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Issue 12

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• Stute Gift Wrap • • Plate of Culture • Mosque Shooting • • Japanese Lawmaker • • Holiday Smartphone Shopping Guide • Friday, December 1, 2017

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Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Biological Sciences announces restructuring for Spring 2018 by RAMI KAMMOURH Staff Writer

Thermite Hot Chocolate • P6

Christmas Tree Lighting • P7

Cuisine Corner • P11

Dr. Jean Zu, Dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science, announced that the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Biological Sciences (BCB) would be split into two new departments: the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB) this Monday. The decision comes after approval from President Farvardin’s Cabinet and the Institute’s Academic Council. The Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Biological Sciences’ stated mission is to “Amplify the natural independence of science and engineering, maintain comprehensive educational programs, and conduct innovative purposeful research in chemistry and biology that informs and is informed by biomedical

engineering applications”. BCB offers five undergraduate programs, as well as three academic minors and eight graduate programs. The department also operates several research laboratories in the McClean building, and has obtained recognition for its research in fields such as mass spectrometry, green chemistry, and nanotechnology. In the most recent issue of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science Newsletter, news was published about some of the successes of the department, including BCB alumni Maria V. De Abreu Pineda, Andrew Falcone, and David Ferrara winning the first place at the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers Annual Meeting for their CerebroSense project, and Ph.D. student Hanxue Xia having her paper featured on the cover of the prestigious Journal of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry December issue. With the restructuring comes division of BCB’s

undergraduate and graduate programs between the two new departments. The Department of Biomedical Engineering will offer only the Biomedical Engineering undergraduate major, as well as Biomedical Engineering master’s and Ph.D. programs. The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology will offer all other programs originally offered by BCB. BME and CCB will jointly offer the Bioengineering Master’s program originally offered by BCB. BME will be chaired by Dr. Hongjun Wang, who has conducted research focused on biomimetic materials design, 3D tissue reconstruction, in vitro tissue-ona-chip, and nanomedicine. Dr. Wang’s research has been funded by organizations such as the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. He has also published a dozen book chapters and invited reviews, filed more than 10 provisional and full patents, and co-edited a book. CCB will be chaired

by Dr. Peter Tolias, the interim chair of BCB and director of Stevens’ own Center for Healthcare Innovation. His research has focused on understanding the role of RAS signaling in cancer and the discovery and development of drugs against key targets in the pathway. Dr. Tolias is a recipient of several grants, contracts and awards. Jean Zu stated in her email to the community on Monday that “Biomedical engineering, healthcare and life sciences is one of the six foundational pillars in the strategic plan that represents a research and education domain of significant societal need in which the university possesses deeprooted technical expertise and strategic focus for the future. The new departments will strengthen each of these areas, as well as the core science areas, and accelerate both educational and research activities.” The restructuring will be effective as of January 1, 2018.

Greek life members learn to Stevens students and faculty volunteer in Macy’s lead with President Farvardin Thanksgiving Day Parade by OLIVIA SCHREIBER Staff Writer

President Nariman Farvardin spoke to 70 members of the Stevens Greek community about his academic leadership experience and his perspectives on leadership at the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity house as a residential learning community (RLC) event on the evening of Nov. 20. Former Sigma Phi Epsilon President Daniel Fenton gave introductory remarks and a brief explanation of the RLC accreditation process. In order to maintain RLC status, the fraternity must have a faculty fellow — both Dr. Kevin Ryan and Father Robert Meyer serve in this role for the chapter— host a Resident Scholar who is graduate student from Stevens or another university

that has a positive influence on the chapter, and have substance-free common areas. Fenton explained that maintaining RLC status provides for events such as faculty open houses and now lectures featuring guests such as President Farvardin. Fenton welcomed President Farvardin to the front of the room, and he immediately thanked the chapter for hosting him. “I have dedicated a good part of my life to interacting with students, and I cherish the opportunity to spend time with you,” said Farvardin. The president, dressed in his usual business-professional suit, was now adorned with a lavalier microphone in the extension of a fraternity home with the task of discussing his own experiences with leadership. Rather than broach the topic immediately, Farvardin began with an

overview of his background, which begins in Iran, where he was born and received a majority of his education. In January of 1979 — just one month before the Iranian Revolution reached its climax — young Nariman left his home country for the very expensive University of Maryland with just $3,000 to his name. “By August 1979, I had run out of money altogether. Zero,” Farvardin recalled. “There was a week that I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat.” However, through hard work and determination, he worked his way into an assistant faculty position and quickly rose in the academic ranks. By 1994, he was appointed Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering, where he remained for six years

see GREEK • Page 6

by DAN KANG Staff Writer

Students and alumni volunteered in the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23. The Thanksgiving celebration parade is broadcast each year on national television. Stevens students were photographed helping with balloon inflation, making the front page of The New York Times. The team of Stevens volunteers was under the coordination of Linda Vollkommer-Lynch, Professor of Physical Education, Women’s Fencing coach, and longtime parade volunteer. Other faculty members who participated in the illustrious event were Dean of Students Kenneth Nilsen and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Rainer Martini. Linda Vollkommer-Lynch has organized the event for over 30 years with Robert Grieser, a proud Stevens alumnus who is currently Head Coach of Fencing at the United States Military Academy. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began at 9 a.m. on 77th Street and Central Park West and trailed through the streets of Man-

Photo courtesy of Linda Volkomer-Lynch

hattan until the final stop on 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square. NBC broadcasted the parade starting at 9 a.m. (all time zones). This year marked the 32nd anniversary of Stevens sending students, alumni, and staff to participate in the parade, with a group of 130 volunteers taking on a variety of roles such as balloon inflation, piloting, and vehicle management. There were 17 big balloons and the difference between this year’s parade and past years is that there were more balloons to inflate, including balloons depicting Olaf from the acclaimed Disney movie “Frozen,” Jett from the South Korean children’s series “Super Wings,”

Chase from the cartoon TV show “Paw Patrol,” and Aflac Duck Balloonicle. While volunteering for the parade is work that requires a true commitment — volunteers meet at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, work through the day, stay the night at the American Museum of Natural History, and wake up at 4 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning — Stevens volunteers return year after year. The memories, they say, are worth it. Though the personal memories and camaraderie are reason enough to continue volunteering, Vollkommer-Lynch knows that it’s the memories the volunteers help create for others that truly bring them back.

For more photos of Stevens’ activity at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, visit @followstevens on Instagram. Photo courtesy of Christopher Reed

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Opinion The Stute Editorial

New year, new you

We write Stevens history.

