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Issue 14

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• NYC Women’s March • • RSO Compass One Policy • • Hudson Restaurant Week • • Cryptocurency Hack • Olympics •

HISTORY

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Friday, Februrary 2, 2018

Editor-in-Chief

Women’s March • P3

KSA Lunar New Year • P5

Calabrese Retires • P5

Leadership Reconnect is an opportunity for the SGA to gather with the presidents or treasurers of all of the registered student organizations (RSOs) on campus to give relevant SGA and Student Life updates. The members of the recently inaugurated cabinet of the SGA took this opportunity to introduce themselves to the campus leaders and share their main goals for the semester. President Lucas Gallo stressed that he wanted to increase the involvement of students who are not officials of the SGA. He said, “I recognize I’m not an expert in a lot of things at Stevens,” so his idea is to bring more nonSGA students to administrative meetings and to help them recognize their power through the SGA. Gallo shared a unique vision as well. He wants to bring more attention to underrepresented majors by displaying student art

New “One-Year MBA” Program Approved Staff Writer

This past week, the Ste-

This One-Year MBA will be the third MBA program offered at Stevens – the other two being the Stevens MBA and the Ex-

Photo from Mary Luvone

vens School of Business received approval from the Graduate Curriculum Committee of the Stevens Faculty Senate for a new MBA program called the “OneYear MBA.” The One-Year MBA program will begin in the Fall semester of 2018, and there will be approximately 25 students in the program.

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Established 1904

Student Government Association and Registered Student Organizations reconnect by MARYIA SPIRYDONAVA

by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM

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

ecutive MBA. “There are a couple of distinct points about this program,” said Brian Rothschild, Director of Graduate Management Programs, about the One-Year MBA. Rothschild explained, “Number one, it’s an analytics program. In business now, the new trend is to make more analytical decisions — to use

analytic technology and quantitative-based reasoning to back up decisions that are made — so this program brings in four classes that are specifically tailored toward analytics.” Students in this new OneYear MBA program will use a “mini-mester” course structure rather than a semester-based course structure. “[The mini-mesters] will be three courses every seven weeks,” said Rothschild, “so within the traditional semester, [students in the MBA program] will have two mini-mesters.” The School of Business segmented the 13-course program into “three threads,” which include the “Language of Business” thread with courses like “Traditional Marketing” and “Finance,” the “Leadership and Innovation” thread with courses like “Leader Development” and “Creative Collaboration,” and the “Analytical Thinking” thread. The One-Year MBA program teaches students beyond those enrolled in the School of Business how to apply analytical skills to their business careers. “Everybody can get something out of [the One-Year MBA],” such as engineers, mathematicians, or social scientists, “that they didn’t get during their undergraduate experience,” said

see MBA • Page 6

on campus and having a Stevens Music Tech student open for the Techfest artist. Gallo also discussed working with the Career Center to hire a professional to help students apply to graduate and professional schools. One of the main objectives of Vice President of Operations Rami Kammourh is communication. He hopes to establish more formal communication with the Stevens administration and to decrease the disconnect between the Senate and the Cabinet. Kammourh’s other goals focus on reestablishing campus traditions and bringing about a more effective system for festivals. Vice President of Finance Anthony Picone plans on bringing more order to budgeting. To increase budgeting efficiency, Picone will be holding a budgeting workshop and meeting with high rollover RSOs to discuss budgeting. Major initiatives include making one unified budgeting guideline, bringing together

Photo Courtesy of Dakota Van Deursen

the requirements of the SGA and Student Life under one document, and fixing up any discrepancies. As it is stands right now, the SGA has no basic template or guidelines for what to do if an RSO commits any potential infractions. Picone plans on creating a penalty matrix for these situations in order to remove subjectivity in penalizing. Vice President of Academic Affairs Mariana

Flemming will continue her previous initiatives. She will also improve student-faculty relationships with the help of the Student-Faculty Alliance and the SES Master Plan Committee. Currently, Flemming is working with students and the Mathematics Department to improve the quality of math classes

see RSO • Page 6

The President’s Distinguished Lecture Series: Dr. Tom Mitchell by DYLAN MOON Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m., Dr. Tom M. Mitchell gave a lecture titled “Using Machine Learning to Study How Brains Represent Language Meaning” as part of The President’s Distinguished Lecture Series. He is the E. Fredkin University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he founded the first-ever machine learning department. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1973 and his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1979. Dr. Mitchell addressed a daring yet fundamental question: “How does neural activity encode word meanings?” He noted that our knowledge of the brain is not as limited

by the resolution of current brain images as it is by the models we use to explain them. Dr. Mitchell and other researchers at Carnegie Mellon University greatly progressed these models using artificial intelligence. They found that a machine learning system, given a fMRI brain image, could be trained to consistently determine the word which an individual had been shown when the brain image was captured. But not only could the system distinguish between brain scans from the same volunteer, but it could apply its training to assess the brain images of other people, and even across languages in bilingual individuals. According to Dr. Mitchell, this shows that “we all have essentially the same neural code,” and, furthermore, that “there is a distinct structure to the neural code.” “Even

Photo from Carnegie Mellon University

though we all have very different backgrounds and life experiences, somehow we have a shared physical, spatial pattern of neural activity that encodes these different words.” He presented the “predictive model theory.” By retrieving statistics on various words through an n-gram analysis and then creating a vector sum of a word’s “contributing features,” the AI system was able to construct and predict fMRI responses to words it had never even encountered. To Dr. Mitchell, this proves that “it’s not like you have a hash code” assigning different meanings to words. Instead, the neural code is “built out of more primitive components.” But the information which can be communicated in fMRI images is mostly limited to two-dimensional space due to their poor time resolution. Dr. Mitchell and other researchers used MEG neuroimaging to address this, which takes a reading every millisecond. Using machine learning together with MEG, they found a specific order in which the brain asks itself identifying questions about the stimulus. First are perceptual features (“How long is this word?),

see AI • Page 6

STUTE THE

Opinion

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 2

The Stute Editorial

Life happens

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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Staff & Contributors Anthony LaBonte Brad Tylutki Charles Zwicker Daniel Kang Dylan Moon Elina Tuder John Horgan Koby Garcia Korey Petino Lisa Mengotto Matthew Cunningham

Mary Ruane Mia Hildebrandt Namankita Rana Nick Burns Olivia Schreiber Patrick Grasso Rachel Stern Rami Kammourh Sarah Hoogenboom Tracy Wong

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This week, I was really struggling to decide on what to write, and I realized that, actually, I have nothing to say. Nothing. How can I be living in what is supposed to be “the most exciting time of my life” and have absolutely nothing to say? Why don’t I have strong opinions about things that are going on in the world, opinions so strong that I would just want to scream them from the rooftops? As sad as it sounds, I don’t have the time to say something meaningful. I only have time to discuss my dayto-day concerns. Sure, I can say that it gets better, and I can catch up after this week. Yet, that’s the same stuff we say to ourselves all the time, knowing that it’s not really the case. So instead, I’m gonna be real and say that this semester isn’t going to be the exception to the

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dies, friends, family, significant other, whoever! Embrace the fact that life happens and just go with it! After all, as long as you have your favorite people by your side, nothing else matters. Years from now, you’re not going to remember the failed movie date because you were studying until 3 a.m. Instead, you will remember laughing with your friends as you all get drunk from sleep deprivation. So let life happen and grab your loved ones for the ride!

