[The Stute] February 26, 2016 (Issue 19, Volume CXIII)

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The Stute The official campus newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology since 1904, and creator of the Stevens mascot, Atilla the Duck.

We write Stevens history.

Volume CXIII • Issue 19

Friday, February 26, 2016

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Hoboken council approves Washington Street redesign

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SGA implements new proposal process for festivals

by MARYIA SPIRYDONAVA

by MARYIA SPIRYDONAVA

The addition of bike lines to Washington Street has been a topic of interest amongst city residents since last year. A proposal to add lanes specifically for cyclists was approved but met with much debate, primarily on the argument that the main vessel of Washington does not have enough room for drivers and cyclists. A new plan was brought to a vote on Wednesday, February 17, and the City Council adopted the redesign with an 8-to-1 vote.

The original plan for the proposal would have created protected bike lanes with a barrier between bikers and vehicles. The new plan narrows Washington Street’s roadway to 14 feet, includes on-street bike lanes, and retains parking spots. According to the Hudson Reporter, downtown Hoboken will have bike lanes between parked cars and moving traffic as well as 11-feet-wide travel lanes on both sides of the road.

Sharrows, or markings on the road that would allow cyclists to share the road with drivers, are currently being discussed

Following the recent SGA bylaw changes regarding festivals, students now have the opportunity to offer creative and interesting festival proposals via OrgSync. The SGA hopes that new method of planning festivals will involve the student body, peak interest, and improve overall attendance at festivals.

When informed that “Boken” would no longer occur due to a lack of funds, many students were disappointed that the annual spring festival would be discontinued. In an attempt to gauge students’ concerns, the SGA hosted an open forum at the end of the fall semester. Those in attendance agreed that a festival should occur, which prompted the SGA to revisit its bylaws concerning festivals. The SGA has since amended its bylaws, and the changes have been implemented this semester.

Under the old bylaws, a percentage of the Student Activity Fund was allocated specifi-

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Artist’s rendition of the newest proposal for Washington Street.

for uptown Hoboken. Models are being generated to conclude whether the sharrows would be a feasible solution for the uptown community. Unlike the original Class 1, “protected bike lanes” proposal, the revised, Class 2 proposal has painted buffers. This would allow for the bike lanes to be used by emergency vehicles and others if necessary.

Despite the initial negative responses to bike lanes from Hoboken residents and business

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owners, the city provided new studies that show that the bike lanes will increase business.

The redesign passed by the City Council seems to be favored over the original plan. City Council President Jen Giattino was the only Council member to oppose the plan.”I personally am not comfortable with nine council members, who are not engineers, sitting here designing Washington Street,” said

see WASHINGTON • Page 6

Established 1904

cally to festivals. According to SGA Treasurer Jacob Vanderbilt, “The ideas were chosen by an experienced, but small group of representatives from the SGA and [Entertainment Committee].” Students who were interested in hosting a festival submitted a festival proposal, which contained a budget that often underestimated costs. This led to high-cost festivals with lowattendance rates over the past few semesters. Lucas Gallo, a freshman SGA representative, explained that the students’ interests would diminish and the SGA was left planning the entire event. If there were not enough funds and students did not submit submissions, money dedicated to festivals would be essentially be wasted. The SGA had three problems to solve: the lack of student interest in the festivals, poor organization, and the mandated allocation of funds to a festival that may not even occur.

The SGA is hoping that the changes to the bylaws will fix these issues. The SGA re-

see FESTIVAL • Page 6

New resident assistants SGDC interviews Doug Lombardi and housing policies for the 2016-2017 academic year

by RAMI KAMMOURH Staff Writer

On Thursday afternoon, the Office of Residence Life offered Resident Assistant positions to 16 new individuals for the 20162017 academic year. The newly selected RA’s will assist students living in on-campus and offcampus housing, and are the first group to be selected through the Office of Residence Life’s new selection process.

This year the Office of Residence Life reformatted their RA selection process to better evaluate how applicants think and interact with others. In previous years, applicants who had their written applications approved would engage in team building exercises with other applicants and have their teamwork skills assessed. This year, those who had their written applications approved were required to research a topic relevant to student life at Stevens and present in groups to current RA’s. Ap-

plicants who made it past group presentations were interviewed

by Office of Residence Life Area Coordinators: Stevens Couras of Lower Campus, Becky Falto of Upper Campus, and Chad Jones of Stevens Leased Housing. According to Xavier Rosario, an Upper Campus RA and member of the RA Selection Committee, the new selection process was made in order to find new hires who are best able to serve the student body. “We look for RA’s that are friendly, hardworking, policyoriented, and supportive,” says Rosario.

Along with new RA’s, there are new housing policies for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Office of Residence Life has made changes to the fees and processes associated with cancellations and financial holds. For example, the housing application and contract is a full year commitment. Students interested in living in Stevens housing for the 2016-2017 academic year are advised to visit stevens.edu/sit/residence-life for more information.

Doug Lombardi is the Vice President of Marketing at Valve Corporation

by DAVID OVSIEW Staff Writer

On Wednesday, the Stevens Game Development Club (SGDC) held its second annual Skype Q-and-A with Doug Lombardi, Vice President of Marketing at Valve Corporation and little brother of Stevens’ own Professor Donald Lombardi.

Approximately 45 students were in attendance, who asked questions by posting them on a Google Form to be conveyed by SGDC President Adam Gincel.

At the end of the event, Gincel

said, “Despite a few technical hiccups, the event was a rousing success thanks to everyone who asked questions and Dr. Lombardi’s fantastic participation, behind the scenes and on stage.”

One of the biggest subjects of the night was virtual reality, which many consider to be the frontier of gaming. When asked what his favorite virtual reality experience was, Mr. Lombardi said that he did not have one because, “I don’t know [if] we’ve seen that title yet that everybody said ‘Oh, that’s going to change the way I’m going to game.’” However, he did

David Ovsiew

express confidence in the future of virtual reality. When he was later asked what made virtual reality more than a gimmick, he responded by mentioning that humanity has dreamed of virtual reality since the days of Star Trek’s holodecks.

Guests also asked what Valve is doing to advance gaming and how the company is responding to, what some may perceive as, threats to its influence. While Mr. Lombardi could not tell the crowd anything about the company’s projects beyond

see LOMBARDI • Page 6

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: By chance, at the right time Cyberpunk futuristic reality

Roving Reporter What did you like most about Founder’s Day?

T Thai review

Polling Pierce Where do you want to live next year?

OPINION 2-3

PULSE 4-5

Politics are bull

Front page articles continued

What to wear on an interview

All Rise Game of the Week

16th annual VDAY

The liberal arts major myth

The pursuit of truth

Apple vs. FBI

Carnival for a Cure

Letter to the editor

Upcoming matches and recent scores

NEWS 6-7

OPINION CONT’D 8-9

SPORTS 10

Men’s basketball seeks NCAA bid at E8s

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Opinion Stute Editorial

Find your diner (or whatever works for you) With the anticipation of primary elections (discussed two columns down), the anxiety of obligations, and the imminence of graduation for some, there is a danger of getting swept up in a quickening torrent of work, practices, meetings — life. In my Capstone course (think senior design), I had to reread a text I encountered during another course in my junior year, excerpts from Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by acclaimed film director David Lynch. The book’s tagline may sound a bit “out there,” but the excerpts I read (pages 23, 39, and 111-112) highlight several concepts that I found impactful for tapping into creativity and bolstering productivity: ideas, restrictions, and rituals.

Lynch characterizes an idea as a “hopeful puzzle piece.” To him, an idea is an instant moment of realization, akin to the oft-used light bulb in cartoons, that contains much more than initially perceived. This may seem silly and obvious, and I thought so too initially, but Lynch, as if responding to my immediate eye-rolling, then says that once we have an idea it is ours, the rest of the puzzle will become evident in time. The notion that ideas, plentiful though fleeting, contain more value than most give them credit for is encouraging. Sure. However, because they can lead to further developed or completely different ideas in time, the value in embracing an impossible, impractical, or nonsensi-

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Corrections & Clarifications • In Joseph Brosnan’s 2/19 Senioritis column, he incorrectly stated that residents in River for the Fall 2016/Spring 2017 year will be required to purchase a meal plan.

For errors, please contact us at eboard@stevens.edu.

cal idea — and holding onto it with a mental or written note — is as boundless as the potential ideas can have, no matter the scale or scope.

