[The Stute] October 26, 2018 (Issue 8, Volume CXVI)

Hey Stute alum! <3 Donate to The Stute so undergrads won’t have to! thestute.com/donate

Volume CXVI Issue 8

S

THE

TUTE

@TheStute

/StevensTheStute

WE WRITE STEVENS HISTORY

Friday, October 26, 2018

/TheStute

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

The Stute Online Subscriptions You can get a PDF of The Stute sent to your email every Friday, free. Never miss a bit of news.

Visit thestute.com/subscribe TheStute.com

Facilities responds to River Terrace concerns

by ERIC LONDRES Staff Writer

The Divisions of Alumni Engagement and Development aim to receive donations from at least 10% of the current undergraduate students. Photo by Matthew Cunningham.

Admins want 10% of current undergraduates to donate

by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Webmaster

Earlier this year, the Divisions of Development and Alumni Engagement set an ambitious goal to receive donations from at least 10% of current undergraduates, which is a little over 300 students, by the end of the 2019 fiscal year, according to Brodie Remington, Vice President of Development and Alumni Engagement.

This goal, which was given to the Division of Alumni Engagement by the President’s Office, will improve Stevens’ rankings in college ranking lists, encourage outside companies to donate to Stevens,

and promote a spirit of philanthropy in students before they even graduate, according to Alexis Kenny, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, who works with young alumni and leads the effort to increase the number of undergraduates who donate to Stevens.

Administrators noticed that in recent years the percentage of current undergraduates who donate to Stevens has remained very low. According to data provided by Kenny, in fiscal year 2016, 2.25% of undergraduates, or 67 students, donated to Stevens. In fiscal year 2017, 4.07% of undergraduates — 127 students — donated, and in fiscal year 2018, 3.75% of undergradu-

Stevens administration responds to tax documents

by ERIC LONDRES Staff Writer

The Stute met with Associate Vice President for Finance Joseph Cassidy and Vice President for Human Resources Warren Petty to provide clarification and to answer questions raised in a previous article regarding Stevens’ 2016 tax returns.

According to the two officials, the salary of the President is decided by the Board of Trustees and is based on “specific goals.” Among other factors, the Board analyzes the growth of academic quality, research awards, improvements in financial rating, and the general modernization of the campus when deciding his salary. Other compensation decisions are made in consultation with Simpson, a financial services firm, which compares Stevens salaries to 30 other peer institutions.

Cassidy and Petty stressed that 2016 was an anomalous year for President Farvardin’s salary, as it included an $827,800 re-signing bonus for extending his contract an additional five years. Petty said this amount was chosen “because of the great work Farvardin has done,” in the view of the Board of Trustees.

The two officials also answered questions on some specific aspects of the tax documents.

When asked see TAX · Page 2 campus news

· page 2

Student Feature

Freshman Amy Renne writes about Professor Search.

Crossword

· page 4

Stevens Word Search

Test your Stevens pride by completing this word search!

ates — 117 students — donated.

Why few undergraduates haven’t donated to Stevens in the past is unclear, said Kenny.

But she suggested that most students either hadn’t been engaged with Stevens’ philanthropic programs before or were limited by personal financial constraints.

When students donate money — which administrators call “gifts” — the size of the donation ranges from low to high dollar amounts. “If you make a, say, $100 million dollar gift, then you did make a gift this year. But if you make a $5 gift, it counts just as much in our participation goal,” Kenny told The Stute.

By encouraging students to make donations, especially of low dollar amounts, the Division of Alumni Engagement expects that they can reach their goal of receiving donations from 10% of current undergraduates.

The 10% goal was set by Remington, who recognized that jumping from last year’s 3.75% participation rate to 10% would be challenging.

“10% seemed, to me, a high but achievable bar,” he wrote in a statement to The Stute.

“It is double or more than the past giving rate for students, but about half of the 19% goal set for alumni. There is logic to see ALUMNI · Page 2

Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations Robert Maffia has responded to inquiries by The Stute in relation to last week’s River Terrace article.

With regard to the heating and air conditioning issues experienced by residents of the buildings, Maffia stated that this is a result of an ongoing project to upgrade River Terrace’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems after last year’s bomb cyclone revealed that extant heating systems in the building were inadequate. Maffia reported that “a significant investment was made in the design and installation of more robust heating systems throughout campus since then to ensure [last winter is not repeated].” Part of this project included the replacement of River Terrace’s boiler units. The design of River Terrace’s HVAC systems necessitated a change-over period in October and April where the air conditioning units were deactivated and the heating units activated, or vice versa. This alternation is because the heating and air conditioning systems share the same pipes, and Maffia stated that this design is commonplace in buildings such as River. However, because the boilers needed to be replaced, this change-over period had to be extended and the HVAC system deactivated during the period of transition. Facilities decided to begin this period on September 1, as delaying it would have pushed the heating activation back further into November, which

Stevens Christian Fellowship Denied From Advancing to Step 3

by ANDREW KINNEY Staff Writer

“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. This passage is representative of the issues which caused the Stevens Christian Fellowship (SCF) to not advance in the New Organization Process this past Friday.

As part of its “Alignment Requirement,” their constitution cited four Bible passages — 1 Peter 5:1-7, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Galatians 5:19-26, and 1 Corinthians 6: 7-11 — as guidelines future e-board members would be required to agree to in order to be eligible for candidacy.

Prospective leaders would have also been required to sign an eight-point statement of faith in order to apply, which stated: “1. There is one eternal God,

Creator and Lord of the universe, existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of His will.

2. The Bible is the inspired Word of God in whole and in part, without error in the original documents in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

3. The value and dignity of all people: created in God’s image to live in love and holiness but alienated from God and each other because of our sin and guilt, and justly subject to God’s wrath.

4. The Lord Jesus Christ is God, who became Incarnate, through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth, lived a sinless life, voluntarily died on the cross, and rose to pay the penalty of the sins of mankind.

5. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and mankind, continually makes intercession for His own.

6. If anyone believes in Jesus Christ and receives Him as Lord and Savior, he will be forgiven of sin, declared righteous, and adopted as a son or daughter of God. 7. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world, performing in people the work of redemption, and empowering Christians to live Holy lives.

8. At the close of the age, Christ will return to judge the world and to establish the eternal Kingdom of His people.”

Concerns were raised about the Alignment Requirement at the most recent Committee of Student Interests (CSI) Meeting, as the above segments appeared to violate Undergraduate Student Life’s nondiscrimination membership policies. The line about homosexuality stuck out as the most glaring example, but the statement of faith could also be interpreted as religious discrimination under a strict reading of the policy. The Student Government Association’s Vice President of Student Interests, Dakota Van Deursen, said that the cited verses could potentially

be interpreted as “exclusive, isolationist, and/or pejorative.”

Van Deursen also expressed large amounts of confidence in the committee’s decision-making, saying, “I very much applaud the CSI for [...] how professional everything remained; no one’s feeling got in the way of anything.”

Later on, Van Deursen said that the SCF representatives who attended Sunday’s SGA Senate meeting were very receptive to all points that the Senate raised, and planned on “making it clear that some of the Bible verses they cite are merely suggestions for further reading and not mandatory ‘you need to believe this.’” The club is eligible to present again at the next CSI meeting in mid-November, but if they are denied again, they will be ousted from the New Organization Process and will need to restart at the beginning of next semester.

