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LAST STUTE ISSUE OF THE YEAR!
We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | MAY 1, 2026
VOLUME CXXIII No. 25
NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904
Palaver launch
Stevens hosts 2nd annual research week
BY CLAIRE DEANS, LAYOUT EDITOR The word palaver is a noun that may be described as “an improvised conference between two groups, typically those without a shared language or culture.” Palaver is also the name of a journal created by Stevens students and faculty. Faculty such as HASS Teaching Assistant Professor Benjamin Ogden, who has spearheaded this year’s 2026 edition. On Wednesday, April 22, the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences hosted a publication party and round table discussion in honor of this year’s edition of Palaver, the sixth journal of its kind. This year’s edition was centered around Dialogues of Trust. They provided this year’s collection of student and faculty passages, previous editions of Palaver, and pens for all of the attendees. There was also an assortment of cookies and water for those who attended the discussion. Once everyone was settled, they had prepared a slideshow of different artworks created for the edition. The artworks were created by different Stevens students, specifically Anna
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BYJOSEPHINE CHOONG, SECRETARY
tween members of your organization, learning systems, and policies that can feel confusing, the space you wanted for an event already being booked, and retaining strong membership.” She also addressed more current pressures students must navigate today like “challenges with the state of higher education, challenges within our country’s policies and politics, and challenges navigating the rapidly grow-
From April 20 to 24, Stevens hosted the second annual undergraduate research week. Iterating on feedback from last year, the week was filled with meaningful events designed for students to network, learn from each other, and strengthen community bonds. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) defined undergraduate research as “a mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge.” Each year, CUR designates a week in April as “Undergraduate Research Week,” which is a national celebration for campuses to congratulate their students and thank their faculty for guiding them. It started in November 2010 when the U.S. House of Representatives declared the week of April 11, 2011, as the first “Undergraduate Research Week.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLIE MILLER
Student Leadership Appreciation Banquet BY PRISHA VAGVALA, FEATURES EDITOR On April 23, 2026, in UCC Techflex, the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted its annual Student Leader Appreciation Banquet (SLAB) to honor the hard work/dedication of student leaders who help make a more personal and connected campus community. The event featured three speeches from Jeylan Jurban, President of SGA; Samuel Strassburger, Vice
President of Operations; and Danielle Eisenberg, Associate Director of Student Life. Jurban reflected on the unseen effort student leaders put into their organizations, noting, “You pour yourself into your club, your org, your event, your people — and most of the time, nobody sees it.” Throughout the evening, she made it a priority to check in with student leaders, listening to their experiences and concerns to better support them. She also emphasized the lasting impact of the student leader’s work,
LOCAL NEWS
saying, “You are the reason this campus has the culture it has. The traditions, the energy, the community people will still be talking about ten years from now.” Strassburger served as the master of ceremonies for the night and introduced Danielle Eisenberg, Associate Director of Student Life. Eisenberg’s speech started with the reality of student leadership, and that it comes with “inherent challenges and opportunities for professional growth, such as conflict management be-
NATIONAL NEWS
Hoboken’s historic 250th anniversary Memorial Day Parade BY JACK MACDONNELL, STAFF WRITER With May on the horizon, Hoboken city officials are gearing up for the city’s annual Memorial Day parade, but this year, there’s a twist: In celebration of the United States of America’s 250th birthday this year, the Memorial Day Parade is looking to be bigger and better than ever. Being dubbed the “Semiquincentennial Parade,” the event makes up for its being unpronounce-
What the $166 Billion tariff refund from The Trump able by aiming to be the best Hoboken looks to honor Administration means for the country parade ever held in the city. the nation’s history and the Themed floats will flood Washington Street on May 30, with such headliners as the 63rd Army Band, New Jersey’s famous drum corps the Hawthorne Caballeros, and Hoboken’s own high school marching band, the Rockin’ Redwings. Other appearances include local salsa musician Charlie Lopez, jazz vocalist and winner of Hoboken’s 2016 Sinatra Idol award Zack Alexander, and ragtime band Fred Lehotay and the Ragtimers.
countless service members who have sacrificed their lives in its name. Hoboken has played a critical role in wartime; during the First World War, the Hoboken waterfront—once famous for being an entryway into America—was now the heart of shipping supplies to the Allies in Europe. Due to the power of nearby industrial giants and having one of the
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A New York-New Jersey commuter’s worst nightmare: The FIFA World Cup BY CAMRYN WINANT, BUSINESS MANAGER In 2024, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced that MetLife Stadium would be the Host Venue of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, along with seven other matches throughout the tournament. They will be hosting five Group Stage Matches on June 13, 16, 22, 25, and 27, a Round of 32 and 16 on June 30 and July
5, respectively, and the Final on July 19. This was huge news for MetLife, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever. The World Cup is expected to bring over one million visitors to New Jersey, which in turn predicts around $2 million in revenue and the ability to support over 14,000 jobs. Despite all of these benefits, under a FIFA
NEWS (2-3)
SCIENCE (6)
Student Leadership Appreciation Banquet Learn about how the Student Government Association (SGA) celebrates the student leaders on campus! FEATURE (4)
End of Semester! Discover new tips on how to move-out at the end of the semester.
Gray whales? Kea parrot? Hawaii? 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.
plan, all on-site parking is closed, and there will be limited $200+ parking spaces at the American Dream Mall. This change was put into place because MetLife is under the control of FIFA for this event, which causes stricter requirements. Instead of parking, the parking areas will be converted into screening checkpoints, international broadcast compounds, sponsor and hos-
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BY ISABELLA FAMA, OUTREACH CHAIR The Trump Administration has started the process of refunding billions of dollars in tariffs, after a recent Supreme Court ruling which found that Trump did not have the legal authority to raise global tariffs without congressional approval. The question was whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act allows the president to impose global tariffs, as it does allow presidential regulation during a national emergency. The decision was 6-3, which is rare for the administration, with the majority of Supreme Court justices typically backing Trump and his administration. To combat this major setback for many, a new system that allows importers and customs brokers to file for refund claims was opened, called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE). The U.S Customs and Border Protection has shared that more than 333,000 importers collectively paid about $166 bil-
lion in global tariffs in over 53 million shipments in the period that the order was in effect. Although the refund approvals through the CAPE portal are estimated to take about 60 to 90 days, delays and issues are naturally expected. Although these refunds are going directly back to business, some companies are considering sharing their savings with their customers. There are now several class-action lawsuits that are seeking to reimburse consumers for their tariff-related price increases, mainly for delivery companies. FedEx and UPS have already shared their plans to refund affected customers. Trump seems to favor the companies who are not seeking a refund. In a press briefing, he was asked if he would find it offensive for them to seek a refund. Trump said, “Brilliant if they don’t do that. Actually, if they don’t do that, they’ve got to know me very well. I’m very honored by what you just said. If they don’t do that, I’ll remember them.” This comment was interpreted as a
signal that cooperation with the administration’s refund initiative and ruling from the Supreme Court may influence future interactions and relations. The statement has drawn mixed reactions, mainly because Trump has previously shown to link economic policies with loyalty. The refund process could mean that billions of dollars could be coming back into the U.S economy by providing temporary relief for small businesses and importers. This, however, is in an ideal world. The immediate impact that would be expected may be limited since the timeline for refunds is completely unpredictable. Small businesses are still facing extreme price increases and are facing uncertainty about when their refunds will arrive due to the CAPE portals’ technical and complex process. In the months following, we can hope that U.S. businesses will financially recover, as well as the predict-
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