On restrictions, Lynch tells an odd tale of a friend specializing in film industry special effects, namely blowing stuff up. Lynch discusses a time when he was working with his friend, and wanted to blow a house up in the middle of presumably shooting a film (I hope). The friend brought what he had and they did it, they were in awe at the explosion; but if Lynch’s friend had further notice, able to bring all of his explosive equipment, the explosion would not have had the quality and character that the impulse one had. In other words, restrictions limit possibilities and require us to craftily adapt to the situation and produce, sometimes creating something that would have never existed without what seems like an annoyance or handicap.

The most striking portion of Catching the Big Fish was Lynch’s chapter on ritual, “Bob’s Big Boy.” A grand total of two sentences, Lynch recounts that he used to go to the titular diner every day, grab a milk shake, and simply think. This ritual was something that allowed Lynch to explore ideas, scenarios, and other pointed or aimless thoughts in the security of a diner. “You can have your coffee or your milk shake, and you can go off into strange dark areas, and always come back to the safety of the diner.”

Finding a particular place or pro-

cess to go to when meaningful work needs to be done or creativity accessed is vital for staying driven, or at least consistent, when life overwhelms or blockades us. For me, I retreat from my dorm where friends and fun reside, and head to the library or a classroom to which I have access. I listen to a Spotify playlist that eventually transitions to ambient electronic music on IndieShuffle.

This ritual of easing into work, thesis or otherwise, by singing along to songs I know and eventually letting the abstract soundscapes of independent artists serve as a backtrack to sharpen my focus, is my ritual.

Whether it’s McDonald’s in the morning, Starbucks in the afternoon, or the dimly-lit corner of Blimpie at night, find the place that allows you to unwind but maintain sharp focus.

As tantalizing as heading to a bar on Washington Street, watching a show on Netflix, or playing Super Smash Bros. with your friends might be, it won’t allow you time with yourself to figure out what works for you.

Through concerted effort or a fluke, keep Lynch’s advice in mind to ultimately find your diner.

Frankie Guarini Editor-in-Chief

Mind of a Freshman

Right place at the right time

Disclaimer All opinions, stories and editorials reflect the views of their respective author(s). The Stute reserves the right to edit all letters and articles submitted for publication for clarity and factual accuracy, or not publish them.

No part of The Stute may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. Cited references of The Stute are permitted.

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 2

by GABRIELLE McCORMACK Freshman Software Engineering Major

Sitting on the second floor of the library, I sometimes find myself distracted by the goingson around me. From people talking to each other to others walking by, for some reason I find it hard

to focus. In order to regain my focus, I sometimes I like to do something else for a few minutes before I try doing homework again. I would usually check my Snapchat or scroll through Instagram for a few minutes before going back to my homework. This usually works, but sometimes I really don’t feel like doing my homework and begin to feel restless.

If this happens, I’ll get up from my seat and walk around the library a bit to clear my head. On this one particular day, it was extremely hot in the library

so I decided to step outside. I usually wouldn’t do this, but something was telling me that I needed to do so. When I stepped outside, I saw something reflecting in the sun from a distance on the ground in front of me.

As I got closer, I realized that my wallet was on the ground. I immediately picked it up and wondered how it could have fallen out of my bag when I was walking toward the library. At that point, I was so thankful that I had decided to do something that I had not done before by going outside instead

of staying in the library to clear my head. If I had not gone outside, my wallet could have been gone for good, along with my license, insurance card, and debit card (not to mention a really nice wallet too).

To this day, I am thankful that I had decided to go outside for some fresh air, and it has given me a new perspective on life no matter how small the situation was. Now I know that it is always important to trust your instincts, and to believe that good always comes from being in the right place at the right time.

Senioritis

Why politics are bull, but also why you should still vote

by JOSEPH BROSNAN

5/5 Civil Engineering Major

I will preface this with the following: you should go out and vote, no matter what hurdles prevent you from doing so.

I recently submitted my absentee ballot in the mail for Michigan’s Presidential Nominee for my designated party.

Despite this achievement, I can’t help but feel that it is all for naught. Politics is a bore for me, and my vote, at the end of the

day, feels meaningless.

Here is my issue with politics: all politicians are fake. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, it’s complicated. Have you actually listened to debates, lectures, and speeches by these people? They are... different. It is like the world they live in is not the one you and I do. The way they talk, the things they say, the things they do are all carefully selected and crafted with the sole purpose of impacting you in a certain way. Do I think they believe what they’re saying? Most of the time, yes. Do I think that underneath it all, they actually care? Probably not.

You see, most politicians, especially the ones that are playing the big Presidential game, have a completely different lifestyle than you or me. They have jets, and

fly first class, eat nice food, get ritzy hotels and all of that stuff. They probably don’t have to worry about paying rent, getting fired, or even showing up to work each day (see Marco Rubio). If the government shut down (and it has before) these goons probably have enough money in the bank to live comfortably until it gets resolved. Compare that to all of the folks who had to go without a paycheck during that same period and had to scrape by.

See what I mean? These candidates work so hard to make you like them, to convince you that they care. Maybe they do, but they really don’t have to.

My favorite thing in politics is watching a politician get asked a question they can’t answer without losing favor. Bernie Sanders has

been asked tons of questions like this in regards to a changing position on sending soldiers to war a long time ago. He specifically won’t answer the question, but he’ll justify his stance in relation to something else he supports, and then end on a high note about what he believes in right now and what he knows you want him to say.

But all politicians do this. I haven’t met one who doesn’t. It is slimy, it is gross, it is inefficient, and it is wrong. When asked a question, answer honestly and directly. If it hurts people, too bad. That’s the price of honesty. It sickens me that they don’t grasp this - or that they do, but continue on anyway.

Regardless, I don’t like many politicians, so I don’t really feel like a winner if they are elected. I know

who, if elected, will make me feel like a loser though.

And with the way the government works, gerrymandering and electoral college scandal, etc. why should I bother voting? (I know, I know, because if I don’t, then I don’t have a right to complain about the state of the nation, etc.)

But frankly, going back to the Presidential election, this is not worth the hype.

Yes, the President of the United States is a big title, and a powerful position, but not as powerful as the unified House of Representatives and the Senate.

Those two bodies are huge in determining the shape of our country’s politics, bigger than the President’s, I’d say, yet I don’t hear about those elections nearly half as much.

You see, all of these people, the President, mem-

bers of Congress, etc. they all have their own little political world that they live in, fueled by pseudologic, bribery, lies, and personal agendas.

If I had the power to change it all, I’d hit reset on everything and force all elected officials to give up material lifestyles for the sake of their office.

“But Joe! What would entice them to work their job then?” Exactly. They would have to actually care about the United States of America, or the State or town that they are the main elected official for.

Alas, I don’t have the power to change these things, perhaps it is for the better.

Go out and vote, for what it’s worth. Just don’t be politically fervorous around me, I won’t like that all too much.

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 3

Technically Speaking

Have we reached a cyberpunk futuristic reality yet?

by TARIK KDIRY

Freshman Software Engineering Major

One of my favorite worlds to engage in, whether it be through books or movies, is the cyberpunk reality world.

The term “cyberpunk” is closely associated with scifi movies and video games, and they can construct these worlds to appear real to us. “Cyberpunk” is commonly described as a focus for high tech, but low life, as shown in movies such as Blade Runner and video games such as Mirror’s Edge, where there is an obvious boom in technology,

but the poor and are even poorer and in many cases, the rich are richer. This causes an inevitable revolution or rebellion and ultimately a dystopia.

As exciting as it is to engage in these exciting worlds, is it safe to say that we as a race on Earth have reached that reality? Or are we even close to such a world? I would argue both yes, and no.

I have a fascination with high-tech cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, or even New York City to an extent.

These cities, as well as the many others around the world, are constantly evolving their tech and aesthetic sensibilities. These individual cities can appear to flourish more in one year than every other town in the world combined. As cities become taller and brighter, they begin to resemble and operate like fictional worlds

from sci-fi movies and video games. It’s exciting to see the resemblences between current cities and their fictional, sci-fi counterparts.

But are we there yet? If we compare our current world to some of the more far-out abstract worlds of Blade Runner or Star Trek, absolutely not. But if we look at Back to the Future or Total Recall, we can proudly say that we have developed some of the technologies featured in these movies, such as body scanners and wearable devices.

Those are just two small steps towards a utopian, or possibly dystopian, future full of technological wonders.

However, the ideas expressed in books such as Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s 1984 have cautioned us that technologically advanced societies can become dysto-

pias.

If we look closely at the video game Mirror’s Edge, for instance, we can see some obvious differences.

