Fall 2014 Issue 14

PIPE DREAM Tuesday, October 2014 || Binghamton BinghamtonUniversity University || www.bupipedream.com www.bupipedream.com || Vol. Vol.LXXXVI, LXXXVI,Issue Issue14 9 Friday, October 24,7,2014

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Contributing Writer In light of several cases of Ebola reported in the United States, State University of New York (SUNY) and Binghamton University officials are preparing plans to address any possible threats from the deadly virus.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s General Ebola Preparedness Plan includes designating eight hospitals to treat potential patients, airport monitoring and unannounced preparedness drills at hospitals.

Building upon this, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher sent a memo to all 64 SUNY schools this past Friday requiring further precautionary measures.

Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse and Stony Brook University Hospital are now

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Assaults (180) Density of Assaults LESS

Harpur's Ferry receives training to contain potential cases Chloe Rehfield

REPORTED ASSAULTS IN BINGHAMTON (2013)

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SUNY releases Ebola protocol

See EBOLA Page 4

MORE

Source: Binghamton Police Department

Off-campus council talks living, safety concerns OC3, housing repsresentatives discuss safety, options for Downtown living Zachary Wingate Contributing Writer

University pledges to increase efforts toward student safety Gabriella Weick and Zuzu Boomer-Knapp

Binghamton Police Department (BPD).

According to Capt. Jack Collins and Lt. Contributing Writers Martin Burnett of the BPD, there has been a spike in crime on the West Side attributed to a group of high school-age perpetrators. They are A string of assaults occurring in Downtown said to target all Downtown residents, not just Binghamton has raised concerns among students Binghamton University students. living off campus, University officials and the Since the semester began, there have been

three separate occasions in which a total of five BU students were victims of assault in the Downtown area.

The most recent of these incidents occurred this past weekend at Grotta Azzurra Pizzeria near Binghamton High School. A male alumnus and current male student were assaulted and

See CRIME Page 6 Tycho McManus/Assistant Photo Editor

xStill

looking for a place to live?

With dorm sign-up deadlines approaching and leases already being signed, the Off Campus College Council (OC3) hosted a Housing and Safety Fair to provide students with information about living Downtown.

Landlords, Binghamton Police and campus organizations tabled in the Mandela Room Thursday to offer a variety of housing options and address safety concerns about the local area.

“Because of the Nov. 3 signup deadline, we felt off-campus students needed a similar set-up,” said Steven Molinari, a member of OC3 and a senior majoring in political science.

Housing communities and landlords approved by the University’s Off Campus College attended to let students know their available housing options, as well

See FAIR Page 6

Release has a rundown of every major off-campus apartment space, SEE PAGE 11

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NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

Sodexo cooks up the competition Student teams use surprise ingredients to impress judges with best two-course meal Stacy Schimmel

Contributing Writer

Dining Services heated up the stoves and the competition in the Appalachian Dining Hall in a battle of the student chefs.

In Wednesday’s semi-annual Meal Madness, five teams of three to five students competed to win a free dining hall dinner and bragging rights.

As music played, Baxter posed for pictures and onlookers tasted free samples from dining hall food providers. The groups were given 35 minutes to create an appetizer and 30 minutes to prepare an entrée.

Each group had access to a “common pantry” of ingredients ranging from eggplant to apple cider, but were required to make use of a mystery basket that they did not have a chance to see beforehand.

The items included were tahini, Oreos, bitter melon and ground buffalo meat, and participants had to use one in the appetizer and all four in the entrée.

According to John Enright, director of Resident Dining, Meal Madness is a nationwide Sodexo event run at college campuses during October.

“It kind of helps us bridge a relationship with the students,” Enright said. “They get to work with the chefs from their dining hall and understand who they are and part of it is about building relationships as well. If they take the advice from their chef coaches, they really have the ability to learn a lot.”

Students, however, were not left on their own. Each team was assigned a dining hall chef who could show them cooking techniques and provide ideas.

“Working with the students, watching the different levels of skill and culinary expertise and cultural backgrounds brought here to a competition is wonderful,” said

Richard Herb, a Sodexo chef manager.

Mehjabeen Hassan, a senior majoring in English, won last year’s competition and said she was hoping to reclaim the title.

“All of my teammates graduated so I have a completely new team this year with all of my close friends,” Hassan said. “I really like the idea of the whole event itself, so definitely once you win, you want to do this again. Fingers crossed, may the odds be with us.”

The competition was judged by Dean of Students April Thompson, General Manager of Sodexo Jim Ruoff, women’s basketball head coach Linda Cimino and Director of Auxiliary Services Peter Napolitano.

Each judge awarded points based on taste, presentation, creativity, team organization, cleanliness and small portion sizes.

“I was probably the easiest judge because I liked everything,” Cimino said. “I ate the whole thing, it was delicious. I don’t think any of them had ever really cooked before so that was good that they kind of all came together.”

In the end, though, the Student Culinary Council (SCC) edged out Team Dragon Teabags by a score of 249 to 243 with their buffalo slider appetizers and a stir-fry bison with Oreo crumble toppings.

For Louis Semanchik, a member of SCC and a junior majoring in biology, the madness isn’t over — he’s already looking forward to next year.

“I’ll be here to defend our title graciously,” Semanchik said.

Steve Molinari, a member of SCC and a senior majoring in political science, credited his team’s victory to the help of their Sodexo chef.

“We owe a big thanks to Chef Sam,” Molinari said. “He definitely pulled us to the top, but I think everybody had a great time.”

Franz Lino/Photo Editor

Five teams of three to five students compete in the Appalachian Dining Hall in Wednesday’s semiannual Meal Madness.

PAGE III Friday, October 24, 2014

Pipe Line

Let's Talk About Sex

STATE NEWS Northern New York school locks down after threat Students at State University of New York at Canton are being asked to shelter in place after an anonymous threat on social media.

The northern New York school says it cancelled classes Thursday and locked down the campus after the second of two threats made on the social media app Yik Yak indicated that an incident may occur at noon.

There were no incidents reported as of mid-afternoon Thursday. The school said on its website that campus police were escorting people to their cars or dorm rooms from other buildings “out of an abundance of caution.” Police were investigating the threat. Yik Yak is a virtual bulletin board aimed at college students. It uses geolocation tools that limit user interactions to others within a 1.5-mile radius.

Woman charged with stealing 16 calves from farms Authorities say they have charged a western New York woman with stealing more than a dozen calves from local farms and selling most of them at a livestock market. The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office tells WIVB-TV in Buffalo that Janet Knauss of Caledonia sold 12 of the calves and kept the other four at a rented property in the town of Stafford. Deputies say the male calves were stolen last summer from farms in neighboring Genesee and Monroe counties. Knauss was charged with burglary and grand larceny. She’s due back in Le Roy Town Court on Nov. 5.

Student caught with handgun inside school School district officials in Albany say two staff members at a vocational school will be fired after a 17-year-student was found carrying a loaded handgun. Albany police say detectives had been looking for a boy wanted on an active warrant. They received information Tuesday that he was at the Abrookin Career and Technical Education Center. When officers got to the school, they took the teen into custody and found he was carrying a .22-caliber handgun.

He’s being held in the county jail after being charged with criminal possession of a weapon. District officials say metal detectors went off when the student entered the building, but two staff members didn’t follow procedure and let him into the school. Officials say the staffers should have patted down the student or used a handheld wand to detect the weapon.

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Luis Solera, an undeclared sophomore, leads sex-ed themed trivia in Digman Hall on Wednesday. The event was hosted by Dickinson hall government and provided educational information about safe sex practices.

Police Watch A lighter take on campus crime Aaron Berkowitz | Police Correspondent

NATIONAL NEWS Camel maker Reynolds American snuffing out smoking in workplaces, will allow e-cigarettes Camel cigarette maker Reynolds American Inc. is snuffing out smoking in its offices and buildings. The nation’s second-biggest tobacco company informed employees Wednesday that beginning next year, the use of traditional cigarettes, cigars or pipes will no longer be permitted at employee desks or offices, conference rooms, hallways and elevators. Lighting up already is prohibited on factory floors and in cafeterias and fitness centers. The no-smoking policy will go into effect once Reynolds builds indoor smoking areas for those still wanting to light up indoors, spokesman David Howard said.

While Reynolds will no longer allow smoking, it will allow the use of smokeless tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, moist snuff and pouches of finely milled tobacco called snus.

Corrections Pipe Dream strives for accuracy in all we publish.

We recognize that mistakes will sometimes occur, but we treat errors very seriously.

If you see a mistake in the paper, please contact Editor-in-Chief Rachel Bluth at editor@bupipedream.com.

Next Time, Use A Secret Compartment TUESDAY, OCT. 21, 11:00 p.m. — Officers found property belonging to a 17-year-old female, including a forged driver’s license, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The license, which was from South Carolina, had the suspect’s birth date changed from what it actually is. The case was transferred to the Office of Student Conduct.

So That’s Why They Call It FArts WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22, 9:48 a.m. — Officers were dispatched to the Fine Arts Building due to raw sewage leaking into the music department hallway, Reilly said. The officers determined that the sewage was coming from the ground floor south entrance. They were informed that a group of toilets on the first floor was flooding. The hallway was barricaded and the sewage was cleaned. The plumbing line was clogged, which led the toilets to overflow. The clog was fixed and the sewage stopped pouring into the hallway. The hallway reopened two hours later.

“This week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere in the world. Let there be no misunderstanding: We will not be intimidated.

Canada will never be intimidated.”

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

on the shootings in Ottawa.

Who Even Does That?

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22, 2:37 p.m. — A 25-year-old male reported that he had his backpack and jacket stolen from the Glenn G. Bartle Library, Reilly said. The victim said that he left the north area of the computer work station to take a walk and stretch on Oct. 13.

When he came back his backpack and jacket which he left on his chair were gone. There were allegedly only five or six people in the room with him at the time and none of them saw what happened to the items. The case is still under investigation.

You Shall Not Pass THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 12:11 a.m. — Officers on Bunn Hill Road noticed a car drive toward the closed gate leading onto Bunn Hill Road, Reilly said. The car struck the gate and officers responded. The car and the gate both sustained minor damages. The suspect, a 23-year-old male, was able to drive away. The gate will undergo repairs.

This Day in History Oct. 24, 1926 One week before his death, Harry Houdini gives his final performance at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.

NEWS

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Cancer survivor talks prevention Clancy-Darling stresses early breast cancer screenings Alexis Hatcher

Contributing Writer In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Binghamton University organizations came together to hold the second annual Boobie Bingo night.

Wednesday night’s event, which was held in the Old University Union, saw Real Education About College Health (REACH) partner with the Dean of Students, Haitian Student Association, Alpha Delta Phi Society and the University Counseling Center to promote breast cancer awareness through a game of bingo. ”It’s a tradition that every fall the REACH program does,” said Katie Ranish, a REACH intern and a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience. “There are many events that happen throughout the month of October that can help raise breast cancer awareness, but this one has a fun twist and a lot of games and prizes.”

