I went to a Yankees game instead of thinking about what to put in this box
We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXII No. 23
HOBOKEN, NJ | APRIL 18, 2025
The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck. www.thestute.com TikTok @thestute Instagram @thestute facebook.com/stevensthestute NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904
Spotlight on the Vietnamese Student Association
WCPR Record Collection: The Largest in Jersey?
BY GAVIN RUBY, STAFF WRITER
BY VINCENT OLIVIERI, CONTRIBUTOR
On February 4, the Vietnamese Student Association’s (VSA) GroupMe became visible to Stevens students. It wouldn’t be until April 8 that they held their first event: Ham Choi Game Night! During this event, they introduced their mainly non-Vietnamese general body to a variety of different games, including bầu cua cá cọp, a gambling game that uses three dice on a mat featuring a fish, a prawn, a crab, a cock, a calabash, and a stag (or a tiger). Another game was Choi Chuyen, which is similar to Gonggi, a traditional Korean game, where you time your moves by throwing one object in the air, grabbing another, and catching the one in the air. For a general body meeting, the turnout was terrific. All different parts of student life were present, and that small room on Babbio’s third floor ended up being very loud and lively once the games started. To get more insight, The
SEE VSA PAGE 2
University administration announced the implementation of a new policy governing the ability of students, staff, and faculty members to claim time away for religious observances. The new policy sets more specific requirements and expectations for the accommodation request process, including the ability to appeal denied requests. The new Stevens Religious Accommodation Policy affirms the university’s commitment to religious inclusivity while outlining clear steps that will allow the school to afford community members time away from official responsibilities. Requests must be submitted and approved or denied in writing to maintain the transparency of the process. Separate request and appeal forms for both students and faculty or staff can be found attached to the policy sheet, which is now catalogued in the University Policy Library. Examples of accommodations that may be granted include providing time off due to an observance,
BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR Stevens held Quack Hacks 2025, its first-ever student-run hackathon, on the weekend of March 29 and 30. Stevens students of all majors competed in themed and open-ended programming and electronics challenges over 29 hours. Nearly 400 participants—double the anticipated turnout—had the opportunity to take part in company networking,
workshops, speaker events, food and merch giveaways, and more. To learn more, The Stute had the opportunity to speak with Anna Hauk, one of the lead organizers of the event. Hackathons are typically 24-hour code competitions where teams build prototype solutions to specific challenges under time pressure. The concept for Quack Hacks was conceived in August 2024, when lead organizers Olof Persson, Humna Sultan, and a dedicated student team asked:
“Why not host our own?” in response to repeated requests from students for Stevens to host a hackathon. The eight-month planning process was inspired by hackathons popular with Stevens students, including New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Jersey Capture the Flag event. The competition officially kicked off at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a breakfast bar and keynote speeches from representatives of major sponsors ADP and Chubb. Additional sponsors
NATIONAL NEWS
Trump declares “Liberation Day” rescheduling of an exam or assignment deadline, and and enacts huge tariffs adjusting an athletic uniform to be compatible with religious requirements. The policy encourages forms to be submitted as early as possible in the semester, and mandatorily at least 14 days in advance of the requested date. Granted exemptions last up to a semester for students and up to an academic year for faculty and staff. In addition to form submissions, the policy requires that individuals notify key personnel and colleagues. For student athletes, a separate form for each sport must be submitted to notify coaches of requests. Supervisors are told to engage in an “interactive” process with employees or student workers who ask for accommodations, and that they “should aim to respond in most cases” within five working days to requests. Stevens says it will make “reasonable” efforts to provide accommodations and reserves the right to deny, amend, or revoke accommodations that would cause an undue burden. The Uni-
SEE POLICY PAGE 3 SCIENCE (6)
FEATURE (4-5)
PULSE (10)
Shaping the Future Discover banned books in the U.S. as well as Stevens Amnesty and their revival and how they plan on growing.