Mirror’s Edge as a world resembles something out of a dream. The society in Mirror’s Edge reached a point in their technological status where every building is mile high and made of glass. In our world, imagine if every corner of the world was Times Square with all the lights and huge screens, but as high as the eye can see. I have always been intrigued with the possibility of reaching these literal heights in terms of technological advancements, but at what cost? In Mirror’s Edge, society has reached utopian status with virtually no crime, but every corner of their cities are monitored closely for unreasonable violations. With the recent scandals in cybersecurity

and government spying, it’s interesting to see a reality where that could become the norm. Even in a world of constant technological breakthroughs, the creators of Mirror’s Edge show that societal oppression is still possible. It challenges the notion that as we become more advanced as a race, and that we have become invincible and safe from greed and oppression.

Another aspect of a cyber-integrated world is physical augmentation in humans, as well as in artificial intelligence. This is explored in video games such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution where humans are augmented (repaired with prosthetic limbs that are more advanced than the natural body), and movies such as Ex Machina where life-like AI are created. Prosthetics are being innovated every day to make the lives

of disabled citizens easier. I often wonder, how far will we go with this research?

The result as shown in Human Revolution is a world where augmented humans and normal humans are segregated to the point of violence. Will we one day reach a point where all humans are enhanced with augmentations more powerful than the body we were born with? Will this backfire harshly as shown in today’s video games and movies? I believe it is very possible, but we are skilled enough to control it, especially with our prospective engineers here at Stevens.

At the current rate at which our world is innovating, will we slowly solve the problems of the modern world such as starvation and war? Only time will tell. That task alone will

see CYBERPUNK • Page 8

Scientific Curmudgeon

The beginning of the end of science

by JOHN HORGAN

Director, Center for Science Writings

I recently gave a talk at Stevens about how I came to write The End of Science, which was published two decades ago and just reissued with a new preface.

Here’s a quick version of the story: In 1992, when I was a senior writer for Scientific American, my editor asked me to write an essay on the future of science for the year’s final issue. At the time, physicists were

blabbing a lot about a “final theory.” So my essay played with — and ultimately dismissed — the notion that science as a whole might solve all its problems and come to an end.

Afterward, however, I started brooding obsessively about the limits of science. I wrote a proposal for a book called The Ends of Science. Ends, plural, not singular, because I wanted to explore the many ways in which science might end, as well as the many goals of science. A book agent sold the proposal to the publishing firm Addison Wesley.

After I completed the manuscript, my editor sent me a draft cover for the book. It said The End of Science. End, singular. When I pointed out the misprint, my editor said, Whoops,

but The End of Science is more dramatic, isn’t it? I said, I guess you’re right.

The End of Science began, you might say, with a mistake. I have no regrets, and I still believe the book’s core thesis: “If one believes in science, one must accept the possibility—even the probability--that the great era of scientific discovery is over. By science I mean not applied science but science at its purest and grandest, the primordial human quest to understand the universe and our place in it. Further research may yield no more great revelations or revolutions but only incremental, diminishing returns.”

After my talk, my Stevens colleague Alex Wellerstein, an historian of nuclear weapons, spelled out his concerns in an email:

Cuisine Corner

T Thai (102 Hudson St.)

by KATRINA GUIDO

Sophomore Physics Major

Coming back from the Path station, I’ve passed

by T Thai countless times without realizing that it is actually a reputable and popular restaurant. I never recognized that the little circle in front of the words “Thai Restaurant” was supposed to be a fancy “T,” not to mention the stark and bare outside doesn’t necessarily appear inviting.

However, having heard good things about T Thai after doing my review on Sri Thai last semester, I decided to give it a try.

As it was snowy and cold outside, I decided to turn to

delivery yet another week, and my order relied primarily on their most popular items. The food arrived 20 minutes after my requested delivery time, but with the snow falling and the streets not in prime condition, I can’t fault them.

Pro tip: through all of my newly acquired online ordering experiences, I have discovered that if you live in lower campus, restaurants that are not familiar with the locations of Stevens’s dorms are better off being told to deliver to 600 River Terrace. In my opinion this is closer and easier than trekking up to Howe after the delivery person calls to tell you he can’t figure out where your dorm is located.

Needing to create some sort of baseline comparison to Sri Thai, the first item I chose was red curry with chicken, as this was mine and my partner’s favorite dish from Sri Thai. At first glance, the portion and

price are nearly identical. I was optimistic because the container seemed to have more actual ingredients than sauce as compared to Sri Thai (a good thing), but it turned out that most of the volume was filler, aka bamboo shoots, and there were fewer pieces of chicken than Sri Thai’s version.

In terms of flavor, the taste of coconut was there, but I missed the hint of spice that Sri Thai brought to the table. T Thai’s red curry is tasty, just not as tasty as Sri Thai.

My next choice was beef with chili basil sauce and a side of brown rice. I really enjoyed this dish. The beef was tender, and the sweet spiciness of the chili combined well with the fresh and bright taste of the basil. All in all, the dish was a pleasing combination with a decent hint of spice.

As a sort of wild card, I decided to try green papaya salad. Not something I’ve ever had before, but

“My only issue is that you’ve set things up so that methodologically it will be very hard for you to be wrong, because your goalposts are pretty subjective.

Which you can see as an advantage or disadvantage as you see fit!

I think many physicists and cosmologists would call the dark matter/energy thing a massive reorientation of their view of the universe (e.g., the majority of the universe is matter visible only by its mass signature--that’s pretty weird), if the explanation of it ends up being something other than “we fudged our original equations” (as Einstein’s cosmological constant sort of was).

I also think your putting of the mind/body/consciousness problem into

the category of “unsolvable” is premature. Either it has a paradigm-busting explanation, or it just has a very boring answer (i.e. a product of just increasing the number of synapses or something), but either way, I don’t think there’s anything special about it, other than the fact that we are not sure of the right questions to ask.”

Which gets at the bigger question — what are the odds we’ve been asking the right questions about the world all of this time?

(Or that we asked all of the right ones by the end of the Cold War?) It just seems unlikely on the face of it that we’ve had a basically correct track record, given how off we know other human beings have been in the past… The appearance of this [may have] more to

HOURS of OPERATION Mon.–Fri.: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Sat.–Sun.: 12 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. apparently the dish is quite common in Thailand, and I strive never to be afraid to try new things. I don’t know what I was expecting, but what I got was certainly not it. My partner and I agreed that the salad smelled like dirty feet and didn’t have a whole lot of anything else other than the papaya, save for the one or two morsels of string

do with the structure of scientific research and funding in the late-20th and early-21st centuries than any fundamental epistemological difference. (And the fact that your “end of science” coincides with the “end of the Cold War” seems unlikely to be a coincidence to my historian eyes--the amount of money going into fundamental research declined dramatically from the 1970s onward).

I hope that, as my book enters its third decade, it keeps provoking these sorts of smart objections, even if they always fail to budge me from my own beliefs.

John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings.

This column is adapted from one originally published on his ScientificAmerican.com blog, “Cross-check.”

CONTACT (201) 386-1522 www.tthaihoboken.com

beans. As for the taste, well four bites between the two of us was enough to convince us that this was a never again.

To finish off the meal, I chose sweet sticky rice with strawberry. By far my favorite part of the meal, the creamy, sweet coconut sauce complimented the sticky rice which had a hint of strawberry further com-

plimented by slices of fresh strawberry. The texture was reminiscent of a thick tapioca pudding. I would come back just for dessert.

Even though this time I did delivery, I have verified that what T Thai offers over Sri Thai is a cozy atmosphere and actual seating that’s perfect for a casual and relatively inexpensive date.

Katrina Guido

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 4

Campus Pulse

Roving Reporter What was your favorite part of Founder’s Day Ball?

“Favorite part of FDB was seeing it all happen because SGA planned it.”

“The layout.”

“The venue.”

Lucas Gallo

Ann Collins

Preston Horan

“Hanging with my friends.”

“The venue.”

“The exhibits.”

Tommy Daly

Emma Sennett-Kuzin

Jeremy Ocarapo

Polling Pierce

Where do you want to live next year?

Based on 100 responses

Where the Duck?

Know where this is?

Check out next week’s issue for the answer!

35 On Campus 29 Off Campus 14 Non-Stevens Housing 11 I don’t know 5

Special Interest Housing

4

Commuting

11:00 AM

Answer from February 19 Issue: McClean First Floor

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Throwblock

Pop

SPRING 2016 PROGRAMMING - WCPR.ORG TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Pop

Pop

Pop

Throwblock

Throwblock

Rap / R&B (Classic)

Rap / R&B (Classic)

Rap / R&B (Classic)

12:00 PM

Rap / R&B (Classic)

Rap / R&B (Classic)

Rap / R&B (Classic)

Castle Point Rock

1:00 PM

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

Rap / R&B (New)

2:00 PM

Indie Rock (New)

Dead Air

Indie Rock (New)

Indie Rock (New)

Indie Rock (New)

Indie Rock (New)

Indie Rock (New)

3:00 PM

Indie Rock (Classic)

Indie Rock (Classic)

PIZZA PRTY

Heard 'Round the Block

Indie Rock (Classic)

Indie Rock (Classic)

Indie Rock (Classic)

4:00 PM

Classic Rock

Classic Rock

5:00 PM

Classic Rock

Beautiful Feebas

The Mystery Show

Classic Rock

Classic Rock

6:00 PM

Barge and the Tugboat

Pop

Off Air?!?