The bingo questions were informative, and included both breast cancer statistics and information about what makes someone more susceptible to the disease. There were multiple rounds of bingo and raffles throughout the night with educational information about breast cancer being discussed in between the games. Some of the prizes included gift cards to Sweet Frog and Cold Stone Creamery.

Marisa Smith, a bingo winner and a junior double-majoring in English and psychology, said she had family members who were affected by breast cancer and that people should be more aware of the disease.

“I think it’s important for

everyone to know how big this is and it’s not just women who can be affected by it,” Smith said. “Everyone should be aware of how to check [themselves] and to make sure they know what the signs are.”

A new addition to the program this year was speaker Margaret Clancy-Darling, a former BU faculty member who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 53.

“I think … young people don’t pay attention to all of the information out there about self-exams and advocating for themselves if there is a problem,” Clancy-Darling said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to spread awareness and to talk about early detection because that really is what it’s all about when it comes to survivorship.”

Self-checking and early breast cancer detection was a focus of the event, with multiple bingo questions and videos geared toward it. The Alpha Delta Phi Society also conducted a selfchecking demonstration.

Clancy-Darling, who was pronounced cancer free on Oct. 13, said that patients should selfcheck early and often.

“You don’t want to have a diagnosis of stage-4 breast cancer when you’re 30,” Clancy-Darling said. “Do those things that everybody has been talking about here. Be familiar with your body; look at changes, don’t ignore them. It’s incredibly important for your health and for your future to not have to go through what I went through for the last 13 months.”

Tonika Forrester, a senior majoring in psychology and a member of the University

Counseling Center, tabled for the organization, which offers a place for students to talk with someone if they or someone they know has been diagnosed. She said that she thought the fun nature of the event would help draw people in and better spread their message.

“With a topic that’s so touchy and hard to deal with, it makes it a little light-hearted to talk about in open dialogue,” Forrester said.

“We are just here to support the idea of breast cancer awareness as well as how people should be able to cope with it.”

I think it's important to know how big this is and it's not just women who can be affected by [breast cancer] — Marisa Smith BU Junior

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

BU takes Ebola precautions EBOLA continued from Page 1 part of a statewide network of first-responder hospitals. The chancellor has also expanded the SUNY Ebola Working Group, which prepares the schools for an outbreak. This expansion includes instating campus specialists in medical and emergency management, public health, international programs and student services, plus a representative as a point-ofcontact for each school.

In addition, all SUNY campussponsored travel to countries with federal travel warnings has been prohibited. This includes Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

“This committee will convene regularly, monitor the situation locally and beyond and will work to ensure that [students] have access to the latest available information,” Zimpher wrote in the memo.

According to Johann FioreConte, BU director of Health and Counseling Services, Ebola is a major health concern because of the number of ways it can be contracted.

“It is spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit and semen) of an infected person, or with objects like needles and syringes that have been contaminated with the virus,” Fiore-Conte wrote in an email.

“Transmission can also occur through sexual contact. Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to three months.”

Director of Emergency Management at BU David Hubeny, also the University’s point-ofcontact for the Ebola Working Group, said he was working with local health officials, and

that the University has prepared guidelines for how to respond to a variety of critical incidents, including a disease outbreak, weather emergency or school evacuation.

“Binghamton University maintains a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to ensure that the structure, policies and procedures are appropriate for managing a critical incident, regardless of the nature of the event,” Hubeny wrote in an email.

In the case of Ebola, Hubeny said that the University is preparing to follow the Communicable Disease Plan which was originally developed a decade ago in response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Asia.

“The Communicable Disease plan is a document that provides a framework for all further planning related to contagious diseases. The document is intended to ensure that Binghamton University is prepared to implement an effective response before a pandemic arrives, throughout a response if an outbreak occurs and after the pandemic is over,” Hubeny wrote.

Fiore-Conte noted that Decker Student Health Services Center (DSHSC) and Harpur’s Ferry responders are also receiving training with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to deal with a suspect case and how to isolate a patient before the disease is fully incubated.

“Since late summer, the DSHSC staff has been receiving weekly updates on the global situation and training on procedures and protocols, including isolation procedures

and donning of personal protective equipment,” FioreConte wrote.

Andrea Korn, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said she isn’t worried about the virus.

“I don’t think it’s an immediate threat to us, especially not in this area,” Korn said. “There are definitely more people looking out for us than there would be given another situation. I trust the University, I trust that they would handle it responsibly and in the best interest of the students. It’s their priority; it’s their obligation to do.”

Hubeny said that, overall, the University’s plans are constantly being updated and revised as campus officials learn more about potential threats.

“We continue to enhance this plan, with the goal that it be comprehensive and easy to implement,” Hubeny wrote. “As with all emergency plans, the document is never ‘done.’ It is reviewed and revised as new information becomes available.”

As with all emergency plans, the document is never 'done' — David Hubeny Director of Emergency Management

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October 24, 2014 | www.bupipedream.com

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Center of Excellence dedicated to local politicians Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, state Senator Thomas Libous honored at ITC ceremony Carla Sinclair

Assistant News Editor

After years of work and millions of dollars, Binghamton University celebrated the dedication of the ITC Center of Excellence with local elected officials.

Wednesday’s ceremony featured President Harvey Stenger and Vice President for Research Bahgat Sammakia, as well as local politicians state Sen. Thomas Libous and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo.

The $30 million Center of Excellence, which is now officially open to students and researchers, is 114,000 square feet and will become home to the Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center (S3IP) and the Northeastern Center for Chemical Energy Storage (NECCES).

“It builds out of our University’s historical strength in research, especially with our relationship with IBM,” Stenger said. “In many ways, this is perhaps the seedling that fell off the IBM tree as it was leaving town. And it’s growing back into the giant oak that you’d expect.”

The building’s entrance features plaques dedicated to Libous and Lupardo, in honor of their work in gaining state funding for the project.

“Our tiny little Southern Tier gets forgotten in Albany a lot of the time,” Stenger said.

. . .this is perhaps the seedling that fell off the IBM tree . . .And it's growing back into the giant oak that you'd expect — Harvey Stenger BU President

Tycho McMacus/Assistant Photo Editor

President Harvey Stenger, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, state Sen. Thomas Libous and Vice President for Research Bahgat Sammakia pose at the dedication of the ITC Center of Excellence on Wednesday. The presentation highlighted the building’s efficiency and its regional role in fostering scientific research.

“And [Libous and Lupardo] were the ones who brought the $30 million in funding to make this happen.”

Lupardo, an ‘83 alumna and former education professor at BU, said the path to funding was difficult, but worthwhile.

“It was heartwarming,” Lupardo said. “It was good to see an accomplishment from beginning-to-end. It took a lot of persistence and I’m very pleased and very proud.”

Libous and Lupardo said they had high hopes for the Center of Excellence’s impact on the local economy. According to Stenger, the construction process alone created over 180 local jobs.

“The Center of Excellence will provide for the future of not only this community, but the state and this country,” Libous said.

Lupardo agreed, saying the impact of the Center of Excellence was not limited to

the economy of the community, but also in the steps it will take in research.

“This University is based on inquiry, designing the products that will improve our lives,” Lupardo said. “I don’t think the community fully appreciates that. It’s my goal to make sure that they appreciate how important those innovations will be.”

BU’s resident architect William Hall was also praised

Murals bring color to Downtown Pipe Dream News

Art is a topic that can bring so many people together with the common goal of making something beautiful — Emily Freeman BU Senior

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it used to be before IBM left,” Gianninoto said. “I have a lot of faith in Binghamton and I think any effort to make it better is definitely appreciated.”

Aery encouraged students to become involved with projects to fix up Binghamton in order to make the city feel more like home rather than just a place where they attend school.

“Students have a huge stake in the city,” Aery said.

“We have an opportunity to greatly influence the city with our passion, our effort, our ingenuity.”

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Ben Eisenkraft/Contributing Photographer

Pictured: A public mural on a wall opposite of Chenango Place. Local artists and the reBOLD Binghamton project have been working since last semester to infuse the city with art, specifically public murals around Downtown Binghamton.

neighbors are.”

One such neighbor is Kady Perry, a 2012 alumna and a founding member of the Department of Public Art (DPA), who became involved in reBOLD Binghamton when she was asked to consult on the Man One project.

“DPA supports and appreciates the additional efforts by reBOLD Binghamton and hopes to partner to make a strong case for public art in Binghamton,” Perry said. “Both groups need more resources.”

Since Mural-Bus-Fest, reBOLD Binghamton and the DPA have completed several projects during Welcome Week Service, a project held by the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). Students worked for two days with local artists to complete a series of murals at the Binghamton Zoo and the Ann G. McGuinness Elementary School in Endicott.

The DPA is currently working on a mural at 47 Chenango St., and one on the south-facing wall of Binghamton Hots, both funded by grants and private donations. Perry said she found the increased focus on art by residents and groups like reBOLD Binghamton to be vital to the redevelopment of the city.

“Art is critical to Binghamton on an aesthetic level, and then the aesthetic leads to a psychological impact,” Perry said. “Not only does it beautify the area, it brings together disenfranchised residents.”

Hannah Gianninoto, a junior majoring in English, said that the mural project brings vibrancy back to the local area.

“I think Downtown has the potential to be great and it has the potential to go back to what

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The skies of Binghamton may often be gray, but local artists and the reBOLD Binghamton project have been working since last semester to infuse the city with color. reBOLD Binghamton partners local residents with students to beautify the Downtown Binghamton area with public murals. The program originated last fall from Binghamton University class “Leadership 480A” and the Center for Leadership Studies.

“Art is a topic that can bring so many people together with the common goal of making something beautiful,” said Erica Freeman, a senior majoring in management and a member of reBOLD Binghamton. “For reBOLD Binghamton, that goal was to change the Greater Binghamton area to be a work of art and something the area could be proud of that will benefit the community in the future.”

Last semester, reBOLD Binghamton brought Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Man One to paint murals Downtown. He painted murals for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships in the ITC, in President Harvey Stenger’s office and in Cafe Oasis on Washington Street. reBOLD Binghamton has continued with other projects, such as Mural-Bus-Fest this past May, where BU students and residents gathered to paint the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) mobile food pantry bus.

Henry Aery, reBOLD Binghamton’s crew leader and a senior majoring in accounting, said the opportunities to work with various businesses have made him feel more included in the community.

“We’ve met a lot of people within the city and we’ve really been able to feel their heart,” Aery said. “It’s been great for me to become more ingrained in the Binghamton culture and better understand who my

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“The goal of building this building was not just to put up the most beautiful building on campus, but about research that will be conducted in this building,” Sammakia said.

“Meaningful, constructive research, the kind that will change the way people live their lives.”

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reBOLD Binghamton enlists artists to paint the town

for the design of the building, which is LEED-certified and has an environmentally friendly cooling system that utilizes rainwater.

“I described this building as the coolest building I’ve ever been in,” Hall said. “Not because it’s cool ‘hip,’ but the way it is cooled.”

Sammakia heralded the Center of Excellence as a means to facilitate new ideas and ways of thinking about research.