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

115th Volume

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Business Manager Managing Editor Systems Administrator Outreach Chair

Maryia Spirydonava Mark Krupinski Audrey D’Souza Matthew Doto Alex Murtagh

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Angelina Zaccaria Cole Yarbrough

Staff & Contributors Brad Tylutki Charles Zwicker Daniel Kang David Horowitz David Rogers Elina Tuder John Horgan Hope Brandes Lisa Mengotto Matthew Cunningham

Mary Ruane Nasir Montavalo Nick Burns Olivia Schreiber Rachel Stern Rami Kammourh Sarah Hoogenboom Tracy Wong Veronica Melikov

Since this is my last editorial before the new year, I thought this would be a good time to talk about New Year’s Resolutions. Now, I’m sure most of us make them, but only follow them for like... a week. Personally, I don’t even do that. I usually don’t even have a resolution, because I know I’m not going to do it. However, that kind of thinking is wrong. In fact, I think our whole attitude towards the whole “resolution thing” is wrong. Most people treat resolutions as a way to force themselves to do things

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Letter to the Editor Policies The opinions in letters sent to The Stute with the request to be published are the sole opinions of their author(s) and do not reflect the views and opinions of any member or person involved in the making of The Stute. These opinions are not endorsed by The Stute and the content of all letters are left in their original, unedited form. A disclaimer will accompany any letter that is published in The Stute stating this information. Letters may not exceed 500 words in length and must be fully attributed with name and title (non-attributed letters will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but the author’s identity must be made known to a member of the Executive Board). They must be emailed to eboard@thestute.com. The Stute reserves the right to not publish any letter submitted for publication.

by OLIVIA SCHREIBER Senior Chemical Biology Major

I had two goals for this year’s Thanksgiving break: avoid setting an alarm clock in the mornings, and binge watch the entire first season of Stranger Things. Are these goals petty? Absolutely. Do I regret them? Absolutely not. In fact, I did better than expected. Not only did I average

Corrections & Clarifications

Issue XI was published on November 17, 2017, not November 10, 2017. The date was incorrect on pages 1, 6, and 7. Issue XI was incorrectly left as Issue IX. Marko Djapic was left out of the staff box. On page 7, “Northern” was misspelled as “Northen”.

For corrections and clarifications regarding any of our issues, please email eboard@thestute.com !

Maryia Spirydonava Editor-in-Chief

around ten hours of sleep from Tuesday to Sunday night, I got through both seasons of Strangers Things. Listen, I haven’t been able to get through a TV show in almost two years (Game of Thrones being the exception, of course), so for me, I think this deserves a pat on the back. While writing this, I’m atoning for my slug-like behavior that overcame me last week. The end-ofsemester projects and presentations are piling up, my senior research is in need of some serious attention, and my poor bank account is gasping for funds. It would have been productive for me to get ahead on my Physiology presentation or make an effort to make a bit more headway into my

research. It’s true — I cannot deny my laziness. However, Thanksgiving break, and all other breaks, for that matter, are filled with coulda-shoulda-woulda’s and if there is anything I’ve learned, we need to accept ourselves for who we are, and give our minds a rest. I am lucky enough to live only 45 minutes away from my family, so at any point during the semester, I can go bother my parents for a home-cooked meal over the weekend. What about my peers who hail from Texas, California, or Wisconsin, who might be seeing their families for the first time in several months? Thanksgiving break is meant to break bread with our loved ones, break our binge-watching streak only to scavenge the

fridge for more snacks, and to break, or at the very least, ease the pressure that we put on ourselves at this point in the semester. All Stevens students know that time is our most valuable possession, and that applies to the minutes spent in the company of family and friends. Next week is Dooms-Week. No, I won’t be fighting the Demogorgans or sealing the gate between Earth and the Upside Down—those are feats that would require much more than a degree from Stevens. However, the final projects, presentations, and papers that could be comparable to the most voracious and merciless Demo-dogs all seem conquerable with a rejuvenated mind filled with even more stranger things.

Change is on the way

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-inChief. Cited references of The Stute are permitted.

• • •

get to actually doing it, I am going to try, and that is what New Years Resolutions should be all about. So with that, don’t make your resolution a miserable one, but one that you will be excited to do. So good luck to all with finals, happy holidays, and see you all in the new year.

SGA Insider

Disclaimer

•

my worry-free co-op existence this past semester and that I had actually done the hobbies I said I would do. I wish I had actually painted like I claimed I would, and so much more. Now, unfortunately, I will be back in classes this upcoming semester and will therefore have less free time. Therefore, I am going to make my New Years Resolution be that I actually finish that painting next semester. Or, more realistically, work on it once a month or so. The point is that this is something that I want to do, and even if I don’t

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they don’t want to, like the typical resolution of going to the gym. Yet, resolutions shouldn’t be something you don’t want to do — they should be the opposite. Coming up with resolutions should be a chance to look back on the year and think about what you wish you had done more. Perhaps it’s something as simple as actually watching that TV show you’ve been meaning to start, or taking advantage of your proximity to Manhattan and all it has to offer. Personally, I wish I took more advantage of

Senioritis

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 2

by ELINA TUDER

Freshman Computer Science Major

As you may be able to tell since my name is listed right above, my name is Elina Tuder. I’m a freshman. Coming into college, I knew I wanted to remain as involved in extracurricular activities as I was in high school, so I decided to run for a freshman senator position in the Student Government Association (SGA) to help make meaningful change on campus. Over the years, the SGA has evolved into much more than just a budgeting committee. It serves to represent the interests of the student body and to enhance each student’s experience at Stevens. I, along with other members of the SGA, recog-

nize that the Student Government’s presence needs to be greater, and with this column, I hope to keep you updated on what we’re doing in the SGA. Currently, the SGA has eight standing committees. Though I was recently elected, I have been able to witness their initiatives this semester. Academic and Curriculum Advancement Committee (ACA) focuses on receiving student feedback and strives to improve various curriculumbased issues, such as math and physics recitations. Yes, you and I are not the only ones who have gone to recitation and thought, “Why is this impossible?” and “How will this help me on the test?” ACA surveyed students for statistical evidence of the discontent and, boy, were people unhappy. On a 1 to 5 scale, students rated each recitation’s effectiveness. Math workshop scored a 2.66, math recitation scored a 2.85, and physics recitation scored a 2.33. Following the survey, ACA drafted a proclamation which was unanimously supported by the Senate, leading to meetings between the administration, the SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the

chair of ACA, in order to improve these recitations for the spring semester. As a result, TAs will now be observed in classrooms to ensure that they are engaging with the students, and they will explain the relevance of problems in workshops. Although I will be done with Calculus this semester, assuming I do well on the MA 124 final, I am glad that future students will have a better Calculus experience. Another initiative that I am very excited about is extended library hours. As students expressed interest in a 24/7-hour library, Campus Life Committee (CLC) was able to get the 24/7-hour library finals period to start on Dec. 4, a whole week earlier than years before. Here’s to even more all-nighters! Furthermore, there will be a pilot program next semester to have the library stay open until 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Instead of being politely kicked out of the closing library at 2 a.m., I will now be asked to leave at 3. Finally, another change that was spearheaded this semester was expanding Student Health Center Hours. Thanks to living in a dorm and being exposed

to copious amounts of new germs, coupled with “freshman plague,” I have already had the pleasure of visiting the Health Center at least three times. However, with the limited clinician hours, I was wilting away in bed and waiting for the clinician’s hours to start so that they could confirm that I was, in fact, not dying. Fortunately, Health and Wellness Committee recognized this issue and, due to successful communication with the administration, starting Dec. 4 the Health Center will have a clinician 25 hours per week as opposed to the current 15 hours, so there will be a much more convenient window to figure out if a plague is just another cold. Changes like these are a reflection of why I wanted to join the SGA. As students brought up what was making them unhappy, the SGA collaborated with Stevens administrators to provide solutions to the issues, thus enhancing the experience of Stevens students. There are many more initiatives that the SGA and its committees worked on

continued on thestute.com

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 3

Technically Speaking

Holiday smartphone shopping guide

by DAVID HOROWITZ Freshman Cybersecurity Major

This year, as always, many new phones have come onto the market, making a purchase decision a tough task. It has been an especially hard year to make a choice, as there are many more high-quality offerings than usual, from manufacturers new and old. Here, I will recommend a smartphone for various budgets and types of use in order to help you make the right smartphone purchase this holiday season. For the Mobile Photographer: The Pixel 2 XL (starting at $850). The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have the best camera on any smartphone. The race is closer than ever, with the iPhone X, Note 8, and Huawei Mate 10 Pro having cameras that are almost as good.

