[The Stute] August 16, 2019 (Issue 0, Volume CXVII)

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Volume CXVII Issue 0

August 16, 2019

TheStute Established 1904

Collage by Matthew Cunningham

Welcome To Stevens

BY AUDREY DSOUZA

Hey you! Don’t just toss this paper to your parents. There’s some spicy, unfiltered takes on Stevens, college life, and freshmen year packed in here for ya. (See page 3 for sex.)

Every year we create a special “Orientation” Issue, filled with tips and tricks for freshmen, from former freshmen. From

on and off campus dining, to rushing a fraternity or sorority, or how to set yourself up for success, we’ve got you. You might be thinking, “Bleh, newspapers are dumb and boring.” That’s where you’re wrong.

We’re students, just like you, committed to making Stevens a better experience for us all. You don’t have to worry about us trying to sell you any-

thing, or sucking up to any group of people. We don’t get paid for this.

We just want to share the Stevens experience as it is; not just the news that the community wants to know, but also needs to know.

You can subscribe to us online or pick up a physical copy around campus for your weekly dose of Stevens politics, cam- continued on page 8 -

August 16, 2019

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The Orientation Issue

Dealing with peer pressure and some other tips from a former freshman

By NATALIE TODARO Looking back at how naive I was my first semester at Stevens is almost laughable. I mean, I thought having known what I wanted to major in automatically made me secure, when in reality I was just as unsure and nervous as everybody else. And as I sat down to write this, I found it undeniably easy to rattle off a laundry list of advice I would tell my former freshman self. But to save you some time while you jump from one orientation event to the next, I’ve condensed it into a short list of what I feel is important to know.

First and foremost, something

that may seem obvious if you’re dorming on campus is to lock your door. Literally. Even if you’re walking five feet across the hall to the bathroom, just do yourself a favor and lock your door. And while you’re at it, wash your hands extremely thoroughly in that bathroom. I was sinus-stuffed sick the fourth day of orientation because I somehow forgot that washing your hands when you come in from outside was a thing.

When it comes to keeping yourself physically healthy, a lot of people don’t see the connection between mental and physical health. Most of the time that I was physically sick, I was also insanely stressed out. While

some struggle more than others with one or more diagnosed mental illnesses, stress affects all of us. Learning how your body copes with stress is the first step in handling it and keeping yourself mentally stable.

I also think peer pressure is relevant in every college setting. I remember thinking it was just something that goes on in high school, but oh, no, I was wrong. Starting college and feeling a sense of adulthood is enough pressure as it is, but add on hookup and drinking culture to that and you’re left with an anxious teenager being swayed in directions they’re not used to. I entered freshman year turning 18 only three weeks prior, still didn’t have my first

kiss yet, and still a virgin. I was totally wrapped up in the idea that there was something wrong with the fact that I was 18 years old and hadn’t had my first kiss yet.

To save you from reading the details, I ended up caving into hookup culture and had my first kiss as well as my first time with guys I barely knew. Absolutely, do not recommend. Not only was I left feeling physically uncomfortable, to say the least, but I was intensely emotionally changed and stung by the experiences. I didn’t expect it to affect me so deeply, but it did.

The point that I am trying to make, is that as hard as it can be some times, listen to yourself. You

know yourself best. Catch yourself from falling under the social pressures of college. You don’t have to collect stories of hookups to gossip about to look cool. And if hooking up with people is something you truly do want to engage in, do it, but know the consequences of how you might feel afterward. If you do engage in it already, don’t confuse sexual freedom and fighting stigma with making a performance out of it to others to gain self-acceptance. So in addition to locking your doors and washing your hands, make sure you’re checking up on yourself and making good decisions when you can. Enjoy the year and get involved; it’ll go by in a flash.

The Essentials: What you need to know about Hoboken

Map of Hoboken. Courtesy of Google Maps.

By SKYE DOTO Learn to navigate Hoboken Hoboken is very easy to navigate once you know how the streets work.

In just a few weeks, you can know exactly where anything is located with just the address. The southernmost end of Hoboken starts with Observer Highway and Newark Street, and after that all the streets are numbered.

1st Street comes right after Newark Street in the south, and 15th Street is the last street to the north. On the numbered streets, the house numbers

start near the water in the east, and increase as you go farther west. All the addresses on the named streets are prefixed with the street they’re after, from the south to the north, and count up to 30 or 40. For example, 612 Bloomfield Street is on Bloomfield about halfway between 6th and 7th streets. All the odd numbers are on the eastern side of the street, while evens are on the west. Just remember that New York is to the East.

Groceries When you’re out of easy mac and there’s nothing left in your cereal box-

es, it’s time to go grocery shopping, and you have a decision to make — Cheap, or high quality? As college students, generally cheap wins out over everything, and the ShopRite at 10th and Madison is usually your best bet. Just take the Red Line to 9th and Madison or the Gray to 11th, and you’ll be but a block away from a good option for all your general grocery needs. Trader Joe’s on the corner of 14th and Willow is another good option, with competitive prices for most goods. There are also numerous more expensive options such as the two Kings Food Markets which are located at 13th and Hudson, and 4th and River, which may be more convenient for some students.

Feeling Sick?

Sometimes when you’re under the weather you don’t want to go far from your dorm. Not to worry! Rather than traipsing down to Washington Street for some much-needed NyQuil, tissues, Tylenol, or any other essentials, you can just stop by the bookstore on the first floor of Howe; They’ll have most of what you need immediately, so you don’t have to stray too far from bed.

Painkillers and decongestants not getting the job done? Stop by the Wellness center, between North Building, Humphreys, and Castle Point Hall, for some more professional care and/or a referral to a doctor in Hoboken. For emergencies, Hoboken Hospital is located at 5th and Willow.

Pizza: What to know You won’t be here for long before you start to see the pizza wars. Benny’s vs. Gio’s, the fodder for many an argument between hungry students. By all means, try both — Take advantage of Washington Street Wednesdays and get just a ridiculous amount of pizza at Benny’s, and once 6th street is back

open, stop by Gio’s between classes and grab a slice (or a chicken roll).

You’ll soon learn your favorite.

Of course, those are just the pizzerias near Stevens. Hoboken has so many pizzerias that just last week, after 3 years in Hoboken, I learned about a new one. One pizza you absolutely must try is Napoli’s Chicken Bacon Ranch; You haven’t had a CBR pizza like this — It’s topped with bruschetta, and is phenomenally delicious.

The best food at 2 a.m Sometimes in the course of your studies and… *cough* definitely nothing else… you’ll find yourself awake and hungry at 2 in the morning. Where should you go? Bagels on the Hudson, open 24 hours. 802 Washington Street has some of the most satisfying food for your late night cravings — If you’re not from Jersey, be sure to try a Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese. Soda, juice, apple turnovers, muffins, and, of course, bagels, make Bagels on the Hudson the best choice for a late-night meal.

Washington Street: The Greatest Hits Washington Street is home to some of the best food not just in Hoboken, but in the tri-state area.

O’Bagel (600 Washington) has some great bagels for when you want a bagel at normal hours. We’ve talked about Benny’s and Gio’s.

Vito’s deli, at 806 Washington street, has a “Happy Hero Hour” from 2-6 Tuesday-Thursday, with all their “basic heros” (generally one meat with mutz and some toppings) priced at $5.50, or $6.95 with a drink.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about bubble tea: You have a few options for bubble tea on Washington Street, two of which are quite close to campus: Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea. Both serve some delicious

bubble tea, and if you’ve never tried it, you simply must.

Washington Street between 5th and 6th is home to many student favorite eateries. Midtown Philly Steaks serves some delicious cheesesteaks well into the night; Makai Poke Co. has downright glorious poke bowls; Ayame has some great, if expensive, hibachi; and East LA has some tasty Mexican food. Of course, this is also where you can find Gong Cha, Kung Fu Tea, and Gio’s.