SEE WCPR PAGE 2
Student orgs host first student-run hackathon
NEWS (2-3)
Student orgs host first sutdent-run hackathon Learn more about the Quack Hacks 2025 and the brains behind the 24 hour hackathon
SEE HACK PAGE 2
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA HAUK
University overhauls religious accommodations policy BY BENJAMIN KNOBLOCH, NEWS EDITOR
included Amazon Web Services (AWS), Databricks, and Dyania Health, all of whom provided generous support through funding, prizes, and hands-on workshops. In total, 63 student teams registered, and 40 projects were submitted. Participants also enjoyed a variety of side activities, such as late-night yoga, Just Dance sessions, and constant food and merch giveaways. Hauk described
Castle Point Radio, better known as WCPR, is the official radio station of Stevens Institute of Technology. While it may not broadcast to the general public, this community enables students to create their own space in the music world, providing listeners with a place to listen to niche music or learn obscure facts about the hosts or the artists. What isn’t well known about this club, however, is that it might hold the title for the largest privately-owned record collection in New Jersey. Starting in 1961, WCPR has been home to many music geeks and collectors across many generations. While many know them for hosting events around campus and providing an outlet for students interested in broadcasting, marketing, and recording, their record library often goes unnoticed. What likely started as a hobby in the ‘60s and ‘70s quickly grew into a tradi-
Dire wolf revived? Miso in space? Smallest pacemaker? Read about what’s going on in the world of science. Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.
BY TANYA AVADIA, OUTREACH CHAIR At the core of Trump’s presidential campaign in 2024 was his promise to reshape the economy. Now, as president, he has enacted tariffs worldwide as part of his “America First” policy. On April 5, during the White House Rose Garden ceremony, President Trump signed Executive Order 14257 which declared a national emergency citing “a large and persistent US trade deficit” which he aims to correct via tariffs. The specific policy this enacted is two-fold: 1) A 10% tariff on all imported goods effective April 5, 2025 2) Country-specific tariffs enacted on 57 countries that currently have large trade deficits with the US The logic behind this policy, as explained by President Trump, is to protect American industries, promote American goods, and overall reduce the trade deficit of the country. This displays a dramatic change in
U.S. national and economic policy away from free trade to a level of protectionism and economic nationalism not pursued in generations. However, the effects of such universal tariffs have led to great economic uncertainty both domestically and worldwide. Tariffs are an economic tool that governments utilize by enacting a tax on goods and services imported from other countries. Countries use tariffs to protect their local industries, as the additional tax on imported goods encourages consumers to purchase domestically. Tariffs can also be used as a political tool to pressure or punish other nations. In either case, the burden of paying the additional tax ultimately falls on the consumer. Overall, there are three types of tariffs: • Ad Valorem tariffs: a percentage of an item’s value • Specific tariffs: a fixed fee per unit • Compound tariffs: combines Ad Valorem and
SEE TARIFF PAGE 3
NCAN Leadership Summit BY TASHA KHOSLA, OPINION EDITOR From March 31 to April 1, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) hosted a Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. On March 31, the event consisted of “a mix of knowledge and skill-building sessions” and on April 1, participants traveled to Capitol Hill to “make their voices heard, and educate their representatives in the U.S. House and Senate on time-sensitive and pressing policy issues like a fully functional Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launch, and the need for increased funding for Pell Grants and other federal student aid.” To learn more, The Stute interviewed Michelle Elias Flores, a Clark Scholar who attended the event. Elias Flores became aware of the Leadership Summit when Clark Scholar advisor Alida McKee reached out, asking her to represent Stevens Clark Scholars at the event. “Being a first-generation student and a limited income student,” said Elias Flores, “I became very well versed in student financial aid.” The biggest topic discussed at the event was the
Pell Grant, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects to have a $2.7 billion gap next fiscal year, which is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2027 if it is not addressed. Another major topic discussed was FAFSA, and efforts to ensure it is properly staffed and funded so the application can be accessible to all. As Elias Flores mentioned, “If the website is breaking all the time and there are no callers at the call center then we have a bigger problem on our hands.” Elias Flores spoke positively of the skill-building sessions, too. “We actually got to learn how financial aid [works] and talk to the developers and head of the FAFSA team! It was pretty cool to hear what they had to say and made them listen to our concerns and the kind of the hidden things of what happens that we don’t know. Allegedly, there are major changes coming to the FAFSA (yes, again) that would help make it more accessible and safer for mixed status families and students with certain circumstances. I really enjoyed seeing people put them on their toes, as we all deserve transparency about financial aid and
SEE NCAN PAGE 3