However, the image processing done by Google’s machine learning and impeccable HDR (High Dynamic Range) capture mode set it apart from the rest. It is excellent in low light, has both optical and digital image stabilization, and also has one of the best portrait modes, both on the front camera and the back. The Pixel 2 XL also has a fairly large 3520 mAh battery, stereo front-facing speakers, and software updates guaranteed by Google. With the edition of unlimited HD storage in Google Photos, it is a perfect choice for the mobile photographer looking for a new phone. For the Spec Lovers and Gamers: The Razer Phone ($699). The Razer Phone is the company’s first foray into the smartphone world, but it has lots of experience building high-quality laptops. Razer purchased the startup Nextbit in order to help them make their phone, and it fills a unique niche. This device features a 120Hz screen, the first-ever smartphone with this feature in the U.S. A 120Hz screen means that animations are twice as smooth, and

games that support the higher frame rates are as well. It also features stock Android, a Snapdragon 835 with the best thermal performance of any flagship this year, a huge 4000 mAh battery, 8 GB of RAM, and 2 front-facing speakers that are the best ever put in a smartphone hands down. Its spec sheet is impressive, and games run smoother on it than on any other phone, but don’t buy it for its camera. The camera is not terrible, but it could use some work. The Razer CEO has said that they are working on updating it to make it better, but that is not a guarantee. For the Note Takers and Enthusiasts: The Note 8 ($925). The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is like many of the Note devic-

es before it. It has many, many features that please enthusiasts, one such feature being the S Pen. The S Pen is a stylus built into the phone that allows for easy note-taking, some sketching, and more precise navigation of the operating system. Other such software features include many customizations with the edge screen, theme, lock screen, and more. It is not the smoothest phone and does not feature stock Android, but it is still the smoothest Samsung phone ever made. It has the best screen on any phone, a good camera, a premium design, and decent battery life. However, its 3300 mAh battery does not impress in size like previous Note devices may have. Additionally, at 6.4 inches, it

Photo from Gadgets 360

is definitely too big for some people. Still, it is a great phone for those who want a stylus or those who love as many features as possible. For the Die-hard Apple Fans: The iPhone X (Starting $999). The iPhone X is the best iPhone ever made, as is said with each new iPhone every year. It is definitely better than the iPhone 8 and 8+, which feature a four-year-old design and few reasons to upgrade to the 7 models. The X, however, has a new and exciting design for Apple fans and a screen that is sure to impress. If you are a diehard Apple fan willing to spend at least $1000, I definitely recommend the iPhone X. For everyone else, I’d say look elsewhere. With a starting

price of $999, a design that is similar to several Android phones, and a reduction in smoothness and performance of the operating system with the sloppiness of iOS 11 compared to other iOS versions, there are better alternatives available. Don’t get me wrong — It’s a great phone. It’s just not for everyone. For the Average Person: The OnePlus 5T (Starting at $450 with a student discount). Not everyone has $800 to spend on a smartphone. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper that doesn’t feel a bit cheaper, then the 5T is for you. It features an 18:9 screen with slim bezels like many of the flagships this year, and it keeps almost everything else the same as the OnePlus 5, which shipped earlier this year. It has good battery life, great nearly stock Android software, and 6 or 8 GB of RAM. It is everything you could want from a 2017 flagship, except for the cameras, which don’t quite live up to flagship quality. If you can sacrifice some camera performance for a lower cost, this one is a great choice.

Not With Those Shoes

Incorporate these trends into your fall wardrobe

by HOPE BRANDES

Senior Visual Arts & Technology Major

This Fall I’m looking for a little extra something to add to my wardrobe. The colder months are usually associated with dark colors, but the mourning of summer doesn’t have to be with all black. This week, I’m bringing you a few styl-

ing and accessorizing tips and tricks to bring some color and pattern back into your fall and winter wardrobes. As someone who is very pale, I tend to be wary of pink, in case it turns me into a fleshy, amorphous blob. Red, however, can be worn by anyone and is my “it” color this season. From pale pink to near-black burgundy, there’s a shade of red for everyone to feel comfortable in. But, the real challenge is to work in a bright, bold red. A red apple sweater can take jeans from 0 to 100 real quick. Pair it with loose, light-colored jeans and chic booties, or dark wash skinnies and knee-high boots for two different casual but

Photo from Pinterest

put-together fall looks. You might also layer a flannel or plaid button down underneath or add a plaid scarf. Alternatively, J Crew offers many of their wool coats in red, which has been inspiring me to consider using outerwear as a pop of color. My favorite fashion bloggers don’t hide their outfits under their coats, rather they incorporate their coat into their outfits for a complete look. My last tip is more of a beauty trend than fashion, but I like to think the two go hand in hand. Matte lipstick has been the best thing ever since forever and I think it’s time dabble in gloss again. If you’re quick, Too Faced Cosmetics’ latex high shine lipsticks are on sale at Sephora and Ulta for $10. What really caught my eye was the bright red shade with enough shine to be seen from outer space. The holiday season is prime time for a red lip, and the gloss is perfect for dry, frost-bitten lips that can stand up to the matte treatment. The next trend I’m really eager to try is mixing plaids. Flannels and checked prints are a fall staple, and this is a great way to re-imagine a classic look. Mixing flannels might seem really daunting, but there are a few sure-fire ways to approach it. The first is to pair opposites together. A large window-

pane plaid in neutral colors would work with a smaller, busier print in richer colors. This creates a balance in which neither piece is too dominating. An alternative approach would be to stick to similar colors. Perhaps all the plaids you are pairing have a certain color in common but vary in size. Or, try a monochrome look where all of the colors match exactly but vary in scale and pattern; this is most easily done with black and white. A good rule of thumb for mixing patterns is to decide

Photo from Pinterest

if the colors pair nicely, ignoring the patterns. Going back to colors, in addition to red, I’ve suddenly developed a love for yellow, as well. Yellow is a bit harder to style since red is more seasonally universal while yellow is not always thought of as a winter color. It certainly is more appropriate for fall than winter, though a darker, more golden shade like mustard works better in winter. What I’m really dying for is a bright yellow raincoat or rain boots. These would make great

transitional pieces from summer to fall, or winter to spring, and will look at home among the changing leaves. Yellow works better as an accessory color for colder months, whether it’s on shoes, bags or scarves. Henri Bendel’s Influencer Wallet comes in the perfect shade or yellow that’s not too bright and not too dull. I know I mention this all the time, but leopard print is everywhere right now, especially on shoes and clutches. A leopard clutch is perfect for a completed outfit where you’ve already picked your shoes and cut but you still need an extra something. I have a pair of heeled leopard booties that are everything, but flats or loafers would be just as cute and more wearable. Michael Kors and Larssen and Jennings (my favorite watch brand!) also have leopard print watchstraps and many of Michael Kors’ leopard accessories are on sale now! Color and pattern never go out of season if you wear them confidently. These suggestions might seem a bit outrageous, but you can always mix statement pieces with neutral, plain or solid pieces to tone them down. Start with small accessories like hair clips, bags, or shoes and then work these colors and patterns into your wardrobe!