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Following West Side attacks, three arrested CRIME continued from Page 1 both were sent to UHS Wilson Hospital where they were treated for a broken jaw and nose and cheekbone and eye injuries, respectively.

Christopher Rumaczyk, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, was the undergraduate victim of the assault. Rumaczyk said he never felt like he was in danger while walking alone late at night, but that he now feels unnerved at the thought of traveling on lesspopulated streets.

“I’m not huge, but I regularly go to the gym and would never think of myself, especially along with another male friend, to be considered an ‘easy target’ for something like this,” Rumaczyk said.

According to Rumaczyk, more action must be taken by both BPD and the University to prevent incidents like this.

“The city’s streets are still dangerous enough that you have to live in fear of strangers attacking you totally unprovoked,” Rumaczyk said. “It’s the mix of them not doing enough to clean up the streets where their own students live, coupled with the fact that they offered absolutely no aid of any kind to me; that makes me question the University’s true priorities and concerns.”

However, the police, the University and the Off Campus College Council (OC3) say they are working to support victims of the muggings by providing case managers, contacting students’ professors and loaning money for stolen items to be replaced.

To help promote safety off campus, BU and the BPD created the Police Partnership Initiative last year. Officer Dan Flanders works as the liaison between the University and the BPD to connect students with the police to discuss any safety concerns or incidents.

“We take these matters very seriously and are currently investigating the incidents in question,” Flanders said. “Due to the ongoing investigation, there’s not a lot that I can say at this time but we’ll keep [the University] posted as more information becomes available.”

Despite rumors that the attacks were related to gang initiation rituals taking place during October, Flanders, Collins and Burnett all said that they were not aware of any connection.

Although BPD does not believe Downtown is considerably more dangerous than in previous years, Flanders and the Assistant Dean of Students for Off Campus Programs Milton Chester created a safety message which was emailed to all BU students.

“It goes over some key factors of ways that you can be safe: Be aware of your surroundings at all times, stay alert,” Flanders said.

“If you feel uncomfortable in a place or situation, listen to your instincts and leave, get out or call for help.”

Tycho McManus/Assistant Photo Editor

Pictured: Christopher Rumaczyk, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, shown with his injuries.

Rumaczyk was assaulted at 3 a.m.

Saturday near Grotta Azzura Pizzeria.

He suffered a broken nose and fractured jaw.

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

University, OC3 explain off-campus options

The city's streets are still dangerous enough that you have to live in fear of strangers attacking you. . .

— Christopher Rumaczyk Assault Victim

Marisa Smith/Contributing Photographer

Students learn about off-campus housing opportunities at the Housing and Safety Fair hosted by the Off Campus College Council (OC3). The fair featured representatives from student housing companies, landlords and police to collectively address questions and concerns about living off campus.

FAIR continued from Page 1

According to Lynn Mugodo, president of the OC3 and a junior double-majoring in political science and philosophy, politics and law, the council believes that the BPD and the University need to work harder to address safety.

“OC3 believes that the University needs to do more to ensure that students off campus know that the University is still concerned about safety off campus just as much as on campus,” Mugodo said. “I have already seen a lot of concern being shown this year, but there is still room for improvement.”

Dean of Students April Thompson said that she is working with the OC3 to facilitate a better partnership between the University and off-campus residents, but needs help from students.

“What can we do to help support students in being witnesses and being willing to talk to the police?” Thompson said.

“The police really need help from people who see things.”

According to Thompson, the University is looking for suggestions on how to improve security Downtown. One idea was an RA-type system in specific neighborhoods, where a student with RA-style training would be located every few blocks in student areas. Additional ideas include a text messaging alert program to notify students of nearby incidents and a Neighborhood Watch Program comprised of students and residents. Chester also worked with the University to make personal emergency alarms available for purchase in the bookstore.

Michael Keane, a junior majoring in history, said he feels comfortable living Downtown and appreciated having Flanders as a link between BPD and the University.

“I feel like it has done a lot to help the sense of security, to see how UPD works with the city of Binghamton,” Keane said. “Most of the time I don’t feel terribly unsafe.”

Thompson said she always encourages students to come forward with concerns and ideas, since the faculty is constantly looking to help protect students.

“The best ideas come when the students are working in partnership with the administration,” Thompson said.

“Student safety is our top priority.”

Three teenagers were arrested on Tuesday for a string of robberies on the West Side of Binghamton, but as of Thursday, BPD could not confirm whether those suspects were responsible for the assaults on BU students.

as to gain advertising exposure.

“We’re here to feel out who’s looking and what they’re looking for,” said Katy Watson, assistant general manager of University Lofts. “Events like this are going to be the first place they go.”

Nick Tzavis, the general manager of Twin River Commons, said that students should consider the growth and improvements in the local area.

“Binghamton has a lot to offer,” Tzavis said. “Downtown is expanding a lot; it’s getting revitalized.”

There was stronger focus on safety at the housing fair than there was last year, according to OC3 President Lynn Mugodo.

In the wake of recent muggings in the Downtown area, the OC3 wanted to address safety concerns and hosted a discussion panel after the fair that featured guest speakers who answered any questions students might have.

The off-campus safety panel

included Binghamton police officer Dan Flanders, who gave advice on being aware while living and traveling Downtown.

“Stay alert, know your surroundings,” Flanders said.

“Don’t let your smart phone make you dumb. If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, listen to your instincts.”

The International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) also tabled to address the specific concerns of international students. According to Linda Torricelli, programming coordinator of the ISSS, it can be more difficult for international students to find housing without proper knowledge of the Binghamton area and tenant rights.

“It’s often hard for international students to find housing because they are international — networking is key,” Torricelli said. “We are having a housing panel Nov. 20 and one of the topics of the panel is safety.”

The housing community representatives and landlords that attended the fair addressed security benefits that their properties provided, such as 24/7 surveillance cameras and gated perimeters.

Jessica Raghunanan, a representative of the Interpersonal Violence Prevention center, said students needed to be aware of safety resources on and off campus.

“Our main goal is to make sure students are safe,” said Raghunanan, a graduate assistant studying social work and public administration. “There is no administration or faculty to look out for students, so they need to know how to act and what’s available.”

Working with campus and victim support and service groups, the IVP aims to educate students on what resources and support are available, like the domestic violence organizations Rise and the Crime Victims Assistance Center.

“People are definitely more likely to feel unsafe Downtown,” said Cristina Quinn, a sophomore double-majoring in sociology and human development.

“Students need to be prepared for anything,”

Don't let your smart phone make you dumb — Dan Flanders BPD Officer

In haunted hike, monsters abound Paranormal Association turns Preserve into horror show Eric Timlin

Contributing Writer Undead denizens greeted visitors to the Nature Preserve with shrieks and blood-covered arms as the Paranormal Association held their annual Haunted Tour.

The haunting began near the East Access Road, past Decker Health Services. Starting from the Pipeline Trail, the tour heads towards the small bridge and back through the Marsh Trail where tours encountered a swamp monster that has an appetite for freshmen.

The swamp monster claimed to have been haunting the swamp longer than she could remember.

She jumped out from behind a bush breathing heavily and with swamp plants growing on her skin.

“Many years ago, longer than I can remember, I was called Elizabeth,” the monster said. “It’s very lonely out here.”

On the trail, participants encountered spirits from Binghamton’s darker history, like Native American spirits and ghosts from an abandoned psychiatric ward in the area. One mental patient sporting wild hair and a white, blood-stained gown screamed after the tour. The tour guides led the adventurers to a bridge, where they met a witch who needed tourists’ fingers as part of her ritual. Participants were followed by hooded figures that appeared from nowhere and

Raquel Panitz/Contributing Photographer

A student dressed as a dead doll stays hidden in the Nature Preserve on the Pipeline Trail. Visitors traveled to the Nature Preserve for the annual Haunted Tour, hosted by the Paranormal Association.

screamed at them.

According to Stephanie Cobb, vice president of the Paranormal Association and a senior majoring in English, many people outside of the club volunteered their acting skills and helped out with costumes, staging and everything else needed to create the nightmare tour.

“The makeup is really amazing,” Cobb said. “We’ve had quite a few people from the theater groups that want to participate, so we’re really thankful for our actors.”

Cobb said the Nature Preserve provided the perfect setting for a haunted stroll through the trees.

“It goes along well with the

paranormal feel to have it in the woods,” Cobb said. “We’ve got about eight or nine spirits this year. It’s spooky.”

Ashley Gorman, the president of the Paranormal Association and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said that the walk, along the Pipeline and Marsh Trails, had successfully scared many students in the past.

“We had a huge attendance, around 100 people showed up,” Gorman said. “Last year, I was one of the scarers; it was super fun and we had somebody cry. We could hear the screams from the Union.

It was pretty great.”

Gorman said she was hoping for better weather to scare people,

as it started raining early in the night.

“It started raining shortly after the first few tour groups left,” Gorman said. “All of the people that came within the first half hour of the event came before the rain picked up. I think that if the rain had held off, we would have had a better turnout.”

Eliza Gellis, a junior majoring in English, said the hike was a good way to kickoff the holiday.

“It thought it was pretty fun,” Gellis said. “I love going for hikes, and Halloween is my favorite holiday. I was in BU Paranormal last year, and I thought this was a good way to get back into the club.”

FUN

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

The Original Yik Yakkers

7

Josh Wallner

Fun. Waiting for Good-Dough #5

Forced Triple #8

Team Fun Page

RELEASE DATE– Monday, February 23, 2009

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

ACROSS 1 It went everywhere Mary did 5 Capp’s Li’l __ 10 “Good buddy” 14 “Tosca” feature 15 Pickling medium 16 Je ne sais quoi 17 Actress Ringwald makes her escape?

19 1502, to Caesar 20 Hoi __: the masses 21 Moved, like many hairlines 23 Titles for Fox and Rabbit 26 2004 film in which Brad Pitt played Achilles 27 Nevada border lake 30 Franz’s “Alas!”

32 Davis of “Do the Right Thing” 35 Salty greeting 36 Emergency wailers 38 Env. in an env., say 39 D.C. wheeler-dealer 40 Lions and tigers, but not bears 41 Commotion 42 Popular ISP 43 Legally on the hook 44 Daze 45 Hair arrangement 47 Souvenir shop top 48 Gypsum painting surface 49 Frosty coating 51 Jordan neighbor 53 Wanders the Web 56 Plant pests 60 Metronome sound 61 Actress Brice prepares for a trip?

64 Sommer of “A Shot in the Dark” 65 Beginning of el año 66 Exited 67 Snoopy 68 Lear daughter 69 Piano’s 88

DOWN 1 Genie’s home 2 Buck suffix 3 Flour producer 4 Tennis match kid 5 Yippie Hoffman 6 Pal in the ’hood 7 Zero 8 __’acte: intermission 9 Put back to zero 10 Small parts for big names 11 Ebsen ushers at the theater?

12 Cleveland’s lake 13 Busting operation 18 Olden days 22 Christian symbol 24 Rebuke bitterly 25 Medieval copyists 27 Seville snacks 28 “Give __, don’t pollute!”: old Forest Service slogan 29 Actress Hunter visits a pawn shop?

