine.

Overall, is Bullet Train a groundbreaking film? No. Is it going to win an Oscar? Probably not. Did it need the insane amount of promotion? I don’t think so.

But was it fun to watch?

Absolutely.

If you’re looking for a fun, fastpaced, and engaging film, this is a pretty perfect choice. It has quite a few unexpected twists and turns and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. If nothing else, I promise you’ll gain a new perspective on Thomas the Tank Engine.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The book you read when you want to be inspired by women in war

BY STEPH SEARING ‘24 In 1939 France, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, A ntoine, as he is sent to the front lines of the European theater as Germany begins its advance on France. She, along w ith much of France, doesn’t believe the Nazis w ill invade, but they do. A s the Nazis continue to occupy and destroy France and reach the height of their power over Europe, Vianne must live w ith a German captain or lose ever ything. Without food or

money, and in constant danger, she is forced to make impossible choices to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s younger sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious 18-year-old searching for her passion. A f ter f leeing Paris and entering the unknow ns of war, she falls in love w ith a man she meets.

She is constantly told that she is too young to know better or to help France defeat the Nazis, but she joins the French Resistance any way. The Night ingale, by K ristin Hannah, tells the stor y of t wo sisters separated by age, experience, ideals, and passion, and how they overcome the hardships of German-occupied, war-torn France in their ow n way.

Historical f iction is one of my favorite genres, especially W W II-based novels. I somehow always end

up reading about women during W W II, and I love it. A lthough the stories are f iction, they are always based on actual events and people; reading about the struggles and hardships that women had to go through and how they prevailed is one of the most inspiring things to me. The events and the overarching themes of love, strength, hope, and courage that occur throughout The Nightingale are truly breathtaking, hear tbreaking, and inspiring. It genuinely amazes me how so many women lost their husbands, their friends, their children, and themselves, only to continue to tr y to protect their families and f ight back. The Nightingale, specif ically, is based on the heroism of a young Belgian woman who created an escape

route out of Nazi-occupied France, as well as other women who saved Jew ish children and many other people from being executed by the Nazis. It is so crazy to me that people actually had to endure these things, and the fact that they had the courage to stand up strikes me ever y time. This book is w ritten much like a mov ie script; so much happens throughout the course of the novel and the timeline moves ver y fast. I liked that aspect of Hannah’s w riting because, although the book was long, it remained engaging and there was always one thing happening af ter the other.

Overall, this book reminded me of how power f ul and strong women can be; I highly recommend it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.CA

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Friday, September 16

Opinion | Lifestyle THE DOODLING DUCK

DEAR CLAIRE AND ETHAN...

Banksy vs Hektad?

Q: How do I navigate the UCC?

BY POOJA RAJADURAI ‘23 This past weekend, I joined my friend on a walk across Manhattan. It was an amazing experience, even if my feet would tell you otherwise at the end of our seven-hour trek. It was incredible to see over the span of 15 miles how many times the fashion, architecture, and vibes could change so rapidly. Of our many observations, one detail that stuck out to me was the graffitied words “Banksy vs Hektad” across the side of a building.

Having been familiar with the name Banksy, a mysterious street artist whose identity has been kept secret to this day, and who has been largely responsible for shaping the art/media scene for the past ten years, I wanted to look into Hektad, whose name I had less familiarity with. Why was there a competition between the two?

Who was watching? I wanted to know.

Unfortunately, after a few hours of googling, I still didn’t understand. Banksy rose to prominence between 2013 and 2017 and solidified his household prevalence through his painting shredding stunt in 2018 (during which one of Banksy’s art pieces was auctioned and its final sale prompted a self shredder).

As of today, the discourse surrounding Banksy largely reflects controversial opinions regarding Banksy’s approachability and authenticity. Many artists believe that Banksy has become a “sellout” for pursuing copyright legislation while criticizing authoritarianism.

