[The Stute]November 04, 2016 (Issue 9, Volume CXIV)

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STUTE THE

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 CXIV • Issue 9

Friday, November 4, 2016

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Vote for the 45th President of the United States Vote for your 2017 SGA President and Vice President see pages 7 and 8 for Q&A with the three tickets for SGA President

SGA Cabinet provides recent updates before upcoming elections

by ANDY WALDRON Staff Writer

As their time winds down as the 2016 Student Government Association Cabinet, President Matt Hunt, Vice President Jess Smith, Chair of the Committee on Student Interests Tommy Daly, Treasurer Jacob Vanderbilt, Secretary Amy DiGerolamo, and Speaker Reeba James have provided updates on current initiatives and issues facing the larger student body as they vote for their next cabinet and the new SGA constituion in the coming week.

Remarking how the SGA strives to be “something that is valuable to the average student” and “can help improve [students’] lives,” Hunt reports several new committees

Photo courtesy of SGA Cabinet

run by current senators. These include a parking committee chaired by Sophomore Lucas Gallo, gender neutral housing chaired by current Vice President, Jessica Smith, the annual Founder’s Day Ball committee chaired by senator and current

SGA Vice Presidential candidate Cris Collado, and a bill to increase the number of bike racks on campus proposed by senior Christian Chiu.

The current president will

see CABINET • Page 8

Creating space in STEM: Astrophysicist Dr. Jedidah Isler advocates an allinclusive STEM at Women’s Programs Leadership Conference

by OLIVIA SCHREIBER Staff Writer

The Women’s Programs of Stevens Institute of Technology welcomed Dr. Jedidah Isler to campus as the keynote speaker of the Women Empowering Women Leadership Conference this past Saturday. Her presentation served not only as the keynote for the conference but also as the latest installment in the “Excellence Through Diversity” lecture series, sponsored collectively between the Division of Student Affairs, Office of Graduate Student Affairs and Office of the President.

Dr. Isler welcomed the audience by first introducing the chronology of her life, beginning with her childhood marked by a fascination with the sky. Isler knew that she wanted to study astrophysics by the age of 12 and, upon learning that she could study space and get paid, her future was determined. However, she noted that many found there to be a “misalignment” between her aspirations and her identity as a black female.

Determined to earn her degree, Isler attended Norfolk State University, a historically black uni-

Greek Life receives recognition for their community service during Hoboken Terminal train incident

Gary Morrison

by CHARLES ZWICKER Staff Writer

Stevens’ Greek Life was recognized on Wednesday, Nov. 2 for its service after the Hoboken train crash incident. Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, began the event by thanking the Greek Life community on campus for its assistance and disproving the stereotypes of Greek Life.

Timothy Griffin, Stevens Chief of Police, then spoke about his experiences on the day of the crash. Griffin recounted how the Salvation Army was one of

versity, as a physics major. After completing an immense amount of undergraduate research, Isler took a short break before entering a Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program at Vanderbilt University in physics. She then continued on to earn her Ph.D. from Yale in astrophysics, where she encountered challenging experiences such as having difficulties with classmates who refused to work with her. “[At Yale], I could either stand for me and be unapologetic or assimilate,” said Isler.

Isler did anything but assimilate: it is at Yale where she came to the conclusion that “inclusive STEM is the only STEM.” Isler found that “being in a place where I am not sorry for who I am is a place of power.” She went on to become the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Yale – her research focused on the physics of particle jets emanating for black homes at the centers of distant galaxies called blazars.

Currently, Isler is a vocal advocate for the advancement of inclusive STEM. She is the founder, executive producer, and host of “Vanguard STEM,” a live, monthly web-series featuring a rotating panel of women of color in STEM that approaches topics

such as research interests, advice, and even current events.

The purpose, according to Isler, is to generate opportunity for those otherwise excluded from the STEM world.

Before concluding her lecture, Dr. Isler left the audience with a five-point philosophy. “Dream obnoxiously and don’t apologize, invest selfishly, persevere relentlessly, succeed unapologetically and generate opportunity,” said Isler. She had all members of the audience repeat the phrases several times as a way to engrain her words into the minds of all the women, men, students, professors and curious-minded individuals in the room.

In addition to traveling around the country as a speaker, Dr. Isler has been recognized as a 2015 TED Fellow for not only her astrophysical research but also for her efforts to inspire those of underrepresented backgrounds to be leaders in the STEM field.

Just as Isler encourages innovation through diversity, the Women’s Programs, through efforts such as the Women Empowering Women leadership conference, continues to increase awareness about the importance of a supportive and inclusive campus environment.

Thomas Daly and Cat Oesterle

Front page continued

Roving Reporter

Slack Line Palmer Lawn

Spookiest place on campus

LAA Dia De Los Muertos

Polling Pierce

the first organizations to supply food and water for the victims and the over 200 First Responders, but it was not enough.

The food and water that Stevens’ students brought was, for many people, the first in several hours. “You have no idea how far that went,” stated Captain Andrew Keelan, of the New Jersey Transit Police Department.

“I can’t tell you how thankful I am.”

Nine fraternities or sororities was awarded the police chief’s commendation for their efforts in providing aid to the commu-

see GREEK• Page 8

Stevens alumnus runs for U.S. House seat for Hoboken’s Congressional District

by NICHOLAS BURNS Staff Writer

Dan Delaney, a Stevens alumni, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives as a libertarian. His position is strongly towards breaking down what he refers to as the “flawed twoparty system.” He also stands for a free market, limiting government spending, and decreasing foreign military presence. His time at Stevens inspired him greatly, and continues to help him on his path.

While at Stevens, he was active in the Chi Psi Fraternity (commonly called Lodge), and in multiple other extracurriculars such as the Association for

Information Systems, Stevens Christian Fellowship, and some intramural sports. He was a Computer Science major and now lives and works in Hoboken as a Web Developer, and his interest in politics was sparked by the 2011 presidential election.

Particularly inspired by former Texas Congressman Dr. Ron Paul, who was running in that election, Dan began researching videos and articles to know all he could about the cause of liberty. This “ideological revolution,” as he called, it led to his official joining of the Libertarian Party in February of this year. He then became a candidate by the

see CONGRESS • Page 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Women’s Conference 10 Call Home T Time Cuisine Corner Potential Hacking

Field Hockey defends title

Darby DeStefano and Cris Collado Colin Aitken and David Roghanian

Campus Improvements

Who are you voting for?

dynasty

OPINION 2-3,8

SGA Presidents 4-5

NEWS 6-7

CAMPUS PULSE 9

SPORTS 10

Kaya leads Woman’s fencing Men’s fencing opens season Men’s soccer continues E8

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The student-run newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology since 1904

114th Volume

Executive Board

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Business Manager Webmaster

Lisa Mengotto Maryia Spirydonava Tarik Kdiry David Ovsiew

Staff & Contributors Andy Waldron Audrey Dsouza Bernard Feeney Charles Zwicker Chelsea Yagel Cole Yarbrough David Rogers Gray Morrison Jay Rungta John Horgan Katie Brown

Mark Krupinski Matthew Doto Mia Hildebrandt Nick Burns Olivia Schreiber Rachel Stern Rami Kammourh Victoria Piskarev

Opinion

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 2

The Stute Editorial

I attended the Women’s Leadership Conference and I was happy it wasn’t about women Women’s Programs hosted a Leadership Conference: Women Empowering Women on Saturday and I was so happy that it wasn’t all about feminism, the gender pay gap, or misogyny. The conference was actually very similar to themes of Leadership Connect – diversity and inclusion, mental health, developing skills, and investing in yourself. I’m really happy that my presumptions were really wrong.

I think that the pres-

ence of diverse guests – graduate students, alumni, administrators, other genders – augmented the experience in accordance with a greater theme of positive thinking and self-confidence. Still, I think that attendance of undergraduate students was underwhelming and more efforts should be made to highly encourage the student body. Maybe it was because of the registration requirement, the date falling on Hallo-weekend, or the fact that Women’s Programs

was running the event.

I hope that the third annual Women’s Programs’ Leadership Conference is expanded, and maybe even co-hosted with the Student Government Association to target all undergraduate students.

I would suggest that the event is also re-framed as a motivating call for individuals to better themselves regardless of the difficulties they endure from their environments.

I think that everyone at the event benefited greatly from the selected

speakers, but also from hearing others share their unique stories and receiving advice from other attendees. It might sound crazing, but you can really grow as a person just from listening to other people’s hardships. Exercising vulnerability and feeling some empathy in a group setting opens your eyes.

The Orientation Team bonded though similar expression during Show and Tell. Including out-

see WOMEN • Page 3

Mind of a Freshman

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by AUDREY DSOUZA

Freshman Business and Technology Major

This week I’ve been experiencing the weirdest sensation; it’s not painful, but never have I felt more like a child.