31 English regatta town 33 Pakistan river 34 ‘’Money-saving,’’ in product names

36 Signora’s six 37 Hillary Clinton, __ Rodham 40 Pet parasites 44 Seattle NFLer 46 Not at all intense 48 Footballer George who ultimately inspired a Reagan nickname 50 Allude (to)

52 Synthetic silk 53 Vitamin __: PABA 54 Hershey’s candy 55 Compos mentis 57 Slurpee cousin 58 Designer label initials 59 Concordes, e.g.: Abbr.

62 Not pos.

63 Gun owners’ org.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Mike Peluso (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

02/23/09

02/23/09

Miriam Geiger

OPINION Friday, October 24, 2014

Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515 FAx: 607-777-2600 Web: www.bupipedream.com

Fall 2014 editor-in-ChieF* Rachel Bluth editor@bupipedream.com MAnAging editor* Zachary Feldman manager@bupipedream.com

neWs editor* Nicolas Vega news@bupipedream.com Asst. neWs editors Joseph Hawthorne Carla Sinclair Alexandra Mackof oPinion editor* Molly McGrath opinion@bupipedream.com releAse editor* Jacob Shamsian release@bupipedream.com Asst. releAse editor Odeya Pinkus sPorts editor* Ashley Purdy sports@bupipedream.com Asst. sPorts editors Jeff Twitty E.Jay Zarett Fun PAge editor* Ben Moosher fun@bupipedream.com

design MAnAger* Emma Siegel design@bupipedream.com design Assts.

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business MAnAger* Erin Stolz business@bupipedream.com

Pipe Dream is published by the Pipe Dream Executive Board, which has sole and final discretion over the newspaper’s content and personnel. *Positions seated on the Executive Board are denoted by an asterisk.

Pipe Dream is published Tuesdays and Fridays while classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and vacations.

Pipe Dream accepts stimulating, original guest columns from undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty. Submissions should be 400 to 500 words in length and be thus far unpublished.

Submissions must include the writer’s name and phone number, and year of graduation or expected year of graduation. Graduate students and faculty members should indicate their standing as such, as well as departmmental affiliation.

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Any facts referenced must be properly cited from credible news sources. Pipe Dream reserves the right to edit submissions, and does not guarantee publication. All submissions become property of Pipe Dream.

Submissions may be e-mailed to the Opinion Editor at opinion@ bupipedream.com.

O

Invisible Threat

n Thursday, SUNY Canton shut down its campus in response to a mass shooting threat posed on Yik Yak, a social media app.

Yik Yak, a relatively new innovation in the sphere of faceless Internet conversation, allows users to post supposedly anonymous status updates that can be seen in a limited geographical area. An app user in Canton thus “anonymously” warned students to avoid campus if they valued their lives and, as a result, an entire university was evacuated in a matter of hours.

This sort of online threat is not an isolated incident. In the ongoing Gamergate controversy, online users tweeted death and rape threats to female video game designers and reporters, forcing them to flee their homes in terror. This bears striking similarities to the events at Canton: individuals hiding behind usernames threaten violence to others who are unable to make a well-informed judgement about its seriousness.

That inability to assess is dangerous.

Unfortunately, not all threats made on the Internet are empty, but there are too many to respond to all of them with the appropriate force. That sort of uncertainty leads to

incidents like that in Santa Barbara where, before the shooter killed seven people, he posted a YouTube video where he promised to “slaughter every single spoiled, stuck-up blonde slut.”

Some Internet users exploit their perceived anonymity to spread fear and terror. With apps like Yik Yak growing in popularity, it’s easier than ever to make threats of mass violence. In the past, students wrote bomb threats on bathroom walls. In those cases, over the course of several hours, the threat might draw the attention of a small group of students or a school administrator. Now, the bathroom wall is instantly accessible to everyone with a smartphone and a reliable wireless connection.

Threats of mass violence are nothing new.

The difference now is that perpetrators feel safe and untraceable behind their digital screens. And while Internet users may feel insulated from the consequences of their actions, these apps aren’t truly anonymous, even if they appear to be. Consider Whisper, another popular anonymous posting app. The

app claimed not to track user data, but a recent investigation by The Guardian discovered that it did, and that it shares user data with law enforcement when necessary.

Sharing user data with law enforcement is a common practice among social media websites to track criminals and hold them accountable for their actions.

The Internet is a public space more immediate and accessible than any other.

Through the Yik Yak incidents at colleges like Penn State and SUNY Canton, we have witnessed the ability of seemingly innocuous apps providing anonymity to its users to cause disorder and panic. While personal privacy is certainly important and desirable, the costs of absolute anonymity far outweigh the benefits.

The most seedy of Internet transactions occur through anonymous channels: Distribution of child pornography, illegal drug smuggling and human trafficking, to name a few. To keep the Internet safe, users and their actions must remain traceable; to keep us safe, we must accept a limited degree of privacy in our online sphere.

Views expressed in the opinion pages represent the opinions of the columnists.

The only piece which represents the views of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial, above. The Editorial Board is composed of the Editor-in-Chief, News Editor, Opinion Editor, Sports Editor, and Release Editor.

Onondaga deserve reparations for lost land Financial compensation will help alleviate high indigenous poverty rates Skylin Baestlein Contributing Columnist

Over eight years ago, the Onondaga Nation filed a land claim against New York state for over 4,000 square miles of land. The claim included Binghamton, Watertown, Syracuse, Cortland, Fulton and Oswego and totaled 2.56 million acres of property.

On Oct. 15, 2013, the United States Supreme Court rejected the Onondaga Nation’s claim. The decision means that the Onondaga Nation will be denied “…recognition of this historic illegal taking of our land,” as attorney Joe Heath was quoted.

This land claim was more than an attempt at recovering lost territory. It was a mechanism to pursue national recognition for the illegal seizure of lands from indigenous peoples. By denying the claim and others like it, we continue to deny Native Americans recognition for their losses and the financial reparation necessary to

alleviate high rates of poverty among Indian reservations.

In the past 20 years, the Supreme Court approved a host of land claims proposed against the U.S. However, the claim put forth by the Onondaga Nation was considered, “inherently disruptive” to the areas affected. This is obvious. If the land claim were to pass, New York would most likely dissolve into bankruptcy or take on a significant financial burden. The Onondaga Nation’s response to this defense was far from sympathetic — “This is just another example of the shameful history of broken treaties, land thefts, forced removal and cultural genocide,” it said. Americans are often quick to assume that the statute of limitations ought to protect local residents from these extreme indigenous claims. Such a defense fails to recognize that reparations for land confiscation are key to fixing the poverty crisis in indigenous nations.

The financial security of these peoples is an equally valid concern as the continued financial prosperity of New York state.

The level of destitution among indigenous peoples cannot be

1/4 of the Native American population is in poverty

Although a land claim stretching between New York’s northern and southern borders may seem farfetched, granting Native American tribes financial compensation for these illegally confiscated lands is a feasible alternative.

Land claims should not be carelessly tossed aside as unrealistic and irrational. The claims are valid, organized and important representations of American history.

The Seneca Nation, the Cherokee Nation and Narragansett Tribe have all been aided by the granting of land claims. The Onondaga Nation has not. The state of New York owes some monetary compensation to the nation.

If Americans care to see indigenous peoples survive, extreme poverty on Native American reservations needs to be addressed and solved. The first step is providing federal compensation to indigenous peoples for all that they have lost.

understated. One-fourth of the Native American population is in poverty, compared to the national average, a relatively stable 15 percent. The annual average income for Native Americans is about $30,000. The livelihood of these nations are dramatically threatened by the unusually high instances of poverty.

In 1990, the federal government granted the Seneca Nation $60 million in reparations.

These reparations allowed for effective — Skylin Baestlein is a senior financial improvements to the majoring in Environmental Studies livelihoods of those affected by poverty and lack of opportunities.

9

OPINION

October 24, 2014 | www.bupipedream.com

Sex in the Triple Cities

Eat your heart out: Girl-on-girl intimacy 101

Whether you enjoy scissoring, strapons, oral, or foreplay, there's no one way to make love Michael Rulli Sex Columnist

Now, I’m not a lesbian. In fact, I’ve never had sex with a woman because that would be gross. But a proper sex column should discuss every type of sex, not just the type I choose to partake in. Luckily, I know quite a few lesbians willing to share their tips.

The intimate relationship between two women isn’t what Hollywood makes it out to be. Lesbian relationships are legitimate bonds between two or more women and they do not exist for the male gaze. For two women to have good intercourse, you have

to get a little creative. It’s not as simple as penis to vagina or penis to ass but it can be just as sensual and passionate.

Most importantly, you need to feel the mood. As with all sex one should never be afraid to speak up. You need to be open, honest and unafraid of saying what you like and what you do not like. If you’re having sex with another woman, keep in mind its not all about you anymore but more so the other person. Some women still want penetration and that’s when toys can come in handy. Some women prefer foreplay, especially in making love rather than just having sex. Set rules and explore each other so not only are you happy but your partner is as well.

Sex positions range very widely but there are some staples that you may want to know. To an outsider, scissoring comes

to mind as the default lesbian sex position.

Some women consider it underrated. One woman told me she loves “feeling the heat and closeness of another person,” whereas another woman told me almost the complete opposite: “It’s really awkward and uncomfortable, not to mention it doesn’t feel good.” She went on to say that it mostly happens in lesbian porn and not in real life.

The verdict may be out on scissoring, but that may be the perfect reason for you and a partner to give it a try.

Another passionate position is the cowgirl, with face-to-face straddling included. Here either fingers or a strapon can be used. Maybe you and your partner have never tried a strap-on. The close contact of your faces will keep both of you happy and with a strap-on, you’re left with full function of your hands for

multitasking. Or perhaps, you and your partner prefer to use fingers exclusively.

This can be intimate and exciting. Fingers are a key tool between two women and sometimes they’re all you need.

Along with your fingers, the mouth is a major source of pleasure. Whether it be playful kisses on the ears, or lips on the nips, your mouth can take you all over your partner’s body and vice versa.

And what’s more sensual than “eating out”? Don’t worry if you’re not a veteran carpet-muncher the first time around.

According to my source, “When you first start having sex, there’s this pressure to be really good at eating out because of all that nonsense that women are more intuitive and naturally pros. Don’t beat yourself up.

It takes practice.”

Don’t write letters with your tongue, or

do laps around the vagina. Find a spot, pick a motion and give it a try. See if she likes it. Apply more pressure or take some away.

Eventually you’ll find exactly what she likes. It’ll be different for each individual woman. And never expect reciprocation.

Some women may not want to and that’s OK. Comfort is vital and one should never be forced to do something she doesn’t want to.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to sex between two women. It’s not about giving men something to gawk at. It is about pleasuring your partner and being pleased in return. It’s all about intimacy. It isn’t lesbian sex, it’s just sex.

