[The Stute] October 11, 2019 (Issue 6, CXX)

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

Peer leaders !!

Congrats on almost getting paid <3

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Volume CXVII Issue 6

October 11, 2019

Established 1904

2018 Peer

Eleven Senators join the Senate

Leaders Still Awaiting Compensation

BY MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Eleven new Senators have joined the Senate of the Student Government Association, following two weeks of nominations and campaigning. These 11 — increasing the number of Senators from 15 to 26 — will join the deliberative body of students that oversee over 110 student organizations, manage a $1.7 million budget, and advocate for student issues in and out of Stevens.

With last year’s senior Senators gone, and with no first-year Senators until mid-October, the number of Senators in the Senate was unusually low from the start of the academic year until now. But Madison Gemma, Secretary of the Student Government Association, stressed that the small number of Senators at the start of the year didn’t hinder any progress in the Senate. “Even though it’s a small group, it’s a group of dedicated people,” she said.

“They’re productive; they’re getting stuff done. These elections will take responsibility off more people.”

Elections at the start of the academic year tend to target first-year students, as it isn’t until this election that first-year senate seats are filled. But this year, vacancy elections for sophomores, juniors, and seniors were concurrently run. One sophomore and two seniors were among the 11 that joined the Senate.

Eden Luvishis, a newly elected firstyear Senator, hopes to move past her high school student government days of “planning dances and ‘spirit days’” to advocating for students.

“I’m interested in joining Academic Rights and working towards allowing language classes to count for humanities,” she added. “I would also like to get all students swipe access into all dorm room buildings, so that we can visit friends across the campus easier. A long term goal of mine is including faculty and administration in our meetings and our agenda to increase accountability and efficiency of the SGA.” Antonio Cardona, a newly elected first-year Senator, wrote in a statement that he joined to help improve “the participation of the general student body in the Student Government.”

“My biggest goal as a Senator is to attempt to improve the participation of the general student body in the Student

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BY E.J. HANNAH

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Cultural organizations lack storage space

BY ALEKSANDAR DIMOSKI With the demolition of Jacobus and the construction of Alexander House still unfinished, cultural organizations don’t have an easily accessible place to keep their items. As a result of inconvenient access times and other issues, many organizations have resorted to keeping their items in personal storage as opposed to using the space available in Humphreys.

At the Ethnic Student Council (ESC) general body meeting last week, representatives of cultural organizations discussed the difficulties with planning and holding events as a result of a lack of storage. Many of the organizations that comprise the ESC need to have their E-board members carry necessary items from their apartments. One member from the Filipino Association of Stevens Tech (FAST) has to sleep next to a lion’s head each night and bring it to campus when they have events.

The school has provided storage space for these organizations in Humphreys, but according to George Ibuna, the President of FAST, this storage space is difficult to use since access is only possible after coordination with the Office of Student Life and during business hours. This means that the only time these items can be accessed

is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays — outside of the times when many club events and meetings occur.

“While it’s a pain to coordinate between E-Board members and carry items to/from apartments located all across Hoboken, we’d rather be annoyed with situations we can control.

Leaving our inventory in Humphreys risks not being able to access it for evening events (9-11PM) and having no one with access to contact about it, while back in Jacobus we could access the closet without needing to request approval each time.”

The President of ESC, Jon Pendon, has to keep speakers, food trays, and more in his car. Whenever an ESCbased organization wants to hold an event, he has to stay on campus and wait for their event to finish so that he can hold onto the trays and items after it’s over.

“The Jacobus move affected me greatly. At the time of the purge, we had no idea where things would be going, other than ‘an off-campus site.’ So, I put all the essential items that I knew would be needed in the next semester at my house, and any random items in the so-called ‘long-term storage.’ We did not have enough information at the time, so we informed as many people to do the same… [then] we found out that Humphreys would be the new

BY CHARLES ZWICKER

around campus and reaching out to members of the Stevens community, asking them to respond to a different question each day. The questions vary from: “What makes you smile?” or “What do you love to do with your free time?” for example. Participants can write their answers on post-it notes, which are then arranged in positive shapes, such as a heart or a smile, on the nearby walls. At the table, courtesy of CAPS, there is a wheel for students

“Hudson Dorms” is Stevens alumni TJ Stanton and Michael Guglielmo’s response to the difficulties they faced while finding and renting off-campus apartments in Hoboken.

Needing housing that fit their budget, Stanton and Guglielmo believed they had found a cheaper alternative to Stevens Leased Housing in Hoboken, but discovered that “the hidden costs with living apart from Stevens and the headaches from dealing with real estate agents, landlords, and the hours on the phone with Verizon and PSE&G hardly outweighed SLH.” They focus on accommodating Stevens students “who are looking for an alternative to the more traditional options.”

Hudson Dorms believes they set themselves apart from other options available to students by providing an “all encompassing solution,” including single semester (targeted at students on Co-op and Study Abroad), two semester (so you don’t have to pay rent for the summer if you’re not living in Hoboken), or yearly housing options. Stanton and Guglielmo stat-

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Spreading positive vibes in Babbio Atrium. Photo courtesy of Elena Malova

Post-it notes spread kindness across campus All around campus this week, passersby can see Student Government Association (SGA) members attending to colorful sticky note boards comprised of student answers to various uplifting questions as part of the Week of Kindness project.

The project is a joint effort by the SGA’s Campus Life Committee (CLC), Counseling and Physiological Services (CAPS), and the Academic Support Center (ASC) to provide some lighthearted stress relief around campus.

Throughout the week, students have been tablesitting in different locations

closet and it would only be accessible between OSL hours. ESC and the other 11 organizations all had to deal with it because alternatives were overlooked.”

In general, student opinion is sympathetic to the situation. “We had to put all of our stuff in boxes and label them. However, after going to Humphreys basement after moving from Jacobus, I quickly realized we were missing our stuff. A whole box is missing and I still have no idea where it is,” says Ameya Ivaturvi, President of the Indian Undergraduate Association.

“Say what you will about Jacobus, I really miss the convenience of just going upstairs and getting what we need… I would be okay with this arrangement if it were for a short time, but it’s been almost a year and we were promised this earlier.”

It is not possible to provide access to Humphreys outside of these hours.

According to Sara Klein, the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, “No student organization is permitted to have a key to access the Humphreys storage area as this is a shared storage space, and our staff needs to closely manage access. Any organization that

As this year’s Peer Leaders are wrapping up their time of guiding first-year students to their new home on Stevens’ campus, 2018 Peer Leaders continue to await payment for their work. Student Life Advisor Danielle Maxson responded in an email to The Stute confirming that the Peer Leader Program has “secured funding to pay peer leaders retroactively.”

The Peer Leader Program began in the 2018-2019 academic year, replacing the Orientation Leaders and Peer Mentor programs. The Peer Leaders themselves are undergraduate students committed to supporting new students acclimating to college culture. The leaders work with a diverse range of students, providing mentorship and guidance, while also just trying to encourage an enjoyable time.

The 2018 Peer Leaders were hired under the agreement that they would receive a small stipend for their work — approximately $100. However, as the year came and went, the mentors finished out their terms without ever seeing their promised compensation.

A number of Peer Leaders ended up graduating without ever hearing about the status of their payment.

During training for Fall 2019, an anonymous Peer Leader witnessed another student ask administration about the status of the compensation for 2018 Peer Leaders. There, they saw a staff member explain that they were unaware of the status of the payment.

The anonymous leader said that they and many of the Peer Leaders are “more disgruntled at the fact that the administration was not forthcoming with the information on our payment.”

In her email response to The Stute, Maxson mentioned that “compensation for the 2018 Peer Leaders has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances,” without directly elaborating on what these issues are.

Christopher Shemanski, Associate Director of Undergraduate Student Life, emailed 2018 Peer Leaders yesterday, where he apologized for the delay in resolving the issue and stated, “By Thursday, October 17, 2019, you will receive payment instructions and from there, we will be able to begin

KSA’s World Night Market, an event many cultural organizations participate in.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Bertussi of The Link

Hudson Dorms

BY ANDREW KINNEY

TheStute

News - page 3 SHPE’s Alumni Panel

Pulse - page 5 Wordsearch

News - page 3 Hall Brawls

Opinion - page 6 Editorial

Science - page 4 Breast Cancer Research

Opinion - page 7 Off Center

AEC + SUMAC Presents: Phoneboy, Cool and Good, and Behind the Curtain

BY JACK KOSTELNIK The Audio Engineering Club (AEC), SUMAC, and Delta Phi Epsilon teamed up last Thursday to present a benefit concert on Babbio Patio as part of AEC’s Bandstand Series.

Although it got chilly at night, there was still a sizable turnout by the time the last band went onstage to perform. The concert was hosted to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Diseases. The three bands that performed, Phoneboy, Behind the Curtain, and Cool and Good, are all Stevens bands that have been playing gigs in and around Hoboken for the

past few years.

Cool and Good was the first to go on. Made up of Hunter Daly, Zach Raina, Nolan Vernon, and AEC President Matt Renzo, Cool and Good is an energetic self-described “Surreal Rock” group that blends elements of jazz, grunge, punk, emo, and ska.

They played mostly from their large repertoire of originals, including “Life’s Ok” and “Life’s Not Ok” from their 2019 EP Life. During the performance, a projector was set up next to the stage to display imagery from a surreal YouTube cartoon of Garfield

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Photo courtesy of Yakov Kazinets

Opinion - page 9 Spoiler Alert Sports - page 10 Swimming

October 11, 2019

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SENATORS

Continued from page 1 Government,” he added. “I want to improve our reach towards all students, so we are able to help them more. Essentially, I want to help the students help us help them.”

Anthony Tesori is a returning Senator, who served before but is back since he isn’t on co-op.

He wants to work on academic advancement within the environmental and civil engineering curriculums. He also wants to “make it easier to be a co-op student.”