I constantly put my fingers in my mouth, biting down, because I can feel my wisdom teeth coming in. Luckily, I do not need to get them removed, but only because ten-yearold me got four permanent molars pulled for braces.

I don’t remember it being too painful. I got laughing gas and the area was numbed, I’m pretty sure. It was too long ago to recall many details. Memories, especially those from childhood, are rarely accurate. Each time you think of a memory, you are

actually remembering the last time you were thinking of it – not the actual event itself. It’s like a game of telephone, but in your mind. After many years, everything gets distorted, and, unless the original memory was recorded somehow, there’s nothing to compare the final result to.

Sometimes I try to remember the past. Not high school, but farther back: Middle school, elementary school, it’s unclear. There are things I know happened, factually: Stories that friends managed to keep somewhat intact by reminding each other by going, “Remember the time...” every few months for years and years. It was harder before you could record memories on Facebook, or look back into your camera roll to verify what happened. I wonder what it’s like for my parents, if they can remember anything at all. At least my childhood was full of pictures taken on our film and later digital camera, which were all developed at Costco.

Their childhoods didn’t have pictures. Maybe only family photos. Do

they remember when I was getting those teeth pulled? There’s a picture of the gauze in my mouth I think. If anything, they probably remember the bill.

The bill, it’s always the bill. The bill reminds me that I’m still a child.

Even though I can vote next week, as long as my parents pay my bills, I’m a child. The molars coming in aren’t helping how much I feel like I’m teething either. How much the tuition bill will add up keeps me up at night. The website will advertise the ROI and job placement, but not how students here hold the highest student debt in the nation. Where I speculate all money goes to – definitely not readjusting sprinklers that water the asphalt – will be saved for another issue, but really, I want a job. It sucks I don’t have work study, because those jobs are really envious.

Money makes me want to overload, apply to be an RA, get an internship this summer. I don’t like being reliant on my parents.

Not in a way that I want to get away from them, but rather, I want to repay them for what they’ve

done for me. There’s just so much I’m incapable of right now. I’m still a kid, and I have to worry about my Physics grade first.

For now, I have to settle for calling my family as much as I can. When I go home, I try to sleep in my mom’s lap a little longer each time. She used to always express that her body hurts from working evenings, but only now I’m starting to sympathize. People who support you and build you up, not just financially, are important to show your appreciation to. The words you say are most important. “I love you” can go a lot farther than criticism, or bitterness.

Even if you don’t think you believe it, still say it.

Everyone’s circumstances are different, sure, but to love is more liberating than to hold onto the weight of the past. Look at the future the way you used to when you were ten, with optimistic eyes for love and happiness. It might be difficult now, but everything can always improve gradually. After some time, you won’t even remember what you felt like right now anyway.

Senioritis

Don’t forget to call home

by KATIE BROWN

Senior Chemical Engineering Major

It’s slowly becoming that point in the semester where all of the days mush together. Everyone on campus is a collective hot mess as they run around in their flawless Stevens sweatpants, trying to get everything done. As a person who has a never ending to do list, it’s hard to cross off all of my tasks on a daily basis. Some tasks get

pushed around while others get eternally waitlisted (now seeking applicants to do my laundry by the way).

There’s one particular task that I keep unintentionally putting off that will probably get me killed in the near future: calling home.

As much as I enjoy the “Hey, Dad asked me to stalk your Facebook to see what you’re up to” texts from my brothers or the casual “I remember when I had a daughter” one-liners from my mom, they really don’t motivate me to call home.

I consider myself extremely close with my family so it’s not like there is pent-up angst that prevents me to so. What really motivates me to call home, however, is incentive.

For a while, I would call

home Chicken Little style – when the sky was falling and needed some assurance. I didn’t do too hot on an exam. I was sick and completely forgot what medicine to take. I put a red sock in my whites and now all my clothes are slightly pink (SERIOUSLY I’m taking applicants to do my laundry). All these issues and more were resolved, or at least mitigated, with a quick call to home. As I’ve grown up and taken more responsibility of myself, I honestly don’t have much to talk about if I were to check in. In addition to that, the answers to my parents questions are rather one worded, not because I don’t want to speak to them but I don’t think they would want to hear the nuances

and technical struggles of my Separation Operations class. I barely knew what it was about myself.

Nonetheless, in more recent phone calls I’ve learned it’s still important to check in. Maybe I don’t have a problem that my mom needs to solve for me or something to talk about with my dad (because the Mets are out of the playoffs). Maybe my main reason for calling is for my family to be assured that I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere. Maybe it doesn’t matter why I’m calling, it matters that I am. Calling home keeps you attached to your loved ones. Even if they’re not your favorite people they are certainly the most supportive. Most importantly, calling home

allows you to take a step out of the “Stevens bubble” which can honestly suffocate us all. It’s important to check in and to be reminded that there is life outside 2000 credits and wearing a Stevens hoodie for the third straight day. It never hurts to be reminded that there are people outside your immediate friend group who care and are proud of your successes, even if you might not be. Calling home can be defined differently for each person. Some people do not have the best relationship with their family and prefer calling a friend. Others call grandparents or cousins for that touch of home that they needed. The moral of the story is that Stevens students really need to call “outsiders” every now and

then. It might not be the most desirable task with much incentive, but it is definitely the most needed especially in this stressful point of the semester.

So after various forms of passive aggressive text messages, I finally caved and called home. The quick and painless 5 minutes of my life filled me in about the whereabouts of family members, supported me about some upcoming and daunting task, and reminded me that exams and nonsensical drama will be over soon enough. Above all, it allowed be to cross off a task from my to-do list, arguably the most rewarding incentive of it all. Don’t forget to call home. Your mom, and you, will thank me later.

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 3

Across the Hudson

T time

by DAVID ROGERS

Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Major

I can’t help but like how much the East Side has preserved its character. I know the West Side is a lot trendier and more popular, but that just seems to drain out the area’s character. While taking long walks up 6th or 7th Avenue, I see some gradual change in the landscape, but not too much. Most of the buildings up and down these avenues are modern or post-modern, the overpriced coffee shops and sandwich places have a relatively large storefront while the oldtime businesses – the one dollar pizza places, the delis, and the neighborhood staple stores – have smaller and smaller storefronts or close altogether.

The East Side isn’t like that, or at least not nearly to the same degree as the West Side.

It’s also worth noting that there isn’t nearly as

much subway service to the East Side as there is on the West Side. Most of the time, I can get on an F train or a 2 train with almost no problem, even at rush hour. I can’t say the same about the 6 train when I commuted from the Upper East Side; it was always difficult to get on the platform to the 6 train, as it was the only local subway to the Upper East Side. MTA has had a 2nd Avenue subway, the T train, under construction for a while, but it has constantly delayed its opening – going over budget while doing so. Welcome to New York construction.

On the surface, this looks like a much needed link between Uptown and Downtown to alleviate the crowds on the 6 train, providing some subway service to neighborhoods in East Midtown that currently have little to none.

Despite this, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to these neighborhoods once the subway is complete. What will happen when property values and rent increase? Will the businesses that make the neighborhoods all oldfashioned and unique be bought out by the same chains that took over the West Side? Will the T train even be that useful for people who live on

the East Side but work on the West Side? How much will MTA hike the fare when it’s complete? I have my theories, hopes, and worries, but I’ll just have to see in due time.

Moving past the stories and speculation, there’s actually a timeline for this subway; the first event doesn’t involve a single T train moving. Instead, MTA is bringing back the W train. The W train ran from Astoria, Queens to Whitehall Street, right by the Manhattan terminal for the Staten Island Ferry, until June 2010. The revival of the W is so that it can provide service to Queens when the Q gets rerouted to the northern section of the 2nd Avenue line. These first few stops, all of which are north of 72nd Street, will be stops for both the T and Q train.

They are scheduled to open in December 2016.

The next phase of the project will be to build stations between 72nd Street and Houston Street.

The final phase will finish when the Hanover Square station in the Financial District opens. I can’t really give any dates for when the last two phases will be done, since I’m sure they’ll have delayed openings, but it will be interesting to see what happens once this project is complete.

Cuisine Corner

Satay: A wonderful Malaysian temptation!

by MARKO DJAPIC

Sophomore Chemical Biology Major

Today’s review focuses on a local “hot” spot for authentic Malaysian food, Satay. Satay is located on 1st and Washington, which makes it a little far for a walk if you’re not taking the Redline. If you have a hankering for Peking duck, Trengannu chicken, or Pepper steak, however, the trek is worth it. In addition to these specialties, Satay also boasts a strong selection of rice, noodle, chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and vegetarian options, meaning they’ve got a little something for everyone.

Walking into Satay, you’ll immediately feel like you just landed on Redang Island, complete with palm trees, bananas, and a night-time market.

