The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck.
We hope everyone enjoyed the career fair (that is, if you got in) Happy Birthday Claire!!
We write Stevens history VOLUME CXX No. 3
HOBOKEN, NJ | SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
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Lanternflies find a new home on the exterior of UCC Towers BY ANNA DABROWSKI, CONTRIBUTOR If you’ve stepped outside on campus this week, you’ve probably seen the sprawling graveyards of deceased lanternflies. They lay on their backs faced towards the sky, wings parted and mangled, sometimes the only remnants are a rusty red paste. The corpses are sprayed away daily, yet thousands replace the previous deceased within hours. They cling to the University Center towers, the Howe Center, and some have even spotted in freshman dorms. Stevens has advised everyone to stop emailing complaints about the lanternflies, as they are extremely aware of the situation. A notice was sent out via email on Tuesday, September 13 stating, “We
are aware of the infestation of spotted lanternflies on campus, especially in and around the UCC. We have our pest control company spraying daily.” The student body is advised to step on all living lantern bugs. The lanternfly infestation is a nationwide issue, and can by no means be attributed to mismanagement on Stevens’ part. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that lanternflies first arrived in the U.S. in 2014. They have attributed this invasive species’ spread to the fact that lanternflies are “hitchhikers.” The lantern flies lay their eggs on vehicles, outdoor equipment, and fruit intended for transit, which in turn results in the eggs hatching outside of the flies’ quarantine zones.
SEE LANTERN PAGE 2
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Quae hires a new head of marketing BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER In September 2020, Software Engineering major Brendan Probst and computer engineer Samuel Schmitt founded Quae: an interactive voting platform for the students of Stevens and Hoboken citizens to make more of a difference in their community. Quae offers a place for students to express their opinions, raise concerns, voice issues, and vote on daily discussions. By presenting a system to vote and discuss the problems of Stevens and Hoboken, Quae is working to lower the barriers to making a difference in the community. Recently, Quae hired a new team member to aid in their mission: Head of Marketing Cris Sosa. Recently, Probst and Schmitt reached out to the community through LinkedIn in search of a head of marketing. While speaking with Probst, he said Quae was looking for help to allow
SEE QUAE PAGE 2
BY TANYA AVADIA, CONTRIBUTING REPORTER In an ever-changing world, the workforce is increasingly being built of people from all aspects of life. This creates the need for people to be educated on concepts of inclusivity. As a result, the Stevens School of Business has decided to launch the Inclusive Leadership certification program. It is open to all undergraduate business majors and the class of 2026 was the first group of students to ever participate in this initiative. Students who successfully complete this program will be certified in practices of inclusive leadership and will be able to add it as an accredited skill on their resumes and CVs. The origins of this program can be attributed to the university’s trustees, including President Nariman Farvardin and the School of Business Dean, Dr. Gregory Prastacos. Additionally, Professor Wei Zheng and Professor Peter Dominick were some of the people involved in developing the curriculum of the program. Professor Zheng defines inclusive leadership as “practices of fostering a sense of belongingness and authenticity for all people in a group, organization, or a larger collective.” This serves
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Stevens is Once Again Named a Top-100 National University BY TODD BECHTEL, CONTRIBUTOR Stevens proves with their recent placement on the national university rankings that they are an institution on the rise. On September 12, U.S. News & World Report released their 20222023 official Best National University Rankings, which placed Stevens as the 83rd best university in the nation. The yearly rankings are determined by a variety of factors, with some of the
most important ones being: faculty compensation, average six-year graduation rate of students, and a peer assessment survey filled out by top administrators from schools across the U.S. This year, the publication rated a total of 443 universities in the United States, with New Jersey’s very own Princeton University placing first in the 2022-2023 rankings. While the U.S. News rankings have lost credibility in the eyes of some officials since they were first pub-
School of Business launches Inclusive Leadership certification
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as the main idea for what the program hopes to teach. Professor Zheng also explained that the curriculum is meant to be very experimental and interactive. She noted that the first part of the program is broken down into three parts: “(1) students’ creative expressions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, (2) students’ social identity exploration where individuals reflect on their social identities that shape their viewpoints and form potential blind spots, and (3) case studies where a problem is outlined and student groups develop an exclusive and an inclusive response.” An example of an exercise that was done during the first session includes explaining the meaning behind one’s name. This activity allowed students to not only get to know each other but also share aspects of their identity and learn about identity-based differences. While this program is geared towards a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative and educating business students on this matter, its other component is to obtain a certification in inclusive leadership. This is crucial for the current job market because employers are not only seeking technical skills but soft skills such as the ability to work in and foster an inclusive culture. Being able to
put an Inclusive Leadership certification on one’s resume allows one to become a more well-rounded candidate during the job hunting process. It also allows for heightened awareness of identity-based differences which they can note when trying to work or lead in a more diverse environment. The way for business students to complete the certification program is divided into three categories: 25 hours of training over 3-5 semesters, portfolio development (which serves as a reflection), and relevant projects related to real-world applications. Once students complete these requirements, they will be certified in inclusive leadership. Learning and practicing inclusive leadership has many benefits and can be applied to numerous amounts of workplaces and environments, which is why the Stevens School of Business has opted to start this program. While the business school is the pioneer for this program, Professor Zheng noted that there are plans to expand it towards all majors, graduate and undergraduate, in the future. Lastly, she explained that interest has also been expressed by faculty and staff at Stevens, to create a similar program dedicated to teaching Inclusive Leadership for the faculty.
lished in 1983 due to its reliance on self-reported data from the universities, the release that happens every September has caused another round of media attention as per usual. With the self-reported data from these universities, U.S. News is able to put together information for many of America’s colleges, and Stevens is no exception. According to the U.S. News’ published data, the median starting salary of Stevens graduates is
$71,500 across all majors. The university also boasts a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and over 80% of all classes have less than 50 students, all factors that have cultivated a successful learning environment. Along with the overall university rankings and data, the website also publishes many other lists rating the proficiency of schools in specific sectors. The highest placing Stevens received in
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Alpha Phi’s Red Dress Brunch BY JORDYN RAMELLI, BUSINESS MANAGER On September 17, 2022, the Alpha Phi sorority held their annual Red Dress Brunch to raise money for their philanthropy, the Alpha Phi Foundation. The event started at 11 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m., taking place on Babbio Patio. Red Dress Brunch was directed by members Elizabeth Cannizzo, Vice President of Health, Wellness, and Accountability, and Serena Platt, Director of Philanthropy, with assistance from Alexis McKelvey, President of Alpha Phi. The sisters of Alpha Phi were all also involved in the planning and execution of the event.
Cannizzo explained what the event entails; “On the patio there is a buffet of brunch food for everyone to take part in throughout the event. Inside the Atrium, there are raffle prizes that people can buy tickets and enter to win prizes. Some prizes include Chipotle gift cards, Kendra Scott earrings, and Turning Point vouchers. Throughout the event people are welcome to eat, participate in raffles and play games. Every year we also have a guest speaker talk about the importance of Women’s Heart Health. This year, our guest speaker Elizabeth Miller, spoke of her personal experience with a heart condition.” SEE ALPHA PHI PAGE 2
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALPHA PHI