Maryia Spirydonava Editor-in-Chief

The One About Mistakes

business@thestute.com

Disclaimer

to meetings, go to work, go to..., etc. It feels like it never ends. I know this sounds depressing, but I think being honest about what is reality is better than lying to yourself. Be honest about the amount of time you have this weekend. Maybe you wanted to go to the movies, but you need to study for a test instead. Don’t lie to yourself and say, “I’m gonna study for a few hours and then go see that movie and come back to studying.” What’s probably going to happen is that you’ll get overwhelmed with figuring out the material, the movie will be forgotten, and then you will be upset that your plans fell through. Instead of being disappointed, accept it! Let life happen the way it happens. Maybe after studying you’ll realize that you have time to watch a TV show instead. So invite your study bud-

Mind of a Freshman

Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m.

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.

previous semesters; this semester isn’t going to be what you wanted it to be. Instead, it’s going to be the same thing as it was before. You start off motivated to be on top of your work, to explore life outside of the classroom, and then you blink and it’s finals week and you think, “How did the time pass by so quickly?” And then you think to yourself, upset that your semester didn’t go as you hoped it would, “How did I let it all consume me so much?” To that I say, “It’s okay.” It is okay to be disappointed, to have life go a little bit differently than you wished. It’s not even a month into the semester and I already find myself thinking that I have to push my personal plans aside to take care of other more pressing responsibilities. That trip to go ice skating has to wait so that I can write my lab reports, go

by MARY RUANE

Freshman Business and Technology Major

Over the past few weeks, I’ve learned a lot of random facts. Though these facts are completely useless, they are pretty interesting, so for this week, I thought I would share a couple of the ones I found the most interesting. Growing up, like any preteen girl, I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. While they were burning up the charts, girls across the world were hanging their

posters on their walls. Now, this famous trio has always been made up of three brothers from New Jersey: Kevin, Joe, and Nick. Let’s take a moment of silence for your childhood because Kevin Jonas’s real name is actually Paul Jonas. This fact had me questioning my life. Another useless fact: Kevin Jonas currently builds and sells houses with his wife in the area of Montville, NJ. How’d I learn all this? Google is a powerful tool when you think your friend is lying to you about the least famous Jonas Brother. The next fact will resonate with those of you who liked Sesame Street as children. My personal favorite character on Sesame Street was the googly-eyed Cookie Monster. My siblings and I spent our childhoods trying to see which one

of us could do the best impression of our favorite blue monster. However, in an episode of Sesame Street, the Cookie Monster shared a piece of shocking news: Before eating his first ever cookie, he believes that his name was Sid. For my entire life, I thought that Mama Cookie Monster had named her son “Cookie Monster” after her love (and his inherited love) of cookies. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I am slightly comforted by the fact that my favorite monster did have a name other than his alias. Sid is to Cookie Monster as Clark is to Superman and, as some people say, not all superheroes wear capes. For any sports fans that might be reading, I know relatively nothing about sports and absolutely nothing about baseball. But I do un-

derstand that the World Series is basically the Super Bowl of baseball and that up until 2016, the Chicago Cubs were not a very good team. Before their World Series win in 2016, the last time the Chicago Cubs had won a World Series was in the year 1908. How is this significant or interesting at all? In 1908, the Ottoman Empire was still around. So the last time that the Cubs won a World Series was before the 1922 collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which I found particularly interesting. Now, I know these have been some of the most useless facts you’ve ever been told, but I do hope that it at least spiked your interest. That being said, I hope you learn a lot more things you’ll never be able to use realistically and that you have a great day.

Senioritis

I’ve got friends in all the right places

by OLIVIA SCHREIBER Senior Chemical Biology Major

When I came to Stevens, my first thought was: I need an on-campus job. No longer was I bringing in the big bucKs as I once did as a waitress at the Pompton Queen Diner, and I feared that I would quickly go through my precious summer funds

that I had so carefully hoarded before starting college (a fear that did, in fact, become a reality).To my surprise, there were still a few positions left in the on-campus job pool, one of which included “Student Office Assistant” at CIESE, or the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (you now understand why we call it CIESE). I was elated when Pat Slater, the Office Manager at the time, emailed me to ask me to come speak with her. I put on the most business professional clothing I had, brushed my hair — an arduous task if you’ve seen my curls — and quickly

traipsed over to 1 Ninth St., a building owned by Stevens but unbeknownst to many. I remember sitting in a chair right next to Pat’s desk, and she proceeded to ask me simple questions about myself, namely my background, my major, what my schedule looked like — nothing technical. She hired me (although at her retirement dinner, she thought I was a bit “loud” at our first encounter), asked me to provide my hours of availability, and, in a matter of minutes, I was officially a work-study employee.I found the office assistant position to be comforting in a way. After Calculus homework

or Design I program debugging — yes, I was an engineering student at the time — tasks like scanning, carrying packages to the post office, or putting together materials for the other CIESE employees were mindless and good for the soul. I eventually mastered the Xerox copier machine and was unofficially promoted to Pat Slater’s proofreader (although that woman rarely made a mistake in the three and a half years that I worked with her). In the summers, I worked with Adam as a WaterBotics and STEAM camp counselor, helping design, program, and test underwater Lego robots with middle school-aged chil-

dren. Before Rosemary left to work in the CAL Office, she and I passed the time by discussing the latest episodes of Game of Thrones. Later on, the wonderful Kathy K. brought me to Jersey City to help interview seventhgrade students for the Educational Testing Service (you know, the folks that design the GRE and TOEFL tests). Kate, always adorned in her Converse and equipped with a Diet Coke, genuinely wanted my feedback as she took over the STEAM camp once Adam left. The rest of the CIESE staff — Mercedes, Gail, Brian, and Greg — were always interested in my day-today doings on campus or

in the classroom, oftentimes asking me for the “student perspective.” CIESE started off as a five-hour commitment every week, but it has evolved into a home of opportunity for me to grow as a student, an employee, and a member of a team. I’ve come to realize that the friends you meet in college don’t always come from your major, your class year, or even the general undergraduate population. You find them in all corners of the university grounds, from the Samuel C. Williams Library, to the Office of Alumni Engagement and Development, to the warm, welcoming abode known as CIESE.