I Just Want to Relax!

Hoboken also offers some great opportunities to take your mind off of classes. Take a walk down the waterfront, admire the view of the city from a beautifully paved walkway. Stop by some of the many parks, especially those on the water. The park at Pier C is especially suitable for hanging out with friends and talking about nothing much at all.

What about a movie? Hoboken has a movie theater, BowTie Cinemas on 14th between Grand and Adams streets. Looking for something a little more comfortable? Take a rideshare or the light rail to Newport Mall and stop by the AMC there. Newport mall also has some classic mall dining options, as well as some good shopping.

Hoboken also offers free Kayaking and Paddle Boarding on the Hudson from the community boathouse on the water between 10th and 11th streets, if that’s something that strikes your fancy.

Don’t forget about our various street fairs! Keep an eye out around Hoboken for posters announcing the annual Italian festival, semi-annual Arts and Music festivals, and other great events put on by the city. The Italian Festival is coming up soon, September 5th-8th on Frank Sinatra Drive along the waterfront.

Everything you should know about meal plans

By AUDREY DSOUZA Pierce Dining Hall Stevens only has one dining hall, Pierce. It’s on the second floor of the Howe Center, and features incredible views of the Manhattan skyline. It’s an easy place to sit for hours with friends. You can easily grab pizza, the daily entrees, made-to-order hot or cold sandwiches, salads, pasta, omelets, breakfast food, and more. But if you’re pressed for time and know what you want to eat, you can also exchange your meal swipe at the following on-campus dining locations.

Colonel John’s CJ’s is a student favorite, serving all-day breakfast, specialty burgers, and hot sandwiches. Last semester, they introduced a new concept on the right of the registers called “Sono,” which serves Chipotle-style burritos and burrito bowls.

In previous semesters, that corner was occupied by an Asian takeout-style food section but allegedly it wasn’t too authentic or fresh.

America’s Cup / Red & Gray Cafe Acup and Red & Gray are the two main cafes on campus. Both serve a modified Starbucks menu and bakery items from the campus catering service. Acup has a fresh salad and sandwich bar, while Red and Grey has a variety of ready-toeat paninis, sandwiches, and easy grab and go items. Both cafes are popular among students to grab meals between classes.

Pierce Cafe Pierce Cafe was added a year or so ago, and is located right outside of Pierce Dining Hall. For that reason, not many students find it worthwhile, but many of the folks that work in Howe find it useful.

However, it has a nice, quiet seating area for group meetings, and smoothies and other specialty drinks to sample with your Pierce swipe.

Gateway Academic Center Cafe The Gateway Academic Center has been under construction for months, closing off the 6th Street entrance to campus. Finally, this fall, the building is supposedly

opening and with a new cafe! What will be sold there beats me, but you can be sure it will accept meal exchange!

WSW and Duckbills WSW stands for “Washington Street Wednesdays.” If you have an on-campus meal plan, then once a week on Wednesday you’re able to exchange a meal swipe for a meal at one of five locations in Hoboken.

It’s a great mid-week motivator, not having to spend additional money on real people food.

But when you really want to get a taste of the delicious food Hoboken has to offer, your ID card can hold Duckbills, the Stevens version of money. There are a ton of locations in Hoboken where you can use Duckbills, and many of them offer special deals and discounts when you show your ID. Mobile Ordering with Tapingo Tapingo (pronounced like flamingo), a free app on both the App Store and Play Store, was launched last semester at Colonel John’s, America’s Cup, Red & Gray, and Pierce Cafe. As an online and mobile food ordering service, Tapingo

allows students, faculty, and staff to remotely order food at all retail locations on campus and have their meals ready upon arrival.

Upon downloading and logging into Tapingo with a myStevens account, users have their meal plan and/or Duckbills integrated into the app for use. Credit or debit cards can also be added for purchases outside of the meal exchange system. After placing an

order on their mobile device, users receive an ETA for their meal pickup, followed a short time later by a phone notification stating that the order is ready. Completed orders have a yellow ticket attached with the buyer’s name and order number listed, and can be retrieved at labeled pick-up areas near the current cashier stations at retail locations. It’s a great way to avoid the between-meal-periods traffic!

The interior of Red and Grey Cafe. Photo Courtesy of stevens.edu

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August 16, 2019

The Orientation Issue Mental Health at Stevens

By AUDREY DSOUZA College can be a lot, and is both physically and mentally taxing. It is not unusual at all to feel anxious, depressed, drained, or homesick at times. If these feelings are persistent and affect your life on a larger scale, it may help to visit CAPS, Stevens’ Counseling and Psychological Services. They can help make sense of what’s going on in your life and refer you to a local specialist if needed.

Psychologists exist to help you with your concerns about school,

life, and just about anything that’s going on. Some of the common reasons people go to CAPS are: Personal Concerns: Adjusting to college, acculturation issues, difficulty coping, stress, past traumatic experiences, social concerns, sexuality, family crisis, excessive video gaming, roommate concerns, and other personal issues.

Psychological Issues: Depression, anxiety, panic, eating disorders, substance misuse/ abuse, suicidality, attention/concentration difficulties, sleep disorders, and other psychological issues.

Interpersonal Concerns: Communication skills, dating/relationships, conflict management.

Crisis Intervention Services: Acute stress, sexual assault, death of a family member or friend.

To make an appointment with CAPS, you can visit them at the Student Wellness Center, 2nd floor and complete a brief application for services, or call their office at 201-216-5177 to schedule an appointment. Walk-in hours are weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. so you can see a specialist without having made an appointment.

The Pond House is the site of the Wellness Center and the home of CAPS | stevens.edu

It’s time for the talk… Sex and the (Univer)city

By MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Perhaps for the first time in your life, you don’t have to tell someone where you’re going or when you’re coming home. You can come home drunk or high, or you don’t have to come home at all, and nobody will care.

This new freedom is what makes college wonderful. It’s also what makes it terrifying.

Now more than ever before, you are fully responsible for your own choices, and transitioning into this new phase of life might daunt you. In particular, you will soon start making choices on what will often be the most intimate, emotional, joyous, and occasionally awkward aspect of life — sex.

College will feel like a whole new world for you, with what will feel like an endless supply of potential partners and more anonymity than you’ll ever dream of.

It might even feel like a required rite of passage to have sex in college, as if this physical act is an essential component of your college experience.

But contrary to what media and pop culture might say, studies show that college students today are having less sex than any generation before them. The type of sex these college students are having, however, is different.

It tends to be less meaningful, more spontaneous, and carefree.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Cunningham

It tends to be a “hook up.”

This fact of modern college society means that you need to be prepared for hookups and know how to approach them safely.

That’s where I, a self-described expert of the hookup, come in.

Here are the tips, tricks, and warnings that I have collected over years of hooking up.

Take precautions. Nobody should have to fear that from a hookup, they’ll get pregnant or that they’ll acquire STDs. Whether you’re male or female, always keep condoms in your room, even when you don’t plan on having sex. Sex happens spontaneously sometimes, which can be fun, but what isn’t fun is having to stop the session early because your room is condom-

less. Store them somewhere discreet, like a box under your bed or in a drawer.

Ladies, find a gynecologist and start birth control early. If you take the pill correctly, you’re protected from pregnancy all day, every day. Plus, most women report that the pill helps with their period, making it more regular and easier to predict.

Gay or bisexual men, consider contacting the Hudson Pride Center and getting on PrEP. PrEP helps prevent the transmission of HIV and, if you qualify, can be free. When on this medicine, stay cautious, because in the wake of PrEP-fueled barebacking, other men who are also on this pill will encourage you to have sex without protection. Keep in mind that

PrEP does not protect you from other STDs like syphilis, herpes, and gonorrhea.