Campus Pulse

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 4

Roving Reporter How was Santa ruined?

“My mom told me, and it made me realize the Easter Bunny wasn’t real either, so I cried.”

“I just one day realized ‘Hey, Santa’s not real.’ ”

“My sister. ‘Come on, you all know Santa isn’t real right?’ ”

Maggie Guilfoyle

Sophia Degregoria

“By process of elimination.”

“My parents were like, ‘Santa’s not real,’ and I was like ‘Ok.’ ”

“I feel like I never believed.”

Keith Gallimore

Avneet Singh

Estefan Santi

Jason Meyer

Polling Pierce

How many tests do you have before finals week? Four 7

More Than Five 6

I Don’t Know 7

Zero 10

Three 17 One 24

Two 30

Sudoku

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News Continued

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 6

Death toll raised to 305 in Egypt Mosque shooting and bombing

Greek

Continued from front page

before being promoted to the Dean of Engineering. After only seven years as Dean of Engineering, Farvardin was promoted to Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for the entire University of Maryland, where he remained until his appointment as President of Stevens Institute of Technology. With 34 years of experience in formal higher education, Farvardin noted that he can count “maybe half a dozen instances that actually shaped my personality and made me the person that I am,” and from these impactful experiences, he has come to recognize four critical means that positioned him for success: integrity, hard work, courage, and friendship. In regards to the latter of the four principles, Farvardin noted that it was the work of good friends that brought him to Stevens. “I didn’t apply to be the president of Stevens, a friend who knew the university and cared about the university nominated me,” said Farvardin. “Another friend of mine who knew me well contacted the Chairman of the Board at that time and told him that I was a good guy and I only became president of this university because of the proactive measures two good friends took.” It was as if President Farvardin was thrown back into the early days of professorship, lecturing to an engaged audience with a failing black Expo mark-

Photo Courtesy of Dan Fenton

er in hand. He took to the whiteboard and went through seven key attributes of what he considers a good leader. “I don’t claim to have a crystal ball and a perfect definition of what it means be to be a good leader,” warned Farvardin. “This is my own version, and I reserve the right to be wrong […] and if you talk to another successful person in the position of leadership, their version might be different than mine.” The seven Farvardin “patented” key principles of effective leadership include the following: Having a vision with execution; working hard and being relentless; earning trust of an organization through integrity, humility, honesty and sincerity; communicating and inspiring; demonstrating courage and taking calculated risks; surrounding yourself with the best people; and being selfless. Farvardin included personal experiences highlighting how each principle appeared in his own journey to leadership, such as his first experience as a math tutor in the third grade, which drew him out of his comfort zone, or meeting

Mr. A. James Clark for the first time at the University of Maryland after assuming the Dean position of the school that bore his name (the same A. James Clark that donated a $15 million scholarship gift this past month). “Mr. Clark said to me, ‘I don’t care how smart you are or how visionary you are, just surround yourself with the best people,’” recalled Farvardin. The president took the time to address several questions submitted by the audience, which touched upon problem management, repercussions of failure, and the handling of betrayal. The audience member who asked the last question sought to understand how Farvardin maintains his humanity and dignity as the president and figurehead of the university. Farvardin admitted that “as the president I have a very lonely feeling,” noting how as one climbs within the hierarchy, “people become so much more careful about what they tell you and you have to be very careful about what you say.” He went on to explain how he “circumvents” this un-

intended, but very tactile sense of loneliness. “I find opportunities, sometimes artificially, to interact with students,” said Farvardin. He noted how he is one of very few university presidents that teaches a course every semester, referring to his freshman lecture series. “Finding ways to keep in touch with the people that you work for is the best way to keep your humanity.” “What it means to be a leader and more importantly, what it means to be a leader in Greek Life, are conversations we have with the professionals in the Student Life office frequently, but we rarely get an opinion from other members of administration,” commented Fenton. “The purpose of this talk was to help determine what ‘leadership’ means to someone with experience leading outside of the Greek Life bubble, and for that we could not think of a better speaker than President Farvardin.” President Farvardin’s talk on leadership can be viewed in its entirety on the SITTV’s YouTube Channel.

Office of Residence Life hosts “Plate of Culture”

by DAVID ROGERS Staff Writer

In Egypt’s worst atrocity in recent years, 25-30 people wearing masks and military gear massacred the al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, which is located in Egypt’s North Sinai region, on Nov. 24 during Friday prayer service. Using bombs and guns, the attackers killed over 305 worshipers, including 27 children, and injured 128 more. The attackers stationed themselves at the mosque’s main entrance and windows before opening fire. “When the shooting began everyone was running and bumping into each other,” said survivor Magdy Rezk. A bomb ripped through the mosque as well. More than 50 am-

Staff Writer

Audrey Dsouza

club’s activity in order to earn it. Guessing Latin American countries’ flags and writing in Chinese calligraphy were some of the activities at the event. The

food that students earned included rice and beans, beef patties, dumplings, and dried mangoes. There was also a tree at the entrance of the event where

students could write their favorite holiday on a tag, and then place it on the tree. The event had a large turnout and was an overall success.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers hosts “Thermite Hot Chocolate” by CHARLES ZWIKER Staff Writer

On Wednesday, November 29th, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, hosted “Thermite Hot Chocolate”. Steve Bosomworth, President of AIChE, ran the event, teaching participants about thermite. Magnesium was used to ignite the fuel, an iron oxide, which produced a light too bright to safely be viewed by the human eye, so goggles were provided. The process, an exothermic redox reaction, creates a large burst of heat. It even got hot enough to crack the ceramic pot that it was lit in! Unfortunately, heating the hot chocolate with the heat from the reaction was deemed to be unsafe, so snacks and drinks, including the hot chocolate, were provided.

For more photos, visit thestute.com

Cole Yarbrough

bulances carried casualties 25 miles away to hospitals in Arish, the closest city. No group has claimed responsibility, but an Islamic State (IS) affiliate is suspected to be behind the massacre. Egypt has spent the past three years fighting an IS insurgency that has killed hundreds of soldiers and police in the state. This would be IS’s first attack in Egypt on a mosque, and the Rawdah mosque is frequented by Sufis, an Islamic sect IS considers heretical. The attack has reinvigorated Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s efforts against terrorism in the region. He has ordered the military to restore “stability and security” within three months in Sinai, where IS killed 224 people in a 2015 plane bombing.

