Pipe Dream Fall 2012 Issue 26 by Pipe Dream

Michigan kills 'Cats

Procrastina....

Binghamton men's basketball, fell 67-39, to No. 3 Michigan in Ann Arbor last Tuesday.

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PIPE DREAM Monday, December 17, 2012 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXII, Issue 26

CCPA survey reveals student dissatisfaction advising a three or below and 82.5 percent of students gave the number of advisers a three A recent survey of their peers or below. conducted by students in the human development program showed pervasive discontent with advising and course scheduling in the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA). Rachel Serwetz, a senior majoring in human development, created the survey with several other students within the major after hearing the complaints of fellow students. The students created an — Rachel Serwetz anonymous Gmail account and BU senior sent out a SurveyMonkey survey to the listservs from about 15 of their human development classes, receiving 132 responses “A suggestion we heard that total. might be useful is for our adviser On a five-point scale, one to have walk-in hours,” said being “not at all satisfied” and Jamie Loren, a junior majoring in five being “extremely satisfied,” human development who helped 84.8 percent of respondents Serwetz with the survey. “A lot of gave the overall quality of CCPA students find it hard to actually

meet with the adviser because she has so many responsibilities that it’s hard for her to answer everyone’s questions.” Though the majority of students who responded to the survey said it was “somewhat” easy for them to get into their required classes, Serwetz said a number of students have raised concern over course registration. Beginning junior year, human development majors are required to take four classes — HDEV 200, HDEV 300, HDEV 400 and HDEV 475 — which they cannot take in the same semester, and students must get the adviser’s permission in order to register. “With a limited amount of spots in classes, people aren’t graduating on time,” Serwetz said. “That’s the worst for me to see, when someone’s paying thousands of dollars and they don’t have to.” Serwetz contacted administrators to present the

survey findings along with Loren and human development students Allison Cohen and Eve Wool, as well as Aaron Ricks, Student Association vice president of academic affairs. “I’m just calling for the attention to this because it was just scary to me that all this was going on without anybody saying anything about it,” Serwetz said. The group met with CCPA Department Chair Leo Wilton, Provost Donald Nieman, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Donald Loewen and Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger to discuss the survey’s findings. “It seems that the higher administration wants to work with us as well,” Serwetz said. “They’re not menial issues.” Nieman said the issues brought up by the survey bear more investigation, but that the students did a constructive job

Times Program here to stay, for now

Many students look forward to the pomp and circumstance of graduating and receiving their diplomas, but some Binghamton University students may be surprised to find that their majors will not be displayed on their degrees. Students enrolled in the College of Community and Public Affairs and the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science have their majors printed on their diplomas, while students

enrolled in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Decker School of Nursing, and School of Management, do not. According to Dennis Chavez, director of financial aid and student records, a Harpur academic policy prohibits this. “The policy states that majors are not printed on the diplomas,” Chavez said. “We are just trying to understand what is the rationale behind it. Is it a SUNY requirement?” But Wayne Jones, interim dean of Harpur College of Arts

Hillel leaders oust E-Board member

Leaders of Hillel at Binghamton asked Benjamin Sheridan to resign from two Hillel-related positions after he violated a national Hillel policy — which Hillel believes to preserve pro-Israeli pluralism, but that others say prevents a holistic discussion of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict — by bringing a Palestinian activist to speak on campus earlier this semester. Sheridan organized an open screening of “5 Broken Cameras,”

a documentary about non-violent Palestinian activism, and a talk on campus by Iyad Burnat, the brother of the filmmaker who is featured in the film, for Dorm Room Diplomacy (DRD), an apolitical international student organization that coordinates weekly teleconferences between American and Middle Eastern students. The discord between Sheridan, the president of the Binghamton University chapter of DRD, and Hillel stemmed from Burnat’s

Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor

Kim Muller, a junior majoring in psychology, enjoys The New York Times in the WHRW office. The Times Readership Program is now nearly fully funded.

After the Student Association Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) secured funding for the New York Times Readership Program on campus in October, Aaron Ricks can now guarantee 300 copies of the paper will be available through most of next semester. VPAA Aaron Ricks obtained enough funding — $14,505, roughly $2,000 short for next semester — from the OffCampus Community Council, the Dean of Students Office, Sodexo and some of the on-campus communities, to be able to distribute 300 copies of The New York

Times each day. “It’s looking like we’ll sustain 300 for the rest of the semester,” Ricks said. “Honestly, I’m falling short of my goal of 400. It’s just a matter of fundraising at this point.” Ricks said he is confident the program will continue through the next school year. He said because of the nature of this year’s funding, with Ricks going to several different student services offices to petition for funds, neither he nor the University administration want to continue in that manner. “One, [the program] is a service

—Aaron Ricks SA VP of Academic Affairs

Survey Results

Nieman said his next step is to look more closely at the survey’s results and discuss them with Ingraham and human development faculty. “That’s something that, as administrators and faculty, we have a responsibility to do,” Nieman said. He plans to meet with Serwetz and other students, as well as faculty members, at the beginning of the spring semester. “You really do need to have a dialogue,” Nieman said. Loren said overall, CCPA students are looking to be held to a higher standard. “Human development has a reputation for being an easy major,” Loren said. “But that isn’t what the students want. We’re looking for a challenge and some of our courses do not reflect that challenge.” She added, “The biggest problem a lot of students have I think is that it’s hard to have a voice in the department. Which goes for a lot of departments but ours is so small and it just feels like the students are out of reach from what they’re trying to accomplish.”

of expressing their concerns. “I was impressed with the way in which the students went about trying to identify the concerns that they and other students had, and providing us with that information,” Nieman said. CCPA Dean Patricia Ingraham said that transitioning from curriculum changes to the human development major instated two years ago might have caused some of the problems students have. “There’s been a lot of discussion about student advising across campus,” Ingraham said. “It’s something that we’ve all been thinking about and discussing off and on in a whole set of meetings over the last year.” Ricks, who Serwetz said was instrumental in helping the human development students’ efforts, said he was excited by the dedication Serwetz showed. “If every student on this campus were half as dedicated to improving this campus as Rachel was, this would be a utopia, basically,” Ricks said. “She’s been really incredible with how she’s pursued this.”

Ricks looks to keep up with the Times 18.1

58.3 41.7

81.9

Have been dropped from a class they were registered for

Have been to peer advising

66.7 34.1

Yes

Have been to another departments academic advising

CCPA Student Satisfaction 32.6

28.7

20.9

11.6 7

5 0

Section Availability

20.9 16.3

17.8

10.9

18.9

28.3

33.9

34.1

Class Availability

9.4

Cross-listed class availability

people are coming to expect at this point on campus and secondly, the administration doesn’t want me knocking on their door every year or my successors knocking on their door every year for money,” Ricks said. “I think everyone on this campus realizes that. It’s just a matter of funding, it’s no one’s fault. That’s just how it was. No one I know has $25,000 laying around.” He was disappointed by how much time he spent trying to secure funding for the program rather than managing the program and trying to figure out how to improve the program and track its progress. According to Ricks, the SA has tossed around the idea of tying the New York Times Program to a campus fee to create sustainable funding to keep the program going year after year instead of panhandling for funds. “There’s plenty of [fees] on campus, there’s plenty of them in this University,” Ricks said. “It would be a nominal fee increase or attached. A dollar per student per semester would probably cover most if not all of the program.” Ricks said some people in the University get jumpy when they hear the price of the program, but he insists there are less reputable ventures on which more money is spent. “One of the things people don’t know about the program, we don’t pay for the ones we don’t use,” Ricks said. “We’re still sending those reports, we’re still getting reimbursed back for those.” Ricks said that the $25,000

price tag for the New York Times Program includes a limited number of online subscriptions and that they are an additional benefit that he has not yet implemented. “In the beginning, the [subscription] funding was a priority,” Ricks said. “I promised the campus I was going to get that, so I’m going to do whatever I can to get that next semester.” However, funding for online subscriptions to the New York Times may not be necessary. Students can gain unlimited access to New York Times articles by deleting the cookies from their Internet browsers or deleting anything that appears after the .html in the task bar. “I read the news on my computer everyday,” Ricks said. “But then you take away the Times program and you see the type of uproar that happened in my office in the beginning of the semester. Students liked it. And if that were true, then why are 90 percent, 95 percent of our papers being taken everyday? If people don’t like it, then stop picking them up. If people are so opposed to it. That’s why I’m not advocating for one paper per student.” Ricks said that even though there are other ways students can get the news, The New York Times is a staple for many students at Binghamton. “This is The New York Times, it’s the hometown newspaper for most of these people,” Ricks said. “Honestly, I’m not from New York City, I never read The New York Times growing up, but I read it now.”

Check back with Pipe Dream online for readership numbers and other reports

5 being the highest score. Results provided by Rachel Serwetz.