Sensational Podcast Series

7:00 PM

Pop

The Bat Cave

Pop

Hell Yeah

Pop

Pop

8:00 PM

POP EDM

9:00 PM 10:00 PM

Classic Rock

Pop

TK-8 8 O'Clock 80's Block

8 O'Clock 80's Block 8 O'Clock 80's Block

Escape Tunes

11:00 PM 12:00 AM

Classic Rock

Diet Pop Chill

POP EDM

POP EDM

Pop

Random Acts of Vinyl

IDKWTCT

Funk 'n' Soul

~T_G_H~

Diet Pop POP EDM

POP EDM

Funk 'n' Soul Dance Clasics

The Sounds of the Underground

Trance

POP EDM

POP EDM

Variety

Easy Listening

Color Denotations: (Shows are bolded, Automated blocks aren't) Rock

Rap / R&B

Indie

Talk

Electronic

Funk 'n' Soul

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 5

Strips

US

BON

PANEL

News Washington Continued from front page

Giattino.

This plan will be a part of the $15 million budget attributed to the redesign of Washington Street. Although this proposition was met with more support, some residents who attended the Wednesday

Festival

Continued from front page

leased an OrgSync form on February 21 for students to submit creative and interesting festival proposals that will peak interest and improve attendance. “This diversity and creativity can come from the fact that

Lombardi

Continued from front page

what is already public knowledge, he did discuss the creativity-centered culture of Valve and the company’s focus on advancing the world of gaming. He mentioned that Valve doesn’t care about what others are doing – to them, the only thing that matters is doing what customers want.

Several students, in one

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 6

meeting were upset that the public did not receive a copy of the final concept. At the meeting, representatives from T&M Associates (the engineering firm who is heading the project) brought insight from Hoboken residents.

They claimed that many supported the major street and safety improvements that also constitute the project. Some favorable

upgrades included synchronized lighting, new traffic signals, new water mains, ADA curb ramps, and establishing a microgrid to act as an electrical backup system and roadway resurfacing. Overall, it appears that Washington Street is moving forward in its plans for improvement, however the city will still have to vote on specific aspects of the project.

we have done away with the specific allocation amount which tended to lead to common festival content semester after semester,” said Vanderbilt.

In previous years, the festival was developed by a group of SGA and Entertainment Committee (EC) representatives.

Under the new bylaws, proposals will be voted

upon by the entire Senate. Experienced representatives from SGA, EC, and Student Life will help students strengthen their proposals by creating detailed and accurate budgets, which will provide more informed decision making. These proposals will then be approved during the traditional Registered Student Organization

(RSO) budgeting periods. Following this process, Senators can act as true representatives of the student body by getting feedback from students on each festival proposal. Vanderbilt said, “Under this plan, if more than one proposal is determined to benefit the campus, the Senate could theoretically fund more than one.” Under

this system, the SGA can be more flexible each semester to the campus needs. Students who submit a proposal will submit detailed budgets, asking for only as much money as they need.

This new process will be meaningless if students do not submit proposals. In the past, students have had a great history of show-

ing passion and interest in festivals. The SGA is hoping that these new changes can be the beginning of a new system that will be amenable to all students.

Festival proposals can be submitted through OrgSync until March 9. The form is available at https:// orgsync.com/46406/ forms/186459.

way or another, asked how they could get a job at Valve, with wording ranging from “If I were interested in working for Valve in the future, how would I prepare my resume?” to “Please hire me, Valve!”

Doug’s answer, however, was serious, straightforward, and applies not just to Valve but to companies in all industries: “Work really hard, and eventually you’ll end up in a good place.” He also stressed that for Valve and for many other companies in

the industry, “Ultimately, they want to see what you shipped.” Whether it be a hat for Team Fortress 2 or a full-blown indie game, the projects that you work on will show your skill and draw the attention of big companies. Citing himself as an example, Mr. Lombardi said that when his team published Half-Life, he had recruiters from Microsoft, “banging on his door.”

Later in the interview, Donald Lombardi took the microphone. With his sig-

nature enthusiasm, Donald called upon members of the audience, asked them where they were from, and let them ask questions themselves. Some of the questions were more comical, such as, “Console or PC?” a choice that Mr. Lombardi (perhaps wisely) straddled the line on. Others were a bit more thoughtful such as, “What makes a good video game advertisement?”

One student even managed to ask why Valve has not published its highly-

anticipated Half Life 3 yet. This incited a playful laugh from Doug, who said, “You know, three just happens to be this weird number for us.”

In the end, the event was a smash hit. Students asked many insightful and clever questions, and Doug responded in kind.

The students and Vice President shared some laughs, and at one point Doug left to come back with an assortment of baseball hats, including one for Stevens Ducks.

Courtesy of Kevin Quigley

Hoboken Reporter

Stevens’16th annual VDAY: “We’re worried about vaginas”

by ELLEN DRENNAN Staff Writer

On February 18, Stevens held its 16th annual VDAY as part of a global movement to protect and empower women. Members of the College of Arts and Letters’ Literature Faculty, the Women’s Fencing Team, and the DeBaun Performing Arts Center presented Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues to an engaged audience. All proceeds from the production and accompanying raffle were donated to the Domestic Violence Program of the WomenRising, Inc. YWCA of Hudson County.

The production was received very well, with participants and audience

members alike feeling impressed and engaged by the dynamic tone. Stage Manager Stephen Walker describes the power of the event as stemming from the “more relaxed tempo and higher level of directness than other shows; it balances seriousness and blatant humor to communicate the gravity of its message.” One woman in attendance comments that she’s seen performances of The Vagina Monologues at many locations and yet, the Stevens’ production of the play was “special in its inclusion of women of diverse ages, ethnic groups, and personalities.”

The play, first performed in 1996, is an artistic compilation of stories about women and girls

from many different backgrounds. It addresses female sexuality and abuse in its twofold mission to celebrate all females and decrease violence against women.

The accounts were inspired by a series of over 200 interviews in which women and girls from 6 to 75 were asked to talk about their vaginas. “If your vagina got dressed what would it wear?” and “If your vagina could talk, what would it say, two words,” are two prompts that were given to every interviewee. The wide range of answers demonstrates that femininity cannot be simply described as soft or hard, weak or strong, docile or wild. Rather, each woman

embodies her womanhood in a unique way.

Some of the most poignant monologues are stories about domestic violence and abuse. When asked which section had resonated the most for them, freshman audience members Sydonia Littlefield and Ruthy Levi both replied, “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy.” This monologue combines the experiences of several transgender women. According to Sydonia, the reason this piece is so impactful is because “transgender issues are very present in our society today; and yet, you still see accounts of transgender people being physically and emotionally abused for just trying to be them-

selves.” This pushback against the acceptance of members of the LGBTQ+ community is evidence that violence against women is still a problem in society today. As put

by Ruthy, “The Vagina Monologues are important because they tackle issues that haven’t been addressed enough.”

Another monologue that deals with violence against women is “The Little Coochi Snorcher that Could,” which tells the story of a woman, who after years of sexual abuse by men and women, eventually learns to love herself and others. Taia Harrison, a student who has participated in the production for the past five years, describes the impact of this piece as

“eye-opening, because it makes you admire women in a new way and helps you to understand the struggles other women go through.”

Though society has grown more accepting and understanding of women since The Vagina Monologues were written, there is much room for growth. According to Stevens Entrepreneur in Residence and second-time participant in Stevens’ VDAY Adrienne Choma, “there has been progress – especially on the legal front – but sexism is still very present in many places. Now more than ever, we need to continue our support of women who face discrimination and abuse.”

Photos courtesy of Carl Russell

around campus, hoboken, and beyond

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 7

The pursuit of truth begins at the Veritas Forum

by FRANKIE GUARINI Editor-in-chief

In its third consecutive year, the Veritas Forum was hosted by Stevens Christian Fellowship (SCF), Philosophy Club, Newman Catholic Association, and the Engineers Without Borders chapter on February 24 to bring Professors Troy van Voorhis of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Lee Vinsel of Stevens together to “discuss how to test your worldview,” according to the event’s official advertisement.