Japanese lawmaker sparks debate after bringing baby to council meeting by SARAH HOOGENBOOM Staff Writer

by NASIR MONTALVO

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, the Office of Residence Life hosted “Plate of Culture” in Jacobus Lounge. The event was meant to educate students about various cultures and how they celebrate their respective holidays. The ethnic clubs in attendance were the Black Student Union, the Latin American Association, the Filipino Association of Stevens Tech, and the Chinese Student Union. While they did have free food, students had to participate in each

Photo courtesy of PennLive.com

As Japanese Councilwoman, Yuka Ogata returned to her first day back at work from her maternity leave, the 42-year-old politician calmly sat at her front row seat in the council chambers with her 7-month-old son in her arms. Seen in a video from the assembly session, the child silently watched the activity of the assembly as many of the men of the assembly looked on with expressions of concern and disgust. Just moments after sitting down, five councilmen, including the Chairman Yoshitomo Sawada, approached Ogata regarding the presence of the baby in the room. By arguing that the assembly regulations forbid visitors and observers on the floor during meetings, Ogata was asked to accompany Sawada into his office to further discuss the matter. 40 minutes later, Sawada and Ogata returned to the assembly chambers while Ogata’s child remained with a friend. Elected in April 2015, Ogata has already encountered similar insulting treatment for being a working mother. Japanese assembly etiquette requires representatives to stand while asking questions, but Ogata created quite the fuss when she chose to remain seated while she spoke to the as-

sembly at eight months pregnant. In addition, Ogata has asked for either aid in finding day-care facilities or allow her to bring her son to the assembly. There was no support given for either option. Women in the Japanese general workforce face a constant struggle to balance motherhood and a career after having children. Suffering from a nationwide shortage of public childcare facilities and outdated opinions of women in male-dominated work environments, 70% of Japanese women stop working for a decade or more after their first child, compared with just 30% in the United States. Acknowledging the growing issue of Japan’s shrinking workforce and population, during his 2017 re-election campaign, Prime Minister Abe has pledged to work towards improving working opportunities for women. Unfortunately, Abe has not considered the difficulty of changing cultural and working norms in a country that values tradition and patriarchy. Following the incident, Ogata has stated that she wants to see “the assembly to be a place where women can actively participate” and that “the whole reason why it’s so difficult to raise a child and have a career in Japan is because there are no women with children involved in the decision-making process.”

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 7

Tree Lighting Committee hosts 4th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting by ELINA TUDER Staff Writer

The Tree Lighting Committee brought together over 900 members of the Stevens community for the 4th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Tuesday. The first Stevens Tree Lighting was held in 2014 by the current president of the Entertainment Committee and Tree Lighting President, Greg Klesaris. Klesaris said he founded the event because he loves the holiday season and found that there were no festivities on campus. Inspired by the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Klesaris wanted to create an event on campus that would bring students together. After asking Student Life four times, Klesaris was allowed to organize the first tree lighting, with 10,000 lights and 150 attendees. The event was

under Campus Life Committee for 2014 and 2015. In 2016, Klesaris coordinated the event under his two committees, Campus Life Committee and Entertainment Committee. Since then, Klesaris and the Student Government Association established the Tree Lighting Committee to run the event. The second Tree Lighting’s slogan was “Bigger than Radio City” because the event had over 40,000 lights, more than the Radio City Music Hall display. In the Tree Lighting’s third year, there were 130,000 lights and over 700 people in attendance. This year’s Tree Lighting was the biggest one yet, with 160,000 lights. The planning for this year’s ceremony began in August, and about 30 people helped throughout the process. Volunteers of the Tree Lighting Committee worked for

Cole Yarbrough

14 hours to put up the 160,000 lights around campus, in addition to working 12 hours each weekend for the past month, and staying up until 4:00 a.m. the night prior to the event in order to check last-minute details. This year, the line to get into the event wrapped around Walker Gym, and the first 250 people who entered received a free pair of Tree Lighting Gloves. There were also 600 free Tree Lighting mugs, 600 ornaments, and hundreds of festive

rubber ducks. In addition to free memorabilia, there were refreshments, a photo booth, and raffles for holiday gift bags and tickets for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The event began with Greg Klesaris thanking Santa Claus for the nice weather and then introducing the Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator, Kristie Damell’s band. Throughout the night, Stevens President’s Ensemble, Floctaves, Quackappella, and

Mariapia Riso performed various holiday songs. The highlight of the night was the lighting of the tree. This is the first time that an actual Christmas tree was used for the event, which, as Klesaris joked, was “brought directly from the North Pole.” The tree was 16 feet tall and over 950 pounds. As the tree was lit, confetti was released and students cheered. Members of the Tree Lighting Committee believe that the event can now be considered a

Stevens tradition as the majority of students are well aware of the event and look forward to it. Klesaris’ favorite part of the event was “seeing everyone happy when the event started and people were rushing in.” Although this is Klesaris’ last year as a student, he plans to come back and help next year, just as three alumni returned this year to help. The tree and campus lights will remain lit during the evenings until Dec. 22.

Opinion Continued

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 10

Cuisine Corner

Keep the experiences Keming!

by TRACY WONG

Sophomore Business and Technology Major

This week, I was craving some good old Chinese food. I’m sure Asia is on a lot of students’ lists for places to go when looking for a quick bite of Chinese to eat (I’m guilty myself). I’ve actually been to a good amount of Asian/Chinese restaurants in Hoboken. A few of my favorites: Ubu, Satay, Rice Shop and Illuzion. Although all of these places are delicious, I always find myself ordering something familiar and safe. So I decided to find a new Asian place, and found myself at Keming, located on 10th and Washington, quite close to where I live now. Although it is close, I had never really heard anything about the restaurant, so I was surprised to see its high ratings online. From the outside, it is a small restaurant, but hard to miss due to the bright and flashing lights.

Upon entering, the restaurant was not busy at all. And, to my surprise, most if not all of the customers there were speaking in Chinese, something I honestly can’t say that I see that often at Asia! The decor inside threw me off a bit though. It was quite modern and hip, but not very Asian. Nevertheless, it was well decorated, everything matched, and my OCD for things that go together was appeased. As I took a peek at the menu, the inside contained many familiar dishes, but also some not-so-familiar names. There were two sections of appetizers, one labeled “cold appetizers,” which included dishes like spicy dried beef tendon or ox tongue and tripe with spicy pepper sauce and the other labeled “appetizers” with dishes like little juice pork bun (which yelp reviewers have revealed to just be xiao lung bao). And on another section of the menu, was a category for Chinese casserole. I’m Chinese, I’ve had a lot of Chinese food, but never in my life had I heard of a Chinese casserole. Confused, intrigued, and convinced by the waiter, I ordered the assorted mala casserole with a side of Shanghai egg rolls. I was surprised at how fast the food had come out (I didn’t time it, but it seemed

like fifteen minutes) and that both dishes came together. First I sampled the egg rolls, which came to $4. They were quite average, very crispy golden skins with hot crunchy vegetables inside. I did, however, find the duck sauce that came with it interesting. Unless it wasn’t actually duck sauce; it was pretty watery. Take out duck sauce is usually thick and gooey, but this one was watery, yet still tasted the same.

