About Red Shift

A "red shift" is the phenomena caused by a light emitting source and an observer moving away from each other. It's a manifestation of the Doppler effect and most commonly used in the context of astronomy. "Red shift" is also the title of a poem written by the late Ted Berrigan, a onetime Stevens professor.

I think it's fitting that a creative organization, in a community focused on technology, combines science and art even in its title. There is a beauty in a perfectly executed computer program. There is a rhythm in constructing bridges or mixing chemicals. And the passion that great artists are lauded for lies also in the heart of every maven with a calculator and a vision for the future. The ancient Greeks recognized this, and among their muses for songs, poetry, and history, they worshiped Urania, the muse of astronomy.

That is not to say that that this publication is meant to only display creativity focused on the left side of the mind. We'll welcome poetry on the stars or photos of Hawking (certainly, if anyone could get them!) but also work about love, failure, blades of grass and pet fish. Art is good for the engineer or the business major, but above all it is good for the soul.

Some years ago a literary magazine of this name was published by Stevens students , but we have almost no information about the group, the magazine, or why it was discontinued. In fall 2006, a group of us got together and decided to bring it back. In spring 2007, the first issue of this new Redshift will be published and we hope to continue for years to come.