Professor Troy van Voorhis is a professor of chemistry at MIT with an expertise in the dynamics of energy in chemistry, such as molecular electronics and solar energy. Raised Christian, van Voorhis had a crisis of faith, only to return to Christianity in his adult life.

Professor Lee Vinsel is an assistant professor of Science & Technology Studies at Stevens with an interest in the history of automobiles and its standards.

Like van Voorhis, Vinsel was raised religiously but fell out of his faith in high school. However, both van Voorhis and Vinsel consider themselves Christians today, though Vinsel refers to himself as a “radical Christian perennialist,” someone who believes that all religions are preaching about the same subject matter and deity.

In his opening statement, van Voorhis discussed how faith personalizes scientific questions, prompting one to ask, “Do I believe this?” Vinsel’s address focused on the dichotomy of Christians’ beliefs and their actions, such as adhering to the Golden Rule, unless “thy neighbor” is an ethnic

minority.

After their introductory words, Vinsel asked van Voorhis what science’s shortcomings were. Van Voorhis recounted a dinner he had with a fellow chemist wherein they discussed that using aborted fetal tissue for others’ benefits is a divisive moral issue among society. Van Voorhis recalled that he and the chemist were in a circular argument about the issue, the chemist continually prefacing her words: “‘But if [people] just understood all the good things that would come out of the research…’” Van Voorhis argued that even if everyone understood the benefits from the aforementioned practice dividing society, they still may not approve due to their stances on where life begins.

Van Voorhis continued, explaining that abortion is not considered murder in scripture. He encourages further thought about the interpretation of scripture, given a societal gap from when the Bible was written to today, which was pointed out by Vinsel.

Vinsel then asked what boundaries should be placed on science. Van Voorhis responded that scientists are given too much latitude to make ethical decisions because scientists are essentially “average people who have been given a great amount of power.” Because scientists, according to van Voorhis, receive credit for science’s successes and are unblamed for its failures, allowing them to be the arbiter of ethical decisions is no different than permitting an average person to do so. On the contrary, van Voorhis outlined that politicians and religious leaders do receive blame for their communities’ successes and failures and are much more

wary of the ethical decisions they make.

On the origin of morality, and thus religion’s relationship with morality, van Voorhis stated that while atheists can live by a moral code, religious people have the ultimate impetus of adherence to morality in God, which governs a believer’s moral stance more firmly than a moral code chosen to live by.

“You said the Bible is ‘perfect,’” Vinsel said, “I think that the Declaration of Independence has principles about equality that the founders didn’t buy into.”

Van Voorhis clarified that he believes that the Bible is “infallible bordering inerrant,” meaning that the Bible is without error, but that context is important when interpreting the literal words on the text’s pages.

For example, in Paul’s letters to the Ephesians 6:5, he says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” Van Voorhis said, “There’s obviously some caveat that he’s not explicitly writing,” and that Paul’s views on slavery cannot be necessarily compared to modern society’s.

The final question be-

Relay for Life’s “Carnival for a Cure”

by KHAYYAM SALEEM Staff Writer

On Wednesday, the Stevens Relay for Life organization hosted a carnival in the Babbio Center as part of their efforts to fundraise for this year’s Relay. The “Carnival for a Cure” was a huge success, generating $137 in just a few hours of operation and providing plenty of fun for all in attendance. There were a variety of games available for students to play, with a small donation and with winners receiving the classic Stevens rubber ducks! The event was also catered by Jimmy John’s, selling sandwiches with the proceeds going toward the cause.

Students could also enjoy popcorn, cotton candy, and other assorted snacks during the carnival. There was quite a turn-out, with over one hundred students popping in and out to stop by and support the cause. The Stevens Relay for Life organization is putting all of its funds and resources toward hosting their second annual Relay for Life at Stevens in Late March/Early April.

The proceeds go toward

Annie Topoleski

cancer research, prevention, and support efforts.

For more information or to

find out how you can help, contact Maria McClure at stevensrelay@gmail.com.

fore student questions were read was in regards to gay marriage, and homosexual activity is considered a sin in the Bible. Van Voorhis determined that, “The way you interpret scripture is the way you view those things.” Depending on one’s interpretation, homosexual activity may be permissible in relation to their faith.

SCF President Miles Wascher began the studentgenerated portion of the forum with a question about how Christianity is different from other religions. Van Voorhis said that Christians believe that God sets a high, impossible standard for humans to strive for, but unlike other religions, God provides a “ladder” to help Christians near that standard. “There is this thing we call God,” Vinsel said, “I was raised where Jesus is

the paragon — the indwelling is the [Holy] Spirit...

[They] teach us how to live.”

The next question asked if humans have control over their fate. “Fate isn’t exactly a concept,” van Voorhis said, using “predestination” instead because it denotes divine activity, whereas one’s fate would be uncontrollable. Vinsel answered the question differently, citing racial, gender, and socioeconomic statuses as determinants of people’s lives for centuries. “We’re fated in all kinds of ways that are beyond our knowing. That’s causality,” Vinsel said.

In the event’s closing minutes, Vinsel explained that he wanted to see more moral dialogue on the Stevens campus. “They’re not getting it from their other classes,” Vinsel said, “[You

Frankie Guarini

need] more talk about what you need to do with your lives.”

Van Voorhis simply stated that, in order to widen one’s worldview and tackle meaningful issues, people should engage in conversations with others about these topics: “You should chat.” Vinsel added, “We all have a lot to gain from learning where we come from.”

After the event, van Voorhis spoke with students to answer their questions and converse.

SCF will be holding discussions throughout the year to continue the discussion started at the Veritas Forum. For more information about those discussion, visit veritas.org/stevens or contact the organization’s president, Miles Wascher, at mwascher@stevens.edu.

Opinion Cyberpunk Continued from front page

determine if we reach a peaceful utopian society or a cruel dystopian society so technologically advanced that only a few can enjoy it while others are forced to endure it. As I see it, it really depends on the length we as humans will go to to achieve our technological goals. However, I fear that

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 8

the result of our thirst for innovation will result in a war plagued world or a Big Brother that constantly watches over us. Overall, a cyberpunk afflicted society is commonly a result of an unfortunate event such as violent revolution against a corrupt power.

Though we obviously have not reached such a desperate state, if we look at our world’s problems, we would notice that many of these problems are the

result of technological advancement. The large protests everyday and the constant violence from both sides of the world are an indication of our potential to be dystopian and that ultimately raises the question of whether or not we have, or will reach, that cyberpunk dystopia that we see in movies and video games. I, for one, hope that a prosperous utopia awaits us in the future but only time will tell.

Letter to the Editor

Compass One Catering: Still Awful

Recently, I went to an event for which Compass One “catered” pizza. It tasted of, and had the texture of, cardboard. To call it “catering” is an insult to the profession.

There were full pizzas left over, since no one wanted to eat them, despite there being

plenty of people.

Perhaps that’s why some clubs are now throwing away their allotted catering budgets, since the food isn’t worth the trouble to even order. Eboards that order food made by Compass One are routinely embarrassed. It’s an unmiti-

gated disaster.

The student body does not have to put up with this garbage.

Just stop eating catered pizza.

When clubs stop ordering… they’ll either get their shit together, or we won’t have to eat awful food. It’s a winwin.

Always Right

A backdoor for “us” is a backdoor for “them”

by DENNIS STEWART Senior Cybersecurity Major

Last March, the National People’s Congress wrote an anti-terrorism bill draft that required companies to implement encryption backdoors. A spokeswoman from the Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted that the bill was “a requirement for the government in combating terrorism.” Sound familiar?

For those not in the loop, Apple has entered a legal battle with the FBI over decrypting an iPhone. On December 2nd, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA. Farook owned an iPhone 5C, which was recovered by the FBI. The iPhone is encrypted, and the FBI believes it may have information

about the shooting.

The key used for encryption on the iPhone 5C is relatively weak: a combination of a unique hardware ID and a fourdigit pin. There are only 10,000 possible combinations, easy to bruteforce even with a slow algorithm.

While it would normally be trivial to try 10,000 PINs, iOS has a few security features that make it more difficult. Rate limiting forces a delay between tries.

Every incorrect guess imposes a longer wait before you can try another PIN. iOS can be configured to wipe data if 10 incorrect passcode attempts are made. There is a 0.1% chance of unlocking the phone without wiping it’s storage. Farook had this option enabled on his iPhone.

The Federal District Court for the District of Central California has ordered Apple to assist the FBI with accessing the contents of Farook’s iPhone. While Apple has been helping with this investigation (as well as previous ones), the court is now asking for them to produce a custom,

iOS’s default lock screen

insecure version of iOS, with rate limiting and data wiping removed.