Tracy Wong

Do fish suffer?

by JOHN HORGAN CAL Professor

Years ago I was fishing on an ocean beach and caught a big, beautiful striped bass. My daughter and son, who were 8 and 10, respectively, were nearby. I held the fish up and yelled, Look kids, I caught dinner! Skye, my daughter, burst into tears and pleaded with me to let the fish go. I assured her that I’d been catching fish like this since I was a boy, fish don’t really feel pain, they’re just fish, they’re like robots. Skye sobbed even harder and begged me not to kill the fish. By now, other people on the beach, attracted by the commotion, had gathered around the weeping girl and mean man. This traumatic scene came back to me when I attended “Animal Consciousness,” a recent conference at New York University. Philosopher David Chalmers, one of the conference organizers, kicked it off by noting that many researchers are investigating whether non-human animals are conscious. If animals are capable of

lotus, some type of gelatinous food that I suspect came from an animal, fish balls, spam, and topped off with sesame seeds and many spices. TL;DR, it was quite an impressive amalgam of generally familiar foods that I had not put together before. When I took my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. A taste and seasoning I feel like I have had before, but definitely not often enough to classify it or conclude where I had tried it before. It was spice heavy, but only a bit spicy. There was a nice kick, but not to the point that I even thought about needing to take a spiciness overload break. It was quite the experience because the menu didn’t really give a big description of the contents of the dish so I was left guessing. All in all, I was really surprised that I enjoyed the dish. At first glance, I was a little hesitant. I was even more hesitant when I realized that I couldn’t recognize half of the ingredients in the dish initially. But the seemingly incoherent combination of foods turned out to be a pretty great “casserole.” My only complaint, besides the price, because I’m a broke college student, was the terrifying amount of oil on the bottom on the dish. If I learned one thing from

CONTACT & INFO Ke Ming 1006 Washington St.

11AM - 10:30PM (201) 656-6108 Food: Location: Service: Price: $$ this proclaimed authentic Sichuan restaurant, it’s that you should just give food a chance and try it. Knowing what something is shouldn’t change your perspective on the taste. We get wrapped up in the fact that we just ate an eyeball (any other fisheye eaters out there?) or some kind of intestine from some kind of animal that we let this blind our tastebuds. Give everything a chance, and approach new foods with an open mind! Being respectful of others’ cultural foods can open doors you didn’t expect to. Hey, I still don’t know what that gelatin they used in the casserole was, but I liked it!

Girl Talk

Scientific Curmudgeon

consciousness, he said, they can suffer, and that should matter to us. One speaker at the NYU conference, biologist Victoria Braithwaite, had injected irritating chemicals, such as vinegar and bee venom, under the skin of trout and other fish. Fish rub the affected area against the wall of their tank and lose interest in food, Braithwaite said. After she gave the fish painkillers to ours, given how different their brains are. He asked us to note the pressure being exerted on our backsides by our chairs. Before he drew our attention to this sensation, we weren’t aware of it, right? Well, fish probably have this kind of sensation without awareness or comprehension, which means they don’t really “feel” pain or anything else. Derbyshire took a beating during the Q&A. When asked if dogs feel pain, he said it depends on what you mean by “feel pain.” If forced to answer that simplistic question, he’d have to say no. An audience member held up an actual, living dog, which had been sitting in her lap. Someone had stepped on her dog’s paw earlier, she said, and it yelped. What was the dog feeling then? Derbyshire sighed and said he didn’t know. The exchange between Braithwaite and Derbyshire set up a talk by philosopher Peter Singer, who jump-started the modern animal-rights movement with his 1975

What also was enigmatic, was the assorted mala casserole. For the $26 paid for this casserole, I truly expected greatness. When the waiter first brought it out, I was appalled at the size. It looked pretty small. LOOKED. After carefully examining, digging and sampling around the dish, I had found potatoes, beef, chicken, ear fungus (not really sure how to translate into English but I swear it’s not an ear), many variations of tofu, cabbage,

book Animal Liberation. Determining whether creatures are conscious is hard, Singer acknowledged. But in a rebuke to Derbyshire, Singer said that suffering should not require “reflection” to be morally important. Someone asked Singer if it bothered him that Braithwaite’s experiments caused fish pain. No, replied Singer, showing his utilitarian colors, because her research might help bring about regulations that alleviate the suffering of countless fish. I’m a life-long catcher and eater of fish, so it was hard listening to Braithwaite and Singer dwell on fish pain. But it was hard listening to Derbyshire too. How does he know that fish don’t suffer? He doesn’t, any more than Braithwaite or Singer know that they do. Singer said we should give fish the benefit of the doubt, and I’m inclined to agree. Am I going to stop eating fish, or fishing? Maybe not, but when I do I’ll feel bad about it. By the way, you may be wondering what happened to that striped bass all those years ago. I threw it back into the ocean. I don’t know if the fish felt joy, but my daughter certainly did. John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings, which belongs to the College of Arts & Letters. This column is adapted from one originally published in his ScientificAmerican.com blog, “Cross-check.”

Deconstructing the myth of “The Strong Female Character”

by NAMANKITA RANA

Junior Engineering Management Major

This probably comes as a surprise to a casual reader of this column, but when it comes to films, there are few things I hate more than the recurring trope of the “Strong Female Character.” Who, exactly, is the “Strong Female Character” who so gets on my nerves? I’ll give you a few hints. Is she an emotionally detached snark? Does she hate other women, reject all “girly” activities, and call herself “just one of the guys”? Does she kick ass for no reason, and with no explanation? And, finally: is she initially presented as more competent than the male protagonist, only to find herself overshadowed by him and in desperate need of his aid by the end of the movie? The thing is, on their own, none of those traits are necessarily all that bad. But if you answered yes to several of the answers above, chances are, you ARE looking at a “Strong Female Character” (SFC, for short). And the thing is, she’s not new. You’ve seen her in pretty much every movie

since feminism-lite made it big in the movies: “The Matrix,” “NCIS,” and “Big Hero 6.” An alternative name for an SFC is actually “Trinity,” named after the character from “The Matrix”: a female who appears stereotypically “strong” but has no real effect on the plot. Here’s the full, most definitive explanation for an SFC I could find: “A character whose exterior qualities and achievements are designed to stand in contrast to her inner feminine vulnerability. She is given value because of her masculine traits; she is kept from being the protagonist because of her feminine traits.” And the thing is, the recurring trope of the SFC has been used by the media more as an avoidance tac-

new impossible, unattainable standards that women must meet in order to be “good enough”: levels of physical fitness, beauty, intelligence, and achievement that are downright ridiculous, a preference for emulating traditionally masculine traits over feminine ones, to the point of exhaustion, and the dressing up of sexism and sexual exploitation as something empowering when, in fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. All of this, and most SFCs still manage to finish in second place to their less-qualified male counterparts (unfortunately, as women often do in real life, even in the workplace). It’s not exactly a rousing feminist message, to say the least.