While the lighting is a little dim if you’re not next to a window during the day, at night their lights create an intimate tropical atmosphere, perfect for a date or a night to remember with your friends.

If you do go there for a date or with your friends, however, remember to go during the day. Satay’s lunch special is one of the cheapest deals in Hoboken, with all meals coming with a soup and an entrée for either $7.50 or $7.99. As an added bonus, they even offer a 5% discount if you pay with cash, which is usually just enough to get rid of tax.

Sorry Dawn Zimmer! Dinner is definitely pricier, Coming in anywhere from $10.50 to $27.00, but if your parents are buying, it’s definitely worth the convincing.

In addition to the se-

Women

Continued from second page

siders – and especially not just having the usual suspects of Women’s Programs events and the student leader crowd – was a really great thing that I would not want to sacrifice for expansion of the event. It

lection, price, and atmosphere, the service is also fantastic. From the moment you enter, the host greats you with a smile and directs you to a table. The waiters can tell the moment your group is ready to order, and your glass will never stay empty. The chefs are also professional and efficient, meaning you’ll never wait too long for your meal; and, not to worry, if you can’t hanwdle heat, they’ll glad tone down the spice for you. After all, nothing ruins your day more than a chili induced dash to the bathroom. Once you leave, someone always thanks you for your patronage and bids you a nice day, which is a refreshing change of pace in our cold, impersonal, city lifestyle.

While I’m a big fan of their Pad Thai, Tregannu Chicken, Mala Chicken, and Pataya chicken (everyone should try Pataya chicken at least once), this time around I got the Curry mixed vegetable

was just so refreshing to speak briefly with an alumnus of ten years sitting beside me, and the random graphics designer who replaced her during another segment. Hearing new perspectives reminded me that there’s a big world beyond Stevens.

I really think that many of the speakers’ tips were excel-

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(201) 386 - 8688 soup. The Curry soup at Satay might be the greatest curry soup ever, period. While the smell alone is enough to singe your nose hairs, and the mosaic of green, red, and yellow droplets swirling on the top might make you question what strange looking glass you’ve fallen through on your way here, the first taste is enough to make you say “sialan panas” (hot damn)! The heat sets in immediately, and the actual temperature of the soup amplifies what you already know, which is that you’re going to need a few more refills on that water. While you slurp up the delicious, savory broth, you’ll eventu-

lent, and even reminded me of my mother’s advice when it comes to positive thinking.

My major takeaways were the tips on developing new ways of thinking that will help your self confidence, and prevent untrue, negative thoughts, and advice on the importance of who you allow in your support group. Although you can’t

ally reach your first vegatable, which is where the fun really starts. The slightly cooked down peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, baby corns, and string beans offer a refreshing break from the heat of the soup. Their crispness brings both some texture and a momentary respite for your mouth, so you don’t pass out from the heat. Invariably, you’ll be thrown into a frenzy of spice where you can’t even think straight, crunching vegatables and slurping broth until you reach the final drop of this lake of fire in your hands. Here all the ground pepper settles, and if you can’t handle

control who you have to interact with, or what they’ll say to you, you can decide whether or not it’s true and whether it merits a reaction.

Even if my suggestions do not come to fruition, I hope more people take it upon themselves to sign up and show up for the conference next year.

Location: Food: Service: Budget:

the final fortissimo at the end of this great work, its best to stop here. In either case, whether or not you took that last spoonful, you’ll finally have a moment to contemplate the overwhelming flavors you just experiences and ask, “Do you sell this to go?”.

Photo from Zomato

Lisa Mengotto Editor-in-Chief

2017 SGA Presidential Election

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 4

Tickets for 2017 SGA President respond to questions from The Stute

President: Thomas (Tommy) Daly Civil Engineering, 4/5

President: Darby DeStefano Biomedical Engineering, 4/5

Vice President: Catherine (Cat) Oesterle Chemical Engineering, 2/4

Vice President: Cris Collado Electrical Engineering, 3/5

What are your strengths? Experiences?

Whether it’s being leaders in Greek Life, student organizations, being members of honor societies and committees, attending athletic events, or spending countless hours serving the student body and the greater community, we have dedicated our Stevens experience to being active participants in the Stevens community. Our strengths lie in our deep knowledge of the student population and our devotion to understanding what our peers need and want from their college experience. This active participation gives our ticket unique perspective into what changes will benefit the community at large.

In addition our experience within the SGA make us incredibly qualified candidates. Tommy is the current Chairman of the Committee on Student Interests. In this role he oversees all student organizations and serves to represent the interests of the student body. This cabinet experience has given Tommy insight into the role of President and the inner workings of how to manage and coordinate a well functioning Cabinet. Cat’s experience is unique in that she is the Public Relations Committee Head of the SGA. The primary role of the Vice President is managing and coordinating the Committees of the SGA. Her experience as a Committee Head and a senator gives her unique perspective into the needs of the Senate and how to properly guide the Committee Heads.

What is the ideal role of the SGA? We believe the primary role of the SGA is to advocate for all students! That means Greeks, students with disabilities, athletes, minorities, the underprivileged, you name the group, we should be representing them.

What is the primary issue the current SGA faces?

The SGA is as large and representative as it allows itself to be. We would both love to see a passionate and involved group of senators working as a community to take on large scale projects and campus initiatives. However, the senate is not currently as motivated of a body as we would like for it to be. Therefore we would like to use our experience, our feedback from students and senators, and our friendly dispositions to make the senate a more welcoming and enjoyable place for the senators, cabinet, and those who come to speak at these meetings. If the senators enjoy being a part of the senate they will make the senate a priority. With senators making the SGA a priority the possibilities of our Student Government are endless!

Do you think the current events funded by the SGA (especially large scale events) represent the wants and needs of the students? How would you improve?

Our student organizations continue to put on events that are nothing short of amazing. Whether it’s ESC’s Unity, IUA’s Diwali, Relay for Life, or THON Dance Marathon the SGA is happy to continuously provide funding and support to these large scale events. However, we need to take a deeper look into the Festivals we host for the campus.

Fostering a sense of school spirit is a key goal of our platform and we believe holding Festivals that reach the entire student body are a great way to achieve this goal. With the help of SGA Treasurer Jacob Vanderbilt and the Entertainment Committee the SGA has moved toward the creation of the Festival Guidance Committee. This puts the power in the hands of the students, but it’s important that the senate and the Festival Guidance Committee advise and decide with wisdom. Looking back at TechFests and Bokens that were heavily attended by Stevens Students and still talked about today should give both the presenters and the senators insight into the type of events the student body wants to see.

Should we expect more internal development of SGA or looking outward to further the interests of students? What’s more important?

The answer to this question is inherent in the goals and definition of the Student Government Association. Of course our priority is and always should be representing the interests of the students! If the SGA isn’t acting as an advocating body for the student population what even is it? Of course to make it the optimal organization to provide this representation there are changes that need to be made internally, but our utmost priority must always be furthering the interests, needs, and welfare of the Stevens population. This includes improving academics, addressing the mental health of our peers, advocating for campus organizations, or saving you from a sprinkler watering the

What are your strengths? Experiences?

Intrinsic Motivation is the fuel that best describes the uniquely qualified and diversely involved team of Darby DeStefano and Cris Collado. We have an exceptional broad range of experiences -Varsity and club Athletics, the Arts, the Honor Board, Greek Life, Residence Life, Gear & Triangle Honors Society and other organizations. Serving as President of her high school SGA, Darby has had the experience of understanding that acting as President is about service to the community. It is about selfless dedication and looking out for the best interests of our entire community no matter the time or stress that is imposed as it is an expected part of the job. As SGA elected Senators, we are in touch with the voices of our constituents.

We have learned that our peers feel their concerns are not always being heard. As President/VP, we understand that listening, and not always talking is essential. This is one of qualities the DeStefano/Collado team has to offer. Listening is what allows us to serve the entire Stevens community. All of the candidates can say “I’ve started a club, I have been appointed, I’m an athlete, I am an honor society member...”, these are all things we do. The President/ VP positions are not about doing. President/VP positions are about being. Being able to listen, being able to create an environment where all people may be given the opportunity to use their talents, being able to combine input from the administration to meet their needs to those of the students in order to serve everyone. This should be the expectation of the student body. We are both elected Senators on the SGA, where we serve on the Budgeting Committee. Darby is the representative of the subcommittee of professional societies and Cris is the representative of the subcommittee of Non-RSO’s. Outside of the SGA Darby is a member of the Stevens Honor Board, the vice president of the newly formed College Democrats, a member of Gear and Triangle, and a member of BMES. Darby has been a Varsity athlete as well as a club sports athlete and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the Stevens Choir. Darby also served as a founding member of Stevens Shattering the Silence and the Historian of the Stevens Irish Association. Within the SGA, Cris has actively participated in the Campus Life Committee and is the current head of the Founder’s Day Ball AdHoc Committee. Outside of the SGA, Cris is a Freshman Resident Assitant, the co-service chair of the RA honors society Rho Alpha Sigma, a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon where he served as the Community service chair and presently as the Scholarship Chair. He is the Stevens Thon Relations chair, a member of the Chi Alpha Epsilon Honors Society, Order of Omega, and the Gear and Triangle Honors Society. Cris is also a Co-op student and a part time waiter at Court Street. Touching on so many campus communities allows the DeStefano/Collado team to share ideas and experiences that alone we would not be able to understand. It will allow us to look outwardly. Fully understanding from personal experience these organizations, activities, and teams and what each bring to the Stevens community. We understand how to best highlight the positive aspects of each and every one.