Unlike elections in the past decade, this year’s election was the first to keep some first-year seats unfilled. Four first-year seats can be filled through vacancy elections over the next few weeks, and Gemma suspects at least two seats can be filled by interested first-year students.

Gemma believes that firstyear seats remained unfilled because of a change in nomi-

PL

Continued from page 1 the payment process.”

Peer Leader Luke Langner expressed cautious excitement.

He said that even though it is nice to know Peer Leaders will be getting paid, they still don’t know in what format they will be getting paid, whether in DuckBills or through direct deposit. “I was frustrated by the lack of communication and transparency until something happened that put them on the spot. It took an article from The Stute to get an update on the situation, which makes me

nation and election procedure that happened at the start of the semester. Nominating a student was historically an in-person process, where a student had to print out a nomination form and solicit 50 signatures in their same class year. According to Gemma, the former nomination process was easier. “You could just hand down the form in Pierce.”

The new nomination process required students to retrieve the electronic signatures of any student, regardless of class year. The new procedure also required 75 signatures, rather than 50 signatures. Since the signatures were to be obtained through an electronic form, and since the form could be sent out in mass through group chats and social media outlets, “people thought it would be easier than it really was,” said Gemma.

The Student Government Association will run vacancy elections over the next few weeks to fill remaining open seats. “If someone wants to run but doesn’t know how, they can email me,” Gemma said.

feel disrespected as someone who represents the school in a positive light,” Langner stated.

“I do not think it is necessary to pay Peer Leaders in the future,” the anonymous student said. “The work itself is extremely fulfilling and the main reason that many students participate is to give back to the Stevens community.” They went on to explain that they thought the money could be more useful for funding activities for Peer Leaders and their ducklings.

As it stands, 2019 Peer Leaders are still in the understanding that they will be receiving compensation for their work as well.

CULTURE

Continued from page 1 needs access to their stored items needs to plan in advance and work with the Student Life staff to access the space during regular business hours.”

However, the use of personal storage space goes against school policy. According to Klein, “Student organizations have historically stored files and memorabilia in members’ rooms, which is okay, but it is not acceptable to store organization-owned equipment in a student’s personal space. Any group doing so should contact Student Life and arrange for use of the shared storage space.”

The completion of the Gateway South building will not provide additional storage. Instead, administrators expect that the completion of the Alexander House will provide sufficient storage space for cultural organizations. Liliana Delman, the Assistant Director for Diversity Education, stated, “The Gateway Academic Center is not a designated space for student organization storage. We will soon have storage space available in Alexander House.”

The standard process for obtaining storage space is for an organization to contact their Student Life liaison and ar-

range for additional storage, and Student Life is ready and willing to work with these organizations to solve this issue. According to Klein, “Any student organization in need of storage space should connect with their liaison in Student Life and we are happy to accommodate as many storage needs as we are able.”

In addition, Alexander House should be finished soon.

The completion of the Alexander House has been postponed since its original completion date in January of this year, according to a Stute article from last November. When asked for an update on the construction, Klein stated, “Alexander House is well on its way to completion. It is our hope to move to the space before the end of the fall semester. There is a good amount of storage space for student organizations in the Alexander House basement.”

The completion of Alexander House will increase the available storage space on campus.

Until then, these organizations and Student Life will need to work together to secure more storage space on campus.

Interested readers can contact the Director of Student Life, Leo Pedraza, at lpedraza@ stevens.edu or the ESC at esc@ stevens.edu or attend their next general body meeting on October 15 at 9 p.m. in Babbio 210.

ESC President Jon Pendon’s car, containing items used for ESC events.

Photo courtesy of Jon Pendon

October 11, 2019

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News POST-IT

MUSIC

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to win small prizes. Both CAPS and the ASC have provided tips for mindfulness, self-confidence, academic assistance, and more, for the people tablesitting to pass along.

When asked about the initiative, Campus Life Committee Chair, E.J. Hannah, said “Our intention is to provide a little inspiration and/or assistance towards primarily students undergoing stress from midterm exams. By leaving the notes up, we reach more than simply students, hopefully guiding anyone who needs help to find useful ways to de-stress and generally enjoy their time, both inside and beyond Stevens.”

One of the tablesitting Senators, Elina Tuder, said “It’s important to try to brighten up the campus and boost morale everyday, but especially when everyone is stressed around midterm season. Hopefully Week of Kindness reminds people to stay positive, be kind to each other, and take some time for themselves.”

The positive post-it notes will be taken down on October 18th, according to SGA Vice President of Finance Elena Malova. “I was really happy when I saw students looking at the positive messages we organized at Babbio,” explained Malova. “It’s the type of work we’re looking to do, students doing [nice things] for other students.”

consuming the entire universe.

Next up was alt-rock group Behind the Curtain, with Matt Renzo as a fill-in on bass. Behind the Curtain is a three-man group comprised of Aaron Lerch, AJ Kasper, and Frank Lombardo. They also played mostly originals from their 2019 album “No Respect for Symmetry,” aside from a few covers, one of which was a cover of “Hung” by Exit 114, a Stevens punk band that recently saw all of their members graduate. AJ Kasper, Behind the Curtain’s lead guitarist, provided a handful of passionate solos, which the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Last up was Phoneboy, an indie-pop boy band that has attracted international attention on streaming platforms over the past year. Phoneboy is comprised of Stevens students Ricky Dana and Wyn Barnum, and Fordham student James Fusco. As a

DORMS

Continued from page 1 ed, “We pride ourselves on service; ensuring that all student requests are fulfilled with lightning speed.”

Dakota Van Deursen, who has been

live band, Phoneboy has Jordan Torres on keys/vocals and Luke Malvey on drums. Most of their songs were originals, although they only have three songs on Spotify as of the writing of this article. Their keyboardist Torres sang lead on their cover of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse and traded lines with Dana on their cover of “Creep” by Radiohead. The fan-favorite seemed to be their first song on Spotify, “Acid Girl,” as most people knew the words and were singing along when they played it towards the end of their set.

“We hope that our Stevens Bandstand concert series can help to foster a music scene on campus and inspire people to make music and perform.

With the recent growth of the music scene at Stevens, we hope to put on shows more frequently in the future.

Stay tuned for DJ Night in December,” said Matt Renzo in a statement.

AEC and SUMAC do at least one show together each year, and with the recent growth of band-oriented music at Stevens, it might be time for an increase. renting with Hudson Dorms since late August, backs up their claim, stating, “They are quicker to solve problems than ResLife ever was […] and have proven themselves over and over again with quick fixes if things go wrong.” Van Deursen originally found them while looking for a one-semester lease on short notice, and says that

Photo courtesy of Yakov Kazinets it’s been “The best living experience of college so far. Since it’s run by a Stevens graduate and a Stevens student, they understand what we are all going through as students.”

Hudson Dorms states that they fully furnish every apartment, and provide gas, electric, water, and internet.

Additionally, they offer some unusual

perks for an apartment, such as discounts for some local businesses, an optional meal delivery service, and a service to “clean the apartments throughout the semester so [students] can have a sparkling clean bathroom and kitchen during midterms and finals without having to worry about cleaning it.”

SHPE’s Alumni Panel

BY ALYAA ELKHAFIF Last week, on Thursday night, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), a student organization founded in 1988 by Stevens alumnus Hermes Gonzalez, held its third annual LatinX in the Workplace Alumni Panel. Through this panel, members of SHPE were able to listen to real experiences from students who walked in their shoes not long ago.

SHPE President Giovanni Duran explained that, “Having alumni come back to talk about their experiences allows our members to learn that although they are part of a minority, they have the potential to become success stories.”

Thirty-one undergraduate students were in attendance and the panel comprised three SHPE alumni: Xavier Rosario, Jose Angeles, and Alvaro Home.

Angeles, an employee at Ernst and Young, stated that the workplace in Arizona was “not that friendly towards Hispanics.”

“You have to deal with it,” Angeles ex-

plained to his old SHPE acquaintances, “You have to be professional about it” Home, currently employed at TheaterMania, recounted the time immediately following Trump’s election when his coworkers “made snarky remarks regarding immigrants” “‘It doesn’t matter because it will never affect me,’” Home recalled an employee’s offhanded comment. Home also detailed the manner in which he handled such commentary, as a Columbian American: he chose his battles and tried to make the best out of his work environment.

Panel attendees submitted questions prior to the event through the app Sli.do; according to Lennett Vasquez-Euceda, this was done intentionally to encourage SHPE members to ask honest questions without being put on the spot.

Moreover, Tiffany Fonque, SHPE Secretary, related, “This year is the first we have formed a SHPEtina Committee, which will be reaching out to professionals for assistance with workshops, aimed at increasing professional and leader-

SHPE levels of Latinas within STEM fields.”

It is worth noting that Duran is also the president of the newly formed LatinX Council, which encompasses SHPE, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. (LUL), Latina American Association (LAA), and Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc. (OPB).

“SHPE works closely with the LatinX Council and shares a joint calendar of events with them to better coordinate career-related events,” Duran described the relationship between the two organizations. He elaborated that one of the benefits of having this council is that all the aforementioned organizations provide a diverse source of alumni, who are always eager to speak at events such as this one.

Going forward, SHPE is planning to host one informational session per month to cover a wide array of majors.

They are also going to be in attendance at the upcoming LatinX STEM Career Event (NYC) on October 12, according to Fonque.

Freshmen compete in annual Hall Brawls Competition

BY MARK KRUPINSKI Over 60 freshmen participated in hall brawls, an annual competition hosted

by Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) and Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE) which pits freshmen from different dorms against each other in friendly competition and raises money for the Hoboken Homeless Center. This year, SigEp and DPhiE managed to raise roughly $1,000 from raffle ticket sales, donations, and participation fees.