Hillel, DRD dispute effectiveness of policy support of boycott, divestment and sanctions against the State of Israel, his proposal for a onestate solution, and his two-year imprisonment in Israel for possibly inciting violence as a college student during the first Intifada — all stances Hillel firmly opposes. Hillel at Binghamton’s “Israel Policy and Guidelines”, which was ratified by the Hillel Board of Directors in 2011, prevents Hillel from partnering with any “organizations, groups, or speakers” that “deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish … state with secure and recognized borders” or supporting the boycotts and sanctions Burnat advocates. Leaders of Hillel at Binghamton contested that Sheridan, as the vice president of Bearcats for Israel (BC4I) and a MASA intern, violated his obligations as a representative of Hillel, which extended beyond his direct involvement with Hillel, and asked him to resign from both positions. “It goes without saying an [executive board] member of ours can’t bring a speaker like that,” said Maya Yair, president of BC4I and a junior majoring in political science. Sheridan, who openly disagrees with Burnat and prefaced the talk by saying Burnat’s views do not reflect the views of DRD, said Hillel’s policy represents a “myopia” that limits the scope of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. “I still fundamentally disagree with Iyad Burnat, but the monopoly on political discourse that Hillel at Binghamton conveys is infinitely more dangerous than anything Iyad said in his

On Nov. 15, Dorm Room Diplomacy hosted screening of “5 Broken Cameras,” an award-winning documentary about non-violent Palestinian activism, in Lecture Hall 14.

presentation,” said Sheridan, a junior majoring in political science, in a written statement to Pipe Dream. “In all, I knew there was little chance I could convince Mr. Burnat to accept Israel as a Jewish state, but that was not the point of the event. Maybe one day, I could apply what I learned by listening to him towards a revamped peace process.” But Yair said staunch attitudes

against Israel, such as Bernat’s, limit dialogue rather than contribute to it. “Boycotting, divesting and sanctions of a country are not dialogue,” she said. “That’s not open dialogue, that’s not conversation. It’s exactly the opposite.” She added that she supports having a variety of perspectives represented on campus, but

insisted that Sheridan’s positions as a leader, not merely a member, of Hillel was the point of conflict. However, the national president of DRD, Zachary Levine, called Hillel’s policy “ridiculous.” “The fact that Ben, as a member of Hillel, can’t bring in somebody from the other side to share his opinion, to share his ideas, is just absolutely absurd to me,” said Levine, a sophomore

at the University of Pennsylvania who admitted he tends to associate with Israel. “This type of action is really unprecedented and is unlike anything that I’ve ever actually seen, just in terms of the closed-mindedness and the stubbornness that really seems to be occurring.”

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All-nighter accoutrements

TSIS and Tau Sigma invite student to “Come Relax With Us” The Transfer Student Initiatives and Services Office and Tau Sigma honor society invite students to take a break from studying and attend their final event, “Come Relax With Us.” The event is open to all Binghamton University students. There will be free pizza, desserts, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 17 in LN-1404 and LN-1406.

University of Chicago receives mail for Indiana Jones University of Chicago officials are puzzled by a mystery piece of mail seemingly linked to the Indiana Jones movie series. The university’s admissions department received a package last week addressed to “Henry Walton Jones Jr,” the main character of the popular film franchise that began in 1980s. The package contained a replica of the journal from the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” film — and no explanation. Admissions counselor Grace Chapin says one theory is that it’s an “alternate reality” game where players plant clues for others. Officials with Lucasfilm, the studio that made the movies, say they weren’t responsible for the package. University officials say they haven’t decided what to do with the journal. Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor

Man sentenced 25 to life for murder A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing a former schoolmate whose body was found in a creek bed outside Binghamton. Alan Outman of Johnson City was sentenced Friday in Broome County Court after pleading guilty in September to the charge of firstdegree murder. Outman told a judge he sexually abused and killed 21-year-old David Fillers of Dickinson behind a motel in the town of Vestal on New Year’s Day.

NYC invaded by Santas Thousands of men and women in Santa suits took to the streets of New York City to bring some good cheer and donate food for Hurricane Sandy victims. Saturday marked the annual SantaCon in Manhattan, an all-day party in which carousing Santas and companions in reindeer and elf costumes move from bar to bar singing, acting silly and sometimes drinking to excess. Participants are also asked to donate at least two non-perishable food items. Last year, the New York City event also raised $10,000 for the Toys for Tots program, a fact advertised on the event’s website with the notation that, “Your drinking helps kids.” There were SantaCon stops planned for dozens of bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Bloomberg pushes for Obama to take stand on gun control Mayor Michael Bloomberg said President Barack Obama’s first priority in his second term should be to lead the country on gun control. In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Bloomberg said the kind of violence resulting in the deaths of 20 schoolchildren “only happens in America.” And he said it happens “again and again.” Bloomberg has been an outspoken gun control advocate for years. He noted that New York state has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, and New York City the lowest murder rate of any big American city. The mayor said it’s time for the president to stand up and tell the country what needs to happen — not go to Congress and ask what legislators want to do.

Stressed over Finals? Here's some jokes to cheer you up Why did the skeleton go to the ball alone? He had no body to go with! What did the digital clock say to its mother? Look mama no hands!

Camille Adolphe, a junior majoring in human development, orders her complimentary cookie and coffee at Jazzman’s in the Library Tower. The free cookie and coffee are courtesy of the Division of Administration in cooperation with Sodexo and Residential Life.

Police Watch Patience is a virtue TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 3:17 p.m. — Officers on patrol were called to Newing College’s Endicott Hall after a window was found to be broken at the front of the building, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The officers found two suspects who they thought were responsible, and one admitted to breaking the window. He said he was having a difficult time getting into the building, and because he was cooperative, the case was sent to University Judicial. Suspension blues TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 4:28 p.m. — Officers stationed on University East Drive observed a truck heading west with a blue LED light in its grille, Reilly said. The officers initiated a vehicle stop, and the suspect, a 40-year-old male, was cooperative. When the officers looked into his record, they found his license had been suspended three times. The suspect called a friend to pick up the truck, and the officers issued him traffic tickets for his violations.

This Day in History December 17th 1903

Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight.

It’s not easy being green TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 11:19 p.m. — Officers returning missing property in College-in-the-Woods’ Cayuga Hall detected the smell of marijuana coming from one of the rooms, Reilly said. The officers knocked on the door, and the resident, a 19-year-old male student, allowed them in. The officers told the suspect why they were in the building, and they noticed a green leafy substance on a desk in the room. The suspect admitted that it was his, and he was issued a ticket for unlawful possession of marijuana.

Corrections & Clarifications Correction

A photo caption for a photo accompanying an article about an on-campus political debate in the Dec. 7, 2012, edition of Pipe Dream incorrectly identified David Blair’s major. He is majoring in math, not biomedical sciences. Correction

Due to an editing error, an article in the Dec. 7, 2012, edition of Pipe Dream about a labor rights rally incorrectly identified the speaker of a quote about actions that students can take. The quote should have been attributed to Kai Wen Yang, not Samantha Fox. Clarification

An article in the Dec. 11, 2012, edition of Pipe Dream about a Hanukkah event hosted by Chabad stated that the record breaking attempt was supposed to start at 6 p.m. as opposed to stating that the event was supposed to start at 6 p.m. An email sent to participants ahead of the event stated that the doors for the Dreidel Spin-Off would be opening at 5:40 p.m. for a prompt 6 p.m. start time and that latecomers would potentially miss out on the record breaking attempt.

Administrators seek student input their college career.” The program will be free of charge and available to all undergraduate students Because it may be at Binghamton University. impossible to avoid problems Students will have to make altogether with other students appointments via email or at at college — whether it’s the SA office. a roommate, coworker, or just a friend — the Student Association (SA) will be offering a conflict resolution service next semester to help ease the burden. The service, tentatively named “The Conflict Resolution Center: Students Helping Students,” is the only peer-to-peer, confidential resolution program service on campus, according to Derek Gumb, SA executive vice president. Gumb, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, created the program, which was originally designed by former executive — Derek Gumb SA Executive Vice President vice president Elizabeth Robbins. “The CRC will facilitate conflicts or issues between students, which get in the The main goal of the way of friendships or working program is to help students relationships,” Gumb wrote reach a compromise in their in an email. “We will focus on conflicts. these issues that all students “Sometimes, students encounter at some point in need an objective peer who is

completely removed from the issue at stake,” Gumb said. “That peer can raise necessary questions and help the two students look at the problem or conflict in a new perspective.” According to Gumb, there are currently four interns who will work in the CRC. Each intern underwent 10 weeks of training and are New York state certified Conflict Facilitators. “The interns act as unbiased, neutral 3rd parties who listen to the argument or dispute between two students, and help both parties come to a mutually recognized agreement on how to solve the issue,” Gumb said. Gumb said the program will start off small, with only two interns available for the spring 2013 and fall 2013 semesters. “We are focusing our service on quality over quantity because we are confident that our trained interns can deliver a high-quality and professional service to any students who make use of the service,” Gumb wrote. While the program is similar to the University Counseling Center, the CRC will not deal with issues involving violence or when a student’s safety is at

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risk. Michelle Roter, a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, will be interning for the fall 2013 semester. Roter encouraged student to try the program, saying it can be surprisingly effective. “I have very high hopes for this program because I feel that having students (rather than adults) oversee these conflicts will ease students’ fears of seeking help,” Roter wrote in an email. “We have seen that even if it may seem impossible to get the two parties to agree, there is almost always a compromise that can be made that is beneficial to both sides.” James Grippe, a CRC intern for next semester and a junior majoring in computer science, said the program will become a major part of student life. “I have always enjoyed working with people and I believe this program will develop into a ‘go to’ for students who encounter issues ranging from roommate conflicts to student group problems,” Grippe wrote in an email.