What is the ideal role of the SGA? The ideal role of the SGA is to be an external student centric agent of change. We have the power to create a real difference in students lives. This can only be accomplished by being approachable and by being transparent.

This upcoming election requires a fresh outlook on what the SGA should be and has not been in the past. The SGA needs to have more of a presence than ever with a distinct focus on supporting our peers. - What is the primary issue the current SGA faces? Our student government is internally focused and in a dire need of a cultural change.

As an organization that is student run, the SGA is not student centric. This is what we will change. Structure has been established within the SGA. Anyone can handle the administrative work but what is needed are individuals who are eager to serve their peers transparently. What we need are courageous, passionate individuals who are willing to challenge the process. Individuals who have the desire, the ability, and the proven record to create a holistic experience for every Stevens student. - Do you think the current events funded by the SGA (especially large scale events) represent the wants and needs of the students?

How would you improve? There are large subsets of the culture at Stevens that are underrepresented. It is typical to find the same one-third of students planning and executing events on campus. There is a large cross over of

President: Colin Aitken Bachelor’s: Biomedical Engineering Master’s: Systems Engineering Year: 4/5 Vice President: David Roghanian Bachelor’s: Mechanical Engineering Master’s: Systems Engineering Year: 4/5 What are your strengths? Experiences?

Colin: My main strength regarding the SGA is creating a structure to enact change. Over the last semester I created the Committee for Club Sports Improvement (CCSI) and together with this group of students, many of whom were not directly involved as officials of the SGA, we were able to enact meaningful change for the club sports department.

A main achievement of this group was the reinstatement of physical education credits for club sports, among a myriad of other changes. I am hoping to bring this structure to the entire SGA such that we can effectively use the voice of the student to enact meaningful change on campus.

David: My strengths coming into the VP role lie in my extensive experience in leadership positions with Stevens RSOs, non-RSO student groups, and in general. My heavy involvement in these groups has given me a sense of genuine care for their success and motivation to work hard with them to achieve their goals. I also have a lot of insight concerning management strategies and effective ways of managing people, time, and money from work experience in project management and management consulting. I would appreciate the opportunity to apply my leadership skills to the benefit of the student body!

What is the ideal role of the SGA? The ideal role of the SGA is one where it serves as a voice for the student body. The SGA certainly has other duties such as budgeting and RSO oversight, but the primary purpose of the SGA is to represent the students and ensure that their experience at Stevens is as fruitful as possible.

What is the primary issue the current SGA faces?

The primary issue the SGA currently faces is receiving student feedback. Methods of communication with the student body have been made, although they have not been developed into a two-way street to hear back from the students as well. Our ticket seeks to develop the operations of the SGA such that we can effectively gage the interests of the student body and represent them in our large events, as well as to the appropriate administrative figures.

Do you think the current events funded by the SGA (especially large scale events) represent the wants and needs of the students?

Currently, events hosted by the SGA represent the wants and needs of some students. However, we are looking to increase attendance through better publicity as well as more student input on large events like festivals. If the student body indicates that it is interested in an event and we provide it to them, hopefully they will come. Our comprehensive festivals plan is as follows: -Create a TechFest/Boken (or other names) ad-hoc committee similar to FDB. This would be a group of interested and dedicated students (not necessarily SGA related, but hopefully with some SGA knowledge of procedures for aid in budgeting and event logistics).

-This committee would brainstorm several (3-5) events which are then posed through the student body through a survey. This survey is publicized by the SGA (hopefully using district communication) and the results of this survey are used to move forward with the most desirable option.

-The committee then submits a formal budget to the SGA, knowing that the acceptable budget range is generally within some threshold (although may vary depending on rollback, enrollment, etc.)

-The SGA considers and gives input on said budget and event, returning an approved budget.

-The committee then executes the event with the given budget.

Should we expect more internal development of SGA or looking outward to further the interests of students? What’s more important?

You should expect both. The internal development of the SGA, however, will be geared to allow the senators to spend more time engaged in student outreach. A structure for this outreach and the tools to enable senators to effectively garner the opinion of their district and the students will be provided by our ticket and the rest of the cabinet.

We will focus heavily on student voice and student feedback, with the overall goal of giving the student more control and power over their Stevens experience.

If we were to give an edge to one, it would be outward development; respect is given and not taken, and without

Vote online at stevens.edu/vote

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 5

Voting will be open from Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. to Nov. 13 at 9 a.m.

Daly and Oesterle continued concrete on the way to Pierce!

Should the SGA be the only student organization to serve as conduits to the faculty and administration?

The SGA should always be striving to act as a channel between students and the administration. It is inherent in our purpose to act in this manner. However the SGA is not the only governing body or source of advocacy here at Stevens! We have the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Multicultural Greek Council, United Greek Committee, Student Faculty Alliance, and many many more bodies that serve to act in the interests of their constituents. We plan to develop working relationships between the SGA and these committees and councils to ensure we can best act as liaisons for our peers to the faculty and administration.

How would you approach expanding the SGA’s interests as they overlap with other major organizations?

This question could not be more perfect for our ticket.

Tommy has recently created an entity with Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, Sara Klein, called the Programming Committee. This committee will act to unite the Offices of Student Affairs, primarily Residence Life, Student Life, and University Events, and the Student Government Association in creating meaningful programming for the students they serve and promoting cooperation and collaboration not only within these departments, but also with student organizations. That means if SAVE and College Republicans are having a Debate Party, Residence Life, Student Life, etc. will be working with these organizations to host the event and share funds, not creating an event that overshadows it. As for SGA expansion, it is our duty to work with other major organizations to improve the lives of students. We would make sure to include these organizations and committees in our future plans and hope they will provide us with insight and guidance just as we provide the same for them.

How will you direct the senate in order to accomplish your goals?

Our ticket believes the best senators are those who love their position, which is why one of our main goals is to change the environment of the SGA. We want to recognize senators for all their hard work. This will in turn make the senators want to work harder and let the senators see that they are working on something larger than themselves.

Another plan Cat has for her Vice President position is to host training for all the Committee Heads. She will host goal setting sessions at the onset of each Committee Head’s appointment, using her experience as a Committee Head to help them decide the steps needed to complete each goal. This will ensure the committees have a plan throughout the semester.

How will you form good relations with Stevens administrators to better promote the welfare of the student body?

Tommy is uniquely qualified in this area given his year on the cabinet. As Chairman of the Committee on Student Interests he was able to develop personal and professional relationships with high officials and members of the administration and would love to use these relationships as a resource for the student population and the officials of the SGA. This would be particularly helpful with our Academic Affairs position. Tommy was on the committee that advised the choice of the Provost and works with Vice Provost Chassapis on his Student Advisory Board. If elected we plan to use these pre-existing and strong relationships to quickly and easily form bonds between our cabinet and the senate. With these relationships the respect of the SGA within the eyes of the administration and our ability to make real change on campus will increase by incredible measures.

Have more questions?

Go to the debate!

Wed. Nov. 9 at 9 p.m.

Babbio 122

DeStefano and Collado continued students who are the same people, who do the same things. Often times we miss two-thirds of the population.

There is never a way to ensure one-hundred percent satisfaction within the entirety of our community but there are ways to ensure that our actions are in service to a majority of our peers. One way to combat this has to do with the current festival submission process.

Festival submissions are open to the community every Spring and Fall semester. Prior to changes made most recently, students would submit their ideas, the student body would vote on the choices, and the Entertainment Committee would execute the event. Within our current administration students who submit the festival proposal are charged with the responsibility of forming a committee to plan and execute the event regardless of experience. We have seen many great ideas come forth and be rejected due to a student’s time commitments elsewhere in our community. This request of students who take the time submit their ideas to have to execute it themselves is unreasonable. It is as if we set our peers up for failure when instead we should be empowering our community by delivering their wishes and wants out of the service we have pledged. An infrastructure is needed that executes the ideas of the Student Body without imposing the tasks and responsibilities of the SGA on the community.