At the event, the 5 teams of freshmen competed in tug of war, soccer, frisbee, Alaskan baseball, and spikeball.

“I thought the event, although not what we intended with [the] amount of students showing up, was really successful,” said Daniel Raleigh, brother of SigEp and one of the organizers of this event, “We were able to focus on making sure the students that were there had a really incredible time. Next year I would make a stronger push to integrate it with student life. I think it’s a really great event with a lot of potential and by joining student life we can have more students attend with greater resources from student life.”

JOIN THE STUTE EMAIL US eboard@thestute.com Photos courtesy of Ethan Che

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October 11, 2019

Science Better, cheaper, faster skin cancer detection

BY ABBY MEOLA

Think for a second about the reasons you use your eyesight in a day. Maybe you use your sight to read a textbook or to navigate campus. In these scenarios, it is easy to trust that what your eyes communicate is true to the world around you.

But allow me to raise the stakes for a minute. Instead of just the mundane everyday tasks, your eyes have taken on a huge responsibility: to accurately identify skin cancer. Do you still trust that your eyes are up to the challenge?

If you are skeptical, you are in good company. This problem is what led Dr. Negar Tavassolian, the director of Stevens Bio-Electromagnetic Laboratory, and her postdoc fellow Amir Mirbeik-Sabzevari, to develop a novel tool for skin cancer detection.

Currently, there is no set method for detecting skin cancer at the dermatology level. If a dermatologist notices skin that looks cancerous, they will send it out for biopsy.

“The only reference for a dermatologist is their eyes,” said Tavassolian. “This is extremely subjective and prone to error.”

There are two types of errors that lower the accuracy in detecting skin cancer, especially for inexperienced doctors. The first is sensitivity, or how often cancerous tissue is missed. The second is specificity, or how often benign skin is mistaken for a tumor. There are a lot of undiagnosed cases of skin cancer, and invasive biopsies that could be avoided.

The solution proposed by Mirbeik-Sabzevari and Tavassolian is handheld, fast, non-invasive, and

low-cost.

The tool uses millimeter-wave radiation to identify cancerous tissues. It’s based on the ability of different materials to reflect or absorb energy. If you put an aluminum sheet into the sun for a short time, it will feel hotter than a less reflective surface, like a towel. Cancer tissue is more reflective than healthy skin, so it appears more “hot” when imaged, which makes it easier to see with the naked eye.

In their lab trials, cancerous tissues reflected about 40% more energy than healthy skin. Since it actually penetrates beneath the skin, an antenna can immediately produce an image based on areas of reflectivity.

Tavassolian already had experience using this technology for breast cancer detection, so it got her thinking about its application in dermatology.

“This really is the first time this work has been done for skin cancer, so it made me have my own doubts,” she said. “Why hasn’t anyone addressed this yet? Is there something I am missing? I was anxious to see the results.”

After the initial simulations, the team received a grant from the National Science Foundation to run lab tests of the technology. The tests required live tissues to image, so the team partnered with Hackensack University Medical Center to receive biopsied tissues. The trials were promising; they showed that not only was the technology accurate, but it showed results instantly for under $1,000.

The technology then surpassed the next big hurdle, the proof of concept, showing that it can work with accuracy in lab results. This

Cancerous tissue (top) healthy skin (bottom) images produced from millimeter-wave technology was published in IEEE with Mirbeik-Sabzevari as the first author.

Moving forward, they will continue to develop the technology into a prototype that is more compact and portable before being manufactured in large volumes.

Ultimately, the tool will be a ubiquitous piece of a dermatologist’s tool-kit. It won’t replace the

need for biopsy altogether, but instead, enhance the eye of the dermatologist.

Since skin cancer is the most common cancer, with nearly 10,000 new cases diagnosed every single day, this breakthrough could not come soon enough.

“My goal is to see that every single dermatologist has this tool,”

said Tavassolian. “And I am confident we will see that eventually. It’s just a question of when.”

Mirbeik-Sabzevari is equally confident that the technology will take off, and plans to launch a startup to commercialize the tool.

“This could be transformative,” he said. “No other technologies have these capabilities.”

New treatment options for recurrent breast cancer

BY MADISON DEJONG October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, according to the World Cancer Research Foundation, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer within their lifetime. Events hosted this month will raise awareness about breast cancer and raise money for research.

Here at Stevens, organizations host events like Breast Cancer Jeopardy, co-hosted on October 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. by the Lore-El Center and Colleges Against Cancer; the Making Strides breast cancer awareness walk on October 20 with Colleges Against Cancer; and the Bowling For Boobies fundraiser on October 25 from 5:30 to 10 p.m., hosted by Theta Phi Alpha and Delta Phi Epsilon.

These opportunities are all great ways for students to get involved and support the cause. Stevens is also researching the cutting edge of treatment options for recurrent breast cancer.

In the Sharma Lab, named after its founder Dr. Abhishek Sharma, research is being done to discover and develop a new class of drugs for use in breast cancer treatment. 70 to 80% of breast cancers are caused by hormonal abnormalities, specifically in estrogens. Our cells contain estrogen receptors, which work to regulate and maintain healthy cell growth and division. Most of the time, estrogen receptors are in the “off” position and only activate when estradiol (also known as E2) binds to the receptor. You can think of this process as an on/off switch. When they are in the “off” position, the estrogen receptors do not activate cell growth or cause any other changes in the body. When the estrogen receptors are in the “on” position, they cause the cells to grow and divide.

Estrogen receptors are proteins, and all protein activities are regulated not just by the composition of the molecule, but also by its three-dimensional arrangement. Hydrogen bonding drives specific secondary and tertiary structures during polypeptide chain formation. When E2 comes into contact with an estrogen receptor, it shifts Helix 12, a specific portion of the tertiary structure of the protein, to the “on” position.

This causes the protein to bind to the cell’s DNA and activate the gene which causes cell division. Cell division is necessary for healthy bodily function. However, when the estrogen receptors are overstimulated, uncontrollable cell growth occurs.

These extra cells form a tumor, and cancer results.

Currently, there are two types of hormone therapies which work to combat tumor formation. The first therapy stops the production of E2. By decreasing the amount of E2 present in the cells, there is less

stimulation of the estrogen receptor, so the excess cell division stops. Specific drugs which use this approach are Letrozole and Anastrozole, and they have both been on the market since 1996.

The second type of hormone therapy stops Helix 12 from shifting when the activator attaches to the estrogen receptor. These drugs, similar in structure to E2, bind the estrogen receptor as if they were E2.

The difference comes in with the addition of a specific side chain which prevents the Helix 12 from shifting into the “on” position by physically getting in the way, a concept known as steric hindrance. Although there is still an overabundance of E2 in the blood, the presence of the drugs decreases the amount of “on” estrogen receptors and, therefore, slows cell division. Existing drugs for this type of therapy are Hydroxytamoxifene and Raloxifene, which were introduced in the late 1990s as well.

Although both of these hormone therapies are initially effective, they fail to treat recurring breast cancer.

Sometimes, breast cancer returns 5 to 10 years after treatment. Often, hormone therapies which worked the first time are no longer effective because of mutations that have resulted in biological resistance. Recurring breast cancer is often metastatic, meaning it will spread to other parts of the body. Most commonly, breast cancers metastasize to the brain, chest wall, liver, lymph nodes, lungs, and/or bones. There are currently very limited treatment options for this type of cancer, and there have been no significant new types of treatments for almost 30 years.

This is the problem Dr. Sharma is working on in his lab. Dr. Sharma is developing a new class of compounds to decrease the amount of estrogen receptors in cells. Currently, there is only one drug (Fulvestrant) on the market that works by this mechanism. However, this drug is not effective on recurrent or metastatic breast cancers. To overcome these challenges, Dr. Sharma has created molecules which destabilize and degrade the estrogen receptor’s three-dimensional structure. The core of these molecules binds directly to the estrogen receptor and adds a hydrophobic side chain. The hydrophobic side chain is repelled by water molecules to induce hydrolysis, the chemical breakdown of a compound, because of its destabilizing reaction with water. When the estrogen receptor has been damaged, there is nowhere for the E2 to bind, so uncontrollable cell growth is stopped. Because this therapy option acts differently than the two pre-existing therapies, it has the unique ability to treat recurring breast cancers which have devel-

oped resistances to the other therapy options.

The development of the compounds Dr. Sharma is working on began in 2016, when his lab opened.

Since then, he has filed a patent for new molecules and published several papers with a team of undergraduate and graduate students at Stevens. Dr. Sharma is continuing to refine and improve the design of the new drugs, and his drug-discovery program has received financial support from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the United States government.

The design of these molecules relies heavily on fundamental con-

cepts in organic chemistry, physical organic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. Most of these molecules possess complex structures and are constructed in Dr. Sharma’s lab from chemical building blocks using the techniques of synthetic organic chemistry. The chemical structure and purity of molecules obtained from these reactions are confirmed using analytical techniques such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

Working with a team of collaborators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital and Scripps Research Institute Florida, these molecules are

tested in various biological assays to evaluate their anti-cancer activity. The results from these assays are then used to further refine the design of drug candidates. This iterative cycle is repeated many times until a potent anti-cancer compound is identified for pre-clinical and clinical studies to ultimately provide a new treatment option for recurring and metastatic breast cancer.

According to Dr. Sharma, “We really want to use chemistry as a tool to develop novel drugs, and there is nothing more important for us than if we can use the tools and knowledge of chemistry to contribute to society. That’s the ultimate goal.”

October 11, 2019

5

Campus Pulse

Leticia Gonzalez

“Everything looks really clean and new.”

Wyatt Gerber

“Never been there, so it’s really cool.”

Isaiah Martin “It’s awesome, I think it’s a nice place to study.”

ROVING REPORTER What do you think of the newly-opened South Hall?