— Michael Rulli is a junior majoring in English

Do not let your work define your identity The American tendency to link job titles to inner essence leads us to pursue the wrong career paths Ilana Lipowicz Contributing Columnist

What do you do? It sounds like a broad question, but you know that your answer should be your “job.” It makes sense that this would be one of the first questions adult strangers ask each other, as work tends to take up the majority of our time. College students ask about each other’s majors. But when you think about

how young you probably were when you were first asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” it begins to seem a little strange. At an age as young as four or five years old, you were probably asked to identify yourself according to a career path.

Why the obsession?

The habit of defining ourselves by a line of work is so engrained into our society, it’s hard to realize that this is not a universal view but one unique to the United States. Work is one of the most natural aspects of human life.

The concept of “work” can be traced back to the beginnings of human civilization. However, the idea of work

as identity is only as old as the U.S. Much of this ideology can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin, who famously wrote, “Time is money,” and the mantra hasn’t stopped echoing since. His lesson was not about the importance of money but rather the idea that a man should always focus on gaining something. He defined ambition for Americans for centuries to come: The way to improve yourself is through improving your work. It could only follow that the self and work become equated.

From this dichotomy of life and work comes the idea that your work must grow out of your passions and

identity. How else would little kids be expected to have a clue of what they want to be when they’re older? And while it is wonderful when people build careers out of what they love, most people will be disappointed when their careers and their passions don’t link up evenly.

Even those who do make a career out of their passions often find that what made them passionate about the subject is absent from their career.

You may love math, but do you love accounting? You may love film, but do you love making commercials?

You may love writing, but do you love writing BuzzFeed articles? You may

love computers, but do you want to sit in front of one all day?

Why not keep our passions for our free time? Most of us will spend most of our days working. Rather than tolerating work by telling ourselves that what we do is somehow tangentially related to what we love, let’s find work that we really enjoy, even if our answers to “What do you do?” don’t reveal much about who we are.

—Ilana Lipowvicz is an junior majoring in English and cinema.

Gen-eds detract Pursue romance on individual terms from development The qualities of a "perfect" relationship vary among couples Specialization is key to obtaining understanding within disciplines These Kyle Welch Columnist

This semester, I’ve had the privilege of working as a tutor, helping students to improve their language skills. What my students don’t realize is that tutoring benefits me, too.

Most of these benefits are somewhat obvious. Tutoring is a chance to solidify what I already know, meet a new group of students, draw new connections through their questions and learn a host of new things through discussion.

Tutoring also lends itself to introspection and reflection about how best to learn and teach.

This introspection has led me to reconsider many of the stances that I once held about education.

I used to believe that the best way to mold a model citizen and a specialized worker was through the broad study of a number of subjects. I theorized that such a broad study gave students the tools to communicate effectively and reason cogently, all while honing a particular skill set.

Many scholars laud this concept of the “Renaissance man,” but just like all romanticized ideas, it’s far from flawless. We see this model put in modern practice as the widely despised general education requirements.

These requirements accomplish the exact opposite of what they’re intended to do for student development.

In order to have a rich, long-lasting understanding of a subject, we have to develop a level of knowledge beyond that of memorized proficiency. This entails knowing why and how and obtaining the ability to analyze and evaluate, rather than simply parrot back what an expert has told us. In educational jargon, this hierarchy of knowledge is known as Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Because we tend to take one course in several disciplines to meet these requirements,

requirements accomplish the exact opposite of what they're intended to do we only achieve a superficial knowledge of these subjects and due to that, we soon forget them.

Instead, we could have dedicated that time to achieving higher levels of learning within our own discipline. This often includes learning theory behind our field of study. Theory helps to make material more concrete within our own minds.

I am not arguing that future employment should be the sole driver of education.

This philosophy of education seems bleak, killing curiosity and substituting it with cold practicality.

How can we find the middle ground? Creation of a curriculum where we work on our writing and communication skills within our disciplines would be a good start.

Offering more interdisciplinary courses would help us to expand our knowledge while increasing understanding within our respective fields of study. For those who are unsure about their majors, these courses allow the simultaneous exploration of multiple fields of study.

Ultimately, the focus ought to be on the student’s choice of major. Even though the “Renaissance man” ideal is highly desirable, institutionalization of this concept detracts from individual learning. The most important goal of education is to give students the tools to enrich their own knowledge in the areas they most enjoy.

— Kyle Welch is a sophomore majoring in French Language and Linguistics and Arabic Languge and Literature

Esmeralda Murray Contributing Columnist

Type “10 Steps to a Good Relationship” in any search engine and you’ll be presented with a rather long list of results. Almost all of the results are lists of standards for good, healthy unions — in someone else’s terms, of course.

Romantic relationships are supposed to be a reflection of what you want, but end up being a product of what those around you have to say. We’ve all heard the same tired pieces of advice before, from friends or cheesy late-night tweets: If your boyfriend doesn’t call you every other night, something’s fishy.

If your girlfriend doesn’t text you back within a certain time, another guy is busy making her smile. If their profile picture isn’t a picture of the two of you together, they don’t love you enough.

Our parents are often repeat

offenders. My mother carries around a slew of old-school sentiments, and tells me what she wants for my future whenever she gets the chance. She constantly reminds me that my future husband must pass a series of tests — he has to be the breadwinner, he has to be working while I’m home with the kids and he should never have to cook or clean.

While her opinions are heartfelt, her reasoning is problematic.

Though I’m sure she would be elated if I end up in her preferred arrangement, I certainly can’t say the same. I think differently regarding my future partnerships.

There’s nothing wrong with staying at home, keeping the house tidy and taking care of the kids, but I would love for my partner to occasionally cook dinner and I’d prefer if we both made a living without the emergence of a “breadwinner.”

My mother has her preferences, and I have my own — and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It would be wrong, however, if I felt as if I had to apply her guidelines to my own life.

There’s nothing wrong with

adhering to conventionality — if anything, there’s a sense of comfort that results from sticking to the norm — but it should be noted that not everyone can be satisfied in a traditional relationship and that not everyone needs to be in a typical relationship to be satisfied.

Everyone is trying to give you advice on the perfect relationship.

Congruity is what matters most: A relationship works when you and your significant other compromise and agree on what defines your relationship and what makes you both happy.

Take Facebook — a rather large part of present-day communication — into consideration. Changing your relationship status could be a milestone for many — it can signify a point at which the parties are comfortable with one another and are confident with displaying how official they are. For others, announcing and advertising your partnership on social media could be a potentially detrimental decision perceived as a sign of insecurity.

Instead of listening to what others think about Facebook official status,

you should do what works for you and your significant other. If your friends don’t think it’s a good idea but you don’t see any down sides to it, then go ahead and take the leap.

If your colleagues regard becoming Facebook official as being the “next big thing” but it just doesn’t appeal to you, then remaining discreet on social media could be the right choice.

Relationships will always be a hot topic of discussion, like it or not. But despite the fact that we are constantly bombarded with advice for the “perfect” relationship, a “perfect” relationship differs for everyone and is a concept that can only be achieved after careful planning with your significant other. So instead of consulting Google for a set of guidelines, seek out 10 good steps on your own.

You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.

— Esmeralda Murray is an undecided sophomore

RELEASE Arts & Culture

Becoming Insta-famous is @effortlyss Alyssa Bossio knows how to stay fit, and helps her 900,000 followers do the same — one post at a time Jacob Shamsian | Release Editor Alyssa Bossio just posted a picture on Instagram.

About 10 minutes later, her post had over 1,000 likes and dozens of comments telling her how attractive she is.

Bossio, a senior majoring in English, is also known as @effortlyss. On Instagram, she’s a fitness icon with nearly 900,000 followers, and growing fast. In the past month alone, she’s gained over 100,000 of them. And this summer, Sofia Vergara complimented Bossio’s beach-selfie skills in Women’s Health magazine.

Bossio generally posts three types of things: selfies, inspirational quotes and food. The pictures of herself are often “transformation” pictures comparing how her body looked then to how it looks now, to demonstrate the effectiveness of a particular workout. Inspirational quotes get people’s butts off their chairs and into squats. And with pictures of food, she attaches delicious, nutritious recipes.

It’s not a vanity thing — Bossio wants everyone who wants a healthy lifestyle to be able to get it. She wants to show them the light.

The goal of @effortlyss, though, isn’t to make a nation of fitness freaks, it’s to promote a healthy way of life.

“I get a lot of emails every day from girls that struggle with eating disorders, or they don’t know the proper way to diet, or they don’t know the proper way to exercise,” Bossio said. @effortlyss started on Instagram “a couple of summers ago,” said Bossio, when she saw that the app had an active, encouraging fitness community. Personal health complications made her want to improve her wellness with a holistic mix of dieting and exercising. For many people who want to have an active lifestyle, it often takes a lot of encouragement to accept the “no pain, no gain” mantra. On Instagram, Bossio found encouragement everywhere, and the fitness lifestyle was — and still is — growing rapidly.

“The fitness community on Instagram inspired me to get more active and more involved, and to change the way I eat, and to change the way I workout,” Bossio said.

The goal of @effortlyss, though, isn’t to make a nation of fitness freaks, it’s to promote a healthy way of life. For Bossio, the ideal body isn’t a ripped one or a skinny one, it’s just a fit one.

“There used to be a skinny image that used to be prominent, and dominating pop-culture,” Bossio said. “And now it’s a fitness image, which is really awesome, because now everyone is getting involved in it.”

Bossio has expanded @effortlyss to Facebook, and has an independent website in the works as well. In addition to her main profile, she has five other Instagram feeds for more specific fitnessrelated things, like @Squatpics, which consists of pictures of people squatting, and @muscleguide, which consists of just fitness tips.

She knows that Internet celebrity is fickle, and doesn’t have vague, far-off plans to monetize her brand. Bossio plans to develop her own training programs based on what’s worked for her.

“I want to come up with my own programs, and I want to promote my own type of high-intensity training,” Bossio

said. “Because those are the workouts that I do, and that’s how I see the results.”

Even though Bossio is something of a star in the Instagram fitness community, she doesn’t hold herself aloof from the plebeian gym rats. Those emails she gets from people asking for fitness advice? She responds to them. She’s also built some real friendships through the community, meeting up with people who live near her hometown and helping to promote other people’s fitness accounts. Bossio often finds recipes to post through users who tag her in pictures of the food they make.

“Everything that I post is something that I’ve tried, or something that I would personally eat,” Bossio said.

One cross-promotional strategy is called a “share.” The way it works is that Bossio will share another user’s post with her followers — usually a recipe — and will leave it exclusively as her latest post for a certain period of time, usually an hour. That way, someone going to her feed would see that post as the latest one. The same thing works the other way around — the account she’s sharing from will also exclusively post something from her for a period of time. That way, they can help each other get the other user’s followers.

Bossio makes @effortlyss distinct from other fitness accounts by adding a personal twist. She’s not satisfied with just posting pictures of Paul Ryan on his P90X with the Valencia filter. Most fitness accounts, she says, have pictures of random muscular bodies and kale smoothies. Bossio puts up pictures of herself, like the professional personal trainers she admires, and takes the time to interact with her followers. She treats @effortlyss like a fitness diary, posting what she does on a daily basis. Bossio attributes her profile’s quick growth to that intimacy. On the Internet, personal connections can be elusive, but she wants to transcend that.