We propose to amend the current process in place to put the responsibility and execution of the ideas in the hands of the Entertainment Committee and SGA. That way we can leave our peers time to focus on the things that matter to them most throughout the semester.

As the Innovation University, “student leaders” on campus are always concerned with creating and leaving a legacy. But with that said we ask you, what is wrong with tradition? We will establish tradition on campus. School spirit is considered a questionable aspect of this campus and is in need of dire support, this is one way to facilitate spirit, by supporting tradition and giving our community the feeling that their expectations will be filled each semester. That being said as an SGA we still need to foster meaningful collaboration between students. We need to give our student body opportunity for meaningful expression with the trust that their elected senators and cabinet will work in service of them to see these things accomplished. - Should we expect more internal development of SGA or looking outward to further the interests of students? What’s more important? We guarantee you an externally focused SGA. It is like having a beautiful house with an inadequate foundation. There are so many great things our Institution has going for it such as our national rankings but the areas we lack in as a community are happiness and spirit. We will foster a community of collaboration where we support each other in our respective endeavors. We will foster a community where those who may not necessarily want to get involved will have the means to express their thoughts and be heard. We will foster this environment by listening to understand not just to answer a question. - Should the SGA be the only student organization to serve as conduits to the faculty and administration? The SGA should not serve as the only conduits to the faculty and the administration. Often times our peers feel intimidated to approach “studentleaders” and ask for guidance on how to address the idea, suggestion, or issue that they may have because they have been made to feel insignificant. It is our responsibility to empower our peers so that they too are comfortable riding the elevator ten floors of Howe and entering the office of Student Life or approaching different members of the community to unite together to make a change. It is quite common to find that the same group of students serving on different boards such as The Student-Faculty Alliance, Student Advisory Board, and Undergraduate Advisory Committee. This is often a result of only communicating these opportunities to those students that are viewed as “student-leaders.” We need to eliminate this view. A leader is anyone who steps forward to offer assistance. When opportunities arise to discuss ideas we often come up with creative solutions. We need to empower our peers so that we have a broader group of students serving in positions where their talents will be utilized and they will be able to provide a more realistic view of the Stevens experience.

We will address this by evaluating the processes in which opportunities are communicated and offered.

- How would you approach expanding the SGA’s interests as they overlap with other major organizations? The SGA is a position of service not a position of privilege. This is the thinking we must embrace. The SGA needs to direct focus on the quality of work over the quantity. We need to focus externally on our community and not internally.

It is best to limit our interests to those of our community and work to facilitate and support student organizations.

We need to work on sustaining those initiatives already in place before beginning new ones. This can only be done by listening to our community and understanding how our peers are working to accomplish its goals. Symbiotic relationships need to be encouraged amongst our community but this can only be done if we operate transparently and openly encourage the opinions and involvement of others. We will promote meaningful collaboration between student organizations to minimize competition between organizations and to promote greater quality of student events. We will unite students from different parts of campus to accomplish these goals. - How will you direct the senate in order to accomplish your goals? We are seeking this position to serve the interests of our community and

Aitken and Roghanian continued properly representing our constituency they will effectively revoke their respect for us. However, if we function more efficiently internally, we can better achieve these goals; for this reason we will be focusing on both internal and external improvements.

Should the SGA be the only student organization to serve as conduits to the faculty and administration?

Not at all. There are several agencies which exist already on campus to communicate with them, and the SGA hopes that they all thrive and flourish. They include, but are not restricted to: The Honor Board, the SFA, the Honor Committee of Gear and Triangle, SAAC (for Athletics), and I’m certain other clubs that I am forgetting. Each student organization is required to have an advisor, and this advisor means that each organization has at least point of contact with the faculty and administration.

However, the academic affairs position was just presented for ratification within our Constitution (vote please!) and this change would bring an academic affairs position onto the Cabinet. A goal of this cabinet member would be to have outreach to each of these groups and a few others to make sure that the students presented a unified front to the faculty, and that the voice of the student was effectively communicated to the proper faculty and administrative personnel.

How would you approach expanding the SGA’s interests as they overlap with other major organizations?

We don’t see any other major organization (other than the EC which is a committee of the SGA) having too many major overlapping interests with the SGA. The role of the SGA is to support and empower the other organizations on campus, so overlapping interests are inevitable and should be encouraged. Compared to each other, organizations outside the SGA are actually fairly unique right now. In the few instances where they are not, our platform would suggest a merger - such as in the recent merger of the Sailing Team and Yacht Club (as they had very similar purposes and membership). We would also recommend collaboration on events; the SGA has done this in the past by pairing with both the SFA and Honor Board, and is excited to continue this trend in the future.

How will you direct the senate in order to accomplish your goals?

To be honest, many of our platform points regarding the internal operations of the SGA have already been discussed.

However, the overall idea is efficiency through the idea of quality over quantity. We are looking to reduce senator time commitments in the cases where they are redundant or undervalued and take advantage of this extra time to encourage extended communication with their constituents. Additionally, our VP David will strive to create clear, actionable goals with senators and committee heads at the start of each semester and then work to ensure progress on these goals throughout our term.

How will you form good relations with Stevens administrators to better promote the welfare of the student body?

We will meet with several members of the Stevens Administration, such as the Office of Student Life, on a frequent and scheduled basis. Other members will be met with on a scheduled basis as necessary and as the needs arise. We will have the Student Affairs Committee serve as liaisons with the major administrative departments on campus, some of which we are not well connected to currently. This will create a clear path of access to these departments for the student body. not our personal agendas. It is not about the President/ Vice President directing. It is about having the trust of the Student Body and Senate invested in us in order to serve and fight for the interests of our community as conduit to the Administration. We will work hand in hand with the senate to build a foundation for the future of the SGA where creativity, discussion, and debate are encouraged and considered a norm, where Senators arrive inspired and passionate about serving our community and sharing new ideas. We will provide Senators with a better experience and provide them with the support they need to carry out initiatives within the community. Together every Senator and Cabinet member will change our culture so that we are a transparent entity that is known as a unit of change. Our own attitudes will pervade campus so that we may unite a campus known for its differences and encourage our peers to safely explore those differences. - Howe will you form good relations with Stevens administrators to better promote the welfare of the student body?

We both have relationships with administrators throughout campus and within Student Life. Due to our unique involvements on campus we have pre-established relationships with the administration as we are comfortable with confronting pertinent issues throughout campus. As an R.A. Cris is in constant communication with Dean Ballentine the Dean of Residence life as well as Dean Berkeley who is the Dean of Student Development and Enrichment Programs. Cris currently works alongside the Asssitant Director of Student Life Chris Shemanski. Darby most recently has worked with Associate Dean of Student Life and Title IX Coordinator Damell. The framework is in place for a seamless transition.

News Cabinet

Continued from front page

also be pursuing an initiative to pursue the “collaboration of different groups on campus that pursue awareness, training, and reaction to sexual assault on college campuses,” specifically naming the office of Kirstie Damell, the Take Back the Night Committee, and individual Greek efforts.

Additionally, Business & Technology Junior, Emily Fea was appointed as Parliamentarian on October 30th, a role that holds the SGA accountable in accordance with its constitution, bylaws, and “Robert’s Rules of Order” – a book written to be a guiding force in parliamentary and deliberation procedure. The role grants Fea the ability to evaluate and have a ruling say on any motion or business the SGA conducts. Her nomination, endorsed by President Hunt and unopposed, was voted unanimously by the senate.

Vice President Jess Smith outlined her goal of “strengthening relationships between committee heads and the Vice President” for the organization to run efficiently at an internal level. In this vein, Smith has set up a “rotation system” for each new freshmen senator – officially brought in October 16th – to establish their knowledge of standing

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 6

committees before committing to them. Likewise, the creation of adhoc committees, groups that take on a specific issue (i.e. the aforementioned parking and gender neutral housing committees) have been encouraged to support committee heads in their respective objectives.

Alongside continuously “working with starting organizations,” current CCSI Tommy Daly has formed the Programming Committee. Its purpose is to ensure that event programming “accurately represent the goals of their departments and creates meaningful and beneficial programming for students in a fiscally responsible manner” through working in conjunction with Student Life, Residence Life, Compass One Dining, University Events, the SGA, Student Affairs, and the Entertainment Committee. The committee aims to entrench each office’s event programming are “in line with students’ interests” and not planned over student-run events in openly discussing their events with student feedback.

Daly has also facilitated the New Organization Process, hoping to make the process behind starting an organization “more streamlined and guided,” helped create the Electronics & Training Subcommittee to “create a sense of community for the Stevens Gamers,” and is also working on a Religious &

Faith Based Subcommittee that hopes to act as a “council for the student religious population.”