The Stevens Christian Fellowship did not respond to requests for comments.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has come under heavy fire from the international community over the last few weeks due to the mysterious disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was notoriously critical of the Saudi Royal family. The government of Turkey has accused

the Saudi government of assassinating Khashoggi.

Born in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 1958, Al-Jazeera called Jamal Khashoggi “one of the most prominent Saudi and Arab journalists and political commentators of his generation.” He studied in America and earned a degree from Indiana University. Over his 30year career, Khashoggi has reported for multiple staterun and privately-owned news organizations. He was

well known for covering the Middle East in the 1990s, and arguably his greatest achievement was interviewing Osama Bin Laden several times before he became the leader of Al-Qaeda. Khashoggi was a noted reformist, and was at times openly critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi moved to Washington, D.C. and continued to publish articles critical of the KSA with The Washington Post.

opinion

Jerome Dai, the Star!

· page 8

opinion

· page 7

opinion

Foreign Policy

· page 9

opinion

· page 8

opinion

· page 9

opinion

· page 8

Antiwar movement spreads among tech workers

Adidas Keeps It Cool Jacobus Heat Wars Senioritis

Facilities considered unacceptable due to low temperatures generally experienced in that month. Maffia claimed that the new heating system will be online by the end of the month. As The Stute previously reported, residents of River Terrace can acquire temporary heating units from Facilities until then by filling out a work order request.

Regarding the lack of water on October 9, which lasted most of the day, Maffia explained that there was a scheduled shut-down of the Domestic Hot Water (DHW) system for about three to four hours to facilitate the installation of a new heat exchange unit. Later, the hot water heaters lost power due to a tripped breaker. The breaker was reset and service restored about two hours after it initially broke down.

When asked about the status of the elevator, Maffia stated that there was a wiring problem in the control panel which required the elevator to be taken out of service for two days. Also, Facilities has ongoing plans to systematically replace elevators on campus, with several such replacements completed in recent years. River Terrace is, according to Maffia, scheduled for overhaul in the future.

Finally, The Stute and Maffia investigated reports of strange work orders. Two events in particular were looked at, both occurring on September 4. One event consisted of Facilities workers arriving at a resident’s dorm room to measure their windows, providing no other information. The resident was see RIVER · Page 2

Stevens Changes Athletic Conference

by MARC VITENZON Staff Writer

On October 2, Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in order to retrieve paperwork that would seal his marriage to his Turkish fiancée. He did not leave the consulate. Turkish officials confirmed that he was still inside the consulate as of the next day, but Saudi officials denied his presence inside. Later, Saudi officials claimed that Khashoggi left

In July 2019, the majority of Stevens’ athletic teams will be leaving the Empire 8 to join the Middle-Atlantic Conference, otherwise known as the MAC. The MAC is made up of two separate conferences, and Stevens will be joining the Freedom Conference.

“We are excited because the MAC is a very well-established conference with an extensive history,” said Russell Rogers, the Stevens Director of Athletics, who had significant involvement in the move to the new conference.

Stevens is no stranger to the MAC, making its return to the conference after a 42year absence. Stevens will look to continue to add to its history in the MAC and carry over its dominance from the Empire 8 to the new conference.

The change, which will affect 23 of Stevens’ 26 teams, is predominantly driven by an effort to reduce the long travel times for Stevens’ student-athletes.

“We need to travel six hours for a two-hour game; it is really time consuming,” said Eloi Pradier, a freshman tennis player at Stevens. “I am really looking forward to the change.”

The shortened travel times that will result from Stevens’

see WORLD · Page 2

see ATHLETIC · Page 2

Saudi Journalist disappears in Saudi Arabia’s Turkish consulate

by JOE DOLAN Staff Writer

Established 1904

The Stute meets every Tuesday at 9 PM on the second floor of Jacobus Hall.

Come join the team!

S

THE

TUTE We write Stevens history.

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

116th Volume

Executive Board

Editor-in-Chief Business Manager Managing Editor Outreach Chair Webmaster

Editorial Board

Copy Editor Head Photographer Systems Administrator Social Media Coordinator

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

Angelina Zaccaria Cole Yarbrough Matthew Doto Elina Tuder

Staff & Contributors Akash Rana Amy Renne Andrew Kinney Aparajita Rana Charles Zwicker Daniel Kang Eric Londres Jason Buckman John Horgan

Koby Garcia Marc Vitenzon Mathew Green Mia Hildebrant Namankita Rana Natalie Todaro Olivia Scott Rachel Stern Sarah Hoogenboom

Contact Us

Office Phone Email Office Location General Body Meetings Advertising Inquiries Mailing Address

(201) 216-3404 eboard@thestute.com Jacobus Hall, 2nd Floor Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. business@thestute.com 1 Castle Point Terrace, The Stute, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Letter to the Editor Policies 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 the Edior-In-Chief). All leters 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 all letters are printed in their original, unedited form. A disclaimer will accompany any letter that is published in The Stute stating this information.

News TAX

Continued from front page

about the nature of the “Alternative Investments” and the abnormally large regional investments in Central America and the Caribbean, Cassidy explained that Stevens invests portions of its endowment in private equity and hedge funds managed by Goldman Sachs. These investments are domiciled in Central America or the Caribbean to avoid the pass-through of United States taxes. Cassidy also stated that these hedge funds and other foreign investments related to the endowment account for the foreign corporation ownership and voting shares that the tax documents claim Stevens holds, as well as the transfer of property to foreign corporations.

When asked why Stevens lost money on fundraising events, Cassidy explained that it was partially due to how the events need to be reported to

ATHLETIC Continued from front page

transition to a new conference will provide student-athletes with a much more balanced student life. Not only will traveling to competitions become less of a hassle, but students will be able to spend more time on campus as well.

Accordingly, students will miss less classes and have more free time.

Moreover, because of an increased proximity to conference teams, families and friends of students will be able to attend more competitions, enhancing the athletic experience for them as well.

“Our longest trip right now is 6 hours; the longest trip in the MAC is going to be 3 to 3.5 hours,” Rogers said.

Further, the direct product of less time spent on the road

Corrections & Clarifications

In Issue XII, in the article regarding the Pinnacle Scholars Program, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jackie Williams’ name was spelled incorrectly.

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-inChief. Cited references of The Stute are permitted.

Copyright © 2018 The Stute

ALUMNI

Continued from front page

the number, if not ‘science.’”

Some students expressed concerns about donating to Stevens because they are uncertain of where the money will end up. However, when donating, a person has the option to choose the designation of their donation. There are currently 343 options for donators. The types of existing funds span from very specific designations — such as the “Alpha Phi Omega Term Scholarship Fund” or “WCPR Fund” — to general funds, like the Campus Sustainability Fund. Even a current senior design project, Castle Point Rocketry, has its own fund called the “Senior Design Rocket Fund.”

Whether a student donates to a student organization fund or a general Stevens slush fund, and whether the donation is as low as $1 or high as $100, it counts toward the 10% participation goal.

Kenny began her efforts to

encourage undergraduates earlier this semester. A “Student Philanthropy Committee” was formed, comprised of student leaders selected by administrators in the Division of Student Affairs.