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 3

Girl Talk

My Women’s March Experience: Successes and Setbacks

by NAMANKITA RANA

Junior Engineering Management Major

This is not an article I would have foreseen writing. After all, almost one year ago, I wrote an article critiquing the Women’s March, entitled simply: “The Women Have Marched. Now What?” The article’s tone is mostly professional, but at that time, I was bitterly angry and disillusioned with the state of affairs in the country. After what seemed like a year of non-stop antagonism against women, the worst possible candidate for women’s rights had been elected to the highest office in the land — and white women helped land him there. Overnight, critical women’s issues were suddenly at high risk of elimination. To me, the Women’s March seemed to be a pseudo-activist action that was too little, too late. A full year later, on a whim more than a serious plan, I attended my very first Women’s March in New York City. I couldn’t shrug off some residual cynicism and skepticism in the hours

leading up to it, but I’m happy to say that the event itself didn’t fall flat — at least, for the most part. What changed my mind? Truthfully, I’m not sure. The past year has been a deluge of revelations about the ways in which powerful men have been abusing women. It led to the #MeToo moment, but it also seems to have, at long last, pushed activists to demand deeper social and political change. The conversation has seemingly shifted from outrage to action. And although one can never be quite sure, it certainly seemed to me that progressive women are more eager than ever to score electoral victories in this year’s midterm elections, hopefully triggering real, meaningful political change. I also think a year was enough time for my anger to simmer into something more tempered. Marching last year would have been a lone act of lashing out. This year, I finally felt like I was in it for the long haul. I clearly wasn’t the only one who felt this way. More than 200,000 protesters attended the march in New York on Saturday, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. Thousands also turned out in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, Austin and hundreds of other cities worldwide. Starting from in front of the Trump International

Hotel & Tower by Central Park, thousands of protesters wearing pink hats, shouting chants, and carrying witty posters stretched as far as the eye could see, filled what felt like every block in New York City. Subway stations en route to the event were packed, and at one point, even the surrounding streets seemed to overflow with protesters. The march was also quite diverse -- people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and sexual orientations were in the streets supporting each other. Indeed, the crowd chanted inclusive, supportive messages and cheers throughout the event. Attendees complimented each others’ signs, handed out buttons, and registered each other for upcoming elections. I remember distinctly how at one point, someone near me with a jukebox blasted

Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Fifth Harmony — basically, a whole tracklist of feminist tunes. The crowd around us — young girls, older women, and everyone in between — danced and cheered each other on. At another point, a band brought marching drums and played strong beats for the crowd to march to. There was an overwhelming sense of camaraderie, a feeling like everyone understood and was supportive of one another. Words can’t describe the impact that seeing that had on my psyche. Taking in the sheer number of people in the streets — people who had taken time out of their day to get outside and stand up for a cause they believed in — gave me a sense of peace and hope I haven’t felt in a while. I was also most surprised by the staggering

Namankita Rana

number of organizations and causes represented by demonstrators, the vast majority of which were not necessarily female-centric. These included Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ organizations, organizations for the disabled, immigrant coalitions, and women running for political office. It was clearly not just an extended photo op which is what I cynically thought it would be. I was especially touched by the presence of very old women, most of whom had been activists in their youth as well. They were just as passionate as the 20-somethings, and several flaunted signs about who they were marching for — their daughters, their granddaughters, and all the women they didn’t know. The march was hardly without resistance, however. Scattered throughout

the crowd were counterprotesters wearing Make America Great Again hats, signs that said “Trump 2020,” and t-shirts that had slogans like “Gays for Trump.” These counter-protesters mostly sequestered near the Trump Tower (no surprise there). Their presence certainly kept some of the female protesters — myself included — on edge. But aside from small incidents of tension between the two groups, the crowds respected their first amendment right to protest and they respected ours. Let’s be clear — gatherings like these are not a substitute for more focused activism. I hope that the women who are at this rally will vote in their upcoming elections, attend the next Black Lives Matter protest, or march on behalf of DACA. Of course, there’s no way to guarantee any of that, but it’s a strong and necessary start. The message of the day was that one whole year later after the very first march of its kind, the attendees of the Women’s March were still very much “here.” They were still impassioned, still raring to go, and no, they weren’t going anywhere. To rephrase a chant I heard repeated throughout the march that day: This is what democracy looks like. Imperfect, angry — and hungry for change.

Scientific Curmudgeon .

Do Women Want to be Oppressed?

by JOHN HORGAN CAL Professor

Evolutionary psychology seeks to understand our behavior in light of the fact that we are products of natural selection. In principle, the field can give us deep insights into ourselves. In practice, it often reinforces insidious prejudices. Take, for example, the claim that sexual selection can account for psychological differences between males and females. Darwin proposed sexual selection to explain puzzles like the tail of the

peacock, which from a practical point of view seems to diminish fitness. Darwin hypothesized that females have chosen to mate with, or selected, peacocks with large tails, thus propagating this trait. In his 2000 book The Mating Mind, evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller suggests that sexual selection can help explain why males dominate women in many realms of culture. He writes: Men write more books. Men give more lectures. Men ask more questions after lectures. Men post more e-mail to Internet discussion groups … The ocean of male language that confronts modern women in bookstores, television, newspapers, classrooms, parliaments, and businesses does not necessarily come from a male conspiracy to deny women their voice. It may come from an evolutionary history of sexual selection in which the male

motivation to talk was vital to their reproduction. Anthropologist Richard Wrangham presents a similar argument in his 1996 book Demonic Males. Wrangham asserts that male aggression and even group aggression, or war, are innate tendencies that we share with chimpanzees, our closest relatives. Females have selected these “demonic” traits, according to Wrangham. He writes: Many women would prefer it otherwise, but in the real world, the tough guy finds himself besieged with female admirers, while the self-effacing friend sadly clutches his glass of Chablis at the fern bar alone… Women don’t ask for abuse. Women don’t like many specific acts of demonic males. But paradoxically, many women do regularly find attractive the cluster of qualities and behaviors— successful aggression, dominance and displays

of dominance—associated with male demonism. Miller and Wrangham insist that they are trying to understand the roots of patriarchy, not to excuse it. But there are a couple of problems with the sexual-selection theory of male dominance. First, the theory is poorly supported by anthropological evidence. Studies suggest that our pre-civilization ancestors, who were nomadic huntergatherers, were relatively peaceful and egalitarian. In her 2009 book Mothers and Others anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy writes that “hunter-gatherers almost everywhere are known for being fiercely egalitarian and going to great lengths to downplay competition.” Hrdy speculates that the emergence of war at the end of the Pleistocene era diminished the status of women and boosted that of males, especially those who excelled at

fighting. War and patriarchy, in other words, are relatively recent cultural developments. In his new book Behave, anthropologist Robert Sapolsky concurs that war “seems to have been rare until most humans abandoned the [nomadic hunter-gatherer] lifestyle.” Sapolsky asserts that culture rather than biology might contribute to modern differences in male and female performance. He cites a 2008 paper in Science, “Culture, Gender and Math,” which found that “the gender gap in math scores disappears in countries with a more gender-equal culture.” Another problem with the sexual-selection theory of male dominance is that it suggests women have been complicit in their own oppression. Women are bullied into submission by loud-mouthed, domineering men because, historically, women have “selected” men who

are loud-mouthed and domineering, thus propagating these traits. This claim is a form of victimblaming, which feeds the male fantasy that women want to be dominated. Proponents of biological theories of sexual inequality accuse their critics of being “blank slaters,” who deny any innate psychological tendencies between the sexes. This is a straw man. I accept that innate differences exist. But I fear that biological theorizing about these tendencies, in a world in which sexism and racism are alive and well, does more harm than good. It empowers sexists and racists, and that is the last thing we need. 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 Scientific American blog, “Crosscheck.”

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Campus Pulse

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 4

Roving Reporter How did you feel about Stevens football last season?

Undefeated.

Fantastic.

Jake Lovrin

Jen Searing

There’s no football team.

They were great. they were like 30 & 0.

Nicole Crockett

Jake Senkewicz

Polling Pierce

Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?