The court order is specific enough to suggest what they’re asking for

David Osview

is technically possible.

Other people with more legal knowledge can (and have) written about the case from that perspective. Apple’s

lawyers are challenging the court’s questionable interpretation of the All Writs Act, the current incarnation written in 1911.

I want to look at the precedent this case sets, in the US and abroad.

The FBI says it only wants the software for this one phone. With legal precedent, they could request the same software from Apple for many more phones. They could also request similar services from Google, Microsoft, Blackberry, and other operating systems developers.

Programming, signing, and deploying a new version of iOS is no doubt a complicated task, taking many work hours. To handle multiple requests, Apple will need to save their weaker code for reuse, rather than tailor it to individual phones. A security breach, either at Apple, a law enforcement agency, or anywhere else in the chain, could put this software in the hands of criminals or foreign governments.

This brings us back to China. If Apple created a backdoored version of iOS, what countries

would have access to it? Google, Yahoo, and many other American technology companies have given up information on political dissidents to the Chinese government in order to do business in the country. Apple has seen massive growth in China in the past several years; would they join their ranks?

President Obama criticized the NPC’s mandatory backdoor proposal last year. “This is something that I’ve raised directly with President Xi,” Obama said. “We have made it very clear to them that this is something they are going to have to change if they are to do business with the United States.”

The Chinese government ultimately removed the mandatory backdoor requirements from the bill.

There are other techniques than implementing a backdoor that could be used to retrieve the data from Farook’s phone, without weakening every Apple user’s security.

Fortunately for China, if Apple loses their appeal the US seems more than happy to do that work for them.

Letter to the Editor

Examining the “useless liberal arts major” myth

by ANDY WALDRON Junior Music & Technology Major

As I am writing this, a proud (read: tour guide) student of the College of Arts and Letters at our historically engineeringfocused school, there is a nationwide conversation on the importance of the humanities in STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields like the one we as Stevens students engage in. There is a rising opinion amongst the leaders of American schools that the developer’s shelf needs room for novels alongside chemistry textbooks, evidenced by the rise of “digital humanities,” combining ethics with data or traditional history and music majors with a tech focus, at

schools like Northeastern, MIT, and, well, ours.

However, the rising challenge this approach is going up against seems to be, err, engineered in the culture these institutions thrive in: a utilitarian depreciation of the humanities in American culture.

This weighted claim necessitates a thesisspanning exploration (s/o to Romina), but for now we’re going to succinctly focus on the some key points. Political leaders from Florida governor Rick Scott to current President Barack Obama have proposed financial emphasis in higher education to STEM fields; the former proposed to decrease tuition in his state for those majoring in “strategic areas,” referring to occupations like “engineers, health care specialists,

and technologists,” in 2012, while the latter’s administration invested $240 million in “new private-sector commitments to inspire and prepare more [students]… to excel in STEM fields” last March. If you Google “are liberal arts majors…,” the first two autocomplete results are “useless” and “stupid,” perpetuated by articles like The Daily Beast’s “The 13 Most Useless Majors, from Philosophy to Journalism.” Combine that with a regard for humanities courses as “a joke,” “looked down upon,” and “ignored” (anonymous quotes from Stevens students) and you don’t need to take a cultural studies course to realize why people may think a liberal arts major is a “useless” one.

Here’s the thing though:

for as much as we’re seeing this myth being perpetuated, there is also a rising need for a humanities outlook. If we are to assume “usefulness” is built upon financial gain and occupational success, the evidence is there: an article Forbes published last year on popular collaboration app, Slack, pushed the idea that the liberal arts degrees editorial director Anna Pickard (theater) and CEO Stewart Butterfield (philosophy) picked up guided their success. A study published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems reported, “Liberal arts majors close earnings gaps [and] earn more than professional majors at peak earnings ages.”

With CAL majors graduating to jobs at NBC, Panasonic, and the New York Times, the takeaway is less so “A liberal arts degree? Good luck getting a job” and more “No drive to integrate your liberal arts degree? Good luck getting a job.” Despite a seemingly “ugh” regard of the humanities here, there is an imperative need for it.

And if you’re still thinking that the liberal arts doesn’t have potential at Stevens, consider this: you’re reading a studentrun newspaper written by [mostly] engineering students. There’s no degree in journalism here, not even a “communications” umbrella to major under– the closest we have are the relatively new Science and Technology Studies majors,

which focus on “[analyzing] science and technology in broad historical, social, and political contexts,” and a Gender and Cultural Studies minor, a synthesis of courses from several programs. Alongside this are fairly regular initiatives by CAL faculty like the Creative Writing Contest (email Professor Middleton for info!) and discussion-based forums (like the insightful Black History Month events cosponsored with the Office of Undergraduate Student Life) where students can engage in cultural discussion. Institutions on campus like the Stute are examples of student-built spaces where those looking to itch their liberal arts scratch can do so and gain critical writing skills in the process. What’s so useless about that?

Get The Stute delivered to your email every Friday. For free. thestute.com/subscribe

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 9

Across the Hudson

Welcome to Long Island, all your trains are delayed

by DAVID ROGERS Freshman Mechanical Engineering Major

Last summer, I looked forward to not having to commute to school anymore.

My commute on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) usually entailed taking the 6:08 a.m. train from Sea Cliff, my station, to Penn Station, which was filled to the brim for the final 20 minutes or so between Jamaica at Penn Station. In the evening, I took the 5:33 p.m. train home from practice, which was the most crowded train the LIRR would run all day.

On some particularly bad days when there was no standing room on the train, people would have to stand in the bathrooms to make room for other riders. Every few months or so, there would be something causing major delays: a tunnel stalled in an East River tunnel, signal problems, broken trains, or just about any other reason.

When these major delays happened, Penn Station was

often so crowded that the police would stop commuters from entering and tell them to go to another terminal in Queens or Brooklyn. This year, I am much more thankful to be dorming than I initially thought I would be because the LIRR is an absolute mess this year.

A quick Google search for “LIRR delays” will reveal that in the 31 days before I wrote this article, there have been seven days with major delays during rush hour: two days in January and five days in February. There have been 2,275 delayed or canceled trains so far this year, so if delays and cancellations continue a this rate, there will be 118,625 delayed or canceled trains by the end of this year. That’s roughly 5.7 times as many delayed or canceled trains as there were last year, and last year there were more delays than any year since before 2011. What’s even worse is that there is no way Long Island commuters can change this.

The good old boycott would simply be ineffective.

Whenever LIRR riders have had to commute without the train, usually during an LIRR strike, it’s been even more chaotic than riding the LIRR itself. During the last two strikes in the 1987 and 1994, LIRR commuters had to drive to either Manhattan or

Queens and take the subway for an equally painful train ride. In both cases, the MTA (the LIRR’s parent company) would still get commuters’ money from either subway fares or the tolls to cross the East River.Needless to say, the Long Island Expressway’s and the Northern and Southern State Parkways’ traffic scenes turned from the usual frustrating 15-30 mph on a freeway to pure soul-crushing, LA-status traffic. These problems would only be amplified if a boycott were tried today, as ridership has increased to 337,800 thousand passengers per weekday (I believe that there may have been 337,000 passengers on the aforementioned 5:33 train.)

Needless to say, the Long Island Expressway’s and the Northern and Southern State Parkways’ traffic scenes turned from the usual frustrating 15-30 mph on a freeway to pure soul-crushing, LA-status traffic. These problems would only be amplified if a boycott were tried today, as ridership has increased to 337,800 thousand passengers per weekday (I believe that there may have been 337,000 passengers on the aforementioned 5:33 train).

Governor Cuomo is seeking to add a third track on the Huntington branch in Nassau County (Long Island’s westernmost county). How-

Not With Those Shoes

Long Island Railroad’s Sea Cliff station

ever, most of the delays that cause Penn Station to close temporarily are a result of incidents in Queens. Additionally, the Huntington branch is not even the most traveled line in Nassau County, the Babylon branch is. Many more commutes would be saved by installing a 3rd track there instead of on the Huntington branch. Regardless of which branch it is installed on, the MTA has a terrible record in regards to timely infrastructure improvements, constantly delaying projects.

The East Side Access project, which seeks to connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal, was supposed to be completed before 2013, but as the MTA continued construction, they delayed the opening to 2023. The project was also $6-7 billion over budget as of last November. The 2nd Avenue subway line has a very similar story of the MTA go-

Wikimedia Commons

ing over budget and pushing back opening dates. There is little reason to believe that a third rail on any branch will run on schedule or within its budget.

The East Side Access project, which seeks to connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal, was supposed to be completed before 2013, but as the MTA continued construction, they delayed the opening to 2023. The project was also $6-7 billion over budget as of last November.