“I hope through collaborating with existing groups and events on campus, we can get the word out about philanthropy and support projects that students want to support,” Kenny said.

More programs and events focused on encouraging current undergraduates to donate should continue to arise throughout the academic year.

“I’ve had the feedback from students,” said Kenny.

“I know the detractions and misconceptions. But our office has such strong goals to support student groups, projects, and scholarships. Yes, we have those data goals, but for me, the job is rewarding because you do make an impact when you have people support. It’s about connecting people, letting people know about causes they can be supporting.”

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 2

the IRS, but more importantly, the events are primarily meant to attract big-donor alumni. The goal is to have those alumni donate larger sums at a later date so that the school raises more in the long run.

The company “Castle Point Holdings,” which the documents claim Stevens is the whole owner of, was a group of separate entities created to enable joint ventures between Stevens and faculty, according to Cassidy; the school is currently looking to disband these entities, as they are inactive.

The revenue listed as “Technical Leadership Instruction” in the documents derives from corporate programs Stevens runs, such as on-location training programs.

As a final note, Cassidy remarked that the salary information listed in the documents is for the calendar year 2016, while the rest of the information is for fiscal year 2016, which spans July 2016 to June 2017. is an economic benefit for Stevens Athletics. Shorter trips mean less time spent in hotels and in buses, cutting costs and creating an opportunity for reinvestment, further bolstering the quality of the program.

“We didn’t want to just make a change just for change’s sake. While there was a sense of urgency, there was also a sense of ‘Let’s do it the right way, let’s find the right group of schools that make sense for all the right reasons like location, competitiveness, and the quality of the conference.’ The MAC Conference really fit all of those characteristics that we were looking for,” said Rogers on behalf of the change.

The only Stevens teams not transitioning to the MAC are the Men and Women’s Fencing Team and the Equestrian Team, which will remain in their current conferences.

WORLD

Continued from front page

the consulate through a back door, but could provide no security footage of the event.

After his disappearance, it was revealed that Khashoggi had connections to extremist Middle Eastern group the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood believes in electoralism in an attempt to bring change to the Middle East. After the Arab Spring movement, the Saudi government became openly hostile to the Brotherhood.

Many have speculated that Khashoggi’s ties to the Brotherhood could be the reason why Saudi Arabia wanted to abduct Khashoggi.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, was a personal friend of Khashoggi, and the Turkish government has been working overtime to discover the source of his disappearance. Turkish officials have claimed that they have credible evidence that a team of 15 Saudis was sent to Tur-

RIVER

Continued from front page

sleeping at the time. According to the resident, the worker entered their bedroom after they informed him of their slumber to complete the window measurement; the worker then told the resident that they could go back to sleep, and left. Maffia stated that “Most times, when we are measuring windows, it is because the window treatments are in need of replacement, which may have been the reason this time.” However, he found it particularly problematic that the worker entered the resident’s bedroom and measured their windows after being informed that the resident was asleep.

The second work order

Getting Search ‘Schwifty’

by AMY RENNE Staff Writer

Chris Search stands at the front of the classroom in his signature maroon polo shirt and straight-leg jeans. He has an athletic build reminiscent of a cross-country runner with a posture reflecting decades spent teaching physics to undergrad punks attending Stevens Institute of Technology. His eyes always seem a little tired but still fiery — most likely from staying up too late concocting a sadistic Gauss’s law question for his poor E&M class (God rest their souls).

His powerful voice tinted with a nostalgic Northeastern accent inspires attention and respect regardless of whether you’re attending one of his lectures or just having a chat over office hours. Search is iconic. He’s all your favorite mad scientists and a hopeless romantic all at once.

He bounces effortlessly from conversations about Quantum Mechanics to the Balkan Wars, the transience of the universe to the question of God. His mind is like an all-knowing enigma.

Even when asked about subjects outside his expertise, he’ll usually preface his reply with, “Now, I’m not an expert in this field but…” then will continue to blow everyone’s mind with an explanation so beautifully concise it would put Neil DeGrasse Tyson to shame.

When I first encountered this fascinating professor as a freshman, I was both frightened and inspired by his intelligence

along with his brutally honest, say-it-how-it-is attitude. I resonated with his skeptical outlook and admired how he was able to reconcile that skepticism without letting cynicism overtake him, something I was currently unable to do. In his own words, “To be a good physicist, you have to be a skeptic and maybe a bit of cynic.” I spent many hours in his office during freshman year, most visits starting with E&M questions and ending with philosophical contemplations.

As Search stood before my HST 401 class this morning, I felt like I was once again back in office hours picking his mind about everything from the origin of the universe to the political funding of science.

While many physicists possess extraordinary levels of intelligence, not many can match Search’s ability to connect with their students. Search’s academic prowess is beyond the comprehension of most people, yet I argue that it is his ability to inspire students to think critically about science and life that make him one of Stevens’ greatest professors. I came to this university already sold on physics; however, it was only because of Search’s mentorship that I have accomplished more than I could have dreamed. From understanding electromagnetism to working at CERN this summer, all of it was due to Search.

Because of his humility, I’m sure he would argue that it was my own hard work that brought me success, but work without direc-

tion doesn’t result in anything.

Search provides the direction and outlook students need to be challenged and grow.

Search’s level-headed perspective is a welcome comfort in a field which seems to be spiraling off in a thousand directions at once. Personally, I find it difficult to look at physics and not be overwhelmed by the countless theories generated every day. Search, however, seems unmoved by science’s new revelations or trendy beliefs. When asked about the future of string theory, for example, he nonchalantly replied, “We should start building churches and start saying prayers to higher dimensions,” humorously addressing the cold truth that theory is practically religion until proven otherwise. This practical skepticism is a firm foundation of his philosophy tying over into his political views. When asked about his feelings about government funding of scientific research, again his easygoing yet thoughtful approach brought both perspectives and calm to the controversial topic. He replied, “The U.S. is the least dirty shirt […] God forbid the Russians or Chinese become the policemen of the world,” insinuating that though America has its flaws, its intentions are significantly less sinister than competing powers.

As someone who is disillusioned with the military, this response addressing the flaws of the government without getting lost in pessimism is extremely admirable to me. This is yet another

key to assassinate Khashoggi while he was inside the consulate. In response to these claims, Prince Mohammed and the Saudi government have stuck to their original claim that Khashoggi left of his own free will.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have had infamously friendly relations. In 2017, the U.S. and the KSA signed an arms deal to the tune of $350 billion over 10 years. In addition, the U.S. has assisted Saudi Arabia in its blockade of Yemen, which caused a famine. Many have accused Saudi Arabia and the U.S. of being responsible for what amounts to a genocide of the people of Yemen. Because of all of this, the United States has been a focus of intense scrutiny from both domestic media and the international community. President Donald Trump has ruled out ending the arms deal with the KSA on the basis that weapons manufacturing creates jobs for American citizens.

The Jamal Khashoggi story is currently ongoing. looked at concerns about a worker from Facilities arriving at a dorm in River Terrace in response to a work order request, claiming that the towel racks in the room were broken. No such damage existed, and all four residents of the room as well as their Resident Assistant independently verified that they did not file the work order.

The resident in the room at the time was shown the work order invoice, which clearly stated their room number.