Patriots 68

I know for a fact they haven’t been beaten. Hunter Daly

Um, we didn’t have a team. Jason Chuls

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 5

KSA celebrates Lunar New Year in Bissinger by CHARLES ZWICKER Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Korean Student Association hosted Korean Lunar New Year to celebrate the first day of their calendar. This typically coincides with the second new moon following the winter solstice. This event has a focus on the family, especially on the family’s ancestors. The food was your typical KSA event fare plus some seasonal foods – moon pies, pocky, chicken, and rice. If you’ve been to a KSA event, you’re familiar with the food. KSA meets every other Monday night at 9 p.m. in BC 210, and their next meeting is Feb. 12.

Cole Yarbrough

Congratulations on your retirement! Joseph Calabrese is retiring this month after 33 years working in the Housekeeping department at Stevens Institute of Technology. Joseph began working at Stevens in 1985 and spent 30 of those

years as a custodian for the Wesley J Howe Center building. Joseph joyfully served under three presidents and enjoyed his relationships with the students. He always told students that Stevens was both a good school and a good place to work. Joseph gives thanks to God for providing him with a steady and enjoyable job at Stevens and for the kindness both faculty and students have shown him through the years. He looks forward to dedicating his time to his family, serving at his church, Hoboken Gospel Chapel, making homemade wine, and sharing the love of God with everyone he meets.

News Continued RSO

Continued from front page

at Stevens. Students are encouraged to go to the Calculus Town Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in Babbio 104 from 3 to 5 p.m. Flemming also wants to work with the Co-op program so that it can be expanded to CAL and Business majors. Secretary Reegan McCaulley will be working on establishing transparency by creating a website for the SGA. She also wants to help increase passion in the SGA Senators and help new incoming Senators transition into their roles. Vice President of Student Interests Dakota Van Deursen, who also ran Leadership Reconnect, emphasized that he wants to hear the people’s voice. His main initiatives include revamping the new organization process by shortening the interest period, stan-

dardizing the new organization steps, and clarifying penalties. In short, the goal is to organize the new organization process and make it less frustrating for students. Van Deursen also plans on formalizing faculty advisor requirements. He wants to establish a common ground for all RSOs so that some clubs don’t experience an enthusiastic advisor while others never see their advisor. One large topic at the meeting was Constitutions. Van Deursen plans on auditing all RSO constitutions. This is intended to gauge RSO activity. His plan is to have the list of constitutions available to the SGA and the club members to allow for organic evolution for both future club members and future Vice Presidents of Student Interests. Van Deursen also shared his plans to attend club meetings and events to ask general club members for their opinions on their

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 6

organizations and how they can get better. All RSOs were asked to go over their constitutions. Student Life reviewed the RSO Good Standing Policy and student leader requirements. On the topic of event advertising, Asisstant Director of Student Life Chris Shemanski also informed organizations that flyer printouts have been reduced from 100 flyers to 75 per event and told organizations to take down flyers after the event passed. Flyer requests must be made in person. He also reminded people to be courteous when writing on the chalkboard outside of Pierce. The system is first come, first serve. The board will be cleaned by Physical Plant on Sunday nights. Shemanski explained the procedure for any movie showings clubs might hold. Movie rights must be bought – showing movies on Netflix is not acceptable. This is a federal law

Office of Residence Life hosts Meditation and Aromatherapy by ELINA TUDER Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Office of Residence Life hosted the first-ever Meditation and Aromatherapy program. The program was led by Resident Director of the Office of Residence Life Kerry Mallett and Assistant Director of the Office of Academics Danielle Pagliuca. Mallett said that this event was intended to “give students more skills in the beginning of the semester to help them develop strategies to relax and try at home.” Mallett then explained that the essential oils of peppermint and lavender, samples of which were provided to the attendees, help increase concentration and relaxation. The oils can be put into a diffuser or applied to one’s wrists or temples. Pagliuca, who teaches yoga and has a master’s degree in Health Education, then began to demonstrate breathing exercises to the students present. The simplest breathing exercise is box breathing, which entails inhaling through the nose for four seconds, holding one’s breath for four seconds, and then exhaling through the nose for four seconds. Pagliuca also led 10 minutes of guided meditation, which is supposed to help with thought and self-reflection, reduce stress, and increase focus. According to Pagliuca, the hardest part of meditation is “closing your eyes and letting go of distracting thoughts.” However, meditation doesn’t have to be time-consuming – it can just be shutting your eyes for 10 seconds and focusing on breathing. The coordinators also explained the newfound popularity of meditation and mindfulness in the workforce. Large companies, such as General Mills, Target, and Intel, all do mindfulness training at their headquarters in order to improve the mental health and decision-making abilities of their employees. Overall, this Meditation and Aromatherapy program helped ensure that the Office of Residence Life provides students with enjoyable programs that also give them skills to better navigate college and beyond.

Elina Tuder

and not a Stevens rule. Student Life also showed students how to use DuckLink and all the apps that are available to them. The Campus Labs Check-In app allows for easy attendance tracking without a card reader. Corq is an event app that connects to DuckLink and shows all registered DuckLink events. Financial Coordinator Brielle Melillo and Anthony Picone also discussed finance changes. Leaders expressed their frustrations about the rule regarding catering, which is now being more strictly enforced. Any prepared food must go through Compass One catering unless a waiver form is approved. Light snacks under $100 can still be bought with P-cards. Altogether, Leadership Reconnect was an opportunity for all campus leaders to come together to get updates and voice any questions or comments that they had.

Continued from front page

followed by a question of whether it is animate (“Is it hairy?”), and then further questions (“Can you pick it up?” “Does it have corners?” etc.) until the brain is able to fully deduce a meaning after 400 milliseconds. According to Dr. Mitchell, the most reliably decodable questions regard the size, manipulability, animacy, and whether it could be used as shelter. Dr. Mitchell pointed to the work of his colleague, Leila Wehbe, who used both MEG and fMRI neuroimaging to during storytelling, yielding fascinating results about the brain’s treatment of context. She found that context predictably affected the neural responses to words and that an AI system could be used to predict coming words as the human brain likely does. Dr. Mitchell argued that

the “context information is most vibrant in the brain,” and that the “current word is secondary.” Dr. Mitchell concluded that his research is evidence that the brain functions like a computer. The predictive model theory is, to him, of particular importance, as he believes that comparing AI predictions to images of human brains will be crucial in deciding the merit of using computers to study brain function. He calls himself an optimist, seeing the potential which new access to data brings to the world of machine learning; “Intelligence without perception of the world around it is a very restricted playground. There is so much data available now. It explodes the opportunity for AI research… into a whole new universe of things.” Following his lecture, Dr. Tom Mitchell was awarded the President’s Medal from Stevens Institute of Technology, and an academic scholarship was established in his name.

