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PATH reopens, my friends go to a steakhouse in the city, and I’m here writing in this box...
We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | MARCH 7, 2025
VOLUME CXXII No. 20
NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904
SGA votes against Stevens Divest From War Initiative Proclamation BY THE STUTE The proclamation on the Stevens Divest From War Initiative (SDFWI)—a proclamation presented to the Student Government Association (SGA) to divest the school’s endowment from companies or investments that violate international law and human rights principles—failed to pass after a second round of debate. The proclamation was first presented at a Senate meeting on February 23. After a lengthy debate, the Senate decided to table the vote to allow for amendments to be made that addressed prominent concerns with the proclamation’s content. At that meeting, the proclamation’s proposer, Senator Osinachi Uga, along with its authors, Mohamed Bengabsia and James Hooker, expressed their intent to work with the SGA to revise the proclamation, address student concerns, and secure Senate support. However, at the next Senate meeting on Sunday, March 2, the SGA Senate failed to pass the amended proclamation, falling short of the required two-thirds supermajority. The Stute had the opportunity to discuss the changes to the proclamation and the proposal with members of both SDFWI and the SGA.
Senator Evan Papageorge, who collaborated with SDFWI representatives on the revisions, explained that while the SGA could only propose amendments to the proclamation, they provided feedback to the writers on improving the proposal. ‘The amendment’s main goal was to shift the proclamation from an ultimatum to the Board of Trustees into more of a conversation about how we can move forward and ensure all students have a say in the next steps,’ Papageorge stated. James Hooker, one of the proposal’s contributors, added that the revised version aimed to address concerns that the original was perceived as political and that some student groups found it exclusionary. In the section titled, “Letter to the Senators,” Hooker wrote, “To address the concerns raised in the previous meeting, we have modified our proposal to highlight the six principles for divestment logistically, rather than politically.” The specific changes made to the proposal are listed below: The clarification of communications between SGA, student orgs, and the Board of Trustees, replacing the original CIR and “lines of accountability.”
SEE WAR PAGE 2
Who’s running for Hoboken mayor? BY JOSEPHINE CHOONG, STAFF WRITER Hoboken’s elections will commence on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The non-partisan municipal elections will determine who will hold office from 2026 to 2030. Notably, five candidates have announced their intention to run for mayor. Compared to the last mayoral election, in which there was only one candidate, this year’s election is set to be more intense and feature a variety of candidates with different platforms. Ravi Bhalla, Hoboken’s current mayor, stated that he wouldn’t run for a third term. On January 10, he announced that 2025 was his last year as mayor and that he plans to pursue public service through a different path. “It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as the Mayor of Hoboken, and I’m confident in the coming years, the best is yet to come,” Bhalla concluded. Instead, he decided to run for New Jersey’s 32nd Assembly District. On January 13, Councilwoman Emily Jabbour announced her intention to run for mayor. She claims she will focus on better schools, safer neighborhoods, improved constituent services, accessible public transportation, and more transparency and acNEWS (2-3)
Launch of the new Stevens Center of Sustainability The second anniversary of the sustainability minor pushes students to promote a greener campus culture. FEATURE (4)
International Women’s Day Learn more about the Stevens Women in Business (SWIB) and their eboard!
countability in decisions and taxpayer money spent. “As a mom, you better believe I’ve got a long to-do list with new ideas to continue improving our community and make Hoboken a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” she states. The second candidate, Dini Ajmani, announced her candidacy on February 13. She was the former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S Treasury. Ajmani will emphasize lowering rents and taxes, creating additional parking, maintaining Hoboken’s charm, and bringing back a sense of safety. Ajmani says, “Like every Hoboken family, we are so proud of our city and want to ensure it remains strong, protected, and above all, affordable — both now and in the future.” The next candidate, Michael Russo, stated his intentions to run on February 18. He is a Hoboken Councilman dedicated to making living less expensive, increasing the housing supply, fixing parking, supporting local schools, and creating projects to benefit everyone. “I promise to be a Mayor who’s willing to work on the big picture while also listening to feedback from residents each and every day— and since my early years in
SEE MAYOR PAGE 3 SCIENCE (6)
Ozempic? Microsoft? Red Cross Month? Read about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (10)
Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.