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and Sciences, said the policy exists because one’s major is only a small part of a liberal arts degree. “The Liberal Arts and Sciences degree is first and foremost a demonstration of breadth that is the foundation for future success,” Jones wrote in an email. “While a degree from a professional school trains you for a specific field, the value in a liberal arts and sciences education is that it provides you with the learning skills and spirit of inquiry for a lifetime of success.” According to Jones, this policy allows students to find work in a variety of areas throughout their career. “I recently met with an alumna, the vice president of a major corporation,” Jones said. “We discussed the value of her degree as one that allowed her to go in multiple directions over her career; she was not pigeonholed in a specific field.”

— Daniel Richmond BU senior

Many Harpur students disagreed and said that generic degrees take away the sense of accomplishment. Daniel Richmond, a senior doublemajoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, said it is ridiculous that certain majors are not printed on degrees. “Many students have pride in the majors they worked so hard on in order to graduate,” Richmond said. “To see it on your degree diploma shows how much work we put in, how much sleep we’ve lost, and the stress we’ve been through. It’s like our badge of honor, and taking it away from our diplomas is like stripping a soldier of his medals.” Keith Watson, an undeclared junior, said the policy demonstrates favoritism toward other schools.

“I find it completely unfair,” Watson said. “It shows a clear bias towards specialized schools within the reflection of their work ethic. A Harpur degree is more than just a standard degree that holds the same value among every major and it should be recognized as such.” Chavez said he is working alongside Kathy Brunt, assistant dean for academic affairs, to find out why the policy exists. “We do get the requests from students about why [the majors are not printed],” Chavez said. “I have been trying to get a hold of some of the people who are responsible for academic policy to try to get an understanding of what’s driving this. It has been an existing practice.” It is up to the Binghamton University’s academic committees to decide whether to change the policy, and the individual schools would have to agree to the decision as well. While the School of Management does not have majors, the school has concentrations. George Bobinski, associate dean of the School of Management, said that printing a student’s concentration on their degree may limit them. “I see no major negatives to leaving it off the diploma,” Bobinski said. “When it is on the diploma, it may be perceived by some people as narrowing you. Students for example may obtain a degree in accounting and end up going in a very different direction with their career.” According to Bobinski, if SOM students were in favor of changing the practice, the faculty would consider it. “I would be interested in finding out what students think,” Bobinski said. “It’s a very interesting question. We always try to be very responsive to students. I would be interested in student feedback. We would also have to look at the university policies and SUNY policies.” According to Jones, there are no plans to change the policy, but it would be possible if there is an interest among students. “I would want to say that this is something that the university would want to change,” Chavez said. “And once that decision is determined, the next question is what will it take to make that change systematically.”

Nia Pellone/Staff Photographer

Nathan Partridge | Release to fight away the winter cold. The restaurant kept the buzz Czech Pleeze opened in going throughout the summer February to great success, with their delicious sandwiches fueled by the novelty of its and traditional American diner niche dishes warming enough fare.

“I wanted to take my destiny into my own hands,” said Dan McLarney, owner of the restaurant. “I knew that I could make $10 an hour as a graphic designer and worry every day

about getting laid off because I said the wrong thing to my boss, or I could work 80 hours a week, pour my blood and sweat into it and live on my own terms.” Influenced by his upbringing in a predominately Czech, Slovak and Polish neighborhood in Binghamton, McLarney realized that most of what he knew could be attributed to his Eastern European roots. McLarney sold his house to fund the creation of Czech Pleeze, with no help from loans or city funding. He and his small staff started building hype in the area as soon as renovation of the Robinson Street site began, posting signs such as “Ethnic cuisine coming soon,” and “Traditional Czech dining,” which piqued the curiosity of passers-by. The goal was to play on two demographics; those who would crave Czech food out of childhood nostalgia, and those who would have absolutely no idea what Czech

food tasted like, but would be willing to explore new cuisine. “Our demographic is a lot of the older population in Binghamton with an Eastern European background — people who grew up eating holubki and goulash and kolachki and know they can’t find it anywhere else,” McLarney said. But Czech Pleeze has also been attracting young college students, those eager to try something new and drawn in by the surprisingly low prices. The actual menu of Czech Pleeze is perfectly balanced, with American classics like subs and mac and cheese mixed with a diverse array of traditional Czech dishes like pirohi (pasta pockets stuffed with cabbage or cheese and potato, buttered and sautéed) and holubki (a delicious blend of seasoned beef and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and served in a sauerkraut and tomato sauce, made from a recipe passed down from McLarney’s mother). In

addition to these entrées, daily dinner specials like goulash and stuffed green peppers are available, as well as sides, such as halushka (egg noodles and buttered onions and cabbage) and potato salad. Good food with cultural significance, served by members of the community at prices that seem too low to be true: that’s the ethos behind Czech Pleeze. People are taking their destinies into their own hands, and it is helping to build a better Binghamton. “That’s why I started up this place,” McLarney said. “I could lose all my money working for someone else, or I could lose it under my own terms.” The rest is up to fate. Czech Pleeze is located at 223 Robinson Street in Downtown Binghamton. Visit the website, czechpleeze.com, or Facebook page for more information on the eatery.

slow due to technical difficulties. As the stand up comedy group’s performance came to a close, members of the glee club took the stage to perform a few numbers. Audience members began to clap and sing along to some of their favorite tunes including “Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional and “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat. Although this event was advertised more as a concert of vocal performances, the Quimbamba group — the only Latin dance team on campus that is not chartered by the Student Association — hosted an interactive dance workshop. Audience members were encouraged to come to the dance floor and learn how to salsa with step-by-step instructions. Arryana Olavarria, a member of the Quimbamba group and a sophomore majoring in English, directed the crowd by chanting directions such as “left right left!” Gregory Hernandez, a cohost and co-moderator of BingFuse, said that the event was more than just a venue for stress relief. “What I really wanted to accomplish was to spread

awareness that people do perform and people do start here. It really is to promote awareness of how good they are,” Hernandez said. “I kind of wish I could’ve brought something to the table!” When the Crosbys took the stage with their rendition of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls,” they left more than just a few girls blushing, as the crowd clapped and danced along. Following performances were concluded by the Binghamton Circus Club, the Pegs and individual performers. Derek Gumb, the Student Association Executive Vice President and a senior majoring in politics, philosophy and law, attended the event to relieve some stress. He said that he enjoyed hearing all of the different cultures being represented. “I thought that this was a fantastic concept and very applicable for right now because everyone is really stressed and a lot of finals are coming up and we want to get one last time to blow off steam,” Gumb said. “I think it brought out the best performers in Binghamton.”

Procrastination: the writers speak I procrastinate by… …playing with my banjo. Because nothing is a more effective tool for procrastination than something that not only keeps you from doing your work, but keeps everyone on your floor from doing their work as well. — Nathan Partridge …eating, cleaning and catching up on TV shows I’ve missed. -— Alexandra Wolff …finding an online tutorial on how to make a miniature house out of a cereal box. Spend five hours turning a box of Cheerios into a masterpiece Christmas cottage. Get back to studying. Two minutes later, give up and make the Eiffel Tower out of a box of Fruit Loops. Think of all the work you have left. Cry. — Samantha Steiner …making and eating anything and everything; my favorite quick recipes are mini pizza bagels and hot chocolate. For the pizza, split a mini bagel in half and spread sauce from a jar on each side. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and microwave until cheese is melted. Thomas brand makes mini bagels for about $4 per bag, and Wegmans brand sauce is 99 cents. For the godliest hot chocolate ever, prepare a packet of cocoa in the microwave as per the instructions (I like to use milk instead of water). Add mini marshmallows and swirl a candy cane for instant peppermint hot chocolate. Know that you haven’t added enough marshmallows until you can’t see the chocolate anymore. If you want to get really crazy, throw in some Dove or Ghirardelli chocolate until melted. — Gabriella Ginsberg …cleaning my room and washing my face. - Dorothy Farrell …watching Law and Order SVU. — Gabriela Tilevitz …sitting on Facebook and hitting refresh until there’s finally a new update. Then I keep hitting

refresh until there’s finally another new update. Times infinity. — Rich Kersting …ignoring my depressing pile of work and Googling images of puppies and baby elephants for hours because they make me happy. —Eurih Lee …choosing an entertaining YouTube channel and watching every uploaded video from most views to least. It’s a lot more fun than starting the six-page paper I have due tomorrow. —Rebecca Porath …listening to Preab Sprout and getting friendly with the random article function on Wikipedia. Never stop learning. — Alex Carducci …discovering Reddit during finals week is a great way to avoid studying so it should be avoided at all costs … But seriously, have you seen how grumpy that cat looks? — Cameron Wade …watching “Dexter,” eating, going to the bathroom. Especially going to the bathroom. I excuse myself by saying these are all very necessary things to do — I have to eat and pee right? — Katie Kravat …scrolling through every single one of my photos on Facebook and reflecting deeply on how much my life has changed in the past few years, especially since that embarrassing haircut I got in ninth grade. — Emily Mancini …buying an endless amount of food and eating it. — Alyssa Bossio …reading for fun instead of for class. -— Jacob Shamsian …I don’t procrastinate because I am an organized college student with time management skills — Darian Lusk