As Treasurer, Jacob Vanderbilt is close to achieving his goal of formalizing Budget Committee Procedures as a “Finance Policy Addendum to the SGA Bylaws” after now having oneand-a-half years trialing the committee. He also reiterated that open office hours for organizations to talk about their Spring budget submissions will take place on the 2nd floor of Jacobus on Tuesday, November 8th from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, the 9th from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, the 10th from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday the 11th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.. In accordance with the budgeting timeline, the Budget Committee will meet on Sunday, the 13th starting at 12:30 p.m. in BC 319 to discuss budgets with a “rough schedule” to be released Friday, the 11th.

In tandem, Secretary Amy DiGerolamo would like to remind readers that the upcoming SGA Presidential Debate will take place on November 9th at 9 p.m. in BC 122. DiGerolamo is currently developing a website to “keep senators and the student body informed” about SGA developments, including how the organization has “switched over to a more formal way to make action using resolutions.”

This new change strives

to “[increase] transparency for the student body” and has “led to a more productive senate.”

Lastly, Reeba James’s objective as Speaker was to “to be accessible and available to the Senate.” James also conveys how the senate has deliberated on making her position an “active one that can drive positive change in how the meetings operate.” She is similarly “excited” about the new freshmen senators and notes how they’ve been “doing a great job with participating and finding initiatives to be a part of,” looking forward to seeing “all that they’ll do during their time as senators.” The current speaker is continuing to “liaison between the Senate and Cabinet” and hopes to continue improving how meetings are run to make them “the most effective they can be.”

Those looking to voice their own questions, comments, or concerns regarding any of the aforementioned updates or newfound ones can attend SGA meetings and discuss them during the Open Forum portion, relay them to their respective district senators, email sga@stevens. edu, or vote in the upcoming SGA Presidential Election, held online at www.stevens.edu/vote from 9 p.m. on Monday, November 7th to 9 a.m. on Monday, November 14th.

Stevens moves forward with campus renovations, North building construction begins soon

by RAMI KAMMOURH Staff Writer

Within the month, construction of the North Building is expected to begin. The building, which is being constructed by ModSpace Corporation, will provide new academic and classroom space for the Stevens community. Work on the project is expected to continue until May of next year, with the building expected to be open to students and faculty for use as of the summer of 2017.

The North Building is primarily intended to serve as a replacement for classroom space that will be unavailable as the Lieb Building is taken down in order to be replaced by the Academic Gateway Complex. The building will be located near Humphreys and Jonas Halls, precisely where the North Parking Lot is currently situated.

After Stevens received approval from the Hoboken Zoning Board for construction of the Academic Gateway Complex, a building that is intended to serve as a home for the Computer Science department as well as provide space for new laborato-

ries and other facilities, the issue arose of providing classroom and office space for departments displaced by the project.

The North Building will solve this issue by temporarily providing existing departments with space that will temporarily be unavailable due to the construction of the Academic Gateway Complex, which is expected to be completed towards the end of 2019.

As a result of the construction of the North Building, the North Parking lot will be permanently closed, and the Alexander Parking lot will experience partial closures at different times throughout the construction process. Additionally, the sidewalk between Humphreys Hall and the North Parking Lot will be closed during the entirety of the construction process.

Members of the Stevens Community who have questions regarding the project are encouraged to contact Richard Snyder, Senior Project Manager and member of the Division of Facilities and Campus Operations, at richard.snyder@stevens. edu.

Greek

Continued from front page

nity. Stefanie “MeeMaw” Moran, of Delta Phi Epsilon, was recognized separately for her individual efforts in organizing relief for the victims and first responders. Stefanie “really made an effort to raise money, and to get support”, according to Griffin. Robert DiGenova, Stevens Deputy Chief, stated “It was a sense of pride”, to see the students stepping up and supporting the community. “Everyone was so appreciative.”

The fraternities and

Congress

Continued from front page

proper process, and even went to the Libertarian National Convention in Orlando, Florida, in May. At this convention, he was able to witness the workings of liberty from the inside and the “first-hand the power that individuals have to influence the

sororities that were recognized were: Beta Theta Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sigma, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Theta Phi Alpha, and Omega Phi Beta. “You see the best of people in those types of situations”, Chief of Police Timothy Griffin stated. “The Greek community is so misunderstood... The best thing that [someone] could do is join a fraternity or sorority.” Thea Zunick, Greek Advisor and Associate Director for Student Life, commented on the stereotypes of Greek Life, and stated, “On this day, it was different.”

party platform if they try hard enough.”

For current Stevens students, Dan highly recommends the Co-op program, as it was incredibly beneficial for him. And for anyone interested in politics, he says to “just dive in. Make an effort, reach out and contact people, and see what you can do.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

wants you to vote Hire your 45th President November 8 Gas tax Casinos Congressmen Cool Stuff

Make educated decisions Courtesy of Stevens Institute of Techonology and pbs.twing.com

News

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 7

LAA Celebrates Dia de los Muertos

Slackline on the lawn

by JAY RUNGTA Staff Writer

The Latin American Association (LAA) hosted a celebration for Dia de los Muertos at Jacobus Lounge on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 9:00 pm. Literally meaning “day of the dead”, Dia de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated by the Hispanic community around the world, traditionally on the day after Halloween. It is a two day occasion to honor passed loved ones and support their spiritual journey by creating beautiful altars and having their favorite food.

Decorated with colorful skulls and flowers, the party featured mouth-watering churros, music, dancing, and a photo booth. “This is a widely celebrated event in the South and Central American culture, and we’re just trying to bring awareness about it here in North America,” said a cheerful Romulo Quiliche, President of LAA. Attendees could also paint sugar skulls, which could be either taken home or eaten there.

by NICHOLAS BURNS Staff Writer

Bernard Feeney

A commonly seen, yet seldom explained, sight on Stevens campus is Slackline. Slackline is an event carried out by the Climbing and Mountaineering Club, in which a line is tied between two trees and participants try to walk across it. Although it is often seen casually whenever the weather is nice, an official competi-

tion was held on Tuesday at 1:30. The competition had three levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. In each category except for beginner, competitors walked for as far and as long as they could along the line to win a hammock. Each section had two hammock winners. The beginners section was technically a raffle, and was good practice for whoever wanted to participate.

Speaker series part II: Fireside Chat with Jonathan Schwall

by VICTORIA PISKAREV Staff Writer

Last Wednesday, Phi Beta Lambda, Stevens’ Business Honors Society, hosted its Speaker Series Part II in the form of a “fireside chat”. This style features as an informal conversation with audience interaction, creating a relaxed atmosphere to have an engaging talk with the crowd. Dr. George Calhoun, director of the Quantitative Finance program at Stevens, was essentially a moderator for the main speaker John Schwall, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the

Investors Exchange, better known as IEX. The name John Schwall may not ring a bell for those not keeping up with recent finance news, but those who do recognize his importance on Wall Street and the business of stock exchanges. What sets IEX apart from other exchanges is that they do not allow any trading participants to purchase a speed advantage. Most exchanges pride themselves on the speed in which trades can be executed, and some ultra fast high frequency traders have the opportunity to take advantage of trading events before

they are recognized by other market participants, including stock markets, thereby giving them a chance to have profitable trading results over slower investors. IEX developed a “speed bump” of 350 millionths of a second, which may not seem like a big change, but it’s enough to slow down certain fast participants to give more investors an opportunity for a better execution outcome through IEX. IEX is not against highfrequency traders; they’re against a system where exchanges offer premium paying members with faster access to informa-

tion. IEX’s main goal is to provide an Exchange in which no participant can purchase a speed advantage. The Exchange itself is faster than its fastest participants. That’s IEX’s way of creating an even playing field for all traders and investors.

Another amazing feat of IEX is their recent approval to become a full stock exchange. In mid 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission greenlighted the application by IEX to compete against 12 other current U.S. financial markets, including New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and

Bats. Beginning in early September 2016, IEX began operating as an Exchange and has now achieved a respectable 2% market share in the US stock market.

Schwall was featured in the novel Flash Boys by Michael Lewis, which focuses on the rise of highfrequency trading, which has made him a local finance celebrity whose path is only just beginning.

As an undergraduate and graduate alum of Stevens Institute of Technology, he has some advice to current Stevens students interested in becoming either an entrepreneur or pursuing

a career in the financial services industry.

“You don’t have to be the smartest guy in the room, just be incredibly hardworking, and incredibly committed to the company mission. Be knowledgeable by doing research to go above and beyond to be the expert in your domain.

Be willing and able to take professional risks. Voice your opinions with facts, but be considerate and respectful when listening to peers and superiors. And last, don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo, especially if it’s something where you have strong conviction.”

SPRING 2017 BUDGETING REQUESTS: Computations anf figures of theoretical funding Total Funds Requested $805,524.82

Projected Income for Spring 2017 $529,890.00

Note: $325,087 was granted to RSOs for Fall 2016 There are two festival proposals: Woken and Boken that may be approved.