Lauren Speck

“I love the interior so much, it’s very beautiful”

Samatha Weckesser

Stephanie Long “I’ve only been there once but it looks very nice.”

“It’s a nice addition to the Stevens campus.”

Comic by Gregory Kane

Sudoku

October 11, 2019

6

Opinion The Stute Editorial

Making changes With the weather changing and the Stevens plague going around, I was feeling pretty lethargic this week. I stayed in bed for six hours on Wednesday morning until I forced myself to get up for work.

Day in and day out of doing the same old — class, work, clubs, not going to the gym. I needed a mental break, and being less productive on one day wouldn’t really hurt anyone… right?

For some reason, I still care so much and there are so many things I want to get done before I leave, like improving The Stute’s reputation and readership, seeing the implementation of TAs for certain courses I took, or seeing CPAC grow to 4,000 attendees. I want to see the clubs and activities I’m a part of

thrive and live past my time at Stevens. There are only 24 hours in a day, so by prioritizing these goals I naturally care less about other things. I wish I had more time for me, but semester after semester I find myself saying yes to more and more commitments and people. It’s hard.

So, I intentionally decided to take a “pay cut” and work only two days a week instead of four at my part-time job. With 10 hours returned to my week, I’d be guaranteed to make more time for me, right? Not quite… I think I’m just indulging in bad habits like scrolling through Instagram longer. But hey, if I was always 100% productive every single day, I don’t think I would be human. I still skip some classes

because there’s never enough time for making the paper, and sleep for about 12 hours 3 days each week to make up for the days I don’t sleep at all.

Habits are hard to break. I used to think there was no such thing as not having enough time, and that “having time” was a matter of prioritizing. If you really wanted to get something done, you’d be able to by reorganizing your schedule. If you really cared about a friend, you would meet them when they wanted to meet. But after some years of making too many commitments to others, the number of responsibilities you have come back to bite you.

The more responsibilities you have, the harder it is to shift around your priorities and make changes in

your life. That’s why old people hate change and prefer routines. Even if you try, some things just can’t be moved around. Your body is a machine that deserves rest and deserves to be fed. You need to spend time with friends and family. Giving up things like that isn’t the answer to accomplishing your goals.

So, my message to all overworked student leaders during this week of mental illness awareness is to make a list of the things that truly matter to you. At some point, you have to draw the line and decide what you’re going to drop and what you desperately want to keep.

You may find that you need to make changes in your life, but you may also find that you don’t need to make changes at all. Other peo-

ple look at me like I’m crazy when I say my clubs bring me joy, but that’s where my closest friends are.

Finding a new normal outside of my clubs will be a later problem I try to solve after I graduate. Until then, I plan to just keep doing the things

Audrey Dsouza

Editor-in-Chief

Mind of a Freshman

Scientific Curmudgeon

Judgement, addiction and pumpkin spice

Where do your beliefs come from?

Julia Wierzbicki Freshman

Mechanical Engineering October is upon us, and anyone who’s ever heard the word “coffee” knows what that means: the pumpkin spice rush is in full swing. Although I’ve seen advertisements for quite a few weeks now, it seems like the first day of October is the official kick-off of the craze. I love a good fall-themed latte just as much as the next person, but to be honest, I always feel kinda judged whenever I order something of that signature flavor. There’s a stigma around the drink that implies whoever partakes in it is “basic” and just follows along with what everyone else is doing. The concept has become a part of culture, and it’s been pretty much accepted without a second glance at this point.

But it’s not just with pumpkin spice lattes and “basic girls.” If a guy wears athletic

clothes, he’s a jock. If a girl goes on Tumblr, she’s a geek. If someone sets school as a priority they’re “preppy” and a nerd.

Why has this become a part of our lives? Why can’t people just enjoy what they want without being judged for it?

Much as we try to ignore it, I think the answer is staring us in the face: social media.

Now, I’d like to start off by admitting that I love scrolling Instagram and bingeing YouTube just as much as the next person, and I think it’s safe to say that social media gets a pretty bad rap these days. People blame it for all sorts of things — depression, anxiety, procrastination — and while I do think it plays a role in those things, I think it plays an arguably larger role in the comparison game we all don’t even realize we’re playing which contributes to those other aspects. On Facebook and Twitter, it’s easy to use numbers to directly compare your stats to others, and those numbers naturally become equivalent to our own selfworth. There’s constantly a movement to be “original” and “unique” both on- and offline, which has created this negative idea around people who enjoy things that are popular. This has begun to move off the screens and into day-to-day lives, culminating in what I call the “Pumpkin Spice Stigma.”

Many of us are aware of this, though.

It’s not hard to put two and two together to realize how our presence on social media is affecting how we view ourselves and others. But then we come to the real-

ly scary discovery: we can’t stop.

A little while ago, Instagram launched a campaign to take away likes on Instagram so only the owner of the photo could see how many likes it had accumulated. There was a huge pushback against the concept. Some larger influencers predicted that it would affect their ad revenue, but that doesn’t explain the complaints from the people who have personal, smaller accounts. Though we don’t want to admit it, even though it can make us feel awful, we like being able to compare ourselves to others. It can make us miserable and sad and self-conscious, but that’s a chance we’re willing to take to even get a hit of dopamine when our numbers surpass someone else’s. Comparison is such a normalized part of our culture that it feels like it would be weird not to. However, there is hope for change.

Although I don’t think social media is going to have any major reworks anytime soon, we can begin to change this comparison game starting with the Pumpkin Spice Stigma. Whenever you see someone enjoying something, don’t make judgements based on whether it’s popular, normal or otherwise. Just let the person enjoy it! As long as it’s safe and not hurting anyone, what does it matter to you what they do? They’re enjoying their lives, and you should be doing the same.

Well, all this talk of pumpkin spice has made me crave my own latte, so I’m off to Starbucks. How are you going to live your best judgement-free life?

Senioritis

Stevens has a mental health problem – and no one is trying to fix it

Mark Krupinski Senior

Computational Science October 6 through 12 is mental illness awareness week. How’d I learn this?

A news post on a video game website. Not any notification through Stevens channels. Zero. In fact, I only learned that October 11 is National Depression Day from the Stevens Students Instagram — a date that doesn’t actually exist.

Let’s face it: a lot of Stevens students are stressed, anxious, or otherwise not in a perfect mental state. In the past few years, Stevens has had multiple student suicides: a relatively high proportion for our small campus size. Mental illness is an epidemic here on the Stevens campus, and I have not seen much “push” from administration to solve the issues.

Despite Stevens being a “stigma-free” campus, individuals are still uncomfortable talking about mental health. So naturally, it takes a big step for someone to walk into CAPS to make an appointment to seek help for themselves.

And when someone takes this big step

and isn’t welcomed with open arms, it can be demoralizing. It can discourage them from trying to seek help again. According to a 2018 Student Government Association (SGA) Survey, over 50% of students surveyed said they would be at least 50% more likely to schedule an appointment with CAPS if online scheduling were implemented. Something is intimidating them about making an appointment with CAPS — and that isn’t good for getting people the help they need.

This semester, I have heard multiple stories of difficulty scheduling appointments, CARE reports not being followed up on, or being outright denied because of a lack of capacity. While I can’t directly corroborate these reports, I have seen friends struggle and not be able to get the help they need.

CAPS changed their model this semester to initial 15 minute consultation to try to aid students — but this does not work. Students cannot be given mental health aid in 15 minutes; collecting basic information is not enough and people drop in for immediate help. A fast-food counseling model does not work and prevents everyone from receiving help.

The only help students can get is reaching out and talking to other students. However, it’s difficult for students to help each other when they haven’t received proper training, or need someone to talk to themselves. It’s hard for individuals to advocate for improving mental health support themselves when they are having their own mental health struggles. We need outside support. Despite its flaws, CAPS attempts to provide support, but it’s not enough. We need outside support above CAPS. The SGA has advocated for more

mental health aid for students, but every proposal has fallen flat. In 2018, the SGA advocated for and successfully created a wellness educator position under the guise of improving mental health aid on campus. Now that the position is filled, it’s difficult to point to exactly what they are doing to improve mental health on campus. When she introduced herself to me, she focused on physical health — not the area in which we need immediate help. She has taken over CARE Reports, but what is being done with them?

Additionally, the SGA promoted and President Farvardin approved mandatory training modules on mental health last fall. However, Christophe Pierre went back on the school’s word and decided not to mandate these training modules last semester. Administrators do not care about improving the student experience and improving students’ mental well-being. Faculty and staff have difficulty with even knowing the resources available to students for mental health, let alone understanding how to help students cope with mental illness. Heck, some faculty make jokes about suicide in class which absolutely does not help individuals suffering from mental illness. Mandatory modules are needed and would be a huge step towards trying to fix the mental health issues on campus.

The only consolation from the school is the appointment of the President’s Task Force on Mental Health. According to the email, the task force will meet only four times throughout the entire 2019-2020 academic year. The task force exists to make Stevens appear to be working towards improving the mental health of Stevens students. While they have yet to release any official document Continued online on thestute.com

John Horgan Professor CAL

I recently encountered a term for a syndrome that has bugged me since childhood: genealogical anxiety. The phrase was coined by philosopher Amia Srinivasan in her paper “On Genealogy.” By genealogical anxiety, Srinivasan means the doubt that afflicts you — or should afflict you — when you contemplate the genesis of your beliefs, especially moral and political beliefs. Why are you a Muslim progressive, Buddhist libertarian, atheist anarchist?

We like to think our beliefs are true, arrived at through hard-headed, unbiased observation and rational reflection. But if you’re honest with yourself, you realize that you absorbed your beliefs, at least in part, from the influences to which you happen to have been exposed, including your parents, teachers, friends, and cultural milieu — maybe even this column!

To the extent that your beliefs are dependent on the circumstances of your birth, upbringing, and life trajectory, they are contingent, random, a matter of luck.