Maffia claimed that it is possible the work order was filed incorrectly, but that he and Assistant Vice President for the Division of Facilities and Campus Operations Frank LoCastro would continue to look into the issue and attempt to determine exactly what happened.

example of Search’s signature outlook: a hopeful yet realistic perspective tinged with the maturity only experience and grit can bring.

Search is an inspiration. Not only because of his impressive career in physics and astronomical intelligence, but also because of his balanced philosophy and perspective. It’s rare to find successful people who are balanced. I can’t count how many “all or nothing” attitudes I’ve seen in my CrossFit idols or Physics gods, leaving all us normal humans feeling like we’ll never have what it takes to make it to the top. Yet Search has taught me that you can put in the work without being a ball of stress 24/7. When I recently asked him how to succeed this semester after shoving my color-coordinated no-days-off calendar in his face, he replied: “you need to quit a job or two and go to sleep.” Apparently, after studying the phenomena of the universe for decades, the daily stresses of life don’t appear quite as monumental.

Search takes life for what it is — beautiful, horrible, adventurous, boring — and through it all he focuses on what’s important and works hard at what he’s good at. Which is clearly making sense of an orderless universe and bringing peace to overachieving undergrads.

I will be forever grateful to Search for his encouragement and perspective. I hope one day I can be even half the physicist and human he is.

News

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 3

ACS hosts Mole-O-Ween

by AKASH RANA Staff Writer

The American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers hosted Mole-a-Ween, a night filled with magnetic slime, blood-like paintings, pumpkin painting, treats, and giveaways. Mole-a-ween was in celebration of Mole Day, a day to celebrate Avogadro’s number, 6.022 x 10^23. Christina Puntiel, the Vice President of ACS, said that the main goal of the event was to “showcase how chemistry can be made fun and incorporated into anything.” When asked what she hoped students would take

from it, she said, “I hope people just gain a little more passion for chemistry. Hopefully it shows them it’s not that scary and you can do pretty cool things with it.” Many had a lot of fun making their own bags of magnetic slime and admiring the pumpkin paintings.

When asked about how they felt about Mole-a-Ween, some attendees said, “I’m having fun and learning!” and “It’s fun, enthusiastic, creative, and I would do it again.” Nick Thome, Public Relations Chair for ACS, said, “We just want students to come by and see that chemistry can be fun and more than just monotonous classwork.”

Students participating in Halloween themed chemistry crafts. Photos by Akash Rana

FAST celebrates Halo Halo-ween

Many students flocked to the event to taste sweet Filipino treats. Photos by Akash Rana

Campus Pulse

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 4

Roving Reporter What are you gonna be for Halloween?

“We’re too busy.”

Zach Gambacorta and Michael Arnt

“My boyfriend and I are dressing up as Timmy Turner and Trixie Tang.”

“I’m too busy studying for exams.”

Shannon Hobby

Nick Campbell

“Jay-Z and a frat boy.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet, I’m going to Target this weekend.”

“The little gremlin that lives on Stevens, I’m already in my costume.”

Ryan Nguyen

Tommy Abello

Tristan Tucker

Crossword

ACROSS 7 9

10

DOWN 1

Merged from The Bolt and The Eccentric

2

A word representing the number of student number organizations affected by the delay of the move

The month that the Alexander House was supposed to open in

3

The first move out event

4

The original Alexander House Project Manager

They have the largest record library in the State of New Jersey

5

The Stevens Newspaper since 1904

6

The current Alexander House Project Manager

8

The Second Jacobus Event that will occur during finals

The construction company responsible for the Alexander House

Fun

Friday, October 26, 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ Page 5

SEEPS Pumpkin Painting!

Friday, October 26, 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 6

The Stevens Environmental Engineering Professional Society hosted its annual pumpkin painting event on Wednesday, October 25 from 11 to 3 PM on Davis Lawn.

Photos by Olivia Scott At the event, students could paint pumpkins and participate in a pumpkin painting contest! There was a variety of paints and colors allowing for students to get creative and also get a break from midterms.

Prizes for winning students were specially prepared Halloween buckets with kingsized candy bars. There was also sandwiches and beverages served for students from the Stevens catering service, Compass One.

Opinion

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 7

The Stute Editorial

Heat drama Jacobus is the center for a lot of student involvement, from storage spaces to meeting spaces. For me, it is the place where I spend many hours of my week, from Tuesday meetings to the hourslong Thursday night layout.

When the building is freezing and people are sitting in their jackets, you know something is wrong.

All of us here in Jacobus are used to the mice and bugs — it’s just a part of life here in Jacobus. (The amount of bug blood I have on my hands is too much.) The thought of

where all these bugs are going to go when the building is torn down is a bit too scary to think about. Yet, I don’t remember ever having to complain about the building being too cold. Usually, it is the opposite.

Hopefully, when this is published, the heat in Jacobus will have been restored.

However, I have heard about and experienced too many heating problems to not speak up.

I understand that facilities is currently working on improvements, such as in River

Terrace, where they are getting new boilers. The Jonas heat has finally been turned on. Personally living in Jonas, that situation is extra frustrating. I have been complaining about the heat for what feels like months. I have submitted work orders and have talked to my supervisors in Residence Education. I have endured extremely cold temperatures in my room (it honestly felt as cold as it was outside).

And only now has the heat finally turned on. Even then, it’s not hot. It is just warm enough. Then, I have resi-

dents complaining that it is too hot in their rooms. Something doesn’t add up here. In this case, facilities is aware and is trying to regulate the temperature at a comfortable level. However, the frustrating thing is that I only know this information as an RA. Jacobus, Jonas, and River are not unique buildings. I constantly hear about heat troubles, even in academic buildings. It feels like the school is being reactive to situations, instead of being proactive. I understand that sometimes funding is a

problem, as is not even being aware of the situation. However, there is no organized and effective way for residents and students to voice their concerns. A lot of people feel their concerns drift away in the wind.

I understand that Jacobus is a building that is going to be torn down soon. Yet, it is still being utilized, and it is being utilized frequently. It should not be an afterthought that heat is turned on.

There needs to be an open line of communication. If people are complaining about

heat or something else, a response that it is being looked into would be nice. An update on the situation would be nice. Yes, this is a lot of work, but in the end, it will prevent repetitive work orders and angry students.

Maryia Spirydonava Editor-in-Chief

Scientific Curmudgeon

Antiwar movement spreads among tech workers

by JOHN HORGAN CAL Professor

Resistance to U.S. militarism seems to be spreading in the tech industry. The New York Times reports that at “Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce, as well as at tech start-ups, engineers and technologists are increasingly asking whether the products they are working on are being used for surveil-

lance in places like China or for military projects in the United States or elsewhere.”

As I discussed a few columns back, last spring, Google employees protested its involvement in a military program called Maven, which harnesses artificial intelligence for identifying targets. Google announced that it would not seek a renewal of its Maven contract.

A more recent focus of protest is a $10 billion program called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud, or JEDI, which calls for collecting military data in a cloud system. JEDI is thought to play a key role in the Pentagon’s ambitions to incorporate artificial intelligence into its operations.