Michael Contegni/ Contributing Photographer

Kieran Mcmanus | Release

Pegs, Circus Club, Quimbamba Latin Dance Group, Stand Up Finals season usually means Comedy Club and much more. only one thing: miserable It was free for the entire campus students. So while you were community. contemplating the meaning of life and hating yourself for procrastinating, Binghamton University residential assistants were preparing an event for students to relieve some stress and have fun one last time before the end of the semester. Students and alumni enjoyed a night of performances and dance in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center’s multipurpose room for the 2012 BingFuse event Thursday evening. BingFuse is a new event hosted and coordinated by Jesus Hernandez, a senior majoring in psychology and a Dickinson Community RA, and Gregory Hernandez, a senior majoring in creative writing and a Collegein-the-Woods RA. “We wanted to create an event that was global and bring different types of groups — Jesus Hernandez together,” Hernandez said. “I A senior majoring in psychology and wanted it to be a diverse, stress a Dickinson Community RA, release event.” BingFuse featured performances by the According to Gregory Binghamton Crosbys, the Hernandez, the event started off

Katie Kravat | Release It’s official—Topanga and Cory are back! Danielle Fischel and Ben Savage have agreed to reprise their roles from the popular sitcom Boy Meets World, in a new spin-off show that centers on their teenage daughter. Girl Meets World, which will begin shooting in February, has certainly sparked a lot of curiosity. Fans are wondering if the show will be able to stand up to its predecessor, or blemish the memories of the favorite show they grew up with. In Boy Meets World, viewers watched as Cory Matthews emerged from boyhood, learning all of the lessons that life has to teach, and into a young man. Infamous for getting into trouble with his best friend Shawn (Rider Strong), often at the hands of his history teacher and next-door neighbor Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), Cory grew to be a loving young man who married his childhood love, Topanga Lawrence. Fans watched the romance blossom

over seven seasons until its end in 2000. The sequel series, Girl Meets World, will air on Disney Channel, and will follow the life of Cory and Topanga’s thirteenyear old daughter, Riley. While a nationwide search is being held for the young girl who will assume the star-role, the plot will follow a similar structure as BMW: Riley makes her way through her teen years with her best friend Maya at her side. Maya tends to veer towards the dark side with her edgy personality, the Shawn to Riley’s Cory. However, the show will have somewhat of a different vibe as Riley’s story will show viewers just how difficult teenage years can be— for a girl, that is. While many fans are eager for GMW to premiere, there are definitely there are a dubious many who fear that the show will not be able to maintain the hilarity and authentic quality that the original show had; some feel it is better to leave well enough alone. Savage has assured fans that they will do everything in their power to

ABC Studios

make sure this does not happen. In an interview with Rolling Stones, Savage acknowledged the concerns: “I’ve gotten notes from a lot of people it’s going to ruin a lot of their childhood memories. We’re really working hard and doing everything we can to make sure that this is going to be something special

and funny, and hopefully it’ll make new memories for a new generation.” It is quite possible that GMW can be a huge success, maybe even more successful than its prototype. It has been done before with Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is now in its twelfth season. Not only this,

but BMW’s original creator Michael Jacobs is returning as the creator of the new show, helping to assuage fan fears of a diminished quality. It is still to be determined whether or not fan-favorites Shawn and Mr. Feeny will return, but Savage hints that anything is possible. By weaving older characters

into the new storyline, the show will likely have a higher chance of success as new and old viewers can enjoy the show. Hopefully, both generations can “meet worlds” and watch this new show together.

Emily Mancini | Release

several prints and buttons featuring her impressive artwork, which she creates through a variety of mediums. Her embroidered art was particularly popular, especially her series of handmade Doctor Who-themed wallets, which featured icons like the TARDIS and a Dalek. Binghamton artist Marcia Blackburn displayed her handmade steampunk jewelry, which she describes as “neoVictorian pieces inspired by the era of the steam engine but made with the 21st century in mind.” Blackburn’s jewelry has a unique alternative look to it, incorporating mechanical elements such as cogs, clocks and wheels to form unique, wearable art. Artist Derek Lindow showcased a series of his original ink drawings, many of which featured the portrayal of distorted, sub-human faces. “Music is what usually inspires me to draw,” Lindow said. “I’m especially inspired when I listen to heavy metal music.” Angelina Blasich’s handcrafted ClamPets were a big hit. Blasich felts each individual palm-sized creature by hand, and many people were instantly won over by the cute, fuzzy, big-eyed creations. “These sweet little ClamPets are disappearing faster than I can felt them,” wrote Blasich on the event page. “Thanks for the lovins!” All in all, the Parlor City Craft Faire was met with a very positive response from both local artists and the community, and hopefully this event will open up more doors for the art community in Binghamton. In the words of O’Hara: “I believe in the future of this cool little city we call home. I had an idea and I acted on it, to do what I could to make Binghamton the city I want to live in.”

A galaxy of stars at 12/12/12 concert Katie Kravat | Release For many of us, our time was spent racking our brains in Bartle preparing for finals. But hopefully everyone was able to take a break to watch “12/12/12 The Concert for Sandy Relief,” a concert that will go down as one of the best in history. In this six-hour megaconcert, the stars aligned as celebrities and music icons teamed up to raise money for the Robin Hood Relief Fund, all proceeds going to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Celebrities stood by taking calls for donations to help the victims of Sandy: 140 people were killed and the homes of many in New York and New Jersey were damaged or destroyed. As rock legends performed, they spoke of the affected areas, recalling their fondest memories. The night started with a bang as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage and performed popular hits “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Wrecking Ball.” There was no shortage of enthusiasm or energy in the Madison Square Garden arena when rocker Jon Bon Jovi joined Springsteen to perform the crowd favorite “Born to Run.” Both from New Jersey, they shared their disbelief at

the destruction that Sandy had on their hometowns. “Tonight,” Springsteen said, “this is a prayer for all of our struggling brothers and sisters.” Springsteen was certainly not alone in this sentiment. The show moved along smoothly with delightfully funny and appropriately compassionate host Billy Crystal. Always lightening the mood, Crystal cracked jokes galore: “You can feel the electricity in the building, which means Long Island Power isn’t involved.” Still, he delivered the true message with the utmost professionalism, saying, “More than 100 people died, entire neighborhoods wiped out. Tonight with your help, we are going to emerge stronger than before.” The crowd roars and the concert continues with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder performing songs including “Another Brick in the Wall,” and “Comfortably Numb.” Shortly after, Adam Sandler sang his comedic version of “Hallelujah” with accompaniment by “The Late Show’s” Paul Shaffer. The audience may have had to grin and bear it, but at least the lyrics were heartfelt, saying “Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya! We’ll get through you,

‘cause we’re New Yorkers!” Meanwhile, Brian Williams sat in the call center with celebrities including Ben Stiller, Jake Gyllenhaal and Whoopi Goldberg. The place was filled with celebrities taking calls for donations — Williams joked, “You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a celebrity.”

— Alicia Keys

Jon Bon Jovi emerged on stage again to perform “It’s My Life” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” followed by guitar great Eric Clapton performing the relevant “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out.” The crowd stayed on its feet as Jimmy Fallon introduced The Rolling Stones, and continued to dance and sing to the tune of “You Got Me Rocking.” Next, Alicia Keys delivered an emotional performance, and in closing, said, “My city, New York City, is the most resilient city.” The Who then gave an electrifying performance and

Robinhood.org

Chris Rock gave the audience a short break before introducing rapper Kanye West. Then came the really big acts of the night. First up, Billy Joel, a native New Yorker. Joel sang his classic “New York State of Mind,” changing the lyrics to pay homage to areas hit hard by the Hurricane, saying, “It comes down to reality, and its fine by me cause I’ve let it slide. I don’t care if it’s Breezy Point or in Oceanside.” The crowd went wild and cheered until the next performer, Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin, took the stage. After joking around with the crowd, Martin was grateful to perform with R.E.M’s frontman, Michael Stipes as they sang “Losing My Religion.” Nearing the concert’s end, the moment everyone was waiting for: Sir Paul McCartney. “I love New York!” McCartney said as he kicked off his jaw-dropping set, which included a mix of his Beatles, Wings and solo records. McCartney rocked out to “Helter Skelter” and softened it up with “My Valentine” and “Blackbird.” But it wasn’t over. To the crowd’s amazement, McCartney joined with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear in a Nirvana reunion. With their new front man, they performed a new grunge song that got the crowd going wild. McCartney wrapped up his performance with the splendid “Live and Let Die,” fireworks blazing. He then called the “heroes of Hurricane Sandy” back on stage, shaking their hands as Alicia Keys came up to close the show with “Empire State of Mind,” dedicating it to “all the heroes in New York and beyond.” After a fantastic night of music and star power, broadcasted live on 37 television stations in the U.S., over 200 countries worldwide, and live streaming on 30 websites, the message must not be forgotten. For those who were hit hard by the storm, keep fighting, and for those that can help, please help. We can get through this together.