“Am I justified in having the beliefs, values and concepts I do,” Srinivasan asks, “if I have them only because of my particular, contingent history?” Your response might be that most peoples’ beliefs are dependent on circumstances, but you were lucky. You happen to have been born and raised under circumstances that fostered true beliefs — in, for example, western-style democracy and free-market capitalism. But Srinivasan notes that to think of oneself as “genealogically lucky, and others as genealogically unlucky, seems to open oneself to just accusations of chauvinism, narcissism and immodesty.”

At first, I thought Srinivasan’s goal was simply to instill doubt in us about our own convictions, by getting us to ponder their roots. I try to cultivate this sort of self-analysis in my-

self, and I encourage it in my students.

I keep asking them, “Why do you believe that?” The world can always use more doubt. Toward the end of her essay, however, Srinivasan takes an unexpected swerve. Rejecting extreme skepticism, the claim that all beliefs are equally invalid, she suggests that we ask of our beliefs not, “Are they true?” but “What do they do?” That is, how do they affect our lives?

This way of thinking can help liberate us from oppressive beliefs and behaviors and choose new ones more likely to help us flourish. Indeed, this sort of genealogical analysis has been a crucial component of “the great liberation movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,” Srinivasan points out. These movements include “workers’ struggle to end capitalist exploitation, the struggle of black and brown people against colonial and other racialized forms of oppression, and the feminist struggle to bring an end to patriarchal domination.”

Srinivasan’s essay is riddled with doubt, rendered, paradoxically, with clear-eyed confidence. I loved it, especially the upbeat, progressive ending. The essay also struck a chord in me because it reminded me of a more basic sort of genealogical anxiety to which I am prone. I worry not just about the contingency of my beliefs — antiwar, agnostic, bleeding-heart liberal — but about the contingency of my self. How is it that I exist? And why am this person and not someone entirely different? This self-questioning, which I wrote about in my last column, can lead you to ask an even more fundamental question, why anything exists.

So what should we do with these feelings of genealogical anxiety? Srinivasan and I have reached the same answer. Yes, recognizing the arbitrariness of your existence, and of your ideas about it, can be unsettling. It can trigger existential vertigo. But the flip side of this vertigo can be an exhilarating feeling of freedom. You can create, choose, act upon new beliefs, ones more likely to give you a sense of meaning, maybe even a little joy.

Srinivasan calls this act of creation “worldmaking.” “At its best,” she says, “worldmaking is a radical endeavor, bringing into existence worlds we scarcely thought possible.”

Yes, let’s make a new world, in which we are no longer bound by the circumstances of our birth and upbringing, gender and color. We all have the freedom to choose who we want to be, to transcend our genealogy.

John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings. This column is adapted from one published on his Scientific American blog, “Crosscheck.”

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week...but any time is a good time to talk about mental health.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm Tuesday, 5pm-7pm (by appointment only) Call 201-216-5177 to make an appointment.

Visit https://www.stevens.edu/directory/counseling-and-psychological-services for lists of off-campus, licensed mental health providers.

October 11, 2019

7

Opinion Campus Liberal

Campus Conservative

Prisoners’ rights

We’re on the right track, but there’s more to do

Peter White Freshman Mechanical Engineering The American justice system is designed to maximize profit and minimize opportunities for rehabilitation. By persecuting low impact crimes in the poorest communities, private prisons have created a market for free labor while removing all opportunities to get out of the ghetto. By prioritizing combat training over deescalation training, police departments have created a culture of violence within the justice system while being effectively immune to any consequences of their violence. Time after time this nation has shown that it will always prioritize short-term profit over human rights and long-term well-being.

The prison-industrial-complex is the most recent manifestation of the same greed that created slavery and Jim Crow and must be radically challenged in the same way.

The 13th amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits slavery, a fact that every Stevens student surely learned many years ago. However, this simplistic view is not the whole truth.

The amendment declares that “Slavery nor involuntary servitude” will exist within the American justice system.

Following the traditional narrative, until it adds, “except as punishment for a crime.” To many, this is a just qualification. Criminals have wronged our society in some way, so they deserve punishment. Again, on the surface, this makes intuitive sense to most people. It is the same logic behind putting a child in timeout. If a child knows they will have an adverse punishment for a certain action, they are less likely to take that action. It works for children so it must work for adults as well. This is the general reason for the nature of prisons in America. It is the timeout from Hell. Instead of being told to sit in the corner, inmates are made to live in a concrete box for extended periods of time. They are forced to use the toilet a few feet from where they

sleep, while being “guarded” by sadistic policemen who were in someway unfit to be field officers. In addition to this already nightmarish scenario, inmates are compelled to act as modern slaves. For some reason, minimum wage laws no longer apply to these particular human beings. They can work upwards of 40 hours a week, while making anywhere from $0-$6,000 per year. Prisoners are made to live in dehumanizing conditions while working hard labor for little or no money, simply because they are viewed as morally inferior to the rest of society.

This sounds very familiar does it not?

Anyone forced to work against their will is a slave. Morally, slavery is wrong, an idea the nation decided long ago. Yet American economics still relies on this free labor. Many prisons supply the workforce for almost all American-made clothing. It does not matter if these people are criminals, involuntary servitude is wrong as it deprives individuals of their basic rights. This, at the root, is what the American prison aims to do.

In order to force compliance they strip inmates of their dignity and autonomy.

They shame them relentlessly without offering any help to alter the behavior that put them in prison. Once someone gets out of prison they are shunned from nearly all employment opportunities, so they must turn to crime to survive. They often come out of the institution with some kind of hatred for the society that put them there. Finally, many prisoners spend significant time in solitary confinement or other dehumanizing punishment methods, leaving them desensitized to social interaction and with even less capability to function in society. All rights are stripped from these humans, without a single opportunity to make amends with the world. They pay taxes yet they cannot vote, they are forced to work for free, and they are treated as animals to teach them a lesson with no moral to it. This is the perfect equation to create a repeat offender. On the day of release a man leaves the front gates with nothing. He has not seen the outside world in years, everything seems different. Then he is told to make it work. Of course 77% of released convicts end up back in jail within five years. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, they have no other option.

Criminal justice reform must address human rights issues like these. No human ought to be subject to forced labor, even as a punishment. Prisons should be centers for rehabilitation instead of mental torture. Both of these problems come from private prisons which create extremely harmful conflicts of interest in the justice system. Private prisons hold about one in ten American prisoners, yet they dictate most policy surrounding prisons. Their contracts require that the state keep them filled, meaning police of-

ficers must make more arrests despite a general decrease in crime across the nation. The number of inmates they house determines the profits and contracts of these prisons. They have no interest in reducing crime, but rather in increasing it. This is the exact opposite of what a prison should do. Instead of terrible conditions that desensitize criminals and force them to turn to crime so that they may survive prison, prisons ought to hire psychiatrists and social workers so that these disenfranchised members of society may become productive. The investment in private prisons is a short term thought that prioritizes money over human well being. By investing in mental health and a safe society, the economy will have more individuals contributing to it, and be boosted. The United States has a incarceration rate that is significantly higher than most other western societies combined, all to make a few extra bucks.

Ending the profit motive behind suffering is a necessary step to a just prison system, but it does not address the root causes. A key critique of the human-rights-oriented reformist ideology is centered around the fringe, an inherently weak position. Some people will ask about the murderers and pedophiles.

Should they be allowed to vote? Should they be treated with decency, even after they showed no decency toward their fellow people? Well, human rights are universal to all beings. They are things that one does not have to earn but instead possesses inherently. However, these individuals may pose a threat that cannot be effectively managed by rehabilitation and basic satisfaction alone. For them, maybe something similar to the traditional prison is the proper response. Although they should be given dignity and all their basic needs should be satisfied, they should not be allowed to roam the streets among those they threaten. Now that this is out of the way, let us examine the real answer to the questions around murderers and pedophiles. Is it right to take away the rights of an entire population because some of them are a serious threat to the rest of society? A vast majority of prisoners do not fit this description. All violent crimes and sex crimes combined make up about 13% of the U.S. prison population, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). When someone says that prisoners should not be treated as humans because of this small number of people, they are actually silencing the 87% of prisoners who are wrongfully imprisoned but must pay for the crimes of the worst among them.

That 87% of inmates, according to the BOP, is almost entirely non-violent drug charges or minor property infractions.

The legality of drugs is a topic for another time, but it is morally unquestionable t Contied online at thestute.com

Off The Press

Survey results: only students in Greek organizations like Greek life OFF THE PRESS Off Center

Stevens administrators were shocked, following to a recent survey, to find that the only students who enjoy Greek life activities on campus were those directly involved in Greek life. A Student Life representative responded to the poll stating, “All of the other schools have Greek organizations. We figured that meant that people enjoyed them.” While this may come as a shock to Stevens, this comes as no shock to Off The Press. We’ve done some digging and have uncovered the real thoughts of real students.

Greek life, for those uninformed, is a collection of organizations on campus where like-minded individuals get together to hang out, study, promote themselves, and pay dues. Some Greek organizations occasionally engage in community service.

An anonymous sorority member told us, “I will not be answering any further questions. You clearly have an agenda.” We’re not quite sure why this anonymous source stopped answering our questions, but we do have two things on our agenda. One, bring justice to the student body, and two, pick up more Oreos from ShopRite. Everything else said by this individual pretty much went against the main message of this article, so it will not be included.

An ancient 5/5 senior was gracious to recount his experience with Greek life throughout his many years here at Stevens: “Yeah I never really liked it, but Crepe Night is pretty cool,” the old

geezer remembered. “Especially since Crepe Guru got shut down.” We at Off the Press don’t really know who Crepe Guru is, but we sure are upset that sororities have stolen his business.