According to Bloomberg, Google decided not to pursue the JEDI contract for two reasons. First, Google

does not have the required classification clearances, a spokesperson explained, and second, the company “couldn’t be assured that [JEDI] would align with our AI Principles.” According to The New York Times, Google’s principles prohibit use of its AI software “in weapons as well as services that violate international norms for surveillance and human rights.”

Employees of Microsoft, which is bidding on JEDI, have urged the company to withdraw from the project.

In an open letter, the protesters quote a Pentagon official acknowledging that JEDI “is truly about increasing the lethality of our department.” The protesters state: Many Microsoft employees don’t believe that what we build should be used for waging war. When we decided to work at Microsoft, we were doing

so in the hopes of “empowering every person on the planet to achieve more,” not with the intent of ending lives and enhancing lethality. For those who say that another company will simply pick up JEDI where Microsoft leaves it, we would ask workers at that company to do the same. A race to the bottom is not an ethical position.

Meanwhile, more than 100 engineering students at Stanford and other schools released a letter pledging that they will: First, do no harm.

Refuse to participate in developing technologies of war: our labor, our expertise, and our lives will not be in the service of destruction…

Abstain from working for technology companies that fail to reject the weaponizing of their technology for military purposes. Instead, push our companies to pledge to neither participate in nor support the

development, manufacture, trade or use of autonomous weapons; and to instead support efforts to ban autonomous weapons globally. [You can find the pledge at https:// petitions.moveon.org/sign/ students-pledge-to-refrain.]

I applaud the moral clarity and courage of the tech protesters. As I have stated previously, the U.S. is by far the most warlike nation on earth, and its military ambitions seem to be growing. The U.S. spends more on arms and armies than the next seven biggest spenders combined, and it has been at war nonstop since 2001. The U.S. is involved in counter-terror operations in 76 nations.

U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have resulted in the direct (bombs and bullets) or indirect (displacement, disease, malnutrition) deaths of more than

Senioritis

The Illusion of Individual Knowledge

by NAMANKITA RANA Senior Engineering Management Major

Hubris always seems ridiculous, until it’s our own.

So here’s mine: I think I know everything. Honestly.

What I don’t know, I assume I can look up or figure out, somehow. Basically, when others offer assistance of some sort, it’s almost always a “No thank you, I can figure it out on my own, thanks!” kind of deal. I value self-reliance over all else, and primarily trust my own judgment, however flawed it might be.

And until recently, I didn’t realize how damaging that mindset was for me — or how limiting.

I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks this way — most people overestimate their understanding of the world at large. Our brains are just wired to have a

high-level understanding of things, but not a whole ton of depth. There was a social experiment run that proved just this: random people were asked if they knew how a zipper worked, and most people confidently said yes. They were then further pressed to explain just how a zipper does what it does, and most fell flat or then admitted their understanding of the exact mechanics of it all was limited. Individual knowledge of even the simplest things can be remarkably shallow, not necessarily because people are shallow, but because humans tend to just process things at a need-toknow basis and move on.

This hidden lack of awareness is compounded further by the fact that, thanks to the Internet, we have more

necessarily synonymous.

This is where group intelligence comes in, i.e., power in numbers — the idea that real knowledge accumulates over time, with lots of people, and with successive generations. It comes, verily, from the saying, ‘standing on the shoulders of giants.’ It’s the way knowledge advanced during the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and every other significant period of advancement in human history.

Group intelligence is a new concept to me, but one that, as of late, I find absolutely fascinating.

Society celebrates individuals, but the truth is amazing things happen in groups.

Rounding towards the end of my time here, it feels that, in a sense, I’m sort of done with gathering my

“Society celebrates indivduals, but the truth is, amazing things happen in groups.”

- Namankita Rana, Senioritis Columnist

access to information now than ever before. However, having the knowledge and having access to that knowledge are not

own individual knowledge.

For once in my life, I’m now really excited to learn from others and see just where that might take me.

Join The Stute - no puns this time

1.1 million people, most of them civilians, according to the Costs of War project. Last year alone, U.S. and allied airstrikes in Syria and Iraq killed 6,000 civilians, according to The Washington Post.

Blogging on Google’s decision not to participate in Maven, I expressed the hope that Google’s “act of moral leadership could catalyze a vigorous conversation about U.S. militarism--and about how humanity can move past militarism once and for all.”

If recent reports are any indication, that long overdue conversation may be beginning. Now if only we can get our politicians to listen.

John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings, which is part of the College of Arts & Letters. This column is adapted from one originally posted on his Scientific American blog, “Cross-check.”

Opinion Continued

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 8

Passion for Fashion

Adidas keeps it cool

by DANIEL KANG Sophomore Biomedical Engineering Major

The Trefoil brand cooks up another quarter chock full of coveted kicks and will likely end 2018 on a strong note.

Without a doubt, the collaboration between classic manga/anime series Dragonball Z and footwear giant Adidas was always going to draw a lot of attention. This weekend, the Adidas Deerupt “Son Gohan” and Adidas Prophere “Cell” will drop for $100 and $150, respectively. The boxes combine to form a mural of the major Dragonball Z characters (Son Goku vs Frieza, Son Gohan vs Cell, Vegeta vs Majin Buu, and Shenron the Dragon) fighting each other in the ultimate showdown.

Each key character will come with its own shoe: Son Goku’s Adidas ZX 500 (released in September), Frieza’s Adidas Yung-1 (released in September), Son Gohan’s Adidas Deerupt, Cell’s Adidas Prophere, Vegeta’s Adidas Ultra Tech (releasing in November), Majin Buu’s Adidas Kamanda (releasing in November), and Shenron the Dragon’s Adidas EQT Support ADV Primeknit (releasing in December).

Even if you are not a die hard DBZ fan, I think you can appreciate the attention to detail for this collection. Every special edition sneaker here comes with a throwback to the character’s trademark color scheme or reference to a physical characteristic.

I would say these shoes are ready to go Super Saiyan and head into battle.

First unveiled in 2017, the next generation performance footwear technology Futurecraft 4D saga continued with the release of the Daniel Arsham Futurecraft 4D, concluding the trilogy of Past, Present, and Future with contemporary artist and cofounder of design firm Snarkitechture, Daniel Arsham through Adidas

technology. His interest in archaeology and cultural artefacts informs most of his work, with the 4D shoe being no exception. Arsham’s work involves repurposing familiar objects from the present into the future as historical relics. Arsham’s short film series, Hourglass, also marked its conclusion and served as an official introduction to the sneakers through its partfictional, part-documentary format. The light green tonal Arsham sneakers reveal a hidden message ‘FUTURE’ that can only be seen in UV light. Daniel Arsham previously released a New York Past (rubber outsole) and New York Present silhouette (Boost outsole) in 2017 but the cutting edge 4D silhouette is definitely my favorite of the three. The 4D shoe also came packaged inside a sealed box containing special Daniel Arsham Studio gloves, socks, and a bag.

So far, Y-3 (Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto’s joint collaboration with Adidas), Invincible (Taiwan streetwear and sneaker boutique), Sneakersnstuff (Swedish retailer also known as SNS), Footpatrol (London

Daniel Arsham Futurecraft 4D | Adidas.com

Adidas Dragonball Z, | @baitme Instagram sneaker store) have released 4D shoes. Kith (retail store and brand based in NYC) will soon release its version of the 4D shoe on November 2nd. The Kith iteration riffs on the ski-inspired Aspen, Colorado Adidas Ultraboost Mid collaboration released two years ago in 2016. There was even a pop-up store in Aspen designed by Kith and Snarkitechture celebrating outdoor recreation and the launch of the first Adidas Ultraboost Mid ever with multiple sportswear brands such as Capita, Columbia, New Era, Timberland, Tumi, Union, and more.