Think forward. Entering a sexual contract with another student — whether it’s becoming friends with benefits or having a one-night stand — can complicate your relationship elsewhere.

At Stevens, everyone knows everyone, so don’t damage future relationships by having a copious amount of careless sex in the first month.

Look across the Hudson.

For the love of God, don’t hookup with the cute guy across the hall from you on the first night.

It can make for awkward run-ins over the next year. (Trust me.)

Instead, do what all modern people do: find people through apps.

Since you likely can’t get into New York City bars and clubs for the next year or two, download Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, or whatever you prefer and meet someone from across the river. Even if you don’t use the apps to hookup, you might meet someone great who can show you new areas of the city.

Plan ahead. Imagine: you’re at a party, and after one or two drinks, you look at that browneyed, James Dean-type in the corner, and you’re close to just flinging yourself on him. He feels the same way, and you hit it off.

You grab each other by the arm, laugh as you walk back to your

dorm, but — uh oh — there’s your roommate, sound asleep in their bed. This is the situation you should avoid.

It might feel awkward, but sooner than later, you should have a serious conversation with your roommate about how you want to approach these late-night booty calls. How will you signal to your roommate that someone will come over? Should your roommate leave? Should your roommate stay? Talk with them after living with each other for a while to work out these details.

Don’t do it drunk. Chances are, you’re going to get drunk.

Very drunk. At times, you might be so horned up that you don’t want to turn down any opportunity for someone to get in your pants. But sloppy, messy, drunk sex doesn’t feel good. And, most likely, you’ll regret it the next morning. Find another activity to do when you’re drunk and in the mood. Maybe have some cold pizza ready to munch on? Or, better yet, just go to bed — you’ll likely crash asleep anyway.

The best advice that I can leave you with is this: Use the next four years of your life to explore yourself and your sexuality, but don’t engage in anything dangerous or make a mistake that you might regret in the future.

Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay open. And — most importantly — stay sexy.

Stevens Ransomware Attack FAQ

By ERIC LONDRES There’s a lot of misinformation going around about the ongoing ransomware attack. This page exists to provide clarity.

What happened?

Here’s the facts so far. Stevens was the target of a ransomware attack that has basically shut down the school. The malware replicates itself and spreads via the network, so any computer attached to the Stevens network at a time when the malware was active is potentially affected by the ransomware and also is potentially a source of attack for other computers.

As of now, I have not seen any machines affected that were not running Microsoft Windows.

However, Stevens’ IT department has advised that all computers

and tablets (regardless of operating system) be shut down if they were recently on the Stevens network. The reason for the distinction between tablets (which are to be shut down) and phones (which are not to be shut down) is not clear.

The malware first showed signs of existence between Wednesday (August 8th) night and Thursday (August 9th) morning, and had caused systems to be offline by at least Thursday at 10 a.m.

What is the current status?

Currently, the Stevens Division of Information Technology recommends that all computers (desktops, laptops, servers, etc.) and tablets that have been connected to the Stevens network recently be immediately shut down and not powered on until further notice.

The vast majority of Stevens

on-campus infrastructure and networked operations are offline, including the Shibboleth login system. This means that you cannot log into your Stevens account on any website or service. So, if you were not already logged in, you cannot access your email, Google Drive, Canvas (to turn in assignments), Workday (to submit your work hours), the tuition payment system, the class add/drop system, your class schedule, etc. There is currently no public ETA for when any of these systems will be brought back online. Most recently, it has been announced that only Microsoft Windows machines appear vulnerable to the ransomware.

This means that it is likely safe to use non-Windows machines (such as Mac or Linux computers and Android or iOS tablets). However, the Stevens network is still effec-

Hello, Stevens Institute of Technology!

Check this message in details and contact someone from IT department.

All your files are encrypted with the strongest military algorithms (4096 bit RSA 256 bit AES).

Do not modify or rename encrypted files - this may cause decryption failure.

If you want to restore your files you will need to make the payment.

You can send us an encryption file (about 300KB) and we will decrypt it for free, so you have no doubts in possibility to rest.

Files should not contain sensitive information (database, backups, large documents, etc), The rest of the data will be avaliable to you after the full payment.

Contact us only if you are authorized to make a deal from the whole affected network.

Don’t contact us if you are not a such person.

Use english when contacting us.

Email: [redacted] If you don’t get an answer within one day download BitMessage software.

Homelink: https://bitmessage.org Identity: [redacted] The contents of the text file left on the desktop of affected computers by the ransomware attack.

tively off, so there is not much use to turning it on on campus unless you can tether your phone or can work offline.

What does an infected computer look/act like?

Firstly, it should be assumed that the malware does not immediately deploy upon reaching a target machine. It is commonplace for ransomware such as this to have a delayed payload to help evade detection. Thus, just because your device is not exhibiting these symptoms doesn’t mean you aren’t infected. Consult the section “Should I shut my device down?” below to see if you’re at risk or not.

Infected Windows computers have had all of their files’ filenames changed to something like _STUDENT_[oldfilename] or _STEVENS_[oldfilename] (where [oldfilename] represents whatever the original name of the file is). Then, a text file will be placed on the desktop of the computer with instructions on how to pay the ransom.

Should I shut my device down?

Answer these brief questions to determine if you should shut off your device or not.

Has your device been connected to the Stevens on-campus Wi-Fi or cable ethernet in the last month or so?

Is your device running Microsoft Windows?

If you answered “yes” to all of the above questions, turn off your device immediately and do not power it back on until you receive the all-clear signal.

Are classes canceled?

Classes were never officially cancelled, although it is unclear why as only offline work can be completed on campus and it is impossible to turn in online assign-

ments.

What about email?

Presently, Office 365 accounts for students and faculty are nonfunctional due to the lack of available login. There are reports that students still using the legacy Gmail system have been able to receive email so long as they don’t log out of their accounts.

Rumors & Miscellaneous Everything above this line is factual. Everything below this line was heard either off-the-record, via rumor/hearsay, or otherwise is not official and potentially untrue.

As of late Friday afternoon, the Wi-Fi SSIDs for Stevens were still active and all (or at least most) WiFi access points were still online. It is unclear why this is the case when the campus is supposed to be in complete lock-down mode with no computer accessing the network.

The Division of Information Technology did not provide a sophisticated answer to this question.

Rumored details of the specific attack pattern used to initially spread the malware and the sophistication of the malware itself imply that the attacker had a deep understanding of the Stevens network infrastructure layout prior to the attack. There are relatively few people who have such understanding, and the list of individuals who do is confined almost entirely to current or former members of the Stevens Division of Information Technology. Furthermore, the timing of the attack suggests the attacker had knowledge of the functions of the Stevens Administration, as it has been said that the weeks immediately following the deployment of the malware were among the most troublesome weeks of the year for a total network outage.

August 16, 2019

4

The Orientation Issue

Have some free time?

Take a trip to New York City How to travel to New York City from Hoboken

by Mark Krupinski

THE PATH The Port-Authority Trans-Hudson, or more commonly referred to as the PATH, has a stop at Hoboken Terminal at the south end of Hoboken. The PATH costs $2.75 via Metrocard, or $2.10 when buying more than 10 trips with a Smartlink Card.

The PATH is the least expensive method to get to the city from Hoboken.

There are two PATH lines that will bring you to the city: one line runs from Hoboken to 33rd Street in the city, the other line runs from Hoboken to World Trade Center. The 33rd Street line also makes stops at Christopher Street, 9th Street, 14th Street, and 23rd Street. The World Trade Center line also makes stops at Newport (the location of the mall), and Exchange Place in Jersey City.