Amount Requested

Woken Approved

Boken Approved

Neither Approved

Projected Budget Left for RSO’s

$184,940.00

$243,498.00

$234,952.00

$293,510.00

$275,634.82

$217,076.82

$225,622.82

$167,064.82

(w/ above approved) If above approved: Amount to Cut

The SGA is currently reviewing budgets for objective cuts.

They will allow for disputes.

The SGA Budgeting meeting will be on Sunday Nov. 13 May the odds be ever in your favor.

Opinion Continued

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 8

Stars of Stevens

Sal, the star

by MIA HILDEBRANDT

Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Major

Sal Finocchiaro, originally from Clifton, NJ, is a junior Biomedical Engineering student at Stevens, as well as the new concertmaster of the Stevens Orchestra. His beginnings in music occurred as early as third grade: choosing between the cello and the violin, Finocchairo ended up taking the latter. “I chose the violin because it gets more of a spotlight.

The cello is nice. Maybe one day I will go back and learn a bit of cello, but I was interested in violin at first,” he explains.

From there, Finocchairo worked his way up from playing in a strings ensemble to playing with a full orchestra in high school.

He admits that once in high school, “[That’s] where it kinda got intense,” adding, “It was fun. It was a good

intense.”

“When I’m playing music, I sometimes feel that adrenaline rush during some sections that are really fast, but then, there are the slower sections — those are nice too. There’s a good sense of variation in music.”

“I was kinda the star,” Finocchairo says, referring to his formative years as a musician. From the start, he admits that he had a knack for music and playing first violin for most of his years as a violinist. With the encouragement of teachers and a love for music, he made sure to keep music in his life. Through the years, he’s learned a number of things from insightful violin teachers. One piece of advice is to slow down.

Although Finocchairo always wanted to play difficult pieces, his teacher would remind him to start off small and to take it from there. With this new approach to learning, he made quick progress with violin.

In addition to his love for music, Finocchairo has always been drawn to math and science, while also passionate about curing Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that affects an individual’s lungs. He explains, “The disease can be fatal,

so I want to do research in that field [and] contribute to the cure.” He also adds, “That’s why I chose [biomedical engineering], and that’s why I’m still doing this to this day.”

As with any major at Stevens, there are challenges. “[Biomedical Engineering] is tough. It’s a lot to remember,” Finocchairo says. “[There is] a lot of math, but it’s an interesting field.” Despite the hardships that come with studying biomedical engineering, he believes wholeheartedly that the struggles are worth it, explaining, “I love when things click and come together. It’s like you study something for so long, and then all of a sudden it makes sense.” He adds, “I like those aha moments.

That’s what drives me forward.”

The idea of striving for these bursts in understanding can be related to music. As a violinist, Finocchairo has to find ways to puzzle through difficult sections and perfect these parts. Through the hours of practicing, tremendous outcomes can occur. He explains that “one day, you finally get it right [and] it’s such a good feeling to finally get it.”

As the new Concertmas-

ter of the Stevens Orchestra, Finocchairo explains that there is a bit of pressure to the esteemed position in the orchestra. He says, “Everyone is following you, so you have to be the example.” According to him, being an effective Concertmaster takes balance. There are some that are strict and some that are more laid-back. He says that a good concertmaster is one that conducts themselves in-between the two.

Similar to working collaboratively in a group, a Concertmaster has to be strict to get work done and to motivate the section, but not to the point where people become disinterested in the task at hand.

He states that there needs to be a “happy medium” in leading a musical section.

Throughout his years as a violinist, Finocchairo has enjoyed playing the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Prokoviev. Amongst his favorite pieces is Mozart’s Violin concerto no.

4, which has a cadenza violin solo that is technically challenging, yet beautiful. Although music can be challenging, it serves as a great teacher.

Through playing the violin and studying music, he has learned discipline and the benefits of prac-

Sal Finocchiaro

ticing. By being fluent in the language of music, one has another way to express oneself. He explains, “[Music] is an art. Playing music is my outlet, and no one can say anything about it.

It’s me.”

Music can be one thing to one person and another thing to another. Music can be for fun. Fi says,

“Don’t worry too much about making everything perfect—it’s for fun. [Music is] a good outlet, and it can keep you grounded, too.”

In the future, Sal wants to have a musical tour with an orchestra around the world. He also wants to skydive—I mean, who wouldn’t?

Technically Speaking

Possible hacking during the elections

by TARIK KDIRY

Sophomore Software Engineering Major

It’s finally here. That dreaded joke of an election we have all been

waiting for. With the election just around the corner, the folks down in Silicon Valley are raising some concerns regarding the possibility of a large hack.

One of the main possible issues concern the disclosures. As evidenced by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, email services and messages are at risk of being hacked. The scariest part about that is the fact that after an attack, access to read these emails can be granted not so much as a

click on a mouse. I personally feel that there is a high possibility that thousands of hackers worldwide could definitely be working day and night to gain access to whatever they can while they still can. Every minute counts in terms of votes and it seems so easy to sway the opinion of the masses these days that I wouldn’t be surprised if a hacker finds a little bit of dirt on the candidates. Or maybe some evidence of aliens, I don’t know. Overall I think at this point in the

election the possibility of this hack being executed is possible but unlikely to make a noticeable impact on the results of this election.

The most concerning hack that seems to be floating around is the interference with voter registration. It wouldn’t be the first time someone attacked a central system containing sensitive information about a lot of people, and it certainly doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the last. Though the government has plenty

of experience eliminating vulnerabilities in their big central data systems., who is to say Mickey Mouse doesn’t find his way into a ballot booth? From my understanding, these things happen almost every election but not on a massive scale. I don’t see much of a chance of anything special going on this time around.

The final main concern is also a current suspicion, a tampering of the news reports. This case is most definitely a significant risk; however, it is very

detectable so not much of a worry there. Of course, other than the constant worry of corruption we know exists. For those that are skeptical about this possibility, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened.

According to the New York Times, a similar situation organized by Russia occurred in Ukraine.

Election results were tampered with and everything was a mess.

I mean, I don’t know.

Am I the only one secretly hoping for a good story to come out of this?

Scientific Curmudgeon

What would a machine as smart as god want?

by JOHN HORGAN CAL Professor

At a recent artificial intelligence conference, listening to smart people ponder what super-smart machines will be like, I kept thinking of things I’d heard, watched and read before.

As some speakers acknowledged, countless science fictions have already imagined what artificial

minds will want. Common cinematic answers are power (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator, The Matrix), freedom (I Robot, Ex Machina) and love (Steven Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence, Spike Jones’s Her).

But what if the machines have all the power and freedom (which are arguably equivalent) and love they need? Or what if all the machines merge into one gigantic mind? At that point, freedom, power and love, which are social goals, become irrelevant.

What will that cosmic computer want? How will it pass the time?

In my 1996 book The End of Science, I called this sort of speculation “scientific theology.” Physicist Freeman Dyson is my favorite practitioner. In 1979

he wrote a paper, “Time Without End: Physics and Biology in an Open Universe,” to counter physicist Steven Weinberg’s infamous remark that “the more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.”

No universe with intelligence is pointless, Dyson retorted. He proposed that even in an eternally expanding universe, intelligence could persist virtually forever and ward off heat death through shrewd conservation of energy.

In his 1988 essay collection Infinite in All Directions, Dyson envisioned intelligence spreading through the entire universe, transforming it into a vast cosmic mind. “What will mind choose to do when it informs and controls the universe?” Dyson

asked. He suggested that we “cannot hope to answer” this question definitively: “I do not make any clear distinction between mind and God. God is what mind becomes when it has passed beyond the scale of our comprehension… We are the chief inlets of God on this planet at the present stage in his development. We may later grow with him as he grows, or we may be left behind.”

Dyson’s musings were inspired by the sciencefiction writer (and philosopher) Olaf Stapledon, who died in 1950. In his books Last and First Men and Starmaker, Stapledon imagined what mind would become after millions or billions of years.

He postulated that a cosmic mind will want to cre-

ate. It will become an artist, whose works are entire universes.

That’s a cool idea (which implies that we live in one of those works of art), but I prefer Dyson’s hypothesis.

He guessed that a cosmic mind would be not an artist but a scientist, a knowledge-seeker. When I interviewed Dyson in 1993, he expressed confidence that the quest for knowledge would never end, because knowledge is infinite.

His optimism derived in part from Godel’s theorem, which demonstrates that every system of axioms poses questions that cannot be answered with those axioms. The theorem implies that mathematics is open-ended and hence can continue forever.

“Since we know the laws of physics are mathemati-

cal,” Dyson told me, “and we know that mathematics is an inconsistent system, it’s sort of plausible that physics will also be inconsistent” and therefore open-ended.