Based on the accounts of people who leave notes and comment on her posts,

Duncan McInnes/Staff Photographer

Bossio estimates that “around 90 percent” of her followers are female, and her profile is attuned to that audience.

But this, of course, is the Internet, and Bossio has her haters.

“I’ve been in a position where I was really unhappy with my body, and that’s also why I’m doing this, because I’m in a good place now and I want to show people that it’s possible to get into this place,” Bossio said. “I posted a transformation picture a couple of weeks ago, and girls were writing on it, ‘You’re still fat,’ ‘You still look bad’ and all that stuff. There were a couple of comments like that. Like,

‘I don’t see a change. This is bullshit.’

They’ll just say stupid things like that.”

Surprisingly, the haters are usually women, Bossio says. She often deletes offensive comments, but at other times, the always-positive fitness community comes to her defense.

“It’s kind of like real life, too,” Bossio said. “There’s always going to be someone who talks about you behind your back.

That’s just how life is, so I try not to let it affect me, because I think it’s silly. It’s the Internet, too. You don’t know these people. I try not to take it to heart.”

'Almost, Maine' is entirely worth watching HPC's new show is 9 plays for the price of 1 — a different enhanting tale in each vignette Joseph Barberio | Contributing Writer A small, snowy Northeast town full of young people struggling with their relationships and the concept of love.

No, it’s not Binghamton. Welcome to the fictional town of Almost, Maine where Hinman Production Company’s (HPC) latest play takes place.

HPC presents “Almost, Maine,” its

fall play for the semester. Written by John Cariani, the play was developed in 2002 at the Cape Cod Theater Project. The play consists of nine short vignettes with different characters and situations. In each scene the inhabitants of Almost, Maine deal with issues involving love, heartbreak and their relationships with each other.

Director Dana Vernetti, a senior

majoring in political science, has been trying to produce “Almost, Maine” since her freshman year.

“I love this play,” Vernetti said.

“I’ve known about this play since high school. I think it has such a magic about it. The series of vignettes is something you really don’t see a lot in theater. I think it’s very unique.”

Because of the nature of the play,

I’ve known about this play since high school. I think it has such a magic about it.

Dana Vernetti director of 'Almost, Maine' Klara Rusinko/Contributing Photographer

many of the actors had to perform several characters across different scenes. According to cast member Sydney Fusto, a senior majoring in history, this proved to be difficult, but was ultimately a rewarding experience.

“It was a little challenging because you don’t have that one character that you can kind of go on the journey with,” Fusto said. “Being two different characters [can] pose a bit of a challenge to bring out all of the emotional stuff that you need to in a scene. It’s fun because it kind of creates variety and you get to be a bunch of different stuff at the same time.”

Vernetti said that, because of the play’s format, the actors might actually have an easier time playing multiple characters.

“Everyone plays multiple characters in this show and it’s great because having it in the vignettes like that, no one has too much,” Vernetti said.

“They each have one or two specific characters, so it really allows the actor to delve into their characters and just really take on that role.”

This past month “Almost, Maine”

had been part of a controversy in North Carolina, as a high school production was canceled due to some of the content. The controversy most likely came from one of the scenes where a young man confesses his love to his male friend. According to Vernetti, the HPC cast was aware of the story and all sympathized with the students who won’t be able to put on their production.

“We think that that’s a very important scene in the show,” Vernetti said. “It’s interesting because the play talks about so many different kinds of love and that scene can be taken a lot of different ways. It’s very important, especially in the day and age that we live in, to keep that scene in. At the heart of it, it’s about the friendship and that’s not something that should be taken for granted.”

HPC’s production of “Almost, Maine” premiered on Thursday, Oct. 23, and will have more performances at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center Multipurpose Room. Tickets cost $3.

RELEASE

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

11

Listen to Release:

sign that lease

x

The rundown of off-campus housing options the time comes to trade BU IDs for house keys, RAs for landlords and dining halls for Ramen, the choice can be difficult. To make it easier, The move from the rolling hills of campus Release has investigated several off-campus to the concrete jungle of Downtown can be student communities popping up all over daunting, but about 58 percent of BU’s students Binghamton, here to give students a home away populate the streets just past Vestal Parkway, so from home (and campus). there must be something special about it. When Erin Rosenblum | Contributing Writer and Evy Pitt Stoller | Staff Writer

University Lofts 91 Court St. Rent starts at: $850 University Lofts is one of two off-campus communities to open for the first time this school year – and you can tell. While it still has that new-building smell, there are some kinks to be worked out.

“They just don’t have their act together yet,” said Seth Greenberg, a senior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law.

While the location is central to Downtown, on the same block as Maryams and Merlin’s, Lofts is noticeably lacking in other areas. The self-proclaimed “media room” is just three computers without any printers, even though students were promised free printing. Students were also promised a game room, which is yet to come to fruition.

Another common complaint from students interviewed is the lack of trash rooms on

every floor. Lofts is a six-story building, so for students on the higher floors, bringing trash down six flights is definitely an inconvenience.

Garbage bins are brought to each floor to compensate for this, but only a few times a week for two-hour time slots.

Unlike their larger off-campus counterparts like 20 Hawley or Twin River Commons, Lofts doesn’t have a team of 24-hour staff available.

This gives it a more mature, less dorm-like feel, but can be annoying if you have a problem that needs attention quickly.

On the bright side, Lofts offers a fully equipped gym and convenient parking at monthly rates down the street.

While Lofts’ location is one of the best, it doesn’t entirely make up for the building’s flaws.

20 Hawley 20 Hawley St. Rent starts at: $860 20 Hawley St., a sleek setup for Binghamton students and others, equips each resident with a personal bathroom in their bedroom, is about half a block away from Binghamton’s most popular nightlife spot, State Street, and has a popular cafe called Brewed Awakenings literally attached to the building.

Sean Harrington, a sophomore majoring in political science, praised 20 Hawley for its community events with free food, the outdoor grilling area and the newly installed jacuzzi. He said that although he often has trouble reaching staff, who he said “aren’t reachable about 30 percent of the time,” 20 Hawley accommodates him and his

fellow residents in other ways. For example, Harrington was able to land a spot at Hawley in the late summer, because there was late registration available.

On the other hand, Jiyeon Park, a senior majoring in biology, said that the elevator isn’t always operational and that management is slow to respond to student concerns.

“We are now also mandated to provide our own paper for the printer, even though our lobby was recently given an expensive paint job and we just had a jacuzzi installed,” Park said. “My parking fee has increased from $50 to $75 per month without any reasons explained to me or my fellow residents.”

University Plaza 4710 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal Rent starts at: $785 University Plaza is off-campus limbo. Located on Vestal Parkway in the shopping center also known for Chipotle, it exists neither Downtown nor on campus. For the students who call UP home, its location is both a blessing and a curse.

According to Heather Carroll, a senior majoring in Spanish, the community is the perfect place for people who have never lived on their own before.

“It was my first time living off campus and a lot of things about it made adjusting a lot easier for me,” Carroll said. “For the most part, it was clean and safe and easy to live there.”

Carroll commended the 24-hour staff at UP for being both responsible and friendly.

“You can call maintenance for anything, even changing a lightbulb and they come within 24 hours and know everyone’s names,” Carroll said.

UP is located in walking distance to Starbucks, Tully’s, Cold Stone, sushi and pizza joints, and a

central bus stop that goes either Downtown or to campus.

The apartments also boast their own washers and dryers, a bathroom for every bedroom, access to computers with printing, a modest-sized gym, a game lounge and free tanning.

While Carroll recommends UP to her fellow students, she chose to move into a house Downtown this year, calling UP’s location “an awkward middle ground between campus and the bars.”

University Plaza has a lot to offer, but access to State Street is not one of them. Current students complain that getting to and from the bars is a huge drawback – and sometimes impossible. Local cab drivers hate driving there, so some either won’t let you into their cabs at all or you’re stuck crashing at your friend’s dorm room when they refuse to stop at UP while on Vestal Parkway.

Twin River Commons 45 Washington St. Rent starts at: $740 Twin River Commons is a favorite among Binghamton University’s students. Not only does TRC offer residents access to a computer lab, but there is also a study lounge on each floor fully equipped with printers, TVs and computer monitors. And, if residents feel like leaving the building to study, they are in luck, because TRC is located directly next door to the University Downtown Center where they can study, use computers and even catch frequent University-run buses to campus and around Downtown.

Twin River Commons provides its residents with a washer and dryer in each apartment (as well as extra ones on the building’s main floor), personal bathrooms for each resident, a full gym, a tanning bed and an electronically gated parking lot, which costs $400 for the year.

“It’s such a great place to live,” said Jillian Boccia, a junior majoring in economics. “You get the full experience of living off campus in a safe, beautiful living space with incredible amenities.”

Boccia went on to praise TRC’s maintenance and office staff, who she said are all “super friendly and efficient.”

If there is one drawback to living there, says Boccia, it would be the social aspect, or lack thereof.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you who lives next door to me,” she admitted.

And although Boccia also complains that she feels she can hear “every little step the person above [her] takes,” she said that she would not have to think twice about choosing Twin River again.

Chenango Place 7 Court St. Rent starts at: $800 Chenango Place, not to be confused with Binghamton’s delicious on-campus restaurant, the Chenango Room, is the second brand-new student housing community in Downtown Binghamton, open for the first time this semester and located right down the block from its friendly competition, University Lofts.

The community’s aesthetically pleasing and informative website brags about its on-site cafe, convenient parking and fully equipped gym, and offers a virtual tour of available apartments. Ashley Vetack, a senior majoring in economics, said that the apartment has an enjoyable social environment and convenient study lounges, but she still feels gypped by Chenango Place’s website.

“There is a lot of false advertising,” said Vetack.

There is no on-site cafe, despite the website’s promise and even picture of tables set up outside the community’s only entrance, and according to Vetack, the “fully equipped” gym, while functional, is too small.

A popular complaint about Chenango Place, not only from its residents but also from people who live close by, is the constant ringing of the fire alarm.

The community’s alarm is sensitive, and people in a relatively short distance away are often woken not only by the alarm, but also by emergency vehicles coming to evaluate the situation.

Vetack said she is also disappointed by the safety situation at Chenango Place. Although the community’s address is 7 Court St., there’s only one entrance for all of Chenango Place’s residents, which isn’t even really located on Court Street. Where one might think the 7 Court St. entrance is located, there’s a big door decorated with advertisements of

Chenango, but the door doesn’t open.

The real entrance is right next to the Peacemaker’s Stage, which although is technically considered Court Street, it is a path perpendicular to Court that not only often holds loud earlymorning festivals and events, but also tends to attract drunk, sketchier characters, especially at night. This leads Vetack to claim that the parking situation doesn’t feel “convenient,” as she feels her safety is compromised when she walks to the lot, which costs $50 per month in addition to rent.

However, Vetack has only good things to say about the staff quality, complimentary HBO and the game room, which includes both ping pong and pool tables. Her problems are addressed quickly and politely, and she feels comfortable speaking to the management about various issues.