Catering guidelines to be enforced by LISA MENGOTTO Staff Writer

The catering guidelines regarding food for oncampus events will now be more strictly enforced by the Office of Student Life. The guidelines were discussed by Brielle Melillo, Financial Coordinator in the Office of Student Life, at Leadership Reconnect last Saturday. Leadership Reconnect is the spring semester RSO summit hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA). According to the presentation slides from Leadership Reconnect, Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and Greek organizations are required to go through Compass One Dining for any

MBA

Continued from front page

Rothschild. According to Rothschild, “Chances are whether you’re business or engineering, you’re going to go out into the corporate world.” Students in an undergraduate computer science program, for example, “may know all the analytical techniques, [but] may not know how to use them in a way that resonates with a business manager.” This new MBA program also offers “a few extras” to distinguish it from other MBA programs, making it more of a learning lab than a coursework-based degree program. The extras include things like a leadership retreat weekend that takes place at West Point, a “business emergence experience,” opportunities to take on entrepreneurial projects and field consulting projects, and a mentorship experience, where “each student in the [MBA] program will be working

food for on-campus events and meetings. Only light snacks under $100 may be purchased from outside vendors without a waiver by using the organization’s purchasing card (P-card). Stevens Dining Services has been partnered with the dining service company Compass One since June 2015. The contract with Compass One came with the requirement for RSOs to use Stevens Dining Catering for any prepared food for their events. The 20172018 Undergraduate Student Handbook states, “Stevens Dining is responsible for all dining on campus, including catering services and special events.” Citations of the policy specifically required a waiver for prepared food orders over

$250, a number appearing in the Student Organization Policy Manual for 20172018 and also on the DuckLink event form. There was no official announcement about policy enforcement to all students. The enforcement was communicated to RSOs by the Committee on Student Interests Subcommittee Heads at their subcommittee meetings. Registration for Leadership Reconnect was open to all undergraduate students; however, only presidents and treasurers listed on DuckLink portals were notified by SGA’s Vice President of the Committee on Student Interests (VPSI) Dakota Van Deursen. Each RSO needed to send one representative to attend Leadership Reconnect.

in the courses and outside of the courses with faculty, alumni, and corporate mentors” to build leader-

ness strategies. “Being in that business world is a wake-up call for a lot of them. [Stevens alumni]

Among the experiential learning components of the analytics MBA at Stevens will be a leadership retreat at West Point, where students rely on lessons in communication and teamwork to overcome obstacles, then reflect with former Army personnel on what they’ve learned.

Photo Courtesy of Mary Luvone

ship and business skills. The One-Year MBA program “owes a lot to Stevens students,” according to Rothschild, because this program emerged as a solution to some Stevens alumni’s early career frustrations. Stevens graduates would often leave with impressive science or engineering skills yet struggle with convincing managers of their busi-

have said, ‘I know that technical stuff, but trying to explain it to my boss … has become a point of real frustration,’” Rothschild said. The School of Business will offer information sessions and webinars throughout the course of the current semester so that any interested Stevens students can learn more about the program.

News Continued

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 7

Tokyo-based cryptocurrency North Korea prepares to parexchange hacked ticipate in the Winter Olympics by DANIEL KANG

by SARAH HOOGENBOOM

On Jan. 26, 2018, Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck was hit by a hack that resulted in the loss of $530 million. The currency that was being sold is called NEM. Other cryptocurrencies were stopped from being sold as well. Coincheck calls itself the premier Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange in Asia. The security slip-up was detected on Friday at approximately 3 a.m. Previously, the largest cyberheist was of Mt. Gox, another Japanese Bitcoin exchange, which lost $440 million in 2014. Japan is seeking to stimulate economic growth, but the increasing difficulty with which companies struggle to secure an asset that only exists online demonstrates the risks that come along with cryptocurrencies. Coincheck was ordered to improve operations by storing coins in

Set in what is known as the Alps of Korea, the South Korean city of Pyeongchang will be welcoming millions of athletes and tourists starting on Feb. 9 for the 2018 Winter Olympics. In preparation for the games, the small city has added new highways and a high-speed train station, and many restaurants and hotels have been upgraded to accommodate the expected influx of people. The residents of Pyeongchang express a sense of excitement and honor to be able to welcome and show the world the beauty of their region, but this does not come without the hesitation of a certain country that will be taking part in the competitions. North and South Korea

Staff Writer

cnn.com

a “cold wallet” instead of a “hot wallet,” which utilizes platforms directly connected to the internet. It said on Sunday that it would try to repay 90 percent of the total value of the stolen resources. Currently, Japanese authorities are investigating all cryptocurrency exchanges for any lapses in security. Japan made global news for being the first country to regulate exchanges at the national level, rather than seeking to discourage exchanges, as is the practice in South Korea and China. The company behind the creation of the NEM coin reported that it was able to track all of the lost

coins, but it has no mechanism in place to recover them for their owners. Global leaders at the Davos World Economic Forum issued new warnings about the dangers of cryptocurrencies, and some expressed concern that they could be used for illegal activities. Japan’s top financial official said that regulation of cryptocurrencies would most likely be on the agenda at the G20 finance chiefs’ meeting in Argentina in March later this year. For now, the short-term impact of the hack was a drop in the price of cryptocurrencies, though they later rallied slightly.

have officially remained at war since the official division of the two countries in 1954, and recent wariness of North Korea in the eyes of many nations has developed due to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to accelerate the research and testing of nuclear missiles. Yet, in light of recent talks between North and South Korea, the two countries will be walking into the opening ceremonies under a white background flag with a solid outline of the Korean Peninsula that makes up North and South Korea. This will not be the first time that the two countries have marched into the Olympics under the same flag. During the 2005 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, the two countries walked into the ceremonies together but completely separated. This year, North and South

Korea will be competing together as a joint team. In accordance with recent agreements made under the watchful eye of the International Olympic Committee, North Korea will be sending 22 athletes to compete in ice hockey, figure skating, short track speed skating, cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing events. Most notably, 12 North Korean athletes will be partaking in the first joint Korean ice hockey team. In addition, a 230-member cheering group and a 140-art trope will be representing North Korea at the games. Many countries have expressed skepticism that the participation of North Korea in the Winter Olympics will aid in political talks, but they have agreed that it would be safer to have North Korea participating in the Olympics rather than excluded.

Photo from CNN

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Opinion Continued

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 8

Cuisine Corner

Give Me Liberty, But Please Not the Salmon

by TRACY WONG

Sophomore Business and Technology Major

Today marks the final day of Hudson Restaurant Week. For those unfamiliar, Hudson Restaurant Week is a biannual, week and a half long event that takes place in Hoboken, Jersey City, and Weehawken that allows restaurants

to show off their food with a prix-fixe menu. For those who are just as clueless as I was, this means a menu with fixed courses and prices that you choose from, all totaling the same price at the end. The point of these menus is to be able to offer custom-

ers a chance to try their food for a fraction of the cost. How fortunate for us poor college students who want a taste of that fancy, boujee adult life. Although on a smaller scale, shorter and starting a little earlier, Hudson restaurant week mirrors its predecessor, New York Restaurant Week. Check out the my article on New York Restaurant Week in two weeks! This week, I actually decided to venture into Jersey City, near Liberty State Park, to try a restaurant that I never would have even considered going to on a normal day. Liberty House Restaurant can be found near the water, in a spot