Even some members of these Greek organizations expressed their frustrations with their respective (fratern/soror)ity. Many have explained that there are mandatory events that members must go to to maintain their status. As far as I know, all of the other clubs on campus don’t have this requirement, and frankly, it seems a bit ridiculous. If I went through the recruiting process, put time and money into my fraternity, and got along well with the boys, I don’t think I should have to go to a mixer to stay a part of the crew.

An event organizer from one of Stevens’ clubs has expressed frustration with some of their practices. “I would love to book BC 123 at 9 p.m. for our weekly meetings, but Sigma Phi Kappa always has it booked for chapter meetings. Don’t they have an entire house?

Why don’t they just have them there?”

When a representative from ΣΦK was interviewed, he responded, “Well, our cat likes to sleep on the couch then, and we don’t like to disturb Mister Flumf.

Look at how cute he is.” The representative then showed us a series of pictures of Mister Flumf sleeping on the couch, and he was, in fact, very cute.

One freshman expressed his confusion after joining one of Stevens’ service fraternities. “I thought this was a club to celebrate Greek culture. I was expecting gyros and baklava. Now I have to pick up litter on the side of the highway? This is not what I signed up

for.” After further investigation, it appears the Stevens doesn’t have a general Greek club. (Anymore.) I guess it would be weird to have another organization with “Greek” in the name, but is Greek life really a celebration of Greek culture? Will Stevens fraternities ever have Baklava Night? One can only hope.

Now, I can already hear some Greek sympathizers saying, “Well if you don’t like them, no one is forcing you to join or go to their events.” Well I’m here to tell you that regardless of your choice to remain Greek free, they will find you. Imagine the horror: you’re just going about your day on campus, when suddenly a pack of welldressed frat brothers surround you. If I were surrounded by a flock of men in suits, I would assume I was about to be abducted by some government agency, but this, I promise, is far worse. This is the invitation ritual. Much like a rabbit surrounded by numerous middle schoolers on the playground, freshmen often panic and succumb to peer pressure by accepting their invitation.

Overall, we here in the Off the Press writing room feel that the impact of Greek life on campus is clear. Everyone who I’ve decided to feature in this article had things to say that support my claim that people don’t like Greek life. Of course, if I learned anything in high school, it’s that you can’t have an opinion piece without at least addressing the other side. So, to Greek life’s credit, we can at least be grateful that all Greek organizations have self-reported zero occurrences of hazing in the past year.

Alex Murtagh Senior Civil Engineering Criminal justice reform is an interesting topic because it is one that members of both mainstream parties support, and it is one in which we can quickly see an impact if action is taken. There is no doubt that the Criminal Justice System needs to be reformed and improved due to its compounding adverse effects on individuals who enter the system and the communities they live in. It is estimated that if we were to invest 1 billion dollars now in teen criminal prevention, we could see returns of up to 8.6 billion in economic activity, as well as a 20% reduction in convictions.

On a social scale, anyone who is imprisoned can potentially see a 40% reduction in future earnings. This is billions, if not trillions of economic activity seemingly lost. Additionally, children who have their parents removed from the home (or that are simply never present) can suffer from multiple negative psychological effects. According to the Children’s Bureau, “Children who feel a closeness to their father are: twice as likely as those who do not to enter college or find stable employment after high school, 75% less likely to have a teen birth, 80% less likely to spend time in jail, and half as likely to experience multiple depression symptoms.” This is just one of many statistics demonstrating the need for parents, in this case fathers, in the home. And why do I specifically mention fathers? Because nearly 93% of all prison inmates are men.

There is so much more that I could go on about. From the disproportionate amount of African Americans imprisoned to the people who are thrown

in jail because they can’t afford to pay debts like parking tickets and court fees. But I want to focus on the big picture. Now that we understand the impact of the situation, what can we do about it, and what is being done?

There are multiple ways to address this situation. First, through philanthropic donations to targeted causes.

While a billion dollars might sound like a lot of money to invest, the government invests nearly 90 billion every year to maintain the current prison system. If even a fraction of this money was reallocated to preventing people from entering the system through education and various other programs, not only would we benefit as a nation, but also as individuals. Additionally, federal, state, and local officials can also enact systemic reforms to address current issues. Mandatory sentencing and throwing people in prison who can’t pay their fines are both issues that need to be addressed.

Side note: It’s ironic that putting people in prison costs more than the fines they are likely paying.

So, what has been done? On a federal level, a bipartisan bill called the First Step Act was passed and signed into law back in 2018. The goal of this bill was to help reduce sentences for various crimes and to help transition those currently in prison back into the general population. While we are still waiting to understand the impact of this bill, since it is currently less than a year old, estimates from various agencies appear positive. Additionally, President Trump has announced the creation of the Second Step Act which continues the work of the First Step Act. So, where do I stand on all of this?

I think we are headed in the right direction, but it is clear that much more needs to be done. In order to make a major change to the criminal justice system, the President and Congress must turn towards sentencing reform as well. Additionally, on the state and local level, we should look to pass legislation when Congress fails to do so, and do everything possible to improve the education systems currently in place. While it is promising to see such bipartisan support for this type of legislation, it is important that we shift our mindset from a society who punishes the individual to one that addresses the root problems. It’s extremely difficult to reintegrate yourself back into a society that scorned you and is unwilling to help you get back on your feet. It is time we take action on what should be a simple fix.

October 11, 2019

8

Opinion The Friday Observer

Put Your Records On

Passion

You’ve heard of christmas albums, now get ready for halloween albums

Christian Bonavita Junior

Chemical Engineering What’s the type of music that’s on repeat for all of spook-season, then is immediately thrown in the garbage come November? Of course it’s the Halloween album! This extremely uncharted genre has been vacant save for “The Monster Mash” and horror movie soundtracks, most of which are extremely dated.

However, since last year, Kim Petras has decided to give the genre a pop facelift. You may know Kim Petras for her capitalist bop “I Don’t Want It At All,” or her debut album Clarity, which came out earlier this year; however, you probably haven’t heard of her, so here’s a quick introduction. Kim Petras is a German pop singer who has slowly built popularity over the decade with a series of singles that have exuded expensive, upbeat dance-pop. Petras is also well-known for breaking barriers for the LGBTQ community, as she is a “trans girl on [her] way to becoming a legit pop star,” as she said in a recent interview. And with Clarity and her brand-new Halloween album, TURN OFF THE LIGHT, Kim Petras has claimed her space in the pop landscape and should have a place in everyone’s Halloween playlists.

Last October, Petras offered up the first of her Halloween releases with TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1. She defined the genre with bassy, club-ready beats, creepy, high backing melodies, and vocals sung through a vocoder or with autotuned vibrato, giving the music a supernatural tone. The lyrics and song titles, which dealt with dark themes in an overstated way, were along the lines of “o m e n” and “Tell Me It’s A Nightmare.” This formula helped create a fun and playful album, full of unexpected turns and excellent melodies. This year, Petras appended VOL. 1 with nine new songs that continued this overall formula, leaving listeners with seventeen tracks of intense but fun Halloween-party-ready music.

The album starts with “Purgatory,” an instrumental that introduces listeners to the hallmarks

of this album — creepy piano, unexpected chord progressions, and plenty of drama in its booming bass drums and the shifting textures of its synths. Then, as the track slides seamlessly into the album’s first song, “There Will Be Blood,” we are reminded what was so entertaining about last year’s VOL. 1: Petras’ booming voice and creative take on Halloween lyricism.

The album is at its most potent when Petras approaches sarcasm, and even camp, with her fusion of horror and pop in the album’s lyrics and song titles. Petras turns the popular trend of boasting and f launting her wealth and power into describing herself as a monstrous, antagonistic force. For example, in banger “Close Your Eyes,” she suggests that anyone who falls for her will “never make it out alive.” In another song, “In The Next Life,” she ominously states, “There’s no turning back now; I can’t be saved / And in the next life they’ll remember me.” And of course, in trap-pop song “Death By Sex,” she hilariously states, “You’ll be missing me in the afterlife / Tonight’s gonna be the night of your life.” Her lyric style allows her music to be viable on both pop radio and Halloween playlists, and although she isn’t exactly writing Shakespearean poetry, these lyrics are versatile and enjoyable.

Petras and her producers’ ability to write inescapable pop melodies also shines on TURN OFF THE LIGHT. “Close Your Eyes” is singalong material all the way through, and its production is filled with subtle glitchy synths that make it true ear-candy. “Massacre” samples Christmas classic “Carol of the Bells,” but alters the arrangement to be creepy, with a high counter-melody and menacing bass line.

Altogether, the album is more experimental than one would expect from a synth-pop album, utilizing dissonant chords and digital distortion on Petras’ vocals, which create an unsettling but irresistible sound.

If you’re looking to host a costume party or simply searching for a way to set the mood for Halloween, Kim Petras has released the album for you. Entertaining and enjoyable, and better with every listen, TURN OFF THE LIGHT is filled with pumpkin-carving, trick-or-treating bops that blend pop with themes of everyone’s favorite horror and slasher films. She nails the sound and lyrics of a true Halloween album, despite the genre being so lacking beforehand. This album makes me hope that more Halloween albums are released in the future, and that they dominate the conversation just like Christmas and winter holiday albums do in December. Whether or not this happens, though, Petras has certainly released an album to treasure and stream for the rest of October, and beyond.

Eric S. Londres Junior

Computer Science As I move through the midpoint of my Stevens career, I often find my thoughts drawn towards questions of what will be. What will my final two years be like, compared to my first two? What will my life be like upon graduation, and how have my decisions until this point affected that?

What will be my fondest memory of Stevens after I am gone, and have I already lived through it? What will my legacy be here? Will I be remembered by my peers and professors?

If so, what will be the impression I have left in their minds? Positive or negative, lasting or fleeting, singular or vague?