Each apartment has a washer and dryer, and each resident has a personal bathroom. However, she is disappointed about certain missing amenities, like a table. Her apartment, which houses four, was given one small table jutting out of the wall, with only two seats. And while Chenango Place is placed in a beautiful waterfront location, Vetack’s view is nothing but concrete and cement: “I never know what time of day it is or what the weather’s like,” she said. “There’s no sun and it’s depressing.”

Although she has a lot to say about the disappointment she’s faced living at Chenango Place, Vetack said that her overall living experience is a positive one. Every new building has its issues, so maybe Chenango should be given some time to fulfill the promises it makes on its website, and to open its doors more conveniently to its residents.

Hayes 600 Country Club Road, Vestal Rent starts at: $740 Hayes Student Living, the self-proclaimed “choice for the serious student” sits quietly right behind campus, a 10-minute walk for its residents.

“The number one reason to live there is the closeness to campus, while still being off campus,” said Eric Rosner, a senior majoring in accounting.

“But I would only recommend it to people who care about being close to campus. Amenities at UP, Twin River Commons and 20 Hawley are much better.”

In addition to its convenient, vehicle-optional location, right behind University Plaza, Hayes prides itself on its quiet atmosphere, which Rosner confirms.

“Its very quiet in Hayes,” Rosner said. “With the exception of Friday nights when there is a Jew party.”

Hayes is located a block away from two religious organizations, the Chabad house and the Newman house, both tucked away in the suburbs of Vestal.

The student community at Hayes is more close-knit than its Downtown counterparts, and its growth has generally been from word-of-mouth.

Accessibility to the bars compares to on-campus living, but for most Hayes students, this isn’t a problem. Weekend apartment parties with friends are preferred over sweaty frat parties or crowded State Street bars.

Hayes apartments have either one or two bedrooms and come fully furnished, although the appliances and furniture are older and less sleek than newer off-campus communities. Hayes also has laundry in each building and free Wi-Fi in each room, but there aren’t any game rooms or a gym, and cable TV is not included in rent. But the free Friday night dinner – available to everyone – at Chabad is the biggest convenience, and probably one of the biggest draws.

RELEASE

12

www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

Haute couture of the Bing school store Don't waste your time at the T-shirt racks — here are the items worth buying Odeya Pinkus | Assistant Release Editor When you just need to quickly buy Advil, chapstick or a small notebook, the bookstore is your best friend. It’s fast, right near Marketplace and, except for the first two weeks of the semester, the lines are pretty short. But beyond blue books and the candy aisle, there lies a treasure trove of Binghamton paraphernalia: hats, gloves, shot glasses, those stickers

1

your parents have always wanted for their cars. It’s all there and at our disposal. Wearing school regalia says “Hey there, I’m a Bearcat and I’m proud!” or “Even though we don’t have a football team, I’d like to pretend that we do!” And among all the pinnies and the T-shirts, there are a few pieces that are the crème de la crème. No, these aren’t the cheapest items in the store, but they are definitely the ones you should save up for.

Gear Field Jacket – If I could only wear one item for the rest of my life, this would probably not be it. However, if I could only wear one bookstore item for the rest of my life, I would choose this majestic windbreaker without a doubt. A regal Pantone 342, this jacket doubles as the perfect fall outerwear and comfy sweatshirt. Yes, it’s lined with the 65 percent cotton material. Walk around outside while sporting our colors, and you’ll feel like a million bucks, if a million bucks was wearing a great coat.

2

3 4

LogoFit Rugby Knit Scarf – Ten points for Gryffindor, because this Harry Potter-style scarf wins at everything. Wide multi-colored stripes can turn any day magical.

While the black and green motif is very reminiscent of Slytherin, I’m still interested. Give it here, Malfoy, because this scarf is one of my favorite items the store offers.

Its soft, thick material is bound to keep you warm and ward off that one friend who consistently tells you to dress warmer.

5

Under Armour Half Zip – Run free without worry in this lightweight long sleeve. Perfect for an outdoor winter job, this half zip is stylish and warm without being clunky and awkward. The Heatgear technology will keep you warm on your run in the harsh Binghamton weather. In addition, it’s not so loose to be baggy, but not so tight to be choking you.

Women’s Mighty Light Vest – If you don’t mind slightly chilly arms (or have the aforementioned half zip on) then this vest is the only item you need this winter.

Sleek and black, it’s classy, while still managing to represent the noble Bearcat in the upper right breast. What’s so great about this vest is that it’s useful all throughout the fall and winter.

Wear it on a run, wear it in a cold air-conditioned room. Wear it during the summer because you just can’t let go. Wherever you wear it, you will look fly as hell.

Forty Seven Brand Mohican Earflap Sherpa Knit Hat – For the risk taker, the adventurer, for the person who says carpe diem every day and means it, we have the hat for you. With a mohawk of strings that says, “I probably longboard around campus,” you’ll be the talk of the Spine this winter. Two tassels fall down the sides, and if that doesn’t say swag, I don’t know what does.

Tycho McManus/Assistant Photo Editor

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www.bupipedream.com | October 24, 2014

13

SPORTS

WEEK 8

PIPE DREAM PICKS

Welcome to the sixth week of Pipe Dream NFL Picks! Every week, Pipe Dream sports +3 POINTS LOCK GAME: editors and one guest attempt to correctly predict the outcome of four upcoming games of their choice, selecting one prediction as a LOCK. A correct LOCK earns you three points; getting it wrong costs you one. The other three games are worth one point each, and there are no OTHER GAMES: penalties for wrong guesses on these. Ties give you a half-point. After week five, Twitty keeps killing it with 22 points. E.Jay maintains second with nine, and the guest and Ash tie for last with six.

ASHLEY PURDY'S PICKS SPORTS EDITOR LOCK: CLEVELAND (-3) over Oakland It’s not luck or brand affiliation anymore; Dallas is just that good, and Washington’s lame – almost literally.

Colt McCoy is the team’s best bet. That doesn’t say much, especially given the shoddy offense surrounding him.

E.JAY ZARETT'S PICKS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR LOCK: CLEVELAND (-3) over Oakland My housemates Matt and Jeremy want to see Johnny Football, but I am firmly on the Hoyer train. Plus Oakland is just terrible. Poor Raiders fans.

JEFF TWITTY'S PICKS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR LOCK: Indianapolis (-3) over PITTSBURGH

Houston (-2) over TENNESSEE I could just as easily go the other way. But I think Watt will throw off Mettenberger, who’s an actual noob.

Favorite NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys

The Lions are the most exciting team around. If you haven’t joined yet, come aboard: The Lions bandwagon has plenty of room.

Lucky guess?

Seattle (-5) over CAROLINA

A bit biased but the Jets aren’t as bad as their record. They are due for a win. Right? Right.

Same theory as before.

The Seahawks are due.

Favorite NFL Team: New York Jets

TIE +.5 POINTS

CLEVELAND (-3) over Oakland Self-explanatory.

Green Bay (+1.5) over NEW ORLEANS Need to pick an upset (thanks Purdy – enjoy last place) and I’ve learned not to bet against Rodgers.

SEASON RECORD 8-12, 9 POINTS

ARIZONA (-2.5) over Philadelphia

Chicago (+6) over NEW ENGLAND

It’s really easy to look good when you play cupcakes, Philly.

No reason Chicago shouldn’t pull this out, but if it doesn’t I can afford the loss.

Buffalo (+3) over NY JETS No, Jets. Just no.

SEASON RECORD 12-8, 22 POINTS

Minnesota (+2.5) over TAMPA BAY Jackson has boned me in Fantasy this season, so this is well-deserved retribution.

Favorite NFL Team: Detroit Lions

0 POINTS

PITTSBURGH (+3) over Indianapolis

NY JETS (-3) over Buffalo

Favorite NFL Team: New Orleans Saints

LOCK: Detroit (-3.5) over Atlanta

+1 POINT

SEASON RECORD 8-12, 6 POINTS

Always nice to pick up an easy three points.

BEN MOOSHER'S PICKS FUN PAGE EDITOR - GUEST

SCORING SYSTEM

-1 POINT

Buffalo (+3) over NY JETS Thank God Fireman Ed jumped ship when he did.

Green Bay (+1.5) over NEW ORLEANS Frankly, I’ll have any team beat the abysmal NFC South.

SEASON RECORD 8-12, 6 POINTS

America East releases 2014-15 preseason polls Men's team tabbed fifth, Reed named to All-Conference team Ashley Purdy Sports Editor

The America East released its 2014-15 men’s basketball preseason poll on Thursday afternoon, selecting Stony Brook as the favorite with 60 points and six of eight possible first-place votes. Binghamton was tabbed fifth out of the America East’s nine teams with 38 points and no first-place picks. The poll is determined by the conference’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own team.

In addition to team rankings, the coaches also named individuals for the Preseason AllConference Team. BU junior guard Jordan Reed earned the accolade for the second straight year, having led the conference in rebounding with 8.9 boards per game and finished third in scoring with 15.4 points per game. Despite those figures and earning 10 double-doubles through 2013-14, Reed was voted second-team all-conference at the end of last season.

“Jordan’s earned the respect of the coaches in the league and I think that’s what the AllConference Team is all about,” BU head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “He’s had two good years, people expect a lot out of him, and that’s why he was made first-team all-conference.”

Rounding out the Preseason AllConference Team selections are Hartford senior forward Mark Nwakamma, Albany junior guard Peter Hooley and Stony Brook’s tandem juniors, forward Jameel Warney and guard Carson Puriefoy.

Warney and Puriefoy played no small role in Stony Brook’s finishing at the top of the poll. Warney, 2013-14’s America East Player of the Year, did not lead the conference in either shooting or rebounding, finishing last season with 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, good for seventh and third in AE standings, respectively. However, the 6-foot-8 sharp

shooter posted a .616 field goal percentage through the season, which ranked fifth in the nation.

Puriefoy, on the other hand, was picked secondteam all-conference along with Reed at the end of last season, putting up 12.8 points and 2.8 assists per game.

Following Stony Brook in the top half of the rankings were Hartford (55, two first-place votes), Albany (51, one first-place vote) and Vermont (48).

For its part, Hartford returns the conference’s most experienced squad, having lost none of its starting five to graduation.

The Hawks will continue to rely on Nwakamma, a two-time first-team allconference selection who finished last season with 15.3 points per game.

Two-time reigning AE champ Albany can still look to Hooley and senior forward Sam Rowley — another pair of last season’s second-team all-conference picks — to ground its team. Hooley also bears the distinction of being last year’s AE Championship’s Most Outstanding Player.

Though Binghamton has welcomed seven freshmen to its roster, Dempsey’s squad’s fifthplace ranking falls two spots above last year’s.

“It’s a sign that the coaches realize our program is moving in a positive direction,” Dempsey said. “But I think the polls for the most part are more for media and fans.

Internally, we’re just focused on getting our team ready here for the first stretch of games … We just can’t wait to get the uniforms on and play, and I think that the rest of it will take care of itself over time,” Dempsey added.

Finishing the bottom half of the poll are UNH (26), UMBC (23), Maine (17) and UMass Lowell (10).