Tracy Wong

with a gorgeous view of the city. It wasn’t castle point but it was definitely a great spot to sit, eat some fancy food, and think, “how lucky am I to be here?” In terms of price, the prix-fixe meal included two courses: a choice of appetizer or dessert and

a main dish. The price: twenty dollars not including tax and tip. This is actually one of the most expensive lunch meals on the list- so I had high expectations. I eventually decided to order the seared Atlantic salmon and calamari appetizer. I also got to taste the pappardelle with pork bolognese- a fancy name for pastaand the dessert, an apple crustada with vanilla ice cream. Looking around, it was very apparent that I stuck out. Like a college student clearly only there for restaurant week. Many of the diners around were older and dressed very well. Even the set up of the table described the vibe of the restaurant. When there are multiple course forks you know it’s fancy. There was also a great view of the skyline and even the waiters were dressed very nicely. We started first with some bread with selection of three different, I guess they were dips? One tasted like a paste made of olives, tangy and lumpy but soft. The other was a simple yet fragrant olive oil, and my personal favorite was the spicy hummus. Then came the calamari. I really enjoyed the presentation and it was very crispy to the taste. It was chewy, and went very well with the mayonnaise-based sauce that also came with it. Next came the main courses. I was surprised at the presentation. The salmon piece layed on top of the bamboo rice blend and an acorn squash coulis slice that resembled the shape of a flower. There were roasted Kohlrabi around

CONTACT & INFO Liberty House Restaurant 76 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City (201) 395-0300

Tues. - Sun. 12 PM - 3 PM 5 PM - 10 PM Monday Closed Service: Food: Location: Tracy Wong

the plate, I ate it but am still not sure I know what it actually is, and a sweet baby pepper sat on top of the salmon. It was quite a sight. But the taste was even more unexpected. The salmon was pretty standard, fully cooked with a nice semi-crunchy sear on the outside. The bamboo blend, not very flavorful, but a nice grainy texture. The mystery vegetables and squash was unexpectedly sweet. I guess it is because I am not a huge squash fan, but it was definitely a unique approach to a salmon dish. It gave it a fall flavor and reminded me of pumpkin pie or smelling a fall scented Yankee Candle. As for the pasta, I only sampled a bit of it, but it did not really taste of anything special. The dish consisted of mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, grand padana cheese, spinach, bell peppers, brandy and cream.

I tasted some above average noodles, a tomato based sauce and some pork meat sprinkled in. Perhaps my tastebuds are not evolved enough to appreciate the dishes, but I was not the biggest fan. Finally came the dessert. Thank god we ordered dessert. The only option for dessert is the granny smith apple crustada vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce. It was pretty small and looked a bit strange, but when I took my first fork full of the crustada with some ice cream, the lunch was saved. The layered puff pastry kept inside it a trove of warm apples, sweetened in an equally warm sauce. When combined with the chill sensation from the ice cream, the two melted together in my mouth in a sweet, thick, creamy pair. In short, I think Liberty House Restaurant started

Price: $$ on a good note and ended on a good one too. The middle, which I think is the most important part, was questionable. Perhaps I should have given the Artichoke, Prosciutto, & Wild Arugula Flatbread a try instead, but in my head, that would have been a lot of bread. I’m disappointed that both the salmon and pasta let me down, but I did think that the calamari, dessert, and service were spot on! I think the waiter came to refill my water and check on the table more than five times. So would I come again? Maybe. If there was a very special occasion or reason. They also let me go to the second floor, where the room for parties and weddings are held, and it was beautiful! But I definitely wouldn’t order than salmon dish again.

Spoiler Alert

The Post - Fishing for Oscars

by KOBY GARCIA

Junior Visual Arts and Technology Major

Films commonly referred to as “Oscar-bait” usually include a number of big-name actors, usually a relatively famous director, and a clear, dramatic story. The Post takes Oscarbait above and beyond with a star-studded cast, the legendary Steven Spielberg, and arguably the best film scorer of all time, John Williams. While these are all exciting things to experience while watching the film, these elements take away from the quality of the film. By no means am I criticizing the in-

dividual performances of those involved, as I found them spectacular. I am, however, drawing attention to the nature and timing of the film. In terms of political timing, I enjoy the story of an untrustworthy and controversial government being told during this… “interesting” time period in the United States. However, the release date of the film is intentional, as it is popularly referred to as “Oscar season.” Common Oscar elements probably won’t be enough to win Best Picture this year, as the competition is rough (specifically from Three Billboards and The Shape of Water – Spoiler Alert article coming soon). The first half of The Post was full of exposition that was probably meant to emphasize the stakes but fell flat and felt repetitive and slow. The explanation of the nature of the newspaper industry as well as the controversy surrounding some

revealing Vietnam War government documents (known as the Pentagon Papers), dominates the film for the first hour or so. The second half of the film is more interesting, as we finally get to watch Meryl Streep’s character unfold and grow, which I found to be the most compelling aspect of the film. The evolution of Streep’s character from a reserved, “better safe than sorry” type of character into the confident and brave woman she becomes was a pleasant storyline to see in a film that takes place at a maledominated newspaper company in the 1970s. Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep have reached a point in their careers that their brilliant performances have taken a back seat to their famous names. I no longer see characters on a screen – instead I see Hanks and Streep in costume. Spielberg’s directing is particularly beautiful; it

Photo from The Economist

may not seem like anything special, but that’s exactly what makes it impressive. Spielberg’s simplicity made watching The Post soothing, as he was able to turn a film that mostly takes place indoors, with boring office lighting, into a welcoming and engaging viewing experience. Spielberg’s mesmerizing and recognizable camera work is always a pleasure to see, but it is nothing too

remarkable when compared to his other works. Though it has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, I do not see The Post winning in that category. Meryl Streep has been nominated for Lead Actress, but after looking at the exceptional performances by the other women nominated (Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand, Margot Robbie, and Saoirse Ronan),

it’s hard to place a bet on Streep. Go see The Post if you’re interested in the Watergate scandal, if you’re a fan of Hanks and/or Streep, or if you’re trying to catch up on all the Oscar-nominated films, but don’t expect too much. Although it does have some of the biggest names in film history, The Post serves as a prime example of “don’t judge a movie by its poster.”

Opinion Continued

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 9

Campus Liberal

I’m ready for a new president

by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Freshman Computer Science Major

I belong to a group of people known as liberals. We go by other names too — Democrats, the left, progressives — but “liberal” seems just fine for me. This past Tuesday, Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech, and I rolled my eyes throughout it (typical liberal). Honestly, I applaud the speechwriter who wrote it, because they added enough flowery language to make Trump appear as if he accomplished nearly all of his goals in his first year as president (and then some!). Yet for me, the speech appeared as conventional as any other State of the Union speech given by other presidents. I don’t think Trump exposed a new side of himself that we hadn’t seen before; he only played his part as president. After the speech, I asked a few of my liberal friends what they thought — assuming they had also seen the façade — but they surprised me. They said, “Honestly, Trump spoke with unity rather than his usual hostility. I actually think tonight was pretty good. It may be the start of something new!” This response was unusual since it came from some liberals like myself; they had associated “unity” with someone who has been historically divisive. When I went on Twitter, I saw tweets that shared a similar sentiment — astonishment, admiration, and praise. I was shocked. When I looked at the tweets of some

