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We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ |APRIL 12, 2024
VOLUME CXXI No. 24
NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904
An inside scoop on Gateway’s new “Just Walk Out” technology by Amazon
New Jersey earthquake rattles campus RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE EDITOR
stage, being everything one could ever hope for in the character. The excellence in everything involving Rex DeMuro’s Fester can hardly be put into words. The voice and the mannerisms of such a weird and open-to-interpretation character are so hard to accomplish in an effective manner, and yet there he was. From the voice to the insane childlike giggling and purposeful swaying, Fester really stole the show both as a character and as the narrator. During intermission on Friday’s show, the entire audience was buzzing about Fester
In a rare seismic event, the Northeast United States experienced one of its strongest earthquakes in a century, sending some concern across New York City. The 4.8 magnitude quake, centered in Readington Township, New Jersey, shook homes and buildings throughout the region at 10:23 a.m. last Friday. The quake is the strongest New Jersey has seen in 240 years and the third largest recorded in the area in the last 50 years. The aftermath has left seismologists and residents alike on edge, with aftershocks expected to continue for up to a week. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the initial earthquake was followed by 32 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from minor to a notable 3.8, felt nearly seven and a half hours later. While the epicenter remained in New Jersey, the tremors were felt across the East Coast, prompting concerns for further seismic activity, especially in proximity to the epicenter. Dax Soule, a seismologist and assistant professor at Queens College, emphasized the ongoing risk posed
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SEE QUAKE PAGE 2
TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER As a technology-centric university, Stevens has found ways to incorporate innovative technologies into various aspects of the student experience, with the latest addition being the “Just Walk Out” technology provided by Amazon. The installment of this technology is a critical component of the new Gateway Cafe located in the Gateway North building. With the official opening of the new and updated Gateway Cafe, The Stute had the opportunity to interview Madison Goslin, Senior Marketing Specialist of Stevens Dining, to get an insight into the store’s curation. When asked about the thought process behind having an on-campus location featuring this unique Amazon technology, Stevens Dining shared that many campuses already have Amazon Go locations. Marymount University, Bowl-
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFREY VOCK
The Addams Family: Creepy, kooky, and stunning MADISON HELLER, STAFF WRITER The Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS) presented The Addams Family last week, and the Stevens community turned out in droves to see the musical on the DeBaun stage. SDS planned to put on the same show once before, in 2020, when the show had to be canceled due to the pandemic. The timing of SDS’s return to The Addams Family held special meaning, as it not only wowed attendees over three days but was a beautiful farewell to some incredibly talented students who were cast in the same roles they landed in their first
year at Stevens. The show itself was utterly fantastic. The Addams Family, the musical adapted from the iconic New Yorker cartoon strip, is a show that centers around what the title suggests: family. It is a comedy but also very emotional and grounded in serious foundations of love, coming of age, loss, and changing relationships over time. The entire cast managed to exemplify these conflicting narrative roles with ease. DeBaun could not have been a better setting for a show like this, given its small size and intimacy. Even from the back of the house, the audience could
see the characters, who they were, and what they wanted and valued. So many amazing details of the show were conveyed in the actors’ body language. Their attention to detail was clear in that each member of the cast tended to adopt a default pose for their character. Pugsly, played by Carly Teitelbaum, crossed his arms in a delightfully pugnacious way, and Wednesday, brought to life by Taylor Terry, hung her arms stiffly, with a looseness at the wrists, as if they would grab you at any moment. Rachel Germain’s Morticia moved with the grace of a black swan, and Kyle Castillo’s Gomez excitedly bounced around the
Breaking down the tuition HASS holds Schaefer gym renovations: What and why? assistant director of Athlet- on some new gym equipJEREMIAH increase for Fall 2024 ics and Director of Campus ment they were considering Crisis and CHINWENDU, purchasing.” In the end, Recreation. SGA’s well-documented ARTHUR SERRA, STAFF WRITER Los’s committee was the group selected consiststudent activity fee in- Meaning MANAGING EDITOR crease. While the costs Students, faculty, and responsible for collecting ed of “a couple from the anyone else who has re- the feedback of students SGA [...], some involved in College is expensive. for the student health in- Symposium cently seen the renovations who regularly used Schae- Greek Life, and other ‘regEvery year, the cost of tu- surance plan remains the ition across the country increases, regardless of the institution. Over the past 20 years, tuition has risen between 38% and 56% for national universities. This occurs at the same time as college loan debt, which has become a crushing problem for the current generation of young professionals, and forecasts a scary future for many soon-to-be college graduates. Stevens’ cost of attendance is a well-known concern of the student body, and it is important to be situationally aware of just how much tuition increases year over year. During the 2020-2021 school year, the semesterly cost of attendance at Stevens was $26,914, for a total of $53,828. This does not include room, board, books, equipment, and various fees, including the student activity fee and health insurance if needed. Next year, the cost of attendance will rise to $61,028, an increase of nearly $7,500 since 2020 and an increase of nearly $2,500 compared to the current 2023-2024 school year. $45 of that increase can be attributed to the