The 2nd Avenue subway line has a very similar story of the MTA going over budget and pushing back opening dates.

There is little reason to believe that a third rail on any branch will run on schedule or within its budget.

To be blunt, the LIRR can and must do better. A monthly ticket for the 28 mile trip between Sea Cliff and Penn Station is $287. Compare that

to Metro-North. Port Chester is 26 miles from Grand Central Terminal, and a monthly ticket costs $279. There are four East River tunnels to carry LIRR trains to Penn Station, and there are four tracks under Park Ave. leading to Grand Central. Both rails have comparable infrastructure leading to their main terminal and similar prices, yet Metro-North provides much better service. Sure, infrastructure improvements may help the LIRR with its problems, but clearly they need to make better use of their existing resources before building new ones.

Despite all of the delayed or canceled trains, overcrowded trains, and transfers that LIRR commuters have to deal with, we still have one advantage that Metro-North commuters do not: the only Krispy Kreme in the city is located in Penn Station.

Girl Talk

Your style résumé

The Freshman 15

If that’s too much of a hassle then don’t buy dry-clean only garments. When you do wash clothes, be careful what colors you mix, your white buttondown should not be in the same load as your Stevens-red sweatshirt. And finally, don’t keep your dress clothes in a heap after you wash them.

Hang that shi(r)t up!

Okay now that you are all responsible work clothing wearers, what should you wear?! Keep in mind, the type of job you are interviewing or working for and whether or not they have a formal or casual dress code. In the strictest settings business formal means you better be wearing a suit. For guys, this is a three or two-piece suit and for girls it can include pants, a skirt or sometimes a dress with a jacket. Your suit pieces, should match. Pants for either gender should be loose or slim-fitting, never tight, heels should be low, hemlines should be long and jewelry should be minimal. Stick to dark, solid colors or a pinstripe with a white, cream or light blue shirt or blouse.

Luckily, in this day and age business casual is more commonly becoming the norm, especially in engineering. In the extreme case, you can get away with a pair of nice-fitting, dark wash jeans or khakis, and a polo. To get a bit dressier, you might swap the polo for a button down and tie and add a blazer.

If you still need to wear dress pants, you might try the suit 2.0: In a casual setting you have more freedom to wear slim or cropped pants or a skirt that isn’t part of a suit.

My personal favorite casual suit set is a patterned skimmer

ing that people follow my incredibly poor health and fitness regimen? Of course not.

What I AM saying, however, is that it’s not necessary to be ashamed or embarrassed about it. With Founder’s Day Ball just passed and the cold weather slowly but steadily moving into better avenues, I’ve heard girlfriends panic and worry about how much they’ve gained, lost, or fluctuated, weight wise.

And I know– it’s incredibly easy to mentally beat yourself up over what you did or didn’t do right in the last few months since you made New Year’s Resolutions (Hello, Planet Fitness, my old friend). The perfectionist complex is strong in women, and of course, extreme societal pressures to look a certain way or be a certain size can be bothersome at best and disorderinducing at worst. (I, for one, speak from personal experience regarding the latter. But that’s for another day). Putting one’s own appearance down whilst simultaneously fretting about it is practically second nature for girls. It’s important to remember, however, that you come first– you the person, not you the weight on the scale, or the inches on the measuring tape. And the “ideal” body type may be just that — an impossible, unachievable ideal.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t fix unhealthy habits — of course not!

Get back to the gym, skip Pierce’s greasy pizza and icecream and cookies (it’s

by HOPE BRANDES

Sophomore Visual Arts & Technology Major

Finally, a useful article!

No, but seriously, how many times have you walked passed Schaefer gym during a career fair only to see a long, winding line of identically dressed, white and navy, worker ants?

Hmm? Of course, you’re clothes won’t get you the job, but if everyone tells you to make your résumé stand out, why not your outfit too?

Before, you even get dressed you need the right tools. You can’t enter the workplace looking like you slept in your clothes, if you have space, you might keep an iron and board in your closet. If not, I highly, highly recommend purchasing a travel steamer. Most go for around $20-30 and they’re easy to use and quite compact.

You should also make a habit of hanging up your nice clothes. Be warned though!

Hanging up heavy, knit garments, like sweaters, can leave hanger indents in the shoulders. So hang up your shirts, jackets and dress pants, and fold your sweaters, knits and tees, please.

Also, if you can read, don’t wash your clothes like you can’t. That tag poking you in the side all day was actually not put there just to torture you. Never put dry-clean only items in the washing machine.

pant, which cuts off at the ankles and has a tapered fit. You can also start experimenting with classic prints like windowpane plaid, herringbone, checkerboard, tweed and even small florals. Bonus points if you find a matching blazer!

On the other hand, you might opt for solid suit pieces but with a patterned shirt or shoe.

Tommy Hilfiger currently has a woman’s classic plaid blazer and a pair matching cuffed ankle pants that are to die for.

Lastly, we have to talk about sweaters: the happy medium of comfort and style. A sweater can be worn with anything from dress pants to jeans and provides another opportunity for pattern play. Because your shirt will mostly be covered, you can get away with some pretty wild patterns underneath. Guys might consider a pair of American Eagle khakis or tan jeans with a gingham button-down shirt and a solid, Ralph Lauren sweater.

Business casual is also the time to get more playful with accessories. For girls, you can add interest to an outfit by adding a statement necklace or shiny watch. Don’t forget your shoes are another blank canvas for pattern and color.

Business casual shoes range from loafers and oxfords to flats and low heels. Guys can accessorize with belts, ties and watches. Classic shoe options include lace-up dress shoes, loafers, oxfords, brogues and short boots.

Next time you have an interview or show up to work, think about the type of impression your clothes give your coworkers and superiors.

Following a dress code doesn’t mean you have to forsake fashion!

by NAMANKITA RANA

Freshman Undecided Engineering Major

Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t gain fifteen pounds at Stevens. I actually only gained ten pounds when I got here. But I also needed to lose five pounds from, well, earlier. So, in a weird, roundabout kinda way, I got the Freshman 15. Sort of.

It’s funny, because at the beginning of the semester I promised myself that it wouldn’t happen. I was a health and fitness freak.

Having had to lose a significant amount of weight right before high school, I knew how important it was to maintain a healthy weight.

And so, I told myself I’d eat healthy and work out every single day, no matter what.

But of course, that advice is much easier said than done. And as it turned out, first semester, I preferred my grades, my mental sanity, a somewhat-decent (if bizarre) sleep schedule, and Pierce’s late night hours (god bless) over working out consistently. Most weeks, my toughest workout was lugging my laundry up and down Humphreys staircase and trying not to look out of breath.

Am I proud of that? Of course not. Am I advocat-

hard, I know), or continue doing whatever fitness regime you have in place if you haven’t yet (the crippling cold has finally passed!). All of those things are good for your body, and should probably make you feel better. But don’t kill yourself over anything.

There’s time for everything to get done. What’s more important at any given time is your mental health.

If doing “good” things is making you more stressed, you’re probably doing it wrong. That’s what people tend to forget — Freshman 15 is equal parts the fault of bad eating habits and bad stress coping methods. Eating habits can be fixed more easily than you think. Improving mental health and coping with stress requires a bit more of a sustained effort.

And in a world that seems to constantly tear down a girl’s confidence, it’s important to be aware of your own mind and feelings, and keep your thoughts positive, regardless of the weight on the scale or tightness of a dress.

So the bottom line is — whether you fudged up during the last few months or knocked it out of the park, know that you’re still perfectly wonderful as you are. Freshman 15 (or 10 or 5 or 2) isn’t nearly as big of a deal as you think– it’s just another part of the ridiculous, maddening experience of college. Accept it and move on. After all — life can’t stop for something like that. A girl’s got even more important things to do.

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2016 Fall Housing Application Information Sessions

and

FALL HOUSING APPLICATION DUE: MARCH 1, 2016 •The Fall 2016 housing application is now available by logging into your myStevens.

•You must submit an application by the March 1, 2016 deadline to be guaranteed fall housing.

•The housing application and contract is a full year commitment. Fall& Spring for on campus, Greek and Special Interest Housing. Early July—early June for Stevens Leased Housing (SLH) We offer 3 Room Selection Information Sessions: * Wednesday, February 24th @ 4pm in Babbio 104 * Wednesday, March 2nd @ 3:30pm in Hayden Lounge * Friday, March 4th @ 4pm in the Fielding Room

3rd floor of Howe Center If you have any questions regarding Housing or Dining please contact the Office of Residence Life 7th floor of the Wesley J. Howe Center * 201.216.5128 * Email: reslife@stevens.edu

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by Lauren Devine, Marketing Specialist

What’s Happening This Month on Campus?