Photo courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

However, on the weekends, the PATH does not run to World Trade Center due to the construction. To travel to World Trade Center, take the PATH on the Journal Square line and get off at Grove Street in Jersey City. Then, take the PATH to Exchange Place and take a voucher for a ferry

from Harborside Landing (about a block north from Exchange Place) to Brookfield Place (about two blocks from World Trade Center).

The PATH runs about every 5 minutes during rush hour and 15 minutes outside of rush hour. Late at night, the Path runs about every 45 minutes.

THE BUS

THE FERRY

The New Jersey Transit Route 126 costs $3.50 and makes steps every two blocks on Washington Street. The closest stops to campus when going to the city are on Washington and 5th Street, Washington and 7th Street, and Washington and 9th Street. When coming back from the city, the closest stops are on Washington and 6th Street, and Washington and 8th Street.

The bus drops off at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street where there are transfers available to numerous subways. However, during rush hour, the bus is not immune from traffic jams going into or out of the city.

The bus also runs along Willow Avenue during rush hour.

The Hoboken Waterway Ferry has stops at either end of Hoboken at the terminal or on 14th Street. From the terminal, the ferry travels to 39th Street, Pier 11 and Wall Street, and Brookfield Place. From 14th Street, the ferry travels to 39th Street and Brookfield Place.

The ferry is the quickest way to reach the city from Hoboken but is also the most expensive.

Depending on your destination, the fares range from $8.00 one way to $10.75 one way.

Photo courtesy of NY Waterway

Trying to save money?

Here’s how to cut some college costs Tips to Cut College Costs by Joana Fardad DO NOT BUY NEW TEXTBOOKS

EARN MONEY WHILE AT SCHOOL

KEEP UPDATED WITH TECHNOLOGY

CHECK OUT YOUR MEAL PLAN

Though this may be unavoidable in some cases, it is no secret that many people will tell students to avoid purchasing brand new books for classes every semester. Finding upperclassmen who took the same classes prior to you is always the go-to route for many students to get their hands on used copies of textbooks.

Another way to get second-hand resources would be through the Stevens bookstore in the Howe Center. Here you are able to buy used textbooks or rent and return the resources by a certain date. The bookstore will even buy your textbooks back, or you can simply sell the books to your friends to make some money in return. Also, always look for online textbooks.

Here you can find most resources at a cheaper cost, or even possibly free, to download straight to your electronic devices.

Getting a part time job can come in handy, whether it be on or off campus. Hoboken and the Jersey City areas are filled with employment opportunities, literally, on every corner. Walking down Washington Street can be a quick way to find those businesses thirsty to employ a college student; furthermore, getting a job on campus is not uncommon either. Check out the Job Portal on the Stevens website to find on-campus opportunities that can fit towards your schedule This is highly recommended if you were given work study aid at the beginning of the year.

Check your FASFA if you are eligible for work study. This money can go towards tuition and is guaranteed money from the government.

This is pretty much essential to any college student. Use applications such as Digit, Google sheets, or Notes to keep an eye on how you maintain your spending. It is super helpful to keep tabs of your physical cash and Venmo balance.

This can also generate an idea of where you can cut some spending to save a little more in your pocket.

Create a section for your saving and goals if you like to travel and go to events not provided through the Entertainment Committee. It is also important to save some percentage of your income towards a saving or emergency fund. This will save your life. Also, when choosing to splurge your money on necessary items, it might be best to purchase the higher quality item. This will most likely save you money in the long run. Less wear and tear means less repair.

This tip, unfortunately, cannot resonate with freshmen and mandatory platinum meal plans. Keep tabs on how often you find yourself at the dining hall or doing meal exchanges every week. In some cases it is better to have no meal plan at all, just use your own money when you find yourself at one of the dining halls; however, if you do have a meal plan, make sure to use it and avoid spending your money on food outside. If you do like eating food outside of campus once in awhile, use the restaurants that accept DuckBills! The basic idea is if you do not use it, lose it.

Photo courtesy of Stevens dining

As of August 15, there are 144 open student worker jobs at Stevens on the Stevens Job Portal.

See left.

TRACK YOUR SPENDING AND HOW YOU SPEND Though this seems like a ridiculous statement considering this is a technology school, you can be surprised on the amazing deals you can get through the internet.

Plenty of applications provide discounts. One popular app is known as UniDays, a website that gives students instant and free access to discounts from technology, fashion, and restaurants. Make sure to also get on board with the student deals through Amazon Prime, Apple Music, and Spotify (it comes with Hulu and Showtime!). Music is a great way to destress throughout your time at college, so using a music streaming device is highly recommended. Amazon Prime will always come in handy, especially for those last minute items you forgot to bring with you on campus. Another recommendation would be to use applications such as Facebook, NextDoor, or LetGo during your time at Stevens. These websites are easy ways to snag furniture for your living situation, technology, and even clothes for as little or no cost. Plus, if you like attending concerts or plays in the area, keep tabs on what is going on with the Entertainment Committee. They are a great resource to get tickets to your favorite artists for a very low price. Transportation is usually included with the cost, so that is a plus. This is also a great way to use your DuckBills.

Preparing for the future?

Exploring career paths Paths to gain Career Experience COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONS All students majoring in Engineering or Computer Science can participate in the cooperative education (co-op) program at Stevens. In the co-op program, students alternative studying on campus and working in industry starting with their sophomore year. Due to alternating periods of study and work, it takes five years to graduate with a bachelors degree. Students typically complete four to five periods of work.

To participate in the co-op program, students must attend a series of informational meetings during their first year at Stevens.

These meetings will cover the co-op program as well as provide help with professional development including interviewing tips and resume writing. Upon com-

pletion of their workshops, and the completion of their first year of courses, student will be able to join the co-op program. From there, students are free to apply to co-op positions at participating companies, whether online or at one of the school sponsored co-op career fairs Based upon a survey from coops taking place during the 20172018 academic year, students earn an average of $17.64 an hour for their first work term, $18.58 for their second work term, $20.02 for their third work term, and $21.13 for their fourth or fifth work term. This makes the co-op an attractive option financially, not just career-wise. Students will also recieve a cord for participating in the co-op program.

by Mark Krupinski

INTERNSHIPS

RESEARCH

EXTERNSHIPS

Instead of participating in the co-op program, students in all majors have the opportunity to participate in an internship over the summer. This is a more traditional path in which students work over the summer in a field related to their major. Many companies use their summer internship programs as “tryouts” for entry level roles. For internships during the summer of 2017, freshman and sophomores earned an average of $18.89 while juniors earned an average of $23.23.

Companies will host information sessions for their internships, co-ops, and full-time roles. Some companies will also interview students for roles on campus.

Additionally, students can participate in research over the summer to gain experience. Students work alongside professors and gain experience in relevant topics. Pinnacle Scholars can participate in summer research using their stipend. The School of Business sponsors freshmen and sophmores to participate in research during the month of June. Additionally, all students can apply to participate in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program where students work on a research project while participating in entreprerunership workshops. Some professors also may have research opportunities outside of these programs which may be paid or unpaid.

All freshman and sophomores have the opportunity to participate in an externship. An externship is a one-day job shadowing during winter intersession. This experience allows students to learn about different industries and career paths.

In order to participate in an externship, students must attend an information session hosted by the career center.

Future image of when you sign that job offer. Courtesy of depositimages.com

August 16, 2019

5

The Orientation Issue

Sudoku

August 16, 2019

6

The Orientation Issue LEARN ABOUT

GREEK LIFE

Clockwise from top left: Beta Theta Phi wins Delta Phi Epsilon’s Castle Point King, Fraternity brothers participating in Alpha Phi’s Cardiac Arrest, Lodge and Theta Phi Alpha’s 0.1K Philanthropy event, Sisters of Sigma Delta Tau at the St. Jude’s Walk, Chi Phi brothers cleaning ourdoor area.