Some disagree, citing the direct relationship between fame and dissenters. You wouldn’t call Lebron a sellout just because you play well at your neighborhood basketball court, would you, one Reddit user had commented. Others believe that Banksy’s art is too crude and lacks depth while others believe that just because it doesn’t take an art history major to understand his work, doesn’t mean that his work lacks meaning. Hektad is another street artist who has gained prominence from a less precise method of graffitiing (Banksy uses stencils, which is why the edges of his installations are cleaner).

My assumption regarding the statement I saw on Saturday is that the writer was making a commentary on authenticity, reputation, and style. But who can know for sure other than those that have either followed the Banksy discourse continuously or the writer themselves? That’s when I realized, that is the art of graffiti: ambiguity. You can either be privy to the conversation, sentiments, and impact of artists in the urban scene, or you can watch the drama unfold from a third-party perspective, happy to piece together years of a conversation that can still be traced back to the paint cans evident on the sides of NYC buildings.

Either way, there is a question to be asked and an answer to be supposed, blurring lines between impact and purpose until we can call the whole process art in and of itself.

For example, in my research, I remember googling, “Is Banksy a sellout?” The very act of my doing so is proof of the impact of the art. Graffiti is an expression meant to take up room. To confuse people, enrage others, prompt conversation, and mark territory. The art that overwrites, replaces, adds to, or modifies is art that has been created anew. And whether or

not you have an art history degree, you will have some reaction to it. Your reaction is proof of their art. Your reaction is your own art, like meta art.

Anyone who knows me knows my obsession with meta (not the corporation, the english word that denotes an entity’s reference to itself). Metaphysics is the physics of physics. Metadata is the data of data. Metaphilosophy is the philosophy of philosophy. Meta defines exactly what it means to be human: the obsession with the intangible. Even Meta the corporation refers to its own reference to the world.

We’re already living in a virtual copy of the world. Might as well own it in branding…

To get back to the point, Banksy is no longer an artist talked about for his work. His work might be the basis of conversation, but the center of the conversation relates almost entirely to his philosophy, reception, and symbolism. My next question would be whether including Hektad in the conversation is meant to change Hektad’s relevance from his work to his metawork, or meant to change the entire conversation from meta to work or work to meta. Maybe we can call the answer to that question art too.

GIRL TALK

A difficult summer for women in the United States

BY JORDYN RAMELLI ‘23 I’m sitting at my desk on September 8, 2022, trying to figure out a good opening topic for my first column of the school year. It’s been about three months since I’ve written, and I want to start with a bang — something exciting, fun, interesting, and engaging. But to be completely honest, I don’t think that’s possible right now. While reflecting on my time off from school, I only have one sentence that continues to come to my mind: it has definitely been a difficult summer to be a woman.

On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v.

Wade, which has been an

essential part of keeping abortion a federal right in this country for half a century. Roe v. Wade occurred in 1973, in which the Supreme Court decided that reproductive decision-making lies with other fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech. The overturning of Roe v. Wade marks the first time in history that the Supreme Court has taken away a fundamental right.

For women across the country, this Friday at the end of June marks an extremely difficult day in history.

The response to this decision was something unlike I’ve ever seen before.

Thousands of protests occurred across the country, fighting for women to gain full access to their bodies.

On July 9 in Washington, D.C about 10,000 individuals marched through the pouring rain and risked arrest to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Lauren Pierce, an attorney from Dallas, traveled to the east coast to take part. She states, “There’s nothing, to me, more worth fighting for than this cause - our funda-

mental right to have bodily autonomy. If that means taking up space and getting arrested then I think it’s worth it.” I wholeheartedly agree with her.

As a New Jersey citizen, I feel very lucky that Governor Murphy has made a public statement that abortion will be permitted in our state. But, this is not the case across the country—States such as Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri have criminalized and banned abortion entirely.