I have a hard time imagining the cosmic computer at the end of time—a.k.a.

“God”—fussing over math and physics puzzles. I like to think it will try to figure out why there is something rather than nothing. Here’s a meta-question: Will the cosmic mind solve that mystery of mysteries or be as stumped as we are?

John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings, which is part of the College of Arts & Letters.

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

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 9

Campus Pulse

Roving Reporter What is the spookiest place on campus?

“The basement of Jacobus.”

“The laundry room in Davis.”

“The other side of Howe.”

Dante Monteleone

Carolyn Pontoriero

Rohit Dumbre

“The pathway from Burchard to Carnegie.”

“The cave behind Howe.”

Jonathan Darlak

Steven Szemis

“In the basement of EAS, where you can hear the screams of Design students.”

Polling Pierce Who are you voting for?

Bone 3

Supreme Stein 1 Harambe 1 2

Johnson 9 Not Voting/Unsure 45

Clinton 18

Trump 21

President’s Leadership Seminar: Tim Urban presents “Mars, Superintelligent AI, and Other Not Normal Things About the Future”

6:15 p.m. in DeBaun Auditorium Tuesday, November 15th YOU MUST RSVP ONLINE Visit www.stevens.edu

Katie Bryant

Sudoku

Sports

Friday, November 4, 2016 • Page 10

Kaye leads Women’s Fencing in season opener

SSI - Stevens Institute of Technology women’s fencing junior Abby Kaye finished seventh amongst more than 70 fencers at foil Saturday at the seasonopening Temple Invitational.

Kaye was the highestplacing Division III fencer at the weapon, finishing only behind fencers from Temple and North Carolina. Kaye opened her day with a 3-1 showing in round one, before a 4-0 performance in the second round in a field that included fencers from Virginia and Temple.

Kaye continued that momentum with15-4 and 15-8 victories in the opener of the elimination round, before falling 15-13 in the final to Temple.

SSI - The Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team will look to defend its title this weekend when it takes the field for the 2016 Empire 8 Conference Championship.

Stevens Sports Information

Elsewhere at foil, freshman Caitlin Uang placed 21st, freshman Nicole Strezewski finished 23rd, and senior Tessie Urtubia won the consolation round.

Sophomore Julie McEldoon placed 18th at epee, while sophomore Amanda Choy and freshman Teny Odaimi finished 23rd and 24th respectively. The epee

field included 76 fencers across all three NCAA divisions.

Sophomore Michelle Drobish placed 15th at sabre, in addition to a 19thplace finish for sophomore Julia Yang.

Stevens will be back in action on Nov. 10 when it hosts NYU and NJIT at Canavan Arena.

Men’s Fencing opens season at Temple

Stevens Sports Information

SSI - The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s fencing team opened its 2016-17 season Sunday with five individual top-25 finishes at the Temple Invitational.

Junior Kirk Visser and sophomore Gregory Milani highlighted the Ducks performances at epee, finishing 13th and 15th respec-

tively in the 98-fencer field.

Visser went 4-0 and 3-1 in the preliminary pools, and in the direct elimination portion beat top fencers from Navy and Florida.

Visser eventually fell to Penn State’s gold medalist to clinch the 13th-place finish.

Milani started 2-3 in the initial pool, but responded

by going 3-1 in the second with wins against Rutgers and Stony Brook. Like Visser, Milani eventually fell to Penn State’s medalist.

Sophomore George Allen led Stevens at foil with a 10th-place finish after starting his day with 4-0 rounds in the first two pools. Allen topped Hunter and junior teammate Michael Ruotolo in the elimination round before falling to NYU. Junior Ian Fan was Stevens’ top performer at sabre with a 16th-place finish behind close wins over Johns Hopkins and Navy.

Fan fell in the elimination round, 15-10 to Haverford.

Stevens will return to the strips on Nov. 10 when it hosts NYU and NJIT at 5 p.m. in Hoboken.

CUBS WORLD CHAMPIONS!

MLB.com

Field Hockey set for title defense

On Wednesday, the Cubs managed that which many doubted they ever would. They defeated Cleveland 8-7 in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. This marks the end to the longest World Championship drought in MLB history, 108 years.

The last time the Cubs won the World Series, Mark Twain was alive, women couldn’t vote, and World War I hadn’t happened. The NBA, NHL, and NFL didn’t exist, nor did TV or radio. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma, and New Mexico weren’t states.

The Titanic hadn’t been built. Crossword Puzzles never appeared in newspapers until 1913, 5 years after the Cubs last World Championship win.

CHAMPIONSHIP INFO Fourth-seeded Stevens will battle top-seeded St. John Fisher in the first semifinal Friday at 4 p.m., for the right to play either Washington & Jefferson or Hartwick in Saturday’s final at 4 p.m.

All games will played at St. John Fisher in Rochester.

LAST TIME OUT W&J edged Stevens 3-2 in the regular-season finale last weekend in Washington, Pa. SCOUTING REPORT Fisher finished the season 16-2 with an unbeaten 8-0 mark in the E8.

The Cardinals have outscored opponents 59-15, and feature three scorers who’ve scored at least 12 goals this season.

REVENGE TIME Fisher escaped with a

1-0 win against Stevens earlier this season after scoring late in the second half.

IN CASE YOU FORGOT Stevens became the first field hockey three seed in the history of the conference to win the championship last season after topping both Fisher and Ithaca.

HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL STAR Senior Nolie Prouty was named to the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game Wednesday, making her the second Duck in-a-row to earn the spot. Prouty leads the Ducks with 10 goals and nine assists.

STONEWALL STUKE Senior goalie Emily Stukenborg has given up just 10 goals in Stevens’ last seven games, lowering her goals against average to 2.12. The veteran will be making her seventh-career postseason start Friday.

CAN’T MAKE IT? Live stats and stream will be available for each game via links on StevensDucks.com.

Men’s Soccer looks to continue E8 dynasty SSI - The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team will look to continue its run of dominance over the Empire 8 Conference this weekend with the 2016 championship.

CHAMPIONSHIP INFO Top-seeded Stevens will host fourth-seeded St. John Fisher in the first semi Friday at 4 p.m, followed by Ithaca vs. Houghton at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s final will take place at 7 p.m. with all matches taking place at the De Baun Athletic Complex in Hoboken.

LAST TIME OUT Sophomore Danny Nasti scored with less than 10 minutes left of the clock Saturday, sending the Ducks to a 1-0 road win over Houghton. With the victory, Stevens clinched the top seed in this weekend’s championship.

DUCKS VS. THE FIELD Stevens went 2-1-0 against the four-team field this fall with a 2-0 win over Fisher, and a 1-0 win over Houghton.

Stevens’ only E8 loss of

the season came in a 1-0 decision on the road to Ithaca.

DUCK DYNASTY Stevens will be seeking its 10th-straight conference title this weekend as the program has won the championship each season it’s been in the conference. The Ducks are unbeaten in 17 matches in the championship.

GETTING HOT Stevens has won six of its last seven, outscoring opponents 26-5 in those wins.

FIRST YEAR IMPACT Sophomore Daniel Aversano led the Ducks this season in goals and assists in his first season on Castle Point. The sophomore’s 20 points are good for third in the E8.

TOP O Stevens enters the championship armed with the top-scoring offense in the E8 at 2.4 goals per game.

CAN’T MAKE IT? Live stats and stream will be available for each match via links on StevensDucks.com.

Duck Country Scoreboard Date 10/28 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/29 10/30

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

Women’s Volleyball Men’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country Equestrian Women’s Fencing Field Hockey Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Men’s Swimming Women’s Swimming Women’s Volleyball Women’s Volleyball Men’s Fencing

@ Susquehanna University Empire 8 Championships Empire 8 Championships USMA Show Temple Open @ Washington and Jefferson College @ Houghton College v. Ithaca College v. Rowan University v. Rowan University

0-3 N/A N/A 34 N/A 2-3 1-0 5-0 122-140 155-107 3-0 3-0 N/A

L 3rd 2nd 2nd Complete L W W L W W W Complete

v. Rowan University v. University of Rochester Temple Open

Stevens Sports Information

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Saturday WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ECAC Championships 11 a.m.

Milton, N.Y.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ECAC Championships 11 a.m.

Milton, N.Y.

EQUESTRIAN SUNY New Paltz Show 9 a.m.

Lagrangeville, N.Y.

WRESTLING Ithaca Invitational 9:30 a.m.

Ithaca, N.Y.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS St. John Fisher College 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER VS Hartwick College 12 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY Empire 8 Final 4 p.m.

Rochester, N.Y.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING NYU Invitational TBD

MEN’S SWIMMING NYU Invitational TBD

Sunday WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Empire 8 Final 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Empire 8 Final 1 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, HEAD TO: STEVENSDUCKS.COM STEVENSREC.COM