Friday, Dec. 7, marked the launch of Binghamton’s first ever Parlor City Indie Market and Craft Faire, where local artists had the opportunity to showcase and sell their original work. The show featured about 20 exhibitors from the Binghamton area who design and handcraft items such as steampunk jewelry, hand-sewn crafts, original artwork, upcycled clothing, botanicals, soaps, lotions and locally made fruit butters. The special exhibit was held from Friday to Sunday at 39 Court Street with an admission fee of $3 per day, or $5 for the weekend. Event organizer Shawn O’Hara, a local interior designer and the owner of Shawn Michael Design, was the driving force behind the show’s creation. “People ask why I am organizing Parlor City Indie Market & Craft Faire,” O’Hara wrote on the Facebook page he created exclusively for the event. “I believe in Binghamton! And I understand that the citizens of a city ARE the city. What we do MAKES our city. So I thought I would do what I wanted to see in Binghamton. Create the city I want to live in!” O’Hara is so enthusiastic about the show that he hopes it will become an annual fixture in Binghamton. Many of Binghamton’s local artists are equally as enthused about the show’s success. “I think it’s a great way to have people come together and understand what’s happening in the Binghamton craft scene,” said Sophia Reading, a local artist who runs a gallery on State Street. Sophia’s impressive handcrafted jewelry was among the display during the three-day fair. Other notable vendors included Felix Eddy, whose edgy steampunk artwork stood out from the crowd. Eddy sold

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President Stenger: A Last year, we held off on giving the then-new president an A because he was the new kid on the block. Now that he’s been here for a full year, we can tell that he is, indeed, who we thought he was and could be. Under President Stenger, this school has reversed the culture of opacity that defined its administration for years. That change has stretched from the president’s office down to the athletics department. That change is long-awaited and certainly welcomed. President Stenger has not only laid out a vision for this Binghamton’s future, he has done so in a personal manner, linking himself to that future. It is not uncommon to see him strolling around campus, attending events like Chabad’s Dreidel Spin-off, or otherwise making himself readily available to students. He’s also made student fitness a priority, inviting students to join him on morning runs and penning an editorial reminding them to exercise. Athletics: B We’re implementing a learning curve here, because, barring a miracle, Binghamton athletics

will never be the kind of Division I school that Duke or Florida is. But relatively, things are looking up. The men’s basketball team has already matched its win total from last season, and Tommy Dempsey seems like the exact man the program needed to get back on its feet. Volleyball made it back the NCAAs, and two wrestlers are currently ranked nationally. And perhaps the most promising of all was how the athletic department handled the arrests of two men’s basketball players. Breaking from the tradition of years past, the department released a statement before the news broke and remained open and available for questions throughout the process, adamant about maintaining a policy of transparency under new athletic director Pat Elliott. Programming: B+ Brianna Friia (Bri Frii) assured us at the beginning of the semester that this would be the best year of programming yet. So far, so good. We’ve had some seriously big names, and sure, we would like something a little more top 40, but we did have three big shows: Lewis Black, Afrojack and Childish. Also worth noting, the Undergrounds

had Kaki King, and Daughtry and 3 Doors Down played the Broome County Arena. So we’ve had variety, and I don’t think it’s fair to say we want more quality, but maybe a group that’s a little more established, since Childish and Afrojack are new names in the music scene. But we have faith in you, SAPB. Don’t disappoint us. Greek Life: C+ The Greek community came under a great amount of pressure this semester, and expecting a 180-degree turnaround from last semester may be unrealistic. That said, Greeks knew at least partially what to expect this semester; after the furor surrounding last semester’s New York Times article and the subsequent suspension of pledging, it was impossible for business to continue as usual. That said, Greek Life did little to improve its standing in the administration or our eyes. Despite IFC and many Greek members’ promises to end hazing, AXP’s recent ouster tells a different story. And, though there’s been some increase in philanthropy and on-campus involvement, it’s left a lot to be desired. Let’s hope, for their sake, that

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Sarcastic Susan Says Sayonara So Sincerely

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It’s hard to believe that after a year and a half, my time at Binghamton University has already come to an end. It doesn’t seem possible, but it certainly feels real. Classes are over, papers have been turned in and I’ve already donned my cap and gown. I have been waiting six and a half years for this moment and I welcome it with open arms. The real world beckons and I am ready to answer, but not before I leave my friends, fellow students and faithful

Pipe Dream readers with some advice. During my time as an undergraduate student at three different institutions in the U.S. and two in Africa, I would like to think I learned a thing or two worth sharing. So, here it goes. 1. Work hard: You are at BU to learn, succeed and earn a

degree. But you won’t get any of that unless you work for it. It may be hard at times, but no one ever said college would be easy. Put in the effort, reap the rewards and be satisfied that you worked your butt off to get where you are. 2. Stay positive: Don’t let life, school or difficult situations get you down. It’s tough, but looking on the bright side and remaining positive will improve nearly any situation. Think twice before complaining or being negative. Staying positive, despite life’s road bumps, will truly make your journey easier and better. 3. Be kind: Nothing will get you further in life than being nice to others. Don’t waste your time being mean and rude. It’s easy and a cop-out. Be kind and compassionate, help someone out, say a simple thank you. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be a much better person for it. 4. Surround yourself with good people: If you choose to spend your time with people who are rude to you, who don’t support you or who create unnecessary drama, that’s on

you. Believe me when I say it’s not worth the stress. You can vastly improve your life by choosing to surround yourself with people who love and support you — loyal friends and family and good-natured people.

Dream has become the most important part of my time here; I don’t know where I’d be without it. You can have the same experience with any of the clubs, sports or programs on campus. Pick something you’re interested in or good at, try a few things out and find a way to get involved. 6. Be adventurous: What is life without a little adventure? Take a chance and do something you’ve never done before, something you’ve always wanted to try or something that will challenge you. Go to an event to learn a new skill (I learned how to bachata at Ballroom Club), take a class that will make you see life from a different perspective (I learned a lot from Youth and Pop Culture of North Africa) or study abroad (I suggest anywhere in Africa, especially Botswana). Take a chance, you probably won’t regret it. 7. Life is what you make it: 5. Find your niche: This one Obvious, right? Whether good is more specifically for time or bad, you get to choose what spent at BU, but it’s important. your life is like. The decisions I was lucky enough to find the you make, both big and small, perfect fit within the first two will shape your life, sometimes weeks of my arrival here. Pipe when you don’t even realize

it. Your time at BU can be absolutely awful or it can be incredibly amazing. Make the most out of every opportunity, take advantage of all the resources offered to you and, most importantly, choose to have a good life. Well, that’s all I’ve got, my parting words of advice. Do with it what you will, but I hope you’ll take at least some of it. Using it in my own life at Binghamton and beyond has made my time here exceptional. The good days outweighed the bad, I’ve lived and learned and I can leave knowing that my time was not wasted. I feel blessed to have spent time here at Bing, as short as it was. I will be forever thankful for the education I’ve received and grateful for the friends I’ve made. I’ve grown so much and I sincerely wish the same for all of you. — Susan Lamb is a senior majoring in.. Oh fuck it. Suzie probably plagiarized everything she ever wrote and shouldn’t graduate. Please don’t leave us!