Valkerie from Thor: Ragnarok courtesy of Polygon

tic than anything else. It’s a clever way to sidestep the problem of having to write complex female characters who do more than play love interests and kick ass when necessary. By creating SFCs, screenwriters posture supporting gender equality, even though they are really just rehashing a tired caricature over and over. SFCs also help perpetuate

Nor, for that matter, are these SFCs particularly intersectional. The topic of intersectionality isn’t one I’ve broached much, mostly because a column on the topic requires the sort of thought, energy, and attention I’ve had in short supply. However, this topic

continued on thestute.com

Opinion Continued

Friday, December 1, 2017 • Page 11

Campus Liberal

Bye, bye fraternities?

by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Freshman Computer Science Major

Last week, Frank Bruni shocked me with his weekly New York Times column because, in it, he issued an open call to American universities asking that they shut down their fraternity organizations before more pledges die from hazing. I assumed the responses to the column would be mixed, if not upset, since asking for the abolition of fraternities is a lofty demand. But the hundreds of comments below the piece — comments written by various university presidents, fraternity brothers and alumni, current college students, among others — shared the same sentiment: people want fraternities shut down. If someone had asked me a year ago if I thought fraternities should be abolished, I would’ve replied with a firm yes. Having grown up in the same city as the University of Arkansas — which is a massive, southern, public university — I’ve witnessed the toxicity of frat culture for my entire life. It catered to a very specific demographic (rich, white, straight, male) and abetted egregious behavior, like sexual violence and excessive drinking. I always sensed that Arkansas was as unimpressed with its fraternities as I was. But after being at Stevens for a few months, my opinion of fraternities has changed. Fraternities at Stevens — from what I’ve seen — promote leadership, encourage friendship, and engage in commendable acts of service. When fraternities fulfill their mission to positively embolden and empower men, like they seem to do at Stevens, they are a great addition — if not integral — to the campus community. However, while Stevens may have a successful Greek Life program, other fraternities across the country have been largely responsible for hazing and killing its new members, supporting a culture of excessive drinking and cultivating an environment of sexual violence against women. I attribute the success of Stevens’ Greek Life to the Office of Student Life’s involvement with the fraternities, for they embrace, celebrate, and encourage the events and accomplishments of these organizations. However,

fraternities that are permitted to operate as they please, independent of the university, are prone to bad behavior. The university’s relationship and involvement with its Greek organizations correlate highly with the inclusiveness of the fraternities. Take Penn State, for example. In 1997, five members of a Penn State fraternity showed up to University Health Services with severe bruises and lacerations, and the physicians strongly suspected that the five fraternity members had been victims of hazing. The injuries, according to the director of University Health Services, had been caused by “something that someone else was doing to them.” In 2007, freshman Joseph Dado had gotten so drunk at a Penn State fraternity party that he fell down a set of stairs and died. Earlier this year, Penn State sophomore Tim Piazza suffered several brain injuries, an abdomen full of blood, and a lacerated spleen after he fell down a flight of stairs during a fraternity hazing event. His fraternity, scrambling to hide evidence and protect themselves, left his body at the bottom of the stairs for 12 hours before calling the police. For each of these atrocities, Penn State shut down the respective fraternity chapters and condemned the rebellious, murderous, Greek organizations. Yet also for each atrocity, besides the most recent one, each of the fraternity chapters was revived after about two years. “At Penn State, the fraternities,” according to Atlantic reporter Caitlin Flanagan, “operate as they please.” Penn State’s nearly nonexistent relationship with the fraternities, in the eyes of the fraternity, allow the Greek organizations to function without punishment; they can expect to do what they want and get what they want because the university only cares in public settings. While I believe that the health of a fraternity relies on its relationship with its governing university, fraternities at a national level have been slightly responsible for the negative reputation they sometimes earn. Just two years ago, for example, the North-American Interfraternity Conference and the National Panhellenic Conference, umbrella organizations representing fraternities and sororities, heavily lobbied for the “Safe Campus Act” in the House of Representatives, a bill

which would have complicated how universities investigate sexual assault and rape on campus — a bill which ultimately failed. The Safe Campus Act would’ve required victims to report sexual violence allegations to law enforcement before the university could initiate an investigation. Under the Safe Campus Act, if a victim chose not to report it to law enforcement, the university would be unable to “initiate or … carry out any institutional disciplinary proceeding with respect to the allegation.” Victims would lose a preferred channel to receive support, ensure safety, and, ultimately, find justice. The fraternity organizations insisted that the Safe Campus Act would address concerns regarding reporting sexual assault allegations. However, these fraternity organizations exploited victims’ current preference not to report to the police, as “[s]ixty-three percent of completed rapes, 65% of attempted rapes, and 74% of completed and attempted sexual assaults against females were not reported to the police” for reasons of privacy, according to a U.S. Bureau of Justice report on Rape and Sexual Assault. Considering that men in fraternities are three times more likely to commit sexual assault than other college men — according to John D. Foubert, a professor at Oklahoma University who studies sexual assault — by pushing for legislation that would require sexual violence victims to report to the police before any university investigation could ensue, fraternity organizations appeared more interested in protecting alleged sexual assaulters than creating a ‘safe campus’ for victims. Of course, individual chapters may not believe in every part of their national organization’s agendas. But if universities want to ensure that their chapters aren’t perpetuating the heinous ideas of the Safe Campus Act or anything else, universities must actively involve themselves with their Greek organizations. To eliminate fraternityrelated issues, student leaders and administrators must examine attitudes, values, and behaviors within Greek life. They must restructure these organizations to make them more inclusive and safe. Change may not require abolishing these fraternities, but it will require universities to be more involved than they are now.

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Campus Conservative

A conservative look on Greek Life

by ALEX MURTAGH Sophomore Civil Engineering Major

This article has been really tough for me to write. Matthew Cunningham (Campus Liberal) and I usually try to write about something that’s related to current events. However, this week we wanted to try something a little different and expand our horizons while focusing in on something that’s college related. With this in mind, Matthew came up with the idea to write about the role of Greek life in a broad sense, not just here at Stevens (especially after what happened last time we published a piece on Greek life). With this in mind, its also important to note that, at least as of now, I am not affiliated with any Greek life in any way. I have many friends who have chosen to join in on Greek life and have told me about their experiences, but I can not personally comment on how Greek life affects me. The way I see it, Greek life has both its pros and cons. In terms of the pros, Greek life promotes a sense of unity and friendship while at the same time it also supports many charitable events. From what I have seen, many fraternities and sororities require their pledges to meet with a majority of their current brothers or sisters. There is no other organization that even comes close to doing something like that. I can say from my experience in clubs here at Stevens, I talk to very few people once I am outside

of those clubs, and even while I’m there I only know a few names. (The Stute being an exception to this in my case.) For the most part, although it may seem like a daunting task for new pledges, it appears to be worth it in the end because in doing this you have had the chance to meet and talk with people who you otherwise would have ignored. It can help you in terms of guidance from those who are older, and also give you a sense of mentorship towards those who are younger. I’m sure that there are many other great aspects of Greek life, but I am unfortunately limited in terms of space to write. Here at Stevens alone, there are multiple events held every semester to either raise money or volunteer that are sponsored by fraternities and sororities. I even remember the Greek community coming together last year to serve food and drinks to first responders at the Hoboken train terminal. This charity and goodwill are brought to you by the wonder of capitalism. This is one of the few political points that shine through here. It is the little things like this that really give me a sense of hope that the Greek community is changing from the versions of it that have been seen in the movies for decades. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I would recommend watching the classic film Animal House. Although I have hope for this, I also understand that this nice picture of fraternities does not hold all over the country and internationally. Unfortunately, many schools are known for how their fraternities and sororities haze their pledges to no end, and in many cases, this has lead to people having some sort of physical or physiological damage. Just last year a student at Penn State was killed due to pledge hazing. Al-

though the fraternity was suspended by both the school and its international fraternity, it does nothing to resolve the larger issue at hand. Penn State claims to have implemented stronger anti-hazing regulations, but will that really stop anything from going on? Many schools turn a blind eye to these atrocities and try to act like nothing happened. Some schools, like Stevens, have implemented training to ensure this doesn’t happen, but that begs the question, is this enough? From an outside perspective, I can not answer this. There is also the issue of alcohol and drug abuse as well. Although I do not drink or do drugs, I do not need to, to understand the effects that they can have on one’s life. Aside from the weight gain and general laziness that they cause, it can lead to alcoholism, drug addiction, and the ultimate destruction of one’s life. Now I understand the occasional drink, but I will never understand those who drink to get drunk. By doing this you make yourself vulnerable to doing stupid things or having someone do something to you. Unfortunately, many Greek organizations condone this behavior. I felt it important to note that this does not reflect my feelings of medicinal marijuana because that has a practical purpose. I understand many will not like this opinion, but I’m basing everything here off of well-known facts. I can not speak to if any of this has been carried out at Stevens because I do not partake in Greek life as I mentioned earlier. However, it is well documented across college campuses, and it has led to nothing but bad things. At this point, all we can do is hope that changes are made to prevent this destructive behavior and only promote the good aspects of Greek life.