Keep an eye out for Pipe Dream’s preseason rankings and all-conference team selections in our season preview issue on Nov. 11.

Women's team picked last after 5-25 season, large roster turnover E.Jay Zarett

Assistant Sports Editor

The 2014-15 America East women’s basketball preseason rankings, released on Wednesday, look very similar to the final standings of the 2013-14 season: Albany on top, Binghamton on bottom. Binghamton was picked by the conference’s head coaches to finish in ninth place for the second consecutive year.

“Based on where we finished in conference last season, it’s not a surprise to be picked to finish in the bottom,” BU head coach Linda Cimino wrote via text message. “We have a challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare us for conference play and we are working hard to be ready to compete in conference. We will look to improve every time we step on the court.”

Albany received 64 points and all eight available first-place votes on Wednesday, as coaches are not permitted to give their own team a first-place vote. The Great Danes have won three straight America East Championships, the last two regular-season titles and 38 consecutive conference games before they had their streak snapped to Stony Brook last season.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Bearcats graduated their entire starting backcourt from last year’s team that went 5-25 and return only one starter in senior forward Sherae Swinson.

Directly trailing Albany in the standings is Stony Brook, which received 51 points. The Seawolves finished 13-3 last season — including their momentous 66-56 victory over Albany — but will have to replace former coach Beth O’Boyle, who left the job to take the helm at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Hartford and New Hampshire finished tied for third in the preseason rankings with 46 points.

New Hampshire received the only other first-place vote.

Rounding out the rankings were Maine (43), UMBC (24) and UMass Lowell and Vermont, who tied for seventh with 21 points each.

The America East also announced the Preseason All-Conference Team, which features Albany junior forward Shereesha Richards, who led the conference in scoring with 20 points per game last season, and Stony Brook senior forward Sabre Proctor, who was a first-team AE player in 2013-14. Completing the team were UMass Lowell senior guard Shannon Samuels, Maine junior forward Liz Wood and New Hampshire junior forward Corinne Coia.

Tycho McManus/Assistant Photo Editor

Junior guard Jordan Reed was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team for the second consecutive year. The 6-foot-4 three-year starter averaged 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season. Senior forward Sherae Swinson is the only returning starter on a Binghamton team that’s predicted to finished last in the America East.

SPORTS

BASKETBALL

AE releases preseason polls see page 13

Friday, October 24, 2014

O'KNEELED

Behind two O'Neill goals, Bearcats rally back from deficit, humble Vermont Jeff Twitty

Assistant Sports Editor

For the third time in four games, the Binghamton women’s soccer team delved into double overtime, this time at Vermont on Thursday. And for the eighth time this season, the Bearcats (6-9-2, 2-32 America East) faced an early deficit against their rival.

With both factors present in Burlington, Binghamton accomplished something at Vermont (3-11-2, 1-5-1 AE) that it had yet to do this season: win.

Though they were outshot, 14-9, and trailed twice, the Bearcats were resilient — an apparent trait in their ultimate 3-2 victory.

“They really kept their head up and showed a lot of mental toughness,” BU head coach Sarah McClellan said. “Weather conditions were terrible and we’re on the road, so we just needed to stay committed to the game and do what we came there to do, and I think our team just kept each other up and kept working.”

From the opening whistle, the Catamounts’ offense was dominant.

They took their first shot just 18 seconds in

and freshman forward Rylee Osgood netted the first goal in the fourth minute. Vermont didn’t let up after their lead, peppering the BU goal with four more consecutive shots between the fifth and 10th minutes.

Though BU didn’t take a shot until the 14th minute, its patience was rewarded when sophomore midfielder Katie O’Neill had her shot deflected off of a Vermont defender into the net, putting Binghamton on the board in the 19th minute.

Despite both teams taking three more shots, the game would stayed deadlocked, 1-1, for the remainder of the first half. But Binghamton’s offense held an edge in momentum, taking three of the half’s final four shots.

After the break, McClellan made the decision to keep senior goalkeeper Gaby Gold between the posts for the second half, which hasn’t happened since the game against Cornell on Sept. 21.

“We were just kind of making a decision based on weather conditions,” McClellan said. “She did a fantastic job in the first half, so we thought, ‘Let’s keep it steady.’”

Despite opening the half with a shot three minutes in, Binghamton trailed again as Osgood scored her third goal of the season in the 60th minute. In the 63rd, Osgood attempted a hat trick, but Gold successfully made the save to prevent it.

BU found the equalizer in the 75th, when redshirt freshman forward Jacque Rice beat

Vermont’s goalie, who was drawn off the line. The scoring shot was BU’s last in regulation, while UVM only managed one more, pushing Gold to a seasonhigh five saves.

The Bearcats dominated their first overtime period against Vermont, holding a 5-0 shot advantage. But BU’s effort was to no avail as a string of Vermont saves forced a second overtime period.

In that second period, UVM provided a scare off of an early high kick, but it was Binghamton that found the winning edge after O’Neill buried her second goal of the game off of a corner kick from junior midfielder Rebecca Raber.

“I think we really dominated in the overtime,” McClellan said. “We’ve been there for a couple games now, in those tight moments where it’s just critical moments on the clock, and we were knocking on the door in both overtimes from the first whistle.”

Thursday’s win keeps Binghamton’s postseason hopes alive, stationing the team in sixth place one week before the America East Tournament, which only features the top-six seeds.

“The pressure was on,” McClellan said. “For the team to stick with it and have a great comeback win and a win that really mattered, it was something that we needed.”

For the Bearcats’ final regular season game, they will face UMBC. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Sunday in Baltimore, Md.

Sasha Dolgetta/Contributing Photographer

Sophomore midfielder Katie O’Neill tallied two goals and an assist as Binghamton beat Vermont in double overtime on Thursday.

BU falls to Columbia, 1-0

Binghamton hosts Albany Bearcats take on Albany at home on Friday E.Jay Zarett

Assistant Sports Editor

Sasha Dolgetta/Contributing Photographer

Sophomore keeper Robert Moewes has played every minute in goal for Binghamton since returning from his injury on Sept. 23. He has conceded six goals and recorded two shutouts in that span.

Bearcats falter in last non-conference game of 2014 Kyle McDonald

Contributing Writer

Taking a break from its America East slate in the middle of its conference stretch, the Binghamton men’s soccer team fell, 1-0, to Ivy League member Columbia on Wednesday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

Binghamton (4-10, 2-1 AE) outshot Columbia (5-5-1, 1-1-1 IL), 10-9, through the game, but the Bearcats’ inability to capitalize on their shots continued to make itself evident, as the Bearcats were again unable to find the back of the net.

“We are playing really good soccer but we just can’t score a goal,” BU head coach Paul Marco said. “We are doing everything but scoring goals.”

The lone goal of the match came in the 35th minute.

Columbia freshman forward Jack Blattman connected on a pass from classmate Zach Morant and fired a shot into the right side of the net, beating Binghamton sophomore goalkeeper Robert

Moewes for the score.

“I just wish we could’ve scored a few more goals,” Marco said.

“However I think we are in a great place going forward.”

The midweek non-conference game gave both coaches the chance to alter their lineups and give their starters some rest, as well as to give less experienced players some seasoning.

The Bearcats only started two of their regulars against the Lions, although each starter saw some action.

“I was monitoring how many minutes guys were playing more than who started the game,” Marco said. “I think the unit that started the game performed very well.”

In addition to lineup changes, the Bearcats made some tactical adaptations in the game to get a final look at how certain parts of their offense functioned.

“Even in some of the conference matches, I’ve tried to try some new things,” Marco said. “Most of the time, it is tactics to try and score more goals. I’ve put some new set

pieces in to prepare for some of our opponents.”

The Bearcats’ remaining conference schedule is filled with challenges. Binghamton is scheduled to hit the road in three of its final four games, including this Saturday when the team travels to Massachusetts to take on UMass Lowell. Binghamton currently sits in fourth place in America East standings while the River Hawks (6-8-1, 2-1-1 AE) stand one place ahead, in third.

“This weekend presents us with a very good challenge,” Marco said. “From watching UMass Lowell’s last few games, they are a very good team. They may be one of the better teams we play all year.”

UMass Lowell currently rides a two-game winning streak, through which they have scored five goals. Most recently, the River Hawks defeated NJIT by a score of 3-1 last Wednesday.

Kick off is set for 3 p.m.

Saturday at the Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Mass.

With both the Binghamton and Albany volleyball teams entering their Friday matchup with 4-2 America East records and sharing a second-place tie, the game’s winner will move into sole possession of the number two standing in the conference with only five contests remaining.

“When we play Albany, I feel like it is always a big match for us,” BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. “They have been perennial volleyball standouts.

They have always been a tough team to play.”

The two teams initially met to open conference play earlier this season. The Bearcats (615, 4-2 AE) entered the match struggling, having lost seven of their last eight games. But in one of their toughest matches of the season, Binghamton captured the contest in a five-set thriller.

“We handled the ball just well enough to score a lot of points,” Kiriyama said. “I thought we served pretty tough against them.

We were able to disrupt the wall well amongst our hitters.”

Since that game, the Bearcats have won three of five, including sweeps of conference rivals UMass Lowell, UMBC and a fourset triumph over Stony Brook.

Binghamton has been led by sophomore outside hitter Allison Hovie, who leads the team with 3.07 kills per set, and senior setter Amanda Dettmann, who currently ranks fourth in the conference with 9.01 assists per set.

In the Bearcats’ last contest, a straight-set defeat of UMBC, the pair dominated. Hovie finished with 12 kills and 16 digs on her way to winning the America

East Player of the Week award, while Dettmann controlled the offense, distributing 34 assists and chipping in 14 digs to earn AE Co-Setter of the Week honors.

Freshman middle hitter Alexis LaGoy, who contributed nine kills, also garnered AE honors in being named Rookie of the Week.

“It was nice for them to get their recognition,” Kiriyama said.

“They have been working hard all season. They are just starting to come into their own a little bit — especially the younger ones on the team — so it was good to see that.”

Albany (6-12, 4-2 AE) sophomore outside hitters Laini Leindecker and Olivia Schonewise served the Bearcats’ defense difficulties in the two programs’ matchup last month. Leindecker, who currently sits in second in the conference with 3.10 kills per set, finished with a game-high 19 terminations against the Bearcats while Schonewise added 16.

Couple those two with another pair of strong sophomore outside hitters, Amy Hunter and Amanda Dolan, and the Great Danes have a potent offense that will provide

a challenge for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats defense — led by sophomore libero Bailey Walker, who has recorded 20 digs or more in six straight games — will need to rise to the challenge for the Bearcats to complete their season sweep of Albany. “[Getting the win] is important,” Kiriyama said. “It is going to be a tight race this year.

It is always tight but I think that it is going to stay tight. Every win is important for us. I think it will put us in a much better position.”

BU and Albany will face off Friday at the West Gym. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

BU vs. Albany DATE

Today LOCATION

West Gym TIME

7:00 p.m.

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Sophomore libero Bailey Walker has recorded 20 digs or more in six consecutive games.