By LEIGHA TIERNEY With 37% of the total undergraduate population participating in a fraternity or sorority, Greek life at Stevens has proven itself to be one of the most prevalent extracurricular activities on campus. With 10 fraternities, 5 sororities, and 5 cultural Greek organizations, there are a variety of organizations where prospective new members may be able to find their new brothers or sisters. While freshmen must wait until their spring semester before they can begin the process of joining a fraternity or sorority, members of Greek organizations may find the benefits of new friendships, networking connections, leadership opportunities, and the

chance to get involved in philanthropy and service.

For women at Stevens, there is the option to join a sorority. Sorority recruitment is a formal process that takes place a few days before the spring semester begins. Potential new members (PNMs) are broken into groups and go through the recruitment events together. The first day is “Round Robin,” where each group meets each chapter to ask questions and get to know them. The next day is centered around philanthropy, so groups will get to learn about the causes that each chapter fundraises for. Finally, preference parties are held by each chapter to hold a special ceremony for women they would like to have a last chance to get to know before they extend bids for

Interfraternity Conference (IFC) Organizations The Interfraternity Conference (IFC) includes 10 fraternities here at Stevens.

Greeks experience college life by being involved in a close-knit community of brothers through service and fundraising.

• • • • • • • • • •

new members to join.

For men at Stevens that would like to join a fraternity, there is a different process to join an organization. Throughout the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester, fraternities hold events that anybody may attend, such as dodgeball tournaments, wing eating contests, or backyard barbecues.

Prospective members can go to events to get to know the brothers of fraternities they are interested in joining. After a prospective fraternity member has gotten to know the brothers of the fraternity well enough, the brothers of the organization will vote on who they would like to extend bids to.

Exceptions to these processes are Cultural Greek Organizations.

These are organizations that center their experiences on sharing a common culture. Daniel Lee, current President of the Asian-interest fraternity Nu Alpha Phi shared his experience joining a Cultural Greek Organization: “As an Asian-American, who joined an Asian-interest fraternity, I was introduced to many men who shared similar backgrounds to me. They understood the highs and lows of my upbringing and offered me new outlooks and experiences in life. I could connect on deeper levels with the Brothers of my fraternity.” For those who are unsure of whether they would like to join a cultural organization or a social organization, Lee advised, “Join the organization that you genuinely like to be with, and recip-

Panhellenic Council (Panhel) Organizations

Alpha Sigma Phi Beta Theta Pi Chi Phi Chi Psi (The Lodge) Delta Tau Delta Kappa Sigma Phi Sigma Kappa Sigma Nu Sigma Nu Epsilon Theta Xi

rocates it with you. These are the people you’ll be calling Brothers or Sisters for the rest of your life. Be in good company, regardless of what others say about it.”

For freshmen who are considering joining a Greek organization this spring, it may be overwhelming to assess how joining an organization will affect your college experience. While joining a Greek organization may provide a place to forge new friendships and develop connections to upperclassmen, the significant increase in responsibilities so soon into college may make some apprehensive. When Saurin Badlani of Kappa Sigma decided to join in his freshman year, he took the added responsibilities as an opportunity to grow,

explaining, “My first semester I was going home most weekends, partly because I lived so close, but also because I didn’t have much to do. School-wise, first semester seemed like a breeze. The second semester during rushing, the initiation process had me required to stay at school and get more done. It was really fun, but it is a lot of time that you should want to put in and enjoy doing.”

While joining a Greek organization is an added responsibility where your brothers or sisters will be counting on you to follow through in order to help the organization run as smoothly as possible, the experience of being in a Greek organization is a unique chance to make lifelong friendships and connections you may have otherwise not have had.

Cultural Greek Council (CGC) Organizations The Cultural Greek Council (CGC) includes 3 sororities and fraternities here at Stevens. The MGC strives to serve the interests of their members by promoting diversity in Greek life.

• • • • •

Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Nu Alpha Phi Fraternity Omega Phi Beta Sorority Alpha Phi Alpha Sigma Psi Zeta

Photos courtesy of Delta Phi Epsilon and Alpha Phi

Photos courtesy of Theta Xi and Chi Psi

The Panhellenic Council (Panhellenic) includes 5 sororities here at Stevens. Campus events and fundraisers enable Greeks to bond and create lasting friendships. Service and philanthropy are also large parts of being involved.

• • • • •

Alpha Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Phi Sigma Sigma Sigma Delta Tau Theta Phi Alpha Photos courtesy of Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Omega Phi Beta

August 16, 2019

7

The Orientation Issue GET INVOLVED WITH A

STUDENT ORGANIZATION Service

Arts & Music

Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) | Engineers Without Borders (EWB) | Habitat for Humanity | StevensTHON

Photos courtesy of The Stute, Eric Londres, and WCPR

Photos courtesy of DuckLink and AEC

Off Center | Poetry Club | RGB Photography Club Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS) | Audio Engineering Club (AEC) | Stevens Standup Society (SSS) | Art Club

RedShift | SITTV Campus Television | The Link The Stute | WCPR - Castle Point Radio Photos courtesy of EWB and CAC

Electronics & Gaming

Religious & Faith Based

Computer and Console Gaming Society | Software Engineering Club (SEC) | Chess Club | Computer Science Club Poker Club | Stevens Game Design Club | Robotics Club

Muslim Education & Cultural Association (MECA) Newman Catholic Association | Stevens Christian Fellowship (SCF) | Hillel

Cultural Photos courtesy of Computer Science Club and SEC

Media

Photos courtesy of BSU, ESC, and FAST

Photos courtesy of Newman Catholic and SCF

Black Student Union | Chinese Student Association Indian Undergraduate Association | Filipino Association of Stevens Tech | Korean Student Association

Getting involved outside of the classroom

By ELINA TUDER The start of college opens plenty of doors — including the chance to explore different interests, meet new people, and become a better leader.

Joining one of the extracurricular clubs at Stevens, officially called Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), allows you to pursue all three of the aforementioned opportunities.

There are over 110 student-run RSOs at Stevens.

RSO meetings and events are free and open to all undergraduate students, so you can pop by at any time. There are also nonRSOs, which are essentially clubs where students can attain official memberships through an electoral, application, or audition process.

Both the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Honor Board hold freshman elections in the fall semester, but you can still find ways to be involved without running for a position. A great place to start exploring clubs is at the involvement fair (dubbed the Flock Party) on the last day of orientation. You can visit tables with representatives from pretty much every existing organization on campus.

There, you can ask members of the club about what they do on campus, when

they meet, and usually sign up for an email list to receive updates.

Another place where you can browse through all of the clubs at Stevens, this time virtually, would be on DuckLink. DuckLink is accessible through a link on your myStevens homepage and almost every club has a page on DuckLink.

DuckLink allows you to view the executive board of the organization, a contactable email address, and upcoming meetings and events that the RSO will be hosting. You can even view an RSO’s governing documents on DuckLink if you are interested in the nitty-gritty.

You can also download the Corq mobile app to view upcoming events and meetings and access your event pass. Your digital event pass is necessary to get into club events and sometimes for attendance at meetings.

It is never too early or too late to join an RSO! As long as you know when and where a club meeting or event is being hosted, which you can with the previously mentioned DuckLink webpage and Corq app, you can come by any time. You define your own extracurricular experience at Stevens. You can be super involved in a club and run to be on

the executive board in the Spring semester of your freshman year, or you can just swing by occasional meetings. You can even attend events for organizations that you’ve never been to before! Attending club meetings and events will let you meet a bunch of new people in a casual and social setting.

Being involved in a club and running for a formal position also provides great leadership experience outside of the classroom.