The Kith collaboration is apparently the last of the Adidas Consortium 4D series although 4D technology will probably be infused in more silhouettes. Adidas already released an Futurecraft 4D “Ash Green”, Futurecraft 4D “Ash Green White”, an Alphaedge 4D shoe in black and then white and the Futurecraft 4D I-5923 as part of the Never Made pack first revealed at Hypebeast’s Hypefest. There are already rumors of an Adidas 4D Run that will be available in 3 colorways in all sizes that

will retail for $300. Adidas continues to test the limits of high end 3D printing by producing sneaker midsoles that are both lightweight and durable, crafted with advanced Carbon Digital Light Synthesis technology. Retail prices for these shoes have not been cheap, ranging between $300 and $525. Despite the prices, consider yourself lucky if you do manage to buy a pair since these are still only available in extremely limited quantities.

The upcoming Adidas and Game of Thrones collaboration seems to be a potential hit as this could be a way to attract casual folks who are enthusiastic about the award winning TV show. The Game of Thrones and Adidas shoes will be comprised of several Ultraboosts that will represent the different clans in Westeros: The Night’s Watch, House Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen, House Lannister, House Stark, and last but not least, the White Walkers. This pop culture crossover is sure to be a hit with both sneakerheads and fans of the series.

The Game of Thrones and Adidas partnership will drop in early 2019, coinciding with

the eighth and final season of the blockbuster HBO series.

For next year, expect a lot of new silhouettes from the German lifestyle company. I think Boost technology (first released 5 years ago) has gotten boring but 4D seems to be the future for Adidas. Boost is not even Adidas’ own proprietary technology; they pay a certain amount to BASF (German chemical company) for permission to use the technology. Obviously, being dependent on another company’s technology is never a good thing. It was only a matter of time before Boost fell out of relevance so I am glad to see Adidas experimenting with 4D technology and surprising collaborations. I am not a huge fan of Adidas but I am curious to see where the brand goes and how it will impact the sneaker culture after overtaking Jordan Brand in sales last year in the United States, which industry insiders thought would never happen. While Kanye West and Pharrell Williams are the most visible representatives of the brand, they only make up a small portion of overall sales. Competition is always good for the culture.

Spoiler Alert

Bad Times at the El Royale

by KOBY GARCIA Senior Visual Arts and Technology Major

If you find yourself needing a break from the played out and predictable “good people vs. bad people” mystery/thriller movies, stay for a night at the luxurious El Royale, right on the border of Nevada and California!

Writer/Director of Cabin in the Woods (2012), Drew Goddard, delivers once again with a subverting and exciting story in the form of Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) — a uniquely told mystery film with a stellar cast.

Bad Times at the El Royale takes place in the late ‘60s and follows a band of characters with complicated backstories as they all hap-

pen upon the same motel on the same night. The motel used to be grandiose and popular but since losing their gambling license, it’s become near abandoned and has only one remaining concierge, Miles Miller (played

by Lewis Pullman). Right off the bat, Miles Miller warns Father Daniel Flynn (played

by Jeff Bridges) that the El Royale is “not a place for a priest.” Later, it is revealed that each of the rooms in the motel has a one-way mirror, and Miles Miller is asked to watch, and even film, certain guests that come through the motel. As the audience learns more about each of the characters, it’s difficult to decide who to root for and who to root against (for example, Father Daniel Flynn is only posing as a priest and is actually a former criminal). The best example of this is Laramie Seymour Sullivan (played by Jon Hamm), who comes off as a racist and arrogant salesman who just won’t shut up but is later revealed to actually be Dwight Broadbeck, an officer/family man who is performing an investigation on the El Royale. Similarly, Emily Summerspring (played

A scene from Bad Times at the El Royale | Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

by Dakota Johnson) is introduced as abrasive and possibly a kidnapper but is later revealed to have a soft spot for her sister, who she is trying to save. The only character that is easy to root for and seems most normal is Darlene Sweet (played by Cynthia Erivo) who is a backup singer with a beautiful voice trying to make it on her own.

Many scenes are left as cliffhangers before cutting

to another moment, and at multiple points throughout the film, we are shown the same scene a second time, but from the perspective of another character. Watching all of the character interactions unfold in this way creates an “edge of your seat” feeling for almost the entirety of the 2 hours and 21 minutes of movie. The overall suspenseful and unpredictable nature of the film is def-

initely present from start to finish. However, there are a handful of scenes that go on for a little too long and other scenes that are focused on or retold that don’t seem incredibly important. This hinders the pacing of the movie and takes up time that could have been utilized building up Billy Lee (played by Chris Hemsworth), an amusing yet intimidating cult leader. The film subverts expectations

left and right, and predicting what is about to happen next is near-impossible (right until the last 20 minutes). Although I wanted the film’s characters and message to be a bit stronger conceptually, it’s definitely worth a watch. Don’t try too hard to predict any of the characters’ motivations or the motel’s mysteries; just be sure to sit back, relax, and enjoy your stay at the El Royale.

Opinion Continued

Friday, October 26, 2018 • Page 9

Campus Conservative

Campus Liberal

Foreign policy front and center

Outraged? I’m barely surprised.

by ALEX MURTAGH Junior Civil Engineering Major

With the midterm election cycle coming to a close, it’s important for Republicans and Democrats to make their best efforts to convince the American people that they should be in charge. A large part of what will convince people to vote is foreign policy. Recently, there have been a number of foreign policy issues facing the nation which have taken control of the mainstream media’s news cycles. From constant threats like North Korea and Iran to more unique situations like the Central American migrant caravan and the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, let’s take a look at these issues from both angles.

In the long term, nothing has really changed much over the past few months. North Korea and Iran have remained fairly quiet. North Korea is supposedly working to dismantle its nuclear testing sites but has yet to allow any international inspectors in to check the sites. However, based on comments from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, it appears that talks between the U.S., South Korea, and North Korea continue to improve.

At this point, all Trump has to

do is keep China in check so North Korea is forced to follow through on its commitments.

On the Iranian front, things aren’t looking great. Although President Trump has ripped up the flawed Iran nuclear deal, sanctions have yet to be reinstated on the rogue nation. Iran is continuing to develop nuclear weaponry, and they get closer by the day. In order to stop this, the U.S. must enact sanctions without delay; an additional nuclearized state is never a good thing for the world.

For the short term, there are many conflicting reports, but I’m going to do my best to make some sense out of both situations. As for the migrant caravan that started in Honduras, some reports say the numbers have dwindled as the caravan moves through Mexico, whereas others say the number continues to swell. Many reports say that there are people from the Middle East as well as human traffickers mixed in with the group. Any way you look at this situation, it’s not good. The way Trump is handling the situation now is pretty good. He is working to cut aid to countries that allowed the caravan to pass through, thereby projecting U.S. strength and putting his money where his mouth is. In addition, he already said that the military will be present to intercept the caravan and prevent what is essentially an invasion. Now I know many people will say that calling this an invasion is heartless and wrong, but that doesn’t change the fact that this caravan of people is coming here illegally and trying to skip the line consisting of thousands of people trying to get here legally.