1

Top 5 Reasons Dark Chocolate Made our Superfood of the Month

by Alexa McDonald, RD, CDN Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans?

About 25% of deaths in the U.S. are caused by heart disease and with February being National Heart Month, there is no better time to talk about prevention. Pay attention to these top 5 tips to stay heart healthy!

1. Fill up on fish! Fish omega-3s have specifically been linked to: lower electrical disturbances in the heart, reduced inflammation, lower triglycerides, and blood less likely to result in blockages.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends >6 ounces/week (size of 2 checkbooks) of fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and tuna, for optimal heart health.

2. Stick to whole grains! Whole grains have been linked to a multitude of heart healthy benefits. In fact, the Iowa Women’s Health Study showed a 30% reduction in cardiovascular disease in those with the highest intakes of whole grains. Its role as a key player in heart health can be attributed to higher levels of antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber compared to refined grains.

3. Limit sodium Intake! Excess sodium intake can increase blood pressure and increase the burden on your heart. Limit intake of sodium to <2,000 mg per day (<1500 mg if you have high blood pressure) by eating less processed meats, canned goods (or rinsing them before eating), salted snacks, and restaurant or frozen dishes.

4. Keep up on exercise! The AHA recommends at least least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week. Sticking to this will ensure you the most benefit, but even just 15 minutes a day can have an impact.

If you have to cut down on the amount of time, you’ll still get some health benefits and hold the place for that habit to continue in full-effect next week.

St. Patrick’s Day Karaoke Celebration

ST. PATRICK'S DAY KARAOKE CO SPONSORED BY THE OFFICE OF RESIDENCE LIFE

PIERCE DINING HALL MARCH 17TH - DINNER

5. Be mindful of fat intake and weight gain! Although sources of healthy fat, like oils, nuts, seeds, and fish, should be a staple in your diet, unnecessary fats, like saturated and trans, need to be limited. Save candy bars, bakery items, red meat, and highfat dairy products for the occasional indulgence. With more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein, these sources can easily lead to unwanted weight gain, which can result in a higher risk for heart disease in itself. /eat.at.stevens

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Varsity Sports

Friday, February 26, 2016 • Page 12

Women’s basketball to host Empire 8 Championship

SSI – The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s basketball team will be hosting the Empire 8 Conference Championship Friday and Saturday.

GAME INFO The No. 1 seeded Ducks will take on No. 4 Nazareth College at 6 p.m. Friday, and No. 2 St. John Fisher will battle No. 3 Ithaca College at 8 p.m.

The two winners will square off Saturday at 4 p.m. at Canavan Arena.

DUCKS VS. THE FIELD Stevens went 5-1 against the other three teams, falling to St. John Fisher College on Saturday 75-72.

ALL CONFERENCE For the second straight season, senior Kaitlyn Astel was named Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year. Astel was joined on the first team by classmate Miranda Ripken, and fellow senior Dylan Krause

Stevens Sports Information

was tabbed Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year.

THIS IS HAUGHEY DO IT Head Coach Megan Haughey, along with assistant coaches Melissa Brooks, Jean Farid and Ed Furman were named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. It is the first honor for Haughey and her staff.

NAZ RECAP Trailing 63-56 with 4:44 left to go Friday against Nazareth, the Ducks went on a 19-2 run, including the final 14 points to win 75-65. Astel and Ripken combined for 40 points in the victory.

A STEP BACK The Ducks suffered their only E8 loss of the year

Saturday, falling to Fisher 75-72. Sophomore Anna Toke filled the stat sheet, tallying eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.

EG III Junior Erica Guketlov knocked down all three of her attempts from behind the arc on Friday, scoring 13 points while chipping

in four assists and five rebounds in the victory.

SCOUTING NAZ Lindsey Kelly averages a double-double for the Golden Flyers, who come into the contest with an 18-7 overall mark. Kelly is averaging 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, while Sam Sorge is second on the team with 16.0 points per game.

ITHACA/FISHER SHOWDOWN In a rematch of last season’s E8 Championship game, Fisher and Ithaca will square off in the second semifinal.

Fisher took both regular season meetings, including a buzzer-beating three point game winner

by Emily Piacentini on February 4.

CAN’T MAKE IT? All games this weekend will have live stats and video available on stevensducks.com.

Men’s basketball seeks NCAA bid at E8s this weekend SSI – After a one-season hiatus, the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team (12-13, 8-8) will make its return to the Empire 8 Conference Championship, starting with Friday’s semifinal against St. John Fisher College.

GAME INFO

Tip is set for 6 p.m. at Manning & Napier Varsity gym on Fisher’s campus.

THE FIELD Fisher earned the top seed after posting a 14-2 conference record, while Nazareth College and Hartwick College represent seeds two and three re-

spectively.

HOW THEY GOT HERE Despite dropping the final two games of the regular season, Stevens earned its spot in the championship by virtue of a one-game advantage over fifthplace Ithaca College.

LAST TIME OUT

Stevens Sports Information

Despite erasing a four-point deficit in the final 90 seconds, the Ducks fell on a last-second layup by Fisher’s Tyler English in a 68-66 loss last Saturday.

PART THREE Stevens and Fisher split their two matchups this season with late-January’s 102-95 victory for Stevens in Hoboken. Stevens has won two of its last three against Fisher.

DUCKS VS. THE FIELD Stevens is 2-4 combined against the three teams in the championship with wins against Fisher and Hartwick.

SEEKING HISTORY The No. 4 seed has advanced to the final game four times in the championship’s history, winning it once in 2012. Stevens has never won the title.

THE CATALYST

Junior Evan Klimchak led the Ducks in scoring this season at 17.6 points per game, while also posing assist and rebounding averages of 3.9 and 3.6. Klimchak’s season was recognized today with his Second Team All-Conference nod.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE Senior Alex Lorenz posted 14.2 and 8.5 rebounds per game as the Ducks primary weapon inside. Lorenz leads the E8 in shooting at 65 percent from the field.

BEYOND THE ARC Junior Patrick Barron and senior Kevin Zychowski combined for nearly 130 threes this season.

CAN’T MAKE IT? Live stats and video will be available for the entirety of the championship through links on stevensducks. com.

Date

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

2/18

Women’s Swimming Men’s Swimming Women’s Swimming Men’s Swimming Baseball Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Baseball Women’s Swimming Men’s Swimming Men’s Fencing Men’s Fencing Men’s Fencing Men’s Fencing Men’s Tennis Men’s Lacrosse Men’s Basketball Men’s Tennis Women’s Basketball Baseball Men’s Tennis Men’s Track & Field Women’s Track & Field Men’s Volleyball

Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) Kean University Nazareth College Nazareth College SUNY-Old Westbury Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) Empire 8 Championship (Ithaca) University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Brown University St. John’s North Carolina Wesleyan College Arcadia University St. John Fisher College University of Mary Washington St. John Fisher College SUNY-Brockport Washington College Princeton Invitational Princeton Invitational York College

3rd 1st 2nd 1st 3-2 75-65 65-90 5-3 3rd 1st 7-20 3-24 9-18 0-27 8-1 21-6 66-68 3-6* 72-75 5-7 6-3* 3-0*

L W L W W W L W L W L L L L W W L L L L W Complete Complete W

Men’s Volleyball

Rust College

3-0*

W

Men’s Tennis

Swarthmore College

5-4*

W

Men’s Volleyball

New Jersey City University

3-0*

W

2/18 2/19 2/19 2/19 2/19 2/19 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/20 2/21 2/21 2/21 2/21 2/21 2/21 2/24 2/24

*For the entire event. Not individual scores.

Results from stevensducks.com

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Friday MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

vs NO. 3 CARTHAGE COLLEGE 3 p.m.

Hoboken, N.J.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

at ST. JOHN FISHER COLLEGE 6 p.m.

Rochester, N.Y.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs NAZARETH COLLEGE 6 p.m.

Hoboken, N.J.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs MEDAILLE COLLEGE 7 p.m.

Hoboken, N.J.

Saturday WOMEN’S FENCING at NIWFA CHAMPIONSHIPS 8 a.m.

West Point, N.Y.

BASEBALL

vs WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY 1 p.m.

Hoboken, N.J.

TRACK & FIELD at FAST TRACK LAST CHANCE INVITATIONAL 5 p.m.

Staten Island, N.Y.

Sunday MEN’S LACROSSE at No. 19 ENDICOTT COLLEGE 12 p.m.

West Point, N.Y.

MEN’S TENNIS vs RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 12:45 p.m.

Hoboken, N.J.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, HEAD TO: STEVENS DUCKS ONLINE