[The Stute] September 6, 2019 (Issue 1, CXVII)

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Volume CXVII Issue 1

September 6, 2019

Established 1904

Where Lime Scooters come to die

Hoboken Mayor officially launches Vision Zero campaign

By JONAH KRAMER RICHARDS Since Lime electric rental scooters were first introduced in Hoboken in May, they have picked up popularity much faster than their maximum speed of 14.8 mph. Whether you have seen them being ridden along the water on Sinatra Drive or rented one yourself, the estimated 21,500 unique riders paying $1 to unlock a scooter and 29 cents per minute to zip through the city show that these are widely popular in the area (at least for tourists and students).

However, there is one place that does not tolerate these scooters whatsoever, and that is the Stevens campus.

Lime scooters are strictly not allowed anywhere on campus, and Stevens is blacked out from the Lime app’s map entirely. Scooters will not work once they are parked on campus and, as this means that Lime will not make any money from these scooters, they are removed quickly.

A student seen riding on campus will receive warnings, and eventually be reported to the Dean of Students. It may seem that these rules are strict and limiting student mobility, but electric scooters are a major safety concern on campus. Because of the high volume of pedestrians, and narrow walkways due to construction, it is a “safety risk” to allow scooters, according to Director of Traffic Demand Management Luke Hansen, and the school could be held liable if someone was injured in a scooter-related accident while on campus or passing through.

While the scooters may not be allowed on campus, they are still al-

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Dr. Dilhan Kalyon appointed as new Interim Vice Provost

By JOANA FARDAD

Photo courtesy of Insider NJ

The Power of Stevens: Still positive after $10 million loss

By DAKOTA VAN DEURSEN On May 24, 2019, the Stevens community received an announcement detailing updates to the new academic center under construction at the corner of 6th and Hudson. A hidden surprise lay in the text of the email: The Gianforte Family Foundation has reconsidered their controversial second $10 million gift.

“It was a pledged commitment just in the way that a lot of donors make commitments […] [it] enables a donor to reach a larger total toward a project,” says Dawn da Silva, Associate Vice President for Development.

Since 2013, her office has managed The Power of Stevens, an ambitious capital campaign.

The Foundation alone helped Stevens raise $20M of the campaign’s original $150M goal. The Summer 2018 campaign newsletter boasted a new target, reflective of the booming success: “$200 million by 2020.”

Despite the recent change, da Silva remains positive. “Losing this $10 million gift for the campaign… is not good. Losing one very special gift: you feel that, but there is still an upward trajectory.” She cites the pride that an ever-growing alumni

Dr. Dilhan Kalyon has been appointed the new Interim Vice Provost for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Kalyon has served as a professor at Stevens in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science as well as in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He is taking the place of the previous Vice Provost for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mohammad Dehghani, who began his term in August 2013 and is now moving on to serve as the Chancellor for Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Kalyon received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in 1975, before proceeding with graduate studies at McGill University to obtain his Ph.D. and Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering by 1980.

Kalyon stresses the importance of lab safety, saying that, “For research involving laboratories obtaining proper training and then obeying the rules are absolutely essential; not doing so can lead to endangering [your]self or colleagues in the lab or the destroying of research equipment.”

Dr. Kalyon began working at Stevens in 1980 as an instructor in the International Programs Office, and by 1999 had become an institute professor. He has over 170 refereed journal publications, and has been awarded the International Research

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body feels for their alma mater and the exciting projects around campus as reasons behind the campaign’s success. “Of course it’s a setback […] however, there are so many good things happening and so many alumni that feel positively about Stevens,” she says. Gesturing towards the University Center construction site, da Silva laughs, “Big things are happening. There’s a big hole in the ground!”

Da Silva herself is not in a position to comment on the reasons behind the reconsideration. “[President Farvardin] really is the point of contact for [Gianforte] on campus,” she says. However, the Office of the President seems similarly at a loss.

“The Foundation did not give a specific reason,” says Beth McGrath, Chief of Staff.

Much the same as da Silva, McGrath is optimistic that affairs at Stevens are continuing without pause.

“All campus infrastructure projects are proceeding as planned,” she says.

McGrath refers mainly to the Gateway Academic Center which initially bore the Gianforte family’s — and subsequently their Foundation’s — name. McGrath adds, “The delayed opening of the Gateway Center is unrelated to the Gianforte gift,” echoing

50 years of the library— time to celebrate!

By SANJANA MADHU

By ALEKSANDAR DIMOSKI

TheStute

August 28, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Samuel C. Williams Library. To commemorate the library’s extensive history, a luminous celebration was held in the Great Hall and Sam’s Place, including souvenirs, refreshments, and informational brochures. On display was the library’s newest exhibit, Discovery and Exploration: The History of the Stevens Library, designed by the Archives and Special Collections department. The exhibit delves into the origins of the Samuel C. Williams Library and tells the tale of how it came to be.

The library, originally located in what we know today as Edwin A. Stevens Hall, was constructed in 1870.

At the time, the library was constrained to a small room containing various educational texts catering to the engineering community. In 1902, a varied collection of historical and philosophical texts aiming to create a well-rounded engineer with a broad academic foundation was donated by the college’s first president, Dr. Henry Morton, following his death. With this momentum, the library experienced aggressive growth over the next few decades.

In 1902, the university obtained Babylonian cuneiform tablets from President Alexander C. Humphreys.

These tablets are in fact the oldest artifacts in the library, dating back to 2350-2100 B.C.E. As the academic collections began to grow larger, the understaffed library began to exceed its capacity; students and faculty begged for reform. Soon, a professional librarian was given the daunting responsibility of organizing the seemingly lawless library.

Enid May Hawkins fulfilled the role of professional librarian and solely sustained the library for

the next four decades. By the late 1940s, the library became a vibrant space for students and faculty to study and conduct research. Thanks to Hawkins, the library collection grew six times in size, and it gained various new historical collections, such as the Stevensiana Collection, which collected materials related to the history of the Stevens family and history of Stevens. To this day, primary sources are collected by the Special Collections department to continue documenting the legacy of the Stevens family.

But the Stevens family manuscripts are not the only important documents saved in the library. A fair share belongs to the famous artist and engineer Leonardo da Vinci, thanks to John W. Lieb, a

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Photo courtesy of the SCW Library

a campus announcement published

by Robert Maffia, Vice President of Facilities and Campus Operations, on August 30, 2019.

The Power of Stevens continues to ride a wave of success. “It is important to also recognize the generosity of many others who have contributed to what will be a state-of-the-art academic center [and] not lose sight of their generous donations,” says McGrath. “The [campaign] team are fully committed and actively working to meet and exceed the $200 million campaign target.”

Da Silva reaffirms that “everyone is committed to reaching our goals.

I think we are well positioned to do that. The campaign keeps moving forward. [As of the end of August,] we are at $167.3 million.”

The Stute reached out to The Gianforte Family Foundation in July.

Catherine Koenen, Executive Director, says the “decision [was] made above her.”

Congressman Gianforte is currently actively campaigning in the 2020 Montana gubernatorial race.

Both his congressional Washington, D.C., office and Helena, Montana, campaign office have declined to comment for several weeks.

On August 28, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla signed an executive order officially launching the Vision Zero safety campaign in the area. Vision Zero is a safety project with the objective of achieving zero fatalities or serious injures involving on-road traffic.

This project is set to be completed in 2030 in the Hoboken area.

Citizens and reporters gathered around the Mayor’s Office to hear Bhalla speak about the launch of Vision Zero. “As our population grows, so do traffic-related injuries,” said Bhalla.

Over the previous five years in Hoboken, 376 people were injured and 3 civilians were killed due to crashes.

83% of pedestrians involved in a crash were injured and 76% of bicyclists involved in a crash were injured as well.

“This is one of the most ambitious goals in the country,” Bhalla said. “[It] creates a Vision Zero task force that will develop an action plan. This plan to be developed over the next year will outline concrete steps that will allow Hoboken to achieve our goal. And will include new ways for people to identify traffic safety concerns on their block.”

When straightforwardly asked about how Vision Zero will directly impact the Stevens community, the Mayor was quick to ensure that “[Stevens] is an integral and valuable part of the city of Hoboken and our community.”

He further continued, “We encourage Stevens students and faculty to become involved in our Vision Zero initiative.”

Many students from Stevens use the roads as pedestrians, so students have as much skin in the game as anyone else, and Bhalla welcomes any Stevens students who would like to apply to become a part of the Vision Zero task force or to serve as a Stevens ambassador as a part of the ambassador program.

“That way we can identify particular

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Stevens breaks $200 million in endowments

By AHMED GHANI Stevens Institute of Technology has reached a record-breaking $207M endowment in Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18), according to a new report. Endowment gifts are “typically comprised of cash or securities, or sometimes real estate or assets,” which are given to a university by individuals, charitable organizations, and sometimes other institutions. With the endowments on the rise, J. Scott Swensen, the Chair of the Investment Committee, stated in the FY18 Stevens Endowment Report, “Rest assured that we will continue to steward the Endowment with great care as it grows and enriches our students, faculty and academic programs.”

The university’s endowment has grown by $51 million during the past five years from $156 million in 2013. $34 million of the Endowment has been distributed over the past five years to support faculty, academic programs, and students.

The endowment return rate for the fiscal year of 2018 was 5.37%. This is lower than 2017’s 9.69% return rate, but remains in the black. This puts Stevens on the path for betterment in all aspects. It is important to realize that universities are practically ranked by these metrics. In “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” universities are ranked by their endowments per year, and the list strongly coincides with 2019 Best Colleges list on U.S. News & World Report.

Nearly 400 individual funds, some of which have dedicated donors and specific purposes, compose the endowment portfolio. This past fiscal year, Stevens received one of the largest single gifts for scholarships in the history of the university. Swensen says in the FY18 Endowment Report, “$15 million, from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation,” was bestowed upon the university.

Though these funds may be pooled into a single portfolio, but the benefits are felt throughout all aspects of the institute. For example, 42% of the endowments are used for scholarships and financial aid. The second largest category is instruction (28%), which provides for the professors and teaching assistants.

The third largest category (18%) of the endowments is for professorial chairs, professors who are involved administratively with Stevens and serve on higher boards.

The remaining endowments are then used on smaller venues, like the library or laboratory maintenance. In addition, the Board of Trustees approved of, per Swensen, $2.3 million for the Endowment on the support of faculty in FY18.

Stevens also goes through endowment management in accordance with the Investment Committee. The FY18 Stevens Endowment Report states, “The Investment Committee is to oversee the Endowment to support the university’s Strategic Plan and ensure that the Endowment benefits both current and future generations.” Currently, Stevens’ Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO), Goldman Sachs, manages 82% of total assets in the portfolio.

When investing, risk management takes a role when striving to optimize return for the portfolio. In addition, growing the value of the Endowment is critical for ensuring a steady source of income, and that is achieved by “a well-diversified portfolio and a conservative spending policy,” according to the Stevens Endowment Report of FY18. A considerable 25% of the endowments are invested in U.S. equity, with another 18% invested in Investment Grade Fixed Income. Another 15% is invested in non-U.S. equity with the remaining few percentages put into areas like private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and others.

September 6, 2019

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News SCOOTERS Continued from page 1

lowed in the rest of Hoboken, although this may not always be the case. For now, the City Council has voted against holding a referendum on whether the scooters should be legal on their November ballot. However, they are negotiating with Lime in hopes that they can get the company to help pay for efforts to

LIBRARY

Continued from page 1 Stevens alumnus, who was captivated by da Vinci’s designs. Lieb collected many texts and manuscripts detailing the life of da Vinci and his fascinating work in the hopes that they would be studied by future generations. After Lieb’s death, the 2,000 item collection was procured by Samuel Insull, who donated it to Stevens. Today, students can access the timeless John W. Lieb Memorial Collection of Leonardo da Vinci on the second floor the library. An-

VICE PROVOST Continued from page 1

keep riders and pedestrians safe, as, according to council members Tiffanie Fisher and Mike DeFusco, “it is clear that bringing them to our community has created serious public safety concerns and is straining city enforcement resources.”

As their large amount of riders may show, the scooters are not all bad. They allow people in 184 cities around the world to cheaply travel across town to jobs, school, and on errands. Stevens students can make money charging them,

or even potentially be hired by Lime to pick up scooters left on campus at some point in the future. As freshman Connor Mills says, he uses Lime scooters often because he “is lazy and doesn’t have a car.”

He says he uses them to go to the PATH station and CVS, as they are cheaper than calling an Uber, and easier than biking. He also added that he “thinks it is a good idea to not have them on campus,” but that “it is nearly impossible to ride one up any of the hills on to campus anyways.”

issues or challenges that are particular to Stevens itself; whether that be on campus issues or intersections. The Stevens campus can ultimately be considered in the Vision Zero plan. We want to improve conditions, so let us know of any,” Bhalla reassured.

When asked about why he choose to implement this specific order to execute over others,

the Mayor corrected the question, saying, “I have actually signed four executive orders.

The first one was declaring Hoboken as a fair welcoming city, another was an executive order implementing a climate action plan. This specific executive order just reflects major priority of the administration.”

The task force developed through the Vision Zero safety project will continue to develop an action plan and outline strategies over the next year to get Hoboken steps closer to making the streets safer for ev-

eryone. Currently, the task force includes a variety of departments from City Hall, school administration, advocates for safe streets, and many more. Jersey City has also become a partner with Hoboken’s Vision Zero Program. They too launched their own Vision Zero Program just last year.

“We want to leave our city in a better place for our children, and future generations,” Bhalla wisely adds. The time for change in the safety of Hoboken’s streets has been brewing for awhile, but that time has finally come.

other Stevens alumnus, Fredrick Winslow Taylor, was essential in contributing to the mass production revolution throughout the mid-20th century. Taylor’s work presented in The Principles of Scientific Management redefined the optimization of industrial labor. The Fredrick Winslow Taylor Collection is available today for research purposes and is housed on the second floor of the library.

During the early 1950s, the library moved to the Lieb Building, which was previously used as barracks for Navy cadets. After some much-needed renovations to the Lieb Building, the li-

brary began to sport a modern appearance as opposed to its former jail-like display.

Soon thereafter, Frances Ida Duck was appointed as head librarian in 1946. Her work in the library propelled the graduate program at Stevens, giving it both momentum and identity. The library’s collection grew to 45,000 volumes but was still insufficient for the university’s growing research needs. Again, the library required an increase in space in order to accommodate.

In 1966, Richard P. Widdicombe was hired as an assistant librarian and became Director of the Library in 1975. Widdicombe is best

known for his influential impact on students and technological advancements in the library. In 1985, Widdicombe introduced one of the first library computer database searchings and created a microcomputer-based library system. Widdicombe also organized the first Stevens Family Reunion in 1980, inspiring Mary Stuart Stevens to donate Stevens family items to the library.

In 1961, due to increasing demands, the university administration undertook a 10year plan to construct a new library in place of the Lieb Building. The Library Planning Committee suggested building a library with four

levels, capable of housing 150,000 volumes, and a seating capacity of 550. Through sizable donations, federal grants, and gifts from alumni, the $3,000,000 library was underway. The Samuel C. Williams Library was opened in 1969 and introduced a period of exponential growth and modernization on campus by President Jess H. Davis. By the spring semester of 1969, the library became accessible to all Stevens students and faculty. The library was dedicated to Samuel Crane Williams to honor his work as a professor and curator of Special Collections.

Although the exhibit was the supposed star of the

event, the librarians truly stole the show. A long line of undergraduate and graduate students alike formed in the library’s Great Hall in an effort to learn more about library resources and grab fun souvenirs. One particular activity that stood out involved students asking the librarians questions and earning stickers decorated with avatars of the librarians. After gaining stickers and looking for the “missing answer” within the exhibit, students were able to enter a raffle. In all, the 50th anniversary celebration truly captured the librarians’ enthusiasm to help students and honor this momentous occasion!

Award of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Thomas Baron Award in Fluid-Particle Systems from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, as well as several teaching and research awards from

Stevens.

When asked if he had any advice for the student body regarding research, Dr. Kalyon stated: “From my own personal experience, the characteris-

tics of a researcher should include having an inquisitive mind, discipline to learn and follow the rules, setting and following deadlines, spending long hours starting with the literature review, sharing

information with your teammates and keeping an open mind while receiving guidance from your advisor. There is a lot that students can experience and learn by being initiated into research while

at Stevens.”

Those of us at Stevens welcome Dr. Kalyon and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish as our new Vice Provost for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

VISION ZERO Continued from page 1

September 6, 2019

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News

Gateway Academic Center delayed and Campus Operations, in a statement. “This project went The completion of the mostly according to plan,” he Gateway Academic Center has wrote. “Our biggest challenge been delayed several weeks, was working with new propriaccording to a campus-wide etary materials, one example email sent out by adminis- being the exterior slate, and trators, delaying classes that finding qualified installers.” were expected to be in the new Maffia added that anothcenter at the start of the fall er challenge was inclement semester. weather. “In general, northern Delays to construction New Jersey has received more were unexpected but not un- consist[ent] rainfall than in usual, wrote Robert Maffia, recent past years, interrupting Vice President of Facilities the sequencing and momenBy JON KOCHANIK

3rd floor

tum of progress.” Hoboken has received more rain lately. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that in the past year, Hoboken, New Jersey has received sixteen inches more rain than usual.

Because of the delayed construction, multiple classes were left out in the hallway, as classes were overbooked due to not enough classroom space.

The 9,000-square-foot Gate-

way Center will consist of a north and south building connected by a two story sky bridge. The north building will be the home of state-of-the-art collaborative spaces such as the TED stairs, on which students can enjoy lectures, presentations, or hang outs in a large and open area. Students will soon find new study spots either in a sky-lit atrium or the new cafe. The center will add 11 classrooms, 13 labs, and 45 faculty offices for use.

2nd floor

September 6, 2019

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News

The Gateway Academic Center (left) was slated to open at the beginning of the Fall ‘19 semester. Currently, several classes are still scheduled to meet at the unfinished building.

Photo from stevens.edu

1st floor

Ground floor

September 6, 2019

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Science Hi there! Welcome to our new Science section!

To make the Stevens science community more visible and accessible, we have begun this section. Each week, we will highlight faculty and student research from any of the four schools. With time, the section will evolve. We cannot foretell the direction it will, but we know we will never run out of material. Stay reading.

- Dylan James Moon, Science Editor

If a nuke went off in Hoboken, what would you do? These researchers want to know.

By MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Try it: stand on Babbio Patio, face the skyline of Manhattan, and look at it, the colorful, discordant mixture of skyscrapers that line the horizon — get in your oohs and aahs — before you imagine Times Square, in an instant, decimated by a W-80 nuclear cruise missile.

What does the explosion look like in your mind — a mushroom cloud, a fog of smoke? Can you even see it since the flash from the nuclear blast blinded you? After all, such a weapon, which is currently in U.S. arsenals, has ten times more explosive yield than the “Little Boy” bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Did the sound wave, so great that it could deafen you immediately, knock you over? In that moment, did you know what to do next, how to stay safe, how to potentially save yourself from a slow, radioactive death?

These questions might seem impossible to answer.

But soon, they’ll be easier.

Assistant Professor of Visual Arts and Technology Christopher Manzione and Alex Wellerstein, historian of nuclear weapons and Assistant Professor of Science, Technology & Society, demonstrated a new project, Nukemap VR, at a recent exposition on nuclear risk. This tool lets users, wearing virtual reality goggles, detonate a bomb in Midtown Manhattan and see what a nuclear explosion would actually look like from the view of Bab-

bio Patio.

Theirs is one of fifteen projects managed by Reinventing Civil Defense, a $500,000 project at Stevens Institute of Technology that aims to “restore a broad, cultural understanding of nuclear risk.” Wellerstein and Assistant Professor Kristyn Karl are co-PIs on the project, which is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Reinventing Civil Defense comes at a crucial time for Americans, when, according to some experts, risk of nuclear attack is the highest it’s been in decades. Around the world, there are nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons held and 1,800 metric tons of usable nuclear materials stored. Any minute now, daily life could change drastically, and experts believe protecting people from disaster requires every person to understand how real nuclear risk is — but many do not.

“The elimination of nuclear risk from the lived experience of Americans has relegated nuclear issues into a near mythical realm, one that has led to both fatalism and apathy,” write Karl and Wellerstein on the project website. “Talk of possible nuclear terrorism often falls on deaf ears outside of expert and activist circles, and it inspires no practical action. As a result, it is very difficult to convince the broader public to support policy efforts and similarly difficult to foster interest that might lead to the next generation of talented arms-control practitioners.”

Inflaming concern for nuclear policy requires researchers to tap into people’s emotions, whether fear, wonder, or curiosity. Often it is emotion, not fact, that inspires people to take action. For a student at Stevens, seeing a bomb go off in the city with Nukemap VR might empower them to ask important questions they may not otherwise consider — i.e. if a bomb goes off in Manhattan, should you get in your car and drive far from Hoboken, or is it safer to camp out in Babbio?

(Answer: Camp out in Babbio.)

It might seem like a small thing, but knowing the answer to simple questions like this one can save millions of lives on a large scale.

Other projects overseen by the Reinventing Civil Defense project hope to accomplish this same goal in different ways. A primary mission of Reinventing Civil Defense is to learn what form of project connects best with people.

For some, virtual reality might not resonate, whereas a podcast might. Duck and Cover, the name of a podcast funded by the project, plans to release a series of episodes on American civil defense initiatives and compare those historical initiatives to contemporary efforts to protect people from nuclear threats.

Targeting high school and college students, the Nuclear Plays is a set of one-act plays that kids can read by them-

selves or perform in front of an audience to start conversations on nuclear salience. One of the plays is about the days leading up to a possible nuclear exchange between nations.

Another, high school students in a post-nuclear war.

From art installations to graphic novels, and from video games to traditional quantitative studies, these projects are intentionally eclectic. This lets researchers investigate all methods of connecting with people and see the shortcomings of, say, art installations and the successes of traditional science.

At recent workshops, Karl asked attendees to interact with funded projects and collected data to evaluate how

effective each project was. Did virtual reality fall flat while the graphic novel proved worthwhile? Did anyone even care to listen to the podcast?

Knowing what inspires people to learn more about responding to nuclear disaster helps determine what the future of civil defense will look like.

Results from these studies continue to be explored by researchers, and soon, conclusions will ascertain best approaches for reapproaching civil defense.

Until it’s complete, the general public will be limited to their imagination and available resources to respond to nuclear disaster — but let’s hope that it won’t ever come to that.

Nukemap VR simulates a nuclear bomb explosion in New York City to educate people about atomic weapons.

Are Generation IV nuclear reactors the answer to green energy?

By DYLAN JAMES MOON Dr. Edward A. Friedman is an emeritus professor at Stevens, meaning he doesn’t have to teach. But he does anyway. “Nuclear Energy and Society” is a course he built on the conviction that “nuclear energy, terrorism, and weapons are more important than they have ever been. Yet people—students—know less about them than they used to.”

This was the angle he took in a talk for the MIT Alumni Association this summer. There he mentioned a little-known, world-altering policy group: the Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

Since 2001, the forum has quietly gained the membership of 14 countries, including the United States and China.

Each recognizes the world’s urgent need for sustainable nuclear energy. But they don’t want more of the same reactors we already have—reactors which inspire fear and memories of Chernobyl and Fukushima. They want new, Generation IV reactors.

Nuclear energy is controversial among politicians, environmental activists, and investors. But new reactor designs, the immense energy-density of nuclear fuel, and the lack of carbon emissions make nuclear power attractive, if not crucial, amid growing energy demands and a changing climate.

In the United States, around 100 nuclear reactors provide 20% of the energy.

Worldwide, 449 reactors pro-

vide 10%. But the designs, dating back to the 50s, are homogenous. Most reactors use water to cool the Uranium fuel and spit out weapons-grade Plutonium-239 as waste. In his talk, Dr. Friedman, who has physics degrees from MIT and Columbia, emphasized that there are in fact “more than 1,000 possibilities” for reactor designs. This estimate considers fuels, nuclear moderators, coolants, control rods, and the physical configuration of these components. From these possibilities come Generation IV reactor designs.

Generation IV reactors are breeder-burners, meaning the Plutonium-239 byproduct is never removed but simply recycled as fuel. This reduces problems of waste and weapons proliferation. Moreover, they are hands-off, built to go decades without refueling or human intervention.

With modular construction, reactors should be cheaper to build. And, significantly, the designs explore alternate cooling systems.

Cooling errors leading to hydrogen explosions were responsible for all three nuclear power plant meltdowns in the past century: Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and Fukushima in 2011.

New cooling systems cut the risk of these meltdowns.

In his talk, Dr. Friedman advocated specifically for liquid sodium coolant. The idea has been around since the 90s, with a paper co-authored by Edward Teller, “Completely Automated Nuclear Reactors

for Long-Term Operation.” In a May 2018 Scientific American article, Dr. Friedman explains The promise of liquid sodium coolant and other Generation IV features has inspired investors such as Bill

“ Sodium’s thermal properties provide far superior heat transfer than those of water (the water is pressurized, in fact, to improve heat transfer). It’s also a stable fluid that can be used at an operating temperature of 550 degrees Fahrenheit at ordinary atmospheric pressure, so there’s no need for an expensive containment structure.

Pressurized water, by contrast, carries a danger of explosion.”

Gates. In 2006, Gates began the firm TerraPower to design and build Generation IV nuclear reactors.

The question lingers, if this technology has been around for decades, why is it unpopular? Why hasn’t nuclear power taken off? The biggest reason is money. The price tag on a 1000MWe nuclear reactor in the United States is $10 billion. But with modular designs and streamlined production, Dr. Friedman imagines that cost lowering to $1 billion (the US Department of Defense’s yearly budget is

$640 billion). Already, China and South Korea can produce reactors at a fraction of the cost that the United States can. Accounting for increased energy demand, Dr. Friedman estimates that 8,000 nuclear reactors are needed to power the world with zero emissions.

That makes for an $8 trillion global investment. Note that the current world GDP is $60 trillion.

Another reason is risk perception. The three major accidents of the past four decades have instilled a fear of nuclear power among citizens and politicians. This led former president Bill Clinton in 1994 to shut down one of the most promising nuclear power plants in history, the Integral Fast Reactor, despite astonishingly good safety demonstrations.

According to psychologist Steven Pinker, fears of nuclear power are overblown. Consider oil and coal. According to an article co-authored by Pinker in The New York Times, “Even if we accepted recent claims that Soviet and international authorities covered up tens of thousands of Chernobyl deaths, the death toll from 60 years of nuclear power would still equal about one month of coal-related deaths.” And with new designs and simulation technology, the risk of nuclear power will only decrease.

Dr. Friedmn is not idealistic about Generation IV reactors. In his Scientific American article, he admits there are still technicalities to work out. For instance, “the potential of so-

dium leaks leading to possible fires and explosions.” There is also the problem of keeping the fuel rod positioned for the full 50-year runtimes to avoid human intervention.

Still, we need nuclear.

Friedman is an outspoken supporter. And Pinker and his co-authors argue that wind, solar, and water power are not enough. They cite insufficient battery technology, weather issues, and that “the world’s best hydro sites are already dammed.” Nuclear power, though, is consistent, clean, and, well, powerful.

As I sat with Dr. Friedman after one class, he lamented that Bill Gate’s TerraPower has stalled, having relied on help from the China National Nuclear Corporation. Nuclear power is an international undertaking, which, unfortu-

nately, a poorly-timed trade war can interrupt.

But there is hope in Washington. In January, both houses of Congress passed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (2019) to rekindle nuclear energy research. In March, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act. The bill has bipartisan support.

“With presidential candidates Andrew Yang, Cory Booker and Joe Biden including investment in nuclear R&D in their policy statements, I am optimistic that the pros and cons of nuclear energy will be constructively addressed as we approach the 2020 election,” said Dr. Friedman.

Meanwhile, the emeritus professor continues to educate

Dr. Edward A. Friedman delivered a talk on Nuclear Energy in society and Generation IV reactors as a solution.

September 6, 2019

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Science

Hoboken is sinking—Can we save it?

By ABBY MEOLA Walking around Hoboken after returning from summer break, I took in some of the city’s classics.

The smell of my favorite pizza wafting through the streets. The sound of school kids running through Church Square Park. And, of course, the flooding in the streets after a quick rain. Flooding is such an integral part of the Hoboken experience that the tenants in 8th and Madison aren’t even alarmed at the gallons of water that bubbles out of the grates and fills the sidewalks after a short rainfall.

Instead, the Madison building tenants are used to this phenomenon and revel in their unexpected waterfront property.

No matter how common the flooding is, it is still alarming for Hobokenites who have stock in the area long-term.

This past July, Hoboken had the worst storm it had seen in years, with an inch of rainfall in the first fifteen minutes. The storm was strongest during high tide, exacerbating the flood potential. Occurrences like

this are particularly concerning for a community that was devastated by ten feet of flooding in Hurricane Sandy.

Following the hurricane, Steven’s Davidson Laboratory was integral in helping to cope with the disaster. The lab created street-by-street flood forecasting maps for New York City and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They also built large warning systems for transit officers in Hoboken and beyond.

Despite the huge aid that Stevens research provided for the city Hoboken, many residents are skeptical that the city will survive in the future. Though Hurricane Sandy was an anomaly at the time, these threats are increasingly more common in a changing climate.

Luckily Hoboken has a plan to quell some of the floodings. And it’s a good one, based on nearly 500 years of tests in the Netherlands. Even though the Netherlands is located largely below sea level, they rarely see the devastating floods that rage in the United States.

Their technique is tried and true, based on a simple principle: leave “room for the river.” Sometimes to keep high priority areas dry, it is necessary to designate other areas that will get wet.

In practice, the Dutch have built huge man-made dams that prevent storm surges in residential areas. And they double as parking garages.

The unique flooding dilemma in Hoboken is based on an antiquated combined sewer system. According to the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, stormwater and wastewater (sewage) drain through the same pipes. In the event of rain, the sewer system becomes overwhelmed, leading to street flooding and combined sewer overflows into the Hudson River.

Perhaps it is no surprise that in our own flooding crisis, the city of Hoboken turned to the Dutch model for assistance. In 2017 there was an international call for innovative solutions. The winner was the Rebuild by Design Project, a flood resiliency plan that received a $230 million grant from the NJ Department of Housing

and Urban Development.

The city of Hoboken has since promised an additional $140 million to flood management.

The project, according to Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, is a “comprehensive water management strategy…with four parts: Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge.”

Resist the water, delay its release, store it, and wait to discharge it until it can do the least damage.

Rebuild by Design calls for flood structures and stormwater control systems that interrupt the areas most vulnerable to flooding in Hoboken. The water is then stored elsewhere until the flood has subsided.

The areas along the North end of Hoboken (near Weehawken) and along the far south (towards Jersey City) have the lowest elevations and are thus susceptible to act as funnels for water.

These are the areas most targeted by the plan.

“This alignment will help protect our city and support our economic goals,” said Mayor Bhalla regarding the project.

“We believe that Hoboken can truly become a nation-

al model for innovatively dealing with the impacts of global climate change.”

Construction for the first leg of the project, the Northwest Resiliency Park, is alleged to begin in September. The Hoboken website describes it as the city’s “largest park above ground green infrastructure and a flood detention system underground.” It will have the capacity to hold two million gallons of rainfall and feature a lawn, skating rink, athletic fields, and more.

Even though our campus is not as susceptible to flooding, the Stevens community remains committed to the flood resiliency of Hoboken.

The Davidson Laboratory at Stevens has a number of current projects that will benefit the community at large. Some of these are infrastructure design plansgated sea barriers, architecture to withstand hurricane winds or rooftop gardens that recycle rainfall.

In addition, the lab has partnered with Facebook to launch a city-wide citizen science project. They invite townspeople to post images and videos of flooding to

the “Davidson Lab” page.

They utilize these images in conjunction with their inhouse forecasting models to create real-time updates.

Ideally, this information will help to identify vulnerable areas and prevent future disasters.

Muhammad Hajj, the director of Davidson lab, assures the public that “the university will continue to serve communities and the government, helping in the preparation for sudden extreme-weather events.”

These many efforts seem to be comforting the city, where many people have businesses and property at stake in the face of flooding. Some waterfront cities around the world are looking to Hoboken’s lead on the matter. Still, some people are apprehensive that anything will help the city at all. The fact that Hoboken is profiled on the PBS special Sinking Cities is not an optimistic indicator. However, the problem is getting solved in all the right ways: science, legislation, and lots of money. There is hope in these changes, but we are not out of the water yet.

A History of Research at Stevens

By CAMILLE SIMON-AL-ARAJI Stevens Institute of Technology’s history of innovation and research began with its founding family of inventors.

Colonel John Stevens III, after graduating from King’s College in New York City in 1768, purchased and began to develop a plot of land that now comprises present-day Hoboken. He had an idea that steamboat ferries could connect the farmlands of New Jersey to lower Manhattan. Colonel Stevens built a steamboat that carried both passengers and goods, and he eventually became the first in history to operate a steamship in the open ocean on his trek to Philadelphia (sailing around South Jersey and up the Delaware River).

Colonel Stevens and his sons, Robert and Edwin, then began testing a new ship, which would become the first commercial steam ferry in the world. Robert employed a successful ferry design, and a fleet of new ferries was crossing the Hudson several times a day.

After succeeding in commercial ferry design, Colonel Stevens and his sons wanted to be the first to establish a commercially-successful railroad. Together, they engineered and built a prototype locomotive in 1826 on what is today the Stevens Institute of Technology campus. After a successful test of the first American-built locomotive, the family constructed a rail line from Perth Amboy to Trenton, New Jersey, where passengers could transfer to

Sketches of the first T-Rail.

Photo courtesy of Hoboken Historical Museum

the steamboat ferry and head down the Delaware River to Philadelphia. Starting from Manhattan, the entire trip took only 10 to 11 hours, which cut several days off the previous journey by horse.

Robert Stevens then came up with an idea to improve existing tracks by inventing the T-rail, which is now the most common form of railroad tracks used worldwide. Robert also invented the hook-headed spike for securing the rails of a railroad to their rectangular foundations.

When Edwin Stevens

The Juliana, Col. Stevens’ steamboat. Photo courtesy of Stevens Institute of Technology)

passed away in 1868, he left a large piece of land, construction funds, an endowment, and instructions to trustees to create a new institution for higher education. Edwin A. Stevens Hall was built, and President Henry Morton created a curriculum integrating technical education in engineering and the humanities.

Opening in 1870, Stevens became the first institution in the U.S. to offer a degree in mechanical engineering.

Exactly 40 years later, in the 1910s, Stevens graduate Henry Gantt invented the Gantt chart, a type of bar chart that presents a project schedule. Gantt designed this chart so that supervisors could know whether production was

on schedule, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule.

Perhaps one of the most notable inventions to emerge from Stevens is the hanging art form known as the mobile, which was created by Stevens graduate and mechanical engineer Alexander Calder in 1932. Several years after graduating, Calder began to make mechanical toys in 1926. In 1930, after visiting abstract artist Piet Mondrian‘s studio, Calder became interested in abstract sculpture. He began designing kinetic sculptures that were manipulated by cranks and motors. At the time, Calder’s sculptures were different than the traditional sense of art in that instead of being static, the artwork was meant to move. In 1931, artist Marcel Duchamp named Calder’s sculptures “mobiles,” a French pun meaning both “motion” and “motive.”

Calder, however, found that the sculptures’ motorization became boringly repetitive. In 1932, he solved this problem by hanging sculptures that moved with air currents. The mobiles had abstract shapes that were balanced on sensitive, pivoting rods that moved with the air, allowing for a more natural movement of the forms.

Bubble wrap, an amusing yet useful form of packaging, was created by Stevens graduate Alfred W. Fielding in the late 1950s. With the help of Swiss inventor Marc Chavannes, Fielding sealed two shower curtains together, in turn creating several air bubbles between the two sheets. While Fielding’s wife Virginia helped to prepare sheets of the wrap for testing, Fielding’s son Howard played with and popped the bubbles,

Calder’s Mobile, c. 1932. Photo courtesy of Tate

delighted with the new invention. While the two inventors knew they were onto something, they at first struggled to find a definitive purpose for bubble wrap. Their first thought was to advertise it as a three-dimensional wallpaper, and then thought about making it a form of insulation.

Finally, Chavannes thought of its ultimate use: packaging.

With IBM just about to begin inventing and delivering their first personal computer, Fielding and Chavannes’ invention would provide the perfect package deal.

In 1956, Stevens graduate Frederick Reines discovered the neutrino, ratifying the “Big Bang” theory of the universe’s creation. Neutrinos are subatomic particles produced in nuclear fusion processes, radioactive decay, and nuclear reactors. First proposed as a hypothetical particle in 1930, neutrinos were needed to defend the law of conservation of energy. In 1934, physicists concluded that while neutrinos could pass through Earth, there was no possible way to observe them. Reines and his colleague Clyde Cowan, however, found a way. Accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but choosing instead to attend Stevens, Reines earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1939, and then a Master of Science in Mathematical Physics in 1941. In 1944, Reines joined the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory. Reines and Cowan developed equipment and procedures to detect neutrinos for the first time in 1956.

Reines then dedicated his career to study the neutrino’s properties, and was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics for his co-detection of the particle.

In 1971, Stevens opened its doors to women for the first time, adding even more great minds and researchers to the university. In 1982, Stevens became the first major U.S. educational institution to require students to purchase and use personal computers in class. Stevens also developed one of the nation’s first intranets: a private network that is used to securely share company information and computing resources among employees.

In 1985, Stevens alumn Mark Crispin invented IMAP, one of the most commonly-used email protocols for retrieving emails. Crispin earned a B.S. in Technology and Society from Stevens in 1977. Used by tens of millions of people daily, Crispin invented IMAP as a more advanced email protocol that allowed access to more than one Inbox folder on the server, while offering more functionality in manipulating messages than the preexisting POP protocol.

With research and invention having deep roots within Stevens’ founding and overall growth as an institution, our university’s innovation continues to move forward in today’s ever-changing technological world. Stevens’ students and faculty are constantly conducting research, creating new technologies, and solving critical problems across disciplines.

Reines and Cowan with control equipment used in their observations of the neutrino. Photo courtesy of North American Astro Physical Observatory

September 6, 2019

8

Opinion

THE STUTE VOLUME CXVII - ISSUE 1 STAFF BOX EXECUTIVE BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF...................................AUDREY D’SOUZA BUSINESS MANAGER...........................MARK KRUPINSKI MANAGING EDITOR..................MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM LAYOUT EDITOR........................................NATALIE TODARO OUTREACH CHAIR...................................ANDREW KINNEY EDITORIAL BOARD COPY EDITOR....................................ANGELINA ZACCARIA HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER.......................COLE YARBROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR...................ELINA TUDER SCIENCE EDITOR.................... ........DYLAN JAMES MOON STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS ABBY MEOLA AHMED GHANI ALEKSANDAR DIMONSKI ALONSO KONSTANTINIDIS CAMILLE SIMON-AL-ARAJI CHRISTIAN BONAVITA DAKOTA VAN DEURSEN DANIEL KANG ERIC LONDRES JOANA FARDAD JOHN HORGAN JON KOCHANIK JONAH RICHARDS JULIA WIERZBICKI LEIGHA TIERNEY MELISSA KOSAR NASIR MONTALVO SANJA MADHU TREVOR DAMEIKA TRISTAN BACANI VYOM SHAH CONTACT US EMAIL........................................EBOARD@THESTUTE.COM OFFICE.......................................................7TH FLOOR HOWE GBM TIME............................................. TUESDAY @9:30 PM ADVERTISING......................BUSINESS@THESTUTE.COM DIVYA UNAM WAS NOT CREDITED LAST ISSUE FOR THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE - OUR BAD.

Letter from the Editor-In-Chief

Lesson one for freshmen As the summer comes to a close and we begin a new semester, some of us return to classes, to coop, or to work every day.

Our community, just by default as a university, is growing, changing, evolving each and every day.

If graduation means saying goodbye to old faces, the first week of classes means saying hello to new ones. Or rather, not saying hello because truthfully, not many people besides orientation leaders engage with freshmen.

To me, watching freshmen go about their lives feels like watching a toddler learn to walk: hilarious but also kind of endearing. You see them walk in packs to Pierce and class, the group of kids “studying” on the lawn, that one guy playing the guitar to impress someone, and the people that will play volleyball every day during orientation but never after that. These kids are really still kids.

Bright-eyed, so excited for four or five tumultuous years of university. Orien-

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. 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).

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tation was picture perfect, and classes aren’t too bad yet.

People often don’t talk to freshmen, or at least not this early on, despite having so much wisdom to impart — whether it be which clubs to join and which ones to avoid, how to party safely, or how to know whether you should change your major.

Most people are concerned about themselves and their lives, myself included. It only took me 20 years to realize that the start of a new school year means something different for everyone involved. High school seniors are anxiously taking exams and applying to schools, fourth graders are excited about moving around classes for different subjects for the first time. Seniors are trying to figure out if they’ll get a job, whether to go to grad school, if the new building will be done soon so they can actually meet for class. Teachers have been prepping lesson plans all summer and administra-

tors never even stopped working (well except maybe during the ransomware attack). Every year during life you learn and grow, causing the same experience on the outside to be actually something totally different on the inside.

Thinking so deeply about this while watching freshmen frolic makes me feel really old. I’m not ready to accept that this is my last year at Stevens.

I was once a 17-yearold fumbling around Wittpenn Walk trying to figure out the difference between Pierce and Peirce.

I’ve matured thanks to the ups and downs of being at Stevens, clubs, and internships. I’m starting to see how college actually does prepare you for the real world.

You don’t always get what you want, when you want it (our Stute computers) even if you think need it (to publish a newspaper). You come up with ways to get around it (using my laptop and bootleg Adobe software). You work despite challenges

and create something that has never been done before (publishing a whole newspaper without an office, printers, or computers).

Whatever goes on at this school, most people just roll their eyes like they expected it to happen. The construction being delayed, IT getting hacked — people expected it. After a few times of being screwed over, what you do learn is how to get back on your feet and how to work around it. Classes that get cancelled still find ways to meet, student organizations still advertise and hold events; people find a way get on with their lives.

This is why we call Stevens the Innovation University.

Audrey Dsouza Editor-in-Chief

Mind of a Freshman

Reflecting on the malware attack: The dangers of comfort

Julia Wierzbicki Freshman Mechanical Engineering A few days ago, I was talking with a sophomore friend of mine about college when 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 grind in order to get into a good college, I was totally shocked. I simply couldn’t imagine anyone not worrying about SATs or APs constantly. 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 taking

away a student’s ability to live in the moment and enjoy the little things life has to offer.

There has to be balance, and that balance can be achieved by having an administration 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’s 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.

JOIN THE STUTE! meetings every Tuesday 7th floor Howe 9:15 p.m.

September 6, 2019

9

Opinion Senioritis

Changing viewpoints

Mark Krupinski Senior Computational Science I didn’t want to; I want to keep this column positive-ish, but here I am — writing about the hacking.

The hack left the school paralyzed, and affected every aspect of campus. The Office of Student Accounts couldn’t accept tuition.

The Career Center couldn’t help students find a job.

No one could even open their goddamned email.

The network was attacked sometime Thursday morning. I remember one of my co-workers telling me that stevens.edu was down. Interested, I

checked. It was down. He also redirected me to an Instagram post with the ransomware message. I was a little surprised, but not shocked. Stevens has had a decrepit IT infrastructure (ask literally anyone who’s worked in IT) for years. It was a matter of time.

I leave my computers plugged in overnight and charging, you know, like any normal human-being.

So when Stevens had apparently sent out a warning to not use and shutdown personal computers connected to the network, I was concerned. I was at work; I couldn’t get home to “safeguard” my computers and all the information on them. Additionally, I didn’t even receive the message myself. The only notification I received, at about 6 p.m., was sent to my Stevens email. The very email they told us to avoid accessing on the personal devices that we were told not to use.

What exactly happened? When would things be “working” again? Why can’t I use my personal devices that I live off

of? Would The Stute have any capacity to print our orientation issue (spoiler alert: we did — to the surprise of many)? All of these questions and more raced through my mind. How would Stevens attempt to ease my own and other students’ woes?

“We have made good progress and hope to begin bringing users back online in a prioritized and very systematic way soon.”

“Addressing the systems and network issues has continued throughout the day and good progress continues to be made.”

“The return to operations is proceeding well.

We are making good progress bringing our systems back up.”

“Our recovery operation continues to make very good progress.”

Apparently, the IT department had been making good progress. Good progress is when the school is without internet for two weeks. Good progress is when class schedules are barely ready for the first day of classes. Good progress is students being paid

late. Good progress is a void of information.

Oh, and President Farvardin’s “profound appreciation” for Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer David Dodd.

But what can I say?

I’m not surprised. Stevens doesn’t provide a lot of information to its students.

My favorite example from the past? Academic break.

Between the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semester, the Office of the Provost sent an email announcing that the academic break would be dramatically cut from 7 hours a week to 2 short hours during Wednesday afternoons.

This dramatically affected students: clubs would host events, RAs would have staff meetings, the Career Center would host panels. These events would be spread out during academic break. Now, all these events would compete with each other. Surely, some students, say, the Student Government, would have to sign off on a change this drastic — or at least have been consulted.

Nope. Ask any member of the 2017 or 2018 SGA Cabinet. They were blindsided by the change.

They were not consulted about the change until the official email was sent out. The best part? When I asked Provost Christoph Pierre about the change in Spring 2018 at the “Get the Scoop on Philanthropy” event, the Provost stated that Sara Klein talked to students about the change.

This consultation? Not telling any students and only informing Student Life (not even any students) the day before the email went out, according to former SGA President Lucas Gallo at an SGA Meeting. Yikes. Still, Pierre believed that students were informed and seemed a little taken aback when I stated that students seemed blindsided by the change. I gave him my contact information and was told that someone would get back to me with more details. That was about a year and a half ago. I’m still waiting.

But back to the hacking. Stevens keeps its stu-

dents on low priority. Information is scarce about the hacking, and many essential systems for students — such as DuckLink, DuckBills, Washington Street Wednesday, and P-card usage for student organizations, are either still unavailable or took a long time to become available — and no guidance on when these services could become available.

Additionally, Stevens has banned personal websites including Tinder and Pornhub on its new wireless network. The primary users of those websites here? Students.

Now, I didn’t want to start off the year on a negative note, but the hacking and its corresponding effects gave me no choice.

The hack has had such a dramatic effect on students. It’s like Stevens punched us and when we ask why, they say everyone gets punched and they can’t go into more detail because of a “forensic” investigation.

Even with the attack, I’m still making good progress through senior year.

Spoiler Alert

Scary stories to tell in the dark

Tristan Bacani Freshman Biomedical Engineering

SPOILER ALERT: DON’T READ BOOKS!!

ESPECIALLY THE KIND YOU FIND AT A HAUNTED HOUSE. With the influx of horror films in 2019, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is just another addition to the ever-expanding horror genre. At its core, it is a tale of how deceit and corruption can become an evil omnipresent ghost that can’t let go until dealt with, but like all movies takes a few questionable detours towards its final message.

Based on the book series of the same name, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark takes the childish aspects of Alvin Schwartz’s original books and elevates them, not by much, to appeal to the PG-13 audiences it is intended for. Many images from the books also show up in the movie to be reminiscent of the short stories that inspired it.

Scary Stories in itself is a period piece. Taking place in 1968, the film doesn’t disappoint in the blatant mentions of Nixon and the Vietnam War. Set in the rural small town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, the film centers around the teenagers of the town, stereotypically the Jock, the Outcasts, and the one token minority character.

The group of outcasts is comprised of Stella (Zoe

Colletti) the emo writer type, Auggie (Gabriel Rush) the nerd, and Chuck (Austin Zajur) the class clown. In the slow first act, they plan to get revenge on Tommy (Austin Abrams) the local varsity bully that every film set in high school seems to have. Their prank backfires when they are chased by Tommy and his gang to a local drive-in, where they meet a stranger named Ramón (Michael Garza) and hide in his car.

Stella and Ramón instantly have chemistry.

Because it is Halloween, the teens decide to go to the haunted Bellows house. They tell Ramón the story of Sarah Bellows.

Sarah was locked away by her family and would tell stories to kids through the wall of her room, where she killed them before hanging herself with her own hair. Breaking into the house, Ramón and

Stella find Sarah’s hidden room. Chuck for some reason has a vision of an old woman and a dog in a red room. Scared out of his mind, he and Auggie run downstairs to find Ramón and Stella, who has found a book labelled as belonging to Sarah Bellows, her book of stories. Suddenly, the candles they lit go out, and the secret door is locked. Tommy, who had followed them to the house, traps them, while his date, Chuck’s sister Ruth (Natalie Ganzhorn), pleads for him to release them. He pretends to just to push Ruth into the room and locks them all in there. A shadow unlocks the door and lets them out, while Stella steals the book from the house. Tommy had trashed Ramón’s car, prompting Stella to invite him to spend the night in her basement.

While reading the

book, Stella stumbles upon a story she didn’t see before labeled “Harold” that seems to have been freshly written in blood. The story is about Tommy becoming a scarecrow in his family’s corn maze. Sure enough, Tommy is missing from school the next day, prompting Stella to think that Sarah killed him. Auggie denies this and says that Tommy is just playing hookie. Stella and Ramón go to the corn maze and find a scarecrow dressed in Tommy’s letterman jacket, confirming Stella’s suspicions. Stella brings the book back to the Bellows house, but it soon appears back in her bookshelf. They open the book again to find it writing itself, this time a story about Auggie. They call him over a handheld radio, but he ignores their pleas until it’s too late. When Stella and Ramón get to Auggie’s

house, the only sign of him are drag marks under the bed, as he was dragged away by a corpse.

The next day they tell Chuck and Ruth, the only two other people who were in the house, about what is happening. Ruth doesn’t believe a word of it, whereas Chuck is angered and ready to stop the evil. They go investigate the Bellows, finding that Sarah’s previous stories were all about her family, and they all seemed to just disappear.

A new story starts writing, and it’s about Ruth, who is about to go on stage at the school’s musical. A spider bite on her face keeps swelling up and out pop a whole bunch of spiders.

Luckily, the gang saves her in time. They then go further in their search, leading them to a mental hospital where Sarah was tortured.

Chuck protests against going into the R.E.D. room,

where the records are kept, due to his vision. As Stella and Ramón listen to a recording, Sarah starts to speak a story about Chuck.

Chuck is then absorbed by a blob person, leading him to disappear. The only two left are Ramón and Stella, who are arrested.

Stella learns that Ramón is a draft dodger right before his monster comes, a creature called the Jangly Man. They escape its clutches and go to the Bellows house, where Stella is transported back in time and miraged into Sarah, showing how Sarah’s family locked her away because she knew they poisoned the water with mercury. To save herself and Ramón, Stella makes a deal with Sarah to tell her story in return for stopping the killing. Stella fulfills her promise to the ghost and goes on to search for a way to bring her friends back.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

September 6, 2019

10

Opinion Scientific Curmudgeon

In defense of disbelief

John Horgan Professor CAL

Last spring the Stevens Christian Fellowship hosted what it called “a discussion between two professors (a Christian and non-Christian) in search of truth about what makes us human.” I was the non-Christian. Below are things I said, or wanted to say, at the event.

For as long as I can remember, the world has struck me as improbable, inexplicable, just plain weird. I yearned for a revelation that

could dispel the weirdness and make me feel at home in my own skin. As a boy I took comfort in my parents’ religion, Catholicism. But in my teens, like lots of young people in my generation, I became intrigued by enlightenment, the goal of Hinduism and Buddhism. I envisioned it as a state of supreme bliss and wisdom. It’s like heaven, except you don’t have to die to get there. Seeking enlightenment, I learned meditation and yoga and read Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Far from enlightening me, my forays into mysticism deepened my sense of weirdness.

Eventually I decided that science represents our best hope for understanding ourselves. In the mid-1980s, when I started writing for Scientific American, Stephen Hawking and other big-shots were proclaiming that science was on the verge of solving the riddle of existence and revealing “the mind of God,” as Hawk-

ing put it. This possibility thrilled me, but eventually I concluded that science, for all its power, cannot give us a genuine theory of everything. Science is bumping into what may turn out to be absolute limits, and it will never tell us why there is something rather than nothing. So I argued in my book The End of Science.

Hoping to be proved wrong, I kept tracking efforts to answer big questions, and especially the biggest of all, the mind-body problem. Narrowly speaking, the mind-body problem focuses on how matter generates mind, including consciousness and free will, but in a broader sense it asks what we are, can be and should be. Prophets, philosophers and poets have peddled answers to this question for millennia. Only recently have scientists gotten in on the action.

The trouble is, scientists can’t agree on a solution to the mind-body problem, or even on an approach to a

solution. Theorists I interviewed for my most recent book, Mind-Body Problems (which is dedicated to my students), advocate dizzyingly diverse mind-body models. We are nodes of information, genes blindly striving to replicate, wave functions in an infinite quantum field. Prominent theorists are even challenging materialism, the assumption that matter is the foundation of reality. They argue that consciousness may be as fundamental as matter, or more fundamental.

So where does this leave me, in terms of my search for answers? I’ve given up hope that science can give us a single, objectively true solution to the mind-body problem, one true for everyone. Disbelief, I’ve decided, is the only rational stance to take toward alleged solutions, whether religious or scientific. I no longer crave a revelation that will dispel my sense of weirdness, because I’ve accepted that we really are weird. The weirdness

Off The Press

isn’t just a function of our ignorance, it is intrinsic to reality. I think of mind-body theories as stories, works of imagination, of art. Some are more compelling than others—more meaningful and comforting–but none really solves the mind-body problem, any more than The Inferno or War and Peace do.

Those who yearn for certainty about who we really are might find disbelief unsatisfying, even frightening. You have no ground on which to stand, no assurance that God or science will take care of us, that everything is going to be okay. But if history teaches us anything, it is that our craving for certainty can get us into trouble. It has led to genocide, slavery, crusades, inquisitions, wars.

This is true not only of religious mind-body solutions but also of supposedly scientific ones, like Marxism and social Darwinism. We are never more dangerous than when we know what we really are, can be and should

be, and we insist that others share our belief.

Disbelief can protect us from our desperation for answers. And in exchange for certainty, you get the exhilaration of confronting the unknown with no preconceptions. You get the freedom to be whatever you imagine yourself to be, to create your own identity and destiny.

You just can’t insist that your answer to the mind-body problem is The Answer. My main advice to people of faith, whether Christians or hard-core scientific materialists, is to doubt yourself.

Be open-minded. Consider the possibility, even probability, that your beliefs are a matter of taste, not truth.

And remember that if we cannot solve the mystery of ourselves, we can keep exploring ourselves forever.

John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings at Stevens. This column is adapted from one originally published on his Scientific American blog, “Crosscheck.”

Girl Talk

Identity of Stevens “Hey hun!!!”: How hacker revealed multi-level marketing targets women OFF THE PRESS Off Center

Stevens ground to a halt this summer as a malicious virus paralyzed its computer system and brought the school to its digital knees. According to the Emergency IT Department, the virus has been described as “bad,” “very bad,” and “dear God let us go back to defeating this demon code.” The virus was implanted into the system by a secret hacker who offered to undo their heinous work at the outrageous cost of $12. President Farvardin, aghast at the thought of giving anyone money for any reason, soundly rejected this deal and went back to whipping the IT department to make them work faster.

The hacker, whose identity is known but we won’t tell you who it is until the end of the article so you read the whole thing, declined to comment on this development.

The hack was first noticed on August 8, at approximately “a little after lunch.” The IT Department had had a slow summer, having already solved their previous big issue: some bagel crumbs that had found their way into the network terminal. The incriminating “bits” (a little computer joke for those so inclined) had taken 4 weeks and 14 canisters of compressed air to be ejected from the system. Suffice it to say the entire staff was fairly tuckered out from the summer’s exertion and was ready to get back to their main job: looking up Yahoo Answers on how to fix laptops. “Then we got this message on one of the computers,” said a source at the IT Department who asked to remain anonymous. “But the hacker must’ve messed up because the message only flashed for, like, half a second, and then we were locked out of the sys-

tem!” Sarah continued.

The hack had taken out almost all of the school’s online resources, including Canvas, the campus e-mail system, and the secret group chat where all the professors make fun of the students. As a school who has the word “Technology” right in the name, this was a very regrettable situation for Stevens to be in.

Pandemonium ensued as students realized that they no longer had access to online services. Many summer classes that relied on online submissions and files inexplicably continued to chug right along despite the lack of internet. Unable to utilize SolidWorks for their assignments, many engineering students were forced to hand-draw their designs, resulting in a number of beautiful stilllife paintings that are now on display in the Babbio Atrium. The entire Computer Science department was reduced to barbarism, as sophisticated computer programs had to be re-implemented onto wooden abacuses and comically complicated Rube Goldberg-type systems.

For weeks after the attack, the Division of Information Technology worked tirelessly on regaining control of the system, stopping only for lunches, union-mandated breaks, weekends, weekdays during non-working hours, their children’s piano recitals, daily moments of zen, and Friday pizza parties. Throughout all of it, the administration sent daily notices to students to keep them updated, almost all of them saying “System still broken.

Maybe tomorrow?” These messages kept morale on campus high throughout the entire ordeal, as students couldn’t help but respect the transparent and honest communication that the school was graciously giving them.

The initial suspect for the attack was ex-President Dmitri Kolba, the Ukrainian hacker who last semester had baited President Farvardin into giving up the deed to the school through a supposed iPhone giveaway.

Kolba graciously gave the school back after realizing that, having a very weak grasp on the English language, he could not pronounce “Institute of Technology” to any degree of success, and was soundly mocked for it as a result. He e-mailed the deed to the school back to newly-reinstated President Farvardin with an attached “my bad.” When Off the Press contacted Kolba through the use of several Ukrainian-to-English language dictionaries, it was discovered that he had been fishing at the time of the recent hack, and he sent us a picture of the fish as proof. It was a pretty small fish, too, so we know that he’s not lying to make himself look better.

Since the attack, the hacker’s identity has been revealed to be none other than Martini, President Farvardin’s lovable and criminally mischievous pet dog. The adorable cyberterrorist had used his connection to the president to steal his administrative password (pUppyLOVeR1870) and hold the school’s computer system for ransom. When asked why he did all this for only $12, Martini let out a cute yap and rolled over onto his back, allowing our field reporter to rub his stomach. Currently, Martini is set to face the maximum sentence for his crime: 70 dog-years in federal dog-prison (St. Bernard’s Penitentiary) and a hefty fine of 700,000 dog-dollars. While the damage to the school may have been extensive, we can rest assured knowing that this fluffy menace is finally off the streets.

Leigha Tierney Sophomore Biology

If you are a woman between the ages of 18 and 45 and are active on social media, there is a likely chance that you have received some type of direct message sounding something like this: “Hey girl!!!

I just followed you and I noted you are SO pretty!!! [string of emojis] In fact, I could use a beautiful and confident lady like you on my team!!! For the low price of [unreasonably high price] you could join a group of awesome ladies being their own bosses!!!” The account that messaged you is likely to be a young woman, possibly with children, who is using social media to be a direct salesperson for a multi-level marketing company, more commonly known as a “pyramid scheme.” Multi-level marketing is a business concept in which a company relies on lower-level members to sell and distribute products as opposed to directly selling their own merchandise.

While you would have to go to a storefront to buy something from a more traditional company, if you would like to purchase something from a multi-level marketing company, you would have to directly contact a salesperson to make a pur-

chase.

As of recently, multi-level marketing strategy companies have come under fire for their similarity to pyramid schemes. While pyramid schemes are illegal, multi-level marketing is still a legal business strategy. The fine line between multi-level marketing and pyramid schemes lies in how they recruit new salespeople. Usually, multi-level marketing companies will reward sellers who recruit more salespeople with monetary bonuses to incentivize sellers to purchase supply to sell. A multi-level marketing company is classified as a pyramid scheme when more emphasis is placed upon recruiting than the distribution of product. This recruitment practice is where these abrupt DMs come into play.

According to MLM News Report, out of the top 50 multi-level marketing companies by revenue, many of these are within industries that target the demands of women. For example, Avon, Mary Kay, Nu Skin, and Rodan+Fields are all within the top 10. Similarly, DoTERRA and Herbalife, both associated with essential oils, are top revenue companies as well. A total of 37 out of the 50 listed are associated with either the beauty, supplement, clothing, or essential oils industries — industries that are primarily associated with women.

The fact that multi-level marketing often targets women is harmful simply due to the fact that according to the FTC, 99% of sellers end up losing money when they invest in multi-level marketing.

When multi-level marketing companies and sellers target women on social media by spreading false promises of empowerment like “be your own boss!!!” and “make money all from your phone!!!” they are actively trying to manipulate women into losing money.

Furthermore, these tactics often target vulnerable women such as new mothers, stay-at-home mothers, military wives, and women within conservative religious groups (most notably Mormon women) who may want a chance to prove they can achieve business success but have limitations placed on them by familial responsibilities and restrictions. These groups of women are people who usually have limited contact with the world beyond their immediate home/ surroundings and are willing to take a risk if it means a chance to achieve something without having to sacrifice their responsibilities. However, these women often end up losing money in addition to being silenced by the company for fear of complaints getting out dissuading others from being recruited into the company.

While these companies often market themselves as a group of ambitious and goal-oriented people helping each other get rich fast, the reality is that these are often groups of vulnerable women fighting a losing battle. No matter how much they try to recruit or push product, the reality is that they will most likely lose money in the long run. So next time you get that “Hey hun!!!”

DM, it’s probably in your best interest not to respond.

September 6, 2019

11

Opinion Put Your Records On

You won’t regret listening Lana Del Rey’s new album

Christian Bonavita Junior Chemical Engineering

Welcome to all new and returning readers of The Stute! This is Put Your Records On, a biweekly column where I write about contemporary music, including industry trends, as well as new music and concert reviews.

For the first Put Your Records On column of the fall semester, I am discussing Lana Del Rey’s sixth album, the triumphant Norman Fucking Rockwell, which was released on Friday, August 30. Anyone familiar with Lana Del Rey knows that her body of work is dramatic and cinematic, and often fuses a distinctly modern sound with vintage elements and pop culture references from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

This juxtaposition garnered criticism toward the start of her career, as many critics questioned her authenticity, seeing that she initially attempted to find success under her birth name, Lizzy Grant, making music within a different genre, and that despite the intimacy of her music and homemade music

videos, she was signed to a major record label. The airing of her infamously shaky SNL performance in 2012, before the release of her first album, pushed this criticism past its tipping point, resulting in disaster for Del Rey and critical scorn that resonated into the middle of this decade. Lana Del Rey has prevailed though, growing a devoted international fanbase all the while, and with the release of Norman Fucking Rockwell, she deserves all possible praise, and may finally receive it from critics and a wider audience.

Norman Fucking Rockwell is by far Lana Del Rey’s best and most realized album, and her multi-faceted concept comes through clearly in 14 tracks which

contain some of her most complex melodies and lyrics ever. While all of her past albums have suffered from being lengthy and unfocused (Ultraviolence and Honeymoon are her shortest at 65 minutes), Norman Fucking Rockwell finally earns its runtime (67 minutes, by the way), with each track contributing to its main statement, which I would define as “finding connections with others as a troubled person during a crisis,” whether the crisis is the impending devastation due to climate change, or the fall of cultural icons like Kanye West (“The Greatest”). This central idea still allows Lana to

continued on thestute.com

The Album Cover for Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell.

Photo courtesy of Steve Hoffman

Black Effect

Intro: The glory is in you

Nasir Montalvo Junior Business and Technology

I grew up in Florida and lived in a Puerto-Rican household with my single mother, my half-brother, and his father. My father wasn’t around, but he did leave one thing to me: his skin color. But being the only Black family member wasn’t something I particularly thought about until this one day in middle school.

My step-father had come to pick up my brother and I after-school. We would wait outside on these concrete slabs with all the “Car-Riders”.

As we got into my step-father’s car, one of the younger students goes, “Whoa! Are you brothers? Why are you Black and you White?” The three of us exchanged glances and my step-father drove away with no answer. The question stuck with me though. I remember being confused and extremely uncomfortable, as if I never realized I was Black. You may be thinking how, after 11 or so years of life, I was just now realizing my appearance. I had always known what I looked like, but I never really understood how I looked in relation

to those around me. We never talked about Blackness in my household so, to an extent, I was largely ignoring a part of my being. I’m Black, but what does that mean? To that little girl who asked, it was just about color. For me, it turned into hounding my mother about the other half of my background, my culture and what was behind my skin. My mother couldn’t really answer any of my questions besides my descent (Jamaicans make some noise), so life went on.

But life went on with self-hatred. My experience taught me why people are quicker to hate and fear the unknown rather than love. I would joke with my friends that I was the Whitest Black person they knew. I would avoid acting “ghetto” and painted my life at home to be more extravagant than it really was. I would look at myself in the mirror and wish I had lighter eyes, light skin and slicked back hair like Justin Bieber (2012 vibes!).

Once I got to high school, I began to dismantle that internalized racism as I surrounded myself with people who looked and felt similarly to me. The unknown began to feel less daunting. I also had a Black teacher, Mrs. Smithson, my freshman and junior year who taught me what truly tapping into that Blackness meant. By the end of high school, I had grown a love for myself, within and without.

I had also realized the large role my community had in my development (or lack thereof) and began to distance myself.

I saw the end of high school

as a chance to escape branch out and discover myself. Well, here I am.

The Black effect (Thank you Jay-Z & Beyoncé) is something very real, very potent.

My younger-self felt my body was obscuring who I was within. But I realized that there was no internal and external; each and every part of me was me.

And once I came to terms with who I was – embraced who I was – the effect was love. Passionate love. Powerful love.

Black love. My younger-self would be shocked to see it.

Shocked to see how something like skin color could shape your life and your view of the world around you.

With this column, I want to celebrate with my Black and Brown brothers, sisters and siblings on this campus.

I want to relish in Black and Brown love with them and what it means to be passionate about the melanin that pigments us and the forces that build us into who we are.

I want to show the rest of Stevens a voice that is commonly ignored, misheard, or misunderstood by giving them a raw look into the various stories from people on this campus.

Fusing these together, I aim to show community members what it means to love yourself. To feed your body with warmth and adoration. Because the only way to love the outside is to realize that the glory is in you. Period.

P.S. Keep in mind that these viewpoints/experiences are my own and are not necessarily representative of those of the Black or Brown persons at Stevens and beyond.

Passion for Fashion

The state of streetwear

Daniel Kang Junior Biomedical Engineering

I think it is safe to say that at this point, we can collectively retire the term ‘streetwear.’ A decade ago, the word made a lot of sense in the context of the industry, but now that the entire fashion industry has moved to producing T-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, and sneakers, streetwear has been wholly overtaken by fashion.

Looking around the pantheon of leading luxury brands (Gucci, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Prada, Chanel, Maison Margiela, Burberry), all of them have seasonal pieces that are considered streetwear.

It makes sense that this shift has occurred in this generation because the creative directors of those houses either come from a streetwear background and are unafraid to flaunt their knowledge of pop culture or have been influenced by streetwear’s popularity with the younger generation. Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia, Louis Vuitton’s Virgil Abloh, and Dior’s Kim Jones have all been heavily influenced by the heyday of streetwear, and Gvasalia

and Abloh even established their own brands, Vetements and Off-White, respectively, with their unique takes on streetwear. Virgil Abloh spearheaded the creation of the now-iconic Nike’s “The 10” collection focusing on 10 classic silhouettes he thought represented the full breadth and creativity of the Swoosh.

Add collaborating with seemingly every practice out there and you have someone who captivates the imagination of creatives worldwide. Similarly, Kim Jones masterminded possibly one of the most legendary collaborations of all time when he (heading Louis Vuitton) teamed up with James Jebbia’s Supreme.

After taking over Kris Van Assche’s position at Dior, he has since failed to disappoint, delivering impressive collaborations with KAWS, AMBUSH, Matthew Williams’ 1019 ALYX 9SM, Raymond Pettibon, and Daniel Arsham. Although collaborations are a prime feature of streetwear, it seems that 21st century fashion has begun to consider the norms of streetwear as its own.

The industry is so saturated with brands shifting to streetwear that even Burberry and Rihanna’s Fenty label are playing the game of weekly ‘drops’ of new product that cult brands Supreme and Palace have always engaged in.

Streetwear is still the primary intersection of many different disciplines: namely graffiti, skateboarding (and to an extent, surfing), and hip-hop. There is no question that these once subver-

sive or underground fields are now recognized as mainstream by the general public.

Basquiat’s untitled painting sold for the highest price ever for an American artist at auction. Skateboarding is now an official Olympic sport set to debut in Tokyo in 2020. Hip-hop rules the top of the music charts most days of the week throughout the year. Mainstream opinion has changed significantly since street artists tagged subway trains inside and out, skateboarding was an inferior sport relegated to skate parks and back alleys, and hip-hop was excluded from radio stations nationwide.

It is important to note that the larger fashion industry has carefully paid attention to how closely millennials and Gen-Xers follow their favorite niche brands.

If they can somehow emulate these brands and produce garments and footwear at a higher quality and price point, it would be relatively easy to open their wallets.

The commodification of the sort of urban anarchy that streetwear represents is cool.

Subcultural norms used to dictate who wore streetwear but not anymore, especially with the advent of social media. You can argue that social media has democratized the industry and made it more transparent, but it has also enabled people with no prior knowledge and a large amount of disposable income to flex their latest wares. The bigger problem is then that these people act as de facto gatekeepers to the entire industry and are

protective of property which did not originate with them.

The convergence of multiple fields within streetwear means it would also be accessible to outsiders (those with a lot of money) with just a casual interest in those fields.

Clothing loaded with meaning matters to people.

It’s ironic that the originally exclusive streetwear has been co-opted by everyone from world-famous athletes to social media influencers. Once upon a time, when you saw a certain brand on a person you knew for certain that the person had some knowledge of the brand or had been somewhere different. Now it is all about who has the most money to buy those brands even at exorbitant prices on the secondary market. Case in point, a Canadian entrepreneur named Miles Nadal recently bought the entire 100-pair collection of most valuable sneakers in the world curated by both Sotheby’s and Stadium Goods for a grand total of $1.2 million. The most expensive pair of shoes in the collection was an original deadstock pair of Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon Shoes made by Nike co-founder and University of Oregon track-and-field head coach Bill Bowerman for the 1972 Summer Olympic Trials that sold for a whopping $437,500, which is the highest price ever paid for a pair of sneakers anywhere. The average person may not understand why someone like Nadal is willing to shell out an exorbitant amount of money for shoes but those shoes represent the pinnacle of “in-

novative design, exceptional craftsmanship and new and exciting trends in pop culture,” according to him. As I previously reported, a collection of all of the Supreme skateboard decks made between 1998 and 2018 sold for $800,000. Soon after, a 1300-piece collection of every single Supreme accessory manufactured between 1998 and 2018 was valued at $2 million by Sotheby’s and each item was sold individually online. These landmark archives generated a lot of interest because the notoriety of sneakers and streetwear is reaching an all-time high and does not seem to be slowing down.

Streetwear arose from a raw, unconventional way to express oneself that now dominates any conversation about fashion, music, art, and sports. Coming from a position of challenging traditional notions of who gets to access fashion, streetwear is refreshingly original and authentic to those who gladly embrace it. On the other hand, anything you wear on the street is technically streetwear. There is no reason to stick with the original vision of streetwear because there are so many brands that expand upon or changed that vision. The only constant in fashion is change. Already brands are experimenting with Americana, workwear, and techwear. Is it really enough to make a statement and then move on? Or should we acknowledge the history behind the moments that gave rise to a movement sweeping

the globe?

Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, the conglomerate that includes Louis Vuitton among a host of other luxury brands and spirits producer Moet-Hennessey in its portfolio, is now the third-richest person in the world, no doubt aided by the strong growth of the luxury labels. Kering, another fashion conglomerate, saw its revenue increase by more than 21.9% in the first quarter of this year with Balenciaga, Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Alexander McQueen in its portfolio. Not so long ago, Farfetch purchased Stadium Goods and the New Guards Group, which counts Off-White, Heron Preston, and Marcelo Burlon among its brood. Even retailer groups are getting in on the action, with Foot Locker purchasing a large stake in GOAT, which had already merged with Flight Club. Amazon and Zappos invested a lot of money in Concepts, an international boutique that stocks exclusive sneakers and clothing.

Last but not least, Supreme received a staggering $500 million investment from the Carlyle Group. Clearly, big companies are capitalizing on the mainstream status of streetwear like nothing before. Although a lot of other fashion publications have claimed that the streetwear bubble has burst in no uncertain terms, streetwear’s ability to communicate across languages and borders signals something that will not

continued on thestute.com

September 6, 2019

3

Campus Pulse

Nicholas Villa “I don’t like the longer path to Babbio.”

Emma Brunet “I can’t go straight to Howe from Davis.”

Twinkle Gupta “It looks ugly and I hate walking around it.”

Roving Reporter

Bruno Andino “I don’t like not being able to go straight to Carnegie”

Murray Elinson “It’s so loud, I live in Jonas and it woke me up at 5:30.”

What’s your favorite construction inconvience?

Maksym Perozhak “My only view is dump trucks.”

Crossword Things that are Banned at Stevens

Across

3) Without an official explanation, we have to assume these were banned for being too relaxing.

5) There’s an article about this in this very issue!

7) Skyline made this explict art form much harder to access 8) To use one of these anywhere in Hoboken you would need to call over six airports and helipads.

Down

1) ‘Stevens is a _______-free campus.

2) Another prohibited form of personal transporation.

4) Not to be mistaken with fire-starting material, but that probably isn’t ok either.

6) Indiana Jones is afraid of these. May also be found on a plane.

Catalina Abusada “The major hassle at Davis.”

Matthew Perri “Walking from Davis into the North part of campus is a pain.”

September 6, 2019

12

Sports

ON DECK IN SPORTS SAT, SEP 7 MEN AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Ron Stonitsch Invitational 10 A.M. Poughkeepsie, NY

WOMEN’S SOCCER VS Johns Hopkins University 11 A.M. Hoboken, NJ Photos from stevensducks.com

Women’s Volleyball tip off their new season

By TREVOR DAMEIKA On Friday, August 30, the Stevens Women’s Volleyball team started their season with two games — one game against Millikin University and another against Roger Williams University. The first game of the season started with the first point coming from Ava Smithing.

A pretty solid offense from the Millikin team established an early first set lead that led to the Ducks dropping their first set of the season 19-25. Similarly in the second set, the Millikin team used their defense to shut down

Stevens again 19-25.

However, in the third set, something changed. The Ducks began to fight back and create leads. Shelby Stewart, Allie Morton, and Sara Hain led the Ducks to almost taking the third set, but Millikin fought back and won the match (25-19, 25-19, 28-26).

It was a valiant effort from the Ducks, but they quickly moved on from it as the next match started against the Hawks of Roger Williams University (RWU).

Early in this game, the Ducks came out firing. Holding a 12-5 lead early, Shelby Stewart and

Kathleen Riegner dominated RWU. Both of these players finished with 8 kills at the end of a first set that they took 25-19.

This was an energy boost for the Ducks entering the second set.

It was a intensely close second set as RWU took a 24-19 lead, but Sara Hain, Kristen Edmiston, and the Ducks fueled a 8-1 run to take the second set.

This would give the Ducks a 2-0 advantage over the Hawks.

After losing the second set, RWU pulled off a close victory in the third set.

This was a setback for Stevens, but they were able to over-

MEN’S GOLF Spartan Invitational 11:30 AM Wolf, PA

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

come.

Fighting against 4 set points for the Hawks, the Ducks made a thrilling comeback and won the fourth and final set of the game 29-27.

Commenting on the end of the game and the win, sophomore Kathleen Riegner said, “After losing the third set, we never surrendered. We all really wanted to win, and we put all our energy into staying alive and winning that one match point.”

They did win that match point and got their first win of the season (25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 29-27).

Ducks Men’s Soccer kick off with wins

By TREVOR DAMEIKA

Photos from stevensducks.com

Coming off a win away at Mitchell College, the Stevens Men’s Soccer team played their home opener on Sunday, September 1. It was a thrilling game of twists and turns.

The game kicked off and the Ducks came out firing. Matthew Pinho created one of the first chances of the game with a beautiful cut inside and shot the ball, skimming the outside of the post and going wide.

Controlling the left side of the field, Pinho was able to create many chances to start the game.

Meanwhile, in the defensive end, junior Jacob Curtis, Captain of the team, shouted commands to his defense that kept the game level in the first half. However, in the lat-

ter stages of the first half, an amazing free kick from Old Westbury scored the first goal of the game.

Stevens dominated the first half with 12 shots, but were unable to finish their many chances. As a result, Westbury fed off Stevens missed chances and were able to establish a lead.

Kicking off the second half, Old Westbury looked ready to take home a victory. Ten minutes into the second half, Old Westbury’s lead was doubled, but Stevens was still dominating the stats.

Nevertheless, there was a shift in the game five minutes later. After a wonderful flick from Gianni Falvo and a sweet turn and finish by Bailey Gano, Stevens scored their first goal.

About 20 minutes later,

VS St. John Fisher VS New York University 2 PM Hoboken, NJ

Adam Silva took the ball to take a corner kick and phenomenally was able to curve the ball into the net. After the game, Captain Jacob Curtis commented on the goal: “I would not expect anything less from Adam. He’s a wonderful player and just pure class.”

With five minutes left, Matthew Hammons, off a free kick from Stephen Johnson, headed the ball, and it barely crossed the line to give the Ducks their winning goal. After being down 2-0, Stevens fought back in their home opener to prevail 3-2.

After the game, Curtis also stated, “It feels great to be back out there. Even being down, our team has the energy to outwork teams and come back.

While starting the season 2-0, there is nothing better.”

VS United States Merchant Marine Academy and MSU Tri-Match 3 PM Montclair, NJ VS Montclair State University MSU Tri-Match 5 PM Montclair, NJ

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY vs Stockton University 5 PM Hoboken, NJ

MEN’S SOCCER vs Vassar College 8 PM Hoboken, NJ

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STEVENS SPORTS VISIT STEVENSDUCKS.COM

CHECK OUT THE DUCKS ON INSTAGRAM!

@STEVENSDUCKS #ALLRISE

DUCK COUNTRY SCOREBOARD DATE FRI AUGUST 30th FRI AUGUST 30th FRI AUGUST 30th FRI AUGUST 30th FRI AUGUST 30th FRI AUGUST 30th SAT AUGUST 31st SAT AUGUST 31st SAT AUGUST 31st SUN SEPTEMBER 1st WED SEPTEMBER 4th

TEAM WOMEN’S SOCCER WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY MENS’ SOCCER WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S SOCCER MEN’S SOCCER WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY

OPPONENT LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY NO.8 VASSAR COLLEGE MITCHELL COLLEGE MILKINS VS. RV JOHNS HOPKINS ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY MILKINS VS. RV JOHNS HOPKINS MILKINS VS. RV JOHN HOPKINS NO. 7/6 MESSIAH COLLEGE OLD WESTBURY WILLIAM PATTERSON UNIVERSITY

SCORE W (4-1) L (0-3: 19-25, 19-26, 26-28) L (0-3) W (3-2) (25-16, 25-14, 33-31) W (3-1: 25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 29-27) L (1-3: 25-19, 12-25, 16-25, 9-25) (25-14, 25-13, 25-15) L (0-2) W (3-2) W (3-2)

Love sports? The Stute is looking for Sports Writers and Photographers to attend games and write about #StevensDucks !

Contact us at eboard@thestute.com if you’re interested in joining the team.