I, luckily, do not have an answer to most of these questions. My college experience would be unbearably boring if I knew exactly what would happen throughout it. However, I do have some clues. Stevens certainly has a unique character, and the people I’ve met here are not quite like any other group of people I’ve known

before. I have found spots in this university — in its people, its organizations, and even some of its physical locations — that feel more like home to me than my actual South Jersey house or 13th Street apartment. Stevens has immersed me in a world in which there is so much to care about, so many great experiences to be had, and wonderful memories to be made that I have had countless nights where I considered it a crime that I had to sleep.

The story of my first two years at college is, ultimately, an experiment in passion. I have found every aspect of it, visited every edge of its bell curve, and returned to the center time and time again. I have watched the ardor of only a couple of people revive a student organization from near–death and let it go on to create new memories for new generations of students. I have witnessed friends rediscover joy in their work after switching majors — and ride their newly–found dedication from a near-failing GPA to a spot on the Dean’s List within two semesters. Every finals season, I watch (and participate) as all of my peers desperately try to summon every ounce of will and intensity from their minds in order to remain at Stevens and at their highest possible academic standing.

As far as passion goes, I consider all these sights to be truly beautiful, and among the greatest things about life at Stevens.

However, I have also found passion’s darker side. The amazing memories, experiences, and friends I have made at SITTV, The Stute, and other organizations have led me to defend them and the passion they have instilled in me whenever I can, out of a sense of duty to give back to

the environments that have given to me. This way, I hope, I can help these organizations continue to provide future generations of students with the same amazing experiences that I’ve had, and instill in them the same sense of passion that I have felt since my first semester here. This has, many times, led me into conflict with individuals or groups who my gut has told me will harm the potential for new memories and renewed passion.

The amount of cordial-yet-confrontational emails I have sent in the last year alone is, quite honestly, too high.

I have been accused many times of being rash, hasty, or too headstrong by members of Stevens staff and administration as well as my fellow students, but I have always interpreted this as someone telling me that I am just more passionate than they are about whatever is the subject at the moment. As a result, I’ve taken such accusations as the most intense compliments I could possibly receive. I truly love the memories I have been able to make here, and I will always stand up to defend everything that helped me make them — even if sometimes I, perhaps, should not.

My message to every student — incoming, incumbent, or outgoing — is this: if you haven’t already, find your passion! This campus may be small in terms of population and square mileage, but it’s enormous in terms of possibility. There is no place like Stevens. If you grab hold of it and find a way to truly care about it, you’ll sculpt this chapter of your life into a shape you’ll never be able to recreate. As I enter my twilight years in college, my greatest hope is that I can find new things to love about Stevens and new places, people, and moments to call home.

Letter to the Editor

Not a Buzzword, Sustainability Means Change and Community

BY ALEX DUBRO I arrived at Stevens almost accidentally. On a whim, I attended an open house, took the GRE and applied. I was astounded when I got the acceptance letter …then even more so to find myself in Hoboken just 2 months later. The process has made me feel like both a student and backdoor investigator but also provided a 360-degree perspective.

Since arriving, I’ve noticed that Stevens has various unique challenges. Graduate students lack resources, for instance, in housing and mental counseling. Inclusion and diversity, as well as politics, seem to run through many Stute articles. Physical space is limited, finishing construction projects is tough, and many departments are understaffed. I believe the biggest issue, however, is our lack of community. We’re disconnected.

There’re undergraduate students. Graduate students. Staff.

Then…you get the point. Each group doesn’t understand the others’ experience. That’s unaccept-

able.

When I started designing the Stevens Sustainability Coalition’s (SSC) concept with my two cofounders, we had so many ideas.

Our primary focus involved improving communication between groups so that they would develop, refine and implement sustainability goals. The concept has blossomed and become much more.

Many would consider sustainability a catchall buzzword. Reparations! Minimum wage! Climate justice now! All of these would fall under “sustainability”: We need to maintain and improve today’s needs without compromising our future. Such a…Buzzword.

After seeing each’s experiences and shared challenges, I realized what sustainability means for us. Sustainability is a force for change—a movement, even. When we work together, we create the Stevens Community. No more “lifeas-usual” but rather “a new, better way of living”, under the auspice of “culture of sustainability”.

The SSC is your outlet and centre for change and community. Together, we will decrease food

waste; get more underrepresented voices heard and included on-campus; improve our sustainability purchasing standards; treat Stevens’ acres of land as better environmental stewards. More importantly, we will carry out Stevens’ mission as the founders intended: Per Aspera Ad Astra – Through Adversity to the Stars.

Each Jewish New Year, we apologize for our sins and vow to be the best version of ourselves.

Join me at the SSC’s first incubation event on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 PM in Fielding Room. Be challenged to identify causes behind food waste and deliver a concept on food recovery with others that won’t accept “life-as-usual”.

Are you ready to join the movement and change Stevens to the Stevens Community?

Alex Dubro is lead co-facilitator of the Stevens Sustainability Coalition (SSC), a network of involved, knowledgeable individuals actualizing sustainability and creating a culture of sustainability that will yield positive change.

Contact him at ssc.sustain@gmail. com.

Stutely Stute, Stute Stute!

Come join The Stute!

Tuesdays 9:15 p.m. - 7th floor Howe :)

October 11, 2019

9

Opinion Spoiler Alert

Joker

Tristan Bacani Freshman Biomedical Engineering SPOILER ALERT: DON’T INVITE CRAZY PEOPLE ONTO YOUR LATE NIGHT TV SHOW Finally, the highly anticipated Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix has hit theaters. As I am a comic book nerd, five of my friends and I flocked to the movie theater on a Thursday night – not ready for the psychological trauma that would ensue. Yes, we all know the Joker is deranged and mentally unstable, but to watch a two and a half hour movie through the eyes of a man losing his grip on reality (or already too far removed from reality) is not an easy watch, even for the most seasoned moviegoers.

So bear with me as I piece together what exactly went down in the film. Warning to anyone who really wants to watch the film, stop reading right here.

The film’s first half is very slow, starting off in the streets of Gotham City as a garbage strike has made its streets look more like a landfill (or the streets of NYC at night.) The subject of the film is Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man struggling to make ends meet in a chaotic world. He works as a clown for hire and has a condition that makes him laugh uncontrollably at any given time.

Being the good boy he is, he lives with his mother who has instilled in him that his purpose in life is to make people happy.

Arthur is no stranger to mental illness, as we learn he has been previously admitted to a mental institution and forced to meet with a counselor every week.

He aspires to be a famous comedian, writing jokes in his notebook (a notable one being “I hope my life makes more cents than my death”) and fantasizing

Joker, Courtesy of Google Images about his favorite late-night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro.) He also takes interest in his next-door neighbor Sophie, who jokingly puts two fingers to her head and shoots herself in an elevator. He stalks her to her daughter’s school and her place of work.

A friend gives Arthur a gun, which causes him to lose his job as he takes it to a children’s hospital. On the train home, covered in his work garb, he witnesses three men catcalling a woman and starts uncontrollably laughing. This causes Arthur to gain their attention and they soon start beating him up. Arthur pulls out a gun, tired of the constant harassment of the world, and shoots the men multiple times in a brutal act of self-defense. Arthur, endowed with a new sense of self-confidence, begins his stand up comedy career and a relationship with Sophie. The city is now on alert for the “killer clown,” with the lower classes of the city idolizing him as a vigilante against the bourgeoisie. Meanwhile, Thomas Wayne starts running for mayor in response to the growing unrest in Gotham. With this information, Arthur’s mom writes letters to Mr. Wayne, beg-

ging him for help with their situation.

This prompts Arthur to open one of the letters, where he learns his mother believes his father to be Thomas Wayne.

Arthur then visits the Wayne manor and meets Bruce Wayne, forcing the kid to smile by putting his fingers to his mouth and forcing a smile. He is then stopped

by Bruce’s bodyguard, who informs Arthur that his mom is crazy and making everything up. Not satisfied, Arthur then confronts Mr. Wayne who informs Arthur that he was adopted, and his mother was admitted into Arkham Asylum when Arthur was a kid. While being questioned about Arthur’s involvement in the clown killings, Arthur’s mother has a stroke and is rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, the Murray Franklin show is on and to Arthur’s surprise, it showcases him during his first comedy gig. Murray mocks Arthur for his lack of humor on national television. This creates another person in Arthur’s life to put him down, making him even more unstable.

Arthur then goes to Arkham Asylum to find out the truth about his mother. From paperwork, he finds he was

adopted and abused as a child, causing him to lose his wits, killing his mother in a rage. He then goes to Sophie’s apartment, wherein a moment similar to Fight Club, we learn that Sophie and his relationship was all a fantasy by Arthur.

Arthur is then invited to appear on the Murray Franklin show due to popularity from the roast of the clip that Murray did. He dyes his hair green and paints his face, a mark of no return. As he is getting ready to go onto the show, his ex-coworkers visit to make sure he is ok. He kills Randall because it was Randall’s gun that was used to make him the killer clown, but spares Gary in a bit of comedy in the film. He is then chased by two detectives on a crowded subway train, which then leads to a riot by protesters on the train.

At the show, Arthur tells Murray to introduce him as Joker, a nod to Murray’s roast. When on stage, he confesses to killing the three on the subway and is about to take his life on national television but instead kills Murray Franklin.

He is arrested and as he is transported to jail there are riots ensuing in the streets, which causes him to laugh. An ambu-

lance hits the police car, knocking him out. Protesters lift him out of the car and symbolically place him on the hood. The movie cuts to another scene, showing the Wayne family leaving a theater, and Martha and Thomas Wayne being murdered right in front of Bruce’s eyes.

Arthur wakes up to a bunch of rioters surrounding him. He gets up and draws the Joker smile with his fingers and dances on the car to his many fans.