Being on the executive board can improve your communication and teamwork skills, your ability to plan events, your ability to think ahead, and just really lets you leave an impact on something you’re passionate about.

There is no limit to how many club meetings and events you can attend, so the extracurricular sphere gives you the chance to explore all of your interests as well as be exposed to new things. Stevens has clubs in different areas including cultural, professional societies, media, special interests, club sports, arts and music, recreation, electronics and gaming, service, religious and faith-based, and more.

If you feel like there is a club missing from the extracurricular sphere, you can always start your own!

To find all Registered Student Organizations and Non-Registered Student Organizations, head to DuckLink through MyStevens

You can’t do so your first semester, but after that, feel free to take advantage of the New Organization Process (NOP) Interest Period at the start of every semester. If you are interested in the specifics of starting your own club, you can read the NOP or reach out to an official of the SGA. The SGA’s Vice-President of Student Interests, Nina Ioanis, who assists RSOs and oversees the NOP shares that, “You’ll probably hear this a million times, but I think the greatest takeaway I’ve received from college is the network of opened doors I’ve received from people involved in clubs.

Getting involved in an organization, meeting different people from different years/majors/ walks of life/etc., going out to conferences with the group, and exposing yourself to a new concept or hobby that you’ve never explored before also really helps to expand both your perspective of the world and the toolbox of things you use to navigate that world.” Ioanis continues to explain that, “Going out to that first GBM or helping to set-up an event can also help you to find the people you’ll end up spending your whole college career with. Class doesn’t give

Photos courtesy of Elina Tuder and FAST

you a whole lot of time to socialize, so it’s really easy to end up stuck in the rut of just school all the time.

We’ve all been there. While getting involved may not help to fish you out of an ocean of work, finding people to accompany you in the rut can make your time there pass a lot easier. The ‘old people’ also love giving advice (myself included)! Having a group of upperclassmen in an organization to reach out

to for whatever help you might need (in school, the professional world, or life in general) is a very nice thing to have.”

RSO-involvement is really as much or as little as you make of it, but it is a great place to become more involved on campus, meet other students, and learn skills that can’t always be taught in a classroom.

Don’t be afraid to expand your horizons and explore a passion!

Sign up for clubs at the 2019 Flock Party!

Sunday, August 25 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Palmer Lawn

8

August 16, 2019

Opinion

THE STUTE VOLUME CXVII - ISSUE 0 STAFF BOX EXECUTIVE BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF...................................AUDREY D’SOUZA BUSINESS MANAGER...........................MARK KRUPINSKI MANAGING EDITOR..................MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM LAYOUT EDITOR........................................NATALIE TODARO EDITORIAL BOARD COPY EDITOR....................................ANGELINA ZACCARIA HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER.......................COLE YARBROUGH SYSTEMS ADMINSTRATOR................................SKYE DOTO SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR...................ELINA TUDER WEBMASTER.............................................ANDREW KINNEY STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS ERIC LONDRES JOANA FARDAD JULIA WIERZBICKI LEIGHA TIERNEY MELISSA KOSAR TRISTAN BACANI CONTACT US EMAIL........................................EBOARD@THESTUTE.COM OFFICE.......................................................7TH FLOOR HOWE GBM TIME.............................................. TUESDAY @9:30 PM ADVERTISING......................BUSINESS@THESTUTE.COM

The Stute Editorial

Welcome to Stevens Continued from Front Page campus news, events, construction updates, etc. We also sometimes do little features on the people at Stevens, like you and me! From bringing attention to President Farvardin’s salary to Juuling on campus, we’re breaking the boundaries of what you probably know as

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS FOR CORRECTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS FOR ANY ARTICLES IN OUR NEWSPAPER, PLEASE EMAIL THE EBOARD. DISCLAIMER ALL OPINIONS, STORIES, AND EDITORIALS REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AUTHOR(S).

THE STUTE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL LETTERS AND ARTICLES SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION FOR CLARITY AND FACTUAL ACCURACY, OR NOT PUBLISH THEM. NO PART OF THE STUTE MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. CITED REFERENCES OF THE STUTE ARE PERMITTED.

To be a kid just a little longer

Julia Wierzbicki Freshman Mechanical Engineering A few days ago, I talked with a sophomore friend of mine about college, and I asked him if he had any plans for where he might want to go. He surprised me by stating that he wasn’t thinking about that right now.

He then added that he didn’t want to spend time worrying about standardized tests, college, or GPA because he wanted “to be a kid just a little longer.”

Having just come off the heels of four years of grinding to get into a good college, I was totally shocked. I simply couldn’t imagine anyone not worrying about SATs or APs constant-

PURSUE A PASSION IF YOU LOVE FASHION, MOVIES, STEVENS DRAMA, OR POLITICS, WRITING A COLUMN FOR THE STUTE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE YOUR PASSION. OUR COLUMNISTS GET UP TO A FEW HUNDRED TO THOUSANDS OF CLICKS ON THEIR ARTICLES. SHARE YOUR TAKE WITH THE STEVENS COMMUNITY AND BECOME A COLUMNIST TODAY! RESUME/LEADERSHIP THE STUTE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. FOR THE EBOARD, WORKING FOR THE STUTE IS LIKE A PART TIME JOB; WEEKLY MEETINGS AND DEADLINES, PLANNING CONTENT, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITHOUT KILLING EACH OTHER, ETC. THERES SO MANY SKILLS TO ADD TO YOUR RESUME ONCE YOU JOIN THE STUTE!

ly. To be honest, the first thing that crossed my mind was that my friend was being immature and downright lazy about planning for his future. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to see the wisdom that the underclassman had to offer.

It’s no secret that high school tries to force you into the role of an adult, whether you’re prepared for it or not. Since day one, it’s been about finding your perfect school for your perfect career path for your perfect job for your perfect future. For someone like me who’s always been a go-getter and looking toward what lies ahead, I had no problem with pushing forward at top-speed. But not everyone is like that, including my friend.

And contrary to what high school might make you think, there’s nothing wrong with that.

We’re all at different stages in our emotional maturity.

Ninth through twelfth grade is a period where we end up changing a lot, and some of us take a little longer to get to where society says we’re “supposed” to be by the end of our senior year.

Taking our time and stopping to enjoy the little things in life is something that’s being looked down upon by the rest of the world, and I think that it’s unhealthy for students that simply aren’t there yet. It’s the job of

schools (and really colleges, too) everywhere to respect where every student is emotionally and work with them where they are, not where they’re expected to be.

Now, of course, it’s important to keep pushing yourself to be a better student academically and a better person overall. But that doesn’t have to come with the cost of losing your ability to live in the moment and enjoy the little things life has to offer.

There has to be a balance, and that balance can be achieved by having an administration that knows that every student’s current emotional maturity is valid.

But enough about high school — let’s get back to us, students at Stevens. We as college students may think that our time for “being a kid” is over, but that’s not necessarily true.

There’s plenty of opportunities to take a break from studying to see a movie, to dance in your room like no one is watching, or to enjoy an ice cream cone without worrying about the Freshman 15. If you’re ready to push forward and make a future for yourself, then you go for it. But at the same time, if there are moments when you want to embrace the simple joys, you go for that, too. Both are equally valid and admirable, and that understanding can start with you.

Senioritis

Changing viewpoints Stevens just didn’t exist. It was a much-needed break from Stevens.

THE STUTE WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN IMPROVE SKILLS AT A SCHOOL LIKE STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, YOU NEED MORE THAN CAL 103 AND 105 TO BOOST YOUR WRITING. THE STUTE PROVIDES TRAINING IN NEWS WRITING AND FOLLOWS AP FOR GRAMMAR AND STYLE, THE STUTE IS A SAFE, NON-JUDGEMENTAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS AND BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AS A WRITER OVER TIME.