Right now, this a winning issue

for Republicans as Democrats have remained unusually silent on the issue.

As for the situation with the murder of Khashoggi, this is a very difficult situation to handle. On one hand, we must support freedom of the press both at home and around the world.

On the other, we don’t want to ruin our alliance with Saudi Arabia and bolster the unstable Turkish government. The Saudis have denied his murder and changed their story on multiple occasions, but just today, the state-run news source of Saudia Arabia said that the murder of Khashoggi was premeditated. With all of this, President Trump now has to make what is, in my opinion, the toughest decision of his presidency.

Will he believe the Saudis and their bad cover-up or will he side with the free press and the Turkish government? Either way, there will be consequences he will have to face.

Overall, Trump has a good handle on foreign affairs on the world stage, but he’s not perfect by any means. His work with North Korea is positive, but his work with Iran could be better. His handling of immigration is good, but his handling of the murder of Khashoggi wasn’t great. The man still has a lot to learn after almost two years since being elected, but to be fair, there has never been a perfect president, nor is it realistic for anyone to ever expect the president to do everything exactly right. Considering all of this, from a conservative perspective, I give Trump a B+ on his foreign policy work, so there is clearly still a significant amount of room for improvement.

by MATTHEW DOTO Junior Computer Science Major

This is an administration that has tried to ban transgender troops from serving in the military. This is a country with less than 60% voter turnout in general elections. Marriage equality was only made law three-and-ahalf years ago. We have fake news, an elected idiot, and two corrupt major political parties. Police have allowed hate crimes against transgender people for years. But ‘Brutus is an honorable man.’

The Trump administration is trying to erase the existence of transgender people.

Am I outraged? No... That is America, land of the free.

The above paragraph, some of you may recognize, is adapted from a speech given by fictional press secretary C.J. Cregg in the 19th episode of the third season of the superb television show The West Wing. The speech’s original content pertained to Saudi Arabia allowing 17 women to burn with their schoolhouse because they weren’t wearing the proper clothing to go outside. It struck a chord

for me when I realized that I truly wasn’t surprised when news broke that the Trump administration might try to remove protections for transgender people under Title IX, a move against years of court rulings and Obama-era policy that allowed such protections.

I’m not surprised because the only time the religious right (somehow Trump’s base, though that’s a discussion for another time) cares about “””science””” is either (a) when it ‘proves’ Jesus was real or (b) when it says that genetics determine gender and that that means there are only two.

Back in reality, of course gender is separate from two measly chromosomes.

The best argument I’ve found against XX/XY = Female/ Male is complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, or CAIS. This syndrome causes people with XY genotype to present a phenotype typical of XX, or what is associated with women (vaginas, enlarged breasts, etc.). Many, if not most, when they discover that they have this condition, retain their female identity. They don’t think, “Oh, I guess I’m a man now” — they are women if they identified as such beforehand.

This is a plain example of gender identity being completely separate from X/Y chromosomes and gonads.

Whether protections for transgender citizens are provided through Title IX or not in the future (an idea that can be argued, certainly), the Trump administration is working to re-

move the protections from Title IX without providing a replacement program.

This move simply cannot be allowed. We have worked too hard for too long to let such a ridiculous step backward take effect. Transgender Day of Remembrance is less than a month away.

It is a day observed with vigils and readings of a list of names belonging to transgender people killed in hate-motivated crimes in the last year. In 2017, there were more than 250 people named. Lives ended because the world still isn’t ready to accept us. I’m not surprised that the Trump administration is making its bed with bigots and murderers. I’m not outraged.

I’m so far beyond outrage.

Usually I’d try to find and provide a reasoned argument against my position, and point out why it’s wrong. There are no such arguments. Removing these protections is plainly and simply wrong. To learn why, befriend a transgender person. Try to understand them and their experiences. I myself am actually agender — a non-binary gender identity, or rather a lack thereof. My time hasn’t come yet, and I know that. But removing the protections for trans people in the binary is a step backwards for all of us. Hell, if you have questions, my mailbox is always open: mdoto@ stevens.edu. Educate yourselves, learn that we exist. #WeWontBeErased

Stars of Stevens

I solemnly swear that…Jerome is a Star!

by MIA HILDEBRANDT Senior Civil Engineering Major

Jie Dai, also known as Jerome, is a fourth year Electrical Engineering student.

He is from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, and left his hometown at the age of 18 to come to the United States to attend college at Stevens. On campus, Jerome is involved with the Stevens Orchestra and Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS). In his free time, he enjoys playing music, singing, and doing theater.

Thinking back to his freshman year, Jerome remembers being amazed by the vast number of clubs at Stevens.

In addition to being heavily involved with the performing arts on campus, Jerome is also a part of professional organizations like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). Three weeks ago, Jerome was in

Chicago for the SASE national conference. From this experience, Jerome explains that he has “obtained so much experience about career development from different workshops and the career fair.” He adds that, “as an international student, I feel so much love from all the friendly people I met from different clubs and classes. I have made so many friends throughout the four years I have been at Stevens.”

At the age of 13, Jerome started to play the flute, and he really enjoyed it, especially getting to playing music that he loves listening to.

In addition to having played flute for the past eight years, Jerome has also learned to play the piccolo in both the orchestra and the concert band. Even though the piccolo has similar fingerings to the flute, it is difficult to control the volume and play high notes. “Fun fact: the piccolo can hit C7 which is the rightmost note on the piano,” Jerome explains. “I have to wear earplugs while practicing the piccolo,” and he adds that, “Yes, I am the one who is truly complaining the piccolo is too loud, but I still love piccolo.”

Enjoying playing music depends on certain things — one of them being the music being played. Jerome says that once he started playing

the flute, he made a point to always play some music that he really loved listening to, and that that this makes him happy and helps him relax after studying. This repertoire ranges from Harry Potter to the Game of Thrones theme.

He adds that as a member of the orchestra, he has discovered that playing music in a musical ensemble also develops a lot of teamwork because it is all about putting all the sounds from different instruments together.

As an international student, Jerome expresses how much music means to him in being able to communicate with others. He claims that, “Music has no boundary.” When Jerome came to the United States to attend college, language was a barrier. Seeking to branch out, Jerome joined the orchestra during the first week of his freshman year.

Having never been in an orchestra before, Jerome adds that at the time, “everything was difficult for me, and I had trouble understanding the conductor due to all the musical terminology, but through all the friendly people I met in the orchestra, I learned so much more about the orchestra.” Jerome discloses that, “music is an art without words, and it is the same to all of us. It serves as a bridge called friendship between me and the United States stu-

dents.” Jerome voices that through his playing music with others, he has made so many wonderful friends.

Jerome states that Telly Leung, one of the few AsianAmerican actors and singers that got a lead role on Broadway, has inspired him to follow his dreams. Another individual who inspires Jerome is Andy Mientus who is known for starring in the musical Spring Awakening. Jerome declares that, “He is such a talented person because he is not only an actor and singer, but he is also a writer.” Jerome adds, “I met him last Tuesday for the new book he just published called The Backstagers and the Ghost Light.”