conservative profiles, they welcomed liberals to ‘the Trump Train.’ Most people were actually satisfied with what they saw at the State of the Union. I’m fine with the tweets advertising that, but as I was scrolling through all the posts, there was a tweet that upset me. It said, “trump sounded presidential, and yet some angry liberals are still mad. what more could they want.” So now I belong to a new group of people known as “angry liberals.” This new group seems more appropriate for me, evidently because only angry liberals expect more from their president than a think-tank tested speech. And since I’m now an angry liberal, I’ll answer the question given to me: what more could I want? First of all, I want a president who is held to a higher standard than his own tweets. Americans shouldn’t have to praise their president for “sounding presidential,” as if resisting urges to name-call and act divisively is impressive. I want a president who, despite campaigning solely on his deal-making abilities, could have actually negotiated a bipartisan deal to keep the government from shutting down last week — a president who would have took responsibility, rather than blame the opposing political party for a failed spending plan (especially when his own party controls every branch of the federal government). I want a president who doesn’t believe building a wall is a valid solution to illegal immigration — a president who realizes that nearly double the number of unauthorized immigrants only overstayed their temporary visas and flew here by plane, not by crossing the border. I want a president who knows that people from Mexico aren’t even the majority group of unauthorized immigrants staying in the United States. I want a president who is characterized as something

more than a child, a bigot, and a stubborn troublemaker — a president who hasn’t paid a porn star to keep quiet about a sexual affair with him, who hasn’t tried firing the lead investigator who’s questioning the legitimacy of his presidency, and who won’t immediately retaliate to criticism from Hollywood actress Meryl Streep by calling her “one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood.” I want a president who not only speaks about unity but who actually unites communities in America through legislation and leadership. I want a president who expresses compassion for American people regardless of whether they’re visiting, on a visa, unauthorized, or citizens — a president who won’t deport a ten-year-old girl while she’s on her way to get emergency gallbladder surgery, whose only ‘flaw’ is her legal status. I want a leader. I want someone with kindness. I want someone who respects the profoundness of their position. I want someone who has dedicated their life to public service, who is cognizant of domestic, international, social, cultural, and economic affairs, and who earned their presidency rather than bought it. I’m not fazed by Trump’s State of the Union speech, because a speech doesn’t provide support for the millions of Americans who still desperately need it. A speech doesn’t forgive a tax bill that, according to nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, provides 65 percent of its tax cuts to the top 20 percent of income earners and provides 20 percent of its tax cuts to the top 1 percent. I’m tired of the lies. I’m tired of the deception. I’m tired of the desperation that many Americans genuinely feel. I’m tired of Donald Trump. I’m tired of all of it. I’m ready for a real president.

Campus Conservative

A conservative response to the State of the Union

by ALEX MURTAGH Sophomore Civil Engineering Major

Before watching this speech, I was expecting a State of the Union that pandered to President Trump’s base. I was expecting his usual party line with a few good political points thrown in so it wasn’t a strictly populist message. After the full hour and twenty minutes, I was completely in shock. My predictions were completely off. Not only was the speech delivered well, it was also written very well. Props to all of the people that worked hard to help give Trump an excellent speech and for backing the Democratic Party into a corner for the 2018 midterm elections. At this point, I don’t even know what Democrats stand for with the exception that they are anti-Trump. Most importantly, Trump did not make any outrageous statements or claims, ya know like the 140 character tweets that cause weeks of controversy. He maintained a professional demeanor and was not deterred by any of the booing that came from the Democrats. According to polls from CBS News, 75 percent of those who watched the State of the Union approved of Trump’s speech. On a party level, 72 percent of those who identify as independents approved of

Off the Press

Wooden steps to be replaced by a rock climbing wall by OFF CENTER

More construction ne ws from the Stevens campus as the administration has recently announced their solution to the wooden steps near the Babbio Center. These stairs, which allow passage down to the street level, have long been criticized for their shallow steps, which made the walk up very strenuous. Caught up in the building fever that has gripped the campus recently, the administration has announced their replacement to the steps: a vertical rock-climbing wall. The wall, nicknamed

“Attila’s Revenge,” is set to begin construction during the summer. Current blueprints show that the wall will have over 300 red and silver handholds for navigating the wall and a large mural of the school’s mascot looming over the street below. Bells will be attached to the top of the wall to support friendly competition and to act as alerts for campus police if anyone falls off the edge. The project is an attempt by the administration to show off that ol’ Stevens charm by creating an innovative alternative to the stairs. The announcement of the wall has caused a fer-

vor on campus. Supporters argue that the wall has completely solved the issue of shallow steps, while their opponents question whether the wall would abide by Hoboken building codes. After some concerns were raised about the safety of the wall, the administration reluctantly added a safety net to the bottom to catch any students who fell off. While the administration recognizes the necessity of this action, one official has gone on record saying, “It’s just not as fun without the fear of death.” Some naysayers have also expressed concern over the fact that the new wall won’t allow

students to ride bicycles up to campus, which was the main reason the steps were so shallow in the first place. President Farvardin responded to this criticism in a recent interview, saying, “Literally no one rides a bike up a set of stairs.” It is currently unclear how much this proposed construction would cost the school, but you can bet that tuition will rise because of it. As this project becomes one of the many ongoing active construction sites on campus, officials have stated that the wall will likely be finished just in time for our grandchildren to use it.

the speech. Even the Democrats gave him a 43 percent approval. This is bad news for Democrats, considering that Trump has made huge gains in the polls in recent weeks, and a good State of the Union is only likely to boost those numbers. In addition, the poll revealed that the majority of watchers, which includes Democrats, agreed with Trump’s proposals, the way he has handled the economy, and the situation with North Korea. At this point, the Democratic Party, particularly the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is in the red both in ideas and financially, so they cannot afford to lose a portion of their base too. The main point that I wanted to hear from Trump was an emphasis on unity, both on a political level and a national level. Thankfully, he delivered on that point. And I’m not the only one who felt that way – the previously mentioned poll found that 81 percent felt the same way. This is how Trump starts to truly win the game of politics – by showing the American people that he is an inclusive President who wants to do right by all Americans, not the crazed, racist, and sexist person Democrats have attempted to paint him. I think that there could soon be some sort of reconciliation between the two parties because if Trump can continue to push a positive agenda, Democrats will need to help Republicans in order to remain relevant. So now onto some specifics: Trump covered a large number of issues in his lengthy speech, starting with his accomplishments within the past year, such as tax cuts, VA reform, and military successes.

The second part of his speech largely focused on what he would like to get done by the next State of the Union. This includes lowering prescription drug prices, allowing terminally-ill people to seek experimental treatment, solving the opioid crisis, and much more. Many of the issues Trump mentioned were completely bipartisan in nature, but the Democrats remained seated. Finally, my favorite point is the downfall of the so-called Progressives. Trump raised multiple points for which Democrats should have stood, such as record low unemployment nationally and in the African-American and Hispanic communities, but even the Congressional Black Caucus refused to applaud. To be fair, President Obama does deserve some credit for this. In addition, Trump laid out a middle-of-the-road immigration proposal that would give over 1.8 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. This is far from a Republican position and goes further than the 600,000 President Obama proposed under his executive amnesty. Essentially, Trump told the Democrats, “Put your money where your mouth is!” and the Democratic Party did not stand, thus folding to Trump. So if the Democrats can’t support this, in addition to many other issues, how can they possibly run in battleground areas? Before this speech, I was in favor of the majority of Trump’s policy proposals, but not him as a politician. That has slightly changed because he has finally solidified himself as an established politician who can walk the walk and talk the talk.