Audrey Dsouza

Mind of a Freshman

THE STUTE POLICIES LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTERS MAY NOT EXCEED 500 WORDS IN LENGTH AND MYST BE FULLY ATTTRIBUTED WITH NAME AND TITLE (NON-ATTRIBUTED LETTERS WILL BE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, BUT THE AUTHOR’S IDENTITY MUST BE MADE KNOWN TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF). ALL LETTERS MUST BE EMAILED TO EBOARD@THESTUTE. COM. THE STUTE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO NOT PUBLISH ANY LETTER SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION. 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 THE LETTERS ARE PRINTED IN THEIR ORIGINAL, UNEDITED FORM. A DISCLAIMER WILL ACOMPANY ANY LETTER THAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE STUTE STATING THIS INFORMATION.

a school newspaper. From your first year at Stevens until your last, we’ll hope you follow us, read us, or even write for us at some point. Like our school motto, per aspera ad astra (through adversity to the stars), nothing great ever comes without much enduring, and you better believe that’s what Stevens is all about.

Your journey has just begun, and we’re rooting for you!

Mark Krupinski Senior Computational Science Two semesters. Five(ish) classes. Fifteen credits. Nine months. That’s all that stands between me and the real world — and I cannot wait.

I got my first taste of the real world this summer with an actual, corporate summer internship. I loved it. It was simple.

I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. I snoozed it and groggily woke up at 7:15. I left my room by 7:30. I got to work around 8:30 a.m., played around in Excel and other software. I left work at 4:30 p.m. and got back by 6. Nothing else to worry about.

No drama, no work, no nothing.

From my columns to SIT-TV features, from presidential campaigns to general newspaper work, I’ve been at the forefront of drama at Stevens. With topics varying from President Farvardin’s salary to Khoda to mental health issues, you heard a lot about everything. We write a lot in the paper, but there is ten times more that doesn’t make it in. It’s mentally draining thinking about, writing about, and talking about all the drama, all the time. During the summer, everything just stops. There’s nothing to worry about. I realized I was a little too invested in Stevens. A little bit too dedicated to administration gossip. A little bit too dedicated to organization drama. A little bit too.. much. I need to take a step back.

Call it senioritis, or being a beat senior, but taking a step back isn’t shirking responsibilities. I still hold leadership positions in both The Stute and Lodge; I have no plans to play a game of 52-card pickup with either one of those organizations. I love both organizations and the people in them. Taking a step back is something different: it’s realizing that once you graduate, anything that hap-

pened here doesn’t matter. It’s such a dramatic shift of mindset — and it put me to ease.

I came to a realization after speaking to someone who just graduated from Stevens. I asked if he heard about Jennifer McDonough, the woman in charge of the Alumni Office, no longer working at Stevens. Given that he is a recent alumnus, I thought he might care a little.

His response? No. He had left all his Slack workgroups and wasn’t staying “up to date” with the latest Stevens drama. He had taken a step back and seemed mentally at ease. All the drama just didn’t matter to him anymore. Stevens just didn’t matter to him anymore. I want it.

Now, going into my senior year — my last year here — I’m ready to experience that relief some more. I just need to compartmentalize, take a step back, and take breaks from Stevens.

It’s here for a little bit more, I might as well enjoy it a little bit more — but with breaks. However, I still need to secure a job for after graduation. That’s the goal for this year.

But then again, the internet (and Stevens) went down this week, so I guess there is no escaping the drama anyway. My files are safe, what about yours?

Welcome to Stevens, freshmen. Enjoy the ride.

August 16, 2019

9

Opinion Passion for Fashion

Summer of the paper bag denim

Melissa Kosar Sophomore Business and Technology Summer 2019 may have been the best yet as far as old trends coming back from the dead!

It’s certainly true that many articles of clothing or styles will become less popular with time, but with even more time, the good ones always come back.

As a true fashionista, it is so exciting to see previously popular looks sneak their way back into our wardrobes. Some pieces repeatedly prove themselves to the fashion world to be positively timeless. One in particular was back in full swing this summer.

Vintage denim high waisted shorts came back from the ’80s rebranded as the paper bag denim shorts! These shorts have been a long time coming and personally I am so eager to toss all of my old low-rise shorty shorts (questioning why I ever

bought them in the first place) and replace them with high waisted EVERYTHING. Maybe I am a little too excited about this re-emerging trend, however rightfully so since I fell in love with the paper bag denim shorts first hand.

For those who are so incredibly confused yet somehow still reading at this point, paper bag denim shorts are a sort of thicker denim that fit loosely on the body. They are high waisted and flare a little above the belt, giving them a “paper bag” feel; thus, creating the comparison to vintage high waisted shorts or “mom shorts.” The mom style typically just refers to a looser fit. The paper bag denim shorts have a slight hug at the hip but fit loosely around the leg and rise up to, or even above the belly button — making them the most perfect combination of chic and comfortable.

This summer was a romance like no other between me and these perfect shorts. I purchased mine online from Forever 21 way back in September and when I tried them on, I was filled with immediate regret because they were HUGE on me. I did however swallow the $22 and wait it out to see if maybe they grew on me (or I grew into them).

Thank goodness I did because by the time May rolled around and classes concluded, I was OBSESSED. I am not sponsored by any paper bag denim producing company by any means, but if you do not already own a

pair, I highly recommend. They are very much worth it. My PBD shorts came with me everywhere this summer. It was like the sisterhood of the traveling PBD shorts! I found them to increase my fashion game greatly, and not only that, but they are surprisingly very flattering for all body types. We all have that one pair of jeans that when we put them on, we just instantly feel like a million bucks — for me this summer, those were my PBD shorts. At first, I was nervous that they would look terrible with anything I tried to pair them with but boy was I wrong!

They went with tanks, t-shirts, body-suits, and they even looked adorable just casually paired with a bathing suit top for the beach. You could dress them up or down, making them very versatile. I always wore them with a belt and sometimes I swapped a classic leather belt for a bandana to make them even more chic. PBD shorts are definitely among my favorite purchases.

In an effort to be uniquely chic, they never let me down.

While we are unfortunately approaching the colder months and are less likely to get use of any shorts in the near future, keep your eyes peeled for sales and shorts that might go on clearance. Let’s also hope dearly that this trend does not depart us so quickly so we can all rock the PBD shorts again next summer. If they do stick around, I will need to snag tons more pairs by then!

An outfit incorporating paper bag denim shorts. Photo courtesy of Nasty Gal

Spoiler Alert

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Tristan Bacani Freshman Biomedical Engineering Spoiler Alert: Mysterio is a fake news enthusiast.

Marvel’s Phase Three ends with not the heart-wrenching blockbuster hit Avengers: Endgame but, rather, a refreshing Spider-Man movie that stays a little closer to home (and by home, I mean not outer space).

Crossing National Lampoon’s European Vacation with a classic Marvel superhero movie, director Jon Watts does well in amping the stakes while maintaining the tone of an ’80s high school movie from the previous film Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Picking up in a post “blip” world, Peter Parker, portrayed

by Tom Holland, and the gang are now five years younger than half of their fellow Midtown High classmates, which means they now go to school with people who were in seventh grade at the time of Infinity War. Peter, still dealing with the events of Avengers: Endgame, cannot

escape reminders of the death of his mentor Tony Stark a.k.a.

Iron Man, seeing memorials for him everywhere. Airports, art class, video production In Memoriams, everywhere. Fans and press even ask Spider-Man if he is “the new Iron Man.” Peter feels overwhelmed as Spider-Man, even ditching the mantle to go on a school trip to Europe and woo his crush MJ (Zendaya) and hang out with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), even though his Aunt May (Marissa Tomei) has secretly packed his suit. But the trip is interrupted on their first day in Venice when a water monster attacks, thrusting Peter back into the life of a superhero.