Sports

Friday, December, 1, 2017 • Page 12

Women’s Soccer Boasts Three AllRegion Selections

Victoria Alvarez Earns 1st-Team All-Region Recognition for Field Hockey

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Friday MEN’S SWIMMING Stevens Sports Information Stevens Sports Information

SSI - Lindsey Mahnken and Julia Panko were first–team selections and Katie Goncalves of Stevens Institute of Technology earned a third-team nod as the United Soccer Coaches of America announced the NCAA Division III Women’s All-East Region Teams this week. “It is always an honor to have our team represented on all-conference, all-region and All-America teams,” said head coach Jeff Parker. “We feel like it is a byproduct of our team doing the right things and being recognized by our peers. Lindsey, Julia and Katie had outstanding seasons and are truly deserving representatives of our program.” Panko was the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year and was a First-Team

Academic All-District performer to boot. She led the Empire 8 in the scoring triple crown of goals, assists and points with 10, 8, and 28, respectively. She was a First-Team AllEmpire 8 selection this year. This is the secondstraight season she has been named First-Team All-Region. She is the first Duck to receive first-team honors in her first two collegiate campaigns. Mahken was named the Most Valuable Player of the Empire 8 Championship after making a total of five saves in a pair of postseason shootout victories and earning shutouts in both games as well. Mahnken ranked sixth nationally in save percentage (.909) and was part of 12 shutouts this year. She is the first Duck goalkeep-

er in program history to earn first-team all-region honors. Goncalves anchored the Stevens defense that led the Empire 8 in goalsagainst average, save percentage, shutouts, and winning percentage. Going into the NCAA Tournament, Stevens has allowed just eight goals in 18 games. She was named the Defensive MVP of the 2017 Engineering Cup and Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week on September 11. She joins her sister Kristen who was an all-region selection in 2015. This year’s Ducks won their third-straight Empire 8 Championship with an 11-4-4 record. They were ranked as high as No. 14 nationally during the year.

Aversano named United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-East Region

Stevens Sports Information

SSI - Stevens Institute of Technology junior midfielder Daniel Aversano was named to the United Soccer Coaches Men’s AllEast Region Third Team, as announced by the organization Tuesday. The United Soccer Coaches (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) announced three teams in each of the eight regions comprised of NCAA Division III soccer programs.

Aversano is one of two student-athletes from the Empire 8 Conference to be recognized. It’s the first career allregion honor for Aversano and the ninth for the men’s soccer program since 2013. Aversano finished second on the team with 12 points, while pacing the team with five goals. He also led the team with four game-winning goals, which placed sec-

ond in the E8. The Allendale, New Jersey native recently earned his first career First Team AllEmpire 8 honor, one season after collecting the league’s Rookie of the Year crown as a sophomore. The Ducks finished the 2017 season with a 137-2 record, while going 5-1-1 in E8 play. Stevens reached the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in program history.

SSI - Senior Victoria Alvarez of the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team was named First-Team All-North Atlantic Region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association this week after finishing second among all players in the region in goals per game and fourth in points per game. “The All-Region selection is a list of the top players in Division III and I certainly believe that Vic has played to this standard,” said head coach Meredith Spencer-Blaetz. “After being on the Second Team last year, the First Team selection shows Vic’s commitment to the sport and her team and it demonstrates that Stevens Field Hockey is a program that produces some of the top players in the country. We are very proud!”

Alvarez led the 2017 team in goals and points, and was second in the Empire 8 conference in both categories with 18 and 38, respectively. The Pine Beach, New Jersey native was selected to play in the NFHCA AllStar game and was named to both the NFCA and Synapse Sports National Honor Rolls during the course of the season. She added two assists and netted four game-winners this year to lead the team in that category as well. She finished 20th in the nation in scoring and 29th in points per game. This marks the second year she was an All-Region selection and third year she was a First-Team All-Empire 8 selection. She was an all-conference performer in each of her four seasons on Castle Point.

Women’s Volleyball’s trio tabbed AVCA Honorable Mention AllAmericans

SSI - The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team led wireto-wire in their 77-67 win over the College of Staten Island on Wednesday night Frank Amari earned the game’s first points with a layup, Dylan Walsh drained a three and Stevens never looked back. The Ducks led by as many as 19 midway through the second half. Walsh finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while going 7-8 from the free-throw line. He also had three assists, two steals and a block to his balanced stat line Alec DiPieantronio went 4-5 from the floor in the game with seven rebounds and three blocks. Stevens had season-high total of nine rejections as a team Thomas Cook led the Ducks with 10 rebounds and was just short of a

double-double with eight points. He chipped in another two blocks Frank Amari led the team with 21 points on 1014 shooting from the floor Five other Ducks scored in the game, namely: Kevin Florio (8) Michael Zignorski,(7) Jayson Winick (6) Spencer Cook (5) Jake Krantz (2) The Dolphins were led by Rudy Lavanture, who scored 15 points in just 16 minutes of work. “We played well at times but overall we need to become more consistent on both ends of the floor,” said head coach Bobby Hurley. “We do need to credit CSI for how well they competed as it was a battle for 40 minutes.” The Ducks will have the weekend off before returning to action at Brooklyn College on Tuesday, December 5.

Day One TBA Worcester, MA

WOMEN’S SWIMMING Day One TBA Worcester, MA

Saturday WRESTLING New Standard Invitational 8 a.m. York, PA

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD @ Springfield College Season Opener 10 a.m. Springfield, MA

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD @ Springfield College Season Opener 10 a.m. Springfield, MA

MEN’S FENCING

VS Alumni Meet 2 p.m. Hoboken, NJ

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Haverford College 6 p.m. Hoboken, NJ

MEN’S SWIMMING Day Two TBA Worcester, MA

WOMEN’S SWIMMING Day Two TBA Worcester, MA

Duck Country Scoreboard Date 11/19 11/19 11/19 11/19 11/19 11/19 11/21 11/25 11/26 11/27 11/29

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

Women's Basketball Men's Fencing Men's Fencing Men's Fencing Men's Fencing Wrestling Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Men's Basketball

VS Immaculata University VS Rutgers University VS The College of New Jersey VS Drew University VS Cornell University VS Star City Open VS Farleigh-Dickinson University @ Stevenson University @ Rutgers - Newark VS Montclair State University

62-43 22-5 24-3 20-7 15-12 113.5 96-86

W W W W W 2nd W L

@ College of Staten Island

61-72 73-80 56-65 77-67

L L W

Stevens Sports Information

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