Hoboken PATH opens after month-long renovations BY ANTHONY CURCIOPETRACCORO, CONTRIBUTOR
from various disciplines. Work and commitment to the cause culminated in the launch of the Sustainability minor in Fall 2024, which offers students a structured academic pathway to deepen their understanding of environmental challenges and solutions. The minor includes courses on climate science, sustainable engineering, environmental policy, and renewable energy technologies. By integrating this academic component, the initiative hopes to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle real-world sustainability challenges. Students are able to de-
Although this past month may have felt like ages for regular commuters, the PATH was officially reopened on Tuesday, February 25, after all track updates were concluded. These repairs, which were said to have been due since Superstorm Sandy struck Hoboken in fall 2012, include platform and track restorations and decorative updates to the station. Commuters can expect wider staircases in the station, refreshed paint and tiles, and more efficient lighting installations. In addition, track improvements have also been implemented that are intended to benefit daily commuters. Among these upgrades is a modernized switch mechanism, permitting conductors to redirect trains to alternate tracks to mitigate delays more efficiently. For those who brace for the rough ride upon pulling into the station, authorities say that the modernized track switches will lead to smoother rides upon arrival. With the completion of the
SEE MINOR PAGE 2
SEE PATH PAGE 2
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU
Launch of the new Stevens Center of Sustainability and Sustainability minor BY AVA WANG, OUTREACH CHAIR Spring 2025 marks the second semester in which Sustainability will be offered in the undergraduate minor course catalog. The recently established Sustainability minor, alongside the launch of the Center for Sustainability, spearheaded by Dr. Dibs Sarkar, is bringing faculty and students together to promote a greener campus culture. Sarkar, a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering, discussed his efforts in an interview with The Stute in December 2024. Planning for the minor’s curriculum had been in the works for about
two years. Sarkar mentioned that the idea emerged after noticing a growing interest in sustainability among engineering and science students, prompting faculty to develop a program that would also appeal to students from the humanities, arts, and social sciences, as well as the business disciplines. Prior to Fall 2024, Stevens only offered a Green Engineering minor, which was primarily fit for engineering majors. Prerequisites made this minor unattainable to those not in an engineering discipline. Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, work began to develop a more inclusive curriculum to cater to students
NATIONAL NEWS 21 DOGE employees resign due to Musk’s leadership BY JEREMIAH CHINWENDU, MANAGING EDITOR On February 25, 21 federal employees working for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resigned en masse, writing a joint letter to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles. In their letter, they cited concerns over Musk’s leadership, alleging a chaotic work environment, unrealistic policy directives, and a disregard for established government protocols. They claimed that DOGE, originally intended to
streamline bureaucratic inefficiencies, had instead become a platform for Musk’s personal ideological experiments. Many of the employees Musk hired into the administration were like-minded political ideologists who lacked the necessary experience for their roles. This collective resignation underscores the internal challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by federal technologists amid significant organizational changes. The U.S. Digital Service (USDS) was established in 2014 by former President Barack Obama and was re-
named DOGE by an executive order signed by President Trump on his inauguration day. Musk now leads the initiative to reduce the size of the government, with DOGE having eliminated key federal tech agencies, outsourced government services to private contractors, and automated tasks such as terminating government employees. The employees who resigned, along with other critics, argue that these changes have compromised the integrity and accessibility of public digital services, while supporters claim they have cut costs and improved efficiency.
In their letter, the former DOGE employees outlined key events that led to their collective decision to resign. On January 21, DOGE employees were required to attend 15-minute Zoom calls with anonymous White House visitors who asked questions about political loyalty and attempted to pit workers against each other, creating security risks. On February 14, one-third of U.S. Digital Service employees were abruptly fired via an anonymous email. These employees had supported major agencies
SEE DOGE PAGE 3
Hiring freeze or hiring drought? BY GAVIN RUBY, CONTRIBUTOR Although it has only been a month since the current administration took office, the news has been dominated by the flurry of executive orders and decisions from Donald Trump. Among these, one executive order could significantly impact job and internship prospects for current students, leaving many anxious about their summer internships and post-graduation employment opportunities. On January 20, as announced by the White House, Trump ordered a freeze on
the “hiring of Federal civilian positions that [are] vacant at noon [...] and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided.” Following this accord, jobs in all executive departments and agencies were put in jeopardy except those in military personnel of the armed forces and immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety. Following the 90-day federal hiring freeze, many students who were either hired or applied for positions in the federal government have been left scrambling for new opportunities. An article by Julia Dickinson in the Mis-
souri Independent highlights how students are shifting their priorities toward opportunities in the private sector. Some students have started to switch paths and shift towards local and state institutions to combat the federal government and start at the local level. Many have been left feeling frustrated, coming into the workforce with so much uncertainty. As of right now, Trump assumed office as the country had an unemployment rate that dipped down to 4%, near historic lows, and with 143,000 new jobs in January after a previous 307,000 jump in Decem-
ber. However, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has risen to 242,000 after a previous 22,000, which is the highest level in three months. Analysts are expecting layoffs ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency to show up in the report within the next few weeks or months. Americans, especially those in Generation Z, are facing uncertainty as Trump continues to try to scale back the federal workforce. Although it seems like the job market is improving in dif-
SEE JOBS PAGE 3