Sports

Friday, February 2, 2018 • Page 10

No. 17 Wrestling downs Shankweiler’s play rewarded with Empire 8 Player of the Week selection cross-river rival NYU 27-12 on Alumni Night

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Friday Stevens Sports Information

Stevens Sports Information

SSI - No. 2 Stevens Institute of Technology men’s volleyball graduate student Gabe Shankweiler was named Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week Monday after piloting the Ducks to victories over Elms College, No. 7 Kean University and No. 11 Marymount University at the Clash at Kean. It’s the first-ever E8 Player of the Week honor for men’s volleyball. The conference began sponsoring men’s volleyball beginning with the 2018 season.

“Gabe had a great week,” assistant coach Amable Martinez said. “He is consistent and works extremely hard at his craft. In two of the three matches this week, Gabe hit well over 0.400, [combined with] his stellar serve-receive and defense . We are proud of his accomplishments, which are welldeserved.” Shankweiler totaled 34 kills on 63 attacks with 10 errors (.381 attack percentage) as the second-ranked Ducks swept

both Elms and Kean, before needing four sets to down Marymount. Named to the Clash at Kean’s All-Tournament Team, Shankweiler also collected four blocks, three aces, three assists and 14 digs. The Allentown, Pennsylvania native currently ranks 40th in the country with a 0.333 attack percentage over his first seven matches as the Ducks have opened the season 6-2, including a perfect 6-0 against Division III competition.

Groder, Larochelle, Loncar named 2018 softball captains

Stevens Sports Information

SSI - Seniors Corinne Loncar and Farryl Groder, and junior Christine LaRochelle were named the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team’s captains for the 2018 season head coach Emily Kaczmarek announced on Tuesday. Loncar was a First-Team All-Empire 8 selection, Second-Team All-Northeast Region and First-Team All-ECAC last season. She started 40 of the team’s 41 games and led team with 53 hits and 33 runs batted in. She smacked 10 doubles, one triple and two homeruns. She posted a batting average of .373 The middle infielder also

earned All American Scholar-Athlete Honors, and was named to the Empire 8 Academic Honor Roll. Groder started 37 games and rapped out 44 hits with 11 runs batted in. Her hits included five doubles and one triple. Overall she posted a batting average of .386. The outfielder scored 25 runs and drew seven walks. She earned All-American Scholar-Athlete Honors and was named the Toughest to Strike Out in NCAA Division III after not striking out in any of her 138 plate appearances. Lefty hurler LaRochelle started 18 games in the cir-

cle with 12 wins. She rang up 84 strike outs on the season. She led the Ducks with an ERA of 2.86 and earned Stevens’ first-ever postseason victory with a 5-2 win over Nazareth in the Empire 8 playoffs. She too garnered All American Scholar-Athlete Honors and was a member of the E8 Academic Honor Roll. The Ducks will open the season on March 8 at FDUFlorham before travelling to the Tucson (Arizona) Invitational for their nex`t six games. The first home doubleheader of the season will be against Arcadia University on March 22.

SSI - No. 4 Zach Wilhelm’s one-point decision victory over No. 8 Raymond Jazikoff at 157 pounds led No. 17 Stevens Institute of Technology Wrestling over New York University, 27-12, Wednesday evening in a non-conference dual match before a spirited crowd at Canavan Arena. Stevens won its sixth straight dual to improve to 11-3 on the year. NYU fell for just the second time in its last seven duals to fall to 11-7. The spirited crowd was filled with wrestling alumni, welcomed back to campus as part of Alumni Night at Canavan Arena. “The team showed grit tonight,” commented head coach Joe Favia. “Each match they fought to our points on the board, no matter the score. That’s the philosophy we preach and they executed tonight in a big way.” “It is always a heated rivalry [between Stevens and NYU] and we thank our alumni and fans for coming out to support our wrestlers,” Favia continued. “[There’s] nothing more motivating than competing for your fans and supporters.” Before a bout was contested, junior Joey Borai picked up his 24th win of the season via forfeit. With the night’s final outcome no longer in doubt after freshman Colin Myles gamely battled at 197 pounds before ultimately suffering a 6-2 decision to Jack La Corte, freshman Joseph Moreno also won via forfeit at 285 pounds. Junior Thomas Poklikuha added six points to the team score with a victory via injury default at 165 pounds. The combined 18 points proved to be the difference in the match, because neither team was able to earn any other

bonus-point victories over the course of the evening. Stanich, the nation’s top wrestler at 133 pounds, extended his unbeaten streak with a 10-3 decision victory over Matt Noble. Freshman Brett Kaliner, ranked fourth in the country by both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and D3Wrestle.com extended the lead to 12 with an 8-2 decision over Will Crisco. No. 6 Evan Drill put NYU on the scoreboard with a hard-fought 12-6 decision over sophomore Dylan Van Sickell. In the most anticipated bout of the night, Wilhelm and Jazikoff did not disappoint the crowd in a bout contested between a pair of top-10 grapplers. Despite a serious threat from the NYU wrestler over the match’s final 30 seconds, Wilhelm held on for an 8-7 decision to earn his 30th win of the year. NYU added three points with a decision victory at 174 pounds and added three more at 184 to close within 21-9. Senior Ryan Jachim was able to earn multiple points late in the final period to turn a potential major decision loss into just a decision setback, forcing NYU to need pins in the final two bouts to force a tie, which Myles was able to prevent at 197, leading to the finalbout forfeiture. Final Score: No. 17 Stevens: 27; NYU: 12 Rankings are NWCA Up Next: No. 17 Stevens heads to Westminster, Maryland to wrap up the 2017-18 regular season with a pair of Centennial Conference duals with Washington and Lee University and Johns Hopkins University. The event is being held on the campus of McDaniel College.

Duck Country Scoreboard Date 1/27 1/27 1/27 1/27 1/27 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/31

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

Women's Basketball Men's Volleyball Men's Basketball Men's Volleyball Men's Track & Field Women's Track & Field Wrestling Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Wrestling

VS Hartwick College VS Marymount College VS Hartwick College @ Kean University John Covert Classic John Covert Classic VS Ursinus College VS Muhlenberg College VS University of Vermont VS Worcester Polytechnic Institute

57-69 3-1 85-66 3-0 N/A N/A 35-12

L W W W Complete Complete W W

@ University of New Hampshire VS New York University

28-13 26-1 24-3 27-0 27-12

W W W W

Stevens Sports Information

MEN’S BASKETBALL

@ St. John Fisher College 6 p.m. Rochester, NY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

@ St. John Fisher College 8 p.m. Rochester, NY

Saturday WOMEN’S FENCING

Masschussetts Institute of Technology 9 a.m. Waltham, MA

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Frank Colden Invite 9:30 a.m. Collegeville, PA

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Frank Colden Invite 9:30 a.m. Collegeville, PA

MEN’S FENCING

Masschussetts Institute of Technology 10 a.m. Waltham, MA

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Lehman College 12 p.m.

WRESTLING

@ John Hopkins University 12 p.m. Westminster, MA

MEN’S SWIMMING

VS Hartwick College 1 p.m.

MEN’S SWIMMING

VS Hartwick College 1 p.m.

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