same, the full-time tuition rate is increasing by $1,174 and the general service fee is increasing by $36. In all, assuming no financial aid or scholarships and depending on dorming choice, the full cost of Stevens for a first-year student next year is estimated to be around $85,219. Undeniably, Stevens is an expensive institution when excluding scholarships and financial aid. Students may receive merit-based scholarships that can make a significant difference over the course of 4 years. Students are automatically considered for the scholarships when admitted and many are contingent on maintaining a 3.2 GPA. The increase in the stock price tag of Stevens places a larger financial burden on every student, scholarships or not, as scholarships are a set value when accepting the invitation to attend. The year-over-year increase in tuition is something that is rarely mentioned when it occurs. The administration typically does not communicate
On April 5, Stevens’ School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) held a one-day conference called Crisis and Meaning: Intersections of Humanities and Mental Health. As part of HASS’s Campus Point Connection events, which aim to shed light on research in arts and culture, speakers from Stevens and across the world came together to discuss issues concerning the relationship between mental health and the humanities. A member of The Stute was able to present their research concerning mental health in art, which included student perspectives from HASS in order to shed light on some of the things individuals, communities, and Stevens can do to address the needs of students pursuing the humanities. Other presentations throughout the day affirmed these messages, touching on ways to address mental health through artistic practices. The conference was bro-
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NEWS (2-3)
OPINION (10-13)
SDS’ The Addams Family The Spring musical was a hit! New Jersey Earthquake rattles campus Strongest one in 240 years! FEATURE (8)
Admitted Students Weekend Learn about what to expect this weekend and read speeches from current students.
New alumni op-ed this week Read the address from recent alumni about the SGA’s take back initiative and their thoughts on it. PULSE (14)
Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly crossword puzzle and sudoku.
LIZ SEPULVEDA, COMIC ARTIST
done to Schaefer Center and UCC gyms should be pleasantly surprised with the improvements. The Schaefer Center Gym not only has more space, but now includes new equipment for training and more plates in the gym to accommodate more people. These changes have been made possible by a committee of students gathered by Rebecca Los of the SGA and John Maurizi,
fer Gym on ideas for what to add to improve its quality. When asked how this committee came to be, she stated that “Russel Rogers, who I had previously worked with on ‘The Pond’ initiative, reached out to me in December and asked if it was possible for me to put together a group of students who go to Schaefer gym and would be good at giving input and feedback
ular students.’” No athletes were asked to participate, though that was not done intentionally, as Los attempted to gather members from an array of students who were familiar with the gym and could give their own unique perspectives on what needed to be changed. Those who are familiar with the old layout of
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Annual Unity Showcase lets students “find their way” TANYA AVADIA, BUSINESS MANAGER The Ethnic Student Council (ESC) recently hosted the Unity Showcase on April 5, which featured amazing performances by a variety of different student organizations. Unity is an annual celebration of the various cultures at Stevens and gives students an opportunity to participate and create a dance routine and skit tailored to the overarching theme. This year’s theme was “Finding Our Way,” which was uniquely embodied by each participating organization. However, the
Korean Student Association was the organization that took home the grand award: Best in Show. The Stute had the opportunity to interview Clara Lu, the incoming President of the ESC, about the tradition of Unity. Lu shared how the Unity Showcase was started in the late 1990s, and its first-ever winner was the Latin American Association (LAA). Before the pandemic, the ESC would also host a Unity Carnival, in which each cultural organization was assigned a booth, with the point of the event being to foster a more interactive means of learning about dif-
ferent cultures. Lu also stated how it is something that the ESC is hoping to bring back. In terms of the program, this year’s show kicked off with the Japanese Student Association presenting an opening speech about solidarity and hope. Following this, six cultural organizations performed a skit that combined their culture with the theme Finding Our Way. The Filipino Association of Stevens Tech (FAST) presented a story on the creation of the Philippines, which involved two parents
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