Hi there, reader! If you don’t know me, my name is Kevin Castner Jr. I am, amongst
other things, the Archives Liaison for The Stute. I am petitioning to return the SS
Stevens anchor to the Stevens campus. For some context, the SS Stevens was a
floating dormitory at Stevens from 1967 to 1975. After it was no longer economically
feasible to keep the SS Stevens afloat, it was sold for scrap. To commemorate “The
Ship,” the Class of 1975 presented funds to have one of its anchors placed along
Wittpenn Walk overlooking its previous mooring. The anchor was removed from campus
due to the construction of the UCC and the temporary closure of Wittpenn Walk. With
the UCC and Wittpenn being open for over a year now, I would like to see the anchor’s
return.
The question I have most often encountered during this campaign is “Why, what does it
matter to you?” It’s funny how a one-word question can be so loaded, but after some
thinking, my answer is quite simply “As a reminder.” Whenever I feel overwhelmed or
am doubting myself, I like to walk. As I take in the people, the architecture, and the air of
campus, I come to realize I am not alone. I come to realize that so many have come
before me and there are many yet to come after me. The history and the future,
intertwined in this place, give me strength and inspiration to do my best for the sake of
my forerunners, my successors, and my present self. These reminders are most readily
evident in the monuments erected in memory of times past. So, I, in turn, pose the
question, “What meaning does the future, progress, or innovation hold without a past
reference?”
Bring back the anchor
Published in Opinion