The shot then goes to Bruce Wayne standing over the body of his murdered parents, and the Joker in a mental asylum. He is talking to his therapist about a joke she won’t get and starts singing “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra, the song that Murray Franklin quoted as he ended the show. The movie ends with the Joker comically running from the wards of the institution with bloody footprints trailing him.

The movie is honestly disturbing.

There are no cathartic moments, as everything feels wrong in the world of the character. The end also makes us question if anything was even real in the film, or if we were in Arthur Fleck’s mind the whole time.

Passion for Fashion

Fall feels

Melissa Kosar Sophomore

Business and Technology FINALLY. The season we all have been waiting for! Fall is officially upon us (not feeling all this rain though). We know what that means.

Boots, sweaters, sherpas, leather jackets, beanies, and all other fall clothes can officially be worn. Personally, I think autumn is the best time of year for fashion. Being able to incorporate a bunch of your favorite pieces all into one fire fit is what makes this season the best overall. Of course, with every season we notice some major trends that influence the style and some trends that stay true year after year.

This season, there are some pieces I am sure will stand out.

We are sure to see the usual boots such as thigh-highs and short ankle booties as well. However in addition to these common seasonal trends, a new type of boot is making its way into the market. The chunky boot is not entirely new, but it has only recently gained popularity. Chunky boots can be closely related to combat boots, but they take the size of the sole to a whole other level. Certain brands, such as Dr. Martens have been producing big, thick, and durable combat shoes for a while now. However, Dr.

Martens differ from this new trend.

Many major clothing lines have been racing to put out their own version of this trend. In the spring and summer, there was a huge increase of chunky sneakers present in the industry; however, with the colder weather approaching, the major brands have not hesitated to transfer the chunky trend into boots. I guess chunky is just in right now in footwear! I am definitely not opposed.

Another new trend that has returned to the scene recently is flare jeans. In recent years, denim pants trends have been slowly moving away from the skinny jeans to more straight leg or loosely fitting. The rise of boyfriend and mom jeans are prime examples of this shift. But even more recently, flare pants went from being popular to cringey over the years, and are now yet again increasing in popularity. Flare pants add a little bit of spunk to any outfit. They are bold and stand out in any crowd. Some people however have shown resistance to this trend, so I am curious to see if it will take off like mom jeans did. They are a little bit more difficult to pull off than a simple straight leg pant. Despite the uncertainty I have about their continued popularity, I definitely think they will have at least a short, sudden spike of increased popularity this fall.

In addition to these trends that are sure to be popular this fall and that we have not necessarily seen a whole lot of lately, there are other pieces that stick around year after year. Turtlenecks and mock necks are in and are ready to be worn. If you do not already have a few solid thick turtlenecks to layer with this autumn, go out and get some — they are essential. It is always good to have some neutral colors such as tan, brown, or black. The one thing that varies about turtlenecks is the style of the collar. By this I mean, some collars of turtlenecks will feature a lot of extra material, making the sweater very dramatic and bold. Some on the other hand feature smaller, more

conservative collars that may be more tightly fitted against your neck. Either way, turtlenecks are around year after year as they are comfy, cozy, and great for layering.

Lastly, the pieces that make layering so fun — jackets! Jackets allow you to not only stay warm, but to stay fashion forward. Popular fall jackets include sherpas, leather jackets, puffer jackets, and denim jackets. All of these are not only great to layer with, but you can definitely stand out based on what styles you chose to wear. If you see yourself as sporting more of a grunge look, a leather jacket would be perfect. If you prefer to be cozy and bold, definitely get a sherpa. There are so many options and you really cannot go wrong with almost any jacket.

Obviously, in the warmer seasons we can’t just be walking around in our sherpa jackets without passing out due to heatstroke. In autumn, however, we can pull out all these great pieces and flex all season long! Jackets are pretty standard, denim jackets are always in style, and leather jackets seem to usually be pretty common as well. Sherpas grew in popularity last year as an alternative to real fur. Since they are not real, they have become much more affordable for the average consumer, causing them to rise in popularity. No one these days would be caught dead wearing real fur, for cruelty reasons obviously. But sherpas, if they are faux fur, are entirely safe, harming no animals yet making us look fly all the same.

Fall is such an exciting time.

The leaves changing allow for such a shift in hues during this season. The temperature dropping also allows for us to layer our favorite pieces and explore new trends. Personally, I am in the market for chunky boots and flare pants. I want to see what the rave is about! If you are feeling adventurous like me, get looking for these new trends. I look forward to seeing campus shift to a fall feels vibe. After all, autumn is the best time of year!

Photo courtesy of Melissa Kosar

10

October 11, 2019

Sports

ON DECK IN SPORTS FRI, SEPT 20 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS University of St. Thomas 4 PM St. Paul, MN

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS University of St. Thomas 4 PM St. Paul, MN Photos from stevensducks.com

SAT, SEP 21

The male swimming Ducks paddle their way to victory

By TREVOR DAMEIKA The Stevens men’s swimming team started their 2019-20 season amazingly on Saturday. They were able to triumph over Widener University in their first match of the season. The men won 202-60 in an absolute quacking display.

The male Ducks scored over 200 points for the first time in a dual meet in program history.

First up, senior Daniel Rosenberger started the day off for the Ducks with a win in the 1000-yard freestyle, finishing in a final time of 10:16 (minute:second), which was 20 seconds faster than any oth-

er competitor. Also, he notched a victory in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 4:55. An amazing performance for him as he gave Stevens 18 points all by himself to lunge Stevens ahead of Widener early.

Then, junior Theodore Jagodits was able to win the 200 yard free in a time of 1:47. This would give the male Ducks a high advantage over Widener. Later in the day, Jagodits also won the 100-yard freestyle after swimming a time of 48 seconds.

Senior Tyler Zanki, the reigning Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year, swam 27 seconds in the 50-yard breaststroke and 58 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke to win both

events.

In his first ever collegiate meet, Chaithanya Dasari pulled off a phenomenal effort and looked fantastic.

The freshman grabbed victories in the 100-yard butterfly and breaststroke with times of 54 seconds and 55 seconds, respectively.

Also, senior Chris Rudel and sophomore Daniel Hold also picked up individual wins on the day for the Ducks, with Rudel picking up first place in the 200-yard individual medley and Hold winning the 50yard backstroke.

Rounding out the winners for the Ducks, Junior Kurt von Autenried taking home the individual titles in the 50-yard freestyle and the

MEN’S GOLF

50-yard butterfly. He finished in times of 21 seconds and 23 seconds in each event to grab the victories.

The male Ducks won both relays on the day. The combination of Dasari, Zanki, von Autenried and Jagodits swam a 1:37 to win the 200-yard medley relay while Jagodits, sophomore Michael Shusta, Rosenberger and von Autenried earned the win in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a final time of 1:43.

It was a picture perfect opening day for the Ducks as they seemed to dominate the swimming competition (I mean how could they not. We are Ducks:)) and they have a lot to look forward to this season.

VS Revolutionary Collegiate Classic Revolutionary TBA Rising Sun, MD

MEN’S TENNIS VS Day One MAC Individual Championships 9 A.M. Wilkes-Barre, PA

FIELD HOCKEY VS Misercordia University 12 PM Hoboken, NJ

WOMEN’S SWIMMING VS Alumni Meet 2 PM Hoboken, NJ

The female swimming Ducks quack Widener and float to victory

By TREVOR DAMEIKA

Photos from stevensducks.com

At Widener University on October 5, the Stevens women’s swimming team opened their 2019-20 season with a 145-116 win over Widener.

Stevens notched a score of 145 and were pretty dominant, but Widener was able to keep the meet close throughout. Widener won the 200yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly, and the 100-yard backstroke as they fell in their first match of the season.

Alternatively, the Ducks looked strong in almost all aspects.

After Widener opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, senior Isabella Fairman helped the Ducks respond by winning the 1000-yard freestyle with a final time of 10:52 (minute:second).

Later in the day, she also achieved 56 seconds in the 100-yard free and swam a 2:15 in the 200-yard Individual Medley to grab victories in each event.

Junior Isabelle Rivera achieved three wins on the day in the 50-yard backstroke, winning the event in a

time of 28 seconds. Also, she swam first place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle and butterfly with times of 25 seconds and 26 seconds, respectively.

In her first ever collegiate meet, freshman Emma Beaney was also fantastic in the pool for the Ducks.

She opened her career with a win in the 50-yard breaststroke at 33 seconds. She followed it up with a 1:11 in the 100-yard breaststroke to grab her second career win later in the meet.

Sophomore Madie DeJong also won an event for the Ducks in the pool, swimming a 5:29 in the 500yard freestyle to win first place points.

In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Ducks put on a swimmingly display. Isabelle Rivera, senior Samantha Zdesar, Madie DeJong and Isabella Fairman touched the wall with a time of 1:43 to win the event by nearly five seconds.

Cruising with many first place finishes, the Ducks were able to conquer Widener. They waddled their way to a 1-0 record and have their eyes set on much more this swimming season.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STEVENS SPORTS VISIT STEVENSDUCKS.COM

CHECK OUT THE DUCKS ON INSTAGRAM!

@STEVENSDUCKS #ALLRISE

DUCK COUNTRY SCOREBOARD DATE SAT, OCTOBER 5th SAT OCTOBER 5th SUN, OCTOBER 6th SUN, OCTOBER 6th TUES, OCTOBER 8th WED, OCTOBER 9th

TEAM MEN’S GOLF FIELD HOCKEY MEN’S TENNIS MEN’S GOLF WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL FIELD HOCKEY

OPPONENT MONTGOMERY CUP DELAWARE VALLEY UNIVERSITY ITA South Regional Championship MONTGOMERY CUP MISERCORDIA UNIVERSITY SUNY NEW PALTZ

SCORE 1st (298) W (2-1) Complete 7th (622) W (3-0) L (0-4)

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Contact us at eboard@thestute.com if you’re interested in joining the team.