Jerome’s favorite song is “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked.

“I always listen to this song when I feel frustrated because the lyrics and the story behind the song always inspires me to follow my dreams.” One of his favorite lyrics is “everyone deserves a chance to fly.”

My next goal is to be a part of a musical, which will soon be realized next semester.

Last spring, Jerome pursued his passion for theater by joining the Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS) in the production of Spring Awakening as a general crew member.

Jerome asserts that SDS as

Jie Dai, also known as Jerome, is pictured above posing Photo Courtesy of Mia Hildebrant a club made him feel like a member of one big family.

As a true Harry Potter fan and proud Hufflepuff, Jerome shares his favorite quote from the books: “The ones that love us never really leave us.

And you can always find them in here [heart].”

-Sirius Black, from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Don’t miss these upcoming performances:

SDS: Peter and the Starcatcher Thursday 11/8 at 9 p.m.

Friday 11/9 at 8 p.m.

Saturday 11/10 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Stevens Orchestra: Fall Concert Saturday 11/17 at 8 p.m.

Stevens Concert Band: Fall Concert Saturday 12/1 at 8 p.m.

Stevens Choir: Fall Concert Saturday 12/8 at 8 p.m.

Sports

Friday, October 26 2018 • Page 10

Ten’s Zen! Women’s Soccer tops WestConn 4-1 for 10th straight victory

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Friday WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL @ John Hopkins University 7 p.m.

Baltimore, MD

n

Saturday SSI - Goals from four different players powered the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s soccer team to its 10th straight victory with a 4-1

triumph over Western Connecticut State University Tuesday in a non-conference fixture at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

Junior Gabby Saade opened scoring in the eighth minute with a pretty goal, chipping the ball over the head of Western Connecticut goalkeeper Karly Martin for her third marker of the year. Seniors Misha Brewster and Olivia Butera also found the back of the net for Stevens, as did freshman Ally Wanzor, as the Ducks improved to 12-2.

The program’s all-time record for consecutive victories is 14, set during the 2005 season.

WestConn’s Lucy Daniels recorded her fourth of the season

in the 64th minute to spoil the clean sheet bid. The Colonials fell to 11-8 and have dropped two straight. Dating back to the 2003 season, the Ducks are

6-3-3 against their foes from the Little East Conference.

Freshman Izzy DiDario did not see a shot in earning her 10th win of the season. Sophomore Erika McCarthy relieved the Scotch Plains, New Jersey native at halftime and made three saves to fall one shy of a career best. Martin allowed two goals and made a pair of saves for the Colonials in 45 minutes of action.

Pivotal Point An aggressive Stevens broke through a second time to provide a comfortable margin.

Butera lofted a ball into the 18-yard box, where junior Julia Panko stepped in front of a

Western Connecticut back and pushed the ball towards the goal.

The guests briefly reclaimed possession before Brewster

stepped in front of the clearing attempt and buried the ball into the open net.

Inside the Numbers Stevens outshot Western Connecticut 24-10, including an 11-4 margin in shots on net.

WestConn’s Alexis Lainchbury recorded a match-high five saves in the second half.

Saade and Brewster each recorded five shots to lead all players. The duo also accounted for four shots on net. Lucy Daniels fired four shots to lead the Colonials.

The Ducks outearned the Colonials 6-3 in corners.

In addition to her second-half goal, Butera recorded the assist

Equestrian Takes Fifth at Marist Show SSI - The Basics The lead: Freshman Katie Sorber and senior Nadia Hoellrigl each earned first place finishes in Novice Fences and Novice Flat, respectively, to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology equestrian team to a fifth-place finish Sunday at the Marist Show to open the 2018-19 season.

Location: Crosswinds Equestrian Center - Lagrangeville, New York Short Story: In her first collegiate event, Sorber finished first in the Novice Fences and took third in Novice Flat to help Stevens total 18 points. Hoellrigl earned first in the Novice Flat in the as the Ducks earned multiple victories in the Marist Show to kick off the 2018-19 season. Centenary University won the team event with 47 points to finish first among the nine competing schools.

Top Finishers Senior Saarah Mohammedi took fifth in Open Fences and a reserve finish in Open Flat.

Sophomore Madeline Hutchinson took a reserve finish in the

on Saade’s strike in the eighth minute.

DiDario lowered her Empire 8-leading goals against average to 0.515.

Over Stevens’ last two matches, seven different players have recorded a goal.

Tonight’s match was the final non-conference match of the 2018 season. The Ducks concluded non-conference play with a 5-2 record.

Unsung Heroes Very aggressive play by Stevens in the attacking third combined with a tight back line held Western Connecticut without a shot in the first half.

From the Sidelines “Important result for our group tonight. Thought we were full tilt early on and didn’t let our opponents find any type of rhythm.”

Stevens Sports Information

“Not the easiest time for a tough out-of-conference contest, but I thought our group found a way to grind out a result.”

“We were not at our best in the second half and Western Connecticut was able to score the late goal and put us under a little more pressure.”

“We’ll have to be sharp for 90 minutes on Saturday when Utica rolls in with still much to be decided in the Empire 8 Conference race in terms of seeding. We’ve got to be ready.”

Up Next Stevens welcomes Utica College to the DeBaun Athletic Complex for the 2018 regularseason finale.

The four-member senior class will be honored in a prematch ceremony.

VS TBA 8 a.m.

Philadelphia, PA

WRESTLING

VS White and Red Wrestle Offs 10 a.m.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY VS Empire 8 Invitational 11 a.m.

Alfred, NY

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL @ Stevenson University 11 a.m.

Stevenson, MD

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY VS Empire 8 Invitational 11 a.m.

Alfred, NY

MEN’S SOCCER

VS Utica College 11 a.m.

FIELD HOCKEY

VS The Sage Colleges 2 p.m.

Stevens Sports Information

Walk-Trot event.

Freshman Natasha Collett earned second in Walk-Trot Center to round out the Stevens competitors. It was the Wall, New Jersey native’s first collegiate event.

From the Stables “We are so proud of the team for maintaining good spirit and hopes, while we had two of our members out and no one competing in an entire division. I am espe-

cially proud of our two new team members who did such a great job [at] their first IHSA show! We are excited to compete for the very first time at SUNY New Paltz’s stables next weekend and hope to

keep up the success.” - senior Nadia Hoellrigl Up Next Stevens returns to competition on Oct. 6 for the New Paltz Show at the Lucky C Stables.

Duck Country Scoreboard Date

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/20 10/21 10/23

Women's Swimming Men's Swimming Equestrian Men's Soccer Women's Volleyball Men's Golf Women's Soccer Field Hockey Women's Volleyball Field Hockey Women's Soccer Field Hockey

@ University of Bridgeport @ University of Bridgeport VS Army Show @ Nazareth College VS Elmira College VS Stevenson Fall Invitational @ Elmira College @ St. John Fisher College @ St. John Fisher College VS Elmira College

93-107 71-133 16 2-0 3-0 321 5-0

L L 4th W W 1st W L

10/24

WOMEN’S FENCING

VS Western Connecticut State VS William Paterson University

2-3 3-2 7-0 4-1 2-1

W W W W

Stevens Sports Information

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