Peter receives a tech-filled pair of glasses, a post-mortem gift from Tony Stark, and is introduced by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Colby Smulders) to a new hero: Quentin Beck a.k.a. Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Beck is from another dimension, one where four Elementals have destroyed his Earth. He has come to save this Earth from the same fate.

But we soon learn that Mysterio is deceiving everyone. He’s no hero, just a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee.

Beck just wants the keys to the kingdom — E.D.I.T.H. (Even Dead I’m the Hero), a state-ofthe-art augmented reality drone system that lies in the hands of a 17-year-old kid — to make everyone believe he is the greatest superhero the world has ever seen. And Peter hands over this technology feeling that he is not ready for such power and trusting Beck as a new father figure.

MJ and Peter discover Mysterio’s lies, leading to an awkward

reveal to MJ that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Peter goes to Berlin to inform Nick Fury that Beck is a liar but instead is tricked by Beck’s holograms to give up the names of his friends and is hit by a train.

Peter wakes up in the Netherlands, broken down and not knowing who to trust. He calls Happy Hogan (John Favreau) to help him. Hogan, who was once Stark’s best friend, sheds some light on the situation, telling Peter not to be Iron Man but to be himself. Peter, realizing that his friends are in danger, then creates a new suit using Stark technology emulating his mentor’s movements from Iron Man. They go to London just as Beck unleashes a new “monster” to kill Peter’s friends and Nick Fury. Peter ultimately wins, as

he uses his “Peter Tingle” to outmaneuver Beck’s drones and see through the holograms. Beck, fatally injured by his own drones, tells Peter in his last words, “People need to believe, and nowadays they’ll believe anything.” Peter then kisses MJ on the London Bridge, goes home and swings into a new and happy ending… Right?

Well, we are led to believe that until the mid-credits scene where J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simons) in an InfoWars-style newscast shows doctored footage of Mysterio’s last moments that make Mysterio look like the greatest superhero in the world, and Spider-Man a menace. But he doesn’t stop there, as Spider-Man’s secret identity is revealed to the whole world as Peter Parker! This calls back to the

first-ever MCU movie Iron Man, where Tony Stark reveals he is Iron Man to the world and Spider-Man: Homecoming, where both the last words are “What the f***.” The end credits scene has more identity reveals, where it is discovered that Nick Fury and Maria Hill aren’t even themselves but Skrulls, alien shapeshifters from Captain Marvel.

The real Fury is on vacation in a spacecraft somewhere. Go figures!

At its core, Far From Home is a movie about beliefs and identity, both of which come into question in many ways. Maybe it is a warning for the new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to come or an allegory about the current news climate. But the message is clear: Don’t believe everything you see.

Photo courtesy of Den of Geek

JOIN THE STUTE: MEETINGS TUESDAY AT 9:30PM ON THE 7TH FLOOR OF THE HOWE CENTER

August 16, 2019

10

Sports GET INVOLVED WITH

FURTHER YOUR SKILLS WITH

CLUB SPORTS CLUB SPORTS OFFERED: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

archery barbell baseball bowling climbing crew golf - women ice hockey lacrosse - men lacrosse - women sailing ski and snowboard soccer - men soccer - women ultimate frisbee volleyball - men volleyball - women

VARSITY SPORTS

HOW TO GET INVOLVED All undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in club sports, regardless of experience or skill level. Club sports offer opportunities for students to continue with a sport from high school, or try something totally new. Club sports are organized but less involved than varsity sports as the coach’s role is on a part-time basis.

Students should expect a decent level of commitment and attend practices and competitions as often as possible; however, time commitments vary from sport to sport and depend on individual schedules. Some level of travel is required, including overnight trips. Club sports, as well as varsity sports, offer an alternative way to earn physical education credits and therefore avoid taking traditional gym classes. This makes them a practical way for students to stay active and fulfill their requirements without putting a large strain on their schedule.

For more information on how to get involved in a club sport, contact John Maurizi, Director of Campus Recreation, at jmaurizi@stevens.edu, or keep a look out for team representatives at various club fairs and recruitment events.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

MEN’S SPORTS: baseball basketball cross country golf fencing lacrosse soccer swimming tennis track & field volleyball wrestling

• • • • • • • • • • •

WOMEN’S SPORTS: basketball cross country fencing field hockey lacrosse soccer softball swimming tennis track & field volleyball

ON DECK IN SPORTS

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

SAT, AUG 24

Although all varsity teams offer the opportunity for students to try out for the sport, most team members were recruited.

The first step in getting involved in a varsity sport is to contact the coach of the sport you are interested in as soon as possible, as well as complete a medical and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) clearance process.

Students should expect a larger time commitment for varsity sports. Team members are required to attend all practices and competitions, unless there is an understandable conflict.

In addition to typical practices, strength and conditioning sessions are also required in and out of season. Traveling on a regular basis is also common for varsity athletes, including overnight trips. As stated above, the time commitment is offset slightly by the fact that varsity sports do count for gym requirements.

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY VS Kean University TBA Hoboken, NJ

FRI, AUG 30 WOMEN’S SOCCER VS Lebanon Valley College 2:00 p.m.

Annville, PA

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY VS Vassar College Betty Richey Tournament Poughkeepsie, NY 4:00 p.m.

Stevens’ P.E. Requirement SSI - All incoming Stevens students must complete a four semester P.E. requirement for non-academic credit. The P.E. requirement must be completed by the end of the sixth semester at Stevens. Participation in varsity sports can be used to satisfy up to three credits of the P.E. requirement. Participation in competitive club sports can be used to satisfy up to two credits of the P.E. requirement with approval from the P.E. Coordinator. Each student will register for the PE200 course of their choice.

Classes are offered in either six or twelve-week sessions.

For a full list of P.E. offerings, visit stevensducks.com.

Recreational Clubs Photos courtesy of women’s club soccer, club ice hockey, and men’s club basketball

Photos courtesy of men’s baseball, women’s basketball, and men’s swimming

INFORMATION HUB STEVENS ATHLETIC FACILITIES FITNESS CENTER

HOBOKEN FITNESS CENTERS PLANET FITNESS

Location: Schaefer Athletic Center

Location: 605 Washington Street

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

Mon - Thur Friday Saturday Sunday

6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

12 p.m. - 11 p.m.

SURYA YOGA ACADEMY

Location: Schaefer Athletic Center

Location: 618 Washington Street

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

Mon - Thur Fri Sat Sun

Walker Gym Location: Across from Davis Hall

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Location: 38 Jackson Street

DeBaun Athletic Complex Location: Behind Schaefer Athletic Center

Photos courtesy of Stevens Rec

Badminton Club

•

Ski & Snowboard Club

•

TECHnique (dance)

•

Martial Arts & Self

For more information, follow @stevensducks on instagram, or visit stevensducks.com stevensrec.com

CROSSFIT HOBOKEN Mon - Wed Thur Fri Sat - Sun

•

Photo courtesy of Alex Murtagh

Membership prices range from $23/class to $120/mo

Canavan Arena Location: Schaefer Athletic Center

Running Club

Open 24 hours 12 a.m. - 10 p.m.

7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

INDOOR POOL

GYMS & FIELDS

•

Defense Club

Membership prices: Classic: $10/mo PF Black Card: $21.99/mo

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

8:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

3: 00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

CLOSED

There are several recreational clubs on campus that offer students physical activity on a less-organized basis than club sports. Some of these clubs include but are not limited to:

5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

5 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

5 a.m. - 8 p.m.

7 a.m. - 12 p.m

Membership prices: Lowest prices start at a month to-month commitment of $199/mo *20% discount for students

Photos courtesy of Planet Fitness, Surya Yoga, and CrossFit