Now, women are forced to travel to other states and locations to receive an abortion if needed, which is not feasible for many individuals. Multiple companies have announced they will now offer travel benefits for employees in need, including but not limited to Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Buzzfeed, and more.

For the Stevens community, Instagram page @ StevensStudents shared various resources that can assist students and facul-

ty. Stevens Student Health Services “provides free pregnancy testing, assistance in finding local OB/ GYNs, assistance in finding resources for pregnancy termination and adoption, and offers prescription birth control options.” The post also includes information on adoption, reproductive health, and family planning.

Well, that was certainly a lot of information for my first column of the school year. I got pretty frustrated writing this, but this information must be shared and publicized so we can do our best to change the course. Sharing resources, information, and support is a great start to helping women across the country, or even just to help the women in your community.

Other ways to help include: voting, donating, sharing your story, and educating yourself.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please visit https:// www.plannedparenthood. org/.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters should be addressing a published piece in The Stute or to The Stute in general thestute.com/ policies for the full requirements

BY CLAIRE HANNAN ‘24

BY ETHAN KLESCHINSKY ‘24

The new UCC is a huge campus space that most students haven’t gotten a chance to explore yet. Once you spend some time in the different spaces it will get easier to navigate throughout the semester and figure out which spaces are useful.

The layouts of the buildings are pretty simple as there are two towers that make up the complex: Harries Residential Tower and South Tower. On the first floor of Harries is the new Cannon Café. The second floor of the tower is currently under construction but will soon house the Office of Residential Education (ResEd). The first floor of the South Tower is comprised of the UCC Marketplace where you can order food from a variety of stations. Across from the dining area on the first floor is The Gallery, where SITTV hosts movie nights.

One floor down, on the ground floor of South Tower, is the TechFlex Auditorium where large campus events may be held. There is also a new gym, called the UCC Fitness Center, with increased capacity and new equipment. For students looking to unwind, you can also find a game room on the ground floor. On the second floor of the South Tower are many offices and campus spaces for students. The first space you enter when you get to the second floor is a large student lounge adjacent to the Intercultural Space. On this floor, you can also find club meeting spaces, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and much more.

But if you take away anything from this, remember that if you ever need help, don’t be afraid to ask. There are plenty of students and faculty willing to point you in the right direction.

You simply do not, with no access to the stairs in the residential towers and the elevators taking hours to arrive, navigating the UCC is a challenge even the greatest explorers would struggle with. If you are a resident of the UCC Towers, you will be able to explore the 3rd and 4th f loor bridge connecting the two towers which includes space to hang out with friends, study rooms, a ping pong table, and a bunch of TVs. However, if you are not a resident you won’t be able to access any of it. Instead, you could go to the student center located on the second f loor of the South Tower or the game room and gym on the ground f loor of the same building. Another place that you can go as a non-residential student is the UCC Marketplace, housing many different food options that will all manage to make you wait an hour for your meal. I would compare the difficulty of navigating the UCC as a non-residential student to that of putting a man on the moon, but we can only have such high expectations for the first few weeks of the new buildings being open.

Hopefully in the coming weeks and months Residential and Dining Services will make improvements to make the process of navigating the UCC simpler and more efficient. But until then, I look forward to looking down on you from my ivory tower located on the 3rd f loor bridge.

12

Friday, September 16

Campus Pulse

Simeon Davis ‘25

Aisha Hussain ‘24

Michael Burgos ‘23

“Challenging, exciting, and promising.”

“I was on campus for 3 hours.”

“Back in action.”

ROVING REPORTER Grant Brickner ‘23 “Crash-course, frazzled, introductory.”

“Describe your first week of classes in three words.”

Aidan Williams-Healy ‘25 “Not very fun.”

Catherine Sabol ‘26

Cameron McIntyre ‘25

Kamila Nowakowski ‘26

“Fast, sociable, fun.”

“Not enough time.”

“Lost, late, bumpy.”

Sudoku

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS