S
According to Stevens’ 2016 Tax Report, President Farvardin makes $1.58 million dollars a year.
Volume CXVI Issue 2
THE
TUTE
Did you know?
@TheStute
/StevensTheStute
Stevens hosts its first TEDx: “Through Collaboration, Impact”
WE WRITE STEVENS HISTORY
Friday, September 14, 2018
/TheStute
The Stute The official newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of the Stevens mascot, Atilla the Duck. The Stute Online Subscriptions You can get a PDF of The Stute sent to your email every Friday, free. Never miss a bit of news. Visit thestute.com/subscribe TheStute.com
SGA dissolves Stevens Knit and Crochet Club
by MARYIA SPIRYDONAVA Editor In-Chief
With a theme of “Through Collaboration, Impact,” the Stevens TEDx took place this past Wednesday in DeBaun Auditorium. Four speakers discussed topics like green infrastructure, mental health, reimagining calculus, and civil defense. One hundred audience members, a live viewing party sponsored by the SGA, and an international live online audience meant a new platform for Stevens researchers. The event opened with an introduction by Mohammad Dehghani, the Vice Provost of Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Aaron Price, founder of Propelify and NJ Tech Meetup, was the emcee. Price added humor to the event and boosted the audience energy. Blythe Nobleman, the organizer of the event, was instrumental in not only the success of the event but also in the event coming to campus. Inspired by other universities with TEDx programs, Nobleman brought the idea to Dehghani. They thought it would be a way to place Stevens researchers on a “broad, global platform.” Nobleman said that this program is ideal and “can call upon multimedia and experiential communications to get many thousands of viewers from across the globe to engage with ‘ideas worth spreading’ and bring greater recognition to Stevens.” Even though TEDx is independently organized, there was still a very specific set of critesee TEDX · Page 5
by SARAH HOOGENBOOM Staff Writer
The outside of the current Alexander House | Photo Courtesy of Google Maps
Alexander House renovation floorplans revealed by MARYIA SPIRYDONAVA Editor-In-Chief
With the move from Jacobus to Alexander House drawing near, student organizations have been wondering what the new space will look like for them. Floor plans were presented at last week’s Student Government Association (SGA) Senate meeting by Dakota Van Deursen, Vice President of Student Interests. In addition, Dean Kenneth Nilsen has shown the plans to some student leaders. Recognized Student Organizations and
New changes to Stevens Leased Housing
see SLH · Page 2 campus news
Red Zone
·
foyer will be the location of the new Diversity Educator’s office. A locked pantry, for staff, will also be located on the first floor. The rest of the first floor will be student space. All the bathrooms in the house will be gender neutral. There will be a living room lounge,
Three members of Office of Undergradute Student Life left Stevens earlier this semester.
The future of student life looms with three recent departures. by MARK KRUPINSKI Business Manager
Over the past month, the Office of Student Life has faced three departures: Brielle Melillo, Assistant Director of Financial Advising; Jacquis Watters, Assistant Director of Diversity Education; and Kristie Damell, Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator. “It’s a natural progression,” said Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Klein, who oversees Student Life in her position, stated that she was sad about all the departures, but that they were not completely unexpected. However, most student leaders were surprised by the departures. Lucas Gallo, the President of the Student Government Association, did not expect
· page 3
page 6
The Alexander House
The Alexander House will be the temporary accomodation for the student organizations housed in Jacobus Hall.
Associate Dean of Students: Kristie Damell Associate Director of Student Life: Chris Shemanski Diversity Educator: Jacquis Watters Assistant Director: Malcolm McDaniel Financial Coordinator: Brielle Melillo Student Life Advisor: Danielle Maxson Senior Administrative Assistant: Jane Gilbarty Graduate Coordinator: Craig Shook Graduate Coordinator: Veronika Paprocka
Stevens’ Take Back the Night Committee spreads awareness on sezual assault.
Crossword
students will now be able to anticipate what the student space in the Alexander House will contain. Students will be able to enter the foyer of the building by the terrace, either by stair or by a ramp. The installation of an elevator will ensure ADA compliance. When students walk into the foyer, they will see a full whiteboard/corkboard wall, where club event flyers will be posted. Immediately by the entrance on the right, students will be greeted by Danielle Maxson, the Student Life Advisor. On the left side of the
Staff members in the Office of Undergraduate Student Life:
by CHARLES ZWICKER Staff Writer
Due to Stevens admitting the largest freshman class in its history, changes needed to be in order to fulfill the guarantee of on-campus housing for freshman. The solution that the Office of Residence Life chose was to move all upperclassmen students out of Jonas Hall and into Stevens Leased Housing. Due to the volume of displaced students, the Office of Residence Life added several new, existing, and returning housing options to its portfolio. One returning option is the Juliana apartments, which some of the upperclassmen may be familiar with. The two new options are Courtyard at Jefferson, located at 8th Street and Madison Street, and Harlow, right above the Trader Joe’s on 14th Street and Washington Street. The Gray line has been modified to include a shuttle stop at 12th Street and Clinton Street. According to Tony Blazini, Director of Residence Life, Stevens requires all of the apartments to be modern and up to code. Regarding handling the displaced Jonas students, Trina Ballantyne, Dean of Residence Life, said that “some students were excited about the opportunity to live in Hoboken luxury apartments.” Understandably though, “some students were
Established 1904
Pass your time during Leadership Connect with this puzzle.
opinion
any of the departures and received notice at the same time as all of the students. “I like really wish I did [receive advanced notice of the departure] too,” said Gallo, “We would’ve been able to maybe plan in advance about what was going to happen.” According to Klein, Brielle Melillo was not expecting to leave Stevens. Melillo was always considering teaching, and she got a “random call” about an open position teaching fifth grade. It was a 24-hour decision, according to Klein. In the meantime, Melillo’s previous responsibilities will be split between Danielle Maxson and Chris Shemanski. With regard to the departure of Jacquis Watters, Klein said it was a “natural progression.” Watters received a better offer at Columbia to serve as Associate Direc-
· page 9
SGA President Lucas Gallo Interview
Senator Mark Krupinski sits down with Gallo to discuss SGA progress. opinion
· page 8
John Horgan: How Google could end war
Read Professor Horgan’s thoughts on how Google could end war.
tor of Multicultural Affairs and Social Justice Programs after working for two-and-ahalf years at Stevens. Watters’ previous role will be performed by Veronika Paprocka, Graduate Coordinator for Diversity Initiatives, in the interim. The most notable departure is Kristie Damell, who has left Stevens after working at the university for 10 years. According to Klein, Damell left for personal reasons and she is “really sad” about the departure. Klein noted they were close friends, and when asked about the reason for Kristie leaving, she attributed part of the decision to burn-out. Damell kept having more and more responsibilities added to her load. Damell’s new role at NJIT focuses on see FUTURE · Page 3
opinion
· page 7
opinion
· page 8
opinion
· page 8
Pharrell and Adidas Mind of a Freshman Senioritis
a multipurpose room, and a game room. The game room and the living room lounge will be a proxy for the Jacobus space. A new billiard table will be bought for the space to replace the old and worn out Jacobus pool tables. The lounge will contain a television and comfortable seating for students to relax and hang out. The multipurpose room will be available for club events. However, there will be a priority list for the room; it won’t be based on a first come, first serve system. Student Life/Student Affairs see HOUSE · Page 2
The Stevens Knit and Crochet Club was dissolved after last Sunday’s meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate on Sept. 8, 2018. The Senate planned to discuss whether the wellknown club with dwindling membership should be placed on probation or completely discontinued. Vice President of Student Interests Dakota Van Deursen explained that the discontinuation of the club was attributed to low membership and the lack of response and effort of club members after the club was placed in poor standing as a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) for not registering on DuckLink. In addition, for the first time ever in the club’s history, the Knitting Club did not attend the Freshman Flock Party to recruit new students. In the end, the discussion concluded with dissolving the club, despite interest from younger members of the club who wanted to retain RSO status. The Senate proposed to these younger members they restart the club through the New Organization Process. Described as “quirky, creative, and carefree” by an alumni member, the Knitting Club was a space for those who wanted some peace during the week. It was an escape from the stress of coursesee KNITTING· Page 3
Amnesty International graduates from New Organization Process, becomes Full-Status RSO by CHRISTIAN BONAVITA Staff Writer
Representatives from the Stevens chapter of the global organization, Amnesty International, presented their case for acquiring the title of Full-Status Registered Student Organization (RSO) to the Senate of the Student Government Association (SGA) this past Sunday. Hoping to graduate from the New Organization Process and shed the title of Probationary RSO, Amnesty International told Senate members about its campus impact and prospect for growth sought through the title of full RSO. Amnesty International was highly successful, clearly covering all bases, since its presentation was followed by zero questions from the Senate and a unanimous vote of approval. The New Organization Process (NOP), signed into SGA law in 2016 by former president Tommy Daly and rehauled last semester by the Committee on Student Interests, is the SGA mechanism of overseeing new campus clubs and organizations. It allows the SGA to monitor each organization’s constitution-drafting process, introduce budgeting, and measure interest and attendance for new clubs.
This process includes four steps: the interest period, “Starting RSO,” “Training RSO,” and “Probationary RSO;” each step affords the new organization increased independence and opportunity to receive funding and create a DuckLink Portal. Designed by the Committee on Student Interests to be a relatively slow process, filled with checks, the NOP ensures that each organization has true potential. However, don’t mistake this process as a way for the SGA to impose itself negatively by slowing down the development of organizations. As Vice President of Student Interests for the SGA, Dakota Van Deursen, explained, the process should be relatively difficult so that complete RSOs can stand as official organizations, tried and true by many campus decision-makers, such as the Office of Undergraduate Student Life in Step One, the Committee on Student Interests in Step Two, and the entire SGA in Steps Three and Four. Additionally, completion of the rigorous NOP is met with immense reward and opportunity for growth. Dakota Van Deursen continued to explain that full RSOs “do not have a budget cap” and “are able to freely request budgets of any amount from see AMNESTY · Page 3
The Stute meets every Tuesday at 9 PM on the second floor of Jacobus Hall. Come join the team!