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Letters to the editor Forcing Feminism

To the editor: I respect how strongly Molly McGrath [“Women bash feminism to their own detriment” Pipe Dream, Dec. 7, 2012] feels in regard to women’s rights. But the way she presented her opinion is offensive to every woman who doesn’t label herself “feminist,” including myself. 1. In her first point, she explicitly states that women who do not label themselves “feminists” don’t believe in their own right to vote or to attend this University, and might as well drop out of school. This is no exaggeration. She also accuses us of devaluing all women’s efforts up to this point. It’s unfair to make the assumption that we take these things for granted. 2. “Widespread utterance of this dreaded phrase isn’t helping the case that our representatives should even bother waking up from the Dark Ages.” If I start calling myself a feminist, then Congress will pass the Lily Ledbetter Act? 3. “You cast aside our sisters in the third world like disposable sanitary napkins.” I’m not sure what kind of emotion is behind my disposing of maxi pads, but this sounds a little extreme to me. Her generalizations can impact a number of people. The biggest problem I have with this article is the fact that she forces women into this “feminist” box. It’s never appropriate to criticize someone for not labeling her beliefs. I’m thrilled to say that we’re finally getting to point where people can have certain beliefs and values and not have to label them. It seems to me that the fact that there’s negative stigma attached to feminism is what makes her cringe,

rather than “the dreaded phrase.” The purpose of this column could have been to encourage people to fight for women’s rights – a noble cause. But instead this article is about how “deplorable” and “ignorant” it is to not call oneself a feminist. “We’re all entitled to our opinions, but there’s a difference between being outspoken and just being plain ignorant.” Becca Schoenberg BU sophomore

Don't rank me

To the editor: I find myself perturbed by your choice of the headlining article [“How do you rank?” Pipe Dream, Dec. 11, 2012]. Its appeal revolves around two key components: shock factor and superficiality. By making this article the headline you are projecting to me, as a reader, that the issues you find important, as a messenger of the news, are those only concerned with the most trivial, stereotypical aspects of college life: partying, drugs, social life and, most importantly, sex. I understand the appeal of this article: it is controversial and relevant. However, I cannot respect the glorification of systematic objectification. Phrases such as “grew tired of rating females” are not something that should be thrown around casually. I don’t understand why I am supposed to respect people who aim to quantify the idea of attraction, because they can’t understand why it isn’t only physical. I don’t see how it is possible to simplify human connections into a

formula. I also don’t see why it is necessary. Moreover, I find the website counterproductive. Isn’t the point of college to try out new things and carve our own experiences? I don’t see how this website is improving our community. I don’t see its usefulness. I see a stolen algorithm, an uninspired idea and a relatively big ego from two guys who seem to think that they’ve “figured out college.” You can’t define fun. You can’t define attraction, whether sexual or romantic. You only know it when you experience it. I also find the article and the website offensive to me as a woman. While I am aware that the site is organized around more than just rating females, I cannot ignore that the references made in this article to attraction or “easiness” are primarily geared toward females/female organizations. The mere fact that there is a category of “easiest” is disgusting. If a male is interested in finding out which sorority is “easiest,” doesn’t that make him “easy?” It is a completely backwards concept in such a modern, accepting sexual culture. I also want to draw attention to the unhealthy amount of emphasis it puts on sex. Is there a need to include categories such as: Which school has the most sex? Or: What bars are you most likely to hook up at? Questions like these create unrealistic expectations — setting sex as a goal. It’s almost as if sex is presented as a trophy you are given after a long drunken night of spitting out lines you heard on “Jersey Shore” or an enticing factor when deciding which school to join. We are better than this. Just because our school has been

receiving horrible press, doesn’t mean we have to present ourselves as vapid partiers. I know there is so much more to the members of Pipe Dream, the founders of RankBU and the student body than just rating girls, getting fucked up and judging people. Caitlin M Powers BU junior

Chabad article missed the point

To the editor: Susan Lamb’s article, Dreidel Spin-Off fails to break record [Pipe Dream, Dec. 11, 2012], rushed through the excellence of the Dreidel Spin-Off, an event that many students have been working on for the last month or more, in order to quickly criticize it. Lamb briefly mentioned the spinning of the dreidels but moved right into the attendance. She could have spoken about how over 900 students, faculty and community members gathered together to celebrate charity, a festive holiday and try to break a world record as a community. Or she could have emphasized the hard work of many students to recruit and publicize the event (and their success). Instead, she wrote how people chose to leave partway through. There were many reasons for that, including a biology test at 7 p.m. and class. Lamb indicated that these students were leaving out of boredom. Rather, they decided to come to the event just to support all the work that has been put into it, knowing they had to leave early. Lamb also puts down the event for

the actual dreidel spinning starting 45 minutes after the Facebook event markets. The Facebook event and all fliers advertised the event to be from 6-7 and told audience members about the Crosby performance and the culmination of the Toy Drive, which the article only mentions in passing. The article also slights Rabbi Levi Slonim, the Program Director of Chabad, who has been working on this event since the summer, for asking the crowd of over 700 people to quiet down. Lamb was quick to point out what he might have done wrong, but this event would not have happened without his dedication and hard work. There was no mention of the diversity of the student organizations that attended or the delicious, free food that students spent the day preparing or information about Chai Lifeline, the recipients of the toys collected and money raised. The article does not accurately portray the positive atmosphere of the event. I was extremely upset as I read through this article. This was a really big accomplishment of Binghamton and united so many different student organizations and people. I hope when people look back at this event, they remember how Binghamton united and the amazing amount of toys collected for children with cancer. Lucy Schwartz Major Programs Coordinator for Chabad BU Junior

With finals now upon us, do them the right way

Finals week is a time of massive stress for nearly every student on campus. In a week where looking for study space involves tripping over sleeping bags and finding Adderall is nearly impossible, how can students be expected not to lose sleep, weight and hair in the days and hours leading up to their exams? Perhaps, in October you were the Midterminator, and now you’re rocking back and forth in a corner, wondering how you’re going to pull it off. I am here

to tell you that you will, and to calm the fuck down. Let me give you some tough love for half a minute and pry you from your tear-stained calculus textbook so you can consider this: Panicking isn’t making your studying any more effective. It hardly ever makes anything more effective. It turns studying into an exercise in futility. Same with not sleeping. No one has ever gotten out of a series of all-nighters and thought, “Great! I feel refreshed and ready to take a final!” Only you know how much sleep is going to be enough for you. Get at least that amount of sleep the night before your exam. It’s not impressive if you’ve gotten seven hours of sleep over five days in preparation for

an exam, though your friends may “ooh” and “ah” over your fortitude. What’s impressive is if you manage to actually pull off decent marks. Your professor, after all, doesn’t grade you based on how many hours you’ve stayed awake. This isn’t a frat. It’s natural to want to do well when being tested, whether it’s for art history or accounting. Still, if you find yourself in a dark, unnatural place, posting Facebook statuses about how it’s been nice knowing everyone, you may have gone too far. If you’re clawing at your face and your vocabulary is reduced to guttural grunts generally reserved for poor imitations of cavemen, you may have gone too far. That’s the moment to stand up, stretch and get some

frozen yogurt. Chances are you probably haven’t been focusing all that much anyway.

This isn’t a column arguing in favor of taking finals week lightly. Most of these exams will count for at least 20 percent of

your final grade. When you’re paying good money to go to this school and get these grades, it’d be stupid to not devote the better part of your time to studying. Real studying, that is. Not fake studying, where you sit in front of your laptop Tumbling. Don’t waste your time. Why are you nesting in the Glenn G. Bartle Library if, after the first few hours of actual studying, 40 minutes out of the hour becomes devoted to moaning about how impossible this all is? Actually tumbling through the stacks would be a better activity. Just because you’re wasting your time in the library doesn’t mean it’s less of a waste of time than if you’re doing it in your room. Everyone wants to walk out

of an exam knowing they’ve done their best, from beginning preparations all the way through to actually turning in your papers, so put yourself in a position to do that. Plan ahead. Get some sleep so you can retain the information you’re studying. It’s as important as showing up to the exam itself with a working pen. Most importantly, though, breathe. Calm down. Except if you’re studying for an engineering course. I hear that’s crazy. — Chantal Berendson is a senior double-majoring in political science and German.

Rewarding Mediocrity in America This week, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan signed a right-to-work bill into law despite previous promises that he would not approach the issue. On April 6, 2011 Snyder told The Associated Press that right-towork legislation was “divisive” and that “it was not on my agenda.” But on Tuesday, the governor ignored his previous call to avoid the contentious politics of rightto-work legislation and hastily signed the bill before the public was able to debate it at length.

Conservative media outlets from The Wall Street Journal to Fox News have celebrated the bill’s signing as a “pro-worker” initiative that will benefit labor by freeing it from the “coercion” of compulsory membership and dues payment that unions demand. Pointing to other Midwestern industrial states like Wisconsin, which recently passed similar legislation, the right has argued that Michigan too must now become a right-to-work state if it is to remain competitive as an incubator for job creation. The argument is a fallacious one made not on sensible economics but rather on sly politics. Michigan is now the 24th state to adopt right-towork legislation; the idea that employers are starved of locations without such laws is deceptive and wrong. No, conservatives are arguing for right-to-work laws because they hasten the demise of an already anemic labor movement in America. Conservatives are pushing right-to-work laws because of organized labor’s historic ties and political commitment to the Democratic Party. Democrats have enjoyed labor’s support ever since Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act into law back in 1935, which protected private sector workers in their efforts to organize into unions and collectively bargain with their employers. According to the nonpartisan independent research organization the Center for Responsive Politics, the average financial contribution from unions to Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate in 2012 was $145,063 and $85,887, respectively. Congressional Republicans in both chambers received a fraction of those sums, totaling a mere $25,383 in the House and $7,812 for the Senate. Conservative politicians behind the push for right-towork laws are attempting to remove unions as a source of financial power for Democrats and as an organizing force in support of progressive policies like a higher minimum wage, greater progressive taxation and fair trade agreements. And they are winning. Today, unions represent a mere 12 percent of the American

In other words ...

workforce as opposed to 20 percent in 1983. In the private sector that number is even lower, with only 7 percent of workers having union representation in 2012 whereas in 1983 that number stood at 17 percent. From the height of labor’s power during the 1950s, when over 40 percent of American workers were unionized, notably under the Republican presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, today unions are a shadow of their former selves. Today, unions lack both the members and finances they once possessed and the political power that came with them. Passage of a right-to-work law in Michigan — the birthplace of the United Auto Workers, where over 17.5 percent of workers are unionized — is a symbolic victory against unions as the battle for workers’ rights now comes knocking on the front door of the battered House of Labor. The right is waging this war on workers because of organized labor’s long illustrious history in progressive politics. Unions were at the core of the organizing effort in support of FDR’s New Deal, which established programs like Social Security, national public works and a federal minimum

wage. In 1965, the AFL-CIO was instrumental in pushing Democrats to support Medicare, Medicaid and LBJ’s “War on Poverty.” During the 1960s, organized labor fought on the right side of history alongside civil rights protesters at the March on Washington for racial equality. Showing solidarity with his union brothers and sisters in the fight for racial, economic and social justice, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed, “In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as ‘right-to-work.’ It provides no ‘rights’ and no ‘works.’ Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining…We demand this fraud be stopped.” The decline of organized labor represents a grave threat to the liberal project that gave the United States the New Deal and Great Society. The decline of organized labor represents a grave threat to the liberal project in the United States.

“Whatever direction you keep, please stay dependable, enjoy what you do, keep a wide perspective, and remember that it is okay to be a little obsessed. Good luck and best wishes to a great, great, great class—the Class of 2012. Sincerely, Harvey” Harvey Stenger, at the Winter 2012 commencement speech

Arguably, the greatest honor a university can bestow upon a student is the position of commencement speaker at a graduation. The university is saying, “We trust you to represent the students, and impart a worthy message to the audience.” Now you would think that they would want an exceptional student to fulfill this role. Right?

April. Now, I grew up extremely poor and am just now getting my degree because I had to drop out of high school to work and provide for my family. I lost my brother last year, but stayed true to the course when all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. So I thought this was my opportunity. I got stunning letters of recommendation from my professors, wrote an exceptional speech and knocked the interview out of the park. I knew I was only one of a few who applied so I thought my chances good. I waited on pins and needles for the commencement committee’s decision. And … I didn’t get it. Man When I heard that the fall that was a harsh blow. I had to 2012 student commencement figure out why. Was there a more speaker position was open, successful student? Was there a I jumped at it. Being a 4.0 worldlier person who had more student who will graduate life experience? After pestering in just three years is quite the committee that made the an accomplishment. I am 26 decision, I got my answer. I years old, married, work and I did not get the commencement am expecting my first child in speaker position because I was

not an average student. I was too exceptional. Let that sink in for a moment. I was too successful and arguably too old. First off, in a school that claims it wants more non-traditional students, how does it make sense to punish a non-traditional student for being, well, non-traditional? But the bigger issue is the average part. Instead of rewarding exceptionalism, this university is rewarding mediocrity. Is that the course our society is taking? With little league sports teams no longer giving out first place trophies and instead issuing everyone participation trophies, our society is moving toward the mediocre middle ground. How can we ask people to do their best in education, work, even their lives, when mediocrity is new benchmark? This striving for average — which is prevalent no longer just in grade school, but college, for God’s sake — is driving our country down a

Around this time of year many students put all vital life functions on hold and focus on final exams, term papers and the like. Eating, sleeping, bathing and socializing are left on the shore as students dive headfirst into their studies.

“Go Time.” Occurring every semester during the buildup to finals week, it is the mystical, magical realization that every second not spent studying for finals is a second wasted. If you only had an extremely limited amount of time to study for a disproportionally important test, wouldn’t it impel you to put everything you had into acing it?

Yet most people don’t understand that there is a concept for this, an expression if you will, that is used to explain the biannual phenomenon. It is called “Go Time,” and by reading this paper, you are already violating it. “Go Time” occurs during that frantic stretch of time prior to the very end of the semester here at Binghamton University. It is based on the premise that after you take a final exam or write a term paper for a course, it is the culmination of your affiliation with that class. This means that after it is submitted, you will never again be required to do any more work; it is all over. The grades are calculated and your performance is condensed into a letter grade.

After that answer sheet leaves your hand or that paper is uploaded to Turnitin.com, the class moves from one you are in to one that you had previously taken and will (hopefully) never take again. You probably won’t feel any different as you cross the crucial threshold, but at that moment the present becomes the past right before your very eyes. Try to imagine a timeline where your last final this semester is but one place along a continuum that extends from this exact moment through the rest of your life. This test should be toward the very beginning, probably no later than a week away, after which there is the endless expanse of your future years. It’s obvious that you will live the vast majority of your life after this test is taken. That is, most of whatever you do will occur after the test. Whether it is plowing through eight seasons of “How I Met Your Mother” or raging face at the Rathskeller, there is an infinitely great amount of time to do anything after the exam. You most certainly can do any of these things right now, or even mere minutes before the test — no one is stopping you — but you’ll find much more time to do it afterwards. This brings us back to

path of obscurity. America has been the ideal of the rest of world for over a century. Who will look up to a country of averages where mediocrity is the new creed? We will no longer be America the Beautiful. We will become America the Average-looking. No longer America the Great. We will be America the Meh. Inspiring, isn’t it? So I offer this advice. Don’t strive for success. Binghamton University doesn’t want exceptional students. They want you to slack off, not care, be “traditional” college students who go out and drink with the “bros” every weekend. So go out there, guys and girls, make those B’s and C’s. Be average. Your parents, and America, will be so proud. — Kellan Potts is a senior majoring in English.

your knowledge, demonstrate your understanding of the material or influence your teacher’s determination of your success in the course becomes wholly insignificant. You have the next couple of days to earn that A and after that, it is all over. Hindsight may be 20/20, but right now there is no point in looking back. Finals week is upon us, and the clock ticks as you read. But before you stop reading, know that the most beautiful thing about “Go Time” is that is it only a matter of perspective. For some it holds true, for others it is very easily ignored. One look at Glenn G. Bartle Library nowadays demonstrates who abides by it, just like how one look at State Street will tell you who doesn’t. And while motivation for schoolwork isn’t something commonly found within these pages, it doesn’t take a lot to realize how little time is left between now and that last test. So when the If there were only five days semester is out and the grades between now and the due date, come in, the question will have would it not make sense to answered itself. pour your heart and soul into What time is it? it? Finals are designed to test a student’s capacity to turn — Zachary Greenberg is a all that stress, pressure and senior majoring in philosophy, knowledge into something politics and law. meaningful. It’s called a deadline for a reason: after it passes, any attempt to quantify

SHAPES by Chris Lynch “Porno - Part 1”

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 26, 2009

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

DOWN 1 “I Kid You Not” author

2 100 cents 3 Part of “The Sound of Music” farewell song 4 Little butter? 5 Author Rice 6 Transmission component 7 Tel __-Yafo 8 Harsh 9 Rain, briefly 10 Indicate 11 PDA entry 12 __-majesty 13 Fed. power dept. 21 “Illmatic” rapper 22 Key of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 24 Submissions to eds. 26 Upside-down sleepers 27 It’s twirled in a rodeo 28 PBS’s science guy 29 IM offerer 30 Punish with a fine 31 Gin cocktail 32 Become, finally 36 Salinger dedicatee

38 Louisiana Territory explorer 39 Needing salt, perhaps 40 Sellout initials 43 Enters stealthily 45 ’50s oldies syllable 47 Secret doctrine 48 Tennyson works 49 Eye or ear ending 52 Musical conclusion

53 Hurries 54 Street liners 55 Rocker Jett 56 “My treat” 57 Deterioration 59 Like the Sabin vaccine 60 Jared of “American Psycho” 63 It sometimes needs a boost

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BEARCATS

By the Numbers When you’re a Mets fan, the compliments are few and far between. But when baseball came up at the Thanksgiving table this year, my uncle turned to me and said, “Hey, congrats on Dickey! Cy Young, huh? He’s great.”

Not as great as your team’s 27 rings, I bet, but yeah, R.A. Dickey is pretty great. “They’ll probably trade him now,” I joked. When you’re a Mets fan, you joke about these things not because they’re particularly funny, but because it’s your way of coping with the dreary reality of your sports life. Well, as of Sunday, the Mets had all but officially shipped R.A. to Toronto. At least I can say I told you so. But even though what has been one of the very few bright spots for the Mets is almost certainly gone, here’s why the Dickey trade isn’t the end of the world for the Amazins: The move fits right into Sandy Alderson’s long-term game

plan. And trust me, I know it feels like a very long term. Not only have the Mets not been relevant for years, it seems like they haven’t been any fun to watch for even longer. But Dickey is 38, and even though age hardly matters with knuckleballers, it won’t make much of a difference if R.A. remains an ace for the next few years, because the Mets won’t be ready to win a championship for at least another season. Alderson has had his eyes set on the future since he took over in New York, and he has been patiently working toward building a solid foundation for the years ahead. Signing David Wright to an eight-year extension was a smart move in the right direction. The third baseman will be 30 next year, and a trade involving him would have hurt much more than the one involving Dickey, for a number of reasons. As consistent as Dickey was in 2012, there’s just no predicting success with the knuckleball. Some days it’s there, some days it’s not. My guess is that it will be there for Dickey next year, even if it’s not to the extent that it was this past season, but depending on similar levels of production

from the veteran next year would have been too risky for the Mets.

78 .2

As of right now, all things point to New York getting the Blue Jays’ top prospect in the trade. The 23-year old Travis d’Arnaud could potentially fill a hole behind the plate that has existed since Mike Pizza left in 2005, if you don’t count Paul Lo Duca from 2006-07. If the Mets get d’Arnaud and the catcher becomes a star for them, there will still be plenty of holes left to fill, most glaringly in the outfield. But the Dickey trade would be a step in the right direction. Even though it seems like the Mets have chosen the scenic route, at least they’re headed the right way.

8 OUT OF 10 NYIT STUDENTS HAVE JOBS WITHIN THEIR CHOSEN FIELD WHEN THEY GRADUATE. COME VISIT US.

The average scoring output of Michigan’s men’s basketball team to date. Binghamton held the Wolverines to 67 points last Tuesday.

The shooting percentage of the men’s basketball team in its loss to Michigan.

The number of points the Syracuse women’s basketball team scored against Binghamton, its second lowest output this year.

Binghamton’s shooting percentage in the loss at the Carrier Dome.

The combined number of wins for the men’s and women’s basketball teams through 22 total games this season.

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SPORTS

Mets have future in mind Page 15

Monday, December 17, 2012

For the first 15 minutes of regulation, 1-10 Binghamton hung with a one-loss Syracuse team that has a chance of finding itself nationally ranked this season. But the Bearcats went cold, trailing after trimming Syracuse’s lead to 20-17 with just over five minutes remaining in the first half, and the Orange (10-1) took off on a 15-0 run that lasted until nearly four minutes into the second half. Binghamton wouldn’t recover as the Orange cruised to a 68-45 win Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. “The score doesn’t say it, but overall I was very happy with how our players came out,” Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl said. “Our game plan going in was to try to take away [senior center Kayla Alexander] as much as possible and I thought we did a good job with that.” The Bearcats held Alexander, who had been averaging 21 points per game, to just four points in the first half and 12 points all together. But the focus on the senior opened up shots from behind the arc for the Orange, who connected on 10 threepointers. “This was a game where we said from the beginning if this team was gonna beat us that they’d have to beat us from the threepoint line,” Scholl said. “And, you know, they put up 28 threes to get 10 of them, so overall I thought our team, execution-wise, did what we asked of them.” The Orange’s 68 total points

were their second-lowest total of the year. They shot 32 percent from the field compared to BU’s 29 percent for the game. Sophomore forward Sherae Swinson led Binghamton with 10 points, while freshman forward Morgan Murphy contributed seven points and a career-best and game-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jasbriell Swain tied Murphy with 10 boards and added five points, four assists and three steals. The teams traded threepointers to open the game, but the Orange quickly added another three and a layup to pull ahead 8-3. With 8:07 on the clock, Syracuse pushed its lead to 20-12, but a layup from senior forward Kara Elofson and an NBA-range three from junior guard Stephanie Jensen brought the Bearcats to within three. From there though, Syracuse would embark on its 15-0 run, lasting for around eight minutes and spanning the halftime break. When the Bearcats finally broke the drought with a jumper from Swinson at the 16:27 mark, they found themselves trailing 35-19, unable to surmount the deficit. Binghamton committed 19 turnovers, but Scholl said

Syracuse’s nearly-constant fullcourt press did not account for the majority of them. “Syracuse basically pressed us the whole game, and those 19 turnovers, there was only maybe a handful of those that came from their pressure in the full court so I was very pleased with that,” she said. “Syracuse is a good team. I mean they’re bigger than we are and a little more athletic than we are and we knew it was gonna be a tough opponent coming in.” The Bearcats have just two games remaining on their non-conference schedule: a tournament at Lehigh, before they are set to open up America East play on Jan. 2 against Hartford. “Even though our record doesn’t show it, this team, in my opinion, isn’t a 1-10 team with how we’re starting to come along right now,” Scholl said. “We’ve played some tough competition.” Binghamton is scheduled to compete in the Christmas City Classic on Dec. 29 and 30 at Lehigh’s Stabler Arena. BU is set to face the Mountain Hawks at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 before taking on Fairleigh Dickinson University at 2 p.m. the following day.

Women's basketball vs. Syracuse

Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor

last Tuesday. The undefeated Wolverines (11-0), who beat West Virginia on Saturday, Facing disadvantages in are off to their best start since size, length and athleticism, 1988-89, their one and only Binghamton fell, 67-39, to NCAA championship season. No. 3 Michigan in Ann Arbor The Bearcats (2-9) opened

Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor

Junior guard Rayner Moquete, who would finish with eight points, three assists and two steals, handed BU its only lead of the game when he connected on a threepointer seven minutes into the contest.

the first half keeping pace with the Wolverines. They even managed to obtain a brief two-point lead seven minutes into the half, as senior guard Jimmy Gray stole a pass and fed junior guard Rayner Moquete, who connected on a three to bring them up 10-8. But Michigan then embarked on a 19-2 run to separate itself from Binghamton. With 3:37 left in the half, Moquete missed a jumper and Reed flew in to dunk the offensive rebound. Michigan responded with 7-0 spurt to enter the break up 34-14. Binghamton kept the Wolverines below their typical pace, an average 78.2 points per game. The Bearcats’ ability to do so spoke about their communication and hustle, according to head coach Tommy Dempsey. “I think we actually did a really good job of controlling the tempo of the game,” Dempsey said. “[The Wolverines] were playing a real up-tempo style that I thought we would have a hard time keeping up with if we allowed them to play too quickly, so I thought we did a nice job of controlling the tempo of the game and playing good half-court defense.” The second half more explicitly demonstrated the Bearcats’ resilience, and how staunchly they refused to back down. After an 11-point Wolverine spurt, the Bearcats

Junior guard Rayner Moquete, who would finish with eight points, three assists and two steals, handed BU its only lead of the game when he connected on a three-pointer seven minutes into the contest.

surged on an 8-0 run over two minutes. The run included back-to-back threes from senior forward Taylor Johnston and Gray, as well as a jumper from Reed. But ultimately, Binghamton could not claw all the way back. For most of the game, Binghamton was forced beyond the arc by the nearly impenetrable Wolverine defense, resulting in a heavy reliance on threes. The team scored 21 of its 39 points there, and both Reed and senior guard Mike Horn hit their first career three-pointers in the game. Gray and Moquete each hit two threes, and Johnston tacked on an additional shot from deep. “They’re such great athletes and they really are big in size, so when we did get the ball inside [the paint], it was very difficult to get good shots because of size,” Dempsey said. “We knew that we were going to have to shoot the ball very well to win, and that it was going to be difficult to score in the paint, but then we didn’t shoot the ball quite well enough to be competitive in the game.” Neither team shot particularly well, as Binghamton hit 34 percent of its shots while Michigan, which ranks No. 6 nationally in shooting percentage with a 51.1 percent field goal percentage, shot just 44 percent. Though the Wolverine’s length and athleticism prevented the

Bearcats from effectively producing inside, Binghamton turned the ball over just 13 times — Dempsey’s team averages 16 per game. Reed led the team with 11 points and eight rebounds, and Moquete followed with eight points, three assists and two steals. Gray added six points, six assists and another two steals. Other notable contributions included Johnston’s seven rebounds and junior center Alex Ogundadegbe’s six points on 3-of-4 shooting. “I thought we played well defensively, and I thought we played smart offensively,” Dempsey said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and that was a reason that we struggled with the score, but I thought we played very disciplined. If we would have shot the ball better I thought we would have been more competitive, but overall, I was pleased with the way our guys showed up and prepared and played the game.” Michigan sophomore guard

and preseason AP All-American Trey Burke scored 19 points and dealt five assists to lead the Wolverines. Freshman guard Nik Stauskas converted 4-of8 from beyond the arc for 12 points, and the Michigan bench recorded a total of 15 points. The Bearcats, still searching for their first road win, aren’t set to return to game action until Dec. 28 due to finals and the holidays. “I think the break comes at a good time,” Dempsey said. “We’ve played 11 games, and we’re playing really hard, and I do think our guys are tired. We’re practicing really hard, we’re playing really hard in the [games] and we haven’t had a lot of rest. So now is the time to clear the mind, focus on finals and focus on physical health.” Binghamton’s next matchup is scheduled for Dec. 28 against Colgate, a team currently stuck on a four-game losing streak. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Cotterell Court.

Men's basketball vs. Michigan